Chapter 9

Michaela tenderly moved her right arm, trying to reposition it. Pain shot up her arm, into her shoulder. She knew that her shoulder must have suffered severe damage but she could not tell if it was broken or just badly sprained. Her left side was not fairing much better, although she thought it was more bruised than seriously hurt. She was sitting in the same corner as she had woken up two days earlier, her head resting against the wall. She had been trying to sleep all night but she could not get comfortable. Her stomach had settled some since she had been given a small amount of bread to eat the night before but she was still starving. Her skirt barely stayed up anymore from having lost so much weight in such a small amount of time. Her mouth was constantly dry. She could not understand how one human being could treat another as she was being treated by Warren.

Michaela heard the door being creaked open and she tried to stand, knowing that Warren was adamant that she was ready to go when he wanted her to be. He stepped inside and Michaela noticed that he looked different. His clothing had been washed and pressed, his hair was combed, and he had obviously bathed.

"Figure it's about time," he said, closing the door behind him.

"Time for what?" Michaela asked meekly. She had learned not to ask a lot of questions but she could not figure out what he meant.

"Time we proved that we was married," he answered. Michaela held her breath, hoping that he did not mean what she thought he meant. Ever since Warren had told her that they were "married," Michaela had been waiting for and dreading the moment that he was now proposing.

"We're not married," Michaela yelled.

He walked over to her and yanked her right arm, causing her to scream out in pain. "When are you gonna learn that you are my wife and there ain't nothin' you can do 'bout it!"

"I will never be your wife!" She shouted. He pulled her towards him hard and kissed her. She tried to push him away but she had no strength left in her.

"Now, we gonna do this nice and proper," he said, pushing her onto the floor. She felt hard on her hip bone.

"No!" She screamed. Even though she knew that she had no energy left, she could not let him do what he intended to do without putting up a fight. "No!" She clawed and kicked at him, not caring what the repercussions would be. She would never give in to him. He pinned her arms over her head and began unfastening her loose skirt when there was a knock on the front door.

"Help me!" Michaela screamed, knowing that it was her only chance.

He quickly covered her mouth with his hand. She continued to scream, even though his hand muffled her. The knock came again. Quickly, Warren ripped a strip off Michaela's skirt and tied the fabric over her mouth. He ripped off two more pieces and tied her hands and feet together. Michaela imagined that he would have tied her to something had there been anything in the room. He knew that he had tied her feet and hands together so that she would have no chance or escaping when he opened the door.

"You stay here," he commanded, "and shut up or I'll kill ya. And when I'm done killin' ya, I'll find your children and kill them." She immediately stopped screaming. Although she had thought of following him out of the room, even while tied up, the thought left her mind as soon as he mentioned hurting her children. She would do anything, including die, for her children.

The knock was persistent. Warren finally left here there, slamming the door behind him. Michaela began to cry.

"Howdy," Matthew said, trying his best to use a deeper Southern accent.

"What can I do for ya?" Warren questioned.

"Heard you raise cattle," Matthew replied.

"Who wants to know?"

"I got myself a few cattle," Matthew explained. "Wonderin' if you wanted to buy 'em offa me."

"Why would I wanna buy your cattle?"

Matthew leaned in, lowering his voice. "Ya see, found myself sweet on a gal and we're gonna get married. Can't afford no ring, though, if I don't sell my cattle."

"A girl, huh?"

"Yes, sir."

"A pretty girl?"

"Real pretty." Matthew couldn't believe what he was saying. He wanted so badly to take the gun that was shoved in his boot and kill the man that stood before him but he knew that he would be dead before he even got the gun out of his boot. He saw the Warren's gun holster around his waist, and, knowing how smart Warren was, Matthew couldn't help but believe that he was also that good with a gun.

"I got a woman myself," Warren commented. Matthew's blood began to run cold, knowing that the man was referring to Dr. Mike. "A real pretty woman. I know what a pretty woman can do to a man. Why don't ya come inside and we'll have a chat 'bout how much you want for that cattle."

"How 'bout you come outside and take a look at 'em for yourself," Matthew suggested.

"You brought your cattle with ya?" Matthew nodded. "This woman better be pretty." Warren followed Matthew out the door.

As Sully and Robert watched Matthew and Warren exit the front the door, they ran around the back of the house. They stopped, hiding behind a bush, making sure that Warren didn't hear them. He hadn't. Sully had begged Robert that they carry out their plan immediately after they had come up with it, the day before. Robert told him that, with all of the excitement that had gone on the day before, Warren would be expecting them to come back so they would have to wait. Sully didn't like the idea but he had gone along with it, believing with all his might that Michaela was strong enough to survive one more night with the man.

Sully watched Matthew show Warren the two cows that they had brought with them from Robert's farm. He watched as Matthew told him that he had come with six cows and that four of them must have run off. Matthew led Warren away from the front door and into the tall grass, looking for his "missing" cattle. Sully immediately bolted for the front door, leaving Robert behind. Robert had offered to go in with Sully but Sully knew that someone had to be the lookout for him and that, if something happened to him, someone had to get word back to Colorado Springs.

"Michaela," Sully whispered as he quietly snuck through the house. He walked slowly, checking to make sure that the house hadn't been booby trapped. Sully almost couldn't believe that they had gotten into the house so easily. Perhaps Warren wasn't as smart as they thought he was.

Michaela sat, staring at the door. She tried desperately to think of a way that she could escape but, being in as much pain as she was, she could barely think. She heard the footsteps outside her door and she held her breath.

