Searching For Jeremy Bolt Chapter Five
The Bolt brothers approached the Harmon cabin on foot. They walked three abreast with Jeremy in the middle. Each of them held their shotgun in a position ready to fire.
Jason and Joshua gave each other a quick glance. Jeremy knew that they were signaling each other to protect him first. He said a quick silent prayer asking God to protect the three of them and thanking Him for his brothers.
As they got close to the front porch, they didn't hear any sounds from inside the cabin.
Jason motioned for Joshua and Jeremy to stop. They stopped and Jason walked a few steps closer.
"Elijah! Elijah Harmon! It's Jason Bolt! May I talk to you?" Jason shouted.
Joshua and Jeremy aimed their shotguns at the front door.
The door opened. Elijah Harmon called out, "Jason, why are you gents aiming at me? I thought we settled our dispute about Will last year. I'm beholding to you for not killing Stoker when you had the chance."
"I thought the same thing as you, Elijah, but I was told differently last week." Jason answered.
"By who? Not that many people know our business." Elijah wondered.
"Job's wife told me just before she died. Camelia said Job shot her in an effort to prevent her from warning me that you still want revenge. She said you were coming to kill Joshua and Jeremy." Jason answered.
"Cammie's dead?" Job Harmon stepped out on to the porch.
"Yes, and before she died, she said you shot her." Jason repeated.
"It wasn't me that shot her, Jason. It must have been her new husband. She left me and married a city man named Benjamin Wallenfang." Job explained.
"Wallenfang!" Jason exclaimed as he glanced behind him at his brothers.
It had been many years since the Bolts had heard that name. The last time was when Jeremy was nine years old.
"From the looks on your faces, I'd say that name is familiar to you all." Elijah spoke.
"Yes, it's very familiar to us. Jason was engaged to Penelope Wallenfang when Jeremy and I were kids." Joshua replied.
Jeremy didn't comment. He looked down at his boots and sighed.
"You don't look happy to hear that name again, Jeremy. Your brother's sweetheart wasn't nice to you?" Job asked.
"No, Job, Penny was very unkind to Jeremy." Jason walked closer to his youngest brother and put his arm around him.
Joshua moved next to his brothers. "Penny wanted Jason to put Jeremy in an asylum because of his stuttering. She even made arrangements for him to be committed to one of those places." Joshua put his hand on Jeremy's shoulder.
"She did that without my knowledge. However, she told Jeremy that I was all for the plan. Our little brother began having nightmares and his stuttering became more severe." Jason gave Jeremy a squeeze.
"I'm sorry, Jeremy. My boy Stoker had to go through a situation like that when he was a kid. It hurts bad. Say, why don't you gents come in and have some coffee?" Elijah invited.
Jeremy looked up. "Thank you, Mr. Harmon."
Jason and Joshua glanced at each other and nodded.
The Bolt brothers went inside the Harmon cabin and sat at their table.
As they were drinking their coffee Jason said, "It's hard to believe that Benjamin Wallenfang wants revenge for a broken engagement after all these years."
"Jason, you don't know the whole story, do you?" Elijah asked.
"It seems that I don't, Elijah. Please enlighten me." Jason spoke.
"Penelope Wallenfang did away with herself about six months after she left Seattle." Elijah replied somberly.
The Bolts gasped and looked at each other. Jason put his face in his hands.
After a few moments, Jason looked at Elijah. "How did you find out?"
"Cammie told Job." Elijah answered.
"I went to see Cammie a few times to try to talk her in to coming back to me, Jason." Job spoke. "I really loved her. We were going to build our own cabin and raise a family. At least that's what I thought."
Stoker and Doran arrived at the cabin. They had been out rabbit hunting. They had shot four.
"Paw, we can have rabbit stew and dumplings tonight for supper." Doran said as they came through the door.
"Oh, I didn't know we had company. Sorry, Paw." Doran apologized.
Stoker nodded at the Bolt brothers. Each of the Bolts said hello to Stoker and Doran.
"That's okay, Doran." Elijah said.
Mr. Harmon told his two youngest sons the reason for the Bolts' visit.
"I'm sorry, Job, I know you loved Cammie a lot and hoped to get her back." Doran said.
Stoker walked over to Job and gave him a big hug.
"Thanks, brothers." Job got choked up.
"We are very sorry for your loss as well, Job. We need to be going. Elijah, I'm glad things are alright between our families." Jason told them.
"I'm glad too, Jason. You and your brothers keep a sharp eye out for that Wallenfang. I know me and my boys are as rough as cobs, but any man who would kill his own wife, well, I just don't know what to make of a bastard like that." Elijah replied.
