Chapter 38

Jane and Maura were sitting the cafe area of the downstairs of the hotel. Jane was drinking a cup of coffee while Maura was nursing a cup of tea. She could tell that Maura was uneasy, but she didn't know how to make her feel any better at the moment. She knew that the town was edge, too. She could feel it every time she ventured outside. She also knew that Maura was getting restless being stuck in the hotel with her family. It wasn't that Jane didn't feel for her, she did. She just wanted to make sure that Maura was safe. She couldn't do that if she didn't know where she was. Knowing that Maura was safe gave Jane the peace of mind that she needed to focus more on Hoyt.

A young Apache male came into the cafe. He grabbed a chair and sat down next Jane. He didn't look out of place because he was in suit with short cropped hair. She recognized him though and she knew that the suit was her brothers.

"Eknath, why are you here?"

"The Skin Walker," he said quietly.

"You have news?"

"Si," he answered.

"And?" Jane inquired.

"He should be back in a few days. He's found something of importance to you and he wants it to draw you out. Lozen has moved the men closer to town. Elan is staying with your brother. Donali is in the back with your parents now. More will be moving in to town. He doesn't know we are here. Lozen is making sure that we keep moving. We will watch from town and raise the watch as needed. He will not succeed."

"Donali and Elan are in town?"

"Si," he replied.

"Will Lozen come to town and speak to me?" Jane questioned.

"I'll ask, but it might not be until really late."

"I'll be awake," Jane assured him.

He gave a quick head nod and stood up. He placed a hand on Jane's shoulder. She stood up. They shook arms, hands near elbows.

"Stay safe, Sister," he told her.

"Stay safe, Brother," she replied and watched him go.

"Jane?"

"Yes, Maura?"

"Hoyt is coming for me isn't he?"

"I don't know how he knows, Maura, but he does. He won't get you. We'll move you around. I won't let him get you, Maura. I promise you that," Jane told her with so much conviction that Maura couldn't help but believe her.

Maura leaned across the table. She reached for Jane's hand. She didn't care if anyone saw them. They both needed the comfort now.

"You can't hide me forever, Jane."

"Not for forever, Maura."

"What are you going to do?"

"I am going to wait for Lozen to come tonight. She'll come in the darkness to hide herself. I doubt that Hoyt even knows that he's been found. And, if he has, at this point, he doesn't care. He doesn't matter anymore, Maura. You do. We will do what we can to protect the town, my family and you. When this is over, I might just retire and stay in town."

"Don't say something that you don't mean, Jane. We'll get through this first and then we'll figure out what we are going to do. But, first, you're right. We need to meet with Lozen and figure out what we are going to do."

"I feel like he's in town, but I know he isn't. He's close, Maura. I know he is."

"Then, this will be over soon," Maura replied.

Jane nodded and got up from the table. She went back into the kitchen to talk with her parents. She knew that they would be on lock down until Jane told them otherwise. She knew that it was safest thing for them, but it was also going to be hard. The town would be walking on eggshells for the next few days. It was a necessary precaution, but Jane didn't know how long she'd be able to keep things quiet and safe.

Jane came back into the dining area. She was carrying a plate. She sat it in front of Maura.

"Eat up. Then please head back to the room. I'll be back as soon as I can."

"Where are you going?" Maura asked her.

"To set a perimeter around the town with Frankie," Jane said.

She pulled out her pistol, checked it, and holstered it. She gave Maura a pleading look and headed for the door. Maura just nodded and picked up her fork. Jane gave her a weak smile and left the hotel.

Minutes later, Angela was sitting across from Maura. She'd just finished the breakfast that Jane had brought her. She was wiping her mouth with Angela plopped down in the chair. She sat the napkin on the table and looked at the Rizzoli matriarch.

"It's that man, isn't it?"

"Who?"

"The one that hurt her."

"It is," Maura stated.

"She won't tell us about it. I don't need to hear the tales to know that he scarred my baby girl. I can see it...on her hands...in her eyes. She doesn't smile anymore, well...not a lot anyway. Things that used to make her happy don't anymore. I don't know what all he did to her, but I know he tried to break her."

"He did," Maura agreed.

"He didn't succeed."

"No, ma'am, he didn't."

"He won't."

"No, ma'am, he won't."

"Do you know why?" Angela asked her.

"Know what?"

"Know why he won't win against her," Angela replied.

"Why?" Maura inquired.

"Because she's a fighter. She's got too many people behind her. She's got too much love in her life. I don't think that God's done with her yet. She has too much to do. That man...he has nothing. That is why he wants my Janie," Angela told her.

"You're right. She does have a lot of love surrounding her. She's got people all around willing to help her against this monster. She'll be fine."

"We'll keep telling each other that until this over," Angela said.

"We will."

"It'll be soon, won't it?"

"I believe so."

"If he doesn't come for her, she'll go for him."

"Yes," Maura replied.

"I know that it isn't very Christian of me, but I can't wait until that man is dead."

"I don't think that you are the only one, Angela. Some people are just wicked. No one knows why, but that is why we have people like Jane. She will take care of them here and protect all of us innocent people from the wickedness that they are. She's protected because I believe that she is doing what it right and just. And, as such, she is protected," Maura explained.

"With the armor of God," Angela stated.

Maura wasn't sure how much she believed in God anymore, but she wasn't going to deny Angela her belief. She just nodded along with Angela as she slipped into Italian and began reciting prayers for Jane and then family. She just smiled and nodded along, saying "Amen," at the right points. When Angela felt bolstered enough, she stood up from the table.

