A world of pain encompassed Lucas, as he was thrown into a rickety wooden chair. His chest burned like fire, a shooting pain nearly crippling him. Probably a broken rib.
Through his agony during the ride there, he'd thought of every possible means of escape he could. But there were simply too many men. Too many guns as well.
His brain swam in a hazy fog, panic suddenly seizing him. Where was Elizabeth? He attempted to stand, but his body screamed in protest, sending him toppling back into the splinter filled chair.
"Tie them up, Johnny." The man Elizabeth had called Spurlock threw a rope to one of his men.
"Johnny" caught it, and went straight toward him. Lucas braced himself, when suddenly his eyes found Elizabeth. She stood behind Spurlock, another man holding her arms behind her back. Her face was slightly pale, and tense with fear.
Suddenly Johnny yanked his arms behind him, sending an explosion of pain through his chest. Involuntarily a groan escaped him, as he gasped in pain.
"Please!" He could hear the pleading in Elizabeth's voice. "Whatever you want with me, it doesn't involve Lucas."
Lucas lifted his head in time to see Spurlock approach her. He smirked, reaching a hand to her cheek. "I'm afraid it's not up to me, sweetheart."
Fire shot through his veins, as he watched her pull her head back in protest. "Don't touch her!" He jerked away, slamming the elbow that hurt the least to move into Johnny's stomach. Johnny let out a yelp, dropping the rope he'd been tying around Lucas' wrists.
Spurlock instantly drew his pistol, pointing the barrel at Lucas' head.
"You do that again and I'll put a bullet in your lady's head."
And with one look at Spurlock's face Lucas didn't doubt he would. Clamping his jaw down, he attempted to cool his temper. Anger filled outbursts wouldn't help them.
Johnny then moved to resume his task. He sneered at Lucas, yanking his arms mercilessly into place. Lucas sucked in a breath against the pain.
"What do you want with us?" He gasped, eyeing Spurlock as he paced the cabin floor.
The corner of Spurlock's mouth twitched, as he glanced at him. His head motioned toward Elizabeth.
"Well, me and Ms. Thatcher, or should I say Mrs. Thornton, have some unfinished business to settle."
A sickening feeling twisted Lucas' stomach as he watched the man look to Elizabeth with an evil grin. Her lips pressed tight, a mixture of hatred and fear filling her gaze.
"As for you…." Spurlock then turned back to him. His arms crossed over his chest. "Does the name Harvey McElroy sound familiar to you?"
And all at once Lucas realized his worst nightmare, the one he'd been working so tirelessly to avoid, had just come true. Harvey's name hit him like a giant boulder, leaving him winded. His stomach churned, instantly feeling sick.
Spurlock must have read his reaction, as he carried on without letting him answer.
"Yeah, I thought so. Now listen up." He pulled another chair in front of Lucas. Turning it backwards he straddled the seat, propping his arms on top of the back rest.
"You're going to answer one question for me if you want to spare your girlfriend's life." He motioned back to Elizabeth. Lucas felt his stomach turn harder, as he saw her face tense. The man holding her smiled a wicked grin, making Lucas' fists clench despite his tied wrists.
He then looked to Spurlock, who's eyes had hardened. His glare was stone cold, as his words came out in a low growl. "Do not lie to me."
Lucas held his breath, knowing what Spurlock would ask before he finally spoke. "Where is Jeanie?"
Lucas refused to make eye contact with the man. He knew this game would require his best poker face if he were to stand any possible chance of winning. Spurlock waited. Watching him carefully.
Movement from behind him brought Lucas' eyes up. Elizabeth looked on in confusion, her brows pinched.
"Why do you want Jeanie?"
Spurlock turned toward her. "I'm sorry. Did I ask you?" Lucas' teeth grated as he listened to Spurlock's mocking tone of voice. Spurlock seemed to eye Elizabeth for a moment before turning back to him. "Apparently, I need to clarify. Lucas, where is Jeanette Claremont?"
Lucas worked to keep his features straight, revealing nothing through his face or tone of voice. He looked Spurlock in the eye, knowing if he looked elsewhere, it would be a dead giveaway. "I don't know."
Spurlock eyed him. Mulling his words over. His lips turned in a devious smile, a snort escaping him. "Do you honestly expect me to believe that?" He stood from his chair, pacing the floor in front of him. "When was the last time you saw her?"
Lucas thought hard over his choice of words. He looked to the ceiling, shrugging his shoulders. "I don't know. Maybe two years ago in Buxton."
Spurlock scowled. "Wrong." Suddenly he walked to Elizabeth and yanked her forward. Lucas' heart pounded, a mixture of hatred and panic seizing him.
"Don't touch her!"
Spurlock jerked her to stand next to him, holding her arms behind her back with one hand. Drawing his pistol with the other he placed the end of the barrel against her head. "Answer the question."
Elizabeth's entire body shook, her eyes going from the metal barrel, to Lucas' face. Lucas shut his eyes, racking his brain for an answer.
