Chapter 10 part 2 – the conclusion

Dan walked slowly over to the stairs then on practiced silent feet moved upward slowly. He had to be very careful as he had no idea where the men actually were. They could be right at the top of the stairs and that would mean he would have to descend quickly before he was seen.

"I'll bet 50 dollars", he heard a voice say. 'Ha, you always were cautious, I'll raise you by a hundred", came the muffled voice of Ivan.

Dan crept to the top step, lowering his body so he would not immediately be spotted. He could make the voices out clearer now, though they did not seem to be very close to his position. He dared to stretch himself up somewhat to see better.

Up here it was lighter than below, and he could see that there were smaller sectioned off portions. These had probably been peoples offices whereas below was more like a warehouse space.

He remembered Ivan telling him he was going to be in a heated room. Creeping closer to those offices Dan listened for the changes in volume of the voices to tell him if he was going the right way.

Eventually he came to a room, the most intact of all of them up here, with all walls still standing, There were some holes in these walls though and through them Dan could feel a blast of heat. They really did have a nice cosy hideout, while they had left him freezing. Even now that it was warmer he still felt the numbness. His body had been over exposed to the cold and he was going to pay for that sooner or later. The only thing keeping him going was determination, these men were not going to get away with what they had done to him or his uncle. He crept closer until he was right outside a small crack in the wall. Peering in he could see Ivan and the other two men playing cards.

As if his presence outside somehow made Ivan talk about him he heard the man laugh and tell the others, "I really hope Mangan is suffering down there". 'Yeah well he will be. Even if he did get loose he can't go anywhere. He might even meet up with some of those huge rats we chased away", Anderson told Ivan. "Yeah we should just leave him down there, it would be a fitting punishment. Nobody will know where he is and its not really murder or anything. He will just die of starvation, or the cold", Underhill remarked softly. He sounded like he did not really care about such a callous act and that made Dan shiver violently.

"Oh I do not think it is fitting enough. He was with the Cowhands on the night I was shot at and nearly killed. Out of all of them he was the only one they caught. Months later he gets Luke arrested. So he's obviously their weakest link. I am sure whats left of the Cowhands might pay me for the pleasure of having a few painful words with the brat", Ivan stated. "We might as well make a bit of money out of him if we can".

Dan felt his fear surge again at that comment. He imagined that the cowhands would probably kill him and it would not be a slow death. Now he was completely dedicated to his escape, because he knew that staying was signing his own death warrant.

The only way out was the key and he hoped desperately they did not have it on them. There was no way he could tackle any of them and win . Bending down, he peered through the crack, carefully and purposefully scanning the room for any telltale glint that would reveal the location of the key. The men had their belongings carelessly scattered around the room. Amongst those belongings were the heavy winter jackets they had worn during the robbery. He was about to move his gaze onward when he saw a glint of something on top of one of those jackets. It was the key, he was sure of that. None of them were looking toward that key as they probably thought it was not going to go anywhere. But perhaps with a lttle help it could.

He had to be very careful and silent about this bit , but he needed to find something long enough to slide through the hole. There was a lot of rubbish up here too and Dan began to search the piles for something he could use. All the time he kept on listening to the men, alert for any changes in their tone. The first pile of rubbish yielded no results and he moved onto the second. He had just begun to search it when he heard Underhills voice gain intensity. He was coming out of the room, Dan decided. He quickly ducked down below the level of another pile of rubbish and held his breath. "make sure you pee, well away from us", Ivan scolded, "yeah go down and do it on Mangan", Anderson stated.

Dan could feel his heartbeat increase, no please don't he thought. When he heard the sound of someone urinating a short distance from his hiding place he sucked in a breath. Thankfully Underhill had not wanted to leave the warmth of the upstairs.

Resuming his search Dan's spirits lifted when a found a long thin piece of wire that looked like it had broken off something larger. It was thin enough to get through the hole yet study enough to have the strength to drag the key. The difficult part was going to be getting the wire to the key. Treading softly back to the crack in the wall Dan peered in at the three men. They had started another game of cards and seemed relaxed and unconcerned.

Holding up the wire, he threaded it into the crack all the while keeping his eye close to the hole so he could see his progress and make sure the men did not move. It was difficult to keep his body in this position but determination gave him all the staying power he needed.

