Chapter 12 ~ Dead or Alive
Boredom didn't happen often on the ranch. However, Josephine had found herself in this taboo state of having nothing to fill her time.
She was still healing from the "accident" a couple of weeks ago. Normally she would spend these types of nights with Rip but she was still avoiding him.
Josephine figuring the other wranglers could surely provide her some sort of entertainment, she made her way towards the bunker.
"Where y'all headed?" Josephine asked Jimmy who was loading up a truck. She was internally upset to see them getting ready to leave.
"Taking care of something." he angrily replied.
"Oh, I have a feeling it's more of a someone." Josephine said. Jimmy looked up, the look on his face confirming to Josephine it was a someone rather than a something.
"Come on, Jimmy! We don't have all night!" Rip shouted from the driver seat of his truck. His head turned around to find Josephine talking to Jimmy.
He could sense something was wrong with her. But Rip was going to play the same game she was. Ignoring each other.
"I'm ready!" Jimmy shouted back. He didn't say anything else to Josephine and jumped in the driver seat. The two truck's taillights flashed on before they pulled away leaving Josephine all alone and back in the same predicament she was in just a few minutes ago.
The moon barely illuminated the dark paths of the ranch as Josephine walked around. Thankfully for Josephine she knew her way around, with or without light.
Her feet kicked up some dirt as she gently kicked a rock forward, treating it like a tiny soccer ball.
"Tate? What are you doing out here so late?" Josephine asked noticing the young boy by himself. He was walking out of the main cabin and running towards the barn and pens.
"I forgot to feed my horse." he commented running ahead. "Grandpa told me to come out here."
"You need help?" she offered.
"No, I'm okay." Tate beamed, his little feet running around.
"Okay then." Josephine said. She began to walk away from the barn but the horses inside began to stir, almost like they were trying to alert her to someone.
She tried to look around but the darkness made it hard to see if anyone was lurking. She turned her back to see if Tate was okay.
Tate was gone and a hand quickly covered her eyes. Before she could even let out a single scream, a cloth was shoved into her mouth.
Her body was harshly dragged a few feet away. She tried to thrash her body around but ended up dropping her phone on the ground, digging herself into a deeper hole that she wasn't going to be able to escape from.
She was placed in the back of a truck. She could hear Tate's meek whimper next to her.
The men who kidnapped the two moved so swiftly that they were able to pull it off without raising suspicions. No one, not even John Dutton knew what had just taken place on the ranch.
The two were driven to a spot about a few several hundred yards away where she was transferred to the back of another pick up truck. She tried to feel for Tate as best as she could but from what she could sense, the two were being split up.
The truck pulled away and without seeing and without being able to scream, Josephine was helpless. She had just let herself and Tate be kidnapped.
Back at the main cabin, John was waiting by the fire, a bowl ice cream with Tate's name on it. A few minutes had passed and the ice cream was beginning to melt.
John, who had been too worried until that moment got up and headed outside to see what the delay was.
As he wandered to the horse pen, he was surprised to find Tate's horse in the middle of the driveway. He hesitantly placed the horse back before gathering Monica and Kayce to break the news. Everyone immediately began to search for Tate.
As morning broke, the group brought the search to a pasture the resided along the edge of the forest.
"Did any of you drive back here?" John shouted. The lack of response caused Kayce to run the tracks of the truck.
Not a single sign of Tate had been found until his muddy boot appeared.
Kayce dropped to the ground and everyone rushed over fearing the worse. Kayce turned around, holding out the boot and Monica couldn't help but drop to her knees as well, letting out a scream. She was facing a mother's worse fear.
Beth immediately rushed down to console her.
The group headed back to the ranch. Returning without Tate.
John sat on the porch with a coffee in hand trying to strategize a plan. Rip on the other hand was seated on the chair next to him, shot gun in his lap. Ready for whatever was to come next.
"Dad, did Joey wake up yet?" Jamie asked, walking up to the two on the porch. She hadn't joined them for the search.
"Go wake her up. I'll break the news to her." John instructed. Jamie nodded, heading inside. He wandered up to her room to find it empty. The bed not even unmade or looked like it was slept in.
Jamie headed back down the stairs checking the dining room which came up empty.
"She's not sleeping." Jamie informed his father as he came out. "Doesn't seem like she was even here last night."
"Well, was she in the dining room?" he asked, not alerted by the lack of her presence just yet.
"Uh, no. You sure she didn't wake up earlier this morning?" he asked. John looked around at everyone, Joey was not found to be amongst them.
"Goddamnit, she left." John muttered, placing his coffee mug down harshly.
"What?" Jamie asked. Rip turned his head to look at John.
"She told me she was leaving. Couple nights ago. I told her she couldn't." John explained. Jamie pulled out his phone and dialed her number. It rang until it reached the voicemail.
"No answer. Where'd she say she was going?" Jamie asked. John shrugged, "you know Joey. She's always going somewhere. There's not a truck or horse missing right?" John asked. Rip began to get a feeling, a bad feeling in his chest.
"Let me call her again." Jamie said, stepping to the side.
"You sure she left, sir? She was talking to Jimmy last night." Rip asked John. John stood up, calling Jimmy over to the porch.
"Yes, sir?" Jimmy asked.
"What did my daughter say to you last night?" John asked.
"Not much. Just asked where we were going. I didn't tell her anything." he nervously explained, fearing he was in trouble.
"She tell you she was leaving?" John asked.
