Wind Rider (40 page)

When footsteps sounded in the passageway
Ryder cocked his head and turned his sightless
eyes toward the door. He went rigid when the
door opened. He’d already been beaten once
today and doubted if he could survive another
brutal attack. Then something happened that
made Ryder forget all about his split lips and battered body. The fuzzy veil lifted from his eyes and he saw the flickering light of a candle and the shadowy figures of two men. As
they moved farther into the room, the mists
clouding his eyes miraculously parted, allow
ing him a glimpse of the men’s features.

Since Ryder had never seen Sergeant Collins
before, he identified him by his voice. He sounded grumpy and somewhat disgruntled. “Someone to see you, Injun. If you want my opinion, you got more luck than you deserve. I sure as hell don’t know how he did it, but
evidently your brother-in-law’s got friends in
high places.” Collins thought about the money Lieutenant Gilmore had paid him to release
and then recapture the prisoner and shrugged.
He couldn’t help it if orders came from higher
places. Besides, Gilmore was leaving today for Fort Laramie, and it shouldn’t matter to him what happened to the prisoner.

“Ryder, it’s Zach. I’ve come to take you
home.”

Slowly, Ryder turned his head in Zach’s direction. He blinked, realizing he could see
Zach as clearly as he had before he’d lost his
sight. Instinct as well as shock convinced him to keep the information to himself for the time
being.

“Did you hear, Ryder? The governor has granted you amnesty. You’re free. I’ll tell you
about it after we leave this disgusting place.”

“Free?” Confusion registered on Ryder’s swol
len face. How could it be? One minute he was enduring brutal beatings and the next he was
free to leave. Never would he understand the
workings of white society.

“Yes, free. Just as soon as Sergeant Collins removes your shackles, I’ll get you out of here.
Can you walk?”

The chains fell away as Collins bent and
unlocked them. “It’s against my better judg
ment to do this. Colonel Chivington ain’t going
to like it one damn bit.”

Ryder groaned and tried to rise, but his legs
buckled beneath him. Zach sent Collins a poi
sonous glare and assisted Ryder to his feet.
“You sure as hell didn’t need to be so damn
brutal. The man can hardly walk.”

Collins shrugged. “Chivington wanted infor
mation. All he had to do was tell us what we wanted to know and we would have left him
alone.”

“Bastard,” Zach gritted from between
clenched teeth.

“I can walk, Zach.” Ryder said, declining
Zach’s help. He wanted to walk out of this
place on his own two feet.

About the time Ryder was leaving his cell, Hannah and Gilmore entered the building and
ascended the stairs to the second floor. They
entered an office facing the street, and Gilmore
led Hannah over to the window. “It’s almost
noon, Hannah. Wind Rider should be making
an appearance any moment now. I’d venture to
say one of those horses tethered to the hitching post outside will carry him away from Den
ver.”

Hannah’s intent gaze did not stray from the
street below. She had no idea how Trent had
managed this, but she still didn’t trust him.

Ryder paused in the doorway, blinded by the
sun. It had been many weeks since he’d lost
his sight. Darkness had become a way of life. Hannah had been right; his blindness had only been temporary. He didn’t have time right now
to analyze what all this meant, but he felt certain
Heammawihio would reveal it to him in his own
good time. Dimly, he wondered why Hannah
hadn’t accompanied Zach. He was eternally
glad she hadn’t, for he didn’t want her to see
him in the state he was in. Pity wasn’t what he wanted from her.

“The horses are right outside,” Zach said as he paused behind Ryder. “Wait here. I’ll help you mount after I give your clearance papers to Sergeant Collins.”

“I do not need your help,” Ryder said, looking directly into Zach’s eyes. “I can do this by
myself.”

Zach sent him a stunned look. “Ryder!
Dammit, man, you can see! When .. . how .. . ?”

“Finish your business. I will explain later.”

Zach searched Ryder’s face, nodded, then lin
gered behind to confer with Sergeant Collins.
Ryder took a shaky step forward and nearly fell
flat on his face. Steadying himself against the doorjamb, he mustered his strength and ventured another step. He was encouraged when
his legs moved on command. Gritting his teeth,
he made it all the way to his horse. Mounting
took considerable effort, but he accomplished
it on his second try. He had no idea Hannah
was watching his every move.

“He’s alone! He can’t see!” Hannah cried,
growing panicky. “I should have asked Zach
to meet him. How will he find his way out of
the city?”

Gilmore was considering his answer when suddenly Zach strode out of the building and
joined Ryder.

“Oh, there’s Zach! Did you contact him,
Trent? You must have known Ryder wouldn’t be able to manage without help, didn’t you?”

“What?” Gilmore couldn’t believe his eyes.
How in the hell had Zach Mercer gotten
involved in this? But it was too late now to
worry about it, he reasoned as he searched his
mind for an answer to Hannah’s questions.

“Yes, that’s it. I knew you’d worry if someone wasn’t on hand to help him.” This really
complicates matters, Gilmore thought, stunned
by the turn of events. If his superiors learned
what he had planned, his army career was over.
Something he wasn’t aware of had occurred,
and he needed to find out about it before
Hannah did.

“You’ve kept your promise, Trent,” Hannah said, ignorant of the elaborate plans he had
laid for Ryder’s release and recapture. “I’m very grateful.”