The men laughed as they stopped playing cards long enough to take bites out of a cold meal. Dan really hoped his stomach was not going to growl in protest as the smell of meat wafted over to him. He pushed the wire forward again, until it hit the jacket where the key rested.

The jacket sunk a little making the key move closer to he wire. He tried to nudge it with the tip of the wire. The key did not move. Over and over he tried. His back ached and his arms felt like they were about to drop off. He must have been held prisoner for half a day almost now and he was rapidly loosing strength. He also had no idea how long he had before the men decided to move. You can do this, he told himself. He shoved the wire forward again and this time the end caught the far side of the key . With slow motions Dan pulled the wire backward dragging the key off the jacket and onto the ground. Thankfully it made no sound and he continued to drag it slowly toward the hole. He did not dare go too fast as the wire could easily slip off and he would have to go through the process again. He was also aware that if he made one mistake the key could end up out of reach. So he went even slower, watching as it painstakingly inched closer to the gap in the wall.

After what seemed like forever the key was close enough to the hole for him to slide through a finger and carefully pull it upward. He stopped as the key finally lay in his hand, checking whether the men had noticed. They were still busy playing their game and obviously uncaring about anything else.

Still he had to be careful as any sound may just be his undoing.

So he crept back little by little until he reached the stairs. Then downward he went with the key held firmly in his hands.

So now he could escape. But he still did not know where he could go. He used the key to unock the padlock then slowly slid the bolt open. A cold blast of air almost knocked him backward. He caught one glimpse of the swirling snow outside and swallowed. The conditions would be described as a white out, where visbility was minimal. How would he even see where he was going.

He looked over at the Wheeler horses who had raised their heads when the door was opened only to quickly put them back down. He heard a soft whinny and found the gentle brown eyes of the horse who had freed him looking at him. That horse looked like it was not that young he decided . It looked toward the door ,then him as if telling him to run. "I can't ",he explained, "I do not know the way home".

Home, he swallowed at the word. Once he would have never said it about Sleepyside , now he just ached to see the place again and to feel his uncle's arms hold him tight. Poor uncle Bill was probably beside himself with worry right now.

The horse looked at him again, then looked at the Wheeler horses and snorted. There was a clear message there , he thought. Something his uncle had told him came to him then, horses always knew their way home.

He thought about it. They would not want to leave the warmth of this place and go out into the freezing weather unless they had a very good reason. His uncle could have got them to move very easily because they saw him as a leader. He was not his uncle, not a leader, they would not follow him.

Another whinny sounded and he was about to turn and complain to his savior horse that he could do nothing when he realized the sound had come from Jupiter. The black had his head raised and was staring straight at the doorway. Dan swallowed, Jupiter was the leader he needed. He was considered the dominant one of the Wheelers horses and they would follow him.

He did have a way home but only if he was daring enough to ride his nemesis. "Oh no I won't do it, I cant", he told both Jupiter and the other horse.

It was the only way though and Dan knew he was just wasting time. If those men came down to check on the horses or on him, if they realized the key was missing, then this was all going to be over. He and the horses would be left in the hands of those who did not really care about their fate.

Be like Uncle Bill he told himself as he slowly approached Jupiter. "Jupe. I know you don't like me and well I don't have a lot of love for you either." Not a great start thought Dan, it was the truth though.

"I guess we don't know each other though. We need to get out of here Jupe, to go home and to do that we need to work together. Trust me", Dan could feel his hand trembling as he held it out toward the horse. Be confident. Be commanding, an inner voice said to him. "Trust me", he said it this time with passion and surprisingly his hand had stopped shaking. For the first time he touched Jupiter, feeling the soft hair underhead his fingers. The horses brown eyes looked at him softly and Dan saw something in his eyes he never had before, respect. They had a mutual goal Dan realized and that may make this easier than he had thought. Quickly untying the other horses Dan returned to face the horse he had loathed since he arrived in Sleepyside.

Channeling his uncle Dan took one of saddles and a bridle that was hung over a rail and put them on Jupiter. He noticed the black did not move one inch as he tightened the saddle. I have not climbed on yet, he told himself. He knew Trixie had been thrown from the horse, thinking his passive appearance was an indication he was accepting of her riding him. It had been an act though and Jupiter had known Trixie did not have the skills necessary to control him. Unlike her, he could actually ride and had been considered to be competent at handling a horse. That had been before the hooves of another black horse had hit that confidence away.