"Uh, no. Seemed like she wanted to talk about something though."
"Sir, I have a feeling she didn't leave." Rip commented. John disagreeing shook his head, "this is exactly like her. Getting up and going in the middle of the night. She can't handle when things don't go her way. Believe me Rip. I know my daughter." John said. He dismissed Jimmy and headed inside to plan a course of action.
"You think she left?" Jimmy naively asked Rip.
"I don't fucking know, Jimmy." Rip commented back, scaring Jimmy away.
Meanwhile, Josephine fought for her life, kicking and screaming. Begging for these sick men to not lay a finger on Tate.
"Shut up!" One shouted, striking her against her still bruised face. Josephine tried not to flinch as they separated Tate from her.
His scared screams made Josephine wince. She wished she could spare Tate from all of this.
"You're going to regret this. When my father-" Josephine threatened. The man cracked a smile, "he won't find you. No one will."
Josephine could sense his words were true. For once in her life, she was afraid she wasn't going to get out of this.
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After finally getting Tate's whereabouts, everyone was in their position to get him back. Rip climbed onto his horse, ready to ride into battle.
Mo had painted the horse for protection while the others gathered their guns and ammo.
"Of all the days to ask this of you, I'm sorry it's today." John said.
"I can't think of a better day, sir." Rip responded before getting his horse into position. He looked up at the sky before galloping into the line of fire.
Kayce cleared out every mobile home on the property, scouring for Tate only to come up empty handed.
John on the other hand had followed Malcom as he ran into a field, firing a few shots. "You deserve a lot worse than this." John stated, shooting him in the hand. "Now tell me where my grandson is and I'll get you to a hospital. You have my word." John continued.
He sat down in the field next to Malcolm who was bleeding out calmly promising his life in return for Tate's whereabouts. "Your entire lifetime is going to be reduce to my grandson's face. It's up to you, Malcolm."
"Carter Meeks. That's his name. Whitefish Montana. Your grandson, is there- I can't make promises about your daughter being there though." Malcolm struggled to say. He gasped for air, clutching his gunshot wound.
"My daughter?" John asked.
"The took her too. We didn't pay them to do that. I can't promise they have her there." Malcolm explained as his breathing became more difficult. John got up from the field and walked over to the others waiting by the fence.
"So?" Kayce asked.
"Whitefish, Montana. They might have Joey too." John explained. Rip's heart sank as they rushed back to their vehicles.
"Now, Rip, I'm going to ask you this and be honest." John began. "Do you know who knocked up my daughter?". He had feared it was possibly one of these militia men.
"I won't lie to you, I do sir." he answered. John looked at Rip before maintaining eye contact with the road again.
"Now, I ain't asking you to tell me who it is but you'd tell me if she was in danger right? I don't have to worry about this person?" John asked.
"No sir." Rip said, ending the conversation.
By dawn police officers had made their way to Tate's whereabouts.
Kayce and a few of the police officers rushed into the home, firing shots.
Josephine unaware it was her brother freaked out at the sound.
Shots continued to fire, her body was covering Tate's as they did. The two quickly rushed to the bathroom, locking the door. "Be quiet." she instructed as they climbed in the tub. Josephine was worried Teal or Malcolm was here for either one of them.
As the door flung open, the two screamed in fear. Neither one looked up at the person rushing in. Tate jumped from her arm, cowering in the opposite corner.
"Tate. Tate. It's daddy!" Kayce's repeated. He pulled Tate out from the bathroom, trying to comfort him. Josephine, scared, looking up to find the sheriff standing in the doorway.
He motioned for her to get out.
Kayce walked out of the house, Tate clinging to his arms. Josephine hesitantly followed after him.
She walked over to the truck, sliding in the backseat. Ryan was seated up front with a police officer driving.
"You want to call anyone?" Ryan asked. Josephine just nodded no. Josephine drifted into a sleep she desperately needed.
Her head rested against the cool window of the truck. She was still peacefully sleeping when the truck pulled up to the cabin on the Dutton ranch.
The sound of the car door slamming close startled her from her sleep. She jumped awake and rushed out of the car, screaming in fear she was being moved.
"DON'T FUCKING TOUCH ME!" she shouted, thrashing her arms around. She was confused by her surroundings. "DON'T FUCKING TOUCH ME!" she yelled once more, trying to run away but Rip came up from behind her wrapping his arms tightly around her chest. Her arms stopped thrashing around and she was able to calm down.
She looked around realizing she was back home. Relief washed over her, causing her to drop to her knees and sob tears of joy.
"She's going to need trauma counseling. Both of them." Kayce explained to his father as he carried Tate inside to see Monica. He knew from experience.
John, however, wasn't too convinced counseling was necessary. "She'll be fine." he said, patting his son on the back. His old school mentality was convinced time was the remedy.
"What did they do to you?" John asked, placing his hands on his daughter's cheek. Her eyes seemed like she was coming off some sort of drug. She had burns on her arms. Her hair was matted and she looked severally disheveled.
"I wouldn't let them touch him." she softly explained, not wanting to relive the traumatic experience she just escaped. John went to kiss her temple but she pulled back.
Rip when to walk up to her but she gave him a look, "I'm fine." she muttered. John looked at his daughter. She was a shell of the person she used to be.
Rip took a few steps back, secretly heartbroken to see her like this.
John watched in pain as his daughter flinched from the gentle contact Beth tried to provide as comfort.