Logan's Promise

by Nancy Howard

  “Yeah, you're right about that, the cops are wise to our business here in Denver and will arrest us soon.”

  “I still don't like messin' with Comancheros, Travis.” Burl cautions again.

  “Well, dammit, Burl, you don't have to come along, you know. You can stay here and go to jail.”

  Then he turns his attention back to Biggs.

  “So, Mr. Biggs, who do we deliver this, merchandise to, Comancheros? You say.”

  Biggs nods yes, then gives them a map and directions to the Comanchero camp, and says that the man in charge is named Luis Cortez. He tells Belcher again not to double cross him, that he would be there when they delivered the women. Belcher assures him they would be there, and would not double cross him.

  “When do you want us to leave?”

  “As soon as you can get your gear and get back here.”

  BELCHER AND HIS GANG decide to stop that next morning, they've been traveling since eleven o'clock the night before. They and their horses are all tired and road weary. They stop, and set up their camp. Making sure it is up wind and a good distance from the wagon, in order to avoid the putrid smell it emits.

  It is mid morning, and Burl says to Travis they should feed the woman in the wagon, and let them bathe in the near-by stream they're camped next too.

  “Why should we?”

  “Cause, Travis we don't want em to starve to death, afore we get em to New Mexico,” Kirk says.

  “Well, what the hell are we gonna feed, em?”

  “Let's give em some jerky and water,” Duel puts in.

  “Okay, but first, I want to see what they all look like, Don't you boys like that idea? I do,” he says, grinning deviously.

  “Then let's bring em out here, Travis, cause I ain't goin' into that wagon,” Burl says.

  They all concurred that they'd like to have a look at the women, outside in the daylight. So Travis gets up from where he's been setting, and walks over to the rear of the wagon and looks in. The other men get up and follow him, grabbing their canteens and some jerky out of their saddlebags on the way.

  Inside the Conestoga, these poor girls are scared out of their wits. They are filthy and distraught. All of them starving, and thirsty, from being held captive in such filth and degradation—without proper care. Five of them have been held captive for two days by Biggs, and are very weak.

  Travis climbs into the wagon, as the other three look on from the outside. They watch him untie the women, and take the gags off of them. Five of the girls are so weak they can hardly set up, so Belcher drags them to the back of the wagon, like rag dolls. Once outside, three of them can't stand up, So Burl, Duel, and Kirk, set them on the ground, and lean them against the wheels of the wagon. Burl gets down and begins to give them some water, slowly.

  “What the hell you doin', Burl? I didn't tell you that you could do that.”

  “Yeah, Travis? Well, Bye-God you don't tell me what to do. These girls are starving and thirsty, and they ain't gonna be no good to us if we show up, and they're dead. I don't know about you, but I want to show up with all of them alive. I don't want Biggs and is associates, as he put it—huntin' us down and killin' us for reneging on our end of the deal.”

  Belcher says nothing back to Burl's comment.

  With all of them outside the wagon, Belcher reaches over and pulls the gag off of the last girl and looks at her—doing a double take in the process. He thinks he recognizes her. Then he says to himself, “nah...they ain't no damn, way.”

  Then his curiosity gets the best of him as he gets into her face, again.

  “You gotta be, fuckin', kiddin', me.” He decares.

  “What's that?” Burl says turning toward Belcher.

  “This here's, Logan Kincaid.”

  “Are you sure,” Duel questions? As all four of the men look at the girl.

  “I'm damn sure it's her. Or I'm seein' a ghost,” Belcher says.

  Then he gets in the woman's face, again, very close, and says, “you’re Logan Kincaid, ain't ya?”

  She shakes her head no.”

  “What the hell you mean no? The last time I saw you, you was a high and mighty bounty hunter with a reputation, Logan. So tell me, if you ain't her, then who the hell are you?”

  “My name is Falon.” she responds, weakly.

  “Bullshit! You remember me don't you Logan? At least, that's what your name was back then. You remember, you shot me and got me arrested down in Miner's Hill some years back. I all most got hanged fer murder, cuz' a you.”

