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Her knees wanted to give out, but she told her feet to keep moving, catching herself when she stumbled. Tears poured down her cheeks by the time she knelt down and laid a hand on Jack’s shoulder. “Jack? Jack!”
He didn’t move and her last bits of strength dissolved. She dropped her head to rest on his back, weeping. “Oh, Jack. It’s all my fault and I’m so sorry.”
Something rumbled against her cheek, and her heart fluttered. Going stiff, she held her breath, wondering if it was a moan she’d heard or the sounds of the men gathering. She held up a hand, hushing them and turned to the man on the ground “Jack?”
There it was again. A definite moan.
Trying to be careful, but with her heart racing, Maddie grasped his shoulder with both hands to turn him onto his back.
“Careful, girl,” he groaned. “I must’ve hit my noggin.”
With his help, she eased him over and then touched the lump on his forehead. Excitement rushed forward. Her joy was so great, she all but shouted, “You did hit your head.”
“Shh...” he mumbled.
Biting a giggle, she shivered, and searched his chest for bullet holes. “He didn’t hit you. Mad Dog’s bullet didn’t hit you.”
“Bullet—” Jack sat up like a shot. “Where is that no good—”
“Shh.” She pushed on his chest to keep him seated. “Tim has him. The other miners are there, too.” Turning to where the men had stopped, she waved. “He’s all right!”
They rushed forward, shouting their glee. As quickly as her happiness came, another wave of sadness hit. Someone had shouted Homer’s name.
Maddie turned to the massive red wings sprawled across the sand. Her tears renewed.
“Get up, Homer,” Jack snapped.
Homer’s head popped up, and the next instant he was on his feet, fluffing his feathers and squawking.
Stunned, Maddie turned to Jack.
The old man shrugged. “I taught him to play dead whenever a gunshot sounded. Figured it might save his feathered hide if we ever got hit by pirates.”
She kissed Jack’s forehead and then whistled. Homer ran toward her, wings out like a child running to its mother. Laughing, she plucked up the bird and kissed the end of his beak. “You crazy bird.”
“Crazy bird,” Homer repeated.
Two men helped Jack to his feet, and another helped Maddie up. She still had Homer clutched in her arms. Carrying him, she turned, now realizing it was Albert who had helped her stand. “Did Tim get Mad Dog?”
“He and some others took chase,” Albert said. “They’ll get him. Let’s get you back to the mine.”
They arrived to a gathering of men standing over Elwood and Butch near the fire, but she didn’t see Tim and Mad Dog.
“Tie them to those trees,” she instructed Albert, scanning the camp harder. “Where’s Tim?”
Men all started talking at once. Saying they’d take chase, too. Tremors hit her again. Mad Dog was still out there. She willed her feet to stay beneath her, but all the noise sent her head spinning.
This was how it had been in Bass’s camps, men fighting amongst themselves. She couldn’t let that happen, and wished in so many ways that Lucky was here. He wasn’t, and she was the one in charge.
The men’s shouts were growing louder and angrier, claiming the outlaws must have wanted to steal their gold, and shouting who should stay behind. Maddie’s head spun faster. Flashes of the past mingled with the present. One stuck. A vision of her father and how he’d gained control of events like this.
Maddie pulled her gun from her pocket and fired a shot in the air.
Silence happened immediately, and all eyes were on her. Except Homer’s. Wings spread, he was lying near Jack’s feet. As she lowered her gun, she nodded toward the bird.
Silent, as if he, too, was shocked by her behavior, Jack leaned down and tapped the bird on the head. Homer rose to his feet without a squawk and dashed behind one of Jack’s legs. Peering around it, the bird looked up at her as questioningly as the men.
“Count out four men to send after Tim,” she told Albert. “And another four to stand guard.” Pocketing her gun, she kept her chin up and hoped it didn’t wobble. Though she still had no idea what to do next, she said, “The rest of you have work to do. That gold won’t mine itself.”
Eyeing her with caution, the men started moving slowly, which allowed her a clear view of a boat that must have come ashore during the commotion. As Maddie watched Lucky step out of it, everything hit her all over again. Mad Dog’s arms crushing her. Gunfire. Jack and Homer lying in the sand. Her past.
