Silken Savage (50 page)

With the horses and essentials ready and waiting, all that remained was to somehow manage to get Tanya, Mark, and Hunter away from their diligent guards and slip Adam under the noses of his, no easy matter, especially with Jeffrey dogging Tanya’s every step. Roberto escorted her to the jail that first morning to speak with Adam. After she explained to him what they were doing, they then discussed possible ways to help him escape, but nothing sounded reasonable. Meanwhile, Judge Kerr was using his influence with high officials in the territory, to no avail. No one seemed to have the authority needed to intercede or influence military affairs.

Upon leaving the jail, Jeffrey approached them. Tanya felt Roberto stiffen at her side, prepared to defend her, and grateful as she was, she didn’t want him to give Jeffrey an excuse to arrest him too. She decided the best course was to ignore Jeffrey, if possible.

With head held high and shoulders straight, she stared past him, walking slowly but steadily toward home. Undeterred, Jeffrey kept pace with her. With a nasty leer, which she saw from the corner of her eye, he taunted, “Thought you’d gotten away with it, didn’t you, Tanya love? Well, thanks to Suellen, the tables are turned.”

“Go away, Jeffrey,” she hissed.

“Tanya darling, you’d do better to be nice to me. The life of someone dear to you will soon be in my hands. What happens to him depends entirely on you.”

That stopped her short, and she swung about to face him. “Perhaps you’d better explain to me exactly what that comment means!”

He spread his hands out in a gesture of innocence, his face a false mask of sincerity. “It is as simple as this, Tanya. If you could manage to have your marriage annulled and marry me before Savage’s trial is over, I could no doubt arrange to have him set free. If not, he’ll assuredly hang, and you will be a widow. Either way, you will soon be mine again. Of course, I won’t accept his sons in the bargain. You’ll have to get rid of them.”

Her eyes shot deadly golden daggers at him. “I’ll
never
belong to you, Jeffrey. Never! If you weren’t insane, you’d have realized that by now. You are quite mad, you know. If I didn’t hate you so much, I could actually feel sorry for you.”

“You bitch!” he exploded, grabbing her roughly by the arms. “You’ll regret those words! I’ll see you pay for each and every insult you’ve subjected me to!” In rhythm with his words, he shook her like a rag doll, stopping only when he felt the barrel of Roberto’s pistol in his ribs. “Take your filthy hands off my cousin’s wife!” Roberto ordered.

Jeffrey released her then with a look of contempt at Roberto. “If you shoot me, you won’t get five feet before you are arrested.”

Roberto smiled evilly, his teeth flashing in his dark face, his eyes snapping fire. “That may be, but you’ll already be dead by then, your blood seeping its way into Hell.” His soft, slow words held the weight of a sacred oath.

Jeffrey backed off. “Think about what I have said, Tanya. Your time is running out. And don’t try anything. I have you all under close surveillance, even your brats. If I see anything suspicious, it won’t be hard to make you regret it. Your sons will be the first to pay, and then your Indian lover.” He turned on his heel and stalked off.

Roberto and Tanya shared a worried look. “I think we need next to find a way to get your sons to safety,” said Roberto. “Even with Kit guarding them, I feel uneasy.”

“So do I,” Tanya concurred. “His mind is so twisted, it is impossible to follow the line of his thoughts.”

It was Rachel who came up with an idea to protect her grandsons. That very day she sent Roberto back out to the ranch, and by midnight he had returned to town again.

The early morning sun glistened on Tanya’s hair as she stepped lightly off the front steps, a huge basket balanced carefully in her arms.

“Sorry, ma’am, but I have to know what’s in that basket you’re carrying,” one of the guards said, stopping her.

She glared at him, but halted. “In case you are unaware of it, there is a wedding planned in two days,” she said stiffly. “I am taking these pies to Emily Kerr in preparation for it.”

The soldier lifted a corner of the checkered cloth and sniffed appreciatively at the fresh-baked aroma escaping. “Apple and blueberry,” he sighed. “Sure smells good.” With that, he let her pass, watching to make sure she entered the Kerr home.

A short while later, he watched as she made the return trip. As she passed him, he caught sight of a couple of eggs peeping out from under the cloth. “Careful going up those steps, ma’am,” he cautioned politely. “Those eggs look about to tumble.”

