The man pales and puts his pipe down before answering. “Are they relatives of yours?”
“Yes, my brother and his wife,” Aiden answers quickly.
Clearly uncomfortable now, the old man clears his throat before answering. “I'm sorry to tell you this, but that train was set upon by Indians. They sabotaged the tracks and killed everyone on board. Only one survivor remains, and he won't live to see morning.”
Aiden grabs the man by the front of his stained shirt and almost jerks him across the desk. “Take me to him, now!”
A few minutes later they are standing inside a small room in the back of the boarding house. It is dimly lit, and the doctor greets Aiden. “I don't know if he will make much sense. I have him on a high dose of morphine for the pain. They scalped him good.” The doctor steps aside, and Aiden enters and gasps against the stench.
He looks down at the man, and the doctor says, “Mr. Allen, you have a visitor.”
Lying on a cot covered in blankets, the man struggles to open his eyes. His head is wrapped in thick blood-soaked bandages. His fingers twitch, and Aiden steps forward. He unfolds a piece of paper,
“Sir, I am looking for my brother and his wife. A Mr. Dalton Rivers and Cass…”
“Cassie?” the strained voice cuts him off. Excited, Aiden moves forward.
“Yes, can you tell me what happened to them?” he asks loudly.
“We didn't listen! Why?” he whispers and begins to grow agitated. “She Knew! How could she know!!! We didn't' listen!!!!” he yells, and the doctor moves in, alarmed. He picks up the morphine, but Aiden stops him with a look and hand on his pistol.
“She knew what? What did Cassie know?” His drug hazed eyes look at Aiden.
“She warned us, but we laughed at them. Captain said… Where is Captain? We didn’t listen!” he turns away from Aiden and begins to weep softly.
Aiden’s head is swimming, she knew the train was going to be attacked? That’s not possible. “Where is Cassie?” he asks, grabbing the man by his upper arms and lifting him partly out of bed.
A loud moan of agony escapes and Aiden shakes him again, “Where are they?” The doctor backs up into the wall and waits.
“They knew! They all got off the train before….” His head falls back, and his weeping grows louder. “The screaming won't stop!” he wails. Aiden drops the half dead man back on his cot and turns to the doctor.
“What happened here?” he demands.
The doctor stutters, “The Indians tore up the track and derailed the train. They took the women and children and scalped all the men. They put him on a horse and sent him back to town to tell the story. I'm sorry about your family. He isn't making much sense.”
He ignores the doctor and returns to the train station and looks for the old man. “You! Tell me who was on the next train out of Promontory. I need a passenger list!”
“Your train is the next train.” He replies.
“What about a stagecoach?”
The man shakes his head quickly. “Look around, we are all that's left. The only way to leave is on a train or by a horse.”
That can mean only one thing. They are on horseback. Aiden is directed to the stables where he finds out a man fitting Dalton’s description bought three horses and supplies. He smiles as he returns to the train.
Cassie has been careless, and he can track them easily. They are heading to the River's family ranch. It will take them about six days with no complications. If they survive long enough to make it to the ranch, then he will have a surprise waiting for them.
“Run, Cassie for a wave of vengeance is coming your way,” he growls as the landscape passes by.
He boards the train, and soon they come upon the carcass of the derailed train, and they slow down. They pass the crews of china men working hard to repair it. The damaged track has been replaced with new track, and they are now working to salvage whatever they can from the cars and locomotive. Aiden can't help but smile at the efficiency of the rail workers.
“Someone needs to do something about the savages,” someone murmurs.
“Dynamite would have been more effective,” Aiden sneers looking out the window.
“True, but not if you plan to scalp and rob those who survive,” comes the answering reply.
Murmurs and rumors spread across the train and Aiden leaned back with a smile thinking of all the ways Cassandra will pay for betraying him.
Dalton cooks fresh trout over a small fire near the hot spring. He knows any smoke will disappear amongst the steam from the spring. Cassie hands him their tin of coffee and inhales.
“Mmm, that smells amazing. I'm starved.” He glances over and stares at her. With her long hair rippling over her shoulders in waves, he is stunned by her pure beauty. Relaxed like this she looks young and carefree, but he knows that what they have to speak of will strip her of her joy.
He reaches over and buries a hand in her hair and pulls her gently toward him. She is smiling when his mouth takes hers. He tastes like coffee and home. It feels good to be free. When he releases her, she sits back and looks at him.
“What was that for?” she wonders.
“I can’t seem to help myself around you. You’re so beautiful.” He eats his trout and sips coffee, enjoying the blush that stains her cheeks.
“You are blind, I look a fright. I just woke up!” she laughs.
“I may be crazy, but I am not blind. I know what I see, and I see you, Cassie. I see the gentle,
