Dust And Dreams (The Rivers Brothers Book 1)

by Lynn Landes

  The gallery owner calls Faith to a desk, and they sit to discuss a price for each piece. She smiles and shakes his hand, taking an envelope from him. He commissions six more paintings and discuss a time frame and price. When she returns to Solomon's side, she is stunned and speechless.

  “I’m ready to go.” She reaches for Hope and kisses her cheek before settling her on her shoulder and wrapping her blanket around her.

  As they step outside, she watches the owner put one of her painting’s in the display window and gives a small wave.

  “Are you okay, Faith?” Solomon asks.

  She looks up at him, “I’m not sure. They bought them all outright Solomon. I just made six hundred dollars!”

  His bellow of laughter has her jumping. Soon she is laughing until tears flow.

  With an envelope of cash in her hand, she looks at him, “They've commissioned six more paintings, and I will make more on the others. Apparently, there's a demand for landscapes and people are willing to pay ridiculous amounts of money! I won't have to worry about money for a while.”

  “Faith, I’m so proud of you!” he whispers and pulls her closer to his side.

  “Thank you, Solomon. I guess we should get to the train station.”

  She tucks her money inside of her boot and smiles at him. “I will send you a telegram when we stop, and one when I arrive in Texas.”

  He leans down and kisses her head, “No worries. This is a new chapter in your life, enjoy the moment. I brought you these.” He walks with her around the back of the wagon and hands her the gifts. In all the excitement the other night, he forgot to give them to her.

  “Art supplies! Solomon, what did I do to deserve you?” she says with stars in her eyes.

  “I guess we are just lucky.”

  Helping her up into the wagon Solomon scans the area one more time before climbing into the seat and snapping the reins of the horses. The ride to the train station is full of animated conversation about the gallery and her art selling so fast. Arriving at the boarding platform, he helps her with her bags and stays until the train whistle blows for boarding and kisses her softly. Then cups Hope's head and kisses her softly on top of her red curls.

  “Keep your revolver close, and your eyes open. Be safe. I won't be happy if something happens to either of my girls.”

  Wiping her tears, she leans into his embrace, “Hurry through your job and come home to us, Solomon.” His mouth takes her softly as his heart is filled with emotions at her words. He's amazed at how quickly that sentence has become truth. They are his home now.

  He stares watching the train depart for a long time before leaving. “Time to find that bastard and eliminate this worry.”

  Chapter 26

  A young girl cleans the hotel room, beating the bed and changing the linens, then polishing the wood furniture. She gathers the sheets and tosses her long blue, black hair over her shoulders. Next, she stuffs the dirty linens in a canvas bag, to take the laundry where her mother will wash them. The sound of the door shutting behind her, has her spinning around.

  “Shhh,” he says, smiling at the young Asian girl. When he steps towards her the setting sun glints off the large silver knife in his hand. She backs away in horror.

  Aiden watches and waits for the moment he savors. The realization hits her almond eyes, and he lashes out slicing a red ribbon across her alabaster throat. Her startled scream is silenced and the red spray splatters, filling the air with the metallic scent of her innocent blood.

  Aiden locks the door and uses his knife to slice the clothing from her firm young body. She attempts to fight back, but she is weak and beginning to feel dizzy. A quick smack across her face and pushes the knife into her cheek to wake her. He leans down and whispers, “It will be easier for you if you don't fight back.” The cut is starting to clot. He was careful not to slice too deep. He wants her awake for this.

  Playing with Faith and her stupid cowboy was fun, but Cassie is the one he is after. She may have escaped him for now, but he will catch up to her. The chase is part of the fun. Aiden knew she was meant for him when she attacked and killed those who hurt her family. There are a thousand ways to kill a man, but to plan it out and make sure they suffered first, took a certain kind of “spirit.” He was impressed at the foresight it took to carry out such revenge. Aiden will have her and all the gold. The land will be his and so will Cassie.

