Chapter 112

June 6, 1871 – Colorado Springs

"Where could she have gone off to?" Robert E. asked, as the group stopped in a moonlit area and dismounted to let their horses rest for a few minutes. "I mean, folks saw her in the store, and then she was gone."

"Maybe she took off," Hank suggested. "I've seen my girls do it plenty of times."

"Hank, don't ya think comparin' your girls to Ruth is kinda a stretch?" Horace asked. "Your girls ain't married, and look who gets to boss 'em around all the time." Hank's jaw grew firm, and he started toward Horace, but Sully got in between them.

"Easy. Fightin' now ain't gonna help us find Ruth." He turned to Kid Cole once he was sure Hank wouldn't try to throttle Horace. "When was the last time ya seen her?"

"It was around lunch time," he said, removing his hat and running his fingers through his slick, black hair. "I brought her lunch, 'cause I figured she was fixin' on getting hungry, and after I left, I wasn't gone more'n twenty minutes 'fore I came back, and she wasn't there. I checked 'round the back, but she wasn't there. I closed up the shop, and I started lookin' around. I knew she wouldn't leave the store unattended. Ruth gave her word to take care of things for Carrie, and she don't break her word. Ever." He took a swig of water from his canteen and set his lips in a firm line. "Jim's got her."

"How do ya know that?" Hank asked.

"'Cause he ain't been around."

"He ain't been around, so ya think he just showed up; took off with her?"

"That's exactly what I think."

"And she didn't even make a fuss?"

"Ruth wouldn't go willingly," Sully pointed out.

"No. You're right, she wouldn't." Everyone began to mount up on their horses again.

"I say we turn 'round and go back to town. Start lookin' again in the mornin'."

"You wanna go, Hank? Go right ahead," Kid Cole replied, "but this is my wife we're lookin' for, and I ain't stoppin' 'til I find her." He nudged his horse's sides with the heels of his boots and continued on. Without words, the others followed suit. Hank lingered behind for a moment, weighing his options, and finally, he kicked his horse into a quick trot to catch up with the others.

But soon, the padding of tired feet behind them caught everyone off guard, and they stopped the horses in time to see the creature emerge into the moonlight.

"It's a wolf!" Horace exclaimed, reaching for his gun. Sully turned on his horse quickly, seeing it was actually Wolf, and he grabbed the barrel of the gun.

"Don't shoot! He's harmless!"

"How do you know that?" Andrew asked, gripping the saddle horn tightly.

"That's one of the wolf pups me and Michaela are takin' care of."

"Looks full grown to me," Hank replied, placing his hand on his pistol. Sully dismounted and crouched down.

"It's alright, boy. C'mere." Wolf's tongue dangled out of his mouth, and he cocked his head, recognizing his master. He got up and started to come forward. "C'mon, boy." Finally, the pup recognized Sully's voice, and he bounded over to him, licking his face. Sully fell back in the dirt but got up, brushing himself off and patting the wolf on the head.

"Great. Now that this love fest is done, can we get movin'? It's getting cold out here, and I'd like to have all my fingers and toes in the mornin'." Hank shivered in his coat and pulled out a flash, taking a hard swig of the liquid inside.

"Kid Cole, you got somethin' of Ruth's?"

"Yeah," he answered. He reached into his coat pocket and found a handkerchief she'd given him not even a week ago. He remembered it having the sweet smell of her perfume on it. He clutched it in his fist tightly before tossing it down to Sully. The mountain man looked down at his new companion, and Wolf sniffed the air.

"Let's see what ya can do, boy," he said quietly, holding the fabric under the wolf's nose. "Find." Wolf perked up in that instant and began sniffing around. The men watched, and Sully handed the handkerchief back to Kid Cole. He mounted up on the horse and waited for Wolf to pick up a scent. When the animal finally began moving in a distinct direction, everyone followed quickly behind him, hoping and praying that when they found Ruth, it wouldn't be too late.

She woke in a cold sweat, her hands tied behind her and her feet tied at the ankles, as she lay in an uncomfortable heap on the ground. Sitting up, she looked around blearily, her eyes trying to focus, as the dull ache in the back of her head started throbbing. She didn't feel nauseated any longer, but she was scared and confused, but at least she knew who she was with. As long as she knew she was with Jim, she knew she had a chance of getting out of this. She knew him…well, she thought she did once, but with Jim, she had to learn to expect the unexpected.

