Summary: Shelia Johnson, Little Joe Cartwright’s fianc\u00e9e, gets captured and held hostage by the Lassiters. A WHI for Five Sundowns to Sunup.<\/p>\n
Rating: T<\/p>\n
Word Count: 10,268<\/p>\n
To Live or To Die<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n (Chapter 1<\/em>) Milkmaid<\/span><\/p>\n I plop onto my little three-legged stool and push the wooden bucket under Alice\u2019s full udder. Reaching down, I continue my morning routine of milking. As soon as the first stream of milk echos off the empty bucket, Tommy slides up to me, his familiar purr rumbling in his chest. Even though I\u2019ve already given him a little bit of milk from each of the other four cows, he wants more just like he does every morning. Just as he rubs against my legs again and I\u2019m about to click my tongue so he\u2019ll turn to catch the milk, the barn door squeaks open behind me. I don\u2019t turn to look, I figure if it\u2019s Pa or my little brother Toby, they\u2019ll holler if they want something.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWell, if it isn\u2019t my little milkmaid hard at work.\u201d I\u2019d recognize that deep, manly voice anywhere but I purposely ignore it just to mess with him. I turn the teat in my right hand towards Tommy and squirt the milk at him, which he expertly catches in his mouth. A sudden thought crosses my mind, making a grin stretch across my face. Might as well play around with the man I hear as he walks closer to me, apparently not all too pleased with being ignored.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhy, Tommy, I didn\u2019t know you could talk! Is it something you picked up on your own or did Alice teach you?\u201d He licks his milky chops and slowly gives me a kitty wink but then a tan suede boot steps right onto his fluffy tail. It only takes a second for him to turn into a hissing and spitting orange flurry as he attacks the gray pant leg attached to the boot on his tail. Little Joe lets out a shriek as he tries to get the cat off him but Tommy stops the moment his tail\u2019s released. With a final hiss, he goes and sits in the far corner of Alice\u2019s stall to lick his injured tail. Joe bends down and pulls up his pant leg to inspect his shin, which thankfully was protected by his boot. His head turns and he looks at me with slightly panicked, wide eyes and I can\u2019t help the giggle that escapes my throat.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAll I did was accidentally step on his tail!\u201d He exclaims, his voice almost a squeak.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s a reason Tommy\u2019s known for being the most dramatic cat we\u2019ve ever had!\u201d Laughter spills out of me and it only pours out harder as Joe\u2019s face splits in that very familiar grin of his. After I wipe my eyes, I continue my milking as Joe plops down on the ground beside me. I glance over and say, \u201cIf you call him, I bet he\u2019ll come back over to you. Anyone who gives him a good scratch behind the ear is instantly his best friend. What are you doing out here today, anyhow? I thought you were working on the house.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI have been working on the house, it\u2019s actually almost done.\u201d He snaps his fingers at Tommy, who after giving him a suspicious look, shimmies over. Joe scratches him behind the ear and he melts into an orange ball of fluff as he begins to purr. Joe laughs, \u201cHey, I guess he does forgive easily!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI told you so.\u201d Finished milking Alice, I turn to face Joe and the purring cat. Joe looks up at me and I give him a sly grin, \u201cCan I see the house yet?\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThat, my little milkmaid, is a big fat no.\u201d He sits up on his knees and puts his right arm around my waist as he taps the top of my nose with his finger. \u201cYou know the deal, you can\u2019t see it until after the wedding.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cBut that\u2019s two weeks away.\u201d I push my bottom lip out in a slight pout and he just grins at me.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cPatience, love, patience.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s something I\u2019m running low on.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cMe, too.\u201d He moves his hand across my cheek and down the back of my neck as he pulls me closer. Our lips meet and as he deepens the kiss, his hand reaches into the back of my hair. The silky, white blonde strands slip towards my face and act like a curtain around us as he pulls out the blue ribbon I always have it tied back with. I move my hands up his back and feel Tommy squish himself between my bare feet and Joe\u2019s thighs, still wanting to be petted.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWell, if there ain\u2019t two love birds out here in the barn.