Chapter 21 Where's Lucas
"What do you want?" Lucas asked.
"We are going to go for a little ride outside of town." Walden responded.
"I am not going to go anywhere with you Walden!"
"I think if you want to see that pretty little newlywed wife and son of yours again, you're going to do exactly what I tell you!"
"Walden if you touch either one of them I will break you in half! You will regret the day you ever met me!"
"Now, now, now let's not be rude. Out the back door let's go, move it!" He jammed the pistol into Lucas's back.
They walked out back where Spurlock was waiting in the car and got in heading to the cabin in the woods.
At this moment Lucas was afraid. There was hope when it was just him and Walden. How was he going to get away from Walden, Spurlock, and he could only assume he was going to see Conklin? His mind was wondering to the worst possible scenario. My last words with Elizabeth were going to be argumentative ones. If only he could go back in time, he thought to himself.
Julie had just gotten up and came downstairs where Elizabeth was sitting on the settee crying.
"Elizabeth are you okay?"
"Lucas and I had an argument!"
"What kind of argument?" Julie asked.
"He is going to buy the railroad! He already has two businesses and I was very unsupportive, I basically said he wouldn't have time for us. I just don't want him to be over run with work. I want him to be here for Jack and me."
"Elizabeth! I have seen the way that man adores you! There is nothing that could take him away from you two! Jack and him are inseparable."
"He left and I was very unkind and I miss him." Elizabeth said trying to control her tears.
"He'll be back Elizabeth! It's not like you have lost him forever."
"Didn't he tell you he would be back?" She asked.
"He said he would be back around lunchtime." Elizabeth said.
"There you go, when he gets home you can make things right." Julie gave her a big hug.
The car pulled up next to the cabin and they got Lucas out taking him inside. They tied him to a chair. "Why am I here Walden?"
Spurlock resumed his post outside the cabin.
"My boss would like to meet with you! He will be here tomorrow."
"Tomorrow? Walden people will come looking for me."
"He knew he told Elizabeth he would be home at noon, but he also knew they had an argument. Would she come looking for him? Could she really be that mad at him?" He thought to himself.
"Let them come." Walden said.
"So what, am I just supposed to stay in this chair until tomorrow?" He asked curiously.
"That is exactly what you are going to do." Walden said.
Lucas always carried a pocket knife in his pocket and thought if he could just get to it, now would be the best opportunity for his escape. Right now it was just Walden in the room and the odds were even. He knew if he did not get loose before Conklin showed up his odds would dramatically decrease. On the other hand he was very curious to see what Conklin wanted exactly.
Lucas wiggled in his chair for several hours trying to get the knife to fall out of his pocket. So he could pick it up with his feet. Walden was in the other room and Lucas was not the least bit concerned with what he was doing. Regardless of his gentlemanly nature, Lucas had some defensive training. He thought when he was younger that might have been an avenue he wanted to explore, but then got into business and never looked back. He could feel the knife inching its way to the edge of his pocket. He just kept wiggling.
Noon had come and gone and there was no sign of Lucas. Elizabeth was starting to feel worried. "Where is he?"
"Elizabeth, maybe he just needs a little more time! Stop pacing! I'm sure he is fine."
"Julie! What if he never comes home? What if he doesn't want me anymore?"
"Elizabeth, all because you had an argument? You are out of your mind right now thinking and acting so irrationally. Lucas will come home to you! Give him space."
Elizabeth spent all afternoon pacing and worrying well into the evening. "Father, will you take me into town?"
"Yes!" William said. Alex actually rode with them into town while Tom was on duty.
"There is his car. So he has to be here."
She walked over to Gowen Petroleum entered the office and asked, "Mike have you seen Lucas?"
"No, he left here early this morning. He mentioned something about going to see Bill!"
"Okay, thank you Mike. I will check with Bill."
Elizabeth went into Abigail's. "Bill have you seen Lucas?"
"He came to see me early this morning. He was upset that you and he had an argument and signed Jack's adoption papers. Then he left and I haven't seen him since." Bill explained.
"I was a bit hard on him. What if he doesn't want to be with me anymore?" Elizabeth started panicking.
"Elizabeth, sit down. You would have to be blind to not see how much that man loves you! His love for you radiates off of him. The whole town sees it, how come you can't?"
"You're right Bill. I just need to find him."
"Do you suspect he's in trouble?" Bill asked concerned aware of the situation and the threat from Walden.
"He told me he would be home at noon and it is 6:00. I am worried. I will check the Queen of Hearts. Maybe he just got busy and lost track of time."
Elizabeth walked into the Queen of Hearts looking around for Lucas. She made her way to his office running into Gustave coming out of the kitchen. "Gustave have you seen Lucas?"
"He went into his office early this morning and has not come out all day!"
"Thank you Gustave."
Elizabeth opened the door, but found the back door to his office open and Lucas nowhere to be found. She walked out the back door and saw the tire tracks. Panic immediately set in as she ran as fast as she could over to the jail.
"Nathan Lucas is missing!"
"What do you mean missing?"
"He has been having trouble with Wyman Walden and he is nowhere to be found. The back door to his office was open and there were tire tracks leading away from the saloon, but his car is still here! Please you have to find him!" Panic rising in her voice.
Nathan mounted Newton, but not before Bill joined him.
"I am coming with you!" Elizabeth said forcefully.
"Elizabeth, no you're not." Bill said.
"Don't try to stop me Bill!" Elizabeth proceeded to mount up on Sergeant.
They headed off in the direction of the tire tracks.
William called home from Lucas's office and let them know what was going on. He was going to stay in town until they found Lucas and his daughter got back. He hated the idea that she went with Nathan and Bill, but knew there was no way he would be able to stop her.
The knife dropped out of his pocket with a slight thud. Lucas looked around to make sure Walden had not heard it. He was able to scoot it around with his foot and use his feet to bring the knife up dropping it in the chair. He was able to use his butt to scoot the knife to the back of the chair. The chair had a hole in the back. He stood up just enough from the seat to be able to reach through with his hands and grab the knife. Opening it he began sawing away at the rope.
About ten minutes later Walden came walking by; Lucas sprang out of the chair punching Walden in the face right between the eyes. The man fell to the floor dropping the pistol. Spurlock came through the door and discharged his weapon sending a bullet searing through Lucas's left shoulder. Despite the agonizing pain adrenaline took over. Lucas picked up the pistol with his right hand and fired back hitting Spurlock in the chest. The man fell to the floor. Using all the energy he had left he tied Walden up and fell to the floor as well groaning in pain.