Title: Mystery of the Oxbow
By: greygoose70
Summary: "Why are you being so god damn stubborn!" Castle yelled.
"Because I'm god damn good at it!" Kate yelled right back.
DISCLAIMER: Own nothing associated with the show, AWM, or ABC.
Chapter 2
Day 2
The rain shower from the previous evening made Castle's and Trip's going a little slower but much easier also since the footprints of the three escapees were deeper. Castle found where they must have stopped and rested, maybe got shelter from the rain. They were walking now, their footsteps not as lengthy or as deep.
It was late afternoon when he heard them talking amongst themselves, so he stopped and dismounted from his horse. He retrieved his binoculars from his saddlebag and silently crept forward until he found a berm, he could hide behind then scanned the area until he located them. They were a couple hundred feet on the other side of a small stream, and they looked tired. "Don't think they're going anywhere," he said to Trip who was lying next to him. "We'll bed down back aways go after them at just before daybreak." Castle then retreated back to where his horse was tied and settled in for the evening.
Day 3
Gregg Sears was sitting with his back propped against a tree with his eyes closed. It was just before daybreak, the tail end of his watch. He would be getting Hank and Bert up shortly so they could continue their journey…hoping to find campers, a cabin or homestead where they could get food and maybe a change of clothes. Suddenly he thought he heard a noise, his eyes shot open, and he stood and looked around. He went over to where Hank Tyler was sleeping and woke him.
Hank startled when feeling his shoulder being jostled, his eyes opened seeing Sears standing there signaling him to be quiet, then whispering to him "Something or someone is out there." Hank pulled the .357 pistol from his waistband and stood to join Sears in the search.
They both heard the next noise, Sears shouted "Who's out there," then fired off a round from the short-barreled shotgun he was holding.
Suddenly something went streaking past them. "I'm getting out of here!" Hank yelled turning to get away. He hadn't made it more than ten feet when he felt something penetrated his back and he fell down. Sears instantly pumped in another round and fired, pumped and fired, pumped and fired, pumped and fired, pumped but when he went to fire nothing happened. He turned and started running, he tripped and fell, losing the shotgun in the process. He got up and shouted, "Where are you!" Suddenly he felt something strike him in the chest, looked down just as he was struck again sending him to the dirt.
Castle had just climbed aboard Lady's back when he heard the first shot. He yanked his rifle from its boot, spurred her forward into a dead run, he heard four more shots, then nothing. He reached the creek, crossed it then up the embankment, then slowed the gray mare to a walk, being ever vigilant of his surroundings, listening and looking for any movement.
When he got to the area where he knew the escapees had settled in for the night he dismounted and proceeded on foot. As Castle proceeded forward always looking for any indication of what happened. The area was blanketed in a light fog and as he looked around, he thought he saw something but couldn't make out, so he diverted his eyes to the ground where he saw a shotgun shell lying there. He knelt down and picked it up, that's also when he found the footprints where one of the escapees had turned and took off running. Castle followed the trail to where the escapee evidently stumbled and fell, that's also where the trail ended. There were no prints leading off in any other direction. Just then he heard Trip barking and headed over to see what the dog had found. When he got there, he saw an area covered in blood. He heard Trip barking again, went to investigate. Trip was over by a bush sniffing at a piece of fabric in it. Castle pulled it out. It was from one of the escapees' shirts, a number was stenciled on it, he checked the number against his list, the shirt belonged to Bert Cummings. Checking the bush further he found an arrow. It was broken and the arrowhead was missing.
Castle continued to search the area, in particular the area where he thought he saw something and what he found was unshod hoofprints, nothing else. Realizing there was nothing else to find he took what findings he did have, stuck them in his saddlebags and headed back to Canmore.
Day 4
It was late afternoon when Castle got back to Canmore. He had ridden Lady pretty hard to make it back this quick. He pulled his vehicle up in front of the Canmore County Courthouse that housed the Jail and Sheriff's office, went in, blasted by Deputy Ryan and into the Sheriff's office.
"Where's my prisoner?" was the first thing Sheriff Blaine asked.
Castle whipped out the blood-stained scrap of shirt and tossed it on the Sheriff's desk.
"What the hell is this?" the Sheriff asked picking it up and examining it.
"That's all I found of them. That and enough blood to paint this office," Castle replied, never mentioning anything about the arrow.
"Bullshit, Castle, I want answers," the Sheriff shouted as he watched Castle turn to leave. Castle stopped, turned halfway around and said, "so do I," he then left the building.
