Cole's Redemption (Love Amongst the Pines) (29 page)

Judged smoothed his friend's brow. "That was a year ago, Dermott. You just rest up, and we'll get you up to Doc's house."

             
"No. I can't leave her." He opened his eyes wider, looking around. "Where's Natty? She was just here a minute ago."

             
"We didn't see her. What happened, Dermott? I know it's hard, but try to remember. Was she hurt? Where's Cole?"

             
"He's back at the cabin with them other fellas. They had Natty and was
hurtin
' her and when I tried to stop them, they shot me!"

             
"Where's Natty?"

             
"I don't know. She was sitting here, trying to keep me warm. I'm awful cold."

             
"I know, Dermott. Don't worry; we'll get you some help. I've got a blanket in the back of the buckboard."

With Miriam's help, he managed to get Dermott loaded on the wagon. After covering his friend, he walked back to where Miriam stood waiting.

             
She crossed her arms, pulling her wrap tighter. "I know something bad has happened. What are we going to do?"

             
"You're going to take the wagon and head back into town. The sooner Dermott gets help, the better off he'll be. I'm going to take Dapple and ride up to the cabin. I'll try to hold things together until you can send back help."

             
Before Judge turned away, Miriam grabbed his arm.

             
"Please, tell Cole for me that I love him." Her tears began to flow now, leaving sparkly, silver trails on her cheeks. "And, tell him I'm sorry."

             
Judge patted her hand and nodded once. "Don't worry. We'll get this sorted out." With that, he leaned forward and kissed her lightly on the forehead.

             
Cole continued his vigil. The Ranger had either passed out, or just was too weak to care. There had been no conversation between them for several minutes. When he chanced a look out the window, he saw just the tip of the man's hat sticking up over the rain barrel. He wanted badly to draw the outlaw out, but he only had three shots left. It would be suicide to waste the last of his ammunition. So, he waited.

             
Finally, he heard a commotion from the other side of the yard. A woman's voice screamed a most
unlady
-like curse. It was Natty.

             
"Let go of me, you piece of rotted buffalo shit! I swear I'll rip out your no-good,
murderin
',
theivin
' heart! You put me down!"

             
In answer to her commands, Deacon threw her down, hard. Cole winced as she landed with a thud on her back. He watched amazed as she jumped up, bursting with anger, and stood before him with her fists clenched and her eyes burning a hole through the outlaw.

             
Marty, his courage renewed, stepped out from behind his hiding place. "Look it' what we got here!" He laughed as Natty whirled to face him.

             
"You better leave us alone! There's a posse headed this way. I hear the town's already
puttin
' up a new gallows."

             
"Well if you
ain't
full of horse droppings, I don't know what is!" Deacon laughed. "She's
lyin
'. There
ain't
no posse. She didn't even get the old man back to town, yet. He's
layin
' out in the middle of the road, proba
bly dead by now.
"

             
Cole bit his lip. Dermott had been
Natty's
only family, and he'd come to be quite fond of the old man himself. It was just another reason he'd see these son's-of-bitches burn in hell.

             
He watched as Marty circled around Natty. "You know, you
ain't
half bad
lookin
'. Just wash off a little bit of that dirt, and you're right tolerable." He grabbed at
Natty's
breast and gave it a hard squeeze. Natty jumped forward, mouth open; she tried to bite her assailant.
             
The outlaw was quicker and stepped back out of the way.

             
"Careful there, Marty, she's a mean one. She done took a plug outta' me already!"

             
Cole let out a slow, deep breath. "Ranger, you awake?"

             
"I'm not singing with the angels yet, outlaw" He coughed for a long moment. "I guess that's what I get for smoking those cheap cigars.
My only really bad habit.
That and
drinkin
' a shot of blackstrap every now and then."

             
"I got a plan that will make both of us happy. You want to see me dead, right?"

             
"I think I'm pretty clear on the matter."

             
"And I bet you'd like to cut a piece of hide off those boys that shot you?"

             
"Another resounding revelation. What have you got in mind?"

             
Natty choked as Deacon twirled her around and ground a hard kiss on her mouth. Natty gagged. He tasted rancid, thick with whisky and spiced jerky. She tried to pull away, but he only squeezed her harder.

             
"Let go of her, you horny toad! I
git
her cause I'm the oldest, and I don't take no seconds!" Marty pulled Natty back, and twisting her arm, nearly doubled her over.

             
"What do you say there, wrangler? You
wanna
come and watch while I spark your girl?"

             
Suddenly, the door slammed open. Natty looked up to see Cole standing in the doorway. His expression was one of utter
defeat,
his now unwrapped hands hung loosely at his sides. She watched helpless as he threw her old rifle to the ground.

