Part 1
Jarrod
left his San Francisco office with plenty of time to get to his townhouse
before dark. It was unwise to be out after dark these days and as he exited his
office his eyes nervously darted left and right scanning for any sign of his
tormentors. Sighing with relief, he
quickly made his way to the waiting carriage and headed home. The stress of the
last few months was taking a toll and he welcomed the relative safety of the
carriage ride. Unconsciously wrapping
his arm around his still sore ribs, he leaned back in his seat and thought back
on the start of all his recent trouble.
Almost a year
ago, Todd Brewer entered his office and asked Jarrod to represent him on a
charge of murder. After hearing the
circumstances of the case and Brewer’s sincerity as he presented the facts,
Jarrod didn’t doubt the man’s innocence and worked hard to get him set free.
Jarrod’s diligence was rewarded and Brewer was set free. Within weeks of the trial, previously unknown
facts began to drift into Jarrod’s office regarding just what type of man he
had set free. Jarrod was devastated to find out that not only was Brewer
probably guilty of killing his coworker, he had been suspect in several other
crimes, including numerous assaults on his now dead wife.
Six
months after his release, Brewer struck again.
Amy Keller, a young woman in her mid twenties, would never be the same
again. Tortured, beaten and abused, Amy Keller was only a shell of her former
self when she was found over a month later. Unfortunately for Brewer, it was
Amy’s brothers who found her. When the
police arrived, Brewer was already dead from over twenty gunshot wounds. Authorities ruled it justifiable homicide and
all four of Amy’s brothers were cleared of any wrongdoing. Free to pursue the one man they felt responsible
for their sister’s present state of mind.
Jarrod
took a deep calming breath, which did nothing for his aching ribs, and slowly
released it. Opening his eyes, he realized he was almost home. Leaning forward
on the seat, Jarrod scrubbed his hands through his hair and held his head in
his hands. Events had spiraled out of control and he was helpless to do any
thing about it. At first he thought he
could ignore the threats put to him by Amy’s brothers, but when he tried to
initiate an investigation regarding the brothers they effectively silenced him.
Since that first beating they had cornered him numerous times with the same
effective treatment. No matter how secretive he was they found out what he was
doing. They insisted on his silence
regarding everything about them. After four or five beatings and threats to his
family, Jarrod got the message.
He hadn’t
taken on in any new cases in over two months and all pending cases had been
handed over to his partner, Mark. Jarrod hadn’t been out socially in San
Francisco for over a month, unless absolutely necessary. Doing what he needed
to do at the office, he went directly home and stayed there. By no means safer,
at least they couldn’t corner him in the darkness of the night. Truth be told,
Jarrod was afraid. More afraid then he
had ever been.
Alerted
by the sudden stop of the horses, Jarrod realized he was home. Mindful of his
ribs, he slowly made his way from the carriage. Turning towards the driver he
said, “Thanks David, I’ll see you tomorrow.”
The
driver tipped his hat and replied, “Have a good evenin’ Mr. Barkley.”
Jarrod watched
him drive off then made his way up the steps of the townhouse. Using his key he
made his way inside. Throwing his hat on
the sideboard near the door he made his way towards his study. He still had
several loose ends to tie up at work and needed to get them done. Making his way into the now darkening room,
his heart suddenly skipped a beat at the sound of a gun clicking. Jarrod muttered quietly to himself, “Damn it, ” as every muscle in his body tensed in anticipation. Turning slowly towards his tormentors, Jarrod
stood in the darkness...waiting.
“Give us
some light Jeb,” demanded Tim Keller. The youngest of the four brothers, Jeb
looked just like the rest of them. Tall, with dark hair, brown eyes and a lot of mass. None of
them were under six foot or two hundred pounds.
These boys weren’t ruffians by nature. Cowboys sure, but they were all
well dressed and clean shaven. Jarrod
figured they were probably a lot like himself and his own brothers. He wasn’t
sure they wouldn’t be doing the same thing if they’d found Audra in the
condition the Kellers found their sister. Jeb moved toward the lamp to do Tim’s
bidding. Tim was the oldest, or at least that’s what Jarrod had decided. He was
the one that gave the orders most of the time. They were never concerned about
their identities. Why should they be. They had Jarrod
over a barrel. There was nothing Jarrod could say or do that
would threaten them. They were safe from retribution and they knew it. Tonight, Jarrod was grateful that there was
only the two of them.
Jarrod
was doing his best to remain calm, but the longer he had to wait the more his
heart rate increased. Despite his best
efforts, Jarrod’s breathing also sped up.
This was always the worst part, the waiting to see what would
happen. Oh, he knew he was going to take
a beating, that was a given, but how long and for what reason always remained a
mystery until they saw fit to tell him.
After the first few sessions, he knew to keep his mouth shut. More than
anything else they wanted his silence.
Jarrod
stood silently just inside the door, his head held high, but by no means
defiant. They’d beaten that out him too.
He simply stood and waited and hid his trembling hands in a fist while
Tim circled around him just inside his personal space. Circling long enough to
make Jarrod uncomfortable, Tim spoke. “Heard you went to the
doctor this week.” Jarrod remained expressionless, but his heart rate
picked up nonetheless. Tim continued to circle and just as he moved out of
Jarrod’s line of sight, Jarrod felt the explosion of pain in his right kidney.
Lurching forward in pain, he dropped to his hands and knees gasping for
air. He tried to hold his breath against
the pain, but ever so slowly he leaned back on his haunches and rested his
hands up on his thighs for support. His head hung on his chest as he fought
back the pain and
resisted the urge to scream.
He wasn’t allowed to make a sound, no matter the pain inflicted. He’d
learned that too. Already sweating from
the pain, he turned his head to wipe the perspiration from his face on his coat
sleeve. Taking slow even breaths, he lifted his head and waited.
Tim
continued to circle. “You need to pay attention Counselor. We said no telling
anyone.” Pulling Jarrod roughly to his feet by the collar of his coat Tim
landed a punch in Jarrod’s middle. “Not...” Jarrod had no time to react before
his captor landed yet another blow, “A...” and still another, “Word!” With the
final blow Jarrod was released and landed in a heap on the floor.
Barely
conscious, his already battered body curled in on itself for protection. He
hated to appear weak to his tormentors but his body really gave him no
choice. The instinct to survive was
stronger than his pride. His face was red with pain and the sweat flowed
freely, quickly soaking his inner clothes. He closed his eyes for a brief
moment and berated himself for the trip to the doctor. The last beating had
been particularly vicious and he’d been passing blood with his urine. He got
worried and made the appointment hoping he could get away with it. Obviously he
was wrong. Not that the fresh shot to his kidney was gonna help matters.
Hearing
the footsteps continue around him, Jarrod slowly opened his eyes and saw Tim’s
boots pass by his head. When the sound
stopped behind him, Jarrod’s entire frame tensed up in fear. He felt a knee brush his back as Tim knelt
down behind him and in the same instant felt the hand grasp his hair and pull
his head off the floor. Jarrod tried to
follow the hand upwards to ease some of the pain emanating from his scalp. Despite the pain in his gut, he found himself
standing. His legs shook at the effort
and he staggered slightly. Thankfully
his hair was released and his head and shoulders slumped in relief. His tormentors were very patient and despite
the anger they felt towards Jarrod they never let it get in the way of their
mission. They never struck him in the
face or broke any bones, thereby leaving no visible evidence. The bruises inflicted upon him were for his
eyes only, to bear silently.
Tim
started circling again. Jarrod wasn’t
sure how much longer he could remain standing. His legs were trembling with the
effort and the pain in his stomach was now turning towards nausea. Swallowing back the bile that threatened to
rise he stood before them sweating and shaking and he waited. Tim stopped directly in front of Jarrod,
reached up and grabbed Jarrod’s face forcing him to look directly in his
eyes. “We told you what would happen if
you spoke up. We’re gonna have to show you we mean business.” Jarrod could only
blink his acknowledgement, as his face lost all color.
Tim
laughed at Jarrod’s response and turned his head roughly towards Jeb. “Looky
here Jeb, he’s finally gettin' the message.” Jeb smiled at his brother and
watched him pull Jarrod’s face around once again. Tim’s voice was deep and
threatening as he spoke, “Your lawyering days are over Counselor. We want your
silence and we... will... get... it. It was your words that set Brewer
free. You won’t be setting anybody else
free with your words. Do you understand?” Jarrod nodded slightly. With no
warning, Tim released Jarrod’s face and grabbing the back of his coat, used the
added leverage to force Jarrod down onto his upcoming knee. Falling to his knees once again, Jarrod
wrapped his arms around his stomach and fell forward to rest his forehead upon
the floor, his breaths coming in short gasps.
Once he had enough air, his body rebelled against the onslaught and he
lost the contents of his stomach. Tim
and Jeb headed towards the door, but turned back as Jarrod continued to heave.
“Oh Counselor, you might want to head home and check on your sister.”
Jarrod’s
head shot up in shock at the man’s words, his face devoid of all color. He
lifted one hand towards them as they walked out and opened his mouth to scream
a silent, “NOOOOOO!”
Part 2
THAT SAME DAY.
Victoria
sat down for breakfast and waited for her children to join her. Nick and Heath
had gone out early to bring some cattle from the south pasture and Audra, of
course, was still getting ready.
Victoria couldn’t help the sorrow that overcame her as she thought of
Jarrod. It had been over two months since he had been home and she missed her
eldest. Her thoughts were interrupted by the slamming of the front door.
Nick’s
bellow followed shortly after, “MOTHER?” Victoria shook her head and smiled as
she watched Nick and Heath enter the dining room. Nick stormed in and took his
seat. Heath ignored his older brother’s mood and made his way towards Victoria.
“Morning
Mother.” Heath leaned down and gave her a light kiss on the cheek before taking
his own seat.
“Good
Morning Heath. I’m glad one of you still remembers his manners,” said Victoria
as she looked pointedly at Nick.
Nick
looked at his mother guiltily, “Morning Mother.” Nick filled his plate with
food and stuffed bacon in his mouth, “Where’s Audra?”
“Nick,
don’t speak with your mouth full,” admonished Victoria. Nick ducked his head
and Heath smiled at his brother’s boyish behavior. Victoria added, “I’m sure she will be here
shortly, Nick.”
“Well, it
would be nice if everyone showed up on time. And where the hell is Jarrod these
days?”
Victoria
reprimanded him, “Nicholas, watch your mouth.”
“Sorry
Mother. I just don’t understand what’s keeping him so long in San
Francisco. We need him here too. I’ve
got those peach contracts that need to be signed, those cattle need to be sold
and we still need to work out some sort of deal on the water rights up
north...”
Victoria
raised her hand to stop his tirade. “I’m sure your brother has his reasons for
not being here Nicholas.” Her words did
nothing to appease his anger and unfortunately for Audra, she chose that moment
to make an appearance.
Nick
threw his napkin down and grumbled at her.
“And just where have you been?”
Audra
ignored her older brother’s brutish tone and answered politely, “I was getting
ready, Nick.” Acknowledging her mother and Heath, she took her seat. “Good
morning Mother. Heath.” Filling her own plate Audra
asked her mother, “I’m going to town this afternoon to do some shopping, would
you like to join me?”
Nick’s
loud voice interrupted his mother’s reply, “Shopping? What could you possibly
need to go shopping for? You just went the other day.”
“For your
information,” huffed Audra. She calmed down, remembering her manners, and
finished with a glare in Nick’s direction, “I am going shopping for Tommy’s
birthday party at the orphanage. He turns eight on Saturday and we are going to
have a small party for him.”
“Humph.”
Nick continued eating ignoring his sister’s silent plea.
Heath
turned towards Audra with a smile, “Well, I’ll be there Sis.” Audra return his smile, grateful for his thoughtfulness.
“Oh, no
you won’t,” gruffed Nick, “this is a....”
All
three, Victoria, Heath and Audra chimed in, “a working ranch!” They all laughed
as they mimicked Nick’s standard response.
Nick hid
a grin behind his napkin before throwing it down, “Well if that older brother
of ours showed up once and while I wouldn’t be so busy.” Rising to his feet
Nick planted his hands on his hips and addressed Heath. “Well, are you comin’?
If you’re plannin’ on goin’ to that party, we got work to do.”
With his
mouth still full of breakfast, Heath grabbed his coffee and quickly finished it
off as he got up to join his brother. Heath followed Nick out the door
mumbling, “I don’t know why you get so all fired up Nick. Ya know it don’t seem
right to begrudge a kid a birthday party.”
Nick
stopped in his tracks and turned around and stuttered,
“Now I didn’t say he couldn’t have a party...” Audra giggled at her brothers antics and Victoria smiled. Heath had a way of
defusing Nick’s anger better than anyone else. Nick glared at Heath before
storming out of the room.
Turning
back towards Audra and his mother with an impish grin on his face he said.
“Well, reckon I oughta catch up with him before he gets to the men. They won’t
appreciate his mood this mornin’.”
Victoria
smiled, “Have a nice day Heath.”
****************************************************************************
Both Nick
and Heath returned to the house towards evening. Nick’s mood never improved
much throughout the day and Heath was irritable from having to the bear the
brunt of it.
“I’m
goin’ for a bath.” Heath didn’t wait for any argument as he headed up the
stairs.
Nick
grunted to his brothers retreating back, “Well, just don’t use all the hot
water.”
Heath
ignored him and continued up the stairs only to be ambushed by Victoria as she
was coming down. Heath immediately noticed the concern in her features.
Grasping her arms he asked worriedly, “Mother, what’s wrong?”
Nick,
hearing Heath’s question raced back towards the stairs, and looked up to see
her concern. “Mother, what is it?”
Victoria
let Heath guide her down the stairs towards Nick. Her voice wavered as she
spoke to both of them. “Audra hasn’t come home. She left hours ago. She always
makes it home by dark.”
Nick
embraced his mother as she reached the foyer, “Now don’t worry Mother. You now how Audra gets once she starts shopping.” Pushing her
back to arms length he looked her in the eye as he added, “Me and Heath’ll ride
into town to fetch her back here. We’ll probably run into on the way in.”
Heath was
already headed out the door to saddle up their horses when he heard Nick’s
final words, “Don’t worry Mother, we’ll find her.”
Nick and
Heath spent an hour in town trying to find Audra, with no luck. After checking
all the shops in town and she was no where to be found, they reluctantly headed
to the sheriff’s office to inform him that she was indeed missing. Nick paced
the sheriff’s office nervously, and said hurriedly, “We need to get some men together
Fred. Can you send someone out to the ranch and let Mother know what’s going
on? I’m gonna wire Jarrod.”
