Do Not Forsake Me (31 page)

“No. It won't help. One more day, Randy. Even then, we can't leave unless the doctor says it's all right. I'll try to get you home within four or five days.”

“I should be there for Jake. He'll need me, Peter. If Evie is badly hurt or killed, he'll go insane. Even I won't be able to help him. The Jake I married will be lost forever.”

“And you won't be able to be there for him or Evie or any of them if we don't handle this right. You have got to do what the doctor says, Randy, so you'll be there when they all get back.”

When
they
get
back.
“They might never come back, Peter. They might never come back.”

They stopped every few miles wherever they could find fresh horses, leaving promissory notes to either return the horses or pay for replacements if necessary. There was no time to dicker with the owners, and seeing the look in Jake's eyes, none argued with him. They rode into dark, rested only four hours, then left again, arriving in Guthrie at sunrise in four days instead of the six or seven it should have taken all the way from Hell's Nest.

They rode past a burned-out barn, and up the street were more burned businesses, some still smoldering. Someone had shot out the windows of Brian and Evie's house, as well as Lloyd and Katie's home…and Jake's. With an aching heart, Jake noticed some of Randy's rosebushes were trampled, and the front door was kicked down. He didn't need to go inside to know the house had been ransacked.

Everything seemed quiet, the rest of the main street eerily empty, even for early morning.

“Jesus,” Lloyd muttered. He charged past them and up the street, practically screaming Katie's and Stephen's names. He dismounted and ran into his house, still yelling, but there was no one inside the wrecked dwelling. He came back out and began running up and down the street, as people began emerging from doorways. In the distance, Jake could see someone running from the preacher's house.

“Lloyd!”

It was Katie! She ran toward Lloyd, Stephen close behind. Jake watched Lloyd wrap his wife and son both into his arms, all of them crying. Jake looked at Jeff, looked back at his house…Brian's house…looked up the street again.

“They took her, all right,” he told Jeff, his voice scratchy from grief and too many cigarettes. “They took Evie…and if Little Jake was here, he would already be running out to me, so they took him too. And Randy…if she was here, she'd be waiting at the house for me, even though it's half-destroyed. That means she's not back yet. Maybe she isn't even alive.”

Jeff didn't reply.

Jake urged his horse forward. As he approached the jail, he noticed more windows shot out, bullet holes sprayed all over the front of the jail. People began emerging from businesses and homes. Some nodded to Jake but didn't speak. When he looked at them, they stepped back. When Jake neared Sadie's place, Sadie and Mary Ann stepped out, both looking ready to cry. Seeing Mary Ann reminded Jake of the day Randy remarked to the young woman about her cleavage. Randy…his beautiful wife. If she was alive, she'd probably been told about this by now. She was in hell, just as he was. What if she was dying? He should be with her—and he needed to go after Evie. But there was only one of him.

The door to the boardinghouse opened and Brian stepped out, a strip of gauze wrapped around his head, blood showing near his forehead. The devastation in his eyes was painful. Brian…a good, good man…caught unawares and probably thinking he'd failed to protect his family. But how could a man who didn't even own a gun stand up against someone like Marty Bryant and his filthy cohorts in a surprise attack?

More people began assembling to watch. Jake dismounted and walked up to Brian, who closed his eyes and turned, grasping a hitching post to keep from going to his knees.

“They took her. And they took Little Jake.”

“I know,” Jake said gruffly. “I tried to get here before they did. When did it happen?”

“Three days ago. They burned buildings to distract attention, shot up the town…shot Sparky…made a mess of all three of our homes…shot out all the windows…barged in. There wasn't a damn thing I could do. One of them landed his gun barrel into my head and I…heard Evie screaming as they dragged her off…and Little Jake was crying for his ‘gampa.'”

Jake forced back the part of him that wanted to scream…and scream…and scream. If he didn't stay in this dark, angry place, he would be of no use to Evie.

“Get her back, Jake,” Brian groaned. “You're the only one who can do it. Get my Evie back.”

Jake had to swallow to keep from vomiting. “How many were there?”

“I have no idea…ten…twelve. I think…maybe there were even more, waiting outside of town. There could be close to fifteen of them. Katie got one of them, but he's not talking.”

