by Chloe Carley
***
As they neared the meeting point, Thomas could see around twenty men already gathered in anticipation. He knew there’d be grumblings when he announced they were to disperse, but if those were Harrison’s instructions then he’d no choice but to obey.
He could see John Hoskins in conversation with some of the men. As they approached, he turned to nod to Thomas, the others clearing a way. Thomas reined Scout in and looked around him.
“The men are all ready, Sheriff. We’ve got twenty here and another five to come. More than a match for whoever’s got our cattle,” the deputy said.
A murmur of agreement went up around him, but Thomas held up his hand for silence.
“Listen up, men, I’m grateful to you for coming out here like this. Lord knows you’ve waited long enough to find out who’s doing this and see them brought to justice. But I’ve… I’ve had some new information and it seems we can’t move against these men just yet,” he said, and an angry cry erupted all around him.
John Hoskins looked at him in disbelief, as did all the others, for Thomas had promised them all the return of their cattle that very day.
“You told us that we’d have our cattle back,” one of them said.
“Your word’s worth nothing,” shouted another, turning away and spitting on the ground.
“Wait,” Thomas said, “it’s only for a couple of days. I need more time to spy out the bandits’ movements and make sure we catch them all red-handed.”
“Didn’t you know this yesterday? We’ve got ranches to run and cattle to see to—what’s left them,” another man said, shaking his head.
“Two days, that’s all I’m asking,” Thomas said, and the posse began to disperse.
“What’s going on?” John Hoskins said. “You’ve been acting mighty strange.”
Clarence and Hector were waiting for Thomas by the path into the gorge. Amongst the milieu of the posse, he lost sight of them for a moment and, glancing around him, as he leaned in to catch John Hoskin’s ear.
“Give me your gun, ignore the order I just gave you. Wait half an hour then circle the posse around and ride into the gorge. I’m going to need your help,” Thomas said quickly, snatching the deputy’s pistol from its holster and tucking it under his shirt.
“But, Sheriff, I…?” John Hoskins said, and Thomas shook his head.
“There’s no time to explain, just trust me and do as I say,” he said, before riding off to where Clarence and Hector were waiting for him.
“There now, Sheriff. It wasn’t that hard now, was it?” Clarence said, pointing his pistol at Thomas, who nodded.
“All right, I’m ready,” he said.
“Of course you are, you’ve no choice but to be,” Clarence replied, ushering Thomas and Scout along the path into the gorge.
Daylight did little to improve the menacing look of the trees which overhung the path. The sides of the gorge rose up steeply on either side, creating the perfect place for an ambush. But Thomas would gladly have taken on a force of Indians or outlaws in exchange for this.
He was a condemned man, walking to his fate. But this was no justice served, he was innocent, as was Aline. He was merely a victim of his past and the sad association with his half-brother.
“Keep riding,” Clarence said, “not far now.”
“Do you really think you’ll get away with this forever?” Thomas asked, and the two men laughed.
“Why shouldn’t we? Your father was an outlaw all his life. It served him well enough,” Clarence replied.
“Don’t you ever want more? A decent day’s work? The satisfaction of an honest job?” Thomas asked.
“Save your sanctimonious whining, Redmond. We’ve got our life and you’re about to lose yours if you try anything funny, now move,” Hector said, pointing his pistol squarely into the small of Thomas’ back.
Thomas made no reply, but rode slowly through the trees, until they came to the opening where the cattle spread out like a field of corn before them. On the ridge above, Thomas could see men with guns watching them and, to his horror, he saw Aline being roughly dragged toward him by Harrison, a gun held to her head.
“Ah… so, the fool arrives,” Harrison said, smirking at Thomas as he came to stand before him.
“Aline, are you all right?” Thomas cried, as Aline looked at him through a tear-stained face.
She was shaking with fear, a bruise forming on her left cheek and her hair all out of place.
“She’s alive, isn’t she? What more do you want?” Harrison asked.
Thomas slipped down from Scout’s back and led the horse forward to within a few yards of Aline and Harrison.
“Now, you keep your end of the bargain. Let Aline go, she’s nothing to do with all this. She can ride back to Lakestone and I’ve no doubt you’ve warned her of the consequences, should she choose to talk,” Thomas said.
Harrison still had his pistol pointed at Aline’s head, but he pushed her forward—all the while keeping his eye on Thomas, who stood his ground defiantly.
“How do I know you’ll keep your end of it, Harrison?” Thomas asked, but his half-brother just shook his head.
“You don’t. Do you trust me?” he snarled.
“Not one bit, but I’ve done everything you’ve said. You’ve won, you hear me. Does that satisfy you? You’ve won,” Thomas said, bowing his head, as Harrison began to laugh.
“Oh, Thomas. How good it is to hear you say that. What is it they say, ‘crime doesn’t pay?’ Well, I can tell you, brother, law abiding certainly doesn’t,” Harrison said, beginning to laugh.
