Some subject matter may not be suitable for all readers. Hanky warning may apply as well.
Italics = thoughts
Italics = Chris / Vin communication
Lost and Found – Part 8
Vin thought about everything that had happened since he woke up here. The time he had spent with Catherine before Larabee and his men showed up. It was peaceful. Now, things were getting complicated. Why did he want to remember? They said he had no family. Why could he not stay here? The images that flashed through his head when the men were present were not exactly pleasant. Why would he want to go back? And, what kind of town did they protect that it needed seven men to do it? He did not think he wanted to find out. Besides, who would look out for Catherine? No one had been out here at all, except Larabee and the others. It was clear to Vin no one checked on her. What if something happened while she was alone and she needed help? No, he could not leave her here alone, even if his memory did come back. He decided he would tell Larabee and the others to leave them alone, go back where they came from. Although, Vin's gut told him the man in black would not be driven off so easily.
Catherine was outside in the garden when she heard the horses ride up. The determination of Vin's friends to help him remember made her sigh and she stood up to face them as they approached. "He's not back yet," she told them and froze at the low, lecherous, unknown voice that spoke back.
"That suits us just fine."
The evil laughs spurred her into a run for the house, but a strong arm caught her roughly around the waist and pulled her against his large torso. A massive hand heavily groped her sensitive female curves, and she shuddered, clawing and kicking to get away.
"Looks like we got ourselves a wildcat boys," the body holding her said, excitement in his voice at the prospect.
The arm around her waist easily lifted her and moved forward, and she kicked her feet out in all directions. When one foot connected with the steps of the porch, she pushed with all her might upward and bucked against him as hard as possible, her head connecting solidly with his nose. Stunned, he loosened his hold on her, and she struggled away from him crawling up the steps to the back door. A savage hand grabbed her hair and pulled her backward causing tears to sting her eyes at the brutal pain in her scalp. Roughly, he turned her toward him, his hand still held tight in her hair forcing her head back painfully. The heavy hand groped her body again as he forced her closer. "I'm gonna enjoy this," he snarled in her ear.
Her hands pushed against him futilely, her mind searching for options to get away. A hand found his pistol. She pulled it, cocked the hammer, and pointed it at his side. He froze at the sound and cursed, trying to grab the weapon away from her, but the hand closest to the gun was the one tangled in her hair.
The sound of a loud gunshot whirled Vin around as he instinctively grabbed his own gun searching for trouble. It had come from the direction of the house, and he took off at a run.
Josiah and the other men were not far from the small homestead when they too heard the gunshot. Looking at each other quickly, they spurred their horses on faster.
The large body fell away from her at the impact of the bullet, but the hand still in her hair brought her down with him. Landing on top of him, she struggled to get away from the hand and foul body. Angry hands grabbed her arm, yanked her upward, and pushed her against the wall of the house. "She killed Gabe," a voice said in shock to her right.
"Your gonna pay for that bitch!" He struck her hard across the face turning her to the side with its force.
The strike left her reeling, hands coming up to catch herself. She was at the back door. Her mind screaming to get away, she pushed the door open and ran into the house, the man fast on her heals. He grabbed her arm viciously and spun her around. The momentum of her flight and sudden spin around ran her into him, and he fell backwards into the potbellied stove. It fell over heavily, spilling its fire onto the rag rug as it rolled. Awkwardly, the man landed with Catherine following ending up on her hands and knees. She quickly scurried away and ran for the front door.
Vin was at the back of the house. Movement caught his attention as he saw the back of a man going inside. Running up to the porch, he stopped to look at the body laying there, its blood seeping into the weathered wood. Anger flared fiercely, and he quickly followed the other man inside. There had obviously been a struggle, and a fire was quickly spreading from the stove that had fallen over. Again, he caught sight of the back of a man leaving the front door.
Catherine ran with no idea of where to go. The sound of thundering hooves approaching from the road had her turning for the barn. She could hear the man chasing after her and wondered where Vin was. Just reaching the entrance to the barn, a hand grabbed her sharply around the arm, flung her around, and struck her across the face again. She went spinning to the ground and groped around to determine her location. The man was descending on her again and she scooted forward finding the wall of the barn. Again, her hair was grabbed, and she cried out in pain as he yanked her to her feet and harshly thrust her into the wall. The impact stole her breath away, and she gasped for air, feeling dizzy. He released her, and she slid to the ground on her knees. Instinctively her hands searched around her and encountered a wooden handle. She grabbed it, not caring what it was, and unsteadily got to her feet before she turned toward his labored breathing.
