Outlaw's Lady

by Bobbi Smith

  Ken shouldered his way up to the front of the crowd and went in to see if he could help.

  "What happened to him?"

  "He was stabbed, sometime late last night," Hawkins explained.

  Ken went to examine the body. As he checked the floor around the man, he found the note pad in a pool of drying blood. Ken lifted it up carefully. Though the paper was stained with Ralph's blood, he could make out the few words written on it. He was grim as he looked over at Hawkins.

  "It must have been Malone."

  "Why would he kill poor Ralph?" Hawkins was at a loss.

  "Zeke was here, and it looks like the Kid was, too. I think they had him send a telegram last night." He held out the note pad for the deputy to see. "It looks like the operator wanted us to know who'd killed him and why."

  The deputy studied the scrawled words.' "The Kid ...Patterson ...Express... Cheyenne... What does it mean?"

  Ken frowned, remembering the news he'd discussed with Slade the night before and wondering if there was any way the Kid and Zeke could have overhead them. "I'm going to have to send a wire to Denver myself as soon as things settle down. There's an ongoing investigation in Cheyenne that's connected to the Kid's gang, and this may be related to it."

  Hawkins nodded. "So the Kid was actually here, in town, last night."

  "That's right." Ken tensed as he realized the danger. "Has anyone seen Alyssa this morning?"

  "I haven't, but then I was taking care of the office for Rob while he went to walk her to work. He left at his regular time. It was right around eight o'clock."

  "Where is he now?"

  "I don't know-" Hawkins suddenly looked concerned, and he wasn't a man who worried easily. "He didn't come back by the office. I just figured he was out checking around town."

  Ken swore violently as he ran from the room, shouting over his shoulder, "Get the other deputies!"

  Hawkins was nervous as he emerged from the telegraph office. He sent one of the townspeople to find Clemans and Brown, and another to get the doctor.

  Ken rushed toward Alyssa's office.

  Emily had been hard at work at the store. They had only been open an hour, and there was a lot to do in the morning. She had just placed some merchandise outside on display when she noticed the people standing around in front of the telegraph office. She was wondering what was going on when she saw Ken come running out of the office, headed down the street toward her. She was instantly afraid.

  "Ken! What is it?" she called out to him as he drew near.

  He stopped for only a moment to explain. "The telegraph operator was murdered last night. I'm going to find Rob right now. Have you seen him?"

  "No, not since he came for Alyssa earlier this morning."

  "Well, stay close to the store, and if Rob does come by, send him down there. Hawkins is in charge right now."

  "I will."

  "Emily?" Loretta came out to see what was going on.

  Emily went back to her mother and told her what Ken had said.

  Ken ran on toward Alyssa's office. When he got there, he saw Brett at the top of the stairs knocking on the door.

  "She's not there?" he called up to him.

  "No. It looks deserted inside," Brett answered.

  Ken mounted the steps, gripped by fear. Alyssa should have been there, and they should have seen some sign of Rob somewhere.

  "Let me take a look," Ken said, moving past the other man and peering in the window of the door.

  There was no sign of Alyssa. The room was empty. Yet Ken sensed something was wrong-very wrong. Instinctively, he tried the door, only to find that it was locked. Undeterred, he put his shoulder against it and broke in.

  "What are you doing?" Brett yelled. He'd seen the other man around town, but had no idea who he was or what his interest was in Alyssa Mason. "Who are you? I'm going to get Deputy Hawkins." He made it sound like a threat.

  "The name's Richards, Ken Richards. I'm a Pinkerton detective working to bring in the Kid's gang."

  At the news that Ken was a Pinkerton, Brett looked at him with open respect. "Oh."

  Ken didn't have time to explain further. He had to find out where Rob and Alyssa were.

  As he forced the door completely open and went inside, he knew he'd found his answer.

  "Go for Hawkins! Now!" Ken ordered as he saw Rob lying off to the side of Alyssa's desk.

  Brett went inside to see what Ken wanted the deputy for, and he caught a glimpse of the sheriff's body. "Is he dead?"

  "It looks like it. Hurry!"

