The Outlaws: Sam (21 page)

She saw them before they saw her. Sam and an
Indian woman sitting side by side outside a tipi. The woman leaned
into Sam, offering him a tidbit from her fingers. Sam smiled at the
woman and accepted her offering. Their easy manner suggested an
intimate relationship.

The thought of Sam bedding another woman was
a painful one, though it shouldn't be. He'd probably bedded more
women than he could count during their six year separation. Lacey
knew she shouldn't feel betrayed, but she did. Tearing her eyes
from Sam and the Indian woman, Lacey looked for Andy. She breathed
a sigh of relief when she saw him playing tag with another child.
Pulling herself together, Lacey realized she had to act fast if she
wanted to prevent a massacre.

Suddenly a child spied her and shouted a
warning. A tall, imposing Indian brave stood up and strode toward
her just as Andy saw her and called to her.

"Mama!"

Lacey spun around, dropping to her knees and
opening her arms as Andy ran into them. She hugged him tightly,
fearing to let him go lest she lose him again. Lacey would have
stayed like that forever if a harsh voice hadn't asked, "What are
you doing here?"

Lacey gazed up into Sam's piercing dark eyes.
"I came for my son."

"Did you bring the law with you?"

"No, of course not."

"Why should I trust you?"

"Because I'm telling the truth." She rose
slowly, still holding tightly to Andy's hand.

"How did you know where to find me?"

Suddenly Lacey recalled why she had come.
"Never mind that now. You're in danger. The whole camp is in
danger. I came to warn you."

"Andy, go with Yellow Bird. Your mother and I
need to talk in private."

"Do I have to go? You won't send Mama away,
will you?"

"We'll discuss it later. Please do as I
say."

Yellow Bird, Lacey thought. So that was his
squaw's name.

"Come, An-dy," Yellow Bird said. "We will
find Sitting Bear. Perhaps he will share his meal with you so your
papa and the bad woman can talk."

"Bad woman!" Lacey huffed indignantly. "Is
that what you told her?"

"Why did Yellow Bird call Mama a bad woman,
Papa?"

"Please, Andy, not now. Go find Sitting
Bear."

Andy left with Yellow Bird though Lacey could
tell he wasn't happy about it.

"What did you tell your squaw about me?"

"The truth. And she's not my squaw. Yellow
Bird is a healer. She saved my life." He grasped her arm and pulled
her into his tipi and shoved her inside. "Enough of this. What
makes you think Chief Sitting Buffalo and his tribe are in
danger?"

"Rusty mentioned that Indians had saved your
life. Taylor suspected that you'd taken Andy to their village and
set out to find it. I had already called off the search and sent
the hands back to work when my own search turned up no trace of you
or Andy, but Taylor continued on alone. He promised to return Andy
to me. He finally found the village and hired thugs to ride with
him. They're waiting for darkness to launch their attack."

Sam searched her face. "Why are you telling
me this?"

She grasped his shirt-front, desperate now to
make him understand. "To prevent bloodshed, damn you! Why won't you
believe me? Do you think I want to see my son harmed? Or innocents
die? You have to do something, Sam. Their attack could come at any
moment."

Sam must have believed her for he loosened
her hands and shoved her away. He left the tipi. Lacey ran after
him. He marched determinedly toward the tall Indian Lacey assumed
was the chief. They spoke together in hushed, urgent tones. Then
the chief whirled about and disappeared into his tipi. He returned
moments later carrying a rifle, which he raised in the air and
shook vigorously. Sam strode back to her while men dropped whatever
they were doing to attend their chief.

"What's happening? Where's Andy? I'm
worried."

Sam didn't answer. He motioned to Yellow Bird
and she hurried over with Andy and another young boy in tow.

"Take the women and children to safety,
Yellow Bird. Lacey says bad men will attack the camp." He turned to
Lacey. "Go with them."

"I'm staying. Taylor won't harm me."

"I don't have time to argue, Lacey. Go."

"No, I'm staying."

"Dammit, have it your way. At least keep out
of sight."

Lacey didn't know why she had insisted on
staying. Andy was safe, that's all that mattered, wasn't it? Who
was she trying to fool? She knew Taylor hated Sam, and she wouldn't
hesitate to use this attack as an excuse to kill Sam. She didn't
stop to wonder why she should care, she just knew she did. Sam had
hurt her so many times in so many ways, why couldn't she just
forget him?

