I REALLY enjoyed reading your reviews for Chapter 2. We had everything from 'WTF' to 'Eagerly awaiting the next update'.

It is unbelievably heart-warming that you are invested in the characters & storyline so early :D

3. Every Misery and Danger

Kill the bastard. Get to Dimitri. Rose's brain was screaming at to her to do something, but she couldn't move. She couldn't think. She could barely even breathe. All she could do was crouch behind the water trough and stare in horror at the body on the ground; willing Dimitri to get up, telling herself this was all just an awful nightmare. But he didn't get up, and it wasn't a nightmare. This was real.

'Look what you made me do, you stupid whore!'

The brutal words jolted Rose from her trance, and her hand shook with fury and vengeance as the barrel of her pistol found its target - tracking every movement of the monster who'd just destroyed her happiness and stolen her future. The only thing stopping Deputy Belikov from unloading every last one of her bullets into the raper's skull was the fear she might accidentally hit the fair-haired woman cowering at his feet. A clear shot. She just had to wait for a clear shot and she would send the evil sonofabitch straight to hell.

'If you'd just kept your mouth shut like I told you to, I wouldn't have needed to shoot that nosy fool and my Private would still be alive,' the soldier rounded on his victim with a look of contempt. 'Two men dead, and it's your fault. Do you know what happens to women who disobey?'

It wasn't a hollow threat. Rose's finger tightened on the trigger as she watched the man bend to retrieve his belt from the hay-strewn floor; securing it around his waist then drawing out the cavalry sword from its sheath at his hip.

'Look at me when I'm talking to you, girl,' he hissed, using the tip of his sword to her raise her chin; her pale, tangled hair falling back from her face to reveal a large bruise flourishing on her cheek. 'You won't tell anybody what happened here today, will you?'

The young woman sucked in a frightened breath as the sword pricked at the soft flesh beneath her jaw. A bead of crimson sprung from her fair skin, clinging to the blade's steel point before dripping down to stain the collar of her dress.

'If anyone asks, you will tell them our party was attacked by a lone bandit with long hair and a foreign accent. Private Cartwright was killed without provocation, and I returned fire to defend your honour.'

'My honour?' the girl choked out, finding her voice at last, but her defiance was met with swift punishment.

'If I hear you've told anyone,' the blade jabbed a little deeper, leaving a shallow graze on her neck as it raked downwards to rest between her breasts. 'If you tell your father, your sister,' the soldier twisted the sword menacingly, 'I'll—'

Rose had seen enough. Her whole world was crumbling, the sky was crashing down around her, and the snow-capped mountains in the distance were threatening to topple and crush her under their weight, yet even through the turmoil of grief she remembered her duty. She was a deputy sheriff - sworn to fight injustice and protect the innocent - and that's what she had to do. Muttering curses in two languages, Deputy Belikov raised her pistol and fired a warning shot into the air.

Startled by the crack of gunfire, the soldier whipped his body around and dropped to a half-crouch. Dropping his sword, he snatched his revolver from the ground and loosed a few blind shots out across the prairie as he scuttled for shelter behind the wall at the entrance of the barn.

Goddammit! Rose glowered, ducking her head back down out of sight. She still didn't have a clear shot. As long as the man remained in the barn, the blonde girl was in danger. She had to lure him out of there, no matter the risk to herself. Catching sight of Dimitri - twisted so strangely where he fell - Rose felt a surge of wild, reckless anger boil through her veins, and she leapt up from behind the water trough; gun cocked, feet planted firmly on the ground.

'Come and get me, you gutless bastard!' she hollered. 'Or are you scared of women who fight back?'

There was a pause, then the soldier sauntered out into the open with his army-issued revolver aimed at the young deputy's chest, a leer of enjoyment spreading across his face. 'I knew this was my lucky day. Come here little she-devil. I'll have you too, and then—' the laughter died on his lips as he caught sight of something in the distance.

Rose felt the ground shudder beneath her feet, and when she risked a fleeting glance over her shoulder she realised a new danger was upon them. Four men on horseback were advancing from the west - their faces covered and guns drawn. Outlaws!

