The Untold Story Chapter Two – Part One
– by Sandi99
July 25th, 1868
Wyoming Territory is formed out of parts of Dakota, Utah and Idaho.
Excerpt from ‘My Town’ by Dorothy Jennings.
Chapter Four
On the morning after Jebediah Bancroft was found murdered, I was awakened by a jumble of voices outside.
I dressed quickly and left my room, only to find Loren standing at the opened doorway of the store and staring out at the source of the noise. Stepping up beside him, I glanced at his deeply furrowed forehead then followed the direction of his stare.
Outside half a dozen men were gathered around Jake Slicker. The barber seemed to be issuing instructions.
I returned my gaze to Loren’s face, a question in my eyes. He looked at me grimly.
“It’s a posse. They’re gittin’ ready to go find Dr. Mike.”
A shiver crept down my spine. “And you ain’t with em?” I asked, surprised.
Loren was always the first one to volunteer when something exciting or intriguing was happening. He liked to be in the thick of things. He shrugged and actually seemed embarrassed as he answered.
“Awww …. I dunno. It’s Dr. Mike they’re goin’ after. She’s done a lot for me … for lots of folks. I don’t wanna be the one to hunt her down like some ….animal or somethin’.”
“Loren Bray,” I whispered, “you continue to amaze me.” He shot me another dubious look and I patted his arm.
Nodding toward the street, I added, “Looks like the others don’t see it the same way.”
Loren clucked his tongue. “Jake says he’s gotta help, on account of him bein’ the mayor and all. And Hank told me he always figured Dr. Mike would poke her nose inta somethin’ once too often and git into some kind of trouble. Says it serves her right fer bein’ such a busy body all the time. I think he’s mad cause Dr. Mike has Myra all fired up about leaving the saloon. Hank blames her cause Myra quit.”
I shook my head and swept past him. Marching across the street toward the handful of men, I noticed our Reverend, Horace, and Robert E. standing off to one side of the group. They were speaking together in low tones as I joined them.
Horace nodded at me. “It’s terrible Miss Dorothy,” he said, his long face arranged into lines of worry. “Ya don’t think Dr. Mike did it, do ya?”
“Of course not!” I stated, with conviction.
“Well, I sure don’t want anythin’ to do with this,” Robert E. informed me. “We were just wonderin’ how we could stop em.”
Before I could answer, Reverend Johnston sighed. “There’s nothin’ we can do. They got every right to form a posse. A man’s been murdered and they got eye witnesses who saw…” He stopped abruptly when he caught sight of Matthew, Colleen and Brian Cooper scurrying across the street from the direction of Grace’s Café.
“Damn!” Robert E. exploded, in an uncharacteristic outburst. “I told Grace ta keep them kids away from here.”
As if in self-defense Grace appeared around the corner, wiping her hands on her apron as she hurried to catch up with the children. “Dr. Mike’s in big trouble this time. The children are bound to hear about it. They might as well see what’s goin’ on first hand,”
The Reverend said, gravely. “I only hope, for their sake, that Dr. Mike has a good alibi ready.”
“I hope,” Horace added, “that she has a good reason fer disappearin’ too. It sure makes her look guilty, don’t it?”
No one answered. We were all entertaining the same thought: Innocent people don’t need to hide away. I found myself thinking, If only I could talk to her, write down her side of the story. Someone had to know Michaela’s whereabouts. I was willing to bet my bottom dollar that this person would be Sully. I intended to find him.
It had been a long, agonizing night for Sully. Michaela seemed content to remain cradled in his arms, drawing her strength from him. Sully held her until he felt her body relax completely and he knew, beyond any doubt, that she was asleep.
He lowered her gently until she lay on one side and then he covered her with a soft fur robe.
He sat, staring down at her beautiful, bruised face for a long time, the light from the small fire in the centre of the teepee illuminating her fragile features. Even with the marks on her chin, she was the loveliest woman he’d ever seen.
Abigail had been pretty but Michaela … pretty couldn’t begin to do Michaela justice. He felt a familiar ache inside of him – that overwhelming feeling of desire and love that so often consumed him. He drew in a shaky breath and tried to ease away from her unnoticed.
He had every intention of leaving the teepee and finding somewhere else to spend the remainder of the night but Michaela stirred as she felt him drawing away and her eyes fluttered open.
“Sully? Where are you going?” He’d managed to pull back from her and he nodded toward the flap of the teepee.
She reached out and her fingers closed around his arm. “No. Please. Stay with me. I don’t want to be alone tonight.”
He pulled in a slow, deep breath then nodded, reluctantly. Staying was against his better judgement but he couldn’t refuse, couldn’t turn away from her. She lifted the robe with one hand and beckoned to him with her eyes, inviting him to slide beneath it.
