Chapter 2

"Sully?" Michaela said, confused. She hadn't remembered falling asleep and she certainly couldn't figure out why Sully was holding her in his arms.

Sully immediately put her down and pointed down the road where the sound was coming from. The wagon came into view, the sounds of the horses' hooves becoming deafening. Sully protectively held Michaela back from the street as other people began to gather in the street in their nightdresses. Others stayed indoors and looked out their windows, curious as to the noise.

"What is goin' on?" Hank bellowed from the porch of his saloon. "That noise is disturbin' my customers."

The wagon came to an abrupt halt in the middle of the street. The townspeople, with Sully and Michaela in the lead, got closer to inspect the situation. Robert E grabbed the reins of the horses, who were whinnying and rearing, obviously having been spooked by something. He spoke to them quietly, trying to sooth them.

Sully looked in the back of the wagon but saw only a tattered blanket spread over the entire length of the wagon. Having some idea of what he might find underneath, Sully peeled the blanket back.

"Oh my!" Dorothy exclaimed, bringing her hand to her mouth. She turned away from the sight, burying her head in Loren's shoulder.

"Get them into the clinic, quickly!" Michaela shouted, suddenly alert and ready to take charge. Whatever tiredness that had taken over her body just a few moments earlier was no longer an issue. Despite her request, no one moved. "We've got to help these people!"

"Don't look like there's nothin' ya can do for 'em now," Hank sneered, having made his way over to the crowd. He was always the one who seemed willing to deliver the bad news that no one else dared say.

Michaela quickly stepped towards the wagon. She placed her fingers on each of the necks but there was no pulse. When she drew her hand away, her fingers were soaked with crimson blood. The entire wagon looked as if it were a blood bath with the bodies sitting in the middle of it all. Even though Michaela's medical training told her that there was nothing she could do, she hated feeling so helpless.

"Looks like Henry Frost and his wife," Loren said. "They was just in the store two days ago."

"What happened to them?" Dorothy wondered out loud, still having a difficult time looking at the horrible sight.

"I ain't never seen that much blood in my life," Jake commented, looking into the wagon. "Can barely tell that there's two bodies."

"Were they shot?" Horace questioned from the back of the crowd, his arm around Myra.

"I don't think so," Michaela answered. "It looks like they were stabbed."

"Stabbed?" Loren replied. "Who woulda done such a thing?"

"We gotta get a posse together to find whoever done this to 'em!" Jake shouted.

"Now, hold on, Jake," Sully interjected.

"There could be someone on the loose out there killin' folk!" Jake yelled, riling up the crowd.

"And how'd they get here?" Loren added in. "I don't see no one drivin' that wagon."

Unable to answer any of the questions she was being asked, Michaela turned to Loren, having some questions of her own.

"Loren, you said that you'd seen them before. Did they have any children?"

"Brought a little girl with 'em inta the store. Annemarie's her name," Loren answered.

Michaela turned to Sully. "She may be in trouble."

"They," Loren corrected. "They got four young ones at home. Annemarie, Suzanne, Henry Junior, and the youngest, Donald," Loren explained, proud to be the one person in town who seemed to know everyone's name.

"We've got to make sure that they're okay," Michaela cried. "They could be hurt or, at the very least, scared to death."

"And we gotta get a search party together to make sure that whoever done this to 'em ain't comin' to do the same thing ta us!" Hank shouted. The crowd shouted in agreement.

"Anyone know where they lived?" Sully called, trying to overpower everyone's cries who seemed to be agreeing with Hank.

"Up past Shanty town," Robert E announced. "I seen them 'round those parts when I was visitin' some folk up there."

"Well, let's go then," Michaela said.

"Ain't goin' after no kids," Hank responded, "we're goin' after the person who's done this to 'em!"

"We don't know what happened to them!" Michaela shouted.

"We know that they didn't get like this by themselves," Hank retorted.

"I'll go with ya, Sully," Robert E offered.

"Thank you, Robert E but I'd appreciate it if ya could go ride off to the homestead and stay with the children," Michaela said.

"Of course," Robert E replied. "I'll get Grace. We'll ride up there right away."

"We'll need ta borrow a wagon, too," Sully explained.

"Sure thing." Robert E handed the now calmed horses over to Horace, who took them hesitantly. Horses had never been something he was extremely comfortable with but he happened to be the person standing the closest. Robert E jogged over to the livery, ready to get a wagon and his fastest horses ready.

"We gotta get these people outta the middle of town," Dorothy stated, pointing to the wagon even though she dared not look at it again. "It ain't fittin' to have people starin' at 'em like this."

"She's right," Michaela agreed. "Jake, Horace, why don't you go get the Reverend and see to it that they're…taken care of."

"I'm goin' with Hank to find the man who did this," Jake announced. "Besides, it was my idea to start the posse in the first place."

Michaela rolled her eyes at his childish behavior. Somehow she knew that the majority of the men in the town would never grow past certain boyish tendencies such as arguing over who did something first.

"I'll take 'em to the Reverend," Horace offered.

"Thank you, Horace," Michaela responded.

Horace nodded and began to lead the horses away. He knew that it would be easier to control them if he got up on the driver's seat and drove them towards the church but he couldn't bring himself to get any closer to the dead bodies.

"I'll go get my bag," Michaela said as she headed for the clinic.

"And I'll go get my horse," Hank decided. "Ya comin' Jake?"

"Sure am."

The two men walked away.

"Well, are we ready?" Michaela asked, coming out of the clinic, ready to go. Robert E came from the livery, leading his fastest two horses who were pulling his wagon. He handed the reins off to Sully. Sully jumped up into the wagon and helped Michaela up, as well. They settled quickly and Sully snapped the reins. The horses lurched away.

"How come they're always ridin' off tryin' to save the day?" Loren asked, watching the wagon disappear into the darkness.

"Because they're the only ones brave enough," Myra answered, heading back towards the post office.

"Or the only ones crazy enough," Hank added, as he rode on his horse back towards the crowd of people. Jake quickly joined him.

"Ya comin', Loren?" Jake asked.

Loren looked down at his feet. "Figure someone's gotta take care of the woman folk in case that man comes inta town," he answered.

Dorothy chuckled, knowing that Loren really just didn't want to go.

"Loren Bray, the women of this town can take care of themselves just fine," she said.

"Still ain't a good idea for ya to be all alone."

"And what are ya gonna do if someone does come? Scare 'em off with your broom?" Hank asked.

Loren scoffed. "Just wait 'til I get my horse."

He stormed off as Jake and Hank laughed.

"Ya don't have ta treat him like that," Dorothy said, speaking to Jake.

"He didn't have ta come," Jake retorted. "Best get inside. Don't know who's wanderin' 'round out there."

Dorothy rolled her eyes but headed back to the general store. Loren quickly joined Hank and Jake and they rode off.