I understand that some of you are pretty upset with me and how long you have to wait in between chapter updates and all I have to say is sorry, guys. I�m a full-time teacher, a wife, a homemaker, a Sunday school teacher�in another words�a very busy woman (kinda like a jack of all trades and a master of none! Haha!). Writing these stories is just a hobby that I like to do in �my spare time.� Please just be patient with me and I�ll see if I can�t do a little better�but I can give you no guarantees.
In Chapter 30 Justin had been taken to the clinic for treatment, while the others were being taken to the gullies in the western pastures for the rains to carry them away.
So�This Is Montana� Ch. 31
The clinic�s small waiting area was still and quiet save the nervous tapping of ranch hand Pete Conroe�s booted foot against the cold linoleum floor. Dr. Parrish had sent him out of the emergency treatment area when Justin had been wheeled into the x-ray room and now he was being forced to wait for word on his condition. It was the doctor�s hope that the stick that had become lodged in Justin�s side had not penetrated too deeply and it would simply be a matter of taking the young man into surgery to remove it. The x-rays would give them more information and would help the doctors in deciding their course of action.
�Geez�this waiting around is tough,� Pete said aloud with a groan as he stood up from his chair to make his way over to the small coffee pot at the opposite side of the room. From the looks of the coffee he was certain that it was probably strong enough to grow legs and walk away, which was exactly what he needed for the moment.
After pouring himself a cup, he wandered about the room, glancing at the various pictures hanging on the wall, not really seeing them�his mind was too preoccupied with thoughts of not only Justin, but also of Joey, JC, Chris and Lance. Never in his wildest dreams could he have imagined that those four young men were facing the possibility of death at the hands of Steven Cartwright and John Williams�it was all so surreal and outlandish.
With a small shake of his head, Pete sat back down in his chair and slowly drank his coffee all the while hoping and praying for the young men.
The surge of relief that Lance had felt after being able to escape from John, Steven and their group of thugs in the hopes of finding help was short-lived. His horse had managed to dodge through the thick undergrowth and trees lining a small trail in the woods. Periodically, during his brief, wild flight for freedom, lightning lit up the night sky just enough that he was able to see when to dodge the limbs that flew by at the feverish pace his horse had set. It was during one of those flashes of light when he saw a fallen log immediately ahead. With his arms bound tightly, he was left with the inability to hang onto his horse properly and with a fearful grunt into his gag, Lance leaned forward over his horse as far was he was able a split second before he felt his mount become air borne. The sudden feeling of weightlessness caused his stomach to drop and his heart to flutter, but that was nothing in comparison to the moment that Lance felt his horse begin to lose its footing just as she landed on the other side of the log. As if in slow motion, his bound body fell right along with the horse onto the muddy, unforgiving ground with his momentum, fortunately thrusting him away from the thrashing animal. He felt a white-hot flash of pain consume his body before blessed darkness pulled him within its depths.
In his unconscious state, Lance�s inert form slowly continued to slide, propelled by the force of his fall. Uninhibited, his lax body slid down a rain slicked, muddy embankment stopping only within about five�maybe six feet of a steadily growing stream of runoff rainwater. The only thing preventing him from going any closer to the rushing waters was the fact that the ropes bound about his chest had somehow been snagged by a small tree stump standing no more than ten inches above ground. Suddenly, the rain began to fall even harder at that same moment, threatening to gradually soften the ground holding the roots of the stump in place. With Lance�s added deadweight, it would just be a matter of time before the ground would give way, releasing the roots from its grasp. Nothing would be preventing Lance�s limp form from simply slipping into the rapidly deepening waters below.
On the trail above Lance, his horse managed to make it to her feet, but was unable to move away�her right foreleg had been badly wrenched in the fall, leaving her gravely injured. With her head hung low in pain, the horse remained on the trail in the pouring rain.
�Play dead�play dead,� Charlie Reynolds tensely murmured into Joey�s ears all the while covering the young man�s body with his own in not only an effort to protect him from the frightened horses milling nervously about them but also to somehow buy some precious time for the young men John and Steven were bent on destroying. In the background, he could still hear John shouting angrily of Lance�s escape and threatening those around him who were responsible for that happening.
�I mean it�play dead now, kid. I�m trying to get you and the others out of this somehow,� Charlie whispered harshly into Joey�s ears.
In response to the man�s desperate urgings Joey became limp and pliant under the man�s large body. It was all that he could do not to move away from the man in disgust since he was a part of the group bent on killing him, JC, Chris, Lance, Mitch and Troy but if the man thought he could somehow get them out of the situation, he was willing to try anything. Charlie�s actions were causing Joey great confusion, but in the end he knew that he, in one way or another, needed to trust this man�it could possibly mean saving his life and those of the others in doing so.
