Chapter 8
The sun was dipping westward, and Alice was worried.
Had something happened to Kyle and Michael in Cherryville?
Surely they should have been back ages ago.
She was really worried about Kyle. The idea of something happening to him, of him getting hurt again, upset her more than she thought it should.
Alice found she was quite agitated and couldn’t sit still for a moment.
Warren sent her to pace deep in a stand of trees where there was no chance of the bandits spotting her.
He needn’t have. As the day grew late, Chrissie went inside, and the Nose followed her. Then Alice saw the kitchen chimney giving off smoke, and she guessed that Chrissie was cooking dinner for all the men.
Then, when she couldn’t stand pacing any longer, she came back to Warren’s vantage point. He had hardly moved. He still sat on his log, watching the farm. It was amazing how focused he could stay for hours on end.
“Are you feeling any better?” he asked.
She shook her head as she took a seat. “I would feel better doing something.”
“We will soon,” Warren said. “Another three men came back not twenty minutes ago, and there are another three coming down the drive. That puts my total tally at sixteen men. That’s a lot to deal with, with only four of us.”
Alice nodded. She watched as a man with wavy blond hair dismounted from a horse. By the way men came streaming from the house to take his horse and speak to him, she guessed he was their leader.
The man went in through the back door, and then things around the farm became much less busy. The men took the horse to the barn and most likely rubbed it down and fed it, and then went back to the house.
“I’m guessing that now that their leader is here, they won’t be outside as much,” Alice said.
“It’s never wise to assume,” Warren said. “You never know what someone might do.”
But it seemed that Alice was correct, and no one came back out of the house as the sun started to set.
When she finally heard the cart approaching, Alice was annoyed.
She had spent a large portion of the day being worried and feeling useless.
Only when Warren pointed out that it might not be Kyle and Michael returning did she consider not standing in the road, ready to give Kyle a good stern talking to.
Then she realized that she couldn’t do that anyway. Kyle didn’t belong to her. He didn’t have to come back for her. He didn’t have to do anything that involved her at all. That thought left her feeling strangely hollow and unhappy.
And then Kyle and Michael were there. They slid down from the seat and came over to her and Warren.
“I’m sorry we took so long,” Kyle said. “But we have news for you.”
“We have news too,” Alice said, striding over to him. When she reached him, she wasn’t sure what to do and awkwardly patted his shoulder. “Glad you’re back.” It was weak, and she knew it, but she’d panicked a little. Okay, maybe a lot.
She was very relieved to see Kyle in one piece, and that both made her happy and angry for some reason she couldn’t explain. Was it because she liked him and wasn’t sure how she wanted this to progress? Alice wasn’t sure, and this wasn’t really the place or time to puzzle such things out.
“We should go,” Kyle said. “While we still have some light.”
“Yes, it will be easier to navigate once we’re on the road,” Michael said.
The men began to climb into the cart, but Alice was more than a little reluctant to leave her sister.
“Will we come back here?” she asked.
“Of course,” Kyle said. “And we’ll be better prepared.”
“Okay,” she said without much conviction.
They drove down the hill toward the track that would eventually lead to the main road.
Alice couldn’t help but feel sad as they drove away.
In her mind she had seen herself and Chrissie leaving the place together.
Despite all that had happened, she still felt they should be leaving together now. Clearly, that wasn’t in the cards.
“Sorry it took us so long to get here,” Kyle said, shifting to get comfortable beside her. “We had to ride some of the way to Alberton, which is in the wrong direction.”
“Yes, the bandits accompanied us some of the way,” Michael said with a shake of his head. “They are thorough.”
“So, we had to go that way and then double back to make sure that the story we concocted in town was believed. We told them we were just some travelers passing through on our way to Alberton,” Kyle said.
“That took a while because there was nowhere to turn and head back this way where they wouldn’t see us. We had to be sneaky.”
“We were, and we brought you some food.” Michael handed Alice a little package wrapped in waxed paper. “I’ll bet you’ll feel better after having something to eat.”
“Sandwiches were all we could find that would travel well,” Kyle said apologetically.
“It’s fine,” Warren said, taking a sandwich from Michael.
“Yes, thanks,” Alice said, unwrapping her meal. She was famished and hastily bit into the bread. It was good, and as she chewed, she started to feel remarkably better.
