Deadly Sins-Greed Chapter Two
The cold air caused a burn to settle over the three travelers. They had got caught in a rainstorm before traveling towards higher ground. Their clothes were damp in places as well as hard due to the freezing of the wet material. Hank was aching but he'd follow Heath wherever he went. Cotton would never leave Heath's side.
Heath whistled out a bird call as he halted Charger. Hank looked at Cotton, who was fiddling with the ice stuck in his Modoc's mane. The boy trusted Heath unconditionally. Hank trusted Heath but he still questioned some of his actions. Like stopping in the middle of nowhere to whistle like a bird.
Hank's doubts abated when a group of three male Indians stepped from their hidden places. Hank wanted to grab for his gun but seeing the smiles on their faces had him keep calm.
"You come for a visit, my friend?" The youngest of the three asked as he stepped up towards Heath.
"I reckon if you don't mind taking us in for a few weeks, I'd appreciate it." Heath slid off Charger offering his hand to the young Indian.
"You can stay with us as long as need be." The oldest of the three spoke before the younger had a chance. "You saved Charlie's life. It is a debt we can never repay. Come. Bring your friends so you can warm by our fire."
It wasn't long before the three comrades were in dry clothing and settled around a large fireplace. Their horses had been well fed and bedded down in a dry area next to a makeshift barn. Hank was impressed with the large cabin hidden in the hills. He expected something else when he had met the Indians.
"Don't be so obvious, Hank." Heath grinned slightly. "You were expecting tepees. The Whitehorse's built a cabin years ago in these mountains. They didn't do as the government wanted and head to the reservations. It's well hidden. There are other homes in the mountain as well. All are part of Charlie's friends and family."
"How did you know about this place?" Cotton asked as he slid over closer to Heath. The boy was getting sleepy and felt secure with Heath near.
"Came here to heal up after the war. Charlie and I were in the war together." Heath answered nonchalantly as he allowed the boy to lean on his shoulder.
"Was he in Carterson too?" Hank asked innocently.
"No." Charlie had been listening to the conversation. "I was spared that due to Heath hiding me. I was wounded and he hid me under some brush. They captured him because he led them away from me. For that, I will forever be indebted."
"Ya'll took care of me when I was healing up. Not to mention the ambush you kept our whole unit from months earlier. Ya owe me nothing." Heath nodded a thank you to the young Indian girl, who was handing out bowls of stew to them all.
She giggled before scurrying away to gather more food. Heath noticed the mother of the girl staring at him. The mother wore a frown.
"Best stay away from Dove, Heath." Charlie warned. "She finds you interesting. She's never seen yellow hair before."
"Cotton has white hair." Heath said as he took a big bite of stew.
"Yeah but he isn't to her liking." Charlie laughed. "My cousin is betrothed to another. She will be moving out in a month or two once their marriage takes place."
Hank noted the many children running around playing while the woman busied themselves cooking and taking care of the children. He studied the three Indian males but the dynamics were confusing him. The third Indian male shook the oldest man's hand before leaving out the front of the cabin.
"These are all my cousins. My uncle is the elder man you met. He has three wives, who bore him these children. Steven is the other male. He lives in a cabin about a half mile away with one of my uncle's daughters. Dove is to be his second wife. My own parents died when I was three. My uncle has raised me as his own. I will be taking one of his daughters as my wife perhaps." Charlie stated as he took a sip of the hot broth placed before him.
The Whitehorse family had decided to take on names that best suited the white man. They had left their tribe. They were not among white nor among Indian. They were in the middle is what Jeremy Whitehorse had said.
"You have a mighty fine family, Jeremy." Heath spoke to the large Indian as he sat down.
"Would you like a wife of my daughters?" Jeremy asked as he pulled off a piece of bread from the center of small table.
"Mighty kind of ya. But I have a female to make a wife." Heath answered with sincerity.
"Well, you can have more than one wife." Jeremy laughed heartily. "You white men don't enjoy the female enough if you only want one."
"Maybe. However, I have some men I'm hunting down. I need to finish that task before settling down anywhere." Heath nodded towards Hank. "Maybe the big guy here wants to marry."
Hank spit out his drink as he sputtered. "Mee..I..ummm."
Jeremy, Charlie, and Heath chuckled at Hank's reaction. Jeremy straightened as he tried to hide his smirk. "I shall pass on this big male. I want my grandchildren to have good looks."
The whole group laughed as Hank turned a bright shade of red when one of the daughters of Jeremy stated she found Hank with good looks.
BBBBBBBB
In Stockton, Jarrod Barkley was packing his bags. Victoria stood watching her eldest readying to leave to go to Strawberry.
"Do you really think this young man is worthy of all this trouble, Jarrod?" Victoria picked up a shirt to help Jarrod fold.
"Mother, I'm not sure why but I'm drawn to him. To me, Heath Thomson doesn't seem like a cold blooded killer." Jarrod slipped the folded shirt into his saddle bag.
"Yet, he is." Victoria warned him. "Jarrod, you know not to judge a book by its cover. Nick informed us that the boy was young and innocent looking. It doesn't make it so."