He stifled a low groan before unfastening the belt from around his waist and dropping it beside him. Then he crawled under the robe and lay down next to her.
She instantly snuggled against him, her face brushing his neck, and sighed in contentment. “That’s better.”
His arms closed around her and he kissed her forehead, gently. He could feel the curves of her body, and her arm tightened around his waist. She seemed so secure with him, like a trusting child. Sully knew she would never expect him to take advantage of the situation. The thought would never enter her head, especially in view of everything she’d been through that day. She had no idea, no understanding of the power she held over him.
Michaela was a woman who was totally unaware of her own sensuality. Ever since they’d agreed to begin their courtship, he’d struggled against the strength of his passion for this woman. He’d envisioned her body so many times, his lips tasting every inch of her, her arms wrapped around him.
Sully fought to control his breathing as he kept his hands pressed against her back, exerting every ounce of willpower he possessed to stop himself from …. God, this was pure torture!
He had to focus on something else, something that would quell the longing throbbing through his body. He forced his mind back to Jebediah Bancroft, pictured the man’s sneering face, his small, weasel eyes.
Passion was slowly replaced with hatred. The man had arranged to have Michaela beaten by his thugs and today, once again, his henchmen were responsible for Michaela’s pain. It was fortunate for the three men that they’d disappeared from Colorado Springs. If they hadn’t … He frowned.
He felt Michaela stir against him, murmuring in her sleep. He’d never been a violent man – didn’t believe that violence would solve anything – but where Michaela was concerned, he was quite capable of destroying anyone who threatened her.
Sully knew himself well. If anyone touched her again, he’d tear them apart with his bare hands!
Jebediah deserved what he got. He deserved to die. But Michaela certainly didn’t deserve the pain she’d been forced to endure. If he ever saw those men again, he wouldn’t be able to trust his own self-control.
She moaned again and, unconsciously, rubbed up against him. Sully responded instantly, his entire body tensing with desire. Sliding down further, he kissed her lips softly. She didn’t awaken but a deep sigh escaped her. His hands slid upward toward her shoulders as his lips moved down to her neck, to the soft skin at the base of her throat.
He caressed the area with his mouth, the kiss as light as the touch of a butterfly’s wing. He could smell her perfume and his head swam. His lips moved to her earlobe. In another minute he would claim her mouth again, move his hands around to unbutton her blouse, press himself against her until
…… With a soft oath, he jerked away from her abruptly. Michaela was instantly awake. “Sully? What is it?”
“I can’t do this, Michaela,” he whispered, hoarsely. “I’m sorry. I can’t.” He rolled out from beneath the robe and moved away to the other side of the teepee. Stretching out on the floor of the tent, he turned his back toward her. He sensed her eyes watching him.
“Night, Michaela,” he said, gruffly. Her voice sounded small and hurt when she answered. “Good night.”
Now, as the morning light streamed in through the flap of the teepee, Sully breathed a sigh of relief. He hadn’t slept all night, even after he left her and retreated. He was achingly aware of her as he listened to her soft breathing, as the scent of her invaded his entire being. Morning was a welcome sight.
She stirred and opened her eyes, her gaze settling over him. Sully sat up and smiled, slightly. “How’s the head?” Michaela pulled herself into a sitting position as well and gingerly felt the back of her skull.
“Better. I still have a slight headache but it’s not too bad.”
“Good.” He hoisted himself to his feet. “I’ll go get us somethin’ to eat. Be right back.” Just as he reached the tent flap, Michaela’s voice stopped him.
“Sully?”
“Hmmm?”
“Thank you,” she said, quietly, “for believing me. And for staying with me last night.”
“It was no trouble,” he lied. “Glad to do it.”
The rush of cool air swirled around her as Sully disappeared outside.
She sat, staring at the tent flap as it settled back into its original position, a frown creasing her brow. This morning he’d reverted back to the gentle, considerate man who she knew and loved, but last night …. His voice had been so harsh when he moved away from her and said goodnight.
She clearly remembered another time when Sully used the same tone with her. They’d gone to collect water from Willow Creek, to test it for mercury. It was necessary to be cautious so they wouldn’t be caught by the mine owner, Mr. Harding, who was polluting the stream. Sully wanted to go out there alone but she insisted that she go along with him.
“You go with me, you’re gonna slow me down and more people are gonna get sick,” he’d stated. For a while she believed that his impatience with her stemmed from annoyance. She refused to stay behind and he let it be known that he resented her persistence. After a while, she saw the true reason. Olive had suggested it before they left town.
