Adam had kept low and moved carefully from shadow to shadow. Finally, he was within striking distance of the water when a shot sounded and something struck him hard in the left side. He fell, momentarily blacking out.
Strong, lithe arms were holding him as he was jostled with a running man's gait. Shots sounded close and far, then the familiar boom of his father's rifle rang out several times.
Suddenly, Pa was there beside him. Joe and Hoss too. Angry words were being spoken, the Captain wanted to fight Cochise, and Joe responded, ". . .why should any of us die just to save that man's skin?"
No Joe! The law must be upheld, we have to try and bring peace! Adam tried to speak, but no intelligible words came out. A low groan reached his ears, and Pa was there, trying to speak to him.
Briefly, Adam's eyes opened, and Ben leaned forward eagerly. "Adam?" he said.
Adam's brow furrowed in confusion and pain, his eyes unfocused. For a moment, it seemed as if he wanted to speak, then his eyes slid shut and he lay still.
Joe watched helplessly as Adam continued to worsen throughout the day. Taking his turn at his brother's side, he did his best to remain calm and gentle even though a strong fear was gnawing at his stomach. He prayed his brother could hold out just a little longer.
Red tendrils of pain radiated from his side. Adam clamped his left arm close to his body and stumbled forward, the empty canteen gripped in his other hand. The camp shouldn't be that far away, yet it seemed as if the land had opened up and swallowed it whole. He turned to fill the canteen only to find no water behind him. Was he imagining it? There was water here a moment ago. He scanned the area. . .there! Quickly, he scrambled towards the water, falling to his knees next to it only to see a faded skull branded into a piece of wood nearby. Dipping two fingers in the water, he let a few drops fall on his tongue and promptly spit them out. Alkali. Adam rocked back on his heels, wiping a shaky hand across his sweaty brow, taking a moment to gather his strength. Slowly, he climbed to his feet and saw a butte not too far away. Surely there would be water near the rocks, perhaps a hidden spring. Taking a deep breath, Adam focused on the rocky cliff and began to move forward.
The setting sun brought cool relief to the men. Tension remained heavy in the air, with barely two words having been spoken between them since the disastrous attempt to end things peacefully. Johnson remained smug, convinced he was right.
Adam had grown more still while his fever continued to climb. Scarcely a sound had come from his lips, and he no longer opened his eyes. Ben and his youngest were crouched next to Adam when Hoss stepped up to speak with Johnson.
Abruptly, Adam found himself wandering through dried scrub brush and tall cactus. He had to find water! The wound in his side had stopped bleeding, thankfully, yet he didn't know how it got there. Seeing a rock in the moonlight, he sat down and studied the terrain. A strange glow emanated from the horizon, even though the sun had fully set. What was it? A light breeze brought the pungent odor of charred wood to his nostrils and before he could form a clear thought, Adam was running towards the dry wash to escape the deadly blaze.
Adrenaline surged as he ran, his legs pumping systematically to carry him away from the killer wildfire. His breath burned in his lungs, sharp pains tore at his side, then he was sliding down the hillside. Hitting a large rock, Adam began to tumble uncontrollably down the steep slope as the fire licked at his hands and back. Smoke threatened to choke him and he landed in a heap in the wash.
Try as he might, Adam could not catch his breath nor could he move while the fire roared, encircling him in a cocoon of searing heat. Adam's back arched and he cried out as the flames engulfed him.
Joe's heart wrenched with his brother's pain-filled groan. Hoss had stopped talking, now crouched next to Adam while Ben gently wiped his eldest's sweaty brow.
Joe knew something had to be done. He turned to his father. "Are you sure you don't want to make a try for the bullet?"
Ben looked sharply at his youngest. "I told you it's too deep!"
"If you don't try for the bullet, he's going to die anyway!" Hazel eyes flashed, showing Joe's raw anger and worry for his brother.
Ben studied his son, then saw the identical concern etched in Hoss's face. He knew they were right. Pausing a moment, Ben's mouth set in a line and he stood, picking up his rifle and instructing the two to stay in the camp.
As expected, both objected, but Ben sternly overruled them. Johnson tried to prevent him from leaving, but Hoss's heavy hit allowed Ben to slip away, his last piece of advice being for his sons to continue to defend Johnson, and say some prayers for Adam. Then he was gone, swallowed up in the darkness.