One thing was for sure, if she made it back, it didn't matter to her if Eric felt the way she did. Lily was going to put everything she had into her marriage and hope for the best. She couldn't imagine marrying anyone else and the thought of never seeing Eric again made her realize how much she cared. She would put any trepidations she had aside. It didn't matter if he still had feelings for Caitlin and the infidelity that Kathryn had accused him of was only an accusation. Even if it were the truth, she would do what she could although her heart twisted painfully at the thought. Kathryn seemed less than trustworthy at best. It suddenly occurred to Lily that Kathryn must have been in on the kidnapping. The men would have never have let her go otherwise and Eric, as well as herself, would not have gone out onto the patio without being baited. That woman had been the bait. No wonder Kathryn had been so eager to talk to her while they were at the theater. Filling Lily's head with poison. Kathryn was trying to keep them apart.
As they mounted up, Slim rode up beside them. “Mornin, girly. How did ya sleep?”
Lily pulled down the brim of her hat and tried to ignore him. “Sweet thing like you needs her beauty rest.” He leered at her. “You gotta wedding to git ready for.” He cackled at his joke started to move on and then stopped. “The boss wants you pure and you better hope to hell you are or there'll be hell to pay. Don't think Tracker's gonna save you. Spreadin' for him don't change nothin'. I got my eye on you.”
“I'm not the one the boss is worried about,” Tracker returned quietly, one eyebrow raised.
“Well, the boss ain't been seein' the way you're always talkin' her ear off.” Slim gave her one last leer than rode on.
“I don't like him.” Lily spoke quietly.
“You shouldn't. He is dangerous, even in this crowd.” Tracker kicked his horse into a trot and the day's ride began.
CHAPTER 11
EVERY MUSCLE IN HER BODY screamed as the men picked up the pace. She began to worry she wouldn't have to fake fainting and she may do it before she was supposed to. The summer heat was beating down on them and the trees only seemed to hold in the humidity. She had had very little to drink and she felt herself growing more and more dizzy. The only thing that kept her going was the thought that her family might be somewhere behind her.
Tracker said little and she was sure that Slim's comments had affected him. Tracker didn't want Slim to become suspicious.
Around noon, they stopped near a small river and Lily looked at it longingly. She would give anything to do as she had done as a child and wade into the water. Perhaps, however, she could get a drink.
Tracker set her down and she began to sway on her feet. It was half acting and half real. She was exhausted. As Tracker stepped down off the horse behind her, she let her knees buckle from under her and she began to fall backwards. It suddenly reminded her of the incident with Toby and made her more homesick than ever.
Tracker caught her easily and she lay motionless in his arms enjoying being laid down on the ground. It might be nice to take a break.
“That girl faint?” she heard someone ask.
She could feel the men coming to stand over her and the need to run began taking over her mind. It took every ounce of energy to lay still while they stared down at her. A hand grabbed at the collar of her shirt and traveled down the fabric to the first button. “You bound em',” she heard Slim say and then someone knocked his hand away.
Curly's voice was next. “Who's gonna know if we just have a little fun?”
A hand grabbed at the top of her pants. She could feel her heart beating faster and faster and tried to keep her breathing even. She had to trust Tracker.
“The boss will,” she heard Tracker say quietly.
“He doesn't have to know it was us. She looks loose enough to me. She probably done it with a bunch of guys.” Curly was sounding more excited by the second and at that instant she felt someone pick her up. Lily almost screamed but held motionless.
“I'm getting her a drink of water,” she heard Tracker say over his shoulder as he carried her to the river. She could have cried with relief but another voice spoke close to her ear.
“You’re awfully friendly with that girl. I think you should give her to me. What do ya say boys? Tracker gettin' too friendly?” Slim turned to the other men.
“Leave it Slim,” another voice called, “bosses orders.”
“Don't leave that girl alone, Tracker. I ain't seen one as pretty as her in a long time and what the boss don't know won't hurt him.” Slim touched her hair and Lily's skin crawled.
“You don't think he would know?” Tracker never raised his voice but it always made its point.
“Not if you're not there to tell him. I could even tell him that you run off with her. The men would probably back me up, the way you been chatterin' in her ear.” Slim had lowered his voice so that only Tracker could hear. Lily's insides clenched at the implication of his words. If she were not with Tracker and not delivered to the Colonel then Slim would not be returning her to her family. She would be dead.
“I think you can only get away with taking the boss’s female companion once, don't you?” Tracker returned without breaking stride or changing his tone. His words, however, seemed to have had their intended effect. Slim stopped talking and Lily could only assume that he had left. Tracker again lowered her to the ground and began to pour a small amount of water from his hands onto her lips. She choked a little then opened her eyes. He nodded that she could revive and she began to try and lean over to drink a little water on her own. But she didn't have to fake the shaking.
“Bags, she needs some more food. Cam you try to catch us something?” Tracker called over his shoulder.
“Yeah, but it takes time,” Bags said.
“Just a little something for her if you can't bring something for all of us. I'll build a small fire while you hunt so that we can do this as quickly as possible.”
