Kat almost laughed at that reminder. They’d used a stampede to flush out McCandle.
“No,” Jake said. “But we do have a bunch of horses.”
Kat’s golden brown shot up. “You can’t mean….”
“That’s exactly what I mean,” he said.
Kat stared down at Kid and saw him grin again.
“Good thing grandfather won’t be awake to see what we’re about to do with his well-manicured lawns.”
And they headed out the door.
Two hours later, hundreds of horses raced toward the manor, driven by Jake and Kat. Kid was already melting into the shadows to scout the manor. The horse’s hooves shook the ground, causing the workers to scatter in all directions, searching for safety.
Kat didn’t chase them far. She left Jake for this. In the chaos, Kat broke off near the tree, under her room, where she waited for Kid in the darkening shadows.
When he reached her—Kat, then Kid, scaled the tree that Kid had been using to meet her in her old room. They slipped through the window, under the night sky. Kid slipped silently into the hall, coming up beside the guard, sitting posted at the door, before he even realized Kid was there. Knocking him out, Kid slid him back toward Kat’s old room, where he bound and gagged him.
Pretending to be a maid, Kat tapped on her grandfather’s door. When the door cracked open, Kid hit it, then knocked out the guard inside. Kat went to her grandfather and propped pillows behind her his back. Kid peeked out the curtain into the darkening sky.
“When will Jake be back?” Kat asked.
Kid glanced at her. “In about fifteen minutes,” he said. “Are you ready?”
Kat picked up her father’s bag, setting it by the door and nodded.
Jake stepped through the door, silent as a ghost, ten minutes early. He nodded at Kid. Kat picked up her grandfather’s bag. Jake and Kid carefully lifted her grandfather, using a blanket like a makeshift sling to carry him. They crept out into the darkening hallway.
Five minutes later, they exited out the side of the house. They set her grandfather in the buckboard, and Kat got him comfortable while Kid took up the reins and Jake mounted his horse, following the wagon as they quietly slipped out of the yard. When they were well on their way, Jake turned down an old road. The going, unfortunately was a lot more uncomfortable for the old man, but needed.
But they had to get off the main road.
They traveled down old roads for most of the night. More than once, Kat had to wonder how Jake could possibly know where he was going, yet they did eventually come out to a much smaller town than the city her grandfather lived near.
When they arrived at the somewhat seedy tavern that Jake had lead them to, they carried their patient into the room he’d rented.
“Now what?” Kat said, looking around.
Jake checked the window. “Now,” he said, “we wait.”
“How many times will we do this?” Kid asked.
“As many as it takes,” Jake said.
Kat pulled a face. “And remind me why we’re not boarding that train—right now?”
Kid grinned at her. Patience wasn’t her strong-suit, and he knew it. This wait was going to kill her.
Jake pulled the curtain a fraction, just enough to look out. “They’ll be searching the trains,” he said. “We have to wait until they give that up, till they start trying to figure out where else we might have taken him.”
“What about Liam?” Kat asked.
“I’ll be meeting him tonight,” Kid answered.
“Remember,” Jake reminded. “We’re pretty certain he has nothing to do with this.”
Kid’s lips settled in a grim line, but he finally nodded.
“Maybe I should go with you,” Kat said, watching him.
Kid shook his head. “You need to watch out for your grandfather,” he said. He looked down at her as she drew near to him, and he kissed her. She heard Jake growl at this, and she grinned. So did Kid. He pulled her close to him for a deeper kiss.
He pulled back, still holding her. Finally, he let her go.
“How long will we have to wait here?” Kid asked, looking around the dingy little room.
Kat smothered her smile.
Jake actually grinned at him. “It might be a day. It might be a week, or maybe even two.” He shrugged. “Could even be longer. Depends on how hard they search for him.”
Kid scowled at this, looking again around the dark room.
Jake eyed him. “We’re going to have to lead them in circles—before we can actually try and put him on that train,” he said. “That could take weeks….”