“I think he’s scared to be out there with ya,” the woman had said. Michaela hadn’t believed Olive but she realized later that the woman was right.
When Sully stood out in the pouring rain, reluctant to join Michaela inside the lean-to he’d constructed, she’d seen the stubbornness on his face. But she’d seen something else too – fear.
Sully was afraid of his own feelings toward her, and his own passion. She’d persuaded him to join her inside the lean-to and, when he lay down behind her and put his arm around her waist, she’d grabbed onto his hand. They’d fallen asleep in this position. Sully had been the perfect gentleman. Nothing happened between them.
A year or more had passed since then and they had now declared their love aloud. The whole town knew they were courting. She would never forget the intensity of the kiss they shared on the night of the Sweetheart’s Dance. Sully had never kissed her so deeply before and her whole body tingled as the blood pounded in her ears.
She’d never experienced such a powerful feeling and it truly frightened her. Still, last night, she thought that their relationship had progressed to the stage where they could lie down together and be able to rein in their fears, as well as their passions.
She was wrong. For her part, she’d been too groggy to feel anything stronger than contentment. It felt comforting to be held in his arms. She was so secure and safe there.
But Sully … Something caused him to pull away from her so abruptly. The action, and his gruffness afterward, hurt her.
This morning, when she was thinking more clearly, she understood the reason for it. She’d pushed him too far.
He was a man of strong passions and emotions. Expecting him to be able to lie with her all night without some physical response was probably expecting too much.
She knew all the clinical explanations for the physical relationship between a man and a woman. She’d spoken to Colleen about the act of love itself and she’d consulted her books when the questions became too … embarrassing.
The emotions and desires associated with the act were also becoming more familiar to her but those feelings terrified her! She was in her mid-thirties and she was as nervous as a schoolgirl.
Every time Sully touched her, her heart rose to her throat. If she’d been thinking rationally last night, she would have never clung onto him the way she did.
She owed him an apology, if nothing else. Right now, though, she had other problems to occupy her mind. She missed her children. Michaela was rarely away from them overnight and, judging by what Sully had told her, she’d be away from them for even longer. It wasn’t wise to return to Colorado Springs right now.
Yet she had to prove her innocence and confront the men who’d attacked her so viciously. She wasn’t a woman accustomed to backing away from trouble or backing down from any man.
Sully had insisted that she consider the children and his calm, soft voice of reason penetrated through her mounting panic. She would let him handle things – for today – but she fully intended to take care of it herself if he came back without any results. And she would see her children – one way or the other.
The flap of the teepee opened again and Michaela called out before she realized the identity of the visitor. “Sully?”
“No, Dr. Mike – it is me.” Snowbird knelt down in front of her and offered her a thin broth in a rough, hand-hewn wooden bowl. “I have brought you something to eat. Sully said you would be hungry.”
“Where is he?” Michaela asked, taking the bowl from her hands. “Why didn’t he bring this to me himself?”
Snowbird smirked and averted her eyes. “I think …” she said slowly, “Sully does not trust himself to see you right now.” She looked up at Michaela and smiled broadly. “I have seen rabbits scurry away from wolves but I have never seen them move as quickly as Sully did this morning. He left our village without eating. He said to tell you that he would return tonight, when he had some answers.”
The mischievous gleam in her eyes caused Michaela to blush. “Many times Sully has stood up to his enemies and I know he is a man of great courage – but you make him tremble, my friend.”
“I know how he feels,” Michaela whispered. She hesitated, her eyes downcast. Snowbird reached out and laid a hand on Michaela’s shoulder.
“This troubles you?” Michaela nodded and looked into the woman’s serene eyes. “Snowbird, did you ever ….? Was there ever a time when ….when you were afraid to be alone with Cloud Dancing? When you were afraid of what might happen?”
Her friend smiled, gently. “There are many things in life to fear, Dr. Mike, but love should not be one of those things.”
“But what if it is?” Michaela pursued. “What if …?”
Snowbird shook her head. “We will talk later, my friend. You have much to say to me, and I wish to help you. But, for now, you must eat. You must become strong again, so you can return to your children when it is time.” Michaela sighed, heavily. “I wonder when that will be possible?”
“Sully will take care of it,” Snowbird reassured her. “He loves you. Sully will find out the truth.”
Dorothy had no need to go in search of Sully. He found her.
Loren had left the store and gone to Grace’s for a bite of breakfast. Dorothy was alone behind the counter, tallying up the sales from the previous day.
She heard a small noise and spun around, her eyes searching the back of the store. Sully stepped out of the shadows. “Sorry. Didn’t mean ta startle ya.”
“Sully!” Dorothy exclaimed, her hand clutching her throat. “Where did you come from?”
