Chapter Twenty-One

Outside the entrance, Squiggy was gagged and sitting on the ground next to Lucas. Lucas had a gun pointed at him. Squiggy's hands were tied behind his back with his own belt. As soon as Squiggy saw Bernadette, he shook his head and muttered something into the cloth that had been forced into his mouth.

Zeke hurried her over to Lucas. She hugged her brother. She'd never been happier to see anyone in her entire life.

"I got her to you safe and sound, just like I promised," Zeke said with a wide smile on his face.

"You didn't rescue me," she argued. "Blaze did. In fact, he rescued both of us."

Zeke had the nerve to look offended. "That's not true. I had everything under control. I was just biding my time to make my move."

She stared at him. Did he actually believe that?

One of the men yelled from inside the cave. Then a couple of punches were exchanged.

Lucas' gaze went to the hideout. "Is Blaze alright?"

"I'll go in and help him." Zeke held out his hand. "I'll take the gun."

"Actually," Lucas began with a glance at it, "this is empty. Blaze said all I had to do was act like I knew what I was doing and Squiggy would stay here."

Squiggy's eyes grew wide then he started yelling into the cloth again.

"Are there any bullets in his pockets?" Zeke asked, gesturing to Squiggy.

"I don't think so," Lucas replied. "We found him with some drawings when we got here."

"What were the drawings of?"

Bernadette's gaze went to the hideout where the men were still fighting. Shouldn't Zeke help Blaze? No one was shooting in there. He didn't have to worry about getting shot.

Before she could say something, Lucas gestured to the papers on the ground not far away. "I don't know what the drawings are of, but they're over there."

Zeke went over to the drawings and picked them up.

Bernadette could understand why Lucas wasn't helping Blaze. Lucas would get hurt as soon as he entered the cave. But Zeke lived out in this territory. He was used to this. Not only that, but he chose to be a deputy!

She went over to Zeke and shoved him toward the opening of the cave. "Help Blaze!"

Zeke shoved the papers into his pocket. "I'm going in there. Just wanted to get the drawings first."

"Get him, Mike!" Bower called out from inside the cave.

When Zeke didn't run into the cave, Bernadette glared at him.

Zeke blinked, as if his standing there and doing nothing when help was needed was totally normal for a deputy.

"Well?" Bernadette snapped.

"I'm going in. Relax." He rolled up his sleeves, took a deep breath, then ran into the cave.

Bernadette shook her head and went back to her brother. "Can you believe him? I've never seen a more worthless lawman in my entire life. He would never have been allowed to serve the community back in Pennsylvania."

Lucas offered her an apologetic smile. "Gail and I were supposed to leave with the sheriff, but he couldn't help us. Zeke was the best we could get."

"Gail? Gail Patterson came with you?"

Lucas grinned. "I married her."

Her eyes grew wide. She knew Lucas was courting her, but he hadn't seemed that excited about it. "I thought you didn't like her."

"I like her. I always liked her."

"But do you love her?"

She heard more scuffling and glanced at the cave. There was so much to discuss, but this wasn't a good time for it.

"Yes, I love her," Lucas said.

"And you had time to marry her after I left Pennsylvania? I was only gone for a few days when the bandits kidnapped me."

"I didn't want to wait. As soon as she said yes, I rushed the wedding."

She was tempted to ask if his hurry had stemmed from needing money, but she caught the happiness in his face and realized he wanted to be married to her. And at the end of the day, wasn't that the thing that mattered most? She smiled. "I'm glad you found someone you can be happy with." She scanned the walls of the canyon. "Where is she?"

"Blaze and I left her over there." He pointed to a cavern tucked into a wall northeast of them.

"I know you just married her, but wouldn't it have been safer for her if she stayed back in Pennsylvania?"

"Well, yes, and I did try to get her to stay back there, but she was determined to come along." When she gave him a skeptical look, he insisted, "It's true. She wouldn't take no for an answer. She even insisted on leaving Flagstaff and joining me and Zeke out here."