\u201d Joe and I jump apart and turn in the direction of Toby\u2019s voice. He\u2019s standing in the barn doorway, arms crossed over his chest with a huge grin plastered on his face. \u201cI hope I wasn\u2019t interrupting anything.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cNo, Toby, I was just finishing up the milking.\u201d I reach out and grab my ribbon out of Joe\u2019s hand and hastily tie my hair back as he jumps to his feet. With my head tilted down slightly so I can pull the ribbon tight, I watch Joe\u2019s boot land on Tommy\u2019s tail again. Quickly before the cat has a chance to react, I shove it off with my foot. I snap my eyes shut and cringe as Joe knocks into the full buckets of milk behind him. Not hearing the slosh I expected and Toby\u2019s loud laugh instead, I open them again to see the milk safe in the buckets and Joe still on his feet.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI think it\u2019s best that I get the business I had with your Pa finished before I end up maiming your cat or spilling all your milk!\u201d Joe laughs as he helps me to my feet. \u201cWhere\u2019s your father at?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s in the house.\u201d Toby wipes his eyes and walks over to grab two of the buckets of milk. Joe snatches two of the three left, which leaves only one for me. I pick it up and follow them out of the barn and towards the house. Ma\u2019s face peeks out from behind the curtain on the window before it falls closed and the front door swings open for us.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cGood morning, Little Joe.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cMorning, Nancy.\u201d He nods at her as she takes the buckets from him.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhy, Joe, what brings you out here this morning?\u201d Pa asks as he walks over to shake his hand. I slip past them and put my bucket away with the others.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cMorning, sir.\u201d He takes off his hat and holds it at his waist. \u201cI came out here to talk to you, Denny. There\u2019s been quite a lot happening in town since you were there last and I wanted to warn you about it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAlright, come on over to the table and let Nancy pour you a cup of coffee.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThank you, but no. I\u2019ve already been here too long as it is.\u201d Toby lets out a short laugh but I quickly give him a sharp kick to the shin, which, thankfully, shuts him up fast. Joe glances over but continues, \u201cYou know the Lassiters, right?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYes.\u201d Pa replies as the rest of us answer with an echoing nod.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWell, earlier this week Harry Lassiter killed Major Sutcliffe\u2019s son. Sheriff Coffee arrested him and he went through a fair trial. Harry is sentenced to hang in five days.\u201d Joe\u2019s shoulders droop slightly as he sighs. \u201cMrs. Lassiter is furious and they\u2019ve already tried to break him out of jail once. Carver Lassiter shot Roy during that attempt so now Pa\u2019s taken his place while he recovers. Hoss and I are helping him out by being deputies alongside Johnny Maddock.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIs Roy going to be alright?\u201d Ma asks, her brows scrunched in worry over her light blue eyes that are identical to my own.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYeah, he\u2019s fine. The Doc told him to keep off his feet, so he\u2019s laying on a cot in his office; he\u2019s too stubborn to go home. But that\u2019s not all the Lassiter\u2019s have done.\u201d He pauses momentarily to rub the back of his neck before going on. \u201cThey captured Judge Simpson and are holding him hostage. Margie brought us the news and the note that Carver left. Mrs. Lassiter plans on taking another person each night at sundown until the day of the hanging. We\u2019re thinking the next four people will only be those who had something to do with the trial and verdict, but we aren\u2019t sure. Since you all are practically family with us Cartwright, it would be smart to watch your backs for the next five days. Well, at least until all of this is over.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhat does she plan on doing with the hostages on the fifth day?\u201d Pa asks.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cShe said that if Harry hangs, they\u2019ll hang, too.\u201d Silence falls heavily in the room as Little Joe\u2019s words sink in. I make eye contact with him and can practically see the worry seeping out those hazel green gems of his. I wish I could wipe every drop of it away so that his shoulders wouldn\u2019t droop slightly and that that look would disappear, but unfortunately I can\u2019t.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cHow\u2019s Margie?\u201d Toby\u2019s quietly spoken question breaks the solemn silence. Still watching Joe, I see his lips twitch like he\u2019s trying not to let himself smile. Both of us have noticed the spark of attraction between Margie Simpson and Toby, we\u2019ve even talked about ways to throw the two of them together.