Comanche Haven (The Loflin Legacy: Book 1) (16 page)

Her cousin was alive! Red
Bear was alive and well and here!
She knew
he’d seen them. W
hat was he doing
here?
Working hard to quell the nerves,
which had her wanting to bolt after him, Celia yanked on her
horse’s reins. “Jake, I think I want to turn around now. I’m really
tired and the sun is a bit too much.” Steering the roan back in the
direction they had come, she glanced nervously back for
Jake.

“
Sure thing, Miss Celia.”
Jake peered up in the sky. “The sun’s beatin’ down a mite fierce
for sure.” With nothing more than the tip of his hat, they were
leaving the hill and retracing their tracks.

Celia breathed a sigh of relief when
they finally arrived at the barn. One of the hands took Celia’s
roan as she slid from the mare’s back. Briefly thanking Jake, she
darted for the house and had to remind herself to slow her pace or
Jake would think it suspicious. Surprised but grateful Maggie
wasn’t around, Celia slipped down the hall and entered her room,
locking the door behind her.

Her thoughts, jumbled and errant,
needed sorting. She knew now at least Red Bear was alive. Her
concerns mounted though as she considered what he meant to do. She
had to talk to him - to reach him - to explain things. Maybe she
could ride out and meet him. Perhaps slip out after everyone had
gone to sleep. She had to find out what was going on. She had to
know. Resting on the side of the bed, Celia removed her riding
boots and stockings.

She hated the thought of keeping her
discovery from those she considered her friends – those who’d
helped her and continued to do so. But, what she was about to do
had to remain a secret, Celia mused, at least for the moment. She
vowed she would tell Seth and the others when she found out what
Red Bear’s intentions were. Concern for her cousin as well as
concern for Seth and the ranch weighed heavy on her mind. Then
there was the guilt. Seth would be so mad. She simply wouldn’t
think about that. She couldn’t. Celia began to devise a
plan.

Deciding to slip out after dark to find
her cousin, she got up and removed her riding habit. Placing it
where she could get to it easily when it was time, Celia lay across
the bed and told herself she would sleep only a little while. She
prayed for a clear night and a bright moon. Since Maggie had
already brought a light meal and left it with her, she was alone
for a while. Celia closed her eyes and told herself she would rest
until dusk. Exhaustion had other plans and when she awoke, it was
late.

The moon was high in the night sky.
Dressing quickly, she tiptoed to her door. With it slightly ajar,
she surveyed the hall. All seemed clear. With Seth in Tyler, she
would have one less obstacle standing in her way as she put her
plan into action. Her heart beat rapidly in her chest. The pangs of
guilt floating in and out of her mind did little to bolster her
confidence, but she had to make sure Red Bear understood she had
come willingly with the Loflins. If he considered them guilty, then
he must be convinced he was mistaken.

Making it out to the barn, she coaxed
out the roan she’d rode earlier the same day. She crouched low atop
the mare’s back as she’d seen her father’s braves do so many times
when they wanted the enemy to see only a horse. She rode past the
corral and the pens. When all seemed clear, Celia kicked the mare
into a gallop heading toward the hills in the distance.

Sensing rather than knowing the
direction she headed in, she finally made it to the bluff Jake and
she had visited that afternoon. She dismounted and whistled using
the call of the Whippoorwill. Soon the call came back and echoed on
the cold night air. Before she could think about it, she was across
the shallow range and waiting on her cousin to appear.

Red Bear reminded her of an apparition
materializing out of the fog, which covered the ground. Slow and
smooth as a panther, he appeared from the cover of the tall pines.
The night winds whispering through them all but herald his
arrival.

He stood six feet tall with shoulders
spread wide. His muscled chest held many battle scares. His coal
black hair, platted and finished in feathers, shone in the
moonlight. A pain centered in her chest as she was reminded how
much he looked like her father all those years before. Overcome
with joy, she stepped forward to hug him.

