Chapter 7
"Emily, you've done a wonderful job with these contracts. Looks like I'll be able to get them to my clients next week when they arrive in town." He smiled at his friend and assistant. Emily had been a God-send for Hiram when she married Adam and moved to Virginia City. Her skills as a legal assistant were impeccable.
Emily blushed at the compliment. "Hiram, I'll miss working here but it'll only be for a few months. After the baby's born I'll be able to work again."
"Now don't you rush anything. I know what it's like being a parent. You take your time getting to know that little one when it arrives. I'll get by somehow but you heed my words, young lady." He smiled again to ease the sternness in his words.
Right then something that sounded like gunshots was heard making both of them jump.
"You stay here, Emily. I'll check it out."
After Hiram left Emily ran to the window trying to see what had happened. Her thoughts flew to the notes and Adam. Suddenly she was in a panic, where was Adam? Was he safe? She had to find out. Emily left the office and stood on the walkway. A group of people had gathered near a saloon across the street. She couldn't see anything. Just as she prepared to step into the street an arm pulled her back. She turned and found herself face to face with a panic-stricken woman.
"Oh please help me! My little boy ran away when the guns fired. He went down this alley but I can't find him. His name is Tommy. C-can you help me, please?"
The woman's dark brown eyes were filled with tears. Emily could only imagine how she would feel if her own child had gone missing. With a bit of hesitation, she decided to follow the woman into the alley. After checking behind some crates, Emily turned to suggest they should get the sheriff to help, but instead found herself facing the woman who was holding a small pistol to Emily's abdomen. Emily froze, terrified of even breathing.
With a sadistic smile the woman whispered to Emily in carefully controlled tones. "You won't find a child because I made him up." She snickered, "You are as naive as Jason said you were." Emily gasped when she realized who this woman was. "Not a sound or I'll shoot you here and now. I don't want to do that since it would take the fun out of what's to come. Now get moving to the other end of the alley. We'll stay close to the shadows until we arrive at the shack."
Charlotte took Emily by the arm and guided her to the other end of the alley. Emily could barely breathe but did her best to keep her wits about her like Adam had taught her to do.
Once inside the shack, Charlotte tied Emily to a chair, her feet to the chair legs and her arms to the chair arms. She also gagged Emily so she would stay quiet.
Charlotte stood in the doorway looking up the street. "It won't be long now when they find out the 'shooting' was a trick. Your precious husband will find the note I left and come to your rescue immediately. I can't wait to see his face when he finds out I've out-maneuvered him again. Then it will be time for me to enjoy my vengeance for my brother's death."
Her laughter came from deep in her throat and she looked at Emily with cold, vicious eyes. "You wait here. I hate to miss the next part of all this. I won't be long, my dear." The door closed leaving Emily in the dark. She began to sob, fear gripping her heart over what was to come.
Adam and Roy pushed their way through the crowd gathered outside one of the smaller saloons.
"What's happened here? Somebody been shot?" Roy shouted as he broke through the crowd.
The bartender turned around to face Roy holding a string of Chinese firecrackers. "I found these on the ground, Sheriff. Seems somebody wanted to play a little trick. Ain't nobody hurt, near's I can tell."
Adam reached for the burned string then dropped them as if they were a rattlesnake. "My God, Emily!" He shoved passed the onlookers not caring who he knocked to the ground and ran across the street to Hiram's office. Running wildly inside he shouted for Emily as he looked in all the rooms but all he got was silence. Hiram burst inside and Adam took him by the shoulders.
"Where is she? Hiram, I've got to know! Why weren't you with her?!"
Hiram looked helplessly at Adam. "I'm sorry, Adam. I don't know. I told her to stay inside. That's the last I saw of her."
Adam shoved the attorney aside and made his way outside again, his eyes searching every face, every inch of the surrounding buildings. Feeling lightheaded he grabbed onto a post to steady himself. Catching his breath he pushed away and made his way through the gathering crowd into the quiet alleyway. He dropped onto an empty crate trying to calm his tormented thoughts. Staring at the ground Adam saw a loosely crumpled piece of paper in the dirt nearby. He snatched it up and stared at it.
Hello Adam Cartwright,
By now you have figured out who I am. It has been quite the entertainment to watch you piece it altogether. Did you like my little trick with the firecrackers? What fun it was to see you run down the street, then to suddenly figure out it was a trick and that your sweet Emily might be in danger. Well, I will be truthful, she is, and the baby too.
