Savage Arrow

“Let me try, Jessie,” Jade softly encouraged. “Please let me try to help you.”

Jessie nodded and held her hands out for Jade as the Chinese woman took several things from her bag.

“What is that?” Jessie asked.

“It’s something I put together,” Jade murmured. “It’s a concoction of oatmeal and glycerine. Let me place this on your hands. I’ll be gentle.”

Jessie nodded and watched as Jade gently applied the medicine. Jessie soon discovered that it did ease her pain somewhat.

“And now slide these soft gloves onto your hands,” Jade said, handing them to Jessie. “They will make sure

the medicine stays on better. I have also brought medicine that will make you sleep better tonight.”

Jessie winced as she slowly pulled the gloves on. But when Jade handed a pill toward her, she shook her head. “No, I don’t want anything to make me sleep,” she said, her voice breaking. “I want to be aware of things around me at all times. I . . . I . . . have lost all trust in my cousin.”

Then she made a quick decision. “And . . . and . . . I don’t want to sleep because . . . because . . . I am leaving tonight,” she blurted out. “As soon as I’m confident that Reginald is fast asleep . . . I’m . . . leaving.”

“You’re leaving?” Jade gasped, her eyes wide as she gazed into Jessie’s.

“Yes. Tonight proved that I must not wait any longer,” Jessie said, swallowing hard. “I only wish that you could go with me and that I knew how to help Lee-Lee escape from her terrible situation.”

“Tonight think only of yourself,” Jade said, trying to fight back tears.

Then she smiled almost wickedly as she placed her things back inside her bag. “I put a sleeping potion in Reginald’s glass of milk,” she said. “He drinks a glass of warm milk every night before he goes to bed.”

She paused, then said, “But you must give it time to work.”

“You drugged him?” Jessie said, glad to see that Jade was beginning to fight back against Reginald.

“Ai, yes, and you can soon leave,” Jade said, picking up the bag.

“I wish you could go with me,” Jessie said, searching Jade’s beautiful, slanted eyes.

“If I did, my daughter would pay for it,” Jade said, her voice drawn. “Nay. I cannot leave. Until my daughter is set free, I am also Reginald’s prisoner.”

“I’m not sure how, Jade, but I will find a way to get Lee-Lee out of that damnable crib,” Jessie said firmly. “And then I’ll come for you. Somehow I’ll find help for you both.”

“You had just better think of yourself,” Jade replied. “If you can manage to get free of Reginald Vineyard, count yourself blessed. You see, I’m working on plans, myself, to get my daughter free. It’ll happen one day soon. You’ll see. I believe that if you can get away from this horrid place, someone will take you in and have mercy on you.”

“But everyone knows Reginald,” Jessie said. “No one who knows him will help me.”

“I must go now to my room, but you’ll find a way, Jessie,” Jade said, creeping toward the door and slowly opening it. She stuck her head out and looked from side to side down the corridor, then gave Jessie a smile and hurried away.

After Jessie closed the door, she began pacing as she waited for the right moment to leave. She truly had no idea where she would go.

Then someone came to her mind!

Thunder Horse! He was kind. He was caring.

Perhaps he could hide her until she figured a way out of her mess.

And, ah, wasn’t he so handsome . . . ?

She felt she should confide her plan to Jade. She even wanted Jade to consider going with her to seek help from Thunder Horse, too.

But she knew that Jade was scared to death of Reginald and what he might do to Lee-Lee if Jade ran away. Perhaps the first step was for Jessie to escape.

She went to Jade and explained about where she was going, and from whom she would be seeking help.