�Where did Bass go?� John continued to shout as his body hummed with rage. �Who was supposed to be watching him?�
When no answer came from those surrounding him, John pulled out his gun and began waving it in the air. When his threat gained him no response, he cocked the trigger then pulled it.
�Pete?� Dr. Granger called out as he entered the waiting area.
Immediately, the ranch hand stood up and quickly crossed the room all the while asking questions in rapid-fire succession.
�How is he? Is he going to be okay? Can I see him?�
Before Pete could ask any more questions, Dr. Granger held up his hands in an effort to slow the anxious man down.
�He�s okay, Pete�he�s doing fine.�
The ranch hand visibly relaxed while the doctor continued giving him Justin�s condition.
�He�s a little worse for wear�will be pretty sore and out of it for a while, but should be up and running in a couple of days. We�ll need to keep him here to make sure there�s no chance for infection for a day or two, but all in all�he�s going to be just fine.�
�That�s great news, doc. When can I see him?�
Seeing how anxious Pete was to make sure for himself that Justin was going to be okay, Dr. Granger decided to lead him back into the recovery area where Justin was resting.
"He�s still pretty groggy from the anesthesia and pain meds but he�ll know that you�re there so go ahead and talk to him�let him know that he�s not alone,� the doctor explained as he opened a door at the end of a hallway allowing Pete to enter the room ahead of him.
As the pair made their way to Justin�s bedside, Pete felt his stomach drop at the sight before him.
�He�s so pale�I didn�t�I guess I�didn�t realize he�d look so��
�Rough,� the doctor finished the sentence for him then tried to reassure Pete. �Believe me�Justin is going to be just fine. He suffered quite a trauma this evening. Add surgery to that�some pain medications and the aftereffects of anesthesia and�well�you don�t look your best. Give him a few more hours and he�ll have his color back and he�ll be looking much better.�
Pete simply nodded in response the doctor�s reassurances. The pair stood for a few more seconds in silence before Dr. Granger cleared his throat.
�Listen, Pete�I need to go help Dr. Parrish and the others get ready just in case�you know,� the doctor said, referring to the fact that they could be expecting several arrivals, stumbling over his words, not wanting the possibilities to become reality. He quickly clapped the ranch hand on the shoulder and Pete simply nodded as he watched the doctor leave the room before turning his attention back to the figure lying still on the bed before him. The room was quiet save the soft beeping of the heart monitor sitting on a nearby shelf and the soft hissing of oxygen being fed to Justin through a nasal canula. Slowly, he made his way over to an empty chair and pulled it closer to Justin�s bed before sitting down to wait for the young man to awaken.
Law enforcement officials raced down a dirt road that would carry them parallel to the western pastures all the while hoping for any piece of good luck in finding the threatened young men.
�See anything, Hal?� a voice called out over the squad car�s radio.
"No,� the senior officer growled into his radio as he did his best to avoid the potholes littering the dirt road all the while barking further instructions.
�When we get to the next gate in the fence, take it, Mason.�
�10-4,� a disembodied voice answered.
�Take the next one, Sam.�
�10-4.�
Hal Owens continued to fire off instructions all in the hopes that they would somehow find the young men before it was too late.
Just when they felt as if they were running out of luck, the officers could not believe their good fortune when gunshots being fired in quick succession were suddenly heard amidst the sounds of the slow moving thunderstorm. Then, just as soon as they felt relief in getting the lead that they needed, it was replaced by the feeling of fear for those they were working so hard to locate�could the gunfire mean death or could it mean that opportunity to find them before it would be too late?
With beams of lights from flashlights and tremendous flashes of lightning piercing the darkness, Chris and JC twisted wildly in their saddles in an effort to not only see what was happening to Joey, but to also see where John was pointing his gun, which he was continuing to fire into the night air. Just minutes earlier, they had inwardly cheered while watching Lance�s form disappear into the wet night. Both prayed that Lance would not only remain safe, but would also be able to find help. Now, with bullets flying overhead, neither knew if Lance�s efforts would be rewarded.
John and Steven�s angered shouting, along with those of the other men only added to the confusion going on about them.
Chris managed to catch a glimpse of Charlie�s large form crouching over Joey as well as hear the man�s shouts for John to come closer�that Joey wouldn�t be going anywhere.
