Tragedy Turned Treasure (On Hold)

Prologue

A/N This is my second book I like feedback because I like to know what y'all like and stuff like that. Also this book is something that I fell in love with while writing it and I'm hoping that y'all like it as well. This book is Copyrighted All Rights Reserved so please to copy it or try to make yours or anything like that. Adios my little leprechauns.

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Texas Trail 1861

The sun was scorching down on the small covered wagon that was making its way down the trail. Cole Jackson and his wife Emily were moving from Abilene, Virginia to the Texas territory. All of a sudden a soft cry came from the back," Looks like Danny's hungry again," Emily said quietly.

Cole noticed his wife was weary from all the travelin' they were doing. "I'm gonna stop at the next town ,which is supposed to be, in about ten miles accordin' to the fella at the last stop," he replied softly, "But I'll pull over here so you can nurse Danny."

"Are you sure Cole, I mean, we can go a little farther and I can feed him while ya are drivin' I know ya are real tired."

"Danny needs somethin' to eat and I know that ya need to rest and I need some sleep; so I was thinkin that we could make up ahead there for tonight and make it to town in the mornin," he said softly because Emily was tryin to quiet the baby.

Cole pulled the wagon over and jumped down to get the horses fed, watered, and brushed down because he new that they were workin hard today. He went in search of some kindling and a few small logs so that the could make a fire for supper. Cole knew that Emily still had some of that stew that the Missus at their last stop had provided them with.

He came back to find little Danny sitting on a blanket beside the wagon; what he didn't expect to find was Emily retching a few feet away. Cole ran over to hold her hair saying softly that things were gonna be okay and that everything would be fine. Even though she had been sick like this for the past couple of days.

Emily sat down after she was finished and looked at Cole carefully. "Cole",she said quietly, "Yer gonna be a Pa again."

Cole just stared at thinkin about what she just told him. He was gonna be a Pa again that meant that Danny was gonna have a sister or a brother. Suddenly he broke out into a huge smile.

"Yer with child?" he asked. She nodded slowly with a small smile on her face.

"Danny's gonna have a brother or a sister?", he whispered still shocked.

"Mmmhmmm," she beamed.

"Then we gotta get you to bed for some rest; you have to take care of herself and the baby," he said quietly while lookin at Danny who was fast asleep by the fire.

"Alright then", she said while picking up the sleeping Danny as Cole got the bed rolls rolled out.

Cole and Emily lay down on the bed tool and put little Danny between them. "I love you Emily and our new baby." he whispered. "I love you too Cole, goodnight."

"Goodnight."

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Suddenly a loud noise woke Cole and Emily from sleeping.

"Quick! Hide Danny under the wagon and cover him with blankets and stay inside," he said softly while strapping his gun down.

Emily nodded silently and wrapped Danny in a blanket, instead of placing him under the wagon she placed him in an empty crate and kissed him before partially covering it with the lid. While she did this Cole grabbed the rifle that was propped up against wheel and watched the hills for any movement.

All of a sudden a gang of riders came at them from all sides and before Cole could do anything he felt a sharp excruciating pain tearing though his left shoulder. The pain sent him to his knees and his vision began to blur.

A grizzly looking man that looked as if he hadn't washed for weeks came into his line of sight, "Well look what we have here boys I bet this nice gentleman has a lovely little lady in this here wagon." The man to two of an and said," Slade, Walker, why don't ya go and find out while I tie this gentleman up so he can see what wer gonna do to his lovely little lady. He then turned and smiled cruelly at Cole.

"Don't hurt her please I'm began ya," Cole croaked with a distraught look on his face.

"Oh we're gonna do more than that in fact I'm gonna let each of my boys have a round with her before I go an kill her, the man said while tieing Cole up, and yer gonna watch every second of it then only then will I put you out of yer misery."

"No!"

Just then the two men that were called Slade and Walker carried a kicking an screaming Emily. They placed her on he ground, bound her hands, and gagged her with one of he men's bandanas and tore her dress so that they could get a clear view of her naked body.

While the man named Slade undid his gun belt and undid his trousers he yelled," I'm gonna have me a woman tonight and it sure is gonna be fun."

As Cole watched all five men have they're way with her he couldn't the tears that rolled down his face and thoughts of how he couldn't protect her entered his mind. Just as the last man finished Emily looked ghostly white and unusually silent; Cole watched as the leader or Boss as all the men called him pulled out his pistol and sneered," Say goodbye to yer husband little lady."

Emily looked at him with blank eyes and Cole knew that she no longer recognized him and that she knew she was going to die.

The gun fired.

"Emily!" Cole screamed even though there was a gag in his mouth he could her the devastation in his own voice.

The Boss turned around and pointed the pistol at him and said," Time fer ya to meet yer maker."

Just as the shot was fired Cole couldn't help but think that they hadn't found Danny.

Then everything went black.