The Peacemaker (32 page)

"Shut up, Aubrey," Jim snapped, hating himself even as he spoke. "Let me be the judge of what will or won't make me feel better. And don't you dare say that you know how I feel, because you don't and you never will because you won't let loose of your emotions. You're going to find yourself a woman who's
suitable
. A woman who will make a proper officer's wife. Whether you love her or not has nothing to do with anything. You think love is nothing but a big nuisance—a bother!"

Aubrey gave Jim a look that said, "Are you finished yet?" and abruptly turned when Doc came out and called Jim over.

"She's conscious, but right now that's about all I can say. There's nothing more I can tell you. Her father's with her."

"When will you know if—"

Doc put his hand on Jim's shoulder. "You can't rush these things. It's a serious wound. The big worry is infection and fever. Prudence and me, we're going to keep a close watch on her."

"We're all three going to keep a close watch on her, Doc. I'm not leaving here. Understand? I'll sleep in a chair if I have to, but I'm not leaving."

"How's the commissioner?" Aubrey inquired.

"He's in a real bad way. He's not as young as Indy. Doesn't have the strength of youth. I already told the colonel that I don't think he's going to make it, but he could surprise me."

"I hope he does, Doc," Aubrey said slowly. "He's a good man. The territory needs him."

Moments later, Colonel Charles Taylor stepped outside, squinting at the bright sunlight. With four troopers at his side, he approached Jim and Aubrey.

"As commander of Camp Bowie it's my duty to inform you, both of you as a matter of fact, that I am placing you under arrest."

Flourishing their Navy Colts, the four troopers stepped forward and surrounded Jim and Aubrey.

"What's the charge, Colonel?" Aubrey flared.

"Charges, Captain Nolan. Insubordination. Disrespect to your commanding officer. Striking or threatening a superior. All of them punishable by a garrison court-martial. However, the latter, Article of War number twenty-one, is punishable by death, or as decreed by a court-martial." The colonel crossed his arms in front of him. "Of course you, Major Garrity, already have a punishment pending, so I doubt that any additional punishment will be required. After all, you can only hang a man once."

Something had awakened her. A light. A noise. She wasn't sure what. She only knew that she resented the disturbance—resented being torn from her dreams.

"Doc," Prudence called over her shoulder, "I think she's coming around."

Indy groaned and turned her head away from the noise, trying desperately to recapture those fading dream images.

"Come on now, Indy. Wake up," Doc said, patting her cheek.

They didn't understand. She didn't want to wake up. She wanted to stay where she was— where the people were warm and friendly, the scenery was beautiful—where it was safe.

Reluctantly she opened her eyes.

"Good morning," Doc greeted her. He was grinning from ear to ear. She felt the hospital bed sink beneath his weight, heard the crunch of straw. "It's good to have you back with us."

Everything was blurry, but she knew instantly where she was and what she was doing there. She opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out. Determined, she tried again. "H-how long have I been—"

"Two days," he told her. "We were real worried about you there for a while, but now it looks like you're going to be just fine."

Her eyelids felt so heavy she could hardly keep them open. "Two days," she repeated. "Where's Jim?"

Prudence was leaning over her, wiping her face and neck with a cool, damp cloth. "He left just a few minutes ago, honey. Your father had something he wanted him to do, but he said he'd be back. I know he'll be upset when he finds out he wasn't here when you woke up. He's been awfully worried. I never saw a man fret so."

A small smile curved her lips. "He loves me," she whispered. Against her will, her eyes closed and she found herself slipping back into the dream.

After that, Indy awakened every few hours, always with the same question. "Where's Jim?" The answer was always the same too. "He just left, but he'll be back." Three days later she was beginning to get frustrated with herself for sleeping so much, and with Jim for not waiting for her to wake up.

"Sleep is the best medicine," Doc told her when she grumbled a complaint.

"No," she contradicted him. "Jim is the best medicine."

On the sixth day, Indy asked Pru to raise her up in bed, thinking it would help keep her awake. "Tell Jim I want to see him."

