Chapter 20

Heath was the first one to return to the horses, looking up and down the while he waited for his brothers to return. He didn't have long to wait before he spotted Nick coming to join him and as he continued rubbing Charger's head, his older brother stopped beside him.

"Anythin'?" Nick questioned.

Heath shook his head. "You?"

"Nothin'." He replied, hands on his hips as he surveyed the street. "Sure hope Jarrod's had better luck."

"We'll, we're about to find out." Heath motioned with his head down the street, Jarrod emerging from The Golden Nugget. "Here he comes now."

Seeing his two brothers waiting for him, Jarrod hastened his steps slightly. "Mount up." He instructed urgently as he unwrapped Jingo's reins from around the rail. With Jeanie's information fresh in his mind he wanted to get them out of town before drawing much attention to themselves. More trouble was something that they certainly didn't need right at that moment. "I'll tell you on the way."

Wondering what was going on but knowing better than to question his older brother when he used that tone of voice, Nick untied his horse and was in the saddle a moment later. Jarrod and Heath both mounted up alongside him and turning their horses, headed back down the muddy street and out onto the road leading up into the mountains. The horses trotting steadily beneath them, Gold Springs was soon left far behind.

When he'd deemed they were far enough from town, Jarrod held up his arm to let them know he was stopping and he halted his horse.

"What was that about?" Heath questioned, Charger coming to a halt beside Jingo while Nick and Coco stopped opposite him. "Why the rush?"

"I gather you found Jeanie." Nick added. "Given our hasty exit, I reckon you've got somethin' to fill us in on."

Jarrod nodded. Armed with the knowledge he'd gotten from his conversation with the young saloon girl, he'd quickly come to realise they were dealing with someone far craftier, more cunning and dangerous then they'd crossed paths with in the past. "I found Jeanie and while I was there, found out enough information on this Alton fellow to
know we're gonna be in for a time of it. I've got no reason to doubt what she told me and he's by far one of the most dangerous men we've had the unfortunate business of dealing with."

"It's really that bad Jarrod?" Heath questioned with worry.

"It's that bad, I'm afraid." He affirmed. "Not only concerning Millie, but it's a lot deeper then just her. Alton is a real piece of work. Gold Spring's is one of the many towns in this region that he has by the throat If he or his henchmen knew we were in town, we wouldn't have made it out alive. He's got folks in that town terrified of him."

"Where does that leave us with Millie?" Nick questioned gruffly. "That's all well and good to know Jarrod, but how does that help us find her? What'd Jeanie know about our lil one?"

"I'm getting to that, Nick. They came through town on Friday night, Jeanie saw her then. He was losing badly in a poker game and ended putting her up. He lost. Jeanie spared Millie, giving the man Alton had lost to her services instead. Millie, in return, gave her this to thank her." He withdrew the silver locket from his pocket to show them. "Jeanie happened to come across the picture of Millie in the newspaper a couple days later and as luck would have it, while she was cleaning up the Sheriff's office, she found Fred's notice and sent the telegram."

Frowning as he took a closer look at the locket he'd never really paid too much attention to in the past, Heath held his hand out for it. "Jarrod, may I see that?" Jarrod passed it to him and turning it over, he could see two undeniable letters inscribed on the bottom. L. T. Upon seeing those two letters, Heath felt like he'd been punched in the stomach and his fingers shaking slightly, he opened the locket.

Jarrod frowned. "Heath?"

Without replying, his younger brother handed the opened locket back to him and turned away. Looking down at the pictures inside, both of Jarrod's eyebrows raised at what he saw.

"Anyone care to fill me in?" Nick questioned, not getting what the big deal about the locket was. "We're wastin' time here."

"It would appear, brother Nick-" Jarrod started. "that this locket Millie gave Jeanie holds a picture of Heath's mother inside."

Nick was not at all expecting that to be his answer. "What? You've got to be jokin'-"

"I wish he were," Heath exclaimed as he turned back to his brothers. "because that's not all. Show him, Jarrod."

