A thorough search of the woods near the three estates revealed nothing. One or two spots looked as if they had been used recently for sleeping, but there we no telltale signs of fire circles or camping.
Wanted posters went up all over town with a drawing of Jones. Dan expected Jones would hide out, probably near the saloons, where he could blend in with the crowd better. Even small towns like Sleepyside had their seedy areas.
Dan figured the large sum of reward money his brother was fronting would loosen some tongues. If it didn’t, Mart Belden would face a hanging. Solid, physical evidence would outweigh the dozen or more testimonies as to the young man’s character.
***
Regan glanced up from where he was brushing Strawberry when he heard the feet approaching. He smiled at the brunette visitor in her pretty yellow and white dress, the black hair swept up and back elegantly.
“Hello, Hallie.”
“Hi, Regan,” she said shyly, smiling. She held out the picnic basket. “I was hoping you were free this afternoon.”
Regan frowned slightly. He was pretty sure he shouldn’t be having picnics with anyone other than Julianna.
“Well,” he said awkwardly, “I really can’t.”
“That’s okay.” She was visibly disappointed and Regan started to feel bad. She wasn’t so bad, once you got to know her. A bit misguided sometimes, but not a bad person.
“Would you be willing to eat here, with me?” she asked brightly, looking as if the idea had just occurred to her.
Regan scratched his head. “I suppose it can’t hurt. I guess we can sit up near the back of the stables, outside under the tree.”
Hallie eagerly led the way, and had quickly unpacked the hamper. Regan joined her a moment after, after seeing to his horse.
“You seem kind of quiet, Hallie, are you all right?” he asked. Matthew had told him that women appreciated a good listener. And she did look sad.
“It’s Dan,” she said sadly. “I might have messed up Mart’s case.”
“How so?” he asked, concerned. He knew Madeleine had requested her father send for one of their lawyers to defend Mart, but time was of the essence and the lawyer might not make it in time.
Hallie burst into tears, startling Regan. The story poured out about the knife, and Regan vaguely recalled seeing something fall from her hand the day the panther attacked.
“I’m sure Dan doesn’t think you did it deliberately,” he said, trying to comfort her. He reached out to touch her arm and she flung herself into his, almost knocking over the jug of lemonade.
Regan awkwardly held the girl, knowing this was inappropriate. He hated to end their friendship but if someone—;
A gasp interrupted his thoughts and he looked up. Standing in the doorway to the stables, were Julianna, Katje Frayne, and young Madeleine Wheeler.
“Hallie,” he said softly. He hadn’t heard them approaching over her sobs.
She looked up from where her head was against his chest, and gave a small gasp. Quickly she wiped her eyes.
“So this is where you sneak off during the day while everyone else is working! I should have known you weren’t content to try to steal Trixie’s beaus!” Madeleine snapped.
“But it’s not like that,” Hallie turned innocent eyes on the other women.
Regan shook his head. “She was just upset about something with Dan.”
Julianna looked away as Katje frowned.
“Regan, I know women are a little more…free in New York, but out here, this is completely unacceptable,” Katje said coldly.
Regan looked at the women, confused, but his heart sank when he realized Julianna had turned away from him. The petite blonde had gone very still.
“When a woman brings a taken man lunch, it’s not food she’s interested,” Madeleine said furiously, her hazel eyes flashing fire. “Regan, how can you be so blind?”
“I think you’ve got it wrong, Madeleine,” Regan said calmly. “Hallie’s my friend. All of you treat her like she’s bad news, so she doesn’t have many people she can talk to. She’s a nice girl, and I like talking to her.”
"Hallie, I think you should go home,” Madeleine said icily.
Hallie glanced at Regan, who looked ashen beneath his bright red hair. “I didn’t mean to cause you trouble,” she said softly.
Regan shook his head. “It’s all right. But you shouldn’t be riding alone.”
“I’ll have Tom escort her, he’s here today,” Madeleine said stiffly, referring to her father’s coachman.
Hallie stood, wondering if what she had just set in motion was what she really wanted.