Later that evening Castle was perched on his couch, Trip lying next to him. He had the evening edition of the Canmore County Gazette in his lap staring at the headline, Prisoners on the Loose. After reading the article he folded the paper and threw it on the coffee table That's when he saw another article below the fold that read, Big Sky University professor obtains Grant for Indian Remains Dig. He scanned the article to discover where the dig was to take place, and the name of the professor, K.H. Beckett. "Guess we better get some rest, Trip, got a long drive ahead of us tomorrow."
Day 5
It was just past 11am when Castle arrived at the dig site. He parked his vehicle then found the closest dig, asked the student there where he could find Professor Beckett, the student there pointed to another site, so Castle went to that site, asked the same question. He was pointed to another site where two girls were excavating a dig. When he asks for the professor, they pointed in opposite directions. Frustrated, Castle headed to a site where he saw three ladies crotched next to a dig. In a voice that indicated just how frustrated he was he asked, "where can I find the professor, and don't tell me over there, (pointing to his left), I've already been there and over there and over there, (pointing in two separate directions). Just tell me where I can find the old fart."
The two girls pointed to the woman in the middle. After giving the girls some instructions, she stood saying, "Okay Mister..."
"Castle, Rick Castle."
"Well, what can this old fart do for you, Mr. Castle," she said walking past him heading for a large, covered shelter.
"You don't really look like a professor," Castle said as he followed her.
"Oh yeah, what's a professor supposed to look like."
Deciding to change the conversation Castle brought up the escaped fugitives. "Aah, you're the bounty hunter that…" Beckett began.
"Please lady, professional servant sounds so much more…"
"Civil," she said, "and its Katherine, not lady, K.H., Katherine Haughton Beckett, Kate for short."
"I tracked them for two days. There was some kind of confrontation, and by the time I got there all I found was a scrap of clothing, a bloody shotgun shell, a large pool of blood and this," handing her the arrow he also found.
Kate took the arrow over to a board and matched it up to one of the samples. "Cheyenne. Dog soldiers, to be exact," she told him. "About 16 dollars in any of the local stores."
"I also found hoofprints." Castle said.
"What's so strange about that?"
"They were unshod."
"And Indians are the only ones to ride unshod horses," Kate stated.
"Well, no. But don't you find it just a little bit strange to find unshod ponies and an arrow that points to a particular Indian tribe."
"Well yes, if you only consider those two bits of evidence. But really Castle, a Cheyenne tribe of dog soldiers living in the Oxbow. I find that hard to believe."
Realizing he wasn't going to get any more from the beautiful professor, Castle bid his farewell, returned to his vehicle and left.
Castle was halfway back to Canmore when he had a revelation, she was holding something back. He immediately turned around and headed back. It was dark when he located her cabin and knocked on her door.
Kate heard the knocking on her door and went to answer it. Opening the door, she saw Castle standing there. "What is it now, Castle?' she asked.
"You're not telling me everything," he replied.
Kate looked him in the eyes, saw the determination there, and resolved to give him more. "Come on in then," she told him, stepping aside so he could enter. "You want something to drink?"
"I thought you'd never ask," he responded, a smile appearing on his face, thinking a good drink of whiskey would hit the spot.
Kate retreated to the kitchen, filled two glasses, then returned handing one to him.
Castle took a drink and discovering it wasn't whiskey gave Kate a undiscerning look. "It's mineral water, good for you," she stated.
Castle took a seat on the ottoman while Kate moved to the other side of the room and retrieved a book, coming back to sit on the couch across from him. She opens the book to a picture of Iron Wolf leader of the Cheyenne Dog Soldiers in 1864. She told him the story of how the tribe was attacked by a 650-man force of the 3rd Colorado Calvary under the command of Colonel John Chivington, killing and mutilating an estimated 300 hundred of the 500 plus Cheyenne, two-thirds of whom were women and children. Iron Wolf, managed to escape along with his troop and a small group of refugees up and across Wyoming and possibly into Montana.
Kate closed the book saying, "There you have it, everything I know."
Castle instantly stood spouting, "That's it!" Kate gave him a startled look, but Castle continued on. "What if this Iron Wolf managed to lead his band of soldiers and refugees up through Montana and set up in the Oxbow."
"Castle, it was November, winter would be setting in, it would be cold, they didn't have any food," Kate glamoured.
"Why are you being so god damn stubborn!" Castle yelled.
"Because I'm god damn good at it!" Kate yelled right back. "Look Castle," speaking in her normal voice now, "I would like to believe you, but I would need more than what you've got now. It' late and I'm tired. You're welcome to the couch. She then turned and headed toward her bedroom, stopping just before entering saying, "I need to warn you though, I have the tendency to walk around naked in the morning." Moments later as she lay in bed, she heard his vehicle start, the headlights flashed across her bedroom window as he left.
End of Chapter