Chapter 10
The weeks that followed after Ike's death were hard for all the riders, especially Buck. The bunkhouse seemed too empty without Ike, and there was an eerie atmosphere at the dinner table as nobody, not even Cody, was eager to talk or joke like usual. It had been a very hard blow, and Kid knew they would never get over it or be the same again. A member of their family had been seared away and they would never be able to fill in the gap left by their friend. Little by little they would obviously go back to their routine and even share some laughs, but a piece of them would be missing forever. Teaspoon hadn't even contemplated to replace the rider, so from now on they would have to make do with just five riders. The rides had been reduced as it was clear that the end of the Pony Express was closer, and there was no sense to employ anybody else.
Buck was having a hard time coming to terms with Ike's death. He appeared forlorn and kept to himself even more than usual. The riders had wanted to give him his space and tried to disturb him in his pain as little as possible. Ike and he might not share blood, but nobody doubted that they had always felt as if they were actually brothers by birth. The days that followed the tragedy had been really trying. Against Teaspoon's better judgment, Buck had decided to take the law into his own hands and killed the man who had been responsible for Ike's death. No witnesses had spoken against him, and nobody knew what had really happened between the Indian and Neville.
Teaspoon had been beside himself with anger and for days there had been a great tension between Buck and the marshal. Yet, things had finally calmed down and Teaspoon admitted that he could understand Buck's position. He had been tempted himself to do the same, especially after enduring the man's cynical attitude for many hours. What had really angered the marshal was the fact that Buck had been about to put himself in such a fragile position simply for somebody who was not worth it. The marshal would have had to arrest him and make use of the law against him. Fortunately, nobody claimed to have seen anything and Teaspoon was clearly relieved for this account. However, he couldn't help but worry about what this could do to Buck. The Indian was a good and honest man, and even though he might be convinced of his reasons to go after Ike's murderer, his own actions could end up eating him inside. Teaspoon knew what he was talking about; in his long life he had seen too much and knew what a man could turn into if they crossed that line. He just hoped that Buck didn't suffer the effects of having to live with remorse and torment.
The funeral took place on the outskirts of Rock Creek, in a spot that Ike had always liked and where he usually went to find some solace and comfort. Teaspoon and all the riders had been there to say good-bye to their friend. As Buck was the only person who was practically family to Ike, it was decided that he should be the one to choose the way to part from the boy. So it was following Indian rites and customs that Ike was finally put to rest. It had been very hard for all the riders and Teaspoon to see their friend go. Apart from them, only Emily had attended the funeral and it was really surreal to see her there.
Barely a few days ago Ike had been alive and was happy with a good girl like Emily. However, problems came in their way and the rider had ended up losing his life. It was simply so unfair. Kid couldn't think of anything else as the flames engulfed his friend's inert body. He stood there next to his other friends shaking his head at the senselessness of everything. Although Doritha had said that she'd come to the funeral, Kid hadn't bothered to go and see her. He was still mad at her and realizing that she'd simply put on a show for his sake, he had decided against her coming. It wasn't as if she had any warm feelings for his family. Ike didn't need anybody or anything any more and her presence would be just one of her usual social calls, nothing else. Kid had needed her the day before, and when she had turned him away, he realized that she wouldn't be of much help today either. The Southerner felt that he was building up a brand new relationship with her and learning to keep his family matters away from her. He'd go to talk to her on another occasion, but right now he'd rather be on his own with his pain.
A few days after the funeral, Rachel came back from Seneca. When she learned about Ike's demise, the woman had been inconsolable for days. Obviously the blonde lady was regretful that she hadn't been there to say good-bye to Ike. Nobody could have foreseen that something like that could happen to the boy, and it was nobody's fault that she had been away at that time. Rachel really understood that life had its own schedule, and there was no warning to when it would finish. Yet, the thought didn't bring any comfort to her soul. In the dangerous job the riders were involved, she knew that something unexpected might occur to any of them at any moment, but she was aware she wasn't ready to accept that her young charges could be in such a position. It was the first time that they had to lament a loss of a member of their makeshift family, and Rachel hoped that it were the last one, because she didn't want to go through the same again.
About a week after Ike's death, Emily came to the station to say good-bye. She had decided to sell her farm and move out of town. Apparently, she had some relatives in San Francisco, and they were more than happy to take her in after her father's death. The girl stated that now that her father and Ike were dead nothing tied her to the town, only bad memories, and she was ready to start forgetting about them. It was understandable that she didn't feel happy here, especially as there were rumors among the town folks that she was to blame for the young rider's death. Even though she had had some part in the tragedy, Kid had to admit that these accusations were false. Ike simply died because he had wanted to save her, but many thought otherwise. He suspected that Buck's feelings ran along those lines, but the Indian forced himself to be civil to her and wish her well.