“Sure
Nick. Heath, why don’t head over to the saloon to round up some men and I’ll
send Billy out to the ranch to inform Mrs. Barkley. I’ll meet ya at the
livery,” said Fred.
Both men
answered, “Thanks Fred.” For as rough
and tough as Nick wanted people to believe he was, Fred knew him well enough to
know that family meant everything to the cowboy. He only hoped that they could
find Audra before it was too late and God help the ones that took her.
Audra
wouldn’t be found that night despite all their searching. The Kellers had her
tucked safely away in an abandoned house not far from the ranch. They’d covered
their tracks well and weren’t worried about being found. Jesse and Rob, the two remaining brothers had
taken Audra as she left town. Not wanting to draw attention to themselves, they
had camped outside of town rather than stay in Stockton. Tim had made sure they knew what to do before
he’d left for San Francisco and promised to return before morning. All the brothers counted on the fact that Tim
seemed able to anticipate every move the lawyer was gonna make. This was planned long before Jarrod had made
the trip to the doctor. Somehow Tim had known that Jarrod Barkley wouldn’t be
able to keep silent and was going to use the girl to make his point clear to
the lawyer.
Sitting
in the corner with her hands tied, Audra nervously sat watching her two
captors. She was afraid, but so far they
hadn’t touched her or even spoken to her.
They hadn’t been overly rough with her and even offered her food and
water. Audra was startled from her
thoughts by the sound of approaching horses. Jesse and Rob both got up to make
sure it was only Tim and Jeb. They stood back from the door with their guns
drawn and waited. Both sighed with relief when they heard their brother’s voice
on the other side of the door.
“Open up
Jess.” Tim was let in and the oldest Keller strolled over to where Audra sat in
the corner. As he knelt down on one knee beside her, Audra tried to back
farther into the corner, only to find herself trapped between the ominous
figure before her and the wall behind her. A cry of fear escaped her lips as
Tim leaned close and whispered, “It’s time to teach your brother a lesson.”
Part 3
Jarrod
was startled awake by a loud pounding noise.
Rolling over, he was suddenly assaulted by the smell of his own
vomit. He’d passed out in his own mess
and was covered in the foul smelling stuff.
Holding back the sudden nausea caused by the odor, he got to his knees. The pounding continued and he realized
someone was at his door. He gingerly got to his feet and staggered to the front
door. Shrugging out of his jacket to clear away some of the mess, he managed to
make himself only slightly more presentable.
Looking out the window in the door, he saw a young boy standing with
what looked like a telegram. Jarrod’s
stomach lurched at the possible contents, considering his earlier encounter
with the Kellers. Opening the door, he
took the offered telegram as he handed the boy a coin for his troubles. Jarrod
ignored the scrunched nose and look the boy gave him as he closed the door.
Stopping just inside the door he hesitated before opening the telegram. With a
heavy sigh he read the words on the paper.
Audra missing. Stop. Come home. Stop.
Nick. Don’t Stop.
The
slight shaking in his hands overcame his entire body as he trembled from the
news. Oh god, how could this be happening. Dropping to his knees, he huddled
over the crumbled telegram he held in his hands as tears of frustration slipped
down his face. After several minutes,
Jarrod reached into his vest and pulled out his watch. Almost ten, too late for
the train tonight. He’d have to catch the first one in the morning. Thankfully that would give him some time to
clean himself up and rest. He doubted
that sleep would come but the thought of laying down sounded good. His stomach
throbbed in time with the beat of his heart and he knew that he’d have new
bruises to overlay the old ones. He was
grateful that he didn’t have to explain the various shades of yellow, green and
purple that covered his torso from back to front. Wrapping one arm around his stomach he used
the other to grab the banister that led the way upstairs and began the slow
climb to the bathroom.
Jarrod
caught the early morning train that would get him back in Stockton before
noon. Slumped in his seat he knew he
looked terrible. Nothing could hide the
sunken look his eyes had. The lack of
sleep had done little for his already haggard appearance. He’d just have to blame it on worry for
Audra. He had no one to blame but
himself. Leaning forward, he rested his elbows on his knees and buried his head
in his hands and prayed. Prayed that Audra would somehow be
okay. The image of Amy Keller
sitting in the asylum haunted him.
Jarrod tried to calm his shaking hands but the trembling wouldn’t
stop. He was scared to death that the
same fate would befall his sister and that would be more than he could live
with. He made a silent vow as the train
pulled into Stockton that should Audra return home safely he would willingly hand his fate over to the
Keller brothers. He no longer had any
illusions that they were decent folk caught up in the revenge of their
sister. No, they were determined to
break Jarrod Barkley, Attorney-At-Law, and they would go to any lengths to do
just that. In that single moment, Jarrod
Barkley resigned himself to that fate, knowing he deserved every bit of what
they were doing to him. He’d unwittingly
set guilty men free before, it was a hazard of the job. It happened, even to the
best of lawyers. This time though, Jarrod
had seen the victim of his mistake, and that was very hard to live with. He would suffer his fate silently, just as he
was been ordered to.
Not
surprisingly, no one was waiting for him at the train station. His first stop
was the livery to get a horse, then to the sheriffs
office. Once there, young Billy informed
him there had been no word regarding Audra’s whereabouts. Terrified for his
sister, Jarrod’s heart sank at the unwelcome news. Making his way home, Jarrod’s thoughts were
everywhere but on the road and he was surprised when his horse bolted at the
figure falling into the road from the nearby bushes. Realizing he was looking down on his
bedraggled sister, Jarrod leaped from his horse and rushed to Audra’s aide.
“Audra?
Are you okay?” Jarrod’s voice quivered as he spoke and silent tears fell as he
tried to get his sister to speak to him. “Please honey, can you tell me if
you’re okay?” Lifting her up in his arms as he knelt beside her, he could tell
she was crying. Embracing her tightly to
his chest, he whispered his anguish, “Oh god honey, I’m so sorry.” Leaning
down, he buried his head in her hair and cried with his sister. Neither knew how long they sat in the middle
of the road before Audra finally lifted her head and pulled back from Jarrod to
talk to him.
With a
tear stained face Audra stammered. “Jarrod, I was so scared.”
Lifting
his hand, he gently placed it at Audra’s cheek and asked firmly, “Did they hurt
you Audra?”
When
Audra shook her head, Jarrod clasped her neck and pulled her firmly back into
his embrace, “Oh, thank God.” His heart
raced at Audra’s good fortune.
Audra
spoke softly into her brother’s chest, “They took me and tied me up, then this morning they untied me and told me to go home.”
Jarrod released her and sat back in surprise as Audra continued. “They said it
was a lesson for my brother.” Looking right into Jarrod’s eyes, oblivious to
his guilt, she asked innocently, “What do you think they meant, Jarrod?”
Jarrod
paused before giving Audra an answer, “I don’t know honey. What do you say we
get you home?” Audra nodded as more tears made their way down her face. Not
giving her a chance to stand, Jarrod picked her up in his arms and carried her
to Jingo. Helping her on the horse,
Jarrod mounted behind her and held her tightly as they made their way home.
They were
almost to the house when Heath and Nick caught up with them. An exhausted Audra was already asleep and
Jarrod had to motion to Nick to be quiet.
“She’s fine Nick. She wasn’t hurt. Just worn out.”
In a loud
whisper, only Nick was capable of, he questioned Jarrod. “What happened to
her?”
“They
took her and then they let her go. I found her a ways back on the road.” Jarrod
ducked his head to avoid his brother’s eyes.
Eyes that asked questions he knew he couldn’t answer.
Heath
rode silently beside Jarrod and noticed the vacant look in his brother’s
eyes. Passing it off as concern for
Audra, he let it slide. Nick continued
questioning Jarrod about what he knew. “Who were they and what did they want?”
Jarrod
shook his head and answered sharply, “I don’t know Nick.” Hoping to put Nick
off, he changed the subject. “Let’s just get her in the house.” Aware they had
entered the yard, all three cast their eyes upon the porch where a very anxious
Victoria waited. Seeing Audra in
Jarrod’s arms, Victoria’s eyes grew wide and her hand involuntarily clasped her
mouth to stop the gasp. As the horses
pulled to a stop in front of the house, Victoria rushed forward to see what
condition her daughter was in. Both Nick and Heath dismounted quickly.
Nick
hurried to help Jarrod with his burden and Heath moved to reassure their
mother. “She’s okay Mother. Jarrod says
they didn’t hurt her.”
Heath
held the tiny, silver-haired woman in his arms as she cried out her relief. “Oh
thank God!” Quickly wiping away the tears, Victoria began issuing commands.
“Let’s get her upstairs.” Nick, who was now holding his sleeping sister,
stopped in front of his mother so she could see for herself that Audra was
okay. Victoria ran a hand over her daughter’s
hair before grasping Nick’s arm. “Take her to her room Nick.” Watching Nick
leave, Victoria turned back towards Heath. “Heath, please have one of the hands
go to town to get the doctor. I would like him to check and make sure she’s
okay.”
Heath
nodded and picked up the horses leads and took them to barn. Jarrod stood watching his mother calmly
handle the situation. Glad for once that someone else was in charge. Jarrod hated everything about himself as he
looked in the eyes of his mother and knew he couldn’t tell her the truth. None of them would know the truth. Audra was safe and he would remain silent
about it.
The next
week went by with none of the family any wiser to Jarrod’s involvement in
Audra’s incident. Audra was a little fearful for a few days but the sanctuary
of home was a great healer. Jarrod never volunteered information and easily
deflected any questions that might cause suspicion regarding Audra’s captors.
Nick was the most difficult to deter and insisted Audra have one of the hands
with her whenever she left the ranch.
Because of the fair treatment Audra had received, her biggest concern
was for the unknown brother rather than herself. No one could make any sense of the kidnappers
threat ‘that it be a lesson for her brother', except Jarrod and he wasn’t
saying a word.
Jarrod
managed to explain his presence away from work by telling the family he had
cleared his schedule for a couple of months and was on a well-deserved
vacation. There was no point in telling them
his counseling days were over. Happy to have him back home, they accepted his
excuse without question. Jarrod was
actually more relaxed than he had been in months. It was the longest he’d gone
without being bothered by the Kellers and his body was finally getting a much
needed rest. Knowing he and Audra were
safe at the ranch, he settled into a false sense of security. As long as he stayed away from work and kept
quiet, he and
Audra would be just fine. Jarrod would soon realize just how wrong he was if he
thought his home would be a safe haven from his tormentors.
Part 4
Jarrod
sat on the corral fence watching Heath ride one of the mares for the new Army
contract. It was always a joy to watch
his little brother work with the horses.
Heath respected the horses he rode and they seemed to sense this, giving
the rider the same respect he’d given them.
Jarrod was so caught up in watching his younger brother he didn’t hear
Nick approach him from behind.
“Hey Jarrod!” Startled at Nick’s exuberant greeting, Jarrod
started to tip backward off the corral railing he was perched on. Nick lurched forward and grabbed Jarrod
before he could hit the ground and set him on his feet.
Jarrod
turned and looked sharply at Nick. “Do you always have to be so loud?” The
words died on Jarrod’s lips as he recognized the young man standing beside
Nick.
Misunderstanding
Jarrod’s sudden shock, Nick introduced the new hand. “Jarrod, I want ya to meet
Jeb Miller. Hired him
yesterday. You can add him to the books.” Nick’s attention wandered over
Jarrod’s shoulder to where Heath was riding.
Jeb
Miller aka Jeb Keller stepped towards Jarrod with a knowing smile and an
outstretched hand. “Pleased ta meet ya.”
Stunned
and barely able to breath, Jarrod’s reflexes were the only thing responsible
for bringing his hand up to shake the other man’s hand. Jarrod felt a small,
quick squeeze before his hand was released.
Not able to speak, Jeb took up the slack. “Heard a lot
about ya Mr. Barkley. Yer a lawyer ain’t ya?”
Jarrod
nodded his reply and hoped that Nick wouldn’t notice the slight trembling of
his hands or the sudden gleam of perspiration that broke out on his face.
Nick led
the young kid closer to the corral and on his way past Jarrod, slapped him on
the chest with his gloves and laughed, “Sorry for spookin’ ya Jarrod.” Rubbing the offended spot Jarrod stared at
the two in disbelief before heading to the house. If Nick had thought to turn around he would
have seen the look of utter despair on the face of his oldest brother. Jeb didn’t miss it though and a wicked grin
graced his face before he turned to watch Heath ride yet another horse.
Jarrod
made his way into the study and locked himself away for the rest of the
afternoon. All hopes that the Keller’s
had given up on him were washed away in that single instant he laid eyes on Jeb
Keller. Jeb was going to be working for
the Barkley’s and Jarrod was helpless to do anything about it. The family was aware of his participation in
the Brewer-Keller case, but having never met them, they could in no way
recognize them and Jarrod’s silence was guaranteed. Jarrod sat in his chair the rest of the
afternoon, not aware of anything around him.
So used to sharing with his family when he needed a guiding hand, he was
at a loss as to what to do. He was more
alone than he had ever been and a cold fear crept into his heart like fog over
the land.
In the
wee hours of the morning, after everyone had gone to bed, Jarrod still sat at
his desk. He had spent the last few
hours pouring over the ranch records making sure that everything was caught up
and in order. Where necessary, he left
instructions on how to precede in the event he was
unavailable. With one less thing to
worry about, he stood up and stretched his weary muscles. Moving to the other side of his desk, he
leaned down and blew out the lamp, intent on calling it a night. With only the
light from under the door to guide him, Jarrod walked across the room. It was then that he heard the tap, tap, tap upon the glass of the patio door. Stopping dead in his tracks, he broke out in
a cold sweat and debated whether to turn and face his tormentors or ignore
them. His indecision was interrupted by
the tap, tap, tap and without thought he turned
towards the patio door, opened it wide and stepped out into the darkness. He was surprised to see all four brothers
awaiting him. They never said a word
that night as their fists found their target, and in the aftermath, Jarrod lay
curled up on the lawn of his mother’s garden, his eyes glazed with pain, and
one lone teardrop glistening in the moonlight.