Deputy Belikov had been willing to take on one soldier alone, but a gang of armed, desperate men? She was outnumbered and she knew it. Throwing herself to the ground, Rose's view of the world turned sideways as she rolled closer to the water-trough to spy through the narrow gap beneath it; watching on grimly as Dimitri's killer fled the scene like the coward he was, and the blonde woman scrambled weakly behind a towering pile of hay. At least she had the sense to get herself hidden, Rose thought. If the girl was discovered by the bandits, it was likely she wouldn't leave the barn alive.

'Over here,' a rough voice called out - too near for comfort - and Deputy Belikov willed herself to ignore the icy-cold moisture wicking into her clothing from the damp earth below her; remaining completely still and silent as the four riders passed only feet from where she was lying.

In less than a minute they were at the barn.

'What do we have here, boys?' the leader of the outlaws swung down from his horse and raised his rifle to his shoulder - stalking across to the face-down figure in the leather duster and indicating for one of his comrades to check the other body. 'Reckon they shot one another or did someone else gave them a hand?' he narrowed his eyes, sweeping a look around the barn for signs of a hidden gunman.

'This Yank is worm food,' his companion replied, bending down to relieve the dead soldier of his gun and searching his jacket pockets for valuables.

The gang leader had been slowly circling Dimitri's body but eventually came to a halt, jabbing the barrel of his rifle into the cowboy's shoulder to make certain he wasn't just playing dead. 'Come and look at the size of this one!' he beckoned the others closer, and Rose clamped a hand over her mouth to keep from screaming out in rage as the outlaw kicked Dimitri onto his back.

All of a sudden, the man with the rifle startled and took a half-step back. In the next moment four guns were pointed at the body on the ground.

What? What was happening? Rose's heart took off at a mile a minute as she struggled to make out their conversation.

'It's the Russian.'

'It has to be. Look at the badge.'

'The Sergeant told us dead or alive.'

'Well if he's alive now, he won't be by the time we make it to the front.'

'Who cares. We'll still get paid.'

If he's alive? Rose's breath lodged in her throat and her chest constricted so painfully she thought her lungs would burst. Alive? It was impossible. She saw the soldier pull the trigger. She saw Dimitri go down. The pool of blood under his head was visible even from this distance. Nobody could have survived a shot like that.

'Let's go then. It's a long ride south, but the sooner we get to the frontlines, the sooner we get paid.'

The frontlines? These must be the Confederate sympathisers Dimitri was hunting this morning!

The rebel leader guided his horse closer and retrieved a coil of rope from the saddle. 'Tie him on tight, boys,' he directed. 'This is a prize we can't afford to lose,' and it took all four men to hoist the sheriff up onto the horse's back.

No! You can't take him! He's mine! Rose scrambled off the wet ground, crouching on weak legs to watch as the outlaws lashed her husband's limp body face-down to the horse. She wanted to shoot them all dead, but she was shaking violently now - partly from the chill of the damp material against her skin, but mostly out of shock and fear. There was no way she could aim her gun like this - what if Dimitri was still alive and she shot him by mistake?... But she couldn't just stand by and let them steal him away from her without a fight.

The sound of the rebels' horses moving off forced her to a decision.

'Bring him back!' she screamed, stumbling out from her hiding place and lining up the leader in her sights.

BANG! Her first shot went wide.

All four riders looked back at her but they didn't stop. If anything, they sped up.

Breathe. Aim. BANG!

The man on the left clutched his arm and let out a roar of pain, twisting in his saddle and emptying a volley of bullets at the mystery assailant.

Rose didn't even flinch as the wild shots whistled past her. BANG! BANG! She fired off her last two bullets in quick succession but the riders were already too far away.

'Chyort! Svolotch!' she cursed them in every way she knew and hurled her spent pistol after them with a scream of anguish, but it didn't ease the burning ache in her chest.

The sound of retreating hooves was growing fainter when Rose finally stopped shouting and started thinking. The horses! There was ammunition in the saddlebags, an extra pistol and a knife. She could take up pursuit. Hunt down the bastards and get her husband back. She hurried forwards, eyes searching feverishly for her discarded gun so she could be on her way. She wasn't going back to Cottonwood Creek ranch empty handed. Olena was waiting to see her son.

The gun! She snatched it up in haste and wheeled around to make for the horses.

