Colm's Daughter

Chapter 8

In the morning, Lucille woke to find that a few more of the gang had returned. Most notably, Dutch was there studying his map and ledger, almost like he never left. The only difference was that he seemed ten times angrier than usual.

Molly came out of his tent and accused him, "How long are you going to obsess over a new plan!"

"Would you be quiet woman! I'm tryin' to think!"

"You only just got back! Why don't you take some time to clear your head! Ya know you could at least show me some affection for fuck's sake!"

"'Cause all this nagging and complainin' really makes a man want to show his woman some affection!"

"I missed you, you daft idiot!" Molly shouted. "Lord forbid you show me you missed me too."

"I missed you too alright! Happy?! Now stop yer worryin' about me and let me concentrate!"

Molly sighed and muttered, "You're a bastard Dutch" as she left him.

He ignored her.

Lucille scanned the camp. Bill, Micah, and Marston were back too, day drinking by the campfire. But Sean and Arthur were no where to be seen. Lucille went right up to Arthur's tent to make sure. It was untouched.

"Lucille O'Driscoll!" came Dutch's angry voice.

Lucille nearly jumped out of her skin.

"Come over here." He added without looking up from his map.

Lucille obeyed. She hoped he didn't think that she had somehow betrayed him with false information. She hadn't. She wisely decided to wait for him to speak first before assuming anything.

"I need you to tell me anything and everything I might not already know about that cocksuckin' Colm O'Driscoll."

"Of course boss."

"Come look at this." He directed.

Lucille hid her nerves and came to his side to look at the map with him.

He pointed to Fort Wallace on the map, about twenty miles west of Cumberland Lake. "He had men guardin' the old fort, but the yellow rat was holed up by the abandoned Civil War battle field here." His finger traveled to that landmark. "Real inconspicuous like. His cowardly little diversion worked."

Lucille was still mostly scared silent. Even saying an "I'm sorry" or something would probably piss him off.

He explained further, "While most of my boys were damn near gettin' shot up in a gun fight at the fort, Micah, Marston, and me was chasin' him on horseback all the way up North to this here railroad. That's where we lost him on account'a the law. Somewhere on the other side of that railroad track."

Lucille studied the map with him.

"Did my father draw the law's attention too then?" Lucille asked.

"They were on him too." Dutch confirmed. "But he definitely escaped."

"I don't doubt it."

Dutch finished, "Assumin' he don't go anywhere back South anytime soon to be hanged, he would have to stay somewhere North of the county line, but aside from that, he could have gone anywhere by now! Without any clues on even what direction he went from there, I don't know that I can risk sending a scout to fight off bounty hunters and Pinkertons just to try 'n track him."

"I see."

"I circled a few places, some defensible spots, but I'm just playin' guess work. And I hate playin' guess work when it comes to killin' that sack of shit."

Lucille nodded.

"Can you think of anything that might lead us to his next camp?"

Lucille swallowed too much saliva. "Um, I'll- Let me see." She studied the map fiercely.

"Take a good long look." He walked away a few steps and lit a smoke. He paced to the far side of the tent angrily. When he was done with his smoke, he came back.

"Anything at all Miss?" he asked, trying to keep his patience. He wasn't actually that hopeful that she would have any useful information, since she hadn't had contact with her father or his gang in a long time, other than to send him that letter about Dutch fucking her that is.

But Lucille realized that she might have something. Something that was better than nothing anyway.

She pointed. "This ravine here, lookin' like just a blank spot of canyon and wilderness...on a newer map ain't that now the Wapiti Indian reservation?"

Dutch looked where she was pointing and nodded. "Hadn't thought about it, but yeah I reckon you're likely right about that..."

Lucille explained darkly, "I know firsthand that my father ain't above using the Indians to hide himself from the law, or from you."

Dutch's eyes filled with hope. He looked at Lucille incredulously.

"When I was a young girl, he made me stay in an Indian sweat lodge with him and my little brothers for two months."

Dutch listened.

"It was one of them times when the law was really hot on his trail. He and his gang would threaten the Indians with knives to their children's throats, makin' them do whatever he said."

"Animals! He must be in that reservation then."

"I have no way of knowin' for sure Mister Van der Linde, but it's possible. I doubt many bounty hunters or lawmen would bother hikin' on foot into a snowy, barren ravine to talk to a scorned, white man hatin' group of Indians crowded together on their tiny scrap of land about an O'Driscoll."

Dutch smiled. He suddenly hugged her to his chest and planted kisses on her forehead.

"Miss O'Driscoll, you have saved an old outlaw's hope!"

Lucille giggled shyly. "Ain't no thing boss. Besides, I don't know for certain that I'm right..."

"It's a start. And bein' a red man, Charles can likely get into that reservation easier than any of us if I send him alone. I'd best go speak to him right now."

"Of course boss."

He turned to leave when Lucille shyly stopped him, "Uh wait but- Dutch?"

He stopped.

"I was just wonderin' if Arthur and Sean are alright."

He taunted, but more playfully than with Molly, "You women and yer sentiment and worryin'. Those boys'll be back just fine any minute now I reckon."

Lucille nodded. "Alright."

Dutch leaned in close to her ear, "Get that ass in my tent. I plan on rewardin' you."

A shiver went up Lucille's spine and arousal surged inside her. "Of course Mister."

He left to go talk to Charles, smiling all the way. Lucille looked around to make sure no one was paying any attention to her, and then disappeared into Dutch's tent.