Two shots spaced a bit apart stopped every one of the rescuers. Bodeen and Pike paused, their horses dancing anxiously as they listened, "Up ahead!" Pike shouted and gave the Roan his head, Bodeen in hot pursuit of his boss.
Dallas swung his mount in the direction he heard the shots, which was an uphill climb with trees and underbrush to dodge. Not a stiff climb, but one crowded with obstacles he would need to avoid.
On the other side of that main trail, Lorado and Ames were already headed up their side of the hill, which was not nearly as overgrown as the other side. Their assent would be faster, but not nearly as fast as Pikes!
With caution thrown to the wind, Pronto Pike, with blood in his eye, raced hell bent for breakfast as the trail rose slightly and then took a couple of twists through the trees before he saw Em with Wheeler running toward him and a large woman trying to keep up with her and a body lying behind her.
Pike pulled back hard on the reins as the Roan, his rump dropping down, his hind hooves sliding to a stop as Pike stepped off, drawing his left-hand pistol and snapping off a shot, the slug slammed into the woman's shoulder, spinning her around and toppling her to the dust. He caught his wife and son as Bodeen passed them to the downed woman, where he stopped and got down, gun in hand.
Pike hung onto Em and Wheeler, who was still fussing, "What happened? Are you hurt? Is he alright?"
She knew that the woman was coming after her, and she knew that she could outrun her...except that with carrying Wheeler she could only go so fast. At least, maybe, as long as the woman didn't have any weapons, Emeline was pretty sure she could take her in a fight. It was just better if she could avoid physical contact.
She knew she was losing ground, and she was contemplating how to get Wheeler out of harm's way, when an apparition appeared in front of her, and for a brief instant her heart sank...there was no way she could take on a man on a horse. But then, in a flash, recognition hit her, and she knew she was safe.
Even as a shot rang out and a bullet whizzed past her, she stayed steady, racing toward the familiar horse, not stopping until she was folded in the safety of her husband's arms. Wheeler was wailing by now, and Emeline's breathing was coming in hitching sobs as she pressed her face against that strong, familiar shoulder.
"What happened? Are you hurt? Is he alright?"
"We're all right," she assured him, "we're fine." Finally catching her breath, she relaxed a little and freed Wheeler from the confines of his sling, bringing him out into the air. His fussing stilled and his damp eyes looked up into his father's face.
"I don't know...they wouldn't let me pass, they wanted Wheeler." There was a sob, followed by a defiant glare in her eye. She was no shrinking violet, and she wasn't going to let this invade her thoughts!
"I just wanted to pick some huckleberries, but when I came back, Noel was gone. Noel! Is she all right? Did they hurt her?"
While finding Mrs. Pike was, of course, the priority, a couple of the men were sent back to the ranch to help out Cookie guard the place just in case this was a set up to attack the house, and Justus was one of the riders sent back.
Everything was fine when he rode in, and the first thing he did was set about saddling up spare horses from the remuda, so that if hands came in for fresh mounts, they would be ready.
And they were expecting the doctor to arrive at any time, hopefully just to have supper with everyone, and nothing more!
(Cue Angelique and whoever is escorting her!)
While Love Gang were successfully high-tailing it, Sis was rolling around in the dust, hollering and moaning louder than a buffalo, holding onto her shoulder, kicking spasmodically and shouting incoherently to her dead brother, her cries blending with those of the little child she had longed for so much.
"They got me, Clem.... they killed me, too! Ohhh, it hurts! He was right! Pike got us both! They killed me, too! Clem! Ohhh! Ohhh it hurts awful Clem! I just wanted to hold the baby.... Ohhh, Ohhhh, I don't wanna die, Clem! They killed me, they..." eventually the pain was so great (for the bullet had lodged in her left scapula and was pressing against a nerve) that the girl fainted and lay in the dust, an ever spreading dark red stain polluting her blouse like it was blotting paper.
Clem lay still on his back, unhearing.
And somewhere, high in the distant mountain peaks, the Devil laughed.
"We're all right," she assured him, "we're fine." Finally catching her breath, she relaxed a little and freed Wheeler from the confines of his sling, bringing him out into the air. His fussing stilled and his damp eyes looked up into his father's face.
Hello there, little man. Had a rough go of it reckon, but you're alright now, son." Barnabas said softly
"I don't know...they wouldn't let me pass, they wanted Wheeler." There was a sob, followed by a defiant glare in her eye. She was no shrinking violet, and she wasn't going to let this invade her thoughts!
"Wanted Wheeler? What in tarnation would they want with him? That woman what was tryin' ta chase you?" He asked. Who were they? What was all of this about? He had never seen the woman before, and he would have a look at the man but he doubted it was anyone from his past. Not from the looks of him.
