On the Mountain

by Peggy Ann Craig

  It wasn’t outside, but at least she was as far away from Wade and that overly painted woman as she could get. From her place she could still see them huddled close together near the bar. Their heads within inches of each other. More than likely because that was the only way to be heard, but still it bothered her more than she cared.

  Feeling uneasy she looked around at all the unfamiliar faces and suddenly felt very overwhelmed. For the first time since this charade had begun, she felt maybe she had gotten herself in far over her head.

  From amongst the saloon chatter filling the overcrowded tavern, one recognizable voice reached her ears. It was barely audible, but its familiarity reached Anna like a bullwhip. A trickle of terror ran down her spine. She spun around, trying to place the voice with the person. But there were too many faces. As if being unmercifully teased she heard it again and spun around in the opposite direction. The words were unclear, but the voice triggered a recollection that had a flood of fear coursing through her veins.

  Chapter 9

  Wade leaned back against the bar and allowed Marion to cape herself across his lap. He took a swig of his brew and looked across the room. The boy was tucked under a small alcove beneath the stairs, and as usual looked like a frightened kitten. The redhead on his lap lifted her dress in order to get a better position on his leg. She dropped the billowing skirt around them and started grinding herself up against him, momentarily drawing his attention away from the boy.

  He groaned inside and felt his member begin to stir. Hell, he needed to get upstairs as soon as possible. He had no idea what was going on with his body this past week, but he had felt hornier then a bull during mating season. Take just that morning, when he had awoken with the boy cradled in his arms. He had figured because of the very cold temperatures he had instinctively searched out body warmth and since the boy was closest, that was who he grabbed. He and his ranch hands had used each other’s body heat many times before when the nights became too unbearable. But, hell, not one of them felt soft and warm and smelled like the valley fresh after a rainfall. Nor had any of them left him with a stiff member.

  Simply remembering the incident had him cursing himself silently. Maybe it was the boy’s small frame, so similar to a girl’s. Hell, Joe was right on one account. He had never recalled any of his ranch hands smelling so sweet. Wade figured it was the boy’s age and youth which was still on his side. What the boy needed was a little real life, hard-core experience. And the saloon was as good a place as any to get it.

  “Why don’t we take this up to my bed, lover,” Marion purred into his ear.

  Wade eyed her beneath heavy lids before finishing the last of his drink and grabbed her by the arm. “Let’s go.”

  “I love it when you get rough.”

  No matter what the state his libido was in, the day had been long and he was beginning to feel the effects. The mention of bed sounded far too welcoming. But first, he would have to speak to the boy. As he approached the staircase, the kid at first wasn’t visible until upon closer notice Wade could see him huddled in a corner in the far back. A memory of that first night when he found him curled up in a fetal position in the furthest bunk came to mind.

  “Boy?”

  Frightened eyes looked up and a flood of relief filled their chocolate depths before he leaped to his feet and reached for Wade. Startled, Wade took an instinctive step back.

  “Hell, kid, relax,” he said and frowned down at the boy. “No one is going to bite you here.”

  “Unless, of course, you want them to.” Marion cooed running a seductive hand along his jaw.

  Irritated, Wade brushed it aside and studied the boy’s face. He was surprised to see his brows dip toward his nose in anger, but Wade wouldn’t let himself worry whether he had upset the boy or not. The kid had to learn to grow a tougher backside. At the least, the fear had vanished from his eyes. Temporarily, Wade thought with a grimace, knowing full well the boy’s next reaction.

  “Look, kid, here’s the thing. I’ve got a room booked for you upstairs with Noelle. She’s French and doesn’t speak much English, but she’s a young filly and you might even take a liking to her.” He saw the boy’s eyes begin to widen. “Don’t give me a hard time, kid. It’s been a long day and I’m tired. You either take my offer or you can bunk out in the livery with Chuck Rhodes. But if you want to be a prude about the whole thing, then let me know because I’ll have to let her go to a customer who will only be too happy to sleep with her.”

