Clayton was scared, but mostly he was mad. He’d woken up hours ago and it hadn’t taken him long to realize that he was in a trunk and he still had a burlap sack over his head. The sack was hot and itchy and he had the strongest urge to scratch his nose, but couldn’t, of course, because his hands were now tied.

                He wondered where his ma and pa were? He was sure they’d come for him and then these bastards would be sorry they’d taken him. He could tell by the sounds of the creaking metal and the whoosh of steam that he was on a train and he wondered where they were going.

                Growling because his nose itched so badly, Clayton began to rub it against the side of the crate he’d been stuffed in. He tugged at his hands and nearly cried out with excitement when one moved a little against the ropes which had grown looser.

                Focusing all his attention on freeing his arms, Clayton worked against the ropes. He could hear voices approaching him. Men’s voices. He recognized the big man’s voice.

                “We gotta check on the little bastard. Scarlett wants him kept alive.”

                Clayton pulled his hands free and then tore the sack off his head, though he couldn’t see any better with it off than he had with it on. He put his hand on the new knife his Uncle Reb had gotten for him. He was surprised that these men hadn’t taken it, but glad. Now he could stab them in the ass, just the way Uncle Reb had told him to.

                The trunk opened and Clayton didn’t even pause to think before pulling out the bowie knife and swinging it wildly.

                A loud curse filled the air and Clayton knew he’d hurt someone but he just kept swinging with his eyes squeezed tightly closed. More curses erupted as Clayton felt his knife connecting with bodies.

                He opened his eyes finally to see the big man and one other man standing there bleeding from wounds on their arms and faces. They both looked real mad but also a little scared.

                Clayton scurried from the crate and realized they were in a cargo cart on the train and the side door was open . He ran for it and then stopped at the edge, grabbing the side of the door with his hand to steady himself as he looked at the ground quickly passing by him. It was raining hard and it was dark as midnight out there.

                “What are you gonna do, little man? Jump for it?” the big man growled with a chuckle. “Drop that damned knife, turn around and get your ass back over here.”

                Clayton knew he had to jump. It was the only choice he had. Swallowing hard he stuck his knife in the holster quickly and then squeezed his eyes tight before leaping into the air.

                He was floating for one terrifying second and then he felt a tug on the back of his shirt and he was tossed through the air before landing roughly on his backside and skidding across the train floor. Before Clayton could recover he was grabbed roughly by the big man who took his knife away and tossed it out the train door.

                “You’re gonna wish you hadn’t done that, boy.” The big man growled and Clayton swallowed hard as tears filled his eyes. The big man hands were digging into his upper arms and it hurt real bad. “I was gonna let you out of the crate for the trip but now you’re staying in there. No food ‘til we reach Scarlett and she decides what to do with you.”

                Clayton was screaming for help, but the sound of the train deafened his cries as the big man shoved him back down into the crate and locked it. Clayton cried as he beat against the lid with his fists and feet until his limbs were so heavy and tired he could no longer lift them.

                He wanted his mama. He wanted his pa. He didn’t know who these men were or what they wanted but he was scared, and Clayton Winchester didn’t scare easy.

***

                Joe woke up and the first thing her tired body knew was that it was still raining. She could sense the light of day on her eyelids but it wasn’t bright sunlight and the sound of rain was loud on the tin roof. 

                Jonah was still snoring quietly behind her and her heart ached at the sound. He really did sound just like Clayton when he did that.

                Clayton.

                Joe’s heart broke anew but she had no more tears to cry. She had cried enough all night to flood the banks of the Mississippi river itself.  Now she was done crying. Tears would not bring Clayton back. Instead she was ready to kick some ass. She was going to find her son and Scarlett was  going to die for taking the boy. That much Joe could promise.

                She didn’t want to wake Jonah, the clock on the wall said it was only eight in the morning and she knew the man hadn’t fallen asleep until close to dawn. Joe slid from the bed silently, wrapped a spare blanket around her naked body and then saw Clayton’s dirty buckskin shirt lying on the floor beside the wardrobe.

                She walked to it and held the garment to her nose, breathing in her son’s scent. She was working hard on remembering that she wasn’t going to cry anymore when the sound of a train pulling into the station reached her ears, bringing her out of her thoughts.  

                It made her remember the man she’d seen at the train depot the morning before. The man who had been watching her so closely. The big man… Biggest she’d ever seen.

                “Jonah!” she exclaimed as she went to the bed and smacked his legs. Jonah came to in a rush and was  butt naked and out of the bed with a gun in his hand before Joe could blink.

                “Quit foolin’ ‘round, Jonah.” Joe scolded. “I got somethin’ important that I just remembered.”

                Jonah tossed his gun on the bed and rubbed at the back of his neck as he pulled the corner of the curtain aside to look out at the rain soaked city around them.

                “What did you remember?” he asked, his voice hoarse.

