A/N: Sorry it took me so long to get this up. I had an out of state horse show most of last week and then internet was down for a few days. To Die in Darkness is one of my favorite episodes and is acknowledged to be David Canary's favorite episode since he got to stretch himself and be very "unCandy". I hope I did the original justice. Drop me a review or a PM with any thoughts or concerns.
On another note, who else is excited that season 11 releases next month?
As always, I don't own Bonanza and this is for entertainment only. Enjoy!
Added line breaks 2-19-21
"Mr. Cartwright, that was a long day." Candy swung down from Scout and tied him to the hitch rail in the yard. Annie dismounted, rubbing her lower back. She could second that. Riding all day wasn't as easy as it used to be.
She could only imagine what it would be like when she was fifty.
"Just wait a few years, they get longer." Ben clapped him on the back. "Hop Sing should have supper ready." They all made their way across the yard. "You're a pretty good cowboy. Haven't seen a man sit a better saddle. I'm glad I made you foreman."
"Thanks." They went inside; Joe met them just inside the door.
"That was fast. You get everything settled in town?"
"Hoss is finishing up. Roy got a wire I thought you should see." He handed over a telegraph. The look on his face said he'd already read it, and he wasn't happy.
"John Postley." Ben looked up from the wire.
"Postley?" Annie frowned and looked sideways at Joe. "What about him?"
"He's been released from prison. A man in Placerville confessed to the robbery."
"Oh, no." Annie sagged against the old sideboard near the door. Candy frowned in confusion. Ben folded the wire and crossed the room as if in a daze.
"Who's John Postley?"
"A local farmer convicted of robbing the Virginia City bank." Annie watched her pa sink down onto the center table, staring at nothing. She looked over at Joe. Say something.
"You saw him in the alley that night, you had to tell the jury, it's not your fault they found him guilty."
"It doesn't matter whose fault it is, Joe, it happened." And Candy wasn't helping.
"There weren't any other suspects. You didn't bring in the verdict, Pa, the jury did."
"Can you imagine how he felt? All that time, in prison, knowing he was innocent." Joe walked over and crouched beside their pa.
"It could have been worse, it could have been the rest of his life. In a way, he's a lucky man." Joe forced a smile. "I imagine he's feeling pretty good about now."
Somehow, she doubted that. Had she been falsely convicted, she wouldn't be singing praises to whoever made the mistake. Cully Mako sure hadn't, though he had wised up enough while in prison to not follow through with it.
"Pa, you don't think he'd come after you, do you?"
"No, Anne. John's not a hot-head like Mako." He waved her over and took her hands in his. "I'm sure he's upset, but he gains nothing by coming after me."
"He may not care."
"It'll be fine. You'll see."
A month passed in complete silence from John Postley. People in town whispered that he was back, had come in for supplies a few times and ridden back out, all without saying a word to anybody that wasn't necessary.
Had prison turned him into a recluse? Or was he just waiting? But waiting for what?
Her horse jumped beneath her, spooking at the crush of cattle pressing in against them. Why they'd kept this one she wasn't sure, he was too nervous to make a good cow horse, he'd been spooky all morning. Why did Reno have to be out with a stone bruise?
"You okay, sweetheart?" Candy reined Scout over to her side. "Horse is awful jumpy."
"Tell me something I don't know." She patted the roan's neck and looked around. The horse's head came up, ears flicking wildly. Scout raised his head, eyes rolling white. "It's not the cows," she realized. How blind could she be? "There's –"
The roan shrieked, leaping sideways into Scout as a dark shape detached itself from the trees. Somehow, in the midst of the whirling, snarling, and yelling, her mind registered cat. A few spins later, it also registered injured cat.
Probably the only reason she and the roan were not already dead.
A rifle boomed, sending the roan over the edge. The gelding screamed and bolted, kicking at the mountain lion leaping awkwardly at its haunches. Annie drew her pistol, clinging to the saddle horn and the reins with her free hand. She fired at the cat and the animal snarled, teeth dripping saliva.
She should not be close enough to notice that.
"Annie!" Candy worked the lever on his rifle, fighting Scout's own attempts to bolt. All around, rifles spat flame as the hands took up the battle.
The roan crow-hopped, throwing off her aim. A tawny paw shot out, clipping the roan's hind legs out from under it. They went down hard in a cloud of dust, the roan's frenzied shrieks filling the air. Gunshots rang out fast and furious. The horse screamed again and scrambled to its feet, one hoof landing on her arm as it bolted, one hind leg in the air.
All was quiet. Annie sucked in a gasping breath as pain throbbed its way up her arm. She pushed herself upright, searching for the cat, only to find its glazed eyes not ten feet away. Candy jumped off his horse.
"You okay?" He caught her arm and she hissed. It didn't feel broken, but it didn't feel good either.
"I'll be fine. The roan?" He helped her to her feet and she eyed the cat again. "Kinda close, Canaday."
"I was afraid we weren't going to get him." He drew in a sharp breath. "I'd almost prefer the cat to facing Mr. Cartwright with that kind of news."
"The roan," she repeated. "How bad did he get him?" Blasted horse couldn't even cooperate to save its own life.
"Scotty has him." He nodded at the cowboy returning with the limping roan. Annie hurried over, crooning to the animal and rubbing its sweat-streaked neck.
"Cat tried to hamstring him, but it missed. Clawed him pretty good though."
"Walk him back to the barn and take it slow, I don't care if it takes all night. Hoss will see to him. As for the cat, how would you boys like a new rug in the bunkhouse?" Before they could reply, Candy drew her away.
"Mr. Cartwright will kill me if I don't get you back to the house right now."
"We still have cows to move."
"You fixing to do that on foot? Might take a while." He grinned. "Come on. The boys can finish up here. Mr. Cartwright may want to have Doc Martin out to look at that and I'd rather not ride to Virginia City in the dark."
"It's not broken, just sore. It'll be fine in the morning."
"You can be the one to tell your pa that, not me." Annie ground her teeth. She would be fine come morning, she'd been bumped and bruised enough in the past to know by now.
