DARK INTRUDER
DARK INTRUDER© nesciri
Part 6
The old bed squeaked softly despite the couple's efforts not to disturb the stillness of the night. The squeaking and the soft moans was all that disturbed the quiet as hands caressed and ventured over naked bodies in a sweet embrace. She bit her lip in fear of giving words to her emotions as his tongue softly traced her ear before placing a thousand soft and tiny kisses on her neck.. Slowly they made love until their desire brought them to unknown heights, and they together found release in their own passion. She sighed contently as he gently moved off her and gazed into her face. When he saw her smile he leaned over and kissed her tenderly on the mouth.
"I love you," he mumbled, "and I still can't believe you finally decided to marry me."
"I had to," Lou smiled, "or I would miss out of all this."
Kid laughed softly. "You don't think we woke Rachel up do you?"
"If we did, I'm sure it wasn't the first time," Lou replied as she cuddled up in his embrace and closed her eyes. Kid tightened his arms around her, softly caressing her back and arms as they winded down slowly, drained of energy but not love, softly kissing her until sleep finally took over.
Lou felt herself float away as sleep overtook her. She could still feel the comfort of Kid's arms around her. There would be no nightmares tonight, she thought as drowsiness slowly enfolded her. She hadn't slept for more than a few minutes when she was awoken by a scream. Startled Lou sat up in the bed, awakening Kid. Clinging to the bedclothes, she stared frightened out into the dark room.
"Lou?" Kid asked, as he looked dumbfounded at her. "What's wrong?"
"I don't know, Kid," she whispered, still staring out into the darkness. Kid rose and placed his arms around her.
"Another nightmare?" he asked as he kissed her shoulder.
"No. This was real. I heard somebody scream." Lou looked at him. "Kid, there's something out there - something awful."
"I'll check it out," Kid offered and reached for his pants.
Suddenly Lou felt scared that he was leaving her. "Don't leave, Kid," she said. "Please stay here."
"But what about the scream?"
"I don't know." Lou shivered as a cold breeze seemed to fill the room. Suddenly she saw an image in her mind. There were dead bodies on a field, several bodies. One seemed to look familiar and it took her a few seconds before she recognized the bloody figure.
"Buck," she whispered and turned to a baffled Kid. "Something has happened to Buck."
It was the sun that woke him up. He carefully untangled himself from the arms of the woman next to him and reached for his pants. He slowly pulled them on as he remembered the conversation from the evening before. He wondered what Teaspoon would say about everything that had happened as he slowly walked up to the window. Stretching he gazed out the window when he suddenly froze and stared outside. Then he quickly turned around and walked back to the bed.
"Rose, wake up," he said. Rosemary blinked before looking up at him.
"What is it Jimmy?" she said sleepily. "I'm tired."
"What that horse doin' out there?"
"What horse? It's either your horse or mine, Jimmy. There ain't any other horses here."
Jimmy grabbed her arm and practically lifted her out of bed, ignorant to the fact that she only was dressed in her nightgown.
"You're hurting me, she complained as he dragged her over to the window.
"That horse!" he explained and pointed out the window. Rosemary wiped the sleep from her eyes and stared out the window at the brown gelding tied to the hitching post.
"It's the horse I rode in on last night," she mumbled. "What's the matter, Jimmy?"
"Where did you find it - that ain't your horse?" Rosemary looked nervously at him. There was something wrong but she couldn't figure what it was. Last nights events seemed strangely blurred in her memory. What was so darned important about that horse? Anyway she had to lie.
"I don't know - I think I took from the man I killed - the man that killed David."
"You're sure?"
"I don't know, Jimmy - I was so confused. I thought I took my own horse, but I guess I must have taken his. What is it?"
Jimmy didn't answer her but quickly walked outside and over to the horse. Grabbing a shawl, Rosemary followed him. When she reached him, he was examining the horse. He turned to her and showed her his hand. Remains of dried blood showed on his hand.
"I didn't see any wound on you," he stated.
"No. No, I was never hurt. Will you please tell me what's wrong, Jimmy?"
"This is Buck's horse," he replied slowly, gently patting the horse. Then he turned to her. "Get dressed," he ordered crisply. "We're going to see Teaspoon."
Cody sighed loudly as the army captain ordered a halt. Loudly enough for the captain to hear.
"Do you have any complains, Mr. Cody?" he asked irritated. It bothered him that his scout constantly questioned his decision and he promised himself to bring up the matter with the colonel as soon as he got back. It was stupid to bring in civilians without proper training into the army.