The locket exchanged hands from Heath to Jarrod then onto Nick. Upon receiving the locket, he shook his head in bewilderment. On one side was a photograph of Leah Thompson, on the other, a family portrait of her with a man and two children. One of them was distinctly his younger brother, guessing him to be around nine or ten at the time. It was the young girl sitting on the man's knee that caught his attention. She couldn't have been anymore then three years old but there was a distinct likeness between this girl and the young woman they knew... Slowly dawning on him what this might mean, he looked back up at his brother. "Heath…?"

Heath swallowed the lump that had risen in his throat before he tried to speak. "I um… I had a younger half sister once…" Nick handed him back the locket and he caressed it gently in his hand for a moment before looking back up at his brothers. "I was told she died but… I-I think Millie might be my sister, Matilda."

Silence fell.

"I... I thought..." Heath finally spoke up again, still unable to believe what he was seeing. The locket he held in his hand, as plain as day, had been his mothers. She'd been given it from her father for her sixteenth birthday and he'd remembered her wearing it when he was young. He'd never noticed when it had disappeared but now, here it was, and Millie had had it in her possession. How? Matilda was dead. It couldn't be. He shook his head, unable to put his thoughts into words.

"Jarrod... What now?" Nick wanted to know. "Where do we go from here?"

"Jeanie said Alton has a place in Alder, that's where she suspects he's taken her to." Jarrod replied. "Let's just hope that she's right and Millie is there."

"You've got to find her." Heath exclaimed fiercely as he closed the locket again and tucked it away into his vest pocket. "You and Nick find Millie and when you do, you give that son of a b**** who took her hell. I'm headin' to Strawberry. I've got some questions that need answerin'." Picking up Charger's reins, he spun the stallion around to go in the opposite direction.

"Heath-"

"Find her Jarrod!" He repeated over his shoulder as Charger jumped into a canter. "I'll meet you there."

Time had slipped on by as time does, how much time though had passed Millie hadn't a clue of as she laid in the dirt, chained to the corner of the shed where Cade had left her. Hours could have passed, days even, but there was no way of her knowing for certain just how long she'd been left lying here for. All she did know was that there was no escape. There was no escaping Cade and there was no one who was coming to rescue her.

There was no way out of this nightmare for her.

Everything had morphed into one pain filled blur since Cade had left her chained in the shed that morning he'd whipped her. She'd only seen him once since, he'd come back some time later to taunt and tease her but she'd been already too weak from blood loss and pain to care about him. He'd left soon afterwards when she didn't react to him and she'd been left alone since.

Left abandoned in the dirt and with nothing else to help pass the time by, Millie had a lot of it on her hands for thinking. Her thoughts tormented her relentlessly. Between the combined efforts of her thoughts and the pain, she had no rest. Her situation was desperate but there was nothing she could do about it. She had no food or water, nothing for her wounds and she was left completely at Cade's mercy. The only thing he had left for her was a bucket to use for 'nature's calling' and she guessed she should be grateful she'd been given that, even if she did barely have the strength to be able to use it. If Cade didn't return, that was it. She'd die here.

It wasn't a comforting thought.

Alone, with the prospect of death ahead of her, it gave her time for reflection. With everything she'd gone through, death would be a welcome way out of the pain but she had to admit, it hadn't all been bad. While she couldn't remember much of her young childhood, she did have a few good memories scattered here and there growing up. These past few months though, they had been the best of her life she'd ever had. The Barkleys had been so kind to her and she wished that she could have been able to thank them one last time. They could never know just how much what they had done for her meant to her. She'd finally found a place where she felt she could call home.

Home.

How desperately she wanted to be there.

If she couldn't be there in person, she could be there in her mind. The pain faded away when she was able to draw herself into happier times. Back to the ranch with the people who she'd come to trust and maybe, just maybe, had come to love also. She pretended she was back there, having reading lessons with Jarrod. They were working on a new book now, working through reading another book that Audra had brought for her. She was there with Nick and Heath, the two of them out working cattle on the ranges. With Audra, riding together, the wind in their hair as they raced their horses across the meadow.