"Fine time for you to start giving orders." She stomped past him to Scout. Candy laughed and hurried ahead of her, swinging into the saddle and reaching down to help her up. They rode double back to the house.
A strange horse stood at the hitch rail next to a mule loaded down with supplies. Candy brought Scout to a halt and they exchanged glances over his shoulder. "Who's that?" Annie tightened her grip on his back.
"Only one way to find out." Could it be Postley? She swung off Scout and leaned against his flank while Candy tied him to the hitch rail. She peered under the edge of her sleeve, wincing when the beginnings of a bruise stared back.
"Could have been worse." Candy slipped an arm around her back and guided her towards the door.
"It's my arm that's hurt, not my leg."
"I know," was his only reply and she bit back a snort. Overprotective. They walked inside and Ben's head came up, eyes going wide.
"Annie, what happened?" He jumped out of his chair, abandoning the man sitting across from him on her ma's sofa. His hands cradled her face. "Are you alright? What happened?"
"A cat, Mr. Cartwright. Jumped out of nowhere and spooked the roan." Ben looked her over, frantic worry clouding his eyes and face.
"Pa, I'm fine, I promise." Candy coughed and she threw him a dirty look. "Okay, the roan stepped on my arm after we went down, but that's all. I'm fine. The boys have a new rug for the bunkhouse this winter."
"Anne Marie –"
"Here." She rolled up her sleeve, wincing again. "See? It's just bruised." Ben checked her arm and finally sighed.
"Between you and Joe, it's no wonder I've gone gray." He pulled her into a hug. "I don't ever want to hear your name in the same sentence with mountain lion again. I can't lose my only daughter."
"Pa, I'm fine, I promise."
"Maybe I should leave, Ben." The man on the sofa stood, working his hat in his hands. "You've got family matters to attend to."
"I'll just be a minute, John." John? Annie took another look at the man and realized it was Postley. What was he doing here?
"No, no." The man hurried to the door. "I'll catch you later, Ben. I just come by to tell you there was no hard feelings. I've got supplies on the mule I need to get up to the diggings anyway."
"John, if you need anything, just let me know." Postley stopped with his hand on the doorknob.
"There is one thing."
"Well, name it."
"Prison food's nothing to shout at, but my own cooking is even worse. I sure would like an invite to supper sometime."
"Well, Hop Sing's away right now, but I'm a pretty fair cook myself. How about tomorrow night?" Postley smiled.
"You've got yourself a supper guest."
"Good." They laughed nervously. "John?"
"Yeah?"
"Good to see you again." Postley halted in the doorway, hat in his hands, a half smile on his face.
"It's good to see you, Ben. Anne. And your, uh, cowboy."
"The name's Candy."
"Candy. Good to see you all." Postley put on his hat and stepped outside. Candy closed the door behind him, one eyebrow raised.
"He seems to be taking it well."
"It's a load off my mind." Ben ran his hand over his hair. "See to your horse, Candy, then join us for supper."
"Of course, Mr. Cartwright."
"Anne, I don't want you riding out for the next few days."
"Pa –"
"If it's just a bruise it will heal faster than you think. And if it's not, you'll be glad I made you rest." He touched her cheek. "Wash up for supper."
"Yes, Pa."
"Annie, what are we going to do with you? First a mine caves in and now you find a new pet." Joe cackled, but his amusement didn't reach his eyes. "You're getting as bad as me." Hoss snorted and slung his arm around Joe's shoulders.
"Naw, she ain't drug home some man in trouble and fell in love with him yet. Once she does that, then she'll be as bad as you, little brother."
"I don't fall in love with every girl I meet," Joe protested.
"No, just most of them."
"Truth is the truth, Joe." Candy shrugged, grinning from his seat at the fireplace.
"Thanks a lot."
"Anytime."
"Pa, you said Postley is doing okay?" Ben nodded and sipped at his after supper coffee.
"He said he'd gotten some promising samples from his mine. I wish him luck. Mining isn't easy, especially by yourself. That man has so much pride he won't let anybody help him." Ben looked around at them. "But I can tell you one thing: we're going to give him a supper he'll never forget. Chicken, dumplings, the works."
"Chicken and dumplings." Hoss licked his lips, practically drooling. "Dadburnit. Can't you do it another day? I got to leave in the morning, it'll take me two or three days to make all them line camps." Joe laughed. Ben smiled to himself before looking up.
"Well, Hoss, that's exactly why I sent you on that little mission, to ensure that John gets a chance at dumplings." Joe cackled again. "And having Joe along with just make the time fly by." His laughter died and Hoss took over.
"But, Pa –"
"With your sister out, I need you both to take up the slack. Discussion over." He stood. "Night, Candy."
"Night, Mr. Cartwright."
"Night, Pa." Hoss kept laughing. Joe slumped on the sofa. Annie snickered when Hoss' laughter died away into whimpered moans of protest. "Chicken and dumplings." Joe rested his chin in his hand and stared at the floor. Candy laughed and they threw him sour looks, which only made him laugh harder.
A knock on the door interrupted the supper preparations. Annie sat up on the sofa and moved her bishop. "I'll get it, Pa. Check." Ben hurried out of the kitchen, flour dusted on his clothes.
"You stay right where you are, young lady." She sighed and leaned back against the pillows. Candy chuckled as he slid his king out of danger. Ben opened the door. "Yes?"
"Wire for you, Mr. Cartwright." Rudy smiled over Ben's shoulder. "Hello, Ms. Anne. You doing alright?"
"Bored, but fine, Rudy, thank you."
"What's this?" Ben studied the message. "Trouble in Angelus again?" Annie and Candy exchanged concerned looks. Her heart beat faster. No. Not back in that mine, not now, not ever. "The rebuilding is coming along fine, I just checked progress last week. What could have gone wrong?"
"That's all that came over the wires." They traded looks again. Ben glanced over at the clock.
"I've got time to get there if I leave now, but I won't be back in time for supper. Don't wait up for me, Anne, I'll stay the night in Angelus if it gets too late." He started for the door and swung back around. "Anne, can you finish the chicken? We just won't tell Hop Sing you were in his kitchen, he'd never stop double checking his supplies. Tell John I'm sorry to miss supper, but Steve wouldn't ask me to come if it wasn't important." He grabbed his hat and gun belt, then followed Rudy out the door.