***
Peter Belden stared down at his niece. Tom Delanoy had delivered a note when he brought Hallie home, penned in an articulate, elegant script befitting Madeleine Wheeler, with a brief summation.
“Hallie, I can’t begin to express my disappointment in you,” Peter said tightly. “While you are here, you are a representative of my family, and to be sneaking around distracting Bill Regan from the woman who he is courting is disrespectful to all parties involved. Julianna is a lovely young woman who will become a member of this family eventually. I will not have you stir up trouble for her simply because you’re bored.”
“I’m not trying to stir up trouble!” Hallie said hotly.
Peter held up his hand to silence her. “You are intentionally spending time with a man who is courting another woman. You’ve been seen talking with Benjamin Riker, who I expressly forbid all of you to have contact with, especially after Daniel and Madeleine’s reports on his past. And with your own past, young lady, well, that’s why you’re out here. And if you don’t shape up, your father has authorized me to send you to the convent in Texas.”
Hallie gasped.
“You will not disgrace this family,” Peter snapped. “Or yourself. Now change your dress and go help Trixie in the orchard.”
Hallie fled to the room she was sharing with Trixie, part of her wanting to laugh, part of her wanting to cry. She did like Regan an awful lot, he didn’t judge her and he was easy to talk to. Ben Riker was a thrill waiting to happen, she just knew it. But Uncle Peter was going to be a problem.
***
Dan was walking back toward the jail, trying not to get lost in thought. Every shadow had him jumpy, he found himself studying every stranger he walked past, looking at any man who didn’t stand up tall. Jones was so far elusive, but with the entire town on the lookout for him, he was going to have surface sometime.
He was grabbed from behind and dragged off the street, pressed face forward against the wall. He felt the distinctive shape of a gun barrel in his back.
“Hear you been looking for me, Marshal.” The fetid breath on his cheek made Dan’s stomach lurch.
“Good to see you too, Jones. I was starting to think you were too yellow to come out of hiding. Kidnapping is a real step up,” Dan replied calmly, wincing as the gun pressed into his kidney.
“Don’t you worry ‘bout me, Marshal,” Jones sneered. “I’ve got it all nice and setup that the Belden boy will hang, and it’ll be your fault. Just wait till tomorrow when you don’t show up. Without the fine, upstanding Marshal to lead the witnesses in their testimony that he’s such a good boy—;where’s the Marshal, they’ll wonder. And then they’ll find you, out on your daddy’s land, drunk and with a bullet in your head, a simple note that you couldn’t live the lie of protecting Belden.” Jones chuckled.
“You’ll be disgraced, and that little blonde dish you’re so fond of will go running right to Frayne. I thought about just keeping you prisoner until they’re married, that way you’d be a disgrace to your family and have to see her with someone else. But it’s too much of a bother. Killing you now will be much easier. I’ll take care of them once you’re done.”
Dan realized he had to play his cards cool. Jones was crazy, and drunk. This would require delicate handling.
“I bet that Belden girl ain’t so pure,” Jones sneered. “No woman gets two men unless she’s giving them both the goods.”
Anger ripped through Dan. “You want to kill me, then fine, but don’t insult her!” he hissed.
“Ahh, that got your fire going, didn’t it?” Jones chuckled. “So Blondie is your weak spot.”
Dan stayed quiet.
“Tell you what, Marshal, we’re going to go pay a visit to the jail, see how young Belden is doing, then you and me are gonna take a ride.”
“Won’t that ruin it?” Dan asked. “Telling Mart what you’re planning? I thought a sadistic bastard like you would want him to wonder and think I betrayed him.”
“It would be a sweet ending,” Jones acknowledged. “But this way he can protest to everyone how we were there, and they’ll just think he’s a liar on top of a murderer. He’ll have no credibility will just sound pathetic. You’ll be dead, he’ll be dead, Blondie will be distraught, she’ll marry Frayne, which ahs to just turn your gut, and then poor Frayne.”
Dan realized this might be the best chance he had. Mart’s cell wasn’t locked, but Jones didn’t know that. If he could get Jones close enough to the cell, they could possibly double team him.