Vin had just passed the threshold of the front door when he saw the man in black and the others coming down the rise from the road. He did not stop moving as he continued after the unknown man. The man was halfway to the barn when Vin yelled, "Stop!" from the bottom of the porch steps. With the horses approaching from the front and the yell from behind, the man slid to a stop and eyed the riders. "Turn around." As the man started to turn, he drew his weapon and simultaneous gunshots sent two bullets into him. Vin looked at the fallen man and then the man in black. With a quick nod of his head, Vin continued toward the barn.
Nathan and Josiah hurriedly went to the flame-engulfed house. They circled it, looking for anything that would help them fight the fire but found little. At the back, they saw a body starting to singe in the flames and recognized one of the Corkrin brothers.
Chris followed Vin toward the barn. Still a distance away they heard a stifled cry of pain and hurried forward. Vin reached the doorway first and stopped as a third man stood looking at Catherine in shock, a pitchfork piercing his body from groin to chest.
Catherine stood there holding the wooden handle and somehow knew she had impaled him on something. At the sound of others approaching she backed away, the weapon still in her attacker.
The man fell to the ground, gurgling on his own blood as he lay dying. Vin cautiously moved toward Catherine his eyes raking over her red, swollen face, wide terror filled eyes, disheveled hair, ripped and torn clothing and wanted these men to suffer more for what they had done to her. "Catherine?" He spoke softly trying not to scare her further. Her eyes welled with tears at the sound of his voice, and she stepped forward but retreated at the sound of someone beyond Vin. Turning, Vin saw Chris and motioned him back out of the barn. Chris stood his ground and Vin growled, "Larabee." Get the hell out.
Chris' eyes widened. He looked at Vin closely. You remember?
Vin nodded his head once. I remember. Now get out.
Chris looked at him a few seconds longer before turning and walking out of the barn.
Vin turned his attention back to Catherine who was now huddled in a corner where the barn wall met a stall wall. He approached slowly, and spoke soothingly as he went.
Chris left the barn in time to see the house collapse inward, and turned away at the pain of the vivid memories of his own loss.
Josiah and Nathan returned to the front of the house and headed toward the barn. There was no way to save the woman's home. They saw Chris gathering the horses and leading them to the corral but no sign of Vin or Catherine. Josiah was the first to speak as they approached the corral. "It's the Corkrin brothers. One shot out back. We pulled him out of the fire." He indicated the one that Chris and Vin had shot lying in the middle of the yard. "Where's the third?"
Not looking up from tending the horses, Chris simply said, "Barn."
"Vin and Catherine?" Nathan inquired, and Chris jerked his head in the direction of the barn. When Nathan entered the barn, he checked the skewered man and found him dead. He found Vin cradling an almost fetal position Catherine. She was curled so tightly into a ball he was not sure how she was able to breath. He could hear the soft murmur of Vin's voice as he rocked her. Nathan approached slowly but stopped when it caused Catherine to burrow deeper into Vin. "She alright?"
Vin looked at him, his bright blue eyes clearly expressed his anger at the assault on this woman as well as deep sorrow for what she had suffered. He did not answer, and Nathan stepped forward again and knelt. Vin felt Catherin tense as Nathan got closer. When he reached out a hand to her, the Texan hissed, "Don't touch her."
Nathan pulled his hand back as if it had been slapped and looked at Vin sharply, angry. "I just want to help her, Vin."
"I know ya do, Nate. She ain't gonna let ya." Vin looked defiantly at Nathan, daring him to argue.
Nathan looked at Catherine, curled tightly and as close to Vin as she could get. He could not even see her face buried as it was in Vin's neck with her tangled hair shielding her from view. He sighed, stood, and walked from the barn.
They discussed their options. Should they take the bodies back to town or leave them for the buzzards? Should one of them ride for the Sheriff and let him sort it out? Was Catherine alright? Nathan said he had not seen to her. Vin wouldn't let him. Chris told them that Vin remembered though he wasn't certain exactly how much or what had brought it on. Josiah speculated that Vin was protective of Catherine because she was the only person he'd known for the last couple of months. They had not considered that.
