Dakota Dreams (Historical Romance) (33 page)

The Indian now stood before Breanna, his dark eyes moving over her curiously. With a smile, he said something she did not understand, but Mrs. Murphy translated for her.

"Shadow Walker wishes to say that Dakota's woman is fair of face, and he finds the color of your hair pleasing to his eyes." Mrs. Murphy laughed. "You will find the young warriors of the Arapaho have flowery words when talking to a pretty woman."

"Please tell him that I am pleased to know Dakota's friend, and ask him if he has seen my husband."

While Henrietta translated, Breanna watched the dark face, noting how intently he was listening. After he had answered, Henrietta turned back to Breanna. "Yes, he has been with Dakota. That's why he's here. It seems Dakota sent him to look after you."

"But why?"

The older woman spoke to Shadow Walker. When she met Breanna's eyes, her expression was troubled. "Shadow Walker says Dakota fears Black Otter may try to get at him through you."

The color drained out of Breanna's face, but Henrietta hastened to assure her that she would be safe in this fortress.

For two long days, Breanna waited for some word of Dakota, but she heard nothing. Fear for Dakota's safety became her constant companion. Tense and near tears, she now stood at the window of her small bedroom, glancing out the stockade gate. It seemed to her that the whole world had paused, waiting... waiting...

She saw Shadow Walker leaning against the stockade wall, his eyes alert, his hand resting on his knife. He was never far away from her. Even though Breanna knew John and Levi were also keeping an eye on her, she drew comfort from Shadow Walker's presence because Dakota had sent him to watch over her.

***

With Shadow Walker following a few paces behind, Breanna walked around the compound, hoping she would be tired enough to fall asleep that night.

When she heard shouting and saw Levi, Murphy, Baxley, and the Americans riding out the gates at breakneck speed, she was confused. John joined her near the gate, and they both watched the men disappear.

"What is wrong?" Breanna asked.

"One of the Sioux informed Mr. Murphy that the small settlement nearby was in flames," John said grimly. What he did not tell Breanna was that if it was true, they would probably be too late to be of any use to the settlers.

"You did not wish to go with them?"

"No, I'm going to stay near you. I don't like the sound of this."

"Surely you do not think that . . . Black Otter is somehow involved?"

"Who can say?" John replied as he and Breanna watched the compound gates close and the man who worked for Murphy slide the heavy bolt into place. The man then climbed upon the scaffold, where he proceeded to stand watch.

One would have thought, to glance at Shadow Walker, that he viewed all this activity with bored indifference, but not if one looked into his eyes. He was very aware of everything that went on around him. When Breanna, John, and Henrietta sat beneath the oak tree, trying to find relief from the heat, Shadow Dancer positioned himself nearby.

"I am not too sure I trust that Indian," John said suspiciously.

"Oh, you can trust Shadow Walker, and be glad that he's here," Henrietta exclaimed. "Dakota must have thought so too, or else he wouldn't have sent him."

"When do you think the men will return?" Breanna asked.

"I don't know." Henrietta's eyes met John's. "It depends on what they find."

***

Breanna waited in her bedroom for Levi's return. When darkness deepened across the land, the flames from the north could be seen glowing against the ebony sky. Hours passed, and still Levi and the others did not return. John had finally given up waiting for them and had gone to his quarters to retire for the night.

Breanna sat on the bed, tracing a pattern of the patchwork quilt with her finger, unable to sleep. There was such a silence that it was almost deafening.

Even the Sioux who had camped outside the compound had folded their tepees, loaded them on pack horses, and ridden away. It was as if they knew trouble was coming and did not want to be a part of it.

She lay back, thinking only to rest. Her mind was so troubled, and her body so weary, that she soon drifted off to sleep.

***

Breanna was awakened by a feeling of deep dread. The candle had gone out, and the room was in total darkness. Hearing one of the plank boards squeak, she froze in terror. Someone was in the room with her!

Easing herself up to a sitting position, she swung her legs off the side of the bed. She thought about calling out for help, but her throat had closed off. Suddenly she was grabbed with a viselike grip.

A hurtful hand clamped over her mouth, cutting off her breathing. A guttural voice whispered orders in her ear, orders she did not understand. She did not have to be told that Black Otter was her tormenter! Dear, God, was he going to kill her?