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWorried, as expected, but thankfully not hysterical. I walked her home before I came here and she told me to tell you hello.\u201d A goofy grin spreads across his face as Toby turns red in a rosy blush. Joe plops his hat back on his head, a sign he\u2019s about to leave, as he says, \u201cWell, I best be going now, I have to catch up to Hoss, Johnny, and the others; we\u2019re searching for the Lassiter\u2019s place. It was nice seeing you all this morning, I just wish my visit could\u2019ve been longer.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n With a final goodbye from everyone, I follow him as he walks out onto the porch. He pulls me close and gives me a slow kiss before resting his cheek against mine, \u201cI love you, Shelia, take care of yourself and stay safe, you hear?\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI love you, too.\u201d I whisper. \u201cYou know I\u2019ll watch my back until this whole crazy mess is over.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n He kisses me once more before he lets go and steps down off the porch. I watch him stride across the yard to where he left Cochise by the barn. He swing mounts into the saddle and looks over his shoulder as he throws me a wave. I wave back and lean against the porch railing as I stare at him until he\u2019s just a distant blur on the horizon.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n I hear a creak behind me and turn to see Ma\u2019s head peeking out the door, \u201cAre you ready to come help me make the butter now?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYeah, I\u2019m coming.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n (Chapter 2<\/em>) A Lovely Memory<\/span><\/p>\n Up, down, up again and then back down. The churning stick smoothly glides methodically through my hands as I listen to the cream slosh against the sides of the churn. I\u2019ve churned butter so many times, I could do it in my sleep. It seems like a simple, easy task but it takes arm strength and if that\u2019s something you don\u2019t have, then your arms will burn like nothing else.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Joe likes to joke with me that my arms are almost as muscular as his, which isn\u2019t true, but I can\u2019t help having a little more muscle than most girls. It\u2019s just something that happens when you\u2019ve churned butter for eighteen out of the twenty-three years of your life. And then to add in the fact that another fifteen of those years have been spent milking four or five cows twice a day, arm muscles are just something you acquire whether you want them or not. Our family\u2019s small dairy farm keeps us busy and well taken care of yet I\u2019ll be glad to only have to milk one cow a day instead of four after Joe and I get married.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n A few people started an unwanted, and untrue, rumor about me only marrying Joe for his money after our engagement was announced. But it didn\u2019t last long though since nearly all of our close friends squashed it out rather quickly. I love Joe with everything in me, always have, always will, and I\u2019d marry him if he didn\u2019t have a speck of dirt to call his own or a penny to his name.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n My mind drifts to that handsome, curly haired man, the butter forgotten yet still being made through reflex, and let one of the most precious, lovely memories we\u2019ve made together wash over me. It was the day after he proposed. His proposal had been simple but full of love and I wouldn’t have had it any other way. It was a wonderful day, yet the day after will always be a lot more memorable to me.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n I woke up early the next day and spent the whole morning fixing a big picnic lunch since he asked me to go on a picnic with him the night before. When I asked him where we were going, he wouldn\u2019t tell me, he said it was a surprise. So about an hour before noon, he showed up on Cochise and after the picnic basket was tied down and I was mounted on my palomino, Tennyson, we were off.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n We rode out across the Ponderosa to a beautiful spot beside Lake Tahoe, the same stunning spot Joe took me on our first date. On that first date he explained to me that it was his special place that he didn\u2019t just show anyone right before he leaned in and kissed me soundly on the mouth.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n While we ate our lunch right beside the lake that day, Joe told me that he wanted to build our house right there in his special place, only that time he called it our special place. We discussed how the house should look and after we decided to have the front windows and our bedroom face the lake with a sturdy little kitchen and living room towards the back, he said he would write to Adam and ask him to draw up the house plans. Joe could have drawn them himself but I knew he wanted Adam to do it because he respected his older brother and hoped it would maybe bring him home from his travels back East.