"Yes, as a matter of fact I do," Cody replied, tired of the officer's incompetence. So far army life had been nothing what he had expected, and frankly, he was getting tired of it. He looked over the plains. They were close to Rock Creek and he wondered what the others were doing. He longed to see them again but after his fight with Teaspoon before he left he was uncertain on how they would meet him. And that stupid stunt of celebrating his newborn freedom with getting drunk at the saloon. He should have known better. Maybe if he had listened to Teaspoon he wouldn't be stuck with an idiot to a captain that wouldn't find his way around a square. There had to be more to this army life than he had seen so far, he pondered, because he knew he was doing the right thing.
"And what, may I ask, is that?"
"This 'ere is Indian land. And we're too few to manage guards around the camp all night. It's too risky."
"Don't tell me that our valued scout id afraid of some Injuns," the captain sneered.
"I respect 'em, Captain, and if you had any sense in you, you'd do the same. I hate to loose my scalp because you refused to listen to reason."
The captain stared icily at him. "We're making camp right here."
"Fine, then you don't mind if I take my leave then do you?"
"Do as you please, Mr. Cody. I'm sure we can do without a scout."
Furiously, Cody walked briskly back to his horse. If they had any trouble during the night it wasn't his fault. He had tried to warn the captain, hadn't he? Now the only question was what would he do. He stared over the plains in the direction of Rock Creek. If he rode all night he could be at the station just in time for Rachel's breakfast. If he could face the others again, that was. What the hell, he pondered, what could happen? So Teaspoon might yell at him or even refuse to speak to him but surely he could endure that? Making his mind up he turned his mount towards the station.
He hadn't ridden more than a couple of miles when his horse suddenly shuddered. Unprepared he was almost thrown out of the saddle. He tried to calm the upset animal as he looked for something that might have caused the horse to react so violently. But he saw nothing and urged the horse forward. Again the horse refused to obey him.
"What the hell," he muttered as he once more tried to force the animal forward. The horse shook his head violently and started to back away. Apparently there was something before them that scared the beast, but Cody couldn't for his life figure out what it was. Finally he dismounted and tried to lead the horse across. It was when he stood on the ground he felt it. A feeling of uneasiness came over him as he felt as if the darkness was creeping in on him, surrounding him. Now, Cody wasn't easily scared, but what he experienced right now was something unexplainable and he felt a chill down his spine. He slowly advanced a few steps, dragging the reluctant horse behind him. It was then he stepped on something. Curious, he bent down to pick it up. When he saw what it was he couldn't help but laugh. The object was common enough on the plains and was certainly not the reason for the feeling of fear that seemed to emancipate from the area. It was a knife in its shed. It looked vaguely familiar and Cody reached for the matches in his pocket. Lighting one he held the knife to the light and held his breath. No wonder the knife had looked familiar - it was familiar. It was Buck's knife. A sudden fear for his friend caught him and he stared into the darkness.
"Buck!" he hollered with his hands around his mouth. "Buck!"
There wasn't any reply and Cody felt at a loss of what to do. He didn't know how long he just stood there, but finally he mounted again and taking a detour he continued towards the Rock Creek Way station.
"Lou, I understand that you're worried, but I can't go out chasing after Buck simply because you had a nightmare," Teaspoon explained somewhat exasperated.
"It wasn't a nightmare! I'm telling you Buck's in trouble!"
Teaspoon turned to Kid, but he only shrugged. He had managed to convince Lou to wait until morning, and that was all he could do. He had told Teaspoon that he should be appreciative that Lou hadn't woken him up in the middle of the night as she first had intended to do.
"What do you want me to do then, Lou?" Teaspoon asked, looking at the upset young woman by the table.
"Go out and look for him! If you don't do it then I will!"
"Take it easy, Lou - Buck might be alright. He said he was going out to pray and he's only been gone for one night," Kid said.
Lou sighed. It was obvious that they didn't believe her and couldn't blame her. So she had seen Buck's dead body in a dream, but that was no reason to start roaming the country looking for him. Rachel threw her an encouraging smile and Lou gave up.
"Alright," she mumbled, but if he ain't back on Thursday, then I'll head out and look for him."
"That's fine. Now, may we eat breakfast?" Teaspoon said contentedly and reached for the pan with the bacon and sausages when the sound of horses was heard approaching.
"What now?" Teaspoon muttered as someone called out his name. He rose and walked outside, followed by the others. "Jimmy? What's the hurry?" he said as Jimmy and Rosemary held in their horses.
