Savage Arrow

Jade came and wiped Jessie’s mouth clean of vomit with the tail end of her dress, then held her for a moment.

But Jessie could see over Jade’s shoulder that the warriors were forcing more words from the outlaw before he died. When he said the name Reginald Vineyard, Jessie felt another urge to vomit, but swallowed it back. She hurried to stand over the man so she could hear what else he had to say.

“Reginald is going to pay Bulldog Jones many silver coins . . . to do this . . . for him,” the man whispered.

Jessie flinched when Two Stones, who still held the man’s hair in his fingers, yanked hard on it. He broke the arrow in half, leaving only a portion of it in the man’s chest. Then, Two Stones placed his knee on the man’s wound.

“Tell us where Bulldog Jones’s hideout is,” Two Stones demanded, pressing his knee down slightly. “Tell me now, or I will slowly draw my knife across your throat. Your pain will be intense and your death will come more slowly than you will want it to.”

“Please . . . please move your knee,” the man gasped out. “Then . . . then . . . I will tell you.”

Two Stones moved his knee and let go of the man’s hair. He leaned into the outlaw’s face as the man gasped out directions to the hideout, then died.

Jessie was mortified at the extent to which Reginald would go to get vengeance on these people. How could he be so evil? Because of him, many innocent and lovely people had died today.

Her hatred for this man boiled like a hot fire in her belly. She most certainly wanted a role in his comeuppance, and she would have it!

She stood back and watched as the warriors divided up—half to stay and protect those who remained of their people as well as Lee-Lee and Jade, the other half to go and tell Thunder Horse what had happened.

Jessie would not take no for an answer when she mounted a horse and said she was going with them. As she rode out of the village with the warriors, she silently prayed that her decision to accompany them wouldn’t make her lose her child.

If so, Reginald would also be responsible for that tragedy!

Chapter Twenty-eight

The air was sweet and still again, the lightning in the distance gone, as Jessie and the warriors rode up to the cave. The countryside was so peaceful, so beautiful, it was hard to believe that back at the village there was a horrifying scene of bloodshed and violent death.

How could Reginald have ordered this? Jessie wondered.

Had he thought he could get away with it? Surely he did, or he would not have asked the outlaws to do his dirty work for him.

Everyone drew rein before the cave.

Jessie’s pulse raced as she dismounted with the warriors, then stood beside her steed as one warrior went inside the cave for Thunder Horse. She closed her eyes and gritted her teeth, guessing that even now he was being told what had happened to his people.

And she was right, for the air was suddenly filled with a cry of terrible remorse and sorrow. And then there was silence.

Jessie wanted so badly to go to Thunder Horse, to be with him at this time of unbearable sorrow, but something told her that her place was to stay put, rather than to interfere.

Tears fell on her cheeks when Thunder Horse emerged from the cave beside the warrior, the rims of his eyes swollen and red from crying as he had sat beside his father’s lifeless body, and again after hearing the news of his fallen people.

For a moment, Jessie’s eyes met his.

She didn’t know what to do. She wanted to go to him! She wanted to hold him, like a child who has lost someone dear.

But she knew that this wasn’t the time for them to hold one another. That would come later.

When he gave her a slow, gentle, reassuring smile, one that told her he didn’t hold a

ny of this against her, even though her own blood kin had wreaked havoc again upon him and his people, she felt relieved.

She silently mouthed, “I’m sorry,” to Thunder Horse.

He nodded to her to let her know that he understood. And then he stepped out into the midst of his warriors.

His hands were doubled into tight fists at his sides as he spoke in a voice that was unfamiliar to Jessie. It was a voice rough with anger and hate, as well as hurt and sorrow.

“My warriors, it is time to do more than cause Reginald Vineyard nightmares,” Thunder Horse said thickly. “And then we have outlaws to find, those who massacred our people today.”