Doing a once over to ensure everything was clean and put away, Grace gave a final nod of approval at the empty café in front of her. It had been a long and busy day and she was more than ready to call it a night. Brian and Anthony had helped her most of the day, and though she insisted they take a break after the lunch rush, they had insisted on helping her anyway. Grace could tell Brian was distracted and knew that working probably helped keep his mind off things.
Becky had volunteered to watch Katie for the day, for which Grace was incredibly grateful. She only wished she could have given the girl a positive update on her best friend's situation.
It felt quiet around town with so many people gone. Everyone kept one eye out as they walked down the street, waiting to see a horse coming around the corner with news. But no one came. Loren and the Reverend had come by the café for dinner, and Horace joined later, too. Grace had stopped to talk to them, but none of them had heard anything. There were no new updates.
Now, as evening fell, Grace wandered over to Robert E's work area where she had told Brian and Anthony to get the wagon ready. They were standing next to it, ready to go. Becky was there as well, talking to them quietly while holding Katie on her hip.
"All ready, ma," said Anthony.
"Thanks, boys. Thank you so much for watching Katie today, Becky. I really appreciate it."
"It was no trouble, Miss Grace," she said softly. She looked at the woman for a moment before asking her hesitantly. "Have you heard anything?"
Grace gave her a sad look. "No, I'm sorry dear, I haven't. But if anyone can find them, it's Dr. Mike and Sully."
She nodded slowly. "Yeah… you're right."
Grace stepped forward to grab Katie. "Do you need a ride home?" she asked, taking the baby in her arms.
"No, my father is over at Mr. Bray's, but thank you. Have a good night, Miss Grace. Bye Brian, Anthony," she said with a frown and a slight wave before turning and walking down the street toward the mercantile.
Grace sighed, looking at the boys. "Let's go home."
They got into the wagon and she tugged on the reins, heading down past the café on their way out of town. Just at the corner, they almost collided with another horse, each coming to a quick stop.
"Woah!" Dorothy exclaimed from atop her horse, sitting up straight in fright. "Grace, I'm so sorry, I didn't see you coming around the corner."
Grace clutched a hand to her chest, calming down herself. "It's alright Dorothy, I wasn't paying close enough attention. I guess I'm just ready to head home."
"I understand. Actually, Grace… I was hoping to run into you before you left. Would you mind if I came out to the homestead with you? I thought maybe you could use the company."
Grace smiled, though it didn't fully reach her eyes. "That would be nice. Yes, I think we would all like that." Brian and Anthony both nodded behind her.
"It's settled then," Dorothy said with a nod, kicking her horse once more into motion.
They made their way out to the homestead and took care of the chores before settling in for the night. Grace took out some leftover rolls from dinner the night before and warmed them on the stove. They had all eaten earlier at the cafe, but she needed to do something with her hands, and moving around the kitchen made her feel more calm. She made some tea and set it on the table alongside the bread and butter. Without saying a word, everyone came and joined her. Dorothy placed Katie in her high chair and handed her half a piece of bread to munch on.
"How was your day Dorothy?" Grace asked as she poured a cup of tea and offered it to Brian, who shook his head in decline. She set it in front of Anthony instead and began to pour some more for Dorothy and herself.
Dorothy accepted the tea with a nod of appreciation. "It was alright. I did a bit of writing for the next edition of the Gazette, and then I took a walk and had a nice chat with the Reverend. We went to the church and spent some time in prayer."
A solemn look passed over everybody's face. "I thought maybe," Dorothy continued, "we could all do that tonight. Spend some time in prayer."
"That's a good idea," Brian said quietly, ripping off a small chunk of bread from his roll and taking a bite.
"Yes, it is," Grace added. "I do really appreciate you coming out here tonight, Dorothy."
"Of course, I just… wanted to check in, see how you all were doing." She glanced at Brian.
Grace looked at the boy, eating quietly while staring at the table. "We're hanging in there. And prayer helps many things. It's certainly more useful than sitting around waiting for something to happen."
"I just wish there was something I could do," Brian said sadly, a frown on his face.
