Jeremy Bolt A Wanted Man
Good morning, Jeremy. Jeremy, did you hear me?" Jason asked.
"What? No, I didn't hear you, Jason. I'm sorry. Good morning." Jeremy seemed preoccupied.
Jason squinted at his youngest brother. "You look feverish, Jeremy. Are you sick?"
"No, I'm not sick." Jeremy was putting on his boots.
Going over to the bunk, Jason touched his brother's face. "You have a fever. You should see the doctor this morning."
"I'm okay. I don't need to go to the doctor. I'm just hot." Jeremy replied.
"Well, Jeremy since you're hot and it's January, that means you have a fever." Jason said as he finished buttoning his shirt.
Jeremy crossed the room to the stove. He started the coffee and put two skillets on the stove for the bacon and the eggs.
As Jeremy was setting the table, Jason got the ledger to review the logging company's current accounts. The oldest brother sat down in the armchair. Jeremy brought him a cup of coffee and set it on the table next to the chair.
Jason looked up as his brother set down the cup. "Thank… Jeremy! You have blood on your shirt. The left pocket. Why are you bleeding?"
"What?" Jeremy put his hand on his left shirt pocket for a second and then looked at his hand. He had wet sticky blood on his fingers.
"Oh, I, uh, well…" Jeremy didn't know what to say.
Jason got up from the chair. He followed Jeremy as he walked back to the stove.
"Jeremy, please talk to me. I'm worried about you. Tell me what's causing you to bleed." Jason said quietly.
Jeremy stared at Jason without speaking. Jason took his arm and led him to the table. They sat down.
"Talk to me, brother. I need to know so I can help you. Were you injured in a fight?" asked Jason.
Jeremy shook his head no. "Where is Joshua?"
"He's at Lottie's helping Ken put the new shipment of whisky in the storage room. Do you want me to go get him?" Jason asked.
"Yes, please, Jason. I don't want to have to tell this more than once. I guess I will have to tell the doctor though." Jeremy said.
"After I go get Joshua, the three of us could go to the doctor so you can say it just one time. Does that sound okay?" Jason inquired.
"I would rather tell you and Joshua alone first. I guess I can tell it a second time to the doctor. They have heard all kinds of stuff. They aren't easily shocked." Jeremy replied.
"That's true, Jeremy." Jason headed to the door.
"Jason, you and Joshua will still love me, won't you? Even after you hear what I have to say?" Jeremy pleaded.
Jason looked sadly at his brother who suddenly looked fragile and vulnerable. "Yes, Jeremy, Joshua and I will still love you. There is nothing, absolutely nothing, that you could say or do that would ever make us stop loving you."
"Thanks, Jason. I love you both very much." Jeremy replied.
"I will be right back." Jason went out the door.
Jason ran all the way to Lottie's.
While Jason was gone, Jeremy cooked the bacon and the eggs. He wasn't going to be able to eat, but his brothers might be hungry. As he cooked, Jeremy thought seriously about how he was going to say what he had to say.
When Jason burst through the doors at Lottie's, Ken and Joshua looked up from behind the bar.
"I'm sorry, Ken, Joshua is needed at home. He and I will help you with this another time. Come on, Josh!" Jason urged.
Joshua was alarmed. "What's wrong, Jason? Is Jeremy alright?"
"No, brother. Jeremy is not alright." Jason responded as they ran to the cabin.
The first thing Joshua saw when he looked at Jeremy as he rushed into the cabin was the blood on his shirt. "Jeremy! Why are you bleeding? You have a fever. I can tell by looking at you."
"I'm going to try to explain that, Joshua." Jeremy answered.
"Do you want to sit at the table, Jeremy?" Jason asked.
"Okay, sure." Jeremy said.
The three brothers took seats at the table. They sat quietly for a few minutes.
"I suppose I need to explain first about the bleeding. It's all intertwined so I may tell some things out of sequence. Well, I guess starting at the end is out of order, isn't it?" Jeremy was nervous.
"Tell us about your bleeding, Jeremy." Joshua said.
"Okay. I can do this. I should have done this a long time ago." Jeremy sighed.
The older brothers exchanged a frightened glance.
