“I'd rather be shot than stay here,” she informed him. “You can turn around now. I'm ready.”
He unlocked the door and opened it to find Bonnie Wells standing there waiting, hands on hips. “What the hell's going on?” she demanded. “I heard your big feet tryin' to tiptoe up the hall.” Seeing Lacey behind him, carrying a satchel, she at once realized what was taking place. “Well, I'll be damned,” she exhaled. “You came back for her. I never thought you would.” She grabbed his sleeve and warned, “Ainsworth's boys are looking all over the gulch for you.”
“I figured,” Adam replied. “That's why we're kinda in a hurry. So pardon us if we don't stop and visit.”
“Whoa!” she said, refusing to release his shirt. “I'm going with you. This place is drying up faster than spit on a hot skillet.”
“What?” Adam blurted in surprise. This was not something he was prepared for. Taking one woman with him was insane enough; two would be impossible. “You just got here. You don't even know where I'm goin'.”
“I don't care where you're going. I'm going with you. I'll worry about where I end up after I get there.” She turned to Lacey then and said, “Help me get my things, honey.”
Adam stood in the darkened hallway, feeling totally helpless while the two women ran quickly to Bonnie's room to gather up her belongings. “I ain't got a horse for you,” was all the argument he could think of at the moment.
“That's not a problem,” Bonnie called back cheerfully over her shoulder as they disappeared into the room next to Lacey's. Long accustomed to a sense of survival, Bonnie knew she was many years beyond an age where she could hope for someone to step forward to rescue her. And she had no intention of remaining in Bannack to witness the obvious death of the mining town. Consequently she was ready to take the first opportunity to escape, and she didn't care if she was invited along or not. Experiencing a rather dark optimism, she was optimistic nonetheless and, like a cat, believed she would land on her feet.
The temptation to leave without them was hard to resist. Adam felt that he had been buffaloed by the hardbitten whore, and for a man who was accustomed to being in control, it was a frustrating experience.
Damn me for a softheaded fool,
he scolded himself, and for a brief moment, he was about to curse Jake, too, for without his younger brother's compassion for a sorrowful prostitute, he wouldn't have found himself in such a fix. Knowing that Finn was probably getting antsy waiting for him at the top of the ridge above town, he took a few steps down the hall to the top of the stairwell where he could see half of the saloon downstairs. What he could see told him that it was a typical night in the barroom, and no one seemed to be interested in what was going on upstairs. “Damn,” he muttered, still disgruntled over the way things had evolved. Walking back to Bonnie's door, he met the women coming from the room. They both appeared excited as if they were going on a hayride. “You're gonna have to ride on one of Finn's mules,” he said to Bonnie.
“Finn?” she responded. “Who the hell asked him along?”
“I expect he'll ask me the same question when he sees you,” Adam replied as he led the way down the hall to the back stairs, where he paused. “Might be a good idea for you to go down and make sure there's nobody standin' around the back door,” he told Bonnie.
“See, you're using me already,” she said, and started down the steps. At the bottom, she looked back and waved them on. After they had filed out the back door, the two women stood in the dark alley while Adam went behind the outhouse to get his horse, unaware that Fred, the bartender, had caught a glimpse of them as they left. Not overly curious, but enough to see who it was, he shrugged and returned to the bar.
“I hadn't planned on ridin' three on one horse,” Adam said as he led the bay back to them.
“It's not a problem,” Bonnie said once again. “I've got my own horse.” Astonished, Adam asked where it was. “I've got a little arrangement with Wilber Jenkins at the stables,” she explained. “Wilber ain't got much money to spend on partying, so I made him a special deal. We swap rides. I like to take a little ride once in a while, so he lets me take one of the horses when Mr. Thompson ain't around. Then every time I do that, I give him a free ride.” She shrugged nonchalantly. “It's just a little side arrangementâdoesn't happen very often, and not once since I've been back this time. He oughta be ready for a ride.” When her explanation was met with doubting expressions from both Adam and Lacey, she insisted, “Wilber will still be willing to do it.”
