Because of Rebecca

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.

“Don’t worry about me, sir,” the driver said. “I can get along all right. You go after your wife. The smithy I saw this morning has horses for hire. You should get yourself a better horse there.”

“Thank you.” Jared tethered the horses to the post outside the building that displayed a doctor’s shingle. The sign on the building next door said Sheriff’s office, which made him happy. He could take care of his business in both easily.

The door opened and he heard laughter. Buford Hayes, an old West Point classmate, stepped out onto the boardwalk wearing a badge.

“Jared Hollingsworth. What brings you to my neck of the state?” He eyed the driver and his brow arched. “What’s going on here?”

“No time for pleasantries, Buford.” Jared helped the driver around the horses. “Two men abducted my wife because they mistook me for my cousin Rory. I have to get a horse and go after them.”

“Rufus and Amos?” a familiar voice asked, and the driver nearly slid from Jared’s grasp.

“Let’s get you to Doc’s, mister,” Buford interjected, sliding his arm around the driver and leading him to the office next door.

“What in the hell are you doing here, Rory?” Jared demanded. “Delaney’s on his way to Oak Hill to collect his money. I told him you were waiting for him.”

Rory grinned. “Nice to see you again too, Jared.”

“Why are you here?”

“I heard two men were looking for me and they were headed toward Memphis. After a day of cajoling, Mary finally told me you had followed Rebecca so I knew you were somewhere in the vicinity of where Rufus and Amos were last seen. Being the loveable bloke I am, I thought perhaps you could use my help. But if you’d prefer I deal with Delaney instead…I’ll just catch the afternoon train and go back to Jackson, leaving you to handle them.”

“Those two are more trouble than they’re worth,” Buford added as he rejoined them. “I’m going to lock them up for good this time.” He disappeared back into his office.

“You know Rufus and Amos are both harmless as long as they haven’t been drinking,” Rory called over his shoulder before looking back at Jared. “Had they been, Jared?”

“Harmless? If knocking our driver unconscious, holding us at gunpoint, and shooting at us when we tried to escape is what you call harmless I’d hate to see them dangerous. They abducted my wife, threatened to do her bodily harm in exchange for the money they want back, but you call them harmless. I don’t have time to chit chat about this. I have to find Rebecca.”

He turned to leave, but Rory grabbed his arm to stop him.

“Your wife?” He looked stunned. “Congratulations. When did this happen?”

“Last evening, before we left Memphis.” Jared took a jagged breath. “We have to find her, Rory. We have to find her and get back to Jackson before Delaney arrives. He can have the place if he wants it. I only want Rebecca back unharmed.”

“Lucky for you that won’t have to happen. I left the money with Mary to pay him when he calls.” Rory patted him on the back. “We’ll get Rebecca back. Don’t you worry.”

Buford returned with three shotguns. He handed one to each of them. “I think we’d best be going to find those rascals.”

“Is the driver going to be all right?” Jared asked.

Buford nodded. “He was talking to Doc when I left, so I wouldn’t worry. Good thing for Rufus and Amos. Kidnapping is bad enough without adding murder to their charge.” He turned to Rory. “How much did Rufus lose to you at the table?”

“Less than a hundred dollars, but he’d been winning up until I joined the game. I think this is more about a bruised ego than the money. The game was all fair and square. Judge Templeton can vouch for me. He was playing with us and lost three times that, but he wasn’t sore. He invited me to dinner the following night.”

Jared stared at Rory. His cousin had been playing cards with a circuit judge, was now spending time with a sheriff and according to Mawsy had worked for the Vigilante Committee for years. Rory had even come all this way to try to help Jared when he’d learned there could be trouble for him. This wasn’t the Rory he thought he knew. In fact, he was beginning to suspect he didn’t know his cousin at all.

“Are you coming, Jared?” Rory called as they headed down the boardwalk.

“Yeah.” He forced his feet to move again and hurried down the street behind them. They walked toward the livery and the smithy.