Dorothy reached out and placed a hand on his. "You can pray, Brian. And I know you're out here helping with Katie and the homestead. You're doing everything you can. Michaela and Sully are lucky to have a son as responsible and helpful as you."
He swallowed and looked down again at the table. He wanted to be out there looking with them. He was old enough to ride and stand on his own. Brian knew helping with the chores was helpful, but that didn't mean he really felt like he was making much of a difference.
Grace offered him another piece of bread, "You keep your head up, Brian. I know it may feel helpless, but you're doing your part."
"Do you think they've found them yet?" He blurted out loudly, saying what was really on his mind.
Grace and Dorothy looked at each other, sharing a worried look. The latter looked at the boy sympathetically. "I wish we knew. But, I really do believe that everyone is going to be okay. I can feel it."
"I believe it, too," Grace added. "Now, why don't we get this cleaned up and then we can start a prayer circle?"
After they cleaned up for the evening and Katie was put to bed, Grace, Dorothy, Brian, and Anthony sat in the living room in a circle of prayer. Grace led the way as everyone followed along. "And watch over all of our loved ones tonight. For Colleen and Andrew, give them protection and safety; let them feel our love, and give them reassurance that help is on the way. For everyone out there looking for them, Dr. Mike, Sully, Matthew, Robert E, Preston, Jake, and Hank, give them your guidance and lead them in the right direction, and help everybody return to us soon."
After some more time had passed and more prayers were said, the woman looked over at Brian and Anthony, "I think it's about time you boys head up to bed."
"But Grace-"
"Don't you start, Brian." She said with a motherly look. "I know you want to stay up, but it's late and you need your rest." She looked at the disappointed boy's face and stepped in front of him, setting her hand on his shoulder and speaking more gently. "If anything happens, I will wake you up right away, understand? I mean it, anything. But, there's no point in you boys staying up and losing sleep for nothing. There isn't anything else we can do."
Brian looked her in the eyes for a moment and sighed, knowing she was right, as frustrated as it made him. "Okay."
"That a boy," She pulled him in for a quick hug. "Sleep tight now. Everything's going to be fine." She walked over to Anthony and gave him a kiss on the head. "Goodnight, Anthony. You make sure Brian goes to sleep, alright?" she whispered in his ear.
"I will," he whispered back. "Goodnight Ma. Goodnight Miss Dorothy."
"Goodnight boys," Dorothy said softly.
"Goodnight," Brian said quietly before turning around and trudging up the stairs, Anthony following behind.
The two women looked at each other, the overwhelming quiet enveloping them in the room. "Grace," Dorothy started, "I was thinking, maybe I could stay and keep you all company out here tonight."
"Oh, Dorothy, you don't have to do that. We'll be fine. You should go home and get some sleep."
Dorothy took a step forward and grabbed her friend's hand, giving it a squeeze. She could see the tired lines that ran along her face, the stress and worry of the past 24 hours getting to her. She knew it was just Grace trying to be strong that told her she didn't need to stay. "I want to, Grace. I'm just as worried about Colleen and Andrew as you are. I know I won't be getting much sleep tonight, and I doubt that you will either, regardless if I'm here or not."
Grace looked up at her friend's caring face and let out a sigh and a slight smile. "You're right." She grabbed Dorothy's other hand in hers and they stood together for a moment. "Please stay, Dorothy."
The older woman smiled. "I'd be happy to."
Though it was late and they should be in bed, about an hour later the two friends found themselves sitting side-by-side in armchairs in front of the fire, fresh cups of tea in hand.
"Oh, my goodness!" Grace laughed, leaning forward and clutching a hand to her chest, a few drops of tea splashing out of her cup and onto her dress. She wiped at it with her sleeve.
"And then they walked into Loren's trailing mud behind them the whole way," Dorothy laughed in amusement next to her.
"I can just picture Loren now."
"He made sure to remind Charlotte for weeks." Dorothy wiped a tear from her eye. She and Grace had been reminiscing, thinking back to a time when the Cooper kids were much younger and Matthew and Colleen had trailed into the Mercantile dripping in mud from running through the woods after a rainstorm. Dorothy had been in town with her husband to visit her sister and Loren and had seen the whole thing. It was crazy how fast time flew. Matthew and Colleen couldn't have been older than 5 and 10 when that happened. Back in those days, Dorothy came to Colorado Springs as often as she could to visit her family, and every time she did, she saw the Cooper children grow and grow in front of her very eyes. Grace didn't spend as much time in town back then, but she certainly knew those Cooper kids from the times she did.