He moved toward her, an apologetic expression on his face. “I waited til Loren left. I don’t want no one knowin’ that I’m back in town. It’s better this way.”
Dorothy frowned at him. “Why?”
“Cause Dr. Mike’s in trouble.” He placed his hands on top of the counter, leaned in towards her and lowered his voice.
“I know you and Michaela are good friends, Dorothy. She needs your help – we need your help.”
She stared into his mesmerizing blue eyes and murmured, “What can I do, Sully?”
He smiled at her. “You’re a reporter. You know how ta ask questions. I need ya to talk to the people in town, find out if anyone had a reason for wantin’ Jebediah Bancroft dead.”
She nodded. “I can do that. What will you be doin?”
“The same thing. I’ll go ta the ones that I can trust but I can’t go to all of ‘em. Hank and Jake ain’t too cooperative and they’ll tell everyone that I’m in town. They all think I know where Michaela is. I don’t need them askin’ a bunch of questions.”
Dorothy studied him. “And do you? Do you know where she is, Sully?” The man’s face grew completely expressionless and he held her stare without answering. She nodded. “That’s what I thought. What about the children? Do they know too?”
“They don’t know anythin’, Dorothy,” Sully answered quickly, “and I aim to keep it that way. The less they know, the better.”
He hesitated, his eyes narrowed as he assessed her. “There’s somethin’ else," he said slowly, “somethin’ you should know.”
“What would that be?” she asked. By the look of determination on Sully’s face, Dorothy assumed that he’d decided to trust her.
“Dr. Mike was beaten by Jebediah’s men a few months ago,” he said, quietly. He was fighting to control the anger in his voice but he wasn’t entirely successful. “Yesterday, when I got there, one of ‘em was attackin’ her again.”
“Sully!” Dorothy gasped, her eyes wide with horror. “That’s terrible!”
His face darkened as he continued. “These men are dangerous, Dorothy. If ya help me, ya gotta know that you could be in danger too. You willin’ to risk it?”
Dorothy nodded, without missing a beat. “Of course. Michaela is my best friend. Someone has to do somethin’.”
“Good. I’ll do everythin’ I can to protect you.” He reached across the counter and took her hand. “Thank you.”
Dorothy blushed and smiled. “You’re welcome. Who are you plannin’ to talk with?”
“Robert E.,” Sully announced decisively. “After that, the Reverend and Horace. None of ‘em will turn Dr. Mike in.”
“And I’ll talk to Loren first,” Dorothy informed him. “If anyone knows what’s goin’ on in this town, it’s him.”
“I gotta find the children too,” Sully told her. “Right now all I can tell 'em is that their Ma is okay and she'll be home soon. I can't risk tellin' them much else but Brian'll be scared and the other two will be worried."
“By the look on your face,” Dorothy said wisely, her eyes narrowed as she gauged his reaction, “I’d say that you are too.”
The Untold Story Chapter Two - Part Two
- by Jean McQuaid
Jebediah Bancroft had evil talents one could see, He didn't pay no mind to the fact that blacks were free.
And when it came to banking, he was ruthless, had no shame, For him it wasn't business, it was almost like some game. He played with our emotions, tore our solitude in two, No one in this town knew next, what he had planned to do. He struck back with vengence, seemed he just couldn't stay away, And the cost for all his terror, was to lose his life today. Evil is hard to banish, it lingers overhead.
Jebediah Bancroft still haunts us though he's dead. And all the grief brought by one man, will never go away, We can only hope the scars he's left, will disappear one day.
-by Jean McQuaid
"What's goin' on Robert E.? Where's everybody goin'? Young Brian was the first to reach him.
"Grace!" Robert E. gave her one of those looks but she simply shrugged her shoulders and frowned back at him. "What was I supposed to do Robert E.? They wanna' know why they can't go home and I didn't know what ta tell 'em."
Grace had tried to contain them, but the Cooper family had minds of their own. Matthew and Colleen, their minds full of questions, left Brian to all the grumbling and hoped that if he got on Grace's nerves enough, she would finally give in, and it seemed to have worked.
Robert E. stood silent. He had promised Sully to take care of the children, keep them from seeing the very event that was unfolding right before their eyes at this moment. And now, all three of them were by his side. Their faces showed the questions that their minds were anxious to ask.
'Oh Sully, what am I gonna do?' he pondered to himself as he took off his bandana and wiped the sweat rolling down the back of his neck.
"Ain't nothin' for you to be worryin' about. Some folks just gettin' a search party up ta look for someone who's gone missin'."
There, he hoped that would appease them for now but as Robert E. was soon to find out, it wasn't enough for Matthew. "They're lookin for ma aren't they Robert E.? That's a posse and they're goin' out to look for ma!"
