Will post on Saturday to catch back up from my faux pas earlier of the wrong chapter-Thanks for reading. It means the world to me. J

Chapter Thirty Nine

Jarrod held onto Henry tightly; he squirmed and Jarrod relaxed a bit realizing he was hurting the boy with the intensity of his grip.

Fred kept cutting an eye on Jarrod to make sure he was coping. The idea of Nick being dead was weighing on them like a brick. It was obvious the boy was in shock despite answering all their questions with logic and ease. He was nuzzled into Jarrod's arms staring straight ahead.

Lisette's words came back to Jarrod , "You are named his guardian. Bax and Prudy can raise him if you wish but I want your guidance in his life. Never let Paul have him—-use the evidence I gave you to stop him. You have everything you need to keep Paul at bay."

"I will, Lissy. I will," he muttered.

Fred looked over at him to clarify but Jarrod just kept staring straight ahead spurring Jingo on.

—-&—

Victoria met them at the door and wrapped her arms around Henry.

"Thank God you are here, precious boy."

Only then did Henry start to cry. Victoria held onto the little boy tightly and her tears began to fall.

Jarrod passed his mother and headed to the study to get more weapons.

Victoria eyed him with worry, "Fred, do you know anything? Rufus Morton just left with all he knew which wasn't much. That they were taken, the boy escaped and his hands are searching with ours."

"Yes. The boy was a witness. Maybe he can go with Silas? For some food?"

"No!" Henry cried out, "Please let me stay with you."

Victoria got on eye-level with him, "Go with Silas and get cleaned up. I PROMISE I will be right here with you until we find them."

"Yes ma'am," He sniffed and regained his composure.

Silas put his arm around the small boy and walked him upstairs, "There's a tear in your trousers. We will get that fixed right soon. Put you some clean clothes on and have a sandwich?"

"Yes sir,"

—&—

They waited out until the boy was out of ear shot.

Fred told her what he knew and she told him what she heard.

"I am not going to believe Nick is—-until I see him."

"Vic—-," Fred put his arm around her, "All we know for sure is that there was one gunshot. And the boy may have heard wrong."

"Thank you," she dabbed her eyes.

Jarrod came out with several rifles and another set of pistols in a second gun belt.

Fred and Victoria shared a look of concern.

"Jarrod, the Morton's found the wagons and horses where Henry said it was. Lost tracks but it went toward the rail like Henry said too. Boy has an eye for detail."

"Any blood at the site?"

"Nope. They are combing the area as we speak for Nick. Henry said he wasn't with them."

"Mother? Did McColl know the name of the hand that drove them and turned out to be in on it?"

"He's gone searching too. I will check the pay ledger."

"Where's Henry?"

"With Silas cleaning up and getting a bite."

"Good. Mother, please—" and he couldn't finish for the lump in his throat.

"Jarrod I will. Bring them home."

"I will."

"Mother, we need to get a message to Heath soon. I have a suspicion that lumber camp message was a hoax to get him away from the ranch."

She gave him a small smile, "I did an hour ago."

—&—-

Grete woke first with a throbbing pain in her jaw. She thought her jaw was broken or at least dislocated. The man had manhandled Kai and she tried to intervene. The Chinese herbs had rendered them both unconscious quickly. There was a swath of sage tied around her neck. She shook her head in confusion. The strong scent added to her nausea.

Her eyes grew accustomed to the dim light. They were in an abandoned pump house.

Cobwebs, a dirt floor and a broken roof timber—-she could see Kai peacefully sleeping several feet away. Hogtied as they would have said in Wisconsin.

Anna was tied upright to a support post. Her dress was ripped and her bodice undone. She had a black eye and blood stains on her face and clothes.

She gingerly pulled herself to sitting. When she pulled the rope, Kai moaned. She immediately gave it slack to avoid pain to her son.

"Where is Lisette?"

She tried hard to remember but she was in a fog. The gunshot, the men—trying to protect Kai—-the sweet smelling rag until she quit fighting.

"Lisette was with us? I know she was."

"Oh dear—Henry? Where is Henry?"

Kai groaned again when she moved. She tried to be very still as every move seemed to tighten on her son.

She closed her eyes and prayed—-she gave up and went back to a drug induced haze to rest.

—-&—-

"Buck writes that wife of yours still hasn't sold the Modesto hotel to him and his buddies. Says he has a new plan. Using our men. Same ones from the Stockton mess. They are expendable, he writes."

Paul shook his head, "I have told you for years, Miller, she is a stubborn witch. Kept the kid's inheritance with her highfalutin French mother away from me. Kid's own father can't even manage his future."

"Why didn't you take the kid away from her? Stick him with a nanny."

"Kid needs his mother. May still do it one day." he made an excuse. He didn't want Miller to ever know Lisette had bested him for her freedom.

"Buck knows not to put a hand on her or the kid. Right?"

"Of course. He's got a vendetta against her attorney's family. Taking out two birds with one stone."

Paul took a drag off his cigar. He was thinking of taking his half of the money and heading to Cuba or somewhere warm. A sugar plantation or something tropical with a beautiful young girl to train up. He felt Lisette might eventually make good her threat to ruin him since she left with the rubble of her father's hotel empire. But if she ruined him, she took her "precious boy" down too.

But first, Modesto was the last loose thread. If the right person pulled it, all his hard work would unravel. He hated having to trust Buck Turner.

But he had made a deal with the devil and he owned his soul. He had to see it through.