Jack threw caution to the wind when the cabin came into view. He jumped from his horse and ran as fast as he could onto the porch, throwing open the door and freezing as the coppery scent of blood filled his nostrils.

"Allie! Lily! Sarah!" he called out each name and was met with silence. He walked around the table and that's when he saw the large dark red puddle on the floor. He swore his heart stopped beating in that moment. That amount of blood could only mean one thing. Whoever had left it here was dead.

He saw something in the blood and reached down to pick it up. His entire body began shaking as he used his thumb to wipe the blood away from the tiny wooden hearts and stared at the A and J carved into them. His entire world came crashing down around him. Allie was dead. This was her blood that was covering his hand. Who would have done this and where were they now?

He felt his very soul turn black. There was no reason for him to care about right or wrong any longer. His angel was gone and he was going to kill whoever had taken her from him. Nothing else in the world mattered. Only vengeance. He clutched her necklace so tightly that the wood cut into his palm but his mind was numb to the pain. He stuck the necklace into his pocket and then he heard the voices outside.

"Wolf, Janna stay." Hawke said sternly. "Where is my family?"

"Gone." a young male voice answered. Jack walked out onto the porch and felt his blood boil in his veins when he recognized Bearclaw. He didn't recognize the boy standing beside him with the fancy holster and smirk on his face though.

"Where is Allie?" Jack asked and Hawke saw the blood on Jack's hand and felt a mixture of dread, fear and anger fill him.

"Are you Jack?" the boy asked spitting at the dirt. "My names Kaid and your pa hired me on to kill you seeing as how I'm the fastest man alive with a gun." Kaid smiled up at Jack who stood there with a cold look in his blue eyes and his face a mask of stone.

"Where is Allie?" he asked again.

"Dead." Kaid said with a laugh. "You should have heard her scream. She begged for her life and screamed your name as she died." Jack didn't waste time listening to any more of this worthless bastards words. In a movement that was so fast that even Hawke's eyes missed it Jack pulled his gun and fired a shot straight into Kaid's forehead.

The man fell to the ground without even getting a chance to pull the gun he bragged about being so fast with but it wasn't enough for Jack. His mind was full of nothing but rage and pain and darkness and all he wanted to do was give into the blackness in his soul.

He ignored Hawke and Bearclaw who were circling each other with their knives drawn and crossed the grass to where Kaid's body lay. He pointed his gun down at the boys fancy fringed vest and emptied the last five shots into his heart.

Allie was gone.. His Allie was dead and it was Jack's fault. Jack had led these murdering sons of bitches to his family. Jack straddled Kaid's dead body and began driving his fist into his bloody face over and over and over again.

Hawke forced himself to ignore Jack as he circled the other Indian. This man was short and wiry and Hawke knew he would be fast.

"All the men say how afraid of you they are." Bearclaw said. "But I fear no one. I will drive my knife through your heart before you ever have a chance to….." Hawke had heard enough. He had to save his wife and daughter. He did not have time to listen to this man go on an ego trip. With a flick of his wrist he threw his knife and it sunk deep into Bearclaw's chest. Bearclaw looked down at the knife with shock.

"You cheated." he gasped. Hawke shrugged.

"There are no rules when battling cowards who attack and kidnap innocent women and children." he replied. Bearclaw took one last shallow breath and fell dead to the ground. Hawke used his boot to roll the man over and pull his knife from his chest. He went into the cabin, stepping around the deep puddle of blood on the floor and grabbed his rifle from the bedroom floor.

He walked back outside and found Jack still pounding away at the dead boys face that was now simply a unrecognizable, bloody mess.

"He is dead." Hawke said. Jack stood then and clenched his bloody fists at his sides.

"I did this." he said. "Allie is dead because of me. They followed me here somehow."

"We do not know for sure that Allie is dead. We must leave now, Jack, and find them. We have to save my wife and daughter." Jack nodded and without another word both men jumped on their horses.

"Wolf, find Lily." Hawke said. Wolf smelled the air and then took off into the woods. Jack and Hawke followed after them quickly both men lost in their own thoughts and Jack battling a hundred of his own demons in his mind.