“Do you want to talk about what we found out now?” Warren asked, wolfing down his food before the others had almost even started eating. “We have information for you too.”
“Yes, we can talk,” Michael said from the driver’s seat beside Warren. “It will be good to get an idea of what we’re dealing with.”
Warren told Michael and Kyle what they had found out—how the bandits living at the farm said they would be leaving soon and how many they had counted. The final tally had been twenty-two.
“Chrissie seems to believe them,” Warren commented. “She doesn’t seem to have any doubts that they will be gone soon.”
“That’s odd,” Kyle said. “The bandits told the saloon owner we met the same thing. In a week or so, they said they would be gone.”
“Only there’s something wrong with that,” Michael said somberly. “They’ve let the people see their faces and know their names. That gave us the feeling that the bandits aren’t planning to leave people alive when they go.”
“That’s horrible!” Alice cried, the sandwich turning to sawdust in her mouth. “Why would they do that?”
“Too many witnesses and too many wagging tongues,” Warren said. “It sounds like they haven’t been careful to hide.”
“But if they leave and never come back, then so what if folks talk? There are a lot of places they could go and never be found,” Alice insisted. Why, oh why, had she and Chrissie ever ventured west?
“That would mean they’d have to trust a whole lot of people not to run to the sheriff,” Kyle said. “And for the sheriff not to run to the marshals and so on.”
“The bandits would want some guarantees that folks would stay silent,” Michael said. “And there aren’t any. I don’t even know if we could count on the town for help. They’re scared, and there don’t seem to be sufficient townsfolk who are brave enough to rise up.”
“Yes, it’s kind of a gamble,” Kyle said. “The folks in town are divided between those who want to talk and get rid of the bandits and those who believe, naively, that the bandits will eventually leave them in peace.”
It sounded ridiculous to Alice. Why would someone agree to live with a bootheel to their throat?
“So, there’s no hope?” she demanded. “But?—”
“There is,” Kyle interrupted gently. “We need to speak to the sheriff in Grunnersberg and get him to talk to other sheriffs in the area. Then, with our information and their backup, we should be able to deal with these men. The sheriff most likely has several volunteers he can call on. The other sheriffs will also have posse volunteers they use from time to time. We’ll have much better odds of coming out on top if we wait for them. ”
Alice looked at him. She could see him dimly in the fading light. He was smiling. He always seemed to be, no matter the circumstances, she thought vaguely.
“So, it’s just a numbers game?” she asked.
“Yes,” Warren said. “Numbers and guns.”
“Don’t worry, Alice, we will help your sister,” Kyle promised her again.
Alice knew she should feel relieved, and she really wanted to. This morning, she hadn’t known anything about Chrissie’s situation. She hadn’t even known if she was dead or alive.
However, knowing that Chrissie was being held hostage on a farm did little to calm her fears. There was no relief to be had knowing that her sister was cooking and cleaning for a bunch of thugs.
The others were talking about strategies, and Warren was ruminating about how many men they would need to take on such a formidable gang of bandits. Alice listened with half an ear as, around them, the light faded, and the stars came out.
They twinkled and glinted in the sky like little chips of quartz on black velvet. It was lovely to see, a powerful reminder of God’s almighty hand, and Alice calmed down a bit. Being all wound up wasn’t going to help anyone.
“You’re very quiet,” Kyle said softly.
“I was just trying to calm down,” Alice said. “I got a little too wound up there, and it wasn’t going to help at all. Hysterical women aren’t much good in a crisis.”
“Have you ever been a hysterical woman?” Kyle asked dubiously. “If you have, it must have been a long time ago. You’ve handled this whole situation with Chrissie really well.” He grinned, and she could see the glint of his teeth in the light of a lantern on a pole on the cart.
“Thanks,” she said and smiled too. Impulsively, she took his big, callused hand and gave it a squeeze. “You’ve been very kind, offering to put yourself and your friends in harm’s way for me and Chrissie even though you don’t know either of us at all. That’s really something.”
“Funny. It feels like I know you rather well,” he said. “And I think you’re worth a little danger.”
Alice flushed, but before she could think of something to reply, they rode into Grunnersberg.
The whole place had a deserted air about it, though the stables still had lights on.
They stopped there, turning in the horse and cart.
The owner, Klaus, wasn’t there to meet them, but one of his grooms was.