But unfortunately, her fantasies could only last so long before she was dragged back into reality.

Maybe it all could have turned out differently for her if she'd dealt with things better. Maybe if she had been able to speak to Jarrod when she'd finally decided that he had to know and had been able to tell him what had been happening, maybe then she wouldn't have been lying here now. She'd made her choices though and there was no going back now. There were no chances for redoing life.

Her only regret in dying was all that she'd be leaving behind.

From time to time, in addition to thinking about the Barkleys when she was awake, Jack also entered her thoughts and she comforted herself by imagining what might have been. He was a nice boy, maybe if she'd been able to get to know him better they could have had something. Maybe that something could have turned into something more. Maybe they could have created a life together if they'd been given the opportunity. Maybe she would have been able to have the happy ending she'd wanted. A home, a husband who loved and cared for her, children; maybe it could have been all hers if only she'd been able to do things differently.

Now though, she'd never know for sure.

She'd die and be forgotten, that was just the way it was.

Not only did the Barkleys and Jack weigh on her mind but her brother was also in her thoughts. Maybe she should have tried looking for him. Maybe he was out there, alive. She might have been able to find him. Maybe they could have become a family again, just the two of them. Now, she'd never have the chance and if he were still alive, he'd never know what had happened to her if she died. Maybe in times past he'd tried looking for her but how could she know for certain? She couldn't.

In the company of maybes that filled her thoughts, there was one definitive; she was in a bad way.

A very bad way.

Already weakened from being shot, her body was struggling to cope with the added strain of being whipped. She hadn't had a chance to recover from the beating Cade had inflicted upon her Saturday night either and physically, she was a mess. Between the gunshot wound and the whipping, she'd lost more blood then was healthy for a body to loose. There wasn't an inch of her back that hadn't been torn and the dirt beneath her had been stained with life giving crimson before the bleeding had finally stopped. Without food and water to keep her strength up, she was slowly becoming weaker and weaker.

There was nothing she could do.

She'd never been this helpless in her entire life.

All she could do was lie there and wait.

Wait for Cade or death.

Whichever came first.

Unbeknownst to Millie, help was coming. She just had to hold on a little longer.

It was just after two when Jarrod and Nick finally arrived in Alder, having ridden their horses hard in order to get there as soon as they could. They had to find Millie. They had to find her now. Now, knowing that Millie might possibly be Heath's half-sister, the stakes had just been raised even higher. While Heath was off finding answers, which Jarrod hoped for his sake he was able to find, both he and Nick had the task of finding the girl. They just prayed they wouldn't be too late.

Looking around as they rode through town, the Barkley brothers made tracks to the Sheriff's office. Alder seemed to be much more civilized than Gold Springs was, having been around for a number of years before the new boom town had come into existence. From first appearances it seemed to be a nice little town but neither of them were paying it that much attention. They had more important matters at hand that needed to be taken care of.

Halting their horses at the hitching post in front of the Sheriff's office, both of them dismounted and secured their mounts before they headed inside. An older gentleman looked up from the book laid out on his desk as they came in, Nick closing the door behind themselves. "Can I help you gentlemen?" The grizzled, weather-beaten man questioned. "Name's Sheriff Ragan."

"I'm Jarrod Barkley and this is my brother Nick." Jarrod introduced. "And we hope you can help us. We're looking for a man who we've been told lives around here. Cade Alton."

Hearing that, Morris folded his arms across his chest. "I don't want no trouble in my town. What business have you with Alton?"

"Oh, you've already got trouble Mister, believe me." Nick interjected. "Trouble's already here and it ain't us-"

"Nick." Jarrod cut him off, turning back to the sheriff. "I believe that you would have recently received a telegram from a Sheriff Madden of Stockton, the telegram informing you of an abduction that had taken place with the request that you be on the lookout for a young woman."

Frowning, he wondered where exactly Cade fit into all this. "I did." He replied carefully as he eyed the two men in front of him closely. "If you are wondering if I've seen someone fitting the description of this Millie Anders, then I'm sorry. I haven't."