             
"Cole, no!" She tried to rush forward, but Marty only tightened his grip on her arm, nearly snapping the bone with the force of his grasp.

             
"That's the way you do it. Come on out here, and we'll kill
ya
quick." Deacon stepped forward, his rifle held at the ready.

             
"
Naw
," Marty spat, "It
ain't
gonna
be that easy. I'm
gonna
make you watch like I promised. Now, where's my baby brother?"

             
"He's inside. I just knocked him out. He's in there with the old man."

             
"Damn it all." Deacon swore.

             
"
Twas
his own stupid fault, I guess. We
shoulda
' known better than to leave him alone. Didn't have the sense God gave a mule."

             
Marty took a step forward, dragging Natty with him. She fought him with all of her strength, but she was no match for him.

             
"What about that ranger fella?"

             
Cole's expression didn't waver. "He's dead."

             
The outlaws chuckled, obviously relieved. "Come on out here, and we'll get to business," Marty ordered.

             
Cole nodded. "Just let her go, and you can do whatever you want with me. I won't put up a fight. Just don't hurt her."

             
"Cole, get back inside! Don't let them do this!"

             
"It's too late, Natty. All he's
gotta
do is go inside, and get the old man's money. I'm done for just the same. I just want you to get to safety. Go back into town. My mother will take care of you."

             
"Nice touch, but she
ain't
goin
' nowhere!" Marty said, craning his neck around to see behind Cole.

             
Natty saw Greene lying just inside the door. 

             
Marty inched forward, dragging Natty along with him.

             
Glancing up at Cole, she saw him tilt his head to his left.
Just a quick nod.
Suddenly, she understood. She blinked twice and was relieved when she saw the edges of Cole's mouth inched up slightly.

             
"Come on inside," Cole stated quietly, as he put both hands in the air. Moving forward one step, and then another, he soon stood only a few feet from Marty. The other man lifted his rifle until the barrel was pointed at Cole's chest. It was clear he couldn't both hold Natty and fire on Cole. He snickered.

             
"Well,
ain't
this
somethin
'? Deacon,
git
over here and bring the rope. I need
ya
to tie up the wrangler." He pulled Natty up to him and talked into her ear. "Then, me an' you can start
havin
' some fun."

             
"Why can't I have the fun first? It's always 'Deacon do this, and Deacon do that!' I'm sick of it!" the man complained as he

circled
behind Cole. Grabbing first his right arm, and then his left, he began to twine the rope around Cole's wrists.

             
Natty held her breath as Cole let the man bind him. Then, in lightning quick succession, he rammed himself up against Deacon, and the two of them hit the ground in quick tumble.

             
Surprised at the attack, Marty's grasp relaxed, and Natty twisted and jerked herself sideways. In slow motion, she saw Greene roll over and clutching his Smith & Wesson revolver. He fired two shots right into the center of Marty's chest.

             
Their assailant looked once with disbelief at the two quarter sized holes in his shirtfront and the blood that gushed out of them both.
             

The outlaw fell down on his knees, his mouth moving but no words came out.  A couple long shudders, a final gasp and he fell face first into the dirt.

             
Natty scooted around to check on Cole. She heard several hard smacking sounds and realized it was Cole's fists on Deacon's flesh. Both the man's face and Cole's right hand were bloodied beyond recognition. Her husband continued in a blind rage, unaware that the would-be murderer was far beyond consciousness.

             
"Cole, please stop! It's over! It'll be okay, I promise." No longer able to hold back her tears, Natty scooted over beside him. She tugged at him, pulling him away from the melee.

             
"Oh, God, Natty!" Cole's tears mixed
with her own
.  "You could have been killed!"

             
Natty sat back on the ground, cradling him in her arms. Rocking gently, she murmured small words of comfort, trying to reassure him that they were both alive, and the trouble was behind them. At least, that's what she thought.

             
"Give her what ease you can, convict. Cause, it's time to pay the piper. Ma'am, if I were you, I'd back away slowly. Me and this boy got a score to settle!"

             
Natty looked up, momentarily confused. "No!"

             
"Doesn't matter to me, you're obstructing justice. I'll shoot a hole through the both of you!" He cocked the gun to emphasize his point.

             
"Natty," Cole said, his voice raw and shaking, "Move away!" He started to push her, but she resisted.

             
"Cole, please!"

             
"No. You've helped me so much. You made me want to live when I never thought I'd feel anything again! I don't want you to die with me. Do me this one last favor, Natalie! Go on and live. That way, I know my life will have been worth something."

             
Natty swallowed her tears. Her gaze locked on his, she slowly pulled away from his embrace. Sobbing, she stopped moving when they were separated by at least three feet. She waited for the gun's report, waited for her short marriage to meet its final, bloody end.

