Chapter 14

NORA SILENTLY CURSED Jack and his inability to listen as she followed Running Bull through the darkness. His feet seemed to glide over the earth, careful not to step on any loose twig or crumpled leaf, and she did her best to mimic his move-ments to reduce the noise she made. Crouching down along the side of the outbuilding, Running Bull held a hand back to her, indicating she should remain silent.

Creeping close enough that she wouldn’t be heard, Nora whispered, “How many?”

“There is one searching the buildings on this part of the property and two stationed by the forest. They must be there to keep us from running into the woods. Two just went into the front of the house, and Jack has arrived at the back of the house.”

“Jack said there were five.” Nora nodded. “So, they are all accounted for. Shall we start with the fellow checking the buildings? He is coming closer. If I take him, that would leave the remaining two for you. I trust you should have no difficulty in dispatching them?”

“His woman is smart and has much confidence,” Running Bull murmured.

“Whose woman?” Nora hissed. “You are under the im-pression I am somehow Mr. Justice’s woman? Whatever gave you that idea, sir? I belong to myself.”

“Justice you say,” Running Bull replied. “Interesting development. Will you go by that name, as well?”

“I am not his woman!” she snapped.

Running Bull chuckled and looked back out to check on the men. “I will dispatch the two near the trees and double back to help you—” Running Bull cut himself off as the solider started to move their way. Nora caught sight of the solider and pulled her knife from her boot and stood. Taking aim, she waited until the man approached close enough to be out of the other soldiers’ view. The minute she saw his eyes widen in recogni-tion she threw the dagger. It gleamed in the moonlight as it sailed through the night and lodged in the soldier’s throat. He fell to the ground in silence.

Looking down at the man whose life she’d just taken, she sent up a small prayer for his soul. God most likely wouldn’t accept her prayers for the lives she took, but it was something she did anyway. This was not her first kill. Quickly, she moved to retrieve her knife, cleaning it on the ground when she returned to Running Bull’s side.

Running Bull sat back on his haunches, eyes wide. “I am impressed, Lady Eleanor. You have skill.”

“I’ve had to survive on my own for quite some time, sir,” Nora nodded. “And if you are Jack’s brother, please call me Nora.”

Running Bull rose to his full height and nodded once. “You are not how I thought a white woman would be.”

“You are not how I thought an Indian would be,” Nora replied. She hadn’t imagined the Indians could speak English so well, and Running Bull seemed well-educated.

Running Bull smiled. “Fair enough. Now, as to our other two charges, we will go through the woods to come at them from behind.”

“Perhaps I should wait here in the event they try to get away,” Nora suggested. “I fear I may not be able to move quite as quietly through the brush as you do.”

Running Bull quietly considered her suggestion. He nodded once and Nora fell back into the shadows of the building as Running Bull disappeared into the night.
Nora did her best to track him through the forest but lost him when he hit the tree line. Even if it were not dark, she suspected she wouldn’t be able to see the Indian, so she watched the soldiers instead.

There was no doubt she would have to leave Ben’s house now. Rogan had found her, and Ben was in danger. She would miss him dearly. For a decade, she’d had a place to call home. Because she didn’t age, Nora had never been able to stay anywhere longer than that without rousing suspicion. Still, through Ben, she had built a network of associates she could call on when needed. Though they thought she did Ben’s work and did not know the truth of her own mission.

Nora continued to watch the two soldiers’ slow assess-ment of their surroundings. Not knowing the fate of their com-panion, they called out to him, waiting for an answer.
Nora pressed herself further into the shadows of the outbuilding. They spoke back and forth to each other, trying to decide if they should go check on their fellow soldier. She glanced around to look for an alternate place to hide if they decided to come this way. She was unsure if she could handle two men on her own. If they found the dead man, they would sound the alarm, but she was unable to dash out and pull him into further cover without being noticed.

Where was Running Bull? It felt like hours since he had left her side when, in fact, it was possibly only fifteen minutes at most. Just as the men decided that one should leave his post to check on the missing man, an arrow shot from the woods, felling one of the soldiers. Nora gasped in surprise, as did the second solider. He pulled up his rifle and turned toward the woods. Be-fore the man could get off a shot, a second arrow split the dark-ness and lodged in the man’s chest.

Nora waited until Running Bull came into view, running low. She mimicked his movements and met him near the men to check if they were still living.

“I could not risk gun shots,” he explained. “It would have alerted the men inside to the trouble out here and could have taken away your man’s advantage of surprise.”

“Honestly, sir, he is not my man!” Nora said indignantly. Her protests fell on deaf ears. It did not matter what she claimed, the truth of the matter was, Jack was very much something more than a mere acquaintance.