Chapter 10
The Consequences of a Storm
Matt didn't know what it was exactly that woke him up, but when he saw the man standing over him, he knew they were in trouble. Festus was sitting up, but he had been hit in the jaw and was trying to nurse the soreness out of it as his assailant watched him. Doc was also sitting up and there was a rifle jabbed into his chest.
"Mister, I wouldn't go for that gun if I was you. Might find this old man in a million pieces." He said looking down at Doc. The man kneeling over Matt took his gun from him and placed it in his belt. Matt glanced down at his own chest to see if his badge was visible, but all he found were the two hole marks left by the pin. "What's your name, stranger?" The man leaning over Matt asked.
"Nathan….Nathan Burke." He said looking over at Doc and Festus. They knew the instant he had given a name other than his own, that these men were bad news.
"And your friends?" He asked him.
"Sam Noonan and Galen Adams." Matt said to the big man now standing over him.
"Joby, you and Twig go get Nick and bring him into camp. Doc over there is gonna fix him up." The big man said to his two partners. Matt eyed him closely. He knew from the posters that his name was Ebb Garret and that Nick and Joby were his younger brothers. Twig, he didn't know. He didn't remember seeing a post on him. But the Garret boys were wanted for robbing a train and killing several guards. They were also wanted for the murder of a family homesteading in Virginia. They had raided the home, murdered the occupants after they had had their way with the man's wife and 15-year-old daughter. They then brutally cut their throats. He knew that Ebb was the worst of them. He also knew that Ebb was fast with a gun. But Matt had confidence that he could take him, he just wasn't willing to put Festus and Doc at risk. Matt was brought out of his reverie, by the pain of that burned in his knee as Ebb kicked him brutally. "If you're thinking about escapin' don't, cause I'll put a bullet in the back of your head mister." He said kneeling back down beside Matt as Joby and Twig brought Nick into camp. They were carrying him, slung over Joby's shoulder. "Get over there with your friends." He demanded. Matt got to his feet and as he stood straight up, Ebb realized that this Nathan Burke was a big man. But that didn't scare him at all. He had no problems with the size of a man. Why fear a man when you can fight dirty and win, was his mantra.
All Matt could do, was sit beside Festus and pray to God that his badge wasn't inside his blankets. No guns to fight fair with would leave all three of them dead. There were two trees fit for tying prisoners up with and once Nick was settled onto the bedding and Doc began to look at the man, Joby and Twig forced Matt and Festus to sit down and tied their hands behind their backs.
Matt and Festus Watched as Doc leaned over the boy. He had bandages on his chest and Doc felt for a pulse. Feeling the pulse, he pulled back the bandage to reveal a gaping hole in the boy's chest. There wouldn't be much he could do for the boy, except make him comfortable before he dies. "There's nothing I can do for him, he's in a really bad way." Doc said looking up at them.
"Do what you can, old man, make him comfortable." Ebb said looking at Doc. It was quite apparent to Doc that Ebb knew his brother didn't have much time and Doc was just being used to keep him comfortable. Comfortable, he could do.
As Doc gently began to probe the wound, he started a conversation with him to divert his attention. "What's your name, son?"
"Nick, Nick Garret.." He choked out as he sucked in a breath as probed the wound. He could feel every little thing the old man was doing and though it hurt like hell, he knew that the old man was trying to be as gentle as possible. "Doc, you got any kids?" He asked him.
"Yeah, just one." Doc said smiling. Festus and Matt listened to him in surprise. "Her name is Kathleen." He smiled as he realized that Kitty was the child he never had.
"Is she pretty, doc?" He asked in a raspy tone.
"Nope, she down right beautiful. She has long red hair, and the prettiest blue eyes you'd ever see." He smiled as he continued to look at the wound and dab some alcohol onto it.
"Is she a school teacher, Doc. Ooooh!" He moaned and Ebb and Joby looked up.
"No, she's a business woman. Smart as a whip too." He said reaching into his bag for something to ease the young man's pain. "I want you to take a few swigs of this whiskey boy."
"Doc, don't waste good whiskey on me. I know I'm gonna die." He said as Doc tried to put the bottle to his lips.
"Now you listen to me, I want you to take a few swigs, it will cut a little of the pain for ya'." Doc said know full well that he was just lying to the kid.
"Kathleen, it's a pretty name, Doc." He said trying to choke back the pain.
"Yes, it is a pretty name for a pretty girl." Doc smiles at the young man.
"I'd like to meet her one day, Doc." Nick said as the whiskey began to hit his system.
"You and she would get along great. She'd teach you to shoot billiards." He tried to keep the conversation light.
"A woman who plays billiards, that's funny, Doc." He coughed out and Doc pulled him up a bit so that he could clear it out of his throat. "Is she any good?"
"She beats me every time." The two laugh and Nick coughs again.
"You know what, Doc? I wanted to be a doctor. I even borrowed Mr. Yardley's books from his personal library. He let me read anything I wanted. He wanted to send me to school, but my Pa said no." Breathing slowly through the pain, he let the air leave his lungs through gritted teeth. He entire chest felt as though it were on fire. "Pa got angry and beat me within an inch of my life. Then took me out of school all together."
"How old are you, boy?" Doc said looking at the young man.