"Wonder what happened?"
"It must be serious to send a wire this late. I hope it didn't collapse again." Annie shuddered.
"Me, too." Candy pushed aside the chess board. "Should I be worried about supper?"
"Why?"
"Why doesn't Hop Sing want you in his kitchen?"
"It's not my cooking he objects to. More the childhood antics of bored twins that he still holds against us."
"What important meal did you two ruin?"
"To Hop Sing, every meal is important." She stood and made her way to the kitchen. "Come on, you can cut up the chicken."
Postley piled his plate high and dug in with relish. He looked up at the two of them and chuckled softly. "I hate to make a pig of myself but I haven't had anything that tastes this good in a long time. Shame your pa had to miss it. What happened anyway?"
"He got an urgent wire from a friend who wouldn't do so unless there was an emergency. He won't be back until tomorrow, I'm afraid." Annie set her coffee cup on the table. At least she wasn't left handed like Joe. Fixing supper would have been extremely difficult.
"More potatoes?" Candy pushed the bowl across the table. Postley only hesitated a second.
"You talked me into it." He scooped several spoonfuls onto his plate, then reached for the gravy boat. "I'll tell you, working in a mine sure gives a fellow an appetite."
"Why'd you decide to give mining a try?"
"Well." Postley collected another biscuit. "The fella that had the cell before me died and left some books on mining so I read 'em. Better than staring at the wall." Annie looked away. "And when you're in a cell for a long time, you get used to working inside." She wouldn't exactly call being underground inside. "Besides, a man can hit it big you know." He shoveled more chicken into his mouth. Annie bit her lip. "I think I've got some good signs, but I can't be sure. Working an old, abandoned mine looking for a new vein …" He shrugged. "I'm mostly going by what I read in the books. I sure hope I'm right."
"If Adam was here, he could tell you anything you wanted to know." He'd be as giddy as a school girl at the thought of finding a new vein.
"You heard from him lately?" Postley looked up, hope burning bright in his eyes. She shook her head, hating to disappoint him.
"Not in the last year. I'm sorry."
"I guess I could get an outside expert to take a look, but you never know who you can trust these days. And if it looked good, they'd be swarming all over me in an hour." He followed his biscuit with a swig of coffee. "Hey, your pa's done some mining, and you said your brother knew all about it. Did they teach you anything? Could you at least tell me if I'm on the right track?"
Her fork dropped to the plate and her stomach churned. Back into a mine? An old one being worked again? She could smell the dust billowing up around them, hear the groans of rotten timbers.
"I could take a look if you want." Candy threw her a worried look. "I know enough to tell you if the timbers are rotten. Is it gold or silver?"
"Silver. I hope." He seemed to deflate. "Never mind, it can wait until your pa gets back." He stabbed at a dumpling. "I've waited this long, what's another day or two?" Annie swallowed hard. She did not want to go into another mine.
But it was a simple request … she did know enough to give him a halfway decent idea of what he was dealing with. "How deep is this mine?"
"I'm working about a couple hundred feet from the entrance. There was a shaft started when I got there and I kept at it, thought I might as well since part of the work was already done. Seemed a shame to waste it."
"How far way?"
"We could be there and back before dark." She looked over at Candy, a question in her eyes.
"I can go by myself, Annie, it's only been two months since Angelus."
"What happened at Angelus?" Annie bit her lip. Besides almost being buried forever under a million tons of rock?
"We almost got trapped in a cave in when the bigwig from Angelus Mining tried to blow the mine up because it was about to collapse. We discovered his plan and …." Candy shrugged. "He tried to kill us. She busted her head open on a rail for the ore carts and was seeing double for two weeks."
"I was not."
"I can wait for Ben, I won't ask you to go back in a mine after something like that. I probably wouldn't myself." She bit her lip again.
"Let me write Pa a note and tell him where we're going in case he gets back before we do."
"I can wait, Ms. Cartwright. It's no trouble."
"I'll be fine, Mr. Postley. It's not that far in, and we won't be that deep. And if I get too nervous I can always walk back outside for a few minutes. Candy, will you saddle the horses while I write that note?" If he was plotting revenge, he'd be after her pa, not them. And he wouldn't let her leave a note behind.
"If you're sure." She nodded. "Okay. Be back in a minute." Postley grinned and scooped up another forkful.
"This could be my lucky day."
They rounded a bend up in the mountains and Postley pointed up ahead. "There she is!" A grin touched her lips at the boyish excitement ringing through his words. She'd never be a miner, but to each his own. At least the man had something to enjoy after the past year and a half.
They dismounted and tied their horses to a derelict wagon at the bottom of the slope. Postley led them uphill and her skin washed cold as they neared the gaping maw that led down into the earth. Candy touched her arm.
"You sure you're okay? You can still wait outside."
"No." She stared at the mine. "I have to get past this. God forbid something happened to Pa, it would fall to me. Hoss is worse than I am when it comes to mines and you've seen how Joe is first hand."
"He needs to work on his timing."
"Among other things." They stepped into the cool air of the mine.
"Watch those timbers, they've been here a long time." Postley led them deeper, but true to his word, they stopped a couple hundred feet in. "Now that we're here, I'm almost afraid to have you look. I guess because it means so much to me."
"We never look, we'll never know," Candy replied with a grin.
"Yeah. You're absolutely right. Let's go." They followed him around a corner and halted. He pointed at the ground ahead of them. "There it is." She and Candy inched closer; sweat trickled down her back. Ten minutes, twenty tops, and they'd be back outside in the sun.
Candy crouched at the edge of the shaft and whistled. "You did all this yourself in a month?"
"Like I said, the shaft was already started, I just did the rest."
"Lot of work."
"You can do anything if you want it bad enough." Postley worked his hands. "Be careful on that rope ladder, I'll get a lantern." Rope ladder? She took a step back. "You can wait up here, Candy can holler up, tell you what he sees." She bit her lip so hard she tasted blood. Joe had gotten to where he could handle heights, he still didn't enjoy them and likely never would, but he wasn't as bad as he used to be. She peered down into the shaft.