  “No mister, I don't. I don't know what you’re talkin' about.” She responds, meekly.

  “So you think she's Logan Kincaid,” Burl questions?

  “Did you ever see Logan, Burl?”

  “Yeah I did, once, years ago, down near Silver City. She was with another bounty hunter—a man by the name of Gavin Sloan.”

  “Well, since you know what Logan looks like, then look at her—dammit.”

  “Travis, she says her name is, Falon.”

  “Yeah, well, she's Logan alright, I'll never forget that bitch.”

  Then Burl pushes Travis aside, and gets close up and asks the girl her name again.

  “Is your name, Logan Kincaid?”

  “No. Like I just told him, my name is, Falon. I don't know who Logan Kincaid is.”

  “What's your last name,” Burl asks?

  “Long,” she says, looking down at the ground.

  “I think she's tellin' us the truth, Travis,” Burl says.

  “Fuck. She's lyin' through her teeth, to save her ass, Burl.”

  “No she ain't, Travis, you and I both know that that Logan Kincaid was somethin' else to deal with. You should know it better'n anybody. She'd never let something like this happen to herself. I remember her reputation. She'd a killed anyone in the blink of an eye, if they'd have tried to kidnap her, like this.”

  “Yeah, maybe so?”

  “That is so, and I think she's tellin' us the truth. Maybe she's Logan's twin sister or somethin’.”

  “Logan's twin sister,” Belcher says. “You're, fuckin' crazy as hell, Burl.”

  “No, I ain't crazy, either, Travis.”

  Then Burl gets close to Falon again. “You got a twin sister?”

  “No, not that I know of.”

  “There, ya see,” Travis says.

  “You know, Travis, she could be Logan's twin, and she may not have ever known her,” Burl says.

  Travis shakes his head, and asks, “now, how it the hell is that possible?”

  “Well, something may have happened, and they got separated when they was babies. Stranger things have happened you know.”

  Belcher thinks on what Burl, said, “Yeah, I guess you could be right about that. But I'll tell you what, I ain't gonna give her up to them Comancheros if this is true. I'm gonna keep her for my own. I have a plan in my head.”

  “Yeah, what the hell kind of a plan, Travis?” Burl questions, sarcastically?

  “I'll pay them for her. Everybody has a price, and I'll tell them why I want to keep her.”

  “So, let me get this straight, you think you can just waltz into that Comanchero camp, and talk Biggs, and that Cortez fella, into givin' her up? Just like that. Right.”

  “Yeah, I do. I was also, just thinkin' if I can find her sister—if they is twins, and I think now you're right, they are. I can use her to get back at Logan.”

  “You're the one, who's crazy as hell, Travis? You'll get us all killed, because of your vengeance,” Burl comments. Still using the same sardonic sound in his voice.

  Then Travis gets into Burls face, pointing his finger, and says angrily, “My vengeance, Burl, is cuz' her fuckin' sister, made a damn fool a me, once. And I want to get her back fer it, cuz I ain't never gonna forget what that fuckin' bitch did to me.”

  “Yeah, well Travis, you killed two women. That's why she had you arrested and nearly hanged,” Burl comments.

  “Well Burl, what the hell would you have done? That f
at bitch, Sue, was gonna go to the sheriff, and tell him about me killin' that little whore, Melissa Reyes.”

  “Well, Travis, for one thing I wouldn't have killed either of them. And if this Sue gal would’a told me she was gonna go to the sheriff. I would have gotten my horse and got the hell out of town, and run. But you, you just stayed around and got caught—you damn fool. You want to blame Logan for catchin' you, for somethin' you did.”

  “Is that so, Burl.”

  “Yeah, it is so, Travis.”

  “Well, it don't matter, cuz I'm still gonna get even with that bitch, Logan, anyway.”

  “Yeah, you do that, but you're twisted as hell in your thinkin', Travis. You just remember what I said about that Logan Kincaid. I remember her reputation of bein’ real damn good with a gun, and was nobody to mess with. And even if you do find her, how in the hell are you gonna lure her out to this girl? Hell, she's like her, she don't even know that this girl even exists.”

