CHAPTER 67

Lee, Hickman, checked that all the men were armed. When Wynn spoke up.

- Let's go straight to the train station in Regina, if that's where this bandit is taking my Beth, make sure he tries to board. Ned, send a telegram to the mounties there, get everyone looking for them. Lee... you and I will follow Frankison, and a few men should take the normal route to stop them getting on the train. Let's not give this man a chance to get back somewhere and escape, Elizabeth's life is at stake.

- And Jack, Lee asked.

- Robert, he's already gone to meet you. He's received my note, and he'll know what to do. That student knows a detour that will take him faster to the farm where Jack is working.

And so they all left.

Charlote arrived at the infirmary and saw her son unconscious, and learned the details... in prayer she asked God for protection... and Tomas to protect her daughter Elizabeth, he was her protector, her guardian angel, nothing could happen to her. And she thanked God that her son Tom was alive. Charlote was impressed that Tom had risked himself to save Elizabeth. It was a good change in her son and it was the young woman's doing.

Jack was just finishing the first repair, that roof tile was broken, but now that it had been replaced he wouldn't have any more problems with leaks in the house; as he raised his head, he saw someone running desperately towards the farm. Jack felt a cold chill in his stomach, something was strange. As he got closer to the entrance to the farm, Jack could see who it was...

- Robert?

Running down from the roof, Jack waited for him, he knew something had happened, because no one would send Robert, he wouldn't be there alone and at school time.

- Mountie Jack, he took her... he shot your brother... he... the boy spoke without taking a breath.

- Breathe, Robert!

- Look; read...

Jack read Wynn's note, and his heart stopped beating, his breath disappeared and his lungs struggled to draw in air.

He ordered Robert to ride slowly back to town, because the horse was very tired, and putting on his red serge, he got on his sargent horse, and headed for Regina; from where he was, he would already be close to the road where the carts used, and if Frankison was tracking, Jack knew he would leave a trail for him to catch up.

Bile knew that just around the bend there was a hunting lodge, used by travelers, and Julia had paid to be used by him for a rest, and he had plans for them to lie down for a long time in a soft bed, at least he would be very relaxed after experiencing that woman. The lavender scent she exuded from the back seat of the car was driving him crazy. As soon as he stopped the car, he picked her up and, despite her protests and screams, he tied her to the bed. He closed the door and began to talk to her, he wouldn't let Elizabeth see him, it would be more pleasurable to make her keep her head in that sack, without knowing who was touching her, he removed his shoes and climbed onto the bed, he could smell the fear that exuded from her, and it aroused an animal desire such as he had never felt. He grabbed her by the legs, making her lie down, and climbed on top of her body, pinning her down with his weight... Bile wanted that woman... She tried to struggle, but her splinted hand was nothing compared to that man's strength, and her other good hand was tied to the headboard, leaving her totally unarmed against him. Bile laughed and kissed her neck, his hands roaming all over her body, while Elizabeth cried and screamed with her legs. Bile was spreading her legs, it was very easy to hold this woman, her strength was much greater than her. He was now grateful for his height of 1.89 and his 95 kilos, which made him huge in front of this little girl. That little thing over there was making him all hard, wanting pleasure; his hands pulled at the collar of her blouse, throwing the first buttons away and showing the valley above the bodice. Bile's eyes widened, the wolf hardly wanted to catch Little Red Riding Hood... And now he understood that saying. Her cries made him want to feel her in his arms more. He began to run his hand up her leg, lifting her skirt, when he heard a deep, strong voice.

- Let her go now! Or I'll shoot.

Frankison held himself back. Seeing his sister like that made his stomach turn. That man was going to pay for all the harm he was doing to his sister Beth.

- I said... get off her now. Frankison's deep voice was heard.

Bile stood up slowly, hands up, he wouldn't let anyone catch him. Just as he was about to turn around, he lunged at Frankison, knocking him to the ground.

