Because of Rebecca(36)

“Not if I shoot you first.”

“Do it, Rufus.”

“You first.”

Jared could see the two gunmen were at a standoff, pointing their weapons at each other, and not paying attention to them. He grabbed Rebecca’s hand and urged her to step back. They slowly eased away from the duo until they could safely turn and run back to the carriage.

“Hey. They’re getting away,” Amos called.

“No, they’re not,” Rufus shouted, and he fired a shot from his gun.

It hit the side of the carriage, ricocheting off before they reached it.

Rebecca screamed and ducked low. Jared did the same, but he urged her to keep running.

“We’re going to get killed,” she cried.

“Not if I can help it.” Jared picked her up and shoved her inside the open carriage door. “Get down on the floor and stay there.” He slammed the door shut and safely slipped behind the carriage for cover, dodging another bullet.

He unfastened their bags from the back and took them with him as he rounded the other side and opened that door. He crouched down as a bullet hit the top of the carriage.

“Here, give me your hand,” he ordered as more shots were fired at them. She inched her way toward him and placed her hand in his. He helped her out, and they ran as fast as they could into the woods.

Besides firing random shots from their guns, Rufus and Amos hollered profanities at them as they ran from tree to tree. Finally, the gunshots stopped. But Jared and Rebecca didn’t stop running until the only sound they heard was that of their own feet hitting the ground.

Gasping for breath, they finally slowed near a stream. Jared laughed, dropping their bags and sat down on a large rock. He wiped sweat from his brow with his forearm and patted his leg for her to sit. Rebecca collapsed against him, he pulled her into his arms, and kissed her.

“I’ve never been more scared in all my life,” she murmured when he released her. “And I thought I was frightened on the train when I was taking Ruth to Memphis, but that was nothing compared to this.”

Jared held her close and kissed her temple. “Sh-h-h. Don’t fret. If we’re lucky they’ve ran out of bullets. I’d be pleased to find they foolishly shot one another.”

“I pray they’ve given up on finding us.”

He nodded, cupping her face with his hand. He kissed her again, parting her lips with his tongue, deepening the kiss. She sighed and melded her body to his, running her hand up and down his back. Her feathery touch sent tingles running along his spine, and he set her away from him before he lost control.

“What are we going to do?” she asked. “We have no idea where we are. We don’t even know in which direction to go.”

“We can circle back to the carriage. If Rufus and Amos aren’t there, we can change the wheel, check on the driver and if he’s alive, take him to the next town for help.”

“But what if they’re waiting for us to come back?”

“Then we’re back to where we were before we ran, trying to convince them I’m not Rory. Not that they believed me.”

She shook her head. “How have you put up with him all your life?”

Jared laughed. “When we were growing up he wasn’t so bad. It all started after his father died. Rory started drinking, gambling and whoring. And now that his mother has passed, well, there’s no stopping him.”

“Mawsy said Rory uses his gambling winnings to help the Vigilante Committee so at least he’s putting it to good use, even if it’s tainted money.”

“I still can’t wrap my mind around him working for an organization of that nature. He was never one to give a damn about how others felt; at least that is how I perceived him.”

“Maybe that’s what he wants others to believe. It’s a good disguise for what he really does.” Rebecca smiled.

“Come on. Let’s head back and see if we can get moving toward Grenada again. We might still be able to catch our train to Jackson.”

They walked until they came to where they could see the carriage. Jared left her and their bags to wait on a fallen tree and slowly inched closer, checking the area for signs of the duo. When he was certain they were gone, he turned back.

“I’m going to check on the driver and see if I can change the wheel. You stay here.”

“Okay.” Rebecca watched him leave, but being left alone, apprehension crawled up her spine as if she were being watched. She heard a twig snap and she jumped, turning around as the smell of Amos assaulted her nose. Everything went dark as he pulled a sack over her head. She tried to scream, but a hand was slapped over her mouth. She fought against her captor, but he had a strong hold on her.

“Got her.”

“Good.”

Rebecca tried to stomp Amos’ foot, but before she made contact she felt herself being lifted in the air and swung onto the back of a horse. Her bottom landed snug against one of her captures legs, the horn of the saddle jamming into her thigh. She squirmed trying to break free of his vice-grip hold as her hands were bound together.

“Now that should hold her,” Amos said, spitting.

“Let’s go,” Rufus ordered, his hot breath penetrating through the sack against her ear.

Rufus had her. At least he smelled better than Amos, but that didn’t make matters better. It was difficult to breathe with the sack over her head. Tears threatened her eyes and she blinked several times to keep them away. It wouldn’t do to give into her fear. Jared would save her.

The only problem was she had no idea in which direction they were taking her. She only hoped he heard the horses retreating and followed them.

“Let’s see if your husband cares about you enough to come after you.”





Chapter Twenty

Jared carried the wheel to the carriage and set it down. The thunder of horses’ hooves drew his attention away from his task and he turned to see two riders pass, wildly shooting their pistols in the air. For a second, he thought he saw the flash of blue in contrast to the riders’ brown clothing.

Rebecca’s dress was blue.

Rebecca!

He rushed around the carriage and back through the woods to the fallen tree where he’d left her hidden out of sight. She wasn’t there.

“Re-b-b-ecca!” Heart slamming against his ribs, Jared scanned the area, praying for the possibility of her coming through the trees. He choked back the bile rising in his throat at the thought of those vermin having his wife.

My wife. Rebecca is my wife.

They must have kidnapped her thinking he’d give up the money in exchange for her return. The only problem was he didn’t have the money to give them. And this far from home, there was no way for him to get his hands on that kind of money. Why couldn’t that idiot Rufus believe him about not being Rory? Did they really look that much alike?

He grabbed their luggage and ran back to the carriage to unhitch the horses. He didn’t want to think of what they might do to her. He recalled both Amos and Rufus’ taunts about having their way with her. The thought of either man touching her made his blood boil.

At his approach, the horses jerked back, shying away from him, eyes wide with their own fear. “Sh-h-h. No need to be frightened, fellas. I’m not going to hurt you,” he soothed, taking the reins and patting them.

“You need any help sir?” a wobbly voice asked.

Astonished, Jared looked up to see the driver staggering toward him. He ran to help him to the carriage.

“More importantly is how you are? You took a nasty hit on the head. Do you recall what happened?”

The driver sank to the nearby stump with his help. “The wheel broke just before dawn. I checked on you and your missus, but you were sleeping so I went for help. Luckily the town isn’t too far up the road and the smithy was already up by the time I got there. He had a wheel handy and I returned to change it, but that’s all I remember.”

“You were ambushed,” Jared explained. “The men who knocked you out took my wife. I’m going after them. Do you think you can ride back to town?”

“I’ll try.” The driver moved to stand, but had difficulty getting up. Jared helped him to his feet and onto the back of one of the horses. He climbed up behind him and led the other horse behind them.

The ride to the next town was short, but seemed an eternity. If he’d run in that direction with Rebecca instead of the other perhaps he wouldn’t be chasing after Rufus and Amos to get her back now. They had a good twenty minutes or more lead on him and by the time he found a doctor for the driver, notified the local sheriff and hired a good horse it would be even more.

The town of Grenada looked like most in Mississippi and was populated with people and businesses brought by the establishment of the train line. Buildings stood on either side of the street and he scanned the area for the one he sought. He nudged the horse to go further before stopping near a water troth and hitching post.