The men had paired into partners and went different directions in their effort to find Ruth. It hadn't been more than an hour before Mark and one of the men from church went to check on the McKenzie house.

"Mark, what are you doing back here?" Anna asked as she opened the door. Then hope filled her eyes. "Have they found Ruth?"

"No, not yet. I just wanted to make sure things were still safe around here. You shouldn't have opened the without asking me who I was. You're a likely target you know being courted by him and all."

"I saw you out the window, and I don't think he'd hurt me, at least not directly." She bit her lip nervously. "Have you ever gotten the feeling that something terrible is about to happen and you have to do something about it even though you have no idea what it is?"

"I believe those promptings can be God urging us to action," Mark said.

"I guess I'm just afraid that I'm the only one who can talk any sense into him."

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go."

She was a little taken back by his support but grateful for it too. "Let me tell Momma and Granny."

The women were praying and occupying their hands by knitting items for Evan.

"I'm going out with Mark and his partner," Anna announced to them. "We think we might know a way to help."

Mary started to protest, but Fiona spoke first. "Let her go. It's hard sitting around here even with the knitting though I think our prayers are doing a world of good."

"I suppose if she stays with Mark, it would be alright," Mary said slowly though none too surely.

"I'll take good care of her, ma'am," Mark assured her.

With the women's approval, they quickly set out.

Adam Brown stood at the bottom of the hill with Mark's partner. "I think I know where my brother and your sister are," he said grimly to Anna.

Mark and Anna hesitated. Could they trust Samuel's brother to lead them the right way? Really though they had few options.

sss

The nausea had passed but hunger took its place that gnawed at Ruth so badly at times that it felt like she could feel her stomach pressing up against her backbone. Her mouth felt like cotton from lack of water and the cold didn't add to her comfort either. Although she had no fire, she could be thankful at least that she had shelter from the biting wind that she could hear beating against the shack.

It felt like forever since Samuel had left and yet not very long at all. She jerked with fright when the door was suddenly thrown open. Samuel jerked her roughly to her feet and proceeded to drag her out the door.

"Where you taking me?" she asked without receiving an answer.

The sunlight hurt her eyes after being in near dark for so long, but it didn't escape her sight that no one else was out there. "Where's Michael?"

Disgust crossed his face. "He is all talk, a coward. I'll just have to do it myself. Nothing says he won't get the blame. It's my word against his and everyone's heard his complaints and threats against you. More than once, in fact."

She shuddered at his words and at where she saw he was taking her. He intended an old-fashioned burning at the stake. She was already bound. He put a long, thick stick through the back of her arms and drove it into the ground. He spread the wood he'd started to use earlier around her in a neat circle, not forgetting to add wood shaving to ensure it started well.

In the face of her impending death, a peace settled. She had delayed as long as she could. It was out of her hands now and in the Lord's. If this wasn't the hour of her death, He would intervene. If it was, she would be welcomed home.

He noted the change in her expression and he paused. "Why aren't you afraid? You're about to die a horrible death and experience agonizing, excruciating pain. You can't heal yourself out of it."

"I'm not afraid because no one can pluck me from the Father's hand. He is still in control even though you are making sinful choices."

"In control?" he scoffed. "If He in control, He's doing a lousy job."

She had a feeling he wasn't just talking about now but about something that had happened in his own life. "He doesn't cause evil. That honor belongs to the devil and to fallen man who caused a fallen world, but He can work bad circumstances for good and always does for them that love Him."

"That explains it then. I don't love Him. God's never had much time for me."

"He does have time for you. He loves you with an unfailing, never-ending passion that we as frail humans can never begin to comprehend. He wants to draw near to you, but you have to let Him."

"Stop trying to muddle my thoughts and delay the inevitable; you're more wicked than I am, and I didn't take you to have you preach at me." He bent down to make sparks to catch the kindling around her feet on fire.

"Drop the flint and steel or I'll kill you where you stoop," said a deep, serious voice.

