The soft morning light slowly crept through the tiny divide between the panels holding the tent's entrance together. Nathan stretched his long legs out underneath the blanket covering his torso and sighed. He barely slept all night, having to listen to Bill's labored snoring next to him in Lucas' small tent. With the crazed over packing Lucas had done, Nathan grumbled at his lack of foresight in not tossing an extra tent into his crammed trunk; some separation from Bill would have done Nathan good last night. Still, he was grateful for the shelter that kept the morning frost at bay, kept the two of them warm during the night, but he felt envious that Lucas had slept cozily in the comfort of a soft bed all night, even though it was at his own suggestion.
Nathan was anxious for the new day to begin but knowing it was too early to awaken the man next to him, he let his mind continue suffocating with thoughts of what may be coming this day and what had happened in the last. He was elated yesterday morning when Elizabeth so readily agreed to go fishing with him and Allie. Ever since Tom had shown up, he'd not seen much of her; well, actually he'd not seen as much of her since the day after his near-shooting, when she'd crushed his dreams by not accepting his dinner invitation. He'd upset her then, foolishly and unwarrantedly allowing his jealousy of Lucas to attack her character; something he regrettably had not apologized to her for, as there were graver misdeeds he'd felt the need to apologize for first. Indeed, he knew things had been troubled between them for some time now, and they seemed to be going further and further off track with recent events.
When he, Ned and Lucas had spoken with her a week and a half ago, she'd mentioned that she was unaccustomed to having men yell at her and that she found it unsettling. He'd yelled at her once; when she recklessly went after Emily during that windstorm, Nathan had yelled at her for jeopardizing herself. He was angry at her for risking her life then and he'd tried to make her see things from his perspective, but all he'd seemed to manage was further anger and wound her. Though they seemed to move past that moment, he realized that he never properly apologized for how he'd acted that day either. Nathan wondered if he'd done more damage with that argument than he'd originally thought; if that made her question her security with him. Did she associate yelling with violence? And if she did, would he be able to reign in his temper with her enough going forward to assure her that he'd never yell at her like that again?
He'd certainly try not to, knowing now it made her fearful, but it made his heart ache, worrying that she may fear him now because of that tendency of his. She'd seemed a bit fearful yesterday, actually, when he'd foolishly tried to kiss her. He'd been surprised by that: by both her fear and her rejection. Surely she knew he'd never hurt her, so he had to assume the fear was irrational. He wasn't sure what to do about that though; how to reassure her of his character if she had doubts about that. And the rejection had surprised him because she'd literally just showered him with compliments; the only time a woman had ever done that with him before was when she was trying to express romantic interest. But Elizabeth was a different sort of woman, he supposed. She wasn't forward but she also didn't play coy just to gain a man's attention. She moved about the world with sincerity and respect for others and genuine kindness. He knew, if nothing else, that Elizabeth respected him; that she wasn't leading him on, or Lucas. She was clearly just struggling to figure out her own mind and to sort out her life, at the moment.
He still wished Lucas wasn't in the picture though. Although he did not intend to shy away from it, knowing his own heart's desire, Nathan did not feel he was naturally suited to competition; he realized that it brought out incivility in him: jealousy, combativeness, discourteousness. Nathan knew it was unkind of him to lie to Lucas about Bill wanting to speak with him the night of Jesse's bachelor party, as it was implying to Elizabeth that Lucas was a 'lover' when he really didn't know the man very well then, or suggesting that Lucas was the person responsible for Allie's initial troubles at school when it was clear he'd only been trying to help his niece to make friends. At times, he felt badly for how he'd treated Lucas previously; badly for his skepticism of Lucas' past and his sincerity, of his envious distaste for Lucas' comparative amiability and outspokenness. But at other times, Nathan just couldn't put aside how easily that man rattled him.
Lucas hadn't been a saint in their rivalry either. There were a number of times when he'd thrown Nathan under the bus, or more accurately, encouraged Nathan to throw himself under the bus. Such as when he'd encouraged Nathan to continue his suggestion that the women relocate their bachelorette celebrations, knowing Elizabeth would overhear him, or reiterating his lack of appreciation for crowds to Elizabeth during the Christmas festival. Lucas seemed to love goading Nathan, which made the tiresome behavior even more irksome.
