The Rescue 18

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Quaid Hill sat inside of the barn, gingerly pulled his coat back and unbuttoned his shirt. He'd been hit and it looked pretty bad. It felt pretty bad too. But it he wasn't about to let it deter him. He was there for a purpose and he was going to accomplish what he set out to do, regardless of what it cost him.

In his forty three years, he'd never wanted anyone as much as he wanted Kitty Russell. He and his best friend and partner, Vic, had both wanted the woman from the moment they first saw her. But, unlike Vic, he had grudgingly been willing to leave her alone when she firmly rebuffed him. Vic had not been so willing. Vic had wanted her and went after what he wanted, losing his life in the attempt.

"How bad ya hit?" Tate Ritter called over to him as he took another pot shot at the post.

"Ain't bad." Hill grunted as he took his bandana from his pocket, folded it and pressed it tightly against his wounded flesh then buttoned his shirt back over it. Refastening his coat, he sat back for a moment to catch his breath before regaining his feet and stumbling back over to the door. "Did you or the others get either of them two?"

Ritter shrugged. "Saw that big man stumble as he went in the door but ain't sure he was hit. Them fellers inside were keeping our heads down pretty good."

Hill nodded. Dillon was good. He had to give him credit for that. So far Quaid's plans to use the hill man as some sort of bargaining chip had failed, thanks to the now former Marshal. But he had other ideas and men to implement them.

If that moron, Brody, hadn't of turned chicken he could've had him too. But Brody, for some reason, suddenly wanted nothing to do with the task they had ridden hundreds of miles to accomplish. He actually acted as though what they were doing was wrong. As though seeing to it that justice was done for Vic and the hanging of his murderer was the crime. Muddy thinking, Hill judged it to be.

Still, he wasn't done yet. Not as long as he was breathing. He owed Vic that much. The two had grown up together, gone to war together and buried their families together after the war. Two brothers couldn't have been closer. Of course in the last few months of his life, Vic had taken to hanging around with the likes of Brody. Just more muddy thinking.

Of course, he knew Vic had a mean side. A side that the war had brought out and the death of his young wife in childbirth had worsened. But it changed nothing in Hill's eyes. Vic was his friend and now he was dead and the woman responsible was going to pay, even though by the feel of it, it would mean his own life to see to it.

"What ya think we oughta do now?" Ritter asked as he took another half hearted shot at the post.

Quaid looked thoughtful for a moment. "Get the others in here. I got a couple of ideas."

Inside the trading post, Maizie had recruited her teenage daughter and together they had cleaned and bandaged Matt's leg. The old prospector, Cash Hogle, had been right. It had been a flesh wound only and though painful, he'd be fine.

However, after examining Kitty's shoulder, Maizie knew she couldn't say the same for her. Though initially not life threatening, it was developing an infection and Maizie, whose brother had been a doctor, knew that if that bullet didn't come out soon, the woman could die.

"Constance, come help me." Maizie said as she pulled Kitty's shirt back and carefully removed the dirty and bloody rags covering the grievously irritated wound. Placing a hand on Kitty's forehead she could tell her temperature was up. "I need some water and a wash basin."

"Yes, Ma'am." Sixteen year old Constance, despite her dumb blond looks, was smart enough to know which one of her parents was in charge. And though her father stood on the far side of the room with a scowl on his face, forbidding her little brother Freddie to go near the outlaws, as he called them, she knew who currently held the power. She would do anything her mother directed.

But when she retrieved the water bucket, she saw it was empty. "There's not any water, Mama." She said. "I'll go out and get some from the well."

Instantly, Festus, Matt and Musgrove intercepted her. "Not a good idea, little girl." Musgrove shook his head. "That feller out there'd shoot you for fair."

Matt nodded in agreement. "He's right. I'll go."

He held his hand out for the bucket but Festus stepped in front of him and took it from the girl. "You ain't goin' nowhere's, Matthew. That there leg'd make sure ya couldn't run no faster than a crippled chicken. I'll go."

But as he started for the door, Cash intercepted him. "Them two need you." He said in a low voice as he tipped his chin towards Matt and Kitty. I ain't got no one needing me and no more gold to go after. You stay here." Without waiting for a protest, Cash grabbed the bucket, swung the door opened and headed out.

Quaid Hill's dark brown eyes peered around the barn door just in time to see the grizzled old gold miner step out of the door and head towards the well. Grinning, he raised his rifle and took aim, waiting until the old man had actually gotten the water and was headed back before he fired.

Cash ran faster than he'd ever run before upon hearing the report of gunfire. The first shot missed him by a mere fraction of an inch. Swiftly he hustled across the snow packed yard and made it to the door before Hill was able to fire again. But his luck wouldn't hold. He managed to get the door open and the bucket inside but just as his own feet hit the door a bullet struck him. Falling inside, he was dead before he hit the floor.

"That's another one for you, Dillon." Hill screamed out in frustration, not knowing he'd actually succeeded in killing the old man. "But I ain't done yet. Next one to stick his nose out of there; gets it shot off."

Matt heard but ignored the man's yelling. He had more important things to concern himself with. Upon seeing Cash fall, Constance screamed and Freddie turned, clinging to his father in fear. Atkins, who'd never seen anyone hurt before, much less die, paled as he pulled his son's face into him and away from the sight.

"Festus," Matt called as he limped over to Cash. "Help me."

Quickly, Festus crossed the floor and knelt down beside the old miner. "He's daid, Matthew." Festus said mournfully.

Matt nodded. "Let's get him out of here."

"There's a storage room in the back." Musgrove said as he sadly looked down at his friend. "I'll get blanket and we can wrap him up and place him back there. Ain't no heat back there so it should be okay for a while."

Matt nodded. "That's a good idea, Mr. Musgrove. Let's get him up."

As the men tended to the dead gold miner who'd lost his life for a bucket of water for her, Kitty lay her head back on the cot and closed her eyes. Though Maizie's ministrations on her shoulder hurt, Kitty made not a sound. Her mind was on much more painful matters. Matters of life or death.

TBC