Dusted this off and pulled it out of oblivion... anyone still reading? I hope to have some readers left. Thanks for any reviews!

Chapter Forty Five

Escape

Rhett pulled the horses to a stop near the front of Scarlett's store. A quick sweep of the area told him that Scarlett was not there as he didn't see her buggy. It was unusual he had to admit. After all, if it was one thing Scarlett didn't take lightly it was her business. At this hour of the day she would have been here already.

Still, he didn't let it worry him too much. Any number of things could have kept her away. There was always Aunt Pitty and of course business acquaintances who wanted her to look at this or that, that they were selling or buying.

Darcy however, was not so willing to be so complacent about Scarlett's absence. With a worried look on her face she turned to Rhett. "She should be here, Rhett. I know something is wrong, I just know it."

Perhaps it was the memory of her husband's death still fresh in her mind that prompted Darcy to react this way, but Rhett wasn't a man who thought rashly or acted rashly. "I'm sure she's just fine, Darcy. Let's not borrow trouble yet. I'll go in and talk to Lucas and I'm sure he'll know where she is and when she'll return."

Fifteen minutes later, Rhett returned with no news of Scarlett's whereabouts. Lucas had not seen her. Darcy's frown and worry deepened upon learning this. "I'm afraid, Rhett. This simply is not like Scarlett."

As much as Rhett didn't want to admit it, he was beginning to feel the same as Darcy but still he would not lose his head until he knew for certain there was something to worry about.

With a quick snap of his wrists, he urged the horses forward to Aunt Pitty's house. Again, once they arrived they saw no evidence that Scarlett was there, but Rhett went in and inquired of Aunt Pitty anyway.

"Why no, Capt. Butler, I haven't heard from Scarlett at all today," Aunt Pitty told him. With a frowning pucker she shook her head. "Oh dear, you don't think something terrible happened to her do you?"

"I'm sure Scarlett is fine, Miss Pittypat," he assured her but by the time he returned to the carriage and Darcy, he was beginning to get a very bad feeling. It was unlike Scarlett to not stay in touch, especially since she learned she was pregnant.

"Rhett, I think we should go to the sheriff," Darcy declared immediately upon learning Scarlett had not been there.

"Let's go back to the store once more, perhaps she came while we were here," he offered and turned the buggy back toward the store.

When they arrived, there was still no Scarlett. Rhett pondered his next move. His instincts were kicking in and telling him something was wrong and yet, if there was nothing wrong Scarlett would be fit to be tied and never let him hear the end of it. In the end, Rhett encouraged by Darcy, went to talk to Byron Cagle.

The hiss of the fire barely broke through Eli's consciousness as he stared at the flames licking their way upward. It was dusk now and the movement around the makeshift camp was at a minimum. Several armed men walked silently around the shanty, only stopping once in a while to light a smoke or talk briefly.

His eyes shifted to them and narrowed, his mind trying to work out a plan. He wondered how difficult it would be to take them out if he were given the chance, but even as he thought it he knew the chances of he and Scarlett escaping unharmed was risky at best.

At least Strom was gone. He saw he and Cain leave earlier heading east and wondered about that since Atlanta was to the west of them. As tenuous as his position was within the group he didn't expect anyone to tell him anything about where they were going or when they would be back.

As he contemplated the situation, he was suddenly startled, as were the other men, by a scream within the shanty. He raced for the door and flung it open, only to find Scarlett lying on the ground clutching her stomach. Her agonizing cries echoed within the confines of the room. Eli immediately lifted her in his arms and laid her on the small cot.

"Eli, the baby, it's the baby," she cried in pain and grabbed his arm.

Eli was frozen in fear for a moment but then his instincts to protect Scarlett kicked in. He lifted her once again and made for the door, only to be stopped by one of the men in the doorway. "Get out of my way," he gritted dangerously.

"I can't do that," the man named Johnson said with a short shake of his head. "I have my orders to keep her here."