“
Katie?
”

“She managed to get to her rifle, because they came for us first, so she had time. The damn woman barricaded herself in the bedroom and shot the first man who came through the door. I guess that made them give up on her and just take Evie and Little Jake.”

“The man she shot is still
aliv
e
?”

Brian nodded. “He's at Dr. Keller's office, under guard.”

“Then I guess I'll have to pay him a visit.”

He left Brian and walked toward Lloyd and Katie. He lifted Stephen and hugged him tight.

“You'll get them back, won't you, Grampa?” Stephen asked, tears in his eyes.

Jake closed his eyes and held him close, smelling his hair, the familiar scent of his card-cheating grandson. He took one hand and wrapped his fingers into the child's thick, dark, uncombed mane, remembering how Randy hated it when he messed up the boy's hair. He needed to touch him, smell him, remind himself that Stephen was real and alive. “I'll get them back, Stephen. I'll get them back.” He turned toward Lloyd and Katie. Lloyd took the boy back into his arms.

“Have you heard anything about Randy?” Jake asked Katie.

Katie nodded as her parents also came out of the boardinghouse. “We got a telegram from Peter Brown,” Katie told Jake. “Randy had the surgery, and she's fine. There was no cancer. We got another telegram yesterday saying she would start home today. She knows, Jake. She knows about Evie.”

Jake pulled Katie into his arms, holding her tight just to keep from crumbling. “She's really all right? It wasn't cancer?”

Katie hugged him. “That's what the telegram said.”

Again Jake struggled against a need to break down. Such wonderful, wonderful news…but his Evie was in the hands of evil men. This was what happened to people who dared to be a part of his life. This was how people suffered for bearing his blood.

“I'm glad you and Stephen are all right,” he told Katie.

“Pa, Katie shot one of them! Isn't that the biggest goddamned surprise you ever heard? My Katie shot one and kept them away from Stevie.” He moved an arm around Katie.

Jake nodded, managing half a smile for Katie. “Brian told me. You did damn good, Katie, damn good. You're a Harkner now. We have a man left behind that we can question, thanks to you.”

“Jake, darlin', what happened to your face?” Clara Donavan asked him.

Jake touched his face, having forgotten all about the wound. “It's a very long story, Clara, and there's no time for it now.” He looked down at Katie. “You know Lloyd and I have to leave again, don't you?”

Katie looked at Lloyd. “I know.”

“He'll be all right, and he'll come back to you, Katie. I'll make sure of it. But right now there's little time for good-byes. I need Lloyd to go with me to question the man you shot.” He looked at Lloyd. “He's at Doc Keller's office.”

Lloyd nodded, his own gaze showing a cold darkness seldom seen in the young man's eyes.

He pulled Katie closer. “Baby, I have to go.”

“Lloyd…”

He pressed her close. “I love you, Katie, more than I even realized. When I thought they might have taken you too—” He kissed her hair. “I've been selfish with my feelings. And I'm goddamned proud of you for what you did. You might have saved Stephen's life. I've never loved you more. You're braver than I could have ever thought.”

“I'm the one who's been selfish, Lloyd, asking you not to ride with your father. Before Evie was taken, we'd had some long talks, and she told me so many things. I understand everything so much better now. Oh, Lloyd, she's such a good person. This is so horrible! You've got to go and get her away from those awful men!”

He leaned down and kissed her. “I hate to leave again, baby.” He looked at her parents. “I'm so glad you were here for her and Stevie.”

“So are we, Son,” Pat told him. “But, by God, it's Katie who did the protectin'! I didn't even have time to load my pistol. I just wasn't ready for this. But it's not over, and sure 'n' you have to go find your sister. We'll pray you come back safe and sound.”

“Lloyd!” Katie reached around his neck and leaned up to whisper in his ear. “You
have
to come back. I think I'm pregnant.”

Lloyd squeezed her closer again. “Jesus, Katie, we have so much to be thankful for, but now this thing with Evie—I've never felt so torn. I have to go with Pa, Katie. I have to.”

“Of course you do.”

He kissed her several times over. “I love you, Katie girl. You couldn't have made me more proud, and now a baby.”

“I love you so, Lloyd.” She kissed his lips. “Go catch up with your father.”