Thirty, maybe thirty-five feet. Nowhere near half a mile.
"I'll go down first, if it'll hold me, it'll hold you no problem." Candy glanced back over his shoulder, mischief dancing in his eyes. "Unless you've been sneaking Hop Sing's biscuits between meals." She would have slapped him if he hadn't been right at the edge of the shaft. He laughed and started down the ladder. She took one last look at the ladder and followed Candy down, reaching bottom seconds after he did. He looked around and whistled softly. "Don't know about mining, but he does know about hard work."
"I hope it's not in vain. Postley, you got the lantern –" She turned and froze.
The ladder was gone. She grabbed Candy's arm and yanked him around. Any protest died on his lips as he took in the missing ladder. They looked up the shaft, found Postley standing at the edge, lantern in one hand and the ladder in his other.
"What's the meaning of this, Postley?"
"It was a mistake." He looked at the ladder in his hands. "I didn't mean to do it. We all make mistakes, don't we?" Her blood ran cold. "It wasn't supposed to be you, Anne, it was supposed to be your pa. I wanted him to know how I felt all that time in prison. Then I saw how he reacted when you came in hurt and I knew." She and Candy looked at each other with dread.
"Knew what?" He got it out first.
"Knew that the only way he'd really know how I felt, was to lose you."
"You can't do this!" Candy slipped an arm around her back. "Look, we came here to help you out, how can you do this to us?" Don't think about all the dirt overhead, the old timbers …
"Help me?" Postley mused. "Since when has a Cartwright ever helped me?"
"John, we know how you feel, I've been falsely accused myself, I know –"
"No! Neither one of you does. But you will. And so will Ben Cartwright."
"You can't leave us here to die!"
"Oh, you won't die, Candy. Oh, no, I wouldn't let that happen. There's food and water there. Anything a man could want. Everything your pa gave me."
"At least let Annie go, she can't stand being underground."
"And have her run right to Sheriff Coffee? No." He stared at them a moment longer then slowly turned away, the lantern's glow fading from sight.
"John?"
"Postley!" They yelled themselves hoarse, but he didn't come back. Annie went to her knees, fingers digging into the cool dirt.
"How could I have been so stupid? I should have known he was up to something." Why had she ever agreed to come help him? "I even asked Pa if he thought Postley would come after him and he said no, the man had more sense than that. And now we're trapped!"
"At least we're not knocked out half a mile down the tunnel with ten cases of dynamite primed to blow us to kingdom come."
"Shut up." Candy shrugged.
"Just trying to help."
"It's not." She closed her eyes, feeling like the walls of the shaft were beginning to close in. She drew in a shaky breath. "We're not going to get out of here unless he lets us go." Another breath. "And he can't do that unless he wants to go right back to prison." Boots crunched on dirt and rocks; she sensed Candy crouch in front of her.
"Where'd you leave the note?" Her eyes flew open and hope soared high, only to crash to earth seconds later.
"He'll go back and destroy it."
"Not if Mr. Cartwright gets home before he does. Look, maybe it wasn't that bad at Angelus, he may already be on his way back."
"So what if he is? Could you find your way here without Postley?" Their eyes met and Candy looked away first with a resigned shake of his head. Annie jumped to her feet, suddenly needing to move. Four short steps brought her to the opposite side of the shaft and her throat closed.
How could she have been so blind?
"Don't blame yourself, neither one of us saw it." Candy slid down the wall. "I must be getting careless." He held out his hand. "Come on, pacing like a caged tiger will only put you a few inches deeper." She joined him in the floor and he wrapped his arm around her back.
"Pa's going to lose his mind." Their shadows shifted on the wall and she drew in a breath. Tons of rock held back by nothing more elaborate than skinny pieces of wood. Her heart beat faster.
"Hey, that important, everyday meal you and Joe ruined?" Candy's fingers rubbed slow circles on her arm. "Just what did you do?"
"I hope they're all here, I want to see their faces when they realize how fast we checked all those line shacks." Joe swung down off Cochise and untied his bedroll.
"I don't mind working hard, I just don't like missing breakfast," Hoss complained.
"Hey, maybe there's some of that chicken and dumplings left." Joe rounded the pinto's flank and tossed his bedroll at Hoss. "You take care of the horses and I'll check on the chicken." He headed for the house.
The front door flew open and their pa ran into the yard, eyes wild and hair looking like he'd raked his hand through it a hundred times that morning. "Are they with you?" Joe froze.
"Who, Pa?"
"Your sister and Candy, who else?!"
"Did you send them out after us for some reason?" Hoss dropped their bedrolls in the dirt. "We ain't seen 'em if you did."
"No. I don't –" He raked his hand through his hair. "Supper dishes are still on the table, their horses are in the barn, but no one is here. I sent the hands out to search when I rode in late last night and found the house deserted."
"Rode in? Where did you go? Didn't Postley –"
"Rudy brought a wire out yesterday afternoon, a wire from Angelus. Steve said I needed to come back immediately."
"What for?"
"He didn't say. I knew he wouldn't ask if it wasn't important so I rode out and left them finishing up supper." His eyes roamed over the yard. "I got to Angelus, and Steve …" Ben worked his hands. "Steve said he didn't send any wire."
"What?" Joe and Hoss looked at each other in confusion. "Pa, what's going on?"
"I don't know. We went down to the telegraph office and the operator said he found the message and some money laying on the counter and he sent it. I raced home as fast as I could but they … they were gone," he finished in a hoarse whisper. "I've been up all night, praying for a knock at the door."
"Why would someone send you to Angelus?"
"I don't know, Joseph. I just …" His hands fell to his sides. "I don't know."
"Pa." Hoss worked his hands. "You think someone … someone took 'em?"
"Why else would I be lured away?" He began to pace frantically. "That's the only thing that makes sense. But who? And why?"
"Who you think they was after?"
"What does it matter, Hoss? If they took one they had to have taken both." Whoever they were.
