Bouquet for Iris (19 page)

He swung down from the saddle and waited impatiently for Nathan to dismount. Together they hurried into the house through the front door, which stood open.

Wayha, his clothing liberally spattered with mud, was shouting at his slaves and servants. “Where are they? Have you looked everywhere?”

Josephine stood in one corner of the hall, among a group of hand-wringing women. The three menservants were shaking their heads, their faces showing varying degrees of dismay or concern.

“We must find them right away!” Wayha’s voice was strident. He turned to Adam and Nathan. “Do you have news of my granddaughters?”

Adam shook his head. “No. What’s happened?”

“They’ve disappeared.”

Nathan stepped in front of Adam. “Where is Miss Landon?”

Wayha frowned. His normally placid face showed deep lines of concern. “With them, I hope. They should have been back an hour ago. They didn’t show up for dinner. Miss Landon told Josephine they would be back.”

“Where did they go?” Adam could feel dread tightening his chest.

“To the Sherers’ home. Her father and mother have come from Brainerd Mission to visit.”

“Have you gone to look for them there?” Adam asked the obvious question.

“Yes. They never arrived.”

Nathan frowned. “How long have they been gone?”

Wayha looked different—old and scared. In all the time Adam had known him, he’d never seen the man show fear, not even when it looked like he might lose his home. But then, his grandchildren had never been in physical danger before.

Adam led the man to a chair and helped him sit down. “It’s going to be okay, Wayha. We’ll find them.”

It took several minutes, but he and Nathan rounded up Wayha’s menservants and slaves and sent them in different directions to scour the countryside. They were to knock at all doors and ask after the missing girls and their nanny then meet back at Wayha’s home later in the day.

Adam went toward town, beating the bushes and checking every grove of trees. He couldn’t find any evidence of Iris or the children. As the sun dropped lower in the sky, he headed back to the Spencer home, hoping one of the other men had been more fortunate.

His hopes were dashed as he was met by Wayha before he could even dismount.

“Have you found them?”

Adam shook his head, his heart heavy in his chest. “There’s no sign of them anywhere.”

Nathan was only a few steps behind Wayha. “Where can they be?”

Adam accepted a cup of water from Josephine but refused to dismount. He was determined to keep looking. There had to be somewhere else for him to search. He had a feeling he was overlooking something.

Hooves sounded behind him, and Adam turned to see who was coming. It was a lone horseman. Lance Sherer, unless he missed his guess. Maybe the man had good news.

One glance at his grim face destroyed that notion.

Lance drew his horse up next to Adam’s and dismounted. “I have nothing to report.”

“I’ve been thinking.” Nathan’s hesitant voice seemed to come to Adam from a distance, nearly drowned out by a ringing noise in his head. “I may have an idea about what’s happened.”

Adam tried to lock out the emotions roiling in his chest. He didn’t have the luxury of yielding to despair. “What do you mean?”

Nathan’s gaze focused on the floor. “Earlier this morning, my uncle fixed up a big order for a couple of drifters who came into town last week. I never saw them pay anything for all the food and staples, which is odd enough. Uncle Richard has never been the type to encourage charity. And he told them to disappear for a few days.”

Lance’s voice was dismissive. “So your uncle gave away some food. Maybe he needed some work done on your house or the store and paid the men in supplies.”

Nathan looked up. His eyes narrowed as he seemed to consider the suggestion. Then he shook his head. “No. The man said something about a concealed valley—”

“I found something.” The last of Spencer’s slaves ran toward them carrying a wilted bunch of wildflowers that he handed to Wayha.

Adam could hear Jospehine’s moan of despair, but he ignored it as he turned to Nathan. “You think your uncle took those children?”

Nathan’s cheeks reddened, but he nodded. “It makes sense. Uncle Richard was so angry about losing to Mr. Spencer in court. But then his ire just went away. I thought it was because of the treaty, but what if he was planning something more immediate?” He glanced toward Spencer. “He may demand a ransom.”

Spencer shook his head. “Whatever he wants, I will give if he will release my granddaughters. But where could he have taken them?”

“Have we tried all the empty houses?” Adam searched each of their faces. “Maybe Nathan’s wrong. Maybe they were scared by someone and sought sanctuary in one of the abandoned cabins hereabouts.”

“But where?” Nathan asked the question, but Adam saw it reflected on all the other men’s faces.

That was the real question. There were dozens of places where they could be hidden. Since the massacre at the Alamo, several homesteads had been left vacant as outraged men headed south to fight the Mexicans. Places like the cabin where he’d recovered after the attack last winter …

The idea burst on him like a lightning bolt. The cabin was situated deep down in a ravine, a concealed valley. It was far enough away from town to avoid detection but close enough to contact allies if needed. “I think I know where they might be.”

The other men swung to look at him. “Nathan, you and Lance go get the sheriff. I’ll take Wayha and find the girls, but we may need help to get them out safely.”

“Let Wayha and Lance get the law. I’m going with you. If my uncle is involved in this, you’ll need me to talk some sense into him.”

Adam considered his words for a moment before nodding. He turned to Wayha. “I’ll need some paper and a pen to draw a map.”

They followed the Cherokee inside.

