Chapter Eighteen

The sun was beating down something fierce, as Heath and the men with rode towards Junction Pond. Heath was sure the heat was trying to discourage him from continuing on; he just ignored it. He had too many things on his mind. That meant he was thinking about everything that had transpired since Adam Hamilton told Nick and him that he was giving a good portion of his place to the Barkley family. For the first time Heath truly wished he could turn back the clock and thank the old man, and then decline his generosity. He might have thought more on the matter, only someone took a shot at him and his men causing them pull up on their reins, fly off their horses and then dive for the cover Nick had pointed out they'd have.

"Can you see anyone?" Jacob, a black haired, thirty year old ranch hand asked as he whipped his pistol out of its holster and hid behind a couple of huge boulders.

Heath nodded, as he aimed his pistol towards a man he saw on top of hill not all that far from them; the man was getting ready to fire again. He pulled the trigger as he said, "I see at least one man." While he didn't like killing anyone, Heath was relieved to see the shooter stiffen, collapse and then roll down the hill. Unfortunately, the shooting did not stop, as another gentleman appeared not a hundred feet from the shooter Heath had just killed. Before anyone could say anything more shots were being fired. Within a matter of a couple of minutes, three men lay dead on, or below, the hill; all were on Paul and Tyrell's side.

"Think there's anymore?" Jacob asked as he took a chance and looked out from the rocks he'd been using as cover.

Heath shook his head after a few more minutes. "Let's get moving." Quickly he and the men with him made their way around rocks and through trees making their way to the Hamilton cabin.

~oOo~

Tyrell, who had been outside keeping an eye out for the Barkleys, paced back and forth in the cabin, yelling as he did so. "I tell you, I hear shooting off in the distance, and the shooting is coming from both areas I have men in!"

Paul rolled his eyes as he refrained from the urge to slap his brother senseless, a part of him wishing he'd never agreed to this plan. He'd only consented because Tyrell had sworn they'd only use Maggie as bait, and then turn her over his friends to be taken to Mexico and sold. "Of course you did! I told you! The more men you pulled into this, the higher the chance that some of them would actually be using their guns…like they did at Maggie's place!" That still burned him. The extra men were only supposed to shoot to wound, not kill. When that started happening, it was Paul who had, in a "weak" moment as Tyrell said, knocked McColl out in order to spare him from being shot by Tyrell's friends. Of course, with having to chase Maggie, who had fled into the house to get a rife, Tyrell could do nothing about it.

Tyrell growled as he stormed out the back door, in order to continue keeping an eye out for anyone who might want to get to 'their bait' without paying the price only to be met by David Walker, a twenty five year old half-breed who ran around with Paul and was now helping the Hamiltons. The gentleman had been with the men who had fought Heath and his men, but left out of fear of being killed. "What?" Tyrell yelled at David as he stood on the back porch.

"You heard me; a man fitting the description you gave me of Heath Barkley and some men are making their way to the cabin. It wouldn't surprise me if they arrive soon." David frustration at being asked to repeat himself a second time could be heard in his voice. However, before either he or Tyrell could say another word they heard more gunshots being fired off in the distance and Paul yelling at his brother from inside. Both men ran into the cabin, shutting the back door behind them.

"What is it?" Tyrell asked as he hurried over to where Paul was standing off to the side of the kitchen window.

"That!" Paul answered and pointed out towards the window.

Tyrell looked and let out a string of curse words; he could see Fred Madden and some men had taken cover behind trees and boulders that were just large enough for a man to kneel behind and hide. This wasn't supposed to happen! He had hired enough men to guard the area to prevent being cornered, or Tyrell had thought he had anyway.

"Like I told you," David said, as he raised his voice just enough to show he was still highly irritated, "Heath is coming here with some men, and I bet Nick Barkley is out there somewhere with some men, probably responsible for some of those gunshots we heard. After all, that's the direction Kurt and the men he's bringing to pick up Maggie are in." Kurt was David's cousin on his father's side. He was just as bad Paul and Tyrell, and the rest of the men who worked for the Hamilton brothers.

Maggie, who had been tied to a chair in the bedroom, after trying to escape, did her best not to worry as she heard the men talking through the opened bedroom door. She was more than relieved when she heard Paul include the sheriff's name as they continued talking. The fact that her cousin wasn't lying was reinforced as the lawman began yelling.

"LET MRS. BARKLEY GO!" Fred's voice carried through the air and in through the slightly opened window. It made Maggie smile and the men argue.

