Chapter Fourteen

JD lay unconscious in the bushes he had tumbled into for several minutes. The bushes afforded him some shade from the heat of the day, but the temperature was starting to drop as the afternoon wore on. His shivering and something crawling on his left hand startled JD awake. "What? Oww!" He rubbed his head with his right hand after jerking his left away to see a small lizard in the bushes. JD sat up, confused. His hazel eyes blinked as he looked around, trying to get his bearings. He was scratched and bruised from his tumble, but it was thirst and disorientation that was his main worry until . . . "Shit!" His memory returned in an instance and the despair and worry threatened to consume him.

Alone. The word crept unbidden into his mind and he could not banish it. Alone. The same way he felt when his Mom died, at her funeral, and at the graveyard when he sat by her headstone, paralyzed and lost. Alone.

Stop it, JD, he scolded himself, brushing away the tears. You're not alone. You have six big brothers – at least he hoped he still had six. They had to be all right. Nathan would take care of Chris and the others would put the fire out and save Vin and Buck. Of course Vin and Chris could have come to the saloon alone – but the smoke from the fire would summon help. Didn't the others have plans to meet at Rosie's? JD wasn't sure. But then he was supposed to stay at Luke's house and go to the movies with him. Luke had called and cancelled at the last minute as Luke's father had been taken to the hospital after collapsing at his job. So JD showed up at Rosie's to help Buck and Inez, and walked right in to Mort Samuel's reign of terror.

JD shivered again, not just from the cold but the remembrance of the events at Rosie's. How long ago was that? He couldn't remember. He didn't know how much time had passed; especially since Samuels had force-fed JD sleeping pills. JD had always been extra sensitive to any type of medicines and judging by the way he fell asleep instantly, the pills must have been pretty powerful.

The caws of three crows snapped JD out of his reverie. More shivers. Josiah was not the only one who hated crows. Didn't Josiah tell him an old folklore stated that crows were messengers of death? JD shook his head, trying to rid his mind of the negative thoughts. No time for that now.

JD slowly and painfully stood up, stretching his legs. One step at a time, he had to get moving. He was apprehensive of walking down the mountain road. If Samuels came after him, JD could not outrun the beat up pickup – or the jeep he caught a glimpse of when he burst from the cabin. If only he could hotwire a car! Vin could have done it, he thought. Vin would know better than to just wait here. Vin would know which direction would be the best to go. Vin would . . . Stop it, JD! Vin wasn't here, none of his brothers were here and he needed to get going. Move away from the road, one step at a time. Stay near the road, but far enough where he could not be spotted.

JD trudged through the bushes, hoping to stumble across a cabin where he could summon help. He wished he had not been out when Mort drove to Bob's? was that his name? cabin. No idea where he was . . . how far he was from Rosie's and the Larabee ranch . . . from help . . . right now he would settle for some water . . . keep moving, JD. Keep moving. He would not give up. Mort Samuels would not get away with hurting his brothers. Anger fueled his steps and he moved more rapidly for a few minutes. Then fatigue and worry held him in their sway, dogging his movements as the three crows circled overhead, seeming to mock his futile attempts . . .

JD took another tumble and lay for a moment, then looked to his left where a small puddle of water lay almost hidden among the leaves. Eagerly, he brushed away the leaves and brought the cool water to his face, and drank from his cupped hands. It was not much, but refreshed him; after five minutes, he rolled to his feet and resumed walking. And walking. JD had no concept of time. Each step took more and more effort. Minutes passed. JD was feeling more and more wobbly. Two large birds exploded from the bushes next to him and JD heard the sound of a rifle firing. Alarmed, he dived into the bushes and lay there, panting for breath. Was Samuels trying to kill him to stop him going to the police? Straining to hear any sounds of further gunfire or someone approaching, the exhaustion called to him and would not be denied. JD succumbed into unconsciousness once more.

Steps sounded closer and closer and a tall man reached out to grasp the wild turkey with a triumphant cry, then dropping it in puzzlement as he spotted a form with dark hair lying motionless about twenty feet away.

Turkey forgotten, the man dropped by JD. "Well, well, You sure ain't no turkey!"

TBC