Thus was
the cycle for the next several weeks. He might go a day, he might go two, but
it was never long before the Keller’s found a way to get to Jarrod without
alerting the rest of the family. Out of fear for Audra, it never occurred to
him to break his silence. While his
family went on with their lives Jarrod just tried to go from day to day. The beatings were never so bad to be
debilitating, but over time they were taking a toll on Jarrod. He slept very little because of the pain, and
any food he ate the day of a beating was sure to go by the wayside. It was just a matter of time before his
family began questioning him and he spent hours anguishing over what to tell
them, if anything. He considered leaving
home, but Tim Keller was once step ahead of him and threatened to take Audra
again if he tried. Jarrod was under no
illusion that she would get off so easily a second time. As time progressed, he split his time between
the books and the ranch. On the days when he was feeling semi-human he rode
with his brothers out on the range. The
physical labor provided a release for his frustration and he enjoyed the time
with Nick and Heath. They enjoyed the
chance to tease their older brother on his work habits. At least when Jarrod was out with them, he
knew he was safe from harm.
*****************************************************************************
Jarrod
worked silently beside his brothers repairing the fence line. It was hot,
tiring work and all three brothers were hoping to be finished soon. They had spent two days replacing rotted
posts and were in the process of stringing wire with Nick tacking the final
length of wire to the gate post. It was a larger and thicker than the fence posts
and while it was old, they had decided to postpone replacing it until the next
time. Nick finished tacking the wire and
watched in horror as the tension of wire ripped the dry rotted post in half,
sending wire and post whirling through the air.
“LOOK
OUT!” yelled Nick.
Heath
looked up from his own post and with no time to react, watched the wire and
post slam into Jarrod’s back and throw him to the ground. The jagged post lost
its momentum after striking Jarrod and fell harmlessly to the ground. Heath
rushed to Jarrod, who was trying to get his feet under him. “Whoa Jarrod, don’t
try to get up.”
Jarrod
struggled and managed to get himself seated as Nick joined them. Jarrod
grimaced, his voice laced with pain, “I’m fine.” Jarrod tried to reach around and grab the
spot where fire seemed to burn his upper back.
Nick
grabbed his hand, “You got hit pretty good there big
brother. Let me take a look at it. Heath get something can use as a bandage!”
Jarrod had shucked his vest earlier and it was easy to see through the tear in
his shirt that he had a good sized gash between his shoulder blades. Heath
returned with a spare shirt from the saddlebags to see Nick tearing Jarrod’s
shirt away to get a better view. Both brothers gasped at the sight before them.
Not the bleeding gash, but rather the multitude of bruises that covered most of
Jarrod’s back. Knowing his brother’s had seen what he’d tried so hard to hide,
Jarrod dropped his head in shame.
Heath
handed Nick the spare shirt and watched him apply it to Jarrod’s wound. Jarrod
instinctively moved away from the added pain. Heath quickly dropped in front of
Jarrod and held him to his chest in comfort while Nick applied pressure to the
free flowing wound. Still stunned at the
condition of Jarrod’s back, Nick asked softly, “You got something to tell us
big brother?”
Jarrod
shook his head and muttered, “I can’t”
Forgetting
his brother’s wound Nick jerked Jarrod’s arm and bellowed, “WHAT DO YOU MEAN
YOU CAN’T?”
Jarrod
groaned at Nick’s sudden harsh treatment and Heath grabbed the hand that
clasped Jarrod’s arm, “Nick, now is not the time. We need to get him
home.” Duly chastised, Nick nodded
contritely and returned his attention to Jarrod’s back.
Heath
started to ease himself up from the ground, “I’ll go get Doc Merar and meet you
at the house.”
Jarrod’s
head shot up and he grabbed for Heath. “NO!” Shaking his head he pleaded, “No
doctor, please.”
Looking
into Jarrod’s eyes, Heath was struck by the fear reflected there. “Yer gonna
need stitches older brother.”
Amazingly,
Jarrod suddenly pulled away from both brothers and lurched to his feet. He
staggered to his vest that hung on the fence and started to put it on when Nick
grabbed him, “What the hell is going on Jarrod?” Nick released him and stood
with his hands on his hips.
Defeated,
Jarrod slumped into the fence post. Heath didn’t understand what was going on
but he knew enough to trust his oldest brother.
“Can ya tell us why ya don’t wanna to see a doctor Jarrod? Please, we
wanna help.”
Jarrod
lift his head, his eyes seemed suddenly vacant as he spoke just above a
whisper. “They’ll take Audra again.” As
soon as the words left his mouth, he realized he’d have to tell them
everything, and the whole story tumbled out. Nick and Heath stared at their older
brother in disbelief as he related all that had happened over the previous
months. Not giving them time to even
react, Jarrod laid out what needed to be done.
“Help me
into my vest. I can’t let them see I’m hurt. I’m gonna get on my horse and we
are going ride back to the ranch just like any other day.” Both brothers nodded
and helped Jarrod with a new bandage that was held in place by the vest . When they were finished Jarrod insisted, “I don’t
want Mother or Audra to know about this.
This is between us.” Then he added firmly to Nick, “If you think you can
protect us if this gets out, you are very wrong Nick. They are very good at
what they do. They took Audra the first time to prove just how easy it could be
done.” Grabbing Nick and pulling him close he added adamantly, “I saw what
happened to their sister. I won’t let that happen to Audra.” Nick blanched at
Jarrod’s final words and nodded weakly. He didn’t like it, but he would abide
by Jarrod’s wishes. When Jarrod looked
at Heath, he too nodded his agreement.
Part 5
Somehow
Jarrod made it home, thankful both his sister and mother were still at the
orphanage. The trio led the horses into the barn and Nick grabbed Jingo’s lead
from Jarrod and laughed, “Hey big brother, how ‘bout we give you dibs on the
bath tonight. Workin’ for a livin’ has
got to be hard on man used to sittin’ on his butt all day.”
Jarrod
ignored Nick’s teasing, grateful for the excuse to get into the house. Weary
and weak from the ride and loss of blood, Jarrod squared his shoulders and
addressed his brothers lightheartedly, “Well, brother
Nick, I do believe I am going to take you up on that offer.” Using every ounce
of strength he had, he strolled from the barn.
“Boy
Howdy Nick, I reckon he’s doin pretty good considering he has you for a role
model.” Jarrod couldn’t help but smile at Heath’s remark, thankful for the
normal banter.
The walk
across the yard was the longest Jarrod ever made. He could feel the warm
trickle of blood down his back and hoped that it remained hidden beneath the
vest. He had no idea where Jeb was, but
if he was around, Jarrod knew he was watching.
Finally inside the house away from watchful eyes, Jarrod staggered to
the stairs and sat down on the last step. There was no way to make it upstairs
without the aid of his brothers. Silas
entered and rushed to his employer’s side, “Mr. Jarrod, you hurt sir?”
“I’ll be
fine Silas.”
“Now ole
Silas knows you ain’t fine.” Silas’s expression turned to concern, “You ain’t
been fine in a long time Mr. Jarrod.”
“You
don’t miss much do you Silas?” Jarrod gave the servant a weak smile, leaned
sideways and set his elbow on the step above to support his weight. “Not a word
to Mother or Audra.”
Silas
nodded sympathetically, “No sir.”
“Silas do
you think you can discretely get some water and bandages upstairs to my room?”
Silas
never bated an eye at Jarrod’s unusual request. “Yes sir, right away Mr.
Jarrod.”
“Thank
you Silas.” Jarrod closed his eyes. He was so tired. Where the heck were Nick
and Heath?
The pain
came screaming through the darkness and Jarrod slowly opened his eyes to find
himself lying face down in his own bed.
He lifted his head just enough to see Nick tending his back. Collapsing
back onto the bed, Jarrod gripped the sheets tightly in his fists as Nick
continued to clean the wound.
Nick’s
voice finally broke the silence in the room, “This really needs stitches
Jarrod.”
Sweat
soaked and eyes glazed over in pain, Jarrod muttered weakly, “Do it.” Nick
closed his eyes and hung his head in despair. Seeing the bruises that covered
his brother’s torso, it was hard imagine the pain he had suffered through and
to inflict more...well, Nick just didn’t have the strength to do it.
Nick felt
a hand clasp his arm and looked up to see Heath’s shining eyes. “I’ll do
it.”
Nick
placed his hand over Heath’s and nodded in thanks. Nick let go, looked down at Jarrod and
stammered, “I’ll go get what ya need.” Heath watched him leave,
knowing Nick needed some time to get his head together.
In a
matter of minutes, Nick returned with everything they would need to stitch up
Jarrod’s back. Watching Heath wash his hands in the
basin, Nick asked reluctantly, “You ever done this before?”
Heath
shrugged, “Stitched my horse a time or two.”
Nick stared wide-eyed at his brother’s admission.
Jarrod
whispered sarcastically, “That makes me feel better,” causing both his brothers
to laugh. The moment helped relieve some
of the tension they were all feeling.
“I’ll try
to make it look purty Jarrod.”
“I’m
counting on it little brother.” Jarrod tried to remain calm as he watched Heath
move closer to the bed in preparation.
Nick noticed Jarrod grasp the bed sheets in anticipation of the pain
that would follow and quickly went to the other side of the bed. Kneeling on
the bed beside Jarrod, he grabbed his older brother’s hand and held it between
his own. Heath held a needle between his fingers and took a deep calming
breath, hoping to stop the slight tremble in his hands. Just before he started,
he looked up and Nick gave him a nod of encouragement. Heath returned it with a quick lopsided grin.
Suddenly serious, he took the needle and thread and began stitching his
brothers back. Jarrod flinched a little but remained still, his hand held
Nick’s in a death grip. Throughout the fifteen minute ordeal, Jarrod never
uttered a sound.
Finishing
up, Heath tenderly placed a bandage over Jarrod’s back and with Nick’s help, they got him dressed in pajamas. Silas came in with
some stew for Jarrod then silently cleared away all the evidence. Jarrod sat on the edge of the bed and waited
until he was gone before speaking to his brothers. “I don’t want Mother and Audra to know about
this, especially Audra.” Reluctantly,
both Nick and Heath nodded their agreement.
Nick
started pacing, his spurs loud in the silent room. After a few trips across the
room, Nick finally exploded, “Why can’t we have these people arrested?”
“On what charges Nick? Assault?
How long do you think that would keep them in jail? God Nick, don’t you think I’ve thought of all
that? They are not going give up.”
Nick
stopped in front of Jarrod and pointed to his own chest, ”Well
I can do something. Startin’ with that no good cowboy we got workin’ for us.”
“That’s a
great idea Nick. You might as well open the window and yell out that you know
everything.” Jarrod’s expression darkened as he glared at Nick, “Do you
understand what they’ll do to Audra if they suspect that I’ve told either of
you anything?”
Defiantly,
Nick shot back, “So we’ll protect Audra.”
Jarrod
stood gingerly and got right in Nick’s face, “For how long Nick? A week, a month, a year?”
“FOR AS
LONG AS IT TAKES!” Nick yelled.
Sitting
down before he fell down, Jarrod sighed, “And how do you know when that is
Nick? They are not going give up.” Jarrod’s face softened and he spoke with his
heart, “I saw that girl Nick, I won’t let them get
their hands on Audra. I’m her big brother and it’s my job to protect her. If
that means taking a beating and keeping my mouth shut then that’s what I’m
going to do.”
Nick’s
eyes darted from Jarrod to Heath, who had stood silent through Nick’s
tirade. “He’s right Nick.”
Exasperated
with both his brothers, Nick stomped to the corner and dropped himself heavily
into the chair. Running his hand through
his hair he spoke his despair, “Well, there’s gotta be something we can do.”
Jarrod’s
answer was barely a whisper, “We can let them think I’ve kept quiet and let
them continue to do what they’ve been doing.”
Nick
stared at Jarrod in disbelief before burying his head in his hands. Heath
walked over to sit beside Jarrod on the bed. “Jarrod?
They already have your promise not to practice, what more do they want?”
Jarrod’s
leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. Shaking his head, he
responded, “I have no idea Heath.”
The
silent contemplation was broken by the sound of their Mother and Audra arriving
home. Nick and Heath got Jarrod settled for the night and assured him they
would make the necessary excuses to pacify Mother.
Nick and
Heath took turns watching over Jarrod as he slept that night. Heath slipped in
before dawn and quietly changed Jarrod’s dressing. Checking for fever, he was thankful Jarrod
felt cool to the touch.
Jarrod reached out and clasped his brother’s
knee and spoke softly, “Thanks Heath.”
“What are
ya gonna do Jarrod?” Heath asked and laid a gentle hand on his brother’s
shoulder.
“Honestly
Heath. I think they have plans for me regardless of what I do or what you do
and there is nothing anyone can do to stop it.”
“How can
ya let ‘em do this?”
Jarrod
looked Heath right in the eye, “Would you do any less to save Audra?”
Heath
held his brother’s gaze,
then sighed, “No, I reckon not.”
“Do me a
favor little brother?”
“Anything Jarrod.”
“Try to
get Nick to understand. He has to act completely normal everywhere on this
ranch or they will know something is up.
That means no tagging me around. They are very smart men, Heath. I don’t know how they do it but they are
always one step ahead of me.” Jarrod stood up, and with Heath’s help managed to
get dressed. Just before they left the room Jarrod grabbed Heath’s arm and
pleaded, “I think the Keller’s will do whatever it takes to get to me. Promise
you’ll look after Audra.
“Sure
Jarrod. She won’t be doin’ anything or
goin’ anywhere without a shadow.” Audra
hadn’t been allowed to go anywhere without a one of the hands anyway so Heath
made a mental note to have a talk with each of them about keepin’ an extra eye
out for more trouble. Heath hated to
think about Jarrod’s situation but he’d spent all night trying to come up with
a solution. Having come up blank, Heath
offered Jarrod the only advice he had. Turning towards his older brother, Heath
grasped his neck
and spoke sincerely, “If it gets real bad Jarrod...search your mind for all
your happy memories... and go there.”
Jarrod
could see the moisture gather in Heath’s eyes and knew what it had cost his
brother to tell him this. Pulling Heath
into an embrace, he hugged him tight as he whispered back, “Thanks little
brother.”
Part 6
Jarrod
worried for several days wondering if the Kellers were aware he had broke his silence. It was almost with relief that he took
their next beating, since no mention was made of his indiscretion. Staggering into the house, Jarrod wasn’t too
sure his ribs weren’t broken. Even the
small, shallow breaths he was used to hurt.
He stopped several times to catch his breath as he climbed the stairs.
Almost to his room, he
was surprised when both Nick and Heath came out of hiding and helped him to his
room. With all the windows downstairs, all of them had to be careful with what
would be seen by outside prying eyes.
Jaw
clenched in pain, Jarrod hissed, “Thanks.”
Nick’s
heart ached to see his older brother suffer so, “God Jarrod, is it always this
bad.”
