Mark ran to the barn, his injuries protesting as he saddled his horse. He shoved his rifle into the scabbard and led BlueBoy into the yard, only taking a brief moment to catch his breath before mounting up. Pain shot through the young man as he kicked his horse into a gallop. Once again seeing flashes of light, he shook his head, urging BlueBoy to go faster.
Upon reaching the pass, Mark began yelling for Jenny. He carefully guided his horse up the hillside, growing frustrated at how long it was taking to pick his way through the incline.
"JENNY!"
As Mark came over the top of the hill, he finally heard the young woman answer him.
"Mark, what are you-"
"Get on your horse, we're going to meet my pa down at the creek."
"But why-"
"Now, Jenny!"
She stared at him in confusion before mounting up, Mark taking her reins as he urged BlueBoy away from the main path.
"What's going on?"
"That's what I want to know! Willie showed up at the ranch and-"
"Willie?!"
"And said two men were in Pine Valley looking for you! Enough secrets- I want to know who those men are and why Willie got the impression they were out to kill you!" Mark looked over his shoulder to see tears welling in her eyes. "Who are they?!"
"…I don't…"
"Think, Jenny!"
"I don't know who they are! My… my aunt… she must have hired them…"
"Why on earth would your aunt hire someone to kill you?!"
"…Because she wants the money from my father's estate."
"What are you talking about?!"
"…When my father died… we found out he had a significant amount of investments that had done quite well. According to his will, everything went to my mother, but… but when she passed… the estate went to me. …Aunt Leah said she wanted me to go to finishing school… I just wanted to earn my teaching certificate and stay on the farm. After… after I made it quite clear that I wasn't going anywhere… I overheard her talking to the sheriff and our doctor. …She had convinced them that I had gone mad over my parents' deaths. She was going to have me committed to an asylum so she could take control of all my assets. …I took what I could, and I ran."
"Why didn't you tell Micah?!"
"If I had told my uncle, he would have brought attention to where I was, and she would have found me!"
"He could have protected you! Instead, we have two men headed to North Fork to kill you!"
"There's nothing he could have done! Mark, you don't know my aunt! When she wants something, she gets it! My best chance of getting away was disappearing and hoping she'd forget about me- that she'd try to find some other way to get the money!"
"And you thought she would just leave you to come back and tell what really happened? Jenny!"
"What was I supposed to do?! I couldn't risk getting Uncle Micah involved, for both our sakes! I was afraid she'd do something to him if he tried to intervene!"
"Jenny, I-" Mark abruptly stopped, peering through the tree line to see a rider at the creek. "Get down," he whispered.
Jenny jumped down from her horse and followed Mark behind a boulder. "…Who is it?"
"Dirk."
"Isn't that your new hand? Shouldn't we-"
As Jenny started to stand, Mark grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back down. "He's one of the men looking for you."
"What are we going to do?"
"…I don't know. …Pa won't be here for another half hour at least."
"…What if you rode down and told him there was a problem with the herd? Said you'd meet him there after you got your pa?"
Mark shook his head. "There's no reason I would ride all the way out here if I was headed into town. Besides, he knows I'm not supposed to be riding the range; he'd get suspicious."
"Do you think we can make it back to the main road?"
"Not without being seen. And I still don't know who or where-"
Mark froze as he heard the unmistakable sound of a gun being cocked. He turned around to see Willie standing behind them, pointing an Army Colt straight at him.
"Let her go, Willie; this is between you and me."
"Not anymore, it isn't. You have any idea what she's worth? More money than you and your sod bustin' old man would make in ten lifetimes!"
"Whatever my aunt told you-"
"Shutup!" Willie motioned with the gun as he again turned to Mark. "Throw the rifle down, over there."
He complied, being careful to keep any sort of expression from his face.
"Now on your knees."
"Killing me isn't gonna solve anything, Willie. It ain't gonna change anything!"
"It'll make your pa pay!"
"He didn't do anything!"
"He murdered my father!"
"He shot him in defense of two innocent people your father tried to kill! He didn't have a choice!"
"He had every choice!"
"CREWSE!"
Willie looked up at Dirk, giving Mark the opportunity to lunge at him. Seeing Willie roll over on top of Mark, Jenny ran forward, only for a firm set of hands to pull her back. She continued to fight the man restraining her, screaming as a gunshot rang out.
"MARK!"
"Crewse, I told you not to get personal!" Dirk threw Jenny aside, hauling Willie to his feet and shoving him towards her. "Get the girl on a horse."
Willie grabbed Jenny's arm as the man started forward. "Let him die!"