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Joe told me that as we needed to, we\u2019d add little rooms on to the back of the house. With the talk of those little rooms came other plans for our future together: children. He told me he wanted a couple of sons so that the Cartwright name would be carried on and then a few daughters to be his pride and joy. When he asked me how many I wanted, I told him I\u2019d keep having babies until he got tired of building more rooms on to the house.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n After putting all the empty dishes back in the basket, so full we thought we\u2019d burst, we pulled the blanket right down to the edge of the lake. We shucked off our boots and socks to dipped our toes into the cool lake. Even though the mid-spring air was hot, the water was ice cold but we kept our feet in it anyways. We laid back side by side on the blanket, eyes closed as we listened to everything around us while our stomachs relaxed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n It doesn\u2019t take much to take me back to that day, the memory\u2019s so vivid I can nearly reach out and touch it. I can remember every sound and smell. How there was a bird chirping right above us in the tree, all the little spring peepers croaking alongside the lake, and Joe\u2019s steady breathing beside me. And the way the smell of the fragrant new flowers drifted around on the gentle, warm breeze as it swirled back and forth.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Without really even thinking about it, I scooted closer to Joe and laid my head on his chest. I had draped my arm across his stomach and nuzzled in with a sigh. The feel of his solid form next to me was comforting and warm. He put his arm around my shoulders and tucked me in closer as he untied and slowly pulled the ribbon out of my hair. He raked his fingers through the silky strands, always gentle and never getting it tangled. As his fingers slowed down, I felt his chest begin to rise and fall slightly deeper like he was starting to doze off. It only took me a few minutes to doze off as well and we slept for nearly an hour before I woke up with a shriek. There had been a big minnow in the lake that was trying to take a taste of my toe but it startled me more than it hurt.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n We realized the time and hurried to dry our feet and get them back in our shoes. Still sleepy, I fumbled around and Joe had his boots on before I had one sock on. He took the other sock out of my hand after watching me for a moment and he gently put it on my foot. I let him take over and I watched as he slowly slipped my boots on. Once they were both on, he pulled me to my feet and kissed me long and slow.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cShelia, Shelia?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYes, Ma?\u201d I quickly ask as her voice brings me back to reality.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI think the butter\u2019s finished.\u201d She points to the churn at my feet and gives me a small, knowing sort of smile.<\/span><\/p>\n I hear the quiet thud coming from inside of it and nod as I bend to open it. Together we quickly take all of the fresh butter out and begin to pack it into the molds. Ma presses a large glob of it into a mold and smooths it out as she asks, \u201cYou were thinking about Joe, weren\u2019t you?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYeah.\u201d I blush with a smile. \u201cHow did you know?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cA look sometimes has more to say than a thousand words.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt was that obvious?\u201d She nods as that same knowing smile returns.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI can tell you\u2019re beginning to get impatient,\u201d she laughs, \u201cI remember the feeling quite well. But don\u2019t worry, you only have two weeks left to go.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYeah, the longest two weeks of my life.\u201d We both laugh as we finish molding the butter.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n (Chapter 3<\/em>) Fright and Love<\/span><\/p>\n Three nights later I quietly hum to myself as I milk Alice. Pausing, I listen to see if the very quiet creak I heard repeats and when it doesn\u2019t, I continue. It wasn\u2019t much of a creak, just a slight squeak like a hinge moving a little. Suddenly Alice shifts nervously on her feet, almost spilling the full bucket under her which is something she never does. A small chill goes up my spine as I get the odd feeling that I\u2019m being watched.