But as Nathan had spent more time with him in these recent weeks, he'd seen that this tendency of Lucas' to jest was not solely centered on him. He'd witnessed Lucas playfully bantering with Clark at the saloon about some horrid new rum concoction he apparently served a guest, who then accused him of attempted poisoning. He saw him with Lee once outside Elizabeth's house, teasing him about some of the questions the boys had supposedly asked during his and Carson's sex ed class at the saloon. Nathan was very glad he was spared from that class, but he imagined it would have been interesting to be a fly on the wall when it was happening, as Lucas had been. He still didn't like being prodded himself but he didn't take it as personally anymore, seeing that Lucas didn't restrict such behavior to him alone.
What he was struggling not to take personally, though, was little Jack's demand yesterday that Lucas be the one to hold him in the street. Nathan had just diligently fashioned Jack his own mock fishing pole, taught him all about bait and how to cast his line, and carried him for about half an hour. And his reward in those endeavors to give the boy some attention was for him to request Lucas instead? Rationally, he knew Lucas had spent a lot of time at Elizabeth's in the last few weeks, wanting to ensure she was okay with Tom being there, so little Jack probably got used to having Lucas around. But it definitely bothered him that the boy now seemed more content in Lucas' presence than in his own. If circumstances were different and Tom had displayed some willingness to be cordial to him, Nathan certainly would have dropped by more frequently this last week or so himself. As it was, the man seemed affronted every time he'd seen Nathan since that afternoon. By his own estimation, Nathan hadn't done anything that warranted apologizing to Tom over and he was willing to look past Tom's outrage at the Mounted Police, recognizing how deep his losses were, but it was difficult not to take that sort of unjustified distaste personally. Nathan had tried to largely steer clear of the man so as not to put himself in a position where he'd be so triggered by something Tom said that he'd lash out at the man. However, he fretted that Elizabeth too would be swayed by Tom's apparent opinion of him.
Yet, Nathan also understood that the heart has a mind of its own; his was naturally drawn to her and he couldn't help but hope that hers was to him as well. He had hoped to speak with her further about their conversation that day after his near-shooting but he never really found an opportune time. He'd planned to seek her out at the harvest festival dance, when the children and their distractions weren't a consideration, but she'd obviously left early that evening and in the cascading drama that unfolded after, it never seemed to be an appropriate time. In all these weeks that had passed since, the only time he'd felt comfortable broaching these difficult topics was yesterday morning. He finally worked up the courage to ask her about some of the thoughts weighing on him and to apologize to her: for his failure to keep her safe, for his initial unsympathetic reaction when she disclosed the details of the assault, for yelling at her before, and for how he'd lashed out at her, again, when she'd told him that day that Lucas was still in the picture. But he sorely fouled up that apology, mistaking her friendly concern for his guilt-ridden first disclosure for a more intimate expression and acting inappropriately on his assumption.
Nathan couldn't even recall a time he'd ever been that forward with a woman, but, in that moment, he had difficulty restraining himself. He'd grown impatient with waiting for Elizabeth to figure out what, who was in her heart, and he'd thought, for a brief moment, that she finally did. His heart soaring, he wanted to put finality on that declaration, to rid any doubt she had that they belonged together. Nathan's experience with women was limited though and he realized his grand gesture came on a bit too suddenly. It had been a very long time since he'd pursued anyone; since before he had custody of Allie. And he clearly did not know how to properly read such situations. He'd made her uncomfortable and he deeply regretted that, but he didn't entirely regret the attempted kiss because at least she had no doubt of his affection now. And, true to her nature, Elizabeth appeared more than willing to look past the awkward exchange; she'd asked him to take her fishing again, to renew their conversation. He'd try to prepare himself better for it this time, to discuss some of the questions pestering his thoughts, and whichever ones were on hers. And he'd certainly endeavor to keep himself in check going forward; he did not want to put her on edge again with any further perhaps unwanted advances. He did not want to alarm or hurt her; he wanted her to trust him with her heart.
