For Her, He Will

Chapter Six - Too many people can't know.

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"Should we do something?" Oakley asked

She was sitting on the stairs inside the North Camp. Rip had moved them both back into the home and out of the elements. Rip was standing, looking out the window by the front door, over to where the bodies still were laying in the snow.

"I need to get you back to the ranch," Rip muttered, but Oakley could tell he was still trying to come up with a plan.

"What do we do with them?" Oakley asked.

"Huh?" Rip looked back at her.

"The bodies," Oakley sighed. "What do we...do?"

"You do nothing," Rip pointed at her. "You were never here. You didn't see anything. You know nothing about this...do you understand?"

"Rip," Oakley leaned back.

"I came up here to check on things for you," Rip said. "You were never here."

"Rip, that's not..." Oakley shook her head. "I took a horse, there are tracks and footprints."

"The tracks will be gone by this evening," Rip said.

Oakley looked back down at the floor.

"They said they were journalists," Oakley said.

"I know," Rip sighed.

"That means they have an employer who probably knows where they were going," Oakley looked back over at Rip.

"I know what it fucking means, Oakley," Rip snapped.

"Then again, I ask, what do we need to do with them?" Oakley held her hands up in question, frustrated.

"You need to go back to the ranch and tell Lloyd to meet me out here," Rip said, looking at Oakley.

"Rip," Oakley stood up. "Let me help you."

"You think I want you anywhere near this? Kayce is gonna fucking kill me and I may just let him." Rip sighed. "Go."

"So, you want to drag Lloyd into it?" Oakley argued. "And I can handle Kayce!"

"Oakley," Rip walked over to her. "I actually like you, in a very annoying way you are pleasant to be around...but if you don't get on that fucking horse and leave, I'm going to drag you back to the ranch myself."

Oakley blinked back at him.

"This is my problem," Rip said. "Trust me when I say that this is not your problem."

"I'll go," Oakley nodded, stepping down from the last step but pausing and looking up at Rip. "But it's not just your problem."

"Tell Lloyd to get his ass up here as fast as he can," Rip ignored her, walking over to open the door.

A few hours later

Oakley waited until she saw Rip and Lloyd riding back later that afternoon. She grabbed her coat and walked back out from the cabin, over to meet them at the barn. She hadn't done one thing but wait. Her mind had swirled with all the different scenarios about what could happen or what she could do.

Lloyd nodded at Oakley as he passed her while Rip slowed his horse down. Oakley stood there, her hands in her pockets as she looked up at Rip. She could see her breath fan out around her with each exhale she did.

"I'm giving you an out, Oaks," Rip smiled down at her. "I'd take it if I were you."

"I have a conscious, Rip," Oakley frowned. "It doesn't work that way with me...you should know that by now."