"Three days ago. She came by and asked me to give her some supplies. Said she was heading to Cape Fullerton."
"Wrong again." Spurlock clicked his pistol's hammer back.
Lucas felt all the breath sucked from his lungs.
"Wait!" Without thinking he gave a forceful kick into the chair Spurlock had placed in front of him. Pain exploded through Lucas' chest at the action, as the chair flew at Spurlock. The shabby thing cracked as it crashed into Spurlock's legs, and he collapsed backwards.
Elizabeth jumped to the side with a scream. Quickly she raced toward a table where a small knife laid, but one of Spurlock's lackeys jerked her back.
Johnny, who'd been watching from a corner, frantically grabbed for something. He took a thin piece of kindling from the wood pile, and ran toward him, raising the kindling over his head. The wood crack as it collided with Lucas' head, sending his brain rattling.
The room spun, his vision going in and out for a moment. Inside pain shot through his skull, making his stomach turn over. A shuffling sounded.
He thought he made out Elizabeth trying to free herself from Johnny's grasp. Lucas shut his eyes tight, and then opened them, fighting fiercely to regain consciousness.
Slowly his vision cleared, and he found Spurlock rising. Angrily Spurlock shoved Johnny out of the way, yanking Elizabeth from his grasp. Again, he raised his pistol to her head. A fire blazed in his eyes as he glared at Lucas.
"Do you think this is a joke?" The words grated out of clenched teeth. "Do you really think I won't shoot her right now just so you can watch her die?"
He shoved the barrel harder into Elizabeth's head. She whimpered, tears filling her eyes. Lucas felt his heart being torn out of him as she looked to him. Her eyes begged him to help her.
"You have one more chance." Spurlock spat out. "Now for the last time, where is she?"
A cold chill ran down Lucas' spine, while sweat dripped down his face. His mind whirled, tears filling his eyes. "Stop please." His voice broke, pure fear choking his throat. "I'll tell you whatever you want if you'll just let her go."
Spurlock jerked Elizabeth harder. "No, you're going to tell me right now." His voice boomed. "Where is your sister, Lucas?"
"I don't know." Lucas shouted, everything inside him breaking down. "I saw her earlier today, and I haven't seen her since."
Silence settled over the room. Heavy breaths racked his chest, echoing in his ears. He shut his eyes tight, his jaw aching from his clenched teeth.
Inside his emotions tumbled like ocean waves, one crashing over the other. Fear twisted his stomach in knots, while guilt pierced through him. His head throbbed where he'd been struck, shooting pain down his temple with every pulse.
He looked to Elizabeth, finding tears trickling down her cheeks. Her eyes were wide, filled with questions. Her mouth opened, but no words came. Until finally they did. "Jeanie's your sister?"
Her voice was barely audible, making him question if he'd heard her right. Yet the look in her eyes confirmed it. Another wave of guilt and dread washed over him.
Jeanie hadn't told Elizabeth the truth yet. And now Elizabeth had heard it first from this brute. At gun point.
Oh, if only this was all just a horrible dream he would wake up from any moment.
Spurlock eyed him, his gaze like a hot iron. After a long moment he spoke, his voice low.
"So, you have no idea where your little sister is?"
Lucas sighed, his shoulders sagging. "No."
Spurlock sniffed, shoving his pistol back into his holster. "Some brother you are."
Didn't he know it.
Suddenly the cabin door flew open. Spurlock and his men immediately drew their weapons. Lucas recognized him as the third of Spurlock's gang. With a scowl Spurlock re-holstered his gun.
"One of these days I'm going to actually shoot you, Denny."
"We have a situation." 'Denny' panted hard, leaning a hand against the door post. "Someone's following our trail."
Hope sparked inside Lucas' chest. Silently he prayed that Bill or even Nathan was coming after them.
Spurlock looked from Denny, to Lucas, to Elizabeth. His face twisted in a scowl, before he charged for the door. Quickly he turned back, pointing a finger to Johnny.
"Don't let them out of your sight."
Nathan nearly ran into the saloon, scanning the room for Bill. His heart raced inside him, James' words still echoing in his ear. You're too late.
He had no idea what that meant, nor had he been able to get anything more out of the man. All he knew was he needed to find Elizabeth. Fast.
As casually yet quickly as he could, he made his way past the dancing couples and chatting friends. He didn't want to alert anyone. Not yet.
Finally, he found Bill sitting alone at a table eating a piece of cake. He hated to ruin his evening, but had no choice. With determined steps he approached him.
"Bill."
Bill's eyes widened at the sight of him, his brows furrowing. "I thought you were staying with James."
Nathan brushed over his question, fear gripping him. "Where's Elizabeth?"
Instantly Bill's expression dropped. He seemed to search his face, as he slowly stood to his feet. "What's wrong?"
Nathan shook his head, scanning the room for Elizabeth. She had to be here. "I'm not sure yet."
Suddenly a voice called from behind him. "Nathan."