  The sound of her coughing and choking on the blood pooling inside of her throat draws him back to reality.

  “I guess I cut too deep this time?” he remarks. Time to get to work. An hour later he exits the room whistling and flipping a gold coin he found on the girl and heads to the bathing room on this floor. After a hot shower and clean clothes, Aiden goes to the restaurant and has a nice steak dinner. Satiated for the moment, he savors the rare steak as the red juice dribbles down his chin. When the screaming starts, he smiles and pays his tab before heading to the bar to meet Jeb.

  Solomon returns to his hotel room and what he finds has his blood running cold. A gold twenty-dollar coin is on his bed. He knows it's from Aiden. He turns and stoops down, retrieving the case he hid in the frame under his bed. Using a key, he unlocks the case, revealing dual .44 caliber black powder revolvers. Solid black steel frames with well-worn walnut handles. These are the guns which carried him through the war and through many a tight spot with Indians, thieves, and cutthroats. Now they will protect the woman he hopes to marry and the daughter of his heart.

  After servicing the pistols, he straps on his holsters and loads the six shot revolvers. Time to hunt. Walking down to the next level of the hotel he hears a woman screaming and loud voices. A crowd has gathered, and they are carrying an older Asian woman out of a room, her screams are that of a wounded animal.

  “Her daughter was murdered. Someone slit her throat and tortured the poor child.” Someone says, “Only an animal would do this,” another voice says. “Blood everywhere,” the voices paint a horrific picture and Solomon feels sick to his stomach. It could have been Faith. He knows Aiden is responsible and he feels responsible for leading the monster here.

  Solomon decides to talk to the Police Chief and fill Harry Wells in as well. This monster must be stopped! His thoughts are interrupted as the body is carried out. A hush falls over the crowd. Two men carry the lifeless body out on a gurney. It is covered in a white sheet, which is quickly becoming crimson.

  A voice calls out, “If anyone has information which will help solve this murder, please stay and we will get to you as soon as possible. No detail is too small. I ask that you remember this could be your twelve-year-old family member.”

  Solomon pushes through the crowd, and when the Chief of Police sees him, he sighs in relief. “I hope you've come to help, Mr. Abbott?”

  His years in the service and his standing in the community make him a valuable asset. He has worked with the police in the past on other cases.

  “I have information that may help, and I would be glad to help with the interviews. How many men do you have working on this?” The rest of Solomon's evening is spent interviewing and combing through the crime scene.

  He would not be hunting Aiden tonight, but with the description he has given to the local law enforcement, he shouldn't be hard to locate. Tomorrow, volunteers will hand out sketches in all the local areas and down by the docks. It should make his life a little more difficult. In the morning he will meet with Harry at the bank and discuss the next move. When he goes to sleep that night, his thoughts are of two ladies he wishes he were with. Life is too short to spend it wishing. Solomon falls asleep with a smile thinking of his girls.

  Aiden walks into Pier 9 and finds Jeb waiting with four other men. All have the look and smell of dock workers. They are all sipping on beer and laughing while waiting for him to arrive.

  “Gentlemen, I can see you got started without me.” A drink is quickly ordered, and he sits down tossing a small bag on the table. It's gold dust, around one ounce. All the laugh
ter stops, and the mood shifts to one of intense desire.

  “That's right boys. This is the first installment. I pay those who work for me very well. I demand loyalty and no questions asked. You do what I say when I say, and you will be rich.”

  Jeb leans forward and grabs the bag. He quickly unties the small bag and they all gasp. ‘It’s real gold dust! Where did you get this?”

  Aiden sips his beer and cracks a smile. “Surely you don't expect me to answer that. I can tell you that there is more to come. Tell me the plan you've come up with. You destroy that bank for me, and I will make sure each one of you has an identical bag waiting for you when this is over.”

  Astonishment flutters through the group, and the noise, smoke and the smell fades away as they discuss the plan for the destruction of the Wells Fargo bank.