                “Are ya sick, Jonah?” Joe asked with concern as she crossed the room to him and laid her wrist against his forehead, checking for any signs of fever.

                “Naw, I ain’t sick, Joe.” He replied. “You sound a bit raspy yourself.”

                Joe nodded in understanding. It was from crying….. She hadn’t realized he’d shed so many tears and she realized that he must have hid those from her. Instantly Joe felt guilty. She’d spent so much time being weak that she hadn’t realized that her man was suffering just as badly. 

                “Now what did you just remember?”

                “When we was at the trader yesterday there was a man…. He was watching me and he made me feel real uneasy. He was at the train station, Jonah.”

                “I don’t understand how that’s important.” Jonah replied with a sigh as he went to the chest they’d brought full of clothes and fished out a clean outfit for both he and Joe.

                “He was a big man, Jonah. Biggest man I’d ever seen.”

                Jonah’s eyes met hers and then they widened as his jaw tensed. “Son of a bitch!”

                “What if they took him on the train, Jonah! That would explain why nobody saw ‘em and we didn’t find him anywhere. I’m pretty damned sure that train left about the time we realized Clayton was gone.”

                “Why didn’t you think of this yesterday! Why didn’t you tell me about that man when you first saw him?” Jonah demanded accusingly as he yanked on his pants.

                Joe glared at him and pulled on her shirt. “Well when I first noticed him I was a bit busy dealin’ with that damned fur trader and then later I was too busy searching fer my son to give the train any damned thought!”

                Jonah sighed and slid into his shirt before reaching out and taking Joe’s arm. She resisted him at first, angry that he would try to lay blame on her, but the sad look in his gray eyes had her giving in. She let him pull her into his chest.

                “I’m sorry, Josephine. I shouldn’t have said that.”

                “It’s alright, Jonah. I’d say it won’t be the last time we say things we don’t mean to each other. We tend to do that when we get upset.”

                “Yeah we should really work on that.” Jonah agreed as he kissed her hair.

                “After we find Clayton then we will. I don’t think right now we’re under the best of circumstances to be tryin’ to turn over any new leafs.”

                “Smart woman. Now let’s get ready and go down to the jailhouse. We can tell Sheriff Phillips about that man at the train and he can tell us where that train was heading yesterday.”

                “I wish this rain would quit.” Joe grumbled as she slid on her boots. Jonah nodded.

                “Me too. But I don’t think it is.”

                Joe shrugged as she hooked on her gun belt. “Looks like we’re in fer some wet asses.”  Joe had hoped to make Jonah smile, hating the sadness etched so deeply into the lines on his face. Clearly he wasn’t going to smile thought and it didn’t’ really surprise her. Smiling was the last thing on Joe’s mind as well.

                Joe was surprised when they found Sheriff Phillip’s already at the jailhouse and pacing the floors as he read over the stack of papers in his hand. He looked just as worn out and exhausted as Jonah looked and Joe felt. Joe hadn’t looked in a mirror this morning but she figured she looked about the same.

                “I got a bunch of responses this mornin’, Jonah, but they’re useless!” Sheriff Phillips threw the papers in the air with disgust and they floated back down to the scarred wooden floorboards, scattering across the room.  “Nobody knows a damned thing about that woman but they’re all willing to ride on in and help find the missing boy.”

                Joe watched the sheriff pacing restlessly and wondered why he was so upset. He answered the question for her as if he could read her mind. “I know what you all are going through.” He said quietly as he slumped down at his desk and covered his upper face with his hands. “I was married once and had two pretty little babies. Meaner than rattlesnakes them youngin’s were but I loved them, and their mama, somethin’ fierce. They were taken from me by an outlaw who was mad that I’d caught his friend and tossed him in jail.  The outlaw kidnapped them from our home and I searched for days until I finally found them……” 

                The sheriff stopped speaking, his pain filled voice telling the part of the story that his words didn’t.  Joe’s stomach clenched painfully, causing her to gag as she turned her back on the sheriff. The thought of Clayton being dead and his body just out there lying somewhere in the rain would have made her vomit if she had any food in her stomach.

                Jonah’s hand rubbed her back soothingly and Joe took several slow breaths before standing straight and turning around to once again face the lawman. He looked apologetic as he stood.

                “I wasn’t saying that would happen to your boy… I’m sorry, I reckon I shouldn’t have said anything at all, it’s just I’ve been thinking about them and….” The sheriff shrugged and looked down at his feet.

                “Where was the train that left yesterday evening heading?” Joe asked quickly, desperate to change the direction this conversation was going and make it more productive. The sheriff frowned.

                “I think it was headed north but I’d have to check the schedule to tell you what city exactly.”

                “And where’s that one goin’?” Joe asked as the train she’d heard pulling in earlier let out a whistle.

                “East I think. Though like I said, I’d have to check to be sure.”

