Chapter 13

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By noon the next day, the everyday life of the people in the small town of Colby was violently disrupted by a bleeding man crawling through the main dusty street. Horses and wagons avoided him in surprise and several people gasped in horror at the man's gruesome injuries. When he reached the sheriff's office, and climbed the few steps onto the wooden porch, Dan Reid had already been informed of the man's presence. The doctor was summoned from his previous call concerning a pregnant goat. The shrivelled and badly wounded man was carried to the doctor's office and placed on the bloody examination table under his own loud protests. There was only one person he wanted to talk to, and that was Latham Cole. One of Dan's deputies was send to go and get the esteemed member of the small town immediately.

"Evans, we need te sitch ye up er you're gonna bleed out on us.." Dan spoke sourly. "What were you doing out in the desert by yourself anyway? Where is your horse?" The questions remained unanswered. He wasn't exactly fond of the cruel ex outlaw, who bought himself free with money he stole from the Cavendish gang. Money that wasn't the gang's in the first place. The rest of Dan's rangers shared this feeling, and once they had all peered around the doorway to see what had happened to Evans, they quickly baptized the wounded man "Bobby Dickless" A suitable albeit cruel name.

When the doctor arrived, he froze in the doorway of his own office at the sight before him. The man of medicine and veterinary arts, a combination of studies not uncommon in these parts, had never before seen a man with injuries of such violent and gruesome nature. But living out in the vast spaces of the West had taught the elderly doctor that no matter how civilized people liked to be, the urge to harm and kill eachother would be following mankind around like a rabid dog with no owner, always in the footsteps of those trying to do right.

"Who goes out into the desert alone and has himself attacked by coyotes anyway? Didn't your mother teach you not to roam around outside of town at night?" The doctor complained after fixing what could be fixed. Evans took a deep swig from a bottle of whiskey and spat on the floor, causing the doctor to click his tongue in protest.

"Was no coyote. It was bloody hell Cavendish that did this te me! That goddamn cannibal injun killer! All because of that little whore!" said Evans. Dan, who had been sitting in a chair at the doctor's desk, rubbing his eyes tiredly, looked up in irritated confusion.

"I'm getting mighty tired of your whining about Cavendish, Evans. I'll tell you that much. He's miles away from here.. he don't come near any ranches. And exactly what whore are you referring to anyway?" he said.

"That Hartley gurl! The one that old cow claimed wasn't there! Well she was there alright! Along with the ranch hand you claimed didn't exist! Damn you, ranger! Do yer homework next time!" Evans replied and spat in the ranger's direction. Dan shook his head and got up, exasperated. "She told me so herself her daughter was away to get supplies for that barn you and that damn Elton burned down! If she was there, then I'd like to know what you've done to her, Evans!" He grabbed the front of Evans' shirt and pulled him close to his face, ignoring the doctor's scolding remarks.

"I haven't done a thang" Said Evans, struggling to get free. "If yer so interested in her, ye gotta ask that ranch hand where she at.. A young feller! Couldn't be a day over 25! Light hair, blue eyes.. carried a Winchester around. Ask him!"

Dan frowned in anger. "I told you the Hartleys have no ranch hand! There was no one else there but the old man your foreman killed! You don't make any damn sense, Evans! A Winchester? What on earth would a ranch hand do with a rifle like that?!"

A second ranger, named Hollis, who had been leaning against the doorpost for the duration of Evans' surgery, shifted in uneasiness. "Sounds like Frank Taylor." He said. "Light hair.. blue eyes? Winchester repeater.. sounds like the kid's that been riding with Cavendish. We got a poster of him somewhere, Dan."

"I'll get it" said Dan and let go of the injured man's shirt mid-air, causing him to fall back onto the table harshly. "I gotta get out of here anyway before I do something I'll regret. Let's see if Evans is right. Would be the first time, I can tell ye that."

When the ranger entered the sheriff's office and ripped Frank's wanted poster off the wall, he shot a quick glance at the older woman sitting on the bunkbed in her cell. Her back straight, her arms crossed and a defiant stare on her pale, weathered face. She hadn't said a word since they brought her here the night before last. Every question had been answered with nothing but a steely glare. Dan hesitated, and then held up the poster for the woman to see.

"Do you recognize this young man, Mrs. Hartley?" He asked. She looked at the poster for a moment before giving the ranger another glare that told him she wasn't going to help him solve any of this. "Cause if you do.." Dan continued. "I'm going to have to tell you that you've been keeping a wanted man around your property."

She averted her gaze from him and remained silent. He sighed, decided he was wasting his time and left to show the poster to Evans. For all the man's lowlife style of living, he was the one to go to if Dan wanted answers right now. To the ranger's unpleasant surprise, Evans recognized Frank immediately.

"That's him! That's the damn kid that slammed his rifle into mah face and broke mah jaw! He rides with Cavendish! He got that girl!" The wounded scumbag exclaimed, pointing at the picture. Before Dan could answer, a sharp knock against the doorpost of the office indicated that Cole had arrived, with Elton following close behind.

"What seems to be the problem, Mr. Reid?" Cole asked with an obvious fake smile. Dan sighed, shook his head and rubbed the back of his neck. "I need some clarification on this, Mr. Cole. I arrested Mrs. Hartley for killing one of your men like you asked. But now it turns out Evans stayed behind to look for the daughter of Mrs. Hartley and found her too.. even though the woman told me the girl went out to get supplies for their ruined barn.. and now it turns out some young man Evans claims to ride with Cavendish took her with him, ah mean, this has all been getting way out of hand and I'd like to know why."