Jarrod
only shrugged his reply. What was he going to say that wouldn’t make Nick or
Heath feel worse? Tell them that this wasn’t even a really bad beating. Well,
except maybe for the ribs. At least he wasn’t puking his guts out and they
hadn’t touched his still sore back.
Nick
paced, as Heath made Jarrod sit. Jarrod gasped as Heath prodded his ribs and
waited for his diagnosis, “Well, they don’t feel broken. Let’s check your
back.”
Jarrod
grimaced as he moved to lie down, “They didn’t hurt my back. It’s fine.”
Nick
rushed forward to help him. Nick frowned
at his brother’s lack of emotion and demanded, “Damn it Jarrod! How can you be
so calm?”
Jarrod
slowly released the breath he’d been holding and tried to make himself relax
despite the pain. He sighed at Nick’s statement, “I’ve had a lot longer to get
used to it.” His smile of reassurance did little to convince Nick or Heath.
Nick’s
anger was just below the surface as he spoke, “Why can’t we go after them
instead of waiting for them to come after you?”
Giving
Nick a sideways glance Jarrod said with resignation, “And while you are looking
for them, what happens to Audra. What are you gonna do Nick? Kill them. Then
you’ll be in jail or dead.” Jarrod sat up, regretting it immediately, but
confronted his brother emphatically, “I won’t trade YOUR life OR Audra’s for
mine.”
Jarrod
locked his eyes on Nick and watched his sensitive sibling accept his words. He
watched as Nick’s hardened gaze softened behind moisture filled eyes. Nick clasped Jarrod at the back of his neck
and gently pulled him into an embrace.
Burying his head in Jarrod’s shoulder, Nick held his older brother for
several silent moments. Neither said a word when Heath laid a calming hand on
both them, his own tears mingling with theirs.
*******************************************************************************
Jarrod
drove the surrey for his Mother and Audra, while Heath and Nick rode along
side. No one complained about Church that
morning, especially the three brothers. Half way home, Jarrod sat listening to
his brothers lighthearted banter while Audra and his
mother discussed the orphanage. He would catch his mother’s smile at times and
it warmed his heart. Victoria knew that something had been bothering Jarrod
since his return from San Francisco, but usually he would confide in her if he
felt the need. He’d lost weight and
would often disappear into his study and not come out until nightfall. Some days he seemed almost normal and others
he appeared overly tired. Leaning closer to Jarrod, Victoria decided to take
the bull by the horns.
“Will you
ever tell me what is bothering you Jarrod?”
Jarrod
gave his mother a sideways glance before returning his eyes to the road.
Smiling, he said, “Nothing
for you to worry about Mother.”
“Is it
something at work Jarrod? Is that why you’re taking so much time off?”
Hoping to
deflect his mother’s questions Jarrod teased with a smile, “Are you already
tired of my company lovely lady?”
“Of course not dear.
I always enjoy the time when everyone is home.” Realizing what Jarrod
was doing, Victoria sighed. “You’re not going to tell me, are you?”
Jarrod
turned and looked at his mother, “It’s nothing you need to concern yourself with Mother.” The smile he was giving her didn’t
reach to his eyes. Glancing over her
shoulder at his brother’s, he noticed they had stopped their own conversation
and were paying closer attention to his.
He didn’t miss their saddened expressions.
Wanting
to reassure Mother, Jarrod added with another smile, “Don’t worry Mother. I’ll
tell you all about it some day.” Releasing a hand from the reins, he draped it
across his mother’s shoulder. Leaning over, he gave her a kiss on the cheek.
Victoria returned her Jarrod’s smile, but she was far from reassured.
The ride
remained silent, but for Audra’s chatter about an upcoming social event, when
suddenly out of nowhere three riders surrounded the surrey. Nick and Heath were both armed, but Jarrod
had left his sidearm at home in deference to church. Heath and Nick both refused to go unarmed
these days. To say that Jarrod was
shocked by the boldness of the Keller’s appearance would have been an understatement. Nick and Heath both went for their guns, but
were stopped short by Tim’s words and three carefully aimed rifles. “I’d put
those guns back boys.” Gesturing towards Jarrod, he added with a smile, “As
your brother here can tell you, we got a forth man and his sights are on your
sister there.” Jarrod heard the gasps from both mother and daughter, but kept
his eyes on men before him.
The big
man motioned towards Nick and Heath. “Drop your weapons and get down off those
horses,” barked Tim. Nick and Heath
complied and instinctively moved closer to both Audra and their mother.
Nick’s
anger was palpable as he glared at his brother’s tormentors. “What do you want?” His normally intimidating
stance had no affect on the Keller brothers.
Jarrod
dropped the reins from his trembling hands, “They want me Nick.”
As Jarrod
tried to climb from the surrey, Victoria suddenly grabbed his hand. “Jarrod. NO!”
Jarrod
leaned down to give her a chaste kiss and whispered remorsefully, “I’m sorry
Mother. I never meant for this to happen.” Desolation marked Jarrod’s features
as he patted his mother’s hand. Looking back at Audra, his eyes filled with
tears. Jarrod didn’t know what he could possibly say to his sister that
wouldn’t scare her and his eyes begged a silent forgiveness before he got down
from the surrey and faced the men on horses.
Tim
dismounted and moved closer to the family, his rifle at ready. “Well Counselor,
ya couldn’t keep your mouth shut could ya?”
Nick shot a surprised look at Heath, who shrugged his own disbelief. Jarrod had been right after all. These men were good and didn’t miss what Nick
and Heath had worked so hard to hide.
Jarrod
moved forward to face Tim when he felt Nick’s restraining hand upon his
shoulder, and heard him hiss, “Don’t Jarrod.”
Shrugging off the hand, Jarrod took another step forward. Without
warning, Tim brought his rifle around and slammed it into the side of Jarrod’s
face.
“JARROD!”
screamed his family. Nick and Heath tried to rush to their fallen brother’s aid
but were stopped short by the shot at their feet. Jarrod lay only a few feet
away, his eyes closed in pain. Already a small pool of blood was forming in the
dirt from the deep gash over his ear.
Tim moved
back a step and ordered his brothers, “Jeb, get the rope and tie ‘em up. Rob,
you keep guard for him.” Raising his voice he yelled, “JESS, KEEP YOUR SIGHTS
ON THE GIRL. THEY RAISE A FUSS, YOU SHOOT HER!” Nick and Heath both scanned the
area looking for the lone shooter, but wherever he was, he was hidden well. Tim
waited for his brothers to get started then walked over and kicked the prone body
at his feet. “GET UP, Counselor!” Jarrod
moaned in pain when he tried to comply with their demands.
Victoria
made a move towards Jarrod as he struggled to his feet, “Please let us help
him!” Rob turned his rifle on her and Heath quickly stepped in front of his
mother. Heath held her behind him until
he was forced to relinquish his hold.
Nick, then Heath, was tied with his hands behind his back. With their
hands tied, both Nick and Heath were helpless to do anything. Victoria was tied
next and all three were forced to their knees beside the road. Rob set his rifle down and walked to the
surrey to grab a sobbing Audra.
As soon
as he made a move, Jarrod screamed “NOOOOOO!”
Nick and Heath joined him and all three tried to get to their
sister. Jarrod made it to his knees when
he felt hard, cold steel press against his temple. Hearing the click of the
revolver, both Nick and Heath stopped suddenly. Turning as one, a sharp intake
of breath was heard when they saw the gun pointing at Jarrod’s head.
Victoria screamed
hysterically, “WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?” Anguished tears marred her face.
Tim
tilted his head as he replied, “Why am I doing this?” With each word, Tim
jabbed the gun into Jarrod’s head, causing him to grimace in pain. Tim’s voice
grew louder and angrier as he continued, “Your son here used his fine, fancy
words to set a guilty man free. Free to terrorize our sister.” Tim’s face was
red with anger and
his eyes dark with rage as he screamed. “SHE WAS ONLY TWENTY-THREE YEARS OLD!
DO YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MAN YOUR SON LET GO DID TO HER? HE TOOK HER AND FOR
THIRTY TWO DAYS HE TORTURED HER! HE BEAT AND RAPED HER!” Taking deep breaths,
Tim Keller composed himself and spoke calmly, his voice broken with emotion,
“She doesn’t even know who she is now. She sits in a small room and won’t even
let us touch her. That is why we are
doing this.”
Not one
of the Barkley’s were unaffected by the man’s words. Despite the difficulty at hearing such
things, Victoria continued to plead with the man for her son’s life, “Killing
Jarrod is not going to bring your sister back.”
Tim
looked at the woman in stunned surprise before stomping over to stand above
her. He leaned closer and gloated, “Who says we’re gonna kill him?”
Victoria
sat back on her heels, too shocked to even speak. Tim walked over to Jarrod again and grabbing
his hair, pulled his head up as he spoke in quiet voice that belied his anger,
“I told you what would happen if I didn’t get your silence and still you
thought yourself above such threats. Now
you will pay the price.” If Jarrod
understood the man’s words, he gave no indication. His eyes appeared vacant as if he had finally
given in to all the man wanted.
Disgusted, Tim pushed Jarrod away and watched him fall limply to the
ground. Nick and Heath yelled
obscenities and threats, but were largely ignored by the Keller brothers. Frustrated, Tim played his final hand.
Moving
over to where Nick and Heath knelt with their hands tied, Tim raised the rifle
and shot Nick in the shoulder. Despite the screams and protests, Tim moved on
and did the same to Heath. Both men fell backward from the impact of the gun
and lay bleeding from identical gunshots. Well placed, they were meant to stop the two brothers but not
kill them. Despite the pain both men were in, they managed to right themselves
enough to glare at the men surrounding them.
Victoria watched, powerless to stop these madman. Jarrod was once again struggling to stand,
but could only get to his hands and knees.
Victoria gasped at the blood that ran down the side of his face, soaking
his shirt collar and watched helplessly as Jarrod suddenly lost the contents of
his stomach only to continue heaving as a result of the head wound. A sobbing Audra struggled in Rob’s grasp, but
his size overpowered her delicate form.
At a
small nod from Tim, Jeb took up his position beside Jarrod and waited. Tim
circled Jarrod as he spoke, “We told you we would have your silence Counselor.
Now you will pay the price for your disobedience.” Not wanting to miss Jarrod’s
reaction, Tim didn’t even turn around to address his brother, “Rob, put her on
a horse.”
As
expected, Jarrod found the strength he needed, leapt to his feet and went after
Tim. He barely made it to his feet when
he felt the blow from Jeb’s rifle butt, his head exploded and darkness took
over his world. Tim calmly began issuing
orders. “Jeb, tie him up and put him on one of their horses.” Walking over to
Rob, Tim grasped Audra’s arm tightly and held her as he eyed the rest of the
family. Though conscious, neither Nick
nor Heath was in any condition to stop him and the mother’s eyes were shooting
daggers through her tears.
His final
words were addressed to all of them. “Forget you have a brother, a son. He’s ours now. He took our sister from us and now we are
collecting on that debt.” Turning Audra
towards him, he finished, “Don’t try to follow, or YOU will be the one to
suffer.” He pushed her towards her mother and didn’t look back as he grabbed
the reins from his brother and rode off, with Jarrod’s still form on the horse
behind him.
Part 7
Opening
his eyes, the man was confused by his surroundings. He lay shackled to a porch support and didn’t
have a clue where he was. Moving his
hand to his face, he felt a scratchy beard. Then as he touched the soreness
above his ear, he found a long scab.
Easing himself to a sitting position he realized he not only didn’t know
where he was... he didn’t even know who he was.
Not really hopeful, he patted his pockets in search of something that
might lead to his identity. No
luck. Well, he hadn’t really expected to
find anything.
Startled
from his thoughts by the sound of footsteps, he unconsciously found himself
backing into the corner. Against his
will, his heartbeat sped up and his breathing grew louder. In the next instant, he took a calming breath
and brought his body back under his control.
Whoever was coming, wouldn’t see the fear he was feeling.
The
footsteps grew louder and he watched as five men came out of the house. The largest of them, stood over six foot and
had to weigh at least 300 pounds. Three
of the others looked about the same only to a lesser degree. The fifth man was much smaller than the
others and had long blonde hair, and eyes that were almost black. Something in
the man’s eyes made him feel very, very uncomfortable. He clenched his hands into fists to stop the
shaking and refused to look away.
The
yellow-haired man spoke first, “So, what is it exactly you want me to do to
him? You know I’m not in the business of
killin’.”
The big
man laughed, “Oh, we don’t want him dead.
It took us more than a week to get him here, and we had to nurse his
sorry ass most of the time just to keep him alive. When he finally woke up he
acted like he didn’t remember anything. Hasn’t said a word either, no matter
what we did to him. Kinda took all the fun out of our plans.” They talked as if
he wasn’t there and he fought to maintain indifference to their words. He
didn’t know why any of this was happening, but he refused to show them any
weakness. His determination to remain
unaffected in his tormentor’s eyes would set the stage for weeks to come.
“What do
you say we go back inside and you can fill me in on what ya want done on him,
and we’ll go from there?” All four men nodded at the fifth, turned and went
back inside. When the man was certain
they wouldn’t come back he lost some of his resolve and began to shake in
earnest.
*******************************************************************************
Ruth was
out milking when her brother’s newest ‘client’ arrived. She didn’t understand her brother Thad, never
did. He made sure she was well taken
care of, but he had no empathy for her or his fellow human beings. Even when he was with his victims he
remained impartial. To him it was simply a job.
A job he excelled at and was well paid for.
They
lived in a remote part of Texas and she had seen people come from far and wide
in search of her brother’s skills. Ruth
hated what Thad did. She’d never seen him ply his trade, since he did that away
from the house, but she’d seen the results.
When Thad was finished with a particular session the prisoner was
returned to the porch. Once on the
porch, they were left to their own devices and unless Thad explicitly forbid
her, Ruth made sure they were, at the very least, well fed. It helped ease her
conscience, if only a little bit.
Almost
five years ago, she found herself alone with no one to turn to. Her husband was a loving man but terrible
with finances and when he died suddenly, Ruth was left destitute. Within days of the funeral she was forced
from her home and all her possessions were sold to pay off her husband’s
debts. She’d lost track of her brother
over the years and didn’t even know how to get in contact with him. Hungry and alone, a man offered her a meal
and his ear. After hearing her tale, he set about finding her brother. While she waited for word, he put her up in
the local boarding house. His only
request when she finally boarded the stage was that she pass
the favor on to someone else someday. She hoped that by looking after Thad’s
prisoners she was somehow returning the kindness the stranger had shown her.
By the
time Ruth returned from her chores, it was full dark and Thad was in his chair
by the fire. “How was your day Ruthie?”