"The blood on my shirt is from my chest bleeding. My chest is bleeding because it was cut." Jeremy told them.
"How did you get cut, Jeremy? Was it an accident at work?" Jason asked.
"No, it wasn't an accident. I was cut on purpose." Jeremy paused.
"Now, Jeremy, if you and Candy are playing some kind of sex games, you don't have to tell us about that." Joshua looked serious.
"What?! No! Candy and I… She wants to wait until we get married." Jeremy exclaimed.
"Jeremy, I realize this is difficult to talk about, but can you tell us, please what happened? Jason asked.
Jeremy took a deep breath. "Since last October, I have been being physically assaulted.
Jason and Joshua were speechless. They stared at Jeremy.
"You don't believe me, do you? Well, just forget that I said anything. I will tell Doctor Wright some lie about how I got hurt."
"Jeremy, we believe you. It's hard to comprehend that something so awful has happened to you, and you said since last October, am I correct in assuming that your cut is from you being assaulted?" Jason asked.
"Yes, that's right. I wanted to tell you and Joshua a long time ago, but these people threatened to kill you, Joshua, and Candy.
As the months went by, they have continued to threaten to kill everyone I love especially Candy. I was going to kill them once, but they said they had left instructions with friends to kill both of you and Candy if they were murdered or died under unusual circumstances." Jeremy said. "Sometimes when Candy and I are in town, and I see the man, he points at his gun and at Candy to remind me of his threat."
"Who are these people, Jeremy?" Joshua asked.
"Billy and Betsy Barker." He answered.
"That jackass who likes to brag about being a reformed gunslinger. He says he doesn't sling guns anymore; he slings the Gospel for God. Well, I'm going to sling him and her right off the face of the earth!" Jason shouted.
"Jeremy, how did they hurt you besides the cut?" Joshua asked.
"Billy never touches my face, so it won't show, but he beats me about twice a week. He has some buddies hold me down so he can punch me hard and I can't fight back. Betsy holds a gun to my head to force me to cooperate. They make me lie on their bedroom floor while Barker attacks me." Jeremy closed his eyes.
"Jeremy, who cut you? Why did you get cut?" Jason could hardly speak.
"Billy cut me two days ago because I told him that I wasn't going to cooperate anymore. I told him to kill me right there and then because I wasn't going to be tormented by them any longer." Jeremy closed his eyes. "He threatened to kill both of you and Candy if I quit. I talked him out of killing the three of you by making a deal with him."
"What kind of a deal?" Joshua asked sharply.
Jeremy opened his eyes and looked at his brothers. "You are not going to like it."
Jason and Joshua exchanged a puzzled frightened look.
"What's the deal you made, Jeremy?" Jason asked seriously.
"Billy Barker agreed not to kill you or Joshua or Candy if I…..." Jeremy buried his face in his hands.
"If you what, brother?" Joshua was frightened.
Jeremy studied his brothers' faces before he spoke. "If I brand myself day after tomorrow."
"No! Jeremy! No! I will murder them before I let you hurt yourself! Who do these idiots think they are?" Joshua roared.
"I appreciate your feelings, Joshua. I already agreed to it." Jeremy's voice had no emotion.
"Appreciate!? What the hell do you mean, you APPRECIATE my feelings? I am your brother! I love you and I'm not gonna let some weirdos make you brand yourself!" Joshua screamed.
"Joshua, please!" Jeremy sobbed.
"I don't mean to make you more upset, Jeremy. It makes me furious that those people hurt you and threatened you like that. But you know you are not going to hurt yourself. You don't have to cooperate with the Barkers." Joshua told him.
Jason got up and walked over to Jeremy. "Stand up, please, brother."
Jeremy did as Jason asked. Jason held his brother tightly against him. Jeremy cried releasing all the fear and anger he had hidden for months.
When the youngest Bolt stopped crying, he felt sick. "I'm gonna puke!"
Jeremy ran to the washroom. Joshua went with him. As Jeremy was retching, Joshua held a cold cloth on his head.
When the retching ended, Jeremy wiped his face and looked at his brothers. Jason had come in behind them.
"I guess I seem pretty stupid to you, don't I?" He asked.