She was immediately surprised that he'd left her all alone, and when she felt the tightness of the ropes against her wrists, and the incredible pain the back of her head, she figured he had thought she'd be out for a little while longer. She looked around, not recognizing her surroundings, but a fire was blazing nearby in a small fire pit, and she inched closer to it, trying to get warm in the cool air. It was amazing how cold it could get at night.

Groaning in pain, she shuffled even closer to the fire, her dress beginning to tear, as rough dirt began to scratch up her knees. She tried to get close enough to the fire to burn through the rope, but when she heard footsteps coming her way, she panicked and moved back to where she'd been. She lay down in what she only prayed was the same position she'd woken up in, and she waited.

Jim sauntered into sight, glancing over at Ruth, wondering why she hadn't woken yet. He saw that she was still tied, which he assumed she would be. If there was one thing he was good at, it was tying ropes. Knotting them.

Kicking dirt into the fire and dumping his canteen onto what was left of it, Jim hoisted Ruth over his shoulder, causing her to bite her lip to keep from screaming in pain, as his hard shoulder dug into her belly. She only prayed to God that He would see her through this and protect her unborn child.

"Time to get goin' darlin'. When ya wake up, Colorado Springs'll be behind us forever."

Michaela stared out the window of the clinic, searching for any sign of the search party's return. But there was nothing. Rebecca was upstairs with the children, making sure that they were sleeping soundly. Grace had brought by dinner, and Michaela had forced herself to eat, though her worry for Sully and for Ruth was keeping her appetite far from her mind.

A creak behind Michaela caused her to turn around. She saw Johnny standing there tiredly, Pup and Snowball at his feet.

"You should be in bed, sweetheart."

"I can't sleep. I'm worried about Wolf."

"Wolf's going to be fine."

"I think Pup and Snowball are scared."

"Pup and Snowball know that Wolf can take care of himself," Michaela assured Johnny, moving toward him, wanting to kneel down in front of him like she used to, but with her growing belly out front, that was easier said than done.

"But what happens if…"

"Don't worry, sweetheart. Maybe Wolf was concerned about your father. Maybe when he went with the search party, Wolf followed."

"Maybe. You think Wolf's ok?"

"I'm sure he's fine. I bet he's helping them find Ruth right now."

"You think Pa's ok?"

"Without a doubt," she said softly, her voice wavering. She wondered if he could sense her anxiety. But, he seemed to buy it for now, and he wrapped his arms around her waist, hugging her tight. She smiled, ruffling the hair upon his head before he pulled away. "Why don't you go on up to bed?"

"Will you tell me a story?" Michaela suppressed a yawn, and she nodded.

"Of course," she whispered. "Why don't you go get under the covers and think about what kind of story you'd like me to tell you? I'll be up in a few minutes."

"Ok, Ma." Johnny flashed her a smile and hurried upstairs. Michaela turned back toward the window and glanced out, seeing lightening flash across the sky, causing the stars to disappear for a moment. Then, the clouds started rolling in, and Michaela hoped that wherever Sully was right now, he was safe and warm.

The rain was pouring down in torrents. The horses were trudging through mud, and the search party had been slowed down. The rain had washed away the scent Wolf had picked up, but all they could do was go forward and hope that her captor hadn't veered off onto another trail, but Kid Cole had a terrible feeling in the pit of his stomach that that was exactly what had happened. Jim wasn't stupid. He probably expected somebody would be coming after him sooner or later. Jim knew Kid Cole better than that. He wouldn't rest until Ruth was safe in his arms.

"Best find cover 'til the storm passes!" Sully called out, as thunder roared up above. The other men nodded in agreement, though Kid Cole wished to go ahead. But, he knew that if he did, it would be dangerous, and he was no use to Ruth injured. Letting the mountain man lead the way, the group was brought to safety within minutes in an old cave that had yet to be explored thoroughly.

Hank took off his hat and flicked it several times, watching rainwater fly off of it. The other men were wringing out their coats and shirts. But Kid Cole stood somberly at the entrance, looking out through the sheet of rain that halted them on their journey. Sully moved up behind him, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder, and Wolf whined, sitting at his feet.

"We're gonna find her, Kid Cole."

"He could have her halfway to Denver by now."

"Ruth's a strong lady. She's not gonna let him get away with this. I'm sure she'll find a way to slow him down 'til we can get to her."

