Chapter 8 - A Witness Who Was Afraid to Speak
Ben Pike refused to testify.
Nobody blamed him.
He was twelve.
He had almost died.
When Boone came asking questions, the boy hid behind his father.
Boone declared there was insufficient evidence.
Nathan nearly struck him.
Elias stopped him.
“That's what he wants.”
“What?”
“A fight he can arrest you for.”
Nathan backed down.
Boone smiled.
Elias hated being right.
That evening, Mara made another decision.
“We go south.”
“To the marshal?”
“Yes.”
“With the papers.”
“Yes.”
Elias studied her.
“Creed will expect it.”
“I know.”
“You still want to?”
“I spent eighteen months waiting for someone else to make this stop.”
She tucked the copies into her bag.
“I’m done waiting.”
They planned to leave before dawn.
But Red Mesa had one more surprise.
At midnight, Deputy Miller appeared behind Abigail's house.
Alone.
Elias nearly drew on him.
Miller raised both hands.
“I need to talk.”
Mara came outside.
The deputy looked exhausted.
“I started the fire.”
Mara's face hardened.
“You nearly killed Ben.”
“I didn't know he was upstairs.”
“You burned the store.”
“Harlan told me it would be empty.”
“Why?”
Miller looked ashamed.
“My wife owes Creed money.”
Elias said, “Everybody owes Creed something.”
“He threatened to take our house.”
“So you burned somebody else's.”
Miller flinched.
“Yes.”
Mara stepped closer.
“What do you want?”
“To help.”
“Why now?”
“Because Harlan told me what happens tomorrow.”
Elias's attention sharpened.
“What?”
“They're going to kill you on the south road.”
Mara went still.
Miller continued.
“Creed knows you're taking evidence to the marshal.”
“How?”
“I don't know.”
“Who else knows we're leaving?”
“Enough people.”
Miller swallowed.
“There are six men waiting at Dry Bone Pass.”
Elias looked at Mara.
“Then we don't take the south road.”
Miller shook his head.
“Creed has men north and west too.”
“East?”
“Harlan.”
Elias almost smiled.
“So every road.”
“Yes.”
Mara asked, “Will you testify?”
Miller stared at her.
Fear returned.
“If I do, Creed destroys my family.”
“If you don't, he'll destroy someone else's.”
Miller closed his eyes.
“I need time.”
Mara's voice softened but remained firm.
“That's what everyone says.”
The deputy left.
Elias watched him disappear.
“You were hard on him.”
“Was I wrong?”
“No.”
Mara looked at Elias.
“What do we do?”
He thought.
“If Creed controls the roads, we don't leave.”
“We need outside law.”
“Then outside law comes here.”
“How?”
“Telegraph?”
“Line was cut last year.”
“Mail?”
“Creed watches it.”
Elias stared toward the railway grade several miles north.
Then remembered something he'd seen entering town.
A survey camp.
Federal land surveyors.
“Government crew north of here.”
Mara understood.
“If we reach them—”
“They can carry a message.”
“But Creed watches the north road.”
“We don't use the road.”
Before sunrise, Elias and Nathan rode north through canyon country.
Mara remained with Abigail.
That was the plan.
At least until Mara discovered her bag missing.
So were Thomas's papers.
On her pillow lay a note.
Three words.
COME ALONE. SUNSET.
Beneath them:
OR WARD DIES.
Mara stared at it.
The threat made no sense.
Elias was miles away.
Then she understood.
Creed didn't know that.
He was bluffing.
Or perhaps Elias had never reached the canyon.
Either way, Mara faced the choice she had feared since meeting him.
Hide.
Or walk directly toward the man who had spent eighteen months teaching her to be afraid.
May you like
She folded the note.
At sunset, Mara Grey Hawk left Abigail's house alone.