"If you don't move out of my way, you're making the biggest mistake of your miserable excuse of a life," Eli's voiced lowered. "If this woman or the child she's carrying dies, I will hunt you down and there is no place you can hide from me. You'll be glad to go to hell when I'm done with you."

Johnson wavered for a moment before lifting his gun at them. "I have my orders," he said firmly.

Eli felt Scarlett tense against him as she let out another agonized scream before suddenly going limp. Her head lolled backwards as the weight of her unconscious body strained his arms.

"Scarlett!" he yelled as he lowered her to the floor. Her delicate face was white, as if all color had been drained from her. He felt something warm and sticky on his hand and realized she was bleeding profusely. He then stared horrified at the sight of Scarlett lifeless and felt his world shift beneath him. He loved this woman, he loved her as he had never loved any woman and he would be damned if he would watch her die!

Without thought to anyone or anything, he lifted her again and plowed forward, kicking Johnson with his booted foot, sending him flying against the doorjamb. He ran past the other men who gawked at him in alert confusion.

"Stop him!" Eli heard the shout behind him as he held Scarlett closer. He would protect her with his life if it meant she would live. That's when spotted the buggy they had brought her in and with a force he didn't know he possessed, he made a running jump up into it. In one movement he lay Scarlett to the side and grabbed the reins, sending the skittish horses flinging forward.

A shot rang out behind him as he hunched forward, slapping the backs of the horses and yelling wildly. The buggy creaked and strained loudly at the sudden movement but they were moving. Eli pushed the horses hard and didn't look back. He didn't know if they were being followed and he didn't care. His only thought was Scarlett and getting her to safety. He looked over at her prone body and felt his chest constrict. He didn't know where he was going but he knew if Scarlett was going to make it he was going to have to get there fast.

Rhett and Darcy had spent the better part of the day talking with Byron and waiting for any sign of Scarlett. Byron had ordered a posse to begin searching for Scarlett, but night was coming fast and the search was set to begin in earnest by first morning light.

Rhett was afraid, more afraid than at other moment of his life. His fear that harm had come to Scarlett began to grow and now it threatened to consume him. At first he didn't want to believe it or accept it, but as the day wore on and not one person had heard from her he knew in his gut something was terribly wrong. It simply wasn't like Scarlett.

Now, the day was almost over and he could do nothing but wait. He stood in the parlor watching the sun make its slow descent behind the landscape; a tumbler of bourbon in his hand was the only thing that felt real. He had poured it an hour before and had yet to take even a sip. He just held it and stared out of the window hoping to see her come walking up the pathway, laughing because she been foolish and let the buggy get away from her. Or perhaps, she would ride up pretty as you please and laugh at them all for being concerned for her.

At any rate, Rhett would have given anything for either scenario to be real. He wanted to believe it, he needed to believe it. He and Scarlett couldn't have come this far to have something happen to destroy it now. She had to be alright, he refused to believe differently. He couldn't imagine a world where Scarlett no longer existed, but worse than that he knew it would be something he could not survive. Losing Bonnie had almost taken him to the depths of insanity; losing Scarlett would send him there for good.

Turning when he heard the soft click of the parlor door, Rhett's heart stopped for a moment when he thought it was Scarlett, but instead it was a very worried Darcy who came in. His whole body tensed and released in a matter of seconds so much so, he almost lost the grip on the glass he was holding.

"Rhett, there's still no word, I'm sorry."

He only nodded and turned from her so she couldn't witness his weakness.

"Is there anyone else or anywhere else we might look for her?" Darcy spoke quietly. "There's got to be something we can do."

"For now we've done all we can," he answered grimly. "Night is coming on fast and searching in the dark would only make things worse."

"I know but, it's so unfair!" she cried folding her hands together. "First James and now Scarlett… how much more must I endure?"

Rhett wanted to comfort her, but he had none to give. He was cold and unable to offer anything other than his tormented silence. He heard Darcy's cries behind him and all he wanted to do was smash something, anything to release this frustration. But in the end, he could only stand and stare out of the window hoping against hope Scarlett would return to him.