"What if he hurt her?" Kid Cole asked, spinning around. "I worked too hard too long to keep us safe so we could have a good life together. I ain't gonna let him come between us. Not again." Sully searched his friend's eyes, as Hank lit a match, lighting a damp cigar but figuring he'd get as much use out of it as he could. The other men went around, trying to be useful but not having much of a clue of what to do without Sully's help. Luckily, Robert E. was able to find supplies to get a fire going, and the men were soon huddling around it, passing around flasks of various different alcohols.

"What's he got against you, Kid Cole? Was Ruth really his wife?" Sully asked, wanting to know the full story. Normally, he wouldn't pry, but if was going into this, he wanted to know exactly what he was dealing with.

"I wanted to protect her," Kid Cole started, looking down, searching for answers. "I met her the day I rode into town. Wasn't that long ago, but it seems like it's been a lifetime, ya know? I had some fella that'd been tailin' me since before I crossed the border leavin' Georgia. Well, he finally caught up to me, and I got 'im…detained. He got thrown in the jail, and I went to the saloon for a drink. 'Fore I went in, I heard somebody yellin'. I followed the hollerin' 'til I found Ruth. She was standin' in the middle of an alley, and Jim was there with her. He was grabbin' her real rough, and she was screamin' at him. Nobody was doin' nothin' to stop it, so I stepped in."

"I'm sure she was real grateful."

"Not at first," Kid Cole said with a distant smile on his lips. "She told me to stay out of it. Weren't none of my business." He shook his head. "But I told Jim to back off, and he said he had every right to touch her. I told him he shouldn't be handlin' her like that. Soon as I got Jim to back off, Ruth stalked off, and I went after her. She ignored me for a while 'til I finally got her to talk to me."

"How'd ya do that?"

"I told her that I seen my own pa treat my ma like that, and I'd be damned if I ever let another man get away with treatin' a woman like that." Sully swallowed hard, nodding his head.

"Ya did the right thing, Kid Cole."

"Well, once she finally decided to talk to me, she yelled at me for a while. Said that she wanted to get out of town. I told her I'd help her, but she said she couldn't. She married him, 'cause he promised to help provide for her family. Well, soon as they got married, he took of away from home and never sent a dime to her. I asked her why she didn't just divorce him, and she said he'd never let her out of his sight long enough. 'Sides, she didn't have any money. I offered her the money, and she turned me down. She said she didn't wanna be owin' anybody. I offered to at least help her get out of town. Take her home to her family. I knew she wasn't sure if she could trust me, but I think at that point, anything was better than stayin' there with Jim. The bruises…ya should've seen 'em, Sully. She hid 'em well." He took a slow breath, staring out intently at the still-pouring rain. Sully didn't know if he should say anything, so he kept quiet and waited for Kid Cole to continue. "She let me take her off, but he followed. We took a train, he took the next one. We had a guide, he got the next one available. Pretty soon, Ruth was determined she wasn't gonna let him get to her no more, and she took me up on the offer to divorce him. By the time I got her home, I already knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her. Just seein' her with her family…I knew she was all I wanted. But Jim showed up again. He was determined I wasn't gonna take her away from him, and we ended up drawin' on each other. We both got hit. I was alright, but Jim…he nearly died. Got the divorce papers, and I ain't proud of it, but I more or less forced him to sign 'em. He wouldn't have if I hadn't been there with a pistol in my hand."

"Ruth didn't need to be with him. He didn't deserve her."

"I ain't so sure I deserve her either, but when it was all said and done, she agreed to be my wife, and we ain't been apart since." He leaned against the wall of the cave, taking off his hat and running his fingers through his slicked back hair. "I don't know what I'm gonna do if I lose her, Sully."

"Ya ain't gonna lose her, Kid Cole. She's strong, and we ain't quittin' 'til we find her."

Michaela hadn't slept much at all the night before. She'd open her eyes, hearing the creaking of a floorboard in the hall. She'd see light flicker down the hallway and hear the scuffling of little feet, only realizing with disappointment that it was either Johnny or Mary going out to the outhouse. Once in a while, a fly would land near her ear and buzz her awake, causing her to change positions and swat the fly away with agitation. Needless to say, she was not well rested and was eagerly anticipating the arrival of the search party. She only hoped they would return would good news.

Little Wolf sat in his chair in the downstairs of the clinic near Michaela's desk.

"You did not sleep?"

"Not very well, I'm afraid," she said softly.

"You should rest."

"No. No, I want to stay up until Sully returns." Little Wolf crossed his arms, his little brown eyes twinkling with concern.

"You must rest. Johnny and I will take care of the clinic." Michaela smiled a little. She yawned, not being able to deny her exhaustion. "We will tell you when they come back."