Those words sent a spear of fear to race through Chris�s heart�
�Joey! Joey!� his mind screamed as he tried to spur his horse to move in his friend�s direction, but the man who had grabbed his horses� dangling reins just seconds before prevented that from happening.
Wildly, Chris looked toward JC to see that he seemed to be in some sort of daze. With a sick feeling he knew that JC was suffering from whatever had happened to him back at the ranch house.
�Mmmphtt!� he screamed into his gag in an effort to get the dazed figure�s attention, but his efforts were lost in a sudden clap of thunder.
Just then a bullet suddenly whizzed by his ear and Chris instinctively bent over his saddle, pressing his body as close to his horse as possible while JC, too panicked and dazed to actually think straight, continued to remain upright. Seeing that JC was in such a vulnerable position, Chris screamed once again into his gag in an effort to gain JC�s attention, but the continuous chaos of the storm, the nervous horses, John�s angered shouts as well as those of the other men created so much commotion that his cries went unheard.
�There! There they are! I see them! I see them!� a voice shouted over the radio. �About 150�200 yards off the road, near the far gate.�
�Get on it�now!�
Voices brought the radios to life as ambulances were alerted to come in cautiously and to await word on when to approach while back up was requested as more shots were heard being fired.
�Are you within range? Can you see anything, Sam?�
�Hold on��
Sam Griffen quickly picked up a pair of night vision binoculars and exited his vehicle, which he had parked just within the gate that he had been sent to just minutes earlier. Lifting the binoculars he could make out several figures on horseback. It took a few seconds for him to pick out JC and Chris�s bound forms from those others milling about them.
�Two�geez�just two. Where�s the other two?� he murmured as he scanned the area. He looked at the ground beneath the horses and saw on figure lying on the ground with another leaning over him. Having no idea what was actually going on, that Joey was actually very much alive, the officer immediately thought the very worst as he took one more look at the scene before lowering the binoculars.
�No�no,� he murmured as he raced back to his vehicle.
�I see four of the kidnap victims still on horseback�Chasez�Kirkpatrick�Troy and Mitch�� Sam informed those who had not yet arrived. �And�there�s one on the ground�I repeat�one on the ground. Don�t know if it�s Fatone or Bass�one is missing. I repeat�one is missing.�
�Only four on horseback�one on the ground?� a voice called out.
�Affirmative�four and one�four and one,� Sam answered.
�We�re almost there!� Hal shouted into his radio, his frustration evident in his voice�in his mind, they had been too late.
Fat raindrops fell upon Lance�s inert body, but the sensation did little in awakening him from his stupor�he remained unconscious and held precariously just feet above a steadily raging torrent of rainwater by a single stump.
Inch by agonizing inch, the dark, muddy waters continued to rise, just brushing the bottom of his feet. So far, the roots holding the stump in place had held their ground, but it was still a matter of time before something would have to give�the pull of gravity against Lance�s form fighting against the strength of roots imbedded in muddy, yielding ground�something would definitely have to give.
A violent clap of thunder suddenly sounded almost right above Lance�s position startled him into the very beginnings of consciousness.
�Mmmph�mmmph.�
The small groans that escaped from behind Lance�s gag were minute�almost too faint to be heard.
�Mmmph�mmmph�mmm��
The moans were becoming stronger as the young man struggled to reach consciousness. Not knowing the immediate and impending danger that he was in, Lance attempted to move as his awareness continued to grow, all the while each small movement caused the roots holding the stump in place to strain�to give�which in turned caused the semi-aware young man to slip closer and closer to the raging waters below.
�You�and you!� Steven shouted, pointing at two of the men who had remained on the outskirts of the group. �You go find Bass! Now! Kill him when you find him!�
Without a word, the two men spurred their horses forward while Joey almost came up off the ground, but Charlie quickly crouched back over him, pressing him into the rain soaked mud.
�Don�t do it�don�t do it,� he hissed harshly to the trembling figure. �Save yourself�save your friends still here�Troy and Mitch��
For a brief moment, the older man was unsure whether or not the young man would comply. Just as he was ready to do something as drastic as choking the young man into unconsciousness�anything to keep him still, Joey tightly clinched his eyes closed and bit back a sob that threatened to escape as he tried to relax his body which was poised for flight. He fought against the wild urges to look up for Lance�to somehow prevent what could possibly happen to one of his brothers all the while taking deep breaths to calm his quaking nerves. In helpless, hopeless anger, he became still and pliant beneath the veterinarian�s tense body, all the while screaming inwardly for God to protect Lance�to protect them all�to save them all.
�Get him up off the ground!� John shouted at Charlie Reynolds, who had remained crouched over Joey�s still form.
