Chapter Thirty-Five

Barnaby had been gone a long while. Audrey's hope that the man in the wagon had been Irish coming to save her with Ance in tow was beginning to fade. Then again, hadn't she herself wanted Ance to stay far from here? She did. She didn't want him here. She didn't want him to die for her. She wanted him to take Penelope and raise her, care for her and leave Audrey to whatever fate she was in store for. As long as Penelope was safe and sound nothing else in the world mattered. 

Audrey's chin fell to her chest and she was about to give in to the sleep that was fighting to claim her when she heard a scraping sound on the other side of the heavy wooden door to the room that was her prison. Knowing it was Barnaby or one of his associates Audrey tensed and tried to prepare herself for whatever they had in store for her. 

The door swung open and Audrey frowned. There was a shadowed figure in the entryway but they carried no light and it was impossible to make out any details about them. Why would Barnaby or one of the other men come down into the dark cellars without a light? 

The figure stepped through the door and their head thudded against the wooden beam. A low growl filled the room. A growl that Audrey recognized. Her heart leapt into her throat. 

"Ance?" she whispered, her voice cracking and her throat burning from so long without use. 

"Audrey?" Ance's voice was a welcome sound. No matter how selfless Audrey had tried to be in wishing he would stay away, she felt an undeniable relief at his presence. 

A match flared to life and she saw him. He looked dirty and tired and there was something dark down the front of his clothes which Audrey thought might be blood but he was there, he was whole and his deep blue eyes were staring straight at her. 

"Damn woman you look like hell," he muttered as he strode forward and tossed the dying match to the ground. Suddenly he was on his knees and his arms were around her as he buried his head in her neck. "Damnation woman, I'm sorry they got you... have they hurt you, lady?" 

Audrey shook her head and cursed the tears that streamed down her cheeks. "No... they've just kept me tied," she assured him, her voice a mere whisper which was all she could manage. "Ance, Penelope.. Please tell me you found Penelope...." 

Ance lifted his head and his large hands tenderly cupped her cheeks. "She's just fine, Audrey. I got her out of there and she's.....she's in a safe place." 

"With who?" 

"Irish's mom," Ance replied, sounding sheepish. 

Audrey had questions but now wasn't the time. "Ance we have to get out of here... Barnaby planned on selling me in the morning to some Indians..." 

"You aren't getting sold to anyone, Audrey," Ance vowed, that possessive tone his voice washing over her and causing her to tremble. Damn this man did things to her that no other man had ever done. "Now Irish has Barnaby and his men busy sipping elixirs and eating dinner. I killed the only two men keeping watch outside. The plan is to get you out of the fort and then come back in and kill them all." 

"That's a lot of killing, Ance..." Audrey replied, chewing her dry, cracked lip. 

"And it's going to be done," Ance assured her. "As long as any of these men are still breathing air they're a danger to Penny and I won't let them live." 

Audrey knew he was right. As much as the thought of so much death and blood made her soul hurt, there truly was no other way. Barnaby and these men had made their beds and now it would seem Ance was going to see that they lie in them permanently. 

"Untie me, Ance. I want to help you get them." 

Ance pulled his knife and sliced the ropes that held her wrists. Audrey nearly cried out from the pain as she moved her arms to the front for the first time in a good solid week. The blood began to rush back to her fingers and Audrey shook them out as she whimpered. 

"I don't think you're in any shape to help, woman," Ance stated as he stood straight and held out his hand. 

Audrey glared up at him as she put her hand in his and he lifted her up. This time Audrey did cry out as her legs refused to hold her weight. She lurched forward and fell fast. Ance's arms were around her long before she had time to hit the ground. "Dammit, it hurts!" she exclaimed with frustration. 

"Of course it does. You ain't used your muscles in a long damn time, you're half starved, more than a little dehydrated and you're exhausted. You are going to be safely outside this fort before the real fighting starts and you ain't gonna fight me on that." 

"I want to help, Ance," Audrey argued stubbornly. "She's my daughter." 

Ance nodded and scooped Audrey up bridal style. "Yeah and she loves her mama and I promised her I'd bring her mama back safe and sound. Now, dammit, Audrey, if there's one thing that this bullshit has taught me, it's that I can't...." Ance swallowed hard. "It's that me and that girl, can't lose you. So shut up, keep your damn head down and do as you're told." 

Audrey buried her head in his shoulder and remained silent. She swallowed hard as she took in what Ance had said... he didn't want to lose her. Was it possible that he was falling in love with her just as she had him? Somehow during all this craziness, Audrey had lost her heart to this deadly outlaw who loved her daughter so. 

Audrey wanted a future--a future where Ance lived on the ranch with her and Penelope and he fell asleep beside her every night and woke up next to her every morning. But Ance wouldn't want that... he'd made it clear he wasn't the type of man to settle down in a home with a family.... 

Audrey shook off her thoughts as Ance started up a rickety wooden staircase toward the open cellar door. Now was not the time to worry about a future... now was time to simply try not to die. It was a time to focus on getting back to Penelope and getting her daughter home safe and sound. Audrey sighed with fatigue. She was so tired of spending every waking moment worrying and fighting simply to live. 

The shadows were lengthening when they climbed out of the cellar. Audrey drew in deep breaths of the first fresh air she'd breathed in since she'd arrived at this fort. Her eyes took in the sight of the sky and low lying sun. The scents and sights flooded her senses. But what struck her the most was the quiet. 

"What exactly is Irish doing to entertain Barnaby and his men?" she whispered. 

"Letting them sample his elixir," Ance replied. 

Audrey's eyes widened. "Hell, they may be dead already." 

"That would simplify things," Ance agreed. 

 The two fell silent as Ance carried her to a back wall and a spot where the wall had crumbled and was only about four feet tall. This spot was in line with the front turret where guards were usually posted but now no guard stood there... Audrey wondered if that was because he was inside with Irish and the others or if he was because Ance had killed him. 

She glanced at the blood chest she was laying against and realized it was probably the latter. Audrey curled tighter into Ance as he carried her over the wall and across the arid landscape. They topped over a rise and came to a large cluster of boulders and rocks. Audrey saw Ance's mare grazing on the tough weeds on the other side of the rocks and Ance gently sat Audrey on the ground beside her, propping her against the rocks. 

He went to the saddlebag and pulled out a canteen of water and a sack. Audrey took both and greedily drank several deep swallows before looking in the sack and realizing it was hardtack and jerky--not her favorite fare but a much better meal than she'd had in a while. 

Ance crouched beside her and smoothed her knotted hair from her face. "You stay here with the horse, Audrey. If I'm not back in a decent amount of time, you hop on her back and you ride like the hounds of hell are on your ass until she collapses beneath you and then you run on your own two feet until you can't go another step...." 

"You're coming back to me, Ance... you have to," Audrey countered, shaking her head and looking into his eyes. 

"That is most certainly the plan, lady," Ance agreed gruffly. He leaned forward and pressed a tender kiss to her brow. Audrey's heart went haywire in her chest as it thudded against her ribs. 

"You better come back, Ance. Penelope needs you." Audrey swallowed hard and put her hand on his bearded and scarred cheek. "I..I can't lose you either." 

Ance swallowed hard, nodded once and then stood and strode away without so much as a backward glance.