“What about Frayne?” he demanded. Maybe Jones didn’t know Jim was his brother.
“You think my plan ends with you?” Jones chuckled. “You and Frayne both went against me. He’ll get his.”
“What are you planning?” Dan asked harshly.
Jones laughed. “Poor Frayne. Everyone dying around him.”
Dan’s heart stopped. Did Jones know their parents were here? Was he going to target Dan’s entire family?
Jones pulled his hat low and jerked Dan in front of him. “Enough chit-chat. Walk natural-like, Marshal,” Jones warned him.
Dan obeyed and they headed towards the jail. Dan greeted the townspeople as he passed them, Jones stuck to his side, his gun hidden but Dan knew it was there and Jones wouldn’t hesitate to kill him if the need arose.
Jones peered in the window of the jail. “No deputy?” he asked suspiciously.
“My shift. I went to the post,” Dan lied, hoping Hardy was in the back room and hadn’t gone out to arrest someone.
“Inside,” Jones muttered.
Mart glanced up from where he sat in his cell, writing. Dan was relieved to see the door was shut, but he knew it was unlocked.
“Dan, I—what the—” Mart jumped to his feet but Jones waved the gun at him.
“Nothing brave, Belden. I just wanted you see that you’re gonna hang. The Marshal here is gonna help you,” he sneered. “Don’t be looking for him at the trial tomorrow. I’ll be there but you ain’t gonna see me.”
Mart’s eyes fastened on his friend. Dan looked calm, Mart thought. Too calm. His friend was planning something. Mart knew his cell was unlocked, and that was to their advantage, but he couldn’t very well pop out of it while Jones was facing him. If Jones would just turn away, try to force Dan out the door, Mart could get out. There was a second gun under the desk, but Mart might not have time to get it, and Jones could hear the drawer open. He’d have to take Jones from the back and trust that Dan could get out of the line of fire. Mart eyed the big paperweight on the desk.
Dan smirked when he saw Mart’s eyes moving around the room, sizing up the situation. Mart was bright, he’d figure out a plan fast enough.
The two young men made eye contact and Dan knew his friend had come up with a plan.
Dan hoped sincerely what happened next would play into it.
"Say good bye to your friend,” Jones said, jamming the gun further into Dan’s side.
“Take care of Beatrix,” Dan said.
“Of course. It will bereave my fair haired sibling to capitulate her beau to the charge of lunacy,” Mart replied.
“You always talk funny, boy?” Jones groused.
Dan chuckled. Jones shoved him towards the door, gun still in his back when it opened. Jim, Trixie and Brian froze in the doorway. Jim stepped in front of Trixie when he saw his former foreman.
They all stared at each other.
“Jones,” Jim hissed.
Brian Belden saw his brother move stealthily, slowly opening the door to his cell. Jones couldn’t see of course, his back was to it. Mart picked up the big paperweight on Dan’s desk and crept up behind Jones but hesitated. Brian wondered why.
“I got my gun in his back and unless you want his intestines splattered across the room, you ain’t gonna get in my way,” Jones smiled, revealing his missing teeth.
Brian realized that was why Mart was hesitating. There was no way to take Jones down without a gun. The fastest shot was Dan, who of course, was in no position to pull his. Mart was moving again behind the desk, but Brian realized when his brother paused, that Jones might see him from the corner of his eye. Mart made a slight motion to Brian, and the older brother decided Jones needed a distraction.
“There’s no need for any of this,” Brian said, stepping forward, and angling himself next to Jim, in front of Trixie. “No one needs to get hurt.”
As he hoped, Jones turned towards him, giving Mart the opportunity he needed to get to the desk.
Dan fervently hoped Mart was executing a plan behind them. His eyes were on his own brother, who face was as red as his hair with anger.
“See, I figger I got the upper hand. Neither of you boys is armed. Blond boy is there in the cell—” Jones glanced over and realized Mart wasn’t there. He pulled Dan against him and raised the gun to Dan’s temple, angling their bodies so he could see Mart at the desk, whose hand was in a drawer. “Belden, you bring your hand up nice and slow. And if you try anything funny, the Marshal gets to share his brains with everyone.”
