Chapter 5

Candy woke up shaking and worried. She looked at her sister and brother and saw that they were both asleep and safe with her. She went over to check on them and then went into the main room to make some tea. She was so scared from the nightmare that she was shaking. Biddie had gotten up for a little nip in the middle of the night and went over to Candy.

"What are you doing up?" Biddie said.

"I had a nightmare again. It is twice since Jeremy left for Olympia!" Said Candy, her voice shaking. Biddie looked at her friend and when her friend turned to get the teapot off the stove, she put a little of her special concoction in. This would help her friend sleep better.

"Candy, Jeremy is fine, I am sure that since 'the Kid' has been in jail he won't be here too soon. I think he got life?" said Biddie trying to cheer Candy up.

"I know he did. But he is still there. It is like he is haunting us!" Candy said as she took a sip of her tea and made a face.

"EWE!" she said as she looked at Biddie. "Did you put that stuff in my tea!?"

Biddie nodded yes and took another sip and said:
"It will be good for you. It will help you sleep better!" Biddie said with a smile and made her take another sip! Candy finished the tea and thanked Biddie and they both went back to bed.

The next morning Jeremy had got home and just as she had feared, something had happened to him. She did not tell Jeremy about her nightmare she had, but after her second nightmare where they had sat up in the Bolt Cabin talking and he was trying to cheer her up, Jeremy was wondered if he shouldn't tell her, and she was wondering if he shouldn't tell him.

The days went pleasantly, and it was getting close to their day. Her nightmares had stopped, and Jeremy seemed to be a bit calmer and more like himself daily. Both knew they had a secret; both knew that they had to tell each other, but when to do it? That was the question! When would they talk about it, would it be before or after they were married, would it even come up at a later time, or be forgotten forever? Both wondered and worried about this. They did not like secrets, but they kept them from one another.

Danger was lurking around the corner. The Kid had gotten out of jail and was heading to Seattle. He was thinking only of getting Candy for himself. He thought Jeremy was weak and had no backbone, he wasn't going to be able to protect his precious 'Candy' from 'The Kid' . In fact, Richard had a very nice place in mind to settle down and keep Candy safe and all to himself!

He was holed up in a set of caves that he thought no one had been in recently except maybe a bear or two. He cleaned it up and procured items that would help her to live. He made sure there were pretty dresses, ones he would like to see her in, there was a cookstove, he had made a hole in the ceiling so that any bad air would go out. He also set up a sitting room, a reading room and of course a master suite! She would never see daylight again! But that was only to be expected, especially if he had to go away on long trips! He smiled to himself. He had fashioned a special indoor 'toilet' so that she would not have to go out. He also fashioned a shower so that she could clean herself whenever she needed. All the comforts of a rich luxurious suite at one of the higher end hotels of San Francisco!

He decided it was time to go and dispatch Jeremy and take her for his own! He left their 'home' and went to Seattle. He was careful not to be seen by anyone, especially her brother and sister because they would tell her right away and spoil the surprise. Besides, he wasn't into killing kids!

He walked silently around the dorm. He knew that most of the ladies were gone, there were only a few left. Candy had the west part of the dormitory to herself. He looked in the window and saw her brushing her hair. He almost broke his silence, but he heard a sound. So, he crept under the bushes nearby and hid. It . the boy. He w. coming home from school. Richard observed. He decided that he could wait a few days to get her schedule down. Once he had that he would know when he could take her.

Jeremy was coming up to the door. Christopher answered it and let him in. Candy and Jeremy talked a while and then they left. Christopher was in the room all by himself.

Richard had an idea. He would lure Chritopher up to the caves where he was going to keep Candy, then as before, when he lured the men away in a false posse, and came back to kidnap Candy, he would do that again, except he would take Christopher and they would be looking for Christopher and not staying with Candy! So, he made his plans and set the trap!

Two days later, Christopher was up by the camp. He would go there sometimes to help Jason, or Joshua or Jeremy and learn about logging. Molly spent most of her time with her friends at the school and also helping Biddie with a few things as well. Christopher wandered around the camp freely when there wasn't anything to do. Richard stood behind a tree, the men were all at another site and so Christopher was all alone. He heard something and walked right to the tree that Richard was in. Richard grabbed him from behind and covered his mouth!

"don't say a word or scream, or you will be dead!" The knife was in Christopher's throat, and he did not even wiggle. Richard took him and used one of the other horses to get away. He laid Chris over the horse so he could not move. He rode fast and hard. When he got to where he was going, he stopped. Dropping Christopher to the ground he got off his horse. Chris tried to get up and run but Richard was faster. There was a waterfall, large and just perfect to hide someone behind in one of the little caves. He took Chris, carrying him over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and placed him behind the waterfall deep in the cave. He tied him up but did not gag him.

"No one will be able to hear you but don't worry, they will be looking for you here in a few days, you will be hungry but fine! Richard said.

"I thought you were Candy's friend?" said Christopher with tears of anger in his eyes.

