“Why are you doing this? I thought you were his friend.” Bronnah cries out as he shoves her in front of him towards the waiting horses.
“Simple. Money talks. I want you to mount this horse, and we’re going to ride out of town. If you do as I ask, his family will be spared. If you fight, I have orders to shoot you. They want you dead or alive.”
“What about Chase?” Bronnah demands as he nudges her towards the horse.
“Right now, you need to worry about your own pretty little neck.” Bronnah glanced around desperate for some sign of help. She knows what that means. Neither one of them will survive this. “Mount up!”
Millions of thoughts run through her mind at once. She can’t run, scream, or fight back but at least she will die knowing that his family will be spared. The Sheriff mounts quickly being sure to keep the pistol trained on her. They warned him that she was unpredictable. “Hurry up!”
Sensing her fear, the horse neighs loudly and side steps. “I don’t know how to ride.” She cries out as he kicks at her with his booted foot.
"Figure it out, or I will spray the ground with your Irish blood," he hisses. Bronnah is weeping softly as she whispers softly to the horse.
She pulls herself onto the horse as best she can and holds on tightly to the reigns. Cleveland reaches over and snaps a pair of handcuffs on her and grabs the reigns from her trembling hands. He leads her down the back alley, to a dirt road leading out of town. The owner of the Dusty Boots Saloon watches from the shadows as the Sheriff rides away with a pretty blonde. His eyes narrow in suspicion as four China men on horseback join them. Somethings not right and he means to find out what it is.
Chase pays the owner of the General Store and moves to the livery, glancing across the street at the Sheriff's office. He's itching to get back to Bronnah, but first, he needs to collect a few things. Striding quickly down the street he's about to step through the swinging doors when the owner Roy pushes his way outside.
Surprise flickers for a second, followed by relief. “Chase! Good to see you home.” He pumps his hand in a friendly shake.
“Something wrong, Roy?” he asks softly.
"No, I'm sure it's nothing. I think I know why you're here, they are waiting inside. Been here for two days now. Should I be worried about another shoot out? I just finished the repairs from your last visit." Chase laughs at his friend and leads the way inside.
“I can’t make any promises, Roy.” His smile broadens as he hurries to the corner table and greets his friends. Three of the six he sent for. Handshakes and whiskey follow quickly, and Chase tosses his hat on the table.
"Roy, I'd like to introduce my friends, Army Ranger, Jack Baker. Davis King, the best hunter, and trapper I've ever met and Reverend Virgil Collins. We served together during the war."
“It’s nice to meet you. Welcome to Wyoming. What’ll it be?”
“Bourbon.” Chase sits quickly and waits for Roy to move away. “Thank you for coming so quickly.” He brings them up to speed on the trafficking and is just explaining about Bronnah when Roy returns.
“My wife is giving her statement to Sherriff Howe. I’m to pick her up soon.” Chase laughs at Roy’s shocked countenance.
"Your wife?" Roy looked to the door, and his smile fades. "Is she blonde?"
Chase stands slowly, “Almost silver blonde in fact. Why?”
“I… I just saw Sheriff Howe leading a woman on horseback down the dirt road out of town with four Chinamen.” No words are necessary as Chase roars in outrage and races from the bar.
Jack Baker stays behind to question Roy, while his friends follow Chase. “How long ago and where does this trail lead?”
Chase’s horses are at the livery, he quickly cuts them loose from the wagon as he pulls his shotgun and checks his ammo count. Good thing he stocked up earlier. “I’ll need your help. These are not ordinary Chinamen, these are Chen warriors.”
Jack joins them on horseback as Davis King snorts out, "Why would anything with you be simple? No worries Chase, I can track them." He races off, and they all kick the horses into a gallop.
“He has over a thirty-minute lead on us,” Jack snaps.
“Just get me within shooting distance,” the Reverend snaps. He earned the name Shotgun in the Infantry after they discovered he was a phenomenal shot.
“Leave no one alive,” Chase declares without hesitation.
“What about the Sheriff?” Davis asked.
“He’s mine,” Chase snarls.
"Where are you taking me?" Bronnah demands as he snaps out an order to the four Chen. They close ranks around her horse to ensure that she can't escape and ride on, ignoring her question. The pace is brutal, he is pushing the horses at a fast run, and she's terrified.
Bronnah is afraid that Chase will follow, and he has no clue that his family is in danger. “How could you do this to him? He trusted you!” That gets his attention. Cleveland slows his mount down and switches places with one of the men. He trots along beside her.
"I didn't steal from them, Mrs. Rivers, you did. You pissed off the wrong people, and the Chen never forgive, and they never forget. Surely you didn't think you'd get away with that?"
“You must be joking? I’m a human being, not property to be sold.”
"I beg to differ, I've bought and sold more women than I can count. That is until the Mighty Marshall came home