  “I'll figure it out.”

  “Yeah, I just bet you will. But what you might consider, while your doin' your figurin', Travis, is that you might get us all killed by the Comancheros, or Logan.”

  Belcher is quiet to what Burl Haggar said.

  The Haggars and Kirk finish, giving water and food to the women. Then Burl looks at Travis, and notices the wild eyed stare he's giving the girl, Falon.

  “What the hell, you thinkin' on doin' to her, Travis,” Burl asks?”

  “You boys, go on, and take them other women down to the stream, to bathe. I'm gonna have a little fun with Falon.”

  “Come on, Travis don't do that to her,” Burl says. “She's in enough misery, the way it is.”

  Then Travis turns and points his finger at Burl, “you shut your fuckin’ mouth, Burl Haggar. I've had enough a yer shit, fer one day. I'm gonna have my way'th her. Ya hear? And you ain't gonna stop me, cuz' if you try, I'll kill ya.”

  Burl glared at him, wanting to challenge him but doesn't, he realizes that the other women need care. Then he and the other two men and walk away, knowing it was useless to argue with Travis. But Burl knows there will come a time when he will tell Belcher to stop harming Falon.

  Minutes later as they let the other women bath, they could hear Falon screaming and begging Belcher to stop as he forces himself on her. The Haggars and Kirk, did nothing to stop him. This is something Belcher would do to Falon until he found it not to be fun anymore. But one thing is for certain, he will not kill her. Because he needs Falon alive in order to lure Logan to them, so he can kill her to settle his old score.

  Later during the night Burl wakes up and goes to wagon and gets Falon up, unties her and takes her down to the stream to bathe. He has feelings of guilt because he didn't stop Belcher earlier.

  After returning Falon to the wagon, and tying her up he returns to his bedroll. Belcher was awake, “feel better now Burl.” He says, chiding and laughing at him.

  “Shut the fuck up, Travis. Just, shut the fuck up.” He said, in a low, but emphatic tone.

  Belcher just laughs.

  “What's so fuckin’ funny, Travis?”

  “You, that's what's funny, Burl.”

  35

  Back at Sanderson's Hill Ranch, Logan has just given birth to her and Gavin's second child. A little boy, who they name Chad and he is only a month old. He has a full head of dark hair just like his dad, very much unlike his sister who's the spitting image of, Logan.

  It is mid-morning and Logan is just getting back into the swing of things after giving birth to Chad. He is in his bassinet over in the corner, wrapped tightly in a warm blanket, sleeping peacefully, while his mother works. Logan looks up and sees Catherine enter, she will often come into the office to visit the baby and her daughter. This time as she comes in it's no different. Before she sets down to talk to Logan, she can't resist going over and peaking into the bassinet to touch the baby. Logan smiles watching her do this, she never grows tired of watching Catherine's expressions of love for her grandchildren.

  “Logan, he already looks so much like his dad.”

  “Yeah, he does, and that's a good thing,” Logan says, with a smile. “Though he'll probably have my disposition, the poor little kid.”

  Catherine laughs at her comment, and sets down in one of the big chairs, “ Oh, I don't think that would be such a bad thing.”

  Logan smiles and shakes her head.

  “I've been wanting to talk to you about something, if your not too busy?”

  “I'm never too busy to talk to you. What's up, mom?”

  “Well, I've been thinking about you, Gavin and the children, lately, even before you had him.”

  “Yeah, what about?” Logan says, leaning back in the big office chair.

  “I want to go into Jenny's room and box up all of her stuff, and store it, Logan. It's been eleven years since she passed away, and I want my grandchildren to have that room. I was wondering if you could maybe, spare some time to help me do it? When you can, that is.”

  “Sure, I’ll the time. I would just have one question for you. Are you sure you want to do this?”

  “Yes, I do, it's long past the time. You know before John died, he and I talked about doing it, and just giving you her room. But you seemed fine and very happy where you were. And we could just never got around to doing it, I guess. But now you have a growing family, plus you and Gavin deserve to have the privacy of your own room. The kids will be better off, too, especially little Molly she needs her own space, too.”