“It was
fine Thad. I’ll have your supper ready
in a bit. Do you want me to fix extra?”
“Not
tonight Ruthie.” Thad’s tone brooked no argument.
That was
how their conversations went when they had a ‘client’. Thad never referred to them as prisoners. To
him they were money in his pocket and he always called them his clients. The people who dropped them off were simply
contacts. Names were never used, but in most circles her brother was referred
to as ‘The Tormentor’.
The next
morning, Thad and his prisoner were already gone by the time Ruth’s day
started. The first week was always the worst.
Thad never kept regular hours and Ruth suspected it was to keep his
prisoner off-guard. Things never got
better, but at least Ruth knew when to expect him home. Thad didn’t like having to wait for
anything. While she cared for her
brother, she knew better than to incur his wrath.
That
night, Thad came in late and they had the same conversation as the previous
night, only this time Thad suggested she make extra food for supper. When supper was over, Ruth cleaned up and
waited for Thad to retire before she took the prisoner his food. As long as Ruth didn’t appear too interested
in his client, Thad turned a blind eye to her sympathetic nature. Ruth grabbed up the plate and made her way to
the back porch. One look at the prisoner
and she knew this one wouldn’t feel like eating. Going back into the house, she
grabbed a few items and returned to the porch.
She walked to the water trough, got some fresh
water in the small basin she’d retrieved and went to kneel beside the
prisoner. He lay with his face towards
the corner so it was hard to see what he looked like. His back was covered in welts from Thad’s
whip and several were bleeding where the whip had broken the skin. Ruth worked
gently as she removed the blood and grime. The man flinched at her touch, but
never uttered a sound. His fingers
clawed at the wood floor, but finding no purchase he clenched them into fists.
Ruth applied the ointment and spoke her first words to the man. Her voice was
no more than a soft whisper, “It’s done.”
She was an old hand at this and knew it wasn’t safe to startle Thad’s
clients. Ruth watched as the man visibly
relaxed at her words. Ever so slowly he
lifted his head, and turned to face her.
Ruth sat
back with a gasp and stared at the man before her. Lost in thought for several minutes, she
finally muttered, “What
have you done to get yourself into this mess, Jarrod?”
Part 8
Ruth knew
that Jarrod was hurting, but as he sat in his spot on the porch it wouldn’t
have been obvious to the casual observer.
He’d kept his calm demeanor throughout her brother’s continuous torture. Whenever Thad brought him back from the
woods, Jarrod would walk to the porch and shackle himself to the post under
Thad’s watchful eye, then he would take his spot in
the corner. Ruth never spoke to him
other than to tend to his wounds. Today,
his sixth day, Jarrod had walked stiffly to the porch and had sat down with
difficulty. Ruth knew from Jarrod’s
posture that he was probably covered in welts that went from his back all the
way to his ankles. What Thad used, Ruth
never knew, but it was one of his more painful techniques. The fact that Jarrod was still standing was
somewhat of a miracle. Most came back in a heap. Blood was dripping from Jarrod’s lip and she
realized that he had most likely bitten through it to keep from screaming. The only outward sign that he was hurting was
the amount of perspiration that soaked his clothes. His shirt, what was left of it, didn’t have a
dry spot on it and tiny droplets of sweat dripped from his hair. A week under
Thad’s rule had left Jarrod looking haggard and thin. Ruth eased closer and placed the food at his
side. He never took it from her, but if she left it he would eat it. Reaching for the wet cloth, Ruth gently
cleaned his lip. She rinsed the rag and cautiously lifted it to wipe the sweat
from his face. Startled, Jarrod’s eyes widened, but he didn’t move away. His
expression softened as Ruth worked to ease his discomfort.
Jarrod
didn’t know who the woman was that came everyday and cleaned his wounds. She wore her curly brown hair pulled back and
her dress was simple. She looked to be in her late twenties, was shorter than
him by several inches and probably only weighed a hundred and twenty pounds
soaking wet. He had some inner sense that told him he could trust her and so
far his gut instinct had been right on about who he could trust. Without being able to speak, not sure he
could even if he wanted to, which he didn’t, it was hard to get any
information. She called him Jarrod as if she knew his name, so he responded to
it when she spoke to him. He had no idea
why he was here. Thad certainly wasn’t
forthcoming with any information. His
tormentor did call him lawyer or counselor when he wanted to make a point. So his name was Jarrod and he was a
lawyer. It was more than he knew
before. Jarrod had gotten this week’s
message loud and clear... no sound. Not a grunt, not a groan, not a whisper of
a sound was permitted. Why Thad continued to enforce that lesson was beyond
Jarrod, he’d
understood that the first session with the heartless bastard.
As he sat
against the wall he fought the urge to curl up his legs and fall asleep. His
back and legs throbbed unmercifully.
Earlier in the day when Jarrod saw Thad approach him with the bamboo
stick it had been difficult to remain motionless. Throughout the beating, Jarrod managed to
remain quiet and still, but now he fought to keep his resolve. He waited. Every night he waited. Waited for
the quiet hours just before dawn when he knew that he was alone. In the wee hours of the morning he let his
body relax and release the fear and anxiety he had suffered throughout the
day. When he was done, he squared his
shoulders and held his head high for yet another day.
*******************************************************************************
Thad had
him working this week. From sunup to
sundown he did everything from plowing, to fencing, to hauling logs for
firewood. The work wasn’t so bad. Jarrod
actually relished the chance to build up his strength. His being a lawyer accounted for the softer
muscle tone his body exhibited and for whatever reason he was being forced to
endure this torture, he vowed that should he make it out of this in one piece
he would never again be under another man’s power. With the loss of weight and increased work,
his body was slowly responding to the new demands being placed upon it. At night, when all was quiet he worked at it
even more. It helped relieve the tension
and he slept without the dreams. Images
of another life that were never clear enough or long
enough to grasp onto.
Jarrod’s
body glistened in the morning sun as he hauled the log across the field towards
the house. Thad rode behind on the horse to make sure Jarrod didn’t run. Not that he could, with the chain still
attached to his leg. It never came off
and Jarrod had finally used what was left of his shirt to wrap his ankle. The
extra padding alleviated the constant rubbing caused by the leg iron. Over two weeks now, that was how long he’d
been here. Seemed
longer than that to Jarrod. Lost
in thought, he realized he was half way across the field when Thad stopped him.
Handing
Jarrod the canteen, Thad demanded, “Drink.”
Thirsty
from the morning’s labors, Jarrod drank the lukewarm water. Unless he was on the porch, Jarrod had to
rely totally upon Thad for all his needs.
Jarrod took a very serious beating the first day out with Thad when he
tried to relieve himself without Thad’s permission. To enforce the lesson, Thad refused to give
permission the second day and allowed Jarrod the opportunity to drink his fill
the whole day long. By late afternoon, the inevitable happened. Since then, if
offered a drink, Jarrod only took enough to wash away the dryness. He quenched his thirst on water from the pump
near the porch rather than face that particular humiliation again. But Thad wasn’t done with that lesson.
Jarrod’s
afternoon progressed much the same way that the morning had. Drag a log to the
house, go back and get another. Jarrod was exhausted from the backbreaking work
and his stomach had been upset for a couple of hours. Draping his chain over the newest log, Jarrod
could no longer hold back the bile that rose in his throat. Within minutes his
body lost the fight over all his bodily functions and Jarrod stood in his own
mess, his body shaking almost violently. Swaying under the weight of the log,
he let it go and collapsed to his knees.
As if expecting Jarrod’s reaction, Thad grabbed the chain, wrapped it
around the saddle horn and headed towards the house. Jarrod staggered to his feet to keep from
being dragged. He stumbled several times
before he made it to the sanctuary of the porch. Jarrod waited until Thad was
inside before running to the side of the house to eliminate what little was
left in his system. Humiliated, Jarrod
waited until nightfall, then stripped off his clothes and thoroughly washed
himself and his clothes before falling into an exhausted sleep. It took Jarrod more than a week of off and on
sickness to realize that Thad was drugging his water. Forced to endure the humiliation of having to
work in his own filth on numerous occasions, Jarrod never actually drank from
Thad’s canteen after that, no matter how thirsty he got during the day.
And so
was Jarrod’s life as he moved from one lesson to the next, unsure what he had
done to warrant such harsh treatment.
With no memories, and no chance at communicating, Jarrod had only the
knowledge of what he had observed. The
four big men had brought him here to be punished and based on the conversation
they had with Thad when he was dropped off, they could pick the punishment. It left Jarrod to wonder what would be
next. There was no escape. He tried for
several nights when he first arrived to loosen the chain that held him to the
porch, but to no avail. He considered
running when he was put to work, but Thad never took his eyes of him and Jarrod
had to abandon that plan. If Thad ever
got close enough, Jarrod was sure he could kill the man with his bare hands,
but that never happened either. Jarrod
wasn’t so bad off that he even considered his final option. Not yet anyway.
Ruth
continued to be Jarrod’s one lifeline at the end of every day. No matter what transpired during the day, she
always brought his meal and silently tended to his wounds. Her kindness was the
only thing keeping him alive. Ruth
tried to figure some way to get Jarrod out of the mess he was in. There was no point in confronting her brother, he would never relent to releasing Jarrod. Thad never allowed her to go into town,
unless he was with her, so sending a telegram to Jarrod’s family wasn’t an
option either. Helpless to get Jarrod
away from her brother, she did what she could for him. On the twenty sixth day of Jarrod’s
captivity, the bottom dropped out of his world and that final option no longer
seemed such a bad idea.
*******************************************************************************
When
Jarrod came back that night, he refused to eat.
As Ruth got close enough to set his plate down, Jarrod’s eyes widened
and he made a desperate scramble for the corner. Wrapping his arms around his
knees, he pulled them in close to his chest.
His breathing was rapid and loud and his eyes darted everywhere, never
resting in one spot. Ruth was alarmed at
Jarrod’s condition. Whenever she tried
to get close enough to reach out a hand, Jarrod would scoot in a different
direction. Ruth gave up trying to touch
him, but stayed close until he finally fell asleep.
Thad had
him tied in the woods again. This alone
was enough to panic Jarrod, and he took deep calming breaths. Jarrod watched Thad eyeing him and that same
shiver he felt the first time he met Thad, returned. Thad approached him from behind and Jarrod
could feel Thad’s hot breath on his neck as he moved in closer. Thad’s hands began roaming over his body...
Drenched
in his own sweat and breathing in pants, Jarrod bolted awake, relieved to find
himself back on the porch. Jarrod’s
relief was short lived as he recalled the nightmare. His body shook at the
memory and he tried to make himself smaller by curling into a ball on the porch
floor. His eyes closed tight against the
memory, he didn’t see Ruth move closer to his position. Jarrod suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder
and instinctively jerked away. When he
looked up and saw her sympathetic eyes, his resolve crumbled and he let her
guide his head to her lap. One arm snaked across her back while the other
rested on her leg and he let her comfort him. His back heaving as the
gut-wrenching sobs grew more intense. His fingers clenching and unclenching as
he buried his head against her, the silent sobbing continued. Jarrod barely felt her fingers stroke his
hair or heard her soothing reassurances.
Sometime
later, after he had released all his anguish, she simply held him in her
lap. Jarrod squeezed her, grateful there
was someone to soften the blow of the days events. Ruth sat holding him until his breathing
calmed and he fell asleep. More
determined than ever, Ruth began to make plans for the day she could help
Jarrod.
It would
be a week before Ruth could implement her plan for escape, and it would be a
week of the most horrific torture for Jarrod.
By the end of the week, even Ruth was not allowed into Jarrod’s personal
space. Upon his return from each session
with Thad, Jarrod would sit in his spot on the porch, his hardened eyes fixed
on a point in the distance. By the
seventh day, even Thad was afraid to go near the man. Jarrod’s torture was over, but the damage had
been done. He was no longer the man he was before. He carried with him a shame that would not be
easily overcome and inside of the man were demons that only silence would hide.
Part 9
Ruth knew
her brother was going to town on Saturday to send a telegram telling the
Keller’s his work was done. That was the
day they would leave. She wanted to tell
Jarrod her plans but feared that Thad would overhear and she didn’t want to
take any chances. With Jarrod’s
imprisonment, Ruth was seeing her brother in a whole new light and it wasn’t a
good one. She had allowed him to do his
work in return for a roof over her head, but that no longer seemed like such a
great tradeoff. Ruth suspected that Thad
had no more love for her than he did his clients. To her brother, she was
simply someone who looked after his house and made sure he had food on the
table. If she never saw him again after
tomorrow it would be too soon.
Saturday
dawned early and Ruth watched her brother leave the yard with the wagon. Ruth was glad he’d taken the wagon, it would leave her his saddle horse. One horse would slow them down, but with almost a day
head start she was hoping they could get clear before he was able to track them
down. Pulling the already packed carpet
bag from beneath her bed, she hurried to Thad’s room to get his hoarded stash
of cash. Counting almost two hundreds
dollars, Ruth was thankful they wouldn’t have to worry about money, at least
for a little while. Taking the cash, she
ran to the barn. Once there, she grabbed
a hammer and chisel and hurried towards the back porch. Jarrod ignored her approach, but when she
dropped in front of him he scurried to move away from her.
Ruth held
out the tools for Jarrod to see, “If you want to get out of here, we have to
hurry.” Jarrod looked at her in
disbelief, his eyes welling with unshed tears. Blinking them back, he quickly
grabbed the implements from her hands and set to work. Ruth left Jarrod to free
himself and went back inside to finish gathering together supplies. There wouldn’t be much, since Thad had taken
the wagon to bring back much needed supplies, but it would be enough to last
them a couple of days. Ruth picked up
the carpetbag, the bag of supplies and a couple of bedrolls she’d put together
and walked outside. In the barn, she was surprised to see Jarrod already
saddling the horse. When he finished,
Ruth draped the bags over the saddle horn and followed Jarrod out of the
barn. Jarrod mounted and looked down at
Ruth, and until she reached a hand up for help, it never occurred to him that
she would be going to.
Seeing
his surprised look at her outstretched hand, Ruth pleaded, “You can’t leave me
here. He’ll kill me.” Jarrod hesitated,
then reluctantly reached out his hand to hers and lifted her with ease to sit
behind him. When she released the hold on his hand and grasped his waist, every
muscle in Jarrod’s body tensed. As they
headed out of the yard, Ruth could feel Jarrod trembling beneath her fingers.
“It’s alright Jarrod, he can’t hurt you anymore.” Eventually Jarrod began to relax and Ruth
wept silent tears for all his suffering.