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n I\u2019m about to spin around to look behind me when a large, manly hand claps over my mouth. Whoever it is isn\u2019t quick enough to quiet my scream because it slips past his hand. He drags me along with him out the door, letting go of my face to pick me up by the waist and haul me on his horse. As he plants me firmly in his saddle, I get a good look at his face. Carver Lassiter\u2019s sharp, blue eyes flash angrily at me as he swings up behind me. He kicks his horse into a full gallop and we\u2019re out of the yard before Pa and Toby have a chance to do anything.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n As I bounce along in front of him, a devastating thought keeps drifting back and forth through my mind: I should\u2019ve watched my back like Joe told me and because I didn\u2019t, I\u2019m now the Lassiter\u2019s hostage. Joe\u2019s going to be devastated when he finds out and he\u2019s liable to tear through the countryside, half cocked, searching for me. But then, they\u2019ve already been searching for the Lassiter place for the past three days, what\u2019s the chance of them finding it now?<\/span><\/p>\n As we ride silently along, I try to keep track of where we\u2019re going but I fail miserably due to the quickly fading light as the sun goes down. The wind whips past us and I feel the ribbon in my hair loosen and fly away as my bare feet bounce gently just above the too long stirrups. A sense of dread fills me as I realize that my odd habit of not wearing any boots around the farm in the summer is coming back to bite me. Out of all the days I had to not put on my boots, today had to be it, but then, of course the unimaginable just happened and it was the least expected thing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The heat of the day is beginning to cool but the heat seeping into me from the man riding behind me reminds me of the day I met both Carver and Little Joe. It was ten years ago; I was thirteen and they were fifteen. We all went to the same little schoolhouse that Miss Abigail Jones reigned over. Joe and Carver were in their last year while I still had two more to go.<\/span><\/p>\n My family had just moved to Virginia City from Texas and were continuing our dairy farm in a new place since there was a horrible drought going on where we lived. Ma sent Toby and I to school three weeks after we settled in and it was while Miss Jones put our names in the register that Carver and the rest of the class found out about my Pa running a dairy farm. What Pa did for a living didn\u2019t bother any of the other kids since most of their own pa\u2019s were farmers or ranchers yet for some reason it irked Carver.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Toby and I became the victims of his relentless teasing. But then for some reason after a few months, he quit bothering Toby and doubled down on me. It was constant teasing, nagging and name calling. It hurt but I tried not to let it show, especially in front of Carver. I always tried to stand my ground with Carver and no matter how much I wanted to, I never stooped to his level and bullied him back. Miss Jones was aware of it and even unsuccessfully tried to stop him; he wouldn\u2019t quit and his mother didn\u2019t do a thing to try and make him either. Then one day he got shut up by someone in the class and he never bullied me again.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n I can remember that day like it was yesterday even though it was ten years ago. I had been jump roping with a few of my friends when all of a sudden they were pushed to the side and Carver was in front of me. Taunting me, calling my father and I crude names, he reached out and began to yank painfully on one of my long, white blonde braids. He\u2019d never touched me before, just thrown insults at me so it threw me off. Then suddenly before he had a chance to pull on my braid again, he was spun away from me. With wide eyes, I watched Little Joe Cartwright, the pretty boy of the school who was constantly flirting with all the girls his age, pound on Carver Lassiter. I\u2019d seen Joe in a few school brawls before but never one over me or with him getting the upper hand. Because of Joe\u2019s smaller size, Carver normally worked him over pretty good but not that time. Joe\u2019s famous hot temper was flaming that day and before Miss Jones got to them to break it up, Joe\u2019d nearly knocked Carver senseless.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n After the fight was broken up and the class on its way back into the schoolhouse, Joe came up to me and apologized for causing such a ruckus and that he was sorry I had to deal with Carver for as long as I did. I told him it was alright and that it never really bothered me. It was in that moment that the way I looked at Joe changed; he was my hero, my knight in shining armor disguised as a rough and rowdy cowboy. I developed a very bad case of puppy love but it was short lived when one day I found him stealing a kiss from one of the older girls behind the school house.