Jarrod leaned over to place a kiss on Victoria's forehead. "Mother, my gut tells me there is more to his story."
Placing her hands against Jarrod's chest, Victoria nodded. "Please, don't get too involved where you come out disappointed. There may not be a way to save him."
"I understand. The posse has given up his trail long ago. The kid is good at hiding. I'll give the boy that. The law thinks it has to do with his training in the war. He was trained to hide from the enemy and kill without being caught." Jarrod stated not realizing he was given credence to Heath being a killer.
Victoria never said another word as she continued to help Jarrod pack. It saddened her that this young killer had charmed both her sons. She couldn't help but think there was more to the story as well if this young man had endeared himself to Nick and Jarrod. She wondered what kind of man this boy would have been if life hadn't dealt him harsh reality.
"Breakfast will be ready shortly. Silas has made a good meal so you don't have to stop until you get to the next town." Victoria patted Jarrod's chest one more time before heading out of the room.
Around the breakfast table, the conversation about Heath Thomson began. Nick was the first to speak.
"I'm telling you, Jarrod. That kid is sharp witted. The people in Strawberry didn't have much to say but the ones that liked the boy were ready to pounce on me and Sheriff Madden for him. That included the widow and daughter of the man he was supposed to have killed. Never seen the likes of that before. Did I mention that of the two that broke him out, one may have been Hank Garland?"
"Yes. You did. But as Fred mentioned, even if we think it both men had their faces covered and hats on their heads. A good lawyer could claim they can not be positively identified." Jarrod took a couple of biscuits from the platter offered him.
"I know that. My point was that the man killed was named Garland. I heard tell that the man's own son has taken up with the Thomson kid. It all don't make much sense to me that this boy is a hated killer." Nick added a few biscuits to his plate as he spoke.
"Jarrod, didn't you say that when you interviewed the warden of the prison, in which Heath escaped, that he acted rather fond of the boy?" Victoria added. She noticed Tom hadn't added to the conversation. That wasn't unusual. Sometimes, Tom was quiet and let his family talk around him.
"He never said it but I did get the distinct feeling that the warden actually was very fond of Heath Thomson. He seemed to admire him in a strange way." Jarrod took a bite of his biscuit after he stated the fact of the warden's like of Heath.
"I want to head to Strawberry with you. I know some of the folk there you need to talk to." Nick stabbed his fork into the large steak set before him.
"No." Tom's head jerked up as he spoke with authority. He didn't know why he forbid Nick from going but the town of Strawberry had too many ghosts to visit. He knew Jarrod would ask only about this boy, Heath Thomson. However, Nick could start wondering around into the past. He would want to know of his father's time there out of mild curiosity.
"Tom, perhaps you can explain why you are forbidding Nick from going." Victoria tapped her napkin around her mouth before placing it back in her lap.
"I'm not forbidding him." Tom relaxed as he took a calming breath. "I need him here is all. I didn't mean it to come out so strongly. I think Jarrod is putting effort into a useless endeavor. However, I understand that he is passionate about justice for this young man. The justice may not be as he sees it though."
Jarrod acknowledged his father's words. "I know that, father. But I must try."
"I said I understand. I am proud of you for it too. However, Nick, you aren't a lawyer. You're not a lawman either. You spent enough time chasing that kid down. The ranch is your place. If Fred asks for you again, I don't see why you'd want to go but that would be up to you. However, following Jarrod to the town of Strawberry is fruitless for you. You've been away from the ranch enough in pursuit of this killer."
All knew when Tom got an idea in his head, there was no using arguing. Therefore, Nick shrugged it off. This wasn't worth fighting over. The boy was long gone from these parts. Jarrod would inform him of any new information he found once he returned. Besides, the ranchhands had retrieved the new mares yesterday from the train station. He wanted to check them out personally before he chose the mare to breed with his own horse.
Audra found the whole affair boring now that the boy wasn't around these parts. Before, Stockton and surrounding towns were on alert for the killer and his gang. She had heard around ten bloodthirsty men followed Heath Thomson now. They were called the Bastards. She didn't know why Margaret Channing told her that. It was whispered due to graphic nature of the name. Then the gossip was interesting. Now it was old news. The new gossip was the Wheeler family. Carl Wheeler was a little younger than Nick. He was to be married to Winnie Parker. Audra smiled coyly at the fact that Carl Wheeler almost ran into a pole when he saw Audra in her more adult attire. The fourteen year old was growing up and Carl had noticed. She wondered if he would marry Winnie after all. She had heard he broke the engagement off. Thus, the new gossip was much more interesting than talking of the Thomson killer and his gang.
"Audra, is there a reason you are playing around with your food?" Victoria had noticed her daughter's far away look. Audra was starting to notice boys. Victoria knew that would be far more tasking than her sons had been.
"No, Mother." Audra jerked her head up before placing a large bite of eggs in her mouth. She mumbled as she chewed. "It is fine."
Victoria shook her head but didn't chastise her daughter for being unlady like. Perhaps, she would have her little girl awhile longer.