Chapter Twenty Five
"I don't like it." Nick said, as he and Jarrod left their horses at the livery stable and started walking down the boardwalk that led to the hardware store and Jarrod's office. "It's been two days since the social and the Marquee is still in town. There's rumors he's not exactly been quiet as to how he feels towards Michelle's name change or the fact that he's now blaming you for everything." The Marquee had, in Nick's opinion, just gone from possessive father to a case of flat out insanity. It made him leery for both Michelle and Jarrod.
"Oh, he has something planned, I'm sure." Jarrod said, "But so do I."
"Just what is that?" Nick asked as he found Jarrod stopping in front of the telegraph office.
"Wait here and keep an eye out for our 'friend'," Jarrod said as he hurried inside the telegraph office without answering his brother's questions. Second later, he had rejoined Nick. Once again they started down the boardwalk and, once again, Nick questioned him.
"I ….." Jarrod paused, took a deep breath and quickly explained what he was planning, along with a few things he'd learned quite by accident over the past two days, and then begged Nick to keep quiet as he had Heath.
Nick's eyes widened and his heart skipped a beat. "Are you serious? There's got to be another way to force the Marquee's hand!" Nick, who would have bellowed if it wasn't for where they were at, snapped as quietly as he could.
Jarrod didn't have time to argue and said as much. "I have to go to my office and grab a few things. Only Nick," Jarrod hesitated and then plunged on. If things don't go the way I hope they do, please keep an eye on Shelly. I don't mean feel like you have to marry her, though I know you'd be willing. Just make sure her father doesn't get a hold of her." Jarrod felt rather awkward asking such a thing of his brother due to his previous courtship of Michelle.
Nick found himself angrier than he had been in a long time and, if it weren't for the fact that he was sure the Marquee would love to see an all out fight between brothers, he would have sent his fist across Jarrod's face. "How can you talk like that? Better yet, how can you ask me such a question?" Nick snapped, though he forced himself to keep his voice low which wasn't exactly easy. It was bad enough losing Michelle to Jarrod; Nick hated the idea of losing Jarrod and then being the one to have to console Michelle. He wouldn't be able to do it; the pain of loss just too great.
Jarrod felt horrible for his brother and almost took back his request only he couldn't. "I'm sorry Nick. I'm sorry you got hurt like you did, and it did hurt you to see Michelle returning my feelings. And now, this thing with the Marquee and the need…" Frustrated, Jarrod flicked both his wrists outwards and said, "If I could change things I would only I can't. Please," he said as they came to the hardware store, "If the Marquee gets me before my plan has a chance to work, watch after Shelly."
Nick shook his head and snapped again, "If anything happens, I'll talk to some of our mutual friends in San Francisco and get her set up there. I'll also make sure they know how dangerous the Marquee is. If needs be, I'm sure they'll make sure the man doesn't lay a finger on her." There was no way he was going to promise to do anything else for the simple fact that he knew he wouldn't be able to get himself to do anything else.
"Thanks," Jarrod gave his brother's arm a squeeze, "thanks for everything." He then let go of Nick's arm, stepped off the boardwalk and headed for his office.
Nick waited until Jarrod had disappeared inside his office before he turned and walked into the hardware store. Looking around, he was surprised to see many of the shelves bare. If he didn't know any better, he'd have thought the store must be selling everything at half price and going out of business. As it was, he knew better because the owner, a bald headed man by the name of Lynn Painter, had owned the business for fifteen years and had said nothing to any of his customers about going out of business.
"What's going on?" Nick asked as he saw Lynn come out of the back room. "Are you moving and didn't tell me?"
"No," Lynn shook his head and chuckled. "Had some travelers come through and stock up on supplies they needed. I'd say they went a bit overboard though. Not that I'm complaining," Lynn tapped the cash register which made Nick start chuckling. "It's just going to feel strange in here until my shipment for the week comes in."
"I'll say it will." Nick told him as he handed him a list of things he needed. He was surprised when Lynn told him he had no dynamite which Nick needed for one of the Barkley mines.
"Don't tell me those travelers bought all the dynamite too!" Nick exclaimed, shock appearing all over his face.