He violently jerked her to her feet, and she could feel the prickle of a knife at her spine.

Whimpering sounds were blocked in her throat. When Black Otter's hand moved away from her mouth, Breanna took a deep gulp of air, just before he tied a cloth over her mouth so tightly it cut into her skin.

Rough hands bound her hands and she was half dragged, half carried, toward the open window.

Breanna wondered what had happened to Shadow Walker, and why he had not come to her rescue, when her captor pulled her across a prone body and she saw that it was Dakota's friend. There was a knife sticking out of his back.

Anguished sobs were building from deep inside Breanna, and she was so frightened she could not move.

Pain exploded inside her head when Black Otter struck her with a hard object and she fell unconscious.

Breanna was not aware when Black Otter picked her up and slung her over his shoulder. Staying in the shadows of the compound, he left through an opening he had made earlier.

As Black Otter mounted his horse and rode away with Dakota's woman, he felt alive for the first time in months. Dakota would suffer much to get this woman back. Black Otter would play with him, torment him, and then when the time was right, he would kill this woman right before Dakota's eyes.

Yes, revenge would be long and sweet.

33

Shadow Walker felt his strength waning as he dragged himself across the compound. He knew he had lost a lot of blood, and weakness threatened to render him unconscious. He had to get help for Dakota's woman! Dakota had trusted him to keep her safe and he had failed. His shame hurt him almost as badly as his wound. With his last ounce of strength, he crawled to the door of the man who was Dakota's white cousin. With his last effort, Shadow Walker rapped on the door, then gave in to the darkness that claimed him.

John had been unable to sleep, and he heard the noise at the door. Thinking it might be Levi returning, he quickly lit a candle and opened the door.

Seeing the body of Shadow Walker, and knowing what it must mean, John quickly sounded the alarm while he ran toward Breanna's quarters. When he reached Breanna's door, he flung it open and called out to her.

Advancing into the room, John shuddered with mounting dread. When he fumbled around, found the candle, and lit it, he discovered his worst fears had been realized—the room was empty. There on the bed, among the rumpled covers, was a broken lance.

Henrietta burst into the room, her long braid trailing down her back, her breath coming out in gasps. When she saw the lance, she whitened. "Black Otter has been here. He has Breanna!" she cried.

John closed his eyes, blaming himself. What could he have done differently to protect her? More importantly, what could he do to get her back? He didn't know the country, nor was he able to track anyone. "Have the others returned yet?" he asked.

"No. Our man is tending Shadow Walker. We hope he will recover with the right . . ." Her voice trailed off and tears filled her eyes. "What can we do about Breanna?"

At that moment they heard riders entering the stockade and Murphy's voice called out.

"Thank God," John said, running out of the room. "Keep in the saddle!" he yelled. "Black Otter has taken Breanna."

"That bastard," Levi spat out gruffly. "He set that fire so he would draw us off. I'm mad as hell that I fell for the oldest trick known to man."

"I didn't think he would come into my compound to take Dakota's wife" Murphy said angrily. "Let's get going before he's too far ahead. I sure as hell don't want to be the one to tell Dakota his woman is missing."

"We can't track him in the dark," Levi reasoned. "The best we can do until daylight is go in different directions and hope one of us finds some sign of them."

Everyone agreed this would be the best way. Luther, Inman, and Baxley would ride to the north, while Levi and John would cover the south. Murphy and his man took the west. "What about the east?" John asked.

"We can discount that direction. Black Otter would not be welcome on Sioux land" Levi explained.

In a thunder of horses' hooves, the riders disbursed in different directions. Each had little hope they would find Breanna.

***

Dakota came down the gully at a dead gallop. Wheeling around, he reigned in his horse. Slowly dismounting, he saw in the distance three men spread-eagled with wooden stakes.

Cocking his rifle, he approached them cautiously, wary of a trap. Taking cover behind a bush, he crept slowly forward.

When he was near enough, he saw that it was Baxley, Luther, and Inman who had been staked out. It was obvious that Inman was dead, because his one blue and his one brown eye were blank, staring at nothing—seeing nothing.

