Chapter Thirty-One
Sally lay beside a small dying fire in the cave but her eyes had yet to close. Her mind whirled in desperation. She needed to escape. She wondered about Heath and Rachel and knew they must be worried sick.
The rumble of thunder came from beyond the cave and lightning occasionally lit up the interior. A storm was brewing. That was just dandy.
Her captors had gotten drunk on whiskey and were snoring fit to beat the band. She doubted much would wake them. If she was ever going to do something now was the time.
She again tried the rope that bound her arms and feet but it held fast. Glancing around, she spied a slender piece of wood that had fallen from the fire. The smoldering end of it would work if she didn’t burn herself in the bargain. She turned around and backed up to the fire, carefully feeling her way toward the burning ember.
At last she located the cool end of it and scooted back to her place against the wall. Holding the ember between her bound hands, she managed to get it angled just so. She kept it pressed to the rope and in minutes it had burned through releasing her hands. But not without burning her wrists. Small price to pay for freedom she decided.
She’d just started to work on the binding at her feet when a noise alerted her. She strained to see in the dim light.
A dark figure edged into the cave and inched toward her.
Was it another of the outlaws? She knew there was one more besides Charlie and Billy. They’d called him Frank. Yes, that was it.
The man was less than a foot away from her. She wielded the piece of wood like a club and struck his shoulder using all her weight.
“Ow!” He grabbed her hand. “Sally, it’s me.”
“Zeb?” She jerked her hand free.
“In the flesh.”
Billy snorted and turned over in his sleep.
“You have a lot of nerve showing up here,” she whispered furiously.
“I came to rescue you.”
“I don’t want anything to do with you or your kind. And for your information I don’t need rescuing. I’ve already gotten myself free.”
“I don’t blame you for being mad.”
“You’ve disappointed me at every turn,” she whispered back.
Charlie Ford mumbled something and sat up. Prickles ran up her spine. She quickly put her hands behind her and pretended they were still bound and held her breath. The man wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and lay back down.
Sally turned her attention back to the bindings on her feet. She pulled at the knots but couldn’t loosen them. Zeb silently reached into his boot. Drawing out a knife, he cut through the rope.
If she was in a forgiving mood, she’d thank him. But he could drop dead for all she cared.
He stood and helped her to her feet. “Come on.”
Shaking her head, she picked up a length of wood that had yet to be put on the flames. Drawing back, she whopped Charlie and Billy on the head as hard as she could.
“Does that make you feel better?” Zeb asked.
“It darn sure does.”
Zeb took her arm. “Come on. Let’s get out of here.”
Wrenching her arm from his grasp, she led the way from the cave. A short distance away, she stopped.
“You conniver, you may think freeing me from those outlaws’ clutches will win favors. In fact, I’ll never give you the time of day.”
Zeb hung his head. “Reckon I got that coming. You cain’t say anything that I ain’t already said to myself. But don’t the Good Book say that everyone deserves mercy if he just sees the errors of his ways and sets things to rights? Yours is a loving God, ain’t He?” He squinted up at her. “Leastways that’s what you always said.”
“What are you up to now?”
She was suspicious of anything that came from Zeb Thacker’s mouth. He was a master at saying what he knew people wanted to hear. She trusted him about as far as she could throw one of Heath’s bulls in a driving rain with one hand.
“I’m sayin’ I’ve changed. I took account of my life after Billy drug you off to the cave. I ain’t never done much I’ve been proud of. But being here with Rachel I realized I finally had a family. Never had one before and I finally knew what it was like to have someone care about my old hide.” He paused, meeting her stare.
“I swear, Zeb Thacker. What are you trying to pull?”
“I wouldn’t fault you for not believing.”
The bushes nearby rustled. The outlaws must’ve come to and found her gone. Sally whirled and took off running. In the darkness she didn’t see the hole until she stepped in it and went down. Searing pain shot up her leg.
Zeb knelt down beside her. “How bad is it? Can you stand?”
“I’ll try.”
He took her hand and gently pulled her to her feet. The minute she put her weight on it, she collapsed to the ground.