"I agree, Elijah and my brothers and I will be careful." Jason responded.
The Bolts and the Harmons said their goodbyes. Jeremy told Job that they had a funeral service for Cammie and that her burial site was in the city cemetery. Job said he appreciated their kindness for her.
It was very late in the evening when Jason, Joshua, and Jeremy got home to Seattle. Lottie's was closed, but the lantern light was visible through the windows.
The three men went to Lottie's door. Jason knocked.
"Who is it?" Lottie asked nervously.
"Three dog-tired travelers looking for a place to rest!" Jason shouted excitedly.
Lottie snatched the doors opened. "Thank God! Oh, Thank God!"
The saloon owner began throwing her arms around them and hugging them tightly.
The brothers looked behind Lottie and saw Candy, Allyn, and Biddie standing and waiting for a chance to get in on the hugging.
When Candy's and Jeremy's eyes met, she whispered, "We waited up for you."
The frightened red-haired girl doubled over crying gut-wrenching sobs. Jeremy rushed to her.
"Oh, Candy, please don't cry." He told her as he guided her to a chair. "I'm alright. All of us are alright. I know you were terrified and I'm so sorry."
Candy sat down in the chair. She covered her face with her hands and continued to cry.
Jeremy crouched in front of her chair. "Hey, sweet girl! Look at me, please." He stroked her hair.
Candy removed her hands from her face. "Jeremy, I thought I was never going to see you again. But I couldn't give up on you or your brothers. I kept willing you to come through that door and finally, you did!"
Jeremy stood up and gently helped her up from her chair. "Let me hold you, sweetheart." They wrapped their arms around each other and cried together. "I love you." They whispered to each other.
Jason and Allyn as well as Joshua and Biddie had similar tearful reunions.
Two weeks went by, and the brothers got into a reasonably normal routine. They still kept an eye out for Benjamin Wallenfang. There had not been anymore telegrams or any additional warnings.
On Wednesday night after a particularly hard workday, Joshua and Biddie were at Lover's Lagoon and Jeremy was with Candy at Lottie's. Jason was at home because Allyn was at a medical symposium in San Francisco.
Candy and Jeremy had a good time at the saloon. Jeremy had a few extra shots of whisky and Candy persuaded him to play a few songs on the piano.
When it was time to take his fiancée home, Jeremy was feeling happy and relaxed.
"Candy, I haven't felt this good in a long time." He told her. "Do you feel good?"
"Yes, Jeremy, I feel good." She smiled at him.
"I knew that! I knew you felt good! Ask me how I knew you felt good!" Jeremy insisted.
"How did you know that I felt good?" She asked.
"Because I have hands and I can touch you and feel that you feel good!" Jeremy laughed too loud.
Candy looked at him. "Jeremy, I think you feel so good because you had a little too much to drink."
"No! Not me! I'm as fine as frog hair! I didn't know frogs have hair! Did you? I wonder if they have to comb it. If they do, it's too bad because they don't have any hands!" Jeremy laughed extremely loud.
"We should have gotten you some coffee at Lottie's" Candy said as they stepped onto the porch at the dormitory. "Can you make it home, alright?"
"Yes, I can, sweetheart. Goodnight, I love you." He said softly.
Candy gave him a hard kiss on his mouth. His whisky breath along with the mixed scents of pine and whisky about him made Candy weak in the knees.
They shared another passionate kiss and his hand brushed gently against her breast.
"We need to get married soon." Jeremy whispered.
"Yes, we do. Someone agrees with us too." Candy giggled mischievously.
"Oh, Candy!" Jeremy laughed quietly. "I gotta get home. See you tomorrow."
"Alright, see you tomorrow." Candy said as she went inside the dormitory.
Jeremy went on his way to the cabin. As he got closer, he saw Jason sitting on the porch. There was no lantern light and the youngest Bolt wondered why his brother was sitting in the dark.
At almost the same moment that it registered in his mind that it wasn't Jason on the porch, Jeremy felt the needle touching his neck.
"Keep walking toward the door like everything is fine. One wrong move or sound and I hit this plunger. You would be dead in less than ten seconds." A male voice said.
Jeremy did as he was told. He opened the front door and allowed it to swing wide open.
Jason was standing a few feet from the door pointing his shotgun at Benjamin Wallenfang. "Put that hypodermic down right now or I will kill you."
"No, I don't trust you, Jason Bolt. Let's put them both down at the same time out of reach." Wallenfang replied.
Jason hesitated. He looked at the needle that could end Jeremy's life in a few seconds.
"My finger is itching, Jason, you better do as I say." Wallenfang demanded.