"Michaela," Sully whispered, this time louder. The fear crept over him that the reason why she couldn't hear him was because she was gone. Sully fell to his knees. At that point, he didn't care whether he lived or died. "Please Michaela!" He cried, this time loudly.

Michaela let her breath out and all of her pain seemed to disappear. Outside, Warren took out his gun.

"Sully!" Michaela shouted with everything she had left inside of her. Her voice was muffled by the gag that was tied around her mouth but Sully distinctly heard his name. His heart leapt.

"Michaela!"

"Sully!"

He raced to the other side of the room and began feeling the wall with his hands. Finally, he saw a small hole, just the right size for a key. He began to kick the door wildly.

Robert sprang to action as soon as he heard Warren fire his gun. He ran into the woods where their horses were waiting, hopped on his own horse, and galloped to the front of the homestead with the two other horses behind him. He saw Warren and Matthew off in the field, rolling among the grass, fighting one another. He rode up to the door way, shouting inside.

"I've gotta help Mattthew!" He shouted. "Good luck, my friend!" Robert galloped away before Sully could reply, leaving Sully's horse behind. Sully knew that the plan was that, if Warren had realized why they were there, Robert was to help Matthew and get them both out of there. Sully would have to fend for himself.

"It's no use!" Michaela shouted through the doorway. "It's solid wood!"

"Hang on, Michaela!" Sully shouted, tears stinging his eyes. He heard another gunshot outside and he only prayed that the gun was not pointed at Matthew or Robert. Sully grabbed his tomahawk from his waste and began hitting the door repeatedly where the key hole was. As he knocked off chunks of wood, the lock finally came free and the door swung open. Sully gasped as he saw Michaela sitting tied up on the floor.

"Hold it!" Warren yelled. Sully immediately turned around and stood between Warren and Michaela. Warren stood at the front door, rifle in hand. For the first time in his life, Sully wished he had a gun. "Whatcha think you're doin', Mr. Sully?"

"Let her go," Sully said through clenched teeth.

"She's my wife," Warren insisted.

"She ain't your wife."

"The folk in town would say somethin' different, Mr. Sully as they all attended our weddin'. A woman becomes a man's property once she marries 'em. Ain't no one gonna let you take my wife away from me."

"Don't matter what those folk will or not let me do. I will take her away from you."

Sully quickly glanced down at the floor behind him where he had dropped his tomahawk when he finally got through the door. He knew that if he made one move for it, Warren would shoot him on the spot.

"You ain't even got a gun," Warren pointed out.

Michaela felt helpless. Even if she was not tied up, she wondered if she would even have the strength to stand and help Sully is some way. She was at a loss, just as she knew Sully was.

"I am beggin' ya ta let her go," Sully pleaded, ready to try any tactic.

"I told ya! She's my wife!"

Sully didn't know how to respond nor did he know what to do. He could tell by just the brief look he had at Michaela when he burst through the door that she needed immediate nourishment and medical attention. She would not survive another day with that man. And yet, Sully knew that even if he was to risk his own life, which he was more than willing to do, it would do Michaela no good and she would die soon after from neglect.

"I'll give ya anythin' ya want," Sully begged. "Ya can do whatever ya want ta me. Just let her go."

Michaela swallowed a hard lump in her throat, hearing the words that Sully was saying. She knew that he would give his life for her but they had never been in such an instance where he may actually have to make good on his promise.

"You try anythin' and I swear to ya that I'll kill them two children she's always talkin' 'bout."

Michaela winced at the mention of her children, knowing that Sully was probably doing the same thing. She knew that he loved them as much as she did and would give his life for them as she would.

"You won't get nowhere near those children," Sully said. He scanned the room, looking for any kind of weapon.

"Ya don't make good on your promises too often, do ya, Mr. Sully? Couldn't protect your precious fiancé, here. You claim ya love her but now she's married to another man. If you can't protect one person laying right beside ya, what makes you think you're gonna be able to protect them youngin's?"

As Michaela listened to what Warren was saying, she realized that she was hidden from Warren's view behind the wall. She could not see him and he could not see her, even though they both knew of each other's presence. Michaela noticed the tomahawk by Sully's feet. She looked at her bound hands and feet and wondered if she would have any chance of reaching it without Warren noticing.

"Guess ya didn't hear your pretty little fiancé here screamin' your name when I took her."

Warren's words pierced Sully's heart. Michaela had called for him. She had called for him to protect her and he hadn't. He had let her down. Michaela could feel Sully's heart breaking, knowing that Warren knew all the right things to say to hurt Sully the most.

"She put up quite a fuss, your little lady. Didn't quite like bein' manhandled. I hafta say, I enjoyed it."

Michaela wanted to scream to make Warren stop talking. The only thing stopping her was the tomahawk that lay on the ground next to Sully. She knew that she had no choice.

"She needs a real man to keep her in line. 'Fraid you ain't man enough."

Sully was paralyzed to do anything. No matter what he thought of to get out of the situation, nothing would work. He and Michaela were destined to die in the hands of that man. He had never given up in his entire life but hearing what Warren said about Michaela shouting for him, he could not pull himself together. He could not see past the fact that he had failed her. He knew that the only thing he could do would be to make sure that no more harm came to her before she died. He at least owed her that.

As quietly as possible, Michaela slid herself across the floor. When she saw that she was close enough to the door, but still hidden from Warren's view, she reached out her arms and felt the smooth handle of the tomahawk between her fingers. With her feet against the wall, she pushed herself into the hallway, catching both Warren and Sully by surprise. With her two hands together, she brought the tomahawk as far behind her head as she could and she threw it as the gun went off.