"I don't believe it. Gail would never volunteer for something dangerous."

"When we're done here, I'll take you over there so you can talk to her for yourself."

"But she's a wallflower."

He chuckled. "I know we grew up thinking that, but trust me, she's not a wallflower. She's exciting and fun and spirited."

Before he could continue extolling her virtues, Zeke tumbled out of the cave. His hat fell off his head and rolled onto the ground. He screeched as he landed on his stomach. He made an attempt to catch the hat, but it fell off the edge of the cliff. He grunted and put his face toward the ground.

Bernadette and Lucas ran toward the opening, and she peered inside. Blaze landed a punch in Bower's face, and Bower went toppling onto an unconscious Mike. Bower moaned but didn't get up. Blaze, out of breath from all the exertion the fight had caused, pushed the brown strands of hair back from his face then wiped blood on his denims. At first, Bernadette thought the blood belonged to him, but he only had a few scratches on him.

Blaze turned to them and nodded in satisfaction. "That takes care of that. Lucas, get those ropes over there?" He motioned to the corner of the cave. "We need to bind them before they wake up."

Lucas went past her and retrieved the ropes. "Here you go, Blaze."

Zeke rushed into the cave. "You can help me tie them up, Blaze."

Bernadette watched in disbelief as Blaze and Zeke tied Bower's hands behind his back. Like Blaze needed Zeke's help with anything!

After Blaze and Zeke were done with Bower, they took care of Big Mike. "I think Bower and Big Mike are going to be unconscious for a while," Blaze said. "Lucas, why don't you get Gail? When you bring her here, we'll head to the nearest town."

"I was just about to suggest that," Zeke interjected. "These outlaws need to go right to jail. There are Wanted posters everywhere for them." He puffed his chest out with pride. "Imagine what the others will say back home when they find out I brought them to justice."

"You didn't do anything," Bernadette argued. "Blaze was the one who fought them."

"Why can't you appreciate everything that I've done for you?" Zeke countered. "I had to get you away from them before I could do anything else. The main priority was getting you to safety. The second thing was to subdue them. Now, I can't help it if it took longer than planned to subdue them, can I?"

A moment of silence fell upon the group then Lucas spoke up. "I'll be back with Gail." He gave Bernadette a hug. "I'm glad you're alright."

She hugged him in return. "Thank you for coming to get me."

He released her, nodded, then headed down the path that would take him to the hideout he and Gail had been using.

Zeke scanned the area around them then clapped his hands. "I suppose we ought to sit outside while waiting for them to return."

Bernadette was tempted to go with her brother, but she recalled how steep and narrow some of the path was and decided to stay put. She sat on a rock close to Blaze. In all of the excitement, she hadn't taken the time to really study the man her brother had arranged for her to marry. He was nothing like the gentlemen she was used to back East. They, similar to Lucas, were softer and thinner. Some were pudgy, of course, but those were typically the older ones who'd had grown children. Some were tall, like Blaze, but none had an abundance of muscles threatening to pop out of their shirts. Nor did they have that rugged look about them from a lifetime spent outdoors. Blaze was the most impressive man she'd ever seen.

Zeke leaned in front of her and blocked her view of Blaze. "Are you hungry?"

She blinked in surprise. It took her a moment to switch her mind from admiring Blaze's stunning male beauty to what was happening with her stomach. "Yes."

"I didn't see any food in there," Blaze pointed out.

"They have some jerky behind one of the rocks in there. I saw the bag they were keeping it in while I was biding my time to rescue Bernadette," Zeke told him, looking very pleased to have noticed something he hadn't. "That will tide her over until Lucas returns with the food I packed for our trip." He patted her hand. "Don't you worry. We won't let you starve."

Bernadette resisted the urge to groan. Zeke had not been biding his time to rescue her! He had been as much a prisoner as she'd been. He had just gotten lucky in that Blaze happened to come along.

"I'll get the jerky." Zeke hurried into the cave.