“How long has it been since they abducted Mrs. Hollingsworth?” Buford asked.

“I guess about an hour or more. Our carriage wheel had broken and our driver had returned with a new one when Rufus and Amos happened upon us and took Rebecca with them. In our haste to get moving, the driver and I rode bareback, not easy for horses only used to pulling a carriage.”

“Why were you and Rebecca traveling by carriage and not by train?” Rory asked. “If you had been none of this would have happened.”

Jared grimaced. “We wanted to get back to Oak Hill before Delaney, but we had missed the train and didn’t want to wait until today.”

“That means you had no wedding night.”

Jared glared at Rory. “No.”

Rory turned to Buford. “They had no wedding night. We have to find her.”

Buford’s lips twitched, threatening to turn into a full-blown grin. “You boys go get horses and I’ll check the train station in case they decide to hitch a ride.”

Jared’s heart sank. “Would they stow away?” he asked. “Even having Rebecca with them?”

Buford’s grin vanished. “Especially then. It would be the quickest way out of town. They tend to hop a ride whenever they can.”

He stepped off the boardwalk to head toward the train station, but sudden gunfire mingled with thunderous horses’ hooves stopped him. The three men turned toward the approaching noise.

In the distance a flash of blue sent a wave of relief blasting through Jared and his hands choked the shotgun. Rebecca. Thank God.

“It’s them,” he shouted. He ran into the street with Buford and Rory on his heels.

The commotion brought people pouring out of the shops lining the street. The horses raced by, but the riders slowed them and came back, stopping in front of the men. Rebecca sat in front of Rufus with a burlap sack over her head, her hands bound by a rope.

Jared gripped the gun tighter and found it difficult to breath.

“Are you going to give me the money now, Rory?” Rufus sneered. He yanked the sack off of Rebecca’s head and cupped her face with his hand. “Or do I get the pleasure of her company.”

Jared’s heart lurched. The sight of his beloved’shair unkempt from the sack and her face pale with fright, started a rage pounding behind his eyes. Only the thought of them not having a future together kept him from shooting the bastards who held her from their horses and damn the consequences.

“Let her go,” he demanded, raising the shotgun to his shoulder, grateful for His West Point training. It was all he could do to restrain himself from shooting Rufus off the horse.

Rory and Buford raised their weapons as well.

“Do what he says, Rufus,” Buford advised. “Judge Templeton will take your cooperation in this matter under advisement when he charges you both.”

“Uh, Rufus,” Amos said, his horse dancing in place.

“What is it now?” Rufus growled.

“There’s two of ’em.” Amos motioned with his head toward the grim faced Rory and the sheriff.

“What?” Rufus turned his head and seemed to see the other men for the first time. “This some kind of tom foolery?”

“Hello again, Rufus,” Rory said. “Now put the lady down off the horse, gentle like, and no one will get hurt.”

Rufus grunted. “Not until I get my money.”

“You want your money then you’ll have to let Rebecca go first.”

Rufus sat on the horse without moving for a long moment. “Fine,” he spat. “But if you try anything, I’ll shoot her in the back.” He shoved Rebecca off the horse, and she fell, landing on her hands and knees in the dirt.

The crowd gasped, and Jared tossed his gun to Rory. “Cover me,” he ordered as he closed the short distance to Rebecca.

He gently picked her up and led her away from her captors, tossing a direct order to his cousin over his shoulders. “Shoot them.”

Rory laughed.

Once they were safely across the street he took out his pocket knife and cut the rope away from her bound hands. “Did they hurt you?” he whispered against her hair, crushing her to him.

She shook her head and flung her arms around him. “No. But I’m so glad to be away from them. I want to go home. Please take me home, Jared. Take me to Oak Hill, now.”

He nodded and brushed kisses along her cheek and her neck, stopping at her ear. “Of course, darling. I’ll take you home as soon as the next train will get us there.”