Nathan imagined he did really hurt her the day of his near-shooting when he essentially accused her of going after Lucas solely for his money. At the time, he couldn't comprehend why she'd even entertain the idea of a man like Lucas; someone Nathan then-thought was an eloquent but pompous, unstable liar. An untrustworthy showman. Nathan didn't understand why a woman as educated as Elizabeth couldn't quickly see the difference between the two of them and determine, with haste, that he was the far better option. But, through all the unexpected events that had unfolded in these last weeks, Nathan found his humility growing as he realized, most unexpectedly, though certainly not for the first time, that Elizabeth's perception outdid his own. Just as her sage advice had guided him to understanding Allie and his own father and the inner workings of this town as a whole, her ability to look past a person's exterior and see them for their true selves was apparently shining through with Lucas. The man continued to surprise Nathan near daily with his seemingly unwavering devotion not only to Elizabeth but to his employees, to the town at large, to him and Bill even, with this dangerous work.
Nathan still felt on edge a bit with Lucas, somewhat waiting for the moment when his facade would slip or some piece of evidence would surface from his past and prove Lucas to be the untrustworthy conman Nathan had initially feared him to be. But as the weeks passed and as he grew to know him better, Nathan thought such an occurrence less and less likely. By all measures, Lucas actually did seem to be a very naturally generous and understanding man. He and Bill had quietly dug into his past after the incident with Amos last year, both in their aid for evidence of Amos' crimes and in their need to prove Lucas himself did not have criminal leanings. Though he had bounced around a lot before moving to Hope Valley, they'd found nothing else questionable about his background: no unpaid debts, no past arrests, no criminal connections, no known illegitimate children or secret wives. Everyone either of them had spoken to who'd known him before actually spoke quite highly of his character. Nathan was a bit surprised to learn that Lucas had once performed in a traveling circus as a magician; he'd laughed, assuming Bill was pulling his leg, when he told him that, but it was no joke. Bill said he spoke with some individuals who formerly toured with them as well and was told that Lucas was an exceptionally compassionate person, who'd gone out of his way on countless occasions to ensure the safety of some of the other circus members from uncivil patrons and who frequently engaged in passionate, yet polite, debates with the lion tamer about his inhumane methods of dealing with the big cats. Though that information was unanticipated, the only real oddity in their research was that some of his past associates described him as naturally shy and difficult to get to know; Nathan may have noted Lucas' reserve but shyness was not an attribute he'd have labeled the man with. On the exterior, at least, he was a very sociable man. And although he did not openly discuss much about his past or his family, Nathan himself didn't either, so he did not really want to begrudge the man for that; one shouldn't really be judged for one's family when those relations are beyond one's control.
In Hope Valley, though, Lucas was very social. He had come to be welcomed by the community, in spite of his initial feather-ruffling with the late hours and messy business dealings with Henry. His staff respected him immensely, and he, them. Nathan had noted countless occasions during his visits to the saloon where Lucas, without hesitating, went to aid one of his employees. Nathan watched as he lifted heavy boxes full of new dishes with Wyatt and Clark the other day, despite Wyatt's protestations to his boss that he could manage them independently. He had Gustav prepare pastries for those who attended the weekly safety briefings on Wednesdays and Nathan overheard Clark teasing Lucas that one of the turnovers 'hadn't turned over too well' because Lucas had been the one folding them in the kitchen that morning, helping out the apparently flustered chef. He listened attentively whenever one of his staff brought forward a suggestion on how to better manage the saloon, and now the oil company as well. Just the other day, he'd overheard Lucas tell the ever-timid Mike that he wanted him to be open with his ideas and constructive criticism, and he'd listened patiently as Mike explained some oil refining process he thought they could alter to be more efficient. Lucas had suggested all of his female staff attend Nathan's self defense classes, and paid them to do so, even asking one of the waitresses to ensure Katherine went. She was practically dragged into the last session, but she'd participated, with some encouragement from some of the other women. Though she did not really speak with him, she had talked to Bill, and she seemed to have gained some confidence with the exercises before the session ended. She thanked Bill sincerely when she'd left.
And Nathan fully appreciated that Lucas did not have to assist with the dangerous mess of tracking down these men. Indeed, it was asking a lot of a civilian, but neither he nor Bill had really even asked. Lucas was rather insistent on it and he'd proven to be quite valuable during their questioning of Fred Wilkens. So he'd thought nothing of it yesterday when Bill had recruited him to assist with this endeavor. Nathan knew he could put his own conflicting thoughts of the man aside long enough to welcome the assistance with this, understanding that he and Bill were entering a precarious mission here in Wildwood. He'd do his best to keep the man out of the severest of skirmishes, even though he estimated their rivalry back in Hope Valley would continue until the day Elizabeth finally made up her own mind.