When Wayha produced the requested items, Adam drew a rough map for them to give to the sheriff. He hoped it was clear enough for them to find his destination. “Bring the men as quickly as you can.”

The sun was setting as he and Nathan remounted their horses and took off toward the cabin. Every mile seemed to take a century as Adam’s imagination kept supplying pictures of Iris cringing in fear from her captors.

He found himself praying, turning to the God Iris worshipped. The God he had once worshipped. Was He really there? Did He care about the tribulations of those who cried out to Him? Would He listen to someone who’d turned away from Him?

The questions twisted round and round in his mind, while the steady hoofbeats echoed in his head in time with his desperate pleas.
Keep her safe, Lord. Please keep her safe
.

Mayor Pierce lit a candle and set it carefully on the small table in the center of the cabin. For a minute Iris thought they’d been rescued, but then she saw him handing money to one of the men who had abducted them and realized he had paid for the kidnapping to be done. He gestured to the other man, and both of the mercenaries headed outside, for guard duty she guessed.

The light flickered wildly, showing Iris the frightened faces of the Spencer children, who had been bound to chairs on their arrival several hours earlier. She tried to communicate reassurance and hope with her glance, but she doubted she was overly successful as she was also securely tied to a chair.

Iris tried to loosen the ropes around her hands as she watched the pompous man pace the floor of the small cabin. At least the children had a chance to get away from this unharmed. She knew Wayha would turn over the deed—or do anything else for that matter—to secure their safety.

Whether or not she would escape was something else entirely. Pierce seemed to blame her for the situation, and he had to know she would testify against him if she got the chance. No, there was no way he was going to let her go. A tremor shook her shoulders.

Pierce must have seen the movement. “I’m sorry for your discomfort, but it’s necessary. Spencer will be ready to see reason when he finds that I hold something he values even more than his land.”

Anna and June. A wave of revulsion swept through her. What kind of man threatened children? Her gag prevented Iris from expressing her disdain. She glared at the mayor.

“Wayha never should have had that land anyway. No Cherokee should be given a legal deed. Trying to act like white men.” He pointed a finger at her. “I thought I took care of that when I took the original deed from your friend’s house.”

Her shock must have shown on her face because he chuckled.

“Yes. I knew it had to be there. I know how to read people. I saw the look that passed between Sherer and his wife the night we all had dinner with them. I burned the deed and waited for my chance to take over that pretender’s claim. But then you had to stick your nose in the business.”

The mayor’s expression sent a cold shiver down her back. He would never release her alive. It was obvious from the way he glared at her.

She closed her eyes to pray for the girls’ safety and the strength to face whatever was coming.

It took longer than Adam had hoped for them to reach the valley and plan the rescue. But at least it looked like they had found the right location.

What little was left of the sun’s rays could not find its way into the ravine. As Adam crouched in the shadows, a part of his mind pleaded with God to keep Iris and the Spencer girls safe. All his doubts and questions were swept away in a tide of desperation. What if they had already been hurt … or killed? He pushed the thought to the back of his mind. He had to believe God led him to this place so he could save Iris.

Twigs popped and branches rustled as the man guarding the west side of the cabin approached Adam. Another guard was patrolling the east side, but Nathan would take care of him.

Closer and closer the man came, until it was finally time to act. In one swift movement Adam pounced, overpowering the stranger with ease. Adam used a length of rope he’d brought to tie the man’s hands and feet. As soon as he was certain the guard was secure, Adam crept forward as quietly as he could, listening for Nathan’s signal.

The hoot of an owl alerted him.

He cupped his mouth and returned the signal. Then he took a deep breath and rushed the front door, shoving it open with enough force that it bounced against the wall and swung back toward him. He dropped to one knee. His gaze swept the room.

Iris fought against her restraints at this new threat. Then the flickering light shone on the man’s face, and hope sprang anew in her chest. Her prayers had surely been answered. “Thank You, Lord.” She mumbled the words into her gag as she recognized the man who’d come for them. It was Adam!

Gone was the cynical, rumpled attorney. In his place was a crusading warrior. He surged forward and slammed into Mayor Pierce. Down they went, turning over and over as each man sought to gain control of the other. They exchanged punches, but it was clear Adam was much stronger.

“Stand down.”

Iris had been so engrossed in the battle she failed to realize another man had come inside. Nathan. But was he here to rescue them or to help his uncle?

Her eyes widened as he drew his gun, and she tried to break free of her bonds once more. A moan of pain rose up as the harsh rope abraded her wrists.

“It’s over, Uncle Richard.”

It took a moment for his words to penetrate, but then Nathan’s uncle stopped fighting. He glared at his nephew as Adam tied his hands together.

Nathan came to her. “Are you all right?”

Iris nodded. She could feel his knife sawing through the ropes that held her hands together behind the chair in which she sat. Ignoring the pain as blood rushed back into her hands, she pulled off the dirty cloth that had gagged her for the past hours. She rushed to the girls and gently removed their gags while Nathan freed them from their bindings.

Horses snorted outside, and then the little cabin was filled with people. The sheriff took control of Mayor Pierce and the drifters who had brought them to the cabin earlier. Wayha entered the cabin in a rush and hugged his granddaughters close, joy apparent on his face.

“I’m so sorry, Iris.” Nathan’s face was drawn into a deep frown. “I had no idea.”