"Of course not, Jeremy. We know you were caught in a no-win situation. But Josh is right. You are not going to hurt yourself. We are going to contact Marshall Trueaxe about the Barkers." Jason put his hand on Jeremy's shoulder.
"J-J-Jason, I can't talk to anyone else about this. You see it took months for me to be able to tell you and Josh. I can't tell strangers and other people out in public about what happened. I'm too ashamed and it's embarrassing."
"We can talk to the Marshall alone, Jeremy. It is confidential information, and it will be kept quiet." Jason replied.
"I'm afraid you're wrong, Jason. It will probably be in the newspapers if Jeremy reports the Barkers and their friends to Trueaxe." Joshua said. "Especially since Barker is a so-called reformed gun slinger."
Jason frowned. "You are correct, Josh. I hadn't thought of the papers or of Barker's notoriety. Well, I suppose we will have to handle this ourselves."
"What are we going to do, Jason?" Jeremy was relieved that the authorities wouldn't be involved.
"I'm not sure, brother. I will think on that. The first thing we have to do is get you to the doctor for that bleeding wound that you have." Jason answered.
Jeremy took the bacon, eggs, and coffee off the stove. The brothers grabbed their coats.
"There's something else I need to tell you before we see Doctor Wright." Jeremy spoke timidly.
"What is it, Jeremy? Did they do something else to you?" Jason inquired.
"Yes, I have a few stripes on my back." He told them.
"That bastard beat you with a strap!" He treated you like you were a criminal! I'm gonna kill him!" Joshua shouted.
Jason clenched his teeth and his fists. A low guttural growl escaped his throat. Then he took a deep breath and blew it out of his mouth.
"Try to take it easy, Josh. Jeremy needs our help. We will get to the bottom of all of this." Jason spoke.
The Bolt brothers walked to the doctor's clinic. Doctor Wright was the only person there when they arrived.
Jeremy wanted his brothers to stay in the examination room with him. He told Doctor Wright what had been going on with the Barkers. She was appalled at what she heard.
The cut on Jeremy's chest required five stitches. He had five stripes on his back. Doctor Wright advised that Barker struck each area twice giving Jeremy ten blows but leaving half as many marks.
There were many bruises on the youngest Bolt's stomach, and he had two or three broken ribs.
"My ribs must have been broken yesterday after Billy cut me." Jeremy said.
Jason sighed deeply. "Jeremy, why are you so stubborn? You must have had an idea that your ribs were broken. They are very painful. Why didn't you tell Josh and me last night?"
"Well, Jason, I'm a stubborn Bolt and I didn't want to lose my fiancé or one of my brothers." Jeremy's voice was shaky. "It took all of my strength to tell you today."
"I know, Jeremy, I don't mean to upset you. I'm just so angry that these people did this to you and forced you to endure it by threatening the rest of us." Jason replied.
Doctor Wright bound Jeremy's ribs and gave him some Laudanum to take home with him. She told him to come back in two days. He agreed.
After the Bolts left the clinic, they went to Aaron Stempel's office.
Aaron was in his office alone. The brothers told him what had happened with Jeremy and the Barkers. Aaron was shocked and offered to help.
"Thank you, Aaron. The Barkers are from Arizona Territory. I know you lived there for a short time. Do you have any connections? We thought perhaps you could find out something about the couple for us." Jason responded.
Aaron thought for a moment. "Yes, I still have a few connections there, Jason. I'll send some telegrams and see what I can find out. It may take a few days."
"That's fine, Aaron. We appreciate your help. Jeremy is supposed to meet with the couple day after tomorrow on Thursday." Jason told him.
"Are you going to keep that appointment, Jeremy?" Aaron asked.
"Yes, I am, Aaron. Jason and Joshua are going with me. They are going to help me confront Billy and Betsy." Jeremy answered.
"Hopefully, I can get you some information before then. I will do my best. What they have done to you, Jeremy is disgusting. You are a strong young man to endure it for the safety of your family and your fiancé." Aaron reached to shake Jeremy's hand.
"Thank you, Aaron." Jeremy shook Stempel's hand.
"Yes, Thank you, Aaron." Joshua said as they walked toward the door.
After they left Stempel's office, Jeremy told his siblings that he was going to talk to Candy to let her know what was going on. He said he was going to take her upstairs at Lottie's so they could have some privacy.
