Thanks for all your reviews so far – appreciate it. I would be very interested to hear anyone's ideas for stories involving Hank and Emma Jane, set between any of the stories written so far, or I might write them in as characters around events which happened in the TV series.
"Will! Hank!" Emma Jane called out the names of the people who meant the most to her as the small rescue party rode through the woods. All she could hear however were the sound of the horses' hooves and her own voice dying in the air. "Will! Hank!" she tried again, but there was no response. "Where are they?" she demanded.
"They can't have gone far," Michaela said, "not if they were at the creek."
"But what if something happened?" Emma Jane asked, "What if Will's hurt and Hank can't leave him to get help, or…or what if it's Hank that's hurt…or what if they're both dead!"
"Don't talk that way!" Sully chastised her, "They ain't dead."
"Then where are they?"
"We'll check the creek first. They might have left some kind of trail," he told her, taking the lead. Emma Jane didn't reply, but she followed on behind Sully, hoping and praying that they would find something to give them a clue.
Matthew rode up beside her, "They're gonna be fine, Emma Jane."
"I wish I shared your optimism, Matthew."
"I know me and Hank ain't always got along, but…if I were lost in the woods, after Sully, Hank'd be the person I'd wanna be lost with." He smiled encouragingly at her, "He ain't no fool, he's a survivor, and he'll take good care of Will."
She knew that he was speaking the truth, but it didn't stop her worrying, Eventually, they arrived at the clearing at the creek. There was no sign of anyone and no sound except the calling of wild birds.
Sully dismounted and walked around, checking the ground, "They were here," he said.
"How do you know?" Horace asked.
Sully bent down and lifted up a cigarette butt, "Hank's." He showed it to Emma Jane, who nodded. "The brush has bin disturbed too," he said, pointing at the long grass, "Reckon they must have headed this way at some point. Come on," he climbed back up on his horse and led the party through the trees the way Hank had gone. After they had gone a few yards, he stopped again, "Looks like there was a struggle."
"Oh my God," Emma Jane gasped, putting her hand to her mouth, "There!" she slid down off of Hurricane and hurried forward to where a strip of blue material lay discarded on the ground, "It's Hank's necktie," she held it up for the others to see. "Sully…"
"Don't worry," he tried to reassure her, "We'll find 'em."
"They could be anywhere," Michaela said.
"Who did they struggle with?" Matthew asked.
Sully looked grim, "Dog Soldiers bin known to roam these parts."
"Dog Soldiers!" Emma Jane exclaimed, "But there haven't been Dog Soldiers in these parts for years!"
"Cloud Dancing says they're movin' in from the North," Sully told her, "Caused some trouble in the Territories last fall."
"Hank hates Indians," Emma Jane said, "if they came anywhere near him and Will…" she left the sentence dangling.
Sully and Michaela exchanged looks, "Reckon we should go see Cloud Dancing," the former said, "If anyone knows where the Dog Soldiers are hangin' out it'll be him." He urged his horse onwards and the others followed.
Emma Jane hurriedly climbed back onto Hurricane and stuffed the necktie in the pocket of her dress. Just having it made her feel closer to Hank, even if she had no idea where he was.
SSSS
"Pa? Pa?"
The sound of his own pathetic little voice dying in the wind made Will shiver. He was frightened, more frightened than he had ever been in his life. Even more frightened than the day the tornado came and almost destroyed his home. He remembered cowering against his mother, terrified that they would all be swept away. But this was even scarier. This time, there was no-one to comfort him.
The last time he had seen his Pa was when the Indian had hit him over the head, and Pa had fallen to the ground and hadn't moved. Then the Indian had lifted Pa onto his horse and the other Indian had taken Will onto his horse and they had begun galloping across the land, faster than Will had ever gone before. Faster even than Pa went when Ma wasn't there. He wasn't quite sure what had happened next, but he had felt rough hands pull him down from the horse and leave him on the ground, before the sound of hooves had grown fainter and fainter and he had realised he was alone.
