Chapter 13 - Fire at the Cabin
They saw smoke before they reached Naira's property.
Her cabin was burning.
“NO!”
Naira kicked her horse into a gallop.
The roof collapsed before they arrived.
Someone had searched the place first.
Then burned it.
Voss was jailed.
So who remained?
Elias found tracks.
Crawford.
He had fled Silver Creek.
Naira stared at the ruins.
Her home.
Tomas's knife.
Her medicines.
Years of memory.
Gone.
Then Elias entered the smoking remains.
He emerged carrying a charred wooden box.
Inside were the turquoise beads.
Naira stared.
“You saved them?”
“You saved me from a storm.”
He placed them into her hands.
“Seems fair.”
She hugged him.
This time neither pretended it meant nothing.
Then hoofbeats approached.
The territorial marshal arrived.
“Crawford's heading for Mexico.”
Naira asked the only question that mattered.
“Why burn my house?”
The marshal answered.
“Because we found out who helped Tomas after he escaped.”
“Who?”
“Crawford.”
Naira stared.
That made no sense.
May you like
Until the marshal added:
“And Tomas is alive.”
