Disclaimer: I do not own The Big Valley or its characters. I also am not
making any money from this story.
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Chapter 17
Their kidnapper grabbed Nick and dragged the boy further back into the area of the mine from where he had escaped. Nick was set down on the floor and quickly re-tied.
The kidnapper came back for Jarrod, placing the older Barkley boy next to his brother. The man went outside and searched for something to use to tie up Jarrod. Searching his saddlebags, the kidnapper grabbed some rope and rushed back into the mine to tie up Jarrod. The man blindfolded Nick and Jarrod and proceeded to wait for the brothers to wake up.
***
At the Barkley house Victoria decided to go to bed and get an hour or so of sleep. Victoria prepared for bed and went in to check on Audra and then Jarrod. Victoria became slightly alarmed when she failed to see Jarrod lying in his bed. She looked glanced around the room and nearly fainted when she saw the open window near the bed.
"Oh my Lord!" Victoria exclaimed as she looked out the window. She couldn't see Jarrod down below and shut the window. Victoria went back to her bedroom, put on a robe and hurried downstairs.
As soon as Victoria came out side she saw Tom riding up. She ran up to meet Tom as soon as he rode into the corral. "Tom, I went to check on Jarrod and he wasn't in bed."
"Relax Victoria," Tom urged. "I'll check the barn and see if Jarrod's there. It's chilly out so why don't you go back inside?"
Victoria took a deep breath and tried to calm down. Perhaps she was just overreacting. The disappearance of Nick had set her nerves on edge. "Alright Tom, I'll check and see if he's somewhere in the house. I'm sorry to be such an alarmist, but with Nick missing..."
"It's okay sweetheart, there's nothing to be sorry about," Tom said as he dismounted his horse Hardtack.
"Tom, did you manage to get up a search party to go looking for Nick?" Victoria asked as she clung to Tom.
Tom smiled for the first time that night. "Yes, there's about a dozen men out searching for Nick right now. We'll have the whole valley covered by sunup."
Victoria was glad for the reassurance. Tom always seemed to know the right thing to say to her. "Well then we'll have our son back in no time. Will you be going back out again?"
"I just wanted to let you know about the search party. I missed dinner so I think I'll grab a something from the kitchen," Tom informed before heading to the barn.
"I'll have Silas heat up some leftovers from dinner," Victoria called out after her husband.
Victoria went throughout the house, looking for Jarrod. Minutes later Tom returned to the house without finding Jarrod in the barn. He first went into the butler's quarters and woke up Silas. The butler dressed and quickly left for the kitchen. He was used to duty interrupting his sleep.
Tears started streaming down Victoria's face when a search of the house showed no signs of Jarrod. Tom took Victoria in his arms and led her to their bedroom.
"Jarrod's going to be fine dear. I'll be leaving in a few minutes so you try to get some sleep," Tom instructed.
Victoria struggled against the drowsiness that had threatened to send her to sleep for the past hour. Still, she couldn't sleep knowing her two oldest sons were missing.
Tom sat in his favorite chair while waiting for Silas to put some pieces of fried chicken and biscuits into one of the boys' lunch tins. Fifteen minutes later the butler carried the lunch tin out of the kitchen and handed it to Tom. "Here you are Mister Tom. I hope you find Mister Nick. I said a prayer for him last night before bed."
"Thank you Silas. Nick and Jarrod can use all of our prayers," Tom remarked as lifted the lid off the lunch tin and smelled its contents. "Mmm. This smells delicious Silas."
Silas grinned and handed Tom a napkin. "Thank you Mister Tom. It's always a pleasure to cook for you and your family."
Tom rode off and met up with Sheriff Jenkins and Zeb Tucker, a member of the search party.
"Any sign of Nick?" Tom asked as he pulled his horse up next to Jenkins' and Tucker's horses.
"Zeb here found a stray horse," Jenkins informed, motioning to a saddled horse. Tucker was holding the reigns of the horse and turned it so Tom could get a better look in dawn's light.
Tom immediately recognized the horse. "That's Jarrod's horse. Jarrod's missing and I noticed his horse wasn't in the barn when I got home."
"Then Jarrod can't be far. And if Jarrod's around here, so is Nick," Jenkins reasoned.
