Hi everyone! Sooooo sorry for the delay! I've been doing extra work at the stables, taking riding and stable management exams etc. and have only just found time to update! A thousand apologies! :-)


Chapter 8 – The Demand for Freedom

"Jarrod," Rachel called weakly from the corner where she lay. She lifted her head and a sickening wave of dizziness swept over her. She closed her eyes, and putting her hand to her head, shook herself carefully, as if trying to wave off the feeling of light-headedness that had crept over her. She slowly sat up, and looked around for her brother. She forgot the pain in her head when she saw Jarrod's battered face. She stood up, and hurried to his side on unsteady limbs.

"Jarrod!" Rachel cried, ignoring the stinging from the gash on the side of her head as it pounded uncontrollably. "Jarrod, wake up!" She shook him gently, and ran a soothing hand over his face, her brow creasing up with a grimace when she saw the beating that he had taken.

Jarrod gradually came to. He blinked his eyes open, and winced as with consciousness came an awareness of pain.

"Jarrod, are you alright?" Rachel asked.

"I will be in a minute," Jarrod said. He began to sit up.

"Jarrod, you shouldn't. You need to rest!" Rachel protested.

"I'm fine," Jarrod said. He leaned his back against the wall and closed his eyes for a second whilst taking a few breaths to ease the dizziness. Suddenly, as if just remembering, he opened his eyes and looked anxiously at his sister. "Rachel – your head – how is it?"

Rachel reached up and touched the cut, wincing as it stung madly. "Fine," she said simply, shrugging her shoulders as if it didn't matter.

Jarrod hadn't missed her wince though, and quickly replied, "It's not fine, is it?" He grasped her chin and turned her head so that he could look at the injury on the left side of her head.

Rachel frowned, "Leave me alone, Jarrod. I'm fine."

Jarrod turned her head so that he could look straight at her. "Let me look at it, young lady. Pappy…"

"I know, I know! Pappy says so," Rachel said with a roll of her eyes. "Alright – but it's really not too bad."

Jarrod shook his head. Rachel hated to have a fuss made of her, and often wouldn't tell anyone if she hurt herself. He began to examine the gash on her head. Rachel pulled a face as he touched it. It really throbbed terribly!

"Stop it, Jarrod," Rachel said, trying to push his hands away. "You're making too much of it. I'm fine." She turned her head away sharply so that he would stop touching the wound. The sudden movement made a sickening feeling rise from the pit of her stomach.

Jarrod frowned as Rachel leaned forward with a slight lurch, and her face turned a sallow colour.

"I feel sick," Rachel said, swallowing hard. She began to crawl away, and just in time, for a sudden wave of black dots smothered her view for a few seconds as she gave a great heave and retched in the corner of the room. Jarrod instantly hurried over to her side as quickly as he could.

"I'm sorry Jarrod," Rachel said, wiping her mouth with shaky hands. "I couldn't help it. I just felt so faint…"

"Now, now, Honey, it's alright," Jarrod said as he helped her up and wrapped her in his arms.

She began to cry softly. "I feel sick," she said weakly.

"That's because you hurt your head," Jarrod said, helping her over to the crates that stood at one end of the room. He sat her down on one of them whilst lifting a silent prayer that no serious damage had been inflicted to her head. "Now where does it hurt?" Jarrod asked. "How do you feel?"

"I just feel sick, and I want Mother," Rachel said. "Oh, Jarrod, my head's throbbing so much it feels like my heart's beating inside my brain. Does that sound strange? And I really feel like I'm gonna throw up or something."

Jarrod looked desperately round the room. All that he could see was a small box, so he quickly grabbed it and gave it to Rachel. "If you're going to be sick, try to do it in here. There's a good girl."

Rachel tried to brave a smile, "I'm sorry for causing all this fuss over just a little knock…"

"It was more than just a little knock," Jarrod said, crouching down in front of her. "You hit your head so hard it bounced right back. That was some force that Hadley threw you with."

"Threw me? Oh, yes, I remember. I'm sorry for disobeying you Jarrod. I know you told me not to look back, but I heard them punching you. I couldn't bear it. I had to help you."

"Like I said before," Jarrod said, stroking her cheek with his thumb as he held her chin cupped in his hand. "A young girl cannot fight grown men. I think you'll believe me now."

Rachel pulled a face at Jarrod because she was annoyed that he was right.

"Well, do you admit that I was right?" Jarrod asked.

Rachel shook her head, "My lips are sealed," she said. "I have nothing to admit."

"Admit it!" Jarrod said, a smile illuminating his eyes.

"No," Rachel said, smiling back at him.

"Well, I'll make you," Jarrod said. He made to tickle her, but Rachel's face suddenly indicated that she felt another wave of nauseating giddiness. Jarrod frowned with concern. "Are you alright?" he asked, lowering his head so that he could read her eyes.

Rachel nodded her head, but she gave a heave as she threw up again in the box. Jarrod stood up, stroked her head gently, and then made his way over to the door. He pounded on it with some force, and shouted through, "Hadley! Hadley – I want to speak to you!"

Hadley's voice sounded on the other side, "Go on, Barkley. Say all you have to say. I'm listening. I trust you slept well." He laughed.