The man inspected the horse and cart, and clearly finding everything in good condition, he waved them off.
Heading back to the saloon, Alice’s heart lifted. It was a kind of home, and after the day she’d had, any home was good.
The moment she walked through the door, though, she found chaos had taken over the bar. There were people everywhere, and Mr. and Mrs. Benson looked red-faced and run off their feet.
“Gracious!” Alice exclaimed. “What’s going on?”
“Oh, thank goodness you’re back!” Mrs. Benson exclaimed, hugging Alice, which surprised her. “Ben Mercer, one of the local big farmers, just gave all his men a bonus for something, and they’re all here, spending it!”
Alice looked around at the men. They had that newly scrubbed look of folks who had come to town for a good night out and were planning to make a full experience of it. They were lining the bar three deep, all yelling at Mr. Benson at once.
“He employs all of them?” Alice asked, shocked. How could one farm need so many men?
“No, they brought friends!” Mrs. Benson yelled over the cacophony.
“Can we help?” Kyle asked.
“Would you be willing to?” Mrs. Benson asked.
“Of course,” Michael said.
“Wonderful.” She heaved a sigh of relief. “You’re an answer to a prayer, let me tell you. Now. Who’s any good behind the bar?”
As it turned out, only Alice and Kyle had any experience tending the bar. So, they were instantly installed there. Warren and Michael helped to clear tables, and soon the chaos calmed to something a lot more manageable.
“We should have a saloon in Unity,” Kyle said with a smile and a chuckle. “I think folks would like that.”
“And a theater,” Warren said as he dropped off more clean glasses that he’d scrubbed in the kitchen. “I think folks would love a good show now and then.”
“A theater? And who would perform in it?” Michael asked.
“If you build one, artists will come,” Warren insisted.
For the next few hours, Alice worked with Mr. Benson and Kyle, pouring drinks and making change, running tabs, and, of course, constantly cleaning up.
Kyle was proficient behind the bar. He effortlessly started conversations, made jokes, and generally entertained the men.
They seemed to have a wonderful time with him, and he was visibly enjoying himself as well.
He acted as though everyone he met was a longtime friend, and his general attitude was so welcoming that, soon, angry voices turned happy.
“And you, little darling?” one man drawled at Alice. “What’s a nice place like this doing in a girl like you?” He frowned, possibly picking up on his error.
Alice had no idea what to say. “I happen to think this is a fine place,” she said, holding the man’s glassy gaze. He had clearly had more than enough to drink. It wouldn’t be long before he was passed out in a corner somewhere. It was that kind of night.
“It’s a mighty fine place,” Kyle said, stepping up beside her. “And Alice is a mighty fine lady, so mind your manners, Jeff.” He wagged an admonishing finger.
Clearly they had been talking earlier because Jeff smiled broadly at Kyle and tried to grab him from behind the bar. This caused a little trouble as Jeff was determined to hug Kyle. Looked like he was the type to get sappy and sentimental when the booze was flowing.
“You’re a good man, Ky,” Jeff said, swallowing the rest of Kyle’s name. “You’re a real good guy. A real real real g-g good one. “
“You’re a good fellow too, Jeff,” Kyle said, patting him on the shoulder. “Now, how about you go back to your game? I can see Mitchell there is looking at your cards.”
“What?” Jeff demanded in outrage. He turned and sloshed his beer all over his arm and sleeve. A good deal of it landed on the bar and the floor as he rushed to his table to yell at his friend for cheating.
“It’s probably better that he spilled most of that, isn’t it?” Alice commented.
Kyle nodded. “Yes, I think it’s safe to say that. He’s had more than enough, even though I started watering his beer down about three pints ago.”
“He hasn’t noticed,” Alice said.
“I know,” Kyle said with a laugh. “But then, drunk men hardly ever notice anything.”
“You didn’t have to come swooping in to save me, you know,” Alice said, smiling. But she had quite liked the way he did it. He hadn’t made her feel like he was being overprotective, just cautious. It was nice to have someone looking out for her.
“I had no doubt you could take care of yourself,” he said. “But sometimes it helps to have a friend on hand.”
Looking at the table, it seemed clear that Jeff and Mitchell were not feeling terribly friendly toward each other.
“Oh dear,” Kyle said as Warren and Michael went swooping in to break up the shouting men.