He turned to find Ned Yost pushing his way through the crowd, a piece of paper in his raised hand. He managed to squeeze past the last waltzing couple, stopping in front of Nathan with a gasp. "This just came for you."
Ned bent over breathing hard, placing a hand on his knee, as he held the paper out to him.
Nathan took what turned out to be a telegram from his out stretched hand. His brows pinched as he opened the crumpled paper.
Bill leaned forward. "What is it?"
Nathan's brows shot up as he read the telegram's contents. "Jeanette changed her name." His mind spun at the revelation. Why would she do that?
He looked up and found Bill staring at him. An unreadable expression crossed his face. Suddenly Nathan felt uncomfortable. Like he'd just disobeyed his father.
Self-conscious, he cleared his throat.
"A friend of mine in Buxton found documents of a Jeanette McElroy changing her name to Jeanette Claremont." Again, he looked to the small words on the paper, running his hand back through his hair. "Why would she do that?"
He then heard a groan come from Bill, and looked up. At the look on Bill's face, he felt like taking a step back. Bill's lips pressed tight, as he shook his head, clearly irritated. "I told you to stay out of this."
Nathan's brows furrowed, unsure what he'd done or said wrong. "What?"
Bill seemed to be deciding whether or not to share whatever he was holding back. Finally, he sighed. "Jeanie was the wife of Scottie McElroy."
Nathan's eyes shot wide, feeling like someone had just slapped him in the face. "Scottie McElroy?"
Saying the man's name out loud only deepened the shock. Surely, he'd heard Bill wrong. Yet with one look at his face, he knew he hadn't.
A rock sunk to the bottom of his stomach. "She was married to the leader of the McElroy gang?"
Bill grimaced, seeming to not like the sound of it just as much as he did. "Yes, and apparently she's in a lot of trouble."
A twinge of fear shot through Nathan's chest. Instantly his mind began racing, thinking up all the danger she could be in.
The McElroy gang had previously been known as the "Ghost Gang," due to the fact that no one could ever identify them. They'd rob town after town, often leaving dead bodies behind. But it wasn't until two years ago that the leader had been caught.
And it just so happened that the leader was Jeanie's husband. Or rather late husband. Well, that solved the mystery of the wedding ring.
A thousand questions darted through Nathan's mind. He looked to Bill, still half in shock. "Why didn't you tell me about this?"
Bill glanced back over his shoulder, his voice low but firm. "Because Lucas asked me to keep things quiet."
"Hold on." Now Nathan's head was spinning. "What does Lucas have to do with all this?"
Bill's face twisted harder, like he'd just revealed something he shouldn't have. Finally, he sighed. "Jeanie is his sister."
Nathan's mouth dropped open, and he felt it would have hit the floor if it could have. "What?" Jeanie Claremont was Lucas Bouchard's sister? Blood drained from Nathan's face, and he felt like he needed to sit down before he fell over.
Suddenly Clara approached them, carrying Little Jack on her hip. "Bill, have you seen Elizabeth?"
Bill's brows furrowed. "No, why?"
"Lee had to take Rosemary to the infirmary," she explained. "So, he asked me to watch Jack. But Jesse has to get up early tomorrow so we wanted to head home now…"
"And you need Elizabeth to take Jack." Bill finished for her.
This wasn't good. Nathan stepped in, looking to Clara.
"What time did you last see her?"
Clara scrunched her nose in thought. "Around six."
Nathan's heart sped. "What time is it now?"
Bill pulled out his pocket watch, his face falling. "Eight-thirty-three."
"Uncle Nathan!" Suddenly Allie came bounding up to Nathan, a bright smile on her face. "I thought you weren't coming."
As fast as his heart was beating, Nathan tried to school his features in front of his niece. She didn't need to know any of this. Not yet. But maybe she could be of some help.
Quickly Nathan sunk down to her level, placing his hands on her shoulders. "Allie, have you seen Jeanie anywhere?" He tried to keep his voice even.
Allie nodded, seeming a little confused. "I saw her a minute ago. She was trying to tell everyone something when Mrs. Coulter started throwing up."
She winced, obviously remembering the event. Concern rose inside him for the Coulters, and he made a mental note to check with Lee later.
"Where is she now?" He tried to sound casual, but knew he wasn't doing a very good job.
Allie's face fell with concern, as she began looking around the room. "I…I don't know."
Nathan's stomach sunk to his feet. Everything started to link together until the whole mystery finally made sense. The break in. Jeanie suddenly showing up. The feeling he'd had about her hiding something. James' threatening statement.
Suddenly Bill placed a hand on his shoulder.
"You find Jeanie, I'll find Elizabeth."
Nathan stood to meet Bill's gaze. "Bill…"
How could he go after Jeanie, when it was Elizabeth whose life could be in danger right now as they spoke? And yet inside his spirit stirred, telling him had to find Jeanie.
Bill looked to him sternly. "No buts." And he left before Nathan had a chance to argue.