  Logan shakes her head in agreement, “When do you want to start.”

  “If you can, would you be able to help me get started on it this afternoon? It shouldn't take too long, I'll have Jose' go find some boxes to put stuff in. But if we don't get done, I'll have Zelda help me after today. I just wanted you to help me get started on it, and I didn't want it to be an imposition on you.”

  “Not at all, I'd love to help, I got plenty of time after lunch. I got to take this scheduling work to Chase, then I'll be free.”

  “Good,” she smiles, and then gets up to leave. But before she does, she has to reach into the bassinet and touch the baby again—looking back at Logan with a wink and a smile. Logan smiles back, loving these moments.

  THAT AFTERNOON CATHERINE sets on the floor, in what was Jennifer's room, along with, Logan. The closet is empty and so are the bureau drawers, because Catherine gave all of Jenny's clothes to Logan years ago, just after she came to Sanderson's Hill.

  Today she is going through the memories of Jenny's childhood. She wipes a tear from time to time, and then places each item carefully into a box. Remembering how she played with some of these things when she was a child. Sometimes the memories of Jenny would over take Catherine, and she'd stop and tell Logan about how she would play with her dolls for hours. She told her about the big wooden doll house that John and George built for Jenny, and how she loved to play in it.

  “Am I boring you with those stories, Logan? I don't mean, to.”

  “No, absolutely not.”

  Then she paused and said, “Logan I know you didn't have a dollhouse when you were a little girl. And as I talk about Jenny, I don't mean in anyway to make you feel bad.

  “No, no, not at all. I love hearing you talk about her, and what she was like. I would have loved to have known her. And you're not making me feel anything like that at all. My childhood was what it was, with Cal. Bad. But I did have a teddy bear, though,” she grins.

  Catherine smiles at her, and pauses at what she said, then says, “you know, Logan, she would have loved you and loved to have had a sister like you. I sometimes have fantasized, and thought that the two of you would have made great sisters.”

  “You think so? I mean, we're pretty different.”

  “Yes, that’s true, you're very different girls, and that is what I think would have made that so much fun, if it were true. Her so frilly, and you so strong. And I want you to know how much I love having your here, Logan, now that John’s gone as well as Je
nny. I doubt that I would have kept the ranch if you weren’t here.

  “You know we had talked for two month’s before that party about adopting you. And that night when you promised us that you’d never let any harm come to us or this ranch—we knew it was time to act on our discussion. We realized something that we’d known almost since the day you arrived here, that we had a daughter in our lives and in our house. And you deserved every bit of it sweetie.”

  Logan looks at her and shakes her head agreeing, “I’ve always appreciated what you did for me. John and you deserved having a daughter. I’ve never felt like anything but that, almost since I came through the door. You chose me, Logan, to be part of this family. To be a Sanderson. It made me so proud, and that’s what led to me making that promise that I did that day after the party. I had parents and I had to protect their interests, whether I was adopted or had the Sanderson name then or not.”

  Catherine looks at her and says, “yes, I know, and so did John. We always thought of what you said that night, as Logan’s promise. Your promise to us.”

  Logan smiles, “yes it was, for you guys.”

  Catherine smiles back and the two women hug each other. Mother and daughter.

  Logan watches as Catherine resumes going through Jenny’s things. Logan tells her that she doesn’t think that she’s being much help. But Catherine says that is not so, she tells her that just having her in that room with her is a help. She says to her, that it keeps her focused on what her intention is, to change the room.

  An hour and a half passes, “So that does it,” Catherine says. “The place is very dirty and dusty. I'll have Zelda and Lena come up here and clean it good for the children. I'll make sure the curtains get replaced, also. Those that are up there are old, and tattered.”

  “Could we just wash them,” Logan asks?

  “No, no, honey, I want new curtains, that will shade this room in summer, and keep it warm in the winter for the little ones.”

  “It sure didn't take you long to do this.”