                “There was a man.” Jonah said, his voice tight. Joe glanced at him and realized the sheriff’s story had had an effect on him as well. He was pale, his stubble sticking out sharply against his cheeks, and the dark circles around his bloodshot eyes looked like dark bruises. There was a sadness etched deep into the lines around his eyes and mouth. Joe reached out and squeezed his hand.

                “A man?” the sheriff asked as stood and began gathering up the papers he’d thrown earlier.

                “Yeah. The singing woman last night said the man that took Clayton was the biggest she’d ever seen. Joe saw him, though she didn’t realize it was him at the time. Yesterday morning while we were at the trading post he was watching Joe from the train station.”

                The sheriff nodded. “Why don’t you folks go get ya some breakfast, on me, and I’ll head to the train station and verify where it was heading. Then we’ll head out and find your son.”

                “We?” Joe asked with a frown and Sheriff Phillip’s nodded. He pulled off his black Stetson hat and clutched it in both hands. His small eyes were sad as they looked at her.

                “I wasn’t able to save my family, ma’am, but y’all could still save yours. I’d like to help, especially since this happened in my town, right under my nose.”

                Jonah stepped forward his hand still wrapped firmly around Joe’s. “This won’t be done by the law, sheriff. I intend to kill everyone involved whether they know it’s coming or not. And I’ll kill anybody who tries to stop me as well. No one is going to stand between me and my son and no one is going to stop me from ensuring there aren’t any of those bastards, or any more Scarlett, left to come after my family.”

                The sheriff nodded. “We find those responsible, this badge comes off.  I almost killed you once and I figure I owe you for that. Your son was taken after I told you he would be safe so I owe you for that too.  There are times when the law has to be set aside. That bastard I was telling you about, the one that stole my family…. I slit his throat while he was asleep and he opened his eyes just long enough to realize who had killed him. A man has to do what a man has to do when it comes to his family.”

                The sheriff quickly left the office then, pulling his hat down low as he did, and Joe let out a shaky breath. “Clayton can’t be….” She couldn’t even finish the sentence and Jonah shook his head roughly and pulled her into his arms, kissing her hair.

                “No. Like Reb told me last night, Scarlett wants revenge on us. Chances are she’s hoping to lure us to her using our son as bait. I, for one, need to believe that she’d keep him alive for that.”

                Joe pulled her deerskin coat tighter around herself as they stepped back out into the rain and Jonah did the same with his duster coat. “We should eat.” He stated.

                “I’m not hungry.” Joe replied and Jonah sighed.

                “Me neither but we gotta try. We won’t do Clayton any good if we starve to death before we find him.”

                Joe finally nodded and they made their way to a small café where they more or less simply picked at their eggs and ham, though they did manage to get a few bites down. As they were heading back toward the hotel, Sheriff Phillips, jogged over to meet them.

                “It was headed north like I said. It normally makes stops all throughout the territories but for some reason it’s not this time. It’s only stop is the end of the line up in the Montana territory.”

                “She’s in Montana?” Joe demanded. “That bitch cow is still up there?”  

                “Alright.” Jonah stated. “Let’s get packed up, get some supplies and head out to find our son.” Joe knew that the trip to the Montana territories was a long one. Two weeks if they wanted to have horses left when they got there, and then they’d have to figure out where she was.. .Montana was a big damn territory.

                She didn’t voice any of these things out loud as she and Jonah went to the hotel. Reb was in the hall beside their room.

                “I thought y’all was still sleepin’.” He said as he rubbed at his good eye.

                “No. Scarlett’s men took Clayton on the train to Montana.” Reb was quiet for a moment and then he nodded.

                “Montana it is then.”

                Jonah and Joe went into their room and began to load only what they’d need out of their luggage into their saddlebags. “We’ll have to stop at the mercantile and the gunsmith.” Jonah stated. “We’ll need some dried food and bullets.”

                A rustling sound outside their bedroom door had them both pulling their guns and aiming them at the thick slab of oak.

                “Somebody out there?” Jonah called out. Joe’s eyes widened when an envelope was suddenly slid underneath the door.

                Jonah grabbed it and saw the fancy writing scrawled across it. He pulled it open and tugged out the fancy parchment to see Scarlett’s signature written at the bottom.

                “Goddammit!” he exclaimed as he tossed the letter down and jerked open the door. Joe was on his heels as they ran into the hall and Jonah yelled out a warning to the man that was running out the back door of the hotel hall, which led to a set of rickety steps and down to the street.

                Jonah was about to run after the man when he disappeared from view but then stopped in his tracks when the man appeared again, this time backing up on shaking legs with his hands held high.

                Before Jonah or Joe could ask what he was scared of, Bart stepped through the open door with his gun trained on the retreating man’s chest. He glanced over the man’s shoulder, his dark eyes looking at Jonah and Joe in turn and then he turned his gaze back to the man.

                Bart sneered and while Joe and Jonah couldn’t see the other man’s face, it was clear that Bart recognized him. “What’s the matter, Critter? You act like you’ve seen a ghost.”