Turner's Vision (30 page)

* * * * *    

The next morning, the survivors of the massive attack buried the dead bodies of their attackers and comrades. The attacker’s bodies, including those of Stephen and Julia, were placed in one large pit behind the burned out shell of the cabin. No one knew who most of the sailors and Chinamen were, and no one wanted to remember the others.

Patrice slept near the campfire, exhausted from her emotional outlet the night before. Lin, Noah and Sung stood over the grave of their grandfather, putting to rest his spirit in the traditions of his religion. Father Jake sat next to the grave of the two sisters, his leg set in splints, and his voice raspy from the smoke of the cabin fire, saying prayers for their souls.

Waiska brought Taima’s bloody body from the forest, preparing to take it back to their people for his own burial. Micah, who stood saddling his horse for travel, recognized Stephen’s handiwork in the mutilated body of the warrior. So much destruction at the hands of his brother.

It still wasn’t over.

Nearly two months had passed since he left Claudia safely behind, only to find out her safety was a mirage. She was being stalked by a snake as evil as his brother and didn’t know it. He wanted to stay with Patrice until she was able to travel to Colorado with him, but knew he couldn’t waste time taking her there.

Claudia needed him, and if he had to take over a train, he was going to get to her at any cost.

“She knows what he looks like, Turner.” Noah brought over an extra rifle, strapping it onto the side of the horse’s saddle. “She won’t let him near her family.”

“He’s evil, Howard. I left her alone, thinking it would protect her, and all I’ve done is place her in greater danger. But I’ve learned one thing from all this.”

“What’s that?”

“My visions aren’t absolute. They can be changed.”

“How do you know?”

Micah swung himself up into the saddle. “In my vision, Patrice was the one who died, not Stephen. When she’s ready, you bring her to Doverton. She’ll always have a home there with me.”

“I intend to see that her home is with me, Turner.” Noah reached up to shake hands with the mountain man. “Just see that Claudia is there when we arrive.”

Noah watched the buckskin clad mountain man pick his way through the trees, dodging branches and heading back to the train station in Stockton. They both had missions to fulfill. Micah needed to rescue his family from physical danger, while he tried to rescue Patrice from her past.

He walked over to the campfire, sitting beside the wheat blonde-haired woman lying on the ground. Someday, he’d erase all those clouds from her grey eyes, restoring laughter there if possible.

This, he vowed.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Laura Cantrell stood on the porch, watching for Claudia’s arrival from Doverton. Nathan had left a week ago to meet the train in Denver and should be back soon. She hoped the early spring snows hadn’t blocked the passes between Doverton and Denver. If so, it could be weeks before they arrived. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched Rachel play with her kitten on the porch. It was still too cold to allow the little girl free rein of the outdoors, but they were both tired of being cooped up inside any longer.

A shout from down the road caught her attention.

Nathan was driving their wagon up the road. He tried to hold onto the team while two bodies jumped off the back and dashed toward the farmhouse.

Adam and Joey!

Laura laughed to see the boys taller, stockier and healthier than she could remember seeing them in Washington’s cold streets.

She reached the bottom steps at the same time as the boys, catching them in fierce bear hugs. They hugged her back as they both talked at once.

“Criminy, you live a long way from the town, Miss Laura!” Joey said. “We sure missed you. Wait till we tell you about the fight at the docks and the bad guys and did you know Adam got shot in the arm?”

“Mr. Cantrell told us you own all the land back to those mountains,” Adam interrupted his younger friend. “Ma said that there’s even a stream back there we can go fishing sometime. Do you think we can?”

“Boys, one at a time.” Laura laughed at their enthusiasm. “I think you can go fishing in the summer after someone teaches you to swim. And what’s this about you getting shot in the arm?” She leaned back to look them over.

“It was during the battle…” Joey began.

“It was my shooting,” Adam again interrupted. “Let me tell it. Micah’s brother, Stephen, tried to shoot him, and I got hit instead. Then Doctor Schulman—he talks like this—said, ve vill have to take out ze bullet. He took it out and I got better.”

“Somehow, I think it was a lot more complicated than that, darlin’.” Nathan set the brake and assisted a pale Claudia to the ground.