"Will you be alright? Do you need anything?"

"I'm fine. I'm going to teach Mary the Cheyenne letters."

"I'm sure she'll like that very much," Michaela beamed. "I'm glad the two of you are becoming such good friends. She needs someone her own age to play with." Little Wolf only smiled as he watched the doctor disappear up the stairs, and he turned his chair toward the door, opening it with great difficulty before wheeling himself out onto the porch. Mary and Johnny were sitting there, giggling about something, and Little Wolf wondered if it would be rude to interrupt them now.

"Hey Little Wolf," Johnny said with a smile. Mary looked up at the other boy and smiled too.

"Dr. Mike has gone to rest. I promised her we would watch the clinic and tell her if Sully comes back."

"Oh," Johnny said with a nod. "Ok. I was just gonna go ask Mary if she wanted to go to Grace's and get some pie…bring back some for ma." Mary frowned, wanting to go, but she also wanted to stay with Little Wolf.

"Actually, Little Wolf promised to teach me some Cheyenne letters," she said softly. "Sorry…"

"But I been teachin' ya words."

"Just words. I want to know how to spell them," she said matter-of-factly. Johnny frowned, feeling strange for a moment, as he saw Mary scoot closer to Little Wolf's chair and farther away from him.

"Ok," he said quietly. "I'll go by myself then."

"Maybe tomorrow?" Mary asked.

"Sure," he replied before starting off through the damp streets toward Grace's. Mary and Little Wolf sat in silence for a moment, before Mary cleared her throat and smiled at Little Wolf.

"I do not know them all yet, but Cloud Dancing has taught me enough to write. We do not use writing much, but it helps to preserve our language."

"I want to help too," Mary insisted, inching closer to him, curious about his beautiful brown eyes and the beads that were embedded into his soft, buckskin garb.

Standing against the side of the clinic, Johnny peeked around to see Mary and Little Wolf smiling together. Why did he care so much anyway? It wasn't like…no, he wasn't sweet on her. She was his best friend. Gabby…

"Hey Johnny!" Gabby said with a sweet smile, her soft, blonde locks flowing freely behind her. Normally, her hair was done up properly, but she'd grown tired of the ritual. Besides, she seemed to catch the attention of the boys more often when they could see her hair. She felt a little foolish for it, but she liked the attention.

"Hey Gabby! You sure look pretty today."

"Thanks," she blushed. "Where're you going?"

"I was goin' to Grace's to get pie for my ma. Do you wanna come along?" Gabby's eyes lit up with her cheeks, and she nodded vigorously.

"Sure!" she replied. Johnny reached out to take her hand, and when she grasped it, they stared at one another in awkward silence for a second before hurrying off toward the café.

Having fallen in and out of consciousness all night, Ruth felt pretty confident that she'd managed to convince Jim that she hadn't woken up. She knew that if he really wanted her alive and well, he'd take her to a doctor. She couldn't tell how far outside of Colorado Springs they were, but she certainly knew that if Jim got her to a doctor, she'd make her escape that way.

The wagon ride was bumpy and uncomfortable, and scabs had begun to form on her wrists and ankles where the ropes and started scratching up the raw flesh. She managed to put herself into the position to see his form. He looked tired but confident, and all she wanted to do was roll off of the back of the wagon without him even knowing. But she couldn't take that chance. She had her child to consider, and she knew he knew that. But what was it to him? This child was Kid Cole's. He couldn't care less about it.

She tried not to make a noise as she attempted to force her hands out of their restraints. But her wrists had started swelling, and she couldn't manage to wriggle them out of the tight hold. Lying still for a moment and fighting off tears, she felt the familiar but still new kicks of her baby from within, and she breathed a sigh of relief. She only hoped everything was alright, though she knew she'd worry about the child until the moment she was able to see that it was alright for herself. But still, she had to get away. She had to find some way to escape without putting herself in further danger.

Suddenly, the wagon stopped, and Jim swiveled in his seat to see her struggling with her ropes.

"Well, good mornin', darlin'. Ya had me worried for a bit. I thought ya weren't gonna wake up."

"I'd rather not wake up than be here with you," she spat, continuing to struggle.

"I wouldn't do that if I was you. Them ropes are sound. They'll hold. You're gonna end up hurtin' yourself more, and I don't want my wife to hurt."

"I ain't your wife, now let me go!" she demanded, knowing it was futile. He had the upper hand. For now.