Gosh he couldn't do it, he realized as he finished saddling Jupiter and contemplated the height of the horse in front of him. You have no choice Dan, you will die if you do not try this , he told himself firmly . Get grip on yourself and do it ,now.

Sucking away all his fear and reaching for a place of inner calm, Dan climbed up onto the railing by Jupiter, then put his foot over into the horses stirrup. Once like that he was committed and with a pull he found himself sitting on top of Jupiter. Now was the moment this highly strung horse could throw him off. But he did not, just snorting softly at him. Dan sat straighter, collecting the reins into the right hold.

He looked over at the old horse who seemed to have a smile upon his face. He thought about how cold it was out there and how far they may have to go. "I can't take you, can I, because you won't make it that far. Don't worry I will send back help. Thank you", he added.

That horse bowed its head at him then stared at the door in a silent message Dan clearly understood. "Okay I am going", Dan stated.

He touched Jupiter with one hand, "home, Jupe, take us home', he said.

The black did not need any other invitation rocketing out of the door at speed with the other horses close behind . Dan felt the blast of cold air hit him full force. He did not stop though because any minute those men just might be alerted.

The wind howled around him and snow fell upon his skin. The cold bit deeper and all he had to shield him was the old horses blanket. Around him everything was white, he had no idea where he was . All he could hope for was that Jupiter did.

He hung on as the horse picked up speed. Icy breath came firing from Jupiter's nostrils like smoke . Dan knew this meant the horse was feeling the cold as well. Had he been a fool to try this, were they all going to freeze to death out here.

As Jupiter kept on going a malaise seemed to settle over Dan. He could hardly feel the warmth of the horses body beneath him and he found his eyes flittering shut every couple of seconds. My body is suffering from the full effects of hypothermia he realized. He knew he could not last much longer….

Xxxxxxx

Bill had jolted awake expecting to find himself in hospital. When he saw the familiar blankets of his own bed beneath him he relaxed. The road to the hospital is closed or else you would have been taken there", Doctor Ferris told him.

"Yeah well I can't say I am sorry about that", Bill retorted. Looking over he noticed the Bob whites standing awkwardly around his place. They looked like they had all the life sucked out of them. He understood that feeling very well . He opened his mouth to speak then shut it again as terror hit him. So this is what it felt like to feel helpless, to know that you might never see someone you love again. He felt like screaming or crying. But what good would it do. For better or worse he had to find out what had happened. With a dry croaking voice he got out," how are things going in the search for Dan's location.

Jim Frayne stepped forward, "they still don't know which is the right truck Regan. They are keeping a constant surveillance and trying to approach those trucks by means that are not going to raise suspicion".

Regan thought Jim meant it to sound promising but all it did sound like was that they were no closer to rescuing his nephew.

Pulling himself up and out of bed he padded downstairs to the stables. The Bob whites followed him closely, looking worried. They did not know what to do or say he realized. Trixie in particular looked strained, she like him probably thought she could have prevented this. He found himself moving over to hold her hand. She clasped it tightly and he saw her eyes were red from crying. He wanted to offer reassurance but nothing would come out. So he just held her hand even tighter.

When he got down to the stables , he found himself looking forlornly into the empty stalls. "This was not your fault Regan", Brian told him reassuringly. "Yeah I wish I could be sure of that Brian. All I know is that I am safe and Dan is not", Regan replied.

He pulled open the stable doors and peered out in the swirling coldness. "Come away Regan, there is nothing to see out there", Brian said in concern. Bill ignored him letting go of Trixie's hand and stepping outside into the mass of snow. "I just want to feel that I am still alive Brian, that I can still feel. All of me is numb and I just don't feel like I want to live another day."

It was his despair talking he knew. The others would probably drag him in soon. He stared into the snow and fancied he could hear Dans voice calling to him along with a horses whinny.

It was just the howling wind. 'I guess I am losing my mind", he said to Brian. "Come back inside Regan, and get warm, we will be there with you", Brian coaxed. He was very concerned about the state of the groom's mind. Though he knew all of them were scared and felt as powerless as Bill Regan. It was not a pleasant feeling.

"Yeah, I guess I am irrational Brian", Bill muttered into the wind," I even believe I can hear Dan and the horses calling to me". He shed tears again and they froze upon his face. The older two Bob whites had moved outside with Jim taking one hand and Brian the other. He felt the warmth of their grip holding on like a lifeline .Mart and the girls huddled indoors offering their sympathetic gaze. When Jim began to lead the way indoors he did not resist. It was doing no good standing out here in the snow.

