Rapture's Tempest (50 page)

“I’m aware of that, General, but it also explains how they came by the information they had.” Mark carefully watched his expression as he digested this new, startling information. “May I proceed with the arrests, sir?”

“Take as many men as you need. I want everyone on that list.” The general was furious.

“Jim and Marshall Westlake have already gone after the Morgans.”

“Good. Keep me informed of your progress.”

“I will, sir. And thank you.”

“You’ve done a good job so far. Now, let’s finish it.”

Mark hurried from the office to do just that. And while he was successfully rounding up the other unsuspecting members of the spy ring, Marshall and Jim were combing the riverfront in hopes of turning up a clue to Nathan’s and Annabelle’s whereabouts.

“Where to now?” Marshall asked in frustration as they left the office of the Mid-Rivers Line.

“I don’t know. I’ve been trying to figure out what I would do if I were Nathan,” Jim said pensively. “And it seems to me that I would do the opposite of what everybody expected me to do.”

“You think we should have been checking northbound departures?”

“It’s a start. But let’s face it, we don’t even know for sure that they did leave by steamer.”

“Let’s go.” Marshall and Jim went back inside the Mid-Rivers office.

Micah Abernathy looked up as Jim and Marshall reentered the room and cursed silently to himself. When he had seen them on their way in the first time, he had quickly absented himself from the office. Nathan had warned him that Clayton or the Westlakes might come looking for him, and, being a nervous man by nature, Micah had not wanted to chance talking to them. But now, he was trapped. There was no way for him to avoid them.

“Micah.” Jim greeted him easily. “We didn’t know you were here.”

“I’ve been in the back. Why?” Micah took off his glasses and began cleaning them with a handkerchief.

“No reason.” Marshall spoke calmly. “We just need some additional information.”

“About what? ”

“We just talked to the clerk a minute ago. We were checking on departures of southbound packets.”

“And?” Micah sounded agitated, and Jim gave his brother a sidelong glance.

“And now we need to know about any steamers that left port northbound in the last few hours.” Jim watched his reaction to their request.

“Let me check for you…any particular destination in mind?”

“No. We’re more interested in times than places,” Marshall answered.

Micah’s hands were trembling as he put his glasses back on and opened his ledgers. “We had the
Liberty Bell
pull out about two hours ago and the
Sugar Blossom
departed a half an hour later.”

“Where are they bound?”

“The
Belle
is heading for Rock Island and the
Blossom
is going as far north as Alton and then she’s heading up the Missouri to St. Charles and then on to Kansas City.”

“Do you have your passenger lists?” Marshall inquired. “We’d like to see them.”

“What’s going on?” Micah tried to sound casual as he turned the book around so Jim and Marshall could check the lists.

“We’re trying to locate Nathan and Annabelle Morgan. Do you know them?”

“Yes. I’ve had some dealings with Nathan,” Micah hedged. “Why are you looking for them?”

“We’re not at liberty to say right now. Have you seen them today? Did they book passage on one of your steamers?” Jim pushed.

“No!” he denied, too quickly.

Marshall and Jim were instantly suspicious as they pored over the ledger. They checked the
Blossom
first, only to find that there were no women traveling on her this trip. Having successfully eliminated one of the two boats, they turned their scrutiny to the
Belle
.

“There are two couples on the
Belle
, Jim,” Marshall said, keeping an eye on Micah as he spoke. “But neither one is the Morgans.”

Micah tried to disguise his relief, but they both read it easily.

“Thank you for your help, Micah.” Jim turned the ledger back to him.

“You’re welcome.” He watched them leave and sighed audibly.

Once they were outside, Marshall and Jim exchanged knowing looks. “Let’s check the other three offices. I think we’ve got our man, but I don’t want to take any chances and go on a wild-goose chase.”

