Trailing Home Ch. 11

Selena gritted her teeth and focused on not letting her fears get the best of her. She knew from prior experience that Jeb enjoyed seeing her frightened. “You’ll never get away with this,” she hissed.

“Oh, I think I will,” Jeb sneered. He unbuttoned her coat and reached inside, roughly assessing her curves through her dress. “Just like I’ve done before. It’s your fault I’m here, you know. If you hadn’t told the sheriff about what happened with your Ma, I’d still be back East, but when he came nosin’ around, wantin’ to arrest me, I hid out. When he finally gave up lookin’ for me, I decided it was time to head out west.”

“The sheriff tried to arrest you?” Selena asked, desperately trying to distract Jeb from unbuttoning her clothes.

“Yeah, but I was too fast for him. Thanks to you, he was convinced I should be tried for murder,” Jeb said, jerking her harder against him to stop her from squirming. His fingers never paused as he taunted her. “I was hopin’ to be the first to have you, but I don’t really mind that you gave yourself to that husband of yours. He just broke you in for me. He just greased the way for me so to speak.” Jeb cackled at his own humor. “Besides, I’ll bet that asshole of yours hasn’t been touched yet.”

Selena squirmed against him, trying to keep his hands from making contact with her skin. “Don’t touch me!” Her voice rose with panic even though she tried to keep it calm. “You’re nothing more than a filthy murderer.”

Jeb tightened his other arm around her, making her ribs creak beneath the pressure. “That was your fault that your Ma died. If you hadn’t been hollerin’, I coulda had myself a taste, and then everthing would have been fine.”

He had her dress opened to the waist. Selena felt cold air streaming over her exposed skin, but her shiver was from pure dread rather than cold. She watched in helpless horror as his grimy hand worked on opening her thick cotton chemise, and although she continued to squirm, he made steady progress on the buttons. She couldn’t suppress a panicked sob when he pulled the two halves apart, baring her breasts so he could ogle her lewdly.

“You’re even prettier than I remember,” Jeb cackled. He used the arm around her waist to press her bosom upward and hold her firmly against him while his free hand roughly kneaded her breasts. “Your tits are fuller than your Ma’s were. Does your husband ever bite you?” he asked. He pinched her nipple so hard she cried out with pain. “Does he ever bite you right there?”

“He’s not an animal like you,” Selena choked out, cringing from his hands. “He doesn’t have to torture women to get his pleasure.”

That only made Jeb laugh more as he continued to torment her. “Well, I’m gonna bite you hard enough to leave some marks you’ll remember me by. Then every time your husband sees you naked, he’ll remember that I had some fun with his wife.” Jeb cackled with glee.

Selena tried to block out everything as he groped her. He took special delight in pinching and twisting her nipples, laughing when she flinched beneath his cruel fingers or whimpered in pain. He whispered terrible things in her ear, just as he had done that day by the creek. He told her how he was going to make her do all manner of degrading things. Selena clenched her eyes tightly shut and tried to think about Liam. She called to him in her mind, hoping against hope that he would catch up to them before Jeb had a chance to follow through with his threats.

Jeb finally realized that Selena wasn’t going to react to his abuse, and he concentrated on steering the horse over the uneven terrain. He pulled her coat partially closed, but he left her clothes unbuttoned. He took pleasure in reaching in to tweak her breasts from time to time, just to see her jump and squirm again.

As an hour passed and then another, Selena endured a private hell. The more Jeb tormented her, the more aroused he got, until she could feel the hard length of him pressed against her bottom. He waxed bolder with each passing mile. He stroked her crotch through the layers of her skirt and pantalets, and Selena fought back waves of nausea. Her resolve grew stronger with each vile caress, and she realized grimly that she would rather die than to let him rape her.

When Jeb leaned sideways to reach for the hem of her skirt, Selena saw an opening. She leaned her upper body as far forward as his restraining arm would allow. Jeb straightened when he felt her sudden movement just as Selena jerked her head back with all her might. The back of her head hit Jeb’s face with a sickening thud, and Selena was gratified to hear Jeb yowl with pain.

She ignored the shooting pain in the back of her head, intent on wriggling free of his grasp. She felt his arm loosen around her, and she squirmed frantically, clutching the horse’s mane and using her knees to keep from falling off while digging her heels into the animal’s sides. The horse didn’t know what was going on, and it danced in a nervous circle as the two riders struggled on its back.

