Dark Warrior: Kid (Dark Cloth Series Book 2) (22 page)

Unseen Enemy

The train rounded the bend as Kat waved her arms, lasso in hand—at the same time, yelling back at Hawk and Kid to move.
The conductor spotted her—than glanced up the tracks and spotting the trees that still remained across the tracks, realizing the danger. She was close enough to see his eyes as she nudged her pony, hard. He bunched up and lunged out of the way.

Kat couldn’t imagine what flashed through the man’s head at that moment. He probably thought they were trying to rob the train, she thought—but he pulled the brakes just the same, the metal-on-metal, locking up and causing a vicious screaming, testifying to that. Hitting the trees, even the ones that were left, was bound to send the rest of the train slamming forward—and such an impact would likely still kill many of those on board.

The train slid, screeching loudly down the tracks, sliding toward the piles blocking the way. Kat yelled Mandy’s name, knowing she was on that train somewhere, knowing all the while she’d never hear her—she couldn’t even hear herself. She bent and covered her ears, arching her neck to watch in horror. Though she desperately wanted to, she couldn’t tear her gaze away.

The train made its long slide forward. Time seemed suspended, caught in some kind of morbid torture of watching the inevitable. The train hit the first pile, and since Kid and Hawk had managed to pull several of the trees from the pile, it pushed that pile forward with the v-shaped, snow blade mounted to the front.

The train continued its long slide forward, hitting the second pile, pushing it forward several feet before grinding to a halt. Kat stared in horror as the cars in the back rammed into the locomotive and went sideways.

The cars fell, one in front of the other, until the ones toward the rear fell toward Kat, one landing on one side of Kat, one falling on the other side, coming to rest on their side, as the people caught inside screamed.

She heard Kid scream her name, unable to see past the cars that had blocked his view—unable to see that she’d been untouched. The sound of it gave her shivers.

Hawk made it to the first car, a bunch of men behind him, but Kid continued running around the cars, searching for Kat. She stepped far enough away from the cars to yell that she was alright. She saw the relief that flooded his face—then she screamed Mandy’s name and headed for the car she knew she’d likely be in—toward the rear, Kid right behind her.

He kicked the door in, and she slipped through the opening, crawling on top the berths that now lay on their side, thankful that her grandfather wouldn’t be inside. She crawled along until she reached the berth that Mandy should be inside—and opened the door, standing up and letting it fall back against the wall that now lay flat under her feet.

She looked down into the birth, and found Mandy’s face peering back at her from the dark below. Kat sagged in relief, then reached down and offered her friend her hand, pulling her free from the berth.

They hugged each other fiercely.

Seeing that Mandy looked unharmed, Kid opened the next berth. The man inside, lay at the bottom, and Kid jumped inside.

By that time, Kat heard Hawk yelling from somewhere outside.

“Here,” Kat yelled, then crawled back toward the door and yelled it again. Hawk heard her and came running toward their car. Seeing Mandy crawling out of the car, he pulled her into her arms and swung her around, holding her, causing tears to spring to Kat’s eyes.

“We have to get these people out of these cars,” Mandy said, frantic.

Hawk nodded. “The first three passenger cars didn’t tip over—but a lot of people were thrown against the front of the cars. The men from the army are emptying the cars,” he said. “But we still need to empty the cars with the berths.”

That was when Kat heard the horses. Her head craned toward the last two livestock cars, horrified.

That’s when she spotted George, sitting on his mount, overlooking the cliffs. Horrified, she realized he hadn’t left—not when he could enjoy the view.

Kat ran to her horse. She could feel how stunned the others had been at her actions, but there wasn’t time to even yell.

Kat raced ahead, her horse thundering down the trail, Kid, Hawk and Mandy right behind her. She’d kept her eye on George’s horse. She had to admit, he was a hell of a horseman. He may have to limp when he walked, but he could ride like the wind.

Her horse raced after him, but none of their mounts were any match for George’s. He pulled ahead of them with every breath.

Determined, she leaned in. She saw him race around the bend and saw her opportunity. Taking her pony, she went flying over the edge of a hill, leaning back, with her arm back for balance as he ran straight down the hill. One wrong move, and they’d both go flying. They safely reached the bottom of the hill and started up the other side, as she leaned forward now, the muscles in her pony’s hindquarters bunching as he leapt up the hill with her on his back.

They came over the top in front of George’s mount. He didn’t have time to react and his mount slammed into her gelding. Both horses screamed, sending their riders tumbling to the ground.

Kat fought to breathe, working to suck in her breath, pain lancing her skull and racing through her chest. She managed to roll to her knees, pulling her blade as Kid raced up.

Like Hawk, Kid hit the ground running. He reached her, pulling her up to her feet. That was when she realized George hadn’t gotten up. Hawk pulled up, dismounted and went to nudge George with the toe of his boot.