"I shouldn't have listened to you!" Paul turned on Tyrell. "Now we have only two choices…fight it out until the death or go to prison!" It was a truth that he hated admitting only accepting the fact was easy enough.

"They won't shoot as long as we've got Maggie!" Tyrell yelled back and started for the bedroom only to be blocked by Paul.

"I told you before! The only thing I'd consent to was to keep her here for your friends, not to put her in the line of fire!" Paul sent his fist across his brother's face sending the man flying. David, who decided it wasn't his fight, fled out the back door thinking to escape. He didn't make it two feet off the porch when Jacob attacked him while Heath took Jacob's older brother, Michael, and rushed inside.

The sight of Heath Barkley in the cabin sent Tyrell into a rage; he stopped fighting his brother and went for Heath while Michael fought Paul. In the meantime Fred, who also heard the ruckus inside, ordered his men to stand their ground, all the time wondering who was inside fighting and exactly where they were.

Maggie could see a portion of the fight from the doorway. She held her breath as Tyrell got a hold of Heath's neck only to find Heath breaking the grip when he slid his arms up in between Tyrell's and pushed outward. "Watch out, Heath!" Maggie couldn't help but scream, as Tyrell pulled out a long bowie knife and lifted it in the air. Again, she felt relief flood over her, as Heath knocked it out off Tyrell's hand and finally subdued the man. By that time, Michael had knocked Paul out cold and was freeing her.

"Heath!" Maggie screamed, as she jumped up and ran to her husband, who had just finished securing Paul's hands behind him. She wasn't surprised when he forced Paul to his feet and told her to stay next to him, as he forced Tyrell outside, while Michael carried an unconscious Paul out.

Fred and his men came out from their hiding places, glad to see the men captured. However, all became concerned when Heath began looking around. Only then did it dawn on Fred that Nick, McColl and others were missing. After Fred ordered some of his men to take the captured men to the jail, he asked Heath for an explanation. Before one very concerned Heath could say a word, the sound of an approaching horse could be heard. Fred, Heath and the others watched as Nick came into view.

Heath was startled to see Nick was riding the best looking stallion he'd seen in a long time. He was dark brown and stood at least sixteen hands high. He was also pleasantly surprised to see his brother's eyes were sparkling, and he was smiling from ear to ear. He hadn't looked this happy in ages. Not that Heath minded seeing Nick this way, he didn't. It's just that while he had known how badly Nick wanted to see Paul and Tyrell either dead or behind bars, he hadn't thought either one would make Nick's face light up with this much joy either.

"What happened? Where's McColl and the others? Why aren't you riding Coco?" They were questions Fred, who had stayed behind to get an explanation as to why the brothers hadn't been together, wanted answered also.

"We ran into a bit of trouble." Nick was grinning wide, "They had some men comin' here for Maggie; we just stopped them is all. When it comes to Coco," Nick grew somber as he said, "He was injured. I asked McColl to take care of him and get him back to the ranch." He then started smiling again, "Then, call it dumb luck, I found this fine animal. Took a bit to capture him and get him to let me ride him, but," he patted the horse, "he's okay. Now," Nick, showing a bit of his impatient side as he looked upon Heath and Maggie, roared with laughter as he said, "I told you when this whole thing was over I'd race you and Maggie home!" He then looked at Fred and added, "Fred can even join in if he wants to."

"Thanks, but no thanks." Fred said as he remounted his horse. "But I expect a more detailed account of what happened." He wasn't surprised when Nick and Heath looked at each other and started chuckling.

After Fred left, Heath looked upon Nick again. He couldn't get over how happy his brother looked, though it felt wonderful to see him like this. Heath gave his brother a lopsided grin and took Maggie by the hand. They hurried over to the horses. "Let's get going!" Soon they were in the saddle and doing their best to catch up with Nick, who was managing to stay far enough ahead of them to prevent them from talking to him, but not so far they couldn't see him.

"If Coco had to be injured, I'd say Nick was blessed to find such a horse." Maggie said as she laughed and did her best to keep up with her brother in law.

"That he was!" Heath was stunned as Charger was going as fast as he could and was still nowhere close to his brother. The horse that Heath was sure Nick would keep a hold of had to be the fastest horse he'd ever seen. A thousand other thoughts crossed his mind, as he'd just about catch up with Nick only to find his dark haired brother pull away from him. By the time the main house came into view Nick and the stallion had disappeared around the corner of the barn. When Heath and Maggie rode around the same corner, they saw Jarrod talking to McColl. However, when they saw what was next to the two men, Heath and Maggie pulled up on their reigns and came to an abrupt halt.