There was no way to hide it from him. He wasn't a child any longer and didn't appreciate being treated as such.
"Now Matthew," started Robert E. But his words were stopped. "I think we have a right to know what happened and if you ain't gonna' tell us then we'll find someone who will!!" Matthew was determined. The Reverend had to agree. It was better that the news came from them rather than from any one of the angry mob that were gathered in front of the barber shop.
"Robert E. I know you promised Sully but don't you think it's time to stop hiding the truth. These children have a right to know what's going on and since Sully's not around, you'd better be the one to tell them."
Robert E. dreaded the idea of telling them that their mother was a wanted criminal but he was backed into a corner.
"Look, you're right, they are goin' out to find your ma but it's not what ya think. Some men rode into town yesterday sayin' that Jebediah Bancroft was found dead at the homestead and that your ma had killed him. They're gettin' all fired up over nothin' cause there ain't no proof. Sully brought you here cause he didn't want ya to get hurt. Now I want you three to get back to the cafe with Grace and I'm sure Sully'll be along soon to tell ya where your ma is. The only thing I can tell ya for sure is that she's okay and that ya gotta trust Sully on this one."
"But Robert E., Ma ain't no murderer, she's a doctor. She helps people get better an' all she don't kill 'em." Brian was near tears as Colleen put her arms around him.
"That's right, Ma couldn't have killed him. Why are they plannin' on huntin' her down?" Matthew was frantic.
"I gotta stop 'em!", and with that Matthew flew past Robert E. to face the group of riders that were just about ready to leave town.
"Matthew, No!" Robert E. and the Reverend tried in vain but there was no stopping this young man, bound for trouble. Hank was the first to spot Matthew's approach.
"Well lookie here! If it ain't the Doc's poor little brats!" Hank seemed happy with himself as he broke out in a devilish grin.
"Hey Matthew, come ta help us track down that murderin' ma of yours?"
"She ain't no murderer!" Matthew shouted. "What's wrong with all you people, it's Dr. Mike! What gives you all the right to accuse her if ya ain't got no proof!"
"We got our proof. She was found standin' over the body with the murder weapon in her hands. That's all the proof we be needin' now git outta' here young'un and let us do our job!"
Hank wasn't about to let Matthew stop him from finding Dr. Mike. Not that he ever cared for Jebediah Bancroft, but Hank was convinced that the time had finally come when the 'good doctor' as they called her, would finally pay for coming to their town and stirring up the womenfolk.
He'd had enough of her meddling in his saloon business and maybe this would get rid of her, whether she was guilty or not. Sully had stopped talking to Dorothy and could hear the shouting match outside.
As he peered out the window, "Damn!" he cursed under his breath. He could see it was Matthew who was standing in front of Hank's horse and hoped that he could have talked to the kids before they found out like this.
"Whatcha' gonna do?" gasped Dorothy as she too saw the confrontation.
"I dunno. I don't want any of 'em ta see me but I gotta get the kids outta there. Matthew's so hot-headed and Hank, well he'd stop at nothin' ta see Dr. Mike in jail!"
Sully was anxious but stayed out of sight. How was he going to get to the kids without anyone seeing him?
"I got an idea," Dorothy's face suddenly gleamed. "Let me go out there and get 'em. Hank won't bother me."
"Thanks Miss Dorothy, but once ya get 'em in here I wanna talk to them. I need to tell 'em the truth. I think they already know that I got Dr. Mike hidden somewhere but for their own safety I can't tell 'em where. I just wanna reassure 'em that everythin's gonna be okay. They're smart kids an' they deserve to know what's goin' on."
Dorothy nodded her head and set out to round up the Cooper kids. Matthew seemed reluctant at first but when Dorothy winked her eye and smiled at him, he sensed she had something to tell him and was eager to find out what she had to say.
With the kids out of the way, the posse began to roll out of town. Everyone not joining them stood and watched, each one of them deep in their own thoughts. Grace was shaking. She was sorry that Dr. Mike was in trouble, but it was clearly written all over her face that something wasn't right. She rubbed her sweaty hands together and suddenly realized that Robert E. was staring at her. She wondered what was going through his mind. Surely he didn't think she had anything to hide.
It was true, that Jebediah Bancroft wouldn't be missed by anyone. She had been disgraced by him and his men and they had nearly killed Robert E. But she wouldn't stoop to murder and if this was what Robert E. had on his mind right now, then he didn't know his wife. In fact, she could even accuse him of doing away with this monster himself! Why he had as much motive as any of them. She shook her head and turned back to the cafe. 'Don't even think that woman', she said to herself. But someone had killed Mr. Bancroft and if it wasn't Dr. Mike, then who? And why?