"Okay, I'm putting the gun down out of reach. You do the same with that needle." Jason said as he stretched to put the gun on the sofa.
Wallenfang reached to put the hypodermic needle on a shelf.
Jason and Benjamin Wallenfang stood straight and faced each other.
"Now let my brother go.' Jason spoke firmly.
"Okay, sure." Wallenfang pushed Jeremy toward Jason with one hand,
With his other hand, he grabbed a pistol from his pants pocket and shot Jason in the chest. As Jason collapsed, Wallenfang ran out the front door.
Jeremy ran to the washroom and grabbed a big armful of towels. He rushed back to the front room. He got on his knees and used some of the towels to apply pressure to the bullet wound to try to stop the bleeding.
Every few minutes, Jeremy needed more towels. The bleeding was not slowing. It was bad. The blood was getting all over Jeremy's hands in spite of the towels. Jason's blood. Jason was going to bleed to death if Jeremy didn't get help.
Jeremy ran out the door. He rushed to Swede and Miss Essie's house which was the closest. Jeremy pounded on their front door.
Swede opened the door. "Hello, Jeremy. How are you?"
Jeremy opened his mouth to speak. His mouth moved, but no words came out. He tried again. No words would come from his mouth.
The youngest Bolt looked at Swede in desperation. He held up his bloody hands and then pointed at the Bolt cabin.
"One of your brothers is hurt?" Swede asked.
Jeremy nodded yes and made a gun with his thumb and forefinger.
"Shot! Essie! Essie!" Swede shouted.
Miss Essie came running. "What's wrong, Olaf?"
"Jason has been shot. Jeremy is so upset that he can't speak. I'm going to get Jason and take him to the clinic." Swede told her.
Swede ran to the cabin with Jeremy right behind him. Miss Essie ran to the clinic to let Rachel Sullivan know that Olaf was bringing Jason in with a gunshot wound.
In the cabin, Jeremy grabbed a blanket from Joshua's bedroom and put it over Jason.
The oldest brother opened his eyes briefly. "Jeremy." His voice was barely audible. His eyes closed.
Swede snatched Jason off the floor and took off running to the clinic. Jeremy ran behind him until they got to the dormitory. Jeremy stopped to get Candy. He was terrified that Jason was dying, and he needed her to help him face it.
Jeremy beat on the front door. Frankie opened the door. She was frightened when she saw the blood on Jeremy's hands.
"What happened, Jeremy? Are you injured?" Frankie asked.
He shook his head no. His efforts to speak failed again. The anxiety and frustration were causing him to have chest pains. Jeremy was trying again to speak when a sharp pain made him to clutch his chest.
As he stood there moving his mouth with no words coming forth and holding his chest in pain, Jeremy was a sad sight to behold.
"Candy! Candy! Come quick! I think Jeremy is having a heart attack or something!" Frankie shouted.
Candy flew down the stairs. "Oh, Jeremy! What is wrong, sweetheart? You were fine less than an hour ago."
She put her arms around him and drew him close to her. He was trembling. Candy motioned for Betsy to hand her the blanket that was on the back of the sofa. Betsy gave her the cover. Candy wrapped it around Jeremy.
Jeremy continued to try to speak. "Jeremy, just try to breathe for a minute and then you will probably be able to talk." Candy said calmly.
He shook his head no and pulled away from her. Jeremy grabbed Candy's hand and pulled her toward the door. His eyes pleaded for her to go with him.
Candy suddenly realized that her hand was sticky. She looked at Jeremy's hand which was holding hers and saw that it was covered with blood.
"Take me where we need to go, Jeremy!" She spoke frantically.
The young couple rushed out the door and down the street to the clinic.
Swede and Miss Essie were talking to Rachel in one of the exam rooms. When Candy and Jeremy hurried into the room, Candy gasped at seeing Jason so pale and weak lying on the table.
"You need to find Joshua fast. I don't know how long Jason has." Rachel was saying.
Jeremy groaned and stepped too the head of the exam table. He dropped to his knees and reached up and stroked Jason's hair.
"Joshua is at Lover's Lagoon with Biddie." Candy gazed sadly at her fiancé.
"Run, Olaf! Hurry and get Joshua and Biddie, please!" Miss Essie spoke.
"I will, Essie!" Swede ran out of the room and out of the clinic.
Rachel continued to apply pressure to Jason's bullet wound. The bleeding had slowed somewhat.
"Jeremy, I don't….." Rachel began to say.
Candy touched Rachel's arm and shook her head. "Jeremy can't speak. He is so frightened about Jason."