"I just wanted to pick some huckleberries, but when I came back, Noel was gone. Noel! Is she all right? Did they hurt her?"
"Noel is just fine, Love. Came back to the ranch, had the place in an uproar about it. Gibbs chased me down with the word."
Barnabas related the story to her. And at that moment Bodeen came up from the trail below.
"Heard the shootin'." He said, getting down, "You're alright? No harm come to you or the boy?" He asked.
Pike looked back at the moaning woman. "Might see what you can do fer that one, other's dead, but she's goin' in to jail!"
"Here, you take the roan an' jest have someone bring him back for me." He said.
Storyteller / Shared NPC
Meanwhile at the deserted camp....
Loreado and Will stopped down to have a look around. The embers of the fire were still smoking. There were plenty of tracks and signs of several people. There were also signs of where the horses had been picketed, five, at least. Their trail was plain as day coming in and leaving. And they had left in a hurry,
"Prolly three up here, you can see where they were here by that ridge yonder, watchin' maybe?" Will said. "One closer to the edge than the other'uns."
"Yeah, an' whatever they were after they decided against it and vamosed," Lorado added.
"Wanna go after 'em?" Will asked. That was when they heard the single gunshot and rushed to the ridge, looking down to see Pike was there with his wife and child. A woman was down, and a man sprawled some distance from her.
"Best we get down there!" Lorado said, and the two got to their horses and mounted up, heading back down the way they had come.
Pecos Pete was the one sent to town. He was the second lightest but the best horseman. He rode that Pinto as fast as it would ride! Pete covered the five miles in a bit less than twelve minutes. He thought there could be either Doc Boone or Danforth at the yet to be completed hospital, so that was where he went. As he slid to a stop, he saw a woman on the porch, so he leaped from the saddle and started toward the woman.
"Scuse me Ma'am. Would you know if there's a Doc around?" He asked, eyes wide, breath coming in gasps.
Angie smiled, "I'll get my bag. I'm Doctor Agelique Laurant. She disappeared inside and returned before Pete closed his mouth.
"Nop, Ma'am we need a doctor out to the Rockin' P." He said protesting. She was already stepping into her stirrup and pulling herslf aboard.
"Lead the way!" She shouted as the horse swung around/. Pete was cussing silently. The fool woman would have to do, he swung back in the saddle. the pinto already moving, and galloped toward the town limits. The woman was right with him on the gift horse from Addy that she had named Bandit!
"Here, you take the roan an' jest have someone bring him back for me." He said.
"Yes, all right." Emeline handed Wheeler to his papa so she could climb up on the big roan, but first she wiped her eyes with her sleeve, then looked back toward the brigands. She would go to help the woman, but she knew Barnabas wouldn't allow it, and probably for the best. "I dropped my derringer and rifle," she murmured, then swung up into to the saddle, "and the berries...I'm sorry, there won't be any pie."
She offered a small smile, but as she leaned down to take Wheeler from her husband, she whispered, "Bring her to the house so we can see to her wounds." It was a way to maintain her own humanity, to assure herself that she wasn't as broken as the people who had attacked her. Then she added a quick kiss to his cheek. "I love you."
Then she turned back toward the ranch, relieved and safe, still hoping to get back before dark, but it didn't matter so much now that she wasn't alone.
She offered a small smile, but as she leaned down to take Wheeler from her husband, she whispered, "Bring her to the house so we can see to her wounds." It was a way to maintain her own humanity, to assure herself that she wasn't as broken as the people who had attacked her. Then she added a quick kiss to his cheek. "I love you."
"Bodeen, ride back with her, bring another mount for the woman." He turned back to Em, "Love you too. We'll get this all sorted out back to our place. The doc was sent for. We just need to keep her alive to tell us what was going on, and what they targeted you." It just made no sense to him, and he hoped if the woman didn't die on them, maybe she would shed some real light on what it all meant, and why.
Riding back to the ranch with the men around her made Emeline feel like a princess in a romance novel, and that helped to settle her nerves. She knew this was an anomaly, that whatever these people had wanted, it was over now.
"They knew who I was," she stated, glancing at Bodeen and Pythias, "knew my name. I've never seen them before." And that really puzzled her, in fact, bothered her. How could complete strangers be out for her?
Sighing, she shook her head, glancing down at Wheeler, who was asleep from the smooth gait of the horse. "I just wanted to surprise you all with huckleberry pies, and now all I've done is wasted your time." She knew full-well that the ranch work wouldn't do itself, and the men would have to double down tomorrow to make up for her folly.