by Nancy Howard
“No, that's why I wanted you involved. If I would have done this by myself, it could have taken a week or more. And as you well know, I have a closet full of clothes in our room that I need to get, too, also.”
“Well, give yourself some time on that one, and don't rush into it. I don't know what I would do if I had to go through and get rid of Gavin's, stuff.”
Catherine agrees with her, as she grabs some moth balls and throws them into the box to protect the items. Then the ladies pick up the two boxes full of what was left of Jennifer's belongings, and take them downstairs to the storage area on the enclosed back porch. Two boxes are all that is left of the girls life. It would of course been a lot more, if her clothes had been part of this. Logan thinks how funny life can be after we are gone. That all that can remain if our lives are a couple of cardboard boxes, that may never be opened again for years.
Catherine is okay with this, she's let go, not because she has forgotten her Jennifer. That will never happen no matter the circumstances. Catherine knows though that if you lose something in life, it is often returned to you. Maybe not the way you think it should be, but you always get something in return. She and John lost Jenny all those years ago and the little girl that was stillborn. They grieved and hurt for years, just trying to survive without Jennifer in their lives.
But then they found, Logan, and she found them. She's Catherine’s daughter now. Catherine realized a longtime ago that Logan didn't come into their lives to replace Jennifer, but to fill the void left by her passing. And she's definitely done that. She realizes that everything happens for a purposes
Today she is on the back porch watching Logan carefully place the boxes up on shelves, where they will be safe. She is here today closing the final chapter in the life of Jenny, with Logan, and she couldn't be happier to have her here with her.
36
Belcher and his gang arrive at the Comanchero camp, it is in a high walled canyon that is surrounded by heavily armed men. Some are high up in the rocks above the canyon floor, stationed there so they can see anyone approaching at a great distance. Upon entering Belcher and his boys are welcomed by a greeting party of at least ten armed men. All with guns cocked and ready to fire at them in a seconds notice.
Cortez is an old mining shack, along with Biggs and couple of his armed men. They are expecting the shipment of merchandise soon. Cortez is growing impatient and has warned Biggs that he will not wait much longer. That if the wagon doesn't come soon he will go looking for it. It is noon when one of Cortez's men opens the door to the shack, and tells them that the wagon carrying the women is here. Five minutes later, it ambles up to the shack, and stops. Biggs and two of his gunmen along with Cortez are standing in front of the shack.
Burl sets his horse, looking uneasily at the sight of all the fire power around, that confronts him. He doesn't have a good feeling about any of this. He's leery dealing with Comancheros in the first place, and he told Belcher that in Denver. And the situation that he sees in front of him does nothing to quell his feelings of angst for himself.
They have kept their end of the bargain, and delivered the merchandise as was agreed on with Biggs. Burl wonders as he looks around him, if they've been played for fools and have walked into a trap themselves. Are they going to be killed? He watches all of this closely. Knowing there would be little he could do to defend himself, if the Comancheros started shooting at him and the others. He knows he would be killed in an instant if that were to happen.
Burl's eyes also see filth and degradation everywhere. Even out in the open like they are, the stench of humans who have not bathed for a longtime is everywhere. It's an odor like the smell of rotten eggs that spills into his nostrils, sickening him. There are women around, too, and he's sure they've secured the same fate as the ones they have in the wagon are about to. He watches as Belcher rides up to the shack, and dismounts.
“Mr. Belcher, I see you kept your end of the deal,” Biggs says.
“We did.”
“Mr. Belcher, this is Luis Cortez,” Biggs says, introducing him to the Comanchero leader. The men nod to each other, in an untrustworthy manner. Biggs motions to Cortez to follow him, and the two of them walk around to the back of the wagon, pulling the cover back and looking inside. Belcher follows them. They look in and see all eight women, all of them still tied up but not gagged.
“Why did you take the gags off of them,” Biggs asks?
“Well, Mr. Biggs, for your information, we figured, that we was way the hell out in the middle of fuckin' nowhere. And even if they screamed and yelled at the top of their lungs out there. They wadn't a fuckin' soul within a hundred miles that was gonna hear em. So we took the gags off of em.
