Lost and Found

Chapter Two

Walker hit the ground with a heavy thud, moaning in pain, but didn't move. Lillian scrambled from her mount and ran to Walker. Kneeling, she checked for a pulse. "He isn't dead," she panicked, awkwardly removing his knife as Beth hurried over to her.

They cut the ropes binding each other's wrists and rummaged through his pockets, grabbing what little money he had, his compass, and the map she'd seen him and Hank peruse periodically along the trail. Beth removed his pistol, then cocked the hammer and aimed.

Lillian's horrified gaze flew up to Beth, "What are you doing?"

Beth turned fierce eyes on her, "I'm killing him, finish what that Marshal started."

Lillian stumbled to her feet and rested her right hand over Beth's death grip on the pistol. "You're not a murderer. He's dead as it is with all the blood he's lost. If we shoot him now, we're no better than he is."

Beth stared at her in angered shock. "After what he's done, to both of us—the people he killed without a second thought? I can't believe-"

"It would be cold-blooded murder, and I refuse to stoop to his level of barbarism by taking his life when he's unconscious and dying," Lillian hoarsely whispered, refusing to give in to the hatred seething within her as she gazed on the loathsome man.

What would become of her if she gave in to the desire to kill him? It would darken and stain her soul beyond repair. She would be handing him victory, and that was something she would never allow him to have from her.

Beth pressed her lips into a firm line, her gaze hardening as it fell to Walker's motionless form in the road. "Well, I'm not like you, Lily," Beth stated as she squeezed the trigger, then grabbed Lillian's hand, and began running.

"What about the horses?" Lillian gasped with a fretful glance over her shoulder.

Beth tugged Lillian's hand, "They're wounded and spent, we can't risk taking them."

Lillian faltered, dreading the journey that lay ahead without the two mounts.

Beth growled low in her throat and tightened her grip, "Come on."

Three weeks later, they were starving and weary, but they'd finally made it into Montana, just miles away from their destination when they came to a raging river. Lillian shrunk back, terrified they'd drown to death after making it this far. "We have to find another way, Beth."

"There isn't one. We have to cross it."

Lillian shook her head, "I can't do it."

"Hold my hand, Lily," Beth said, grabbing her tight before wading into the river. "It doesn't look too wide here, even if we let it carry us down a bit, we should make it across-"

Lillian watched in horror as the current plucked Beth's legs out from under her and ripped her from Lillian's grasp with such tremendous force it pulled her in with a splash.

The water rushed over her head and carried her into the fast-moving current. Lillian broke the surface, gasping for air and choking on water. Frantically, she called for Beth, spitting out the water that filled her mouth as the river swept her downstream.

Something heavy slammed into her back from behind, knocking the wind out of her and pushing her underwater. Intense pain followed when her head slammed into a ragged boulder buried in the riverbed.

Dazed and helpless, Lillian fought to breathe as the current dragged her under again. Gasping and coughing once the rushing water spit her out, she wiped her eyes, choking on a scream in stunned terror upon realizing a large tree barreled down the river straight for her, and there was nothing she could do to stop it.