It was now a few weeks later and things gradually went back to normal. Even Buck had found a way to deal with his friend's death within his soul. He hadn't had any solace for days and not even the support of his other friends had helped him any. The Indian had even thought of quitting since being around the places and people that Ike had loved so dearly was a constant reminder of his absence. Yet, a ride had been a revelation to his torn soul; he had helped a pregnant woman whose husband and brother had been murdered by a band of outlaws. Unexpectedly Buck had had to deliver her baby and the lady's wise words had made him see that he should consider Ike's death from another perspective. His friend had died for love and Buck understood he had no right to pass judgment in his friend's acts. Otherwise, he would be underrating the reasons behind his death and that was the last thing he wanted to do. His friend had been a noble and honest man who had died in the same way as he had lived his life, in an open and unselfish way. Buck realized that he just couldn't deplore against his last act of generosity and accept what had happened in his heart. After that eye-opening ride, Buck had started going back to the way he had always been. He would always miss Ike in his life, but he needed to carry on and live with those who had become his family. Buck had to admit that despite everything, he was lucky to have those people he could rely on.
After these fateful times Kid prayed that they could get some respite from more problems. It felt strange to think how easy and problem-free his life had seemed a few months ago. Of course he had his share of troubles and sad occurrences, especially his brother's death, but all in all he had felt content with his own life. After those hard years of roaming from town to town, he had finally found a place that he could really call home and more importantly he had found the family he never had. Then with Doritha coming, Kid had thought that things couldn't get any better. Somehow he had been right; things hadn't got any better but on the contrary, much worse.
The relationship with Doritha was bumpy to say the least and not the fairy-tale vision he had thought it would be. It was as if how they had been when they were younger didn't count. She was practically a new … a strange person to him or maybe it was him who had changed. Either way, the thing was that Kid found it really hard to have something in common with his fiancée. She was the woman he would be marrying in a few months, and he couldn't say he knew her or the other way round.
Consequently, the thought of the wedding didn't bring him any joy but on the contrary, it kind of scared him. They weren't living together yet and the arguments were already constant. Kid wondered what their life would be like when they had to share everything and live under the same roof. Maybe things would hopefully get better, but so far he felt unable to work out ways to improve the situation with Doritha. Lately all Kid managed to do was to avoid any possible confrontations with her and kept his opinions to himself. The problem was that this was starting to affect him and he had to admit that his friends had been right when they had spoken their minds weeks ago.
After Ike's death, Kid had gone back to her place and simply made up an excuse for not telling her about the funeral. As he had foreseen, she hadn't seemed very upset for missing the occasion, and Kid was glad that he had made the right decision. He was lately discovering so many astonishing aspects about his fiancée, and he wondered what else was coming his way. He didn't care any longer whether she had these so expensive tastes or a liking for stilted and snotty friends. He could live with that, but her apparent disregard for his feelings was bothering him greatly and more than he was ready to admit.
Did she really love him like a woman should love a man? He was starting to doubt the only truth he had always been sure of. Even though he knew that Doritha had traveled thousands of miles just to be there with him and how jealous she could get, there were moments in which he doubted her love for him. Or maybe it was just that he had taken her attitude too hard, and there wasn't anything to worry about and he was overreacting like usual.
Kid was sitting on his own at the bunkhouse table as all these thoughts were bothering him. All morning long he had been chopping wood, and now he had decided to take a break and have a refreshing glass of water. The door clicking open snapped him out of his thoughtful mood, and when he lifted his eyes to the door, Rachel appeared before him. Kid didn't say anything, but simply smiled at her.
"Kid, I was wondering if you could do me a favor," the woman said as she walked towards the young man.
"Sure," came Kid's prompt answer.
"I need a few things for tonight's dinner from Tompkins," she added as she flapped a piece of paper in front of his eyes.
"No problem, Rachel. I'll get them," he replied and rose to his feet instantly, taking the note from Rachel's grasp. On scanning the contents of the list, he realized that it wouldn't take him longer to do this errand. Straightaway he walked to the door and taking his hat from the peg, he placed it on his head.
"Thank you, Kid," Rachel said with a wide smile. "You're a darling. Doritha's definitely a very lucky girl."
Kid smiled ruefully and without saying anything further he let himself out. It only took him a few minutes to ride to town and reach the store. The place was practically empty except for a couple of ladies. Kid started hunting for the few things Rachel had written down on the note. Busy as he was, he never heard the tinkling sound of the door bell as a man entered the store. As the room was almost in complete silence but for the hushed tones of the two ladies talking in a corner, the man's voice sounded loud and clear, instantly attracting Kid's attention.