Tom dismounted Hardtack and joined Jenkins and Tucker in the search.
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Chapter 17
Their kidnapper grabbed Nick and dragged the boy further back into the area of the mine from where he had escaped. Nick was set down on the floor and quickly re-tied.
The kidnapper came back for Jarrod, placing the older Barkley boy next to his brother. The man went outside and searched for something to use to tie up Jarrod. Searching his saddlebags, the kidnapper grabbed some rope and rushed back into the mine to tie up Jarrod. The man blindfolded Nick and Jarrod and proceeded to wait for the brothers to wake up.
***
At the Barkley house Victoria decided to go to bed and get an hour or so of sleep. Victoria prepared for bed and went in to check on Audra and then Jarrod. Victoria became slightly alarmed when she failed to see Jarrod lying in his bed. She looked glanced around the room and nearly fainted when she saw the open window near the bed.
"Oh my Lord!" Victoria exclaimed as she looked out the window. She couldn't see Jarrod down below and shut the window. Victoria went back to her bedroom, put on a robe and hurried downstairs.
As soon as Victoria came out side she saw Tom riding up. She ran up to meet Tom as soon as he rode into the corral. "Tom, I went to check on Jarrod and he wasn't in bed."
"Relax Victoria," Tom urged. "I'll check the barn and see if Jarrod's there. It's chilly out so why don't you go back inside?"
Victoria took a deep breath and tried to calm down. Perhaps she was just overreacting. The disappearance of Nick had set her nerves on edge. "Alright Tom, I'll check and see if he's somewhere in the house. I'm sorry to be such an alarmist, but with Nick missing..."
"It's okay sweetheart, there's nothing to be sorry about," Tom said as he dismounted his horse Hardtack.
"Tom, did you manage to get up a search party to go looking for Nick?" Victoria asked as she clung to Tom.
Tom smiled for the first time that night. "Yes, there's about a dozen men out searching for Nick right now. We'll have the whole valley covered by sunup."
Victoria was glad for the reassurance. Tom always seemed to know the right thing to say to her. "Well then we'll have our son back in no time. Will you be going back out again?"
"I just wanted to let you know about the search party. I missed dinner so I think I'll grab a something from the kitchen," Tom informed before heading to the barn.
"I'll have Silas heat up some leftovers from dinner," Victoria called out after her husband.
Victoria went throughout the house, looking for Jarrod. Minutes later Tom returned to the house without finding Jarrod in the barn. He first went into the butler's quarters and woke up Silas. The butler dressed and quickly left for the kitchen. He was used to duty interrupting his sleep.
Tears started streaming down Victoria's face when a search of the house showed no signs of Jarrod. Tom took Victoria in his arms and led her to their bedroom.
"Jarrod's going to be fine dear. I'll be leaving in a few minutes so you try to get some sleep," Tom instructed.
Victoria struggled against the drowsiness that had threatened to send her to sleep for the past hour. Still, she couldn't sleep knowing her two oldest sons were missing.
Tom sat in his favorite chair while waiting for Silas to put some pieces of fried chicken and biscuits into one of the boys' lunch tins. Fifteen minutes later the butler carried the lunch tin out of the kitchen and handed it to Tom. "Here you are Mister Tom. I hope you find Mister Nick. I said a prayer for him last night before bed."
"Thank you Silas. Nick and Jarrod can use all of our prayers," Tom remarked as lifted the lid off the lunch tin and smelled its contents. "Mmm. This smells delicious Silas."
Silas grinned and handed Tom a napkin. "Thank you Mister Tom. It's always a pleasure to cook for you and your family."
Tom rode off and met up with Sheriff Jenkins and Zeb Tucker, a member of the search party.
"Any sign of Nick?" Tom asked as he pulled his horse up next to Jenkins' and Tucker's horses.
"Zeb here found a stray horse," Jenkins informed, motioning to a saddled horse. Tucker was holding the reigns of the horse and turned it so Tom could get a better look in dawn's light.
Tom immediately recognized the horse. "That's Jarrod's horse. Jarrod's missing and I noticed his horse wasn't in the barn when I got home."
"Then Jarrod can't be far. And if Jarrod's around here, so is Nick," Jenkins reasoned.
Tom dismounted Hardtack and joined Jenkins and Tucker in the search.