They’d
traveled about four hours when they came upon a stream and Jarrod decided it
was time to rest the horse. He removed
the bags and led the horse to drink.
When he came back, Ruth handed him a couple of bacon biscuits leftover
from breakfast. While he was eating, Ruth grabbed a few things from the carpet
bag and took them to the water’s edge. Upon returning she told Jarrod, “I left
you some clothes, soap and a razor by the water.” Ruth gave him a small smile,
“I thought you might want to get cleaned up.”
Jarrod
nodded his thanks and headed towards the stream. Pulling off his boots, he quickly removed his
pants and grabbing the soap, dove into the water. He scrubbed until his skin
was practically raw, but felt no cleaner.
Using the razor, he cut away as much of the long beard as he could
before tackling shaving, leaving only a moustache. Standing in the water and making a quick
decision, he grabbed his dirty pants and gave them a quick wash before putting
them back on. He left the clothes Ruth
had brought at the water’s edge. The thought of wearing Thad’s clothes made
Jarrod’s skin crawl. He grabbed the
horse’s reins and walked back to Ruth, who politely ignored the fact that he
was still in his own clothes.
Jarrod
mounted and helped Ruth up. Once again
it took several minutes for Jarrod to relax at the uncomfortable anxiety her
touch was causing him. They rode, they
rested... they rode, they rested well into the next
day before Jarrod took a chance and slept himself. Ruth had fallen asleep behind him a couple of
times. Each time she rested against his
back, Jarrod fought down the urge to push her off the horse and make her
walk. He knew his behavior was
irrational, but it was very uncomfortable having someone so close to him, even
her.
He only
slept a couple of hours but it was enough to keep him going. It was on the third day of travel that they
began searching for a town. They’d stayed clear of the roads up until this
point, but now they needed to restock their food supply. As they neared the
small town of Odessa, Jarrod became more and more nervous. By the time they dismounted at the General
Store, Jarrod was tense with anxiety.
Sympathetic to his sudden mood change, Ruth asked him softly as he stood
by the horse, “Do you want to stay with the horse, Jarrod?” Jarrod’s face showed his relief and he gave
her a small appreciative nod. She pushed her luck and gave his arm a small
squeeze of reassurance before entering the store.
Jarrod
stood outside feeling self conscious with no shirt on. The scars on his back were still too fresh
and stood out against his now tanned skin. He was relieved when Ruth returned
only a few minutes later with a shirt he could throw on. She returned to the store to finish shopping
and Jarrod walked the horse down to the livery.
It wasn’t until he got there that he realized he couldn’t even
communicate with the man. After a very
awkward moment for Jarrod, and some misunderstanding by the livery man, they
managed to exchange enough hand signals to get the horse bedded for the night.
Walking back to the store with their things, Jarrod found Ruth standing on the
boardwalk looking frightened and alone. Jarrod raised a questioning eyebrow.
Embarrassed, Ruth explained, “I thought you’d left me,” she dropped her head
shyly.
Angry for
being so thoughtless, Jarrod’s shoulder’s slumped with
a sigh. Reaching out his hand he lifted her chin and shook his head firmly,
hoping she would get the message that he wouldn’t leave her behind. Ruth smiled with relief and Jarrod was
thankful she understood. Lifting the
packages she held so he could see, Ruth rambled nervously, “I got you a change
of clothes and paid for our supplies. Where’s the horse? Aren’t we leaving
again?”
Jarrod
didn’t exactly smile, but his face did brighten as he listened to her and he
pointed to the livery.
Ruth
looked puzzled so Jarrod pointed at the hotel.
Ruth questioned his actions, “The horse is at the livery and we’re
staying at the hotel?”
Jarrod
nodded and the two of them walked to the hotel.
The man behind the desk addressed them as they walked in, “Good afternoon
folks. Would you like a room?” Jarrod lifted his hand and held up two
fingers. “Alright then, just need you to
sign the register. Both of you please. That’ll be five dollars.” Stepping forward, Jarrod hesitated only a
second before signing his name. He moved aside and let Ruth sign hers. Ruth was going to sign her name, but then she
saw that Jarrod had written, J.T. Smith instead of his own. Thinking
quickly she signed Corine Smith. Turning
the register so he could read the names, the man behind the desk made the
assumption Ruth hoped he would, “Ah, brother and sister?” Ruth nodded quickly,
paid the man and took the keys the man was holding.
Jarrod
shot Ruth a surprised look as they climbed the stairs to their rooms. Ruth
shrugged at Jarrod’s unasked question, “I signed it Corine Smith. It’s my
middle name. I figured it would look better if people thought we were brother
and sister.” Again she noticed his eyes expressed his words of acceptance to
her deeds. Without consciously thinking
about it, the two of them were finding the skills needed to communicate with
one another.
Part 10
That
night in the hotel room, Jarrod tried to sleep but his mind raced furiously,
not allowing him a moments rest. He was finally free, but he still felt
trapped. His mind kept screaming ‘WHY’
and he couldn’t find the answer. Jumping
from his bed, he began pacing furiously, trying to find some sort of release
from the anxiety. When that didn’t help,
he unconsciously found himself drawn to the corner. Sliding down the wall, he
drew his knees up and began to rock, his body slamming into the wall with each
backward motion. The tremors started out
slow and built in intensity until his whole body shook and the sweat poured off
of him in waves. His eyes glazed over
and he recalled another time such as this. She was there, holding him, soothing
him. As if in answer to his prayers, she
appeared in the doorway, his red rimmed eyes beckoning her. And she came, just
like last time. Ruth held him and let him cry. Cry until there were no more
tears, no more pain and he slept.
Ruth
knocked on Jarrod’s door early the next morning. Through the closed door she
asked quietly, “Can I talk to you Jarrod?”
Ruth waited until Jarrod eased the door open and stepped aside to let
her in.
Ruth
noticed that Jarrod’s old pants were wadded up in the corner and he was now
dressed in the black pants and gray shirt she purchased yesterday, along with
the new boots, hat and gun belt. Ruth
hesitated spending the money on a gun, but admittedly, it did make her feel
better. All cleaned up, he looked more
like the Jarrod she remembered. It might
take some time to get used the moustache though. Moving into the room, she sat on the bed,
grateful her riding clothes made it a less awkward perch. Jarrod leaned against
the edge of a chest of drawers opposite her and raised a questionable
eyebrow. Ruth cleared her throat and
spoke, “Jarrod, you know you have family that is probably very worried about
you?” Ruth, surprised when Jarrod shrugged his shoulders, spoke adamantly,
“Well I’m sure they are worried.” Jarrod walked over and took her hand to get
her attention, then he pointed to his head and shook
it. Taken aback, Ruth frowned, then asked in
disbelief, “You don’t remember?” Sadly,
Jarrod shook his head again.
Ruth took
a few moments to collect her thoughts then asked Jarrod. “Do you remember
anything?” Jarrod kept her gaze and shook his head. Ruth sighed and began
speaking, “Your name is Jarrod Barkley. You were lawyer in Stockton,
California. You do have family Jarrod
and they are probably very worried about you.” Ruth gave him a few seconds to
assimilate the information before asking, “Do you want me to wire Stockton and
tell them where you are?”
Horrified
at the thought, Jarrod frantically shook his head at Ruth. He could barely live with himself,
there was no way he would be able to be around family. Especially family he
didn’t remember. No, that life was gone
to him. How could he go back to
something he didn’t even remember. They still had a ways to go to get clear of
Thad and until then, he decided he didn’t need to worry about it.
Ruth
wasn’t sure if she shouldn’t just wire his family anyway, but at this point
Jarrod really needed someone he could trust and Ruth didn’t want to betray the little
trust she had gained. “Where do you want to go Jarrod?” Jarrod shrugged and
pointed to the door.
Ruth
smiled at Jarrod’s determined look. “Alright we’ll leave, but eventually we’re
gonna have to decide where we’re going.” Ruth went to collect her things from
her room and Jarrod went to get the horse. By the time he was finished, Ruth
was standing in front of the General Store with their supplies. Taking the bag of supplies he looped them on
the saddle, then helped Ruth onto the horse. She was happy to note that even though he
flinched when her hands touched him, it wasn’t nearly
as bad as the previous days. Maybe last night had helped him understand that
she wasn’t there to hurt him.
They
slowly made their way northward and stayed away from towns and people unless
they needed supplies. They’d worked here
and there at odd jobs never staying more than a few days in any one place. It
replenished their money supply and took them farther and farther from Thad. It had been weeks since they’d escaped his
clutches and with every passing day the worry that he might be following
lessoned. Eventually, they found a small
town in southern Colorado, and decided to stay awhile.
With
Ruth’s help, Jarrod got a job at the sawmill. It was
demanding work and Jarrod welcomed the exhaustion at the end of the day. Ruth managed to get a job at one of the
smaller restaurants and between the two of them they had enough to live on and
still put some aside. Never knowing
when Jarrod would decide to move on, Ruth made sure they always had money to
leave at a moments notice. Finally after
weeks on the trail, Jarrod was comfortable with Ruth and they rented a small,
furnished two room house on the edge of town. It wasn’t much, but it was better
than camping out or living out of a hotel room.
It never occurred to either one that they should be living separately.
They let people believe they were J.T. and Corine Smith, brother and sister,
and both of them seemed comfortable with that.
******************************************************************************
Meanwhile
back at the ranch. (I always wanted to say that)
WHAT DO
YOU MEAN YOU LOST THEM?” roared Nick at the Pinkerton agent sitting in the
Barkley parlor.
From his vantage point at the fireplace, Heath swore he saw the man cringe at
Nick’s reaction.
Victoria
empathized with her son, but his temper was not going to make this any easier.
“Nick would you please calm down and find a place to sit. You are making
everyone nervous.” Disgusted, Nick stomped to the chair and dropped down
heavily then glared at the Pinkerton agent.
Grateful
for the matriarch’s intervention, the agent beside her on the settee proceeded
to explain. “When they took Jarrod, they headed east. They went all the way to St. Louis then they
split up. As far as we can tell they met up in Mexico. It was there that we lost them. There’s a lot of wide open country down there
and if they avoided the towns and villas then it makes it twice as difficult to
track them. I have several men still
searching but it is difficult at best.” The man nervously twisted the hat in
his hands as he continued, “The Kellers are very influential ranchers with a
lot of money. They own several thousands of acres up in southern Oregon. Tim, the oldest one, is a very intelligent
man. He’s a not unsavory as such, but
from what we’ve been able to learn, the man gets what he wants. From what you’ve told me and what we’ve
learned he never does anything without a well-thought out plan. Wherever he is, he has hidden himself and his
brothers very well.” The agent didn’t
tell the distraught family that the Keller’s had used a coffin to transport
Jarrod’s comatose body to St. Louis. Once there, they disposed of the coffin
and used the ruse of a sick relative to explain Jarrod’s condition.
The agent
finished relating the news, and after a few unanswerable questions he took his
leave. Nick walked him out, then returned to the
parlor to speak to his family. Taking up
a position opposite Heath at the fireplace, he rested his head on his arm as it
draped the mantle. Clenching his fist, he muttered, “Damn it!”
Heath
went to Nick and rested a hand on his back, with a gentle pat he turned towards
the rest of the family and spoke hesitantly, “I was just thinkin’. I got me some contacts down in Mexico that
might be able to help. I was thinkin’ I oughta go down there and see what I can
turn up.”
Nick
beamed as he slapped Heath on the back, “Good idea little brother. We can leave
in the morning.”
Heath
turned to face Nick and grasped his arm to get his attention, “Well big
brother, I reckon one of us oughta take care of the ranch. Besides, your loud
disposition is likely to scare off most of the people I gotta talk to.” As he spoke he shifted his eyes towards where
Mother and Audra sat. Since Jarrod’s disappearance, Audra refused to go
anywhere unless either Nick or Heath was with her and in the time that Jarrod
had been gone, Audra had foregone all of her social obligations. Neither brother had mentioned the fact that
they had her watched day and night. They
didn’t want the Keller’s having another go at their little sister. Heath was hoping Nick would get the hint that
one of them needed to stay and protect the family.
Thankfully,
Nick got the hint. “Yeah alright, but you contact me if you find out anything.
You hear me?” said Nick, emphasizing his point with a finger to Heath’s chest.
Heath
rubbed the offended spot and gave his brother a lop-sided grin, “Hard not to
big brother.”
Nick
planted his hands on his hips and glared at Heath. “And I am not loud,” spouted
Nick indignantly.
Victoria
smiled at the two of them and even Audra giggled. Nick grabbed up his gloves and slapped Heath
in the chest with them. “Come on. If you’re leaving for Mexico we got work to
do.” Heath smiled and followed Nick out of the house. Victoria watched her two son’s
interact, glad they were finally back on their feet again. The shoulder wounds they’d received from the
Kellers, while not life threatening, did keep them off ranch work for several
weeks. With both of them injured, it was
a constant struggle to keep them from doing too much, too soon. In those first days after Jarrod’s
disappearance, Victoria had hired the Pinkerton’s just to keep her two stubborn
sons from getting out of bed and conducting the search themselves.
*******************************************************************************
Ruth
wiped off the last table and straightened with a sigh. Today had been one of those days. Several of the local boys had shown up for
dinner and seeing the newest waitress, decided to give her a hard time. They
took a table and began taunting her. Trying to ignore their rude behavior, Ruth
calmly asked them for their order. They continued their teasing and when Ruth
rebuffed their every advance, they glared at her through the rest of their
meal. When they finally left, Ruth wasn’t surprised that they hadn’t left a
tip, but was still disappointed. Tips
were always extra money that Ruth hoarded for a rainy day. Hoping for a better day tomorrow, Ruth bid
the owner goodnight and left the restaurant.
Surprised that Jarrod wasn’t waiting for her, she started the walk
home. It wasn’t a long walk, but the
streetlights didn’t offer much illumination beyond a few feet and Ruth hated
the dark. She knew that Jarrod hated to be out himself, but the gentleman in
him refused to let her make the walk alone.
He had made great strides towards improvement, at least to the casual
observer, but Ruth was there at night when the events of the day proved to be
too much and knew better.
Except
with Ruth, Jarrod
still had an aversion to touch and would react violently if the offender didn’t
remove their hands. It was usually the
troublemakers hoping to have a good laugh at Jarrod’s expense. Most of the people in town quickly learned
not to touch the quiet man. Jarrod still
refused water from anything but his own canteen and he made sure it always
contained fresh water. No matter how hard
Ruth tried to convince him that he no longer had to fear tainted water, Jarrod
refused to concede the point. Jarrod’s
mind associated water with humiliation and he would never suffer that lesson
again no matter how remote the possibility.
