Chapter 9

Lou and Rachel sat across from Teaspoon at the table. Rachel tapped her foot while Lou scowled. Teaspoon just seemed to be pleased with himself.

"I can't believe you." Rachel scorned.

"How could you take Tate of all people. Now Annie is a mess. She is angry and embarrassed…."

"I stand behind my plan. I can't help if it backfired, but the thing is, I got a better one."

"No, you don't. Stay out that girl's business." Rachel fumed.

"I told you that I wanted to help. I am." Teaspoon stood to leave.

"Teaspoon!" Lou yelled.

"Trust me. This will work."

Both the women groaned as he walked outside.

Noah and Buck watched Jimmy as he sat in silence. He hadn't said a word in two days. Cody had gone into town to see if he could find out any more information.

"Jimmy, maybe we can try to get him alone. Talk some sense into him." Buck suggested.

"Or just grab him and haul his ass back home." Noah said.

Jimmy shrugged and just sat.

"Jimmy?"

"I think we leave him to it." Jimmy said quietly.

"What?" Noah asked.

"I've seen enough."

"You can't mean that."

Jimmy stood. "He chose this. He can deal with the consequences."

Buck and Noah watched Jimmy walk away as Cody rode back into camp.

"Everything ok?" Buck asked.

"The Pinkertons are in town. A friend of a friend told me that they have been given the go ahead to take them out."

"You mean arrest them?" Noah asked.

"No, take them out. Like kill them all."

"How can they do that?" Buck asked in shock.

"They have been racking up bodies all over the countryside, Buck. Folks are tired of living in fear and the law is tired of chasing them. They are going to kill them all. They are going to set a trap and gun them all down. They just did the same thing to the Smit Raiders. Couple states over. No survivors."

Jimmy overheard Cody talking with Buck and Noah. He started walking down the path back toward Hunter's tent. He should just walk away, but he couldn't. He had to get to him first.

Billy slowly opened his eyes. He tried to adjust to his new surroundings. He blinked and lifted his head. He tried to move and found that he was tied to a chair. He jumped.

"Don't be scared. We are going to fix this little spat right now today."

"Teaspoon?"

"Yep."

"What? How?"

"I had help."

"Tate."

"Yep. Annie will be here soon and then all this will be fixed. You'll see."

"You can't just come and kidnap a body. That ain't normal."

"No, but it will work. I thought it up the other night. Now once Annie gets here, the three of us can work whatever this is out. Again, you'll see."

Billy took a deep breath. Annie's Grandpa and his stupid ideas. This had to be one of the worst. He sat back in defeat as Teaspoon smiled.