"I'll be 15 in two weeks." He said smiling at Doc. But Doc could barely manage to smile back. He knew that Nick would never see his 15th birthday. He couldn't understand how two grown men could bring their brother who was no more than a boy into such a life. The anger began to well up in him and he wanted nothing more than to beat some sense into Ebb and Joby. But he also knew that it was no use, because they didn't seemed too bothered by the fact that their baby brother was dying.
"Doc, can I tell you a secret?" He said softly to him.
"Sure." Doc said simply.
"I never shot a got. I didn't use one today. I was afraid." He said to Doc.
"Afraid of being shot, no doubt." Doc said sourly.
"No, afraid of going to hell, Doc. I don't wanna go to hell. If I do, I'll never see Ma again. I don't wanna go to hell." He said a bit upset now. "If I die now, will I go to hell?" He asked innocently.
"No, son, you won't go to hell. I'll make sure of it. I'll see that you get a decent burial and I'll say a prayer for you." He said choking back the tears.
"You promise, Doc?" He said grasping Doc's hand through the pain.
"I promise, Nick." He said holding onto the boy's hand for dear life. He began to choke out air, and then he fell back onto the blankets. There was nothing else. Only silence left in his lungs and body. For about the fifth time in his life, Galen Adams closed his eyes and bowed his head as he silently prayed, asking God to take this child under his wings and take him home. His heart felt as though it were breaking, for a young stranger, whom he barely knew.
Kitty woke with a start. Not really sure of where she was or even what woke her. As she tried to clear the cobwebs out of her head, she heard the baby start to cry again. Throwing the covers over her legs, she climbed out of bed and padded barefoot over to the cradle. Gently, she lifted Katie into her arms and began to unbutton her blouse as she headed for the kitchen chair. As she stood there with her blouse hanging opened, about to bring the baby to her breast, she looked up and saw Nekuma watching her from the bed. He was naked from the waist up, the covers pulled up over his hips. Kitty quickly averted her attention back to the baby and lifted her breast slightly as she maneuvered Katie to the nipple.
Looking up, Kitty saw Nekuma standing in front of her. He gently knelt down and took the sleeping baby from her breast, smiling slightly at the light popping sound the baby's mouth made. He laid the baby in the cradle then turned back to Kitty who was watching his every move. Walking back over to her, he knelt down in front of her and gently touched her ankles with his fingertips as he slowly slid her skirt and slips up her stocking encased legs. His hands became more brazen and openly caressed her silk covered calves, her knees and her thighs. Kitty gently closed her eyes and thrust her head back at the feel of his hands on her thighs. Using his hand, he gently pressed her knees apart and slid his fingers under her skirt. He gasped when he encountered bare flesh. His fingers caressed her intimately as his mouth latched onto the wet proffered nipple his child had just been suckling. He needed to taste her milk and know what his child knew. Kitty's hand wove into his dark raven hair and the other caressed his back as he continued to use his fingers to pleasure her. Gasping, she could feel her body tensing and responding to his touch. He pulled his hand away, but kept his mouth attached to her breast as he pushed her thighs further apart, then pulled her body to the edge of the chair. Pulling away from her breast, Kitty felt bewildered, her body was on fire. She watched as he pulled the strings on his britches and then fell away, revealing him completely to her. Reaching out, she tenderly caressed his manhood and smiled when it seemed to jump with her caress. Spreading her thighs as far apart as possible, she made room to accommodate his girth. Nekuma moved slowly towards her, than as he felt the tip of his manhood against her womanhood, he moved hard and fast into her. Kitty cried out as she threw her arms around his shoulders as he moved into her in one deep penetrating thrust. His mouth found hers as he began to move in and out of her. His kiss was not gentle, but almost brutal, yet so erotic that she could not push him away had she wanted to. Her hands caressed his tanned back as her womanhood began to contract around his manhood. Feeling the fire in her belly begin to move down to her groin she gasped, thrusting her hips frantically against his, taking him as deep as possible and then she cried out. Sitting up quickly, she looked around the room. She realized that she was lying on the makeshift bed with the baby beside her. It had been a dream. She had never had such a dream. Looking behind her, she saw Nekuma sitting beside his wife, watching her with curious eyes. 'Oh God, did he know? Where had that dream come from?' She thought to herself. She knew she loved Matt with everything she had, but why had she just had one of the most erotic dreams in her life about Nekuma? Gently swiping at the angry tear that fell down her cheek, she lay down beside the baby who was sound asleep. 'How could she have betrayed Matt in such a way?' She could feel the throbbing in her lower body and the wetness seeping from her, he had to know what kind of dream she had. But Nekuma had other things to think about. His wife lay there sleeping. Her breathing was shallower than before and he knew it would not be long before the Great Spirit would call her home. Kitty looked up at Nekuma, and realized that perhaps, she hadn't been too obvious in her sleep. She couldn't get the dream out of her head. He was definitely a magnificent looking man. Huge, like Matt, he probably was just under 6'7". His golden tan skin rippled with muscles from hard work. His black hair hung down his back; she smiled as she realized how very attractive that black hair was. His eyes were dark and somewhat brooding. These thoughts ran through her mind as she slowly drifted off to sleep(Sorry, but I had to do this. I could not get the idea of Kitty with this beautiful Native American man out of my mind. And believe me, he is very beautiful in my imagination. KR)
TBC