Flames danced across the wide porch of the fine home. The lace curtains at the parlor windows shivered as they curled into twists of smoke. Five horses neighed and bucked nervously outside the front door. The men had their backs to Jim and Cap.

Cap Hatfield plowed forward to break cover from the trees but Jim grabbed him by the collar. Cap tried to fight against him but Jim yanked him back. "Hold on, we're out numbered and don't know where she is-"

"Let me go, McCoy!"

"Wait a minute-"

A man emerged from the smoke flooding the front door. He coughed into his sleeve as he stumbled down the steps. Another figure limped up to him, a shot gun lazily perched at his elbow. Even in the shadows, Jim recognized him. Bad Frank Phillips, the savage that the lawyer Perry Cline was trying to convince his father to use to catch Hatfields. One of that guilty party was right there in Jim's grasp. All Jim needed to do was reach around for his pistol and fire a shot right in Cap's head. Phillips knew his father, he wouldn't hurt Jim if he emerged into the yard with a Hatfield body. But Cordelia wasn't anywhere to be seen and nothing else mattered then.

Cap jerked out of his grasp. "She's in there-"

"Shut up, they're talkin'."

The man who had escaped the burning house caught his breath. "She's gone."

Phillips shook his head. "And Bryant? He still in there?"

"Shot dead."

"What you say?"

"I said the girl done shot Bryant dead and got away. She lit the place afire and escaped out a broken window-"

They didn't hear anymore. Both men quietly slipped away into the woods towards their horses. Phillips and his men were too preoccupied with the death of their comrade and the loss of their quarry. However, it would only be a matter of time before they started combing the forest for her. Jim was stunned that she had gotten away but she didn't know the land like they did. They would find her and God forbid what would happen afterwards.

Bringing their horses out onto the main road, they mounted their steeds. Cap motioned towards town.

"You go on and get help, I'll find her-"

Jim shook his head emphatically. "Both of us lookin' will find her faster."

Cap grimaced but didn't argue as he led his horse at a trot. Jim followed, scanning the woods for eerie shadows and listening for heavy breathing. But it was silent as the grave.

"Cordelia," Jim whispered hoarsely, slowing his horse.

Phillips' men were shouting as they tried to decide what to do next. Cap paused and dismounted. He stared hard through the trees. Even though the bastard was half blind, Jim had to admit that he had sight like a hawk. It was downright unholy how well he could see with that one eye.

Cap motioned for him to follow as he gingerly stepped off the road. Jim came up behind him as he knelt to the ground. He lifted something from the tangle of brown weeds in the brush. As he lifted it to the moonlight, Jim saw it was an oval pin. The bone white carving was the profile of a woman, her curls fanning out around her head like ripples in a pond. He recalled Cordelia wearing it the morning after he had first met her.

Cap pocketed the pin and rose to his feet. They both studied the ground, reading the sign that a person had been there. In the distance, Phillips and his men had organized themselves and were hunting towards town.

"Cordelia-"

Cap held up a hand and hushed him. They both listened to the silent winter wood. A faint gasp came from nearby. Cap shot towards a hollow tree with Jim close behind. He tore away the thorn bushes that covered the entrance to it and Jim reached in, thorns snagging at his sleeves. Cordelia grabbed his hand and bit hard. Jim kept from yelling out and dragged her into the light. She kicked and fought, her hair loose and tangled with brambles. Moonlight flooded over them as the clouds broke. Cap pulled her tightly against his chest as she struggled to escape his grip.

"Darlin', darlin', its me..." he comforted her quietly, running his fingers over the knots of bracken on her head. "It's Cap."

Jim cringed as she relaxed into Cap's arms. With careful footsteps, they led her back to the road where she sank to the gravel. Once in the open, they saw she was covered in blood. Jim pushed the hair from her face, her eyes wild on them.

"Jim?" she breathed, her brow furrowing.

"Where are you hurt?"

"It's not mine, the blood isn't mine," she gasped.

Cap lifted one of her arms, her sleeve shredded with a deep gash at her elbow. The thorns had torn her face and hands but there were no other wounds.

"What-what do we do?" Jim stuttered, rising to his feet and running his fingers through his short curls.

Cap glared up at him. "What do you mean? You are taking her home."

"Me? But-"

"But what? Your family is hunting mine down like dogs. Do you think she'll be safer with us?"

Jim heaved a groan and paced a step. "But my pap thinks she just as guilty of killing my brothers. He would never accept her. He'd sooner hand her over to the law for shooting Phillips' man back there."

Cap jumped to his feet and grabbed Jim by jacket. "Then you tell your father no. You stand up for her and quit bein' so cowardly."

"I'm no coward, Hatfield," Jim growled, tearing his hands off of him. "But she can't come with me."

Cap let out a heavy breath through his nose and peered down at Cordelia. She hugged her knees and rocked back and forth, listening but not hearing what they were saying. Jim moved towards her but Cap roughly shoved him away. Jim lifted a fist to swing at him but the hollers of the men hunting for her drew closer. Cordelia stumbled to her feet, eyes wide in terror. Cap steadied her before picking her up and propping her onto his horse.

"Damn you and your whole family for this, McCoy," he muttered then spit at Jim's feet.

Cordelia blinked down at Jim, her expression stunned as she realized what he had done. He'd abandoned her. She couldn't depend on him as he had promised. Cap mounted the horse behind her and Jim's gaze cut away as the man's arm drew protectively around her. Turning the horse, Cap set the animal at a gallop away from town. Jim moved towards the center of the road and watched them till they disappeared in the dark.

Glancing down at his bloodied hands, he sank to the dirt and perched his elbows on his knees. He didn't even hear Phillips and his men as they approached. Bad Frank rode up next to him, his pistol at the ready in his gloved hand.

"You're that McCoy boy, what the hell are you doing out here?" he stated with a sniff.

Jim shook his head and peered up at him. "Could ask the same of you, Phillips."

Bad Frank shrugged with a half smile. "Just saw the fire and rode by to see if I could help. Seems like that Yankee woman has been burgled but she gone missin'. You wanna help us find her?"

Jim rose wearily to his feet and retrieved his horse. "Only thing I care about finding are my brothers' killers, Mister Phillips. I'd be of no use tonight."