Chapter 4 – Chapter 4

Jacques had been right. There were no Apache braves warpathing between them and where they met up with the relief troops and supply wagons from Fort Sumner. Bob had been right too, though. The third soldier in the original party had made it to Fort Sumner.

In the end it didn't matter, however. They didn't get back to Fort Bent in time.

When they arrived there, the fort had been burned to the ground. The bodies of six young soldiers were found in the smoldering ruins of the barracks, and only three bodies, riddled with arrows and scalped, were found out in the compound. The fort had been surprised and taken before the soldiers could be mustered out of their beds.

The shock and realization to Lieutenant Hendrick was to note that the body of Jacques Trebec wasn't there. Neither was his wagon and horses. Hendrick said nothing to his captain who had returned with the relief column, but he knew exactly what it meant that Jacques wasn't there.

Jacques had aided the Apaches. He had gotten them into the fort. He had made his views on the settlers being brought into this land quite clear, and those views matched what the Apaches thought about it.

But Jacques could have done that earlier than he did, certainly on the night before Bob had ridden out of the camp. It had been Jacques who had maneuvered Bob to be the one to leave. Jacques had known that Bob wouldn't encounter Apaches, because he had arranged for that. And Jacques had known that Bob wouldn't be in the fort when he handed it over. The man had told Bob he was going to save him. He just hadn't told him how.

Bob wondered what he would do the next time he encountered Jacques—and he knew there would be a next time. Would he try to kill him or would he lay down for him and open his legs? Bob wasn't sure he wanted to know what he'd do. It did anger him that Jacques probably already knew what that would be. And so too, if he was being honest, did Bob.