Blaze leaned toward her, giving her a smile that made all of the miserable days she'd spent with Bower, Big Mike, and Squiggy worth it. "I packed a few things myself. I have enough ingredients to make a cheese, onion, and green pepper omelet. Don't eat too much of that jerky."

Considering how much she didn't care for tough meat, the promise of an omelet was like heaven. Now her stomach was excited by the prospect of eating. "I'll only have a small piece."

"I learned how to cook from a restaurant owner when I was fourteen. I used to help him make food for the patrons to make a little extra money to help my ma out."

"Wasn't your father there to help?"

"Unfortunately, he died when I was eight."

"Oh, that's terrible. No one should lose a parent at such a young age."

"It was a long time ago," he said. "He was a brave man. He used to go out hunting for animals. He used them to make food for me and my ma, and he'd sell their pelts to make money."

"Pelts?"

"Animal furs. Those aren't needed so much here, but when you're in the mountains, they keep you nice and warm. He went out one day, and he thought he could overcome the bear." A regretful sigh escaped his lips. "The trap wasn't as sturdy as he thought it was. He couldn't have known it ahead of time. It seemed like it was dependable. As painful as the incident was, my ma kept her faith in God. She was my biggest inspiration growing up."

Bernadette hated to ask it, but the word ‘was' implied that his mother was no longer living. "What happened to your mother?"

"She joined my pa two years ago."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. While it meant I had to say good-bye to her, I rest easier at night knowing she's with him. They really loved each other."

The faraway look in his eyes made her suspect that, despite the fact that Lucas had told her he was twenty-nine, he had the soul of someone who had lived much longer.

"Here you go," Zeke called out as he emerged from the cave with a leather sack. "There's not much left, which is a good sign," he told her. "It means they didn't intend to keep you for a long time." He opened the sack and waited for her to take out a piece of the shriveled meat. Then he turned to Blaze. "Do you want any?"

Blaze peered into the sack and took his own piece out. "Thanks." He took a bite of it. He glanced at Bernadette, and her heartbeat picked up in excitement.

Zeke sat on the ground between them and gathered a couple of pieces. "Oh hey, I almost forgot." He dug out the drawings he had shoved into his pocket earlier. "This is what Squiggy was looking at." He tucked the jerky under his arm and smoothed the papers out.

Bernadette ate her piece of jerky as he studied it. With any luck, she would never have to eat this kind of thing ever again. She didn't expect to have fancy foods once she married Blaze, but she hoped the food wouldn't be this salty or tough. Her gaze went across the canyon, and she spotted her brother as he made his way along the foreboding wall.

"Is Lucas close to where Gail is?" she asked Blaze.

He nodded then pointed to an opening in the wall that was a quarter of a mile from where Lucas was. "She's in that crevice over there."

Bernadette watched as her brother continued to make his way to her. She finished chewing the jerky and swallowed it. She was still shocked that he had married Gail.

"This is a treasure map," Zeke called out, interrupting her thoughts.

Her attention went to him as he held the drawing up for her and Blaze to see. "How do you know it's a treasure map?" she asked.

"Because it has this spot right here that marks an X." He tapped the red X on the map. "Everyone knows that an X on a map means money."

"No, they don't. That X can mean anything."

"The X means treasure. If you don't believe me, maybe you'll believe Squiggy." Zeke jumped up and went over to the only outlaw who was conscious. He untied the cloth from around the man's mouth. "You tell her what this X stands for."

Squiggy spit on him.

Zeke recoiled in disgust.

Blaze turned to Squiggy and pointed at him. "You stop that, or I'll make sure you never spit again."

Squiggy's eyes grew wide. "Sorry. I won't do it again." He sighed. "Yes, it's a map, and it goes just east of Quartzsite. I don't know how people out in Pennsylvania do it, but out here, X is a sign for treasure."

Zeke smiled in satisfaction then pulled up another drawing. "This is a map to take once we get close to Quartzsite. It even gives latitude and longitude degrees of the exact spot where the treasure is." Zeke glanced up from the drawing with a thoughtful expression on his face. "I believe that's where the Red Ghost is."

