Page 48 of An Unexpected Welcome

Cord saddled up and was about to leave when Pedro came up to him. "I go with you." He said staunchly.

"No my friend, I'll do this alone."

"No, I go with you. They take your son; I go with you. You would do the same." Pedro assured him staunchly.

"Pedro, I don't want anyone else hurt from this." Cord reasoned.

"Si, neither do I. We will go together." Pedro insisted, his face screwed up in a frown.

Knowing he was wasting time arguing he nodded and they rode.

They didn't talk, they just rode. Both of them with firmed expressions. It wasn't time for talk, it was time for action.

But they hadn't gotten two miles but what Juan showed up too. His father started to send him back but Juan faced him head on. "Charlie is my friend. Just like Cord is your friend."

"Si…."

"Who will show up next?"

No sooner had he asked the question and Lilly came up to them on her horse riding at full gallop as though the devil himself were after her. She was riding hell-bent. "Charlie's gone. He went fishing and hasn't returned. I looked for him and couldn't find him." She explained. "Where are you going?" She studied him now and saw Juan and Pedro and all the guns.

Cord hated this, "Honey, go back to my place and wait. I'm going after Charlie now."

"No, what do you mean you're going after him. Do you know where he is?" She demanded to know.

"Yeah, the Dubs boy have him…"

"My God." She cried. "How in the world did this happen?"

"I'll tell you all about it later. Go to my place and stay. I'll bring him home." Cord promised.

"I'm going with you…" She declared, firming her lip and jaw so as to warn him not to argue.

Unable to control what was happening, Cord nodded, "All right, but when I tell you to stay still, will you?"

"Yes…" she nodded, her face so flushed he shook his head.

The determination in everyone's faces told Cord it was useless to argue.

***

Charlie waited until they were all asleep, it was around midnight near as he could figure. Dan was asleep, he could hear his slight snoring. He remembered the kitchen had a backdoor, he'd slip out that way.

But he wasn't going to let Cord get killed. He got his boots and tiptoed to the back door, managing to sneak out without being heard. Probably because Jason and Butch were drunk, he saw them slumped over at the table, passed out. If Dan heard him, he didn't move.

Charlie slipped his boots on as he got outside and then looked up at the stars. He had to get his bearings on which way to go and how far it was.

Town was closer, but didn't want to worry his Mom.

Cord's place was due north from here about fifteen miles. It would be a long walk but he could do it. He stared up at the stars looking for the north star to guide him. He found it and got his bearings.

The trick was to get as far away, as fast as he could without getting caught.

At first he traveled along the creek bed, listening to the frogs croaking and an old hoot owl in the top of the cottonwoods. The hoot was so low it was eerie.

He kept looking behind him to see if anyone was following. He hurried his steps. Butch and Jason weren't likely to wake up for a spell, but he couldn't be sure about Dan.

The silvery full moon cast a soft glow on the prairie, making sculptures of the yucca and chola's, the buffalo grass was short where cattle once lowed. The cottonwood's lined the creek beds, and the draws were dangerously dark. He'd stay away from the draws unless he needed to hide. He couldn't see what might be around him down there. The prairie could be deceiving it looked so calm and serene but danger lurked everywhere.

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