Chapter 14
Dakota was fast asleep when Blade woke a couple of hours later.
Despite the previous night’s happenings, she looked at peace.
Killing somebody in cold blood wasn’t for the faint of heart.
He could handle it, but he was a little worried about Dakota.
She was strong and brave, but she had a good heart, and he didn’t want her to do anything she might regret.
Deciding that he would talk to her about it again later, he started a fire and untied the horses so that they could walk around and graze.
Dakota was worried that they would wander off, but Blade wasn’t concerned.
Africa was trained better than any other horse he had ever come across, and so was Riot.
Blade knew this because he had given Riot to Dakota, and he had helped her train him.
They hadn’t gotten much rest, so Blade left Dakota to sleep while he made their breakfast. They had some fresh bread and eggs that they had bought in Stanley the previous day, so he cut the bread, cooked the eggs, and then added some beans to their plates as well.
Once that was done, he put their last water in a pot to boil and woke Dakota.
“Something smells incredible,” she mumbled as she sat up and wiped her eyes.
“I made breakfast,” Blade said, unable to stop himself from smiling. She always looked so confused when she woke up in the morning. They had spent the night hiding at the ranch many times, and she always woke up with that same expression.
Dakota moved closer to the fire and took the plate he handed to her. “I’m so glad we got eggs.”
“Me too,” Blade agreed. “And surprisingly enough, not one of them broke.”
Dakota’s eyes lit up. “I told you they wouldn’t if we wrapped them.”
“You did,” Blade agreed. “And as usual, you were right.”
Dakota smiled at that, looking pleased with herself. It was true, though. Dakota was extremely clever.
When they were done eating, Blade and Dakota called the horses and then got on their way. Dakota wasn’t happy when she saw that Blade had untied the horses, but she didn’t complain much since they hadn’t strayed far and came immediately when called.
Their next target was Noah Henderson, who lived in Lincoln, Montana. It would take them a couple of days to get there, but since they bought supplies in Stanley, they wouldn’t have to stop at any towns along the way. They needed water, though, so that was Blade’s main priority.
It was about midday when they came across a river. They had spent the morning trekking through a forest, and they were both relieved when they heard the sound of flowing water.
“Finally!” Dakota half-yelled, her face lighting up. “I thought I was going to die of thirst.”
Blade laughed and shook his head. “You are so dramatic.”
“Dehydration is no laughing matter,” she scolded playfully.
“True, but I think we’re still a couple of days away from dying.”
Dakota frowned, the skin wrinkling between her eyes as she focused on him. “You have no way to prove that.”
“I do have personal experience in the matter, though,” he reminded her. “I once spent an entire day hiding out in a forest without anything to drink.”
“I actually remember that.” Dakota laughed, her frown turning into a happy smile.
“Not one of my best moments,” Blade admitted. “But we did catch the bandits.”
The sight of the water brought their conversation to a stop.
Without another word, Dakota jumped off Riot’s back and ran to the riverbank.
She was being extra dramatic on purpose, and Blade watched her with fascination.
She sank to her knees in front of the water and started to drink, using her hands to scoop up the water.
Deciding that it wasn’t a bad idea, Blade did the same. The water was cold and tasted refreshing.
Sitting back, Dakota splashed some of the water on her face. “We shouldn’t let this river go to waste.”
“I was thinking the same thing. I could really use a bath, but first we should wash our clothes.”
They spent the next couple of hours at the river. They could have been traveling, but they needed their clothes to dry, and for a little while, Blade allowed himself to relax. It was fun just letting loose and spending quality time with Dakota. He was lucky to have a friend like her.
By the time they were done, it was late afternoon, so they decided to camp next to the river. It was a good spot after all, and it wasn’t like they had any sort of timeline they had to follow.
The next morning brought with it dark clouds and a cold breeze.
As the day passed, the wind grew heavier, blowing the clouds and the possibility of rain away with it. Blade never minded the rain or thunderstorms, but he was grateful.
The last thing he wanted was to get stuck in a bad storm, although he was sure it was going to happen at some point.
It took them six days to get to Lincoln. It was a town much like any other, and like before, they changed into some clean clothes and made themselves look as presentable as possible before making their way through the streets.
It was around lunchtime when they arrived, so they decided to get some food at the local inn. They sat at a small table in the back corner of the establishment, watching people through the window as they passed by.
“So, Noah Henderson was the youngest of the men there that day?” Dakota asked as she took a sip of her lemonade.
Blade nodded. “Yeah, I can still remember being surprised to see him. He was only sixteen.”
Blade was almost eighteen and could clearly remember what it felt like to be sixteen. It was young, but old enough to know the difference between right and wrong. Being young was no excuse for what Noah did that day.
Even though Millie couldn’t talk, Blade knew that Noah was one of the men who had hurt her.
Blade had heard Noah brag about what he had done to her to the other men. The thought caused bile to rise in his throat, and he quickly pushed it away. He would allow the anger he felt toward Noah to resurface once they found him.
“The name sounds familiar,” Dakota stated. “But I can’t remember what he looked like.”
“I can, but since he was so young, his appearance could have changed a lot.”
“That’s what worries me.” Dakota sat back in her chair and tugged at a stray piece of hair. “How are we going to find him if we can’t recognize him?”
Blade shrugged. “I don’t know, but we will, and when we do, he’ll pay.”
Finding Noah proved to be a struggle. Blade and Dakota spent the entire day searching the town. They tried to be as discreet as possible but eventually had to resort to asking somebody.
“The barkeep at the saloon will know,” Blade stated, looking at the door as men entered and exited the place.
“Isn’t it too risky to ask?”
“They don’t know who I am,” Blade pointed out with a shrug. “And I don’t think we have much of a choice.”
Dakota chewed on her nail as she glanced up and down the road. “Okay, I’ll wait with the horses—just be careful.”
“Always am,” Blade lied, smiling as he tipped his hat and crossed the road.
The barkeeper was a short man with a big belly and a balding head. He smelled of alcohol and tobacco and had teeth that were so rotten they were hard to look at.
Despite his appearance, he was friendly and eager to tell Blade whatever he wanted to know.
After coming up with a rather convincing story in which Blade was Noah’s long-lost cousin, the barkeeper told him where he could find Noah.
“He lives in a trapper’s cabin on the outskirts of town,” Blade told Dakota as he mounted Africa. “The barkeep gave me directions.”
Dakota let out a deep breath, relief washing over her for a moment before being replaced with worry again. “He didn’t ask too many questions, did he?”
“Not at all.” Blade shook his head and gave Dakota a reassuring smile. “I gave him a fake name, told him I’m Noah’s cousin, and that was all he needed to tell me everything I wanted to know.”
“They’re going to know it was you when they find his body.”
Blade was aware of that fact, but it didn’t matter.
Even if the barkeeper, who appeared to be drunk, could remember what Blade looked like, nobody would ever be able to find him. Blade had given him a fake name and a fake story.
“Doesn’t matter. By the time they find him, we’ll be long gone.”