They retraced their steps to find that a total of four steamboats, including the
Belle
and the
Blossom
, had left town, northbound, during the last few hours. A careful check of the passenger lists narrowed it down conclusively to the
Belle
. The other two boats were primarily used for freight and had few if any accommodations. Those people who did choose to travel on them generally slept on the deck, and, knowing Annabelle, Jim and Marshall immediately eliminated them from consideration.

“What do you think?”

“I think we should go back and pay our jittery friend Micah one more visit.”

Micah nearly groaned aloud when he saw them returning. “You’re back.”

“Yes, and we need to speak with you for a minute, in private, if you don’t mind….” Jim’s words were cordial, but there was a certain steeliness to his tone that sent a shiver down Micah’s spine.

“We can use the back room,” he offered lamely, preceding them into the privacy of the smaller office and closing the door. “Now, what can I do for you?”

“We want to know the truth,” Marshall said threateningly.

“I—I don’t know what you mean….” Micah was appalled.

“Are the Morgans on the
Belle
or not?” Jim demanded.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about! If you’ll excuse me…” He started to leave the office, but Marshall’s hand on his arm stopped his progress.

“Micah…we can offer you a deal, but we need to know the truth, now.”

“A deal…” Micah swallowed nervously.

“If you talk to us and tell us the truth, we won’t inform the authorities of your involvement. However, if we’re forced to bring Captain Clayton and General Fields into this…well, needless to say, the army’s penalty for helping spies escape is severe.”

Micah weighed his alternatives. He had had business dealings with the Westlakes before, and he knew them to be honest and fair. If he cooperated, he knew that he would be safe…but if he refused to tell them and he was arrested…in the way of a weak individual, Micah made the choice that would do the most to ensure his own well-being.

“All right. I’ll tell you what I know….”

Jim and Marshall smiled grimly. “Go ahead. We’re listening.”

“Nathan stopped here at the office shortly before the
Belle
was scheduled to leave port. He needed to get out of town fast.”

“Where was he going?”

“He didn’t say. He just said that he needed passage on a northbound boat for himself and his daughter.”

“And the
Belle
is going to Rock Island, right?”

“Right.”

“Thanks, Micah. Our deal stands, but if we ever find out that you’re involved with the Rebs again…”

“I know….”

With that, Jim and Marshall hurried from the office in search of Mark. They found him at headquarters as the last of the men identified by Sam were being brought in.

“What did you find out?” Mark asked as they joined him.

“They’ve left town on a packet heading for Rock Island. Do you want to go after them?”

“You know I do,” he told them with determination. “I want them all.”

“The
Mound City
just arrived back in town this morning. It can be ready to leave as soon as we are.”

“Let me report to General Fields, and then we can go.”

“We’ll have to stop by the house to let everyone know we’re leaving, but with our luck we should be on the river within the hour.”

“How much of a headstart do they have on us?”

“Less than four hours. And since the
Belle
is on a normal run, we should be able to catch up with her in no time.”

“Good. I’ll be right back.”

And Jim and Marshall waited patiently while Mark went to meet with his commanding officer.

It was late afternoon. The sun was starting to dip lower in the west, its fading presence casting long shadows wherever it touched. The Mississippi was running wide and fast, slowing the progress of the
Mound City
as she struggled upstream against the current.

Jim lay on the bunk in a cabin on board the packet trying to relax, but the throbbing in his leg and the thought of his upcoming confrontation with Annabelle was making it virtually impossible. Sitting up, he picked up the bottle of scotch that Marshall had brought him and poured himself a whiskey glass full, hoping it would take the edge off his pain. With no hesitation, he drank the whole thing and poured himself another.

Jim had no doubt that the day had been a success. Everyone involved in the robbery had been apprehended except Annabelle and Nathan, and they hoped to correct that within the next few hours.

Jim had hated to leave Delight again, but he felt this was something that he had to do. And she had been understanding about it, especially since he’d promised her their long-postponed honeymoon as soon as he got back. He smiled to himself as he sipped at his liquor. He was looking forward to that himself.

The knock at the door drew his attention, and he called for them to come on in. “It’s open.”

The cabin door swung wide and Marshall entered. “How’s the leg?”