  He rushed from the office as Ken went to tend to Rob. One close look at the fallen sheriff told him all he needed to know. Rob was dead, and it looked as if Zeke was responsible again. Somehow, they'd taken Rob down before he could get off a shot, for if he'd had time to use his gun, half the town would have heard and come running.

  Sorrow and rage filled Ken at the lawman's senseless death. He searched the rest of the office. There was no trace of Alyssa, and he was certain the Kid had taken her. He wished one of the deputies would show up so he could get Slade. They needed to go after the Kid as soon as possible. The longer they delayed, the bigger headstart the Kid would have, and from the looks of things, he'd already been gone for a couple of hours.

  Ken stalked to the door and glanced out toward the street. He was glad to see Hawkins running his way, but it troubled him when he spotted Emily trailing after him. He didn't want her to see any of this. He wanted to protect her.

  He took one last look around the office, meaning to go downstairs to speak with Hawkins and to keep Emily from witnessing the tragedy. It was then, though, that he spied the boldly scrawled note on top of Alyssa's desk.

  Ken recognized the handwriting right away. It matched that of the threatening missive the Kid had left for Alyssa back in her hotel room in Green River. He picked it up and read through it quickly.

  Braxton-

  I know you`re alive and I know you`re a Pinkerton. I've got your woman. Zeke's wanting her for his own, so if you want to see her alive again, be at Lattimer Canyon by sunup tomorrow. Come in alone and unarmed. If you do, she'll live. Try anything, and she's a dead woman.

  We'll be waiting for you.

  The Kid

  Just as Ken finished reading, Hawkins came charging into the room.

  "What's going on?" he demanded.

  Emily was right behind the deputy, dogging his steps, trying to get a look around him. "Where's Alyssa?"

  "Emily! Alyssa!" Loretta's call came to them as she hurried up the steps, intent on ascertaining her daughter's safety.

  "They got Rob," Ken said.

  The deputy moved past Ken to see his friend lying dead on the floor. "Oh, God, no!"

  It had been terrible enough dealing with Ralph's murder this morning, but this... this was different. Rob had been Hawkins's friend. He'd respected and admired him. And now he was dead. Murdered by the Dakota Kid's gang. Hawkins was inconsolable.

  "What is it?" Emily insisted as she moved forward into the office, too, only to see Rob lying there.

  She would have swooned, but Ken was instantly beside her, slipping a supportive arm around her waist. She leaned into him, glad for his strength, glad for his calm presence. She needed him so.

  "Emily?" Loretta had almost reached the top of the steps.

  "Mother... Don't come in, please," she managed.

  Ken walked Emily to the door, so she could take care of her mother.

  "Will you be all right for a minute?" he asked her. He saw how pale she was and he could feel her trembling.

  "Yes.. .but where's Alyssa?"

  "They've taken her."

  Emily gazed up at him, fear and anger shining in her eyes. Her voice was filled with hatred as she spoke. "You get Slade, and you two go find those bastards! Don't let them hurt my sister! Don't let them get away with this! Bring Alyssa home!"

  Ken met her regard, and when he answered her, he meant it. "We will."

  "Emily!"

&n
bsp; She hurried out the door to turn her mother away from the carnage within. Ken could hear the older woman demanding to know where Alyssa was and then, after Emily spoke to her, starting to cry. He was glad that they knew she was still alive-for now. He turned back to Hawkins.

  "Here, read this." He handed him the note.

  Hawkins's expression turned to one of pure hatred as he finished reading and gave the note back to Ken. "We'll be riding with you."

  Ken nodded. "I'm going to take this to Slade. Once we've talked, we'll let you know what we've decided. There's not much time. Whatever we're going to do, we have to do fast."

  "Whatever you need, just let me know. Rob wanted those bastards locked up. I'm telling you right now, if I do nothing else for the rest of my life, I'm going to track them down and see them hang."

  Ken understood the deputy's anger completely. He said no more, but went to get Slade.

  Half an hour later, Slade walked into the sheriff's office followed by Ken. He'd walked down the streets of Black Springs, unmindful of the stares he'd received from those who'd seen him and the hushed, horrified whispers that had followed.

