Chapter Eighty one

Alice's home became a staging ground for the Pinkerton operation. They decided with the depth of corruption that bled into the San Francisco wharf and its dealings—-the Pinkerton would take the lead and deposit the guilty parties to an incorruptible precinct.

She provided coffee and sandwiches to men coming and going through the servants' entrance. Phil and his manager took the lead and ran everything through Jarrod and Nick.

Joey and Will Carrington hand-delivered $10,000 to the house.

They quietly hugged their first cousins and spoke privately for about thirty minutes.

"Are you sure we can't go with you?"

Nick answered with sentiment in his voice, "Nope got families of your own. Can't risk someone else getting hurt."

"We plan on staying here until you get back. Told the wives that we had an all-night audit."

"Will be praying, cousin."

"I know you will."

Macklin meticulously planned routes and scenarios. He placed nineteen men on the detail, armed and ready to intervene. He himself would pose as the driver taking Jarrod and Nick into the district. The Pinkerton man on the ground had provided logistics and the names of the men he believed involved.

"They are killers plain and simple. Out for coin wherever they can get it."

Nick and Jarrod winced at his report.

"Ok, it's midnight. Let's get a little sleep if you can. Will wake you by three am. Get to the docks by 4—makes sense two worried fathers would be early."

Jarrod and Nick retired to their rooms, each writing a letter to their wives, just in case.

—-&—-

Maris slipped out of bed hoping not to disturb Victoria. She stood up and stretched rubbing her large belly.

"Go on and turn on the light. I am not asleep either, my darling Maris."

"I am so sorry Mother. It's just I would have thought they would have telegraphed they were on the way like they said. Bringing the boys home. I can't help but feel that something has gone horribly wrong."

"I tend to think the same. The boys knew to send word. But their sons may be difficult to convince for some reason—-like their fathers."

Maris gave her a weak smile.

"Barkley men are notoriously stubborn."

"Mother, did you know that Elisabeth was vexed at Jarrod over my pregnancy? I wish I had known "

"I suspected but Elisabeth is a grand lady. She keeps her feelings close. Jarrod was wrong not to heed her pleas for honesty or at least listen to her with JT."

"Nick said this child was between us and no one else. Elisabeth said that since the boys had leaned on him and Jarrod for advice, we needed to be honest. Seems like they were both right in my mind."

"Maris, my grandchild was created in love, not lust. I do not doubt that and I am thrilled about Nick having a child again. The circumstances were moot to me."

Maris's eyes flew open with Victoria's honesty.

"Saying that, I also think there have been things that my grandsons have dallied with, most likely girls and whisky if they are like my boys."

"Ohhhh," thinking back to Nick's confession to her early on that he was a rounder. She had to ask him what that meant.

"So if Nick and Jarrod gave the fatherly lessons that they should have—and then covered up Nick's indiscretions when asked directly about it, yes the boys should have gotten a straight answer. Jarrod too, from what I understood, lied to them."

"You are like no other family I have ever known."

"I agree with Nick that the information is private between a husband and a wife. It's nobody's business but yours."

"I feel guilty that I feel no shame carrying this child. But my pain comes because my son is disappointed."

"He will get over it. The self-righteous anger of youth blows hot and cold."

"He hasn't even talked to me once. David was mortified he slipped and said something. Just assumed since we all talked so freely when we were in the standoff at the courthouse. Nick said it plain as day to the whole room hovering over me."

Victoria smiled, "Nicholas loves with his whole heart. He wants to protect you."

"I know. And in such a freeing way. I have been cosseted my whole life. Not speaking until I was spoken to—no opinions, look pretty and nod—-and then comes Nick. Telling me to do what I wanted."

"My boy is quite the man, I know. I am proud of each of them and the ladies they married."

"I hope James David recognizes that and soon. Nick is such a good father."

"Praying that all five of them are home in the morning no worse for the wear—"

"Me too, mother."

"Can we both go see Elisabeth in the morning? I want to make sure the air is cleared."

"Of course my daughter."

But both ladies could not shake off the foreboding feelings that something was terribly wrong.

—-&—

The crate was picked up behind the bar and taken to the warehouse at the wharf. They were jostled and tossed with the wagon ride. They got splinters, strawberry bruises, and cuts from the crate. All four of them were bleeding and throbbing from the ride. They were weak and parched from dehydration.

The boys were all roused in the semi-light from the shim in the crate. A single kerosene lantern gave them light from their destination. The stench was strong from urine and sweat after a day in the crates. They were all sticky from blood. Chip was still the worst with the knife wound. JT had packed it as best he could in the tight quarters but the ride irritated it again. They were all hoarse from lack of water.

The boys were cramped and aching. The girl was turned to face the wall as much as she could. She tried to hide her torn clothes in a sense of modesty.

"Ma'am? Do you have any idea where we are?" JT asked.

"No," she whimpered, "They sold us to the boats but we are still on dry land. They's usually twelve hours and you ship out. We have been gone more than a day."

"So there is hope? That they aren't selling us?" James David hoarsely asked.

"Don't think so. They's got a plan I bet. You three are rich. Worth something. I am just an orphan. I will be sold away for sure."

"You are here trying to warn us, I remember. To talk them out of it." Chip recalled.

"Don't matter. We is all done for in this box."

"Let's change the subject. What is your name?"

"Esther. Like from the Bible."

"Pretty name. Where are ya from?"

"Carson City, a little town outside there."

"I have been there."

"Us too."

"Not the part of town I was from. Y'all probably stayed in the Nugget or the Highland."

All three boys shook their heads, "Yes both of them"

"Do your parents know where you are?" JT asked innocently.

"Nope unless they's looking down from heaven. They are dead. Dead. Nobody looking out for me. Stayed in my house until the county took me away. Stayed in a workhouse until this man took me to the city. Said I would make good money waiting tables—-but you saw where I ended up."

The boys looked sheepishly downward as the girl's tears flowed.

"I haven't cried in two years and look at me—-like a waterfall."

James David handed her a handkerchief to dry her tears.

"Thank ya."

"We are gonna get you outta here, Esther."

The boys exchanged looks at Chip's words.

"Would feel a lot better about this situation if we hadn't told our fathers to get out of our lives. They probably don't even know we are missing and when they do—-we will be long gone." JT mused.

James David was thinking the same things, "If I hadn't been so pigheaded and cut the Barkleys out of my life. I hope I live to go home and see the new babies and forgive my parents their sins as they have always forgiven mine."

"Please Lord get up out of here so I can hug my Pa again and Grandmother. This will kill her. That time I took the bronco out without permission and got slapped unconscious when he bucked me—-I remember waking up to her words, "If anything happens to you Chip, I think I would die."