He looked up at Kat.

“That’s not a very satisfactory ending,” she said, still trying to catch her breath.

Kid grinned, hugging her close.

He’ll have his day in court, Hawk said, as he went over to get something out of his saddlebags. He came back over to George, bent over, taking a length of rope, and bound his hands behind his back. Picking him up, he walked over to his horse and draped George over the back, securing his hands to one side of his saddle before going around to secure his feet to the other.

Kat turned to look at the carnage, from the view they had, from where they stood on top the hill.

When they returned to the cars, Kat stared at the bloodbath around her.

People had were laid out on the ground. Those who could, were attending the wounded. Someone had shot the wounded animals. Kat got down off her horse and ran to a bush, throwing up. She heard the moans of the people, and she felt sick again.

She slumped forward as Kid came up and pulled her into his arms. She’d never reacted to death like this before in her life. But she hadn’t thought she might be pregnant before either—nor had she witnessed such a heinous crime. And this one had been at the hands of someone in her own family—and wouldn’t have happened at all—if he hadn’t been out to stop
her
from rescuing their grandfather from his murderous hands.

Kat stumbled to her feet, as Kid wrapped his arm around her waist. She lifted her head to stare at George. He’d come to—so Hawk had sat him up in the saddle and tied him to the horn.

“All those people,” she said, turning to look at George. “Why?” she said, her voice shaking with rage. “What did
anyone
ever do to you—
to make you hurt all those people?”

“Why!” he said, staring at her.
“Because you stole my life!”

She frowned at that. “How could I have possibly stolen your life?” she hissed, getting to her feet with Kid’s help.

George glared at her. “My father was the oldest,” he fumed. “Not your father—but grandfather wouldn’t quit—not even when your father was dead.” He curled his lip.

She couldn’t believe her ears. “They wouldn’t have left you the estates anyway,” she pointed out. “You’re not the oldest son—Ethan is.”

“Ethan,” he sneered again.
“Ethan, Ethan, Ethan.
People have treated me like I’m invisible all of my life—and all because of Ethan.”

Kat shook her head at him. “They treated you that way—because you acted that way.”

He jerked forward as if slapped—and Hawk tightened his hold on his arm.

“You had to hide that stupid Indian girl,” he said.

Kat gapped at him. “What? What girl?”

He curled his lip at this. “Don’t pretend stupid with me,” he said. “I happen to know that woman took both of you with her.”

Kat shook her head. She didn’t have a clue what he was talking about. Had he lost his senses?

“Rose.”
he said harshly—as if that would explain everything.

Kat still frowned at him. “I don’t have any idea who Rose is,” she said. “I only just heard her name the other day.”

He laughed at this, then laughed again—bent over and laughed as if he’d been struck by some hidden irony. He straightened, staring at her. “This is too much,” he said. Then, he seemed to realize something. “She was your sister,” he said.

She stared at him. “But that’s impossible,” she said. “I have no sister.”

He grinned at her—a nasty, hateful grin. “She was your mother’s first born, the true Cherokee Princess,” he said, “no blood of your father.” He glared at her with eyes filled with rage. “But he loved her like his own.”

Kat opened her mouth—but nothing came out. “How would you know?” Suddenly, she realized how true her words were and she glared at him. “How would you know
any of this?
You hadn’t even been
born
yet,” she said harshly.

He grinned. “But my father had.”

Kat stared at him as Hawk jerked on his arm. “You’ve said enough,” he said.

George yanked his arm away, glaring at him—the turned back to Kat. “My father works for the Dark Cloth,” he said. “Yeah…,” he nodded as her eyes grew wide, “we know who—or actually what—they are.” He sneered again. “They made sure the Cherokee would never survive to flourish in the East,” he spat, “the way they’d bred—and bought land and houses—and acted like they were White. Who did they think they were anyway?” He gave her a menacing look. “Jackson made sure they would never prosper from the things they’d stolen from good God fearing people.”

Kat lunged at him—and Kid caught her around the waist. “They were
here
first,”
she screamed,
“you ignorant, fool.”

He grinned at her. “And the Dark Cloth made sure they didn’t survive what we had in mind for the human race,” he spat.

Kat tore at Kid’s hands, but he wouldn’t release her.

Hawk grabbed George again. By that time, a soldier stepped forward with irons—and they locked them around his wrists.

Kat stared after them, as they hauled him away.

She turned to look at Hawk. “Why does that name keep coming up?” she asked him.

Hawk shook his head. “I’m afraid you’ll have to ask Mandy that question,” he said. He looked away. “She saw a man in a mask….”

Kat nodded. “I know…,” she said. “He wasn’t human….”

She turned to look at Kid.

