I'm so sorry I haven't updated recently. It's been getting a bit busier here. Below are the answers to the reviews for this chapter and 23. Only 2 more chapters to go though! :) Enjoy!

~CHAPTER 24~

Adam's whisper came out on a rush of breath, as if trying at once to reconcile his disbelief with what his eyes told him had to be true. How many times had he hoped against hope that that moment would come? The tormenting voice of doubt in the back of his mind was forever quenched as he drank in the sight of his father there in front of him. "Pa!" he uttered again, as he eased his grip on Ben's jacket and released the fist.

"My son..." Ben whispered as he grasped Adam's shoulders and pulled him close, noticing the slight tremble that ran through his eldest as Adam slowly brought his own arms around his father's waist. Even though they were still far from danger, for that moment Ben reveled the fact that his boys were with him and that he could actually feast his eyes upon them and hold them close, a pleasure no amount of daydreaming could reproduce. "My sons, I thought I'd never see you again," he whispered. After a moment, Adam reluctantly pulled back and motioned his father toward his brothers. Leaving Adam to untie the rope at his feet, Ben went quickly to Hoss and Joe and checked them for injuries as he had his eldest.

He removed each of their gags and untied their bonds. No words were exchanged and none were needed. With tears in his eyes, Ben quickly took Joe, then Hoss in his arms. Sheer joy and relief shone in their eyes as both embraced their father with a fierceness that told Ben they never wanted to let go. Hoss's hearty hug would've been enough to force the air out of any normal man, but Ben didn't mind; to him, it was the greatest feeling in the world.

As Adam stood apart from the three, taking in the picture of them together, an unexpected sob at the sight was making it hard for him to swallow. All of this time of waiting and planning had finally paid off. His father had been the one to call out. He hadn't just imagined it; it was him! Everything else seemed to pale in comparison with finding their father alive.

After several moments had passed, Joe finally pulled himself away from his father's embrace, keeping a constant hand on his arm. "Pa... Pa I... I can't believe it's you. How'd you..."

"Shh, Joseph. We don't have time to talk now," he quieted suddenly as if just realizing where they were, and that they needed to depart in haste. Patting his son's arm, he quickly stepped over to the door and put his ear to its wooden surface, listening. The three brothers looked on in silence, their breaths held as the gravity of their situation came back to them with full force. Satisfied that no one had been aroused on the other side, Ben came back over. "We've got to get out of here. Travis is waiting."

"Who's Travis?" Hoss asked softly.

"I don't have time to explain right now. Just follow me. We've got to get to the loft. He's waiting there for us," he whispered heading back to the ladder from which he'd entered the storeroom. He stepped to the side to allow one of his sons to start up, but all three held their places, a sudden and familiar fear leaping into their eyes.

"You first, Pa," Hoss said taking his father's elbow and motioning him forward, making sure he was the first to get out. Ben saw the same worry he'd seen on many occasions from all of his sons and knew that they intended to secure his safety before their own. After only a slight hesitation he nodded and started up the ladder, making his steps as slow and deliberate as before.

Travis was there again at the top ready to help him up, relief replacing the growing anxiety that'd been building in him ever since Ben had gone. Once Ben was safely beside him, they both reached down to help Joe up. He glanced warily at Travis as his arm was grasped by him, but, noting that his father seemed to harbor no apprehension toward the man, decided he must be alright and let himself be pulled the rest of the way up. The next to come was Hoss. It took him a bit longer than Joe to ascend, for his size required that he be even more cautious so as not to make a sound. As Ben helped him out the rest of the way, Travis took a quick glance into the main room and satisfied himself that everyone was maintaining his position. One more to get up, and they'd be that much closer to escaping that hellish place once and for all.

As he turned back, the last of the Cartwrights was being helped out by his family. The three of them appeared haggard, and the youngest held his head as if he'd just woken up from a terrible hangover. Motioning them to stay where they were, Travis walked over to the open loft door where the cool breeze wafted in, cooling his sweaty face and somewhat calming his racing heart. So far, so good. One more thing to do... one more and this whole nightmare would be behind them. Grabbing the length of corded rope he'd placed by the side of the door earlier, he made a lasso at one end and with a flick of the wrist tossed it over the wooden arm that still hung out over the opening, the metal pulley that used to occupy it long gone. He tightened the rope, making it secure before motioning for one of them to come up quietly.