  Hawkins had been sitting at the desk, and he looked up as Slade came into the room. He wasn't a man easily intimidated, but the sight that met his eyes sent a chill down his spine. He realized that in all his years of being a lawman, he'd never seen a more dangerous-looking man than Slade Braxton at that moment.

  Dressed all in black, Slade had pulled his hat low over his eyes. He was wearing his side arm and carrying his rifle. His expression was emotionless, his jaw tight. There was tension etched in every line of his lean body, and Hawkins knew the man would just as soon shoot as ask questions right then.

  "You're ready to ride?" Hawkins asked.

  "The horses are tied up out front."

  "I'll be riding with you and so will Brown. Clemans is going to stay here and run the office while we're gone. Ursino's feeling good enough now to help him out a little."

  Ken spoke up. "How soon can you be saddled upr

  "Ten minutes."

  "Fine. We'll wait for you outside."

  Slade and Ken went to check their mounts one last time.

  "If we ride hard enough, we should be able to get there before dusk."

  "What if they see us?"

  Slade slanted him a deadly look. "They won't. I've been to this canyon before with the gang. I took a look around when we were there. They'll be expecting me at dawn, but I'm not going to wait that long. I'm not leaving Alyssa in Zeke's hands overnight. There's no telling what the man might do to her-no matter what the Kid said in the letter."

  Ken understood his determination. He would feel the same way if Emily was the one in danger. At the thought of her, he looked up to see her standing before the store watching them.

  "I'm going to go speak to Emily and Loretta."

  "I'll go with you."

  The two men approached the store, and as they did, Emily called to her mother to come outside.

  "Oh, Slade... Thank God!" Loretta threw herself in his arms, sobbing. "Save Alyssa, please! With Rob dead now, you and Ken are my only hope!"

  Slade held her as she cried. "I'll bring her back to you, Loretta. You have my word on it."

  She looked up at him, her face tear-stained. She saw the hardness in him, but she also saw the goodness. She reached up to touch his lean cheek. "Thank you."

  Ken went to Emily as Slade spoke with Loretta. "You'll be all right while we're gone?"

  "I'll be fine," she answered.

  She wanted to cry, but was struggling to control herself. So much had happened.. .the telegraph operator being murdered, then Rob being killed and now Alyssa kidnapped. She was terrified of what might happen to her sister, but she also found herself worrying about Ken. They all knew how vicious the Kid and his men were. She knew what they would do to Ken and Slade if they got their hands on them.

  "You'll be careful?" she asked him.

  "Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. Let's just pray we can get your sister back."

  "Oh, Ken..."

  "Wish me luck?"

  Emily couldn't help herself. She was so afraid that she might never see Ken again, that he might be killed just like Rob, that she went to him. She boldly put her hand on his chest as she looked up at him. She didn't say another word, but kissed him full on the lips. Ken was shocked and thrilled by her open display of affection.

  "For luck," she said, her eyes shining with tears as she started to move away from him. "Be careful."

  But he wasn't quite done with her yet. Unable to bear the thought that she was worrying and desperate, he caught her arm and brought her back to him. Without a word, he kissed her again, deeply, softly. It was a kiss that promised many wonders to come.

  "We'll be back-and don't worry. When we come, we'll be bringing your sister with us."

  Emily managed a wavering smile, trying to lighten their mood. "I'll expect a full report from you when you get back, Mr. Wiley."

  "I can't think of anyone else I'd rather report to than you."

  "I'll be waiting."

  "Slade! Ken!" Hawkins's call drew them away.

  "Be careful," Loretta and Emily called out as the two men went to mount up.

  Emily could not stop the tears that began to fall as she watched them ride out of town.

  Darlene Hays came hurrying over to where Emily and Loretta were standing. She looked fit to be tied as she asked, "Loretta, wasn't that man you were just talking to Slade Braxton?"

  Emily and Loretta could just imagine the buzz of gossip that would be going around town soon, now that Slade had emerged from hiding and some of the folks had seen him.

  "Yes, Darlene, that was Slade."

  "But-but-" She was so excited, she couldn't form a sentence.