Nathan knew he needed private time with her, so they both could sort their feelings out, and hopefully, he could persuade her to give him a chance. In spite of some of his own recent failings, he still felt he and Allie could offer Elizabeth and little Jack with the kind of stable, loving family life he thought she was looking for. He hoped that would outweigh Lucas' showmanship in the end. And he hoped today would go well, so he'd be able to return to Hope Valley with the news he wanted to deliver to her: that she had one less thing, one less person, to worry about and that she could resume focusing on sorting out her romantic life. Then, if he could just find the right time (and the right words), he could initiate that important conversation the two of them were overdue for.
He was glad for it. Glad that finally, after weeks of waiting for it, he had a real chance at finding the man who'd nearly taken Elizabeth from his world. He did not want to let Gary Terrell slip through his fingers again, like he had after they'd found Wilkens. Nathan had tried traveling at night from Buxton to Regina the night Lucas brought Fred Wilkens' body back to Hope Valley. But the moon had been covered in shadow that night and he could barely see ten feet in front of his face. Newton had gotten spooked and refused to push onward, forcing Nathan to make camp until early morning. Though he woke before daybreak, it seemed Harold had managed to get word to Terrell somehow that the Mounted Police were after him. He was nowhere to be found in Regina, nor were the men he was supposed to meet. The townsfolk had seen the group clear out just a few hours before Nathan arrived and though he tried following their trail for over a day, he'd lost track of them entirely. That failure weighed on his conscience severely every time he saw Elizabeth after, and even more so following the day Tom showed up, when she'd admitted to him, and Lucas, that she felt unsafe in Hope Valley. He knew he was responsible for that, despite her proclamations yesterday that she never blamed him. He blamed himself and his conscience would not rest until the threat of Terrell was eliminated. Nathan knew he would not be able to face Elizabeth if he went back to Hope Valley with anything other than the news that Terrell was dead.
Nathan had wanted to arrest Harold for obstructing justice over that initial loss in locating Terrell, but Bill said there was no evidence that Harold had warned Terrell, though they couldn't imagine who else would have done it. None of the other paper mill workers or residents of Buxton had known connections to the gang. If he were successful in bringing Terrell down, Nathan fully intended to have a harsh discussion with Harold in the very near future; the man needed to learn that he couldn't flaunt his disregard for authority like that. Nathan did not plan to let any others, however remotely associated with Terrell, off that easily.
It had taken Lucas nearly four hours to drive them to Wildwood yesterday, which was actually more than decent time. It probably would have taken three times that long on horseback, unless they'd worn their horses out by traveling at a full gallop but no horse could have lasted that long at such a speed. During their one rest stop, they ate briefly, Bill commenting that Lucas should join all their excursions if it meant Gustav would prepare such delectable food for them and he got to nap in the backseat of a car for an hour or two. Nathan had to admit driving was certainly a much more pleasant, and efficient, way of going about this work, but he'd never involve a civilian in anything like this again unless he absolutely had to. Today, he did, unfortunately, feel like he had to. Having another man present would decrease the likelihood any one of them would be injured and conceivably, provide Bill with further evidence of Clifford Highton's involvement with Terrell's gang.
During their stop, Lucas had altered his appearance, shaving off his beard with a bit of a grumble, and putting on the thick-rimmed clear-lensed glasses Nathan had in his bag of disguises. He looked much younger without the beard, and Nathan thought with a smirk, less handsome too. Still, he wouldn't have insisted on it if he hadn't thought the ruse necessary; and given Terrell had stayed at the saloon and could likely easily identify Lucas, it was. He wasn't certain if Terrell would recognize him or Bill, though he suspected that he might. And if Harold had relayed any information about them to Terrell, which he likely did, the three of them together was practically a giveaway, so disguising and isolating Lucas would be a safer move.
