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Chapter 11: Reaching Out “Excuse me?” Michaela asked the young woman that was sitting beside her. “How can you know what I’m going through? Have you ever had your children taken away from you?” “Yes,” Holly whispered softly. Michaela hadn’t expected to hear that word come from Holly’s mouth next. “What?” Michaela asked incredulously. Holly took a deep breath and let out a little sob. “I haven’t said anything because I don’t want people to think bad of me. I’m trying to have a place to call home, and I’m starting to rebuild my life. If people knew the secret I carry with me, they would turn their back on me.” “I won’t,” Michaela promised. “I’ll never turn my back on a friend, and you can count on me not to say anything.” Holly nodded slowly, swallowed hard, and took a deep breath. “My father was rough on the slaves, and I hated the way he treated them. About ten years ago, I went fifteen years old, and I befriended one of the young men. He was about my age, and his name was Marcus. He was a good worker, and my father quite favored him of all of his field hands. Marcus was so sweet. He was intelligent, and he was so scared that my father was going to sell him to somebody worse. Marcus was the only slave my father never laid a hand on.” “What did your father think of your friendship?” “He didn’t know. I would sneak out after my bedtime, and I would meet Marcus in the shack he stayed in with four other men. When those men were asleep, he and I would stay up and talk until the sun came up. We grew very close, and I would sneak back into my room before my father woke.” “How did you become friends with him?” “I was out walking by the lake near our home, and he saved my life when I fell in. It was deep, and I couldn’t swim. I swore to myself that I would get to know him, and I would protect him too.” Tears flooded her eyes again. “We fell in love, Michaela. He asked me to be his wife, and we married with God as our witness. We married by the lake where he saved my life. We were the only two who knew of our sacred union. I didn’t dare tell my father for fear that he would sell Marcus or worse.” “Oh that must have been so hard for you.” “I wanted to run off with Marcus, but he refused to run away. He didn’t want me to get hurt, and he knew that if we tried to run away, he would be captured, and I would be punished for aiding and abetting him. My father was strict, and he would have punished me severely.” Michaela felt a lump forming in her throat. “I became pregnant with our child, and my nanny tried to hide the fact that I was pregnant from my father, but he caught on quickly, and he demanded to know which boy it was. He was going to have a talk with his father. I wanted to lie and tell him it was one of the fancy snobs that had tried to court me. But I knew that as soon as our child was born, he would know the truth, and see that the child’s father was colored.” Michaela squeezed Holly’s hand but didn’t interrupt her. “I didn’t say anything, but Marcus did. He told my father that the child was his. I wanted to deny it, but I couldn’t lie! I loved Marcus so much, and I didn’t want my child to know that I denied the fact that Marcus was his father. So, my father took Marcus for a walk by the lake, and he came back alone, blood covering his hands.” “Oh Holly,” Michaela whispered, her eyes welling with tears. “I’m so sorry.” Holly began to cry. “I gave birth to a little girl named Mary. I thought that by giving her a biblical name, my father would soften and let me keep her. But he sold her; sent her away the night she was born. He refused to have a child of such nature in his house, and when I had to give her away, I sent a locket with her. It had a tiny diamond in the center of the heart, and I hoped that she would wear it when she grew. That heart was a symbol of the love her father and I shared. She would be ten today, and I don’t know where she is or if she’s even alive. All I know is that she was sold to a plantation in Georgia that was hours away from ours. I thought about going after her so many times, but I just couldn’t. I regret letting my father give her away, but I had no choice.” Michaela didn’t know what to do, but she leaned over to give her friend a hug. “I lie awake at night and I wonder what she looks like, if she’s safe, and if she’s being treated right.” “I’m sure that wherever she is, she has a good home and is being given the proper care that she needs.” “I can only hope,” Holly whispered. “But at least you’ll get your children back.” Michaela swallowed hard. “I hope you’re right, Holly. I hope you’re right.” *~* The wolves were hot on the children’s trail, and the men were wearily riding after them. Pup was a bit slower than Wolf, so the men could still see him up ahead. Sully heard Wolf