“Well, now. You're getting slower in your old age.” Jefferson Farley lowers his pistol and strides forward to shake his friend's hand.
“Jeff, I smelled you coming, I even have coffee ready for you.” Solomon grins greeting his friend with a handshake.
“Your telegram was short, fill me in friend.” Taking a seat on a log, he grabs the coffee and listens intently. They had served together in the army, and he has worked many jobs with him since.
“I have a tail that I need to shake, he's hostile, but he needs to follow me. I want you to lead him away and buy me the time I need to make it to San Francisco. Did you bring what I asked?” Solomon asks leaning in.
“Don't I always?” He asks indignantly. Jefferson stands about the same build and height as Solomon. From a distance, they could pass as brothers. He marches off into the trees and comes back with two horses trailing behind him.
“Thanks, Jeff. I plan on returning as quickly as possible. This is a pure vein. They have no idea what they have here. I'm retiring after this one. You should know I plan on hiring the same crew again. Are you in?” Solomon asks.
“Of course. I can lead him through town to the docks, then lose him. If I wait till morning to leave that will buy you ten hours or so. The horse is fresh.” They shake hands, and Solomon mounts up and heads out with a smile.
“I'll see you at the dig in a few weeks. I'll send you a telegram when we're ready to get started.” With that, he is gone.
The next morning Faith is feeding her newborn daughter and rubbing her tiny hand. She presses a kiss to her palm and whispers, “What now little one?” She'd managed to save some of her pay, but Eustace and Aiden had stopped all payments from coming in months ago. Her savings coupled with what Solomon left for her, totals about one hundred and three dollars.
A knock sounds at the door and Willow pokes her head in. “Good Morning, I brought breakfast. How are you feeling?” She clicks her tongue when she looks around the two-room shack Faith calls home.
Hurrying outside, she returns with her arms full of clothes. She lays down the clothes she collected from the church and Faith’s eyes fill with tears. “It’s mostly gowns, blankets, and nappies.”
“Oh, Willow! Thank you!” she raves as she touches the tiny newborn clothes. “Billy wanted me to wait until he came home to shop…” she rambles, and her voice fades away.
“You're welcome. Faith I have news, you should sit down and eat. Let me hold the baby.” Gently coddling the child, she watches Faith settle and picks halfheartedly at the food. “Before Solomon left, he came to warn us. The bank has bought Wolfe Ranch from Cassandra. He says we should all consider leaving before Aiden gets back. There's a meeting after Church tonight to discuss it.”
“I can’t just leave, Willow. I have a job here, and where would I go? What about Billy’s body?” she croaks.
“There will be no remains sent home, Cassie. They buried him already. He didn't have much with him, Sweetie.” She pauses a moment when Faith drops her head at the news. Faith hopes her friend can't tell it's from relief, not sorrow.
“I'm sorry to be so blunt, but you must listen!” She leans forward urgently, “Aiden is gone, but he will return. You aren't safe here, and neither is this precious angel of yours.”
“I don't know what to think, Willow. I'm scared, but…” she starts to say, but Willow interrupts her.
“If you think losing Billy is hard, nothing will prepare you for the pain of your own child.” She glances down at the baby and tears fill her eyes. “They hurt Jackson bad Faith, and they will do worse to you,” Willow tells her what Eustace and his son did to the Wolfe Family. Then she weeps while she tells them how he forced them to watch as he broke her son's arm.
Faith is shocked and horrified as her story unfolds. “I will go as soon as I am healthy enough to travel.”
“No. You will go with us. We're leaving in three days by wagon to San Francisco. From there we are catching a train to stay with my Mother. You should be able to take the train, to the Midwest. I am sure you will be able to find work at another telegraph office.”
Baby Hope starts to cry, and Faith reaches for her. “I think I will take you up on that offer, Willow. Thank you.”
“We have to live with some of the choices we've made, maybe if we help you, God will forgive us.”
Later that evening, Eustace sighs with ecstasy as he remembers the feel of Maria's tight little body. He drinks his special medicine and a warmth washes over his body. Soon, he's weightless, floating above the pain. The medication dulls his senses, nothing hurts, and he is free. Free to think of all the ways he will make Cassie pay.
They enter the house through the front door and find no resistance. He is alone, as many of his victims were. The women and children went home after church, but the men stayed. They would leave no trace of Eustace for anyone to find. Many in this town carry the scars this man inflicted on their souls and bodies. No one believed in redemption for him. It was time to end this tyranny.
Fifteen men carrying various weapons, enter the room. “What is the meaning of this?” Eustace slurs out.
Sheriff Bower steps forward, head held high and announces, “Eustace this here
