Chapter Fifteen

As Jeremiah and Barret traveled down one path after another-Barrett had been told there was a bear causing trouble with the cattle, and it needed to be caught. Barrett was talking up a storm, saying he wasn't totally convinced there was a bear. "I think Thomson just made it up to get us away from the work!"

Silently, Jeremiah screamed 'His name is Heath Barkley-or at least Heath!' However, he resisted the urge to say the words out loud. Instead he did what he could to get Barrett totally convinced while throwing out some bait, as it were. "I don't know about that. I saw some pretty big tracks yesterday, thought it might be bear-told Nick Barkley about them too. Could be he sent that half-brother of his looking for them. Used to do that myself during the war—that is, have someone tell one of the generals I knew something and then the general would turn around and send me out to check it." He lowered his voice-as if to make sure none of the other hunters who might cross their path would hear anything. Of course, such an action was not really necessary simply because the other men Nick had sent out were really government agents who had been told to stay in other areas making it look as if they were seriously looking for a troublesome bear. "Though, I wish Hacker would have had me go somewhere beside the South End.'

The 'South End' was a term that the Northern Spy had found in the report handed to him by his superiors…an area they said Alderson sent only his most trustworthy men, meaning men who were staunchly for the South, but serving in Union. Jeremiah dared use the information…as Nick had admitted that he'd noticed that General Alderson never seemed to fully trust Barrett. That meant, Barrett would have no way of knowing that Jeremiah had never really been where he was claiming to have been sent. He hoped that the information would elevate him in Barrett's eyes; it did.

"You were sent there!" Barrett's eyes widened, the excitement he felt shown as his eyes began to dance. He couldn't believe it! He'd overheard a few stories being shared by a couple of comrades who also traitors in the eyes of the North…but heroes in the eyes of the South. He went to ask Jeremiah to confirm some of the stories he'd heard only to find himself and Jeremiah both flying off their horses and diving for cover as bullets whizzed over Barrett's head. Barrett took cover behind a boulder just big enough to hide him while Jeremiah found shelter behind another one; the two boulders were mere inches apart.

Barrett starting cursing and asked Jeremiah who the blazes he had gotten mad. Jeremiah simply stared at him and snapped, "That bullet didn't go over my head! It went over yours! I should be the one asking that question!"

Barrett took a chance and poked his head out. He saw Adam Pierce off in the distance. Of course, since he didn't know him, he was clueless as what the man did for a living. However, when another bullet hit the boulder, Barrett cursed, ducked and shot back. He swore as the stranger had already ducked behind some trees. However, he had shock waves run through him when Adam did his own share of cursing and then blamed Barrett for a small part of the attack on Maysville, saying he'd helped General Alderson, who was the force behind it and then yelled, "They killed ma' family-or might as well have! Me and ma' friends, we're goin' have our revenge!"

"You're wrong!" Jeremiah pretended to be surprised. "Barrett had nothing to with that!" He went on to give a brief synopsis of what was supposed to have happened.

Another shot rang through the air, from slightly different angle while Adam again yelled. "Your buddy's lyin' to you! He and General Alderson ordered that attack!" He went on to say he and his friends would have simply allowed the government to find the general for them only they'd learned where Barrett was, and that he knew where the general was-but wasn't talking. "If we can't get the general, and Mr. Barrett won't give him to us, we'll just have to take him out instead! It will be more justice than we've gotten so far! Probably his idea anyway! General Alderson isn't that bright!" Again, shots rang out.

Jeremiah dove behind another boulder…one that set further back from the road, cursing Barrett as he did so. "I admire loyalty in any man, but this is taking it too far. I'm going to get out of here."

"You can't do that! They'll kill me!" Barrett barked, panic in his eyes.

Jeremiah ducked another 'bullet', as did Barrett-who again tried to shoot Adam. "Well, from what I can see, you have a choice…give them Alderson or die for the man." He said the words wondering if Barrett really had that much loyalty in him for any person-or idea. If he did, no amount of pressure was going to break him…and Jeremiah would have to continue showing his friendship to the man before him. The idea made him ill.

The struggle Barrett was having stopped when an bullet whizzed over his head-and it came from the direction behind him. He threw his gun out into the open and yelled, "It was General Alderson's idea, not mine! He said he need to convince the North he was on their side, that folks were growing suspicious! The whole time he was fighting for your side!" By this time, Adam had hurried down the hill while Jeramiah had stood up.

"Tell me where Alderson is, now! I want him to tell me this himself because I don't believe you!" Adam pointed his gun at Barrett. Barrett gave him the location, along with the fact that the general had at least four other men with him who could back up what Barrett had said. The moment he stopped talking, Barrett was shocked to see the three other hunters, along with Nick, Heath and Fred Madden surrounding him…and heard Jeremiah begin talking.

"Take him to your jail," Jeremiah put his gun in his holster and listed all the charges that the government would be filing against him. "We'll go get Alderson."

"You!" Barrett snapped and lunged at Jeremiah, "You're the traitor!" He never laid a finger on Jeremiah though—as Nick knocked him to the ground, afterwards Fred slapped a pair of handcuffs on Barrett and hauled him away.

"You still need all the help you can get. I'm coming with you." Nick looked at Jeremiah.

Heath quickly stepped away from the tree he'd been standing next and said the same thing.

"Fine," Jeremiah smiled wide, even as he let out a silent sigh. It felt good that he was getting to know his brothers, to see how honorable men they were. Only, not knowing his wife had told Victoria his story without coming right out and saying he was Mrs. Barkley's son-Jarrod, his decision to remain silent on 'that subject' stayed intact.

When it came to Nick and Heath, who had also mounted their horses, they-like Victoria- had noticed Jeremiah's walk. On top of that, they'd begun to notice how he held himself as he rode his horse. Nick could see Tom while Heath could see Eugene-who rode like Tom. Nick began wondering the same thing that Victoria had at first…which female relative of Jeremiah's had been a Barkley. On the other hand, Heath found himself thinking about a house fire, a single tomahawk and the assumption that the Indians had taken a small infant. With Jeremiah's long hair and beard, Heath found himself wondering if the assumption others had made had actually been right. However, neither he nor Nick said a word. This wasn't not the time or place for it.