Mart did as he was told.
“Get back in your cell,” Jones ordered.
Mart did so, looking furious and disgusted with himself.
"You won’t get away with this, Jones,” Trixie spoke up, furious. “Marshal Hardy will be here any minute!”
“I ain’t too worried about Hardy,” Jones drawled. “Saw him at the General Store on the way over here, flirtin’ with some woman.”
Dan swore silently.
“You best get in that there cell too,” Jones stared at Brian. Within minutes they were all in the cell, Jim closest to the door. Jones forced Dan over to the cell. “Where’s the key?”
“On my belt,” Dan replied, with a quick prayer. Give him the opportunity, he thought desperately.
“Get it. Nice and slow.”
Dan reached for it and smashed his elbow into Jones’s side. The gun slipped and discharged, and Dan felt the heat of the bullet graze his cheek. Trixie screamed as Dan whipped around and punched Jones in the face. The man staggered back but brought the gun up, aimed towards the cell and fired. Dan shoved Jim out of the line of fire as the bullet tore through Jim’s arm. Jones squeezed off a second shot, and it found its target in Dan’s chest as he moved to keep safe the person in the line of fire-his brother Jim.
Trixie screamed again as Dan fell backwards to the floor, but Jim had already lunged from the cell and tackled Jones, slamming his fist into the stoop shouldered man’s face, causing blood to spurt from his nose. Blood flowed from Jim’s arm, soaking his shirt.
“Mart, help Jim!” Brian ordered, rushing to Dan’s side. Trixie flew next to him. Dan’s eyes were closed and his chest was turning wet and red.
“Brian, do something!” she cried.
“Be quiet, Trix,” he ordered, ripping Dan’s shirt open to see the wound, from which blood poured.
Jim meanwhile, had tackled Jones and they wrestled for the gun. Jones’ other hand clawed at Jim’s face but the stocky redhead slammed his forehead into Jones, giving him the opportunity to wrench the gun free and skid it away from Jones. Mart grabbed it and held it on Jones, who Jim finally had Jones pinned.
“Let him up, Jim, I’ve got him covered,” Mart said. Jim got to his feet, breathing heavily, and dragged Jones up, trying to focus on the spinning world from his head butt and the searing pain in his arm. Jones was howling and covering his eyes and forehead as blood gushed down his face from his broken nose.
Mart forced the bloodied Jones into the cell, and searched him quickly for other weapons and found none. Jim grabbed the keys from the desk so Mart could lock him in. He knew where they were, Dan’s comment about his pocket had been the diversion.
“Hurry, Brian.” Tears spilled from Trixie’s blue eyes as she moved to cradle Dan’s head. The thin trickle of blood from where the bullet skimmed his cheek was nothing compared to the blood soaking his shirt. He moaned as she leaned over him, sobbing. She pressed the edge of her dress against his cheek to try and stop the blood.
“I’m getting tired of fishing bullets out of your beau, Trix,” Brian said. “There’s no time to move him, I’ll have to try to retrieve it right here. Mart, get my bag. It’s outside on Susie’s saddle. Jim, you all right?”
“I’ll manage,” Jim said tightly. “See to Dan.”
“Trixie, use Dan’s knife to cut a long strip off your petticoat. Tie it around Jim’s arm to stop the bleeding.”
Trixie removed Dan’s knife from his boot and did as she was told, searching Jim’s face for pain. The redhead held stoically, his green eyes on his younger brother, unconscious and bleeding. It hadn’t been too long ago they had been in a similar situation.* But there hadn’t been as much blood.
“There’s whiskey in the back,” Jim said as he hurried to the back room.
Mart returned, handing his brother’s black back to him. Brian was studying Dan intensely.
