He reached over and placed a firm hand on Four Winds’s shoulder. “Friends forever?” he asked, his face questioning.
Four Winds placed a hand on Strong Heart’s. “Forever,” he said vehemently. “Now, and always!”
Strong Heart nodded, then dropped his hand back to his rifle, and quietly studied the prison again. He nodded once more toward Four Winds, then slapped his horse and began edging his way down the side of the butte. Four Winds followed him into the forest that bordered the prison.
When the prison was in sight through a break in the trees, Strong Heart felt a fever of anticipation building within him as he slipped easily out of the saddle.
Four Winds dismounted and soon they were moving stealthily through the forest. Their hands clutched their rifles, and their eyes darted about them, watching for any sudden movement.
“I fear that this is too easy,” Strong Heart whispered to Four Winds, stopping at the edge of the forest, to stare at the door that led into the prison. “I see no activity—no people. Is everyone asleep?”
“It may appear so but I was housed in the prison long enough to know the nighttime activities there,” Four Winds whispered back. “They are unpleasant, yet the sheriff and his deputies have a hands-off policy. Whatever happens in the shadows behind the bars is the business of the prisoners—and their victims. But ah-hah, this time of night the sheriff or whoever is in charge, sleeps. We shall enter the prison unnoticed. We shall leave just as easily.”
What Four Winds had said about the activity in the cells after dark made Strong Heart feel ill. Who was to say what may have happened to Elizabeth?
His jaw tightened. If Elizabeth had been defiled or even so much as touched by any man in tha
t prison, the man responsible would not live to see the next sunrise! Strong Heart would take much pleasure in plunging a knife into the man’s dark heart!
Not letting his imagination distract him from his purpose, Strong Heart began running softly toward the door of the prison. His moccasined feet were as quiet as the pads of a cat. He glanced over at Four Winds, glad to be with his friend again on an adventure. As children, they had sought out the dangers of the forest beyond, enjoying the challenge of the bear, the panther, and the wolf.
Yet this that they were doing tonight was even more challenging than anything else they had done in the past. For Strong Heart’s reward would be to hold Elizabeth in his arms again, to become her protector for all their tomorrows.
Looking warily from side to side, seeing no sign of anyone, Strong Heart and Four Winds stopped long enough to lean their backs against the prison wall, to get their breaths.
Strong Heart cocked his rifle and Four Winds cocked his.
They stared into each other’s eyes, then nodded in unison, and crept to the door.
Strong Heart nodded at Four Winds, then nodded toward the door latch. He then stood aside with his rifle ready to fire as Four Winds followed his silent bidding and slowly opened the door.
Strong Heart looked inside the sheriff’s office, and he could see that a deputy was there instead of the sheriff. The deputy was fast asleep at the desk.
Gripping his rifle, Strong Heart moved stealthily and quickly into the room, Four Winds behind him. Strong Heart rendered the deputy unconscious with a blow to his head from the butt of his rifle. The man never knew what hit him.
“The keys,” Strong Heart said, standing guard beside the door that led to the cells. “Four Winds, get the keys.”
Glancing over his shoulder at the deputy, Four Winds went to the pegs on the wall and slipped a ring of keys from them. Standing his rifle against the wall, he sorted through them. Soon he and Strong Heart were standing in the shadows of the back room, the moonlight sifting through the small windows of each of the cells the only light.
Everything was quiet, except for snores from the cells on either side. This made Strong Heart breathe easier, knowing that while everyone slept, his woman was safe from abuse.
Peering through the darkness, Strong Heart checked the cells, determining who was housed in them. His pulse raced.
The moon was shining on long and drifting red hair that hung over the side of the bunk in the first cell. Strong Heart recognized the exquisite creamy skin of Elizabeth’s face as she lay asleep on her side, her dark brush of lashes on her cheeks.
Strong Heart was for the moment too overcome to move. Such a sight as this sent his heart into a tailspin of love for his la-daila. How could he ever live without her?
His gaze lingered on her lips, remembering how passionately moist they could become as he kissed her.
Then he lowered his gaze to where the tantalizing cleavage of her breasts could be seen where her dress dipped low. Her translucent body seemed to gleam in the moonlight.
He wanted to take her in his arms and press her against him and challenge anyone who might try to separate them.
Four Winds had stopped beside Strong Heart. He saw Elizabeth in the cell, then turned his eyes back to Strong Heart. He placed a hand on Strong Heart’s shoulder. “We must hy-ak, hurry,” he whispered. “The sheriff might come and check on things.”
“Ah-hah,” Strong Heart whispered back, shaken from his reverie. He realized how foolish it had been to allow his thoughts to interfere with his need to move quickly to get Elizabeth safely from this prison.
Four Winds went to the cell and slipped the key into the lock. The click of the tumblers echoed all around them, awakening not only Elizabeth, but some others.