Thanks for sticking with us, wonderful readers/reviewers! We present to you the next installment.
Chapter 10:
Prowling around the cabin, Issac peaked through the dingy window to find five men sleeping on the floor and one moving restlessly on the bed. His eyes widened when he saw the state that bad Griff was in. "Looks like you got into a bit o' trouble, don't it, boy? he mocked, stepping carefully through the window to lean over Griff's bed. "I've been waitin' a long time to see you again…" Figuring that Griff would be sound asleep, Issac took his time to savor the moment before murdering Griff.
Even in his foggy mind, his years in prison had still conditioned Griff to sleep lightly and he dragged himself out of his slumber. Before Griff could let out a yell, he felt Issac's strong fingers pressing against his windpipe. Fighting as best he could, Griff kicked and shook the bed in an effort to wake anybody up to help him. Shocked that Griff was not unconscious, Issac jumped back. Knowing it was only a matter of time before someone else woke up and caught him, Issac slipped back out the window. "Next time, boy! Next time, there won't be any Cartwrights ta save yer hide!"
Griff gasped for breath and tried to get up from the bed. "H'lp…" he whispered.
Candy and Joe quickly roused and immediately lit the lantern.
The protective foreman called out, "Griff?" as he rushed to the bed. "What's the matter, buddy?"
"Issac," Griff whimpered, his shadow forming against the wall as the lantern illuminated the area. "He was h-h-here. Iss-ssac. Tried to str-strangle me," Griff explained, failing to quell his shakiness. He twisted violently as fear rose up in him. Memories of being kidnapped by Issac months ago flooded Griff's thoughts and he soon found it difficult to distinguish past from present. "Adam? Issac..." All of his moving around tore at Griff's wounds and he cringed. "Oh, oh God…"
Candy quickly put a hand on Griff's forehead. He could feel a slight fever, but not one that should be causing strange dreams or hallucinations. "Griff, Issac's not here. It's just us, okay? You were dreaming."
Joe nodded and added, "We're in the cabin, remember? You got hurt hunting and we'll take you home in the morning. At first light."
"No, I saw…" Griff shook his head, frustrated that no one was listening to him. "I felt his…" Griff brokenly insisted. "It was Issac. He's here!"
Under his breath so only Joe could hear him, Candy mentioned, "Maybe he heard us talkin' bout Issac's escape and that caused a nightmare. There's no way he have gotten past all five of us."
"And why did he not try to kill all of us?" Joe pondered.
"If he's unarmed, he'd want to go about it quietly. And if he does have a gun, he'd likely wake us all up the moment he fires the first shot,"Adam theorized.
"You're not seriously considering the possibility that he was really here, are you?" Joe asked skeptically.
Adam stepped up to Griff's bedside, leaned down and checked the teen's throat. "Well, if it wasn't Issac, it was someone. These marks on Griff's neck didn't just appear out of thin air. Someone was here."
"The window's open!" Jamie cried out, hurrying toward it when firm hands pulled him away.
"Get away from the window!" Adam ordered, fearful that whoever had snuck in and attacked Griff was still out there. Drawing his pistol out from his holster, he flattened himself against the wall and peered out the window carefully while the others waited with bated breath. When it became clear that the intruder was well and truly gone, Adam exhaled and closed the window. "One of us should stay awake tonight, just in case. We'll take it in shifts."
"I'll take first shift," Candy quickly decided.
"I'll take second. Joe?"Adam rounded on his younger brother.
"I'll take the last," Joe agreed. "I still can't believe it. Issac." He shook his head, not fully believing what was happening.
"Get some rest, kiddo," Adam patted Jamie's shoulder.
Feeling useless, Jamie returned to his corner and tucked himself into his bedroll, though it was a long time before sleep finally claimed him and even then, he was plagued with fitful dreams.
Candy spent his shift changing Griff's dressing and keeping an eye on his steadily rising fever. He'd lost more blood when the shoulder wound reopened after the incident with the intruder. His ankle was also inflamed and the swelling worried the foreman deeply. Using a damp cloth, he did his best to cool him down and moistened his lips periodically to help hydrate him. He cursed the youth's luck and misfortune. Why did life have to be so cruel? he silently pondered.
Griff's eyes fluttered open. "Thunder's gone," he mumbled weakly.
"What?" Candy tried to grasp Griff's sudden announcement.
"Thunder. M'horse. He's gone, Candy. The... the storm. I don't know... where he went. He's gone…" the youth croaked. He swallowed hard then took a deep, unsteady breath.
"We'll find 'im, buddy. Just get some rest," Candy brushed his hands through Griff's hair and tried to soothe the ache he must be feeling over the loss of his pride and joy. His companion. He felt Griff relax and saw his eyes droop shut once again.
With an audible sigh, the young man felt sleep finally wash over him.
Camped out under the stars, Issac Warren mentally kicked himself for hastily acting out on his thirst for vengeance. He knew he needed to formulate a rational plan if he was going to execute his murderous plot and make a quick get away. He needed money. That meant he needed the Cartwrights. But he was no match for them if they were together. There was also going to be no way of getting to Griff anymore. Not after what he almost got caught doing. He needed to take something else that the Cartwrights needed. But what did they have that they couldn't do without if he took it away from them? Issac wracked his brain and tried to remember everything he had learnt from following them throughout the day. He had the big fella's horse but they know he won't harm the animal since he would need it to get far, far away. No, he needed to take something else.
But what?
