Chapter 31
Saturday dawned a beautiful
morning. The sun shone its bright rays upon the earth and there wasn’t a
cloud in the sky. The children were eager to finish chores and go
outside.
“Mr. O’Neal,” Isaac asked. “Can you
take us on a ride?”
Paul thought for a moment. “Who all
wants to go?”
“Everyone except Danielle and
Elsie. They’re going to the Cories' to pick up some canned goods.”
Well … Kenny can ride Thunder,
you and Megan can ride Strawberry, Cassandra and Lynn could ride Ruth,
I’ll ride Midnight, and Faith and Nadia could ride Esther.”
Isaac grinned, “You’ll take
us?”
“I need to ask Lillian first.” Paul
found Lillian in the bedroom. He sat down on the bed and beckoned to her.
Lillian sat down beside him.
“What’s on your mind?”
“The kids want to go for a ride but
I don’t know if I should go and leave you here all alone.”
“Paul, it’s been three days.
Those bank robbers are long gone. Plus, what are the chances of them
coming by here?”
Paul shrugged, “You just never
know.”
Lillian kissed him on the cheek.
“Go on; let them have some fun. It’s such a nice day outside.”
Paul consented and told the
children. They cheered loudly as they found their jackets, hats, and
shoes.
“Remember,
listen to your Pa,” Lillian instructed as she helped Nadia into her
jacket.
“We will!” the
group chorused.
“You’ve told us
a million times,” Kenny pointed out.
Lillian smiled
and ruffled his hair, “It never hurts to remind you again.” She handed a bag
full of sandwiches and apples to Faith. “Here are your lunches.”
The girls and boys trekked out to
the barn to get the horses. Elsie said a hurried goodbye to Lillian.
Danielle walked
past Lillian. “Do I have to go?” She wished she could just stay in her
room all day, but she knew Lillian wouldn’t let that happen.
Lillian gave
her daughter a smile. “It will do you good.”
“C’mon,
Danielle!” Elsie shouted.
Danielle caught
up with Elsie and they began down the road to the Cories.
“Have a good
time!” Lillian called.
“We will!” Elsie
called back.
Lillian waved as they disappeared.
She returned into the house and began sewing a new shirt for Oakley. Oakley
played with his toys on the floor beside her. Lillian quietly hummed
to herself as she worked her needle through the fabric.
~~~
The morning passed quickly while
Lillian diligently worked on Oakley’s shirt. Right before the clock struck
noon, Lillian rose to prepare some lunch for herself and Oakley.
“It’s time to eat, Oakley.” Lillian
set the sandwiches on the table and bent down to pick up her son. Oakley
reached out his hands to his mother and she welcomed him into her arms
with a kiss. “Let’s eat,” she said as she set him in his chair. Lillian sat
down in her own chair and was bowing her head when she was interrupted.
The sound of speeding hoofbeats thudded on the ground.
“They must have come home early.” Lillian
left the table and peeked out the living room window to see who had
come home. From her view she could only see three weary horses. “Who could that
be?” she wondered.
The door suddenly burst open and
three men leaped inside. Lillian backed away from the door with a cry of surprise.
The men looked just as surprised as Lillian.
“You!” the first man barked, “over
there.” He pointed at the couch.
Lillian hurried to obey him.
The men were alike in stature and
all three had holsters on their hips. The first man had a dirty black hat atop
rusty blonde hair. He had a day’s worth of scruff layering his chin and jaw.
His eyes were small and gray and he seemed very fidgety.
The
second man had shaggy brown hair. He too had a black hat sitting on his head
that shaded a pair of green eyes. He had a thick goatee framing his twisted
mouth. He looked angry and mean.
The last man was old and tired
looking. His gray hair and long bear were sticking out in every direction. His
tiny eyes were hidden by the wrinkles in his face. He was panting in loud
breaths and mopping his wet forehead.
The first man turned to the old
man. “Louis, go tie up the horses behind the cabin.”