Red Bear remained where he stood and
while he encircled her in his embrace, he showed no affection.
Standing stoically and simply watching her, Celia could see the
cool, calculating eyes of a chief. Being a Comanche warrior left a
man little room for displays of emotion, but he did give her back a
pat before setting her from him to examine.

Lone Eagle was gone now and Red Bear
The People’s leader. Any concern he had included his only cousin.
His dark-brown eyes traveled over her from head-to-toe and settled
once again on her face.

“
Celia, the Great Spirit
favors you.”

Celia watched her cousin. The only
visible sign of his pain was in the furrow of his brow line.
Pushing her further back to get a better look, Celia sensed the
steel in his hold.

He remained Lone Eagles sister’s son.
Lone Eagle had taken him and Broken Horse in when their father died
in the raids. Celia always thought of him as an older brother. Her
affection for him ran deep. Briefly, she saw it. There in his eyes
was the pain he must be feeling. His mother and all the others were
gone – taken by the white man. Then it morphed into cold hatred,
which frightened Celia to see. Her cousin wanted blood.
Understanding Red Bear’s reasons for shedding blood still didn’t
mean she agreed with them.

Broken Horse had told her in his
letters the younger warriors of their tribe believed Red Bear’s way
was the only way to solve the increasing problem the white man
forced on The People. His way was war.

“
You are well?” Red Bear
spoke in their native tongue.

“
Yes, I am well, Red
Bear.”

“
Did the white man hurt or
shame you?”

Celia could hear the strain in his
voice. The implication of his words was clear. “No, the white man
didn’t hurt me. Remember Dark Wolf?” She waited a beat as she saw a
flicker of memory cross his face at the mention of his blood
brother’s name. “He found me and took me home with him. He was
brave and noble and cared for Broken Horse and me.” She went on to
explain the difficulty they’d had and how Broken Horse was tracking
the killers now.

Lowering her head, she fought the
sudden tears welling in her eyes as the onslaught of memories came
back in an overwhelming rush. “They’re gone,” she whispered softly.
Slowly looking up into his face, she whispered again, “They’re all
gone…” It was more of a statement than a question. Celia felt the
pain anew.

Looking away, he did his best to hide
the sudden emotion, but she saw it. When he did look back to her,
he was the warrior chief once more.

“
You will be glad to know we
have joined with tribes from further west. Many come to a place
called Antelope Hill. It’s near the reservation the white man
forces on our people.” The hatred flashed in his eyes. His pupils
seemed to glow with it in the light of the moon. “We will make war
on those whites who follow us. We won’t give up our way of life to
the white man. We will fight to the death.”

“
To the death…” Celia
repeated Red Bear’s words aloud. A dull ache settled in her heart.
He spoke of revenge “We?” she latched on. “You said the word ‘we!’
Are others still alive? Who? How many made it? Are they all right?
Do they need attention?”

The hard lines around his mouth
softened into a brief smile, which never reached his eyes. “Twelve
of us were hunting when they attacked.” He quieted once again and
glanced off into the trees as if trying to regain his composure.
“We came back to find the camp destroyed. The People were dead.
Someone had buried them all.”

Again, the pain in Red Bear’s voice
made Celia’s heart ache. She nodded before explaining. “Dark Wolf
helped me bury them.”

As Red Bear’s eyes met hers, Celia
continued, “They all had a proper burial, I saw to it. Afterward,
Dark Wolf brought me back to his ranch. I am safe because of them.”
She could see what she thought was a glimmer of gratitude in his
expression. It was short lived though.

When he turned to her, Red Bear gripped
her shoulders once more. “My anger is great! The white man will
pay! I will hunt down those responsible like the dogs they are and
make them pay. You can believe what I say. They will be made to
suffer…”

His tone held such pain and bitterness
Celia thought her cousin might have gone slightly mad. “You know it
wasn’t Dark Wolf’s men?” She watched his face for any sign of
conformation.