Robert E. had the feeling that Grace was hiding something but he knew in his heart that she couldn't have commited murder. She was kind and gentle and had opened her heart to Dr. Mike's kids. Would a woman, guilty of such a horrific crime be able to act like the nurturing mother and promise Sully to keep the kids safe from harm?
He didn't like the thoughts that were flowing through his mind right now but for some reason he could see that Grace was not herself and that there must be something more to this than he was aware of. Could he have misjudged Grace or was it just the whole disturbing sequence of events that were playing tricks on everyone's minds? Time would have to tell.
Sully waited until all the riders were safely out of town before he made his appearence.
The kids ran to him and he felt their anxiety over the whole situation as their arms were laced about his neck and waist.
"Sully!", cried Brian "Where've ya been? Where's Ma? Why do those men think she's killed somebody? You gotta stop 'em Sully! They're gonna hurt ma!!"
Brian could talk for quite a while before stopping for a breath of air. Anyone could see how excited he was and it took Sully a few minutes to get him calmed down enough so that he could speak.
"One question at a time Brian," Sully said as he gently lowered him back to the floor. Brian had managed to swing both legs around Sully's waist and his arms were in such a tight hold around his neck, Sully thought he might just be choked to death!!
"Your ma's okay. She wants ya all to know she loves ya and she wishes she could be here but it ain't safe and I think ya can see that now."
"But Sully, they think Ma killed somebody. Who?" Brian wouldn't give up and Matthew and Colleen once again let their little brother be the one to force the issue. After all, Brian could get Sully to do anything, that had been a proven fact. If anyone could make Sully open up, it would surely be Brian.
"You remember the man who tried ta hurt Robert E. and Grace by not lettin' them buy their house?" Sully asked.
"Jebediah Bancroft," replied Matthew. "He's the same one that tried to take the clinic from ma and had her beat..." Matthew stopped.
He suddenly remembered his promise, not to tell anyone of the beating Dr. Mike had received from Jebediah's men. Sully could see Matthew's hesitation and answered him. "It's okay Matthew. Your ma told me what those men did ta her. She told me how you all promised not to say a word but I finally got her to tell me the truth, which she should've done a long time ago."
"Is that whose body they found at the homestead?" Matthew seemed sure of the answer.
"Yeah, it is Matthew," Sully replied. "An' they think Ma killed 'im?"
"Ma didn't kill no one!" Brian shouted. "Are they gonna hang her Sully? Please don't let 'em hurt Ma! Please Sully!" Brian was sobbing and had wrapped his arms once again around Sully.
"I know she didn't Brian and I'm gonna find out who did. I promise. No one's ever gonna hurt Dr. Mike again. I promise Brian. You know I always keep my promises."
Sully was looking into the teary eyes of the little boy now. "You know that don't ya Brian?"
Brian finally eased. "I know ya do Sully. I trust ya."
"Now I'm gonna need your help. I need all of ya to stay with Robert E. and Grace for now. Do ya understand? It's for your own good. If I tell ya where your ma is, ya might get hurt. I made a promise to her as well that I'd take care of ya and I have ta keep that promise too. She's safe right now but if anyone finds out where she is, well I won't let 'em. So ya gotta just trust me and let me handle this. Okay?"
The children nodded but Matthew wasn't ready to just let it go.
"I wanna help Ma. I can't just sit around at Robert E. and Grace's doin' nothin'. I need to help. Please Sully? What can I do?"
Sully sighed deeply. He really didn't want the kids snooping around in town but knew it wasn't easy for Matthew to keep still. He wasn't sure where to start himself but felt it best if he gave them something to do otherwise they'd just go ahead and get into trouble on their own. They had learned a lot from Dr. Mike and one thing was for sure, they were her children now. She wouldn't stand by and let an innocent person be wronged and neither would they.
"The best thing you can do right now is ta just keep your eyes and ears open. If ya hear anything, anything at all, let Miss Dorothy know. She'll be our go-between. I trust her and it ain't easy findin' anyone ta trust around here these days."
Sully hoped this would be enough to make them feel like they were doing an important job for him. He just hoped that they'd enough common sense to stay out of the way and not get caught listening in on other people's conversations.
"You mean kinda like spies?" Brian seemed a little too eager but Sully trusted that Matthew would take care of his little brother. Matthew caught the look in Sully's eyes and knew right away what his job was.
He ruffled the hair on the top of Brian's head and with his brotherly grin he replied, "Yeah, little brother but you ain't doin' nothin' unless I'm with ya. Got it?"