He sat against the tree where the Indian had left him, shaking with the cold, too terrified to move. His cheeks were damp with cold tears, and he wished more than anything that he was at home, hiding behind the curtains, watching as Ma and Pa worked, or hovering on the landings as the nice girls that lived with them laughed in their rooms. He often wondered what went on in there, but Ma had always forbidden him and Victoria from going in.
It would be dark soon, and Will was afraid of the dark. He often dreamt about monsters coming into his room to get him. But if he woke up afraid, Ma would always stroke his hair and tell him that he was safe, that nobody could ever hurt him. Then he would fall back asleep and feel warm and secure. But out here, he was completely alone.
SSSS
The North Creek Reservation was a concession that had been made by the army three years earlier. The Cheyenne had been allowed to live on the land in peace, provided there were no further attacks on any of the nearby towns. It had been a joyous day for Michaela and Sully when they had finally been able to visit their friend in his new home, and they frequently took Katie there to visit her Cheyenne father.
This particular day, the reservation was a hubbub of activity with men, women and children roaming around, smiling broadly. A number of fires smouldered and the delicious scent of cooked rice filled the air, causing Emma Jane's stomach to rumble. In all the furore, she had forgotten when she had last eaten, and her body protested at the lack of nourishment. Upon seeing their approach, Cloud Dancing came forward to greet them, welcoming Michaela and Sully like family.
"It has been too long," he said, hugging Michaela and shaking hands with Sully.
"I know," Sully replied, "Bin kinda busy these last few weeks."
"A man must make time for his friends," Cloud Dancing replied warmly. He greeted Matthew and smiled politely at Horace before his gaze fell on Emma Jane. It was well known amongst the Cheyenne than she was not a particular favourite of their spiritual father. "Is there to be trouble?" he asked.
"We need your help," Sully explained, "Hank and Will have disappeared and we think the Dog Soldiers might have taken 'em. We thought you might know where the Dog Soldiers are."
Cloud Dancing didn't say anything for a long moment, "When did this happen?"
"Today," Emma Jane spoke up, "A few hours ago."
"The Dog Soldiers do not come to the reservation. They are not welcome."
"We appreciate that," Michaela said, "but if you knew where we could locate them…?"
"I cannot help you."
"Please," Emma Jane slid down from Hurricane and stepped forward, "Please, if you know anything…"
He looked at her, "You are not a friend to the Cheyenne. Nor is your husband."
She lowered her eyes, "I'm aware of that."
"You seek to lay the blame at our door, for things we have not done." His tone was gentle, yet his words struck at her, "You drink in the poison of ignorance and do not seek to cure yourself."
Emma Jane swallowed hard, "I know you and your people don't like me because of what happened with Grey Owl…"
"Your people would have hanged him, and you would have let it happen. He was broken. He could no longer hold up his head with our people."
"And I'm not proud of that," she said, "and I'm not proud of Hank's attitude towards your people either, but I need your help."
"And if it were I coming to your door, would you help me?"
"No," she replied sadly, "probably not. And I suppose I can't expect you to care about what happens to me, or to my husband…" she took a deep breath, "but my son is missing too. He's only six years old and he's sick. I don't know if he's hurt…I don't know if he's dead…" she fought against her tears, "please…if not for Hank, then for Will, please."
Cloud Dancing looked hard at her, then at Sully and Michaela before looking back again, "The Dog Soldiers often make camp near Shady Grove. You might be able to find them there."
"Thank you," Emma Jane said sincerely.
"For your son," Cloud Dancing replied.
She nodded and climbed back up onto Hurricane.
"Thank you, Cloud Dancing," Sully said.
"Come back soon," he urged, "bring Katie. There is much for her to learn here."
"We will," Michaela promised. Then the party turned and rode away from the reservation.
SSSS
Feeling as though his head had exploded, Hank slowly came round. At first he couldn't seem to draw a proper breath, until he realised he was lying face down on the ground, his mouth pressed against the wet earth. Slowly, he lifted his face from the leaves and took a breath. Instantly, pain shot through his ribs and he groaned in agony. He tried to draw himself up onto his knees, but his balance was completely shot and the whole world seemed to revolve around him. He fell back onto his stomach and lay for a moment, trying to regain some kind of stability.
