Chapter Eighty Seven
Nick and Anna carefully navigated the smoke and small brush fires on the way to the out buildings that were a total loss. She coughed several times and spat out the ash. He would stop and comfort her. He held her hand tightly.
"Go Nick. Let me sit. Go find Henry and Kai."
"Nope, not leaving you until I know who did this. I am not letting you out of my sight."
She stood up and kept up with him on the trail. They came upon the two horses tethered to the well house. He pushed open the door and found the same items Patrice had.
"They was planning something big."
He rifled through the bag and saw all the names, "Franklin, Taylor, Miller, Barkley and Turner. Wills, bonds, deeds, cash—It's all here. Jarrod will be glad to see this."
He closed it up, emptied the weapons of their ammo into the well hole, and shut the door.
"Nick? Look—prints?"
He looked and agreed, "Well Miss Annie, you are right, my girl. Two boys I suspect—," and then he frowned, "And at least three adults. This is a woman, Patrice. Small and contact like a fancy lace up boot. These are men."
He took her arm and they headed down the path to the stream. The tracks changed as someone appeared to be dragged—-maybe two. He kept his thumb on the gun and put a finger to his mouth. They tiptoed into the heavy brush and stopped dead in their tracks as the click of a gun was heard.
"Don't move," a woman's voice ominously rang out,
"Patrice? It's me Nick."
"Thank god. Over here behind the beaver dam."
Anna ran over first. She gasped seeing the blood covered unconscious Butch packed in leaves, a scared Henry and a sleeping Kai with his plaster cast broken off. Patrice was guarding them with a revolver and a rifle.
Henry ran and clung to Anna.
She stood up and stretched her legs, "I am so glad to see you. We have to get them help. The Indian has lost a lot of blood. He was stabbed in the back and left for dead. I pulled the knife out and packed it as best I could "
Henry continued the story, "The man grabbed us at the quail pen. He broke Kai's leg again. Put those rags over our nose. I didn't breathe but Kai did. He was crying his leg hurt so bad "
"Henry, you have been so brave and helping Miss Patrice here. Going to get everybody some help real soon,"
Anna and Nick shared a look, "Was the big house safe enough?" "Should we just head to Dr, Merar?"
Patrice seemed to read their mind, "Let's get to town."
"You need some stitches on that arm, little lady," with protection and love in his eyes.
Patrice looked away feeling jealous of Anna and sad she let Nick Barkley get away.
Nick rounded up a wagon, loaded Butch, the boys and Anna.
"I am going to help Jarrod." Patrice said without looking back. "It's not the time to think such thoughts but to see Nick with his lady friend, uh fiancée—makes me wonder if I should have come back sooner?
"Thank ya Patty for everything." tipping his hat. She smiled.
"It's my job and my pleasure. Anna, take care of your man. He's one of a kind."
She beamed, "I plan on it."
—&/—
Patrice found Heath cradling Grete in the back stairwell. Silas was making tea and straightening up the broken glass.
"Can I help you get her upstairs?" Patrice whispered
She could see the blood on her dress. She didn't know if it was hers or the man under the blanket pulled outside.
He mutely nodded yes and they got on each side of her.
"Grete? Kai and Henry are good. Nick has taken them to the doctor in town to check his leg and get Butch some help. He was stabbed."
Recognition filled her eyes, "Kai? He is well?"
"Yes, the cast needs some fixing up but Butch saved them. Hid them by the beaver dam."
She exhaled a huge sigh of relief.
Patrice looked at Heath, "Lisette?"
"With Jarrod. She's safe. Turner is dead. He came down just to tell me and went back up."
"Well good. There were only two horses so I assume we got them both."
"Thank you," she whispered to Patrice.
They slowly helped her get to their bedroom.
"Can I help you change clothes?"
Grete nodded and Heath watched carefully.
"Throw that dress away," he added.
"Of course."
Patrice unhooked her gown, "Grete, is this your blood—-so I will know how to help?"
"Oh no—-Anna's . I am not hurt."
" . Let me tell Heath so he won't worry."
She stuck her head out to the distraught Heath, "The blood is from Anna. Not hers. I thought you would want to know—-"
"Thank you," and tears leaked from his eyes in relief.
—-&—-
Jarrod had found Lisette maniacally stripping all the fine satin bedding off Victoria's bed.
"I can't leave a mess like this. My mother, they called her Sissi, taught me to leave somewhere better than I found it. You remember my mother. I know you do—-I don't have her hair. I have the Taylor hair. I am sorry. There is blood on your mother's bed." she said in an eerie voice.
He eyed her with concern as she pulled the sheets and shams and duvets off in a frenzy
"Lissy, leave it."
"No, I don't want Silas or your mother to see it."
He was worried by the expression on her face, "Here let me help. Mother always taught me how to change bedding then the army instilled it."
She nodded vacantly. They pulled the rest off together silently.
He took them all to the hall.
"Let's leave it now Lissy. I will have his body removed."
"It smells like cardamom and bay laurel, did you know that?"
"Yes my love. It's over. Finally over. You had to do it."
His words struck her and she began to shake violently.
"Lissy, come here."
She collapsed in his arms sobbing and he held her light, "That's if my love, get it all out. All out. No one can hurt you again or our child or our children or the family we are building—you have my word."
Jarrod looked over at the body as she wet his shirt with her tears. He turned back and kissed her head.
"Come on, let's go to your room."
"Don't leave me Jarrod."
"Never."
He walked her down the hall, "Let's get this dress off of you." looking down at the blood.
She let him lead her inside and he began to remove the dress. Just like he had done in Modesto.