“You little bitch,” Jeb mewled, reaching up with both hands to touch his face. “I think you broke my nose!”

Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of him clutching his bloody nose. Without pause, Selena leaned forward and jerked back against him once more, cracking her head onto his face for the second time. The force of the blow combined with the pain of her slamming into his wounded nose was enough to unseat him. Selena heard Jeb hit the ground with a thud and a loud curse, but she didn’t waste a glance on him.

Selena dug her heels into the horse’s sides, tugging on the reins with her bound hands and using her knees to turn the animal back in the direction they had come. “Giddyup!” she screamed, clutching the horse’s mane to keep from falling off as he bounded forward.

The horse was thoroughly spooked, and it ran recklessly through the thick forest. Heedless of the icy ground, Selena urged it on, wanting to put as much distance between her and Jeb as possible. She heard a shot ring out, and she leaned even lower over the horse’s neck, praying that Jeb wouldn’t hit her or the horse. She knew he was a good shot, so her only hope was to get out of range. Using her knees to guide the horse, she managed to weave in and out through the trees as she heard another shot. This time, she heard the bullet hit a nearby tree, and her heart leapt into her throat.

Selena prayed fervently as the horse continued to run, and finally glancing back, she realized they had left Jeb far behind. She couldn’t see anything but dense forest around her. After several more minutes, she spoke soothingly to the horse, getting it to gradually slow its frantic pace. The last thing she needed was to have the horse fall on the ice, crushing her beneath it. When she had the horse walking calmly once more, she clung to the reins, keeping her eye on the ground and following the tracks they had made in the snow.
Her wrists were still tied and secured around her waist with the rope, low enough that she couldn’t reach the knot. Keeping her wrists still, Selena wriggled her body until she got the rope to slide upward from her waist. She managed to get her hands high enough to reach the knot with her teeth, and she worked at loosening it. She was shivering with shock and cold, and her hands felt numb. She had just begun to feel the knot loosening when she heard the sound of someone approaching fast through the trees. She glanced up, fearful that Jeb had somehow caught up to her, but her relief was instant when she spied her husband racing through the trees, Gerald not far behind him.

“Liam!” she cried. “Thank God!”

He quickly closed the gap between them and jumped down from his horse. “Are you alright?” he asked, his eyes scanning her.

He had been terrified when he heard gunshots, but he was relieved to see Selena was alive and apparently not wounded. However, his eyes took on a murderous glow as he assessed her open bodice and coat that did little to protect her modesty. He noted her swollen lip, a dark bruise on her jaw and a trickle of dried blood on her neck.

“That bastard!” he snarled. “I’ll kill him.”

He retrieved a knife from his saddle and quickly cut through the ropes on her wrists and ankles and lifted her down from the horse. He clutched her against his chest, stroking her hair as she sobbed against him.

“It’s alright, sweetheart. You’re safe now.” His eyes scanned the woods behind her, looking for any sign that she was being followed. He looked at Gerald from over his shoulder. “Keep an eye out. The bastard might still be after her.” He saw Gerald nod, and Liam turned back to Selena. “Was it your stepfather?” he asked quietly.

Selena nodded, clutching at his coat front. She finally calmed and managed to catch her breath, although she couldn’t stop trembling. She rubbed her raw wrists, shaking her hands against the prickling sensation as her circulation returned.

“Thank God you found me,” she murmured as she looked up at Liam. “I knew you would come.”

“It looks like you had matters pretty well in hand already,” Liam said as he searched her face, concern evident in his eyes. “I’m sorry I didn’t get here sooner.” His eyes dropped to her open bodice and he swallowed hard. “Did he . . .” Liam couldn’t bring himself to finish the question, but visions of his wife being raped clawed at his mind.

Selena shook her head, burying her face against his neck. “No, he didn’t have time to follow through on his threats. He knew you would be coming after us, so he was too concerned with getting far away. He was planning to have me tonight though.”

Selena shivered against him. She reached to button her clothes, but her hands were trembling so much, she could only fumble.

“Here, let me,” Liam said. He quickly fastened her garments, doing his best to ignore the bruises he saw on her creamy skin. When he had her fully clothed once more, he hugged her tightly against his chest, dropping a soothing kiss on the crown of her head. “Can you tell me what happened?”