Kid scowled again. He put on his hat and left the room to go and find Liam.
Still stunned at what they’d actually done, Kat stared down at her grandfather. He was deathly sick—worse than ever. They’d been too late to prevent that. She might have brought the magistrate down on her friends for nothing—if he didn’t make it. Right now, she didn’t think he’d live through the night.
Jake immediately sent for a doctor, left and brought Shae back with him. Between the doctor and the healer, the two of them worked a lot of medicine—and magick—over her grandfather for the entire night and well into that morning, but her grandfather had yet to wake. And Kat had serious doubts that he ever would.
A single tear slipped down her face, as she sat down in the chair beside his bed. She took his hand into hers—and there she sat, her eyes closed, talking to spirit as she stayed by his side for the rest of that day. And she slept in the chair that night.
She opened her eyes, sometime early in the morning, to find Shae tipping her grandfather’s head to help him sip some more of her tea. Kat wondered what kind of tea could help counteract her uncle’s poison. She could only hope Shae could pull off some miracle—and find a way to save him.
Kat knew Jake would have to toss him into the wagon at any given time—and haul him somewhere else. Jake had planned for those moments, when they’d be discovered. He counted on this happening. He didn’t plan for if it would happen, but when.
The first of those moves came late one morning, three days later.
This first time, they had some warning. Kid spotted the magistrate before they had even reached town. They were well on their way before the magistrate managed to find out where they’d stayed.
Jake had a way of finding men for hire. He seemed to have a knack for knowing who would be loyal to her grandfather. She shouldn’t have been surprised. She learned that this loyalty had more to do with the kind of man her grandfather had been—than how good Jake was at reading men. Either way, at first Kat had thought they’d only attract more attention to them, but she soon found herself relieved to find more and more guards watching for signs that they’d been discovered. In fact, it had been a guard who sent up the alarm in the very next town, proving they could be more useful than she’d have given them credit.
They’d settled in the next town when Jake pulled out a map, and he and Kid planned alternate routes through to Philadelphia. Kid looked over at Kat, stating that they needed to get her grandfather on the train in a smaller town, where there wouldn’t be as much attention drawn to them. And, if possible, they needed a town that wouldn’t be close to another town for many miles.
They’d need the train to travel some distance—so they would have time to find anyone who had followed them onboard.
Kat stared at the map. The only thing she knew for sure was that they’d be dragging her grandfather in and out of the buckboard for many more miles—before he could finally rest on the train. And he didn’t look as though he’d survive the night—more-or-less a trip like that.
She stared out the window, after. When she turned, sometime later, she found Shae watching her.
“You’re doing a good thing, child,” the old woman told her.
Kat choked on tears that had remained just below the surface, unable to respond at first. “I think this will only kill him,” she finally said.
&
nbsp; Shae shook her head. “You set him free,” she said. “If he’d remained,” he’d already be dead. If he dies now—he will die with family, who love him, by his side. At least, this way, you’ve given him a chance. That’s more than he would have had.”
Kat stared at her. But she heard the truth in her words, and she nodded. “Thank you,” she whispered.
Shae bowed her head and went to get some tea.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Liam’s Knowledge
When Kid met Liam, he’d slipped through the shadows on the side of the livery. Liam stood on the other side of some trees in the yard, waiting. To his credit, he’d realized Kid was there. He didn’t move, didn’t glance around, careful to not give Kid away.
He seemed to just wait.
Kid thought that interesting. If he protected Kid—then maybe he really was on their side. Maybe Kat had been right. But, then again, Kid had always liked him. He’d just never got behind the idea that Liam had been behind this.
When he managed to come closer to where Kid stood in the darkening shadows, to the side of the house under some trees, he stood quietly, acting like he was just out for a stroll, in no hurry to get anywhere, just enjoying the night air.
