Well well well. Look who's updating regularly ME :) I a sad to say I'm not sure if it will continue. My college professors decided to dump a crap ton of work on me and while I don't have school till Monday I have several huge assignments to do finish. BUT I will try to get in a few chapters and update as much as I can. I'm going to try and write some more tonight and finish a chapter or 2 so I can just update over the next few days so Ya'll will get regular updates and Not want to kill me for leaving you on the edge of a major story. So I hope ya'll enjoy this chapter and please reviewing. Reviews= Quicker updates. So the more reviews I get the more I want to write and make more chapters. And the faster we will get to the big Climax. So please please review. Thank you and enjoy.

Hoss and Isabelle were down stairs waiting on news from the doctor. They had brought Joe in a few hours ago barely alive. It wasn't long till Hoss arrived with the doctor and he and Hop Sing had gone to work. They weren't sure if Joe was going to make it. Adam had left to go get Kathleen and Lila a little while ago so it was now just Hoss and Isabelle downstairs waiting for news about Joe, or waiting for Adam to return. Hoss got up and began pacing; he was usually very patient, but not tonight. Too much had happened and he felt he was breaking inside. Who would shoot Joe, and why?

"Hoss pacing isn't going to help any. Just come sit down and try and relax."

"Sit down? Relax?!" Hoss's voice rose with each word as he spat them out at her. Isabelle felt she was shrinking before this great man." How am I supposed to relax while my little brother is upstairs fighting for his life, and my older brother is out looking for the man that did this and retrieving your sisters from the same place that he was shot?! How do you expect me do to that?" Most people would have shied away from an angry or upset Hoss, but not Isabelle she saw him for the small broken child he was at the moment. She got up with tears held back and walked over to him and wrapped her arms around him. Hoss fell to his knees letting his head fall in his hands and let the tears fall. Isabelle stood there comforting him, and sending up prayers for strength.

Ben let out a shaky sigh as he took the first step downstairs toward his waiting family. Upon hearing footsteps Hoss and Isabelle looked up to see Ben coming downstairs. They stood anxiously awaiting to hear news.

"Pa…. Is he gonna make it?" The gentle giant looked like a lost child before his father, waiting, begging for good news on his little brother. Ben looked at him with sorrow-filled eyes.

"Dr. Martin was able to get the bullet out and sew him up, but tonight will be a test to see what fight Joe has in him. If he survives the night then he will have a good chance of making it. He just lost so much blood-"It was taking everything in him to not break down. The room was silent for a few minutes; no one really knew what to say or how to react. No one wanted to be the first to cry, because they knew it would only start a chain reaction. Ben was the first to clear his throat and speak in a shaking voice that slowly found its strength," Has Adam returned with Kathleen and Lila yet?"

"Not yet Pa, but it shouldn't be long. They wasn't too far out."

As if on cue the sound of an approaching horse could be heard along with rushed footsteps as Adam barreled through the door. Fear was in his eyes as he tried to find the words to speak.

"They're gone."

They were sitting around the fireplace, trying to sort out this new situation. Isabelle was upstairs sitting bedside to an unconscious Joe. Doc Martin had gone to bed to try and catch a few hours of sleep. Adam sat in his blue chair, staring into the fire. Thoughts raced across his mind to the last time he had seen them. He hadn't wanted to leave her there, but she had insisted. Why did he listen to her? This was just the thing he feared would happen. Now it has and he didn't have a clue of where to start searching.

"Whoever shot Joe must have come back."

"The question still remains who though. Who would want to shoot Joe, and take the girls?"

"Ross Stone." Adam spoke with a harshness rarely heard, as he put things together.

"The Stones? Adam I admit they are ruthless, but they wouldn't stoop this low."

"Pa you have told me yourself how power hungry they can be. This would be the perfect situation for them Shoot Joe to weaken us then take Lila and Kathleen for ransom, or to bait us into giving them whatever we want." Adam stood as he began putting it all together. The words flowing like a gap was made in a beaver dam." Ross hates Joe, and he would want revenge after what Joe did tonight. He has the motive and the resources."

Ben looked skeptical. He had known Baxter and his son for years, and although they were ruthless he did not think they would go to this level.