Both Ruth and Samuel saw that Kid had his gun out trained on Samuel's head. James had his rifle pointing at him as well. Ruth's knees would have buckled with relief if she hadn't been tied to a stake.

Samuel quickly maneuvered his way behind her, using her like a shield. "Shoot and I'll slice her pretty neck right here," he warned. He had the knife in his hand to make good on his threat. "Put the guns down."

James and Samuel immediately laid them down on the grass in front of them. They had no choice; they no longer had a good shot and even if they had they weren't willing to take a chance that he would cut her.

"Now kick them over here," Samuel ordered.

Kid and James both hesitated until he put the cold blade against her neck.

He retrieved the guns. "Fools. I'm going to kill her anyway and you get a front row seat to it before I kill you two."

He lowered to the ground to pick up the flint and steel again. James and Kid were watching for their chance to jump him, their only chance.

"Samuel!" Anna shouted as she ran into the small clearing.

Samuel started at the sound of Anna's voice and turned to her. "What are you doing here?"

"Helping you. I thought about what you said about eloping and you're right. I want away from all this craziness. Let's go away together," she pleaded. She was putting forth her best acting ability, but it still fell short as the words quivered ever so slightly with her fear. "Just drop everything and leave them all here. We'll be happy together and we'll never have to think of them again."

"You're lying," Samuel said, spittle flying in the air giving him the appearance of a rabid dog. "You would never leave your family. We could've been happy together, but you had to go and ruin it. You all had to ruin it!"

The fire of a pistol reverberated through the wooded area. For one fearful moment, Ruth thought it had been Samuel, but it was Adam; he had shot his brother. Adam walked over to the body and picked up the knife. He used it to slice through the rope that held her wrists together.

Ruth reached down and freed her ankles herself. She ran to Kid and fell into his arms weeping. He was no less teary-eyed. They just clung to each for a few moments convincing themselves of the reality of the other.

"You're hurt," he stated, gently touching the skin around the marks caused by the ropes.

"I'm okay. Nothing that can't heal," she assured him.

He reluctantly let her go so that she could hug her father and sister as well.

"You were great," Mark praised Anna, having joined the group by this point.

"I was scared out of my wits," she contradicted.

"But you did what you had to do to help Ruth," he continued. "That took courage."

Adam nodded. "You gave me the distraction I needed to sneak up on him and save her. I thank God I remembered him telling me about this abandoned shack he'd found. I'm just sorry it all had to come at this price. Our mother was not all there. There's no other way to explain it other than she was sick. I believe my brother is—was sick in the same manner. He was better at hiding it, but it was there all the same."

"I'm so sorry," Ruth said. She glanced sadly and compassionately at the body.

It might have seemed strange the victim comforting the brother of her captor, but Adam could tell she meant it and nodded in gratitude. "The only options for him would have been prison or an asylum and neither would have been good choices; I don't think he would have been able to handle either one. I guess it's just as well it turned out this way. Though I reckon I'll have to face the law now."

"It was an act of self-defense and of heroism. We have no sheriff to take care of these matters. Somebody would have to ride off and get a judge, and I see no reason to get the law involved," Mark said.

The others assented.

"Thank you all for finding me," Ruth said. "I suppose we'd better let Momma and the rest of the family know I've been found and get something to drink and eat."

Kid handed her his canteen, having anticipated that he wouldn't have let her have anything to drink. She wasted no time removing the cap and guzzling it down.

"Well, them and everyone else. Practically all the men in the community are out looking for you," Kid informed her.

Ruth seemed surprised by this bit of information but pleased and grateful too. She looked at Adam. "Do you need help taking care of Samuel?"

Anna was doing her best not to look that way. Though she had discovered she didn't know him at all and that they had no future together, his end was still hard for her to bear. She stiffened until Adam shook his head. "This is something I'd like to do alone," he said.

Kid nodded at him with understanding and they left him alone to grieve.