Squiggy snorted. "There is no Red Ghost."

"Oh, there certainly is," Zeke argued. "People have seen it."

As much as Bernadette hated to ask it, she found herself blurting out, "What is the Red Ghost?"

"It's a huge red beast that carries a skeleton on its back. I haven't seen it myself, but I've heard the stories. I even spoke to one of the men who claimed he shot the skeleton's head off. He said some of the hair and skin was still attached to it."

Bernadette grimaced. "That's gross, Zeke."

Zeke shrugged. "That's what he said. It might be gross, but it's true."

"I'm familiar with the stories," Blaze began, "but this Red Ghost isn't some mythical creature. It's one of the camels that were brought over by the government."

"Why would the government bring camels here? Why not bring horses?" Bernadette asked.

"Camels can survive these arid parts better than horses can," he replied. "And they can carry a lot on their backs."

"The Red Ghost can't be a camel," Zeke interrupted. "It's 30 feet tall. A camel can't get more than six feet."

"The Red Ghost can't be 30 feet tall," Blaze argued. "Something that big would be noticed all over the place."

Zeke gave him a pointed look. "Then why did the person whose wagon it knocked over say it was 30 feet tall?"

"When you're afraid of something, it's going to look bigger than it actually is," Blaze answered.

Zeke seemed upset by Blaze's logic but didn't say anything.

"There is no Red Ghost," Squiggy insisted. "But there is treasure, and treasure is enough of a reason to go anywhere."

"It's not about the treasure," Zeke said. "It's about the adventure. It's about going into the unknown and facing your fears."

Zeke? Facing his fears? Bernadette had never heard anything more absurd. Blaze had been the one who'd done all the work to save her. Without thinking, she snorted. When Blaze glanced her way, she hurried to apologize. That was a very unladylike thing she'd just done, especially in front of her intended.

Zeke huffed. "Despite what people think, I am brave. I could go to Quartzsite all by myself if I wanted to."

Blaze arched an eyebrow, and it was then she realized he was just as doubtful about Zeke's abilities as she was.

"We were hoping to get there before Lee and Wilson made it, but it looks like they'll get it now," Squiggy told Zeke.

"That's good to hear," Zeke replied. "I have the strong arm of justice on my side, and sooner or later, outlaws get what they deserve. I'll get those outlaws just like I got you and your friends."

"You didn't get us," Squiggy pointed out. "You couldn't even get Cooper. We had you tied up before you had a chance to fire your gun. It was easier to get you than it was the woman. At least, she put up a fight."

Zeke opened his mouth to protest when Blaze said, "Lee and Wilson are the men who raided an orphanage and then set the place on fire."

"Yes, and they must be brought to justice," Zeke agreed.

"I'm going with you," Blaze replied, his tone leaving no room for argument. "They're dangerous men. They need to be stopped before they kill any more people."

"You better take him along if you want to survive," Squiggy told Zeke. "Unlike me and my friends, they actually kill people."

Zeke grunted then put the cloth back into Squiggy's mouth.

Blaze turned to Bernadette. "You don't mind holding off on our wedding until I can take care of those outlaws, do you?"

Despite her disappointment, she said, "No, I don't mind." While she was excited about marrying him, she needed to put her desire on hold so that men who went around killing people could be apprehended. If someone were to die because she didn't let Blaze go after them, she'd never get over the guilt. Everyone knew Zeke wasn't up to the task.

"That settles it," Blaze told Zeke. "I'm going with you." He held his hand out. "Let me see that map and the instructions for getting to the treasure."

Zeke seemed as if he didn't want to do it, but in the end, he let out a heavy sigh and gave him the papers. "Alright, but I really am capable of doing this on my own." With a grunt, he went off to a spot where he could sit by himself. He folded his arms and stared off into the vast canyon.

Bernadette, meanwhile, took a final bite of the jerky while Blaze studied the map.