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n School ended and Joe left yet I saw him in church every Sunday that his family was able to attend. I finished my own schooling and not long afterwards heard gossip around town about Little Joe being with the infamous Julia Butlette. For years after that there was always gossip going around about his love life. Some of it was shocking like the time he was with an actress who sang in the saloon until she got a jig in California but some of it was heartbreaking, especially the time one of his loves died suddenly of an illness in their future home.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n I stepped out with many different boys all during that time yet Joe was always my hero despite him no longer knowing I existed. But then about a year and a half ago, we were thrown together by chance. It was a Saturday night dance, we had backed up into each other and after finding out neither of us had a partner for the next dance, he asked me for the honors. We spun around that night multiple times and the rest is history.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n We started out slow, with only talking on the Sundays he was able to come to church and then he took me to his special place. Picnics and dinner in town soon followed and before I knew it, I was his girl. We both fell for each other hard and fast and were soon planning our future. Ma and Pa both liked him from the start despite the many women in his past and I got along very nicely with his family as well. It didn\u2019t take long for us to get engaged after that.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n But it seems like that now I\u2019m going to end up being one of his heart breaks instead of his forever since Carver has me. I\u2019ve never been this frightened in my life yet thinking about Joe and the love we share is keeping me from getting hysterical, which is something I\u2019ve only done once or twice. It almost seems ironic that the man who helped Little Joe become my hero is now holding me hostage with the intention to hang me. If only I\u2019d listened to Joe and watched my back better.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n (Chapter 4<\/em>) An Encounter With Ma<\/span><\/p>\n Carver slows his horse to a walk as he takes a path through the dark woods. Looking in front of us, I try to figure out where we are and I see a faint light ahead and as we get closer, I can tell it\u2019s a lantern in the window of some sort of shack or cabin. The path opens up into a very small clearing and there on the other side of it is a puny shack, the lantern I saw shining brightly out its window.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n As he pulls his horse to a halt in front of a hitching post right outside of the shack, Carver gets down from behind me and another man steps out of the shadows. Reaching up, he grabs me around the waist and jerks me roughly out of the saddle and my bare feet smack the ground. The other man opens the door while I feel Carver\u2019s hand push into my lower back as he shoves me forcefully into the little house. I lose my footing and skid to a halt inside, landing flat on my face on the floor.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Carver and his partner step over; they each grab one of my arms and yank me roughly to my feet. After walking me over to another door, they open it and toss me inside like a discarded sack of potatoes. I lose my footing yet again as I fall and slide across the floor, only stopping when I slam into the wall across the room. I glance up briefly and find Judge Simpson and L. B. Merrick, who apparently is their second hostage, watching me.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Carver strides into the room, swaying cockily with a rope in his hand, \u201cWell, here you are, little lady, I hope you find this new room of yours to your liking.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Something on the wall behind me jabs me in the back. I shift slightly so whatever it is will quit stabbing me as I quickly glance behind me to find a large nail sticking about three inches out of the wall. Evidently someone forgot to hammer it in all the way.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Elizabeth Lassiter walks into the room and steps up to me, hands on her hips as she asks, \u201cYou remember me, Shelia?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ve changed, what happened to you?\u201d I don\u2019t think anyone could forget the blue eyed, strawberry blonde woman standing in front of me once they\u2019ve met her. \u201cWhy Mrs. Lassiter, why?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cBecause I\u2019m going to kill you, Shelia Johnson,\u201d she pulls her gun out of the waist of her split shirt as she bends down beside me so that we\u2019re eye to eye. She cocks the hammer and points it right at my chest, \u201cand them, too, unless that sheriff gets some sense in that thick head of his and lets my boy go.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThey aren\u2019t going to let Harry go, Mrs. Lassiter.