Chapter 8
Shadow Valley, Texas 1870
The saloon doors slammed open, hinges squealing. Jimmy, already tense after breaking up a bar brawl earlier, heard glass shattering. He shouldered through the swinging doors, hit by the stench of stale beer and whiskey. In a dimly lit corner, Halona stood between two troublemakers, Hank and Lester. Fear shone in her eyes as Hank leaned in, a broken bottle dangling from his hand.
"How's it going this evening, gentlemen?" Jimmy boomed. Both men flinched.
"Oh, everythin's just fine, Marshal," Hank slurred, stumbling towards Jimmy.
"We're just havin' some fun with our new friend," Lester added, his arm around Halona's shoulders.
Jimmy's jaw clenched. "Leave her alone," he growled, "or you'll be sobering up in my jail cell on stale bread and water."
Hank scoffed, but his bravado faltered. Lester seemed emboldened. "We ain't done nothin' wrong, Marshal. Just havin' a little conversation."
Jimmy placed his hand on his gun, staring them down. Seeing the steel and determination, they mumbled apologies and retreated to the bar.
"Thanks," Halona smiled gratefully.
"Where are you staying?" Jimmy asked, concerned.
Halona sighed heavily. "Good question. The bank here is fucking useless. No ATMs, can't contact my bank. Not a single phone in town. Mine's dead, no charger..."
"Come on," Jimmy said, gesturing for Halona to follow. He led her down the street to where his horse stood, lazily sipping water from a trough. With gentle hands, he helped her into the saddle before swinging up behind her.
Halona grasped the horse's mane tightly. "Where are we going?"
"I made a promise to Buck to keep an eye on you," Jimmy replied, nudging the horse into a trot.
They rode in silence for about twenty minutes before arriving at Buck's ranch. Jimmy dismounted first, then helped Halona down. He approached the house and knocked softly. Buck answered promptly, nodding his thanks to Jimmy before ushering Halona inside.
"Guest room's back here," Buck said quietly, leading her past the children's rooms. He opened a door, revealing a neat room.
"I'm so sorry for the trouble," Halona said desperately. "I'll repay your kindness."
"Ain't no trouble," Buck patted her shoulder. "No repayment needed. I'm next door. Holler if you need anything."
"Thanks," Halona whispered, exhausted.
Alone in the room, Halona peeled off the itchy dress, sighing with relief as the fabric fell away. She glanced around, taking in the modest furnishings. It was a far cry from the Kiowa village - the somewhat soft bed and woven blankets were a definite improvement over animal hides on hard ground.
Her stomach growled loudly in the silence, a stark reminder that she hadn't eaten in what felt like a full day. Exhaustion tugged at her limbs, urging her towards sleep. Everything else could wait until morning. At least she was safe tonight.
Or was she?
Panic suddenly clawed at her throat, constricting her breathing. She was sleeping under a stranger's roof. The realization hit her like a bucket of ice water.
"Stop it, Halona!" she hissed to herself, trying to quell the rising fear.
Her mind raced, inner terror waging war against logic. Buck had been kind, but hadn't Ted Bundy seemed nice too when he lured young women into his car?
Taking a deep, shaky breath, Halona's eyes darted around the room. They landed on a wooden chair in the corner. Moving as quietly as she could, she dragged it across the floor, wincing at every tiny scrape. With trembling hands, she wedged it under the doorknob.
The makeshift barricade offered a sliver of reassurance. It wasn't much, but it was something. Halona crawled into bed, pulling the blankets tight around her. Sleep would be elusive tonight, but at least she'd done what she could to feel a bit safer in this unfamiliar place.
Exhaustion won. The soft bed felt like heaven compared to the hard ground.
Suddenly, terror jolted her awake. Was this purgatory? Some twisted Western afterlife? She scoffed. Purgatory wouldn't have saloons and gunfights.
Laughter bubbled up, marked with a tinge of hysteria. Maybe sleep deprivation was making her crazy. She closed her eyes. The rhythmic creak of crickets lulled her back to sleep.