"Excuse me, Mister, I wonder if you could possibly help me," he addressed Tompkins, who was working out some numbers behind the counter. "Do you happen to know one Miss McCloud? I know for sure she lives in this town."
At the mention of Lou's surname, Kid shot his eyes towards the stranger. He was a man in his early forties, tall, quite thin and with brownish hair. He had a distinguished air, dressed in an elegant suit and wearing one of those bowler hats. Kid wondered if this man was really looking for Louise. She was the only girl he knew whose surname was McCloud, but maybe there was somebody else with the same family name and who this man might be trying to locate.
"Miss McCloud?" Tompkins repeated the name, scratching his head as if deep in thought. "It doesn't ring a bell, I'm afraid."
The following statement dispelled all of Kid's doubts as the stranger said, "Her name's Louise."
"Louise? That scrawny little girl from the hotel?" Tompkins asked and at the man's silence he added, "She works in the hotel. At the end of the street."
"Thank you for the information," the man added and taking out a silver coin from his waistcoat pocket, he put it on the counter in front of the store keeper and without further ado, he stalked for the door and made his way out.
Kid stared after him and began having a bad hunch about this man. There was something about him that the rider didn't like. His voice, his solemn air or the way he moved strangely made him appear somehow cruel and worry settled in Kid's heart as the man disappeared from his sight. What on earth did this stranger want from Lou? Kid felt he wasn't bringing any good news, and without a second thought the rider dashed out of the store with the clear intention of following the man.
As soon as he was outside, he located the tall stranger a few meters ahead of him on his way to the hotel with a decisive air. Kid bustled after him, keeping at a certain distance, not wanting to be spotted. Maybe there was nothing to fear, and this man wouldn't mean any harm to Louise, but deep inside he felt he was right to fear. Kid hadn't seen the girl since the day they went for that ride after Ike's death. Even though they… or rather he had mentioned going for another ride sometime, it had never happened. His job had kept him very busy these last past weeks, and when he managed to get some free time, Doritha had claimed all his attention for her. Kid would sincerely have liked to see and thank her for her company and invaluable support that day, but he hadn't been able to find the occasion to do so.
He thought that Louise was an extremely nice and good-hearted girl, and he really liked talking to her. Her presence brought a sense of peace and easiness within him, and he would really like to enjoy more moments with her. Kid had grown fond of her and considered her a good friend despite the fact that they hadn't had many encounters. So he would hate anybody who might hurt her in any way, and that was the reason why he hadn't doubted in following the man, who at this moment was making his way inside the hotel.
While Kid was still a few meters away from the building, the tall man plodded inside. It was the time of the day that Lou was usually found scrubbing the lobby floor. She never bothered to look up from her task as steps resounded in the silent hall. There was nothing extraordinary in hearing footsteps in the place as people continually came in and out of the building, so she kept all her attention focused on the floor she had to wash. However, as the steps slowed down and purposefully advanced in her direction, she dared to lift her gaze. When her eyes fell on the person hovering over her, she literally paled and felt frozen on the spot. The man snickered down at her and muttered, "Hello, Louise."
His words sprang her into action, and she almost stumbled forward in her urge to be on her feet and get the hell out of the place. The man stood in front of her, blocking any possibilities for her to make an escape, and foreseeing her intention to shoot in the other direction, he grabbed her by the arm with all his strength.
"Don't touch me!" Lou shouted, squirming in his hold, but he didn't let go of her, despite her violent squirming. "What the hell are you doing here?"
As soon as the words were out of her mouth, he delivered a hard slap to her cheek with his free hand. "Mind your language, girl! That's not the way to talk to your father!"
"You're not my father!" she spat as she brought her hand to touch her sore cheek. The metallic taste of blood in her mouth told her that the blow had split her inner lower lip open. Yet, Lou didn't care about any of this as her main problem was the person before her eyes. She hadn't seen her father for nearly ten years when her mother had taken her and her young siblings away from him. Louise had been a very young child when she had last seen him, but she had never forgotten his image, especially since he had done nothing but cause havoc to his wife and children. Louise was still dazed at his unexpected appearance, turning up like a ghost, and she wondered what on earth he could possibly want from her. Apparently, he hadn't had any interest in looking for her or her siblings in the last ten years, and Lou knew that if he had wanted to, he wouldn't have had any difficulty in finding them. So why did he have to turn up out of the blue just now? How had he found her? She didn't need or want anything from him now.