"No, they bought some, but yesterday some other miners came in and bought quite a lot and then my clerk sold some to that Marquee fellow after I went into the back room. You know that man sends chills down my back. I'm glad he didn't see me looking at him from where I stood. I just know I would have had to deal with him if he had." Lynn wasn't surprised when he saw shock rolling over Nick, nor when Nick exploded. "What did the Marquee want with dynamite? His mines aren't around here!" The moment Nick asked the question he got a horrible feeling. However, before Lynn could give him an answer, both men had to grab onto the counter as they heard a loud explosion outside, one that was large enough to rock the store walls. Whipping around, Nick whirled around and ran out the front door only to stop dead in his tracks, his face draining of all color, when he saw Jarrod's office in a heap of rubble.
"Jarrod!" Nick yelled at the top of his lungs as he flew across the street and down to Jarrod's office, Lynn Painter was right behind him. In a matter of seconds perspiration was rolling down Nick's forehead as he worked fervently, along with Lynn Painter and a few other men, to remove the pile rubble the unexpected blast had caused. It might not have been so bad only, from the looks of it, the explosion had not only leveled the building to the ground but created a pit into which to hold the rubble. Out of the corner of his eye Nick saw the Marquee standing on the corner of a nearby street. Fury raised its head even higher than it had already been and Nick bolted towards the Marquee only to find Heath, who had arrived back in Stockton shortly before the blast, blocking his path.
"He's behind this! I know he is!" Nick bellowed loud enough to wake the dead as he pointed in the Marquee's direction.
"I know he is too!" Heath snapped as he wondered if the Marquee, somehow, had learned of Jarrod's plans and decided to act before Jarrod could follow through on them. Or, if by chance, it was all just coincidental. He then nodded to the rubble. "But we can worry about getting the evidence to that later. Right now we have a brother to get out of there!"
That snapped Nick to his senses and he quickly returned to the matter at hand. Time seemed to drag on forever as Nick, Heath and the other men worked as quickly as they could, removing one piece broken cement after another, along with other items. Nick and Heath felt their hearts jump out of place when Lynn, who had been working on the south said of the collapsed building, yelled, "I found him!"
"Where!" Nick bellowed as he and Heath flew over to where Lynn was working.
"Right here!" Lynn answered as he pointed to Jarrod's arm, which was sticking out from under a board.
Nick swore as he and Heath worked even faster to help Lynn uncover their brother. As soon as they were able to, they carefully moved an unconscious Jarrod onto a gurney that one of the other men had ran and retrieved from the doctor's office the moment he'd heard Lynn say they'd found the famous Stockton attorney.
"Doc wasn't at his office when I got this." The balding gentleman who Nick and Heath had only seen from a distance before now said. "However, I saw Fred on my way back here, and he's fetching him."
"Fine," Heath said as he and Nick laid Jarrod on the cot and then, picking the cot up, hurried as fast as they dared towards the doctor's office. The whole time Nick was explaining what Lynn had told him in the hardware store moments before the explosion.
"And the Marquee didn't see him?" Heath asked just as they reached the doctor's office, grateful that the balding gentleman who had ran ahead of them, was standing with the door to the building open.
Nick went to answer only to get the strongest impression not to say answer until the bald headed gentleman had left. "We'll talk about it later." He told Heath as they carried Jarrod inside and laid the gurney on the doctor's examining table.
"You need anything else?" The gentleman asked from where he stood in the doorway.
"If you want to help some more, go get the sheriff." Nick answered and then, after the man had left, turned to Heath and explained why he hadn't answered him.
Heath didn't know what to think about Nick's feelings about the man only he wasn't going to worry about it as he sat down next to Jarrod and waited for the doctor. "So, did the Marquee see him?" He asked, worried that the Marquee might hurt the clerk and store-owner as well.
"No, Lynn was sure of that. And," Nick gave Heath a quick, reassuring smile, "don't worry about the clerk. Call it coincidence or luck; call it whatever, only his clerk boarded a train yesterday. He was going to visit family for a few weeks back east."
The two brothers would have continued talking only Dr. Merar and Sheriff Madden both entered the buildings. Seconds later Dr. Merar was tending to his patient while Nick and Heath started talking to Fred.