  Deep brown eyes stared up at him with a coldness like that he never felt before, but since the kid made no move for the livery, he figured he had succumbed to Wade’s ultimatum. He gave the boy a short nod before turning to Marion. “Fetch Noelle.”

  Then turning his attention back to the boy said, “Relax, kid. You might actually enjoy yourself. Hell, you’ll probably even thank me in the morning.”

  But the boy looked far from thankful and Wade wondered how a boy of his age could still be a virgin. He had called him a prude, but the fact was, Wade feared, the boy’s morals ran a lot deeper than he ever figured. Maybe his innocent heart was still pining for that one true love. Wade nearly laughed out loud. Then he reckoned he was doing the kid a favor. There was no such thing. He had learned early on that everything had a place and purpose in life. Cattle had their use, horses had their function, men had their place and women had theirs. It was the same across the animal race. The only difference was man’s place was at the top of the food chain.

  * * *

  Anna did her best to suppress the burning rage inside. Wade knew full well she had no wish to accompany a woman to her room, yet he was practically forcing it upon her. He left her no alternative. There was no way she was going to sleep out in the barn with old Chuck Rhodes. Especially after what happened last night.

  She looked around the people closest to her and listened for that voice she had heard earlier. This time there was nothing. She frowned and wondered why the voice had frightened her so much. What was it that caused an overwhelming sense of panic?

  Her thoughts were dragged away from the mysterious voice when a woman around Anna’s age came to stand beside Wade, the redheaded woman next to her.

  “This here is the boy I told you about,” she said to the younger girl. “He don’t speak a word so you won’t have to worry about being understood.”

  “Je ne comprends pas.” The French girl’s painted face frowned at the redheaded woman Wade referred to as Marion.

  “Sweetheart, how many times have I told you,” Marion put her hands on her full hips. “I don’t speak a word of your tongue, so don’t bother speaking it to me.”

  The girl only frowned even more. Marion heaved a heavy sigh and reached out for Anna then thrust her against the French girl's half exposed bosom. “Take the boy upstairs.”

  Noelle, the French saloon lady Wade had hired for Anna’s service, broke out into a full smile exposing crooked and yellow teeth. “Oui, j'aime le garçon. Peux-je l'avoir?”

  Marion rolled her eyes and waved toward the stairs. “Go and make the boy a man.”

  Anna felt her arm being tugged and tried to pull herself free. The French girl was visibly excited about the idea of taking Anna to her room. Anna, on the other hand, knew the fatal consequences if she did. The girl was stronger than Anna guessed and found herself being hauled up the stairs. Wade and Marion following behind.

  With panic in her eyes, she shot a glance in Wade’s direction. Their eyes met for a brief moment before Wade entered a room a few doors down and Noelle dragged Anna into their room. The girl giggled as she tugged off Anna’s tweed coat and then reached for the cuff of her pullover shirt. Anna quickly yanked it back down. This only caused the girl to giggle some more. Shaking her head from side to side, Anna tried to get Noelle’s attention. Perhaps if she could get the message to the woman that she was not interested, there was a chance the French girl would leave her alone.

  She spoke something in French, her yellowish teeth flas
hing as she smiled at Anna and attempted to reach for the zipper on her pants. Not understanding a word of the woman’s speech, she truthfully didn’t care what she said. The only thing on Anna’s mind was getting out of that room. She attempted without success to stop the hands still working ferociously on her pants. Fear gurgled deep inside as the woman became relentless. With a force, she pushed Anna’s hands away and shoved her until she fell back against the bed. In one swift movement, she leaped on top of her and straddled her little body.

  The French girl laughed hard and spat out more foreign words while rubbing her clothed privates up and down on Anna’s belly.

  A new enraged terror took over Anna and from out of nowhere she found the strength she needed to push the girl off. She sprang to her feet and swung open the door. Heedless of where she was going, she ran down the hall to the door that she had last seen Wade enter. Without a second thought, she swung open the door and came to an abrupt halt.

