Ch 5

The ladies had been at the station for about a week. Teaspoon had decided to let them stay until he could find out about their old employer Max. He felt that no matter where they ran, that he would get to them. He told them that he had to think of a way to get them off, free and clear. Teaspoon saw Cody following Sheila around town once again carrying about a dozen bags. He laughed. He wasn't going to get anything out of that girl except work for him. He had to give it to him, Cody didn't give up easily but he thought he had finally met his match.

"Teaspoon?" Said Lou.

"Yeah Lou?"

"I just thought I'd mention something. I saw a group of men in Benton. I heard a man say they were looking for three ladies. They described them perfectly."

"That was quick. How many?"

"A dozen."

"They say anything about heading this way?"

"Not that I heard. I left them in town to get here."

"Good work Lou. Go tell Cody to get Sheila back to Emma's. Mary is already there. I'll find Audrey."

"Ok."

Jimmy and Audrey rode along side by side back from the canyons. Jimmy saw a cloud of dust in the distance.

"Wait here."

Audrey nodded and pulled her horse to a stop. Jimmy rode closer and saw a posse of men riding hard. He went back down to Audrey.

"It's about a dozen men. Riding hard. We need to get back."

Audrey's face dropped.

"They're looking for y'all. Ain't they."

"I fear they are."

"We need to get you back to Emma's now. I need to get Teaspoon."

"I've been thinking. We need to go. We are going to put all of you in the middle of our mess. I'll get my friends and we'll leave." She went to turn her horse but Jimmy grabbed her reins.

"That's a lot of men for three women. There's more to it ain't there."

Audrey looked up at the sky before bowing her head.

"I'm afraid so."

"Let's hear it."

"It's better for you not to. You'll think less of me for it."

"Audrey, we are friends. I just have to know what's really going on."

"We didn't lie about what we told you. We just left out one small thing."

"And?"

"We couldn't get away without any money so we may have taken his."

"So you stole some money, that's still a lot of men for some money."

"Not some money. We took almost all of it."

"How much are we talking?"

"We never fully counted but I'd guess over fifty thousand."

"Excuse me?! What?!"

"Yeah, we may have put a damper on his plans."

"My God. Where is it?"

"The floor of the carriage."

"We need to get back now."

"You need to let us run."

"It's not in my nature to send helpless women out on the trail even if they are thieves."

"Wow. Really. Would you rather us stay and be whores? Stupid son of a bitch needed to be put in his place."

"I guess y'all were just the women to do it."

"We had the means so why not. I happen to think we have a lot of guts for making it happen."

"And if we don't get to Teaspoon, they'll be spread all over the plains."