"Will?" he called out his son's name, hoping against all hope that he would be close by, although he didn't remember the last time he had even seen Will. His ears were ringing. "Will?" he tried again, but there was no response.
Finally, Hank managed to pull himself to his knees and regard his surroundings. He wasn't even sure where he was, unable to recognise any landmarks. It just seemed as though he had been dumped in a clearing somewhere, anywhere.
Holding onto a tree for support, he managed to pull himself to his feet and lean against the strong trunk while the world spun. He raised a hand to his face and when he drew it back, there was blood on his fingers. He tried to move forward, but pain shot through his ribs again and his shoulder started to ache too.
A feeling of nausea washed over him and he spun around quickly to vomit behind him. The contractions in his stomach brought him back to his knees again and he sat back against the tree to catch his breath. Panic was starting to course through him, not knowing where he was, or where Will was.
"Will?" he called out again, but his voice disappeared into the stillness of the growing dark. "Will, if ya can hear me, make a noise." Nothing. He reached to his side for his gun, but realised it was missing. "Damn Injuns," he cursed.
A wolf howled in the distance, causing him to stiffen. He wasn't exactly enamoured with wild animals. How Sully could practically live with one baffled him completely. Despite an overwhelming feeling of panic at what had happened to his son, he decided there would be little point in trying to move in his state at night, so he pulled his knees up to his chest and wrapped his coat around him. As sleep overtook him, he kept his mind on one person, hoping to God she had realised what had happened.
SSSS
"Which way to Shady Grove?" Emma Jane asked, drawing her horse up next to Sully.
He turned to look to her, "Over that ridge. But best to wait til mornin'."
"Morning? We can't wait until morning! Who knows what could have happened to them by then!"
"There's no point going there in the dark," Sully continued, "It's goin' to be dangerous enough as it is without not being able to see anything. We go back to town, wait til mornin' and then head back out there. The Dog Soldiers will be less hostile in the daytime."
"But…"
"Sully's right, Emma Jane," Michaela said, "It might make things worse if we go now."
"Things couldn't get much worse," Emma Jane said, but she kept her counsel and allowed Sully to guide them back to town. Night was beginning to fall and the lamps were lit. As they said goodbye at the hotel and Sully promised to call for her first thing in the morning, Emma Jane led Hurricane around to the back of the Gold Nugget. But she didn't rub him down, instead she darted inside and hurried up the stairs where Victoria was showing her homework to Mandy and Susan.
"Emma Jane?" Mandy declared when she saw her, "What's happening? Did you find them?"
Emma Jane shook her head and hugged Victoria, "I need the two of you to do me a favour," she said.
"Anything."
"I need you to watch Victoria for me tonight, and make sure she gets to school tomorrow morning in case I'm not back."
"Where are you goin'?"
"I need to go and find Hank and Will," Emma Jane replied, "I can't wait until tomorrow, anything could be happening to them…" she paced the room, "I'm going to go to Shady Grove and see if they're there."
"Shouldn't you wait?" Susan asked, wide-eyed, "Ya can't go by yerself!"
"I'm the only one who seems to give a damn!" Emma Jane replied, "I've got to go." She put Victoria down, "I'll be back as soon as I can."
"Don't go, Ma, please!" Victoria begged.
"I'll be home soon," she kissed her daughter, "If anyone asks, don't tell them I've gone," she warned the girls.
"Ok," Mandy nodded.
Emma Jane hurried into her room and lifted her coat before making her way back downstairs and out the back door, away from the laughter of the people in the bar, to where she had left Hurricane. Quickly, she climbed up on him and urged him forward, cantering down the street and back out of town in the direction of Shady Grove. Inside the woods, the darkness seemed almost oppressive, weighing down on her like a thick blanket. The air was humid and still, and at times, she found it hard to draw breath, but she pushed on, the thought that Will and Hank might need her uppermost in her mind.