"Not here, not now! Get her on a horse and make sure you tie her hands good."
Jenny yelling protests behind him, Dirk knelt down beside a half-conscious Mark and began looking him over. The young man moaned as he was pushed onto his side, an exit wound being revealed just above his hip. Dirk did what he could to pack the injury before picking Mark up and slinging him over BlueBoy.
Willie shook his head as he took Jenny's reins and mounted up. "If he's not dead by tomorrow I'm finishing him off whether you like it or not."
"As long as Miss Lincoln here cooperates, you'll do no such thing."
"Who cares?! She said we could kill her!"
"If necessary. But I think as long as we agree to keep him breathin', that won't be necessary, now will it?"
A chill ran down Jenny's spine as Dirk looked her over. She slowly shook her head, biting the inside of her cheek to keep the tears away from her eyes.
Sharp pains shot through Mark's head and abdomen with every step BlueBoy took. He fought to stay conscious, struggling to suppress the nauseated feeling in his stomach. Finally, they came to a stop, a few moments passing before he was pulled down from BlueBoy. Mark looked up to see a small shack as Dirk dragged him up the rickety old stairs and inside. He moaned as he was dropped to the hard floor, Jenny's voice ringing out beside him.
"He needs a doctor!"
"The bullet went clean through, he'll be fine for now. Crewse, you better get on back to Pine Valley and send that wire off."
"Why me? You're the one she hired."
"Because I don't trust you to keep him alive. Let Lincoln know we have the girl alive and ask what she wants us to do next."
"Whatever she's paying you, I can double it!"
Mark looked up at Jenny, weakly shaking his head. "No… don't… don't trust…"
"…She has a point," Willie said. "…As a matter of fact, she could sign the entire estate over to us."
Dirk started towards her, slowly nodding as he crossed his arms. "…That she could…"
"Whatever you want, you can have it! Just let him go," Jenny pleaded.
"…Crewse, hand me that rope."
Dirk proceeded to tie Jenny to a chair as the young woman begged them to let Mark go. He then walked out the door, gesturing for Willie to follow him.
"…Jenny, you… you can't…" Mark's voice barely reached a whisper as he spoke. "…They'll… they'll kill you as soon… as soon as…"
"Mark, you need a doctor!"
"…You think… Willie's gonna… gonna let that happen?"
"I'll make them let you go, first!"
"They won't let… that happen… it won't work. …You have to get… get away… get help…"
"They'll kill you if I do that!"
"Jenny… please… they'll kill both… of us if… if you give them… them what they want…"
"We don't have a choice!"
Again, Mark shook his head. "…When you get… get to the Valley with… with Willie… make a… a scene. You can get the… the sheriff… wire… wire my pa…"
"And what happens when Willie doesn't come back? Dirk will know something went wrong; he'll kill you and-"
"…I don't think… think he wants to… to kill me… if something… something goes wrong… he'll turn and… and run…"
"You don't know that!"
"…It's a safer bet than… than Willie coming back… back here. …Jenny… if you don't… don't get help… neither of us… are… are gonna get… get out of… of here…"
"He has a gun, Mark! How am I supposed to-"
The door again swung open, Dirk walking inside and untying Jenny. "Alright, this is how it's gonna be. You're going into Pine Valley with Crewse to see the lawyer there. You're gonna tell him he's your brother and that you want your assets turned over to him so he can manage them while you travel. You give anyone the slightest indication that something is wrong, I'll finish what Crewse started."
"I'm not going anywhere until Mark's seen a doctor!"
Dirk grabbed Jenny's arm, hauling the young woman to her feet. Mark attempted to pull himself across the floor towards them, only progressing a few inches before collapsing.
"Little lady, you don't seem to understand. You either do what we say, or we kill him and turn you over to your aunt. The choice is yours, but I suggest you take the first offer."
She slowly nodded, giving no resistance as she was led outside and put on a horse.
"Remember what I said: you give Crewse any trouble, we'll-"
"I know," she snapped. "…I won't."
Willie urged his horse forward, taking Jenny's reins. "We should be back in about an hour and a half. Kill him and ride into town if we're not."
For several minutes, Jenny sat quietly, studying Willie as they rode. She finally shook her head, her anger making it impossible for her to keep silent any longer.
"You can't blame Mark for what happened to your pa! He didn't do anything!"
"Maybe I can't."
"Then why do you want to kill him?! He had no part in your father's death!"
"His pa did! His pa took everything from me. From my mother. You don't know what it was like! Not knowing where your next meal was coming from, wondering if today the banker would come to foreclose, gettin' teased at school because your shoes are stuffed with paper to make 'em fit and your shirt's a size too small!"
