Chapter Twenty One
Previously:
"Go put him in a cell!" Jeremiah turned away and headed for the door. "I have a blacksmith to talk to."
"You mean we," Nick and Heath said as they followed Jeremiah out the door.
Nick, Heath and Jeremiah walked briskly down the sidewalk, keeping their eyes and ears open as they did so. As they passed the general store, one of their men walked out of the store. "Find anything out?" The twenty four year old, red headed, Clayton Brown, asked.
Normally, Jeremiah would have told him everything. Only, as Jeremiah had said after the shocking revelation they'd received in the sheriff's office, no information was going to be handed out. Therefore he shook his head. Nick and Heath backed Jeremiah up. "Have you learned anything, yourself?" Heath asked just as Clayton was about to leave.
"Well," Clayton fidgeted slightly-a bad habit he had when he found himself in an uncomfortable position. His reaction to Heath's question had Nick practically in his face.
"WHAT is it?" Nick demanded before finding Jeremiah's hand on his right arm while feeling Heath's on his left one.
Clayton gulped and stuttered, "We w-ere a-ll told to g-ive any in-formation we f-ound to A-dam Pierce."
"Since…" Nick started to bark only to have Jeremiah shoot him a glare before turning his attention to Clayton.
"Adam Pierce is busy with another Federal agent who has just arrived. I'm temporarily in charge." Jeremiah spoke ever so softly while continuing to keep an eye on his surroundings. "Tell me,"
Upon hearing Jeremiah's words, Clayton relented. "I was near the blacksmith shop when the stranger rode up and started talking to the blacksmith." He went on to describe the stranger he'd seen. Instantly, Jeremiah, Nick and Heath knew it was Sanders that Clayton had seen.
"What else?" Jeremiah asked, as the way Clayton was looking around, there was more. Heath's and Nick's eyes screamed the same question for the same reason.
"I couldn't hear everything, only I did hear the name of Alderson." Clayton admitted.
"Go get yourself something to eat." Jeremiah nodded towards the café, but don't say anything to anyone. In fact, after you're done reserve a few rooms at the boardinghouse." While Jeremiah got the strongest feeling this mission wasn't going to take as long-or be as difficult - as everyone feared it might, the men would still need a place to sleep for at least one night.
"Yes, sir." Clayton started to leave, but then asked what he should tell Pierce if he saw him .
'If you see him in a jail cell while sitting in the café' all three men thought, 'you have better eyesight than us.' However, it was Heath who answered him-as he saw a couple of women come around the corner. "Nothing, what's said to him is up to Jeremiah now. Just go get some food."
"Yes, sir!" Clayton, who was hungrier than a horse, quipped as he hurried across the street. The moment he did that, Jeremiah walked as fast as he could-without attracting unnecessary attention- down the boardwalk towards the blacksmith, as did Nick and Heath. He was relieved to see the blacksmith still at work. He'd been afraid the man had run off with Sanders.
"I'll go around back and slip inside, make sure no one is inside. If it's clear, I'll let out a call that sounds like a hoot owl. The two of you need to get Mr. Hyde inside." Heath said when they started to cross the road.
"Fine," Jeremiah, who agreed with Heath, didn't argue as Heath turned and walked away.
When it came to Thomas Hyde, he didn't see Jeremiah, Nick or Heath. No, his eyes were on the horseshoe he was supposed to be working on while his mind was on the visit he'd received from Mr. Sanders.
"I told Alderson there were strangers in town. He didn't seem to care, unless they were asking questions about him. Why does he want to know who they are now? Nothing's changed." Thomas looked up from his work. Mr. Sanders was leaning a nearby pole.
Mr. Sanders wasn't about to admit it was he had actually been ordered to do away with the blacksmith only he had decided to put the order on hold…as he figured he could use him as a source of information for a while. "Ask him, I'm only following orders. Did you catch any names?"
"Not really," Thomas scratched the back of his neck. "That is, not all of them. I did catch the name of Barkley." He went onto describe Heath.
As he listened to the description given, Mr. Sanders thought on the blonde haired gentleman he'd played poker with. He hadn't caught the man's last name only, now, hearing the name Barkley attached to the face…something wasn't sitting right. "Keep your ears open. I'll be back. And, for your own safety, stay away from Alderson. He's madder than a hornet at you right now. I'll relay any messages you have for him."
Thomas jumped and came out of his thoughts when Jeremiah walked up and stopped at his right side while Nick walked around him and stopped on his left. "Who are you?" He looked at Jeremiah and then turned to Nick. "What do you want?" Just as he asked the questions the sound of a hoot owl came from inside the barn. It startled him, and he jumped again. Before he knew it, Nick had ripped the iron out of his hands and the two men were very quickly moving him inside.
"Who are you! What do you want?" The fear in Mr. Hyde's voice rose when Jeremiah looked at Nick and then let go of Mr. Hyde's arm. Nick got the message. Before Mr. Hyde could ask another question, Nick had slammed him up against the wall and demanded Thomas Hyde tell him, Jeremiah and Heath, who had pulled out his pistol and had it aimed at Nick's prisoner, everything that Mr. Hyde knew about Alderson.
Not knowing the general already wanted him dead, the frightened blacksmith cried out, "If I talk, he'll have me killed!"
"And, if you don't, we won't?" Jeremiah spoke up-hoping the question would break the man.
"I-if I tell you everything I know," Thomas Hyde squealed when Nick tightened the grip he had on the man's collar. "Will you make sure I'm not killed!"
"I have a friend who can help in that area." Jeremiah snapped and told Mr. Hyde to start talking. Which, thanks, to Nick's continuing hold on him and Heath's gun-the man did.