Gilmore sent her a sly smile. “Show me,
Hannah. Show me just how grateful you are.”

He pulled her into his arms, his desire making
him forget that they were standing before a
window where anyone could see them. When
his lips slanted across hers she stiffened but
did not resist. She supposed she owed him this
much. Once Ryder was safe she’d let him know
that she didn’t intend to stay with him.

Stiffening his spine against the stabbing pain,
Ryder rode away from the place where he had been imprisoned and tortured. But a nagging
demon inside him prompted him to look back
one last time. What he saw brought a vicious
snarl to his
 
lips.
 
Framed
 
in the window,
her bright hair catching the noonday sun,
Hannah was being soundly kissed by Lieu
tenant Gilmore. His brief glance had revealed her pliant body pressed hard against the blue-
coat’s virile length. Nothing in her stance led
him to believe she was unwilling.

Zach heard Ryder’s outcry and turned his
head in the direction of Ryder’s gaze. He saw the same intimate scene Ryder was witnessing and let out a curse. “Damn little bitch. I was
wrong about her, Ryder. Forget her; she isn’t
worth your time.”

Once they turned the corner, Ryder brought
his mount to a halt. “All right, Zach, out with it.
What happened between Hannah and Gilmore?
I cannot believe she could change so in such a short time. I misjudged her once; I refuse to do so again until I know the truth.”

“You saw yourself what happened,” Zach
muttered darkly. “Hannah decided Gilmore would give her a better life than you could. She’s going with him to Fort Laramie. They’re going to be married.”

“Married!” Ryder started to rein his horse around in the direction from which he had just
come, but Zach grabbed the reins and refused
to let go.

“You’re in no condition to confront anyone, Ryder. Look at yourself. You’re having a diffi
cult enough time just keeping your seat on your
horse. It took some fancy talking to get the gov
ernor to sign your amnesty papers, and I’ll not
let you jeopardize your freedom.” Even if Zach thought Hannah was lying about her reasons
for abandoning Ryder—and it was very possi
ble she was—he wasn’t going to allow Ryder to
return.

Ryder’s head spun dizzily and his cracked ribs made breathing painful. He couldn’t have defied Zach if he’d wanted to. But leaving
Hannah to Gilmore was abhorrent to him.
Something was wrong, desperately wrong. If only he could think clearly, he’d figure it out. But Zach, aware that Ryder needed immediate medical attention, wasn’t allowing him time to think as he slapped the rump of Ryder’s horse, sending him on his way. Zach followed close
on his heels as they left Denver behind them.

Meanwhile, finding the kiss much to his lik
ing, Gilmore couldn’t wait to get Hannah away
from Denver and all to himself. He left her alone in the room briefly while he went to
confer with Sergeant Collins. What he learned stunned him. The governor had granted Wind
Rider amnesty and set him free. Once Hannah
was told he knew she would refuse to honor
her part of their bargain. She would leave him
and go back to her white savage. He couldn’t
allow that to happen. Haste was important. He
must take Hannah away from Denver as soon
as possible.

Fortunately, that wouldn’t be difficult since
he’d already made arrangements to leave im
mediately after Hannah had viewed Ryder’s
release. A small contingent of Colorado militia
was waiting to escort them to the fort. Once

Hannah was his he’d make damn certain he
was the only man in her life. As for his own
complicity in the “release and recapture” of the prisoner, the money he’d paid Sergeant Collins would keep the aborted affair from
public disclosure.

Hannah felt a wrenching grief as she left the
city. Would Ryder ever forgive her for leaving
so abruptly without an explanation? she wondered despondently. Would he realize that she
had done it for his sake? Or would he return
to his People and forget all about her? She
pressed her hand lightly to the place where
Ryder’s child grew beneath her heart and felt
a crushing sadness. How she wished she had told Ryder about the baby.

As she rode away from Denver, Hannah
begged God to let Ryder understand and for
give her. To let him be pleased when he learned
about their child. And to bring them together
as a family. It didn’t matter if Ryder never
regained his sight. Her love was too solid to
let his blindness make a difference.

Three days of bed rest was all Ryder would
tolerate. Abby had wrapped his ribs tightly and
tried to get him to remain in bed longer, but
he was adamantly opposed to doing nothing while each day took Hannah and Gilmore far
ther away from him. His emotions had run
the gamut from outright disbelief that she had
gone willingly with Lieutenant Gilmore to out
rage and anger. Though she had told Zach she
had gone with the blue coat of her own free
will, Ryder was not convinced. He needed to hear from her own lips that Gilmore was the
man she wanted before he’d believe it.

To his dismay, Ryder could not make him
self believe that Hannah didn’t love him. He
harbored a glimmer of hope that Hannah had
gone with Gilmore for reasons that had nothing to do with her wanting the blue coat as a lover.
But even that small hope seemed farfetched;
the governor had already granted him amnes
ty, and she’d had no reason to sacrifice herself.
The more he thought about the abrupt way in
which she had left, without a word or a proper
good-bye, the angrier and more confused he
became. And the more determined he was to
go after her.

After three days under Abby’s tender care
Ryder was able to move around freely, but not
without considerable pain, which he ignored.
On the fourth day Zach found him in the barn saddling his horse.

“Good God, Ryder, you can’t go anywhere in
your condition.”

“I am well enough to ride.” Actually, Ryder
wasn’t at all certain he could sit his horse.