Oregon Destiny

by Rachel Wesson

  “Neither did I but your pa has on animals. He should be able to do it,” Ma answered as she went to get her husband.

  A couple of the men came forward. Johanna was thankful Paco was unconscious as the pain of their actions would be horrendous. He remained out of it while her pa and Mr. Newland set his leg. They splinted it. She had it bandaged by the time Paco recovered consciousness.

  “Thank goodness, I thought you would never wake up.”

  Paco tried to pull himself up.

  “You are not going anywhere. Lie still.”

  “I must go find He Who Runs. Danger. Beaver.”

  “Yes, we know. Scott has gone after Mitchell, Beaver has gone to help him.”

  “Beaver no help.”

  “He did, he helped bring you here. You need to rest, Paco. Your body took a beating. I don’t know how bad your internal injuries could be.”

  Paco started rambling in his own language. Johanna tried to calm him but nothing was working.

  “What’s he rambling about?” Rick asked.

  “I have no idea. He says there is trouble. Mitchell and Beaver.”

  “The poor man. He is horribly injured yet still concerned about the others. Do you have anything to knock him out?”

  Johanna’s stomach turned. “I can’t, Rick. I don’t know how to use that type of medicine and I could make him worse.”

  “Maybe he will wear himself out.”

  Rick’s prophecy came true fairly quickly as Paco lost consciousness again. Johanna checked him regularly. His heart was still beating strongly. The men moved him carefully to a feather bed. That was all they could do for now.

  Chapter 49

  Becky did everything she could to slow Mitchell down. She stumbled a couple of times and tripped him up on one occasion. Each time earned her a slap but it was worth it. She heard other sounds in the forest. Some were caused by animals fleeing the fire. But she’d heard human voices too. Mitchell though it was Indians but she knew it was Scott. He was coming for her. Maybe he was coming for Mitchell her inner voice taunted but she did her best to ignore it. Regardless of why he was coming he would be here soon.

  “Boss, the river is just up ahead. Want me to scout ahead and check it out?”

  “Chicken liver. You’re just trying to save your neck, Price.”

  “Want to come here and say that, Bill?”

  “Will you two cut it out. The people chasing us won’t care who they kill first. We will all go to the river.”

  “But, boss, what if they are waiting for us. What if this was a trap?”

  Mitchell stopped to look behind him.

  “We can’t go back. The fire has overtaken our camp. We got no choice but to go on. Price, you go check it out. Take Turner with you.”

  The two men moved forward at a quicker pace. Within seconds, both screamed out simultaneously. A couple of the men ran toward Price.

  Mitchell came to a standstill.

  “Indians. Up ahead.” One of the men came running back, a broken arrow in his hand.

  “Did you see how many?”

  “No, sir, but sounds like a hundred. Price and Turner are dead.”

  “It’s Jones. He’s bluffing. Come here girly.” He pulled Becky close to him again, this time removing her gag.

  “Go on scream to your man. Get him to come here.”

  Becky stayed silent.

  “I told you to do something.”

  She stared back at him. She wasn’t going to put Scott in danger. No matter what.

  “You better scream, girl, or I will make you.” He pulled a knife out of his pocket, the blade glinting despite the limited light.

  “You do what you want. I won’t betray Scott. Ever,” Becky said, her nails piercing the palms of her hands.

  “Come on, boss, let’s get out of here. Leave her.”

  “Don’t tell me what to do.”

  Becky saw Bill pale. Everyone, even his own men, were terrified of Mitchell. Well, she wasn’t, or at least she was going to make him think she wasn’t. She knew there weren’t that many men with the camp, so Scott couldn’t have too many people with him. Mitchell had at least thirteen guns left. She had to separate the two groups.

  “You going to let him tell you what to do? Some leader you are,” she taunted Mitchell. “I thought you were supposed to be brave.”

  “Shut up, girl.”

  “Make me,” she baited him before turning to Bill pretending to flirt with him. “Should I be looking at you as leader? Are you really in charge here? You look more intelligent.”