888

It was getting dark when the men finally stopped their fast pace and began to set up camp for the night. They sat Allie, Lily, Sarah and Gavin down beside the fire and Paul kept his eyes on them to make sure they did not try to escape.

"Pa, Bearclaw and Kaid should have caught up to us by now." Brian said worriedly as he looked out at the dark plains, long grasses and shadows surrounding them.

"They're dead you bastard. Did you really think they were any match for Jack and Hawke." Allie spat. Lily shot her a look that told her to 'shut up' but Allie just shook her head. If these assholes were going to kill her then she was at least going to let them know what she thought about them first.

"Shut up you mouthy bitch." Brian said and he slapped her across the face.

"Don't hit her." Gavin spoke up. Brian raised his fist to strike Gavin and much to Allie's horror tears filled Gavin's eyes.

"Don't him me either." he begged and Brian broke down with laughter.

"We got us a little pansy man." he exclaimed. Lily wished that she could wrap her arms around Sarah and comfort the shaking girl but her hands were tied too tightly behind her. She scooted herself as close to her daughter as she could and Sarah laid her head against her chest.

"We'll have to write out a letter for his pa and see just how much money we can milk out of the old man before we start sending him back his sons body parts." John said.

"Oh my God." Gavin squeaked and then he turned his head to the side and threw up in the dirt.

"Did I really agree to marry you once upon a time?" Allie demanded. Gavin looked over at her with anger in his eyes.

"How can you be so calm?" he demanded. "They are going to kill us?" Allie shook her head.

"They are not going to kill us." Allie replied. "Just wait until Jack and Hawke get here."

"They aren't coming." Gavin spat back. "They are dead." Sarah's eyes widened and filled with tears and Lily glared over at Gavin.

"Would you mind not telling my daughter that her daddy is dead?" she demanded.

"But he is." Brian sneered leaning down so close to Lily's face that she could smell the foul odor of his breath. Then he looked down at Sarah.

"Your daddy is dead little girl. And soon you will be too." Sarah started crying but the sound was muffled by the gag in her mouth. Lily kicked her foot out and caught Brian in the shin and he jumped back and rubbed at it painfully.

"You're going to pay for that." Brian said. He grabbed Lily by the arm and jerked her to her feet. She fought against him but she was no match for his strength. Allie screamed her name but Paul silenced her by bringing his fist down hard across her mouth. Brian drug Lily a little way past the glow of the campfire and threw her down on the hard ground.

"I'm gonna have fun with you." he said. Lily was helpless to stop him with her hands tight behind her as he hoisted her skirt and ripped her underclothes off, tearing the thin fabric and tossing them aside.

Lily tried to fight the panic that was rising in her. Panic would not save her life. She focused on her hands as he pressed his dirty lips against her face and leered down at her. The rope was coming loose and she knew that if she twisted just the right away she could get them free.

Brian undid his pants and braced himself over her. She cried out when he forced her legs apart with his knees. Lily's hands came free just as he was preparing to stick himself inside of her. Brian was too caught up in his own anticipation and pleasure to realize her hand was free and she grabbed his gun from his holster.

The sound of the shot filled the air and Brian's eyes widened in surprise. He sat back on his knees and looked at the blood pouring from the hole in his stomach.

"You killed me." he said with shock. Lily pulled herself out from under him and rose to her feet.

"No one will ever take advantage of me again." she vowed. Brian fell face first onto the grass.

"Throw the gun down and get over here or I'll blow her brains out." John's hate filled angry voice called and Lily looked over by the campfire to see John standing there with his gun pressed against Sarah's temple. Lily quickly tossed the gun aside and walked toward him.

"Please don't hurt my daughter." she begged.

"You killed my son!" John bellowed. Lily didn't say anything because she knew there was nothing she could say to ease his anger. She had killed his son and given the chance she would kill him as well.

John tightened his hold on the trigger. He would show this woman what happened when you killed his son. He would kill her whining little brat of a daughter right here in front of her.

"Uh boss." Paul called with concern. John turned his attention to the other man and followed his gaze to see a white wolf standing out in the shadows.

"They're here." John said. "Hawke and Jack are here hiding somewhere… They're probably watching us right now." John and Paul both gave each other nervous glances because neither liked the odds they were facing.