"Yeah, I got it Matthew," Brain said with a little less enthusiasm.
"Good." Matthew turned back to Sully. "You don't have to worry about us. We'll be okay and that's my promise to you Sully."
Dorothy reappeared and smiled at the now pacified children. "I'll see that they get back ta Grace's and then I'll get started on that article for the Gazette," she winked at Sully. "You better go now before someone finds ya here Sully. An' don't worry. We'll get Michaela cleared, I know we will."
Sully smiled before he turned and disappeared. He wanted to get back to the reservation to check on Michaela. He knew she'd be eager to hear about the kids but more than that he wanted to make sure she hadn't gone off on her own. She was a headstrong woman and he didn't trust her to stay put.
"Can I help ya write the article for the gazette Miss Dorothy?" Brian asked as they made their way back to the cafe.
Dorothy smiled down at the little boy, "Sure Brian. When I get it all figured out as to what I plan to write I'll let ya help me. Now let's get goin'. I think I could do with a piece of Grace's pie right about now."
It wasn't easy at the best of times for Michaela to sit still but now she was really beginning to feel the urge to get away from the reservation.
If she could just slip past the Indians and find Flash, she could make her way into town to Robert E. and Grace's and see the children for herself. She wasn't satisfied to just keep getting messages from Sully. She felt it was necessary to explain to the children in her own words, what had happened.
She felt that she'd learned enough from Sully to know how to sneak into town without being detected but getting past the Indians was another matter. Her best chance was at night but if she waited any longer, Sully would return and all hopes of an escape today would be over.
She just had to do something. This wasn't right, her sitting out here on the reservation while her children were in the care of someone else.
And Sully, this wasn't his battle. It was hers. After all she was the one who was being accused of murder. She was the one who was being saught after and she was the one who should be trying to clear her own name.
That did it! Determination had finally taken over and it was now or never, she was going to get out of here and prove she had nothing to hide!
'I'm not a murderer and how dare they even think that of me!' she said to herself. 'Surely reason and logic will prevail and they will all come to their senses and realize that I couldn't have done such a terrible thing. I must go, now!'
Michaela carefully pulled back the flap of her teepee and scanned the surrounding area. No one seemed to pay her notice and this just might be her chance. After lacing up her shoes she slipped on her long coat and hat and proceeded to slip silently outside the teepee. Still no one noticed and she felt, all was clear. The horses were coralled off to her left.
She finally spotted Flash amongst them and smiled, knowing her horse would come to her if she softly called her name.
"Flash. Here girl," Michaela whispered. And with that the horse came directly over to the edge of the fence. "Good girl," Michaela patted her horse and slipped under the fence.
Her saddle was draped over one of the rails but was out of reach. Michaela fearing she'd be seen if she tried to retrieve it decided, if Sully could ride bareback, why couldn't she?
Little did she know that it wasn't as easy as it looked and when she tried to mount the horse, she had nothing to hold on to.
Flash stayed steady but Michaela didn't.
Her seat hit the ground with a thud and she was sure she'd been caught. But still no one seemed to notice, so she decided she'd better try to reach the saddle.
From the first day she'd arrived in Colorado Springs, she'd ridden a horse, and she'd become quite good at it. Now was a true test of all she had learned. She had to get the saddle and put it on the horse without being seen. She felt confident that if she could pull this off, she could surely clear herself of any wrongdoing.
Michaela was almost there. The saddle sat nicely on Flash's back and she was just tightening the reins when she heard a rider approach.
She crouched down beside her horse and watched as Sully entered the reservation. 'Darn', she thought to herself. 'He'll catch me for sure. I'll have to wait until he's out of sight and go for it'.
Sully dismounted his horse and before going to check on Michaela, he wanted to speak to Cloud Dancing. It was always good practice to greet him and to thank him once again for his help.
"Cloud Dancing," Sully found him sitting with the tribe's elders by a roaring fire. Their greetings were cut short by the sound of Snowbird approaching. She was out of breath and very upset.
"She has gone! The Medicine Woman is gone!"
Sully waisted no time and flew back to his horse. 'Damn her!', he thought to himself. "I figured she'd try somethin' like this!".
He raced off knowing exactly where she was headed and only hoped he could reach her before the posse did.
He'd encountered them on his way out to the reservation and had hidden in a clump of brush as they passed by. But he was afraid she wouldn't be so lucky. He'd learned the techniques of hiding from the Indians and was a master at it but her, well she was just as likely to get herself caught and there would be no telling what frame of mind the posse was in.
Knowing Hank, he might just toss a rope up the nearest tree and hang her right there on the spot! He had to find her before they did!