“The truth?”

“Of course.”

“It hurts like hell.” Jim grimaced. “By the way, thanks for the scotch.”

“I knew you were going to need something. Do you realize what we’ve done today? And it was your first day back on your feet.”

“I think I overdid it a bit,” Jim grinned.

“I know you did.”

“It’ll be all right. I just have to stay off it a while.”

“Why didn’t you just stay home? Mark and I could have handled this.”

“No. I want to be there when we catch up with Annabelle.” He took a deep drink from his glass. “I don’t like being used. And I’m just thankful that I didn’t give her any important information.”

Marshall well understood his brother’s anger and disgust. “I know. She had us all fooled.” He paused as he thought of all the times Annabelle and Nathan had been guests in his home.

“How soon do you figure we’ll catch up with them?”

“According to the pilot, if things go well and the
Belle
makes some stops on the way, we should catch her by Alton.”

“Good.”

“Are you going to stay in here and rest until we get there?”

“Yes, but call me if we sight her, all right?”

“I will. You take it easy. Do you need anything else?”

“No. Not right now.”

“I’ll be back.” And Marshall went on out to join Mark and his men in their wait to catch sight of the
Liberty Belle
.

Annabelle sipped at her glass of wine in celebration as the
Liberty Belle
neared Alton. It was true…they had made it! She almost laughed now when she thought of how desperate and afraid she’d been this afternoon. How could she have doubted her father? He always had a solution for everything.

Relaxing now in their cabin while Nathan made his presence known in the men’s saloon, she thought of this morning
and her visit to the Westlakes. What a miserable experience! It had been bad enough to find his insipid fianceé, with her ridiculous name, there with him when she’d stopped by, but to discover so unexpectedly that they’d married had really upset her. Her little ploy to break them up hadn’t worked. She hadn’t had time since then to think about it, but now she realized that it had hurt her more than she’d been aware.

She had cared for Jim…more than she’d ever truly cared for any man. And it was quite a blow to her ego to learn that he hadn’t felt the same way about her.

Sighing, Annabelle placed her glass on the small table beside the bunk and curled up. The excitement of the day and the effects of the wine were making her drowsy, and she thought a short nap might help to restore her energy. She was certain that her father would wake her in plenty of time to get ready for dinner, so she fell asleep totally confident that she was safe and protected.

Marshall came barging into Jim’s cabin without knocking. “We’ve just spotted her!”

“How far ahead is she?” Jim struggled out of bed.

“Less than a half mile.”

“Where are we now?”

“We’ll be in Alton in an hour.”

“What’s Mark decided to do? Board her at Alton?”

Marshall nodded. “We’re going to pass her and dock at Alton to wait for her.”

“Good. Are all the soldiers off the decks? I don’t want Nathan to suspect anything if he should happen to be out walking on deck and look over at us.”

“Mark’s already sent the men inside.”

“I want to watch this,” Jim told him as he started out of the stateroom, still limping.

“Is your leg any better?” Marshall joined him on the promenade deck.

“A little. It’s more stiff than anything, right now.” They
walked slowly around the boat until they caught sight of the
Liberty Belle
a short distance ahead of them.

They stood poised at the railing as the
Mound City
gained and then passed the slower-moving steamer.

“Good,” Jim smiled. “Now all we have to do is wait.”

As soon as the boat was behind them, Mark came out on deck to join Jim and Marshall. “I’ve told the pilot to dock at the first wharf boat he can find, and if anyone gives him any trouble, I’ll handle it.”

“We’ll be there within the hour,” Jim told him.

“I know. And we’ll have just enough time to get ready before the
Belle
docks.” Mark was eager for this moment. His revenge was not quite complete.

They fell silent for a moment as they thought of the tense encounter to come.

“Our biggest problem will be to take them by surprise. I don’t want any shootouts. I want them to stand trial for what they’ve done,” Mark advised them.

And they agreed, as their steamer carried them on, ever closer to the final confrontation.