In the Name of the Father
Chapter 3
The night stars twinkling in a blanket of black velvet went unnoticed as Nick Barkley stepped out of the telegraph office. He gave a deep sigh as he ran a hand over his face. He had just sent one of the hardest telegrams he had ever had to send and it had been two days overdue.
Still standing on the boardwalk he looked down the street towards the river; he could make out the fires from the rescue workers, as they tried to identify the dead and clean up from helping the injured. He bowed his head as the overwhelming emotions threatened to consume him. For two days he had looked for Heath and for two days he had found nothing. Turning away from the sight he made his way back to the hotel.
He started to cross the street towards the hotel only to hold up as a wagon carrying a couple of coffins rumbled past, on its way to the undertakers. The sight sent a chill through Nick as he realized that there was just the possibility that Heath's body would never be found. The family would have an empty grave to mourn at.
NO! He's alive! The river just swept him down stream farther than they've been looking! Nick's thoughts threaten to drop him to his knees in the middle of the street.
"Get a grip Barkley!" he growled to himself. "Heath is going to need you when you find him."
An insistent knocking at the hotel door woke Nick; he didn't remember making it to the hotel or to his room. Slowly he sat up and put his socked feet on the floor. He sat for a moment with his head in his hands. The insistent pound on the door, a bit harder than before, reminded him of what had wakened him. Running his hands through his hair, he stumbled to the door and pulled it open. The Sheriff stood in the hall with his hat in his hands. Nick looked at him for a moment, knowing that the news he was about to deliver would or could push him over the edge.
"Mr. Barkley." He greeted without enthusiasm, "Mr. Barkley, the rescue party has called an end of the search for survivors. I wanted to tell you myself."
Nick nodded his dark head. He had known yesterday that it would be the last day of searching. The search had yielded little results, foot prints on the river bank and a set of wagon tracks that everyone assumed was from the salvagers.
The Sheriff pulled out a telegram and handed it to Nick. "This came for you this morning; the clerk asked if I would give it to you."
Taking the folded yellow paper, Nick nodded his thanks and closed the door.
Sitting once more on the bed he opened the paper and read the words there; then he reread it to make sure he had read it correctly and as he read it for the third time his depressed manner was shed and he quickly got dressed.
His body ached, but not as bad as his head. He lay with his eyes closed trying to remember what had happened.
He and Nick were returning home from San Francisco. On a boat, that blew up. He had been pushed into the river. Voices as someone pulled him from the river and threw him into a wagon. His eyes popped open. Nick!
Looking around he found himself lying on a bed, in a small room in what was most likely a cheap hotel. Must mean that Nick is taking care of me he first thought, and then realized that was wrong. No, Nick wouldn't stay in this hovel unless there had been nowhere else. When he tried to move, he found that he was tied to the bed. Now why does Nick have me tried down? His answer came through the door.
"YOU!" he growled when his captor entered the room followed by an older man.
"Now Mr. Barkley is that anyway to speak to a lady?" The voice that was soft and southern had come from the man. Heath placed him to be from around New Orleans.
"Why am I here? Where's Nick?" he asked his throbbing headache pushing to the front, letting it be known that it wasn't going away anytime soon.
"Nick is fine. He has been looking for you, for the past three days. He is so concerned that he will never see you again." The man again spoke from a chair that sat next to a shaded window.
"Dear brother, let's not worry this Mr. Barkley." Elizabeth turned towards Heath. "You're in a hotel outside of San Francisco. You'll see your brother again when your family pays the ransom. I am sure he has received word of it by now."
"Ransom?" Heath sighed as he relaxed towards the black void.
"Yes, we have a debt to pay and you're our ticket to financial freedom." Again it was the man who spoke. Heath could almost hear his smile as he spoke.
Heath heard the faint rustle of Elizabeth's skirt and smelled the soft lavender fragrance she wore. He felt her hand on his brow and the blanket she covered him with.
"Relax Heath; soon you'll be back with your family," Elizabeth said soothingly. When he had fallen back to sleep she turned to her brother.
"The meeting place has been arranged?"
"Yes sister it has. Once the Barkleys pay us off they'll receive a telegram telling the where they can find this one." He nodding to the unconscious man then added "And I have arranged a meeting here with Lucain, to settle our debt."
"Good it is all going as planned." smiled Elizabeth. Once more she felt the twinge of guilt for deceiving the Barkleys more so towards Nick.