Selena did so, feeling Liam’s muscles go from tense to rigid as she described how Jeb had molested her. She left out the details of the threats he had made, seeing no reason to further inflame Liam’s anger. As it was, she sensed that he was burning with rage. When she finished her tale, explaining how she had managed to escape, Liam nodded, a grim expression on his face. He kept an arm around her shoulders while he grabbed the reins of Jeb’s horse. He gave Selena a quick kiss on the forehead before lifting her onto the horse. He turned to face Gerald.

“Take her back to camp.”

“Where are you going?” Selena and Gerald asked in unison.

Liam swung into the saddle of his own horse. “I’m going after the bastard.”

“What are you planning to do?” Selena asked. As much as she would like for him to kill Jeb, she didn’t want Liam to be hung for murder. “You can’t just kill him, Liam.”

“Go back to camp, Selena. I need to know you are safe, and I’ll take care of Jeb,” Liam said firmly. Seeing that Selena wasn’t going to budge, he softened his stance a bit. “Don’t worry. I’m not going to kill him in cold blood, but neither am I going to let him run free so he can come back to haunt us later on. He has a lot to answer for, including your mother’s death.”

“I’m coming with you,” Selena said. “I know Jeb. He’s a sneaky coward, and it would be just like him to set some kind of a trap for you.” The obstinate set of her jaw was a familiar sight, and Liam could see there was no point in trying to dissuade her.

Liam glanced at Gerald for support, but the other man shook his head. “She’s right, Liam. You shouldn’t go after him on your own. If you’re determined to do this, I’m going with you.”

Liam heaved a sigh. “Alright, we’ll all go, but stay behind me and do as I say. Do you promise to do that?” He waited until Selena nodded her agreement, then he turned his horse around to follow the trail.

They rode in a single file, being as quiet as possible. It took them a few minutes to reach the place where Selena had managed to escape. Selena and Gerald kept careful watch as Liam dismounted and looked at the ground. He found a trail of blood that led off into the woods.

“He’s gone that way,” Liam whispered. “He can’t be far away though, so we’ll need to be quiet.”

He motioned for them to dismount, and they led the horses, keeping a careful eye on the surrounding woods as Liam followed the spatters of blood. They came to the edge of the woods where the mountain sloped down into a deep ravine. They paused there as they all scanned the surrounding trees and open area for signs of Jeb.

“There!” Selena said, tugging Liam’s sleeve and pointing to the opposite side of the ravine.

They could see Jeb on the opposite side of the gully. He was clawing his way up the steep rocky incline, stumbling frequently on the icy surface as he went. Liam pushed Selena behind some trees, motioning to Gerald to take cover as well. When they were all in place, Liam drew his pistol.

“Jeb Hawkins!” he yelled. “Stop where you are.”

Instead of stopping, Jeb scrambled behind a large boulder. “I ain’t gonna let you take me,” he yelled back. “They’d just hang me anyway. You’ll have to kill me first.”

“That’s just what I intend to do if you don’t come out with your hands up,” Liam called back. After a long pause, he continued. “You can’t stay there indefinitely.”

“Neither can you,” Jeb taunted.

Liam looked at Gerald and whispered, “He’s right, you know. We have to start back soon or it will get dark.” Liam scanned the ravine and the woods that circled its edges. “If I circle around through the woods, can you stay here and keep him covered?”

Gerald nodded. “Yeah. If he moves from behind that rock, I’ll have him in my sights. I’ll shoot him if I have to, but I won’t let him get away.”

“Good,” Liam said, facing Selena. “You stay put behind this tree.” Seeing her nod, he kissed her briefly on the lips and then started to turn away.

Selena clutched at his sleeve. “Be careful,” she whispered.

“I will,” he said, giving her a brief smile. Then he was gone, moving like a shadow through the trees until he quickly disappeared from sight.

Selena and Gerald kept watch, tensely waiting as the minutes ticked by. Although she peered intently into the trees, she couldn’t see even a glimpse of Liam, and she wondered where he was. Her nerves were thoroughly frayed by the time she heard Liam’s voice coming from somewhere in the trees on the other side of the ravine. She still couldn’t see him

“Jeb, you might as well give up. We’ve got you surrounded,” Liam called. He threw a small rock at the boulder behind which Jeb was crouching. “I could shoot you right now if I wanted to.”

“Don’t shoot,” Jeb whined, standing up and holding his arms in the air. Jeb’s face was a mess of dried blood, and his nose was swollen and bruised. “I give up.”