Lily heard his words and her insides clenched. Tracker had been right. When they were moving, the men left her alone. But now that they had stopped, she worried that they would get unruly.
“Have you done this before?” she whispered.
“No, I haven't. But they have.” The tension that hadn't been in Tracker's voice when he had been talking to Slim was there when he answered her and the fury behind it was evident.
“I'm sorry. I didn't mean to... I've upset you.” Lily cringed. It was in her nature to care about other’s feelings.
“Don't be. I'm sorry. I have learned to control my feelings around them at all times but it is harder with you. You actually have feelings that reflect my own. You care and you ask questions. I...” He stopped. “I can't do this right now. I have to keep my guard up, especially with the men resting.”
He carried her to the shade of a tree where she sat and looked at the water while the men milled around. Two built a fire, which seemed crazy in the heat but then Bags came back with a rabbit and two pheasants. Lily was surprised at his speed.
“He has skills.” Tracker grimaced slightly. “They all do.”
Curly helped skin the rabbit while Bags plucked the pheasants, then they set them to roast. She could smell the meat and her mouth began to water. She hadn't realized how hungry she was. She put her hand to her stomach to try to quell the grumblings. Rings had found some blueberries in the woods that were almost out of season and she was thankful. Tracker brought her what seemed like half of the meat. He himself had a small leg of rabbit and she looked at her helping with guilt.
“I shouldn't have all of this,” she said, starting to push it away.
He smiled, a genuine smile “You are the one who fainted. You need your energy.”
She tucked her head down so that the others couldn't see her smirk and dug into her food. The strength she would get from this could only help her.
They soon packed up but she had to hope that the time they had spent allowed her family to get closer.
***
Four days passed in the
same exhausting pattern. They rose early, ate little and rode all day. They could only push the horses so fast and Lily hoped that her family was getting closer but she was losing hope. At least Tracker stayed with her and, strangely, she felt relatively safe.
She again had only hardtack to eat and, while she had spent some time on a ship, she found this diet increasingly difficult. Tracker said less and less and she wondered at his silence. He usually spoke at least a few words of encouragement to her.
They finally made camp in the evening and even Lily could sense that something was not right. Curly and Slim were talking to themselves and Curly kept throwing glances her way. Finally, Slim sauntered over and winked at her as he turned to Tracker. Lily felt her skin crawl.
“I think that we're gonna backtrack and have a look. See if her men are following us.” Slim turned back and headed to his horse. Tracker's eye's narrowed.
Tracker unrolled his bedroll then called to Rings. “Watch over her,” he turned and Lily felt fear rising up inside her.
“Ain't you supposed to be stayin' with her?” Rings asked as he moved toward them. “I ain't the lady sitter, you are.”
“I need to do some scouting but I will get her settled to make your job easier,” Tracker said curtly as he led her into the bushes.
Once they were out of sight Lily turned to him to protest. Tracker pressed something into her hand and as she felt the cold metal touch her fingers, she felt a chill run down her spine. “Don't leave,” she choked out. Fear was building inside her.
“I have to. I want to protect you but I have to complete my mission.” He looked away and Lily tried to calm her racing heart.
“Delivering me?” was all she could get her throat to say.
“No, of course not. If that were the case, I wouldn't be giving you a gun. I have to find enough evidence to put the Colonel in jail for the rest of his life. Slim and Curly are up to something and it could be the break I have been waiting for.”
So many questions rose in Lily's mind but she didn't have time to ask any of them. He stuffed the gun in her waistband and led her back to camp. “Don't fall asleep,” he said as he tucked her into the bedroll.
She couldn't imagine falling asleep but she wondered how long she would have to lie awake. She tried to move as little as possible and keep her breathing even so that Ring would think she was asleep. Her skin began to itch and crawl with the exertion of holding still and she wanted to vent her frustration. It felt like a darkest, loneliest night of her life, except for maybe the night her parents died. But as she lay there listening, a plan began to form in her mind.
This might be her opportunity to escape. She just had to get away from the camp and then in the morning, she could head east toward the ocean. From there, she could get home. She occasionally smelled an ocean breeze and thought that they were loosely following the coast, only skirting settlements. Her only concern was that James and Eric might be close and she would be giving them the slip as well. But after considering it, she decided it was worth the risk.
Slowly, she sat up to test the sleeping men around her. Rings was snoring softly as he leaned against a nearby tree. She stood and contemplated which way to go. Lily wanted to avoid any beaten paths without getting completely lost or injured. She thought back to the direction she had seen the sun set and headed the opposite way. With any luck, she would have a jump on her plan to head east.
She crept through the woods, trying not to make any noise while still making progress. After an hour had passed she began to breathe easier. It didn't seem anyone was following her and Lily hadn't heard any alarms being raised. She felt the gun that Tracker had left her with in her waistband. It gave her some measure of comfort. She continued on for another half an hour when she heard a small noise in the distance. She froze then crouched down. Lily heard nothing for a few minutes and she was about to stand when she heard a noise a few feet away.