Meeting Laura’s eyes over her friend’s head he shook his head. “Why don’t you help Claudia into the house? It’s been a long trip for her. Boys, you can give me a hand.”

“Oh, Claudia, I can’t believe you’re here.” Laura reached out to hug her friend, noting the decided pallor of her face.

“I can’t believe I am either, Laura.”

The two women stood for a moment, clinging to each other with tears streaming down their faces. Finally, they broke apart and Laura led into her home. She stopped to pick up Rachel and her kitten.

“What a beautiful little girl.” Claudia watched her remove the dark haired girl’s coat and hat. “Is this Rachel?”

“Yes, and give her a moment to warm up, then she’ll be talking your head off. Won’t you sweetie?”

Blue eyes the color of bluebonnets nodded up at Claudia. Laura let her down. Rachel eyed Claudia for a moment, then proceeded to play with the cat and a ball of string.

“Now take off your coat and make yourself at home.” Laura bustled around the kitchen, pouring water from a pail into a large teakettle. “I’ll just make us some tea, then we can sit and chat. I can’t believe you traveled clear across the country with just you and the boys. Why didn’t Henderson come with you?”

“Oh, he did.” Claudia laughed, looking around at the kitchen. “He’s on the next wagon with your friend, Zeke.”

“You needed two wagons? I’ll bet Micah just loved you carting half your household across the country.” Laura set a plate of ginger cookies out on the table. Seating herself across from Claudia, she handed a cookie to Rachel.

“Micah doesn’t know I’m here, Laura.” Claudia had removed her coat and sat looking at her folded hands on the table.

“Then why are you here? And where is Micah?” Laura reached out to take her friend’s hand in hers.

“That’s what I’d like to know.” Nathan said from the doorway, with Henderson standing beside him.

“Henderson.” Laura stood to hug the older man. “I’m so glad you’re here, too. Nathan, pull him out a chair. You know you owe this man a great thank you.” She gave her husband a pointed look.

“I do? And how is that?”

“If it weren’t for him, I never would’ve answered that ad for a mail order bride.” She smiled smugly at her husband.

“In that case, I don’t know whether to thank him or send him back to Washington.”

Laura playfully slapped Nathan in the arm.

He smiled, shaking hands with Henderson. “But I suppose I’ll thank you. At least the last two winters haven’t been as cold since she’s been here.”

Claudia watched the playfulness between the couple, tears springing into her eyes. She turned her head to watch the child on the floor, surreptitiously wiping at her eyes. She knew she had some explaining to do, but she wanted to do it without these blasted tears. She also didn’t want to let her friend see how jealous she was of the happy family she had.

“Where are the boys, Nathan?” Laura set a cup of tea down in front of Claudia.

“They’re down at the barn with the bigger boys. Tom and Billy wanted to help Zeke unload the other wagon, and the little boys were going to investigate the animals.”

“Tom is Billy Jones’ brother?” Claudia asked when she had herself back under control.

“Yes, their mother is very dear friend of mine. The first one I made out here.”

“I beg your pardon?” Nathan pulled Laura down onto his lap and nuzzled her neck. “I thought I was your first friend.”

“No, you were not. In fact, you weren’t very nice to me for quite a long time.”

“Pardon me, I was confused. I wasn’t your first friend, I was your best one.”

“You’re impossible.” Laura slugged him in the arm once again. “Why don’t you go out and help the boys?”

“They have plenty of help out there. Besides, I’ve waited until Claudia was here with you before I got the whole story on things back in Washington. Now that we’re all comfortable, I think she can tell us all at once.” He looked kindly at Claudia. “Are you ready?”

“I believe so.” Claudia took another drink of her tea, thinking where best to begin. She told them how she met Micah, his family’s involvement in the conspiracy, their subsequent marriage, the attempted takeover of the government, and the white-slave marketing of young women. Then she paused before continuing and took another sip of her tea.

“What only Micah knew at the time was that his sister was one of the young women forced into this market.”

“Patrice?” Nathan’s eyes narrowed and his jaw tightened.

“You knew Micah’s sister?” Laura looked questioningly at her husband.

“She was just a kid the last time we saw her. That was why Micah left her behind. But he never did trust his stepmother.”