They were also concerned about how she would take the news of her house being destroyed by fire. They knew she did not have much, and that, on top of what she had already been through, was not going to be easy on her. They debated about not telling her right away, just loading up Vin and Catherine and taking them to town. That was looking like a good plan. At least they would be close to the three men. Of course, they did not know Tanner's thoughts on any of this since he and Catherine were still in the barn.
Once he realized it had been almost two hours since they had arrived, Chris headed to the barn to check on Vin and Catherine. From the doorway, it looked like they were both asleep. Vin had his right leg stretched out in front of him, his left knee bent and resting against the wall. Catherine sat between his legs leaning into him on her side. Chris moved closer and could see that Vin had moved her hair away from her face. The inflamed and mottled flesh of her cheek made his jaw clench, and he knew Vin would be livid. She had finally relaxed her tightly curled body a little and slept with her head resting on Vin's shoulder. Vin's head was leaned back against the wall, his jaw resting on top of Catherine's head, his eyes closed.
Vin turned his head at the sound of approaching feet and slowly opened his eyes to see Larabee coming closer. "She's asleep," he whispered.
"She all right?" Chris sat down a few feet away from Vin, leaning against a wall.
"Ain't said nothin'." He took a deep breath and let it out. "Those bastards hit her, Chris." Even in his hushed tone, the anger was apparent.
Catherine stirred and moaned. "Calm down, pard," Chris warned and watched as Vin soothed her with a gentle hand and soft words he couldn't hear. He had never seen his best friend this way before, and he suddenly missed Sarah with an acute ache in his heart.
Vin leaned his head back against the wall and looked up at the beams of the roof. "Not knowin' who I was… I had a home here… someone who cared… it was nice… real nice." A tear slid from the corner of his eye and he closed his eyes recalling his past.
"You can still have that, Vin."
"Gotta clear my name. Don't rightly know how."
"I'll help you. We all will. That's what family does."
It was silent a few minutes before Chris spoke again. "We were thinking we should take you and Catherine back to town."
"No," Vin cut in before Chris could finish. Shaking his head, he explained, "She don't know any other place."
"Vin." Chris' voice was gentle. "The house… it's gone."
Vin looked at him sharply and then remembered the fire that was spreading when he ran through the house. "Fire?"
Chris just nodded a pained look on his face.
Vin thumped his head against the wall. "Save anything?"
"Fire's still too hot. We'll check later but I doubt it."
"Damn it," Vin cursed and Catherine stirred again, slowly coming awake.
"Vin?" Her voice was a tentative whisper as she moved her hand to his face.
"Ya alright?" he asked quietly as she sat up. His jaw clenched at the sight of her bruised and swollen face.
Catherine felt the muscles in his jaw tighten and looked at him questioningly.
He extremely gently touched her bruising cheek, making her turn her head away slightly at the unexpected touch. His jaw tightened again under her hand and she gingerly pressed her cheek into his hand, closing her eyes. "They hurt ya." It was a statement and question together.
"I…" She swallowed, remembering the cruel hands on her body and she shuddered.
Vin watched the play of emotions cross her face and tried to comfort her with a gentle hand on her arm. She flinched at the touch to her now tender flesh and his jaw muscles worked furiously under her hand again.
"Chris?" Vin never turned away from Catherine. "Get Nathan."
"NO!" she cried. Fear clouded her face before she buried her head against him again.
He closed his eyes, resting his chin on the top of her head. "Please? I wanna know you're alright."
She was still for several moments and then slowly nodded her head, "You, not him." It was no more than a whisper in his neck.
He thought about that a minute. Nate tended them all when they were hurt. Would he know if she was? "Ok. If I don't like somethin' could he look at ya then?" She nodded again and he sighed, relieved. Looking at Chris, he motioned toward the door with his head, indicating Larabee should leave, which he did. Once Chris was gone and the barn door shut he asked, "You ready?"
Catherine moved away from him and slowly stood up unsteadily. Vin was also having some difficulty getting to his feet. His hip was stiff and sore from running and sitting too long on the hard floor. He had to steady himself with the wall and wait a minute to let the tingling subside in his leg before he could stand on it.
