Daniel smiled. "That's good, Cole. Tom won't let anything happen to
the boy, but Josey just might kill him with her cooking."
"That's a risk we have to take, " Cole replied. "I'm going to tell Tom
to disappear with Caleb for a little while. If Jessica is the witness,
I don't want the Blackwater gang going after her son." He motioned to
the map spread out on Daniel's desk. "Where's Red Arrow? " he
asked.
"I've never heard of it before."
"Blink and you'll miss it, " Cooper said. "It's a tiny hole in the
ground and the turning-around point for the train.
The town boasts a saloon, a whorehouse, and a stable. In Red Arrow you
sleep outside cause they don't have any hotels. It's a godforsaken
place."
"It's surrounded by deep caverns, " Daniel remarked. "It's barren, but
beautiful."
"I think I should leave Jessica with Spencer and Cobb while I take
Caleb to the Nortons. I'll swing back here for her."
"That won't work, " Daniel said.
"It's safer for Jessica."
"It still won't work."
"Why not? " Cole asked.
"Because Jessica will be going with you." Cole didn't like the idea
one bit. "She'll slow me down, " he said. "And like I said, it's
safer. Once I get Caleb to the Nortons, I plan to cut down through
some rough terrain. It's hard riding."
"You aren't married, are you, son? " Cooper said.
"No, I'm not married, and I'm sure as certain not your son. You're
old, Cooper, but you aren't that old." Cooper laughed. "I've never
been married, " he admitted. "Daniel wouldn't let me in on this
investigation if I were a family man. He only wants bachelors in case
one of us gets shot. My brother's married, though."
"Is that right?
" Cole said, wondering why Cooper was telling him about his family.
"Yes, he is, " Cooper said. "He's got five girls and two boys, and I
swear to you that if you tried to take one of those seven children away
from his mama, there would be hell to pay. Just how do you suppose
you're going to get Caleb away from his mama? " Cole didn't anticipate
any problems. "I'll simply explain the situation to her." He paused
when he saw the look of disbelief on Cooper's face, then went on to
defend his position. "I know Jessica won't like being separated from
her son, and I expect she'll argue, but in the end, she'll go along.
I've gotten to know her pretty well in the last two days, and after
I've explained the situation, I'm positive she'll be reasonable. "<_)
he threatened to kill him. Jessica was anything but reasonable. Cole
had believed that, because he was a U. S. marshal, she would do
whatever he told her to do. That was his first mistake. Letting her
get close to his gun was his second. He hadn't realized how arrogant
he'd been with his assumptions until she grabbed his gun and threatened
to put a hole through his black heart if he touched her son.