“It's nine o'clock at night,” Adam bluntly pointed out. “He'll know somethin's goin' on.”
“Don't worry about it,” Bonnie said, “I'll take care of it.” She started out toward the stables, then stopped after taking a dozen steps and looked back at them. “Don't get any ideas about taking off without me,'cause if you ain't here when I get back, I'll scream so loud I'll wake up the whole town.” That said, she proceeded to the stables, leaving Adam to wonder if the hard-seasoned prostitute would actually do what she threatened. With an impatient sigh, he turned and helped Lacey up behind the saddle, and they waited.
Just as she had said, Bonnie appeared at the head of the alley a little more than a quarter of an hour later, riding a little chestnut mare. Adam could not decide if he was glad to see she had been successful or hoped that she wouldn't show up. His immediate concern, however, was what Wilber Jenkins knew about their plans. A word from him and the sheriff's deputies would immediately be upon them.
“I told you not to worry about it,” Bonnie said. “I told Wilber that I needed to take a little late-night ride to clear the smoke and sweat of the saloon outta my headâtold him it was a female thing.” She laughed as she pictured him when she rode out the door. “He's probably asleep, drunk as he was already. I told him I'd give him a free ride when I got back.”
An Irishman, three mules loaded with gold dust, and two whores, one of them a horse thief,
was the thought that flashed through Adam's mind as he guided the bay up the slope behind the alley.
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Like Adam, Michael Finn was openly dismayed when he learned of the addition to their escape party. He had not been in favor of taking Lacey with them on a journey that might prove to be dangerous enough without having a woman to take care of. But he knew he had no say in that decision. He was the one who had asked to tag along. But Bonnie Wells? He wondered what Adam could have been thinking to agree to take her along.
The undisguised look of alarm on Finn's face adequately conveyed his reaction to her presence. Bonnie was quick to address his concern before Adam had a chance to. “What are you looking like a bear with his foot in a trap for?” she demanded of the short, bull-like Irishman. “I'll carry my weight on this trip, and I can shoot a gun as good as most men.”
“I don't doubt it,” Finn said, relaxing his expression of apprehension, almost smiling in response to the brazen prostitute. “You just might get the chance to prove it before this little party is over.” He glanced over to exchange knowing looks with Adam.
“Let's get movin',” Adam said. “We need to be way the hell away from here come sunup.”
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Since taking the regular road to Virginia City was out of the question, and an open invitation to bushwhackers, Adam and Finn had decided on a longer and decidedly more rugged route, planning to bypass Virginia City entirely. So Adam led the party directly north toward Badger Pass and the mountains. Proceeding at a cautious pace to avoid the risk of crippling any of the horses or mules in the darkness, they were unable to make very good time until, when about two miles north of Bannack, a three-quarter moon climbed over the crown of the mountains to the east of them. With a little better light to see by, they were able to pick up the pace to a fast walk. Dawn found them approximately ten miles from Bannack, just south of Badger Pass, safe enough to stop to rest the animals and eat breakfast.
Both women were quick to do their part, and soon had coffee boiling and bacon frying over the fire that Adam built. While Lacey tended the meat, Bonnie took the liberty to inventory the supplies Adam and Finn had packed. “Well, I'm glad to see you brought some flour and a little baking soda, but it looks like you didn't plan to eat anything but bacon and coffee.” She glanced at Adam for comment, but he merely shrugged in reply. “Some dried beans mighta been nice,” she went on.
“We weren't planning a picnic,” Finn responded abruptly, “or I'da brought some champagne for the ladies.”
“Hell, you didn't even bring any whiskey,” Bonnie commented as she rummaged through the packs of food.
“You just don't know where to look,” Finn snorted. “Now, just you keep out of the rest of my packs.”
Bonnie took the coffee Lacey handed her and sat down to drink it while she waited for more of the bacon to finish cooking. While she drank it, she studied the packs that the mules carried. After a few moments of silent speculation, she asked, “Is every one of those sacks filled with gold dust?”
