White Fire

Then she gazed into his eyes. “Why have you brought so many men?” she asked guardedly. “Have you received word that there is trouble here? It’s obvious you don’t know about White Fire’s incarceration or you wouldn’t have acted so surprised when I told you. So why are you here?”

“It’s the damndest thing,” Colonel Edwards said, his eyes narrowing as he leaned closer to Flame. “I was asleep. I was awakened with a start. Damn if I didn’t feel some sort of presence in my bed chamber. My wife awakened. Even she felt it.”

“Presence?” Flame said, eyeing him curiously. “What sort of presence?”

“I find it hard to tell,” Colonel Edwards said, laughing awkwardly. “Some would say I was ready for the loony bin.”

“Tell me,” Flame said softly. “Please tell me.”

“Well, you see, Reshelle, Colonel Josiah Snelling and I were the best of friends,” he said. “When he left for Missouri, I felt as though my right arm had been severed from my body, for Josiah was my right arm. His beliefs were the same as mine. We both joined peace councils with the local Indians. We spent many a night drinking and smoking and talking of our childhood adventures. When he left, there was such a strange void left in my life I don’t know how to explain it.”

Feeling a slow desperation rising inside her, that too much time was passing, Flame edged her horse closer to the colonel’s. “What does Colonel Snelling have to do with you being here tonight?” she asked, trying to hide her impatience.

“I feel that I was visited by Josiah tonight in my bed chamber,” Colonel Edwards said, his voice guarded as he watched for her reaction. “I was awakened from a sound sleep by . . . by a presence in my room. I . . . looked around, then saw it—saw him. Of course, it was only a shimmering faint light that showed his likeness. But it was no less Josiah Snelling!”

Flame paled. She recalled White Fire telling her about his moments alone with Colonel Snelling’s ghost, and why the colonel had appeared to him in such a way. To reveal to him what her father was planning.

Tonight Colonel Snelling must have appeared to his friend to warn him of something that was about to happen. He had surely tried to warn him about the danger White Fire was in.

“Why are you here?” she asked again.

“The whole time he was there, Josiah pointed toward Fort Snelling,” Colonel Edwards said, his voice drawn. “I was quickly reminded of what White Fire had told me about your father. But I thought it had to be more than that that would bring Josiah to my room in such a way. And, by God, now I know. He was warning me about White Fire being imprisoned!”

“Can you get him free?” Flame asked, grabbing him quickly by the arm. “Can you?”

“Most certainly,” Colonel Edwards said, easing her hand from his arm, then holding it. “I will look forward to hearing later what has happened to you tonight—why you are out here, instead of inside the fort.”

“Yes, I will tell you, but for now, let us concentrate on freeing White Fire,” Flame said, easing her hand from his. She looked over her shoulder and could feel Gray Feather’s eyes on her, waiting for her to motion for him to come to her.

But she still felt that it was best that he and his warriors stay out of the fracas. All that was required to set White Fire free was right there with Colonel Edwards.

“Come on and let’s set things right,” Colonel Edwards said, nodding toward Flame, drawing her eyes back to him. “And once White Fire is set free, I’ll take care of that other matter that I have delayed doing for too long, it seems.”

“You mean sending my father away from Fort Snelling?” Flame asked, riding alongside him toward the gate of the fort.

“No, I mean to arrest him, to see that he is court-martialed,” Colonel Edwards said, his jaw tight. “And not only because of him having wrongly incarcerated White Fire, but because of how he has schemed to cause a massacre in this area. He will take White Fire’s place in the cell, but not here. At Fort Parker.”

His eyes wavered as he gazed at Flame. “I’m sorry that things have turned out this way for your father,” he said thickly. “I can’t imagine how you must be feeling about all of this.”

“No one could ever know,” Flame said, her eyes burning with the need to cry.

But she fought back the tears. She had to look strong. She had to feel strong to save the man she loved and to be able to watch her father arrested.

Although she knew that her father deserved no less, she could not help but feel a deep, gnawing sadness over what he had become—a ruthless, worthless man.

Flame rode straight-backed and square-shouldered beside Colonel Edwards as they headed toward the gate.

The soldiers under Flame’s father’s command soon saw that they were outnumbered by Colonel Edwards’s men and didn’t hesitate at opening the wide gate.

Flame rode on inside, then stiffened when her father came from the mansion only half dressed, his hair mussed, his eyes heavy with sleep.

“Colonel Edwards, what’s going on here?” he asked, paling when he looked over at Flame. “Reshelle, thank God you are all right. But good God, look at you. And why are you with Colonel Edwards?”

“Arrest that man,” Colonel Edwards said, nodding to two of his soldiers as they slid quickly from their saddles. He looked at several of his other soldiers. “You! Go and find where White Fire is being held. Release him.”

“You can’t do this,” Colonel Russell cried, trying to yank free of the soldiers as they grabbed each of his arms and held him firmly between them. “You have no authority here, Colonel Edwards. You have no right to do this to me. Nor do you have the right to release White Fire.”

“I am taking charge here until Washington sends a replacement,” Colonel Edwards said, dismounting. He went and stood before Colonel Russell. He placed his fists on his hips. “How did you think you’d get away with all of this, Colonel?”