After riding for nearly an hour, she came upon the ridge Sully had pointed out to her and, slowly Hurricane down, she moved forward until she could see over the bluff and down into the valley. At first, she couldn't make anything out in the dark, but then shapes began to become recognisable, and she picked out a number of teepees, highlighting by a few burning embers from fires.
Emma Jane slid down from Hurricane's back and tied his reins loosely to a tree, figuring he could easily get away if he needed to. Crouching down, so as not to be seen, she moved further forward towards the line of trees that circulated the valley. Slowly, hiding behind them, she moved down the side of the hill until she was almost at the perimeter of the camp. Then she stopped. She had lived in Colorado Territory longer than she had lived in New York and she knew what Dog Soldiers were capable of. If she went running in, demanding to know where her husband and son were, she would either be killed or raped, or both.
As she sat, contemplating what to do next, an arm went around her throat and a hand clamped itself over her mouth, cutting off her air. She struggled against the strong grip, screaming against the hand, until her attacker pulled her round to face him and she saw it was Cloud Dancing.
"What are you doing here?" he asked, his tone harsh.
"I'm here to find my family," she gasped, "What are you doing here?"
"You should not have come," he told her, "Not alone, it is too dangerous."
"I need to find Hank and Will," Emma Jane replied, "and no-one seemed too keen to help me, including you."
"You do not know how much danger you would be in should the Dog Soldiers see you. They will not think twice about violating a white woman."
Emma Jane laughed derisively, "I've had it before, I can take it again." She held his gaze, "I want to find my family. And you haven't answered my question."
"I came in the hope of speaking with the Dog Soldiers," Cloud Dancing replied, "to find out if they knew anything about where your husband and son are. I was about to make camp when I saw you. It is best we wait until morning."
Emma Jane stared at him, "Why are you helping me?"
Cloud Dancing paused, "As you said, your son is sick. Come," he gestured behind him, "I have blankets."
Emma Jane paused, "I'm not sure…"
"I will not hurt you," he told her, "but if you would rather take your chances…"
Emma Jane opened her mouth to reply, but was cut off by the sound of a shout from close by. She looked at Cloud Dancing, who grabbed her arm to pull her to her feet, when all of a sudden, two Indians appeared in the dim light. They spoke roughly to Cloud Dancing, who spoke back in tones which she could only imagine were intended to be peaceful. But they clearly had no effect. She was grabbed from behind and hauled to her feet. Turning around, she looked into the face of a Dog Soldier, a large scar running from his left eye to his throat. He spoke to her in a language she didn't understand, and she turned to Cloud Dancing for help, but he was already being pushed ahead of her, towards the camp.
"Please," she said, "Please I only…" the Indian pushed her roughly in front of him, causing her to trip. She quickly got to her feet again and he grabbed her arm, pulling her across the land towards the camp. When they reached it, a few other Indians joined them and they all began talking at once. Cloud Dancing indicated her and appeared to be trying to explain, but the Indian who had taken her, pulled her towards one of the teepees and threw her roughly inside. Cloud Dancing quickly followed suit. "What's happening?" she asked him, "What were they saying?"
He looked at, and she saw worry on his face, "It is not good."
SSSS
It was when the drip first landed on his face that Jake felt anything. At first, he thought he must be dreaming, but when he opened his eyes and lay in the dark, he felt it again. Glancing over at Theresa, he saw that she was still fast asleep, and he wondered again if it were a dream. Then it hit him again. He turned his eyes to the ceiling and gasped as he saw a large wet patch covering the space above his head.
"Theresa!" he said, "Theresa, wake up!"
"What?" she mumbled.
"Get up, now!" he half pushed her out of the bed and then followed her, pulling her over to the corner of the room just as the ceiling collapsed on top of the bed and water gushed throughout the room.
"Oh my Lord!" Theresa exclaimed, "What…?"
"Great," Jake looked up at the hole in the ceiling, "Just great."