Thicker Than Water
Chapter Thirteen
The wind was beginning to blow as Jarrod stood at the Verandah telling himself he should go inside. He couldn't seem to get himself to move though. Just that morning Fred had come to his office and told him a man by the name of Matthew Kilgore had been arrested for stealing dynamite. Furthermore, the sheriff said the man had one thousand dollars on him. Mr. Kilgore had admitted that he'd been paid to do whatever damage he could to the Barkley ranch though he refused to say who did the hiring. That, on top of the impression that had once again begun niggling at his mind as he thought on Heath Thomson, had him more than a bit troubled. It wasn't until Nick walked up beside him that Jarrod stop his silent thinking and made any sort of movement. Turning his head, Jarrod looked at Nick and asked him if he'd heard about Mr. Kilgore.
"Yeah, I heard." Nick sounded disgusted. "Whoever it was isn't just going to give up. I want to know who put him up to it." It was a statement he made without expecting any reply. When Jarrod said nothing, Nick grew extremely concerned. "What is it, Jarrod? What's wrong?" Nick asked the question as he took a step towards his brother, out of concern. Jarrod stepped backwards slightly and looked at his brother with a look that told Nick that Jarrod was greatly troubled, only question was why.
"Heath," Jarrod looked at Nick in earnest, "remember how we both felt like we should know him, somehow? I mean, back in Modesto."
"Of course, I do." Nick snapped as he asked, "Did you remember something about him, something that we should be forewarned about?" Nick didn't like that idea, not with solid evidence that someone meant to get their revenge for the loss they felt they'd suffered at Sample's farm.
"No, it's nothing like that. However, his blonde hair, his blue eyes, the way he walks…" Jarrod finally voiced the traits that belonged to their newest employee that had reached out and grabbed him over the past two months. Stiffening, he finally remembered their father without a beard, "You know, father didn't always have a beard. If I didn't know any better…."
Nick, who had caught up with Jarrod's train of thought, exploded. "NO! DON'T SAY A WORD!" He turned and stormed into the billiard room only to find Jarrod in the room with him, after he'd shut the French doors.
"Nick, you might not want me to say it. For that matter, you probably wish I'd never thought it, but open your eyes!" Jarrod slammed his hands down on the pool table.
Nick didn't want to open his eyes. What Jarrod was proposing was insane! Tom Barkley was a good man, good father and good neighbor to all he knew. He loved his wife and children. "Do you know what you're saying Jarrod?" Then, not knowing what his own mother was holding back, he asked, "Do you know what your accusation would do to our mother? She was married to father for twenty-five years! You don't get that many years together by being unfaithful!"
Jarrod wasn't going to argue with Nick for the mere fact that, while he did know couples whose marriages had survived such events, he hadn't wanted to believe his parent's were one of them. "I tell you, Nick…" Jarrod never got a chance to finish his sentence as the two brothers heard Audra's screams through the open window.
Nick and Jarrod bolted from where they either sat or stood and ran through the billiard room, down the hallway and out the front door. They were none too soon. A hooded male was trying to force Audra into a buggy.
"Let go of her!" Nick yelled as he lunged for the man.
The stranger let go of Audra and ran in the opposite direction. Crying, Audra flung herself into her mother's arms; Victoria had hurried down the stairs and was standing in the doorway while Nick and Jarrod ran after the man. They stopped dead in their tracks as they saw Heath, who had left the house he and his children were using and driven to the main house, jump out of his wagon and tackle the hooded stranger to the ground. Before Jarrod and Nick reached the men, Heath had the man on his feet and was holding his arms behind his back.
Nick reached out, took the hood off the man and gasped, as did Jarrod. Before them stood a man by the name of Adam Thayer, a man who they thought was a friend. "What were you doing!" Nick bellowed as he reached out to grab the man.
Jarrod had to pull him back while, Heath kept a firm hold on the man who wanted nothing more than to get away from the friends he'd just attempted to betray. "Answer my brother!" Jarrod glared at Mr. Thayer seconds before Nick started throwing questions at the man once more.
"Where were you taking my sister? What were you going to do to Audra! Are you in on this by yourself or are you working for someone else, Thayer!" After hearing the news about Kilgore, Nick couldn't help but shout the last question too as it very well could be a high possibility.
Adam said nothing which, of course, only angered everyone present even more. Nick who again lunged at the man determined to get some answers. Again, Jarrod stopped him. By this time McCall and a few of the other men had come out of the bunkhouse to see what the matter was.
Letting go of Nick, who had stopped trying to get to Adam, Jarrod looked at McCall, "Could you and one of the men take Mr. Thayer into the sheriff here. Have him charged with attempted kidnapping? I'll escort Audra to town tomorrow to fill out our statements."
"Sure thing, Mr. Barkley," McCall and another man relieved Heath of his prisoner and led the man away.
Jarrod, Nick and Heath's attention then turned to Heath's children, who were kneeling down in the wagon barely looking over the top. The poor children were looking more scared than either one of them had ever seen. Heath, who had quickly made his way to the wagon, picked up Bryon, who had stood up and reached out for his father. He then managed to get his daughter into his arms also.
"Come on inside." Victoria, who was standing in the doorway with one still very shaken up Audra, looked at Heath and his children. Heath did as the Barkley Matriarch instructed. Jarrod followed him while Nick chose to remain where he was for a few more minutes asking himself one question over and over. Jarrod just couldn't be right, could he?