  “Enough, shut up.”

  “She got a point, Mitchell. Since when are you the boss?” Bill spat. “I thought we were equal partners. I say we got to get out of here.”

  “We go when I say we go.”

  “You’re going to get us all killed.” Bill looked at the men around them who were staring back at him. “Are you going to stay here and burn or get murdered by the redskins? Or do you want to follow me out of here?”

  “You ain't leaving me like a rat from a sinking ship,” Mitchell growled a warning.

  “I guess I am.”

  A shot rang out as Bill fell back, a look of shock on his face. Becky had been waiting for something to happen so she took off running. She ran in the direction Price had taken. “Scott it’s me, don’t shoot. Please don’t shoot.”

  She almost made it but Mitchell made a flying leap at her feet knocking them both to the ground.

  “You ain't going anywhere without me, missy. You’re my protection.”

  “Let her go, Mitchell, you are surrounded.”

  Becky yelped as Mitchell increased his grip on her while looking around him. Becky couldn’t see anyone either but she’d heard his voice. He’d come.

  “I ain’t coming out there, Jones.”

  “You scared?”

  “Why don’t you face me man to man? Just you and me,” Mitchell yelled.

  “Yeah right. As soon as you see me you will put a bullet in me. What happened to your other men?”

  “They are behind me.”

  “Funny, I thought at least half of them were dead. We got a couple of live ones here, don’t we?”

  Becky heard a scuffling sound before two men shouted out to Mitchell. One said, “I got jumped, boss. He’s got Indians with him. Lots of them.”

  Mitchell cursed.

  “You best let me talk to him. I will get him to promise to let you go,” Becky said, desperation making her voice shake.

  “Got a high opinion of yourself, don’t you? I heard he wouldn’t marry you, he was set on coming after me.”

  “Who told you that?” She protested, wondering how on earth he knew that. Nobody knew what Scott had told her. Nobody other than David and Paco. Paco? He wouldn’t have betrayed Scott to Mitchell. He had been badly beaten up but still he wouldn’t have turned against his brother. But he wasn’t his brother, was he? He was an Indian and Scott was white.

  She shook the horrible thoughts out of her head. What was wrong with her? Paco only ever did anything to help her and here she was doubting his loyalty.

  “Come out, Mitchell, or my men will go in after you.”

  “Not much of a choice, is it, Jones?”

  “I dunno about that. If you come out, I will shoot you. A fast, clean and quick death. If I send my friends after you, you will be begging someone to shoot you.”

  Becky saw Mitchell pale as he swallowed hard.

  “Wonder if it’s true?” she whispered.

  “What?’’

  “Scott told me the Indians can tie a man to a tree and burn him to death without singeing the tree.”

  “Course that ain't true.”

  “Horrible thought, isn’t it? Maybe they will use ants instead?”

  “Ants?” His eyes filled with terror. “Oh, shut up. I can’t think with you yapping on.”

  “I’m losing patience. So are the men. You killed Aged Oak’s wife, daughter and son. He really wants to get his hands on
you,” Scott called again.

  As if to reinforce Scotts words, an arrow came flying over their heads. One of Mitchell’s men cried out.

  “Another one down. How long, Mitchell?”

  “You’re bluffing, Jones. I have your girl.”

  “What girl? The Thompson one? Didn’t you hear I turned her down. I have a woman. Kateri’s sister. Very beautiful and passionate. Unlike any white woman.”

  Even though she guessed he was trying to protect her, it still hurt to hear him state the truth. He had turned her down. She’d thrown herself at him. She blinked back her tears. She wasn’t going to cry in front of Mitchell, even if her heart was breaking. She fell to the ground, her legs giving way as her body shook with stress and fear. But wait, Kateri didn’t have a sister. She’d only had one brother. Her sister had been killed by Mitchell in the same attack that had killed his family. Was Scott sending her a message or was her broken heart making her read things that weren’t there?

  Chapter 50

  Jessie returned from Oregon City with about ten men.

  “Where’s the boss?”