Nathan hoped without the red surge, that he wouldn't be as recognizable himself, and with any luck, Bill wouldn't be noticeable either with the fake mustache. Nonetheless, Nathan suggested putting Bill on lookout duty so as not to chance any close encounters. Him having interviewed Harold, as had Lucas, made the two of them far likelier to be recognized by this entourage they were hoping to surprise; Harold, no doubt, would have described them to Terrell after his cousin's death. And Constable Northrop, surely, was already a known entity to them, being the only visible member of law enforcement in the town. So, they all decided it was safest for Northrop to appear to go about his rounds, as normal, pretending not to suspect anything but being close by whenever the action began.
They had not seen the three Mounties sent from Edmonton and Nathan fretted over how and when they might become involved. He didn't want them jeopardizing this operation but as it relied so much upon the element of surprise, he couldn't exactly stroll into town asking around for them, as it would possibly give away their presence to someone in Terrell's pocket. Constable Northrop had agreed to fill them in when they came around to his office and to instruct them to try apprehending the men in the hills if the group were unsuccessful in town.
Nathan had not wanted to involve Lucas directly in any action, but he knew Lucas well enough to conjecture that he could easily handle a man physically weaker than him and, he hoped, less cunning as well. So they had, what Nathan thought, was a decent plan, despite it being riddled with conjectures.
They'd convinced the bank manager, Mr. Richards, to allow Lucas to pose as an old associate, a superior sent from headquarters to monitor the bank's compliance with company policies. His wife had graciously insisted that he stay the night with their family, to further aid Lucas' disguise as a former colleague of her husband's, who had only moved to Wildwood himself a few years ago from Edmonton. Nathan had been uncomfortable disclosing their plans to Mr. Richards, and even more so, to his heavily pregnant wife. Yet realistically, Nathan knew they couldn't control getting Lucas inside without the help of the manager. Mr. Richards had been the one asserting that his wife be informed, as he professed he never kept secrets from her. Nathan strongly felt this was one secret necessary to keep from one's spouse, particularly in her condition, but he was overruled by the persistent man. And so after he'd agreed to the plan, they informed her. She had gone rather pale at the news but did not appear outwardly overly emotional about it and only asked a few questions.
Lucas' presence in the bank was intended to be both an essential part of the plan and a back-up. If their assumptions were correct that Highton would be going in to fraudulently dupe one of the tellers, Lucas would be well positioned to help Mr. Richards figure out what precisely the gang was planning and to collect the evidence of such. When he'd come up with the plan, Nathan had no idea Lucas had prior experience with bookkeeping, making him surprisingly better suited for this little covert operation than any of them could have hoped for. He'd droned on for nearly twenty minutes explaining yesterday how he had recently spent near a week pouring through the oil company's ledgers, figuring out some miscalculations and over payments that Henry had made. If he were honest with himself, Nathan didn't fully understand some of the terminology Lucas had used and that portion of their conversation had thoroughly bored him; mathematics was never one of Nathan's strong suits. But he and Bill were both grateful Lucas seemed to have an appreciation for it.
The plan's fail-safe though, was that if they were wrong in their guesses, and Terrell didn't send Highton in alone, Lucas would be inside, as the last form of protection for the staff and customers if the gang were able to get past the law enforcement outside. Nathan prayed that Lucas and Mr. Richards would be able to handle that if anything inside went awry. He could tell Lucas was nervous about the assignment, though, and he didn't blame him. There was definitely risk involved for all three of them, but he suspected the danger would be more so out in the open, with him and Bill, as it should be. They were, after all, the ones paid to do this.
Terrell's gang had done a lot of awful things, but in the few robberies they'd undertaken, they only killed those civilians who tried to intervene. Lucas and Mr. Richards, therefore, had specific instruction not to intervene unless someone's life was directly in danger. Otherwise, they were to let the men out with whatever fraudulent or demanded funds they requested. Nathan, Bill and Constable Northrop would deal with the men outside the bank, hopefully apprehending them on the edge of town to avoid risking any passerby, or if necessary, taking them out in the street. Bill would be positioned to offer long-range protection with one of the rifles Nathan had stuffed into his bag. And Nathan would assume the riskier job of guarding Northrop and apprehending the men outside, while trying to stay under cover until the last possible moment. Nathan didn't exactly like the fact that their plan relied a great deal on chance, but he considered that life, in general, is rather dependent on it, so he tried not to dwell on their unknown odds of success.