The windows, in the upper part of the barn, flooded it with decent light, and Vin looked around for the best place to check on her. He thought she would prefer some privacy, but he would need light to see, so he decided on one of the stalls that was empty and filled with sunshine.
He walked to her stiffly and she turned to him, concerned at the unusual sound of his steps. "Vin?" she questioned. "Are you hurt?"
He smiled. There she was thinking about him again and not her own needs. "Just a little stiff from the ground. Let's go over here where it's a little more private for ya." He took her elbow gently and guided her to their destination.
"We aren't going to the house?" she asked, confused.
Vin looked at her, not sure how she would handle the news about her home. "The house burned down." He did not know any other way to say it. "The stove was knocked over."
Catherine turned to him, horrified. "What?" She could not believe what he had told her. "There's no… nothing… nothing left? It's all… gone?"
Fresh tears filled her eyes, and Vin gently pulled her closer to comfort her. "I don't know. I haven't seen it," he said softly.
She clung to him as she sobbed for the loss of the only home she had ever known. Those horrible men had taken her home from her and tried to hurt her. If Vin or his friends hadn't been there…
Vin held her carefully, still unsure of how much if any she was hurt. He let her cry and wondered what she would do now, where she would live. He doubted she could or would be able to rebuild. There was not anyone to help her. The realization that she had no one and no home stuck him. He had lived most of his life with no family and no home. He was not going to let her suffer as he had, even if she was not a child. He would not leave her alone. He would take care of. First he needed to make sure those men had not hurt her badly. She stopped crying and clung to him for comfort at the new hurt against her. "Did they hurt ya, Catherine? Will ya let me see to ya?" he asked softly at her ear.
She sniffed and snuggled closer for a moment before she stepped away from him. Sorrowfully she nodded her head. "Okay," she said shakily. She turned her head slightly away from him listening. "Where are they?"
"Just you and me," he reassured. "The boys are outside." He looked around the barn again. "I'll wait on the other side of the stalls while ya… take your dress off." The last part of the statement rushed out in a whisper of embarrassment.
She blushed and nodded. She called out timidly when she was ready, and he came back to her. She held the tattered dress over herself tightly. Instantly he saw the dark bruising of handprints on her arms and took a deep breath. He needed to be calm, or he would frighten her with his anger. Oh was he angry. The bastards are dead. They've paid for it.
He stood in front of her and looked at her bruised and tear streaked face. Taking her chin in his hand extremely gently he tilted her head to see better in the sunlight. "Will ya tell me what happened?" He carefully touched her darkly bruised cheek. She trembled at the thought of it but took a shaky breath and started telling him slowly what happened. As she spoke, he tracked each bruise at how it came to be. Without stopping her account, he made sure to tell her when he was going to touch her not wanting to startle her. She had bruises on her arms, breasts, ribs, abdomen and the front of her hips. He was concentrating hard on her words and the bruises trying not to notice she was before him naked. He sighed to himself with relief as her story unfolded; they had not gotten the chance to rape her as hard as she fought them. He had looked at her with awe and pride as she told him how she had fought off the man on the back porch and shot him with his own pistol. Yes, she was an extraordinary woman, strong and a fighter.
When she was finished with her story, he let her get dressed again and went to talk to Nathan. He was concerned about the bruising around her abdomen and on her ribs. As he approached the three men at the corral fence, they looked up and watched, trying to judge his expression with no luck. He briefly told them what had happened and about the bruises. Nathan asked him multitudes of questions about her bruises. How dark they were, what colors, exactly where on the ribs and abdomen among many others. Nathan seemed satisfied that there was not any serious damage, and Vin sighed in relief.
"She's a strong woman," Josiah exclaimed. "She put up a hell of a fight." They all agreed, nodding. They were glad the brothers had not done more harm.
Vin insisted that Catherine rest while they rummaged through the remains of the house. She reluctantly agreed. She wanted to help but was tired and sore, and her mind whirled with questions of what her life would be like now. She had no home now. What was going to happen to her? She had no family and did not want to live in town. This was the only place she had ever been, and now there was nothing here for her. Exhausted, she finally fell into a restless sleep in the back of the wagon in the barn.
The men sifted through the remains of the house but found little that was salvageable. Chris was subdued, his entire essence radiated his own pain at the memories of his wife and son lost in a fire years before. At least this time there were no bodies to find and bury.