The doors were in sight when Brian stopped still and turned. Bill heard it again, what sounded like a frightened horse crying out. "Well if you are hearing things then I am too", Jim remarked.

Now all of them turned to look into the swirling snow. At first there was nothing, though they could still hear the whinny. Then Regan saw a black shape coming at full speed. 'Its Jupiter", Brian gasped. When a hunched shape upon the horses back became clearer Brian gasped even louder. "How is that possible, It's...",he muttered

"Dan', Regan shouted the name as he ran.

Through the fog in his mind Dan seemed to hear someone calling to him, the voice sounded familiar. He seemed to vaguely recognize a figure that came running toward Jupiter. It looked like his uncle though he was sure it was just a hallucination. His eyes were flickering again and this time he could not fight off the sleepiness. He felt his hands loosen on the reins and then he was sliding down, heading for the cold ground. He did not hit though because arms were holding him.

"Shit, he's still in his underwear ,under that blanket", Regan swore as he cradled Dan close to his body. His skin felt like ice and Regan could not feel an inch of warmth anywhere

"Then most likely he has hypothermia, let's get him inside quickly", Brian stated. Regan did not need to be told that as already he was moving quickly ,toward the Manor house door yelling for help as he went.

Doctor Ferris, attracted by the yelling met him. He took one look at his latest patient and said, "he is going to need specialist care. I will notify a medical helicopter to come and pick him up immediately". They put Dan down the living area and the doctor covered him with a warming blanket. Dan did not stir or make the slightest sound. A terrified Regan clutched his hand and muttered, "come on Dan, don't leave me now".

Trixie looked at her friend bleakly. He had risked a lot to come through the snow to find them. How had even managed it was beyond her. Jupiter would not accept any rider, as she well knew. Dan, apparently had no riding skills and that made it even more incredible.

"He can't have been far away", Mart remarked as he watched his friend receive treatment. "No, they cannot", agreed Detective Fyne as he came to join them. Do you know of any building large enough to hold horses in the vicinity ". Mr Wheeler, who just felt useless standing about, stated, "there is only a large abandoned building on the outskirts of town". I will give you a location".

"I will arrange road blocks ,nobody is getting out of this town without being checked", Detective Fyne stated.

"Lets hope they catch them then", Mr Wheeler stared fiercely. Bill who sat beside a still and pale Dan agreed with that statement.

A short time later the helicopter had landed in the grounds of the Manor house and Dan and Regan were on their way to hospital.

Xxxxxxxx

Mr Ivan Fredricks felt good that he had just won 1000 dollars off his two colleagues. He went down the stairs intending to go and abuse Daniel Mangan a little more before they set off. When a gust of cold air hit him and he saw the door lying open and the Wheeler horses missing, he knew he had a huge problem.

"The little shit has gone", he screamed out to the others. "How, he can't ride those horses", Anderson stated as he and Underhill ran down the stairs. "It does not matter, if he makes it to safety then we are all going to be caught. Let's get out of here now", Ivan told them.

"What about the other horses, we can still get money for them", Underhill stated. "They might be looking for trucks. The only way out is to use a car. Let's go now in case they guess at this location", Ivan demanded

The men quickly hurried out into the snow and to the old car that stood partially hidden by some bushes. Climbing in, Fredricks quickly started the engine and moved away it from the building and onto the icy roads. Visibility was not good and the car bucked and slid on the road. He kept going though, not saying a word to his passengers.

They had not gotten far when they saw ahead of them the flashing lights of patrol cars blocking the road.

"Turn around now", Anderson pleaded. "They will block the road in the other direction too", Underhill warned. "I don't care", Ivan growled, speeding up and heading away from the road block.

The car skidded even more as Ivan fought to keep it on the road. "We need to slow down", warned Anderson. "No, we need to hit that other road block fast, and then we just might make it", Ivan stated grimly.

"Are you crazy, Anderson swore as he tightened his grip on the safety belt. "Do you want to go to to jail for kidnapping and attempted murder", Ivan screamed back,pushing the accelerator even harder. Nobody said anything ,though they all thought that their crimes were about to catch up with them.