The outcome of the situation depends mostly on the training received by the policeman, but at that moment Frankison was very shaken to see his sister with her clothes torn and that man on top of her body trying to rape her, and it was at that moment that Frankison's gun fell to the floor, and he was thrown against the wall, that thug was strong, but he wasn't going to let him get his sister again. He would die for her if he had to; several punches and Frankison managed to break free of the thug's grip. Just as he stood up to handcuff them, he heard a sound... A gunshot, and a huge burning in his chest. He ran out of air, his legs wobbled and his body was brought to the ground in a deafening noise. His hands went to his chest, blood dripping from them. His eyes wanted to close. His eyes darkened...

- I want you to stay alive and watch me have fun with this little beauty. You'll watch as she dies, knowing that you couldn't save her from my clutches. And she'll moan, or rather, she'll scream. And Bile, getting up, removed his pants and climbed onto the bed and grabbed Elizabeth, who was struggling desperately, screaming for Frankison.

Frankison crawled to the corner and grabbed his gun, held it on the table and with great difficulty due to the pain of his wound got up, dragging his body with all his strength, and when he looked at Elizabeth on the bed trapped under that thug, almost naked, he was possessed with hatred, and pulling that man aside, he removed him from his sister. When Bile got up to fight back, Frankison shot him without even thinking, he wouldn't leave that thug alive. It was a clear shot to the heart, and that thug dropped dead in a matter of seconds. Frankison approached the bed with difficulty and called out to Elizabeth...

- Beth, it's me. I'm going to untie you. I'm hurt, but I don't want you to be scared when I take this bag off your head.

- Frankison, don't leave me... I'm scared, please... I'm begging you.

- Calm down, my Beth! I'm here; he won't hurt you anymore.

Frankison removed the bag from his head with great difficulty, and tried to free his hand, but he collapsed before he could. Elizabeth despaired and screamed loudly; she couldn't lose him. She took the gun out of his hand, even with her hand in the splint, grabbed the thug's blouse and put pressure on Frankison's chest to try to stop the bleeding. Elizabeth's world was lost and she said a prayer;

- "Lord, help me... please send me my guardian angel... send me Jack, I need him, Lord. Save Frankison, I can't lose him..." And she cried a lot.

There by the bedside, with a light above him, he was all in white and listening to that young woman's prayer, and he knew the power of that prayer, it was a prayer with a lot of faith, coming straight from the heart. And out of nowhere he went.

Jack was on his horse, his heart aching with fear for his wife, and then he saw a light shining at that fork in the road, insistent, like it was calling him, and he followed that reflection of light until he saw a hut.

- Frankison's horse... Jack said, riding faster.

With his gun in his hand, he reached the porch when he heard the sound of crying. He started to turn the handle slowly when he heard it.

- If you open the door, I'll shoot. Elizabeth's voice was firm, and he knew she would do it if she had to.

- Bella! It's me, Jack, your husband...

- Jack... Run, help me... she cried desperately and Jack noticed that the strength she had spoken of earlier was made up of fear.

Jack opened the door and saw his wife tied up, with her hands on Frankison's wound. He ran and untied his wife and gave Frankison first aid. They needed to get them to Carson quickly.

Jack removed his shirt from under his serge and dressed his wife, as her clothes were torn. Jack noticed the red marks that the fallen man's beard had left on her neck, and there were also finger and nail marks on her neck and collarbone. If Frankison hadn't finished him off, Jack would now.

He carried Frankison out;

"The man was huge"... "I wonder what they gave that boy to eat"... thought Jack.

- Elizabeth, how are we going to get him, he needs Carson urgently.

- Jack, the car is behind the house.

- Elizabeth! I don't know how to drive a car!

- But Jack... I know... Our driver taught me when I was very young. All you have to do is stand next to me and help me hold the wheel, because I can't with this hand. And he showed him his hand in the splint, all bloody...

Jack entered the hut, took the dead bandit's gun and Frankison's, found the car key and handed it to Elizabeth, who, to Jack's surprise, even with the difficulty of her broken hand, started the car and set it in motion, heading for Hope Valle.

Lee and Wynn were driving side by side, following the tracks left by Frankison, when they saw a loud dusty noise in the middle of the road...