Nathan and Josiah worked quietly. As Vin worked, he worried about Catherine. He knew she had nowhere else to go. He had seriously considered staying here with her whether his memory returned or not. Of course, now that he remembered, he knew he had to go back. He still wanted her with him, and his mind wandered through scenarios that would let her into his world without causing her any more suffering. She would not want to stay in town after living out here her whole life. She more than likely would be leery of all the people in town, being here alone for a while. Had he not been that way? Had he not grown used to the town and its people somewhere along the line, beginning to think of it as 'home'? Would she be able to do the same? Would she be able to accept the men he had come to know as friends and brothers as her own? He knew they would do whatever necessary to help her, and that eased his mind a little. His mind turned to Nettie Wells, and he smiled. He would talk to her about it. She was always good at helping him figure out things. Maybe Catherine would be welcome at Nettie's until Vin could make other arrangements. She would be safe with the old woman and her niece. Maybe Casey and Catherine could become friends. It would be good for both of the young women.
Chris' voice finally broke through Vin's thoughts, and he turned toward the sound. "Vin, I think we should go to town tonight. Figure out what we're going to do." Vin looked from Chris to Nathan to Josiah and back to Chris.
"She needs food and rest," Nathan told him. Maybe pushing her needs would get him to agree.
Vin nodded his head in agreement. He was hungry and knew she should eat.
Josiah hated to mention it but added, "We should take the bodies back to town too."
Vin's eyes flashed with anger. "Let 'em rot," he growled.
"They might have family, Vin." Josiah said it quietly in his soothing baritone.
"Alright, Josiah," Vin acquiesced. "Don't want 'em anywhere near her."
"I'll take care of it, brother," Josiah reassured before turning to see to the task.
Vin stopped him with a hand on his arm. "They got any money on 'em, think they owe her some new clothes and supplies."
Josiah smiled widely and slapped Vin on the back. "I agree brother Vin. That they do."
Vin returned a slow crooked grin before heading to the barn to talk to Catherine.
Vin found Catherine curled up asleep in the back of the wagon. He could not image it was too comfortable without any blankets or hay inside to soften the hard wood. She had to be sore from the bruises. He watched her sleep a few minutes from over the side of the wagon before he placed his hand on her shoulder and quietly said her name.
She stirred, her eyes fluttering open with confusion, her hands searching her surroundings. Remembering why she was in the wagon, she sat up listening for what woke her.
"It's me," Vin said softly, moving to the end of the wagon and levering himself up to sit in it.
She moved forward to sit by him and tremulously said, "I'm scared, Vin. What am I going to do?"
Vin pulled her against him. "Been thinkin' on it." He looked at her to judge her reaction to his next words. "I want ya with me. Want ya to go back with me and the boys." He saw uncertainty and then realization on her face.
Catherine sat up from his embrace and placed her palm on his cheek. "You remember?" she said in a breathless whisper.
"Yeah. When I saw that man ya shot."
"They're the ones that hurt you?"
"Jumped me as I's gettin' ready to leave town."
"Then I'm glad they're dead," she said harshly and hugged herself to him.
"Wouldn't a found ya if they hadn't," he said with a grin and held her closer. "Reckon it was worth it."
"You really want me?" she asked in amazement. "Now that you know who you are?"
"Knowin' that don't change what ya done for me or how I feel 'bout ya." His voice was rough with emotion.
"Even though I'm blind?" she asked tentatively.
"Ya tryin' to talk me out of it?" he asked impishly.
Catherine snuggled closer to him and said truthfully, "Never thought anyone would want me after papa died. He said nobody'd want a blind girl."
"That ain't stopped ya from livin' or doin' more than some folks who ain't. Ya give me what I ain't had in a long time," he whispered hoarsely. "Makes no difference to me." They were quiet a few minutes before Vin spoke again. "Goin' to town tonight. Ya need to eat and rest. Need a new dress too. Reckon ya could use a hot bath. You'll be sore if ya ain't already."
"I… I don't have any money."
"Told Josiah if them fellas had money on 'em they owed ya for what they done."
Catherine sat up and looked where his voice came from. "You'd steal?" she asked shocked.
"Don't need it where they're goin'. 'Cides, they owe ya for the hurt they done. Least they can do."
He said it so matter-of-fact, she really could not argue with him.