Chapter Twenty Nine

Heath was tied to a post in the basement of what he had recognized as 'the old Mills' place', as he and many people in Stockton called the home that stood on land connected to the Barkley land. He looked over at Timothy. The boy was also tied up, to a pole that stood roughly five feet from Heath. It turned out there were two strangers behind them, and the two men had taken Heath's gun and then forced Heath and Timothy to walk to a wagon they had hidden and then transported the two to the old home. Afterwards, they'd forced them inside where a third man who Heath knew instantly was waiting.

"I know you hate me, Barrett, but what do you have against Timmy? He's done nothing to you and," Heath glared at the Barkley's former ranch hand even as the two men with Barrett held firmly onto his arms, "don't tell me his parentage; he's not illegitimate."

Barrett glared right back, as he punched Heath in the stomach, causing the blond haired cowboy to double over. "He's worth two thousand dollars to me!" Barrett glanced at Timothy, who had been tied to a chair, and then went on to say how he'd been contacted by an old friend whose boss wanted the boy located and held until he, the boss, got there to 'take care of the brat'. "He's crazy if he thinks I'll stand by and watch him kill a mere boy, but I can still make him disappear from here as I know a slave trader in Mexico who will take the boy . I'll just take the money my old friend's boss will give me and convince him I'll deal with the boy myself and," Barrett started cackling, "If I get to get rid of you in the process, it's an added bonus. Put the two down in the cellar, until I decided exactly what I'm going to do about them! That is, what I'm going to do about them after I get back from town!" Barrett barked at the men before storming out of the door.

"I want my mama." Timothy cried quietly even as he tried to get his wrists out of the ropes, though he had no luck with it.

"You'll get her." Heath said as he worked at getting his own ropes around his wrist loose with the small pocket knife his captors had missed in their hurry to get him to Barrett and then secured to the post. 'Thank goodness for small miracles' Heath thought as he finally managed to cut through, thus freeing his hands. He quickly moved to untie Timothy, but instructed the boy to sit as if he was still tied up.

"How are we going to get out of here?" Timothy asked as he glanced towards the door, though he did as Heath instructed. "Those men are still up there. And why do I need to sit here with my arms behind my back if I'm not tied up?" He didn't understand that part; still, as he trusted Heath, he dare not move.

"That won't matter if my idea works." Heath, who had looked around the room and had seen the many glass bottles on the floor, some whole, some broken, along with a window that was too small for him to go through, but large enough for a small child to get through, had had an idea come to him. Heath wasted no time in gathering up some of the bottles; broken and whole, and put them behind the pole he'd been tied to. Timothy then watched in amazement as Heath sat back down, took one of the partially broken bottles and threw it hard against the wall. The sound the glass made was deafening. However, by the time the men upstairs had opened the door and looked inside, all they saw was their prisoners 'tied' to the post and nothing else in the room.

"I know I heard something!" The darker haired, heavy set man barked as he looked at his partner, a red headed bean pole that Heath thought looked more like a skeleton than anything else.

"Me too, but there's nothing different, and they're still secure. I'm going back to my card game." Their red headed captor snapped and disappeared; his dark haired companion quickly followed him.

"What good did that do?" Timothy asked.

Heath smiled and told him to be patient. After five minutes, Heath repeated the action, with the same result, only this time the captors went outside to inspect things. A few minutes after he'd heard the men re-enter the home, Heath picked up another bottle and repeated the action. It was a process he repeated until the men no longer came to the basement or went outside to check on things. In fact, the last time the men checked either place it was all Heath and Timothy could do not to laugh as they heard the mean utter that they were going to tell Barrett the place was haunted and they needed to find a different place as soon as possible.

"Now," Heath, once he was a hundred percent sure the men were no longer interested in investigating the sound of breaking glass, took off his prosthetic leg and threw it against the window. The glass shattered everywhere, and his prosthetic leg landed outside the window. "I'm going to lift you up there, and you're going run to the south as fast as you can. If you run don't take any turns, you're only two miles until you're on our ranch." Heath grabbed Timothy and started lifting him up. "However, before you take off, toss my prosthetic leg back in here."

"I don't want to leave you. They'll kill you." Timothy shook his head, terrified for Heath.

In spite of what Barrett had said, Heath would not put it passed the Barkley's former employee to harm the child. "Maybe, maybe not, but," Heath said as he leaned against the wall and lifted Timmy up. "But if that's the case, there's no use in both of us dying." After Timmy was outside, and had given Heath's prosthetic leg back to him, Heath instructed the lad on which way to go in order to get to some help. "Just make sure Nick knows your uncle is behind this, and that Barrett is involved; tell him Barrett and his friend took us to the old Mills' place." Heath said as he thought on the home they'd been taken too… it was a mere two miles from the boundary lines to the Barkley's ranch. He smiled to himself. Heath didn't know if he would survive or not, but the thought of what Nick would do to Barrett was one very pleasant thought. After a split second, he added, "no matter what happens give Nick a chance, ok?"

Timothy gulped and nodded. "I'll do all those things; I promise." He then turned and ran with all his might in the direction Heath had told him to go.