by Unknown
“Tomorrow.”
“So soon?”
“I’m afraid so. I’ll write you when we’re settled.”
He clutched his mother to him with mixed feelings. She looked genuinely happy and in love, and Urban seemed a decent man. Dalton trusted his instincts, and they told him Urban would treat his mother well. He decided against telling them about Shakespeare and the truth about Rosa’s death. She was riding away from this town, its memories and dangers, and he’d let her go with a happy heart.
“I love you, Ma.”
“Love you, too.”
Her eyes were wet when they pulled apart. He shook Urban’s hand one last time and watched them leave before joining the Kellys in the lobby. Marlena was not among them and Jess paced vigorously across the floor.
“She hasn’t come out yet?”
“No,” Jess said. “And I wish you idiots would have told us what was going on before you took off for two days.” She shot a glare at Val who pointed at Dalton.
“His idea,” Val said.
“Morgan knew,” Dalton defended.
“We’re not helpless,” Jess continued. “If we had known, we would have been more vigilant and armed.”
“Yes, but in your condition, you don’t need the extra worry,” Dalton said and Jess pinned him with a cold, violet stare.
“You be careful, Dalton Cunningham. My esteem for you is questionable as of late. My sister does nothing but cry every time she sees you and now you’re making decisions for me? Watch yourself or that funny feeling you get in the front of your trousers may be the barrel of my gun.”
Dalton looked to Val for defense but he only shrugged. Lila stepped forward and gripped her husband’s elbow. “I don’t like being away from the children with this madman about. Perhaps Morgan and I could leave now for Ellie’s and the rest of you join up after you’ve collected Marlena?”
“That’s a good idea,” Dalton said and the two of them left.
The minutes ticked by until Dalton felt an eerie sensation, a prickling in the back of his neck that never boded well. The sensation grew until his entire body tingled with apprehension. Without a word he ran back into the opera house and down toward the stage. He’d just leapt atop it as Emily Stacy came running from backstage, calling for help. He gripped her arms.
“Where’s Marlena?”
“She’s gone!” Emily wailed. “Sarah and Hazel, too, and there’s blood outside!”
His heart sank and Jess gasped behind him. He turned in time to see her fall faint. Val caught her and looked at Dalton with grim determination.
“Go! I’ll take her to Ellie’s and catch up.”
Dalton turned back to Emily. “Show me the blood.”
She led him past a huddle of fearful orphans clinging to one another and out the back door into the alley. They passed three parked carriages as she rattled on.
“There were four carriages out here to transport the children. Hazel was missing. Marlena and Sarah came out here to look. They were gone for a while so I came out and found the front carriage gone and this blood.”
Dalton knelt to study the drops. It wasn’t enough to prove a killing, but that didn’t stop the panic and fear from clawing around his heart, nearly squeezing the life out of him. Marlena may still be alive, but if he knew Shakespeare, it wouldn’t be for long. He had to hurry. If they left the city, he’d have only the light of the moon to look for tracks and that would slow him down considerably.
His horse was tied in front and as he rounded the corner of the building, a tired Indigo rose from his spot on the ground. He must have caught up to him during the show and waited out front. Dalton had never been so relieved.
“Indigo, come!”
The dog ran to him, full of renewed energy at his master’s call. He took him to the tiny puddle of blood where he sniffed, dragging his nose across the dirt all around the area.
“Good boy,” Dalton encouraged. “We have to find Marlena, Indigo.” He lifted the dog’s head to look him straight in the eye. “We have to find her. Help me, boy. Go, find Marlena.”
Indigo’s tongue lapped once over Dalton’s face before he took off at a run. Dalton ran to his horse, climbed in the saddle and followed Indigo out of town and into the desert outside of Carson City. They found the abandoned carriage and Dalton studied ground around it in the blue light of the moon, determining that five horses had ridden away from the carriage.
Indigo shook rapidly as he panted and Dalton knew he needed water, but he had no canteen or saddle bags with food. He’d left all of that on his other horse when they’d arrived at the boarding house. He could go without it for a bit longer, but Indigo couldn’t.