�Can�t! He�s hurt�bad!� Charlie shouted.
�I�ll get him up!� John shouted as he jumped from his horse, but his approach was short-lived for the night sky was suddenly lit up with the red, white, blue and yellow lights of patrol cars racing toward them.
John jerked around to look behind him at the rapidly approaching vehicles while two of the three remaining strangers quickly dropped the reins of the horses carrying Mitch and Troy�s inert forms before spurring the horses toward escape.
John ran the few feet to Charlie�s side and pushed the man away from Joey then jerked the young man�s bound form up into a seated position before pushing the barrel of his gun against his head. Charlie made a move toward the ranch hand in an effort to protect Joey, but before he could even take more than a step, John leveled his pistol at the man and fired.
Charlie fell back into the mud, gasping in shock as white-hot pain seared his right shoulder.
�You�you shot me�� he whispered in disbelief. �You�no�no�don�t, John!�
Another shot rang out amid Joey�s muted, panicked screams, and the veterinarian fell silent.
With the sound of the first shot, Chris�s horse sidestepped and pranced about as it screamed out in fright. With all his remaining strength, Chris concentrated on keeping his knees locked as tightly as possible against the rain slicked sides of his horse�he did not want to be thrown from his mount, but when the second shot was fired, his efforts failed. His frightened horse suddenly reared up causing Chris to scream in terror all the while feeling the animal slide right out from under him. Within a second, his body hit the ground.
At the same time, Steven grabbed for the nearest figure and pulled him off of his horse and slung him over the pummel of his saddle.
Chris screamed in terror from his position on the ground as he watched JC writhe in fear and struggled against the ranch hand�s firm grasp, but his movements were stifled when Steven brought the butt of his gun down on his head. With a small groan, JC�s body became a limp burden�a bargaining chip, as far as Steven was concerned. He turned his horse so that it face the cars and he pushed his gun into JC�s side�he was ready.
�Put down your weapons!� Hal called out over his speaker. �It�s over, John�it�s over. Don�t make it any worse, John�give it up.�
In response, the ranch hand stood up, pulling Joey along with him into a standing position. He wrapped one arm around the writhing young man�s chest and held the still smoking gun barrel against Joey�s head.
�Shut up�shut up,� his yelled into Joey�s ear and immediately, the young man�s muted screams of fright turned into almost non-existent whimpers as he tried to comply with the ranch hand�s demands.
The searing heat of the still hot barrel burned Joey�s temple�he could feel his skin blistering, burning against the metal but he put up little resistance when he heard the gun being cocked.
Desperate to keep the situation under some semblance of control, Hal spoke into his loudspeaker.
�John�Selma told us where you were going�what you were doing. She�s waiting for you to come home, John�she�s waiting.�
At the mention of his mother�s name, John slightly faltered and Hal prayed that his lie was believable and would turn the dangerous situation in his favor.
�I don�t believe you!� John suddenly shouted in anger, tightening his grasp on Joey. In turn, the young man groaned in pain at the increasing pressure on his ribs as well as the burning sensation still boring harshly into his temple.
Hal watched the indecision pass over the ranch hand�s features. He knew that the next few seconds could mean life or death for the young man being held within John�s grasp. He would just have to play his cards right.
�John! She told us where you were going when she realized that she didn�t want her son to have innocent blood on his hands! Steven�she didn�t want that for you either! Give it up! Don�t do something else that you�re going to regret�that your mother will regret!�
John shook his head in response to the words as his steely resolve began to waver at the mention of the one person he cared for more deeply than life itself. Slowly�he began to lower his gun while at the same time releasing his hold on Joey�s trembling form. With rubbery knees, Joey dropped like a rock into the mud and he again struggled to curl up into the smallest form possible in an effort to disappear.
Just as soon as Steven recognized that John was beginning to have second thoughts, he knew that he didn�t stand a chance. Desperate to save his own skin, he pushed JC�s inert form to the ground with one swift movement before spurring his horse away from the cars in a last ditch effort at escape. From that point on, everything seemed to move in slow motion. John, seeing Steven out of the corner of his eye attempting to make an escape, turned, raised his gun and fired while at the same time, Sheriff Hal Owens raised his own rifle and fired a round. Both men hit their intended targets and two bodies fell almost simultaneously to the ground.