"Well, little brother, if it was someone after Candy, they wouldn't have any use for Annie."
"Unless they planned to use her to keep him under control." The words were out before he could stop them, much less worry about how that would affect their pa.
"That's all I can think about," Ben mumbled. He turned and stumbled back towards the house. Joe and Hoss rushed to help him.
"Pa, I'll go check in town, maybe we're making something out of nothing. Doc Martin could have needed them, or Roy, maybe even George, who knows."
"Then why didn't they leave a note?"
"Maybe they thought they'd get back before you did."
"She would have left a note." Joe traded worried glances with Hoss. That's why he was worried. Annie never jumped into anything. She would have left a note. He swallowed hard.
If she could have.
"I'll be back as soon as I can." He ran for Cochise and vaulted into the saddle, racing away down the road to Virginia City.
He came dragging back hours later. He dismounted at the hitch rail and went to Cochise's head, stroking the pinto's nose. He didn't want to go in that house. He didn't want to face their pa and tell him no one had seen Annie or Candy since Rudy took the wire out yesterday afternoon.
There had to be something they were missing, but what?
The door opened and Joe turned around. Hoss waited, back-lit by the oil lamps in the main room. Joe shook his head and wrapped his arms around Cochise's neck. He closed his eyes and tried to focus on Annie, tried to touch the connection they'd shared since they were kids, but he couldn't feel anything except his own fear.
Or was it hers? A mix of both?
He led the pinto into the barn and put him up. Reno nickered from the next stall over and Joe bit his lip. He rubbed the grulla's nose and left the barn. Inside the house, his pa waited, looking like he'd aged a decade overnight.
Ben looked up, fingers white on his coffee cup. Joe shook his head and looked away. A horse neighed in the yard and they all bolted for the door, Ben's coffee splashing over the sofa in his haste.
Postley swung down off his horse, a frown creasing his face. "Evening, Ben. Boys." He cleared his throat. "I'm sorry to be calling so late but I wanted to apologize."
"For what?"
"Well, I worked so hard at the diggings yesterday, I wore myself out. Plumb forgot about the supper invite, just went straight to bed I was so tired. I'm sorry, Ben."
"It's alright, John. Think nothing of it." Ben turned and went back into the house. Joe swallowed hard.
"Boys, is something wrong?"
"We're … we're not sure."
"Anything I can do?"
"No, John. Thanks."
"Okay." He put his foot in the stirrup. "I best be going then, only wanted to come apologize." Joe and Hoss watched him ride out of the yard in silence. Hoss sighed heavily.
"Come on, little brother. We best get inside." Joe lingered a minute longer, staring out into the deepening shadows.
What had happened?
"How long you think we've been down here?" Candy stared up the shaft. Annie laid her head on his shoulder, trying to ignore the walls and the rocks.
"I don't know. A day, maybe two," she offered."
"Feels more like a week." He looked down at her. "How are you not climbing the walls to get out?" She sighed.
"I can't climb a tree, much less that."
"Oh." They sat for a minute. Annie closed her eyes again. If she couldn't see the shaft, she could pretend she was safe at home in the barn.
"You have no idea how much I wish I could climb out of here." She let her head fall back against the wall. "He's insane, he's going to keep us down here forever."
"Well, you'll either crack or get over your fear of mines."
"That's not funny."
"I wasn't trying to be."
"I know." She bit her lip. "I wish I'd never gotten us into this mess."
"I didn't realize it either."
"Well, did my friends think I'd forgot about them?"
"Postley!" Annie scrambled to her feet. "Let us out of here!"
"Can't do it. Oh, come on, it ain't so bad, is it? You've even got someone to talk to. I didn't."
"They'll find us! Somehow, they will. Pa won't give up until he's found us and you know it."
"Now, Ms. Cartwright." Postley crouched at the edge of the shaft. "I already talked to Ben and the boys. Went by to apologize for missing dinner. He looks ten years older than he did the other day. They're all real worried. Wouldn't say what was wrong, but they didn't have to."
"You won't get away with this!"
"I rather think I will, Anne, and I've had a long time to think about this. I washed up my supper dishes and destroyed that note you left. There isn't anything else to tie me to you." Postley shook his head. "Now why don't you two calm down? All this pleading and talking will only make you upset." He dumped a sack over the edge. "There's some food and water, take it, kids. I'll be back in a few days." She sighed and untied the sack from the rope. Postley stood and moved away from the shaft.
Annie froze.
He'd left the rope. She slanted her gaze sideways to find Candy looking back at her with hope burning bright in his eyes. They trailed nervous looks up the shaft, but the lantern light had faded away.
"John?" Candy called. "John?" No answer. Annie bit her lip and dropped the sack, reaching for the rope. Candy grabbed her shoulders, hauled her back against his chest. "Wait," he hissed under his breath. He called a third time, but there was still no reply. "If he comes back, don't wait for me, take off and get help."
"But –"
"Go!" She grabbed the rope and started up the shaft, boots slipping in the loose dirt. She'd told him she couldn't climb. Her hands slid and she dropped several inches. Candy gave her a boost, but she wasn't getting anywhere fast. Annie slid again and dropped back to the ground, panting, and rubbing her stinging hands. "You weren't kidding, were you?"
"No."
"I'll throw the ladder down." Candy started up the rope, making much better progress. Then the rope snapped and he tumbled back down, landing hard in a cloud of dust.
"Candy!" She grabbed at his sleeve. He shook his head slowly, blinking several times.
"You shouldn't ought to try and escape." She looked up. Postley stood at the top of the shaft, an ax hanging beside his leg. "I'll have to put that on your record." She snatched at the rope and studied the cut end.
Her heart sank. Postley was insane and they were caught in his games.
He turned and walked away without another word. Candy sat up and touched her arm. She turned, their eyes met, and she laid her head on his shoulder.
"Nothing, huh?" Joe shook his head and laid his hat on the sideboard near the door. He couldn't bring himself to meet Hoss' eyes.
"Two weeks and no one's seen 'em."