Michaela felt proud of herself. Not only had she slipped by the Indians but Sully as well, and to think they said she would never make it on her own out here in the West! She'd show them a thing or two!
She was far too busy reveling in her own accomplishment to notice the riders heading in her direction. But, when the reins of her horse were suddenly pulled from her hands, she found herself being led off the trail to some nearby trees. She was pulled down off the saddle and pushed to the ground by the time reality of her impending danger set in. She looked up in amazement,
"Sully!" but was silenced by his hand over her mouth. The posse was just rounding the edge of the group of trees where Sully and Michaela were hidden. They both held their breath as the men stopped to look around. The silence was unbearable but they held on to each other.
One slight movement, one simple sound, could give their whereabouts away and Michaela got a first hand look at the anger and determination of the men who had set out to capture her.
"Ain't nothin' here," cried Jake. "Let's keep movin' on. It'll be dark soon and I don't want to be anywhere near the Indian reservation after dark."
The men all agreed and much to the relief of the two hidden in the trees, they rode off. It wasn't until Sully was sure they were out of danger that he pulled Michaela to her feet and grabbed her by both arms.
"What was goin' on in that pretty head of yours to be takin' off on your own like that? You coulda' got us both hung! Dr. Mike, I promised your kids I'd keep ya safe but if ya ever pull another stupid stunt like that I just might let 'em have ya! Would ya rather be waitin' this out in a jail cell? The Indians got enough problems without ya creatin' more! Now get back on that horse and get back to the reservation!"
Clearly Sully was angry, but so was she. "How dare you speak to me like that! I'm the one being accused of murder not you! And I'll thank you to stay out of my business!!"
She pulled herself abruptly out of his reach and headed back to her horse.
"Fine!" Sully barked. "But I ain't the only one who's put themselves in danger over ya. Miss Dorothy's involved too an' the kids, they know what happened now Dr. Mike. They know that this posse is out for ya and I promised them I'd take care of ya. I ain't doin' this for you now, it's for them!"
Michaela stood silent for a moment. Dorothy was helping? But how? And what could the children possibly be thinking of her at this moment? She knew that when Sully made a promise, he kept it and if he'd made such a promise to the children there would be nothing on this earth that would keep him from it. Maybe she was being a little stubborn but she needed to be helping herself. She wasn't used to other people looking after her affairs but as independent as she was, this situation did not lend itself to her working alone.
Sully was right. She needed help. "I'm sorry Sully," she looked at him, pleading for forgiveness with her eyes. "It's just that sitting around all day makes me crazy and I should be doing something, anything! Maybe even if I talked to Dorothy, gave her my side of the whole story, the whole picture, from beginning to end. Maybe she could make some sort of sense out of it. But I can't just sit around doing nothing."
Sully realized that Dr. Mike was just being herself. He was beginning to understand what she was going through and knew if it were him he wouldn't be able to sit still for very long without going crazy either. He felt bad for the anger he'd shown towards her but knew it was for her own good. Maybe someday when this was all over, she'd realize he loved her and the children and everything he did and said right now would be understood and forgiven, that it had to be done.
"I'm sorry too. But ya got me so angry Michaela, more angry at myself for not realizing what you're goin' through. I understand how ya feel but until we can find somethin', anythin' to proove that someone else done this, ya gotta stay hidden."
Sully's heart went out to her. He took her gently by the arms once more but this time he smiled at her. He wanted her to know he was sorry for taking his frustrations out on her and that she and the kids meant the world to him. He would do anything to keep them out of harm's way, anything!
"Might be a good idea if ya did talk to Dorothy. But you can't just go ridin' into town to see her. We gotta figure out a place where the two of ya can meet. But for now, please, stay put Michaela!"
Sully's plea didn't go unnoticed.
"Alright, I'll stay here but promise me it won't take too long before I talk to Dorothy. The sooner the better Sully. After all, someone is hiding something and the more I think about it the more I begin to wonder if it isn't one of our friends."
Sully had been thinking the same thing but Dorothy would be the only person in town right now they could trust to find out what Jebediah Bancroft had come back for and why he had met his fate out at the homestead.
Sully wasn't sure but he had a sick feeling in the pit his stomach that it was all a setup. That's the only thing that might make some sense out of this senseless murder.
"I promise", he sighed. "Seems like that's all I been doin' lately."
"What's that?" Michaela looked at him.
"Makin' promises. Only thing is, I sure hope I can keep 'em all!" Michaela and Sully rode silently side by side back to the Indian Reservation. She had resigned to stay in hiding and Sully, well he was more determined than ever to get started on finding the real murderer, no matter what it took or who it might be. It seems as though Jebediah Bancroft caused as much grief being dead as he did when he was still alive.