"Darlin', you'll see that all I want is the best for ya. He ain't for you like I am."

"I don't wanna be with you!" Ruth exclaimed, shrinking back when Jim hopped into the back with her. She trembled with fear, remembering those many nights when he'd called her on her 'wifely duty' and staked his claim on her body. "No!"

"What's the matter, darlin'? I ain't gonna hurt ya."

"Get away from me, please!" she cried out, sitting up and leaning against the side of the wagon.

"You keep hollerin' and carryin' on like this, and I'm gonna have to gag ya…just 'til we get home."

"Home?"

"Tennessee, darlin'." Ruth struggled harder against the ropes, but it was no use. Her arms and legs were tired, and she could feel the warmth of her own blood seeping down her hands. "We'll start all over. We'll be so happy, Ruth. And he ain't never gonna find us and take you away from me again."

Michaela woke abruptly, hearing the clatter of horses rolling into town. She pulled herself out of bed and practically threw herself at the window, tearing open the curtains, and her face fell, tears clinging to her lashes when she saw that it was only a bunch of cowboys fresh off of a trail and ready to have a drink. Little did they know that the saloon was closed due to Hank's disappearance with the rest of the search party.

A clamor downstairs startled Michaela, and she hurried down the stairs as quickly as she could move. Mary met her halfway.

"Aunt Michaela, Mr. Anderson brought his son in. He said he fell from a tree!"

"Oh dear," Michaela whispered under her breath. "Come along." Michaela and Mary hurried down into the clinic, and Mr. Anderson was lying his son on the exam table. "Mr. Anderson, how badly was your son injured?" He looked at her quizzically and then looked past her.

"Where's Dr. Cook? I don't want no woman pokin' around my son." Michaela bit her tongue and swallowed the bitterness of his words. Mary glanced fiercely at the older man, but somehow she knew better than to say anything, so she slipped outside to sit with Little Wolf.

"Dr. Cook is out of town right now. I'm fully capable of looking after…"

"I'm sure ya are," he said sarcastically, "but I don't want no woman like you treatin' my son, fillin' his head full of your ideas."

"Mr. Anderson, my private life and my professional life are separate, I assure you. Your son needs immediate attention, and if you don't let me help him, he could die." She saw fear settle into the father's eyes, and she saw the internal battle raging inside of him.

"My son ain't gonna die. He fell from trees plenty of times. He's a…a growin' boy. They do things like that, and…" He was searching for excuses, but it was obvious by the boy's color and the loss of blood from a gash in his head that he wasn't doing well at all. Michaela started to reach for the boy to take a better look at him, but Mr. Anderson held her arms tightly, pushing her back. Startled, Michaela gripped the table to maintain her composure. "Don't touch him! I don't want no filthy whore touchin' my boy!" The words stung like a slap in the face, but Michaela persisted.

"Do you want your son to die, Mr. Anderson? He's losing a lot of blood, and he may have a concussion. If I don't help him, there is a very real chance that he might not wake up."

"I'll wait for Dr. Cook."

"He may not be back for a few days. Do you really want to gamble with your son's life?" Mr. Anderson looked down at his son's body, and he closed his eyes, praying to God for an answer. He didn't receive one.

"You're sayin' he's gonna die if ya don't help him?"

"I can't no that for certain until I examine him, Mr. Anderson. But from what I can tell, he has a severe head injury. How long has he been unconscious?"

"He fell about an hour ago." Michaela closed her eyes and touched the side of the boy's head. Mr. Anderson swatted her hand away again, and it was all she could do to stop herself from slapping him across the face. How dare he handle her that way? But, she knew that she'd only make things if she acted out.

"Mr. Anderson!" she pleaded. "Your son needs my help." He turned his back, thinking and weighing the pros and cons. Finally, he turned back to her, his eyes filled with tears that he refused to let fall and let him look like a coward.

"Do what ya gotta do. Don't let him die…he's my only boy…my only son."

"I'll do everything I can," she assured him. "Would you please wait outside?"

"I ain't goin' nowhere. I ain't leavin' him alone…" She knew how that sentence would've ended had he not cut himself off so early. But she only nodded, knowing that if she pushed him any further, he'd take the boy away, and he'd most likely die.

"Then you'll have to please stay back so I can work properly." Her tone was firm and unyielding now, and as she began her exploration of the boy's injuries, Mr. Anderson removed his hat and looked down, waiting and praying that his son would survive and that the woman doctor wouldn't make things worse than they already were.