Ruth would watch Jarrod work to the point of exhaustion, intent on
keeping fit. He would never again allow
himself to be under another man’s power.
His body was hardened steel without the bulk that a bigger man might
have. Jarrod spent many hours when they
were on the run practicing his draw and perfecting his aim. While they’d never had to use his new skills,
he insisted on being prepared. Ruth
didn’t argue with Jarrod as he pursued new goals. It was his way of healing,
and despite everything, he did appear to be getting better at dealing with day
to day living.
Ruth was
roused from her thoughts by the sound of footsteps behind her. A little
fearful, she quickened her pace and grew alarmed when the footsteps behind her
moved faster in response. Almost home, she turned her head to look for her pursuer and
suddenly found herself engulfed in another man’s arms...
Part 11
Ruth
struggled to get free until she realized it was Jarrod that was holding her.
Through her tears she stammered, “Oh Jarrod, somebody was chasing me.” Jarrod pulled her closer and glanced over her
shoulder into the darkness. Suddenly two men stepped out into the light.
A scruffy
cowboy, no more than twenty leered at Ruth as he spoke. “Now pretty lady, what
do you want with the dummy there? We just wanted to have a little fun was all.” Jarrod pushed Ruth behind him and acted as a shield
against the advancing men.
Both men
laughed at Jarrod’s reaction and the scruffy one chuckled, “We’ll looky here,
ain’t that sweet. What are you gonna do mister? The way I see it there’s only
one o’ you, and there’s two o’ us.” Ruth cowered behind Jarrod, never releasing
the grip she had on his shirt and watched the men move in on them. Jarrod stood completely still and
waited. His hard eyes
taking in their every move. When
one of the men made the mistake of coming too close, Jarrod’s hand shot out at
lightening speed and the man suddenly found his throat grasped in Jarrod’s iron
grip. Struggling to breath, the man used both hands to try and remove the hand
that was closing off his air, but to no avail.
His partner rushed to the aid of his friend and was stopped short when
Jarrod pulled his gun on him. Realizing
they had made a big mistake, the man began pleading for the life of his friend,
whose eyes were beginning to roll back in his head. “Please mister, let him go!
We was just funnin’. We didn’t mean no
harm. Come on mister. Please!”
Jarrod
suddenly released his hold on the man’s throat and let him drop to the
ground. Gasping for air, the man looked
up at Jarrod’s dark, foreboding eyes and fear shot through him. Not wasting any time, the other man grabbed
his partner and they both stumbled into the darkness. Jarrod watched them go, then turned and
pulled Ruth back into his embrace. He’d
been late to pick her up because he fallen asleep after work and had rushed to
catch up with her, only to have her slam into him. The events started to catch up with him, and
his body shivered in response. Only this
time it wasn’t a fear of the men, but rather the fear of losing Ruth.
*******************************************************************************
Three
weeks after Heath left for Mexico, he returned to the ranch with good and bad
news. He rode into the yard and went in search of Nick, wanting to delay facing
Mother. Heath found him out in the barn
and received a big ole Nick hug welcoming him home. Beaming at his brother’s
return, Nick asked, “What’d you find out?”
Heath
happiness at being home was short lived as he related to Nick what he’d
discovered. “Well Nick, I managed ta find out that they took Jarrod to a place
in Texas, so I contacted the Pinkerton’s and put them onto it hoping they might
be able ta help.”
Heath’s
grim expression alerted Nick and in a worried voice he questioned his brother,
“What is it you ain’t tellin’ me?”
Raising
his eyes to look at Nick, Heath said quietly, “The Keller’s took Jarrod to a
man in Texas, Nick.” Heath’s face lost a little color as he recalled what he’d
learned. Seeing Heath’s distress, Nick led him to one of the hay bales and had
him sit. Leaning forward on the bale, Heath scrubbed his hands through his hair
before turning to talk to Nick, who’d joined him on the bale. Nick put a comforting hand on his brother’s
shoulder and waited for him to compose himself. Taking a deep breath, Heath let
it out with a loud sigh. With a sideways glance at Nick, Heath continued. “This
man was bad Nick, real bad. From what
the Pinkerton’s told me, this guy is a master in torture. People all over the
country come to him for... services. They call him ‘The Tormentor’.” Heath
stopped and looked at Nick, who was up again pacing the barn. Nick stopped near
the stalls and braced both hands against the top rail. Dropping his head, he
spoke softly, “Go on Heath. What’s the rest of it?”
“When we
got to the place, there was nobody there. The place was deserted.” Putting his
hands on his knees, Heath used the leverage to ease himself off the bale.
Walking over to Nick, it was Heath’s turn to place a comforting hand on his
brother’s back. “We found shackles on
the porch.” Hesitating, Heath’s voice filled with despair as he added, “The
woods Nick, I can’t describe what we found in the woods.”
Nick’s
head shot up, his eyes filled with moisture and his voice was barely a whisper,
“I gotta know Heath.”
Heath
nodded and his voice broke several times as he described the pulley restraining
device to his brother, along with the various tools of torture they’d found at
the site. Both men had tears by the time Heath finished relating the horrors he
seen in the woods. Anger began to build
in Nick and he swiped away the tears, then insisted on more information, “What
about Jarrod? Where is he?”
Heath
shrugged and shook his head, “I don’t know Nick. Near as we could tell, Jarrod
escaped. The shackles we found were busted up. The Pinkerton’s are searching
and promised to contact us when they find out more. I couldn’t send a telegram
Nick. I had ta come home to tell ya what I found.”
Nick
reached out and pulled his brother into his chest and the two of them shed
silent tears for the brother that was lost to them. Later, after much deliberation,
they told their Mother as little as possible, then
planned for a trip east as soon as they heard from the Pinkerton’s.
*****************************************************************************
The weeks
went by with Jarrod and Ruth settling into a routine. Jarrod put in his days at
the mill and Ruth did her job at the restaurant. Jarrod had tried to get her to quit, but Ruth
was insistent. “I’m not going to quit Jarrod. I won’t be left penniless ever
again. I wouldn’t have ended up with
Thad and had to live with that...” Ruth’s lips tightened and Jarrod could see
the guilt wash over her. Ruth tried to turn away to hide her tears, but Jarrod
gently held her hand and made her look at him. He pointed to the floor and then
to himself letting Ruth know that he wouldn’t be here
if it weren’t for her. Ruth numbly sat in a nearby chair and shook her head.
Confused,
Jarrod dropped to one knee beside the chair and waited for her to explain.
Ruth’s head hung down as she cried, “Oh Jarrod, you don’t remember meeting
me before.” Ruth’s tears flowed freely as she spoke sorrowfully. “A few years
back I was on the street with no where to go. My husband had died recently
leaving me nothing but the clothes on my back.” Ruth sniffled and Jarrod handed
her his handkerchief. Ruth gave him a small smile and continued with her story.
“A man helped me find Thad, and made all the arrangements so I could get home.
That man was you Jarrod. You helped me find a home.”
Jarrod
looked at her in disbelief. Ruth’s tears continued to fall as she continued. “I
knew what Thad did Jarrod, maybe not the specifics, but I knew he was bad. I
needed a place to live and Thad provided me with a home.” Ruth began sobbing in
earnest and her words came out halted, “I ignored... what he did...to people...
so I could have a place to live... What kind... of person... does that make me?
I wanted... to stop him Jarrod... I hated... what he was doing to you, but I
was... afraid of him... I’d seen what he’d done to people... and the more he
did to you... the more I began to see him for what he really was... and it
scared me. You did so much for me...and I let him do that to you.” Taking
Jarrod’s hands, Ruth held them in her own, her eyes searching his, “I’m so
sorry Jarrod. Sorry you had to go through
all that because I was too afraid.”
Ruth
dropped her head in shame and Jarrod watched as hot tears fell onto their
hands. He was never as frustrated as he
was in that moment that he couldn’t tell her his thoughts. No words to erase her guilt. No way to tell her that it was her kindness
that helped him survive, helped him live through the
nightmare. Seeking an answer, Jarrod
removed one of his hands from hers and tenderly cupped her cheek. Ruth’s eyes
widened as Jarrod used his thumb to wipe away her tears. She was sure he would
hate her after she told him the truth, yet here he was trying to make her feel
better. Ruth thought how wonderful his
hand felt as it caressed away the tears, then she felt
the heat of her blush and tried to duck her head to hide it from Jarrod. With a small smile, Jarrod leaned in and gave
her other cheek a tender kiss.
Ruth sat
shocked by Jarrod’s actions but couldn’t stop her hand as it reached out to
touch his face, mirroring the hand on her own. When Jarrod didn’t move away
from the intimate touch, Ruth used her thumb to caress his cheek as he had done
to her. Ruth watched as Jarrod closed
his eyes and leaned into her hand. Ruth
slid from the chair and knelt in front of Jarrod’s already kneeling form and
wrapped her arms around him. When he suddenly returned the embrace, Ruth sighed
with relief and leaned her head against his shoulder. For several minutes they simply held each
other, both grateful that they had the other.
Their
relationship changed that day. Jarrod never
missed a day picking Ruth up at the restaurant.
He would greet her at the door with a chaste kiss on the cheek and would
walk her home. Rather than avoid
touching Jarrod, Ruth found herself giving him light caressing touches. In the evenings, Jarrod would sit on the
couch and pull Ruth close as she read to him.
Ruth remained patient with Jarrod and took no more than he was willing
to give. If this was all he was capable
of, it was enough for her. Ruth remained
in awe of the fact that she could communicate so well with a man who didn’t
speak.
A week
later, Jarrod
had to work an extra day hauling some lumber out to one of the ranches and was
worried he wouldn’t make it home in time to pick up Ruth. Smiling, Ruth informed him that she would be
just fine for one day. He rushed through
the day trying to make it back, but as the sun began to set he knew he’d be
late. Ruth made the walk home just fine
and entered the darkened house. Lighting the lamp, she gasped in shock at the
man sitting in Jarrod’s chair. “Hello Ruthie....”
Part 12
Thad
stood up and walked over to his sister, grabbing her roughly and shaking her.
His eyes were dark and threatening as he growled, “Where is he?”
Frightened,
Ruth shook her head and said, “I don’t know Thad.”
Livid with
anger, Thad released the hand holding her and backhanded her to the face. Ruth was flung sideways by the force of the
blow, her face burning from the pain. Thad pulled her upright again and yelled,
“WHERE IS HE?”
Ruth
refused to give Jarrod up to her madman brother and cried out, “I DON’T KNOW!”
Yanking
her towards the chair he sat down and pulled her into his lap, restraining her
with a strangling forearm to her neck. Every time Ruth tried to pull away, Thad
tightened his hold on her neck. Time passed
and Thad finally pulled out his knife and held it to Ruth’s throat as he
whispered, “You don’t mind if I sit here and wait for him do you?” Ceasing her
struggles, Ruth sat waiting, tears streaming down her face for the man that she
loved.
Jarrod
hurried from the livery, where he’d dropped off the rig and headed home,
anxious to see Ruth. A small smile lit his face as he approached the
house. When Jarrod walked in the house
and saw Thad sitting with a knife to Ruth’s throat and a darkening bruise on
her cheek, he felt his heart stop beating.
He instinctively drew his gun and held it on the man. Thad laughed as he held the knife tighter to
Ruth’s throat, drawing a thin line of blood. “You cost me a lot of money
lawyer. If I don’t deliver you, I don’t
get paid.” Thad’s eyes grew darker and he threatened menacingly, “And that
ain’t gonna happen.”
Jarrod
held Thad’s gaze with cold, dark eyes.
Outwardly calm, his insides were in turmoil. His whole body wanted to
shiver at the man’s gaze, and his skin crawled at his presence in the room.
Giving Thad an imperceptible shake of his head, he let him know that he wasn’t
going to back down.
Thad
carefully stood up, never releasing his hold on Ruth. Her eyes wide with fear as the knife dug in a
little deeper as Thad demanded, “All you gotta do is drop the gun and we’ll be
on our way. I’ll even leave my sister here behind so someone else can have her.
Is that why you helped him Ruth?” Glaring at Jarrod he
sneered, “Are you beddin’ my sister, lawyer man? Not that I care, she
weren’t good for much except doing my cookin’ and cleanin’.” Ruth
listened to her brother’s hurtful words and wondered how she could have been so
blind. Jarrod watched fresh tears make
tracks down Ruth’s face and he took a step closer to the pair.
Again
Thad played the knife across Ruth’s throat, the blood flowing more freely now.
Jarrod could see the panic on her face and raised the gun he was holding level
with Thad’s head. Thad laughed, “Now you
ain’t gonna shoot me lawyer, you ain’t got the guts. You and your high morals
ain’t gonna kill an unarmed man in cold...” Thad never got the rest of his
words out as a bullet pierced his brain right between his eyes. Ruth screamed as Thad dropped in a limp heap
at her feet. Jarrod holstered his gun
and rushed to Ruth as she scrambled to get away from Thad.
Flinging
herself into Jarrod’s arms, she sobbed almost hysterically. Jarrod held her
tight, caressing her hair until she calmed down, then led her to the couch to
sit down. Grabbing his handkerchief, he
held it to Ruth’s bleeding neck, never once looking into her eyes. Sensing Jarrod’s thoughts, Ruth lifted his
chin and made him look at her. Ruth was
instantly aware of the pain in his eyes and told him sympathetically, “You did
what you had to do Jarrod.” Jarrod
touched the tears that were still on her face and Ruth explained, “These aren’t
tears for him Jarrod, these are for you.”
Jarrod’s
blinked back tears as he held the rag to her neck. Taking her hand he had her
hold it while he went in search of something to bandage it with. Returning
quickly, he bandaged the wound. Getting up, he found a piece of paper and
pencil and handed it to Ruth, who frowned with confusion. “What’s this for?”
Jarrod
pointed at Thad’s dead body and then the door.
Ruth understood immediately, “You want me to write a note to the sheriff
for you?” Jarrod nodded. He refused to put his own hand to paper for
reasons only Jarrod knew, so Ruth began to write the note summoning the
sheriff. Jarrod took the note and dropped
down on one knee in front of Ruth. Cupping her cheek in his hand, his eyes told
her of his love and the worry at leaving her. Ruth covered his hand and smiled,
“I’ll be fine Jarrod, just hurry back.”
Leaning
in for a quick kiss on her lips, both were surprised by the sudden emotions
that their first kiss elicited. As Jarrod pulled back his breathing was heavier
and his eyes were dark with desire.
