Danger on the Oregon Trail

Chapter 16

Beth could hear, but just barely. She carefully made her way closer until she was hidden behind a large boulder just twenty feet away.

"You love her, don't you?"

Michael remained quiet.

"I can't blame you. She's awfully pretty." he licked his lips. "Maybe I'll bring her here and do things to her that you didn't get to do yet. Show you how it's done, before I kill you."

"You're not going to touch her!" Michael yelled, straining against the ropes that kept him from getting his hands around the man's throat.

"Tell me where she is,"

"No."

The man walked over to a fire Beth hadn't realized was burning nearby and pulled out a metal rod. The end of it glowed bright red and he twirled it around in his hand. "You can avoid all this if you just tell me where to find her."

She watched as his jaw clenched and had to clamp her hand over her mouth to remain quiet when the man pressed the hot poker against Michael's thigh and he screamed.

"Ooh, that's got to hurt," he dropped the poker back into the fire. Then he walked over and crouched down beside him. "Tell me where she is and I won't do that again."

Michael smiled. "You're going to pay for what you did to all those people."

"Nah. I don't think I will. You see everyone fears the Comanches and they've been taking the blame all these years. This time is no exception."

Beth's eyes grew wide. It suddenly made sense and she knew that if they didn't stop him, he would continue to kill innocent people.

The man reached over and took the poker out of the fire again. The glowing tip smoked as he held it over Michael's leg. His lips thinned and he let out another scream when the man pressed it to his leg again, just inches away from the first burn.

Beth nearly cried out at the sound of his cries, but she waited until the man returned the poker to the fire. Then she stepped out from behind the boulder.

"Heard you were looking for me, Mr. Harris," she said.

He spun around. "Ah, Mrs. Rogan!" he smiled. "Glad to have you both here. Although I'm surprised you were able to find us. I picked this place specifically for it's remoteness."

"Yeah, well I did. Step away from him, right now."

He smirked, but stepped away. Slightly.

"Back away from the fire,"

He tilted his head as though he was considering something, but she was holding the gun like she knew how to use it and he did what she said.

"Beth, why are you here?" Michael asked.

"Why are you here?" she asked. She kept her eyes on Mr. Harris.

Michael chuckled.

Keeping the gun on Harris, she reached into her pocket with the bullets and pulled out a small folding knife. She had found it in the saddle bag when she'd reached the wagon and had tucked it into her pocket just in case.

Opening it with her left hand, she reached behind Michael and sawed at the ropes until she had cut through enough that it loosened and he was able to get one hand free. She handed him the knife and let him free himself as she got back to her feet. "Can you stand?"

"Yes," he said, managing to get to his feet.

Beth motioned Harris to turn around and Michael tied his hands behind his back. They made their way up a nearby trail to the horse and Beth told Michael to climb up in the saddle. She would walk behind Harris and make sure he didn't escape.

"I can walk," Michael said.

"Are you sure?" Beth glanced at him for a split second.

In that split second, Harris had loosened the ropes enough to slip free and he turned around and looped the ropes around her neck, pulling them tight as he backed away from Michael with her. "Step away from the horse, or I'll snap her neck!"

Beth could barely take a breath as the rough ropes scratched at her neck, constricting tightly at her throat. She threw the pistol that was still in her hand as hard as she could towards Michael and he quickly picked it up. Within half a second, he had opened the chamber to make sure it was loaded and snapped it shut again, pulling back the hammer and aiming it at Harris' head. "You're going to let her go, or I will put a bullet between your eyes, so help me!"

"No, you're going to drop that gun and kick it over this way," he tightened the rope around her neck and she choked for a breath, clawing at it with her fingers. "Or I'm going to choke the life out of her while you watch her die!"

"Last chance, Harris," Michael said. His voice was cold and sounded very calm.

Harris laughed, squeezing the rope even tighter as Beth began to lose consciousness.

The moment she began to drop, before Harris could yank her back up onto her feet, Michael pulled the trigger. The bullet entered right between his eyes and the force of it toppled him over backwards as Beth fell forward onto her knees, gasping for breath as the ropes suddenly loosened.

Michael caught her in his arms before she fell forward onto her face and he held her while she caught her breath. "What were you thinking coming after me all by yourself?" he asked. "He could have killed you!"

"He was going to kill you!" she snapped. "And when he was done he would have come after me anyways!"

He chuckled, pulled her tight against his chest. "Yeah, you're probably right."

"And he might have found Lilly, too!" she coughed.

"Beth, there's something I have to tell you and it can't wait another second."

"Now?"

"Yes, now!" he grabbed her by the shoulders and held her out away from him so he could see her face. "There was never anyone else," he just came out and said it. "I'm in love with you. It was your father who said I couldn't marry you."

"What?" she gasped.

He nodded, leaning in slowly to kiss her.

With a huff, she suddenly got to her feet and stomped off towards the horse, only to turn around before she reached it and walk back over to him. He had a smile on his face that quickly disappeared when she slapped him as hard as she could before turning and heading right back to the horse.

"Beth, I'm sorry," he said. "I know I should have told you before we left Iowa, I just didn't think you'd marry me for real."

He swallowed hard when she turned around to face him again. Perhaps he shouldn't have followed so close behind her if she was this angry, he thought.

He flinched when she reached up and grabbed him by the ears, pulling him down so his face was level with hers. But then she kissed him and everything else just seemed to fade away.

"Three and a half months wasted, you idiot!" she whispered when she finally pulled away. "Why didn't you just say so?"

He chuckled softly. "Because your father was so against it. And I wasn't sure how you felt."

"My father loved you."

"He said no. Very clearly."

"I think he wanted you to try harder," she said. "Because he knew exactly how I felt about you and he never said anything about not wanting me to marry you!"

"So, this whole time-," he groaned, pulling her into his arms again.

"What are we going to do with Harris?" she asked. She had no doubt he was dead, even though she hadn't looked at him once since Michael fired that shot.

"I guess we could tie him over the saddle." he murmured. "I can walk."