"We will contact Sheriff Coffee in the morning and start a search party. Hoss you and Adam go up to the sight and look for tracks. Isabelle and I will go question the Stone's."

Everyone woke before the sun rose. Most had not even slept. Ben came down from Joe's room to the table where 3 cups of coffee were waiting. Hop Sing was trying to keep the mood light and everyone taken care of during this hard time. Isabelle had to remind him that he needed rest too. Hop Sing only shook it off," Hop Sing fine, Carlight's need me. Questin is how is Missy Izbell?"

Isabelle turned away trying to hide the hurt in her eyes. How was she? Is that even a question her sisters were missing? They could be dead. No she couldn't think of that. They were fine. Hoss and Adam would find them. "I'm fine Hop Sing, honestly I am."

Hop Sing let out a humph before going back to the breakfast," Missy no fool Hop Sing."

Hoss and Adam had already left out this morning and were almost to the spot. They were quick to find it with the giant blood spot and wreckage around. Adam felt his stomach twist up imagining Joe just lying here for who knows how long slowly bleeding out. Then Kathleen and Lila waiting for him, only to be attacked and kidnapped. He had let them all down. If he had only been quicker he could have saved them both. But no he had let Kathleen have her way. That wasn't going to happen anymore.

"Whoever took them had been waiting her Adam. Over by this bush he sat here and watched us come and go." Adam walked over to Hoss and stared at the spot where this man had sat. He was there the whole time?

He turned around and kicked at the burnt logs from the fire. Anger, no fury filled him. How could I have been so foolish, careless? I left them here with a killer. Hoss turned to look at Adam saying nothing. He blamed himself as well. He knew how Adam could get when he was like this, so he had to calm him down before he turned reckless. Adam would never admit it, but he acted an awful lot like Joe when he was mad. Hoss turned around to speak, but Adam was already headed to his horse.

"Listen Adam I know you are—Wait Adam where you goin' of to in such a hurry?"

"I'm going to speak to that two faced, backstabbing, good for nothing rat Stone."

"And by speak you mean with your fists?" Hoss was following him now trying to keep up. Just before he reached Sport, Hoss grabbed him by his shoulder and turned him to look at him.

"Now Adam you can't go racing over their guns blazing and go off on the poor boy. You are supposed to be the smart one, the one who's calm in these situations. "

Adam gave one of those half smiles that screamed pure sarcasm before turning around and getting back up on his horse," I am being smart. I am going to teach my brothers killer…."

"You don't know that he shot Joe Adam. You don't know anything."

"Well if he's not there then."

"Then what Adam. Seriously you are acting so much like little Joe today. As much as I would love to watch you beat that boy to a pulp it isn't right…. To do it alone."

Adam smiled at him before flicking the reigns of Sport. Hoss ran over to Chubbs and hopped on and followed Adam out to the Guildstone Ranch.

After riding most of the night they finally arrived to an old cabin on top of Silver Peak about 4 hours outside of Virginia City.

"Welcome to your new home." Duke grabbed his gun and pointed it at the girls as he helped them down off the horse. He whistled into the air and 4 other big guys came out of the house. They all had their guns out and were grabbing at Kathleen and Lila pulling them into the house. It was a smallish cabin with a spacious sitting room. It had a large settee, 1 wooded chair and 2 cushioned sitting chairs all around the small stone fireplace. A small very simplistic kitchen area was off to the corner with only the most basic of supplies. You could tell only men had been living here for a while. Coats and boots and britches were lying around. They threw both girls into a small corner bedroom with one large bed in the center of the room before locking the door. The men were discussing the plans outside the door laughing at what all they would do to them.

"Ya'll can do whatever you like with the red headed kid, but leave the woman to me. She's my fiancée and I have big plans for our future together." Laughter erupted between them as the toasted to their success.

Well Adam is turning into Joe and going after revenge ON THE WRONG GUY! And Kathleen and Lila are trapped with 5 guys who want to do horrible things to them.

I will warn that the next few chapters WILL have some bad things happen. And according to how it goes I might up the rating its according though to how I write it. If you don't want to read about certain things I advise you might want to skip a few chapters or censor when you read.
Always thank you for reading and enjoy.