“They's one other thing, here, Mr. Biggs. You and Mr. Cortez here are gonna have to get along with one less of them girls. That one in the very back, she's mine. I'm plannin' on keepin' her for my very own.”
“What the fuck are you trying to pull Belcher? I sent you here with eight, and that is what we keep.” Biggs says, gruffly.
“Well sir, no, ya ain't. Cuz' I got a reason fer keepin' her.”
“Yeah, and what the fuck is that reason,” Cortez asks? “Spit it out, quick, and it better be a damn good one, Mr. Belcher.”
“Well, gentlemen, it's like this, ya see. I discovered that she's the twin sister of a bounty hunter named Logan Kincaid. Either of you ever hear a her?”
They both shook their heads no.
“Well, that aside, the point is, I have an old score to settle with her. I want to keep that girl there and use her for bait, to kill her twin, Logan. Ya see, some years back, this Logan damn near got me hanged and I plan on gettin' her back fer it.”
“Not okay,” Cortez says. Giving Belcher a stern look.
“Why not?”
“Cause we agreed with you for eight girls, and Bye-God that's what we gonna keep.” Cortez growls at Belcher.
Then Biggs motions for Cortez to follow him up to the front of the wagon out of earshot, and Belcher. They're talking in very low voices, so low that Duel who is still sitting in the driver's seat couldn't make out what they were saying. Burl and Kirk have joined Belcher at the back of the wagon, having dismounted their horses.
“Travis, I sure hope you know what the hell you’re doin' here,” Burl asks? "Cause if they want to kill us, they sure as hell can. Just look around.”
“I can see that. And will you just relax? They ain't gonna kill us, at least not right this minute. And yeah, I know what I'm doin' Burl, so just shut the hell up and watch.”
After a few minutes of whispering that soon became an argument, that at times became nearly audible. Biggs and Cortez finally stopped their discussion and returned to Belcher and the others.
“Okay, here's the deal, Mr. Belcher you can have her. But it's gonna cost you,” Biggs says.
“Yeah, is that, so. How much we talkin' about, here” Belcher asks? Giving an air of being nonchalant.
“Two hundred a piece.”
“One Hundred.” Belcher counters.
The two men looked at each other.
“Okay, Mr. Belcher, you got a deal. You can have her,” Cortez says.
“One more question,” Travis says.
"What's that,” Cortez questions? In a surly manner, having had enough of Belcher.
“Mind if we hang around fer awhile?”
“Off course not, make yourselves at home. Stay as long as you like,” Cortez says, with a smirk.
“Biggs.” Travis after him as he starts to go back into the shack, with Cortez. “Our money.”
“I'll bring it right out,” he says gruffly. No longer being friendly with Belcher.
Travis climbs into the wagon and grabs Falon, dragging her out, as Biggs returns with their cash. He tells Belcher to stay away from him, and that he doesn't want to deal with him or his men again.
“We will, Mr. Biggs, you just make sure you do the same with us,” Belcher says. Biggs walks away, and as he does he loo
ks at all of them, before returning to the miner's shack.
“That man can't be trusted,” Kirks said.
“Ya think!” Belcher pops off. Counting out the cash, and paying the Haggars and Kirk.
“You know, Travis, I don't like bein' here one damn bit. We got our money, now, let's get on our horses and clear the hell outta here. We might wake up with our throats cut tomorrow morning, you know,” Burl comments.
“Well, Burl, leave. They ain't nothin' sayin' you gotta stay here. I gave you your share of the money, and I ain't gonna try and stop ya.”
Burl looks at Duel, who shrugs and both are quiet, but don't leave. Burl doesn't leave because he has his reasons for staying on.
“Decided to stay huh. Come on, lets go over here and set a spell, and think about gettin' drunk on our asses,” Belcher says. Then he pulls Falon closer to him. She has all kinds of fear in her eyes. She scared to death of him. And why wouldn't she be? He has repeatedly forced himself on her since they started the journey down here from Denver five days ago.
