Judy Christenberry - Randall Renegade

“Go to your tent, Patience!” Kane commanded.

“Only if Tommy goes with me. He’s cold and tired. He needs to rest.”

“I am the general. You do not argue with me!”

She stood up with the little boy in her arms. “All right. I won’t.” She started to walk to the tent Kane had assigned her.

She certainly had no interest in arguing with Kane—or any of his men. When she’d arrived last night, she’d studied them, hoping to find an ally. But all of Kane’s followers were loyal to him. His three “lieutenants” were cruel, hard men, just like Joseph.

“Woman, put down that child!” he yelled.

“I’m going to our tent, just as you said, General.” She knew she should try to keep the sarcasm out of her voice, but it was impossible.

“Not with the boy!” She heard the heavy tread of feet behind her and quickened her pace.

“Hey, there!”

Everyone, including Patience, turned to look at the man who had called to the general. In the dusk she couldn’t make out his face. He and his horse were being led into camp by a pair of guards. Another guard followed with a rifle pointed at the man.

“Who are you?” Kane demanded.

“Jim Bradford.”

Patience froze. That was Jim Randall’s voice. He’d come after her! Fear swept through her. Kane would kill him.

“Why are you here, Mr. Bradford?” Kane asked.

“I was riding on the trail and I heard a lady scream,” Jim replied. “I thought she needed help.”

Patience, holding Tommy tightly to her, was waiting to see what would happen. Jim looked straight at her.

“Ma’am, do you need some help?”

Yes! Oh, yes, I do! She shook her head.

Jim actually reached up and tipped his hat to her. “My mistake, ma’am.”

“So you’ll be on your way,” Kane said coldly.

“Well, if I were in a hurry, I guess I would, but I’m not. I’ve decided I don’t much like society anymore… Hey, I sure could use a cup of coffee.” He stared pointedly at the coffeepot beside the fire.

Kane hesitated. “Okay. And you can stay here tonight if you want. But we’ll keep your weapons until you leave. You have a problem with that?”

“Nope. I didn’t catch your name.”

One of his lieutenants answered for Kane. “He’s the general of our troops. You address him as General.”

Patience knew how pretentious Jim would think the title. Counting Kane himself, the camp had fewer than twenty men. Not exactly a lot of troops.

“Well, thank you, General, for your hospitality,” Jim said. “I’d like to ask you some questions about where a man could winter up here and come out better than a chunk of ice.”

“We’ll talk after dinner,” Kane said slowly, watching the newcomer.

Patience took Kane’s momentary distraction with the stranger as an opportunity to slip into her small tent. Sinking down on the canvas floor, she kissed Tommy’s cheek. “You were very brave, sweetheart. Mommy is so proud of you.”

“I don’t like him,” Tommy whispered, sniffing.

Patience found a tissue to wipe the boy’s nose. “I know, sweetheart. But we may be able to get away and go back home to Grandma.”

“Grandma will miss me,” Tommy said.

“Oh, yes, she will.” Tommy was right. Since her older daughter’s death, only Tommy had brought smiles to her mother’s face. Patience had hated to leave her alone, but rescuing Tommy from the likes of Joseph Kane was of prime importance.

“I’m hungry, Mommy.”

Patience reached into her knapsack and pulled out a small candy bar. “That’s because you didn’t have any lunch. But supper will be in a little while.”

“Will he let us eat?”

“I hope so. If he doesn’t, I have more candy.”

“I want to stay in here,” Tommy declared. “I don’t mind eating candy.”

Patience chuckled. It was a relief to release some of her tension. “I can tell you don’t mind,” she said.

“Ma’am?”

Patience stilled as a man stuck his head through the tent opening. To her relief, it wasn’t Kane, but Roger, one of his less-vicious followers. “Yes?”

“The general requests your presence for dinner in his tent,” Roger stated.

“What about Tommy?”

“Uh, I’ll…I’ll bring him dinner here in the tent if you want.”

“That would be very nice, Roger. Will you stay and eat with him? And remain with him until I return?”

“Uh, I’ll do what I can, ma’am. He…he reminds me of my little brother.”

“Thank you, Roger. I appreciate your kindness. Will dinner include anyone else?”

“Yes, ma’am. The triplets,” he said, using the nickname for the lieutenants, “and our visitor.”

“All right, Roger. Thank you.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he said, closing the tent flap as he left.

She closed her eyes for a moment, thinking about what was before her. Dinner with Jim. He’d come to save them, she was certain. It was the first ray of hope she’d felt since she’d set off to retrieve her son.

She was thrilled that Jim had come after her. He was still the good guy she remembered. Like everyone in his family, he did what was right, no matter the cost to him.

JIM LOOKED UP as Patience entered the large tent the general called home. He’d spent the past hour pretending to be a man who was fed up with society. He’d even hinted at having had trouble with the law.

That had pleased the general.

To his surprise, the general stood and extended his hand to Patience. She ignored the gesture and sat on the only vacant camp stool.

“Jim, this is Patience, another guest tonight.” He turned to her. “My dear, we mustn’t let our little differences give our guest the wrong idea.”

She heard the warning beneath the false words and remained silent.

Kane nodded to one of his lieutenants and the man slipped from the tent. His mission became clear as several of the soldiers brought in food. To Jim’s surprise, the main dish was steaks, cooked to perfection.

“You eat well, General. I didn’t expect such quality in a camp meal.”

“Steaks are the easy part. It’s the vegetables that are hard to come by. The steaks are generously donated by the ranchers in the area, though sometimes I pay.”

Jim remembered the coins in his jeans pocket. Were they what Kane considered payment? Now he knew where some of the Randalls’ missing cattle had gone.

“I’m hoping to find someplace cut off, but with a source of supplies not too far away,” Jim said, continuing his pretense of wanting a place to hide away.

The general leaned forward, his focus on Jim. “I understand. I wonder if you might consider joining us. I supply all my men’s needs. You might stay for the winter and see if you agree with our mission.”

“What is your mission, General?”

Kane gave a mournful sigh. “I fear citizens are misled by their Christian leaders. I believe the prize goes to the fittest. I intend to rule Wyoming.”

“That would be hard to do unless you dismantled the government, wouldn’t it?”

“Ah, my friend, you are quick. I don’t intend to dismantle it. I intend to rule it. I shall be elected governor.”

It was tempting to laugh at the man. As far as Jim could tell, Kane had formed an army only to wait on him. He didn’t look prepared to overthrow anyone, much less run for office.

Jim risked a glance at Patience to see what she thought of the general’s plan. Their gazes met and she immediately turned away. He watched her look at the general before she turned her attention to her food.

He suspected the vegetables were the ones stolen from her mother’s pantry. But Patience remained cool. In control. That was what the situation required, but the Patience he remembered hadn’t been good at holding back.