Because you haven't been able to forget him
in six years, a voice inside her said. When she believed Sam was
dead she'd been able to go on with her life, but when he turned up
on her doorstep alive, all those suppressed feelings came rushing
back to swamp her.

Lacey had so many reasons to hate Sam. He had
abandoned her. Taken Andy. Turned to another woman. The list went
on and on. Why couldn't she make her heart believe she hated Sam?
Why did her body thrum with awareness in his presence?

Lacey's thoughts skidded to a halt when she
noticed that the Indians were now all armed and appeared to be
moving about the camp according to some plan. The women and
children had quietly disappeared, and the campfires had already
been extinguished. It was so dark she could see nothing but shadows
moving into position. In the distance she heard the haunting call
of an owl.

She started violently when Sam came up behind
her and whispered in her ear. "They're coming. That owl was Painted
Horse. It was the signal telling us that Cramer and his men were on
the move. Stay inside the tipi." Then he was gone.

Lacey didn't argue. She returned to the tipi
but remained where she could peer out the tent flap. Suddenly there
was dead silence, not even a dog barked. Then she saw them, limned
in misty moonlight. They crept into camp, guns drawn. It suddenly
occurred to Lacey that Taylor's henchmen had probably been given
orders to shoot indiscriminately at whatever moved, with little
concern for Andy's life.

Hatred for the man whom she'd thought of as a
friend and future husband welled up inside of her. Sam had taken
Andy but he would not have hurt him, but she knew Taylor would
prefer not having Andy around to complicate his life. She was so
angry she left the tent against Sam's wishes and might have given
the ambush away had Sam not snagged her around the waist and
dragged her back inside.

"What in hell do you think you're doing?"

"Look at them," she whispered. "They're
mercenaries. They don't care who they shoot. They would have killed
Andy along with Indians had I not arrived in time to warn you. I
wanted to march out there and tell Taylor exactly what I think of
him."

Sam sent her a sharp look. "Save it. Taylor's
men aren't going to kill anyone. They're walking into a trap."

Even as Sam spoke savage war cries cut
through the stillness. Biting off a curse, he exited the tipi and
melted into the darkness. Peering out the tent flap, Lacey saw a
scene straight out of hell. Gunfire erupted, bodies clashed. Lacey
couldn't tell who was who as men engaged in hand to hand combat.
The din of battle and cries of the wounded pierced through her
heart. Had Yellow Bird gotten the women and children to safety in
time?

It was over a suddenly as it had began.
Taylor's men retreating, dragging their wounded with them. The
Indians didn't give chase. They let their attackers go, attesting
to their desire for peace. Lacey felt certain that if the Indians
hadn't been attacked they never would have taken up arms against
white men. Lacey stepped out of the tipi as campfires were
rekindled and the women and children began drifting back to
camp.

Suddenly a man in full retreat halted at the
edge of the camp, staring at Lacey in disbelief. "Lacey, is that
you?"

Lacey swung around to confront Cramer.

"My God, it is you!" Cramer exclaimed. "What
are you doing here? I thought I told you to stay home."

"I followed you, Taylor. I didn't trust your
men not to hurt Andy and I was right. If I hadn't arrived in time
innocent people would have been cut down without being given a
chance to defend themselves. And Andy with them. You care nothing
for my son."

"Those are harsh words, Lacey. I continued
looking for your son when everyone else had given up. I wanted to
restore Andy to you."

Sam appeared at her side, his body tense.
"You'd be a fool to believe him," he hissed.

"I'm not stupid, Sam."

"Get Andy and leave now," Taylor ordered.
"Gentry can't hold you against your will."

Lacey glanced at Sam, saw his fierce
expression and wasn't so sure about that. "I'm getting Andy and
leaving," she said. "He doesn't belong here. Please, Sam, I want to
go home."

"With Cramer? After what he did?"

"Taylor has nothing to do with how I feel.
Andy belongs back on the ranch. He's happy there. What can you
offer him?"

"Unconditional love," Sam bit out.

"At one time I thought that's what we had,
but I learned differently. Andy is a child, he won't understand if
you suddenly decide you don't want a son and leave us."

