Savage Conquest (39 page)

"Must I think of everything!" she exploded in fury.
"You were clever enough to trick me for months and
to almost pull off a second civil warl The least you
can do is help me figure out how to defeat them and
save both our lives and fortunes! In case you're not
thinking clearly, I've just as much to lose as you
have! I don't want to be Harrison's showpiece! I
don't want him commanding mel I want to come and
go as I please. As long as he's in control of me and my
wealth, I'm helpless; I'm like a prisoner! You can show me bound in one area of the warehouse. Then
surely you can find some way to taunt and delay him
while I disguise myself and sneak to where you're
supposedly holding Randy and Luke for exhibition," she suggested.

"Why would you help me?" he questioned
skeptically.

"As I said, for a price," she replied hastily, glaring
at him.

"What price?" he inquired, piqued.

"Everything I just told you and my escape. After
the ruse is over, you destroy the evidence against you.
Then you must help me get free of Reis, either by his
death or an annulment. In exchange for my help, I'll
sign Lawrence Shipping over to you. I'll sell
everything else, move to another state, and begin a
new life-perhaps in New Orleans or New York.
When my traitorous sister returns, she'll be at your
whim because I won't be around. And neither will
our property and money for her protection and
support. Since you find her so pleasing and desirable,
you can rescue her from poverty. But I don't want her
beaten or killed; is that understood? You can make
her your mistress or wife, whatever suits you and her.
As for Reis, you can do as you please with him. That
way, we'll both have what we want."

Just as Amanda suspected and prayed, Weber
agreed to go along with this scheme to obtain the
crucial file. But she knew he would attempt to delude
her into believing he would free her and help her
afterward, which he would never do. Despite his hazy madness, Amanda was reading him clearly. Yes,
Weber would try to use her one last time, but he
would fail!

The plans were made. Weber untied her but placed
a guard on her. She frowned at him, mocking his
mistrust. "Prove yourself, my sweet, then I'll trust
you with my life," he teased her. "In fact, I might do
all I can to persuade you to marry me. We would
make a fine team, Mandy. We could both come and
go as we pleased, discreetly, of course. I would enjoy
having your sister as my mistress for a while, if you
didn't mind." She shrugged nonchalantly as if
agreeing.

When all was prepared, Amanda was nervous. All
she could do was go along with her scheme as she
awaited a moment to attack him. She hoped Reis
would see through this farce. If he did not, he would
be offered a chance for escape and to summon help.
For the first time, she knew what it meant to be
willing to sacrifice her life for that of someone she
loved. But to think this could be the last time she saw
her love was staggering and tormenting.

Amanda was bound and gagged, then placed in a
corner. Her guard concealed himself and she was
ordered to feign unconsciousness. Weber went to get
Reis. He brought her beloved to the center of the
immense room, then had another guard come and
stand near her. A flaming torch illuminated her limp
figure, revealing her disheveled and dirtied state. She
remained still and silent.

Weber warned Reis she would be killed instantly if he made any moves or called for help. As they headed
for the office, she could hear Reis threatening to slay
Weber with his bare hands if she were harmed in any
way. It ripped at her heart to note the anguish in his
voice, the pain and fury which she prayed Weber
would ignore or think false. His hands bound, Reis
could help no one, including himself. And with her
as a prisoner, her love feared to escape or resist.

The guard untied her the moment Weber and Reis
were out of sight. He was already dressed to resemble
Lucas. Amanda sealed herself in a closet to change
dresses, then the two of them sooted her blond hair
until it appeared dark. They hurried to an adjoining
warehouse to take their places. When the guard
leaned over to move a crate to partially shield them,
she furtively seized a crowbar. Refusing to feel any
remorse, she slammed it across his head, then quickly
bound and gagged him. She grabbed his knife and
stuck it into a cotton sack near where Weber would
stand while pointing them out. She took the guard's
gun and her assigned place, calculating that there
would be Weber and another armed guard against a
bound Reis and herself. All she could do was wait
with her stolen gun, and pray Reis noticed the shiny
knife.

She went rigid when she heard the door open then
close. She ordered herself to relax yet remain alert.
She could hear Weber's voice, but could not make out
his words. He halted near the center of the structure,
telling the guard to show Reis "their little surprises."

Amanda knew their lives were at stake but wondered if she could actually pull the trigger and
shoot a man. Her arms were in a position to indicate
she was bound, and she had remembered to gag
herself. The other man moved the torch back and
forth over the couple as Weber referred to them as
Miranda and Lucas. Reis was unprepared for the sly
ruse and was briefly deceived at that distance.

As Weber issued his demands, Reis snarled, "How
do I know the three of them are still alive? All I've
seen are limp bodies. I want to talk to them."

As pre-planned without Amanda's knowledge,
Weber signaled the guard who instantly shot the man
playing Lucas. It did not surprise the other guard or
Weber when the unsuspecting man did not move or
scream, or when Amanda jumped in astonishment.
Weber casually informed the stunned Reis that he
could only bargain for the two twins now. If he
refused Weber's orders, both girls would be murdered
tonight.

"You son-of-a-bitch!" Reis stormed at him,
causing Weber to shove him backward. Miraculously, Reis's hands made contact with the knife, and
he hastily closed his fingers around the handle.

Then everything went wild. Amanda panicked
and shot the guard, the thunderous roar of her
gunfire drawing Weber's attention from Reis. The
wounded guard tried to get his gun out of his holster,
but she closed her eyes and fired once more. This time
he stopped permanently.

It was evident to Weber that he had been duped by
her again, and that both of his guards were now dead or seriously injured. With a loud yell of hatred, he
jerked out his concealed weapon to kill her. Reis
yanked the knife from its place and whirled around.
There was no time to sever his hands. He slammed
himself into Weber's back, driving the knife into his
demented body. Both men fell to the floor. With
speed and agility, Reis pulled the bloody knife free
and rolled away. He instantly came to his feet and
raced to where Miranda was hiding.