'Carly?!'

Rose's step faltered and she turned to see a prim-looking young lady - smartly dressed and carrying a leather satchel over one shoulder - hurrying towards her from one of the homesteads along the road.

'Carly! Where are you?!' the woman called out again, trying not to panic as she approached the lone figure by the barn. 'Have you seen my sister?' she didn't bother to introduce herself, but Rose was too preoccupied to care what her name was anyway. 'She's a few inches taller than me. Blonde hair, brown eyes.'

'Sydney?' a weaker voice responded from behind the hay pile, and the anguish and suffering in that one word was an echo of the same darkness that was consuming Rose's soul.

Deputy Belikov squeezed her eyes closed. She wanted so badly to chase after Dimitri, but she knew she wouldn't be able to leave until she'd made certain the woman in the barn was safe.

'She's in there,' Rose pulled herself together as best as she could and led the way to the entrance of the barn, trying not to look at the body of the dead soldier - now bereft of his boots - and the dark stain on the ground where her husband had fallen. 'You go to her. I'll stay here and keep watch,' she instructed flatly.

The girl with the satchel met her eye in silent thanks then rushed to attend to her sister. 'I heard gunshots and thought...,' Sydney dropped to her knees and pushed the hair back from her sister's face. 'Oh, Carly,' she breathed, 'Look what's happened to you.'

Rose glanced over then and her heart flooded with pity and anger as she took in the sight of Carly's tangled hair, the ripening bruises on her cheek and collarbone, and the thin trail of blood at her throat - still fresh in places where the blade had bitten in more deeply. There was a gaping hole where the woman's sleeve had been ripped from the bodice of her dress, and it was obvious from her protective posture that she was hiding further injuries beneath her skirts.

Sydney reached for her satchel as if to open it but changed her mind, placing a hand firmly on each of her sister's shoulders and speaking in a soft, urgent tone. 'I'm sorry to ask you this, but do you think you can move? I need to get you somewhere safe and warm so I can look at you properly. If we can just get you back to the fort, then father can—'

'Don't take me back there. Please,' Carly begged like a frightened child. 'I can't face father like this. You know what he'd think.'

The younger woman sighed. 'I know you don't want to go back to Fort Freemont. I don't either, trust me. But where else could we go?'

Fort Freemont? Something clicked in Rose's brain. 'Sydney... You're Sydney Sage?' she took a few steps closer. She'd heard about Doctor Sage's daughter from Lisa and Adrian, but had never met her in person.

Sydney turned her head, noting for the first time the badge pinned to Rose's chest. 'And you must be Deputy Belikov,' she answered sternly. 'Our father informed us there was going to be a new sheriff and deputy in Saints Town. Is Sheriff Belikov nearby? Do you think he would be able to escort us back home?'

Rose pressed her lips together, not trusting herself to answer.

'It was him, wasn't it?' Carly's face darkened with new horror. 'I'm so sorry. It was all my fault.'

'What's going on? What happened?' Sydney asked, confused.

A lump the size of Texas formed in Rose's throat and she looked away, blinking furiously as hot, angry tears sprung to the back of her eyes.

'He tried to save me from the soldiers that attacked me,' Carly explained fretfully. 'He got the first one away from me... took down the other when he resisted,' she snatched a glance towards the barefoot corpse that was splayed out on the floor of the barn several feet away from them. 'But the one called Darnell had a hidden gun,' she trailed off, not wanting to say any more in front of the deputy.

Sydney wasn't one to shock easily, and she armed herself with the brisk efficiency she'd learnt from her father. 'Where is the sheriff now?' her eyes darted from one woman to the other. 'Does he need medical attention? I'm a nurse. I can help him.'

'Gone,' Rose brought the conversation to an abrupt close, realising what had to be done next. 'We need to leave too. I don't know what happened to the man that assaulted your sister, but he might come back. I'm going to Cottonwood Creek Ranch to inform Dimitri's family he won't be home tonight. You should come with me. It's a few hours' ride away but you'll be safe there, I promise. Are you fit to ride?' she directed the last question to Carly.

The woman nodded bravely, grimacing as Sydney helped her up to stand.

'You both wait here and I'll get the horses,' Rose began, but Carly shook her head.