It was almost lunchtime so Jason and Joshua decided they would eat at the saloon so they would be close by if he needed them. Jeremy agreed with that.
Jeremy hurried to the dormitory. When he got there, Candy was on the front porch. She was sitting in the rocking chair knitting.
"Hello, Candy. May I talk to you, please?" He asked.
"Hi, Jeremy. Yes, we can talk. I'm worried about you." Candy left the chair. She put her knitting in her bag and set it on the porch.
Jeremy stepped up to her and took her arm. "I thought we would go to a room at Lottie's to talk if that's okay. I want us to have privacy."
"That's fine, Jeremy. I love you, sweetheart." She responded.
"I love you too." He said quietly.
The young couple didn't talk as they made their way to the saloon. They held hands and Candy gave Jeremy a little kiss on his shoulder.
At the establishment, Jeremy discreetly got a room key. He and Candy went upstairs quickly.
Once they were in the room, Candy began weeping. Jeremy took her into his arms.
"What's wrong, sweet girl? Talk to me, please." He whispered.
"Ouch!" Jeremy cried out.
Candy jumped back. "Oh, no! Holding me hurt you somehow! I'm sorry, Jeremy! Please tell me what's wrong with you! I'm worried sick!"
"Candy, my ribs are broken. That's why I cried out. You didn't hurt me." Jeremy reassured her.
"Oh, broken ribs! Is that all? Biddie saw you and your brothers leaving the clinic earlier and she said it looked like you were in pain. Well, I just started imagining all kinds of awful things. Wait…. You didn't bring me here to talk about broken ribs. What's wrong? Oh, Jeremy! What is it?" Candy hid her face in his shoulder.
"Let's sit on the bed." Jeremy spoke softly. He took her hand as they stepped across the room.
They sat on the bed and both of them sighed. "Candy, this is not easy for me to say and it won't be easy to hear. You need to know. I told Jason and Joshua this morning."
"Does it have anything to do with you going to the doctor?" She asked.
"Yes, it does in a way." Jeremy answered.
"Oh, dear God! You're dying! Oh, Jeremy, I will help you. I will do anything you need. I love you and I still want us to get married. Do you think we would have time to have a baby? Oh, my goodness! What a horrid thing for me to ask you! About time! I'm so sorry!" Candy babbled.
"Candy! Listen to me, please! I'm not dying. I'm not sick." Jeremy looked her in the eye. "Let me tell you what is going on."
Candy paid attention while her fiancé explained about what Billy and Betsy Barker had said and done to him.
"Jeremy! How horrible for you! I noticed some days that you seemed to be sad or a bit depressed. I thought maybe some sad memories were bothering you or you were tired from work. I'm sorry I didn't offer to help you or even ask if something was wrong." Candy said.
"You asked several times and gave me extra hugs and kisses along the way. I just didn't tell you what I was going through. I was too afraid for you and Jason and Joshua. I still am." Jeremy looked at his boots.
"Hopefully, Aaron can find out something on those strange birds that can help you and your brothers stop them." Candy hugged him very lightly.
"Maybe. I hope so." Jeremy replied.
The couple went downstairs and ate lunch. Later, Jeremy walked his fiancée home.
The following night, Aaron knocked on the Bolt cabin door.
Joshua answered the door. "Come in, Aaron. Did you find out something?"
"Yes, I did." Aaron nodded hello at Jason and Jeremy.
"What did you find out, Aaron?" Jason inquired.
Before Aaron could answer, Billy Barker and some of his buddies came into the cabin.
"He found out that I am your cousin, Jason." Barker sneered.
"You're not a McKinnon and we don't have any Bolt cousins. Uncle Duncan never married." Joshua said.
"So, you can't be our cousin, Billy." Jeremy smirked.
"Oh, yes, I can! Tell them, Jason!" Barker crowed.
Jason cast a forlorn glance at Aaron. Stempel nodded.
"Brothers, there is something I never told you because Dad didn't want you to know. I suppose now I should have told you after he died, but I never thought we would hear from him or any of his family. I never even knew if he had any family until now." Jason gazed at his siblings.
"Tell us, Jason." Joshua spoke.