Come to the shack at the end of the next street, unarmed, and you will be reunited with your darling wife. Come alone, no law, no family, NO ONE! Or she will die before you can take your next breath!
See you soon,
Charlotte DuBois Landry
Dropping the paper to the ground Adam took off running toward the shack leaving his gun belt behind halfway down the alley. He knew exactly where Charlotte was holding Emily. It should have been torn down years ago but no one in the town wanted to take responsibility for it after a family had been murdered there. Adam was determined that only one more person would die in it, then he'd burn it to the ground.
Once Roy finally made it to Hiram's office he couldn't find Adam. No one outside had seen Adam leave. Roy looked for him everywhere and found his gun belt in the alley. He quickly sent a deputy to find out if Ben Cartwright was in town. He had some deputies disperse the crowd before things got any worse. Then they searched the alley looking for clues as to where Adam could be.
Ben sat at the far end of the long table quite bored with the current discussion. He had already pointed out that cattle prices weren't going to change in the coming months but the smaller ranchers just had to have their say. So Ben sat half listening while he stared out the window.
The banging of the front door caught everyone's attention. All eyes were on the deputy when he entered the room trying hard to catch his breath.
"M-Mr. C-Cartwright, sir. P-please come w-with me."
Ben was immediately at the man's side after grabbing his hat from the rack.
Outside he pulled the deputy aside and asked in low tones what was going on. The deputy filled him in and Ben quickly mounted Buck and rode to Hiram's office.
Ben stormed into the office and found Roy pacing around Hiram's desk as Hiram sat with his head in his hands.
"What the devil are you doing here Roy?! Why aren't you out looking for Adam and Emily?" His angry eyes suddenly saw the familiar black gun belt on Hiram's desk. He went cold inside. Ben picked it up and caressed the smooth leather as if it were his own son. He looked at Roy, pleading with his eyes not to hear the news he feared.
"I found it in the alley around the corner. We don't know where he went. My deputies followed some boot prints to the next street but lost them with all the other traffic. I've sent someone to the ranch to get Hoss and Joe. Thought maybe they can help track Adam down."
"Roy, it'll be hours until they arrive. They're out with the herd. We have to look now. Show me where you found this."
Hiram stood to leave with the two men. "Ben, I'm sorry. I feel it's my fault. I told Emily to stay here when we thought we heard shooting. I went to investigate and left her alone. If I had stayed with her maybe she'd still be here."
Ben laid a hand on his friend's arm. "Hiram, right now we need to find them both. They're in grave danger and we don't have any time to waste. Let's check the alley again and see if we can pick up Adam's tracks. That's going to be the only way we can find them."
Hiram nodded and followed Ben outside.
As Adam approached the shack he stopped for a moment to regain control of his breathing and his mind. He needed to be calm and thinking straight in order to deal with Charlotte Landry. Keeping low, he made his way to one of the windows. It was filthy from years of dirt and debris but he could make out Emily sitting near one wall tied to a chair. He couldn't see or hear anyone else. He moved to the only door and opened it carefully. Bending low he made his way inside and found the single room empty except for Emily. Her eyes were wide with fear as Adam quickly untied the gag. He crouched down and began to work on the complicated knots on her wrists.
Emily whispered in a panicked voice. "Adam, no. Leave me. It's a trap. Charlotte is….."
"Right...here."
Adam froze upon hearing those cold, clipped words. He slowly pivoted around to see Charlotte standing in the doorway with a pistol pointed right at his head.
"Your wife is correct, Adam. It is a trap. Now move away from Emily and go sit in that other chair."
Flicking his eyes to the chair, Adam carefully stood up and complied with the order, not taking his eyes off Charlotte.
Moving into the room she dropped some ropes at his feet. "Tie your ankles to each chair leg. I'll be checking them, so no tricks." Adam did as she told him then sat back in the chair, a look of controlled rage on his face. "Good, now put your arms behind you and I'll finish the job. Just so you know, my father was quite the sailor in his day, before he started his own shipping business. He showed Jason and me many of his special knots. Sometimes he'd play a little game with us. He'd tie us up and dare us to get loose. If we did we could get to the food at the table. Several hours later my brother and I would finally get loose, and eat our dinner as blood seeped from our ravaged wrists." She moved in front of Adam and showed him the scars on her wrists. "I learned a lot from my father. Knots were only a small part."
