Free Beside Still Waters by Tracey V. Bateman Page A

You ain’t even a deputy.”
    Jonesy leaned closer. “Keep your voice down. I don’t want the sheriff to hear this.”
    “What is it?” The younger fellow had
stupid
written all over his face. His mouth hung half open, and his eyes were round with curiosity.
    “Hush up, Timothy. I’m askin’ the questions.” Randy took a swipe at him with the palm of his hand. Timothy ducked out of his way. Maybe he wasn’t quite as dumb as he looked.
    Jonesy spoke in low tones. “I’ll get you both out of here if you’ll take me to the man who hurt Eva.”
    A scowl creased Randy’s wide face. “That’s the same thing the sheriff offered. I said no to him, and I’m sayin’ no to you.”
    Jonesy returned his frown. He was in no mood to be turned down by a couple of thugs with no other options but hanging. “What I’m offering isn’t the same deal.”
    “Oh yeah? How’s yours different?”
    Jonesy shrugged and kept a steady eye on the criminal in order to gauge his reaction. “I’m not talking about releasing you legally. I could break you out.”
    Young Timothy laughed and nudged Randy. “That does sound different, don’t it, boss?”
    “It’s a trick, you idiot.”
    “If you don’t take me up on my offer, then you’re the idiot.” Jonesy glanced cautiously toward the door, then back to the outlaws.
    “So what’s in it for us?”
    “Freedom, pure and simple. The punishment for horse thieving is hanging. You have one chance to get out of this cell, and that’s by agreeing to my plan.”
    “How do we know you won’t lead the sheriff straight to us?”
    “After he figures out that I’ve let you escape and that I’m with you, I’m going to be a wanted man, as well.”
    “He’s got a point there,” Timothy said.
    Randy nodded thoughtfully, ignoring his companion’s enthusiastic response. “Then why would you take the chance?”
    “As long as I get the man who hurt Eva,” Jonesy said with fervor, “I’ll sit in jail for however long I have to.”
    “Let’s say I agree to this.” He raised his eyebrow. “And I ain’t sayin’ I am. But just supposin’…”
    Jonesy’s heart increased in rhythm, and he fought to keep the eagerness from his voice. “All right. Supposing.”
    “How do you plan on breaking us out?”
    “Easy. Billy is escorting a certain young lady to a town musicale tonight. He’ll be gone for two hours, and most of the town will be at the meeting hall.”
    “The sheriff’ll most likely take the keys with him,” Randy pointed out, stroking his stubbled jaw.
    “I know where the spare set is. We’ve been friends for months. And his sister is my bride-to-be.”
    “You mean the one that Pete—”
    “Yes,” Jonesy broke in. “So do we have a deal?”
    “You’re just going to walk in and let us out?”
    Jonesy regarded him with a grim smile. “You’ll have to keep your wrists tied. I don’t intend to have my throat slit.”
    “What’s to stop you from slicing mine?”
    “I’m not after you. I’m after your friend. You lead me to him, and I don’t care what you do. Until then, you’ll have to stay tied up.”
    “All right. We’ll do it your way. It’s less than a day’s ride, unless they got tired of waiting and left without us.”
    Timothy’s eyes grew wide. “You don’t think they did, do you? Sam owes me four dollars for that last ranch we—”
    “Shut up, Timothy.”
    Jonesy smirked. “I don’t care about all that. I only care about getting the man who hurt the woman I plan to marry.”

    Eva stared toward the light. It had been two days since she’d awakened, and she was just beginning to see images and light through the slits in her eyes. The swelling had receded enough to allow little slices of vision. For that, she was grateful.
    Fear had taken hold of almost every waking minute as her imagination took her to the dark, shadowed corners of her mind. Horrific memories came back with such startling detail that often she shook in her bed. The