"This man responsible for beating you, Jeremy, is our cousin. His father is our uncle, Jacob Bolt. He is an outlaw and Dad and Uncle Duncan disowned him many years ago. Jacob's wife divorced him and her new husband adopted Billy. But it appears that Billy takes after Jacob a great deal."
"Wow! It must have been terribly difficult for Dad and Uncle Duncan to disown their younger brother." Joshua replied.
"Yeah, Josh, I could never imagine two of us disowning the other one." Jeremy agreed.
"You're right, brothers. Two things grieved our father to the end of his days. Losing our mother and disowning his sibling." Jason told them.
"What has all of this got to do with me, Barker?" Jeremy glared at him.
"I want you to be part of my gang, Jeremy. The beatings and the threats were to toughen you up and to find out what you're made of. I'm proud to say cousin, you will fit right in. Starting tonight." Barker responded.
"I'm not going to join your gang. I'm not an outlaw." Jeremy spoke firmly.
Billy Barker just smiled.
There was a frantic knock on the cabin door. "Jeremy! Jason! Joshua!" Lottie yelled.
Jeremy opened the door. "What's wrong, Lottie?"
"Candy's missing!" Lottie cried. "I went to Aaron's house to take her some supper. Someone broke in and got her!"
"Missing! How can she be missing? She was locked in a bedroom in my house before I came to tell the Bolts about their cousin. When I got the information about Barker, I went by the dormitory and told Candy that she needed to come to my house to be safe until I could talk to Jeremy and his brothers and make a plan for her well being. She agreed and went home with me. I stopped by the saloon and told only Lottie where Candy was. I thought it would be indecent to have a young woman at my home without a mature lady knowing about it." Aaron explained.
"What do you know about Candy being missing, Barker?" Jeremy lunged at him and yelled in pain from his broken ribs.
"Easy, Jeremy, easy!" Jason spoke as he helped his brother stand up straight.
"Come on, Barker! Speak up!" Joshua glared at him.
"Yes, the lovely Miss Pruitt is with some of my buddies as Jeremy calls them." Billy said gleefully. "She will remain with them until Jeremy finds her. His only hope of locating his intended is to become a member of my gang. If you refuse, cousin, I can get word to my friends to kill your sweet girl tonight."
Jeremy was quiet as he fought to control his breathing and his temper. Jason still stood behind the youngest Bolt with his arm across his brother's chest as a restraint. Joshua was behind him too with his hand on Jeremy's other shoulder.
When Jeremy trusted himself to speak, he turned and spoke to his brothers.
"Jason, Joshua, I have to go. I have to do what Billy wants. I can't risk Candy getting killed. Breaking the law goes against everything we were taught by Mama and Dad. But I have no choice."
"We understand, brother. You have to rescue her." Jason said.
"Hey, cousin! How about if Jason and I join your gang too?" Joshua asked.
Billy grinned like a possum. "Why the hell not? Come on!"
The Bolt brothers got their gear and their horses. Jason gave Aaron a metal box of important papers and the key.
After Jeremy hugged Lottie goodbye. She gave him a note she found on the floor of Candy's room at Aaron's house.
He unfolded the note and read it.
Dear Jeremy, Some of Barker's men are kidnapping me to make you join their gang. If you don't join them, I understand. You are a fine decent man like your beloved parents raised you to be. I know how important truth, honor, and integrity are to you. I don't want to be the reason that you become anything at all like these thugs. Jeremy, I love you very much. If things don't work out and we don't see each other again, please remember that even though we didn't have a lifetime together as we wanted, we had a lifetime of love in the years we were together. I love you with all my heart, Jeremy Bolt. Candy
"Oh, Candy!" Jeremy sobbed.
"You will find her, sweetheart!" Lottie hugged him briefly.
"Jeremy, it's time to go." Jason walked up to him.
The brothers got on their horses and followed Barker and his men up the mountain.
"Candy thinks that honesty, truth, and integrity mean more to me than she does. She doesn't know. I can't believe she doesn't know." Jeremy spoke aloud as they rode along.
"Doesn't know what, Jeremy?" Joshua asked.
"Candy doesn't know how much I love her." Jeremy frowned.
TBC