“Mart, go get Doc Ferris, and fast. I think the bullet went right through him, from the amount of blood under him.” Trixie moaned. “That could be good, Trixie, it means I don’t have to find it in him but we can’t move him to be sure. We’ve got to stop the bleeding and there could be internal damage. Jim, get the sheets from the bed, and bring that lamp closer.” Brian was rummaging through his bag. “Trixie, you aren’t going to want to watch this.”
“I’m not leaving him,” she whispered, kneeling to cradle his head, ignoring the blood rapidly soaking his shirt. Not again, her brain screamed. Not again, not again. The stakes were higher this time. This wasn’t just a man she had an unexplained attraction for, this was a man she loved.
Jim returned and began cutting the sheet into wide strips. Brian set to work quickly to stop the blood flow, assisted by Jim and Trixie.
“Remember the drill? Jim, hold him down. I’m going to have to cut him open to see what damage there might be, but we've got to stop the bleeding.”
Trixie whimpered.
“Trixie, I want you to look away,” Brian ordered. His sister nodded.
Jim nodded.
"Jimmy,” Dan whispered. His eyes remained closed but his lips moved.
“I’m here, little brother,” Jim said hoarsely.
Trixie took Dan’s hand in hers and held it to her lips. His hand was almost icy as the blood pooled under him.
“I’m dying,” Dan groaned. “I know it. I’m so cold. This isn’t like before.”
“You can’t die, Dan,” Trixie said softly as she kissed his clammy forehead. “I can’t marry a dead man.”
The words slipped out of her without a second thought.
Jim inhaled sharply, and for a split second, wished the bullet had hit him in his heart instead of his arm. Death would hurt less than to hear Trixie’s confession.
Dan’s eyes opened only a sliver. “Now I’m know I’m dying. You just agreed to marry me.”
“That means you have to live,” she said softly.
“I’ll ask you proper if I live.” His eyes closed again. “Jimmy—I love you both.”
“Jim, give him some of that whiskey if he can swallow, and hold him down. Here we go,” Brian said. “Trixie, hold that lamp up.”
Dan roared in pain and then fell unconscious, his head lolling in Trixie’s lap.
***
Trixie sat leaning against Jim’s arm. Neither spoke. Katje Frayne sat on Jim’s other side, as Win paced the room. Mart had arrived with Peter, Regan and Madeleine. Jones was safe in the cell, and Deputy Marshal Hardy had arrived as Brian was removing the bullet. Mart brought him up to speed, and the Deputy released him temporarily to go for Regan.
They joined the vigil for Dan. He had been moved to Doc Ferris’ as soon as Brian was able to stitch him up. Now it was up to Dan himself. Two of the other Deputy Marshals had been by already for updates.
Jim sat staring straight ahead. While he had and Dan had always known one day she was going to have to choose between them, neither had really expected it would come so soon. Or so dramatically.
Jim loved Trixie deeply. And he wanted nothing more than for her to be his wife. But she had chosen his brother, and he had to accept it. Dan was the most important element here. He had taken the bullet for Jim, risking his own life for his brother, and Jim couldn’t begrudge him the woman they both loved. If losing Trixie meant Dan lived, he’d gladly accept it.
Right now she sat next to him, fingers entwined, her curly head resting against his shoulder. He knew she only sought comfort and so did he. On his other side sat his mother, eyes closed as she prayed fervently for her younger son. Win paced, Regan leaned against the wall, tense and flexing his fingers. Madeleine sat on Trixie’s other side.
Behind the curtain, Brian and Doc Ferris were disagreeing on treatment. Doc Ferris wanted to give him a blood transfusion. Brian disagreed. He had seen too many transfusions cause more harm than good. Doc Ferris admitted it was risky, even with a blood relative, and Brian wasn’t willing to gamble with his sister’s beau’s life.
Finally, they agreed to wait a little longer. Dan had lost a frightening amount of blood, and he was barely alive at this point. Brian was afraid introducing someone else’s blood might cause further damage. He had already sewn up his friend’s chest after the fished the bullet out, to prevent any more internal bleeding. It was up to Dan now.
***
Doc Ferris finally appeared in the doorway looking solemn.