"What about the reward posters?" Their pa pushed back his chair and came around the desk, paperwork abandoned. "Someone has to know something, they couldn't just vanish into thin air." Joe swallowed hard. For all intents and purposes, they had. He couldn't even feel her over his own fear. He walked over to the sofa and leaned against the back.
"Roy sent them to every town within two hundred miles, but I don't know what good they'll do. It's been in every newspaper from Carson City to Placerville. If someone had any information we would have heard by now."
"Maybe the right person hasn't seen it, little brother."
"And maybe they have, but they don't care!" Joe clutched at the back of the sofa. "You ever think of that?"
"More times than I would like to," Ben said softly. "Someone has them, we have to accept that. As to why, all we can do is wait for them to tell us."
"What if they don't? What if all they want is …" A lump clogged his throat and Joe couldn't finish. What if whoever it was wanted his sister and Candy dead? Would they ever know what had happened? His eyes burned. What if they were already dead? Was that why he couldn't feel her, couldn't find her?
"You ever think about dying?" Candy's voice was rough. Annie closed her eyes and swallowed hard.
"Everyone does, eventually." She'd lost track of the days. Postley had brought them food and water twelve times. If he came every few days … they'd been here at least a month. But what if he didn't keep to a regular schedule? What if it was a week between visits and not mere days? Could it really be almost three months?
"How long you think we can last down here?"
"If he keeps bringing food and water? A long time."
"I used to pray he'd come back." Candy shuddered. "Now I pray he won't, that it'll be over." Her eyes flew open and she sat up with a jerk.
"As long as we're alive, there's a chance."
"For what? To go blind in the dark, go out of our minds?" Candy swallowed hard, staring listlessly at the floor. "Why doesn't he take that shotgun and get it over with?" He drew in a shaky breath. "Just get it over with."
He was cracking, breaking right in front of her eyes and it hurt to watch. How could someone like Candy transform like this? He'd been the strong one from the first day, while she'd fought to keep her mind off the dirt overhead. And now …
Now, she didn't even notice the rocks and the timbers. But Candy … a wandering drifter couldn't survive for very long trapped like this. How much longer before he lost it completely? She touched his arm and he flinched.
"Morning, kids." Postley's cheerful tone grated on her nerves. "It's a beautiful morning." He paused. "You're awful quiet this morning, aren't you happy to see me? I brought a newspaper, thought I might read to you while you have breakfast." He sat down at the edge of the shaft. "You're both famous now, right on the front page. Not that you weren't before, Anne, but he is too." He chuckled. "It says there's a reward for anyone knowing anything about you." Another chuckle. "Cartwright missing for one –" She looked up and he grinned. "Guess what it says. A week? Month? Year? Come on, guess."
"You're insane, you know that?" His smile faded. "All the time you spent planning this and you forgot something."
"What?"
"You're as much a prisoner as we are."
"I'm up here, free to go anywhere I please and you think that?"
"You can't leave us, if you do, you'll have nothing to live for."
"You sure about that? What if I just went away and let you two die?" He jumped up, stuffed the paper in his pocket, and left. Annie sighed and collected their breakfast.
A stick of dynamite landed at the bottom of the shaft, the hissing fuse chilling her blood and throwing her back to Angelus. Candy launched off the wall and snatched it up. 'Throw it!" She didn't know why she bothered, he couldn't possibly throw it out of the shaft and the pit wasn't big enough to spare them when it exploded.
Candy shook his head and scrabbled backwards against the wall of the shaft. "Throw it!" Her heart pounded. Dear God, he couldn't even begin to consider … Annie launched herself at him, clawing for the dynamite. He pushed her back, holding the dynamite over her head, just out of reach. "Candy!" His boot came up and he kicked her away. She jumped on him again, lunging for the dynamite, the eerie hiss sending shivers down her spine. "Candy!"
She managed to get her hands around his wrist and pull it down, but she wasn't strong enough to wrench it from his grip. His free hand came up, pushing against her shoulder. "Annie, get back!" IN an instant, she dropped his wrist and threw her arms around his neck, pinning the dynamite stick between them. "Annie!" He worked it free and hurled it across the shaft just as the flame ran out of fuse. Candy pressed himself against her and they held their breath, expecting an explosion followed by oblivion.
Nothing happened.
She peered over his shoulder and saw the dynamite laying where he'd thrown it. They let go of each other and Candy crawled over, broke the stick in half. "It's dirt," he choked. "Only dirt." He collapsed in a heap, sobbing. Annie drew in a shaky breath, her heart still pounding.
"Who's insane now, Cartwright?" Postley watched them from the top of the shaft, a crazy gleam in his eyes. "Who's insane now?"
"You are!" She crawled over to Candy and laid an arm over his back. "You are!" Postley laughed, the sound filling the mine long after he'd gone. "Candy, it's okay, it's okay. We'll be alright." He shook his head, curled up like a child in the dirt. "We will, someone will find us, I know it."
If anyone could, it would be Joe. They'd always been connected, always known when the other was in danger. Granted it was usually her trying to find him, but he should be able to do it. All he had to do was concentrate, the bond was there.
But was it strong enough to guide him now? While trapped, she wasn't exactly in imminent danger. If Postley did up and leave them to die, could Joe find them in time?
"I'm sorry, Annie." Candy shook. "I'm sorry." He clutched at the dirt. "I don't know what came over me."
"It's okay," she whispered, and pressed herself against his back, holding him until he calmed. At last, he drew in a shaky breath and sat up.
"I don't know why I did that. It was there and …" He drug his hand over his face. "But then you jumped in and I realized I couldn't leave you down here alone … I just don't know what happened." He buried his face in his hands. "I'm sorry."
"It's not your fault." Candy wrapped one arm around her back and pulled her against his chest.
"I'm okay now. I just lost it for a minute." He half-laughed. "You know, your pa has got to give me a raise. I still don't get paid enough to hang around in mines." She laughed with him.
"Neither do I, but here we are." If she didn't laugh, she'd cry. Would they ever get out of here? She stared up at the top of the shaft. Please, Joe, find us.