“Whether they are or not,” Finn replied, “is no concern of yours.”
She counted ten bags. “Ten sacks,” she exclaimed, and took a loud sip of her coffee for emphasis. “You must be the richest man in the world. How much is it in dollars?” When he ignored her question, she commented, “No wonder we're sneaking around in the mountains. I thought it was just because Ainsworth was after Adam. Does he know you've got this much gold?”
“I reckon he suspects it,” Finn answered. “And when he realizes I've packed up and moved out, he'll have his men lookin' all over these hills for me. You just forget about what's in the sacks. Those sacks are filled with my blood and sweat and over two years of hard labor. You'll be needin' to worry about gettin' shot.”
Preferring not to participate in the discussion, Adam got up to check on the condition of his horses. Satisfied that they were both healthy and rested, he helped Finn check his mules. All the animals seemed fit to travel. “I know we haven't had any sleep, but I think it would be best to put a little more distance between us and Bannack. It's probably a day's ride to the Beaverhead River, so I think we should keep at it till we strike it. Whaddaya think, Finn?”
“Suits me fine,” Finn quickly agreed. “The farther we can get, the better.”
Adam looked to Bonnie then. “Think you ladies can hold up till we get there?”
“Don't worry about us,” Bonnie replied, speaking for them both. “It's sure as hell not the first time I've been up all night.”
“Well, I reckon we'll get started, then,” Adam said. With breakfast over and the horses and mules packed, they changed their direction of march to an eastern bearing, planning to strike the Beaverhead River at the end of the day if everything went smoothly. A great deal depended upon the difficulty they might encounter trying to keep a constant course through a country of hills mostly barren of trees between there and the river. At least the weather was favorable, with chilly nights and mornings, and pleasant days, giving them one less thing to worry about.
In the saddle again, Bonnie brought her stolen mare up close beside Finn and leaned over to whisper in his ear, “Ten sacksâyou know, I never realized what an attractive devil you are, old man.”
“You go to hell,” Finn retorted, gave his horse a kick, and moved away from her. She threw her head back and laughed.
Unable to match the boisterous bravado demonstrated by her older
sister in the service
, Lacey endeavored to stay as close to Adam as possible, still fearful of what each new dawn might bring. She knew that, in the event of danger, it would be Adam's strength that would decide her fate. The desperation of her situation lay upon her like a leaden shroud. It was not the possibility of death that frightened her, for she had decided that death was preferable to the prospect of spending her remaining years in the desecration of her young body. If they were fortunate to escape those who would do them harm, she would still have no notion as to what might lie ahead for her. At what point would Adam tell her that she was out of harm's way, and was therefore on her own? What would she do? She only knew one occupation. The thought caused her to shudder. Sometimes she wondered if she could go back home to her parents in Kansas. But it had been so long since she had contact with them, and she was reluctant to return an abandoned wife, afraid they might be able to read the shame she had brought upon herself. As usual, thoughts of this nature brought only despair, so she moved even closer behind Adam, seeking solace in his strength.
Gathering darkness found them still in the hills, following a stream that they figured emptied into the Beaverhead, although there was no sign of the river yet. Adam stopped and waited for Finn to pull up beside him. “Looks like we've got a little piece to go before we strike the river valley,” he said. “Maybe we oughta just make camp right here while we've still got enough light to see what we're doin'.” He paused to twist right and left in the saddle to take a longer look at the spot. The streambed was fairly wide there, with high ridges on both sides. “Won't be much danger of anybody seein' our smoke between these ridges.”
“Looks all right to me,” Finn said.
Pulling up in an effort to hear the discussion, Bonnie offered her opinion. “Good a place as any,” she agreed, and dismounted without waiting for a final decision from the men. “My ass is about to take root in this saddle,” she said, already regretting the fact that she had not stolen a saddle that was a little more comfortable for her behind. “Come on, Lacey. You can help me get a fire started, and we'll get some supper going.” She cast an accusing glance in Finn's direction and added, “Such as it is with what supplies we've got.”