When he turned to ask if she was all right, he was
shocked; the woman beside him was his wife. She
ripped off the gag and smiled at him, then hugged
him tightly. Weber's agonized voice returned her
anxiety. Reis told her to cut him free, which she did
with some effort. She handed him the guard's gun,
then he smiled at her, and stole a brief kiss of
encouragement.

"I'll kill you, you bitch!" Weber shouted in pain
and fury.

"It's over, Richardson," Reis announced confidently, shoving Amanda's head down when she
tried to peer over the crate.

She understood the precaution when Weber fired
shots at them. Reis attempted to talk Weber into
surrendering, but he adamantly refused. Spouting
how he was going to "roast them alive," Weber
staggered toward the only unsealed exit. From his
wild rantings, it appeared he was planning to
barricade the door and set fire to the building. Reis
could not allow him to escape orgive him a chance to
trap them. He fired at Weber's legs, one bullet shattering a knee. As Weber screamed in pain and
clutched at a stack of crates for balance, the heavy pile
tumbled down crushing him. Weber Richardson
would threaten them no more.

Finding the guards dead as well, Reis left the
bodies while he took the trembling Amanda home.
Later, in each other's arms, they compared stories. At
last their ordeal was over, the anguish of the past and
present. They nestled together, sharing comfort and
joy.

Before leaving Alexandria, Reis hired a crew for
the desperate search which Weber's boastful words
had inspired. Only in the event that his men were
successful, would he tell his wife anything about it.
Soon they would be in Dakota to challenge new
adventures. But they would also confront perils as yet
unknown, perils more numerous and lethal than any
devised by the late Weber Richardson ...

Calamity Jane and Tom Two-Feathers Fletcher
had no choice but to mount hastily and follow the
impulsive and courageous girl toward the Oglala
camp. Tom caught up with Miranda and cautioned
her to conduct herself with patience and respect. He
warned her not to make trouble if Sun Cloud refused
a second time to meet her.

Tom witnessed the look of fierce determination
and resentment which were visible in her tawny eyes
and upon her lovely face. This audacious and
exquisite creature would be a sensuously wild vixen
to tame, an assignment he would relish. What more
could a man who survived in the wilderness desire
than a woman who was beautiful, brave, sturdy, and
keen witted? He could easily envision the type of wife
and mother this half-girl, half-woman would make
in some lucky family. And luck was something a
clever man created for himself in this barren, onerous territory. With her half-blooded heritage, Miranda
was a perfect match for him.

They reined in before the colorfully painted teepee
of the famed war chief, Crazy Horse. Tom and Jane
gingerly dismounted and Tom assisted Miranda
down to the ground. Miranda stood poised and
guarded as Tom spoke with the leader who had left
his teepee at the commotion outside.

"Tashunka Witco," Tom addressed the chief by
name in Sioux, then related that the girl with him
wished to know why her grandfather refused to see
her of ter she had come so far and faced many dangers.

Crazy Horse eyed the beauty at the scout's side, a
female who looked as Indian as the women nearby.
His sweeping gaze surveyed her manner of dress: she
was wearing the garment and headband of an Oglala
princess! Did the proud creature think she had the
right by birth to commit such an offense? She was
hanke-wasichun, half blooded!

No one approached the small group or dared to
speak without their leader's permission. But all
observed the strange sight. Miranda remained alert
and silent while Tom reasoned with the chief. From
the expression and tone of Crazy Horse's voice, she
knew he did not realize she spoke his tongue and
understood his cutting words. Forewarned by Tom,
she held her anxious tongue as her anger increased.

Miranda observed the masterful warrior who was
rumored to be dauntless-a powerful man who
challenged any force or obstacle, an intelligent man.
whose cunning was feared and respected, an heroic man whose influence and prowess were held in awe
and dread. Tashunka Witco was said to be a seasoned
leader who rode before his band, always putting
himself in the first line of danger. And he was known
also for his military tactics and expertise, a "Plains
soldier" unsurpassed. He was a proficient warrior of
such enormous mettle and skill that others envied
him but feared to challenge his rank. So immense
was his valiance that he had become a member of the
O-zu-ye Wicasta, the Warrior Society, before reaching his sixteenth birthday. It was as if Crazy Horse
had been trained from birth for his rank in history, as
if no person or nothing could prevent him from
being thrust into the role of the Sioux's most
powerful warrior. It was true that he trusted no white
man, and with just cause. Believing himself protected and blessed by the Great Spirit, he could
endure intense pain without flinching. It was alleged
that the intrepid warrior "dreamed" himself into an
aura of invincibility and matchless valor before every
battle, seeing a vision in which his horse pranced
eagerly and crazily, and from this dream the
illustrious warrior took his name. Just over thirty,
Crazy Horse was a growing legend amongst both
whites and Indians.

One thing which surprised Miranda was the
lightness of his hair and skin. He possessed bold
features and piercing eyes on a face which could be
called ruggedly handsome. He was the son of the
sister of Spotted Tail, the noted Brule chief confined
to a reservation. The defeat and humiliation of his once-great uncle inspired .and encouraged Crazy
Horse to make certain he and his people never shared
such a despicable and degrading fate.

Another curiosity for Miranda was the physical
size of Crazy Horse. She had expected this legend to
be tall and muscular, as was the unknown warrior
she had met several times. But Crazy Horse was of
medium height and lean, with the lithe build of a
swordsman. Yet, strength of body and character were
emblazoned upon his face and frame. As the two men
talked, Miranda admired both the mental and
physical attributes of the war chief.