'I can walk. Just show us the way.'

'Very well,' Rose conceded, walking the Sage sisters out into the pale afternoon light and pointing them in the direction of their mounts. She felt tired all of sudden. So very tired. She wondered how she was going to survive the long ride home when she felt like she was going to collapse just trying to take a single step forwards. 'You two go ahead,' she suggested, trying to sound more composed than she felt. 'I'll catch you up in a minute.'

Sydney dipped her head in understanding and wrapped an arm around her sister's waist to support her as they moved slowly towards the road - two women so small and alone against the vastness of the barren winter landscape.

Rose waited until her companions were a distance away then let out a painful, shuddering breath, dropping to her knees as tearless sobs wracked her body. 'I'm coming, Dimitri,' she whispered. 'I'm not leaving you, I swear. I just have to get these girls to safety and then I'll follow after you. I'll find you and I'll bring you home, I promise. Just... stay alive. Please? For me?'

She didn't expect an answer, but when she lifted her head, the dull lustre of brass caught her eye and a wave of heart-sickness rolled through her body. Creeping forward on her hands and knees, she wrapped her fingers around her prize and stroked the familiar inscription. Sheriff. Dimitri's badge. It must have fallen off when he was being shifted onto the horse.

Rose didn't usually believe in omens, but this felt like a sign. Dimitri was telling her it was going to be okay. He knew she had a job to do before she could follow him. And he wanted her to know that even though he was gone for now, a part of him would remain with her always. She pressed the cold metal to her lips and stood slowly. Tonight she would deliver the Sage girls to safety and share the news of Dimitri's fate with his family. Tomorrow she would set out to find her husband.

The journey back took longer than Rose had hoped – the deputy on her own horse, and the Sage girls riding together on the other. Rain had hampered their pace and it was approaching dusk when the group finally crossed between the two white-washed tree stumps that marked the entrance to Lisa's ranch.

The shock of the day's events had affected Rose, body and soul. She'd needed to stop at one point along the way to empty her stomach by the roadside, and the sickly pitching feeling in her head and her gut was so overwhelming she would have ridden straight into the front porch if somebody hadn't rushed down the stairs and taken the reins to halt her approach.

'Rose? What's wrong?' Christian O'Hara held the beast steady as the woman slid from the saddle, throwing an arm out to catch her as she stumbled. 'Are you hurt? Talk to me.' He glanced over his shoulder to see Abraham Mazur hastening to assist the Sage sisters down from Dimitri's horse; handing Pavel the reins and ushering the ladies onto the porch to shelter from the rain.

The deputy looked up, anguish twisting her features. 'Adrian Ivara, Eddie Castile. Fetch them here - now.'

For all their teasing and bickering, Mr O'Hara harboured a secret brotherly affection for his wife's wild friend, and it frightened him to see her so distressed. He wanted to press her for more information - offer her comfort if he thought she would accept it - but that's not what she needed from him now. The best thing he could do to help her was follow her instructions, and quickly. Without further question, he swung up onto Rose's horse and turned its head towards town.

Rose watched him go in silence, and nearly a full minute passed before she realised she was standing in the rain. Move! she commanded her cramped, aching legs, and they carried her stiffly towards the front steps.

'Roza. You're back!' Viktoria burst excitedly from the house, looking around for her brother. 'Why did you take so long? Where's Dimka?... Who are they?' she added curiously, spying Carly Sage on the veranda; clinging tightly to her sister's hand while Sydney engaged in a hushed conversation with Abe Mazur.

Deputy Belikov had been strong - beyond anything that could have been expected - but now she had stopped moving, the weight of all that had happened fell on her in a rush; physically crushing her downwards. She sank onto the front step and rested her forehead against the damp, wooden railing. It felt like her mind was separating from her body; shock and fear numbing her senses until all she could hear was a shrill high-pitched ringing sound; the same screaming emptiness she heard the moment after Dimitri was shot.

'Roza?' the Russian girl dropped down beside her, searching her face but seeing only a blank expression in return. 'Mama!' she called out sharply, and seconds later Olena hurried out from the house. 'Something's happened. She won't talk to me. What do we do?'