\u201d I steadily hold her gaze even though I\u2019d rather be watching her finger on that trigger. \u201cKilling us isn\u2019t going to do any good.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYes, it will.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cHow?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019ll help even the score.\u201d She stands up and sticks her pistol back into its place in her waistband. \u201cYou don\u2019t think I\u2019ve forgotten what your future father-in-law and the rest of them noble citizens of Virginia City did to destroy my husband, do you?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cOh, Elizabeth, hold on,\u201d Judge Simpson interrupts, \u201cthe bank did what it had to do with that loan. They had to turn it down, Will was too deep in debt already. Everyone on the board of directors for the bank agreed on it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAnd it forced him into going bankrupt,\u201d she angrily barks back, \u201che wound up killing himself.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d Carver steps up beside his mother, \u201cand ever since, we\u2019ve been running like wild animals.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t think I\u2019m gonna let them take my boy, Harry, now too, do you?\u201d She asks me, glaring, but I just meet her glare with one of my own.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cBut, Elizabeth,\u201d she quickly turns back to Judge Simpson, \u201cwhy do you have Miss Johnson here? She had nothing to do with Harry\u2019s trial or Will\u2019s loan.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cOh, I have my reasons,\u201d she laughs, \u201cbut the main one is humiliating my Carver in front of the whole school years ago.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI never humiliated him,\u201d I gasp, shocked and angry, \u201che taunted and bullied me everyday for nearly the whole school year until Joe stepped in.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYeah, that boyfriend of yours worked Carver over good, too. He came home with a busted up face, too ashamed to tell me that puny Little Joe Cartwright was the one that did it to him.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cBut that was ten years ago!\u201d I exclaim. \u201cAnd Carver deserved every bruise that he got that day.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s where you\u2019re wrong, Shelia.\u201d Turning to Carver, she orders, \u201cCarver, go on, tie her up, I\u2019m done talking to the little tramp. Froggo, Blackie, make yourselves useful, give him a hand.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n (Chapter 5<\/em>) The Insult<\/span><\/p>\n All three men step towards me, ropes ready to go in their hands. If my entrance to this shack was an example of how I\u2019m going to be treated, then I\u2019m in for a rough time. Mrs. Lassiter apparently doesn\u2019t care if her son and men manhandle a girl half their size.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Putting his boot on my shoulder, Carver shoves me over onto my stomach. I feel one of the other two men loop a rope around my bare ankles, they pull it so tight that it digs in and I silently curse myself for stupidly not wearing shoes. Carver grabs my hands and ties them roughly behind my back; then using his boot again, he lifts my shoulder, pushing me up to a sitting position along the wall. My skirt flips up almost above my knees but it thankfully goes back down as I stretch my legs out in front of me. As he bends down beside me, I see a fire of desire light Carver\u2019s eyes while they lazily make their way up and down my figure. His look makes me feel like I\u2019ve been stripped of all my clothing and a chill of fear settles in me as he leans in loser, his right hand reaching out to caress my cheek.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve always been jealous of the way all the pretty gals flocked around Little Joe like crows to corn. And it really made me mad when he started sparkin\u2019 you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhy would it make you mad?\u201d I ask, not liking the feel of his rough hand on my cheek or how close he is. \u201cYou\u2019ve never liked me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s where you\u2019re wrong,\u201d his voice almost sounds like a purr, \u201cI like you a lot, I always have.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIf you liked me so much then why\u2019d you bully and taunt me all those years ago?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cCause that\u2019s how I treat girls I like.\u201d I shutter, not wanting to know how he\u2019d treat a girl he loved if that\u2019s how he treated one he just liked. Even though it\u2019s the last thing I want to do, I hold his gaze as he starts to talk again. \u201cBut now that your precious Joe Cartwright ain\u2019t here and can\u2019t do a thing about it, I can get a taste of what he\u2019s been gettin\u2019 for the last year or so.