As he stirred, his head resting on the fluffiest pillow he'd ever slept on (or at least tried to, since the feathers didn't drown out Bill's breath), Nathan felt gratitude for Lucas' fanciful taste in camping equipment. He hoped that Lucas was feeling up to his task this morning, imagining him to be presently putting on one of his pressed, three-piece suits and sitting down with Mr. Richards' family for breakfast. The couple had a little girl of about three who reminded him a bit of Allie at that age: dictatorial. She probably had forced Lucas to play with her dolls or throw her a tea party. Though he envied the feather bed, Nathan didn't exactly envy the company Lucas was in. Nathan hated small talk; he'd have been extremely uncomfortable spending the night in a stranger's home. But he doubted the ever-social Lucas would be perturbed by such an opportunity.
Nathan pulled his watch from his pocket and decided it was time to rouse Bill. He called out, "Bill, it's six thirty. Lucas and Mr. Richards should be there in an hour."
Bill grumbled, "What? Six thirty you said?"
"Yes."
"Alright then. We got any food left?" he wondered.
"Yeah," Nathan replied. He'd laughed yesterday when Lucas pulled out the massive wicker basket, complete with an assortment of sandwiches, fried chicken, pickles, fresh fruit, muffins, scones, cookies, a pie, and a canister of lemonade. Nathan had never been as well fed on one of his work-related excursions as he had been on this one. But he was now immeasurably happy to be eating a light, lemon-infused scone this morning instead of one of the tasteless hard-tack biscuits he traveled with in his saddle. Bill may have had a point: perhaps they should ask Lucas to join them on all their trips from now on, or at least ask Gustav to prepare snacks for them.
He and Bill ate quickly, then tore down their small camp: folding the tent back up and putting out the fire they'd built for warmth in the crisp air. Bill drove them the few minutes back into Wildwood, where they left Lucas' car behind the livery as planned. Walking down the row of stalls inside, Nathan inquired with the livery master about a chestnut-maned stallion named Molasses. The man claimed the horse's name belied his speed, so Nathan settled on him and Bill chose a grey thoroughbred, joking that his color matched the direction his own head of hair was heading.
He was glad they'd made the trip out so quickly, as the afternoon light yesterday had enabled them to thoroughly go over their research and plans with Lucas, Constable Northrop and Mr. Richards, but Nathan missed Newton. Anytime he worked with a different horse, it always put him more on edge, not knowing how the beast would respond to him, to loud sounds, to other horses, to the action of a gunfight. He hoped Molasses would prove as tame a horse as the livery master had proclaimed.
Nathan and Bill said their goodbyes quietly in the livery. He watched as the older man trotted down the street towards the bank. Mr. Richards had given detailed guidance as to how Bill would be able to scale the roof of the dentist's office across the street. Bill planned to hide out behind the business' sign on the rooftop, ready to take a clear shot at long range at any of the gang members who might try breaking into or escaping from that bank. Nathan glanced over at Constable Northrop's office, which was three buildings down from the dentist's office. He saw his fellow Mountie standing resolutely out front, holding a metal cup of coffee. He wasn't drinking it though, as his eyes were peeled on the road into town. Nathan worried momentarily that his suspecting behavior might give the entire plan away. He noted that Northrop still appeared to be alone though; which meant either the Edmonton Mounties hadn't arrived yet or they'd already been in contact and he'd told them to wait on the outskirts of town.
He hoped it was the later. If Terrell hit this bank today, Nathan would appreciate the greater likelihood of success that comes with backup and he suspected those other Mounties would not hesitate to fire at Terrell's gang if they were armed, as he knew they would be. They all wanted these men caught, or preferably killed, with the possible exception of Highton. Nathan understood why Bill had made those comments on their car ride yesterday, knowing that there was little evidence regarding the financing of these criminal groupings and that if they could somehow persuade Highton to be candid about it, it could go a long way to disrupting other crime. Bill had not been plainspoken, though, and Nathan did not find an opportunity to speak with Lucas alone yesterday, so he worried that Lucas may have misinterpreted Bill's words.
