By Kirsten Page
Copyright 1999
Wayne rode ahead of his men. He knew that Louise was originally from Rock Creek, so naturally he could assume that she had returned there. He hoped that it would be easy to find her at the station, and somehow...although he hadn’t worked the details out, he was going to achieve his vengeance. Not for who she was, or for what she had done, but for all of the trouble that she had caused...and moreover for ruining his perfect plan.
The town came into view and he stopped the men who were trailing behind. They looked to him for guidance, awaiting the sharp orders that were bound to be given. He studied the station meticulously. So far there was no sign of her anywhere.
“Now what?” One of the men asked impatiently.
Wayne didn’t respond with even an inkling of motion...instead his focus was straight ahead. No great plans came to his mind, however, if worse came to worse he would resort to hostages...but mind you, that was only his last resort.
Kid stared down at the Lou who was sleeping peacefully. He couldn’t bring himself to comprehend what she had been through, and there were so many questions that he wanted answers to. The one that truly conquered his thoughts was who had done this to her? If only he could nail those men...
Taking a deep breath he tried to calm himself knowing that this was not the time to anger himself further. He needed to focus on the moment, not his desire to avenge.
Now that she was back with them, he was determined that she would never set foot out of his sight again. He hadn’t realized how much he had depended on her strength, love, and friendship until he’d lost her. She was an essential part of his being, and it was going to stay that way from now on.
Lou moaned in her sleep and attempted to roll over. She unintentionally pressed her elbow into her side and woke up suddenly in pain, “Ow,” she groaned before realizing that the sound had passed from her lips.
Kid reacted instantly, “Want me to get Rachel?” he asked, hoping that there would be more the stationmistress could do to relieve her discomfort.
She smiled at his concern, “No, I’m fine, really. Just having you sit here is enough,” his tender glare at her was so close, yet so distant. It wasn’t exactly the kind of look that she was accustomed to receiving from him. “Kid, you look like something’s troubling you. What is it?” She turned her head sideways so that she could see his face fully.
“You don’t miss anything, do you?” he said, half-teasingly, realizing that he wasn’t going to be able to hide even an inkling of his emotions from her.
“No, I don’t,” she began, “So why don’t you go ahead and save us both some time and just tell me what’s troubling you?”
He looked at her, contemplating what he was about to say. What it right? Would she want to hear all that he had to tell her now? Well, it’s obvious that I’ve started it, so she’s not going to rest until I speak my mind.
“Lou,” he cleared his throat, realizing that sadness was filling his heart, and tears were eminent. “Lou...we’ve been through a lot together.” She nodded in agreement. “A lot of hard times, and dangerous times. I can’t count the number of times I’ve been shot at either,” he said with a soft laugh before straightening his face once again. “But in all of that, I’ve never been as scared and alone as I was the day I heard you were dead. It’s like a part of me stopped living too. I couldn’t think right, and I didn’t want to live anymore.”
She tried to sit up, “Kid, what are you saying?”
“Just this, Lou...I can’t live without you. I want us to be together, always,” he said ever so softly. His tender words, gently spoken, carried more force than a thousand words in a raised voice could ever hope to express.
Lou knew where he was headed, and in the mishaps that had occurred over the week, she knew exactly what her answer would be. She had entertained so many different thoughts and ideas in her mind; what would she do when she got back, if she got back, and where did she want their relationship to go from there. “That’s what I want too, Kid.”
He swallowed, relieved that the first hurdle had been overtaken. He held her hand gently in his and smiled gently, “Then that’s why I want to ask you something important.....” he stared at her, almost waiting for a protest, but when it didn’t come, he smiled once again and continued, “Louise, will you...”
Just then Cody came busting through the door. Kid didn’t know whether he wanted to push him back out the door or punch him. Lou merely sighed and laid back down on her pillow, frustrated that he would barge in at such a moment.
Not seeming to notice the heated expressions that were thrown his way, Cody delivered his news, “Lou, there’s someone outside that claims to know you. He doesn’t look like he’s much of one for games either.”
Buck eased himself down from his mount and studied the ground beneath him. There were tracks, and lots of them! He figured that Wayne must have had at least five men traveling with him, if not more. “It looks like they’re headed towards Rock Creek,” he stated, brushing the dirt from his hands.
“Then I guess we’re headed back to Rock Creek,” Jimmy stated before giving his horse a light kick. The thoughts of Louise still being alive gave him undying aspiration, stronger than he had never experienced it before. He couldn’t help but wonder if Teaspoon and Buck felt it too. They must have! How could they not? As certain as the sun rising from the east and setting in the west, he knew she was alive.
Teaspoon checked the ropes which had been holding Cole, and gave them one swift tug. “We should be movin’.”
“What do you mean?” Kid asked rising from his seat and heading towards the door.
“See for yourself,” Cody motioned towards the porch swing. There, sitting before them was one of the most intimidating people that Kid had ever seen. If his scruffy appearance and all-too shiny gun weren’t enough, he had a glare that would terrify the ghosts haunting a graveyard.
Kid stepped outside, making sure to close the door behind him so that the man couldn’t see Lou. “Something I can do for you?” As he studied him closely, Kid realized that this man was the person who had brushed past him at the hotel. Fury swelled up inside of him as he realized that the Louise they had been referring to was none other than the woman who was now resting inside.
Wayne rose to his feet and with his tall figure, glared down at Kid. “Yeah, I’m looking for Louise. She’s wanted for murder and I’m here to bring her in.”
Instinctively Kid rested his forearm on his gun and stood his ground, determined not to let her be taken away again. “By whom?”
“The Summit Marshal’s office,” Wayne snapped, “She murdered an innocent man at the hotel. In fact, he was my friend, so if you’ll get out of my way, I have a prisoner to take in.”
Kid stood in his path and blocked the doorway. Cody came in closer, his defense also on the rise. “You aren’t going to take anyone. Not without proof, and certainly not busting through personal property!”
Wayne was fed up...he’d taken enough cock and bull from everyone, and he wasn’t going to do it anymore. With one swift movement he punched Kid across the face, sending him to the ground before stepping over him. Cody tried to intercede but was met up with the same fate, only his rendered him unconscious as he struck his head on one of the porch steps.
Shaking off the dizziness that begged him to remain on the floor, Kid jumped to his feet and ran into the room. Lou’s protests rang out and he came around the corner in time to see Wayne trying to pull her from the bed. Maddie woke up at the noise and huddled in the corner in fright, not sure how to react.
Kid, without hesitation, cleared his gun from the holster where it rested, and pointed it at her assailant. “I’d suggest you step away from her now,” he clicked back the hammer and stepped in closer. His eyes were full of rage, and that wasn’t half of the anger that fought his self control to pull the trigger right then and there. “I mean it!”
Wayne turned around and raised his hands with a smirk. Lou lept from the bed, but before she knew what was happening, he grabbed her by the arm and pointed a gun at her head. Kid watched the movements, trying not to appear as helpless as he was. Wayne’s action had been so swift that he did have the chance to react.
“Now, drop your gun, go back outside, stay clear of my path, and she won’t get hurt,” Wayne pressed the gun harder into Lou’s temple, and she flinched slightly, “You willing to see if I’m bluffing at the cost of her life?”
Kid shook his head, dropped his weapon, and slowly walked backwards out of the room, not willing to take his eyes off of either of them. Wrath and fear unlike any he had experienced before passed through every vein of his body. He had sworn to himself that nothing was going to happen to her again. But as he moved slowly and helplessly outside, he wondered if that was an oath he wouldn’t be able to keep.
On to Chapter Twenty-Five
