Time in the Country 12
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The drive to the small clinic in town was agonizingly slow for Amanda. Concerned for Jess, who was still unconscious, she was also frightened half out of her mind, thinking of what could have happened to Lee.
The neighbor, Dave Taylor, had been near where Lee and Jess were, when he'd heard the sound of, what he thought were, gunshots. Knowing no one but he or Jess should be in the area, he went up to take a look. Jess was lying in the bed of his truck, unconscious. There were lots of footprints around but no one else that he could see.
Unable to move the senseless man to his own car, Dave had jumped into Jess' Ford and driven it back down the hill to the house. When he arrived and found that another man had been with Jess, he agreed to go back up and search for him, while Amanda, Mrs. Jenkins and the boys took the injured rancher to the clinic. Having no hospital close by and no such thing as an ambulance service, they had no other choice to take him to help.
Amanda, of course, wanted to go in search of her husband. But as Mrs. Jenkins couldn't drive, nor could Phillip, who only had a learner's permit, Amanda had to be the one to drive. With a pang of regret, Amanda jumped into the old truck and barreled down the country roads to the only medical facilities close by, the Steele clinic.
Dr. Steele was an older man, with iron gray hair, what little there was of it and twinkling green eyes, hidden behind a small pair of round spectacles. His short rotund figure gave a totally different impression than his actions when they arrived and he immediately supervised the transfer of the injured man inside and to an examining room.
While he worked on Jess, Mrs. Jenkins called the police and told them what happened. Having no real police force of its own in Talihina, a county officer was dispatched but it would be sometime before he could arrive. Until that time, all they could do was wait, something that was proving hard for Amanda to do.
"Mrs. Jenkins," she looked at the older housekeeper. "I can't just sit here. I've got to go and try to find Lee."
The small little woman looked up at Amanda and nodded with a sigh. "I know you want to, child. I know. I'd be doing the same thing if it were…" She stopped and suddenly Amanda understood a great deal more about Kathleen Jenkins.
Reaching over and giving her a hug, Amanda patted her hand. "Jess is going to be alright." She reassured her. "I know he will. He's got too much to get well for."
Kathleen looked at the younger woman and saw an understanding in her eyes that she seldom saw in women her own age of 59. "Thank you." She whispered.
"Mom?" Jamie asked, breaking the moment. "Are we going to back out there and look for Lee?"
Amanda regarded her youngest son for a moment, not sure if he was worried about Lee or glad to have him gone. Shaking her head, she knew she needed to keep her sons safe. "No, Jamie." She answered. "I am. I need you and Phillip to stay here with Mrs. Jenkins."
"Aw, come on, Mom." Phillip stepped up beside his brother with a protest. "It'd be easier searching with all three of us."
"Ain't no need to search." A voice spoke up from the door.
All heads swiveled to see Dave Taylor standing in the entryway. "I've combed that area, Ma'am." He said regretfully. "I found a lot of foot prints and some tire tracks that don't belong to me and Jess, but there ain't no sign of anyone else up there. Looks like whoever hurt old Jess in there, took your husband."
Amanda suddenly felt a pounding in her ears and dizziness overtook her. "N… no." She managed as she reeled slightly.
Instantly, the boys and Mrs. Jenkins were at her side, directing her to a chair. "Mom?" Phillip held tightly to her arm.
Amanda looked at the worry on both of her son's faces and gave them a smile and a slight shake of her spinning head. "I'm fine sweetheart. Really, I'm fine."
"You sure about that?" Mrs. Jenkins asked.
Amanda considered that question for a moment. Her husband was missing and perhaps kidnapped and she was far away from home with two sons to care for. "I'm fine." She forced strength to her voice as she started to her feet. "I guess I just should've eaten breakfast this morning."
Just then Dr. Steele stepped in and saw the ashen look on Amanda's face.
"Mrs. King? Are you feeling okay?"
"Yes." Amanda quickly replied. "How's Jess?" She directed the conversation away from herself.
"He's going to be fine." The doctor answered. "He has a concussion but he came to just a little bit ago and I believe he'll make a complete recovery. But I'm concerned about you now."
Amanda shook her head. "I'm alright." She repeated, this time a little more forcibly. "I just need to find my husband."
"Mom, please?" Jamie's eyes were wide behind his glasses and glancing at Phillip she saw fear on his face as well.
With a sigh, she pulled them both into a fierce hug before pushing them back a little and gaining her feet. "I am fine, fellas, honest. Like I said, it's just because I skipped breakfast."
Mrs. Jenkins shook her head. "Amanda Stetson, you are one stubborn woman."
Amanda grinned. "I think I've been told that before." She looked back at Dr. Steele. "Did Jess know who did this?"
The balding physician nodded, still guardedly watching her; unsure she was as 'fine' as she kept saying. "He said it was Stone, whatever that means."
Amanda took a deep breath. "That's what I thought." Steeling herself for what she knew she must do, she looked around for her purse, finding it on a nearby chair. Picking it up, she reached inside for the keys to the old white Ford of Jess's.
"What are you going to do?" Kathleen's face suddenly grew concerned when she saw the expression on the younger woman's face.
"I'm going after my husband." Amanda said determinedly.
"But… but you can't." The alarmed housekeeper declared. "You don't know where he is or even where Stone is and…"
"I know where Stone's place is." Amanda answered. "Remember? You pointed it out to me. That's all I need to know."
"But…" Kathleen's protests were ignored, though, as Amanda hugged her sons once again and turned and headed for the door. "Stay here boys." She ordered. "I'll be back."
The boys exchanged glances and a shrug but ignored their mother's command. "We're going with you." Phillip declared.
"Oh, no, you're not." Amanda turned back to them. "I think one family member in danger is enough. Now I don't know what I'm going to walk into out there but I'm not taking you two into it with me. So stay here!"
Amanda started once again for the door when she dropped her keys. As she bent to pick them up, the contents of her unclasped purse fell to the floor beside her. While she was gathering her things, she never noticed the boys slip out of the door and run outside. She never saw them hiding behind the seats of the old truck until she was already at Stone's compound and getting ready to walk in to the lion's den.
TBC
