Musing #74 - Chapter 14

Andrea Carter Prescott and the Return of the Outlaws

CHAPTER 14. Go HERE to start this story from the beginning.

Bags littered the room from roof to floor. Paper bills carelessly thrown about added to the clutter. Worse, at least one hundred wanted posters lay about, all of them screaming, “WANTED: $1,000 Thomas Chadwick,” with a picture of Luke Cornwallis on each!

          Andi’s mouth fell open, and Lily burst into tears. “Oh, my husband will do something dreadful for sure if he finds out—”

          “What is this?”

          Andi and Lily spun around as one. Luke—no, Thomas—stood, arms crossed, face red with rage. Andi clasped her clammy hands together to keep them from shaking. Who is this man?

          “Lily!” Thomas bellowed. “Look! Look at what has happened! Now there’s absolutely no chance of Andi going home!”

          “B-but you promised—” Lily stammered.

          “I promised she would because you begged, and,” Thomas’s voice grew low and dangerous, “under the condition that she would never see through this door. Now if she goes home, she’ll tell everyone where Thomas Chadwick is!”

          He turned to Andi. “Young lady, consider yourself as a permanent guest in our home.”

***

          Andi sighed. How long have I been in this stuffy excuse for a room?

          It felt like days, but she knew it’d only been a matter of hours since Thomas had first tossed her into the “guest bedroom” of the cottage. It was windowless, dank, and dirty. More like an upstairs cellar than a room.

          I can’t see a thing. And all I can feel is—

          The sound of a door opening drew Andi up short. She scrambled to her feet. Lily stepped into the room. In one arm she held a tightly-rolled bundle of what appeared to be blankets. In the other hand she carried a lighted lantern, which cast a cheerful light all over the room.

Andi studied her friend’s face. It was filled with sorrow; her eyes were shiny with tears, and her lower lip trembled.

However, right then Andi didn’t feel any sympathy for Lily whatsoever. Lily has betrayed me. She told me nothing of her husband. She rescued me only to imprison me. Out from her mouth shot, “Why have you done this to me?”

Lily sighed, and her tears ran over. When she spoke, her voice sounded choked.

“I’m very sorry, Andi. Really, I am. It was not my intention for any of this to happen.”

She looked pleadingly at her friend. “All I wanted was for you to be safe, and escorted home to your husband.”

“Yeah, right,” Andi snorted. “You’re a traitor, Lily.” Andi’s throat grew tight. “You never told me. And now…now I’ll never get home! I don’t know where I am, who your husband is, or even who you are.”

“Please, Andi, let me explain,” Lily begged.

Andi bit her lip and looked away, trying to hold back her own tears.

“My husband is a crook,” Lily sobbed. “He never uses real money, but instead counterfeit bills. He cheats people with fake money and makes his life robbing stage coaches. That’s what he gave to Benita, too, to get into the camp where you were—counterfeit dollars.

“The real reason I was taken hostage was because my husband tricked a man named Jose Regan, though I didn’t dare tell you that then.”

“So, is Regan the man you were so terrified of at the camp?” Andi asked, still not looking at her friend. She spoke softly.

“Yes. He has such a strong dislike for my husband. It was his idea to kidnap me as revenge on Thomas.

“When you helped me escape, I was joyous, but also worried about you. Few people care about me, Andi, and you are, or were, one of those few.

“Anyway, Vega and his men all know Thomas, so I implored him to disguise himself well before going after you. I know the route they’re taking, and I gave Thomas specific instructions. It seems that Benita Rodendo fell for it. All of it, from disguise to money.”

Lily held out the bundle she had in her arm. “Take it, Andi.”

Andi looked at Lily, then took the bundle into her arms. She pushed away the folds of the blankets.

“Your son,” Lily said silently, and Andi remembered that long-ago morning, back in July, when Lily had said the very same thing—when she’d been only a kind friend whom Andi had trusted with all her being.

Now Andi’s fingers shook as she removed the rest of the baby’s coverings. Tears ran in abundance at the sight before her. “My baby!” she cried, hugging him tightly to her chest. “I never thought I’d see him again!”

Jared had grown into a fat, rosy-cheeked dumpling of a baby, with soft, fine locks of dark hair covering his little head. Even sound asleep, his fingers curled around the thumb Andi pressed to his palm.

“This is dangerous,” Lily spoke up suddenly, “but not as much as you’re staying here would be.”

When Andi looked up at her quizzically, Lily continued, “My husband—there’s no telling what he’ll do. So, take this”—she handed over a burlap sack overflowing with quilts and food supplies, which she had carried under Jared’s blankets—“and run. Run far, far away…to your home.”

Andi closed a hand around the bag. “What about you?”

“I’ll be fine. I’ll make believe you are still in here and pretend to check on you often with meals. I’ll tell my husband you’re caring for your son now. He won’t question it for a few days at least—I hope. You’ll be fine, too; there’s enough food in that bag to last you weeks, along with diapers and pre-made bottles. After taking Jared all those months ago, I’ve fed him goats’ milk, and he loves it. Also, with this bit of rope and another piece of fabric, Jared will soon be tied securely to your back for the journey.”

“How do I know you’re not tricking me again?” Andi demanded, more sharply than she’d intended. “You’re probably just pushing me out so you can call Thomas and have him angrier with me.”

To her own ears, what she’d just said sounded absolutely loco, but Andi was already hurt too deeply to care. No matter how much she’d suffered at camp, this sting of Lily’s betrayal cut worse, even if it was mostly Thomas’s fault. Lily could’ve told me ahead of time who she was married to.

“Please, Andi,” Lily pleaded tearfully. “Trust me.”

Trust. The word hit Andi with an unexpected pang. She felt touched by the sincerity in Lily’s voice and the sight of her friend’s red-rimmed eyes.

“All right, Lily.” Andi gave a barely perceptible nod. I guess things can’t get much worse…can they?

Lily offered a small smile, then again bundled Jared in his warm, cozy blankets and tied him to Andi’s back. As she guided Andi outside, she whispered plans.

“You are about fifty miles away from Los Angeles,” she said.

“Fifty miles?” Andi’s heart sunk. At least five days’ worth of nonstop walking.

“Don’t worry,” Lily consoled. “There are many small towns and villages leading up to there, places where you can find friendly souls and rest. Perhaps hitch a ride. Always ask sheriffs for directions. Make sure you travel north.”

“Thank you, Lily. I…I’m sorry for doubting your loyalty.”

“You needn’t be sorry, dear friend. It is understandable. But now you must promise me something.”

“What?”

“Say not a word to anyone about my family or me, or our location, or anything. It is as if we never met. Promise me that, Andi, promise.” Her hand grabbed Andi’s and held on tightly. “Do it as thanks to me that I have freed you.”

“I promise, Lily. I won’t tell.”

They embraced quickly, then Andi whipped around and ran. Her heart was heavy.

I’ll never see you again, Lily, but you’ll forever be a true friend in my heart.

What do you think happens next? Feel free to leave your guesses in the comments!

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