             
Judge pushed the horse as fast as he could. Ducking tree limbs and skirting around brambles and rocks, he made it up the mountain in record time. Through the distance, he could make out the outline of the cabin. The combination of his anxiety and his efforts guiding the gelding around the hazards of the trail left him irritable and sweating.

             
Five hundred feet from the final turn towards the cabin, Judge heard the loud report of a gun firing twice. Without a mind to his own safety, he spurred the animal onward, both man and beast tearing up the countryside to get across the last length of their journey.

             
When he finally burst upon the small clearing, he instantly came upon the dead man lying just five yards from the house, and Natty scooting away from Cole, his own form battered and bloody.

             
"What in
sam
hell is going on here?"

             
"Get back, mister, unless you want a part of frontier justice!"

             
"Judge! Thank God you're here!" Natty got to her feet and ran to him. "You
gotta
stop this. Please, don't let him kill Cole!"

             
Before Natty had finished her pleas, Judge had his own Colt drawn and aimed towards the cabin door. He saw a single figure propped up on one elbow, with his gun pointed at
Natty's
husband.

             
"You just get on outta here, stranger, this is lawman's business, and I mean to carry it out!"

             
"The Hell you say!
You're
sittin
' in my county and, around here
,
I'm the law
. Now, you put that tin iron down, or I'll be
meetin
' you again on the other side!"

             
"I don't care who you are! My name is Wesley T. Greene. I serve the great state of Texas as a Ranger, and I'm
makin
' sure this
murderin
' son of a snake is going to get what's coming to him. You already let him escape a rope once; I don't mean to make the same mistake.

             
"That boy was tried in my court. I am an elected official of the state of South Dakota! You have no claim in this; therefore, your justice is null and void. Now put your damned gun down so we can get you to a doctor."

             
Greene stared at Judge for a long, hard minute before laying the gun on the ground beside him. "All right. We'll do it your way. I don't want no
doctorin
.' Just get me to a telegraph office. I'll contact the Governor,
hell,
I'll contact the President of these United States, if I have to. One way or another, that man is going to hang."

             
It was just after dawn when Cole awoke to the sound of keys turning in the cell lock. It was Sheriff Watkins, letting Judge in for their morning visit.

             
"Sir. How's it coming?" Cole asked, though he could tell by the Judge's quiet entrance that things were not looking good.

Natty shifted beside him, coming awake, her hair wild and beautiful. Cole's heart nearly burst at the sight of her. For the moment, he was silently grateful that Judge had satisfied

             
Greene's demands that they both be arrested.
The old lawman didn't know that the Sheriff had interred them in the same cell.

             
"
Mornin
' Judge, any word?" She asked.

             
That was his girl, Cole thought; she never beat around any bushes.

             
"Not yet, Natty. Why don't you go on and fetch
me and Cole some of that pan scrapings Bill
calls coffee from the other room. Better yet, go on down to Sully's an' get us all breakfast." He pulled out a silver dollar and gave it to her.

             
"I'm not leaving Cole," an expression of panic filled her face.

             
"Natty, it's all right. You go on. I need to talk to him alone for a bit. Please?"

             
"I'll go, but don't you go
agreein
' to anything. I won't put up with you sacrificing yourself or anything like that."

             
Cole gave her a gentle smile. "I'm not going to make any decisions unless you're here. Now, go on."

             
Natty paused a moment longer, clearly assessing his intent. After a bit, she seemed satisfied and left the men alone.

             
Once she was gone, Cole leaned forward. "Go ahead, Judge. Give me the bad news."

             
When the Judge didn't speak immediately, Cole looked up to read his expression. A grave sadness hung about the older man's eyes.
             

It was as clear as a storm cloud rolling across a blue sky. There was definitely bad weather ahead.

             
"I'm sorry, son," was all Judge said for a few moments. The silence grew between them like a dense fog in the early morning.

             
"It's not your fault. I knew this was coming."

             
Judge threw a paper on the cot beside Cole. "It's a federal warrant. Greene did contact the Governors of South Dakota and Texas. It seems he has friends in both camps."

             
"Texas Rangers are respected throughout the country. I wouldn't have expected otherwise."

             
"Cole, he's after me to start building a gallows. I don't have any good reason not to. He's legally in the right, and there's nothing I can do about it."

             
"You shouldn't try. The truth is, Judge, I killed those men.
Plain and simple.
I did what I meant to, and I knew the consequences. I thank you for giving me Natty, though I can't help wishing that you'd have hung me that day when you had the chance. Now my dying is going to hurt her even more. Just the same, I am selfish enough to be glad that I had the chance to love her, even for a little while. But, it was such a high cost, Judge. I hope someday she forgives me."