Adam glared at her as she moved around the tiny room. She bolted the door and checked the two small windows. Satisfied they were alone she stood close to Emily and pointed her small pistol at Emily's abdomen.
"When I dreamed of getting my revenge for Jason's death, I never guessed I would get three lives for the price of two. This will be sweeter than I thought." Charlotte giggled and smiled coldly, no mirth reached her dark brown eyes.
She cocked the gun and fired. Adam yelled and Emily screamed, but nothing happened with the gun, only a quiet click. Charlotte exploded with a high pitched laugh. "You should see your faces. Oh it's priceless. Now I'll load it for real, then we'll see who screams the loudest." She retrieved two bullets from a pocket in her dress and loaded the gun, making sure Adam and Emily saw it.
"I told you my father taught me many things. That little game was another one."
Charlotte strolled around the room and her captives as if she were in a park enjoying the sights of nature.
"You see, my father cared for nothing but his precious illegal shipping business and all the money it brought him. He ignored my mother so much that she shot herself right in front of Jason and me when we were quite young. Jason had nightmares for years after that. But Papa was worse toward us. We were in his way to a successful 'career'. He left us for weeks without food and told us if we told anyone he'd turn us over to his business partners. That frightened us more than anything he'd ever do to us. So I became Jason's protector. We found ways to get food and to keep out of our drunken father's way, most times. We lived like that for years, never knowing when Papa would return and what he would do to us. So I promised Jason I would always protect him." She stopped and stared out one of the windows. "And that is what I intend to do here. Both of you hurt my brother and ruined his life, and you will need to pay for that." She moved to stand beside Adam and laid her hand on his shoulder. He tried to shrug her off but his arms were bound too tightly around the chair back. He was quickly losing sensation in them.
Charlotte squeezed his shoulder. "My, what incredible muscles you have; so strong and protective. It's a shame they won't do you any good here." She leaned in to him as she spoke seductively into his ear. "You stole Emily away from Jason. You took an engaged woman for your own. You cheated my brother out of the only happiness he'd ever had. That is unforgivable." She lightly stroked his cheek.
Adam jerked his head away and growled at Charlotte, "Your brother nearly killed Emily. He beat her, broke her wrist, and cut her so badly she almost bled to death. He was a beast and got what he deserved!"
Enraged by his slanderous words, Charlotte let out a scream like a mountain lion and slammed her gun into the side of Adam's face. He barely held on to consciousness as he felt the pain of his head snapping around and the skin on his cheek breaking open. He felt warm fluid running down his face and neck.
"How dare you! My brother was innocent. He was gentle and sweet. Don't you ever say things like that again about Jason!"
Suddenly she whirled on Emily and pointed the gun at her. Charlotte hissed at her in low, guttural tones, "You hussy. You claimed to love Jason. How dare you abandon him. He loved you. You turned your back on him and lied to him. You broke his heart. That is unforgivable." The gun shook in Charlotte's hand as her rage overtook her. She slapped Emily hard then spun around with her back to them while she tried to regain her composure. She paced around in circles, taking deep breaths, clenching and unclenching her fists. Finally coming to a halt in a dusty corner near the door she seemed lost in her own thoughts and was mumbling to herself.
Afraid any sound would draw Charlotte's attention, Adam tried his best to calm Emily with his eyes, but she was too focused on Charlotte. He could see a bruise forming where Charlotte had struck her. Adam had been working fiercely to free his hands but all he got for his efforts was raw skin where the hemp cut into his wrists. Fury ate at him for being helpless to protect his wife and unborn child, but he managed to subdue it so he could display a calm exterior. Suddenly Emily lurched and moaned. She drew her hands up against the ropes and tried to clench them. Adam panicked. He recognized the signs from when Marie was carrying Joe. Something had changed with the baby. Fear overtook him when he realized she might lose the child. Emily sought Adam with worried and fearful eyes. He encouraged her to be silent and not let Charlotte know something was wrong. Shakily, she nodded her head, as tears trickled down her face.
While deputies searched the alley, Ben, Roy and Hiram searched up and down the next street trying to find anyone who had seen Adam or Emily. No one had. Discouraged they walked back down the alley. A deputy was running toward them waving a piece of paper.
