Ben was standing outside of the telegram office, waiting on his oldest son. His mind was still spinning. Was his middle son dead? Had Sam been kidnapped? What happened to Eddy? These,  and a million other, thoughts were going through his head. He shook his head as tears, once again, came to his eyes.

Adam walked out of the office holding a piece of paper. “I got the wire sent off to Sheriff Coffee.” Adam said, looking at his Pa. He understood the feelings that his father was going through. Adam had the same thoughts going through his own head. The only difference was, Adam was not one to show his emotions. He usually kept them locked inside. He, to, was wondering about his younger brother and what had happened to the Parker girls. But the only thing they could do was wait.

When Ben didn’t reply, Adam placed his hand on the older man’s shoulder. “C’mon, let’s go take Eddy’s horse to the livery and check out the Thunderbolt. When we get back we should have an answer.”

——————————————————————

Cal, Rooster and Billy were standing outside the cabin talking. “Tell me now what went down when you two knuckleheads got Sam back.” Cal said frowning. He was in love with Sam and didn’t want any complications for them or their wedding.

“Nothing,” Rooster stated sighing, “It was a clean get away.” He lied.

“Well, besides the ‘Big Man’. And then Eddy coming up on us.” Billy smiled.

“’Big Man’?” Cal asked, raising his voice, “What are you talking about, you polecat?” When neither man answered, he smacked Billy. “Spill!”

Rooster swallowed, “She was cuddling up to some big oaf. And well, the only way we could get her from him, was Billy had to shoot him. He was dead when we left, I swear.” Rooster back-peddled, Cal did have a way of making anyone squirm.

Cal sighed, “And no one was on your trail, right?”

“No, Cal. We swear.” Billy replied, “We high-tailed it out of there and covered our tracks. No one can track in a heavy rain.”

“Eddy obviously did.” Cal barked. “You better just pray that no one else did. I cannot afford for this to be messed up!”

————————————————————————

Back inside the cabin, Sam was awake now and sitting up on the bed. Her hands were still tied behind her back. She looked into the other room and she noticed movement coming from the couch.

She swung her feet over the side of bed and stood up. She made her way into the other room and that’s when she saw her younger sister trying to sit up on the couch. “Eddy!” she yelled. She ran over to the couch and knelt down beside it. “Eddy?”

Eddy groaned and winced as a pain shot through her head. “What happened?”

“Looks like you got yourself into the same mess as me.”

“Where are we?” Eddy asked, managing to right herself.

“I’m assuming Cal’s cabin. He’s outside with Billy and Rooster.”

Eddy remembered what had happened now. “Yeah, I came up on you out on the trail. Unfortunately, Billy got the better of me.”

“What about Joe?” Sam asked, worried that something bad had also happened to the youngest Cartwright. It was bad enough that Billy had… she shook the thoughts from her head as tears stung the back of her eyes.

“He wasn’t with me. After we found Ben and Adam and they told us about hearing you and Hoss…” Tears formed in Eddy’s eyes now as she remembered the heartbreak and devastation she witnessed on their faces.

Tears started to freely fall from Sam’s eyes now. She thought about Hoss lying on the deck, not moving. She couldn’t believe he was gone, not when things had been going so well between them. She had never met anyone like him before and she had hoped to get to know him better. Damn Cal! And Billy and Rooster! They did this. And they would all pay for what they had done.

Eddy watched the tears falling down her sister’s cheeks and if it hadn’t been for her hands being tied behind her back she would have reached out and pulled her into a hug. “Sam, is it true about Hoss?”

Sam took a shaky breath and nodded. “Billy…” Thinking about Billy made her angry. She would take great pleasure in seeing him hang. “He… he… shot Hoss in the head.”

Tears fell from Eddy’s own eyes now. “I never wanted… to believe it was true.”

“I still don’t want to believe it and I saw it happen. Just when things…” Sam stopped. She was getting choked up again. Just the thought of never seeing Hoss again, or hearing his boisterous laughter, or be able to talk to him. Never before had she ever felt so comfortable with someone. Well, other than Eddy or her family.

“When things, what?” Eddy asked.

“Just before everything went to hell, we kissed. But Billy tainted that memory.”

“Don’t let him!” Eddy stated angrily, thinking about that slimy snake. “Just keep the kiss in your memory. Not what happened after.”

“It’s not that easy. Just seeing Hoss lying there, so still, it almost seems surreal. Like it’s a nightmare I can’t seem to wake up from.”

Eddy understood. “Joe went back to be with him. That’s why I came on ahead alone. If you could have seen the heartbreak on his face…” Eddy thought about how hurt Joe had been when Adam had told them the news. She knew right then, the strong bond the two brothers shared.

Sam leaned forward and pressed her forehead to Eddy’s. It was as close as the sisters could get with their hands tied.

“They’re going to pay for all the devastation they’ve caused.” Eddy vowed. “We’ll make sure of it.”

————————————————

Hoss and Joe slowly made their way up the hill. Both were quiet as they crested the hill and saw Cal’s cabin. Both dismounted from their steads, pulled their rifles and slapped their horses butts to send them away.

Joe looked over at Hoss, “How do you want to do this, brother?”

Hoss shook his head, “I’m ready to tear that cabin apart, board by board.”

Both Cartwrights were in the same state of mind. Their only worry was that, what if the girls were not in there?

Hoss was at the point where he would tear Trinity apart to find Sam. Nothing was going to get in his way. He was in love with her. He knew that for sure now and he was going to take care of her. He failed once, thanks to Billy. Of course, he knew in his heart that it was not his fault. But he was going to make it right. He was going to get her back.

As the brothers hunkered down on the hill and watched the three men outside the cabin, Joe’s mind was on Eddy. They had become close in the short time they had spent together and he knew he had feelings for her. If she was inside that cabin with Sam he was just as determined as Hoss to do anything to get her back safely. Once they had them back, he would make sure to tell Eddy how he real felt about her. After what had happened in the last day he knew life was too short and he wouldn’t waste a precious moment with the people he loved. Loved? Yes, he knew now he loved Eddy and he would do anything to have a future with her.

Hoss watched the three men closely. “Think we can take them from here?”

“I’m willing to try.” Joe replied, aiming his rifle right at Billy.

Joe quickly looked at Hoss. Hoss aimed his rifle at Cal. The brothers glanced at each other and went to pull the trigger. Hoss fired his rifle and Cal dropped to the ground, unmoving.

When Joe pulled the trigger at the same time as Hoss his gun didn’t fire. A missfire. He tried again as Billy and Rooster dove into the cabin. Joe cursed, threw his rifle to the side and pulled his revolver from the holster on his hip.

Both Cartwright boys fired at the cabin as they ran down the hill.