"I didn't expect that you would; however, we have legitimate reason to believe that Cade Alton is responsible for this young woman's abduction."

"And your interest in this matter is?"

"I'm currently her temporary custodian." Pulling the envelope containing his papers out from within his jacket pocket, Jarrod handed them over to him. "Millie was abducted from my home near Stockton almost two weeks ago. We received a telegram on Tuesday and that led us here."

Looking the documents over he was satisfied that they appeared to be official and he handed them back to him after a moment. "I'm sorry, I think your coming here may have been for nothing. Alton came through town Saturday, picked up a few supplies and headed back out of town. I haven't seen him since. He was alone, there was no girl with him."

"Are you sure?" Jarrod questioned, his heart sinking.

"Positive." Morris replied. "I do think you two gentlemen have been misled but seeing as I suspect you aren't the type to give up easily, I'll save you the trouble of asking around town. Alton lives on a ranch three miles South-west of here. You take the road South out of town and after a mile, you'll come to a crossroads. Turn right and follow it along till you come to the big oak tree. You turn left there and that'll take you to the ranch. Big white house, can't miss it. I don't want no trouble now though, you hear? If he hasn't got the girl, I want you two on your horses and gone from here. If he's got the girl…" He let out a heavy sigh. "I don't want either of you taking matters into your own hands. Understood?"

Jarrod nodded. "We understand. Thank you for your time, Sheriff."

With that, the two men left and Morris shook his head as he sat down again. If Cade Alton really had abducted that young woman, he'd picked the wrong kind of folks to mess with. He'd heard about the Stockton Barkleys and honestly, in this state, who hadn't heard of them? That lawyer, Jarrod, he'd earned himself quite the reputation over the years. He'd been honest when he'd told them that he hadn't seen the girl; he hadn't, but with the whispers he'd heard from time to time of Cade Alton, he wouldn't put it past him to pull something off like this.

Morris had been sheriff of Alder long before Cade had ever showed up in town. In times past he'd never been able to get anything solid to go on, they had only ever been rumors and given that Cade had never caused trouble when he'd come to town, he'd never been given cause to look twice at him. He only came to town every couple of weeks to gamble and he'd heard that he was good at it. There'd been one time where Cade had been playing poker with a gentleman who was found the next day, murdered and robbed of his winnings but he'd never been able to pin it on him and the murder had remained unsolved. Suspicion alone wasn't enough to jail someone on and he'd had to let it go.

Maybe this time around however, he'd actually be able to have something on him.

If the rumors he'd heard about him were true, he'd evaded justice long enough.

The two brothers rode out of town again, following the directions the Sheriff had given them. Pushing their horses hard they soon arrived at Cade's ranch. It was easy enough to find, just as the Sheriff had said it would be and riding into the ranch yard, they pulled their horses up at the hitching post in front of the house. Both of them looked around from their horses first before dismounting, tying their horses up while continuing to look around.

"Looks quiet." Nick remarked to his older brother. "You reckon he's here?"

"Only one way to find out." He replied as they walked up the stairs to the front door. "If he's as dangerous as we think he is, we're going to need to tread carefully. For Millie's sake."

Nick nodded in agreement.

Jarrod knocked on the door and they waited. Knocking again, there was still no answer. "Anyone home?" Silence. "Hello?"

"Doesn't appear like anyone's here." Nick remarked after a moment. "We gonna check inside?"

Drawing his gun, he nodded and his brother followed his lead. The door was unlocked and opening it slowly, the two of them entered into the foyer of the house. The house was silent, save for the ticking of the grandfather clock in the living room. The foyer and living room were clear, the two of them moving into the kitchen.

Still being cautious, Nick went over and touched the stove. "Stone cold." He reported back to Jarrod. "Mustn't have been lit for a couple days. He could have moved her anywhere by now." Returning his gun to its holster, he shook his head. "Damn Jarrod, we've got to find her!" He exclaimed with emotion. "If she really is Heath's half-sister…"

"I know Nick. I know."