A smirk curled the corner of the convict's mouth when he figured out exactly what the Cartwrights needed the most. It was quite simple really, now that he thought about it. All he had to do was think about what Griff so desperately needed right at that moment. He'd learnt the hard way months ago that the boy was clearly important to them, though he couldn't for the life of him understand why. Getting to Griff was out of the question. It was now just a matter of keeping the one thing he would need to survive away from him. The town doctor. The only doctor for miles around and he knew just where to find him. But he needed to move before they did. Just before dawn, he decided. Them righteous Cartwright are gonna pay dearly, yes sirree. Doc's gotta be worth enough money to live on for a while and he'd be givin' me the time I need to make a head start to Mexico. After I double cross the Cartwrights and put a bullet in the good doctor's head, that is. Without the doctor, Griff's good as dead. It's all coming together now.
When light started to peak through the cabin, Joe and Adam were already up and figuring out their next plan of action. They knew they had to get to the Ponderosa as fast as possible, especially if Issac was prowling around somewhere close to them. Unfortunately, having six people and only four horses was conundrum that they did not have much time to solve.
"If only we had Thunder and Chubb here," sighed Adam. "That'd solve everything."
"Don't let Griff hear you mention that name," Candy warned. "He woke up twice last night talking about how much he missed that horse." It was difficult for all three men to be so helpless to ease Griff's anguish. "It damn near broke my heart hearing the kid talk about Thunder."
"He did the same thing with me," Adam added. "I don't have the heart to tell him…" Joe shifted uncomfortably and stroke Cochise's mane. "It's just… Chubb was stolen, y'know? Which means he's with someone, which means we can get him back. In the meantime, we know Chubb is being fed and taken care of because he's being ridden. But Thunder is just wanderin' out there alone." Adam bowed his head. "We have to be realistic."
Joe pursed his lips and sucked on the inside of his cheek as he listened to Adam.
"Anyway, we need someone to ride for the doc to meet us at the house," Adam explained as he helped saddle the four horses with Joe and Candy. "Which horse is the fastest?"
"Normally," Joe answered, adjusting a saddle cinch. "I'd say Cochise, but between the storm and getting spooked by that wolf, he's getting tired. Fly, too," Joe examined objectively. "So our next best bet is Sport."
Adam gave his mount an affectionate pat. "That's just what I was thinking. And I was also thinking you'd be the one to ride him." Adam handed Joe the reins.
"Me?" Joe said, puzzled.
"Yes, you," Adam insisted. "This trip has been hard on all of you. You've done a great job taking care of Jamie and Griff, but it's going to be hours before the rest of us get home. With those wounds, the poor kid can't handle more than a walk or a trot in the saddle. Candy and I are fresher than you, plus we'll have Jamie to help." Joe opened his mouth to answer, but he could not find any way to refute Adam. "Go. It'll be a tough ride now, but this way, you'll get home in time to rest up from all this."
Joe climbed on top of Sport and gave a quick tip of his hat. "Take care of them," he added, despite knowing that Adam would do all he could. "I'll meet you back at the house with Doc Martin as soon as I can!"
As Joe departed, Candy and Hoss came out to meet Adam just outside. After Adam explained where Joe had gone, he looked at the three horses in front of him. "We've got three horses and five men," Adam summarized. "What's the best way to do this?"
"Apple is the freshest horse left," Candy volunteered. "So Griff and I will ride double on him. He's sturdy enough to handle both of us for the long ride." As if on cue, the proud horse lifted his front foot and plopped in onto the loosely-packed ground.
"Hoss can take Cochise,"supplied Adam. "Jamie and I can ride on Fly. We can even take turns walking if needed."
Looking much more alert and focused than yesterday, Hoss joined the two men outside after hearing their voices. "I'm fit enough to walk or ride. Don't let me stop us from gittin' home."
"It's already settled, Hoss" Candy dismissed. "But you are looking better than yesterday. How's your head?"
"Feelin' good," the rotund man answered. "I always said I got a thick skull." He was not feeling dizzy or tired and, despite being unable to remember the last few weeks, Hoss took that as a good sign. "So let's go."
"I've almost got everything packed in here!" Jamie answered as he waddled through the door carrying everyone's bedrolls and survival supplies in one heavy load. The young boy tried his best to help prepare for their departure.
Adam smiled, approving of Jamie's work. "Good job, little brother." Hoss could see Candy was purposefully ignoring the youngest member of their party, but he chalked up the foreman's coldness to his worry for Griff. "We'll leave just as soon as we get these horses watered. Why don't you go wake Griff up and let him know we're leaving?"
Jamie did not even bother to answer Adam. Instead, with a mission in mind, he strode back into the cabin and made his way to Griff's bedside. Jamie was careful to avoid Griff's injuries and gingerly shook the sleeping man. "Griff? Griff, we're gonna head out soon," Jamie informed. "Please, Griff, I… I need you to wake up now." The injured man's head limply flopped back and forth with Jamie's movement, but it was clear that he was in a deep sleep and nothing would rouse him. "Griff?" Jamie tried again to no avail.
Griff murmured something unintelligible as his head lolled across his neck and his right hand grasped at the sheet, curling around the material in a vice-like grip. His eyes opened for a brief second and Jamie was taken aback at how much brighter they looked than last night.
Embarrassed that he would have to go back out to his family and tell them he was unable to execute the simple task, Jamie popped his head out of the door and cleared his throat. "It's Griff," he said shakily. "He won't wake up."