"Oh, I am, I am son, but not yours nor Jeremy's so, if you know what is good for you, you will keep your mouth shut, when they find you. Because if they find me, I will kill Candy!" Richard said. Christopher was scared and angry. Tied up he could do nothing but cry. Richard left him there and immediately set about the second part of his plan.

Chapter 6

Candy was just getting ready to serve dinner when she realized that Christopher wasn't there. She asked Molly who had been busy doing some homework. To go find Christopher. Molly went to his usual places but did not find him. Jeremy and Joshua were finished with their work and were just coming into town when Molly told Jeremy that they could not find Christopher.

"He was up there but then we didn't see him the last couple of hours." Joshua said as he pointed in the direction of Lottie's and went that way.

"Molly, where is Candy?" Jeremy asked.

"She was at the dorm making dinner, but she may be looking for Christopher as well?" Molly said.

"Okay, let's go find her and see what we can do!" Jeremy said as he walked to the places that Molly had looked. He and Molly found Candy soon by the blacksmith shop.

"Oh, Jeremy, I am so glad you are here!" She said as she gave him a hug. "I can't seem to find Christopher." She said. Just then one of the boys came running up to Jeremy and Candy and said:
"Christopher is by the waterfall!" said Tom Finn, one of Christophers friends he played with at school.

"How do you know; he is at the waterfall?" asked Candy, who looked at Jeremy who waited to see what Tom had to say.

"A guy in a black hat and riding a black horse gave me two bits to find you and tell you where he was!" Tom said, showing him the money, he had gotten from The Kid.

"Candy, I will take Josh and we can go get him. Stay here and don't stay by yourself!" Jeremy said.

"Is there something you aren't telling me? Why shouldn't I stay by myself?" Candy asked. Jeremy looked at her and wondered what he should say. He had not told her that Richard was out of jail, he had not told her that he had been sighted by a few townspeople lurking around the town. Candy had not told him she had thought he had been nearby watching her, in fact, she wasn't really sure, not with all the nightmares she had been having. As they both wondered if they should say something, Jeremy asked Molly to go to Lottie's and get Joshua and Jason. He would meet them at the cabin. He took a hold of Candy's arm and gently guided her toward the cabin. He did not say anything just yet. He wanted to be inside with His brothers before he told anyone of what happened.

When Joshua and Jason arrived, he had Candy sit down and began:

"I know that I haven't said too much about what happened on my trip back from Olympia, but I had thought I had killed a man. Not just any man, I thought I had killed 'the kid'…" Candy gasped.

"Jeremy, I have been having nightmares about him, I thought I had seen him looking in my window." Candy said. Jeremy went over to her and then said:

"Candy, he had been taken to jail, he has a lifetime sentence, but recently I found out he had escaped from Jail and have been worried for a long time for you, for us."

"So, Jermey what are we doing?" Jason asked.

"Well, I think that he may have taken Christopher. His friend said he was at the falls. I don't' want this to be like the last time we went to find someone, and he came and took Candy!" said Jeremy. Jason looked at Jeremy and then Josh said:

"So, do you want to remain here, and we go look for Christoopher?"

"Well, that is not a bad idea, but I am worried that if everyone leaves the town, he may decide to ransack the place or destroy it or something?" said Jerremy. There was a knock on the door. Jason quieted everyone. Candy stood close to Jeremy and Joshua between them and Jason and the door.

"Who is it?" Asked Jason.

"It's me, Aaron!" Aaron Stemple said. Jason opened the door and let him in.

"So, why are you here?" asked Jason.

"I am here because of the kidnapping of Christopher and because I just found out that 'The Kid' is back!"

Jason smiled then and said:
"We were just planning a strategy. The last time the kid was here he had us running all over the place. But I think that he is after Candy so, we thought that only two or three of us would go looking for Christopher while the rest stayed with Candy and the ladies!" Aaron looked at Jason and thought a minute.

"But, if he is wanting to take Candy, won't that just mean he will find some other way? Why don't we stage our own little surprise party? We leave Candy and the ladies here at Lottie's like we did the last time and then circle back and catch him. Jeremy said:

"N-no! I don't want C-C-candy to be hurt! Wh-wh-what if he takes her anyway? Jeremy said, putting his arms around Candy. Jason and Joshua and Aaron all thougth about that. Then Aaron said:
"She and the ladies won't be alone. We can have the other guys who didn't go with us, stay nearby, so that she won't be taken!'

"But Mr. Stemple!" Candy said, "That means others might get hurt if we do that? If I stay here and they are watching what if he has his gun and shoots someone?" Aaron was about to say something when a fiery piece of wood came through the window. Another one came as well. Two or three more. Jeremy pushed Candy to the floor and then they crawled out through the bed room window. Jason, Joshua, and Aaron had fallen to the floor.

"Aaron, there might be someone out there who will shoot us if we go outside through the front!" said Jason. Joshua was on the other side close to the window and looked out. He did not see anyone there and the fire was spreading. He decided to see if he could get out the window. He raised his head, and nothing came whizzing by. He decided to go for it. He climbed out the window and waited a moment then went around to the front. No one was shooting at them. So, he opened the door and Jason and Aaron were coughing. Jason grabbed Aaron by his shirt collar and Joshua helped.