"Well, I suppose I can tell you, Candy. The bullet is close to Jason's heart. I'm not experienced enough to perform that type of surgery and I'm not sure that it would help if I could. That bullet possibly caused severe damage. With that and the blood loss, Jason's chances are not good." Rachel watched Jeremy stroke his brother's hair.
Candy choked back tears. "I wish Doctor Wright was here. I don't mean to hurt your feelings, Rachel, it's just that, well, …"
"I'm not hurt, Candy. I wish she was here too. But I'm not sure if even Doctor Wright could fix this." Rachel replied.
Joshua, Biddie, and Swede ran into the room.
"Jeremy!" Joshua exclaimed.
Jeremy jumped up and went fast to Joshua. The two brothers hugged briefly.
"Was it Wallenfang?" Joshua asked.
Jeremy nodded and he indicated to his brother that he couldn't speak.
"Oh, Jeremy, I'm sorry. I'm here now and everything is going to be alright. Don't worry. Jason will get well." Joshua hugged his younger brother.
Jeremy pulled away from Joshua and looked him in the eye. He tried to say the word no, but he couldn't. Jeremy shook his head no and pointed at Rachel.
Joshua turned to Rachel. "You don't think Jason is going to survive?"
"No, Joshua, I'm sorry, I don't. I'm not a doctor, however, I have seen quite a number of bullet wounds, and this one is one of the worst I have ever observed." Rachel answered.
"Well, there is a chance that you are wrong, isn't there, Rachel?" Joshua had tears streaming down his face.
Jeremy put his arm around Joshua's shoulder. The two brothers stood there watching Swede pressing as hard as he could trying to stop that bullet wound from bleeding.
"Yes, Joshua, I could be wrong. I pray that I am wrong this time. You and Jeremy love your brother so very much, I know." Rachel answered. "If we could just find a doctor, Jason might have a chance."
"Oh, my goodness! What time is it?" Candy exclaimed.
"It's almost midnight, Candy. Five more minutes." Biddie told her.
"Don't give up hope! Jeremy! Joshua! My Aunt Kitty is arriving on the midnight stagecoach. She is bringing Matt and Doc Adams with her. She says that Doc is one of the best doctors in the world!" Candy smiled.
"That's wonderful, Candy!" Biddie was excited. "I'm so happy for you and Jeremy, Joshua, darling!"
"Thank you, sweetheart! Jeremy, isn't that great? Jason has a chance!" Joshua gushed.
Jeremy smiled and nodded.
In a few minutes, they heard the stagecoach stopping in front of Lottie's. Joshua, Jeremy, and Candy ran out of the clinic and down the street. Lottie walked out her door to meet the stage too.
Kitty Russell, Doctor Galen Adams, and Marshall Matthew Dillon were the only passengers. Kitty got off first.
"Hello, Candy! We didn't expect a welcome this late. It's very nice, thank you." Kitty spoke.
"Aunt Kitty, I'm very happy to see you, but this is not a greeting. We need Doctor Adams immediately. Jeremy's brother, Jason was shot in the chest. Our doctor is out of town." Candy explained.
"Did I hear this young lady say that someone needs me?" Doc Adams stepped off the stage.
"Yes, we need you, Doctor. I'm Joshua Bolt and this is my brother, Jeremy. Our oldest brother, Jason was shot in the chest. Our doctor is in San Francisco. The nurse says she doesn't think Jason will survive. Will you examine him, please and see what you think?" Joshua pleaded.
"Certainly. I will. Take me to him. Matt, hand me my doctor's bag." Doctor Adams spoke.
Marshall Dillon handed the doctor his bag. "Here, Doc."
"Thanks, Matt." Adams replied.
The six people hurried into the clinic. Because of all the fear and worry over Jason, no one had seen Lottie. She wanted to be there for her Bolt boys and she would be. First, she had a huge favor to ask of a very important Friend. Lottie went to the church to pray.
When Doctor Adams completed his examination, he sat down to talk to Joshua and Jeremy. He wiped his face with his hand.
"Boys, your brother has a chance. I'm not exactly sure at this point, how much of a chance, but any hope is hope. I'm gonna do my very best to bring him through. Do I have your permission to perform the surgery?" The doctor asked.
"You have my permission, Doctor Adams." Joshua responded.
Jeremy didn't answer. He was looking at his boots.
"Jeremy?" Joshua nudged him with his elbow.
Jeremy looked up at Doctor Adams. He raised an eyebrow and frowned.
"Doctor Adams, may I tell you something?" Jeremy inquired.
"Yes, certainly, you can, Jeremy." Doctor Adams told him.
Jeremy looked Doctor Adams right in the eye. He was still frowning.
"If you kill Jason, I'm going to kill you!"
TBC
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