“He hasn’t woken up. The longer he stays asleep, the harder it’ll be for him to wake up.”
Katje made a whimpering noise and Win moved to her side.
“It’s going to be a long night,” Doc Ferris said. “I suggest you all go home and get some sleep.”
They all refused, intent on staying with Dan through the night.
***
Trixie had just nodded off when she heard Brian.
“Jim,” the young doctor said quietly.
Jim’s green eyes snapped open as every woke from their dozing. Brian was smiling at him, looking fatigued.
“Dan’s awake.”
Katje burst into tears as Win held her. Trixie felt the tension slip from her as she thanked God.
“Can I see him?” she asked.
“He’s asking for Jim first,” Brian said gently.
Jim rose and went through the doorway.
For a second he saw his little brother, a small, dark haired, paled faced boy sick with pneumonia. Then he blinked and the man that was his brother was smiling weakly at him, face pale.
“You just had to be the hero,” Jim tried to smile as he sat next to Dan, gripping his hand. Dan’s hand was clammy and Jim knew his brother had no strength.
“One of us had to survive,” Dan answered. “Someone’s gotta keep her out of trouble.”
Jim grinned, but he wanted to cry.
“Jimmy, listen to me,” Dan said quietly. “I don’t know if I’m going to—”
“Don’t talk like that,” Jim said quickly.
“Shut up and listen, Jimmy,” Dan answered. “I know it’s your least favorite thing, but listen to me. Even if I pull through this, and I don’t know that I will, I’m in so much pain—” he groaned, “I’m leaving Trixie.”
“What?” Jim whispered.
Dan licked his lips. Jim noted how pale his brother still was and Dan hadn’t actually moved, other than talking. Beads of sweat popped on his forehead, from the exertion his brother was putting forth to speak.
“Jimmy, listen. She’s been kidnapped twice on account of me. This time you could have died. My life is too dangerous for her. You’re the safe one. She needs you,” Dan’s eyes glistened. “So I’m withdrawing. You win. You can keep her safe, I can’t. I’ll request to be moved to Tulsa, it’s more central to the area anyway.”
Jim stared at the floor for a moment before he looked up. “You can’t do that, Danny.”
“No lectures on pride and staying in the game, big brother,” Dan tried to shift and groaned in pain when couldn’t, closing his eyes. “It’s over. Being with me is too dangerous.”
“It’s not about pride, Danny,” Jim said softly, realizing his brother didn’t remember the last few minutes he was conscious. “She already chose you.”
Dan’s eyes cracked opened slowly. “What did you just say?”
“She chose you,” Jim forced the words out again. “She loves you. You were laying there bleeding and she said she’d marry you if you survived.”
Dan was silent for a moment and then a small smile crept over his features as he closed his eyes. “Well, I’ll be damned. I thought I was hallucinating.”
“So you can’t leave her,” Jim said. “Because it’ll break her heart and then I’ll have to kill you for hurting her.”
Dan tried to squeeze his brother’s hand but only twitched his fingers. “I’m sorry.”
“For what?” Jim asked, but he knew.
“Because I know this is tearing you up inside. I didn’t think this day would come so soon.”
“Me neither,” Jim forced a smile. “But at least I know you’ll be good to her.”
Dan nodded. “You’ll stand with me when we get married, won’t you?”
Jim felt the sharp ache in his heart deepen and spread. “Of course.”
Author Notes
- a huge yee-haa! to Julie, my ever patient and helpful editor! All mistakes are mine.
- Trixie might have chosen Dan, but Dan has to survive first, and then what’s the guarantee they’ll make it to the altar? Click the next button for a hint at what’s to come!
- Blood transfusions were considered risky back in this time period. Blood groups weren’t discovered until 1901 by Austrian Karl Landsteiner, and he realized mixing blood from two different sources wasn’t necessarily a good idea b/c of the effects it caused. Brian’s training was more up to date than Doc Ferris, and was aware of the risk level, and therefore wouldn’t do a transfusion from Regan to Dan, despite the close blood relation. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_transfusion
-Word count 4,484
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