Then he says looking at her, “and after I get to feelin' real good sweetie pie, I'm gonna screw the life outta you again,” Then he laughs this dirty laugh, that amuses no one but him.
Falon knows that the only reason he doesn't kill her is he wants to get back at this twin sister, named Logan he keeps talking about. Who she doesn't know, nor did she have any idea existed until he mistook her for this other woman days ago.
Belcher and his gang set down in the shade of some rocks to get out of the hot afternoon sun. He immediately starts to play with Falon's hair stroking it. She jerks quickly away, doing her best not to let him touch her. She hates him, but can do nothing about her predicament of being held prisoner by him.
Just then a cowboy walks by and comes up to them, and as he does, he gets down in Falon's face like he recognizes her. Just like Belcher did a few days ago on the trail.
“You recognize her, mister?”
“Well sir, she looks exactly like a woman I know as, Logan Sanderson.”
“Logan Sanderson,” Belcher looks at the man. Questioning.
“Yeah, she's the boss over at Sanderson's Hill Ranch.”
“Well, her name used to be Logan Kincaid, a bounty hunter. We think this girl here is her twin sister.”
“Hmm,” the man says. “I didn't know she had a twin sister, nor did I know she was ever a bounty hunter till you just mentioned it.”
“Ya know, where this Sanderson's Hill Ranch is?”
“Yeah, as a matter of fact, I do. I used to work there.”
“Then set a spell and tell me Mister, cause I got an old score to settle with, Logan. I'm Travis and this here is Burl, Duel and Kirk”.
“The man nods acknowledging each them and then asks Travis about his score to settle with Logan
“She damn near got me hanged years ago. How long ago did ya work fer her at this ranch?”
“Oh, hell, let me see, at least four, almost five years ago, now.”
“Why'd ya leave,” Duel asks the man?
“As I remember, I was just ready to move on. But Logan, she was a good boss.”
“So tell me, Mister....”
“It's Chris, just Chris.”
“So, Chis, ya said you know exactly where this Sanderson's Hill Ranch is?
“I do. But if you're thinkin' of goin' there to get revenge on Logan, I wouldn't try that—it's not a good idea.”
“Why?”
“To many guns, it would be too dangerous. If you got a score to settle, it'd be best to contact Logan and go someplace safe, till she shows up.”
“Ya know you got a point, Chris, and I know just the place that we can go to wait for her.” He pauses, then asks the cowboy, “would you mind terribly doin' me a favor?”
“Well, first, you'll have to tell me what that favor is.”
“Will ya deliver a message to Logan fer me? Since you know how to get to this Sanderson's Hill and all.”
“Sure. But what are we talkin' about, here?”
“I'll give ya two hundred to do it. One now, and one when you return, and tell me you delivered my message to, Logan.”
Chris sat and thought on Belcher's offer for a few seconds, then said, “sure, sure, I'll do it for two hundred.”
“Ya won't double cross me, now, will ya? Cuz', I'll know if ya did, if Logan doesn't show up.”
“No, I'll deliver it, then come back and tell you. Cause I'll want the rest of my money, and you better make sure you don't double cross me and give it to me. Just tell me where you'll be.”
“Ya ever hear of Connor Junction?”
“That old railroad depot? Yep I have.”
“That's, where we'll be.”
“I'll leave right now. It's about a good four days ride from here, so it'll take me at least a week or more to get back to you.”
“Before ya leave let me write that note I want you to give Logan,” Belcher says. As he reaches into his shirt pocket and gives Chris a hundred dollars, and then out of another pocket he pulls out a pencil and an old crumpled piece of paper and writes the note to Logan. He hands it to Chris, then he turns his attention to Falon again, and she resists him.