"Colleen was such a doll when she was a little girl. She had those big, rosy cheeks and Charlotte always made sure to put a bow in her hair." Dorothy continued, remembering. "I remember one time, she couldn't have been older than 6 or 7, I was in town for a visit and I went to the church on Sunday for service. There was a loose nail on one of the stairs outside and my dress got snagged on it and I got stuck for a minute. Charlotte and the kids were coming up behind me and Colleen ran over and asked what I was doing. I was crouched down trying to get my dress unstuck. She tried to help me and ended up putting a hole in the fabric."
"Oh no," Grace said with a frown.
"She felt so bad, she went and picked me a whole bouquet of flowers from the meadow after church. And then she asked Loren if he had things in his store that she could use to fix my dress."
"Did she even know how to sew back then?"
"No," Dorothy chuckled, "When I asked her if she knew how, this look of realization came over her face. She went around asking people for help until I told her I knew enough about sewing to fix it myself." Both women laughed. "I let her help me though, the sweet girl. She said it was her first sewing lesson."
Grace sighed and smiled, thinking so fondly of the girl. She looked around the living room, filled with all the mementos and signs of a loving family. "This home…" she said as she stood, running a hand along the mantle, "is so beautiful, and charming." She sighed, looking over at Dorothy. "You would never know how much this family has been through looking at it."
Dorothy stood and joined her, looking at the family photo that stood in the center of the mantle. It was from Michaela and Sully's wedding, them in the center with the three children huddled close on either side. It was the perfect family photo.
"They've been through so much…" She couldn't help but think of just how much everyone in the family had been through; the list went on and on. Colleen being taken was just another awful thing added to that list.
"I know. It's not fair. Colleen deserves to be here, safe at home with her family. So does Andrew."
Grace nodded sadly in agreement, her love for Colleen and the entire family strong. And though she hadn't known Andrew for long, in the short time he had been in town, she had enjoyed getting to know the friendly and helpful young man. "I feel like this family can't catch a break. Just when things seem to be going well, something else comes around."
Dorothy put a hand on Grace's shoulder, "That's not to say we haven't all had our hardships." She knew the woman had had her own share of difficulties over the past few years, thinking of Anthony's health and the terrible things they had suffered while getting him accepted into school with the other kids in town.
Grace put her hand on top of Dorothy's. "It's a good thing we all have each other. I can't imagine this town without all of us in it together."
Just as darkness began to fall, the city of Pueblo appeared in the distance, lights shining clear and bright in the evening sky. Hank came to a stop on the road, Jake pulling up beside him. The two men stared forward at the town, relieved they had finally made it. They had been traveling all day, switching over to the road a few hours back to make better time. They had yet to meet up with Sully, Michaela, and the rest of the gang, but as the day went on, they decided to head straight to town to see if there was any word of travelers passing through. Hank and Jake figured that the search party was still searching in the woods, and they planned to try and meet up with them once they were finished in town.
"Well," Jake stated, glancing over at Hank briefly, "there's Pueblo."
Hank kept his gaze forward, face serious. "Let's see if these men have been through town."
The two went forward and quickly they made their way into the small town of Pueblo. The main street had a similar look to Colorado Springs, but smaller, with fewer shops and buildings. They passed a telegraph's office, a small cigar shop, a clothing house, a blacksmith's shop, and the general store before setting eyes on what they needed: The Sheriff's office. They made their way over and slowed their horses to a stop, hopping down and trying the reins to a post before knocking on the door and heading inside.
"Sheriff?" Jake asked as he looked around the small building, taking off his hat as he approached the man standing behind the desk, his badge gleaming.