Dakota quickly examined Baxley and Luther, finding to his relief that they still lived. Their faces, however, were blistered from the sun, their lips cracked, their clothes in tatters, their tongues parched and swollen from their piercing thirst.

Dakota cut the two men loose and reached for his canteen. As cool water washed the sand from Baxley's throat, he opened his eyes and smiled ever so slightly. "Begging your pardon, my lord, but we could not find her."

"Find who?" Dakota cried, fearing he already knew the answer.

"Her ladyship," Baxley gasped. "That devil, Black Otter, came right into the compound and took her, my lord."

Dakota tried to beat down his rising alarm. He had to keep a clear head if he was going to find Breanna. "How did this happen to you, Baxley?"

"Mr. Gunther had us all ride in different directions to search for her ladyship. We were put upon by three Indians, my lord. They didn't seem intent on killing us as much as they seemed to want to torture us."

Luther rubbed cool water from Dakota's canteen over his face before he spoke. "One of them gave me a message to give you," the American said weakly. "He said to tell you that you will find —let me see if I have this right—you will find whom you seek at the place where a bear almost ended your life. He said Black Otter wanted you to know that what happened to us here will happen to your woman there."

Dakota tensed. His eyes became narrow slits, cold and piercing. "When did Black Otter take Breanna?"

"Last night . . . or was it two nights ago. I can't be sure how long we have been here," Luther told him.

Dakota's face paled beneath his tan, and he couldn't bear to think of his Breanna being in Black Otter's hands. "If I leave you the water, can you bury Inman and make it back to the trading post on your own?"

"Yes, my lord. You don't worry about us. Just find her ladyship," Baxley said, dragging himself to an upright position to show that he was capable of standing alone.

Dakota's face was unreadable, his eyes cold, as he turned away to meet his destiny and save his woman.

Baxley and Luther watched Dakota ride away, each knowing he would not like to be in Black Otter's shoes once Dakota caught up with him.

Dakota spurred his horse on relentlessly, sparing neither himself nor the animal. He knew where Black Otter would be waiting for him. He only hoped he would be in time to save his beloved!

***

When Breanna regained consciousness, it was morning. She found herself on a galloping horse, being held in place by the Indian who had abducted her. She was still bound and gagged, and her head ached where Black Otter had struck her. She stared up into black eyes that were filled with hate.

Black Otter's dark hair was encircled with a rawhide band. He wore a yellow buckskin vest. He was haughty and insolent, and Breanna had the feeling that this man would end her life abruptly if she gave him the slightest provocation. She wondered why he had not already done so.

She remembered Levi saying that an Indian respects bravery, and she hoped she would not shame Dakota by acting the coward, but she was so very frightened.

The Indian halted his horse and tossed Breanna to the ground. For a moment she could not move because the pain was too great. When she did finally try to move, the Indian yanked on the leather rope and sent her tumbling to the ground once more. It was clear to her that the Indian meant to humble her, but he would never succeed, she vowed as she stood up, her golden eyes defying him.

Black Otter jerked at the rope to assert his power over her, and once more she tumbled to the ground. He dragged her over to a tree and bound her tightly to it.

Breanna wanted to cry because of the pain and humiliation this hateful man was putting her through, but she was determined not to give him the satisfaction.

When he unsheathed his knife, she closed her eyes, expecting to feel it plunge into her heart. She was relieved when he merely cut the cloth that was bound around her mouth.

"I know who you are, Black Otter" she spat out. "You have killed Shadow Walker."

If he understood her words, he did not show it. He turned away from her, took his horse's reins, and bounded on its back. When he rode away, Breanna felt momentary relief, until she realized that if he didn't return, she would die anyway. She would never be able to loosen the leather thongs he had used to tie her to the tree. Her mouth was so dry, she would probably die from thirst before anyone could rescue her.

In total desperation, she leaned her head back against the tree trunk and cried bitter tears. What did it matter if she gave in to tears? No one would see her.

Time passed slowly, and Breanna finally fell asleep, thinking it was better to lose herself in sleep for a time than to be awake in a living nightmare.

***

Dakota's face was haggard as he removed his rifle from his dead horse's carcass. The poor animal was covered with lather, and flecks of bloody foam covered its mouth. He had never in his life ridden a horse to its death. Two Moons had taught him that an Arapaho warrior always took care of his horse before seeing to his own needs.