"I know a lot more than you think! Before my pa started prize fighting, he didn't have a cent to his name. He lost two farms and nearly lost the third! Two of my baby sisters died because my ma was so undernourished she couldn't produce milk, and neither one of them would take to anything else. My little brother and I used to walk five miles to town every day and bring home what other folks had thrown out. Until one day I was too sick to go, and a blizzard blew in and he died from exposure. And school? I didn't go to school until I was twelve. We were too busy trying to survive. So I know what it's like to be teased- to be called stupid because you don't know how to write your own name or list the presidents or figure the circumference of a corral. But you and I are different. Because instead of blaming the other kids or acting out against the banker or trying to kill someone who had no part in my family's misfortunes, I decided to do something to make up for what I had missed out on. I studied history and arithmetic. I learned how to write well. I learned how to study the weather to make sure the harvest is brought in before the first freeze. I studied men's business so I could understand how to talk a banker into making an investment and not calling your notes at the first sign of trouble. Tell me just one thing you hurting Mark has made up for!"
"When I'm done with Mark, Lucas McCain will know what it's like to have everything taken from HIM!"
Jenny stared at the young man, her face reflecting the horror she felt.
"When I'm through, it'll make up for everything."
For the remainder of the ride into town, Jenny didn't say a word. Over and over again, she thought through her conversation with Mark, Willie's statement echoing in her head.
The streets of Pine Valley were busy when they arrived. Jenny took note of how uncomfortable Willie seemed, his grip on the reins turning his knuckles white. As the pair dismounted, the young woman looked over her shoulder to catch a glimpse of a man with a sheriff's badge. She suddenly felt a hand grab her arm, Willie whispering into her ear.
"Not a word."
Without a second thought, Jenny spun around, landing a punch just below his belt buckle.
"SHERIFF!"
Mark had no strength to resist as he felt someone pick him up and set him on a table. He looked up, confusion clouding his face as he saw Dirk hovering over him.
"What… what are you… you doing?"
The man briefly walked away before retrieving a bottle from the counter and setting it down beside Mark. "This wound's gotta be closed up before you bleed out. Drink up."
Mark shifted his gaze, waiting several moments for his vision to focus on the label. "Don't… want any…"
"This isn't gonna feel good. You'll want something to numb the pain."
"Numb the… pain," he mused. "Won't be able… to get… any… down."
"Suit yourself."
Dirk opened the bottle and poured its contents onto the young man's abdomen. Mark grabbed the edges of the table, grinding his teeth as the liquid burned through his wound.
"I tried to warn you…"
Dirk set to work, fifteen minutes passing before he rolled Mark onto his stomach. The young man fought to stay awake, the thought of being unconscious when Willie returned overriding everything else that urged him to give up. Again, Mark bit down on his cheek, swallowing blood as it seeped into his mouth.
"…Well, that does it for now. Someone who knows what they're doing is gonna have to go back in there and fix things up proper. I only tied off what I could see- which wasn't much."
"…Willie… Willie isn't gonna… let that happen. …As soon as he… gets back… he'll kill me… and… anyone who tries… to get in his… his way."
"You let me deal with Crewse."
"…You don't… know him like… I do… he already tried to… to kill me… once…"
"Which is exactly why he'll do what I say. That's how I got his help with the girl- recognized him from the poster and said he could get rich or I could take him to the sheriff. He'll choose the same again, given the choice between killing you or living free."
"…You don't… understand," he argued. "It's not about him… I don't think he… he cares… what happens… to him anymore. He just… just wants us… to… suffer…"
"He cares. Deep down, every man cares… every man wants to live."
"…Except when he thinks… the only way… for… for him to live… is to… watch someone else… die."
"Even if he won't listen to reason, he knows he can't out-argue a gun. I'll be ready."
As Dirk walked away, Mark closed his eyes, letting out a heavy sigh. He could feel the table pressing into his injuries and unsuccessfully tried to readjust as a stabbing sensation shot through his side.
Mark had lost all sense of time before he felt a hand forcing him to sit up. He moaned in pain, grabbing at his abdomen.
"Sorry, but I can't leave you here."
"What…? Where…"
"Crewse should have been back with the girl a long time ago. I'm gonna have to leave you somewhere else in case he comes back while I'm out looking for them."
As he tried to mumble a protest, Dirk draped the young man's arm over his shoulders and half-carried, half-drug him from the shack. Mark felt something tear as he was pushed up into the saddle and grabbed the pommel before doubling over in pain. Paying no mind to Mark's moans, Dirk mounted up behind him, kicking BlueBoy into a lope.