"Oh, hello gentlemen," he said rather quickly. The sheriff was a tall, burly man with black hair that was just long enough to stick out from under his hat. "I'm sorry, I need to head to the telegraph's office at once, but come along. What can I do for you?" He was clearly in a rush, scribbling something down on a sheet of paper and putting it in his desk drawer before walking towards the door, motioning with his hand for them to follow. They talked as they followed him down the street.
Hank took a couple of quick steps to catch up with him. "We're looking for a group of men passing through, they're wanted for robberies all over the territory."
The sheriff stopped immediately, turning to face them. "What kind of robberies?"
Hank shrugged. "Banks, general stores, the usual. They just came through Colorado Springs and took a couple of our own hostage with 'em."
"They're figured to be traveling south," added Jake.
"Come with me," the sheriff huffed as he picked up his pace and made his way over to the telegraph's office. All three men stepped inside as the sheriff turned his attention to the man at the counter, a short, sharp-dressed man who couldn't be more than thirty. "Charles, I need to send a wire to Denver, Colorado Springs, and Santa Fe."
"Alright," Charles grabbed a notepad, ready to write down the message. "To whom?"
"Local law enforcement. Alert them that Pueblo had robberies in both the medical office and the general store this evening. I believe they are connected with the others that have been reported in the area. And now, there's word that they have taken…" he looked back at Hank and Jake, trying to remember what they had said.
"Two residents of Colorado Springs," Jake said quickly, "a man and a young woman."
"Two residents, a man and a woman from Colorado Springs," the sheriff repeated. "That will be all. Let me know at once if you hear a reply."
"Yes sir, I will," Charles said as he turned to his machine and began to code out the message.
"Did these robberies just happen?" Hank asked.
"Yes, I just received word of it. Let's talk in my office." All three of them walked back over to the Sheriff's office, a plaque reading 'Sheriff Arthur Swanson' plastered to the front door. Once inside, Sheriff Swanson invited them to take a seat in the chairs that sat on the opposite side of his desk. They all took a seat and he proceeded to recap the events that had happened that evening. "A man came to the medical clinic no more than a few hours ago, said something about some headaches he'd been having. Our doctor took a look at him and before he could provide any relief, the man knocked him out. When he came to, a handful of medicines and some surgical equipment were gone. No one overheard the attack, he must have knocked him out quickly and walked out like everything was fine. By the time the doctor came to me, whoever did it was long gone. The General store was the same way, the owner, Mr. Black, didn't even realize things had been stolen until he was cleaning up for the night, just before you men stopped by here. I was marking it down for the records before I went to send a report to the nearby towns. Mr. Black said it was busy right before closing, which is pretty normal. He did, however, remember seeing an unfamiliar man come through. Short with brown hair he was described. Said he was passing through town. He purchased a box of cigars, but he must have taken some other items when nobody was looking. Mr. Black was short on several items. He said the man was the only unfamiliar face in the store all day, making it safe to assume the items stolen were from him.
"Have people been out searching?" Hank asked, leaning forward in his seat.
"They did for a while, at least for whoever knocked out the doctor. Dr. Taylor reported that the attacker was tall and blonde, a little rough around the edges. Anyways, a group of men went out for a while but didn't report back finding anyone. They didn't go far. As far as the other man goes, the robbery wasn't realized after it happened and no one was hurt, so there wasn't a search."
"These are our men," Jake replied with conviction. He and Hank proceeded to tell the sheriff everything they knew, including how it is believed that Andrew and Colleen were taken because a member of the men's party was injured, further proved by the robbery of the medical tools.
"Gentlemen, I appreciate you coming out here and sharing this information. If this really is a hostage situation, then this is a lot more pressing than I thought. I'll round up some of my men and we'll continue searching south out of town, it sounds like they're continuing their travels that way. You're welcome to come along."
"Our party is already out there, shouldn't be too far behind us," Hank said as he stood. "Our sheriff is out there looking with 'em."
Jake stood as well, reaching out to shake the sheriff's hand. "Thank you for your help."
"Best of luck. I'm sorry… to hear about the man and woman taken. But, if they were needed for their medical expertise, which it sounds like they were, then there's hope to believe they're alright. There's power in being needed. You said one of them was your local doctor?"
"Yes sir, one of them anyway. And the girl, she's the daughter of our other town doctor… and uh, the sister of our sheriff."