She nodded wordlessly. Tanya passed Justin and Roberto at the door. They were lugging a good-sized trunk between them. “What are you doing with that?” she called after them.

Justin grinned ruefully. “This is just a small portion of Melissa’s worldly goods,” he joked. “I’ll be hobbling down the aisle after a few trips like this!”

The guards laughed with him. “Marryin’ is hard work,” one offered with a wink.

One more delivery was made to the Martin household that morning. Elizabeth pulled the wagon to a halt at the front gate, a huge box balanced on the seat beside her. Julie and Melissa came running out of the house. Melissa reached the wagon first, tearing the top off of the box. With a squeal of delight, she reached in and pulled out a lovely yellow gown, twirling about joyously, the gown held out before her. “Oh! It’s lovely, Elizabeth! Is the rest of my trousseau in there! Did she get it all done?”

Elizabeth smiled indulgently, her sharp eyes noting the silly grins on the faces of the guards. “Every stitch,” she promised. “But, dear heart, I really think you should examine the contents in a more private place. Help me take these things inside.”

Between them, Julie and Melissa carted the box indoors, and Elizabeth pulled the wagon around back.

Inside, several anxious people heaved a collective sigh of relief as they helped a small, dark-haired boy from the box.

“Hello,
hola,
Pepito,” Roberto said in greeting.

“You were as quiet as a
ratoncito,
a little mouse.”

The boy grinned, his small white teeth flashing in his olive face. “Is Felipe here?”

“Yes, he arrived in a basket of eggs this morning. He is taking a nap now.”

Pepito nodded. “He’s still a baby. I don’t take naps anymore,” he stated importantly.

Rachel came bustling into the room. “Oh good! I was hoping he had arrived safely,” she said upon seeing Pepito. “It was good of Anna and Selena to loan us their children for a few days.”

Turning to Tanya, she said, “Hunter and Mark are having a lovely holiday with Emily Kerr. She is already spoiling them outrageously.” She added gently, “Do not fret, Tanya. They will be safe there, and it will not be for long.”

“It is best this way,” Sarah offered. “Now when you are ready to leave, the boys will be waiting. In the meanwhile, Pepito and Felipe can easily pass for Hunter and Mark at a distance, and Jeffrey will be none the wiser.”

“I know,” Tanya agreed, “but Jeffrey was right about one thing. Time is running out quickly. We must devise a plan to rescue Adam!”

IT WAS Melissa who inadvertently came up with the best plan. Not without risks, it still had a good chance for success. Besides, it was their only hope.

Late in the afternoon on the eighth of July, a party of twelve adults and three children, all elegantly attired in their wedding finery, trooped past the guards and into Sheriff Middleton’s jail.

Short minutes later, Jeffrey burst in behind them, a look of thunderous anger on his face. “What is going on here?” he demanded.

Tom Middleton bristled. “Look, you belligerent bigmouth, I don’t answer to anybody in my jail! You just wag your tail on out of here! This is a private party.”

“Yes!” Julie piped in. “If Melissa wanted you at her wedding, she’d have invited you.”

“
Wedding
!” Jeffrey exclaimed. “You’re holding a wedding in a jail?”

“That’s about the size of it,” Judge Kerr said. “Melissa and Justin insisted that Adam and Tanya be present at the ceremony, and this was the only way we could see to arrange it.”

“Got some problem with that?” Middleton drawled. “If you do, that’s too bad, ’cause this is my jail and I say it’s fine.”

Jeffrey gave them all a look of contempt. “Go ahead with your stupid wedding. Just remember, I have my men watching you. They’ll see that no unauthorized person leaves here.” His blue eyes leveled their gaze on Adam, still securely behind bars.

The words of the solemn ceremony carried easily through the open windows to the guards. So, too, did the sounds of congratulations and toasts to the new bride and groom.

The sight of the photographer lugging his bulky camera toward the jail brought the guards to attention. They stood uncertainly as the guests filed out to stand in front of the jail, the setting sun casting a golden glow on their faces. They jerked to full alert as Sheriff Middleton exited the building with Adam in tow.

“Halt!” a fat sergeant ordered.

“Oh, pipe down!” Middleton said gruffly. “And don’t get all riled. This man is still my prisoner, and I’ll make sure he doesn’t wander off just yet.”

“What’s he doing out here?” the sergeant demanded.