Liam stood there for a long moment, not saying anything, and Kid waited. By now, he was sure Liam knew he was there.
“Did you take him?” Liam finally said under his breath.
Kid only grunted in reply.
“Will you take him back West then?”
“Yeah,” Kid said. “Her cousin didn’t send the gunman after her,” Kid said. “We need to draw out who did.”
Liam seemed surprised at this, but he only nodded. “I would have sworn it was him though,” he said. “He seemed to control the old man.”
Kid nodded, then realized there was no way that Liam could see him. “Any ideas if anyone else stood to gain anything by having her killed,” he said in low tones instead.
Liam seemed to think on this, but shrugged. “I think he only pretend to be ignorant of the workings of the estates,” he said. “But her uncle is the only one who seems to find a way to work them.” He shrugged again. “It doesn’t make any sense.”
Kid thought about this. “Then, perhaps Jake’s plan will work. Perhaps this will frustrate him enough—to make him want to follow. Perhaps losing control of the situation, his ego will call him out of hiding.”
Liam looked out across the lawn. “Instead of just sending some hired men?”
Kid nodded. “Anyone who would plan this kind of takeover will have to take care of this himself. The idea of having his prize stolen out from under his nose will send him into a rage. And yes, he’ll want to kill her himself.”
“Why?” Liam said. “Doesn’t he already control everything?”
Kid grinned, but Liam couldn’t see him, so he said instead. “Not anymore.”
This caused Liam’s head to jerk, but he remembered in time to keep from looking directly toward Kid.
“What do you mean?” he asked.
“Jake has been busy,” Kid said. “He once made a hell of a lawyer.” Kid turned to leave, but turned back, realizing it would be better for Liam to know. “You will run things now,” he said.
He was gone before he could hear Liam’s surprised reply.
When they had settled into their next hotel, Kat moved to the window, as she always did, looking down into the alley. How would they escape this time if they were found here? A little roof sloped down from the window. Surely Jake didn’t plan to toss her grandfather off the edge into the wagon?
She glanced up at him now. When she did, she felt Shae come up beside her.
“I will stay behind,” Shae said. “They’ll never mess with an old woman getting ready for bed.”
Surprised, Kat grinned at her. “What if it’s in the middle of the day?”
She smiled at her. “I’m still an old woman. I’ll tell them they’re interrupting my nap.”
Kat laughed out-loud at his. But she had to admit—it might be a good plan. She glanced at Shae. “Why are you willing to put yourself at risk for my grandfather,” she asked her.
The old woman smiled, glancing down into the alley. She went silent so long that Kat didn’t think she would answer.
“He once gave me a soft place to land,” she finally said, “when my own world had come tumbling down around me.”
Intrigued, Kat would have loved to hear the rest of that story, but Shae said no more. So they settled in. Shae gave her grandfather a sponge bath and fed him broth, while Kat set up a makeshift cot. She watched Shae tending to her grandfather, wondering what could have happened to Shae—that she’d risk prison to help him now.
She turned to face the wall. Shae was much too old to be taking such risks, Kat thought. And if she had any sense, she wouldn’t let her put herself in such danger.
But she couldn’t bring herself to stop her, either. She didn’t think she could—even if she tried. Kat had to wonder if she’d be much the same way—if she managed to live to her age—without getting herself killed first.
She imagined she would be just as stubborn, she thought. Still thinking about this, she fell asleep.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Into the Darkness
When Kid entered the hotel room, Kat glanced up at him. She’d missed him. She always missed him whenever he went off somewhere. He had dark, mysterious looks, and she loved to look at him. He was the kind of guy that a girl had a hard time taking her eyes off of.
She realized, when he looked around the room and caught her gaze—he’d missed her too.
Jake stood in the shadows near the bed, watching him, as always, his hat in his hands. Kat knew she wasn’t the only one who could see that Kid had something on his mind.