Sheriff Swanson let out a whistle. "Well, these men better be prepared to face your sheriff if he gets to them. Good evening gentlemen." He led them out the door and locked it behind them, walking down the street to round up a crew of men.
Hank looked toward Jake as he untied his horse, "They're nearby. We need to go now."
"What about Sully and them?"
"Well see who we run into first."
About thirty minutes later, it was made clear who Hank and Jake were going to run into first. The woods ran east of town, so they decided to head that way and follow them back up north, the way they came from. They had not yet covered this area of the woods since they had spent the past several hours on the road, and it was also their best chance at running into Michaela and Sully. Sheriff Swanson had south of town covered, so they headed east and were on their way.
But it wasn't Michaela and Sully who the men ran into. Hank and Jake were making their way through the trees, moving slowly in the darkness. They had been searching for around 30 minutes when suddenly, they saw a tiny flicker of light along with a trail of smoke coming from up ahead. The two men looked at each other slowly and Hank lifted a finger to his lips in silence before slowly and carefully getting down from his horse. Jake followed silently, tying his horse to a nearby log.
It was incredibly dark under the cover of the trees, and the fire from up ahead was the only source of light as they walked closer. They stepped carefully and cautiously, being sure not to make any noise. As they got closer, they stopped, standing behind separate trees as they spied on the strangers up ahead. Hank peered around his tree, squinting his eyes to make out anything he could. He looked over at Jake, holding up 3 fingers in question, referring to the number of people he thought he saw. All he could really see were their silhouettes. Jake looked out from his own tree and scanned the area, shaking his head at Hank when he saw a second fire just past the first, slightly further into the woods. The second was much smaller and almost out, just a tiny flicker coming from it. He silently pointed at it to Hank, who craned his head to see it.
Hank's eyes widened suddenly, noticing that there were more than just three people in this party. Near the second fire, he noticed one person for sure, sitting right in front of the fire. He couldn't tell, but he thought he saw a second person next to him hidden behind his body. Someone smaller perhaps? Someone like Colleen? And he couldn't be sure, but he thought he saw the shape of another person lying on the ground, unless it was just a log or a bag. He couldn't be certain, they were too far away. Hank looked back toward Jake, recognition in his eyes. He was almost positive this was who they were looking for. But they couldn't swarm in on them, not by themselves.
They waited and listened for a while, trying to make out anything that was being said. They were just close enough that they could hear a couple of words here and there. After listening for what felt like forever, a few keywords rang through.
"Nah, they didn't have any."
"Did you…"
"-weren't any left."
"We'll be fine. We've got enough for a few more days."
"How long…. road?"
"said he needs the day to recover but we…."
"What does… no way that kid's been a doctor for more than a few years."
"…all we have."
Hank gestured to the horses and they crept back carefully, stepping over roots and logs. They mounted their horses and turned back the way they came from until they reached the edge of the woods. "Those are our guys."
"Did you see Andrew or Colleen?"
"I think they were by the second fire, I couldn't tell for sure, but it looked like there were two people, and one was definitely bigger than the other. It's them, I know it is."
"What do we do now?" Jake whispered.
"We find our party and quick, there's at least three of them, we need more bodies. And we don't know how long these guys are camping out here."
Without saying another word, Hank and Jake kicked their horses forward into motion, still taking it slow because of the dark, and headed back in the direction they came from for a while before cutting north. If their timing was right, Michaela, Sully, and everyone else should be getting close. "We'll find them and come up with a plan," Hank added, leading the way.
Michaela stifled a yawn as they continued their way through the woods. It was dark outside, and she felt the emotional weight of the day tolling on her, but nothing would stop her from finding her daughter. She wasn't going to stop until she knew Colleen was safe.
Sully looked over at her, seeing the tired, yet determined look on her face. He felt the same way. They had been trekking through the woods all day, and luckily, thanks to finding the wagon and Colleen's hair ribbon not too long ago, they knew they were headed in the right direction. When he found whoever took her, he was going to… Sully took a breath, not wanting to think about whatever lowlife took Colleen right now. Andrew, too. It wouldn't help anyone if he got worked up.