An angry flush crept up Sam's neck. "I'll
always want Andy."

"Lacey, I can't stand here forever," Taylor
called out. "Are you and Andy coming or aren't you?"

"Lacey can leave but Andy stays with me," Sam
asserted.

A Cry of distress slipped past Lacey's lips.
"You wouldn't!"

"I would dare anything for my son. Tell me,
Lacey, have you signed the annulment?"

"I...yes, I had to. You see, I'm convinced
Taylor wants my land for some devious reason and I'm determined to
find out what it is. I thought that signing the annulment would
make him trust me. I no longer trust him, Sam. You were right about
him and I was wrong."

"I see," Sam said evenly. "So we're no longer
married..."

"I'm not sure. The judge hasn't granted my
petition yet."

"Once the petition is granted we'll no longer
be married," Sam contended, "which means you'll be free to remarry.
If not Taylor, then some other man with enough money to save your
ranch. No other man can be a real father to Andy. Andy doesn't want
to be sent away to school. He needs at least one of his parents
with him. I gave him a choice and he chose to come with me. I
didn't take him against his will.

"You know I can't return to Denison," Sam
continued. "I'm a wanted man. I need to go far away, where no one
cares that Sam Gentry is an outlaw."

"Not with my son! Are you forgetting that I
saved your skin tonight? I could have stayed home and let you and
your Indian friends be slaughtered."

"I'm grateful, and so is Running Buffalo. But
if I'm not mistaken, you were the one who sent the law after me in
the first place."

"I did no such thing!" Lacey said,
affronted.

"I didn't imagine that posse. The bullet in
my hide was very real. How do you explain the posse when you were
the only one who knew about me?"

"I assumed the wanted posters had caught up
with you. I told no one about you, I would never do that. My threat
was an empty one. The sheriff showed up at my door the day you
left, demanding to know where you were. I told them nothing."

"Am I supposed to believe that?"

Lacey felt as if her heart were being ripped
apart. She couldn't bear Sam's animosity. Was there nothing she
could do to prove she hadn't betrayed him? The answer was obvious.
Sam hadn't believed her six years ago and didn't believe her
now.

"Lacey, why are you standing there? Get Andy.
I'm growing impatient."

"Go with Cramer, Lacey," Sam said through
clenched teeth. "Andy and I don't need you."

"Mama! Papa! I was worried about you." Andy
ran into Lacey's outstretched arms. "Did the bad men go away? I hid
in a cave with Yellow Bird and the others, but I didn't want to. I
wanted to help Papa fight the bad men."

"Hurry!" Taylor called when he saw Andy.

"Are you leaving, Mama?"

"You and I are both leaving," Lacey said,
casting a sidelong glance at Sam.

Andy squinted through the darkness at the
figure standing near the camp's perimeter. "Is that mean old
Cramer?"

"Sure is, son," Sam answered. "He led the
attack on our friends."

Andy sent his mother an aggrieved look. "Are
you going with him, Mama?"

"Well...yes, but not..."

"I'm staying with Papa," Andy said
staunchly.

"Andy, it's not as if I'm going to..."

"I don't care. I'm staying. You can stay,
too, Mama, if you want to." He gazed up at Sam. "Mama can stay,
can't she, Papa?"

"I think it would be better if she left."

"I'm not going anywhere without Andy," Lacey
declared.

"Suit yourself, but Andy isn't leaving my
protection."

"Are you coming, Lacey?" Cramer's voice held
a note of desperation. "It's not safe here for me."

"You'd better answer," Sam advised.

"Go ahead and leave, Taylor, I'm not going
with you."

"You're what! Are you mad?"

"Perhaps I am. Tell Rusty to take care of
things in my absence. And Taylor, don't come back with the
intention of attacking these innocent people again. And leave the
sheriff out of this."

"You prefer that outlaw to me?" Taylor spat.
"Unappreciative bitch. I tried to restore your son to you and now
you tell me to leave and not come back? I can't believe it of
you."

"You'd better leave, Taylor. Sam's friends
are getting nervous."

Cramer cast a nervous glance at Running
Buffalo, who was looking at Sam for direction. Then he turned and
disappeared into the forest.