begin to howl, and as soon as the men saw that the two wolves were stopped, they all knew why. Someone was lying face first into the grass. Sully dismounted, fearing the worst. He held his lantern up to the man, and rolled him onto his back. It was Matthew! He let out a long groan. “Matthew!” “Pa?” Matthew asked slowly. Sully’s heart began to break, and he felt like crying when his oldest son called him ‘pa’ for the first time. “It’s me, son,” Sully whispered. “You okay, boy?” Loren asked as he dismounted and walked over to kneel next to Sully. Soon all of the men had formed a circle around them. Sully felt something warm and wet on his hand, and when he pulled it out from behind Matthew, he saw blood. “They shot me in the back and took off with the kids,” Matthew whispered. “I musta passed out. I meant to get back into town.” “Shh,” Sully whispered. “It’s alright. We’ve gotcha now.” “You’ve gotta find ‘em, pa! John and Adam have ‘em.” Matthew passed out and Sully held the boy close. “You’re gonna be alright.” He looked to the group. “I need somebody to take him back to town to Michaela. She sent her medical bag with me, but he needs more care than we can give him out here.” “We’ll go,” Jake said, tapping Hank on the shoulder. Sully nodded and Robert E. helped him hoist Matthew up onto the horse with Jake. The two men rode off with him just as Wolf and Pup picked up the scent again. “Come on, let’s get goin’,” Sully urged. He was worried about his oldest son, but he knew that he had to find Colleen and Brian before it was too late. He didn’t know what he was going to find, but he was dreading the worst. *~* Holly had managed to fall asleep a few hours later after a long talk with Dr. Mike. Michaela promised not to say anything to anyone about Holly’s past, because the young woman was trying to start a new life over without her father. She had told Michaela that he was always looking for her, but she would never go back to live under his control. Michaela couldn’t sleep. All she could think about were her children, and she was so afraid that whoever had them would show no mercy to them. She kept trying to think positive, but the fact that she was bone tired didn’t help her feel any better. The sound of horses outside of the clinic snapped Michaela out of her thoughts. She waddled over to the balcony and looked out. She saw three men, one slumped over a horse. “Oh God,” she whispered. She hurried out of the room and down the stairs. The women had heard the footsteps, and they had hurried down after her. “Michaela!” Elizabeth called after her daughter. Banging was heard on the front door of the clinic, and when Michaela unlocked it, Jake and Hank were holding up an unconscious Matthew. “Oh my God!” she exclaimed. “He was shot earlier today. We found him. He’s still alive, but he’s real weak,” Jake commented. “Put him on the table,” Michaela whispered with tears in her eyes. Hank and Jake put him on his stomach with his back showing. Michaela saw the wound and she could tell that it was becoming infected. If she didn’t act soon, Matthew could very well lose his arm or worse. “I need everyone to wait outside,” Michaela offered. “I’m staying with my grandson,” Elizabeth replied. Michaela nodded and everyone else left, including Hank and Jake as Michaela began to examine her son’s injury. As soon as Myra and Hank were outside, Myra pulled him into a hug. “Thank God you’re safe,” she whispered. “I couldn’t help but think that somethin’ bad was gonna happen to ya.” “Nothin’s gonna happen to me,” Hank promised. “I’m here now.” “Are ya goin’ back out there to help Sully look for the kids?” “Yeah. We’re goin’ back as soon as the doc tells us how Matthew’s doin’.” “Hank, I was so scared,” Myra whispered as her tears began to fall. Hank pressed a kiss to her lips. “I was worried ‘bout ya too, but I knew you’d be okay here in town. I hate leavin’ ya.” He pulled her close and kissed the top of her head. “C’mon. Let’s go for a walk.” He took her hand and led her away from the group and off to talk in private. Meanwhile, Michaela was trying to extract the bullet from Matthew’s shoulder. She looked at Elizabeth who didn’t seem to be flinching in the least. “Mother, could you hand me those small forceps? I need to hold the tissue back in order to be able to see the bullet.” Elizabeth nodded and did as her daughter asked. A few moments later, the bullet was out, and Michaela was able to repair the tissue and sew up his wound. Michaela looked at Elizabeth and smiled. “Is he going to make it?” “Yes. He’s a lucky young man. However I hope that Colleen and Brian were luckier. I hope Sully brings them home, safe and sound.” *~* Up on a hill, the men of the town, including Josef, sat on their horses, staring down at a dimly lit cave. The wolves were growing restless, and