The old man trudged outside.
“Jeff, you search the house.”
The brown haired man seized his gun
and darted into the bedroom.
“You just sit tight,” the first man
said to Lillian.
Lillian didn’t say a word. She
silently pleaded for Paul to hurry home.
Jeff searched the cabin in a jiffy.
He came back to the sitting room. “No one in the rooms, Chad,” he told the
first man.
“Did you check over in the
kitchen?” Chad replied not taking his eyes off Lillian.
Jeff stalked into the kitchen and
cursed an exclamation. Within seconds he was back in the room. “Look at
this!”
Chad looked over to see Jeff’s
find. “A child!” he gaped.
Lillian glanced over to see Oakley
dangling from Jeff’s big hands. Oakley began howling and trying to get
free.
“Let him go!” Lillian cried.
“Do you know what this
means?” Jeff said, ignoring Lillian.
“Yes!” Chad said impatiently. He
looked back at Lillian; his tall frame towered over her. “Where is your
husband?”
Lillian shuddered inwardly with
fear. “He isn’t here.”
“Then where is he?!” Jeff yelled.
“Tell us or the kid goes!” Jeff cocked his gun.
“No!” Lillian gasped.
“Jeff!” Chad hissed, “That’s no way
to act.”
“Look, the posse has been searchin’
three days now. They’re bound to find us any time now.” Oakley let loose
another cry and Jeff clamped his hand over Oakley’s mouth. “This kid won’t shut
up!”
“Please, let me have him. I can
keep him quiet; I promise.” Lillian held out her hands.
“No.”
“Hold up, Jeff. He’s her kid, she
can probably shut him up.” Chad scratched his blonde hair. “Give him to
her.”
Jeff roughly shoved Oakley into
Lillian’s waiting arms. Lillian cradled her son in her arms and smothered his
cries into her shoulder.
“Now what?” Jeff looked to Chad for
an answer.
Louis returned inside. “I’m
hungry,” he mumbled in a wheezy voice.
“You two go fetch some grub while I
sit here and think a while,” Chad motioned his comrades to go.
Jeff and Louis walked to the
kitchen together and eagerly devoured the sandwiches Lillian had prepared for
herself. Chad took a seat on Paul’s chair and ordered Lillian to sit on the
sofa. Chad drummed his fingers on the stock of his shotgun and his face crumpled
in deep thought.
“Chad,” Jeff spoke up, “why don’t
we just hold up here?”
“Like sitting ducks? I don’t think
so!”
“But he has a point, Chad,” Louis
stood up for Jeff. “There is a lot of land around here.
Chances are, the man of this house will come before the
posse comes.”
“We can hold these two hostage and
make out with a ransom sum,” Jeff finished.
Chad rubbed the stubble on his
chin. “Sounds like a decent plan…we do have food and shelter here.”
“Exactly!” the other two men
agreed. They finished eating and gathered in the sitting room smoking and
laughing together. Lillian prayed fervently while rocking Oakley.
The men were in the middle of a
poker game when hoofbeats echoed outside. Jeff flew to the door in two giant
steps.
“Two girls. A big one and a small
one.”
Chad grabbed Lillian and dragged
her over to the window. “Recognize them?”
Lillian saw Cassandra and Lynn walk
into the barn with Ruth. “My daughters…”
“You let them in nice and easy.
Don’t let them know we’re here. Or else…” Jeff jerked Oakley from Lillian’s
grasp and nestled his gun near the boy’s head.
“I will,” Lillian nodded quickly.
“Don’t hurt him.” Lillian opened the door when her girls came out of the barn.
“What are you girls doing home so early?”
“Ruth spooked when we were crossing
the river and we fell off!” Cassandra explained.
“Now we’re soaking wet!” Lynn
added.
Lillian reluctantly beckoned her
daughters inside. The wet girls pushed past Lillian and inside. They didn’t
make it far before they were startled by the three men.