Lily stayed still as a statue, she didn't even breathe. Slowly her hand moved to where the gun was and she placed her fingers around the butt of it. She didn't dare pull it out. She was afraid she would make a noise. Several minutes passed and Lily heard nothing. She realized that she had been holding her breath and slowly exhaled. Then she heard a sound that made her blood freeze.
“Hello, girlie. Thought you'd be headin' this way.” She heard Slim's voice from close by. She wanted to run but knew it would do no good. She would probably fall and hurt herself making it even easier to find her. She stood completely still and said nothing.
“Don't think I don't know it's you. You're pretty quiet but not as quiet as us. We've been traveling through the woods for a long time. Bet you're wonderin' how we found you.” She could almost hear the smile in his voice.
“You shoulda known better, girlie. You woulda been safe in the camp. But we knew that if we left, Tracker would follow and you would try to escape. Fell right into our trap.” He cackled and she heard a second laugh further away that could only be Curly.
“If you’re wonderin' if Tracker is gonna save you, he ain't. We threw him off the trail a few hours ago, though it ain't easy to do. Looks like it's just the three of us.” She could hear that his voice was moving closer but she couldn't identify the direction. He knew where she was though. Slowly, Lily pulled the gun from her waistband. Maybe Slim wouldn't have counted on this.
“You ain't sayin' too much, girlie. Not that I mind. I like a woman who keeps quiet. But don't think you're gonna slip away. You ain't. It's too perfect. You escape and no one will ever know that it was us who caught up to you. Tracker might wonder, but he can't prove it.” Slim was close by and she thought she saw a movement to her right. Lily raised the gun and slowly squeezed the trigger. She prayed she had six bullets.
The blast that close was deafening. She gripped the gun tighter as she heard a scream pierce through the night. Shock and relief flooded her body just as a hand gripped her upper arm. Slim's leering face came into sharp focus in front of her. She raised the gun but he was too quick and snatched it out of her hand. He grabbed her wrists even as she struggled, until he had both wrists in one hand and then clamped his other hand over her mouth. She struggled as hard as she could but he was so much stronger than her that he quickly wrestled her to the ground.
“Poor Curly.” He didn't sound sorry at all and his hand left her mouth to begin pulling off her clothes. Lily didn't have time to think, she just acted. She reached up and bit him hard on the neck. Her hat had come off in the struggle and he grabbed her hair, pulling hard, snapping her head back. It freed her hands and she began to scratch and claw at him. He smacked her hard across the cheek bone with the back of his hand and she felt, for a moment, like her head would explode. He ripped at her shirt and several buttons came undone. Thankfully, her breast were still bound and giving up, he began to pull at her pants. She fought, but her hands were again trapped by one of his. A sickening cry ripped from her chest but it only seemed to excite him more. She closed her eyes and felt the hot tears run down her cheeks as he worked her pants down.
“You're a fighter, girlie, knew you would be,” Lily heard Slim grunt out. She wanted to continue to fight but she didn't know what to do. He freed one leg from her pants and began unbuttoning his own. Feverishly she began to fight again but he was working his legs in between hers.
What could she do? He was poised on top of her ready to enter. Lily knew once he was done, he would kill her. No one knew she was here and he certainly didn't want her sharing her story. She pictured her family, Eric and Toby and said goodbye in her mind. Lily braced herself for the pain when she suddenly felt Slim go still.
His weight slumped down on top her and then suddenly he rolled off of her. Tracker stood above her. She could have cried with relief but she couldn't force out any words. He picked her up and Lily began to shake. “He almost...” She couldn't finish the sentence.
“I know,” he whispered as he carried her swiftly through the woods. It was still dark but she didn't have the mental
ability to wonder how he was doing it. She just held on as he righted her clothes and carried her to his horse.
“You're all right now.” He soothed her, stroking her hair as he mounted his horse.
“Is he dead?” she asked softly.
“No, I just knocked him out. He'll know it was me but...” Tracker chuckled softly “He won't be able to say a word. He wasn't supposed to be here with you so he won't be able to accuse me of anything. I wonder what he's going to tell them.”
“What about Curly?” Her voice trembled as she asked.
“I only saw a blood trail,” he stated softly. “He's probably still alive but Slim will kill him.”
“What? Why?” She sat up for the first time, feeling a little clearer in the head.
“They are not nice men. Slim won't want to carry him or tend him. Nor will he want a second accounting of what happened from Curly. Curly's the worst at keeping lies straight. If the others suspect Slim is lying or working against them, they'll kill him.” Tracker's voice was hard.
“I have never hurt anyone, I can't believe I...” Lily’s voice trembled.
“He would have done far worse things to you than just shoot you. You shooting him may have been what saved you. Slim would have been much quicker if he hadn't been trying to...” Lily stopped him.
“I get the picture. Where are we going?” She asked, inadvertently holding her breath. What would he do with her?
“We are heading for a small town called Bucksport.”
“Why?” Lily felt both relief and fear course through her body.
“Your family should be there. I left them a message saying that I would return you to them in Bucksport. They should have sent someone from your family even if they didn’t trust me. But we have to hurry. I need to be back by sunrise to cover my tracks.” He kicked his exhausted horse into a canter.
Lily in Bloom Page 10