Ben motioned for Joe to go ahead. He was about to argue, but a firm hand on his arm and a nod toward the open door put an end to any debate. Edging forward in a crouch, he made his way over to Travis. Taking one last look behind him, he eased himself out onto the rope and let himself down slowly, Travis making sure he didn't touch the side of the barn. Once he was down, he glanced back up and saw Travis motioning him toward the woods. Although he was reluctant to go, he forced himself into the shadow of the trees.

Upon entering the forest, he looked around and saw Roy, along with Indians and men from town, materialize from the shadows and come toward him. "Joe, son!" Roy breathed in relief, hurrying forward and grasping the younger man's arms. "You made it. Thank God it worked. Where's the rest?"

"Roy! How'd you find us?"

"Them," Roy replied nodding to the redskins. Joe looked around and nodded in understanding, a smile slowing breaking across his face. "You boys beat all, you know that?" There was a break to Roy's voice, and he squeezed slightly on Joe's arms before asking again. "Where's your family and that young'un?"

"They're still up there. There's Hoss now," he said turning and pointing to where his brother was shimmying down the rope...

Hoss was down and rushing for the cover of the woods as Travis motioned for the next person to come over. "Alright, Adam," Ben said.

"No, Pa. You need to go now," Adam's hazel eyes implored his father to go, hating the idea of him being left there if even for a minute more than himself.

"Adam, I'll be right behind you, don't worry. Now you go," he said forcefully. After one last beseeching look at Ben, Adam reluctantly started heading for the door, his riding boots soundless on the boards except for the occasional creak which, for all anyone knew, could only have been caused by Travis.

Wade Downey was an unassuming but observant kind. Where Clint was tall and provocative in his speech and Jess quick and shifty, Wade was intelligent, much more so than anyone probably gave the quiet man credit for. He was also among the older men of the group, but in his line of business, age implied nothing but experience. However, just because he'd seen more winters and springs than some men had didn't mean his love of thrill and excitement was any less. Even though the previous night had been a long one, he was already itching for something to happen, even eager for something to happen. He sighed as all remained quiet in the barn except for the occasional creak of a loose board from Travis above and the scrape of Hank's knife across his piece of wood. Settling back into his corner, he observed a brown spider, fat from who knew how many years of horseflies that filled the old building, sitting unmoving in the middle of its web, intricate and delicately spun from a rusty nail sticking out of the wall to an old pail and a broken timber from one of the empty stalls. Wade waited for an unassuming prey to come within the spider's clutches. The quick and sudden pounce from the old wizened arachnid did come once she felt the tiniest jerk in her lair, but it hadn't come from any insect.

Wade focused to see just what had disrupted the web to find a flaky trail of dust from the hay that had once been stored there coming through the rafters up above. It proceeded to fall through various holes and gaps in the ceiling until Travis had obviously stopped. He growled his annoyance just as the spider must have when she realized her "catch" had been nothing she would want to devour. They had just settled themselves again when a second stream of dust filtered down through the cracks. He looked up, wondering why on earth a man who was on guard duty had to do so much pacing when an odd and unusual fact hit him. The creaks and groans of the wood all sounded the same in a barn as old as this; when one sounded the adjoining boards felt they had to also. Both times the trail of dust had led away from him, but there had been no return trip. His mind pondered how that was possible for one man... that is, if only one man was up there.

Needing to satisfy his curiosity on the matter, he eased himself up and immediately noticed that all the rest of the men were present except Travis. His eyes narrowing, he started for the storeroom to check on their prisoners. Opening the door, his eyes widened in shock when he beheld an empty corner where there should've lain three unconscious men. A quick glance around the room revealed no one. He left that door ajar and immediately started across the barn to the room opposite. Kicking in the door with his foot, he found that room to be just as vacant as the last. With the ruckus of the door being kicked in, the other men had jumped to their feet and now beheld the two rooms in astonishment. Hank stumbled to the Boss's room and flung the door open, "They're gone!"

Tawna P. Shawn, thanks for the review! The last chapter will settle everything. :)

They kept their reunion to a minimum, cma, but that still doesn't mean they won't be discovered. ;)

Thanks, BettHT! I'm glad you liked the reunion. It sure was a long time in coming!

Now, AureaD, you should know by now that nothing comes easy in this story. ;) There will be a bit more angst before matters resolve themselves.

BJ2 - I knooooooow! ARGH!

Areader- I know, I know I couldn't help myself! But this is the last one, I can assure you! Course there's only one more chapter, but still! I could've put a cliffhanger going into the epilogue, but I didn't. ;) I'm glad you liked the chapter. It's fun writing tension, and Wade's little POV was one of my favorite parts to write.