by Paige Powers
"By all means, my brother and I will do whatever it takes to find your sister. You can depend on us for that."
"Thank you. Thank you both."
"Now, let's get moving," Boyd commented. "We have a lot of ground to cover."
Chapter 2
Bianca awoke on the floor, hands bound behind her and her feet bound as well.
"Come on! Untie me."
She had no clue what time of day it was, or how long she had been asleep.
"Now you hush your pretty little mouth before I tie you up and put a muzzle on you."
Bianca looked up to see Red standing there. He always had this deranged look in his eye, like he was about two seconds away from destroying the Earth.
"If you were going to muzzle me, as you say, you would have already done it. What in the hell did you put in my food to knock me out like that?" Bianca lay there on the floor, trying her best to wriggle her hands free. The fibers of the rope burned on her wrists.
"Sometimes I just need you quiet enough to let me think. Women. You just talk too much."
"If you would just let me go, you wouldn't have to worry about all of that."
It was a lame attempt at reasoning with a crazy man, but it was worth the try.
"That is not going to happen, pretty lady. You go home when I get what I want."
Red came toward her, and she winced.
"Don't worry. I'll let your hands go, only if you promise to act right." He bent over so that he was eye to eye with her.
"I mean it. Don't make me hurt you."
Bianca stared at him, trying to figure him out. She thought it better to make sure that he did not actually hurt her without meaning to. Her end goal was to get home safely.
"Fine. Just undo the arms. My wrists are burning."
Red regarded Bianca a little more.
"Come on. You can trust me." Bianca tried her best to sound calm and convincing.
"I will let your feet go. Not your arms. Gotta play this thing here smart. You convince me that I can trust you, and I will."
Bianca tried not to sound frustrated, but she had to take something. Besides, she could try and make a run for it, but she had no clue where she was. It would not be smart to run around outside somewhere unfamiliar all alone. Red could easily bring her back to where they were and truly harm her, or he could let her go out in the strange unknown and let whatever elements were out there kill her.
Red was not the only one who needed to play things smart. She did as well.
The scent of food cooking made Bianca's stomach growl. "I could stand to freshen up and get a little something to eat."
"The washroom is thataway." Red pointed down a hallway.
Bianca rolled her eyes. "How am I supposed to take care of lady things when my hands are tied?" She practically whispered the words lady things.
Jaw clenched, Red threw his hands in the air. "Come on. Don't you try anything funny. There is no window in the washroom."
He manhandled her, removing the arm binding. Red's body was right on hers as he escorted her to the washroom.
"I'm not moving from this spot. And when you come out, your hands are going to be tied again. So don't take all day. And don't try anything. I promise you, you will regret it if you do."
"Fine. No funny business."
The release of the binding felt like heaven. She took a deep breath and walked into the washroom. She closed the door with a bit of force, her only way to make any sort of statement at the moment.
The only response from the other side was a grunt from Red. There were no accommodations in the washroom. A basin with clean water, one with dirty water, and a hole where she assumed they were supposed to dispose of bodily waste. This was nothing like what she was used to at home. They had indoor plumbing at the ranch and a pedestal sink and claw foot tub where she bathed in fine oils and perfumes.
Bianca shook her head, and leaned against the wall. She wanted to cry. She wanted to scream. But she knew that it was imperative that she keep her wits about her. There was no way that she was out here alone. Bianca was one hundred percent certain that her father had sent the cavalry searching for her. Someone should be coming for her soon. All she had to do was wait patiently for them to arrive.
She closed her eyes, and tried to think how long it had been since she had been kidnapped. By her calculations, it had to be at least a week. Holding her head in her hands, Bianca tried her best to recall the memories of what had happened. The past few days were cloudy, and she could not completely remember anything. That had to be the way that Red wanted it, so she would not be aware of where he planned to take her.
It was impossible to think in that tiny space. She was beginning to break a sweat due to the stifling heat and being so anxious. She did not want Red to break down the door. Splashing her face with the clean water, she took one of the rags and tried her best to freshen up. Her clothes were soiled and had an unbecoming scent, and she suddenly began to feel frustration set in. She had no idea what this man wanted with her.
Bianca swung open the door. "I need clothes. Fresh, clean clothes. Now!" Her tone was demanding and final.
Red looked her up and down. "I guess you could use a little something. Come on."
Stepping out of the washroom was the first time she actually took note of her surroundings. They were in a house that seemed drab, but at the same time comfortable. It looked a little too lived in, and she apologized under her breath for the fact that she was thinking about the difference between the luxuries of her upbringing and what she was dealing with right now.
Red was practically pulling her down the tiny hallway.
"You really don't have to keep me so close. I'm not going anywhere."
Red just grunted in response. When he threw open the door, Bianca could see the dust particles dancing in the sun's rays that streamed through the window.