“Over here!” Chad demanded.
Lynn trembled violently but rushed
to obey Chad. Cassandra was so frightened that she fainted right on the
floor.
“Cassandra!” Lillian dropped to the
ground beside Cassandra and looked at her with concern.
“Jeff, move her to the couch,” Chad
ordered.
Jeff squatted down and pulled
Cassandra into his arms and deposited her on the couch.
“Louis, fetch her a glass of
water,” Chad added.
Louis stood up from his chair and
brought Cassandra a cup of water. Lillian knelt beside Cassandra and managed to
revive the girl. Lillian handed Cassandra the glass of water and Cassandra
slowly drank it.
“Now we have four hostages!” Louis
moaned to Chad. “If we get caught—”
“We ain’t gonna get caught!” Chad
cut in.
“We better not,” Jeff said in a low
tone.
“Shut yer face!”
Jeff replied with a string of
insults and curses and Chad rallied again.
Lynn fluttered to Lillian like a
frightened chick.
Lillian hugged the wet girl
close to her with one hand and held Oakley in the other. As the men
continued ranting and yelling at each other, Lillian did her best to cover
Lynn’s ears. Cassandra sat on the couch watching the men with fearful
eyes.
“Just stay close to me, honey,”
Lillian told Lynn. “You too, Cassandra.”
Cassandra nodded her wet head and
looked over at the yelling men.
Louis finally broke the fight. “Cut
it out, you two. We’ll just hold up in here until the man comes home. Even if
the posse gets here first, we can still get away by using the hostages.”
Chad and Jeff stopped yelling and
calmed down. Jeff sat down and worked on whittling a stick he had. Chad made
his way over to Lillian. He pushed Lynn away from her and handed Oakley to
Cassandra.
“What’s yer name, lady?”
Lillian didn’t answer.
Chad grabbed Lillian’s wrist. “I
asked you a question.”
Lillian winced at the tight grip
around her wrist. “I don’t have to tell you anything. Leave us alone!”
Chad slapped Lillian across the
face.
Lynn screamed and Oakley began
crying.
“Ain’t no woman gonna talk to me
like that! You need to learn some respect.” Chad raised his hand to slap
her again but he suddenly froze. Chad’s eyes were staring out
the window. “Who is that?”
Lillian looked out the window and
saw Danielle coming up the road. The young woman was walking quickly toward the
house. “My other daughter,” Lillian whispered.
“Another?!” Chad cursed under his
breath. “Let her in just like the others … no tricks. Understand?”
Lillian walked stiffly toward the
door. She opened the door once Danielle neared the house. “What are you doing
here?”
Danielle sighed, “I just want to
stay home today. I can’t stop thinking about Eric.”
Lillian suddenly had an idea.
It was risky … but it could work. She opened her arms and pulled Danielle into
a hug. In a suddenly overly sympathetic and loud voice Lillian said,
“Oh honey, I’m so sorry! I know you must be feeling awful!”
Danielle stood there awkwardly. “Um
… Ma?”
Lillian leaned close to Danielle
until her mouth was right against Danielle’s ear. “Run away and find Paul.
Now!”
Danielle lowered her voice.
“What?”
“Just go—quickly!” Lillian hissed as she pushed Danielle away.
Danielle sent a
quizzical glance Lillian's way as she started jogging away from the house.
Chad suddenly raced outside beside
Lillian. “Stop that girl!” he yelled to Jeff and Louis.
The other two ran out and aimed their guns at Danielle. The bullets whistled past just inches from Danielle and hit
the barn. Danielle screamed in fright and dove into the bushes.
“Don't hurt her!” Lillian
cried, instantly regretting her plan. She grabbed Chad's arm and begged him to call off his henchmen.
Chad's wrath boiled over. “I
said no tricks!” He took the stock of his gun and cracked it against the
side of Lillian’s head. She screamed and crumpled to the floor. A trail of
blood trickled down the side of her head.