A dry creek bed meandered through the landscape and Dalton knelt atop it, using his hands to dig. The soil beneath the surface was moist, letting him know groundwater was within reach. He shaped his hand into a hook and clawed at the ground, scooping out great heaps of muddy dirt until he was rewarded with a small puddle of murky water.
“Indigo, here boy. Drink.” The dog lapped up every bit of the liquid and Dalton dug up some more. He grabbed a few handfuls for himself, too, not knowing where he’d end up and how long he’d have to go without water.
They got back on the trail, with Indigo leading the way, stopping every now and then to sniff a bit of brush or dirt. Dalton watched the tracks and pulled on his reins when he noticed the tracks veer south. Indigo continued on a northern course and Dalton called him back. Dismounting, he studied the tracks. They definitely turned south. Indigo dug his heels in and barked, spinning in a circle before taking a few steps north. Dalton climbed onto the saddle and turned to follow the tracks.
“Come, Indigo. This way.”
Indigo barked and backed up, turning north again and running a few paces before turning to bark again.
“No, Indigo.” Dalton shook his head. “This way.”
Indigo never moved. He stood still and barked endlessly. Dalton frowned, wondering what to do. There were no tracks moving north, only south, but Indigo was hell bent on moving north. If they went the wrong way, he would lose precious time, time that could mean devastation to him. He took a deep breath and went with his gut.
“Indigo, you better be right, boy.”
They carried on north, with Dalton uttering prayers of guidance the entire way. An hour before sunrise, Indigo began to slow, his back legs limping a bit and Dalton called him to a stop, upon which he immediately laid down. Dalton dismounted and sat on the ground beside his dog, pulling him onto his lap.
“I know, boy,” he said as he stroked the animal’s fur. “I know you’re hurting and you’re tired and hungry. You’re doing so good, Indigo. Such a good dog.”
Dalton picked up Indigo’s feet to massage their pads, but they were bloody so he ripped the bottom of his shirt into bandages and wrapped the dog’s feet. Indigo whined and panted. Dalton could feel the great expansion of the dog’s chest with every labored breath. His heart ached. He didn’t want to risk Indigo, but every second was precious in saving Marlena. A single teardrop slid down his cheek and he leaned down to whisper in Indigo’s ear.
“If you’ve got it in you, buddy, I need you to keep going,” he said, and Indigo looked up to him with apologetic, tired eyes, and Dalton nodded. “Don’t worry, boy. You did good.”
Dalton stood and lifted Indigo onto the saddle and strapped him in with the excess cinch strap. He grabbed the horse’s reins and led him across the desert. When five distinct horse trails re-emerged he sighed heavily, whooping inside for Indigo’s astuteness. He landed a kiss on top of the dog’s head before climbing in the saddle with him.
They followed the horse tracks into the base of the Sierra Nevada Mountains where the terrain shifted into pine forests with game and water. Once they found Marlena, he’d shoot a deer and give it all to Indigo and his horse. The weary animal stumbled over logs and plants so Dalton slid down to lead him by the reins.
His legs were numb from exhaustion. Even his
vision clouded and blurred until everything looked a light blue haze. He fell to his knees, praying for the strength to carry on, but he couldn’t. His body gave out and he lurched forward, asleep before his head hit the leafy ground.
When he opened his eyes again, the daytime sky overhead was dark with thunderclouds and he thought the wetness on his face was rain, but as he scanned the area he soon discovered the moisture came from Indigo’s nose nudging him awake. He reached up to pet his dog, and when he glanced down and saw the bloody bandages on his paws, he sat upright, remembering everything.
Indigo whined and yelped running a short distance away, only to return and whine some more. Dalton struggled to his feet, his body sore and stiff.
“What is it, boy? Did you find them?”
Indigo leapt in three full circles before running off again. Dalton checked his guns to be sure they were all loaded and ready before he climbed onto the horse. He had only followed Indigo ten steps into the forest when he heard a gunshot. Ear-splitting and nearby. Another quickly followed and his heart and stomach clenched in one swift moment. He was too late.