looking down at the cave. Sully knew the children had to be in there, and if they were there, so were their kidnappers. Matthew had referred to them as John and Adam. “How are we getting my grandchildren back?” Josef asked, putting his hand on Sully’s shoulder. “I’ve gotta prepare for the worst. I’m gonna go in from the side and catch ‘em off guard.” “What do you want us to do?” “Reverend, I want you to pray that my kids are safe. Horace and Loren, you ride in on the right. Josef, I want you to wait with the Reverend.” “Because I’m old?” “Because if anything happened to you, I couldn’t face Michaela,” Sully replied quietly. “Robert E., you come with me.” Robert E. nodded and all of the men started off except for the Revered and Josef. Sully’s heart was pounding in his chest, and he knew that he had to get his kids home safely. They had to be safe. They had to be. The children hadn’t managed to get one wink of sleep, but Ethan on the other hand, had passed out cold in front of the fire. The children were afraid to move, however, because they didn’t know how deep his sleep was. They were afraid that he would come after them, and they had already had quite a day. The barking of a wolf in the distance made the children exchange glances. “You think that’s Wolf or Pup?” Brian asked. Colleen held her finger to her lips. “Shh, we don’t wanna wake him up.” The barking grew louder, and Brian definitely heard his pup. “Pup!” “Shh!” Colleen warned. “Don’t wake him up.” She put her hand over her little brother’s mouth, and they waited in silence. Ethan mumbled something in his sleep, rolled over, coughed, and went back to sleep. The sounds of crickets outside made an eerie echo bounce off the walls of the cave. The firelight made spooky shadows, and the children began to shiver with fright. Sully poked his head into the cave, and he saw two men lying face down on the ground, bullet holes in both of their backs. He saw another figure curled up close to the fire. He motioned for Robert E. to wait over with Loren and Horace. Sully quietly slipped into the cave and made his way around the campfire. He looked at the man who was sleeping on his side, and he was shocked to see Ethan Cooper. Sully pulled his tomahawk from his belt and held it in his hands. “Wake up Ethan,” Sully said loudly. Colleen and Brian gasped and stood up. “Pa!” Colleen exclaimed. “You came for us!” Brian said with excitement. Ethan woke and sat abruptly. “Did he hurt you?” Sully asked, keeping his eyes on Ethan. “We’re alright. Matthew’s hurt,” Colleen replied quietly. “We found Matthew.” “He’s dead, isn’t he?” Brian asked, looking down. “He’s alright, son,” Sully replied. “Your ma is takin’ good care of him.” The children’s faces lit with hope and they held onto one another. “I suggest you turn around, Mr. Sully,” Ethan warned, standing up. He pulled a gun from his pocket, and Sully knew that it wasn’t safe to have the weapons near the children. He put the tomahawk back in his belt and put his hands up. “Just let me take my children and get out of here, Ethan.” “They’re my kids.” “Not anymore!” Colleen protested. “It’s legal now. You ain’t our pa anymore.” Ethan cocked his gun. “Come on, Ethan. You don’t want to do this.” “Not with witnesses around,” came a voice from the cave’s entrance. Everyone turned to see Robert E., Horace, Loren, Reverend Johnson, and Josef. Sully wanted to yell at them to leave, but he saw that Ethan had his gun turned on them. Sully took the opportunity to kick the gun out of his hand. Robert E. grabbed it and threw it off and out of the cave. Ethan lunged at Sully, and knocked him to the ground. “Kids, get out of here!” Sully yelled as Ethan threw a punch at Sully’s stomach. Sully groaned loudly and the children rushed out. The other men hurried to get the children to safety, leaving Sully and Ethan to duke it out with one another. Sully pushed Ethan off of him, and the older man stumbled backward. Sully felt his anger surging through his veins, and he jumped on the man, hitting him hard across the face four times before he stopped himself. Ethan’s eye slowly began to swell, and his noise and lip were bleeding. Sully stood and grabbed a piece of rope to tie a beaten Ethan’s hands behind his back. “You’re gonna pay for what you’ve done, Ethan,” Sully said through a clenched jaw. “You’re gonna pay.” *~* When the sun came up in the morning, Michaela woke sitting in a chair beside Matthew’s bed. Matthew’s eyes were closed, and he had yet to wake up. Michaela was concerned about him. She stood to stretch her sore muscles, and she felt the babies kicking around inside of her. She rubbed her belly and started out of the door, but she heard Matthew begin to stir. “Ma?” he asked. Michaela turned and walked back over to sit at his bedside. She took his hand. “I’m here,” she