  Rick pointed toward the burning forest. ‘He went in there. Some time back. He hasn’t returned.”

  Johanna watched Jessie’s face. She didn’t know him that well but Mrs. Long had a high opinion of him. She had told her, she thought he might be a good match for Sheila Freeman. Jessie was afraid of the fire. That was a good thing as far as Johanna was concerned. It meant he had a brain unlike some of his friends who just wanted to rush into the fight in the forest.

  “He left one of his men to wait for you. I think his name was Duke.”

  “Thanks, Hughes. I’ll just go check with Duke. Some of the men are nervous,” Jessie added in a whisper. “There’s been talk of some Indians on the move. They think they may be headed here.”

  “We have Paco here. He’s Jones’ friend. Wounded by Mitchell but I haven’t seen any others apart from Beaver. But he ran back into the forest ages ago to help Jones.”

  Before Jessie could check anything, an arrow flew over his head quickly followed by another one.

  “Indian attack, get under cover.”

  Rick dragged Johanna behind the circled wagons. Thankful he had prepared their best chance of fending off an attack, although he had expected white men under Mitchell’s control not Indians. Why were the Indians attacking now?

  “Rick, look that’s Beaver. He’s coming in.”

  “Hold your fire. That man is a friend.”

  “He’s Indian,” a man Jessie had brought with him spat out.

  “Some Indians are friends. Hold your fire,” Rick insisted.

  Rick went out to meet Beaver. Johanna bit her lip watching her fiancé with Paco’s friend. Paco made a sound interrupting her. He was trying to sit up again.

  “Paco, you got to rest. You could die.” She pushed him back to make him lie down.

  “Don’t trust Ahmik.”

  “Who?” Johanna wasn’t sure what name Paco was trying to say. It was obviously an Indian. Was he raving?

  “Ahmik.”

  “Okay we won’t. Now will you please sleep. When Captain Jones comes back, he will be very cross with me if you die.”

  “Son of Medicine Man. Be careful.”

  Johanna checked his fever. His head was only slightly hot but not enough to cause him to ramble like this. But she didn’t show her concerns to him. She asked Mrs. Newland to sponge him down while she went to check on Rick.

  Rick was talking to Beaver who was making agitated hand gestures.

  ‘What’s all that about, Miss Thompson?”

  ‘No idea, Jessie. I don’t think Beaver speaks much English and Rick certainly doesn’t speak Indian.”

  “He’s coming back.”

  Johanna waited until Rick was back inside their camp before running into his arms.

  “I was worried about you.”

  “Beaver wants our guns.”

  “Why? Are you sure?” At the look on her fiancé’s face, she continued quickly. “What I mean is, he doesn’t speak English. Could you have misunderstood him?”

  “No, he said Jones wanted the guns.”

  “Captain Jones? He wouldn’t leave our camp unattended.”

  “I know, Johanna, but that’s not all.”

  Jessie cleared his throat. “I know Jones is friendly with the Indians and all, but why would he want more guns and why send someone back who can’t speak English? That doesn’t make any sense.”

  Rick and Johanna exchanged glances.

  “But Captain Jones introduced us to Beaver. He helped us cross the river. We wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for him,” Johanna replied.

  Jessie shrugged. “I am not saying anything about him but I just don’t like it. It doesn’t sound like Captain Jones to me and I been riding with the boss for a while now.”

  “Can we buy some time? I could tell him we have guns hidden in the wagons but it will take a while to find them all.” Rick looked at Jessie who nodded grimly.

  Johanna looked at Beaver. There was something about him that was bugging her and she didn’t know what.

  “How is Paco?” Rick asked quietly.

  “Oh my goodness, Paco. He said not to trust Ahmik. Do you think he knew Indians were coming?”

  “Johanna, wasn’t that the name Jones used for Beaver? When he introduced us, we couldn’t say his name so he used an English name for him.”

  Johanna’s heart raced faster. “He’s trying to hurt us? But he brought Paco here for help. He would have left him behind in the forest if he meant to kill us. Wouldn’t he?”

