Chapter Fourteen

Previously:

The sun would soon begin to set. Jarrod didn't like it. None of them could risk staying in the woods once the sun set. The darkness would be an ally to the sheriff. That was something they could not risk. He couldn't help thinking about one case or another that he'd dealt with through the years or the experiences he and his brothers had had. None of them made him as sick, and as mad, as the story told to him by Mary. No, that wasn't quite true. Unbeknownst to Mary, while he'd not voiced it out loud, he'd heard what she had not admitted while she was telling him Isabella's story. That… the stories that never got told...made him sicker than he thought possible. It made him want to beat any person who would do such a thing to a pulp. However, when he heard approaching footsteps, Jarrod quickly came out of his thoughts and sat straight up, his hand dropping to rest near his gun. If he could have seen through the bushes, he'd have seen that Heath, Fred, and the other men had all did the same.

Sheriff Reed silently scowled as the two men he'd hired disappeared into the woods. He'd told the two men to locate Jarrod, but hide from him at the same time. They were not to confront the gentleman until he-the sheriff- and they learned if Jarrod Barkley actually knew what he was claiming or if he was only bluffing. Little did he know that by the time he reached Jarrod both men would already be captured and on their way to the jail. That being the case, the "good" sheriff, allowed his mind to wander for a bit.

"Son! You have got to learn to control yourself!" Thaddeus Reed, a slightly silver hard rock miner who stood just under six feet, stood yelling at his fifteen year old son. "You can't just take what you want!" He gestured towards his front door. Their local sheriff had left not two minutes ago. "You're lucky all you did was ride his horse without permission, if you'd actually taken it.." Fire was flying out of Thaddeus' eyes. "If he could prove what we all suspect, you'd be behind bars! Is that what you're trying to do! Get yourself locked up! You need a decent job! If you don't want to work in the mine with me, find something else, but do it now!"

Reed scowled. He'd listened to his father rant and rave… and then got a job only he hadn't really changed. He still wanted things fast and easy, or at least not as slow as he'd seen some people wait. Eventually, he decided to put a badge on while successfully hiding his illegal activities. At least, he thought he had. Only he had started hearing a few rumbles. At first, he'd pushed them aside, figured he'd earned an enemy or two as a lawman. Only, then the rumblings grew louder, and he'd needed a scapegoat. Only now… how on earth had an attorney from Stockton learned everything he was claiming to know? His musings quit the moment Jarrod came into view. Slowly, Sheriff Reed made his way towards Jarrod. He stopped a few feet from the famous Stockton attorney, who was smoking a cigar.

Jarrod took a puff on his cigar and blew some smoke towards the 'good' sheriff. "I was beginning to wonder if you were coming or not."

"Only because I want to know what makes you believe the lies you put down in the message that I was sent." Sheriff Reed stood rigid, and his eyes appeared to be ice.

It didn't bother Jarrod as he blew more smoke towards Lodi's sheriff. "They're not lies, and we both know it. Your contacts were plenty willing to talk-that is, when the price was right they did." Okay, so that last part wasn't quite accurate in the sense of money. Still, there was no need to confess that part. "Now, for the right price I can help keep you out of prison, the cost will be a bit higher than my normal fee ... what with you selling babies and small infants into slavery." Jarrod felt rather sick as he spoke the words only - he had to make the man in front of him truly believe he-Jarrod-was willing to help him stay out of prison.

Without thinking, the Sheriff shouted, "Selling anyone into slavery wasn't my part of the business!" The moment the words were out of his mouth, he shut up and took a step backwards. Even he knew he'd just confessed he was indeed involved in illegal activities. Though, thinking he had back up, he scanned the area for his help to disclose themselves.

Jarrod figured he knew what the man was looking for only he didn't press that issue. He had to know who was behind putting Bonnie, along with the other children he'd only been told about, in the woods. "Give me a name, and proof, and I'll see that you're not charged with that particular crime. Give me nothing-and you'll fall for everything."

Sheriff Reed silently cursed as it was very clear he was on his own. He thought about going for his gun only Jarrod had his hand resting on top of his own pistol. Even though he wasn't the one behind the slavery part, he didn't want to go to prison for what he had done either. "I can't give you proof." He growled. "The mastermind behind that one is dead-by his own stupidity! If he hadn't wanted to get rid of his illegitimate daughter so badly, he might still be alive!"

Jarrod had shock waves go through him. He might not have only the moment Sheriff Reed made his reply, Jarrod got the strongest impression the man was actually telling the truth when it came to the slavery bit-and on the tale of that impression came what he just knew was the answer. "What did Franklin Arnold look like?" He kept his eyes on the sheriff knowing the question was going to catch the man off guard. It did.

Stammering a bit, Sheriff Reed got a hold of himself. "Same build and hair color as me, might as well been the same height- though he had blue eyes and walked with a limp. I told him to stay out of those woods, that a bear had been spotted and to handle his problem another way only he didn't listen!" Then... due to the fact that Jarrod's hand had actually dropped to his side when he had the shock waves go through him...the sheriff saw an opening to get rid of Jarrod. He could still frame Sheriff Madden somehow. He went for his gun only to feel a bullet enter his back. He stiffened as he saw Fred and some men step out from behind some bushes. He also heard more footsteps behind him. "Guess I know what happened to my help." Sheriff Reed said before falling forward and hitting the ground beneath him – revealing Heath and George both standing a few feet behind him.

Jarrod shook his head. People like Sheriff Reed and, apparently, the late Franklin Arnold made him sick. "Let's get him to the coroner and then head home." He turned and headed for his horse while Heath and the others headed for theirs.