whispered. Matthew squeezed her hand. “I’m not gonna die, am I?” he asked softly. “No sweetheart,” Michaela whispered, leaning down to press a kiss to her son’s forehead. “You’re going to be alright.” “Colleen and Brian?” “There’s no word yet, but I’m sure they’re going to be fine. Hank and Jake went out to re-join the search party after they found out you were alright.” “Ma, I was so scared. I wish I could have gone after them,” Matthew said, his voice breaking as he spoke. He swallowed hard. “Sully’s going to bring them back, Matthew. There’s nothing to worry about.” She gave him a reassuring smile. “Are you in any pain? I can get you something for it.” She stood to go get some pain medication. Matthew grabbed her hand. “Ma?” “Hmm?” Michaela asked. She turned to look at him. “I know I never called you ma before, ‘cause I wasn’t sure if it was right, but I wanna start callin’ ya ma from now on. Is that alright with you?” “Oh it’s more than alright,” Michaela replied with a teary smile. She kissed his forehead. “Good,” he replied. He closed his eyes and Michaela decided to let him rest for a little bit. She slowly walked out of his room and ran into Ingrid in the process. “Excuse me,” the young girl said softly. “Ingrid, you heard about Matthew?”’ “I heard,” she replied. “May I see him?” “Yes of course,” Michaela answered with a smile. “I’m sure he’d love to see you.” She put her hand on the girl’s shoulder, and started downstairs. Ingrid disappeared into Matthew’s room. Michaela made her way downstairs where the women were all gathered. “Oh, Michaela, what are you doing out of bed?” “I didn’t even go to bed last night, mother,” Michaela replied. “I sat up with Matthew all evening.” “You must rest.” “I’m alright,” Michaela replied. “I slept a little.” “Michaela, you need to rest,” Dorothy said softly. “I remember bein’ pregnant with my children, and it was all I could do to function a day without sleep.” Michaela sighed and shook her head. “I won’t be able to rest until my children are home safely.” As if like clockwork, the sound of several horses trotting into town pierced through the silent drone the empty streets. The women all went outside to see the men coming into town on their horses. Michaela searched for Sully’s horse and would have leapt for joy if she wasn’t five months pregnant with twins. Colleen was sitting in front of Sully while Brian was sitting with Robert E. “Ma!” Colleen exclaimed. The horses stopped and Sully helped her down while Robert E. let Brian down. The children ran to Michaela and clung to her. “Ma,” Brian cried. Michaela held onto the children tight and she began to cry. “Thank God you’re safe. Thank God!” She knelt down so she could make sure they were alright, examining their faces and their arms. The search party scattered and the rest of the town made sure the children were alright before going back to their daily routines. Hank and Jake started off for the sheriff’s office to hold Ethan until they could get a marshal. The bodies of Adam and John were on another horse, draped across like they were on a packhorse. “We’re okay, ma,” Colleen replied. Sully dismounted his horse and walked over to his family. Colleen looked up at him. “Pa saved us.” Sully knelt down and brushed a tear from Michaela’s eye. “I told ya I’d get ‘em back,” he whispered. “How’s Matthew?” Brian asked. “He’s alright. He’s with Ingrid, but I’m sure he’d love to see you both. When you’re done visiting him, I want to make sure neither of you are hurt.” Colleen and Brian ran into the clinic to be reunited with their brother. Michaela threw herself into Sully’s arms, wrapping her arms around his neck. She broke down into gasping sobs, and Elizabeth turned away to give them some time alone. Sully held Michaela close and rocked her back and forth, stroking her hair and her back. She noticed the bodies on the horse. “Are those the men who took our children?” “Yes,” he replied. “But they were paid by Ethan.” Sully nodded toward the sheriff’s office. Michaela got a brief glimpse of him. She felt her blood boil, but she kept her arms around Sully. “Everything’s alright now. We’re gonna wire a marshal and hopefully Ethan will be sent away for a long time.” “He didn’t hurt them, did he?” “They’re alright. How’s Matthew really doin’?” “He’s good, Sully. He’s awake.” Sully kissed Michaela’s forehead. “You look like you need to lie down.” “I’m alright.” “Michaela, you need rest,” Sully whispered. “I need to be with my family.” “Our family’s back together now,” Sully whispered. “We ain’t ever gonna be separated again. C’mon. Let’s go see our children. After that, I want you to rest.” Sully took Michaela’s hand and led her inside to be with their family. He swore to himself right then and there to keep his family together, and he would do anything to make that happen. |