  “I’ve done this drop before.” Jeb states, leaning forward, “The vault is in the center of the bank. The nitroglycerin is kept in the basement for obvious reasons. It is packed in straw and carefully stored until the shipping date.” He leans forward and sketches out the interior of the bank. “If the Nitro makes it into the vault you will not be able to detonate it from the outside.”

  Aiden interrupts, “I agree. It must be done before it enters the building. I say you unload it to the sidewalk and then tell them you will be moving it inside. Then simply say there is a leak and you must first check the crate for damage. Tell them you need to go get some tools, and instead you escape before it goes off.”

  “How is it going to be detonated? A charge?” Another man asks.

  “Leave that to me,” Aiden tells him, smiling, “you make the drop, get out, and I will handle the rest.”

  On Friday morning, Solomon packs his bags. He is going to Western Union and sending telegrams to two different crews. He plans to get them to the dig site as fast as possible and get things started. Jefferson is a great foreman and capable of handling his own crew. Now he needs to get to Harry Wells and talk to him about his plans. When he joins Harry over breakfast at the Palace hotel, they discuss his plans for the dig, and he fills him in on Aiden.

  “This needs to be dealt with quickly. I don't want anything slowing this job up. Once the news spreads of a pure vein, claim jumpers will come and we will have our hands full fighting off the towns' people and the jumpers,” Harry says disgustedly.

  “I agree. Not to mention he is a sick bastard. I can't leave not knowing where he is Harry.” Solomon explains. “I've sent Jefferson to the site with his crew to get started, and my crew is on the way as well. I want to get this job completed quickly.”

  “Sounds reasonable to me. The nitroglycerin is being delivered tonight at ten. Can you supervise the drop?”

  “Of course. I will arrange for pickup on Saturday morning. We can start transporting it to Wolfe Ranch. I am heading over to the police station now to check in. Maybe I will get lucky, and they will have the bastard in custody.”

  “Keep me updated. I am leaving at noon for New Orleans. Solomon, if you have any problems contact me through the Western Union office there.”

  “Safe journey, Harry,” Solomon tells him, shaking his friend's hand. As he leaves the hotel, he is met with a crush of people. The streets are busy, so he decides to walk the two blocks to the police headquarters. As he nears the station, he sees a police notice stapled to a pole.

  It reads: Suspect wanted for questioning in the murder of hotel worker. It gives a description and offers a $100 reward for information which leads to the arrest.

  “That should make things difficult for you.” Solomon murmurs. He crosses the street quickly and walks up to the two-story brick building. It stands connected to the courthouse. They share a central wall which makes things operate smoothly. The officers all wear identical double-breasted black jackets with bolero ties and shiny silver badges. To top of the uniform, they wear black hats and matching black mustaches.

  Solomon enters and is greeted by the typical sights, sounds and smells of the police station. It is a simple station a few shiny desks and one office to the left. The Police Chief is inside smoking his pipe and arguing with a reporter, once again. Solomon waves at one of the officers and walks inside the office.

  “Mr. Abbott, good to see you this morning.” He turns back with a serious look on his face and finishes his sentence. “Once again, Mr. Ackerman if I tell you anything else, it could jeopardize the case. I promise to give you the details once I have them. Now go out there and do what you reporters do, dig up something helpful.” He urges the man to the door and points to one of his officers, “Show Mr. Ackerman out.”

  A slam of the door and he turns to greet him. “Now Solomon what can I do for you this morning?” The chief is around sixty with a graying beard and spectacles. He sits with a heavy sigh and waits for his friend to sit down.

  “Chief, I have a job tonight at Wells bank. We have a shipment of nitroglycerin coming in. I will be shipping it out in the morning. Can you spare a few officers tonight, we will pay the usual? I hate to ask, but this stuff is dangerous.”

  “Of course, I can have two officers meet you, what time?” They discuss the details before Solomon asks the question he really wants to know. “Any news on the murder?”