  Wade was stretched out on the bed, his arms resting behind his head still fully dressed except for his pants undone at the waistline. At first Anna thought he was alone, until a movement caught her attention. At the foot of his bed, the voluptuous redheaded woman lay stretched out. When she noticed Anna, she sat up causing her long silky hair to fall freely down the length of her body. Her naked body.

  “Christ, kid, what the hell are you doing?” Wade’s startled face drew her attention back.

  The saloon lady took her time pulling the robe she had just discarded back over her shoulders, apparently nonplussed by the intruder. However, left the entire front of her body exposed.

  Anna felt the blood drain from her face and a shudder rip across her body, regardless of the saloon’s warm air. An anguish so severe slashed across her heart and had her literally gasping for air. Wade shoved off the bed, zipping up his pants as he moved. “Jesus, kid, ever hear of knocking?”

  For a moment, Anna thought her heart had stopped all together, but thankfully from somewhere deep inside, she found the strength to turn and run down the hall toward the staircase. She heard Wade holler after her, but she did not stop. Not caring where she headed, she ran out of the establishment into the cold night and kept running until the brightly lit town disappeared behind her and the welcoming darkness of the forest engulfed her.

  * * *

  Wade cursed for the umpteenth time. What the hell was wrong with that kid? He dragged his boots over his feet and reached for his wool coat.

  “You’re not really going after him, are you?” Marion sat down on the edge of the bed, her huge breasts bobbing from the movement. “I haven’t even begun.”

  “I’ll have to take a rain check.” He told her and picked his hat up off the dresser.

  “He’s not worth it, Wade.”

  His eyes shot in her direction, and knew without question she was wrong. That boy came into his life for a reason.

  He tossed her a few bills and then hurried out of the room, stopping only long enough to bang on Joe’s door. The man took far longer than he liked, so he banged harder.

  “Okay, okay, I’m up,” he muttered, opening the door while at the same time trying to fasten his pants with clumsy hands.

  “The boy ran off. I’m going to go look for him. Round up a few more hands and meet me outside in five minutes.”

  “Right.” Joe gave a quick nod and turned back into the room to get his gear. Wade knew, even if at times Joe was a little gruff, he came to like the kid as well.

  Taking the steps two at a time, he flew down the staircase and through the still busy saloon until he stood outside in the middle of the dirt road. He looked down the street, but only saw darkness. He swore and headed for the boardwalk calling for the boy, but received no response. Five minutes later, Joe, Neil and Frank showed up and they split up to start searching the deserted street.

  He hadn’t been gone long and Wade didn’t figure he could have gotten far. He had just passed the restaurant when Prescott came from within. Elizabeth next to him. “I heard all the shouting. What’s going on?”

  “The boy’s missing.”

  “How did that happen?” Wade paused and felt a sense of guilt. For what, he wasn’t sure, but he knew he had something to do with it. His reaction in finding him with Marion was startling to say the least. The boy must have been more of a softy than he imagined.

  Ignoring his question, he said instead, “We’ve searched the entire town. There’s no sign of him. I’m getting my horse and heading into the woods.”

  “You don’t think he went there, do you?”

  “He found us, didn’t he?” Wade reminded his brother.

  Prescott nodded, then said, “Let me get dressed and I’ll join you.”

  “Fine.” He turned and took off at a fast walk toward the stables.

  Chuck Rhodes stood by the large steel door. Wade suspected he had been watching and listening to the whole scene on the street. “Have you seen the boy?”

  The old man shook his head and scurried back into the barn. Wade frowned, but decided to ignore him. He didn’t have time to deal with him now.

  “Saddle up Prescott’s horse. I’ll look after Sty.”