  "He wasn't an outlaw at all," Loretta explained. "He was working undercover for the Pinkertons."

  "Slade Braxton is a Pinkerton detective?"

  "Yes. They faked his hanging so he could continue to work to bring in the Dakota Kid."

  "Dear Lord!" Darlene gasped, staring at them in amazement. "When did you find out about all this?"

  "We learned the truth about his identity when we were in Green River," Emily informed her. "Ken Richards is an operative, too. They swore us to se crecy about Slade's situation. They didn't want the word to get out, just in case it might get back to the Kid somehow."

  "Well, you both are as good as your word! Imagine keeping that secret for so long," she said, impressed. "Now, if they can only bring back Alyssa-"

  "They will," Loretta said with conviction. "They're Pinkertons. They'll get the Kid and bring Alyssa home safe."

  "We'll be praying for them."

  "So will we."

  "Loretta!" It was Al Carson from the newspaper and he had an anxious look on his face as he came hurrying toward them.

  "What is it, Al?" she asked, worried that something else terrible had happened.

  "Is it true what I just heard? Is it true someone just saw Slade Braxton alive and well riding off with Deputy Hawkins? Did Braxton kill Rob? I thought he'd been hanged! Do you know the truth?"

  "Come on in the store, Al. I'll tell you everything you want to know," Loretta said, knowing there was much to tell him.

  Emily lingered outside just a moment longer. She looked off in the direction Ken and Slade had ridden with the two deputies, and she offered up a silent prayer for her sister's safety and for theirs.

  Frustrated and saddened by the knowledge that there was nothing more she could do to help, she followed her mother and the newspaperman inside. The next few days were going to be the longest of her life.

  Alyssa's misery was so great that she almost cried from relief when they finally stopped their headlong flight from town.

  "You about ready to ride normal, sweetmeat?" Zeke asked as he pulled the tarp off her.

  Had she not been gagged, Alyssa would have told him what she thought of him, but she had no chance. She realized that
it was probably just as well. She doubted the outlaws would have been too pleased with her opinion of them.

  Zeke's hands were far too familiar on her as he untied the ropes that held her and pulled her off the horse's back. He tried to fondle her, but she jerked away from his vile touch, glaring at him in disgust.

  "My, my...You are a little spitfire." He chuck led. "Kid? You think she's gonna be this wild tonight?"

  The Kid looked over at them. "She'll probably be worse once she figures out what we got planned for her boyfriend."

  Sudden panic showed in Alyssa's eyes, and Zeke saw it.

  "Oohee, she sure does care about Braxton." He grabbed her and pulled her close so he could look her in the eye. He ground his hips against her in an imitation of what he planned to do to her that night. "Honey, I'm gonna make you forget all about him. After I get done with you, you ain't gonna want anybody else."

  Had she not been gagged, Alyssa would have retched. This was the man who had killed her father. Never in her life had she despised anyone the way she despised Zeke Malone. He was mean, vicious and without conscience, and what made him even worse was that he seemed proud of being that way.

  "Let's get going again, Zeke," the Kid ordered. "We can't be sure how much of a headstart we've got on them, and I want to be ready when Braxton shows up in the morning."

  "What if he doesn't come?" Zeke asked, deliberately wanting to taunt Alyssa. "What if he doesn't care enough about her to show up and save her?"

  "He'll come, whether he cares about her or not," he answered. "He's a Pinkerton. This won't be over until one of us is dead."

  "Don't worry. By this time tomorrow, Braxton will be."

  Zeke gave Alyssa a little shove away from him as he drew out his knife. She watched in terror, fearing what he might do to her next.

  "Scared of me, are you?" He'd seen the way her eyes had widened at the sight of his weapon. "Good."

  He reached out and turned her around. He startled her when he sliced the ropes that bound her hands.

  Alyssa wanted to go for her gun. She wanted to shoot him right then and there, but she fought down the need. This was not the time or the place. She only had one bullet. No matter how fast she might be, there was no way she'd have time enough to shoot Zeke, grab his gun and shoot the Kid, too. As desperate as she was, she was going to have to wait.