One Good Deed…
Chapter 4
"Val Crawford's a good man." Johnny had no doubts about that and had for the last half hour been trying to convince a sullen youth of that fact. The boy continued to refuse to speak to the sheriff and the brunet was beginning to think nothing would change his mind "I trust him and so can you…"
"Pa says ya can't trust the law and he's right! It didn't do right by him!"
The boy spoke with a passion, one that made Johnny more than a little curious. Seating himself on Jesse's bed he eyed him thoughtfully certain there had to be a particular reason for the kids last comment "What happened ta make ya think like that?"
"They took our land…" Jesse shot back before clamping his mouth shut, he'd suddenly realized he might be giving something he shouldn't away.
"I see." The youngest Lancer stated softly, he didn't of course, not really, but it had been enough of a hint for him to form the beginnings of a theory. He sat quietly waiting for the boy's troubled gaze to again meet his and when it did he pushed a little more "Tell me what happened Jesse. Maybe there's somethin' we can do ta help?" The youth stared back at him, it was obvious to Johnny his offer of assistance had had some sort of an impact. The pale blue eyes searched his, seemingly wanting to believe in someone.
"My ma's buried there!"
The brief but emotion filled statement took Johnny a little by surprise, it was obviously an important factor in the kids story but it hadn't been quite what he'd expected to hear.
"Pa misses her!" Tears threatened to fall but were determinedly blinked away.
Johnny nodded his understanding, the kid was obviously still grieving for her too.
"He didn't want to leave her there all alone but…" A stray tear trickled down the boys face "…Ben Jacks, he bought up the town, all the surrounding homesteads. Pa wouldn't sell, not with ma there. Then the bank said we owed them money, money we didn't have. Pa knew who was behind it, he tried talking to Jacks and then to the law but Jacks owned the sheriff too. Him and pa argued, the sheriff drew his gun but pa was faster! It was self defense Johnny!"
"So that's what you're running from?"
"Yeah." The boy sank back against the pillows drained by the retelling of the unpleasantness "Pa said the posse wouldn't follow us into California. He thought we could hide out here and plan our next move."
"So what happened the other night?" Johnny pressed eager to hear the rest of it.
"We were hungry, tired. We hadn't eaten or slept properly for days. Pa thought it would be safe enough now though so we made camp. We'd come across a steer earlier that day, it was unbranded so we weren't really stealin' were we Johnny?"
"No" The youngest Lancer quietly agreed, hadn't he put food in his empty belly in the exact same way!
"Next thing I know, there's bullets flyin' all around us. Pa said we had to make a run for it." Gesturing to his wound the boy added "I didn't make it to my horse but Will, he pulled me up onto his. We didn't do anything wrong Johnny. They had no call to kill my brother!"
"No they didn't and that's why ya have to tell Val what ya just told me."
JMLJMLJMLJMLJMLJMLJML
"Well?" Murdoch demanded as the lawman ambled into the great room.
"Well…" Val scratched his beard thoughtfully "I can't comment on what he says happened in Nevada though I plan on lookin inta his claims! As for the fracas Friday night…well his story certainly has a ring of truth about it!"
"So what ya gonna do about it?" Johnny asked his friend.
"I'll speak ta Mel James, put the kids side ta him, I'm sure he'll crack, lyin' don't come as easy ta him as it does ta Ethan Morgan!"
"It's a messy business." Scott stated sympathetically, the sheriff certainly had his work cut out.
"Yep but I'm gonna enjoy cleanin it up."
The patriarch grinned he didn't doubt that for a second "Well we'll help in any way we can Val."
"Ain't a lot ya can do ceptin look after the boy and lettin me know if ya hear from his pa."
"I'm certain we'll hear from him, he's lost one son he's not about to give up another!"
JMLJMLJMLJMLJMLJMLJMLJML
Jesse stared around the great room, the memories it held for him although a little vague were decidedly unpleasant. He'd been scared and in considerable pain that night, too frightened to close his eyes incase he never opened them again.
He hadn't wanted to die; he hadn't wanted to let his pa down. "You fight this boy, ya hear me!" The older man had ordered him as they approached the ranch house. He'd never disobeyed his father in his life and he'd had no intentions of doing so then either.
Sam had held his hand and reassured him, quietly like he always did. Just like their ma had done when he was scared. Sam was just like her and Jesse knew that was why his eldest brother had been pa's favorite, now Sam was dead too, his father would be heartbroken.
He was still quite weak, today the first time he'd been allowed downstairs. The Lancers' had promise to take him to his brothers grave when he was strong enough and he was determined to be just that within the next few days, he was equally as determined to be ready to ride the minute he heard from his father.
Murdoch Lancer had promised to have his lawyer look into Ben Jacks and his dealings, the older man had said it would take time and might not be something that could be easily resolved but he at least had been prepared to listen and had gone on to promise to do everything in his power to help put the situation right. It was a darn sight more than anyone else had done, but then folk back home had been too scared to help the Hughes family.
Mr Lancer had been convinced the only way forward was through legal means, believing that that was the only possible way of getting a fair hearing. Jesse knew his father had lost all faith in the law, it wasn't going to be easy persuading him around to the rancher's way of thinking.
Jesse liked Murdoch Lancer, his sons too; they had been good to him and he trusted them like his father appeared to have done the night he left him in their care. Surely he would listen to their advice and accept the help they offered so willingly now? He dearly hoped so, it made sense to him and if it meant no one else in his family would get hurt then surely it was the right thing to do.
A sudden loud pounding on the front door startled him and Jesse looked towards it knowing trouble almost certainly stood the other side. Seconds late Scott was striding into the room from the kitchen, the blond glancing in is direction and instructing him to stay where he was.
He was seated by the fireplace, from there he couldn't see the man the blond was now talking to but he could hear the anger in the stranger's voice. The conversation was about him, about the lies he had told the sheriff.
But he hadn't told any lies! His mother had raised him to always tell the truth and that's exactly what he'd done. The stranger was growing increasingly more angry, his voice now drowning out Scott's calm reasoning. The sound of a struggle forced Jesse to his feet and towards the hallway but before he'd even made it half way the struggle had become a fist fight, the eldest Lancer son was now defending him physically.
"Hey mister, it's me ya want!" Jesse shouted trying desperately to get the strangers attention. But it was the blond who turned in his direction, his nose bleeding heavily Scott ordered him up to his room and to lock the door behind him. That momentary lapse of concentration was to cost Scott dearly, it allowed the stranger's next blow to make contact with its target, rendering his opponent unconscious and sending him crashing to the floor.
The irate man stepped over Scott's limp form and was now moving menacingly towards him, as scared as he was Jesse stood his ground "I told the sheriff the truth." The defiant statement earned him a brutal punch to the face and like Scott he crumpled to the floor, dazed he struggled to get to his feet but a booted foot made sure he didn't get any further than his knees. He closed his eyes against the pain, it was then he heard the sound of a gun being cocked, seconds later everything went black.
TBC
Molly
