Ch 19

Teaspoon and Lou arrived at the station the next day. Kid and the boys met them outside.

"Where is everyone?" Asked Cody.

"We had an event outside of town yesterday. Noah and Emma are hurt. Jimmy is missing."

"What the hell?" Asked Buck.

"Thats what we would like to know. I need you boys ready to ride. We leave in thirty."

As the boys prepared, Teaspoon filled them in on the missing Josiah. He had told Lou on the ride in.

"He has to be the one behind this." Said Kid.

"Why try to kill Noah but take Hickok?" Asked Cody.

"Ain't sure what's going on. We just need to get back to Noah and Emma. We'll go from there."

'Let's go.' signed Ike.

The riders galloped out of the station yard back toward Benton.

Bart toyed with Jimmy until he was barely conscious. Josiah came over.

"Bart, I told you not to kill him damnit."

"I didn't. He is still there just barely." Smirked Bart.

"Give me his hat and shirt. I need proof that I have him. Then dump him in the well for safekeeping."

"Yes sir."

Jimmy faintly saw Bart walking over. He felt him ripping his shirt off. He couldn't do anything but just lay there. He knew he was going to die. He could taste the blood running down his face. He didn't feel any pain. He felt numb all over. His mind was getting foggy as Bart lifted his bloody body on his shoulder. He then felt himself falling. He fell for what seemed forever. He hit water and a hard bottom. It knocked the wind out of him. He laid on his back looking up, gasping for air. He watched the daylight as the darkness consumed him and he passed out.

Teaspoon, Lou, and the boys made it back to Benton right at dark. After getting some rooms for the night, they made their way back to the doctor's house. Teaspoon knocked on the door.

"Glad to see y'all made it back." The doctor said as he opened the door for them.

"How are they?" Asked Teaspoon.

"Ms. Shannon seems to be coming around more. I think by tomorrow, she should be good to go. Your man Noah, hasn't made much change."

"Thanks again for looking after em. We will be back in the morning."

The doctor nodded as he shut the door behind them. Teaspoon turned to his boys.

"Let's find us something to eat so we can sit and talk about all this."

"Ain't hungry." Said Lou.

"Now Lou. I know you are worried about Jimmy but you can't let yourself go. You have to be strong for him."

Kid snorted. Teaspoon glared at him.

"Ya got a problem here Kid."

"No."

"Good. Now let's eat."

They went into the restaurant and found a table to the back away from everyone. After they had eaten, Teaspoon spoke.

"I feel like we are running round in circles here."

"I feel lost." Said Lou.

"Lost without your new found love." Smarted Kid.

Lou stood up and left.

"That was just great Kid. Really great." Said Cody.

"Jimmy is our friend too ya know. He is also yours." Said Buck.

"How am I supposed to feel? She left me and went straight to him in the same day!"

"Kid, now is not the time!" Teaspoon said as he slammed his fist in the table.

All the riders jumped.

"Someone may have just killed Noah. They hurt Emma and took Jimmy. We have more important things at hand right now than your love life!"

"Sorry." Said Kid as he looked down at his hands.

"Tomorrow we will go back to where we made camp. Buck will look for clues. Hopefully we will find something. Now let's get some rest."

The riders agreed as they all made their way to their rooms. Lou woke early the next morning. She had hardly slept. She dressed and came down. She wanted to see if she could speak with Emma. The clerk called to her as she passed.

"Sir?!"

"Yeah."

"A man left this for you late last night. I didn't want to bother you so I held on to it til this morning." The clerk said as he slid a box over to her.

"Do you know the man that dropped it? I wasn't expectin anything."

"No sir, sorry to say that I don't."

Lou took the box. It felt light. She walked over to the table in the corner. She lifted the lid and almost dropped the box on the floor. She closed her eyes. She opened them slowly and reached into the box. Jimmy's hat was inside and under the hat was a very bloody shirt. His shirt. She felt sick. She stood unsteadily on her feet. There was a note underneath.

"Come to the old house spot five miles to the west. Ask the clerk, the old Tisdale place. He will know. Come alone. We will be waiting."

Lou heard steps behind her. She shoved everything back into the box just as Kid came to stand behind her.

"You ok Lou?"

"Fine."

"Lou, you don't act fine. You look like you seen a ghost. Do you need Teaspoon?"

"I said I'm fine."

"What's in the box?"

"None of your business." Lou said as she pushed past him and out the door.

Kid stood watching her go. She walked shakily on her feet toward the livery. Something was wrong. He looked down at the table where she had been standing. He saw traces of something red. He touched it. He held his hand up. It looked like blood. He needed to find Teaspoon. He turned and ran back up the stairs.

Jimmy woke to the sound of someone yelling at him. He tried to move and couldn't. Where he had felt numb before, now he was in a whole other world of hurt. He couldn't breathe for the pain. He heard yelling again. Water dropped on his face causing him to gasp for air. He barely could open his eyes. He looked around. It was dark. He looked up and saw a small circle of light. He heard the yelling again.

"Hey down there, you still with us?"

Jimmy couldn't talk. He couldn't do anything.

"I see ya movin, what little you can do!" Laughed Bart.

Jimmy tried to move himself. He was laying in about four inches of water. He was so cold. He tried to prop himself up, pushing through his pain. He moved his leg and grimaced at the pain. He saw the world getting foggy as his vision blurred. He slumped back over.

"He alive Bart?"

"Yes sir. He just can't say anything right now. Stupid fuck."

"Well once she gets here, you can finish him off however you like. Where's Jack?"

"He took the box into town. He should be back anytime."

"Good. Watch him. Don't let him die on me. Not yet anyway."

"Yes sir."

Lou didn't ask the hotel clerk for directions. She asked the livery owner. He told her where to go. She mounted up and rode off.

Kid knocked frantically on Teaspoon's door. Cody opened it.

"Cody, where's Teaspoon?"

"I'm right here son. What's the matter?"

"I went down and saw Lou holding a box of some sort. She looked scared half to death."

"What was in the box?" Asked Cody

"She wouldn't say but after she left, I looked at the table that she had sat it on. There's fresh blood smeared on it Teaspoon."

Teaspoon stood up.

"You sure."

"Come see for yourself."

Cody ran and knocked on Buck and Ike's door. All of them made their way down to the table. Teaspoon looked at the red smears. It was blood. He turned to the clerk.

"My other rider. Did someone leave something for him?"

"Yes sir. A man left a box for him last night."

"Who was it?"

"I don't know. Honestly I don't. He just told me to deliver it to a Lou."

"How long ago did she leave Kid?"

"Maybe thirty minutes."

"Buck let's go, we need to try to follow her."

"On it." Said Buck.

The riders ran to the livery to get their horses ready to ride.