She sighed her feelings of aggravation.
"You know that I really don't have to do anything for you?" Red reminded her.
"Just give me whatever you have. I need to wash my own clothes."
He huffed as he pushed her into the room, and pointed for her to sit on the bed. She did not want to sit down or make herself comfortable. The room smelled like mothballs and dirt, and she was not sure how long it had been since the bed linens had been washed.
There was no way that she could be picky. After wearing the same clothes for almost a week, she had no choice but to wear whatever Red had available. He pulled a few things out of the armoire, and threw them on the bed next to her.
Red threw his hands in the air, pointing to the clothes. "Try those."
She picked through the items, the feel of a strange fabric on her fingertips.
"It may not be the silks and fine linens that you are used to, but it will have to do." A tinge of frustration came through in his tone.
"No, really. It's fine. Thank you."
It would be great to put something else on, and she really did not have much of a choice this moment.
Bianca selected the blue button down shirt and a pair of graying slacks. As a lady, she rarely wore slacks in public. She mostly wore them when she went hunting with her brother or in those early morning moments when she was gardening.
"Are you just going to stand there, or are you going to excuse yourself so that I can change?"
Red looked her up and down. "I will turn around is all. Make it quick."
She stood there for a second, hoping that Red would be gentleman enough to let her have her private space. Of course, he did not. The most she got was him turning his back to give her the few moments of privacy she was going to get.
When Bianca knew that she was going to once again have to take what she could get, she quickly undressed and pulled on the clean clothes. They did not exactly fit to her liking, but what could she do?
"Done."
Red turned around and after taking a look, he nodded. "I hope you feel better now."
His words seemed kin
d and genuine.
"Actually I do. Thank you."
Red regarded her, and then nodded toward the doorway. "I will keep you untied if you can act right. The second you make any type of fuss," he paused, teeth gritted.
Bianca threw up her hands in surrender. She was walking a fine line in-between wanting to run, and wanting to keep things calm so she could get home safely. How long was it going to take for her father to send someone to come and rescue her?
"I've fixed something to eat. We need our strength before we get moving."
"We're leaving?" Bianca hoped that he did not sense the panic in her voice.
He grunted in response. Bianca did not want to push things any further. Right now, she was starving, and she would just take the time to eat and relax before they set out to wherever their next destination would be.
There was a tiny table in the middle of what Bianca assumed was considered the great room. Her resolve softened a bit when she saw that Red had set the table nicely with a proper place setting. She could not decide if the food actually smelled appetizing, or if it was just that she was starving.
Red stood to the side, slightly pulling out her chair so that she could take a seat. She thanked him and waited as he took a seat across from her. She was happy that she could sit calmly without having her legs and arms bound as she partook in a meal.
The food was simple; a hearty meal of potatoes, beef, and vegetables.
"I can't believe that you had time to cook something like this. Thank you."
Red nodded while he continued eating his meal. When he was finished, he wiped his mouth with the napkin that had been sitting on his lap, and swallowed down his coffee.
"Eat up. We are going to be on the trail for a while. May not be able to eat like this for a spell."
"Where is it that we are going again?"
"I never told you. All you need to know is that you will go wherever I go until I get what I want."
Bianca finished the last of her potatoes. "Red Davies. To what do I owe the honor of being captured by you?"
"You ask too many questions."
He hopped up from the table, snatching his plate up and taking it to the sink.
"I just wanted to know what we are doing out here. Don't you think that I should be able to know at least that much?"
Red shook his head. "Not really. Some things are better keep between men folk."
The light bulb went off.
"I should have known that this had something to do with my father." A feeling of frustration took over. Her father, Lou Simmons, was notorious for being a shrewd businessman who had strong political backing and ties that often landed him in compromising situations. Those situations had never directly affected any relationships except for his work associations. Now his penchant for making back door deals and being connected to all the wrong people was catching up to him.
Bianca wanted to scream.
"I never said that it had anything to do with Lou Simmons."
"Who else would it be? My father is one of the wealthiest, connected men around."
Red stared at her plate, and as soon as she ate the remaining portion of her beef, he snatched it from her and placed it in the kitchen.
"So are you going to tell me the truth or not? Does my father have anything to do with your motives?"
The dishes clinked, and Red was silent. Bianca waited patiently for his response. She knew very well that her father and Red were adversaries, and that her kidnapping had something to do with some business that the two of them had at hand.
"Your father is a, well, how should I put this? Lou Simmons has been a thorn in my side for quite some time. He sits on his high horse with more money that any man should ever have to himself. And some of the rest of us have to suffer and scrape to make ends meet. Meanwhile, he cuts corners and doesn't pay when jobs are complete. He owes me money, and I know that he has the means to pay it. Just won't do it is all. The man just has no respect. None at all."
