"Damn it Manson, if you had listened to me in the first place we wouldn't be in this mess…should have taken the kid back there's have been no way he'd remember you with them holes in his body…" Clay mumbled under his breath as he thought was about what to do.

"Clay…whatcha ya' saying?" Manson asked.

"Nothing, just figuring things out…" Clay mumbled, "Right, our best bet it to corner him off. I'll go in this way, you go around to the cave's exit and we'll trap him in the middle, then we'll…"

"Kill him?"

"Hell no you buffoon! Robbery's one thing, murder's different! You've already got us hanged for Kennings, and maybe we could of pleaded outta that…but you kill a kid there anit no way in hell we'll save out necks."

"Alright, alright, I won't kill him," Manson said, and Clay could swear he sounded disappointed.

"I mean it Manson, you raise a hand against that kid and I'll shoot you, got that?" Clay growled.

"Yeah, yeah, got it." Manson said grudgingly, though he was starting to fear Clay a little.

"Good, now get going or he'll get out 'fore we can catch him," Clay barked.

Clay watched Manson take off at a run, and sighed. He turned to the opening and began to pull clumps of dirt away from the hole. They had been really lucky to find the caves near the house. They were great places to hid gold with two exits. This one, the one clay was working on, was the backup. He had spent three hours widening it so it was just the right size for an adult male to slip through and another two camouflaging it.

"All that hard work ruined cause Mr. Gun Happy had to shoot and kidnap a kid…. goddamn it, after this I'm heading to Mexico were I can get myself some tequila…maybe a chica…."

Clay froze in place as he heard an ominous click behind him.

Adam and Roy road as fast as they could now that they had Ben's trail and Adam knew the area. Hoss had done what his bother had asked and split off to get the others.

Adam knew that his father had a sizeable lead and wanted desperately to catch up with him. It wasn't because he feared for his father's safely, though he knew that there was a chance his father was out numbered; he feared that his father would take the law into his own hands.

"Adam! Slow down son, you'll tumble your horse!" Roy called from behind him, but Adam ignored him. He just wanted to be with his father and help him get the men who hurt Joe. He just wanted to be there to help bring Joe home.

Hoss rode like the devil. Never before in his life had he pushed poor chub so hard, but Adam told him to fetch the others and bring them to where Ben was headed. There was no time to be wasted in Hoss' mind. He knew Joe was hurt, he knew his Pa wasn't thinking straight, that there was a good chance Adam or his Pa could get hurt, and that the more people on their side when they took these guys down, the better.

"Come on gal, I know I'm pushing yous hard, but we gotta find little Joe…we gotta help Short Shanks…."

The horse need no farther persuasion, it needed no more reason then that. Its only response was to go faster then Hoss ever thought capable of the old mare.

Joe could barely keep himself up. In his rush to escape he had forgotten about the wound in his lower back, (thanks Kybo), and now the pain was finally catching up with him. "Should have been more careful…coming…down…"

It was getting harder and harder for Joe to stay alert. Pain was dulling his senses and the blood loss was starting to get to him. But the farther he walked, the closer he got to escape. He could feel the fresh air getting stronger, blowing on his face. Cooling the sweat on his brow. He was getting closer and closer to escape, and that was where he was drawing his strength.

"But where are you goanna go after you get out of here Joe?" he asked himself, more to keep him awake then anything else. "Those guys probably already know about this cave…it's got gold in it, and not the ore…They have to have stolen it…that's why they took me…thought I tell Roy 'bout what I saw…not that I wouldn't…"

A breeze passed by Joe, and he paused to let the cool, sweet air revive him. It was in this eerily tranquil moment that Joe realized…"If they know about this cave, then they know about the exits…"

Clay froze in place as he heard an ominous click behind him.

"Hold it right there…" Came the steel voice of Ben Cartwright.

Clay turned very slowly to see the man who held him at gunpoint. "Howdy partner…what can I do fer ya?" he asked nervously, licking his lips.

"You were talking about a boy…."

"Was I now?"

"That boy have wavy black hair? Small built?"

"Uhh…I didn't see…" Ben raised his gun, "Wow! Hey now! Yeah, the kid's down there in that cave…I was just getting ready to get him out…"

"He's hurt," It was a statement and not a question, and the way Ben said it, filled with the furry of a mother bear, caused Clay to stumble a little bit.

"Uh…kind of…"

Ben closed the gap between Clay and him in three steps, vice gripping Clay's neck, "That boy's my son."

Clay nearly wet himself as the full weight of Ben's words and gaze hit him. "I…I didn't…didn't shoot him…it was...it was Manson…I wanted to take him back…I swear…"

"Where is he?" Ben growled.

"I'll…I'll take you to him…he went into the cave…I'll show ya…please don't kill me…I had nothing to do with Kennings…or…or your son…please…I was going to take him back…"

Ben tossed Clay down unimpressed with the man. "Take me to my son."

I am soooooo soooo sorry about the wait. I really didn't mean for it to be that long... i swear it won't happen again...i hope...