"There are some Apache here. Jane told me that they are protecting the hotel and us. I suspect that one or two are for you as well," Angela told her with a knowing look. "Better get back upstairs and safe. I'm sure that they'll let us know when it's safe to leave again."

Maura just nodded along. She didn't know what else to say. Just as she was about to reach for her plate, Angela took it and shooed her back upstairs. Maura didn't need to be told twice.

It wasn't that she wanted to be alone, but she wasn't sure how well she would be able to hide how she felt about Jane to her mother. Plus, she wanted to think about what she was going to do if Hoyt did manage to get passed everyone. She wasn't sure that she could hurt the man. It wasn't something in her nature. It didn't matter how mad he made her just by existing. She didn't think that she could kill him even if she had the opportunity.

Just outside her room she saw another Apache warrior standing there. He wasn't in a suit like the younger one was downstairs early. He had one a pair of breeches with a long, wide, white breechcloth. It was belted with a hand-beaded belt. He had a formidable looking knife tucked in on his left hip. Across that he had a well worn, brown leather pistol belt. There were obviously bullets missing. He had on a light blue dress shirt and a dark tan vest. He had a beaded necklace centered on his chest. He long, dark hair was held in place by the long purple headband that was wrapped several times before being tied on the left side of his head. He had a rifle by his side. It was decorated with feathers and brass brads. He looked like a very strong warrior and Maura wished that terms between the settlers, the soldiers and the Apache were better so she could see these brave people more.

"Ojos Verde," he greeted her.

She wasn't sure what he was saying. And, she wasn't sure that it wasn't Apache. He said nothing else to her as she passed him and went into her room.

Knowing he was there made her feel better and a little more safe, but it didn't stop her worry when it came to Jane. And, now, she was glad that she was alone. She could cry and no one would see her. She felt bad that she was so emotional, but she couldn't help it. She and Jane had been through so much in the last few months and this was just another test for them. She knew that she wouldn't feel like things were normal again until it was over. She needed to be able to hold Jane and know that Hoyt was dead. Until then, she knew that she would be on edge.

She sat heavily on the bed and stared out the window. It looked into the building next to the hotel. It wasn't an unwelcome sight by this point. It did however remind Maura that Jane wasn't with her. She got up and closed the blinds on the window. She didn't want to see the outside world. She wanted to be in her own little world and hope that Jane would soon be joining her. She knew that it was wishfully thinking that Jane would be there soon, but she couldn't help herself.

She tried to think about the house that Jane was going to have built for her. She knew that Jane probably already had it being built. It would be just outside of town, but close enough that Maura would be able to ride into town with ease. It was just far enough out of town that Jane would be able to stop in and see her without anyone in town knowing she was there without her expressly letting them know. She wondered how she would decorate the house. She hoped that it was small and simple. She didn't need anything big and grandiose. A few bedrooms, a parlor, a large kitchen, a nice dining room, that was all she wanted. She would still want to entertain occasionally and she couldn't do that in a shack.

She was startled by a knock on the door. She stood up and moved to the door. She reached for the handle and then thought better of it. She backed away from the door. There was another knock before the door opened and the Apache warrior was in the doorway looking at her.

"Yes?" she asked him as soon as she noticed that his pistol was drawn.

"Come," he said authoritatively.

He handed her the rifle and lead her towards the stairway. He kept her behind him. He listened to the commotion downstairs. He obviously heard something that he didn't like. Instead of taking her back to her room, he tried all the other rooms until a door opened. He pushed her inside. He moved the furniture around to block the door just in case.

She just held the rifle. She didn't know what to do with it. She knew how to use it, but that wasn't the point. She didn't think that she'd be able to aim at an actual person. Food was one thing, another human...no.

He looked around the room. He saw a pair of pants and a jacket. He grabbed them and threw them at Maura.

"Put on," he told her in clipped English.

She looked at them and then moved behind a small dressing screen. She removed her skirt and put the pants on. They were a little loose, but she found a belt to cinch them up. Once she was done with that, she grabbed the jacket and put it on. It wasn't a perfect fit, but it would work. She came back from around the screen.

He looked her up and down. Then reached over and plucked a hat up. He placed the hat on her head. He huffed but nodded. He looked down at her shoes and was grateful that they weren't the normal boots that the "pale faces" wore. Jane had done good and made sure that she had a good pair of boots to wear until the school year started and she would be teaching. She needed something for the frontier and she had it.

He moved across the room to the window. He opened it and stepped out onto the ledge of the roof. He motioned for her to follow him. She did with trepidation. Once outside, they stayed close to the building.

She managed to look around. She could see men and Apache warriors on rooftops and in the alley ways of the town. To her horror, Jane stood in the middle of the street. She wanted to scream but a hand stopped her. She looked up in the dark eyes of the warrior.

"No."

She nodded and he moved his hand. He pointed up to a place on the roof. She nodded again and began to move towards it. When she got closer, she noticed Elan up there. He reached down and helped her up. Once she was on the tiptop of the roof, Elan and the other warrior pushed her down. They both raised their guns down into the street. Jane rolled over and looked down. She moved the rifle to the ledge of the roof and looked down, too.

All she could see was Jane. She was wearing a white shirt with a vest. It had her Ranger's badge on it. Her dark pants had dust and dirt on them up to the knee. Her hair was down and not pulled back. Her black hat was low on her brow and she knew that it was it was to block the sun while maintaining a view of everything in front of her. On her left hip sat her pistol. Her right hand had a rifle in it and it was poised on her right shoulder. Jane was waiting.

Then a man stepped out of the hotel and into the road.