As the echo of the shots rang into the stormy night, Chris somehow managed to throw himself over JC�s limp form in an effort to protect him while at the same time, Joey remained curled, whimpering in fear when he felt John�s body fall on him. He opened his eyes and was horrified to see the ranch hand staring back at him with dead, unseeing eyes. Screaming into his gag, he struggled to move away but found that he was being held in place by the man�s dead weight resting over his bent legs. In a frenzied panic, Joey recoiled when he felt a hand firmly grip his shoulder but he never heard the officer�s reassuring tones�he had fallen into a dead faint�the events of the evening having finally caught up with the young man and his mind and body simply shut down.
Officers completely surrounded the young men, anxiously tugging at and untying the bonds that had been holding them immobile for so long while others moved to block John and Steven�s dead bodies from the group�s view.
�Lance! Lance!� was the first word that Chris whispered repeatedly to the officer leaning over him. �He headed into the woods�you gotta find him�please! Two others went after him�hurry�please! Justin�he escaped from the ranch house�geez�I don�t know how long ago!� he whispered in a voice full of panic as he suddenly realized that both his youngest brothers were missing.
�Shh�sh,� Hal said as he bent over the young man. �Justin was found. He�s at the clinic�safe and sound�Pete�s with him right now, Chris. Don�t worry about Lance�we�ll find him.�
Chris limply nodded his head before his eyelids began to slowly flutter as darkness began to drift into the periphery of his vision.
�Chris�Chris?� the officer said, recognizing that the young man was beginning to show signs of shock. With rushed movements, Hal ripped off his jacket and threw it over limp body in an effort to help the young man before yelling out for an ambulance. Chris never heard the officer�s words�he had already slipped into darkness.
�Get that ambulance up here�now!� another man called out in the distance as he and four other officers gently pulled Mitch and Troy�s limp forms to the ground. �They�re bad off, Hal�real bad off!�
Shouts and bright lights pierced the night sky as ambulances pulled into the pasture. Within a few minutes, JC, Troy and Mitch were on their way to the clinic in separate ambulances while a pair of patrol cars whisked Chris and Joey from the scene in quick pursuit.
The pair of strangers that John had sent out to look for Lance had headed in the same direction that he had some twenty or more minutes ago. At a half trot, they unknowingly urged their horses down the same muddy trail that the young man had been on before plunging over an embankment.
�When we find him�we�we won�t kill him, Hank,� Lawson Miller said in a voice trembling in disbelief over the situation that he and his brother were in.
�No�we�ll figure something out. If we take him in�it�ll help us out�it has to, Law.�
The pair continued on in silence as they shown their flashlights into the darkness. For several minutes they were certain that their efforts would go un-rewarded until they heard a very faint noise in the distance.
�Sh�hear that?�
�What?� Lawson said, straining to hear anything amidst the howling wind and falling rain.
Both urged their horses forward around a bend in the trail then stopped in shock at the sight before them. There ahead on the trail was the horse that Bass had been riding.
Seconds later, Hank, after getting off his horse to approach the injured animal, grasped the reins and gently began speaking to her. At the same time, his brother had also dismounted and began playing his flashlight along the edges of the trail.
�Law�he�s down there somewhere,� he said just as soon as he found what looked to be a large smear in the mud just at the edge of a steep embankment which fell sharply toward a now almost full gully.
�Where?�
Frantically, Lawson pointed the beam of light at what looked like a lump halfway down the embankment.
�Grab a rope�there he is�in the water!� he yelled pointing at something below.
By that time, all that could be seen of the blond man below was his head and upper chest�the rest of his body was submerged beneath the rushing waters.
�Hurry!�
With quick movements the brothers tied off the rope to a nearby tree, then, wrapping the other end of the rope about his waist, Lawson, the smaller and lighter of the two, lowered himself down the slick embankment.
�Light! I need light, Hank!� he yelled above the roar of the water once he reached Lance�s side. Seconds later, he found himself to be looking into green eyes open wide and wild with fear�his body shaking with cold.
�Don�t move, kid!� he yelled as he reached for the gag covering Lance�s mouth, following the young man�s moving head as he seemingly tried to avoid his approaching hand.
�Be still�I mean it.�
Grasping the thick cloth in his hand, with a quick jerk, he pulled it free from the young man�s face to reveal lips tinged blue with cold.
�Help�me�please,� Lance whispered weakly before succumbing to even more violent shivers.
�You�re safe now, kid�you�re gonna be okay!�
With that said, Lawson grasped the second rope that had been thrown down to him. With deft, quick movements, he wrapped it about Lance�s shivering form, tied it off then yelled for his brother to pull from above. At that same moment, with the first jerk of the rope, the one thing having kept Lance from certain death, finally gave way as his body was pulled to safety�with a splash, the stump slipped into the muddy, swift moving waters.