  “I have no idea but we have to stall him. We got to get to Scott and warn him.”

  “You can’t go. Beaver knows you are here,” Jessie said quickly. “He will get suspicious if you ride out.”

  “What do we do then? We need you and your men to help protect us. We have no idea how many Indians are with Beaver. And why are they here in the first place?”

  “Their chief said Becky and I would always be welcome in their camp. He said he would always be our friend.”

  “Never can trust an Indian,” Jessie’s friend spat out.

  Johanna glared at him. Rick told him to shut his mouth.

  “I’ll go,” Jessie said. “You best get back to Beaver and tell him the story about finding the guns. Meanwhile, I will take the men back toward the city first. There is a farm a little ways back. They can wait there. It will look as if we are going on to the bar in Oregon City.”

  Johanna bit her lip as Rick rode out toward Beaver. She couldn’t bear to watch so she went to check on Paco. She bathed his forehead making him wake up.

  “Paco, is Beaver, Ahmik?”

  Paco nodded.

  “Is he trying to hurt us?”

  “Yes, hates He Who Runs.”

  “Why?”

  “His mother, sister, wife and baby were killed by Mitchell.”

  “But Captain Jones hates Mitchell. It is so mixed up.”

  “Yes. Very big danger. I help.” He tried to raise himself up but fell back down.

  Chapter 51

  “Paco, where are your men? Are they attacking us too?”

  Paco became very agitated. “No, they go back to camp. Heard story soldiers coming. Need horse. I go get men.”

  “Let me get them,” Almanzo said coming out of the shadows.

  “Almanzo, no. You are too young.”

  “I am not. I am a good rider and fast. I can get help.”

  Johanna shook her head at the same time Paco nodded.

  “Let boy go. Boy take this. It will keep you safe.”

  Paco tried to take his necklace off but couldn’t. Johanna helped him and handed it to Almanzo reluctantly. “I don’t like this. You should stay here where you are safe.”

  “Ain't none of us going to be alive if Indians attack us now,”Almanzo said firmly. “The Indians know me from the last time. They don’t know any of the other men.”

  Johanna couldn�
�t argue with him, it was true.

  “Take my horse Al. He knows way home. He is near farm back there. You will know him. Let him smell.” Paco pointed to the necklace.

  Johanna pulled Almanzo close. “You better come back safe, do you hear me?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Speak to chief. No one else,” Paco gasped trying to speak clearly. “Mother was called Wildflower.”

  Almanzo glanced at Johanna as Paco lost consciousness again.

  “You are very brave,” Johanna tried but failed to stop the tears falling.

  “I best get going before anyone notices.” He gave her a quick hug before he set off running. Johanna watched Almanzo until he disappeared from sight. When would she see him again?

  Now she had to find Rick and tell him Almanzo had gone to the Indian camp. Alone. She was not looking forward to his reaction. Rick was talking to Jessie when Johanna came back.

  “You don’t need to ride for Paco’s men, Jessie,” Johanna said looking her fiancé in the eyes. “Almanzo has already gone.”

  “What? You didn’t stop him?”

  “No, not really. I didn’t want him to go but what other chance have we? Jessie needs to find Captain Jones and tell him what’s going on. None of this makes sense.”

  Seeing she was close to the breaking point, Rick took her in his arms. “I won’t let anything happen to you, I promise.”

  Johanna wanted to stay there in his arms, but they had to pretend to be looking for guns. Otherwise, Beaver and his friends would get suspicious.

  “Why don’t we give them some guns?” Johanna asked.

  “What? So they can turn them back on us?” Jessie asked, his expression showed he was wondering if she had hit her head.

  “If we give them a couple of old ones, broken old ones, it may buy some time.”

  “You aren’t just a pretty face, are you, Miss Thompson? You mean sabotage the guns.”

  “There must be a way of doing it so when they try to fire, it hits them or hurts them in some way.”

  Jessie grinned. “There sure is. Let’s have a go at them. Wouldn’t mind seeing their reaction when the guns go off.”