"I'll do it, but you may have a long wait. The colonel sent him and Captain Nolan out on patrol bright and early this morning."

"Has he been here? My father, I mean. Has he come to visit me too?"

Prudence hesitated. "He came when Jim brought you in, but not since."

"Has he even asked how I'm doing?"

Prudence swallowed and shook her head. "No. The only one he's asked about is Mr. Moorland. He seems particularly concerned about whether or not the commissioner is going to recover."

Indy dropped her gaze and chastised herself for thinking that just because she had nearly died, her father would realize the error of his ways and their relationship would change—that overnight it would become the father-daughter relationship of her dreams.

"
Will
the commissioner recover?"

"Doc didn't think so at first. He was running a high fever and his wounds weren't healing the way they should, but he started showing signs of improvement yesterday."

Indy managed to stay awake for more than four hours on that occasion, during which Prudence fed and bathed her.

"You sure do look funny with your face peeling like that," Prudence said as she dried Indy's face.

Indy grabbed Prudence's hand. "How many were hurt and killed in the raid?"

"Seven killed," Prudence answered, her voice solemn. "Six wounded, but with all the noise they make in here, I'm sure you probably thought there were twenty or more."

"I want you to know how very grateful I am to you, Pru. I'll never forget everything you've done for me. You've been a true friend. When you leave—"

"Oh, I forgot to tell you," Prudence interrupted. "I've decided not to leave after all."

"But—but you sold all your things. What happened to make you change your mind?" When bright red splashes of color appeared on Prudence's cheeks, Indy opened her mouth in astonishment. "Pru! Why ... I do believe you're blushing."

"Oh, pish posh. I am not." She tried to back away but Indy kept hold of her hand. "It's just hot in here is all. Now, why don't you lie down . . ."

Indy thought a moment. "It's Captain Nolan, isn't it?"

Prudence's hand squeezed Indy's lightly. "He's part of the reason," she admitted in a stern voice. "I've only really just gotten to know him, but he seems very kind, a lot like Major Stallard. But the other reason, the main reason," she emphasized, "is that I discovered something about myself that I didn't know until I started helping Doc. I like nursing folks. It gives me a real good feeling inside, being needed and all, and Doc says I have a natural talent for knowing what makes sick folks feel better."

It had been a full week since the raid. Following reveille, Indy raised up into a sitting position. She was through with sleeping and through believing Doc's and Prudence's lies that Jim had been coming to visit her. Something was wrong and she was determined to discover what it was. The moment Prudence came in carrying her breakfast tray, Indy confronted her.

"All right." Prudence set the tray down. "I guess the time's come for you to know." The foreboding in Prudence's voice, her somber expression, caused Indy to conclude something terrible had happened to Jim. Maybe he was one of those badly wounded men on the other side of the hospital. He could have been lying there all this time without her knowing it. She hadn't even thought to ask if he had been injured during the rescue. Or, God forbid, maybe he was dead! "Doc and me," Prudence proceeded, "we've been trying to keep it from you until you felt better, because we were afraid it would upset you and slow your recovery, but—"

"Prudence! For God's sake tell me where Jim is!"

"Your father put him and Captain Nolan in the guardhouse."

Indy was outraged. "Why? What did they do?"

Prudence sat down on the edge of the bed. "Doc says that right after the raid, Jim wanted to take the scouts out to find us, but your father ordered them to stay, claiming it would leave Bowie dangerously unmanned. Jim got mad and accused him of all sorts of things, including lying to you about never having had smallpox. Then he threatened him with his knife and warned him that if anything happened to you, he'd show him how the Apaches torture their captives. Aubrey finished it off by knocking your father out, after which they disobeyed your father's order and left, taking the wolf company with them."

Indy felt the blood drain from her face. Her hand flew up to her throat.

"Your father pressed charges—"

"What kind of charges?" she asked, barely able to choke out the question.

Prudence sighed deeply. "Insubordination. Disrespect to the commanding officer. Striking or threatening a superior."