Cole looked over his shoulder at Elton, an unamused expression on his face. "Yes, I understand. This has all developed in a most unprofessional way, I agree. You see, Mr. Reid. I seem to have hired a man that likes to work with creatures such as Evans right there. I can assure you, I wasn't aware of the damage they caused. Then again, I stand by what I told you earlier.. The Hartley family have been crossing me for over a year. Refusing to hand over their barren land to me so that I might do something useful with it. I suppose my men lost their patience after so many fruitless negotiations." He explained.

"That don't justify burning down their barn and killing a family member. Your lapdog over there killed Mrs. Hartley own father in law, for Christ's sake. That woman lost her damn husband three winters ago!" Dan shot back, pointing at Elton cowering behind Cole's sturdy frame. "And we don't even know where the girl is now!" He continued, holding his arms open.

Cole held up his hand to calm the infuriated ranger. "I would very much appreciate it if you lowered your voice when you're speaking to me, Mr. Reid. Your frustrations will not solve any of our problems. Of course we'll do anything in our power to locate the child, I promise you. And since Evans is the one who saw her last, I think you should be interrogating him and not me." The rail baron spoke calmly.

"Evans claims Cavendish was the one attacking him.. he claims.. Cavendish has the girl. If that is true.. I don't know what to do.. I don't know!" Dan continued, rubbing his forehead tiredly. Cole's expression hadn't changed, but some could have sworn the man had stopped breathing for a split second.

"Then I suggest you get right to it, Mr. Reid. We can't have outlaw gangs kidnapping our children and dragging them across the wilderness just because our rangers simply don't know what to do. I'll leave it up to you to inform that poor woman of this news. After all.. she's in your cell." Said Cole and turned to make his leave.

"That was your initiative, Mr. Cole." Dan spoke to his back resolutely, causing the man to stand dead in his tracks and slowly turn to face the ranger. "I beg your pardon?" Cole asked. "To put Mrs. Hartley in my cell was your idea.. or.. Mr. Elton's idea really. But since he works for you and all. I suppose you two entertain the same line of thought." Dan answered, defying the railroad baron.

Cole took a step in the ranger's direction. "Let me get this straight, Mr. Reid. Are you telling me my treatment of the widow Hartley looks inhumane in your eyes? Do I really need to remind you that she's in a current state of awaiting trial for killing one of my agents? And apparently that same widow harboured a vicious wanted outlaw on her property, and that very same vicious wanted outlaw now mangled one of my men beyond repair and kidnapped a supposedly innocent young girl? And all you can tell me is that you don't know what to do." He mocked. " I am inhumane? I've done my job, Mr. Reid.. I wish I could say the same about you." Cole spoke menacingly. The ranger narrowed his eyes, standing his ground.

"Yer all a bunch of idiots.." wheezed Evans between deep swigs of Whiskey. The two men looked up at him. "The last thing that little prairie sweetheart needs is any of ye savin' er.. she don't need te be saved. She sleeps in Cavendish' arms at night.. That kid told him what ah did te her and that's why he came after me.. she don't need savin'. Yer all about te need savin' yourselves if ye gone and hurt that old sow." He slurred.

Dan looked shocked at the news, but Cole seemed as impassive as always and hadn't even shifted his weight. He stood rigid like the wall he liked to view himself as. A rock people broke themselves on. "I don't recall ever hearing Cavendish takes to introducing children into his gang of misfits." The rail baron spoke calmly. Evans scoffed and spat out some blood on the wooden floor, receiving more scolding from the old doctor.

"Cavendish is a proud, haughty cocksucker.. he wouldn't rip someone te shreds for just standing in the way. He has his pack of dogs to do that for him. But when it gets personal.. He comes after ye himself." Evans continued, but Dan wasn't there any more to listen to him.

He had left the doctor's office and ran across the dusty road into his own office, grabbing the steel bars of the cell tightly.

"What is your daughter to Cavendish?!" He asked Mrs. Hartley, but she didn't answer. She hadn't changed position at all and was glaring at him coldly.

"You answer me now, Mary! What has been going on at that ranch without my knowledge?! Did you know your daughter is gone?! Has that sank in yet?! Where is she?!" he continued. She blinked and looked away, processing his words. He didn't know if she was surprised or shocked at the news. But she seemed temporarily caught off guard.

"What is she to Cavendish? Please.." Dan tried again, leaning his head against the bars. "You have to help me if you want me to help you."

"I don't need your help. Nor does my daughter."

He looked up when he heard her voice. She had gotten up from her bunkbed and approached him slowly, clutching the hem of her worn, soiled dress. He had known the woman for such a long time, and she had always seemed to carry a smile for him whenever she was in town. So the menacing look on her dirtied face hurt him in a very personal way.

"Where were you when those pigs burned down my farm and killed all my animals?! Where were you then, Mr. Reid the Texas ranger! Where were you.. when that animal of an Elton shot my father in law?! You stood by and watched.. cause you had your orders. I suppose the orders changed now, didn't they? And now you expect me to help you?!" she hissed. "I'd rather swing from a tree branch in the morning sun then to aid you in getting a clear conscience!" she spat at him and he backed away.

He gazed at the furious, broken woman in silent sympathy and sighed deeply. "I would ask your forgiveness if I knew that would help us solve this problem right now, Mrs. Hartley. But it won't change the fact your daughter might be in grave danger." He said softly, causing her to let out a joyless laugh.

"I know my daughter." She said, gazing at the ranger with a determined expression. "I don't worry about her for one second. As long as there are people like you, Henry Elton and Latham Cole.. Cavendish is not the worst of my problems."

Defeated, Dan left the sheriff's office to begin rounding up his men for the search party. He didn't know if he was doing the right thing. But no matter what had happened at the Hartley's ranch concerning Butch Cavendish, he knew what the outlaw was capable of, and it was no place for a young woman.

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R&R please!