Lou tried to break free but his grip on her was too strong, and her attempts to escape proved to be useless. "What do you want from me?" she asked in a shrill voice. She knew that it was senseless to shout for help as neither Albert nor Mr. Grigson were in at the moment, and the rest of the other employees were out of earshot in their positions. Maybe a hotel guest might appear, but she suspected that even so, nobody would move a finger to help a poor girl like her.
Boggs strengthened his grip on her and replied, "You're coming with me right now!"
"Like hell I will!" she exclaimed, which instantly gained her another blow directly to her face.
"I already told you not to use that kind of language in my presence!" he barked. "You're coming with me whether you like it or not!" He paused for a moment, eyeing his daughter briefly and then sneered, "What a disgrace! A daughter of mine cleaning somebody else's dirt like a vulgar servant!"
"I'd rather lick this whole floor and the street outside with my tongue than go anywhere near you!" she stated, her eyes bright with resolution and anger.
"You got no alternative, I'm afraid," Boggs replied in a dangerous tone of voice. "You come with me nicely or…" He paused and drew a gun from his holster, cocking it meaningfully. "I got no problem in finishing what I started. You belong to me, girl."
Lou didn't flinch at his threatening words or the gun aimed at her. No man, not even her own father, would make her turn into a scared little animal. "You can kill me because I'm not going with you," she stated without any doubt at all.
Her reply caught him by surprise as his "convincing" arguments had never failed with anybody before. Silently Boggs felt a sudden liking and admiration for his reacquainted daughter as she stood her ground with such spunk and obvious bravery. Definitely she wasn't simply as defenseless as he had initially thought. Boggs really liked what he was seeing, and he needed to carry out with his plans. "You're a fiery little thing," he added with a serious expression. "So tell me what I should say to your brother and sister when I return empty-handed."
The mention of her siblings alarmed Lou instantly and her eyes shot open in horror. "What have you done to them? Where are they? You have no right!"
"You're wrong. I have every right. I'm those children's father," he said quietly, internally pleased that she was crumbling down. Louise didn't try to retort and had stopped struggling to break free from his hold. "So it's for you to decide now. We can finish this matter quickly here," he said, gesturing at the gun in his hand, "or you come with me."
Louise remained in silence for what seemed like hours when it was simply a few seconds while she considered her estranged father's words. She knew that she couldn't leave her siblings with the man who had fathered them. Her mother had died trying to keep them safe from his control and ways, and Lou just couldn't let him win them over. She needed to go with him and with luck she would find the way to take her siblings out of wherever he had left them.
Taking a deep breath to steady her frayed nerves she lowered her eyes and in a whisper she agreed to go with him. "Good girl!" Boggs let out and reholstered his gun. He steered Louise out of the hotel, without loosing his grip on her at any moment.
In this time Kid had reached the hotel and saw how this man had grabbed Lou forcefully while she kept squirming. He had known that this stranger would mean problems, and now his suspicions got confirmed with the scene before his eyes. Kid watched them from the door but couldn't hear what they were saying. For a few moments he debated with himself what he should do and in that instant the man slapped Lou hard on the face.
This spurred Kid into action and he was about to barge against him, but then the man drew his gun and dangerously aimed at her. This stopped his intentions short as he knew that the girl was in an unsafe position and he couldn't risk making his move and put her into deeper danger. If he faced up to this man, there was no saying that Lou could end up hurt or worse. So Kid remained in his discreet position by the door, his own gun clutched tightly in his hand in case this stranger tried anything against Louise. Kid wouldn't hesitate to shoot to kill if in any moment he suspected Lou was in danger.
After a few minutes Kid watched as Lou's behavior changed drastically. She stopped squirming and struggling against the man's hold and Kid saw her nod at something and whisper a few words. The man reholstered his gun and to Kid's utter surprise the man and Louise headed for the hotel door without much delay. Kid hurried to hide and placed himself round the corner from where he could watch them. A few seconds later Lou and the man walked past Kid towards the end of the street. Boggs still had his hand gripping Lou's arm and by her expression, the blue-eyed rider could swear she wasn't a willing participant in all this.
In a fraction of seconds the Southerner decided that he couldn't stay idle while this man was practically kidnapping Louise. He wouldn't let her down in this. Kid was sure that she was in deep trouble, and he'd do his best to make sure that nothing happened to her and free her from all this. When he was sure that he wouldn't be spotted, he came out of his hideout and started following them. All his mind and soul went out to Lou, and he never gave a single thought to Rachel who would be expecting the provisions, to his friends, who would notice his absence at the dinner table tonight, to his job or to Doritha. All his being was set in going after Lou and this strange man.