Olena Belikov was fast, but the small figure that pushed through the door behind her was faster. Yeva descended the stairs and grabbed her new granddaughter by the hair, dragging her head away from the bannister and slapping her hard across the face. 'Dimka?' she demanded in thickly accented English. 'Where is our boy?'

Broken from her daze, Rose leapt up to join her travelling companions. Their needs came first. 'Olena. There was... an attack. Carly was hurt. Her sister is a nurse, but I think she needs a mother too. Will you take care of her?'

The Russian woman looked confused, but one glance at the injured stranger sent her hurrying across the porch with outstretched arms.

Yeva was not so easily distracted. 'Dimka?!' the old woman insisted.

Rose's shoulders slumped a little and she shook her head. 'Shot... Taken,' she answered tightly, hiding behind the expressionless mask she had seen Dimitri wear a thousand times. She couldn't panic. She had to stay strong - for him, for everybody.

The reaction was instantaneous. Yeva gripped Rose's arm, her fingers digging in deeply as she captured the younger woman's gaze; no tears or words great enough to express the anguish they both shared. A few feet away, Abe Mazur darted out to stop Olena from falling as her knees buckled and a guttural moan burst from her lips, and Vika started up a horrible shrieking that brought the others running from inside the house.

'Mama? Roza?' Sonja and Karolina asked at once.

Paul clung silently to his mother's elbow and the babies were so frightened by the strange noises that they joined in with their own cries.

Lisa was the last to arrive on the scene, her hand resting protectively over her stomach. 'Rose? What's wrong?'

When Deputy Belikov spoke, her eyes were dark, her voice quiet and strange. 'Everybody inside. We need to talk.'

An hour later, a sombre gathering crowded around the O'Hara's dining table, twelve faces wearing the same expression of shock and grief as Rose recounted the events of the day.

She told them about meeting Dimitri on the road and hearing sounds of a struggle. She told them about the violent scene they had witnessed in the barn with Carly Sage and the soldiers - omitting all but the most crucial details to protect the young lady's privacy.

When she got to the part about Dimitri being shot and abducted, there were gasps of dismay and from every corner of the room.

The news was too much for tender-hearted Lisa, who broke down in tears and had to be consoled by her husband. Ignoring propriety, Mr O'Hara embraced the weeping woman in front of all of their guests, then stood behind his wife's chair at the head of the table with his hands settled reassuringly on her shoulders.

Eddie Castile, who was standing next to the china cabinet against the wall, muttered a word not fit for polite company, and Adrian Ivara cursed passionately - then hurried to offer his humblest apologies to Sydney Sage who was seated beside him.

The Belikova women were equally distraught but they had a quieter way of showing it. Sonja stood by the door and hid her face against baby Katya as she jogged the baby up and down to keep her quiet. Olena shed a few silent tears; clinging to Karolina's hand for comfort, and to Viktoria's hand to stop her from bolting out the door in pursuit of her beloved brother. Even Yeva allowed Abraham Mazur to rest his hand over hers in a gesture of sympathy and respect.

'...There's one more thing I need to say,' Rose waited until she had everyone's attention. 'Dimitri might be gone. He might be badly wounded and in the hands of desperate men... but I believe he is still alive. I will be leaving in the morning. I'm going to bring him back home.'

There was a long silence, then a clamour of voices sounded all at once.

Rose held up her hand to quiet them. 'Eddie. I want you to take over as sheriff of Saints Town while I'm gone. People know you and trust you, and I can't think of anyone better for the job.'

The cowboy gazed at her steadily; his calm, reassuring presence cutting through the mood of tension and panic in the room. 'Whatever you need, deputy,' he consented without hesitation. He'd known Rose most of his life and had never forgotten the comfort she'd been to him after the loss of their friend Mason Ashford. If she needed his help now, then he wouldn't let her down.

'And Adrian?' Deputy Belikov turned to the man further down the table.

He met her eyes, prepared to say yes before he'd even heard what she was asking. He might not love Rose the same way that he used to, but the woman had wormed her way into his heart and he was hers to command.

'I'll need your help at the saloon. I want you to keep things as normal as possible. Spread the word that Sheriff Belikov and I are attending to some business out of town and we'll be back within the week. If anybody gives Eddie trouble I want you to give them trouble. Blackmail. Extortion. Refuse to serve them any drinks until they mind their manners. Whatever gets the job done and keeps the peace.'