“How did you get that judge to set his estates in Liam’s hands?” Kid asked Jake, his head jerking toward her grandfather, lying in the bed sleeping.
Kat stared at Kid, then turned and looked at Jake.
Jake looked away. He grunted. “It wasn’t that difficult,” he replied. “All I really had to do was get that doctor, who’d betrayed him, to realize it was in his best interest to set the record straight.”
Kat grinned at this. “I’ll bet,” she said, laughing.
Jake’s steely-gray gaze lit up at this. “Now we just had to get him to sign some documents, leaving everything in the hands of Liam, the way he’d originally intended.”
Kat’s gaze shot up to Jake at this. “How do we know that for sure?” she asked. “I know that’s what Liam told me, but….”
Jake actually smiled at her. “Because that’s what he’d been trying to tell his doctor, every time he’d come to see him—and, again, when I brought him to see him last. He was muttering, but his intent was clear. That was also in the paperwork I had the doc sign, attesting to that fact. And I’ve also been trying to make sure your grandfather wants to come West with us, so that we don’t inadvertently do anything similar to what your uncle has done to him.” Jake shook his head, slightly, pressing at the brim of his hat in his hands. “But he’s been pretty out of it since they got their hands on him last.”
Kat looked over at her grandfather. “Why does he sleep so much now?” she asked, concern edging her voice.
Jake grunted. “Well, they poisoned him pretty bad. He just about didn’t make it. Now, I’m guessing here, but I think he might actually have come through the worst of it, and he might actually be healing up now—not just from the last batch they gave him—but from all that poison they’d been feeding him all this time.” He eyed Kat. “Kat—if they’d given him the dose they gave him last, at the start—it probably would have killed him.”
Kid came to put his arm around her, as Kat stared at her grandfather. “Are you saying he built up some kind of tolerance?”
Jake stared down at her grandfather. “No way to know for sure, but if we’re just guessing—I’d say it’s a possibility.”
Kat’s head jerked up at a t
hought. “But won’t they just kill Liam?”
“They could try,” Jake said, “but I’m thinkin’ they haven’t found that so easy so far.”
“And that wouldn’t change who still controls the estates,” Kid reasoned out.
“Grandfather,” Kat said, realizing what he meant.
“Yes,” Kid said. “Even if they managed to find him, and they killed him too….”
“It wouldn’t give them back the control over his estates,” Jake said. “They’d have to kill him. They’d have to kill Liam.”
“And they’d have to kill me,” Kat said.
Jake nodded. “They’ve already lost the war,” he said, then glanced at her. “All they’re after now—is revenge.”
Kat waited in the shadows. She’d been told they would move her grandfather, but they hadn’t moved him soon enough. Right now, she watched as the magistrate swarmed the building. She watched quietly, until she could safely move, and then she ducked into a room as they passed her, moving quickly down the hall and into the next room.
Shae stared at her as she came in, and Kat quickly went to the window and peeked out into the gathering darkness. Well—at least they had the evening shadows on their side. She knew Jake had picked this room because of that alley below, saw Kid pull up in the wagon below as she stood there. He saw him look over at someone and followed his gaze to where Jake stood, precariously on the edge of a nearby roof, getting ready to jump near the stairs just below.
So he’d seen the magistrate too. Good.
Kat opened the window, sticking her head out to make sure that Jake had made it to the landing, to one side. She still couldn’t imagine how he’d thought he’d get her grandfather to the wagon, one floor beneath them.
Kat moved to her grandfather’s side, as Jake came through the window, biting her lip, worried.
He came over and picked up her grandfather and, in one easy swoop, placed him over his shoulder, walking back to the window. He slipped her grandfather easily out the window, out onto the little roof that sloping down. Climbing out, he pulled him back over his shoulder, walked to the edge of the roof and, as nimble as a cat, leapt off the edge into the wagon bed below.
Dark Warrior: Kid (Dark Cloth Series Book 2) Page 17