"Pa, what do we do now?" Joe sat on the sofa, staring at his hands. "I can't do it, I can't find her. We've looked everywhere." His lips quivered. "She's always been the one to find me, even, even when the Paiutes took her and Mrs. Burns, we knew where they went."
"Joe –"
"What if they're dead, Pa? What if that's why I can't find her? I failed. When she needed me, I failed her." He buried his face in his hands. A hand landed on his shoulder.
"Maybe she's not in danger."
"Of course she is! Someone's holding them somewhere, why else wouldn't they be here?"
"Use your head, Joe." Ben sat beside him on the sofa. "What can you feel?"
"Fear, worry, anger …" he sighed. "But I don't know if it's me or her. I don't know, Pa!" The front door flew open, admitting Hoss with Postley cradled in his arms.
"I found him by the spring, somehow a water barrel crushed his legs."
"Put him in the guest room." Ben leaped off the sofa and followed Hoss up the stairs. "Joe, get Doc Martin, now!" Joe ran outside and swung into Chub's saddle. He spent the ride into town checking the trail, hoping Candy and Annie would ride into view like nothing had happened.
All that evening, while Doc was working on Postley, Joe stood at the window in his room, watching the yard.
Who had them? Why? It had to be someone with a vendetta, kidnappers wanting ransom would have contacted them long ago, demanding money. How had they vanished? Why hadn't anyone seen them leave the house?
Joe raised a shaking hand to the window frame. He was so afraid they were dead. If someone had them captive, between the two of them, they could come up with an escape plan, so why hadn't they if they were still alive? What was stopping them?
"Annie, where are you?" He tried to concentrate, but all he could feel was his own pounding heart. The door cracked open behind him.
"Doc Martin's headed back to town. Postley will be laid up for at least six weeks. He's lucky Hoss found him, another few days and he would have died."
"We find him, but not Annie? Not Candy?" Joe whipped around, hands fisting. Ben frowned and he deflated. "I'm sorry, Pa, I just …" He didn't know what to do anymore.
"We're all worried."
"What if … what if we never find them?" Ben didn't answer and Joe turned back to the window. He'd never stop looking, no matter how long it took, he'd find them, and bring them home.
"We're out of water." Candy tipped the canteen upside down. "How long you think it's been since he left?" Annie licked her lips but it didn't help.
"Too long." She stared up the shaft. Had he left them for real this time? Left them to let nature do what he couldn't?
"What are you thinking about?"
"Pa and the boys." She sighed. "They have to be losing their minds."
"It figures." Candy tipped his head back. "We're trapped and you're worried about them. When I first met you, I couldn't believe it."
"Believe what?"
"The way you care about each other. I guess I just wasn't used to it. You know the way I was always saying I wouldn't stay in the same spot very long … I was making out like I was getting ready to leave … I never meant it." Annie laid her head on his shoulder.
"I knew you didn't."
"I thought I did when I said it. I guess it bothered me is all."
"What?"
"Having friends." She looked up into his eyes.
"You were afraid we'd change our mind and you'd have to leave, just when you thought you'd found a home." He swallowed hard.
"Yeah."
"Candy, you're more than a friend, you're family, nothing will ever change that."
"If you say so, sweetheart." She bit her lip and lowered her head back to his shoulder. "What?"
"Will you tell me now?" Candy said nothing for so long she thought he wouldn't answer. Finally, he sighed and rubbed her arm.
"You did trade me a can of peaches for the story." He glanced up the shaft. "If Postley doesn't come back with water soon … there may not be a later. Okay." He leaned back against the wall. "i was nineteen, working as a scout for the army. One day, we went out, everything routine. But most of us didn't come back. I rode in and went straight to the officer's quarters, took her into town and married her." Annie stiffened.
Married?
"Her father was the commanding officer at Fort Delany – Fort Despair if you had the misfortune to spend any length of time there. I should have known it would happen, but after that day I thought I was a man.
"When her father found out, he sent me out on another mission, her back East, and annulled the marriage. I haven't seen Anne in almost ten years."
"That's why you –"
"It takes me back to the last day I saw her. I wrote letters, but didn't know where to send them. So I just rode out, started drifting, and never really let myself look back. Until now."
"I'm sorry, Candy."
"It's easier than it was." He drew in a breath. "In a way, you made it better."
"How?"
"With you around, Anne stays in the past, where she belongs." Her throat closed. No wonder he took Laura's death so hard. She swallowed the lump in her throat and leaned against him.
"I'm sorry, Candy."
"Me, too." He sighed. "Me, too."
"Pa, they have to be somewhere with no access to water." Joe grabbed the pitcher from the center of the table and refilled his glass, took a drink, and made a face. "I can't hold anymore, but I'm so thirsty I can't stand it."
"The desert to the south, maybe?"
"If they were there, they'd be dead before now."
"Someone's house? A barn, a shed, an outbuilding?"
"I don't know, I just feel so thirsty."
"But not afraid?" Hoss pressed. Joe shook his head. "Then they can't have fallen into an abandoned mine, Annie'd go plumb loco trapped like that for a month." Hoss looked down at the tray in his hands. "I have to get this up to Postley. You keep thinking on it, little brother." Joe pushed the pitcher away.
What good would it do if they couldn't find them in time? No one could live more than three days without water and who knew how long they'd already been without it. He turned, glancing over his shoulder at the clock near the door.
Time was running out.
"Joe, don't think like that." His lips quivered.
"Pa, what if I can't figure it out?"
"All you can do is try, son. You know they wouldn't blame you if the worst happens." Joe looked down at his hands. Maybe not, but he'd never be able to forgive himself.
"Postley's eating." Hoss came back down the stairs and rejoined them at the table. "He said he was real sorry about Annie and Candy."
"Everyone says that, but what good does it do?" He reached for the water again. "It doesn't bring them home safe." Joe pushed back his chair. "I'm going to ride around, see if I can find anything."
He finally rode back into the yard in the pitch black of night, exhausted, and so thirsty he couldn't stop himself from plunging his head into the horse trough. Dripping, he rested his chin on his hands and let the tears fall. "I'm sorry, Annie, I can't figure it out." He fell to his knees in the dirt. "I'm sorry."