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n His hand moves down my cheek to my chin, which he grabs in a painful grip, holding my face in place. He leans in and roughly kisses me on the mouth. As he finally lets go after what seems like ages, I look at him as he rocks back on his heels. My breath goes furiously in and out of my lungs with so much force I\u2019m surprised that they aren\u2019t bursting.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cHow dare you?\u201d It comes out a deep and breathless, angry growl. \u201cLittle Joe\u2019ll kill you when he finds out about this.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cOh, will he now?\u201d He laughs. \u201cYou know what, I think I just might try to talk Ma outta killin\u2019 you so I can have a purty little wife. How\u2019d you like that, Shelia?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI think you\u2019re disgusting, you\u2019re filthier than the dirt on the bottom of my feet!\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Quickly reaching out, he slaps me hard across the face. The sting of it brings tears to my eyes but I don\u2019t let them fall. He stands up as he says, \u201cI\u2019ve heard enough outta you Shelia Johnson, and if I hear you again, you\u2019re going to be the first one to swing in that tree out front.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n His piece said, he strides the three steps across the room over to Judge Simpson and L.B. Merrick. Squatting down in front of Merrick, he pulls out his gun and cocks it right in his face. Merrick squirms under the taunting but relaxes a bit as Carver snaps the hammer back in place, stands up and walks out of the room. The door shuts and the click of the lock sounds loud as it echoes through the quiet room.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhy me?\u201d Merrick moans. \u201cWhy do I have to die because of a feud that started years before I came to Virginia City?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cMr. Merrick, just relax,\u201d I wish I could scrub my mouth out with soap but unfortunately that\u2019s not possible, \u201cnobody\u2019s dead yet.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cNo, but I will be if they don\u2019t do what that crazy woman asks.\u201d Merrick carries on, obviously skittish as all get out. \u201cMy wife\u2019s gonna have a baby in two months. Is hanging Harry Lassiter worth my child growing up fatherless?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYou sang a different tune at that trail when you demanded the death penalty for Harry Lassiter.\u201d Judge Simpson reminds him. \u201cAre you saying that you think that verdict should be changed now just because your life is in danger?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIf I had the power to make a deal with Mrs. Lassiter right now, you better believe I\u2019d do it.\u201d Judge Simpson gives him a disgusted look so Merrick throws back, \u201cAlright, you stand on principle if you want to, but I\u2019m more interested in keeping alive.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cMr. Merrick, trust me, we\u2019re all in the same boat,\u201d I say, already tired of his complaining, \u201cwe all want to make it out of this alive. I, for one, want to walk down that aisle like I planned to in two weeks.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cShelia, did Carver hurt you?\u201d Judge Simpson asks after giving Merrick a final look of disgust.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cNo, sir, but thank you for asking.\u201d I shift myself to the side, positioning myself in front of that nail that nearly tried to stab me. I lift my tied wrists and begin to saw the rope back and forth across it. The position is awkward and I know my shoulders are going to ache for days after this but it\u2019s the only way out of here.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n (Chapter 6<\/em>) A Faithful and A Faithless<\/span><\/p>\n A few hours earlier, right as it became dark for the night, Carver busted through the door and shoved the fourth captive across the room. Reverend Holmes skidded to a halt beside me with a heavy sigh. Judge Simpson, L.B. Merrick, me, and now Reverend Holmes. Who\u2019ll be next?<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cMiss Johnson, please,\u201d Reverend Holmes watches me while I continue to cut my rope on the nail, \u201cdon\u2019t be fool hardy. I can\u2019t truly believe Mrs. Lassiter will actually go through with her threats.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Reverend,\u201d I glance over, \u201cbut I\u2019m not so sure about that now.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThey have to let that Lassiter boy go.\u201d Merrick\u2019s endless complaining starts up yet again. \u201cCan\u2019t you all see that?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cMerrick, will you just shut up for once.\u201d I sigh tired of his fretting.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n