Mr Ivara's frown turned into the beginnings of a smile. 'So you're asking me to use my powers for good, not evil?' he joked.

Sydney shot him a glare for treating the serious matter so flippantly, but Adrian knew he'd said the right thing when he saw Rose drop her worried expression for a brief moment to roll her eyes.

'Of course, I would be very honoured to assist Mr Castile,' the gentleman clarified, to appease the pretty blonde woman beside him. 'Anything to ensure the safety and wellbeing of my fellow citizens.'

Miss Sage didn't seem impressed by Adrian's eloquent speech but he wasn't discouraged. It might take him months or years to win her approval but Sydney Sage was worth the wait.

'And Olena,' the deputy's voice faltered briefly. 'Take care of Lisa for me. I expect to be back long before the baby is due to arrive, but if I'm not...'

'No!' Lisa almost shouted, shrugging Christian's hands off her shoulders and reaching out to grab her best friend's arm. 'Don't do this, Rose! Not now of all times. It's not just about the baby. Winter is setting in. There's a war on. If you chase after Dimitri it won't be just the rebels that took him that you'll have to face - Indians, soldiers, Mormon forts, wild animals... It's too dangerous. Please. Don't leave. Don't leave me.'

Rose shook her head, the crease between her brows deepening. 'He's my husband, Lis. I have to go to him - no matter the risk, no matter the outcome.'

'No you don't!' Lisa insisted. 'Dimitri was shot, Rose. In the head. You know what that means, don't you. If he is still alive, then he's not going to be the same man you knew and loved. I've seen injuries like that before. Tell her Sydney... Olena. Tell her to listen to the truth. Dimitri is gone. You need to let him go. Stay here and let us help you through this. Let me help you - as you helped me when I lost my family.'

'Stop, Lisa!' Rose was losing patience. 'That was completely different. Your family died. Dimitri might still be alive. I have to be sure. I could never forgive myself if he was out there somewhere - alive and hurt - and I didn't even try to find him. I'm going. I love you like a sister but you won't change my mind.'

'Fine!' the pregnant woman pushed back her chair roughly and stood up, her eyes flashing with anger. 'What about all of us? Will you listen to the truth if everyone agrees?' she turned to address the group. 'Raise your hand if you think Rose should stay.'

At first, Rose thought nobody was going to raise their hand, but her mouth pulled tighter when she saw Dimitri's mother make her vote. 'Olena? You want me to leave him out there alone? He's your son!'

The woman looked pained. 'Yes his is, Roza, and I know my son. It was clear in his letters how much he loved you. He would never want to put you in danger - even if it meant he forfeited his life. I cannot go against his wishes.'

'And I suppose you share the same opinion?' Rose challenged the old woman at the end of the table, whose arm was also raised.

Yeva narrowed her eyes and answered in her native tongue.

'Vika?' the deputy scowled at her grandmother, demanding a translation.

'She says... you can't change his fate,' the girl winced in apology.

It appeared Viktora didn't agree with her babushka but there was no way she or her sisters would be able to stand against the matriarch of the family.

Lisa's face screamed 'I told you so', and the rest of the group remained silent, not wanting to interfere.

'Well, you can all sit there and accept it, if that's what you want to do,' Rose glared around at her friends and family as she jumped up from her seat, 'but I'm going after my husband, Goddammit!' she smashed her fist on the table, breathing harshly as she tried to hold back tears of frustration.

'I say, let the girl go.'

Rose looked up in disbelief to see Mr Mazur holding his own in a staring contest with Yeva.

'You think it wise for Roza to place herself in the way of certain danger?' Olena interrupted them. In the months they had spent travelling from Russia to America she had learned to respect the man's opinion.

The lawyer disentangled himself from Yeva's dark stare. 'If it were up to me I'd chain Deputy Belikov in her own prison cell until I was certain she had changed her mind...'

The declaration won him a foul look from said deputy.

'...But speaking as Alberta Peterson's legal representative, Alberta knows her daughter just as well as you know your son, Olena, and she would never stand in the way of Rosemarie's chance to be reunited with the man she loves.'