"Something had happened," Jimmy explained crisply as he quickly dismounted and then helped Rosemary down. "Rosemary met with David's killer last night."
"You did?" Teaspoon asked the woman and eyes her suspiciously. Rosemary turned to Jimmy.
"That ain't all, Teaspoon. She was forced to kill him and in the confusion to get out of there she took his horse." Jimmy grabbed the reins to the horse and dragged it to up to Teaspoon to see. "This horse."
"That's Buck's horse," Lou gasped as Teaspoon walked down to the animal. Without a word Jimmy showed him what he had discovered earlier and with a grim look on his face he turned to Rosemary.
"You've got some explainin' to do, young lady, and I suggest you start right now."
A few minutes later Rosemary once more told the story on how she had found and met Tad Brown and how he had admitted to killing David. How she had lost her temper and shot him, how she must have taken the wrong horse. And she had no clue to why Tad Brown had Buck's horse, nor did she have any explanation to the blood. As she sat there being forced to answer Teaspoon's questions she could feel the headache come back and she sank down, leaning her head in one hand. Jimmy saw her distress and told Teaspoon to lay off her.
"She ain't done nothin' wrong, Teaspoon," he argued.
"She took justice in her own hands and killed a man," Teaspoon replied. "If that ain't wrong then I don't know what is."
"Dammit, Teaspoon. The man butchered that boy - what would you have done?"
Lou and Kid sat together, listening to the questions. Lou stared at the woman that had rode in on Buck's horse. There was something about her that was wrong. She glanced at the others but none of them seemed to notice anything. She could have sworn that Rosemary Burke was lying. Lying about everything. And she scared her. There was nothing rational with Lou's fear, it was just a feeling that caused Lou to lean on Kid and grabbing his hand as his nearness brought comfort to her. Why was she scared of Rosemary Burke?
"Alright," Teaspoon sighed. "I want you to show me where you killed this Tad Brown, understood?"
Rosemary nodded.
"I'm coming with you," Jimmy stated with determination. Teaspoon was about to object but changed his mind. "Kid, I want you to go after Buck and see if you can find anything."
"I'm going with you," Lou added, clasping Kid's hand in her. There was no way she would let Kid take off on its own - not after what had happened to Buck.
Before anybody could object the door burst open and the frame was filled with a familiar figure.
"Any breakfast left?" Cody said with a big grin on his face. Lou leaped from her place and threw her arms around him.
"Cody, I'm so happy to see you!"
Kid rose and welcomed the strayed rider with a hearty hug. Jimmy clasp his friend's hand with a big smile on his face and Rachel gave him a big hug. Only Teaspoon remained where he was.
"You left the army?" was all he asked as Cody joined the other by the table. An uncomfortable silence settled in the room.
"Nope, I'm on a leave," Cody replied shortly. Teaspoon only nodded and concentrated on his breakfast. Cody glared at him, but as the older man seemed intent on treating him as a stranger then there was nothing Cody could do about it. Seeing the others and noticing the person missing, however, made him remember his incident.
"Where's Buck?" he asked.
"We don't know," Kid replied sadly. "Rosemary found his horse with a murderer. We're going out to look for him after breakfast."
Cody stopped the spoon half way to his mouth. He had hoped to find Buck on a run or even by the station so that he could have teased him about losing his knife. What Kid just told him didn't sound good. He placed the spoon back on the plate.
"Buck's missing?"
"We ain't sure," Teaspoon replied, "but it don't look good. Listen, Cody, we could use your help. How long is your leave?"
"As long as I'm needed," Cody replied, relieved that Teaspoon finally had decided to talk to him.
"This don't mean I approve of your decision to sign up," Teaspoon muttered.
"As long as I'm welcome, I don't care," Cody replied before becoming serious. "It's just one thing…"
"What?" Jimmy wanted to know.
"I run into to something on my way here. It was sheer luck that I found it," Cody said silently and placed the knife on the table. "I thought he must have dropped it or something," he added uncertainly.
Teaspoon reached for the knife and carefully examined it. "Do you remember where you found it?" he asked in a strained voice. Cody nodded.
"You better show Kid and Lou it then," Teaspoon stated. "If you excuse me, I'll go and check on the horses." And with that he rose and left the bunkhouse. The others looked at each other. None of them had any appetite left. Finally Rachel spoke up.
"You can leave it like this, I'll take care of it. You better get going."
At her words all of them rose and walked out to the horses, Lou quickly passing her room to change into pants instead of the skirt she normally worn. Please let us find him, she thought as she hurried down the stairs to meet the others.