  Joe and the other men were already there with their horses ready. By the time Wade had finished saddling up, Prescott arrived and the five men headed out into the night. Another cold evening with a strong gale blew through the trees as they entered the black forest. It was impossible to see anything and Wade knew their efforts would be futile, but he also knew the boy had nothing on but his shirt and pants and would surely freeze to death if not found.

  Joe and Neil started hollering for the boy. There was no moon that night and the forest had an eerie quality. The high winds made the branches sway to and fro, and the leaves on the ground swept up in swirls around the horse’s ankles. Above, a bat swooped low, but the only other creature that moved were the five men and their horses. The wind carried the unmistakable scent of pine through the forest arousing a sense of familiarity with Wade. He hadn’t been able to place the boy’s scent until now. It was as fresh and untainted as the wilderness.

  “Peter!” Prescott brought his horse alongside Wade, calling out for the boy. “Wade, it’s far too dark in here. There’s no way we’re going to find him.”

  “I know that,” Wade admitted, but continued on his search. Out there in the cold woods, the boy was shivering and all alone. He wasn’t sure what had happened tonight, but one thing was for certain and that was the boy’s pain. And the realization that whatever it was Wade had done, had caused that pain.

  Joe rode up beside him. “I’m sending Frank back to see if the boy returned to town.”

  Wade gave a curt nod before turning his strained eyes back into the darkness looking for any sign. The remaining four men continued to search the surrounding area until at last Wade decided it was best they split up.

  “There was a trail back a ways that forked to the right. Prescott, take your horse and follow it.” He reined Sty to a halt and looked back at Joe and Neil. “One of you take the north and one of you take the west. I’ll keep on this trail. If anyone sees anything, fire your rifle.”

  With their instructions they rode off and Wade found himself alone. A cold breeze swept through his slick and as Wade drew it closer, he thought of the night before when the boy used it to keep warm. Tonight he had nothing to brace him from the cold elements. He would be freezing. Even with the added protection, the boy had nearly frozen the entire night away. His attempt to control his chattering teeth, had kept Wade awake far into the night, until eventually exhaustion took over and he had drifted off to sleep. Only to find the boy snug and warm in his arms the following morning.

  He couldn’t recall how he had gotten there. Whether Wade had pulled him in or the boy had ventured in on his own when he could endure the coldness no longer, Wade wasn’t entirely sure, but he did remember the feel of the boy against him. He was the smallest boy he had ever seen and was all skin and bone. It was no wonder he was half-
frozen. He only prayed to God the boy had found somewhere to keep warm tonight.

  The night dragged on with no sign of the boy and Wade knew he couldn’t ask his men to keep looking. Frank had come back from town to inform them the boy had not returned. Wade felt a sense of dread overcome him and wondered if they would find the boy dead in the woods in the morrow.

  He released Joe and the other two men and told Prescott he may as well return to town as well. If the boy was out there and could hear them hollering, he didn’t want to be found. It was the hardest thing to do, but Wade turned Sty around and headed back to town.

  * * *

  He figured he should have stayed out searching for the boy, for all the good coming back to town did him. He laid wide awake in his bed waiting for the first sign of sunrise. There wasn’t a sound to be heard when he slipped out of the saloon and headed for the livery. There was no sign of Chuck Rhodes, but he was startled to find Joe already there.

  “Figured you’d get back out as soon as there was light.”

  “Thanks Joe.” He gave his lead hand a grateful slap on the arm before saddling up Sty.

  The two lone figures rode out of town and into the woods surrounding the small village. Like the night before they split up with Wade taking the same route he did the night before. Though it was still dark, there was enough light amongst the trees to see clearly.

  He had not gotten far when a rifle exploded into the silent forest. He reined in Sty and looked in the direction of the shot. A school of birds flew out of the treetops crying and flapping their wings in protest. He kicked his spurs into Sty’s side and took off at a fast canter through the winding path until at last he caught sight of Joe’s horse. At first there was no sign of the lead hand until he rounded a bend and saw the man leaning low into a thicket. Beside him, lying on the earth was the boy.