Chapter 50: The Eyes of Death

~Courage is the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can’t practice any other virtue consistently.~ —Maya Angelou

It was quiet in the church.

The school day was over, and Dannie’s students had all run off. Dannie was alone, putting the last few things in order.

Roy lay snoozing at her feet. He had followed her to school and, against her better judgment, she had let him in. This decision had proved to be a great disaster, and the entire school day had been chaos.

Now that the room was empty, he lay as though he had never caused the children to laugh and shriek and run about.

“One would think you were as innocent as they come,” Dannie muttered with a small laugh.

All of a sudden, Roy sat up straight, his eyes alert. A low growl came from his throat.

Dannie glanced up. “What is it, Roy?”

Roy was on his feet now and let out another low growl.

“I hope it’s not another snake,” Dannie said with a shudder. She collected the key and called for Roy to follow her. The dog remained where he was.

Opening the door, Dannie found herself face to face with a man. He was large and rough, and danger just oozed out of him. He held a revolver, and it was pointed straight at her.

“Howdy, miss,” he said with a smirk as he tipped his hat to her.

Dannie’s thoughts raced.

Going back into the church would be walking into a trap. No one would be able to rescue her from there. So she shut the door. The snap told her that it had locked mechanically. Roy was still inside. She could hear him barking.

“Now, why did you go and do that?” the man said with a frown. “Open the door. I want to visit the holy place.”

Dannie looked at the key, took a deep breath, and threw it as far off as she could.

“What in blazes?” he growled.

“Oops,” Dannie said, “I’m sorry. Shall we go and look for it?”

Her words seemed to amuse him. “Ya ain’t afraid, missy?”

“It’s Miss Preston.”

“Jake’s woman?”

Dannie gazed at the man intently. “Are you Rachel’s man?”

Shock registered in his eyes but a smile came to his face. “I see you know more about me than most people. Yer right, I’m Calhoon.”

“You are a lot older than I assumed.”

He laughed at her words. Step by step, he walked closer to her. “Ya ain’t afraid I’m gonna pull this trigger?”

“I don’t see why I should be. I know you are after Jake, and since you came looking for me, it means you mean to use me to lure him out. Dead bait won’t do you much good, so no matter what, you’ll keep me alive. For the time being, at least.”

He chuckled again. “I haven’t known many ladies to be so calm and calculating while staring down the barrel of a gun. Usually they tend to panic.”

“I’ve never known panicking to do me any good. How is it that you are so sure Jake is going to show up?”

“I have help. They’ll bring him here.”

Calhoon had walked up close enough so that the gun pressed against her chest. Dannie took a step back. “If you don’t mind, that thing is cold, and I don’t like it touching me. Let’s just keep it at about half an inch.”

The dark, bushy eyebrows rose just a bit, and his smile widened. “As you wish, Miz Preston. Judging by the way you talk, you ain’t from this place.”

“No, I’m not. Are we just going to stand here?”

“I was going to wait with you in the church, but now that the key is gone, we’ll have to wait out here.”

Dannie nodded. She was glad Calhoon didn’t seem to realize that there was another entrance at the back. She could no longer hear Roy’s barking, and a desperate hope rose in her that maybe he had run out the back door and gone for help. “While we are waiting, we might as well kill time. Why are you so determined to get Jake? It’s not like Rachel was the great love of your life.”

“And how do you know that? You think bad guys like me can’t love?”

“I have every reason to believe you can. It’s just that there are so many girls in this world. Do you really mean to tell me that Rachel, and only Rachel, is the girl for you?

“Besides, if you were truly in love with Rachel, you wouldn’t spend so much effort chasing after a brother who has no idea where she is.”

“You actually believe that?”

“Isn’t it logical? Knowing you and your vindictive nature, the family would have made sure that those who were left behind didn’t know where Rachel ran off to, thus giving themselves a slim chance of survival.

“Seeing as you never went after Jake’s younger brother, I think it is safe to say that you know that neither of them knows where Rachel is. If one were to ask me, I’d say you are just chasing after Jake because you’re mad that he got the better of you.”

“I like yer logical way of thinking, Miz Preston. And yer right, I’ll never forgive Jake for outsmarting me. Not to mention, he’s given me the slip time and time again. This time, he’s mine for the taking. And you’ll be the one helping me get my revenge.”

“How delightful.” Dannie rolled her eyes. She took another long look at Calhoon. His figure was large, the air about him imposing. The dark brown eyes were cold and unfeeling. “I wonder what your past is, Calhoon, and how it turned you into the outlaw you are today.”

The surprised expression that came to his face made it clear he hadn’t expected her to say that. “Why would you wonder that?”

Dannie shrugged. “Everyone has a history. Looking at you, I can’t help but wonder what yours is.”

“I could kill you any moment, and you are curious about my past? Amazing. I can see why Jake is attracted to you. Tell me, Miz Preston, if I were to pull the trigger and kill you right here and now, what would your last words be?”

“That I hope one day you realize the error of your ways and turn to Christ for redemption.”

He gave a small nod. “Is that so? I take it you are a religious woman, then?”

“I know whom I believe in.”

“Too bad He can’t get you out of this mess.”

“I wouldn’t rush to that conclusion just yet.”

These words had him laughing. “Let me tell you, missy…”

“Don’t call me that,” Dannie cut him off. “It’s Miss Preston.”

A loud bark sounded out before Calhoon could reply. As fast as a rattlesnake striking, Calhoon grabbed Dannie and placed her in front of him.

In the distance, Dannie could see Roy running toward them. Behind him were Jake and Tarak. The smart dog must have run out the back entrance and gone for help, as she had hoped.

BAM!

The shot landed just in front of Roy. The dog stopped dead in his tracks, the fur on his back standing up. Jake and Tarak froze as well.

“I was sure it would be Asop bringing you,” Calhoon said. “But a dog is just as good. Keep him where he is, or he won’t see another day.”

Tarak cautiously knelt down and held Roy back.

Calhoon, in the meantime, pressed the barrel to Dannie’s temple.

“I’ve got the gun to her head, so no funny business. Jake, put yer gun on the ground, or I’ll shoot.”

Jake gripped his revolver. “Your quarrel is with me, Calhoon. Just let Dannie go.”

“Nah, I don’t think so,” Calhoon shook his head. “She’s a lot of fun; don’t even scream when you aim at her. Not many a woman I’ve killed managed not to scream. Besides, she says nice things right before you are about to shoot. No one has ever done that for me before.”

Jake narrowed his eyes at Calhoon. “You have me at yer disposal now. Let her go.”

“No, I’m gonna keep her. Think of her as a replacement for Rachel. Tit for tat, ya know. Now drop that weapon!”

“Or what?” Jake retorted.

“Or—” Calhoon’s eyes glinted with a cruel amusement. “Or I’ll do this.” With his free hand, Calhoon pulled a knife out and slashed Dannie across the arm. Dannie bit her lip to keep from crying out in pain. She would not give Calhoon any sort of pleasure.

“I can cut her away, piece by piece. But if you put that weapon down, I’ll keep her body intact. You see, I was going to use her to lure you in, then kill her in front of you. But now I feel it would be such a waste to kill such a witty woman.

“We’ll just be on our merry way, and you can be the one trying to hunt ~me~ down. Don’t worry, I’ll be sure to resurface when the time is right. It will be a fun game to play. Don’t you think?”

Dannie’s mind raced. She did not want to live as Calhoon’s hostage and be used as leverage against Jake.

All at once, an idea popped into her head. Her eyes locked with Jake’s, and she mouthed two words. “Shoot me.”