Chapter 7

It was dark when Jeremy opened his eyes. He tried to move but his hands and feet were tied. He lay quietly to listen to see if anyone else was with him. He heard distant breathing but could not tell where it came from or who it was. He tried to sit up and was able to pull himself to a sitting position. He heard a scream and tried to untie his hands. But was unsuccessful. He then heard footsteps. One was heavier than the other. He knew that Candy might be the other one. But wasn't sure yet. A bright light had come into view. He saw shadows but not really anything at all.

"Candy Darling, you see, how small and weak your 'intended' is?" The voice sounded familiar. Jeremy tried to 'see' who it was. But he could only hear. Candy stood very still next to The Kid; she did not look like she understood anything. Jeremy thought: "what has he done to her? Did he drug her"?

"Well, Jeremy my old friend and adversary. I hope that you have enjoyed your stay for today, you die!" Candy just stood there staring straight ahead as if she had no idea of who she was or where she was. The Kid looked at her and sensed that Jeremy was looking as well.

"You know, if you had given her some of the laudanum she might have been as docile with you as she is with me!" said the kid who had one foot on a rock and the other foot near enough to prod Jeremy if he felt like it. Jeremy was too upset to say anything. He wanted to shout Candy's name, but he could not get it out.

"Now, little Jeremy Bolt, You are going to meet your end. Your previous fiancé here will push you over the ledge so that you will fall into this bottomless pit! Oh, she will have the strength, I have just the thing to help her. She is very susceptible to hallucinations and will think she is sending me to my death when it will be your own!" The Kid laughed. He had really thought of a good idea. Once Jeremy was gone, he could ride out with Candy, take her high into the mountains and in a few years or shorter, she would forget all about Jeremy Bolt!

"She will know it is not you!" screamed Jeremy who suddenly found a way to talk without stuttering.

"Oh, come now, Jeremy, she won't see you and she won't hear you. You will be gagged, and you are already dressed in my clothes. The hallucination will work!" said The Kid. As he wrapped a gag around Jeremy's mouth. He looked up at Candy. He could see there was nothing of her behind her eyes. He prayed that somehow, someone would be there to stop this madness. The Kid opened up a small bottle of something and had Candy drink it. She did. She 'swallowed' the drink. Jeremy watched in horror; would Candy kill him? His thoughts went to her nightmares, then he realized what had happened.

'Candy' was not really inside of herself at all, or so Jeremy and The Kid thought. But she was there. The dose that The Kid had given her had been watered down. Biddie had guessed something was wrong the night she gave Candy the 'tea.' There was something had been put in the tea to cause her to have nightmares. In fact, some of the others were having nightmares themselves. Not as bad as Candy's but enough to make them worry. When Biddie discovered this, she asked Candy who would do this. Candy had seen The Kid and had known for sure it was him. She told Biddie to water down the tea and make it slightly lighter than what she was getting. She would be able to help if something were to happen. Biddie did that and helped Candy to become immune to most of the laudanum and other stuff that was put in it. She still had nightmares, but they were softer and less scary. She did wake up in the middle of the night though to be sure that if he was watching, he would think it was working. Candy was thinking to herself as she stood there acting like she was in a daze, "if only I had told Jeremy before! We would not be in this mess, but now I have to pretend he is Richard and then try to kill him!" She was not sure she would be able to face her dilemma. But she remembered that Biddie had even snuck extra water to make sure that the dose in the bottle was not potent at all. So, when Richard said a certain word and then stood back, she started to walk toward Jeremy who was trying not to back up since he was on the edge of the cliff. She tripped and fell close to him and put her hand on his leg. When he looked down, 'she was there' that was all he needed to know. She was going to try to help him, his eyes told her he understood and so she pushed herself up and looking like she was going to push him over the edge, she stopped. She turned around and behind the kid were Jason, Joshua, and Aaron, ready to stop the kid. She moved closer to Jeremy and untied his hands. When he had untied his feet, they both sat there for quite a while.

"Jeremy, this isn't a dream and I love you!" she started to cry. He held her in his arms and said: "I love you too!" they had a short kiss because The Kid landed right in front of them. Jason and Joshua were about to put The Kid over the edge when Candy and Jeremy said no together. They looked at each other and smiled.

"Why Jeremy?" asked Jason. Jeremy looked at Candy and Candy looked at Jeremy and they said together:

"Because, he still needs to find love!

Epilogue!

They had told each other their secret about seeing The Kid, and they both admitted that they needed to let each other know when their dreams or nightmares became real. Or as real as they saw them. The truth was important to them more than anything else in the world. If they had told each other who they had seen, they could have been prepared for his arrival. Christopher would never have been kidnapped. As it stood, Big Swede and Corky and other lumberjacks found Christopher behind the falls, they took him out and once he had something to eat, he was okay.