Having worked so closely with the man for more than a year now and recognizing that Bill looked away from how they'd decided to handle Wilkens' gunshot wound, Nathan knew that Bill was not, on the whole, opposed to this exercise resulting in casualties on the side of Terrell's gang. He too cared for Elizabeth and understood more than most that the justice system was unlikely to actually serve justice in her case. Bill himself had only acquired his judgeship because he proved that the man he replaced was corrupt. Nathan knew there were plenty of other judges just like that: who took bribes from criminals for the granting of leaner sentences. And juries were an often unpredictable being, failing frequently to attain the consensus necessary for a conviction. People were hesitant to send their fellow citizens off to prison without significant evidence, and even when that was present, defense attorneys were skilled at making juries question their own judgement. He knew, without being told so, that Bill did not want to take Terrell in alive, if at all possible. But he'd also told them to leave the personal out of this and to forget about what Terrell did to Elizabeth. If Lucas were somehow able to actually do that, Nathan worried that if given an opportunity for choice, Lucas would now select the more merciful option, believing that's what Bill told him to do. That would not be the more merciful option for Elizabeth though, who would then be subjected to a trial, or to the unknown number of victims Terrell might have in the future if he were not convicted.
As he stood outside the livery, wishing he could speak to Lucas quickly about their priorities here and offer any reassurance the inexperienced man may need in this, Nathan watched Lucas hobble up and enter the bank with Mr. Richards. Lucas had practiced with the cane Nathan loaned him for his disguise yesterday and he, at least from this distance, seemed to be managing it alright. The two men appeared to be holding amiable conversation, though Mr. Richards looked a bit strained. Nathan noted that Constable Northrop was looking intently at the pair and his focus concerned Nathan. If anyone from Terrell's gang were watching the Mountie's movements, they'd recognize that he suspected something amiss was happening in that bank today. Taking a quick look around him, he didn't see anyone on the street engaged in close observance of the goings on, but that didn't mean there wasn't someone in the nearby hills spying down on them all right now. Nathan prayed fervently that wasn't the case, worrying that, though he felt he'd done a good job concealing himself in this livery entryway, Bill might be entirely exposed to someone on higher ground and Northrop's behavior could arise suspicion. And there was always the chance any one of them trying to pass under cover would be recognized.
Nathan fretted over whether their small band had made the right decision regarding how to approach this, but he reckoned it was too late to change tactics. And other than attempting to surround them in these woods that were unknown to all but Constable Northrop, they had no other brilliant ideas. That one really would not have been a brilliant idea, as he strongly suspected it would result in casualties for both sides. This plan had at least a chance of collecting further evidence to aid them in crime reduction and, he hoped, would give his side the upper hand. But it troubled Nathan to have so many civilians potentially put at risk by this; not just Lucas but also Mr. Richards and all of his staff as well as any customers who might be inside or near the bank whenever the gang made their move.
Praying silently, ceaselessly for a successful end to this day, Nathan waited in the entryway, his legs becoming stiff, until one o'clock in the afternoon. He was hungry but noted that Lucas and Mr. Richards hadn't taken a lunch break. The manager had told them yesterday that he almost always took a break in the hour of twelve, going to eat at the small cafe near the mercantile or sometimes the soda fountain near the mayor's office. Nathan now started to worry that Highton may have known that, may have been waiting for the moment Mr. Richards stepped outside to make his move. Maybe they wouldn't now. Or maybe they'd change tactics too, taking on a riskier approach.
Just as the thoughts entered his mind, he seemed to find confirmation of them. His breath caught in his throat, his eyes falling upon a sight they had not originally anticipated. Clifford Highton was indeed strolling into town. But he was not alone. Riding beside him, equally sharply dressed, were Berry and the red-headed man Bill described. They ambled down Main Street, high on their horses, riding slowly, passing right in front of Nathan; but they didn't seem to take note of him standing in the shadows.
He and Bill assumed Highton would be sent in alone. That was not the case. He had not one, but two men with him, likely intended to act as guards. And Nathan strongly suspected Terrell must be nearby, and accompanied. There had to be more than four of them around these parts because it would be risky for the gang to leave their leader unprotected, though Terrell was formidable enough to handle himself fine. How Lucas and Mr. Richards would handle this was becoming increasingly more difficult to envision. He worried either of them might panic seeing Highton enter with accomplices. Nathan fretted over what might be about to occur inside that bank.