“Half-brother,” Thomas growled.
“I didn’t catch that. Did you say something?” Harrison said.
“You’re my half-brother—and thank the good Lord for that, for you’re one son of a…” Thomas began, but at that moment, Aline did a most remarkable thing.
She sank her teeth into Harrison’s outstretched hand, causing him to cry out in pain. At the same time, she swung her fist as hard as she could into his side, causing him to reel backwards, winded and collapsing to the ground.
As he staggered to his feet, Aline made a run for it into the trees and, in the confusion that followed, Thomas pulled out his pistol. There was no time to think as shots rained down around him. Harrison staggered to his feet, drawing his pistol and letting off two rounds.
Thomas smarted as the bullet grazed the side of his arm. He let out a cry of pain, feeling the warmth of blood running down his shirt. But, as he did so, he pulled John Hoskins’ pistol from his shirt and fired off his own rounds toward Harrison.
Clarence and Hector had rushed after Aline, but already she was running back down the track as shots from above leaped through the sand. Thomas’ attention was turned towards his half-brother.
Harrison was lying face down in the sand, motionless. As Thomas had let fire his pistol, Harrison had let out a cry, clutching at his chest as he fell forward. To Thomas’ horror, he realized that his half-brother was dead and he looked down at the man’s lifeless body, dumbfounded by the sight.
“Dear Lord,” he cried, clutching at his arm, as another bullet glanced by him.
But now, it was a matter of life and death, and he knew he had to rescue Aline or they’d both soon be killed. Without a second glance at his brother, Thomas leapt onto Scout’s back and charged at full pelt down the path.
Clarence and Hector had nearly caught up with Aline, and Thomas sent a bullet flying into Clarence’s leg, which sent him reeling to the ground. As Hector turned to fire, Thomas kicked him hard in the chest and he topped to the side, as Thomas cried out for Aline to stop.
“Aline, here,” he cried, as Scout raced past her.
Aline grabbed hold of his outstretched hand and Thomas hauled her onto Scout’s back as the horse charged through the trees.
“Oh, Thomas,” she cried, flinging her arms around him and holding on for dear life as Scout galloped on.
“We’re not out of it yet,” Thomas called back,
and a volley of bullets ricocheted across their path.
“They’re coming,” Aline cried.
“Hold on,” Thomas told her, urging Scout to gallop faster to safety.
Glancing behind, Thomas could see Harrison’s outlaw posse on the charge. Bullets were flying all around them and it was all he could do to hold on for dear life, with Aline’s arms clasped desperately around him. Despite Scout’s speed, the bandits were gaining on them, coming from every direction and almost upon them.
But, as they emerged from the trees and onto the Westfort trail, Thomas let out a cry of joy at the sight before them. There, in a great posse, and led by John Hoskins, were the men of Lakestone. The deputy looked amazed as Thomas raced toward him, calling out for him to make the charge.
“Every man behind us is part of this, they won’t be expecting to see you,” Thomas called out, reining Scout in and turning the horse to face the path into the gorge.
A moment later, the first of Harrison’s men emerged and they too were shocked at the sight that met them. They turned tail and fled, followed by John Hoskins and his posse, who charged at full speed toward the retreating outlaws, who scattered in their confusion.
Thomas and Aline were left alone on the trail and she let out a deep sigh, leaning her head forward, her arms clasped tightly around Thomas’ waist.
“You came for me, you would have traded yourself for me,” she whispered, as Thomas turned to her.
“And I’d do it a thousand times over, Aline,” he replied. “I’m sorry you had to go through all this. What Harrison did to you is shameful.”
“But I had you, I knew I had you,” she said.
He looked at her and smiled, taking a deep breath and putting his arm around her.
“You’ll always have me, Aline,” he said and, leaning forward, he kissed her.
As their lips parted, Aline smiled and rested her head back on his shoulders.
“Can we go home now?” she asked, and Thomas nodded.
“We’ve just got a little business to see to first,” he replied, urging Scout off down the trail toward Lakestone.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
News of what was happening out at Lakestone Gorge soon reached the town and there was much excitement at the idea of a fire fight and the rumor that Harrison Knox was dead.
But Thomas had no time for congratulations or celebration. Instead, he rode straight up to the mayor’s office, having explained everything to Aline as they rode toward the town. He helped her down from Scout’s back and the two of them hurried up the steps, pushing through the doors to find the mayor’s startled assistant sat behind her desk.
“You need an appointment to see the mayor, Sheriff,” she said, but Thomas was in no mood for pleasantries.
He pushed past her, bursting into Mayor Gould’s office, much to the anger of the over-inflated bureaucrat.
“What is the meaning of this?” Mayor Gould cried, but in one deft movement, Thomas swept all the papers off the mayor’s desk and turned it on its side.