'Damn right!' Rose concurred.

'Having said that,' Abe continued less enthusiastically. 'I don't mean to belittle your skills as a tracker, Deputy Belikov, but how do you plan to locate the sheriff? You told us you suspected Dimitri was taken by Confederate rebels headed for the frontlines, but the Confederate Army has regiments stationed across eleven states, and sympathisers in the border states and territories as well. They could be headed for any of them.'

The deputy set her jaw. 'Then I'll stop at every house and fort asking for information until I find them. I don't know the way exactly, but I'm sure I'll find somebody in town who will come with me if I offer a reward that's—'

'I'll go with you.'

'Christian?' Lisa turned on her husband, the colour draining from her cheeks.

'What?' Rose's eyes widened then narrowed. 'If this is your idea of a joke, Christian O'Hara, you can take whatever you're about to say and shove it up your ass.'

Christian ignored her rudeness. 'No joke Rose. I can't take you as far as Mississippi or Tennessee, but my survey party are heading south to Death Valley. You're welcome to ride with us. We'd organised to set out in a few days' time, but I think I can convince the others to leave as early as lunch time tomorrow.

A wail of dissent was already falling from Lisa's lips, but Christian pulled his wife close and brought his hands to her cheeks. 'If it was you who was lost out there, I would stop at nothing to see you again and make sure you were safe. Well, Rose is prepared to risk her life for Dimitri too, and we have no right to stop her.'

'But I'm her best friend!' she argued desperately.

'So be her friend,' her husband counselled. 'Let her do what she has to do.'

Lisa wavered for a moment then pulled away from him, fixing an accusing eye on Rose. 'So you're choosing to leave me... and you're choosing to help her,' she glared back at Christian. 'Well, you can both do as you please, but I'm not having any part in it!' Tears sprung to her eyes again and she fled from the room.

The silence that followed was finally broken by the scrape of a chair as Olena approached her daughter-in-law. 'I am truly sorry Roza. I love you for loving my son, but I cannot support this wild action of yours,' she gazed at her sadly then turned away. 'Come children, mother. Our Dimka may be with God tonight. We must pray for his soul.'

When the Belikovas were gone, Rose looked around at the stragglers. 'Anybody else want to leave?'

'Actually, I need to get back to the saloon,' Adrian announced smoothly. 'My patrons will be wondering where I am.' He got up and rounded the table, placing a hand on the deputy's shoulder. 'Don't lose heart, little lady. There's still hope. Come by on your way out of town and let me know if there is anything you need - money, supplies, fresh horses - whatever I have, it is at your disposal.

Rose met his eyes in gratitude, willing herself not to cry. 'There is one other thing, actually, if you're offering. Could you stop in at the Mastrano homestead on your way out and ask the reverend to pay us a call tonight? Dimitri's family want pray. They should have a preacher.'

'Of course,' Adrian nodded obligingly, then moved off to bid Sydney Sage farewell. 'I am truly sorry about what happened to your sister, Miss Sage,' he took her hand, his expression gentle and serious as he drew her up to stand. 'Where are the two of you staying? If you have need of accommodation you are more than welcome to a stay at my hotel free of charge. It's the least I can do.'

Sydney's guarded demeanour softened slightly but she shook her head. 'Thank you, Mr Ivara, but no. Carly is comfortable here and I do not wish to move her.'

The man's face fell at the rejection but he looked up quickly when she continued to speak, clinging a little tighter to his hand.

'...But would you mind sending a telegram to my father for me?' Sydney asked. 'I don't want him sending a search party out for us. Just tell him Carly and I are safe and we will contact him in the morning.'

'Of course, Miss Sage. If you think of anything else, you have only to ask,' he bowed respectfully - almost reverently - over her hand, then turned his attention to the sandy-haired cowboy standing off to the side of the room. 'Well, Mr Castile. The ladies have spoken. Why don't you come with me to fetch Reverend Mastrano? You never know your luck - the preacher's daughter might be the one to answer the door,' he added, making the new sheriff's cheeks flush crimson. 'We can stop at the telegraph office when we get back into town, then return to the saloon together. If you and I are going to be in charge of this place, we've got some talking to do.'

