Paint Me a Picture
A/N There will be references to the episode "The Martyr" throughout parts of this story...but not in this chapter.
Chapter One
The sound of the train's wheels did its best to lull Jarrod to sleep, as he sat, his briefcase in the seat next to him. It had been an extremely long and tiring week. The case against his client had finally come to a close in San Francisco. The man's innocence had been proven and the real culprit caught. Now all Jarrod wanted to do was get back to Stockton and back to the ranch. Back home to his mother, brothers and sister; all of whom were waiting to help him celebrate not only this current victory in court, but his birthday as well. Unfortunately, Jarrod was too wound up to relax and sleep. Soon he stood up and walked out to the platform of the train car.
Jarrod took a deep breath and let the fresh air and wind wash over him. He continued to think on his family and how he would soon be back with them. He was so engrossed in enjoying the quiet, he didn't see the giant of a stranger that came out the door until it was too late. Before he knew it, Jarrod was being thrown off the moving train.
"You idiot!" Jason Mills stepped out onto the platform just as his brother, Tyrell, threw Jarrod. Slapping him up side the head, Jason barked, "You threw the wrong man off the train!" He then grabbed his brother and hurried him back into the train, but not before warning him to keep his mouth shut about what had just happened.
Jarrod, unaware he had been wrongly targeted, hit the ground and rolled down the embankment as the train flew by. By the time he stopped tumbling, Jarrod was lying face down and unconscious.
Henry Norton and his family, who had been traveling along in their wagon, saw the struggle on the train and gasped in horror when they saw a man being thrown off the back platform. "YeeHaw!" Mr. Morton slapped his team of horses and pushed them to move faster. In the meantime, his oldest daughter Melissa pushed the horse she was riding.
"Melissa!" her mother yelled only to have her husband stop her.
"She is only going as fast as she can. Aren't we doin' the same?" Henry told his wife as he pushed his team to go even faster. He then barked for his seventeen year old son, Nathanial, who was racing alongside with the wagon; to stop hanging back and to catch up with his sister.
By the time her brother reached Jarrod, Melissa was kneeling by his side doing what she could to check for any broken bones. "Sis?" Nathanial knelt down beside Melissa. She was tearing her dress and quickly bandaging Jarrod's head. It was bleeding, though the cuts weren't deep.
"Help me turn him over, carefully." Melissa said as she began working on moving Jarrod.
"Well?" Nathaniel asked as his sister continued looking over Jarrod.
"No broken bones from what I can tell just the bleeding from cuts; however," she looked at his forehead, "probably have some bad bruising in awhile from all the bumps he got on the way down." When she heard her parents' voices and the sound of their wagon, Melissa turned her head. "He's been knocked out cold, but it doesn't seem like he's got any major injuries, Pa."
Henry Norton climbed down from the wagon while his wife lowered the tailgate of the wagon. "Well, we can't leave him out here." Mrs. Norton said, as she stepped out from behind the wagon. "Henry, why don't you and Nathaniel put the fellow into the back of the wagon. Melissa can sit with him while we continue on our journey." She might not have suggested either one, but her son had the build of an ox, like his father.
"What about Durango?" Melissa asked as she patted her horse. Not that she had to ask, the young woman pretty well knew what her mother was going to say. She did. "Tie him to the back of the wagon once your father and brother have the man laying down inside."
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"What do you mean you haven't seen him?" Nick was bellowing louder than any cow being branded. He'd just found Jarrod's briefcase and had cornered the conductor. "This is my brother's briefcase! He was on this train, and I want to know where he's at!" Something was amiss here, and Nick began to feel very anxious. "I'm sorry, sir." Paul, the conductor, was just as upset as Nick. He always prided himself in knowing who was on the train at all times. The fact that Jarrod had vanished without a trace bothered the man to no end. "I have no idea where he could be. We stopped only once and he was on the train when we started out journey again." He knew that because Jarrod had him, Paul, watch the briefcase while he got off and then took it back when he reboarded the train.
From the corner of his eye, Nick saw two men being handed over to the sheriff. He didn't know why, but he turned and took a closer look. Paul saw what Nick was looking at and said without being asked, "I and another passenger caught those two trying to throw one of the railroad men off the train, something about the man stealing their land."
Nick stiffened. While it was common knowledge that Jarrod had fought the railroad more than once, he'd also defended individuals who had association with the railroad. He excused himself and hurried over to where Fred and his deputy were taking over the prisoners.
"Hello, Nick." Fred started to smile at his friend until he saw the seriousness upon the man's face. "What's wrong?"
"Jarrod's not on the train and he was when they left their last stop." He looked up Fred's prisoners, his eyes shouting an unspoken accusation.
Not about to admit his brother had inadvertently thrown the wrong man off the train, Jason barked, "Don't look at us! We were only hired to take care of Mr. Stephens!"
While Jason's brother remained silent, Nick didn't miss the way the man shifted his weight and looked away. Was it because the man knew more than what his brother did or was it just because he, Nick, was making the man nervous.
Nick tried to find out only have Fred stop him. "If you want to question him further, Nick, you need to do it at my office." The lawman looked around at the people who had started to gather around him, his prisoners and Nick.
Nick muttered something inaudible and followed Fred and the prisoners away from the train.