Chapter 28
Rope bindings sawed through Marlena’s wrists with each bounce of the horse but the gag prevented her from complaining about it. They’d been riding all night and the man behind her in the saddle was the only thing that kept her from sliding off the horse, weary as she was. She glanced over to Sarah and Hazel, each riding in similar condition with other men. Hazel’s face was wet with tears. She’d cried all night.
When the sunrise had burst across the open desert, warm golden rays of light found them through the trees and Marlena had shivered a full hour as it thawed her icy skin. The welcome heat was short lived, though. She’d watched the ring around the moon become a ring around the sun, and the billowing gray clouds confirmed her assessment. A storm was coming.
When they finally stopped the horses, they’d climbed high up into the mountains to camp beside a stream. The clouds had covered the mid-afternoon sun. She was set upon the ground but lacked the strength to stand and so crumpled in a heap. Her throat was dry and felt shriveled and crisp, and she longed for a sip of ice cold water to ease her throat. That longing intensified when she watched the five men pass around a canteen.
The leader saw that she watched them and he lifted the canteen toward her.
“Want some?”
She nodded.
He knelt before her and untied the gag. Her tongue slid out to wet her lips, drawing his gaze to her mouth before he held the canteen to it. A refreshing stream of cool water slid down her throat, extinguishing tiny fires of rawness. She studied the man’s face in the full light of day, his scruffy jaw and leathery skin. There were enough wrinkles around his eyes to make him seem in a perpetual squint. He had the look of a man who smoked enough to freeze his mouth into a purse.
A few even breaths calmed her racy pulse. She’d never forget those bottomless black eyes. They’d met before, in the parlor of Elijah Winthrop more than a year ago. Elijah’s parting threat to Sarah rang loudly in her head. You haven’t heard the last of me.
She swished the water around her mouth and swallowed. “Thank you, Chris,” she said and the side of his lips curled in a smirk.
“Glad to see you remember me,” he replied.
“I see Elijah has called upon you again to do his dirty work, but why now? He hasn’t seen us in over a year. What are his plans with Sarah?”
His raspy voice chuckled. “It’s got nothing to do with Elijah or his sister. This time, it’s personal.”
She noticed whose name he’d left out, and she gulped. “What do you want with me?”
A smile spread slowly. “It’s not about you either, puss. But I do need you. Vengeance is in my heart, death in my hand.”
Marlena’s face sagged and a cold shiver rushed through her. Dalton’s reaction to the notes finally made sense. He hadn’t sent them at all. Chris Boon had to settle his score with Dalton. Her stomach knotted in pain.
“You’re Shakespeare,” she said in a hoarse whisper.
He sat back on his heels with a wide eyed expression. “Well, don’t you like to impress? Nice to see my reputation precedes me.”
“Hardly,” she corrected, forcing down the bile climbing up her throat. “I’m just on real good terms with the man who’s going to kill you.”
A bark of laughter burst from his chest. “I know you are. How do you think I found old Dalty boy again? He ran me out of his territory long ago, but imagine my surprise when he turned up in mine…good old Boston, always a good place to rustle up an old grudge.”
She remembered the knowing look in Shakespeare’s eyes that night in Elijah’s parlor, and the realization came to her. “You saw him with me at The Museum.”
He nodded slowly. “Couldn’t believe my eyes at first, but a man never forgets the face of the one who has taken everything from him. Now, it’s time to return the gesture.”
She smirked. “You’re a fool if you think you can kill Dalton.”
“The aim is not to kill Dalton. It’s to take from him the thing he loves most.” He stood and sent her a look that made her skin feel alive and crawling. “I expect him to arrive long after we’re wrapped up here.”
He made a slow slicing motion across his throat and her heart pounded against her chest while nausea coiled in her stomach. He must have recognized her fear, for he belted a laugh straight from his gut, and Marlena screamed for help. She’d expected Shakespeare to strike her, but he only guffawed louder.