"Hadley – I will defend your brother, but only on my terms. Only if you let my sister go and send her to the nearest doctor! That knock she got on her head has hurt her bad and she feels very sick. I want her to get checked over."

"Sorry, Barkley, but I don't intend to do anything of the sort. You need to earn getting your sister to the doctor, and so far, you've done a pretty bad job. You need to start following rules – my rules. You do that, and your sister will be seeing your own doctor soon enough."

"She can't wait that long. She's hurt her head. She needs to be seen to!"

"Do your own doctoring!" Hadley shouted. "And start planning your speech for defending my brother. Remember, if you don't win that case, your sister won't ever be needing a doctor again!"

His spine-chilling laugh echoed through the shack, and made a shiver go up Jarrod's spine as he looked hopelessly back at his little sister. Even the cabin seemed to shudder at Hadley's words.

Rachel looked back at Jarrod with a feeble expression on her face. "Jarrod," she said in a quiet, weak tone. "Will the family find us? Will we ever get home?"

Jarrod smiled back at her, ignoring the uncertainty that he felt in his heart. "Of course," he said. "Of course, Honey!"

Would they be rescued? Would the family find them? That was what troubled Jarrod's mind at that moment; that and the safety of his sister. It haunted him till his mind and heart were filled with an unrest that he knew would not be quelled till Rachel was far from that place. Far away – back at the ranch. Why had he let her come on this trip? It would have been far better if she had stayed at home. Of course, how could he have known that this would happen? There was no looking back now – Jarrod knew that. No changing the past. The future was bleak, but it was almost upon them. Rachel had to escape before it was too late. Jarrod knew that, and he intended to help her to get away, no matter what the cost!


As soon as Jarrod heard approaching footsteps, he hurried over to the door, and pressed himself against the wall. Rachel watched on with a frown of puzzlement on her face, but felt too sick to bother to ask him what he was doing. The key in the door turned, and the door opened. One of the men sauntered into the room, carrying a scanty meal for the two captives. As soon as he entered, Jarrod grabbed hold of him, making him drop the vittles in his hands. Jarrod held him in a tight grasp, and pulling the gun from the man's holster, put it to his head.

"Hadley!" he said. "Let us go, or I'll kill your man."

Hadley looked through the doorway where he sat at a table, and slowly stood up, making his way towards the room where Jarrod and Rachel had been locked away. He had a crooked curl at his lip. "Do you really think I'd care about you shooting him? I care far more about you staying here and saving my brother's life than about any of my men's lives. Go ahead – shoot him if you will. But know that if you do I can quite easily kill your sister and disarm you before you can do any more damage with that gun."

Jarrod listened calmly to the man's words. "Alright – if you won't let us both go – let my sister go. I swear to you now I won't speak a word in your brother's defence so long as she is here. You let her go, and I won't kill your man. I'll hand over this weapon peacefully – and defend your brother, and everything. Just let her go!"

Hadley paused as he considered Jarrod's words. "You mean you'll really defend my brother if I do let her go?" he asked.

"Yes," Jarrod said. "Just let her go!"

Hadley nodded his head thoughtfully. "Alright," he finally said. He turned to two of his men. "Help the girl out of the shack."

The men he had spoken to stepped into the storage room, and dragged Rachel out.

"No! Jarrod! Let me talk to my brother! Jarrod! No!" Rachel yelled, struggling lamely as the pain in her head increased.

Once outside, Rachel was pushed to the ground. "Now git goin', and don't you come back!" the men threatened before returning into the shack. Rachel hesitated. She was free. Free to go. But Jarrod was still a prisoner. Jarrod was in danger. She had to get help! She had to get the family.

Her struggle against the two men had caused another dizzy wave to pass over her, but she shook it off. She had to help Jarrod – she just had to. She couldn't give up now. No nauseating sickness was going to stand in her way. She knew she had to get help – and she was going to use every last bit of her energy trying!


Jarrod's hold on Hadley's man relaxed as soon as Rachel was out of the shack. The man darted away, scowling at Hadley because he hadn't shown any care about his life. Hadley stepped up to Jarrod, and held his hand out for the weapon. Jarrod hesitated. He could shoot Hadley now – but then he'd probably be shot by one of the other men. Besides, he had given his word, and he wasn't about to break his promise. Jarrod was a man of his word!

He slowly gave up the gun into Hadley's waiting grasp. Hadley smiled curtly as he closed his fingers slowly and decidedly over the barrel, and then with a swift movement, he lifted the butt of the gun up high, and brought it crashing down on Jarrod's head. Jarrod's eyes closed, and he fell with a thud to the floor.

"There now," Hadley said, staring at Jarrod's unconscious form. "I don't think he's going to cause any more trouble for us."

"Boss, how could you stand there and watch him kill me? You said you would," his partner in crime declared.

"I was only bluffin'," Hadley said. "Surely you knew that?" He paused and then turned around to face all of his men. "Now boys, that gal knows our hideout, and she's gonna tell everyone she meets. So I need one of you to ride out and see that she don't meet no one – not ever again. I want you to make sure that she don't tell no one about this place – not ever!"

"You mean…"

"That's right, Madigan. Wait just a bit – let her get on her way a little further to make the chase more exciting. Then I want you to ride out after her. And kill her!"


Once again, sorry for the wait - but I hpe it was worth it! Please review, and thankyou for your patience! :-)