Adrian and Eddie made their final farewells and departed, whittling the group down to four.

Sydney was returning to her place at the table beside Abe Mazur, when Rose noticed that Christian was still loitering near the doorway.

'Do you mind if I go to Lisa?' he asked sheepishly. 'It's going to be our last night together for quite a while and...'

'Of course not. Go!' Rose waved him out of the room, but Christian hovered uncertainly at the door.

'I'll ask Mrs Carmack to leave some bedding out for you.' It was his way of saying: I hope you'll be alright.

'Scram, Loverboy,' she ordered him away. It was her way of saying: Thankyou.

The thought of blankets made Rose feel even more exhausted than she already was, and she approached the remaining two guests to make her own goodnights.

'I'm sorry to leave you, but it's been a very long day,' she announced tiredly. 'Sydney, if there's anything you or Carly need for your journey back to Fort Freemont in the morning—'

'I'm not going back,' the woman replied at once. 'I'm coming with you.'

Rose blinked in confusion then shook her head. 'You can't come! You heard what Lisa said. It's not safe.'

'Nowhere is safe these days,' Sydney shrugged. 'And you really don't have a choice in the matter. Your husband only got dragged into this mess because he was trying to save my sister. What happened is our fault, so it's my responsibility to help you find him.'

'Don't be ridiculous,' Rose frowned. 'You aren't responsible for what happened to Dimitri. This isn't your fight.'

'I think the lady has made her decision, Deputy Belikov,' Mr Mazur cut in. 'Miss Sage and I have spoken on the topic at length and we both agree it is for the best if she accompanies you on your journey.' He turned to Sydney. 'Go and check on your sister, my dear, and remember - the other matter we discussed. Consider it taken care of.'

The blonde woman exited the room and then it was just Rose and the lawyer who remained.

'I'll be leaving shortly too,' Abe assured the deputy. 'Pavel has my carriage ready and we ride west tonight. I have a few contacts in mind who might have information to assist in the search for your Sheriff Belikov. I don't want to raise your hopes too soon, but I will try to rendezvous with you along the road once I know more.'

Rose was nearly swaying with fatigue, but there was one question that she absolutely had to ask. 'I don't mean to appear rude or ungrateful, Mr Mazur, but why are you helping me? My husband and I are practically strangers to you.'

The man studied her keenly. 'I made a business agreement with Sheriff Belikov that I would reunite him with his family, and I always honour my agreements.'

Of course it was about business, Rose chided herself for reading too much into the situation.

'But that's not all,' his expression changed, almost imperceptibly. 'I had a daughter once. If she was in trouble, then I'd move heaven and earth to make things right for her again. You remind me of her.' Abe patted her shoulder then left before Rose could form a proper response.

Alone at last, the deputy dragged herself to an armchair in the sitting room; wrapping herself in layers of blankets and shifting a few times until she found a comfortable position. She was nearly asleep when she heard a voice filtering down the hallway. Reverend Mastrano.

Clutching Dimitri's star-shaped badge to her heart, Rose imagined her husband's arms surrounding her as she listened to the reverend's prayer.

"Almighty God and Heavenly Father,

We pray for your daughter, Rosemarie Belikov. We ask for you to counsel and comfort her on this dark night, and to make her path clear.

Watch over your son, Dimitri Belikov. Grant him freedom from pain and safety from harm, and guard his soul against all evil.

Be to each of them a light in the darkness, a shelter from the rain and cold. Be their strength when they are weary and grant them hope when all hope is gone. Protect them from every misery and danger, and bring them safely to their journey's end.

Amen."

.

Author's Note:

So Dimitri isn't dead - phew! But is this fate better or worse? Now we head into Blood Promise territory - with Rose leaving home to find Dimitri. I'll leave it to you to imagine what kind of state he'll be in if/when they do finally meet - and what might happen along the journey.

As many of you guessed, the shooting in the barn is my interpretation of the cave scene at the end of Shadow Kiss - blended with the assault of Carly Sage, which is mentioned briefly in the Bloodlines series.

Kudos to DamphiricAngel2014 for predicting the Carly Sage subplot - the Texas reference is for you :)

So... what happens next? Leave your theories in the reviews & I'll tell you if you're close!