“Help!” he mocked, screaming even louder than her hoarse voice would allow. “Somebody help me!” He laughed again. “Go ahead and scream all you want. Ain’t nobody out here to hear you, especially Dalton. He can’t track at night and by the time he finds our trail, he won’t know which way to go. We messed the tracks on purpose to buy us time. So, you see, puss, ain’t no point making all that racket. I wouldn’t have untied your gag if there were.”
A solid lump wedged in the back of her throat and her eyes burned with tears. Wracked with shivers, she hugged her arms around her body and rubbed her bare arms. Still in her concert dress, she had no cloak or sleeves to ward off the mountain chill or the impending doom working her stomach into knots.
She closed her eyes and uttered a prayer in her mind. Please, Dalton. Hurry.
There was no doubt he’d come. He was blazing across the desert toward them right now. She knew it as surely as she knew she loved him, would always love him. What she didn’t know was whether he’d reach her in time, for he was their only hope. She still had his gun strapped to her calf, but there was no way she’d be able to take down all five men before she was killed. The weapon would remain hidden until it was her only hope.
Shakespeare wandered to Sarah and Hazel, releasing their gags to give them water. Sarah took a long swallow and then spat it in his face. Marlena held her breath, waiting for Shakespeare’s response. He knelt quietly, wiped his face and then projected a wad of spit back at her.
“That wasn’t very nice,” he said as Sarah wiped her face on her sleeves. “And all this time I thought you were a lady. You’re much brassier in the west than you were in Denver.”
Marlena frowned. Denver? She looked up as Sarah’s worried eyes darted in her direction. There was guilt in the blue-green depths of her gaze, and Marlena’s body sagged with the weight of betrayal. She doubled over, feeling as though a massive fist had lodged in her belly. Her head shook back and forth and she bit her bottom lip to keep from screaming the words on her tongue.
“It’s not what you think,” Sarah called across the open space. “I had no part in this.”
Marlena averted her eyes, unable to look upon Sarah, to comprehend the many ways the woman had come between her and happiness, despite Marlena’s continued good will and support.
“Marlena, please!” she called. “He approached me with the idea of kidnapping you for ransom and then splitting the money. I told him no.”
Shakespear
e laughed. “She sure thought about it though. Don’t go saying it didn’t appeal to you.” He pointed at Sarah. “Took you an hour to give me your answer. I was hoping you’d make it easy on me and just hand the girl over. After you and that blond fella talked about how broke you were the entire train ride into Denver, I thought for sure you’d go for the ransom bit. When you said no I thought about killing the Songbird right then and being done with it, but then you said you were going to Virginia City. I couldn’t pass up the chance to torment Dalton with knowing he failed to save his love.”
“Shut up, you filthy snake,” Sarah railed.
Marlena finally faced Sarah, fixing her with a glare. “I can’t believe you.”
Tears streamed down the opera queen’s face and her lips quivered. She met Marlena’s stare.
“I was desperate,” she said. “The money was running out with Elijah cutting me off. You were too new to bring in what I was accustomed to. Why do you think I let you start sewing your own dresses? We couldn’t afford ready-made ones. We’ve been borrowing money from Harrison since Chicago. I didn’t know what else to do. You can’t possibly understand what was going through my mind. You’ve had nothing in life before. You know how to survive it. I don’t.”
Shakespeare chuckled at the women before joining his men around a blooming fire. Sarah took a few deep breaths before continuing. “But I couldn’t bring myself to do it, and I wouldn’t have. Please believe me, Marlena. I told him no and thought that was the end of it. I had no idea he and Dalton have a history or that he was following us for that reason. Then, I saw him last night outside of Piper’s and told him I was going to inform the sheriff if he didn’t leave.”
Marlena barked a laugh. “Why didn’t you inform me?!”
“I was going to,” she said quickly. “Right before you introduced me to Hazel. Then, my mind went blank and everything after happened too fast.”
The story ran through Marlena’s head a second and third time before questions began pouring from her lips. “So, Harrison knew about this man’s proposition?”