“What’s it look like?” the sheriff retorted. “Even you should know you can’t take a picture indoors, and these folks want their wedding picture taken with their best man and their matron of honor.” He led Adam to stand next to Justin. “Now, smile pretty and don’t make a move in the wrong direction,” he admonished Adam, “cause I’ve got you covered, and so do these guards of the lieutenant’s.” For emphasis, he drew his gun and pointed it at Adam.

The photographer lined everyone up and prepared to snap the picture, fussing constantly about the waning daylight. “Will you gentlemen kindly step out of the way?” he directed the guards. “I’m sure the wedding party will object to having you in the finished photograph.”

The guards frowned and tightened their grips on their weapons, but obliged reluctantly. Their eyes never left Adam for a moment, alert in case he would try to make a break for freedom. They didn’t take a relaxed breath until Adam had been herded back into the jail and was safely behind bars once more.

The wedding party continued in the jail, and a small but noisy celebration ensued. After a while, the guards were content that the prisoner, having made no attempt to escape when the photographs were taken, had lost his only opportunity to do so. They quickly reverted to their casual watchfulness, careful only in noting anyone who approached the jail.

The celebration seemed destined to go on forever. It was fully dark by the time the bride and groom dashed out of the jailhouse door, surrounded by laughing relatives and pelted with rice.

The tired guards came momentarily alert again as they stood next to the rest of the wedding party, watching the newlyweds make their way hurriedly in the direction of the Judge’s residence. Their sharp eyes took note of the creamy yellow gown and lacy veil the bride had worn, and the brown and tan suit of the groom. One quick glance inside the jail confirmed that the prisoner was still there.

Adam’s back was to them as he hoisted a drink in toast to his friends. He was joined again by the others, his tall form in white shirt and dark trousers soon hidden as they crowded into the small room. The guards caught a flash of peach-colored skirts somewhere in the center of the confusion, and were content to know that Tanya was still there, as well as her two dark-haired sons.

It was another two hours before Lieutenant Young came striding up, accompanied by a major. “This is Major Wynkoop,” he said. “I have the authorization for arrest here, signed by General Custer. Now let’s see the sheriff put me off.” He turned to his sergeant. “Is everything all right? I see the party is still going on. Has anyone left?”

“Just the bride and groom,” the sergeant answered. “The rest are still in there.”

Jeffrey entered the jail with a flourish, a devious gleam in his blue eyes. He strode up to Sheriff Middleton and slapped the papers into his hands. “I have orders here from General Custer to arrest Adam Savage in the name of the United States Army. I have also brought Major Wynkoop to confirm his identity as that of the Cheyenne chief, A-Panther-Stalks.”

The sheriff smiled slyly back at him. “Well now, Lieutenant, that might have held some weight if you’d have arrived sooner. As it stands, there is no one here for you to arrest, and until you arrest him, no formal charges can be administered. Ain’t that right, Judge?”

“Quite correct, Sheriff,” the Judge intoned.

Jeffrey nearly had a stroke on the spot. “What do you mean!” he roared, pushing his way past the others to the jail cell. His eyes swept the small crowd, failing to find either Adam or Tanya; instead he saw a serenely smiling Melissa attired in Tanya’s peach gown.

“Where is he? Where is Tanya?” he screamed.

“Gone.”

His feverish gaze searched out the two small boys.
“Gone?”
he echoed. “Well, they can’t have gone far without their sons.” He strode toward the boys. “They’ll be back to get these two, and when they do, I’llhave them.”

Roberto stepped into his path. “Look again, Lieutenant. These children are not Tanya’s sons. They are two boys my aunt is looking after for their parents.”

Jeffrey’s face registered yet another shock as he realized the truth of Roberto’s statement. He let out a roar of frustrated rage and turned on the sheriff. “I’ll have your badge for this! You’ve let my prisoner escape!”

Tom Middleton’s hand rested on his holstered gun. “He wasn’t
your
prisoner, Young. He was mine,” he reminded him.

“What about the charges you had against him?” Jeffrey tried to collect his thoughts.

“I dropped them.”

“What were they?” Major Wynkoop spoke quietly for the first time.

“Assaulting an officer of the law,” Middleton responded, “but the attack was provoked, so I decided to drop charges and release him.”

“How convenient! And just as I was about to take him into custody!” Jeffrey ranted.