“True. His own guilt is driving him right now.” Claudia stared out the window at the late-afternoon sky, remembering the terrible look of guilt on his face while they were tending Adam. Her husband took the blame of so many things on his shoulders, whether or not he deserved it.

“Where’s Micah now?” Nathan’s voice brought her back to the present.

Claudia sighed and turned her attention back to the others in the room. “His exact location is unknown to any of us. My guess is he is off avenging his sister. In the battle between the group of conspirators and our people, Julia and Stephen escaped. Micah and a good friend of ours, Noah Howard, went after them.”

“This Noah, he’s Officer Howard, the one who helped me get out of Washington safely?” Laura took Claudia’s cold hand in hers once more.

“Yes. He was beaten by Stephen’s men when they discovered him posing as one of their sailors. He told Micah he’d hidden Patrice from the men. Both of them thought Stephen and Julia were going after her. Once we knew Adam was going to be all right, they left to protect her.”

“This is all very exciting,” Nathan leaned in toward Claudia, “but it doesn’t tell us why you’re here now, without waiting for your husband to return.”

Claudia took a deep breath. “Before Micah left, he visited your brother. He instructed him to deliver some papers to me a week later. I guess he hoped it would be too late for me to do anything about them.”

“What kind of papers, Claudia?” Concern filled Laura’s voice.

Trying to keep the tears from her eyes, Claudia looked deeply at her friend. “Divorce papers, Laura.”

“Oh, dear.” Laura squeezed her hand tight. “I am so sorry.”

“That’s not the end of the story, Miss Laura,” Henderson interjected. “I believe there is quite a bit more to tell.”

“Thank you, Robert.” Claudia dabbed at her eyes. “He’s quite right. You see there are two things Micah doesn’t know about yet.”

“What are those?” Nathan asked.

“The first is that I tore the papers up, refusing to sign them for Neil.”

“Good for you.” Laura patted her hand.

Nathan gave his wife a quelling look. “Do go on.”

“The second is that I’m going to have his baby.” Claudia stared at her hands.

“How do you feel about that?” Laura asked after a few moments.

“I couldn’t be happier, Laura. You know better than anyone how much I’d given up having a child of my own.” She smiled at them all, revealing her joy in the news. “You see, that’s why I had to come here.”

“No, I don’t see at all.” Nathan looked rather angry. He reminded Claudia a bit of Micah. “Why would you put yourself and your child in such danger, by traveling here alone? This is no place to be traveling in your condition.”

“But I had to come, Nathan,” she insisted. “Micah won’t come back to Washington to me. He believes I’m in greater danger because of him. That’s why he wanted a divorce. He believes if I remain married to him, then something awful will happen to me. He saw it happen in a dream. And you know how he believes in those dreams of his.”

She continued, “This is where he’ll come first after things are settled with his brother. I want to be here waiting for him. If things come to a tragic end for his brother and stepmother, or for his sister, then he’ll need me more than ever.”

“You are sure he’ll want you here, dear?” Laura asked as kindly as possible.

“He’ll want her here.” Nathan smiled at Claudia. “Micah wouldn’t have told you about the dreams unless he really loved you. You know that, don’t you?”

“I’m not sure if I believe that. But, I intend to be here when he gets home, and I hope you’ll help us all get settled.”

“There’s plenty of room here for the four of you to stay with us.” Laura was happy to have her friend here, no matter the circumstances. She stood to show Claudia to a room. “Let me get you to a bed. With a baby on the way, you’ll need your rest.”

Claudia remained in her seat. “Laura, I’d love to stay with you, but I just can’t put you to that imposition.”

“Nonsense. The boys and Henderson can camp out in the barn with Ned Jones. Since the weather is improving each day, they’ll be fine there.”

“There isn’t just four of us, Laura.”

“The baby won’t be along for quite some time, Claudia.”

“I know that. There’s one more person with us. Micah’s brother, Hank, is here, too.” Claudia walked over to the window to show Laura a tall blond man who looked like a much younger version of Micah. “There are many things for the two of them to work out and I’m not at liberty to tell you what they are. But with this many people to feed, we were hoping to move into one of Micah’s cabins as soon as the weather permits.”