“It’s either broken or sprained bad.”
Zeb removed her high-topped shoe and tenderly felt her ankle. “I cain’t tell. I’d best get you somewhere so you can rest until daylight.”
“I thought I heard the outlaws coming.”
“It must’ve been a wild animal. Come on.”
Jagged lightning lit up the sky and the thunder rumbled.
“Thanks, Zeb. We need to find some shelter before this storm breaks. How far are we from Rachel’s?”
“Too far to make it in the dark. And unless I miss my guess we’ll soon be in the middle of a gullywasher.”
“Any ideas?”
He didn’t reply. He scanned their surroundings. Finally, he turned to her. “I think I know of something that might work. It’s an old trick we used once to hide from the posse.”
“Then I’m sure it’s a humdinger.” Sally hated the heavy dose of sarcasm that came from her mouth but she couldn’t help it. She wasn’t ready yet to make amends with him. For one thing she still wasn’t sure about this new leaf.
She watched as he cleared away some brush from an indentation in the rocky canyon wall. It was just large enough for two people to sit in it.
“Let me help you into this space. Once you’re in it, I’ll put the brush back over it and no one will be able to see you.”
Just then big fat raindrops fell splattering the ground.
“Where are you going to be?”
“I’ll find somewhere nearby.”
“There’s room enough for you in there with me.”
His face lit up. “Sure. I reckon if you want me that close to you.”
“Wouldn’t say it if I didn’t,” she grouched.
After all, the man had rescued her from the cave. It was the least she could do. Technically, she’d already gotten loose from her ropes. But it felt rather nice to have someone save her for a change, even if he really hadn’t.
Zeb helped her into the hiding place and crawled in beside her. Then he pulled the brush over them.
Sally patted his hand. “This is real nice, Zeb.”
“I’ll get you home tomorrow.”
She couldn’t see his face in the darkness but it felt nice to have him for company.
Outside Rachel’s door, the sky opened up and a deluge of rain pounded the roof.
Her thoughts turned to Heath and the doctor he’d gone to get. Eden was getting worse by the minute. Every time the fever returned Rachel bathed the babe in the tepid water. She didn’t rest. This was a life and death battle and this time she meant to win.
It must’ve been close to midnight when Jax leaped to his feet with the hackles on his neck bristling. He padded to the door and sniffed then began barking ferociously. Rachel’s heart jumped into her throat. She grabbed the rifle and pointed it at the door.
If someone was out there she wouldn’t hesitate to pull the trigger.
But it could be Sally.
“Who’s there?” she called.
The only answer was rumbling thunder like a wagon rolling over cobblestones.
Rachel licked her dry lips and tried to control her trembling. “Whoever is out there had better speak up,” she yelled. “I have a rifle and will shoot.”
Still no answer. Maybe it was the wind or an animal trying to escape the storm. Though Jax stopped barking, he didn’t return to the rug by the fire. Instead, he lay in front of the door with his ears raised, alert to any strange noise.
She wondered if Heath had reached Estacado and found the doctor. It would be miserable riding back in the pouring rain.
Eden seemed unusually quiet. Rachel put down the rifle and went to check on her.
Fear clutched her heart when she saw the infant.
Her mouth gaped open and she didn’t appear to be breathing.
“No! No!” Rachel lifted the limp body in her arms and held her to her chest.
Pray, she told herself. If ever she needed to it was now.
“Dear Heavenly Father, I’m a little rusty at this, but I hope you won’t hold that against me. Please reach down and hold this little baby in your hands. She hasn’t done anything to deserve this. She’s pure and innocent. You took her mother from her so she has no one but me. I need her. I have so much love to give her. Just give me a chance and let me pour out all the love I have. I beg you not to make her suffer for my faults.”
Rachel wiped away tears with the back of her hand. “It’s true I’ve been angry with you, Lord, and felt so forgotten and lost. But I understand things better now. If you’ll please let Eden live I’ll do my best to walk in the way you’d have me go. I’ll praise your name.” Then she added, “And God, if I’m allowed extra, please watch over Heath.”