37
Four Days Later
Chase Wells is in the office, he and Logan are going over numbers for the coming round-up and cattle drive. Logan has fifteen hundred head of beef that she needs rounded up, so Chase can drive them to Abilene. She looks up just long enough to glance out the window and sees Gavin riding up to the house. He's home early, or so she thinks. She looks at the grandfather clock in the office, and realizes it's nearly six o'clock. She's been so busy that she's lost complete track of the time. Which is not of course an unusual occurrence for her. Sanderson's Hill is a busy place.
She watches her husband dismount and walk toward the front door.
Hey,” he says, coming into the office and setting down, looking in on Chad first.
“Hey, she returns his greeting. Watching Gavin touch his son. He usually goes behind the desk and he and his wife kiss, but Chase is standing there next to Logan right now, making that impossible.
“Chase.” Gavin says acknowledging the foreman, as he seats himself.
“I thought you were home early, but I checked the time and it's nearly six.”
“Yeah, and I'm really tired, after bein’ in court all day.”
“That murder trial still going on,” she asks?
“Yeah, it is, unfortunately. So what's been happening here today?”
“Just ranch stuff, you know, busy as hell. Roundup and cattle drive to prepare for. We are really done here,” she says. Looking at Chase. “You can go if you want, too. We can finish this tomorrow morning.”
“Yes, mam, I still got some things to do down at the bunkhouse. I'll have the boys start on the round-up first thing tomorrow morning.”
“Good. Oh, I almost forgot,” she says. “It is Wednesday and here are the checks, so you can pay the boys. Your check is in there, too.”
“Thanks mam. Will do,” he says, then leaves. Acknowledging Gavin as he does, “Marshal.”
“Where's Molly and your mom?”
“I think they're out back, down by the stream. Molly loves the swing you made for her. I think she's about to wear poor mom out.”
They laugh.
“As you can see our son is still asleep,” she says, setting in Gavin's lap.
They kiss a couple of times. Then he says, “I've been meaning to tell you, that I've been in touch with the Cincinnati Police. I had them check to see if they could find my two younger sisters, Amy and Ellie.”
Logan sets up, eager to hear what he has to say. “And? What did you find out?”
“Turns out they're still there, so I sent them a letter telling how much it meant for me to find them. I got a letter back that Amy mostly wrote—she's the youngest. She said she was so glad to hear from me, and was really surprised because they thought I was dead. So I sent them another letter back,
to see if they'd like to come out here and spend some time on the ranch with us. I hope it's okay with you that I did that, invited them. I didn't talk to you about it first.”
“Of course it is. You know, I'm glad you found them, and I can't wait to meet them. How are they doing, are they okay?” She has some concern on her face as she asks him this.
“They're okay. As I've told you before, I hated it when I left them, I was worried about em for a longtime. Even if they'd survive, given the circumstances that they were living in. Anyway, from what I gathered they are really poor and things are tough for them. Amy said they'd love to come out here, but couldn't afford the train tickets. I told her not to worry, I'd pay for their tickets for the trip out here.”
“I'm glad you did that, Gavin. So when are they coming?”
“In a couple of months. I told her in my letter back to her, to let me know, so I could send them the money they needed to get here.”
Logan smiles, then looks out the window, to see a rider coming fast toward the house.
“Who's that?”
He rides closer, and Logan and Gavin get up to go out to see who he is. But the man is riding faster than they can get out to the door. He throws a rock onto the porch, landing it right in front of the door.
Gavin opens it and yells, “hey you!” But the rider has quickly turned his horse around and heads back out, this time pushing his mount to a full gallop. Gavin starts to get on his horse to go after him, but Logan tells him to hold on and to let the rider go. She notices some sort of letter tied to the rock, and motions him over to her.
“I wonder what?”
She unwraps it and begins to read.
To Logan Kincaid I'm holdin' yer twin sister prisner if you want to see her a live ever agin meet me at Conor Junkshun as soon as you can get here if you don't come she dies. An come alone. Got that?
Travis Belcher
“Travis Belcher! I thought he was long dead. Hanged over in Miner's Hill, years ago. And this letter says that he's holding my twin sister captive. I don't even have a sister. At least, I never heard that, I did.” Logan says. Baffled and shaken by what she just read in the note.