  “None. This guy is slippery. The waitress at the hotel restaurant says a man matching the description you gave was in for dinner just before the girl’s body was found by her mother. He ate and paid with this.” The chief pulls out a wooden tray with a gold twenty dollar coin inside.

  Solomon reaches into his pocket and pulls out a matching coin. “This was left on my bed last night.” He sits heavily and looks at the chief. “He's toying with us. I'm leaving in the morning if we're lucky he will follow me back to the dig and I will take care of him my way.”

  “And if we aren't lucky and he stays here. What then?” the chief demands answers.

  “He's after a woman for selling her ranch to the bank. He feels like she has betrayed him and I believe he will go after her once he realizes it's too late to stop her.” Solomon answers.

  “In that case, we will concentrate on the stables. He will need a way to get out of town, either by train or horse. I already have a few officers at the train station, now I will paper the area around the stockyards and hope we catch a break.”

  “Thank you, Chief. The drop is at ten tonight in front of Wells Bank.” Solomon shakes his hand and leaves.

  Aiden strokes the naked body beneath him and smiles when the whore attempts to break free. “I like it rough, and I intend to get my money's worth today.” She is tied to the head and footboard, face up and gagged to keep her quiet.

  Her brown eyes are filled with fear when he pulls the belt from his pants and reveals the underside of the leather is studded with small silver spikes. She starts to fight, “Too late for that, Vivienne. Your tight little French ass is mine, but don’t worry baby, I promise you will love it.”

  The first crack of the belt punctures her skin, and he chuckles at the swift intake and muffled screams that followed. The more she struggles, the more excited he gets. He pulls his knife, and the true fun begins.

  An hour later he washes the bloody sweat from his body and glances back at the mess he has made. Vivienne soiled the sheets with urine and blood, but unfortunately, she's still alive. A thought occurs to him that he only worked one side. “Viv, are you thirsty? Of course, you are.” He grabs a cup of water and releases the gag and trickles water into her untouched mouth. Next, he unties her hands and feet, which drop limply to her side. She is too weak to fight, the pain radiates from her wounds and when he flips her over, she moans, and begins to cry.

  “Shhh…. I promised you would enjoy it,” he attempts to tie her hands, but her fear causes her adrenaline to rush, and she attempts to kick him. He laughs and finds that her struggle has him growing hard again.

  “Yes, fight me Viv!” he grabs her by her long dark hair and jerks her back against his naked body and presses the knife to her throat. Her struggle stops, an
d he laughs.

  “On the bed, face down!” she sobs as she falls to the mattress and he secures her hands and feet once more. Standing up he stretches and drops the knife on the bedside table. He runs a hand over her bare ass and begins again.

  Before he leaves the room forty-five minutes later, he's sure to leave another gold coin for the police to find. They will soon be too busy to worry about a dead whore. Time for a shower and to scope out the perfect spot for his work tonight.

  Chapter 27

  Solomon greets the officers out front of Wells bank and hands them each an envelope. “Thank you for your assistance. Mr. Wells has paid you a little extra for the short notice. The dock workers will unload the shipment and carry them into the basement vault. Ah, here they come now.” Solomon hears the horse-drawn wagon coming at a slow pace. He turns to the officers, “I'll just go open the vault for them.”

  Aiden almost gives his location away when he sees Solomon Abbott talking to two officers in front of the bank. This couldn't be better planned! “Goodbye, Mr. Abbott maybe when I finish with Cassie, I will give your Faith a visit!” he whispers.

  It is a clear night from the top of the brick building a hundred yards from the bank. Through the brass scope on his rifle, he zeroes in on the officers and scans the surrounding area before stopping on the wagon. The six men climb down carefully, and Jeb starts calling out orders. Two gas lanterns light the street in front of the bank, and the men carefully lift the first crate down. They move at a turtle’s pace because they all know that one misstep would be deadly. The first crate is set down in front of the bank next to the two officers, who step back to watch.