The gleam of hatred burned in his eyes
and made her blood run cold. “If what you speak of is truth, then
there is only one other answer.”

“
What are you saying? Who?”
Celia implored.

“
There were tracks made by
the white man’s warriors – guns and shells from their guns. They
all spoke of the U.S. Cavalry.” His gaze traveled toward the tree
line. “I want the paleface bastards who did this. You know I will
not sleep until this is finished.”

Looking into the stricken eyes of her
cousin, Celia knew he grieved. She too felt the burgeoning fire of
revenge well up inside her. The pain of their lose rose up in her
so swiftly, she swayed on her feet. Now, all the hated memories and
insults to their people’s way of life spoke to her. She felt as
though they called to her.

“
Seth has gone to the
sheriff with some of the same things you mentioned.” Somewhere deep
within, Celia knew there would be no help from the white man. After
all, everyone knew it was tragic, but a few less redskins were a
blessing.

She’d never believed in killing as a
means to an end, but The People’s way of life was being slowly and
methodically destroyed. Didn’t the white man have to be stopped?
She watched her cousin’s face. The pain and humiliation of the
tragedy he endured showed in his deep-set black eyes. “What are you
going to do now?”

“
You are staying under Dark
Wolf’s roof?”

Something clinched in her gut.
Hesitantly, Celia nodded.

“
I want you to go back to
the white man’s house. Find out where the guns and firepower are
stored. When I come to you, I want you to show me where to find
what we need.”

She could feel the chill bumps
prickling on her arms. Fear was a weight in her chest making it
hard to breath. Celia clutched at his arm in a panic and all but
begged, “Red Bear! Dark Wolf, being a friend, would help you as a
friend. He saved me.” She searched his face. “Don’t do this. Don’t
do this to him or his family,” she pleaded. At the moment, Celia
imagined all manner of death and destruction, far greater than
simple stealing on her cousin’s part.

Red Bear said nothing.

She stepped back and clinched her
hands. “I won’t help you, I won’t do it. I can’t be a part of such
a betrayal. You have to listen to me…”

Glaring at her with contempt fueled by
anger, Red Bear charged forward and snarled. “You speak to me of
betrayal? You have been living among the white man too long,
cousin. You have no idea.”

There was steel in his voice. Celia
could feel the pain in her arms as he took them again in his great
hands. He was hurting her, but she refused to cry out.

“
Then you would take the
side of a white man?” The air hung heavy between his
words.

Celia could see the dark cloud of anger
as it whipped around him. A ripple of guilt went through
her.

“
His kind deceived us,
betrayed us, and we must now fight for what is ours. Ours! Have you
forgotten?” He stared at her as if she were a stranger. “He is no
longer a friend, but part of the enemy we now face.”

“
No, it’s not true, Red
Bear. Listen to me. Even now, he is in Tyler at the Fort seeking
the help of the Army and the Sheriff. He’s a good man, an honest
man who still sees right and wrong. Please, Seth has an idea who it
could be. Let him try to solve this before you do anything you’ll
regret.”

Red Bear’s face was grim and he glared
at her with cold dead eyes. “We will take what we need with or
without your help. We’re taking the horses. Dark Wolf has many and
we will need all we can get.”

Celia shook her head. “Please…” she
begged.

A glint shone in his eyes. “If you have
such feelings for Dark Wolf and his people, you will want to save
his life and the lives of his people. Would you save their
lives?”

Celia nodded.

“
You will do as I say then.
Find out who the murdering bastards are. When we come, you will
tell us who it is and we will take the guns and his horses. If you
do this, Dark Wolf and his people will not be harmed.”

Celia, stunned by what she was hearing,
stepped backward as if to protect herself from this thing she
couldn’t stop. “No…no!” she urged. He would actually use their
lives as barter for what he wanted. She fought to compose herself.
For now she forced herself to remain calm and pretended to go
along. “You, you promise? You give your word as a warrior no one
will be harmed?”