He watched as they continued on down the street, noticing they had a very slight moment of hesitation when Constable Northrop interrupted the conversation he was having with a middle-aged woman outside the jailhouse to look at them squarely. Nathan exhaled with relief, seeing Northrop turn back to the woman, feigning disinterest in the men. He hoped that quick action had been enough to set them at ease but he'd also seen this morning that Northrop had diverted his normal rounds slightly; he lingered near Main Street longer than he'd told Nathan last night that he usually does. He never made that eleven o'clock trip out to the town's electric station that he said he normally took every Monday and Wednesday at that time. And he'd been told my Mr. Richards that Northrop was a man given to routine. Nathan pondered that might have been why the gang chose Wildwood; because they'd somehow learned that the Constable here was more predictable in his movements than most. Nathan himself never kept a strict schedule, for the very purpose of not wanting to alert any potential criminals in the area to his movements. It was ill advised for law enforcement to be as predictable as Mr. Richards implied Constable Northrop was.
He held his breath as he watched Highton and his accomplices ride right up to the bank, swiftly hitching their horses to the post outside. Highton and the red headed man walked right in, not even bothering to look back at Northrop. Berry had dismounted, but was now lighting up a cigar in front of the bank, taking in a long, carefree breath. Their nonchalance was unsettling. In Nathan's mind, it was confirmation that Terrell and, most likely a few others, were close by. He sensed they were almost awaiting a signal of sorts from Berry to enter the town. Nathan couldn't see any sign of them though, and that made him even more anxious.
His heart began pounding in his chest. Nathan was not accustomed to waiting on the sidelines for action to unfold. Not knowing what was happening in that bank was tormenting him. What if Lucas or the bank employees were in danger right now?
A few minutes later, the bank's entry door slowly opened. Berry looked back quickly, his hand raised mid-air, cigar fuming away. Nathan took a step forward, nearly revealing himself from the shadows, but quickly leaned back into the livery when he noted the person holding it open.
Awkwardly, Lucas stepped aside, trying to balance on his cane, while holding firmly on the door. He drawled to an elderly woman who thanked him for opening it for her, "Now you have a lovely day, Mrs. Gorton. I hope to see you again soon." She turned to speak with him but sputtered, coughing, over Berry's cigar fumes. Lucas smiled pleasantly at Berry, "Excuse me sir, but would you mind putting that out or smoking a bit further away from the entrance here? The smoke is clearly unpleasant to some of our customers." Nathan held his breath, wondering how Berry would respond. He was appreciative of Lucas' feigned calmness though, as he knew that meant he thought things were going smoothly inside.
Berry puffed, affronted, "I'll smoke wherever I damned well please! I ain]t inside, mister."
Lucas bowed his head slightly, muttering something under his breath. Nathan hoped Lucas' comment wouldn't cause an altercation, as that could possibly blow this operation. The elderly woman, however, took true offense to Berry's noncompliance, retorting, "Now you ought to mind your manners, mister! This here is a respectable town and we expect our visitors to be courteous!"
Berry remained silent for a moment, staring down the old woman, and Nathan could tell Lucas was becoming anxious, as his skin paled slightly and he increased the grip with which he held onto his cane. The woman, however, stood her ground, waving her hand about in the air, clearing the smoke away. Berry sighed and then grumbled loudly, jeeringly, "Alright, ma'am." He walked down the steps of the banks angrily and resumed smoking from the gravel just beside his group's horses.
Nathan and Lucas visibly relaxed at the same moment. The woman turned to Lucas and remarked, "Thank you, kindly, Mr. Howard. I do hope you find everything to your satisfaction here. You've been most courteous."
"It's been a pleasure, Mrs. Gorton," Lucas replied warmly. She walked gingerly down the steps, giving Berry a final stare before ambling towards the post office. Once she'd safely made her way down the steps, Lucas closed the front door, but not before he bent to rub his supposedly injured knee for two seconds, his pointer finger massaging his kneecap. Nathan understood the sign: he was informing him there was one other customer in the bank. Nathan had been watching closely, so he was already fairly certain of that. A young woman in her early twenties had entered a few minutes before the gang arrived. So that meant there were five civilians inside: the woman, Lucas, Mr. Richards, and his two tellers. Those were decent numbers. Nathan hoped no other customers would show up until Highton cleared out.
As Lucas hobbled back inside, Berry remained impassive, smoking outside, for another three minutes. Then, one of the worst possible scenarios Nathan had been praying would not happen, did happen, and he was powerless to stop it.