DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own the copyrights to The Big Valley. This is written for pure enjoyment.

Also, when it comes to the Barkley's ranch help? I am using the names that have stuck in my mind. (In Barbary Red one of the ranch hands is killed...if they said his name I can't seem to catch it when watching the episode on you tube..so, when that death is mentioned? I just threw in a name).

Thank you to those who reviewed Long Road Home (whether on the board over through email). I hope you enjoy this story as well.

Overdue Justice

Chapter Six

SCENE TEN

Anna wasn't surprised that she had company when she rode out of town. "Does this mean I'm not the enemy?" She asked but kept her eyes on the road.

"Not unless you prove yourself otherwise." Jarrod turned and once again studied the woman before him She seemed kind of young; he had a hard time picturing anyone wanting to marry her yet nor could he see her breaking in any horses.

"When did you meet and marry Nick?" Heath asked as he thought on his older brother.

The struggle Anna was having with the question showed as she turned her head and eyes downward; they mistook it as a sign of grief. "He died out there on the sea didn't he?" Heath asked his voice low.

"No!" Anna's head shot straight up as she hurried to set the record straight, "He survived the s... " she never got to finish her sentence as a voice spoke up from a clump of trees they'd just gotten to; one they'd become convinced they'd never hear again.

"Yea, I survived. I was just a bit too feisty for those fish to stomach."

At the sound of their brother's voice Jarrod and Heath whirled around and flew to the ground, their brother stepped out into the open.

"NICK!" Jarrod and Heath exclaimed at almost the same time as they hurried over to their missing brother.

Anna smiled and did her best not to be jealous as they all took turns hugging and slapping each other on the back.

"What on earth is going on!" Heath stepped back, "Why not just bring your wife to the house?"

"Mother is going to be upset when she learns we came into town to find your wife and had to run all around to find her only to find out you have been here the whole time." Jarrod chided his brother.

Nick started to answer when he noticed a wagon off in the distance heading their way. Jarrod and Heath were shocked when he grabbed Anna and dodged behind the trees and hid. The harsh look that appeared on Anna's face before she'd disappeared with Nick didn't help their confusion. Turning around they were surprised to see Mr. Thatcher and a friend approaching

'... watching the law hang him' The words she'd spoken in the restaurant rang through their minds as Mr. Thatcher and his friend approached them then passed them by. The fact that he was trying to see if anyone else was around wasn't a fact he hid very well. Only after he'd disappeared did Nick speak up from where he and Anna were hiding, "No, I haven't turned into a coward if that's what you're thinking. Come with us to the cabin we've fixed up and I'll explain everything there. Probably should have waited there in the first place anyway."

SCENE ELEVEN

"You were actually an eyewitness to Keith's murder?" Jarrod sat on one of the two cots the old cabin held and looked at Nick who sat by the table. As much as he hated to hear the ranch hand had been killed before he'd even set foot on the ship he loved the fact that they finally had an eyewitness to one of Mr. Thatcher's many crimes.

"Yes, Mr. Thatcher may not have done it with his own hands but he ordered it. Doesn't that make him just as guilty? We don't want him to know I'm alive or around until our trap for him is set." Nick leaned back in the chair.

Jarrod started grinning, "It's nice to finally have a witness that can take Mr. Thatcher out of society for good!"

"Two witnesses but he doesn't know that," Nick nodded towards Anna, "she witnessed a similar event when her brother was taken but they made the mistake of leavin' what they thought was an already dead victim on the dock for 'a few minutes alone'.

Anna stood up against the fireplace and turned her hands up, "Issac knew our family and begged me to get out of there before the men came back and realized someone had seen what they'd done. He told me about John and said my parents were old and needed at least one child that would stay with them out here...instead of forcing them back east. He said my brother made our family's names quite 'famous with that man' as he, my brother, had been quite loud with our names. I don't know exactly what he meant by that but I took it to mean the man knew my name, all of my brother's siblings names and would never forget them. I...I didn't have the nerves I should have had back then and used his request as a reason to run. I've regretted that decision for a long time now."

Nick leaned forward, "You should know, while Anna has broken a number of horses in she's never been at sea and she isn't my wife. The bandana, mentioning the sea and using our name were one; a way to get your attention while she was doing a lot of foot work to get the information we needed. You could say it was a way to kill two birds with one stone. And two; I didn't know whether she understood Issac right or not. If she has then just her name will put her at risk also."

"If he hasn't seen her then why did you pull her behind the trees?" Heath asked.

"Because she was down by shipping docks and Mr. Thatcher had someone with him?" Nick's eyebrows raised a bit, "who knows if that man saw her or heard her asking questions?"

As he thought on it Heath realized that while Mr. Thatcher had been looking around to see if anyone was with them the man with him had been the one who had really been doing the hard looking. "I think he did but why set any trap for him? You both are eyewitnesses to murders. Let's just have the man arrested!"

Nick shook his head, "Heath, it's like I said before. If I learned nothing else on that blasted ship I learned this. That man has more connections that any of us can count. He'd simple change his name and disappear before we even made it out of the sheriff's office if we did that. As far as I am concerned if we are to get our hands on him we have to catch him in a trap!"

Jarrod sat back and thought on the situation, "If you're that sure that would be the happen, Nick, then let everyone continue thinking she's your widow. That is the rumor anyway. We won't have you continuing to stay here. We'll find a way to get you back to the house unseen then you can tell us all about this trap you have come up with. We'll be back for the two of you soon." Jarrod assured Nick as he and Heath walked out the door.