When the car missed taking the next bend and slid off the road to crash at speed into a tree, their last thoughts were that crime definitely did not pay.

Xxxxx

Epilogue

It was several weeks later when Dan and Bill pulled up in a four wheel drive outside the stable doors. Dan could not help the beaming smile upon his face as he stepped out. "It is so nice to be home", he said sincerely.

"Yes, it is ",Bill agreed with a matching smile. Dan had been gravely ill and for awhile it was touch and go. But he had fought with everything he had and now was fully recovered.

As they went inside the stable Bill could not help grinning even more, he was looking forward to Dan's reaction to the surprise he had waiting.

Dan was curious when he realized that none of the Bob Whites were in the stables, he thought there may be a whole deputation awaiting him. "The others will see you later", his uncle explained, "I have something special to share with you first". Do you notice anything different"

Dan looked around, everything looked the same. He turned as he heard a whinny and saw Jupiter staring at him. Without even thinking about it he went to the horse and stroked his nose. "I am so glad you are alright", he said. "Yes and so is Mr Wheeler", Regan stated. "He said you were incredibly brave to do what you did and could not stop singing your praises. Everyone was even more astounded when I told them about your history with horses. To overcome your fears and escape was amazing Dan." Bill found himself choking back tears again.

"I thought I was going to die Uncle Bill, that gave me extra motivation", Dan stated. He could not see anything different about the stables and wondered what the surprise his uncle mentioned was.

"Well Mr Wheeler was so impressed that he has given you the reward money for the recovery of the horses. He had intended to offer this money for return of you and the horses, no questions asked", Bill Regan told him warmly. "Anyway I have to admit I did buy something on your behalf. There was only one thing I could think of buying, something that you talked almost non stop about as you recovered."

Dan thought about that statement, he could only really recall one thing he had gone on about.

Suddenly he felt like tears were going to overwhelm him again. He turned in response to a whinny and found himself rushing forward to embrace a very familiar horse, the one who had set him free.

"There are not many horses that could do the things this one has done Dan. He is very special. In fact he was raised in a circus, which is why he knows so many tricks, like untying ropes. He is retired now and his current owners were about to sell him when he was stolen. His name is Spartan."I think he is the perfect horse for your work at Maypennys" Regan told him. He could see the delight on Dan's face then and knew he would not have to work too hard to get Dan to ride this horse.

"I think he really was your guardian angel, Dan" ,Bill continued fondly.

"Wow uncle Bill, thanks so much, he is indeed the perfect horse for me", Dan whispered through the tears. Spartan was nestled close enjoying his touch and he did not feel like moving. It was amazing how things had changed .

"He must have cost a fortune", Dan remarked as he scratched his horses nose . He knew without a doubt this was the horse for him, the one that could heal his fear. He looked over at the question in his Uncle's eyes and knew what was on his mind. "Spartan was so patient with me Uncle Bill, he knew I was afraid." I don't think he would ever hurt me. So I guess I am ready to ride again", he told his uncle firmly .Bill smiled at that, he had been almost certain that was the case. He thought too that one day Dan just might ride Jupiter again as well. The black was almost subservient toward him now. He did not suggest that right away, just going on to the next part of his news.

"Well there is still some of the money left Dan. You could do many things with it, though I do have one suggestion", Bill said it tentatively , feeling a little afraid.

Dan could hear some emotion in his Uncle's voice, he sounded like he was preparing himself for him to disagree about something. 'What suggestion is that Uncle Bill", he asked curiously. "That I use the money to build an extention onto my apartment upstairs. There is enough room to add another bedroom. Then we could be together all the time, instead of just weekends and after school". Bill finished his suggestion and held his breath knowing this was a big leap for both of them, two loners not used to relying on others. There would be problems ahead, that was just part of relationships. But Bill was now more confident that Dan and he could at least talk about those problems honestly.

He looked over to see what Dan's response was going to be.

Dan stood frozen for a second as surprise and delight at the suggestion hit him and filled him with love.

He realized there was one thing he never had said to his uncle. 'What a wonderful suggestion, Uncle Bill, he said as he removed his arms from his horse to wrap them securely around his uncle. Tears came into his eyes as he said the words he knew his uncle needed to hear. The ones he had no doubt in giving, 'I love you", he said firmly.

Regan could not help smiling and neither could Dan. They stayed like that for along time, feeling that finally they were not just two people that happened to be related but a family.

THE END