“They need our help,” she said, and he wrapped his arms around her and helped her toward where people lay moaning on the ground. Together, they helped Mandy attend the wounded.

Coming Home

Kat could hardly believe the war with her family was actually over.
Her grandfather had put Liam in charge of all of his affairs, as he’d meant for him to have from the beginning, until her treacherous cousin had usurped him. He and Jake had flushed out every single one of her cousin’s men, though Jake had stayed behind, for the time being, to make sure they hadn’t missed anyone.

And George awaited trial for his crimes.

Kat had realized that a lot of people looked forward to seeing him pay for the things he’d done—and she was glad she hadn’t robbed them of that, giving him too easy of a way out, by killing him that day.

She still woke up in the middle of the night, thinking she stood between the fallen cars of that train, hearing the horses pained whines, caught in the last couple of cars. She’d wake up, sweating, tears slipping down her face—only to find Kid’s gentle arms coming around her, soothing her, and each time she’d realize she was safe—that Mandy was safe.

Yet, she, too, wouldn’t rest until they had their day in court and saw George pay for what he’d done. Now, what he’d done to her grandfather, well that would be a separate court proceeding. But her cousin wouldn’t see the light of day, anytime soon.

Kat realized that she needed to find forgiveness in her heart. She couldn’t live her life with all this anger. The anger only served to be another kind of poison—one that would eventually kill her. She knew she had to let it go one day. And she worked to that end, daily.

Later that afternoon, Kat stood on the porch of Kid’s ranch. She tipped her face to the sun, once more realizing that this would be her ranch too—if she could but stay. She just had to have the courage to reach for her own dreams—to know she was worth fighting for—for her own happiness.

Her grandfather hadn’t left yet. He seemed content to stay on the ranch. He hadn’t said anything more to her about going back. Kat had the feeling that had as much to do with Mandy’s, Aunt Lydia, as it did with her. She didn’t know what he would decide to do if things got serious between them. Would he stay in the West?

She wouldn’t be surprised—and she realized that she hoped he would.

He’d continued to express the same love for Cheyenne that he’d been, from the moment she’d brought him out here. Her grandfather had plainly fallen in love with it, here. She could easily see him staying, if he let himself. She hoped he would. She had the feeling that he might get a lot of good things out of living out here, which he’d missed when she’d been stolen away as a child. And she knew they’d get some of that time together that they’d missed, out of it as well.

Kid had added several of his horses to his herd, the ones he’d bought from her grandfather, and had brought home by train soon after they’d returned home. He’d been busy breeding some of the mares he’d bought, with a beautiful five-year-old stallion, he’d been raising, since shortly after Hawk had made the deal with him to take over this ranch. And he also had that new colt….

At this rate, Kid would have one of the best horse ranches in the state, and Kat felt proud to be a part of that. She couldn’t ask for a better life. She’d never imagined that she could live such a dream.

Now, if only they could find a way to have that wedding….

But she’d made herself a promise—one that bound her to look after her grandfather, first. She had to find a way to resolve that—and, only then, could she be free to follow her own dreams.

Kat looked away, realizing.

As it turned out, she wasn’t pregnant. She’d probably just been under enough pressure, causing the delay of her monthly, and the train’s movements had likely been what had made her sick. She felt the same way, riding in a wagon.

That’s when she realized it.

She needed to be as true to herself—as she’d been to everyone else. She needed to work as hard to bring her own happiness to life—as she seemed willing to give to everyone else. She’d been far too willing to give up parts of her life—to make her grandfather happy.

But she didn’t know any other way, but to be true to herself. Only, then, could she be true to the people she loved. As she looked across the ranch, she knew—she’d come home.

She straightened when she spotted Kid coming from the barn, smiling. She realized she would love him for every lifetime, from here to eternity. She belonged here—not back East, making an old man happy. She shouldn’t be willing to throw away her own happiness. She couldn’t allow anything—or even anyone—to change the course of her own destiny. Her future lay in her hands—no one else—if she but had the courage to reach for it.

The courage to break an old man’s heart—she sighed. Could she really do that? Wasn’t it wrong to do that? Did that make her selfish? Didn’t that make her self-absorbed?

Kid stepped up on the porch and pulled her into his arms. Smiling, she put her head back to look up at him, reached up and tipped his hat back so she could better see his face.

“I love you, Kid…,” she said, stopped suddenly—and grinned. “Oh, my….I just realized that I don’t know your last name,” she shrieked, pulling away. “Do you even
have
a last name?”

He grinned. “Not really,” he said. “But if we were to get married in a church—to make our marriage legal in eyes of man—I suppose I’d have to choose one.” He frowned. “I used Hawk’s, when Doc sent me back East to school. I guess that would serve. I’d have to speak to Hawk….”