Red came back to where Bianca was seated. She saw the frown lines deepening near the corners of his mouth. He seemed to be drifting off into a long lost memory, jaw clenched with a vein popping out on the side of his right temple.
"I understand what you mean."
"No, really, you can't!" Red was practically screaming, and Bianca was sure that vein was going to burst right then and there.
Red took a deep breath and started speaking slowly. "There is no way that a pampered princess like you could possibly know what it's like to work for anything first off. And besides that, you have no idea what it's like to walk in my shoes."
Bianca sat quietly, letting Red's words sink in. He was correct. She had no clue what it was like to be in Red's shoes, or to live a life like him. She did live the life of a pampered princess, full of luxury. She did not know what it was like to have to work for a living. Her father had forged an easy path for her, and made it possible that she did not have to work, but that she could live a life of leisure, free of complication.
"Red, you are one hundred percent correct. I don't know what it's like to walk in your shoes. My life has been pretty easy, and I won't apologize for that. I also won't apologize for having a father who made it his life's mission to make sure that I had the best of everything.
"What I do know is that if you have an issue with my father, it's something that you should take up with him man to man. Why would you drag other people into this?"
"Collateral damage sometimes happens. It's a casualty of war."
"Is that what my life is to you? A casualty of war?"
"There you go again. Talking too much. Let's go."
Red pointed in the direction of the door. Bianca got up, and headed toward the door.
"Now you can make this easy on the both of us or hard on yourself. Keep quiet and do exactly what I tell you to do, or else you will find yourself in a world of trouble. You understand?"
"Understood." Bianca thought it best to stay quiet and calm and win Red's trust versus fighting with him. She was not even sure how far away from home she was, and the last thing she needed was to be found out in the middle of the forest somewhere, cold, unresponsive, dead, all because she did not keep her mouth closed and play the game.
It was almost dusk, and Bianca was concerned about where they would be traveling so late at night.
"It's getting pretty late." That's all she said, and she hoped that it would get her point across.
"Easier to make way at nightfall."
They mounted the wagon, Red sitting on the bench, ready to steer the horses.
"You will sit in the back. Mouth shut," he commanded.
Bianca did as she was asked. It was fine with her. She wanted to peek out of the back of the wagon to make a note of where they were and where they were going. In order to start marking a trail so that her family could find her, she had to be smart.
She knew that her family would rescue her. It would only be a matter of time.
*
It felt like the wagon was hitting each and every bump along the way, almost as if Red was purposely searching out each bump with the purpose of riding over it. Bianca slid to the back of the covered wagon. She searched to find an opening on the covered tarp. She eventually found a stray portion that was tattered, making it easy to rip.
The cool evening air hit her face as she enlarged the opening. Her view was nothing but trees, an expansive amount of forest. It seemed overwhelming until she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
When she opened them, it did not seem as though it would swallow her whole. She quickly searched her surroundings, but became frustrated when she could not figure out exactly where she was.
She thought hard about where she knew a forest would be. Arizona was mostly desert land, arid and full of cacti and tumbleweed. It dawned on her that they must be close to the Pickens homestead. That would make them about twenty miles outside of her home county.
How on earth had they gotten so far away from home? Bianca
did not remember much about their trip over the past week, and she was not sure how that was possible. It felt like several days of her memories for the past week had been erased. The only thing she could think of was that Red had somehow drugged her. There would be no other possible way that she could not account for several days at a time. But she would not dare ask him if he had done so. Instead, she would just be more aware of her surroundings.
The wagon hit another bump, making Bianca lose her balance and topple over. She recovered, finding her balance. There had to be a way out of captivity. Bianca Simmons was determined to find it, because her life depended on it.
Chapter 3
It was difficult to navigate the terrain, especially because Boyd was not familiar with his surroundings. He hoped that not knowing the land would serve him and his brother well, because they wanted to see the land with clear eyes.
Having Scout with them made them hopeful that they would be able to locate Bianca and find her safe.
They had been on the road all day long. Ideally, they had to contend with the fact that they might be five or six days behind, because Bianca had been missing for almost a week.
"I think we should camp here for the night," Scout suggested.
They had been riding all evening, and along with the fact that they were all tired, they had to consider that their horses needed rest as well.
"I just feel like we should keep going, trying to cover more ground."
"Beau, I understand. But we need to be smart. The most important thing is to find Bianca safe."
Boyd nodded. "I agree with Scout. And we also have to consider making sure that the horses get rest and food as well."
Beau sighed. "I guess the two of you are right. Let's make camp and regroup so we can get moving before first daylight."
The men busied themselves finding firewood and tending to the horses. Scout trapped a squirrel, and they all sat to eat dinner.
