Chapter 15

I got a couple of more, then I became a ghost. I didn’t make a move for six days, watching, waiting. There knew I was still out there, so they kept looking. Once or twice I was close enough to touch one, but I let them go. I wanted them relaxed and comfortable.

They found our cave and moved in. Then they found the mine. I was watching from behind a rise, heard them whoop and holler, saw them comin’ out with bags of ore we’d already mined. Still I waited. When they started mining in earnest, I struck. There were probably eight inside when I set off the dynamite I had planted, all high in the roof of the tunnel. The mine collapsed with a roar, smoke billowing out of what was left of the entrance. No one came out.

I’d learned the name of their leaders. Darby something and Bart Hill. Hill I’d heard of. He was thoroughly dangerous and wanted for several killings. He’d made a living robbing and killing miners leaving the gold fields, taking their gold. He thought about it for a while and decided it was easier to jump claims. He got away with it a couple of times before he ran in to somebody who wouldn’t give up. Him and his two partners turned the tables, ambushing Hill’s gang and killing most of them before they got away just ahead of a lynch mob. He’d laid pretty low and most thought he’d left Colorado but here he was back and up to his old tricks.

I watched as they rode up, Darby cussing a blue streak. Besides losing his men, it would take days to reopen the mine and shore up the shafts. Hill never said a word, scanning the ridges.

“Walters! I know you can hear me! I got fifty men coming. Twenty are miners. The rest I hired just to kill you. Leave before you die!”

I lined up a shot but just as I pulled the trigger he moved and it was a clean miss. Darby was behind him a little and the bullet went through his leg and into the horse. The horse went wild, bucking like mad for a minute before it collapsed, taking Darby with it to the ground. They had to take his leg that night.

I think Hill would have killed him but he was in charge of the miners.

Five days later I watched as a column of riders came over the ridge. Seems Hill wasn’t kidding about the number of men he’d sent for. I was worried that Zeke would ride into a trap, but those boys left plenty of sign and Zeke was no fool. I hadn’t heard from Elsa and Gal and couldn’t go near them for fear of leaving sign so I had to hope for the best.

The next few days were nip and tuck. They found me twice and it was a close thing getting away. I got a burn across the cheek and a pretty good gash across my side. Them boys had some pretty good trackers. I knew if Zeke didn’t show up soon I was a goner.

Tired and exhausted, I burrowed down into some oak leaves and was out in a second. I felt rather than heard something and came out of the leaves with my knife in my hand. The knife was moving forward at at the last second I realized it was Elsa and jerked my hand sideways, burying the blade in the ground beside her head. Her eyes were wide and she would have screamed if I hadn’t had my other hand around her throat.

I let go of her and she drew in a big gulp of air. “Jesus, Brad, you scared the hell out of me.”

“You did the same to me. You guys all right? Where’s Gal?”

“He’s out scoutin’. We were gettin’ low on food and I decided to hit one of our hideouts. I saw you getting into the leaves. You just seemed to melt into nothingness. Where did you learn that?”

“Old Indian taught me. You best be gettin’ back.”

She was about to move when we heard them. Five riders, moving slow. Casting for sign no doubt. It was almost dark and I doubted they could see anything but I grabbed Elsa and we sank back into the leaves. We could hear them talking as they rode by.

“I’m startin’ to think they ain’t here in the valley no more.”

“Don’t get too comfortable, Shorty. That boy don’t seem the type to just give up and go away.”

“If he’s here we’ll get him soon or late. There’s still thirty of us not countin’ the miners.

The other man laughed. “Keep your eyes open anyway. I don’t want him to make it twenty-nine.”

We waited until we were sure they were gone before we came out. “Give it a little time before you go back. I don’t want them catching you or have you lead them to Gal.”

In answer she tugged at the pack she had on and took the blankets she had and putting them on the leaves. “There now. We can sleep comfortable without the leaves sticking us.

It was better thn any idea I had so we did just that. The blankets were small so we huddled together for a few minutes. I thought she was asllep when I felt her hand in mine. “Brad, can I ask a favor?”

“Sure. Anything I can give you or can do for you I will.”

“Don’t be so hasty until you hear me out. I’m scared, Brad. Real scared that we may not make it out of this valley alive. No, don’t try to comfort me, just hear me out.”

She went quiet for a second. “I’m nineteen years old, Brad. Most gals my age have been married by now and most got a young’un or two. I’ve never known a man. If I die, I don’t want it to be as a virgin. Just once I want to feel what it’s like to have a lover. Will you do it?”

I didn’t know what to say and before I could gather my thoughts she was on me, her lips on mine and her tongue trying to get into my mouth. She reached down and grabbed the front of my pants with one hand and my other hand witht he other, putting it firmly into her full breast.

It might have been the desperation of our circumstances but I soon gave up pretending to fight. I got her shirt open and was mauling her while she wiggled out of her pants. She rolled me over on top of her and nature took it’s course. There was a sharp hiss when her hymen broke but it didn’t take her long to start moaning. Realizing she ws making a lot of noise she grabbed her shirt and bit down on it as I pumped. I tried to last as long as possible but she was steaming hot and tight as a vise. She peaked right before I unloaded, letting out aa long moan. We fell apart gasping for breath.

Later as she snuggled to me she asked if she did all right. I kissed her and told her honestly she was the best woman I’d ever bedded. I could feel her smile on my neck. Two hours later she woke me up ready to go again. I got up and checked first and then I grinned. If I was going to die doing it while I was making love to a woman wasn’t a bad way to go.

The second round was as intense as the first. When it was over I tried to talk but she put her put her fingers to my lips. “Now’s not the time to talk. If we survive this we’ll be having a serious discussion. I want you to know I have feelings for you Brad Walters. I don’t know how you feel and I don’t want to right now. You can tell me when it’s over.”

I woke up just before daylight and she was gone. “Thank you” was scratched in the dirt.

Running out of options, I decided to hide in plain sight. I slipped into the cave we’d used as shelter for the horses when we first got there and eased through the door we’d built into our cave, trying not to dislodge too much of the mud. I came out in the storage room, slipping through the back door and into the general cave. We’d explored it several times and there was a little alcove about eighty yards back that had an airhole and a little spring trickling out of the rocks. There was also a narrow shaft that went to the top of the ridge just above the entrance to the cave. It was tight, but I could get through it if I had to.