He hated leaving her, especially now that he knew she was carrying his child. But he forced back his softer side then and let go of her reluctantly, hurrying after Jake, feeling as though someone were ripping out his heart. Part of him wanted to rejoice over Katie's bravery, rejoice for the good news about his mother…but there was still Evie and Little Jake to feel sick over…and a father on a rampage.

“We need men who know how to use guns!” Jake was shouting to onlookers as he walked. “We need volunteers! We're going after Marty Bryant and the other bastards who took my daughter! Help us form a posse!”

Several men stepped forward and more came out of doorways, some holding a rifle or a shotgun.

“Only men without family—or at least without children,” Jake yelled.

Lloyd turned to see Brian hurrying up to him. “I'm going too.”

“Brian, you're hurt.”

“Not bad enough to not be there for my wife. She'll not only need me as her husband, but she'll need a
doctor
. She'll probably lose that baby, Lloyd, and God knows how bad they might beat her, maybe even Little Jake…” He turned away in agony. “God, my son!”

“I'll talk to Pa about it,” Lloyd promised. “I'm so goddamned sorry, Brian.” Lloyd turned to see Jake now storming toward a side street down which was Dr. Keller's office. He ran after him. “Pa!”

“Don't you get in my way, Lloyd. You let me do what I have to do!”

Lloyd could barely keep up with him. A bigger crowd had gathered, yet the air hung oddly silent. Everyone knew instinctively that Jake Harkner was not Marshal Harkner now. He was someone else…perhaps the notorious Jake Harkner they all knew he once was. The handsome smile was gone. The affable man was gone.

Jake walked so fast that Jeff had to ride his horse to catch up to him and Lloyd. Whatever Jake was going to do, he wanted to be there. Right now he missed Jake the family man, the father and grandfather and loving husband, the Jake who'd kidded him about never being with a woman…the Jake who dreamed of going to Colorado and living in peace.

There would be no peace today or for the next several days—however long it took to find Evie and Little Jake. And if they were found dead, the Jake that Jeff had met on the church steps would be gone forever.

“Pa, Brian wants to go with us,” Lloyd told him as they approached the doctor's office.

“No!”

Lloyd finally reached him and yanked on his arm. “Goddamn it, Pa, he's Evie's
husban
d
! He has a
righ
t
! Besides that, he's a doctor, and she'll damn well need one by the time we reach her.”

Jake glared at him. “He'll get in the way.”

“He
won'
t
! He'll do whatever you tell him to do, and he's got to be there for Evie. You know I'm right, Pa.”

Jake turned away again. “I can't think about that yet. Give me a minute with the man they captured.”

“What are you going to do?”

“I'm going to find out where they took Evie!” Jake started walking again. “Don't come in with me if you don't have the stomach for it.”

Lloyd followed him up the steps of the doctor's office. “She's my
siste
r
!” He stepped in front of Jake, glaring at him with fire in his eyes. “And they have Little Jake. I damn well
do
have the stomach for it. This is
my
fight too—and
Brian's
! You listen to me, Pa. Brian needs to go with us!”

Jake rubbed at his eyes, and for a moment he seemed to soften toward his son. “First let's see what this man knows.” He pushed past Lloyd and charged into Keller's office, where Sparky lay unconscious on one bed in the corner, and a man Jake had never seen before lay on another. Dr. Keller looked up from a desk. “Jake!”

Jake looked at Juan, the man who'd volunteered to keep an eye on the prisoner. Juan stood there with a shotgun.

“
Señor
Jake! I am so sorry about your daughter.”

“Right now you need to leave, Juan. Wait outside.”

Juan stepped back, his eyes wide. “
Sí, mi amigo.
” Juan left, and Jake looked at Dr. Keller.

“This the man who was part of Bryant's gang?”

The doctor slowly rose, looking pale. “Yes.”

“Who's that?” Bryant's man asked. “Harkner? Jake Harkner? Don't you let him near me! Get him out of here!”

“I want your scalpel, Keller, and then you can leave,” Jake told the doctor.

“No!” Bryant's man screamed. “Don't you leave me to that murdering sonofabitch!” He tried to get up. Jake saw a bloody bandage around his middle and one around his arm. He walked up to him and jerked the man out of his bed, deliberately letting him fall to the floor on his back. Then he took a booted foot and pressed it on the wound at the man's middle. The man began screaming for help.