"Should we check out upstairs?"

Jarrod nodded. "And if we find nothing, we check out the barn too. If he's had her here, there's got to be some sign of her being here. If we can find a trail or something…" His voice trailed off. "Millie! Millie, you in here sweetheart?"

Silence.

Nick swallowed. "I don't think she's here Jarrod."

"I don't think she is either. They're probably both long gone from here by now." He sighed. "I'll check upstairs. You keep looking around, see what you can find."

The stairs creaked as Jarrod made his way up to the second story, going first to the door nearest the staircase. The room was empty as he expected it would be, an ordinary bedroom with its furnishings. Moving on to the second, it appeared just as the first but as he entered the third room, it was vastly different. This room was bare except for a bed in the corner and as he turned to leave, something caught his eye that made him stop in his tracks.

Beside the bed an iron shackle had been anchored to the wall and when his eyes fell upon it, he felt sick to his stomach. This was obviously where the girl had been kept in the past but this seemed to be brand new. About to leave again, he noticed something lying on the floor near where the chain and cuff sat and going over to it, his heart skipped a beat.

Millie's hair ribbon.

So the girl had been here after all.

Kneeling, he picked it up, folding it through his fingers. She had been here. They'd been so close. They'd been so close to finding her.

Yet it appeared they were too late.

Nick was waiting at the bottom of the stairs for his brother to return, having finished looking through the house. Nothing appeared to be out of the ordinary, in fact, Cade Alton seemed to appreciate the finer things in life. The house was well kept and well furnished, speaking to the fact that this man appeared to be rather wealthy. Hearing his brother coming back down the stairs, he turned. "Anythin'? I've got nothin' down here."

"This was in one of the bedrooms." He replied, handing him what he'd found. "That was all."

Looking over the scrap of ribbon, Nick looked back up at his older brother. "Millie's?"

Jarrod nodded. "She was here."

"Damn…" He made a fist, the ribbon inside his hand. "We're too late. We were so close Jarrod…"

"Let's not give up that easily. We haven't checked out the barn yet."

"Come on Jarrod, you don't really think she's there, do you?"

Sighing heavily, he shook his head. "No. It doesn't look like anyone's been here for a couple days. In that time, they could be anywhere by now." He paused as Nick handed him back Millie's hair ribbon. "But we can't give up Nick."

Nick's features softened and he placed his hand on his older brother's shoulder. "It's not your fault Pappy. We will find her."

He nodded and after a moment, they left the house and went to check out the barn. Opening the door, they both looked inside. It appeared just as deserted as the house had been. Stepping in, there were signs that two horses had been here recently but again, it appeared that they had missed them by a couple days.

Shaking his head, Jarrod started back to the door they'd come through. "Come on. We'll head back to town. See if we can pick up a trail there."

Nick started following him when a faint sound caught his attention. "Wait…" He exclaimed as he stopped. "Did you hear that?"

Jarrod turned back, listened closely for a moment then shook his head. "I didn't hear anything."

"I could have sworn I heard somethin'… Sounded like it was coming from out there." He motioned to the back door of the barn. "Might be worth checkin' out."

Jarrod shrugged, not thinking it would be anything but followed him out the back door anyway. Around twenty-five yards behind the barn was a shed of sorts, probably used for storing wood or hay during its time. Now though it appeared old, beginning to fall apart and liable to collapse at the next strong breeze that came by. Though the shed appeared to have been left unused for quite some time, the door was closed with a chain and padlock securing it shut. Why bother to lock an old shed like that? He wondered.

"Anyone here?" Nick called as he looked around. "Millie? Is that you, lil one?"

There. There was the noise he'd heard earlier. It almost sounded like a chain rattling and it was coming from inside the shed. They both exchanged a look and hurried over, Jarrod reaching the door first. He grabbed hold of the padlock, finding it to be locked then found a crack in between the boards to peer through. "Oh my god…" He exclaimed with horror, covering his mouth with his hand. "Millie!"