Ruth’s own face was flushed and Jarrod couldn’t resist the pull to kiss
her again. Bracing his arm on the couch
next to Ruth, he used the other to reach around and support her back as he
returned for a harder more passionate kiss.
Ruth felt a warm rush of blood flood her face and returned the kiss with
equal fervor. Her hand reached up to
touch his chest and her fingers felt the heat of his skin caress her
fingertips. Jarrod gasped at the fire
that burned his naked skin. Ruth soon found herself falling back into the
couch, too affected by the kiss to stay upright. Jarrod reluctantly came to his senses and
pulled back from her. Both were panting and breathless from the kiss, and
Jarrod took several deep breaths to control his reeling emotions, with Ruth
doing the same. Knowing now was not the time, he touched his fingers to Ruth’s kiss swollen lips and
smiled. Ruth returned the smile and watched him leave for the sheriff.
Jarrod
took no time at all returning with the sheriff.
Ruth explained to the Sheriff the whole story regarding Thad. Ruth hated to see Jarrod’s anguish at having
to hear her relate his captivity to a stranger, but under the circumstances it
was necessary. Seeing the wound in Ruth’s neck the Sheriff ruled it self defense and helped
Jarrod haul the body over to the undertaker.
He promised to return in the morning if he had any other questions.
When
Jarrod returned to Ruth, his body posture told her that the events of the
evening had sunk in. Rising from her
seat, she crossed the room and cautiously took him in her arms. Jarrod was trembling and Ruth knew that
Jarrod had reached his threshold once again.
Jarrod let himself be led to the bedroom, just barely hanging on to his
emotions. Having to hear Ruth tell the sheriff about Thad brought it all back
to the surface and he numbly let her settle him onto the bed.
Turning
away from her, his trembling grew worse and he fought to hold back the tears
that threatened to fall. When Ruth
touched his arm he jerked away, suddenly fearful of what she expected from him
after their earlier encounter. Jarrod felt the bed sink under her added weight
and he could feel the sweat begin to bead up on his skin at the same time his
body tensed in fear. Ruth immediately
calmed his anxiety, “Shhhhh Jarrod, let it out. Don’t keep it locked up
inside.” Rolling over, Jarrod draped his arm across her body and laid his head
on her stomach. Unsure of Jarrod’s
reaction, Ruth didn’t try to touch him until she felt his fingers grip her
tightly and his body began to shake with heaving sobs. With care, she stroked his hair and muttered
calming reassurances. Eventually,
Jarrod’s breathing evened out in sleep and Ruth was once again grateful that
she was able to be there for him.
The next
morning, Jarrod rolled over and found himself alone in
bed. He felt pretty good, considering,
and knew he had Ruth to thank for that.
From the start she’d let him release his pent up emotions without recrimination. Wondering where she was, Jarrod grabbed a
quick shave and a clean shirt and went looking. He found her lying on his
palette near the fireplace. Kneeling beside her, he could see her swollen face
beneath the bruise Thad had given her. Not wanting to wake her, he got up and
quietly went about making coffee and breakfast. When Ruth began to stir, Jarrod
took her a cup of coffee. She moved to get up, when Jarrod stopped her with a
hand to her shoulder. With a shake of his head, Ruth knew she wasn’t getting
up. Jarrod paused to give her a chaste
kiss and went to get her breakfast. As
Ruth leaned on her elbow eating the meal Jarrod had cooked, he admired her
beauty. Her curly brown hair cascaded over her shoulders and her big brown eyes
and long lashes beckoned him. Ignoring
the rising desire, Jarrod pointed to her cheek and then to the door.
Ruth
shook her head, “I’m fine. I don’t need a doctor.” Jarrod tilted his head and
raised his eyebrow at her. When that didn’t work, Jarrod begged her with his
eyes. Ruth laughed at the look Jarrod
presented, “You’re pathetic, you know that?”
Jarrod
gave her a silent chuckle, and Ruth relented. “Alright, but let me get cleaned
up first.” Jarrod nodded and helped her
to her feet. Ruth suddenly found herself
back in his arms, her heart racing and as she looked up at him and he leaned in
for a kiss. He tried to pull back after
a light kiss but when he felt Ruth’s hand snake behind his neck and pull him
back he kissed her feverishly. Jarrod
slipped his hand down her back and let it rest on her lower back, pushing
gently, trying to get her closer and they both moaned at the added contact. Ruth’s knees started to weaken and Jarrod
easily held her up, releasing his lips from hers. Not moving away, he traced
gentle kisses down her jaw line before smiling and letting her go. Ruth took a
sharp intake of breath at the loss and frowned at him. Jarrod gave her an impish grin, turned her
and gently pushed her towards the bedroom.
Ruth pouted, “Oh that’s real fair Jarrod.” Placing one hand on her hip, she used the other to wag a finger at
him as she teased, “Your turns coming buster.”
Jarrod smiled as she turned in a huff and went to get cleaned up.
Part 13
Heath was
in town when the telegram came and hightailed it for
home. Heath strode into the house,
leaving his hat and gun belt in the foyer. Silas greeted him and Heath asked,
“Where’s Nick, Silas?”
“He be in the study Mr. Heath.”
“Thanks Silas,”
said Heath as he headed towards the study. Nick was at the desk doing paperwork
when Heath came in.
Heath was
grinning and holding a telegram in his hand.
Nick, irritated from sitting all morning, barked, “Well spill it boy,
before ya burst.”
“We got
some news from the Pinkerton’s”
Impatient,
Nick stood up and grabbed the telegram from Heath rather than wait for him to
tell him. Reading the news, Nick frowned. “How’s this help
us find Jarrod?”
“Don’t ya
get it Nick, they found that Thad fella dead in
Colorado. If he was there than maybe Jarrod’s there too.”
Nick
sighed, “And he might not be.”
“Well,
you can stay here if ya want. I’m goin’ to Colorado.” Heath headed out the door
leaving Nick to stand alone in the study.
Realizing
Heath had left him,
Nick hollered after his brother as he hurried to catch up, “Now there ya go
puttin’ words in my mouth. I never said I wouldn’t go.”
****************************************************************************
Jarrod
wished sometimes he could speak, but he accepted it for the most part. He didn’t remember ever having a voice so it
wasn’t as difficult to do without as some people might think. The writing thing bothered him, but no matter
how hard he tried to put words on paper, he couldn’t make himself do it. So on this morning, he was frustrated by his
inability to communicate. He wanted to
tell Ruth that he wanted to move on and she though she understood that part
clearly enough, he couldn’t explain his reasons. It was getting more and more difficult for
Jarrod and Ruth to keep their relationship confined to the house. With everyone
thinking they were brother and sister, any other type of relationship would be
inappropriate. Jarrod considered his
options. They could remain where they were and keep pretending, but therein lie the problem. Jarrod didn’t want to pretend anymore. They could get married and explain that they
weren’t actually brother and sister, but Jarrod didn’t want to tarnish Ruth’s
name by the fact that they had been living under the same roof, unmarried. They
could move on and start over under their real identities. With Thad gone they
no longer had to hide out. This was the
most appealing but there were problems with this scenario as well. They would have to live apart until they actually
got married, and that scared Jarrod. He
wasn’t sure he could live without Ruth close by. Suddenly all the pieces came together and
Jarrod smiled. They could get married
just before leaving town and move on to a new place as newlyweds. Now all Jarrod had to do was to get Ruth to
accept his proposal.
Jarrod
purchased a small engagement ring in preparation and planned a picnic for the
day. They both only got the one day off a week and usually tried to get away
from the prying eyes of the townspeople.
If Ruth noticed how nervous Jarrod was, she didn’t mention it. Heading out of town on their horse, Jarrod
rode in front with Ruth seated behind him.
With her arms around his waist, Ruth marveled at the hard rippling of
muscle as they rode. She found herself
missing those days he’d spent without a shirt.
Jarrod began squirming in his seat and Ruth was suddenly alerted to the
fact that she had unconsciously slipped a couple of fingers between the buttons
of his shirt. Blushing deep red, she removed her hand and said shyly, “Sorry.”
Jarrod
patted the hand she’d moved, then twisted enough to
give a small smile of forgiveness and a quick kiss. Arriving at their picnic spot, Jarrod helped
her from the horse and Ruth grabbed the picnic basket to set up their
picnic. As they ate their meal Ruth
rambled on about the beautiful day and Jarrod smiled at her enthusiasm. Ruth cleaned up the remains and curiously
asked, “What are you all smiles about today?”
Jarrod
raised his eyebrows and shrugged as if to say, “Nothing.”
Eyeing
him suspiciously, Ruth replied, “I don’t believe you.”
Jarrod
scooted closer and lifted one finger, telling her to wait. Hesitantly, he reached into his vest pocket
and removed the ring,
but not letting her see it.
Turning back towards her, he tenderly reached for her hand, then looked her in the eye.
Ruth saw the love in his eyes, but was surprised when he revealed the
ring he was holding. Covering her mouth
to stop the gasp, her eyes filled with tears of joy. Jarrod gently turned her
head towards him and raised an inquiring eyebrow. Jarrod was suddenly bowled over by a very
exuberant Ruth. Embarrassed, Ruth sat up
quickly and looked down at Jarrod, “Oh yes Jarrod! Yes I’ll marry you.”
Jarrod
lifted himself to lean on one elbow as he watched her. Rising up he took her
hand once again and slowly placed the ring on her finger. Ruth smiled through her tears and Jarrod
chuckled at her outburst of emotions.
Leaning across her outstretched legs, he placed his hand at her side and
used it to support his frame as he bent his head to kiss away her tears. Ruth’s eyes closed at the softness of his
lips against her skin. Jarrod kissed the
corner of her mouth and felt the rush of desire he had for this woman. Clasping her head in his free hand, he held
her head against his mouth as he deepened the kiss. Ruth’s own hands found the
skin at the nape of his neck, her fingers playing with the fine hair there,
sending shivers down his spine. Jarrod
moved his kisses down her neck and when she leaned her head back allowing him
greater access, he thought it would be his undoing. Breathless, Jarrod calmed himself with a
couple of deep breaths. Trailing kisses down her exposed neck, Ruth moaned at
the fire his kisses made on her skin.
Moving back to her mouth, he wrapped his arm around her back and
slowly lowered her to the ground never breaking contact with her lips. Laying at her side, Jarrod trailed kisses to her ear, at the
same time he began working the buttons at the front of her dress. Ruth moaned
with pleasure when Jarrod enclosed her earlobe with his lips and sucked on the
delicate skin. As he finished with the
buttons, Jarrod slowly slid his hand against her creamy skin. Ruth responded
with a gasp of breath and Jarrod smiled against her neck. Placing tender kisses
along her collarbone, Jarrod noticed the flush of red that tinted her skin and
could hear her ragged breath.
Pressing
closer, they could both feel his desire and Jarrod’s hand moved to caress the
crease just beneath her rounded breasts. Ruth drew a startled breath in
response and Jarrod gently moved his hand to hold the tender flesh in his
grasp. Ruth arched into his hand and
turned enough so that she could unbutton Jarrod’s shirt, desperate to touch his
golden skin. Freeing the shirt from his
trousers, Ruth trailed her finger up Jarrod’s chest and played with the small
dusting of hair that covered his chest. Jarrod gasped at her touch and
collapsed on his back beside her. Ruth moved to lean over him, and made light
circles with her fingers as she pressed against him and took his mouth in
hers. Jarrod reached into Ruth’s dress
and played with the taut, tight tips that teased his skin. In response, Ruth pressed harder against his
lips. Thirsty for more, Jarrod used his tongue to force her lips apart gaining
him access to her questing mouth. Jarrod
reached his arms around Ruth’s form and pulled her atop him, the contact
causing them both a moment of breathlessness.
Ruth could feel the hardness beneath her and her hand began roaming,
desperate for more contact. Jarrod
instantly stiffened beneath the roaming hand and his breathing came in ragged
gasps. Alarmed, Ruth lifted her head and
saw Jarrod’s eyes wide with terror. Not thinking, her hand continued to
tenderly rub his chest trying to calm him.
“Jarrod are you okay?”
Jarrod
was not okay, he was trapped in another moment, another time. All he could feel was the roaming hand. His skin crawled and his stomach nauseous at
the remembered experience. Unable to
take anymore, he jerked upright, frantically pushing away the hand that was
causing his discomfort. Jarrod scrambled backward and got to his knees, his
breaths coming in great gasps. Suddenly
overcome by the building nausea, he fell to his hands and lost the contents of
his stomach, and still he continued to heave as his mind relived past
events.
Ruth sat
stunned, but recovered quickly, worried about Jarrod’s unexpected
behavior. Ruth was angry with herself
for her forwardness in loving a still healing Jarrod. Making her way onto her knees, she made no
attempt to move closer to Jarrod, afraid of causing him more distress. Speaking calmly and softly, she addressed
him, “Jarrod, try and relax sweetheart.
Take some deep breaths.” When Jarrod finally sat back on his haunches,
his head dropped to his chest and he struggled to control his breathing. As if suddenly realizing what had transpired,
his head snapped up and he looked at Ruth with despair in his eyes.
Responding
immediately, Ruth moved closer but respected his need for space. “Jarrod, it’s
okay. I didn’t think. I’m so sorry,” Ruth’s voice was thick with emotion
and tears were streaming down her face.
Jarrod’s expression softened but his eyes remained sad as he slowly
lifted his arm, beckoning her closer. When Ruth reached him and hesitated,
Jarrod slowly reached out and pulled her into his embrace. Ruth rested her head
against his bare chest as Jarrod buried his head against her neck. When Ruth
finally spoke, it was barely a whisper, “I’m so sorry Jarrod. Please forgive
me.”
Jarrod
lifted her head and gave her a tender kiss before pulling her back against him.
Looking down, he eyed the ring upon her finger and regretfully reached down and
touched it. Ruth watched his motions and
pulled back to see the sorrow in his eyes. Cupping his face, she established
eye contact as she spoke firmly, “It doesn’t matter to me Jarrod. I want to be
your wife because I love you more than anything in this world. The other will
work itself out. You just need more time.”
Seeing her sincerity, Jarrod leaned in and kissed her forehead then once
again pulled her into his embrace.
*****************************************************************************
Jarrod and Ruth each gave their employees a couple weeks
notice and they planned to leave town shortly after, giving them enough time to
travel before the winter weather set in. Jarrod traded their horse for a
two-wheeled cart and mule. It would mean more walking, but would allow them to
take the possessions they’d accumulated during their stay in Colorado. Unfortunately, their carefully laid plans
would go by the wayside before they even got out of town.