In desperation, Dakota looked around. How would he ever reach Breanna before Black Otter harmed her? On foot it would take two days to reach the valley where he had encountered the bear as a young boy.

Shouldering his rifle, he started off in a run. He had to try. Hatred burned in his heart for his brother. Now he would not hesitate to take Black Otter's life. He had made a fatal mistake; he had taken the one person that Dakota loved above all else.

In his tortured mind, he could see Breanna's smile. He remembered so clearly how her golden eyes would soften when he was making love to her. The sound of her laughter played on his ears, and he ached to hold her, to protect her from Black Otter's evil.

He had been running for about an hour—pushing himself beyond human endurance. He had to go —had to save Breanna. When he at last felt his strength drained, and his breath coming out in short gasps, he cursed the human body that had its limitations. When he finally stopped to lean against a tree to catch his breath, despair overwhelmed him. It was futile; he would never reach Breanna in time.

Suddenly Dakota heard the sound of a rider, and he ducked behind a bush. With his rifle cocked, he waited for whoever it was to ride into sight. Relief washed over him when he recognized Levi.

The hunter pulled up his mount and called out. "If I'd a been Black Otter, I'd have picked you off an hour ago. You left a trail any blundering fool could follow—killed your horse, did you?"

Dakota grabbed the reins from Levi's hand. "I will take your horse. I have to get to Breanna."

Levi obligingly slid to the ground. "Do you know where Black Otter's taken her?"

Dakota tossed his rifle to Levi, since there was already one in the saddle holster. "Yes. He waits for me at the place where I encountered the bear."

Levi glanced into Dakota's eyes. "Take heart, he may not have harmed her yet. He will probably keep her safe until you arrive. I wish I could go with you; I'd like to kill that bastard myself."

"You cannot come with me, Levi. This I must do alone. I can promise you this, if he has harmed Breanna, he will die a painful death."

"Be careful. He knows you are coming. He will have had time to prepare for you."

Dakota's eyes narrowed. "Nothing can stop me from slaying him now. Not even the promise I made our father."

***

Breanna woke with a start when Black Otter untied her from the tree and jerked her to her feet. She fought against him, and he slapped her with his open palm. "It would take very little to make me kill you, white woman."

"You speak English?" she said, stating the obvious. Testing her cut lip, she found it was bleeding. "Dakota will find you, Black Otter. There is nowhere you can hide that he will not seek you out."

His dark eyes moved over her, and he found her pleasing. Her hair, which tumbled about her face, was a golden color he had never before seen. He was astonished to see that her eyes were also a golden color. "I have made sure Dakota can find me. I want him to suffer before I kill him."

Breanna felt her heart skip a beat. "That's why you took me. You are using me to draw him to you."

Black Otter gripped her chin and pushed her hair out of her face. "I think he will be in torment, wondering what I am doing to you. I think Dakota must love you very much."

"You are wrong. Dakota does not love me. He . . . still loves Running Deer."

"Do not take me for a fool, white woman. Dakota never loved Running Deer. I loved her, but he did not. It is because of him that she is dead. It is only right that I take his woman's life in exchange."

Breanna felt her courage slipping. "It was not Dakota who killed Running Deer. It was you."

"It is because she wanted him and turned her face away from me that she is dead. You should look to your own safety, white woman. It does not bother me to kill a woman."

"I do not fear you," she said in an attempt of bravado. "Neither does my husband fear you."

Black Otter's dark eyes flinched, and she knew she had struck a nerve.

"My husband is a brave man, and he will never be defeated by a coward like you."

His face was murderous as he raised his fist to strike her.

Breanna willed herself not to flinch away, and stared at him with impudence. "Yes, a coward would hit a woman."

To Breanna's surprise, Black Otter did not strike her. She felt relieved until she discovered he had a far worse punishment in store for her.

He led her down a slope where he had driven four stakes in the ground. She tried to jerk away from him when he pushed her down to her knees, but she was helpless against his strength as he pushed her hands over her head and tied her wrists to the stakes. She tried to twist away from him when he grabbed her leg and secured her ankle to another stake. This was repeated with her other ankle, and soon Breanna could not move.