Kat smiled. “Kid McClain,” she tried it out, settling back into his arms.

She looked up as her grandfather came around the corner of the wrap-around porch, flushed and gently pulled away from Kid, looking up at him.

“Grandfather…,” she started.

He held up his hand. “Forgive an old man,” he said. “I knew from the first time I opened my eyes and spotted the two of you working over me together. But I couldn’t bear the heartbreak of losing you again.” He eyed her. “It’s obvious how much you two love each other.” He looked out over the ranch. “It’s even more obvious how much you love this ranch.” He turned back to eye her again. “But just the same,” he said, eyeing her, “you wouldn’t still consider coming with me…?”

Kat smiled gently, then shook her head.

“Yeah,” he said. “I didn’t think so.” He smiled. “But I still had to try.” Looking at Kid, then back across the ranch. “Perhaps I’ll leave Liam the place early—and come here instead,” he said.

Kat knew her face lit up at this—since it had become her secret wish. She smiled as the first bud of hope—burst within her. “Would you?”

Her grandfather grinned now. “Hell, yes, I would,” he said.

Kat flew into his arms. She kissed the side of his face as he hugged her fiercely. He looked up at Kid, grinning. “I’m keeping my on you, young man.”

Kid laughed. “I wouldn’t have it any other way,” he said.

When they sat down for dinner at Mandy’s that night, Kat noticed that her grandfather watched her aunt Lydia as she moved around the room. She’d been right. Her grandfather did like Mandy’s aunt. She sat back in her chair, watching. Then grinned when she realized that Lydia also liked her grandfather.

She looked over at him, seeing him in a new light. Now that he wasn’t being poisoned, and he’d recovered sufficiently, he seemed much younger. She realized he was actually quite a handsome man.

After dinner, she invited Mandy to go sit out on the porch, as the sun went down. Then, grinning, she suggested that Kid take Hawk out to visit the mare, he’d brought over for him that afternoon from her grandfather’s herd.

Kid glanced at her, giving her an odd look, and she looked over at her grandfather, then looked at Mandy’s aunt. She almost laughed out loud when not only Kid—but Hawk and Mandy—caught onto what she was trying to do. They practically stumbled over each other, trying to make their excuses to leave the room.

Kat giggled when she got out onto the porch.

Mandy laughed, trying to peek back into the house. “How did you know?” Mandy said, grinning.

Kat glanced through the window, then sat down in one of the rocking chairs. “I saw my grandfather looking at her the other day,” she said. “I don’t know him that well—but I swear I saw longing on his face.”

“Really?” Mandy said. “I’m so excited for her. She’s been so lonely since my father died.”

Kat looked at her surprised. “I would wouldn’t have guessed,” she said. “She always seems so—together.”

Mandy nodded. “She’s amazing. She’s so strong. And she never complains. But I know she’d love to have someone of her own. I know she’d love to have a life with someone—a life she doesn’t have to hide, the way she had to hide the life she had with my father, after my mother died.”

Kat glanced up at her, as Mandy went to stand near a post, staring out across the ranch at the horses. “Why didn’t they just get married?” she asked.

Mandy shrugged. “They both had it in their heads that people would judge. After all, she was my mother’s sister. Some people wouldn’t approve.”

Mandy’s aunt came out, then, handing them each a steaming cup of tea before going back into the house. Kat waited until she’d gone back into the house before she looked at Mandy.

“See…,” Mandy said, “that’s another example of why someone shouldn’t throw away their lives—their own happiness—to please others.”

Kat looked down at the hot mug in her hands and nodded. “Finding real love is a precious thing,” she admitted.

Mandy grinned at her.

Kat looked up and saw the look on her face. Flushing, she grinned. “I know,” she said. “That’s pretty different huh?”

Mandy nodded, still grinning at her. “You could say that,” she said. “Five months ago, I could never have imagined you saying something like that.”

Kat nodded, laughing. “Five months ago,” she said, “I couldn’t have begun to imagine being this happy.”

Mandy grinned. “Good,” she said. “I think that’s wonderful,” she said to Kat, sitting down in the rocking chair next to her, holding her hot mug between her hands. “I’m happy for you.” She looked at Kat. She waited for several moments. “So—when would you like to get married?”

Kat had started to sip her tea, choked and started laughing, setting her mug down on the little table between them. She brushed the hair back from her face. “Okay,” she said, deciding. “Okay.” She stopped, thinking about it. She looked over at Mandy. “How about two weeks from Saturday.” She grinned as Mandy laughed.

Mandy set her mug down too and stood to hug Kat. Kat hugged her back, and they laughed.

“Well, then, Mandy said. “Let’s plan for your wedding.” She went to the door, saying she’d be right back, returning shortly with paper, ink and quill, and they sat down to plan.