"Pa! Joe! Postley's gone!" Hoss flew down the stairs the next morning.
"Gone?"
"What do you mean he's gone? How could he get out of bed with two broken legs?"
"I don't know, but he did." They ran outside and found Postley clinging to the water pump. "John, what in tarnation got into you?" Hoss reached him first and moved to support him.
"Water, water. You got to help me …"
"Easy, John."
"I don't know why I done it." They all looked at each other. He was rambling, not making a lick of sense, and probably out of his head with pain.
"Lets get him back in the house." Ben reached for him, but Postley pulled away.
"No! No, they'll die!" Everyone froze. Joe glanced back at the water pump, a sickening feeling churning his stomach. "I never meant 'em to die."
"Who?" Ben's voice was like ice.
"Anne and Candy, in the mine." They all stared at each other.
"Annie …"
"What mine, where?" Hoss exploded.
"I'll show you," Postley gasped. "I'll show you. I'm sorry, Ben, I don't know what come over me."
"I'll hitch up the team." Joe ran for the barn. Less than ten minutes later, they tore out of the yard, following Postley's directions up into the mountains.
She could feel his arm around her shoulders, but the shaft was beginning to spin. How much longer could they last? She didn't think Postley was coming back this time. Annie closed her eyes and the world stopped spinning. Her mouth was so dry she couldn't speak, couldn't ask Candy if he was alright.
Would they go at the same time, or would one of them have to watch the other die first? Would they even realize it was happening or would they just slip away? Why did it even matter?
Wasn't there something she needed to tell him? She couldn't remember. Everything was fuzzy.
"Annie!"
Now she was hearing things. Why couldn't that be real? Why couldn't someone stumble over the mine and find them? Why, after all the trouble that had come their way, all the shootouts, the kidnappings, and riding accidents, was she dying of thirst in a mine?
"Annie! Pa, the canteen!"
At least if Postley ever grew a conscience and admitted what he'd done, they'd find them together and know they hadn't been alone at the end.
"Annie, take a drink, come on!" Hands tipped her head up; water splashed over her face and she choked. Her eyes flew open. Joe crouched right in front of her. "Thank God." He pushed the canteen against her lips. "Drink, now." She grabbed the canteen and gulped water. Candy! She choked and pushed it away.
"Candy –"
"Hoss has him." Ben crouched beside her and brushed tangled hair out of her face. "Thank God you're alright."
"How … how did …"
"Postley."
"What?" She gulped more water and closed her eyes. Oh, that was the best water she'd ever tasted in her life.
"Call it an attack of conscience, I guess," Hoss called out. "Easy there, Candy, don't want to make yourself sick." He tugged the canteen down and Candy drew in a deep breath and wiped his mouth on his sleeve.
"You're a sight for sore eyes."
"So are you." Ben's voice was hoarse. "I was afraid …" He squeezed her shoulder. "Let's get you out of here." She stumbled on the ladder, blinking frantically to clear her eyes as the light grew brighter. "Easy."
They walked out of the mine and she slammed her eyes shut against the blinding sun, sank to a rock just outside the entrance. It felt good. "How long?"
"Just over a month." She exhaled sharply and squinted, making out the buckboard waiting a few feet away. Was that –?
"What's he doing here?"
"John brought us here."
"If it weren't for him, we wouldn't be in this mess," Candy spit out, squinting against the light. Annie jumped up and scrambled over to the buckboard. She was going to kill him, she'd … she'd ….
She blinked, and it was just a pathetic old man laying on that buckboard. Their eyes met as Candy staggered up on her right side.
"I just wanted your pa to know how I felt." Postley swallowed hard. "God help me, I don't know why." Images from the past month flickered through her mind's eye. Ben came over and laid his hand on Postley's back. She and Candy exchanged glances, then turned away without a word. Maybe her pa could forgive that easily, but she couldn't.
The hiss of a fuse tickled her ears. Not for a long time, if ever. She stopped in her tracks, staring at the dirt in front of her boots. Candy caught her hand and squeezed her fingers until she looked up at him.
No one would ever see them, but they'd both carry scars from this for the rest of their lives.
"Annie?" She turned, and Ben came over, crushing them both in a tight hug. Candy stiffened, then slowly relaxed, returning the hug.
"I just have one request, sis." She pulled back enough to met Joe's eyes. "Don't about die of thirst again, please. I was shipping more water than Dixie."
"Hadn't planned on it."
"Since when do we plan anything?" Candy muttered. "Trouble finds us."
"Come on, let's get home."
"I don't care if he led you to us, I still don't trust him." Annie brushed at her wet hair. She'd never get all the tangles out without losing half of it at this point. "If it weren't for him, we'd have never been down there in the first place."
"Pa moved him downstairs and gave Candy the room he was in. He said he's close enough to be family so he may as well live in the house with the rest of us."
"You don't know what all he did or you wouldn't defend him."
"Tell me."
"No." If Candy wanted it known, it was his story to tell. She wouldn't betray his trust, even to her twin.
"Annie –"
"It's not just me, Joe." She concentrated on a stubborn snarl so she wouldn't have to look at his face. "I can't." The look on Candy's face when Postley had tossed the dynamite flashed behind her eyes and she shuddered. "Give us time."
"Alright." Joe stood. "You need the lamp left on?"
"I'm not afraid of the dark." As for other things … she may never be able to look at a stick of dynamite the same way again. She'd be willing to bet Candy wouldn't. Joe nodded and wrapped her in a hug.
"I was so afraid you were dead," he said hoarsely. "I had myself half convinced you were because I saw no other reason you hadn't tried to escape whoever had you. And I knew you'd try."
"If we hadn't been thirty feet down a mine shaft we could have." Joe wiped at his face and hugged her again.
"Don't do that again, sis. You're supposed to be the smart one."
"We all have an off day, I guess." She pushed him away. "Go on, I've got to finish my hair and then I'm going to bed and maybe sleep for a week." Joe nodded and left the room. She dragged the brush through her hair a few more times, then dropped it to her dresser, rested her chin on her hand, and stared at her reflection in the mirror.
What now?