"Sheriff, I found this over by some barrels, thought you ought to see it."
Roy held the note out so Ben and Hiram could read it too.
"Dear God!"
"What shack is she talking about, Ben? Roy?"
Ben and Roy looked at each other. "Looks like she's been hidin' right under our noses. Let me get my deputies and we'll head on over there. Ben, you make sure you stay here an' wait for me."
"Ben?" Hiram watched Ben stagger and head toward a crate to sit on. He took off his scarf and wiped his face. Hiram waited patiently.
"You know the story of the Tucker family? The miner's family that was killed nearly five years ago? The killer was never found and the father wouldn't let the town tear down the shack."
Hiram thought back to that time. "Yes, such a tragedy. You mean she's got Adam and Emily in that old shack? We must have passed by it at least twice in our search. Oh my." He sank down beside Ben on the crate.
Ben stared down the alley way. They had been so close and never knew it.
"Okay, Ben. I got five men and we're ready ta go. Hiram, you stay back till we get it all under control. Ben I figure you'll want to be in front. You men listen up. We all need to be as quiet as we can. We don't want ta spook her into doing something we'll all regret later."
Every man nodded solemnly and made their way toward the shack.
Adam's head was pounding and he was getting very sleepy. After Charlotte had settled into the corner, they had had a reprieve from her hysterics. His right eye had begun to swell after Charlotte had hit him with her gun and it was becoming difficult to see with it. Ignoring his pain and drowsiness he tried to think of a way out of the mess he had caused. Had he learned nothing from the mangled mess with Jason Landry two years ago? Jason had nearly killed Emily then as Adam was leaving town. This time Adam wished he had told Roy from the beginning; they might have stopped Charlotte sooner. He knew he should have stayed with Emily, kept her in his sights all day. At the thought of her he glanced her way. She was trying to doze with her head hanging forward but he knew she was very uncomfortable. The shack had gotten hotter as the sun drifted on its course west. They'd had no water or food and Emily had had at least a couple more contractions. Although they bothered her greatly, she had kept silent so that Charlotte wouldn't be alerted. He was so proud of her for trying to keep them hidden. Adam watched her as she tried to rest. She was pale and sweating profusely. They both were.
Emily moaned and raised her head. Adam stared at her hard, willing her to look at him. When she finally turned his way he tilted his head to indicate Charlotte. Emily looked and saw what Adam saw.
Charlotte was still leaning in the corner by the door. She was mumbling to herself and Adam finally figured out she was holding a conversation with Jason as if he were beside her. She also kept unloading and loading her small pistol. She seemed to be getting more agitated.
As the sun began to set, Adam took a moment to study Emily in the waning light. She looked so tired and it was all his fault. He wished he could hold her, comfort her, calm the fear he saw in her eyes. He tried to whisper encouragement to her but Charlotte must have heard him. Without warning Charlotte shoved herself away from the wall and launched herself at Emily slapping her hard. Adam raged inside at his mistake and his inability to stop this nightmare.
"Stop! Leave her alone. Hit me if you feel the need to take your anger out on someone."
Charlotte lunged at Adam and shoved the gun into his neck. "Do you really want me to do that? Isn't that chivalrous of you to take the beating for your wife."
She stepped back and aimed her gun at Emily's chest. "Alas, I will take that privilege away from you. I have decided that Emily will die first for breaking my brother's heart. Just as you took Emily from my brother I will take her from you. Adam your punishment for killing my brother will be to watch your wife and baby die."
She steadied the gun with both hands, aiming it at Emily then suddenly swung toward Adam and fired at his leg. He cried out in pain as the bullet penetrated his left thigh. Emily screamed as Charlotte shoved Adam's chair over causing the back of it to jam into his upper arm as his body slammed into the floor. Engulfed by the pain he vaguely heard a crash, shouting and heavy boot steps as Charlotte took aim on Emily. Adam screamed for Emily to move the instant the second bullet left Charlotte's gun. It sailed through the air where Emily's heart would have been and cut through her upper arm instead.
Adam swore he heard a third shot but then something else hit him hard sending shockwaves of more pain throughout his body. He was gasping for each precious breath as he stared at the blood-stained wall behind Emily's fallen body.