“Take your gun out and toss it on the ground,” Liam ordered. When Jeb had complied, Liam continued. “Now lean over and put your hands on that rock.”

Liam waited until Jeb had done as ordered before emerging from the trees. Selena’s heart pounded in her chest as she watched Liam pick his way carefully down the steep hill. When Liam was only a few yards away, Jeb snatched a second pistol that he had hidden in his waistband and whirled to fire at Liam. Selena’s scream was drowned out by the sound of two gunshots. Jeb’s gun fell from his hand, and blood dripped from his fingers while he let out a yowl of pain. Liam had shot Jeb in the hand, and Jeb’s shot had gone off harmlessly into the trees.

Liam launched himself at Jeb, and the two men fell to the ground, punching and wrestling on the icy slope. Selena watched in horror, deathly afraid that Liam would go toppling over the edge. Jeb was no match for Liam, and he took a severe beating as Liam’s fists pummeled him with punishing precision.

“Alright, I give up! Please don’t hurt me,” Jeb whined, mewling like a pathetic kitten.

Some semblance of sanity gradually returned to Liam’s features, and he stood up and yanked Jeb to his feet, shaking him roughly by the collar of his jacket. “Stand up, you miserable coward. We’re going to turn you in so you can get the hanging you deserve.”

Jeb snatched free and began to back up, his eyes darting frantically around to look for an escape route. He wasn’t watching his footing, and he slipped. His arms flailed as he tried to catch his balance, but it was useless. A split second seemed to stretch into eternity as they watched Jeb fall backward with a terrified scream. His body went rolling and bouncing down the craggy canyon to land in a lifeless heap at the bottom. Selena’s breath returned in a rush, and she and Gerald ran as quickly as safety would allow to where Liam stood at the edge of the cliff, and they all three peered down through the jagged rocks. Jeb’s body was several hundred feet below them, his limbs twisted at unnatural angles.

“Good riddance,” Liam muttered. He put an arm around Selena and could feel her trembling against him. “He saved us a lot of trouble having to haul his sorry carcass to the nearest sheriff.” Liam hugged Selena close against his chest, dropping a kiss onto the top of her head. “I’m sorry you had to see that, sweetheart. At least you won’t ever have to worry about him again.”

“I don’t give a damn about him,” Selena said with feeling. “He deserved even worse than he got. I was only afraid that you would be hurt.”

Liam hugged her even tighter against him and exchanged a look with Gerald over her head. “I don’t know how we’re supposed to bury him. We don’t even have a shovel with us.”

Gerald gave a disgusted snort and spat down the canyon. “I say we should leave Jeb’s body to rot where it fell. He doesn’t deserve a decent burial.”

After a moment of silence, they all agreed by unspoken consent. “Come on then,” Liam said, turning Selena around to head back up the hill. “Let’s get back to camp. It’s going to get dark soon, and the others will be worried.”

They made it back to camp before nightfall, much to everyone’s relief. Liam, Selena and Gerald were immensely grateful to learn that Matthew, Hank, Adam and Peter had found all the oxen, healthy and unharmed, and they had brought them all back to camp.

“But what happened to you?” Marcia asked, looking at Selena with deep concern etched on her face.

“I’m fine. I’ll let Gerald fill you in on the details,” Selena said with a tired smile. “Right now, I just want to bathe and change.” She kept an arm around Liam’s waist and they made their way to their tent.

“You go inside,” he said, kissing her forehead. “Let me take care of you for tonight, alright?”

Selena nodded and disappeared into the tent, a dazed expression on her face. Liam built the fire up and hung a pot of water to heat over the flames. By the time he had gotten clean clothes, a basin, soap, washcloths and towel out of the wagon, the water was ready, and he carried all the items into the tent.

Selena was sitting on their pallet, a glazed look in her eyes. She had removed her shoes, and her legs were tucked to the side, but her eyes softened when she looked up at him. Liam set everything down nearby, uncertain how he should proceed.

He cleared his throat nervously. “Maybe I should leave and give you some privacy.”

Selena grasped his hand and tugged, urging him to sit beside her on the pallet. “No, I want to be with you,” Selena whispered. She reached up to unbutton her dress, but her hands were trembling from the shock of the day’s events.

“Can I help you?” Liam asked quietly. He was afraid of doing anything that might remind her of what her stepfather had done to her.