"Oh, God," Indy breathed. She knew the Articles of War as well as any army regular and knew the prescribed punishments that accompanied them. Captain Nolan might get off with minimal punishment, but Jim—for Jim there was no hope. Indy didn't doubt for one second that her father would relish the opportunity of telling the court about Jim's previous crime and the punishment he had escaped.

"I'm really worried, Indy. Your father's arranging a court-martial, but the way things are, with the Apaches at war on the whole territory, and travel being what it is, it's going to be hard to get a whole board of officers to come here. It could take months!"

"You sound anxious for the trial," Indy exclaimed, horrified.

Tears filled Prudence's eyes and rolled down her cheeks. "I am," she acknowledged. "Anything would be better than—"

Indy's eyes widened in alarm. "Than what?" When Pru averted her gaze, Indy shook her by the shoulders. "Better than what, Pru?"

"As of yesterday, your father decided to make an example out of them and punish them. They spent the whole day spread-eagled in the middle of the parade ground for the entire garrison to view. It was terrible, Indy. It was so hot! The sun was beating down on them. They were refused water. The flies were—Oh, God. I can't talk about it."

Indy passed a shaking hand over her forehead. She knew she was on the verge of becoming hysterical and fought hard to ward it off. Hysteria would serve no purpose and neither would self-indulgence. This was the time to be strong, stronger than she had ever been. She couldn't sit back and allow her father's tyranny to continue. She had to find a way to stop him.

It could mean Jim's life. Captain Nolan's too.

This was the time to be clever and calculating.

With purpose taking hold of her, Indy insisted that Prudence help her get out of bed. She needed to get her physical strength back as soon as possible, and the longer she stayed in bed, the longer it would take.

Surprisingly she wasn't in all that much pain and by afternoon was getting back and forth across the room without help. Seeing that the commissioner was awake and cognizant, she sat down beside him and told him what her father had done.

"That's outrageous! He knows better than that. The rules of discipline are clear. That kind of punishment was outlawed in '61 along with flogging. He's acting illegally."

"Can you stop him?"

"I can threaten him, but no, I don't actually have the power to stop him. My powers are limited to negotiating treaties, auditing the books of the Office of Indian Affairs, recommending changes and improvements and such."

Indy sighed. She had hoped he would be able to do more.

Seeing her disappointment, he offered, "Tell him I want to speak to him. I'll do what I can to convince him that what he's doing will assure a court-martial."

Doc came up beside them. "I wouldn't do that if I were you, Mr. Moorland. It's my professional opinion that Colonel Taylor is not acting rationally. I'm of the opinion that he would not have ordered the arrests in the first place if he had thought you were going to live. He fears you greatly."

"That's true," Indy agreed. "He was terribly upset at that word of your coming. It was only then that he made the bargain with Major Garrity to train the men, thinking you would see it as an indication of his making an effort to improve things at Bowie."

Understanding dawned on Commissioner Moorland's face. "I see."

"My father has had his eye on Washington for as long as I can remember. A bad report from you to the President would have jeopardized, if not ended, his career."

"Indeed, that's exactly what it will do. I only wish I had the authority to do it here and now!" He paused in thought and a moment later his mood became suddenly buoyant. "What's the date?"

"October the eighteenth," Doc supplied, looking curious.

"General George Stoneman was scheduled to visit Fort Lowell around this time. As the commander of the District of Arizona,
he
would be able to stop the colonel. If you could send someone to Lowell to fetch him—I'll write him a letter explaining everything that's going on here."

"But what if he's already left or doesn't come for several days?" Indy shook her head, regretfully rejecting the commissioner's plan. "We have to do something now or Jim and Aubrey may not survive my father's punishment."

"We could arrange for an escape," Prudence suggested from behind. Each turned to look at her at the same time. "I think I might know a way to get the guards' attention," she said, tilting her head suggestively. "It wouldn't hurt to try."

Indy rose to her feet. "Oh, Pru! Do you think you could get their attention long enough so that someone could sneak in and unlock their cells?"

"I haven't met a man yet that I can't seduce if I really want to—with one exception," she said, clearing her throat.