             
"She loves you, Cole. Don't ever doubt it. And she knows how you feel about her."

             
Cole breathed in deep. "How is that Ranger doing, anyway?"

             
"He's still with us, the mean bastard. Gut shot, and all
laid
up, and too damn stubborn to die. Says he wants to see you go first. It looks like he might get his wish."

             
"I don't doubt it. You should have seen him gun down that Calvin boy. He's one hell of a lawman." He stopped, then visibly shaken.
             
"How's Dermott?"

             
"He's doing his best to be a thorn in my side. Been driving me to distraction
wantin
' to get in here to see you and Natty. Doc says he needs to stay in bed a few more days, though. I doubt even Miss
Melly
can accomplish that feat."

             
Cole looked off into the distance. "And, how's my mother taking all of this?"

             
"She's heartbroken, Cole. Blames herself for it all. I just about can't stand seeing her so upset. It might make her a bit better if you'd let her come see you just once. She's a good woman, you know. Whether you think so or not, she does love you."

             
Cole's throat tightened. "I know. I'll let her come visit, but not today. I don't want to see anybody today."

             
"I'll tell her. It should help a little."

             
"I want you to do me a small favor, Judge," Cole clenched his fist.

             
"You know I'll do what I can."

             
"I want you to take Natty home. She and my mother can stay at the house for the time being. I don't want her here another second. She thinks that she can make this easier by staying with me, but it only makes it worse. Now that I know for sure I'm going to hang, I'd rather not have her suffer."

             
"Cole, she'll be hurting either way, with you or alone."

             
"I know. But, I can't stand to watch it any longer. I'll see her again before..."

             
Suddenly, Cole felt it all slipping away. The control that every man fought for, the hard won determination not to let disaster get the better of him. He knew he was weak, and he couldn't keep his feelings hid from Natty. To let them out with her there would hurt her worse than anything in the world.

             
"Don't worry son, I won't let it drag on."

             
Cole nodded his thanks and didn't look up as Judge left him. A long moment passed, and he didn't hear the cell door move. He looked up to see Judge still standing just inside the room, staring down hard at Cole.

             
"Son, are you sure there's nothing that happened the night you killed Jared Greene that could help your case? Were you just defending yourself? Anything at all that can make it possible for me to set up an appeal?"

             
"No." Cole stated as he rubbed his eyes. "I killed the man I came after, and the other two before him. That's all there is."

             
Judge nodded. "Is there anything else I can do for you?"

             
Cole shook his head. "No. Just convince Natty to stay with my mother, maybe they can help each other through this."

             
"You let me in this Jail right this minute, Bill Watkins, or I'm
gonna
rip your ears off of your head, you lowlife, snake belly piece of horse manure!"

             
Judge heard
Natty's
yelling before he closed the doors that separated the jail cells from the office. Her voice was high and shrill. He was instantly glad she didn't carry a knife. If she did, he'd be gutted once he told her that it was his order to keep her out.

             
"Now, Natty, simmer down."

             
"Simmer down? This horse's ass won't let me see Cole. I'm his wife. I have a right." Natty started to break down, tears flowing from her eyes, and her shoulders shaking.

             
Carefully, he reached out and pulled Natty into his arms. "I know, honey. But, Cole doesn't want you locked up with him anymore. He's hurting awful bad, and he doesn't want you to see it."

             
"It's my place beside him!"

             
"I know. This
ain't
easy.  I should never have let it get this far. He tried to warn me, and I didn't listen."

             
The door to the jail opened and Miriam
Remmington
entered.

             
Judge looked up into her pale, battle weary face, and knew that she'd guessed at the final verdict.

             
"It's going to be all right, Natty," she crooned quietly, taking the young woman into her arms. "Cole knows what he's doing. I'm sure he'll let you come and visit him later today. Why don't we go back to the house and clean you up? I've got a dress that will look absolutely stunning, and I know Cole would just love to see you in it. Come back with me and rest. You'll make Cole feel better if he knows you're taking care of yourself."

             
Natty sobbed. "He doesn't want me to be with him anymore."

"Oh no, child. I'll wager he's hurting just as much as you are. But, you have to be strong for him now! We have to let him know you'll be all right. He needs you to be strong for both of you!"

             
Natty stopped,
blinking,
she searched Miriam's face. For a moment, Judge thought she might pull
away,
might fight them all with every last ounce of her strength.

             
That seemed to settle Natty. Sniffling twice, she calmed a bit. "I guess you're right. I have to be strong for him, now. I can't let him see me
carryin
' on like this."

             
"That's right, sweetheart." Miriam drew her into a tight hug. "Now, let me get you home and taken care of. We'll come back this evening. I'm sure when he's had time to think things over, he'll let you come back and sit for a while.