“Sell me out, will you, Mayor Gould? I know everything. You thought I’d be laid out cold in the gorge and your little agreement with Harrison could continue. Well, I know everything and I’m telling you, the good folks of this town will run you out if they hear about it,” Thomas shouted.
Mayor Gould rose from his chair, his enormous bulk causing him to breathe heavily as he struggled towards Thomas, a look of such anger and hatred on his round red face as Thomas had ever seen.
“You forget something, Sheriff Redmond—there’s an awful lot I know about you, too. An outlaw, a murderer, a man with a past as long as any bandit in this state. Do you think the good people of this town will take kindly to discovering that?” the mayor asked.
But Thomas smiled and shook his head. “I knew you’d hold that over me, so it seems we’ve something of a stalemate,” he replied.
“Thomas, be careful,” Aline said, clutching at his arm.
“It’s all right, Aline. I’ve got a proposal for Mayor Gould here,” he said.
“I’m listening,” the mayor replied.
“I’ll resign as sheriff and tell no one of your illegal activities, not least your association with Harrison,” Thomas replied.
“And in return?” the mayor asked.
“In return, you forget about my past and accept that I did the right thing in bringing my half-brother to justice. Even if it meant putting a bullet in him,” Thomas replied.
Mayor Gould thought for a minute and then nodded. There was no choice in the matter—Thomas knew he had him over a barrel.
“All right, you’ve got yourself a deal, Sheriff,” he replied.
“But… you can’t resign as sheriff,” Aline said. “It’s your life.”
“Yes, what are you going to do instead?” the mayor asked, and Thomas smiled.
“Well, you see, that’s the other side of the bargain. I want to try my hand at being a rancher. You, Mayor Gould, will make sure that the ranch is signed over to Aline here—she was betrothed to Harrison, after all, and the place did once belong to her father. What do you say?” Thomas asked.
Mayor Gould eyed him warily for a moment, then nodded. “I say you’ve got yourself a deal. But if I have one bit of trouble from you, I’ll…” he began, but Thomas laughed.
“You give us no trouble and you’ll receive no trouble in return,” he replied.
The two men shook hands and Thomas and Aline left the mayor’s office in high spirits.
“Oh, Thomas, you did that for me,” she said, putting her arms around him as they stood out on the street together.
“For us both,” Thomas replied, and once more he kissed her, a perfect moment after all the sorrow of that day—a day which had turned out better than any of them could’ve imagined.
***
Aline was exhausted and she nearly slipped off Scout’s back twice as Thomas rode them back to Lampeter Ranch.
The posse, headed by John Hoskins, had arrived back from Lakestone Gorge. The outlaws hadn’t been difficult to round up and were already safely in the jailhouse and awaiting trial.
Almost all the cattle had been returned to their rightful owners, with just a few having already been sold, and there was much rejoicing and celebration in the town.
In an unexpected show of generosity, Mayor Gould declared a public holiday and Pastor Warren had rung the church bell, calling folks to a thanksgiving prayer meeting. The Anaconda Hotel was busy with revelers and the saloon was doing a roaring trade as the townsfolk celebrated the demise of the outlaws who’d so terrified them over the past months.
But Aline and Thomas had taken their leave, riding out of Lakestone and home to Lampeter Ranch—the place they could now truly call home.
As Thomas reined in Scout, Aline let out a cry at the sight of Sammy on the windowsill. When Harrison had taken her away, she’d had no time to feed him or see that he was all right. The two of them hurried inside and Sammy leapt into her arms, letting out a loud meow.
“Oh, poor Sammy, here, let’s get you some corned beef. Poor cat,” Aline cooed, opening up a tin which Sammy began to devour hungrily.
“You’ve made this place quite a home,” Thomas said, looking around appreciatively.
“And now it truly is,” she replied, smiling.
He took hold of her hand and their eyes met, a smile playing across his face, too.
“I guess…” he began.
“Oh… but it’s your home, too,” she replied.
“Lita Morrell won’t be happy,” he said, laughing.
“I’ll tell her I’m sorry that I’m stealing away her best boarder,” Aline replied.
“But I can’t live here unless…” he started, dropping to one knee.
Sammy looked up from his meal and let out a long meow as Thomas took hold of Aline’s hand.
“Oh, Thomas…” she cried.
“I know we’ve been through a lot today, but underneath it all there’s just one reason—and t
hat’s love, Aline. I love you so very much, with all my heart, and I can’t imagine life without you. In all my life, I’ll only ask one thing of you, and it’s this: will you marry me?” he said, looking up at her, his eyes wide and imploring.
Aline felt such happiness in that moment. After all she’d been through, all the pain and sorrow, it seemed that now was her time once more. She nodded, a tear rolling down her cheek as she knelt, too, and threw her arms around Thomas, sobbing with delight.
“Of course I’ll marry you, a thousand times yes,” she said, just as Sammy leapt into their arms and began to purr.