Still, the more time that passed, the more nervous they got. They had no idea if either Colleen or Andrew was hurt. They didn't know if they had gotten separated or if they had veered off their path and headed a different way, there were so many unknowns.
Matthew followed just behind them, a frown on his face. It had been an emotional 24 hours since he first found out his sister had gone missing, not just missing, taken. He was trying to keep his emotions in check, but he knew he wouldn't feel okay until he saw with his own eyes that Colleen was alright.
Robert E trotted alongside Matthew, worried himself for Colleen and Andrew's safety, but knowing he had to keep a level head for his friends. He would be the calm they needed right now.
Preston was growing more exhausted by the minute, both physically and mentally. He was drained, his worry for Andrew growing by the hour. He wasn't used to feeling like this, and he didn't want to show it. On top of that, he had no idea where they were, especially now that it was dark outside. He was tired, worried, angry, and spent.
A gust of wind ran through the trees, and everyone shivered for a moment. All of a sudden, soft footsteps could be heard in the distance. Everyone froze. Wolf took a few steps forward in front of Sully and sniffed the air, about to bark until the man stopped him. "Quiet boy," he said in a low tone. He held out one hand to stop everyone behind him and raised a finger to his lips to keep quiet, turning back for a second to make sure everyone saw him.
They all stood still, waiting to hear the footsteps again. A moment later, there it was, the sound of multiple steps crackling over twigs and leaves on the ground.
"Someone's out there," Michaela whispered.
"Wait," Sully countered, turning his ear toward the sound, "it's horses, listen." They all listened intently to the sound that was slowly getting closer. It did indeed, sound like the clopping of horse hooves on the ground. "Wait here. Stay boy." He gave his horse a kick and they walked forward, the rest of the group staying in place, except for Matthew, who caught up to Sully and rode by his side.
As they continued forward at a steady pace, the sound of the incoming hooves got louder, until Sully and Matthew could just start to make out the silhouettes of two riders on horses come into view.
"Sully?"
"Hank?" Sully questioned with a raised brow, taking in the man's long hair and distinct voice.
"Yeah, it's us," he replied, as both Sully and Matthew breathed a sigh of relief.
It only took a few more seconds before the men came face-to-face, grouping together in the dark of the woods. "I was wondering when we might find you," Jake said, removing his hat and running a hand through his hair. He leaned in close and added in a low voice, "We found them."
"What?" Matthew exclaimed, trying to keep his voice low.
"Where are they?" Sully said in a similar tone.
Hank looked around them before responding. "They're east of Pueblo, they've already been through town."
"How do you know that?" Matthew asked.
"We'll tell you everything we know," said Jake, "Where's everybody else?"
"Just behind us, stay here, I'll get them." Sully turned back to get the rest of their group.
Michaela, Robert E, and Preston could only hear faint chimes of conversation happening ahead. They were silent, waiting nervously to figure out who it was. After a few minutes, Sully returned, a serious, yet hopeful look on his face. "It's Hank and Jake!" he whispered urgently, "They found them."
"What?" Michaela exclaimed. "Where?"
"They're going to fill us in on everything they know, c'mon."
They hurried and met back up with Jake, Hank, and Matthew, who were whispering a mile a minute. As everyone gathered around, they stepped down from their horses so they could talk quieter, huddled together.
Hank and Jake told everyone about their visit to Pueblo and their conversation with the sheriff. They described the location where they saw the men in the woods and that they were just about certain Andrew and Colleen were with them. In turn, Michaela told them about finding the broken wagon in the woods along with Colleen's hair ribbon. This is what everyone had been waiting for all day. They knew where Colleen and Andrew were, now they just had to come up with a plan to bring them home safely.
Author's Note: I'm back! I'm so, so sorry for the long wait. December was very busy with the holidays and I am also in the process of applying for new jobs, which is taking up a lot of my free time. But, I am back, and this story WILL continue! Just a heads up, the next several chapters will likely be coming out a little bit slower, but there definitely will not be as big of a break as there was between chapters 7 and 8. I hope you all enjoy this chapter, and I appreciate you all for following this story. :) Happy reading!