A Brave Alliance to the Rescue – Extended Epilogue


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The rain beat down on the rooftop like a band of angry drummer boys. It had been storming for two solid days and, having been stuck at home, they were beginning to run low on certain supplies. 

Noah looked across at Abby, who was busy nursing their infant daughter on the divan. Rocking in the chair in front of the fire, Noah smiled at his wife and said, “She looks just like you, you know?”

“Maybe,” said Abby. “But she acts a whole more lot like you.”

“Really? How so?’

“Well . . . she likes to throw a fit when she doesn’t get her way.”

Noah chuckled. “Very funny. I think she’ll be just like her mama—in just about every possible way.”

“You think she’ll grow up to be a bounty hunter, too?”

“I hope not,” Noah said. “In that regard, I hope she doesn’t take after either one of us.” He heaved a sigh and then, slapping his knees, added, “I guess I’m going to have to brave the storm and head into town. We don’t have enough victuals to last us through tomorrow night.”

“Maybe it’ll taper off by morning,” Abby suggested. “You can wait and try then.”

“Did you forget already? I have other plans for tomorrow. That roof won’t fix itself. Though I surely wish it would.”

Just as Noah got to his feet, a knock sounded at the front door of their little house. He glanced over at Abby. “You expecting a visitor?” he asked his wife. 

She shook her head. “Not unless I made an appointment with someone and forgot about it.”

“That’s generally not something you ever do,” Noah pointed out as he started toward the door. Pausing in front of the door, he peered out through the little eyehole he’d drilled in the wood, for occasions such as this. He could see a face on the other side, but it was too dark for him to be able to make out the features. Sunset hadn’t yet arrived, but the thick cloud cover blotted out much of the sun’s light. 

After another moment’s pause, Noah opened the door and looked out at the visitor. 

The man standing on the other side of the threshold was cloaked in a dark coat. He also wore a dark hat with the brim angled low. Rain dripped down over the brim, just as it did off the edge of the house’s roof.

At first Noah didn’t recognize the bearded face that was staring back at him. Narrowing his eyes on the shadow-veiled features, his mind began to summon a memory. A whole host of memories followed the first one—a flood of mostly unpleasant images.

You,” Noah burbled and then, slamming the door shut, he sprinted across the room toward the place where he kept his guns. 

“Noah!” Abby sat up straight, alarmed by her husband’s sudden actions. “What in Hades are you doing?” she asked. “Who’s out there?”

Noah took his Colt revolver out of the box where he kept it stashed. He always made sure the gun was loaded before he stored it, so there was no need for him to check the chamber now. Spinning back toward the door, he hollered, “Get away from here, Zander?”

Abby gasped in shock. “The Zander brothers? It can’t be!” She also got to her feet and, while holding her infant, drew her own pistol out of its resting place. 

“I ain’t armed!” the visitor shouted through the door. “I swear it!”

Man and wife traded glances. Then Noah exhaled once sharply and opened the door to their uninvited guest a second time. 

He expected to see the visitor—Russell Zander—holding a weapon, but the man appeared to be unarmed, just as he’d claimed. Still, as a precaution, Noah kept his Colt leveled at the visitor’s chest. A moment later, he heard Abby approach from behind. 

“What in the hell are you doing here?” Abby demanded of the interloper. “You’re supposed to be in prison!”

“I know,” the outlaw replied. His voice sounded frail, Noah noticed for the first time. Everything about him seemed frail. He almost expected the man to drop to the ground any moment, toppled over by a strong gust of wind. “I . . . well, I felt like I needed to come to talk to you.”

Noah realized that the outlaw was looking past him . . . he was speaking directly to Abby. 

“How’d you get out of prison?” Noah asked him. “They didn’t release you early. I know that didn’t happen.”

“No, they did not,” Russell admitted. “I released myself early.”

Noah exhaled sharply. Then he said, “You know we’re going to have to turn you into the authorities. I’m amazed you’ve managed to make it this far. How’d you even find our home?”

The outlaw, raising a fist to his mouth, coughed harshly several times. Then he said, “Would it be all right if I came in for a few minutes? It won’t take any longer than that. You can ask me whatever questions you want after my brief bit of business.”

Noah, looking over his shoulder at Abby, noted that she also had a pistol trained on their guest. He met his wife’s eyes. There was mistrust there for sure. But he could also see a hint of curiosity in her gaze. 

Sighing again, Noah turned back toward their visitor. “Take that coat off and drop it where you’re standing,” he told Russell Zander. “Then step forward slowly so I can search you for weapons.”

After Noah was satisfied that their guest was truly unarmed, he allowed him into the house. He told the man where to sit and ordered him to stay put until the end of the visit. 

Noah and Abby both sat across from the visitor. Abby had already placed their daughter in a bassinette at the edge of the room. Both kept their pistols handy, but neither was aimed directly at the rain-soaked outlaw. 

“I’ll give you five minutes to state your business, Zander,” Noah told him. “But I want you to begin by telling us how you sprang yourself out of the penitentiary.”

Russell Zander drew in a deep breath and released it slowly. “I had to get out of there. Some men I knew—other inmates who’d become my friends—helped me escape. They did so at great risk to themselves—that’s how I know they were real friends.”

“You escaped so you could see us?” Abby asked him. Noah could tell from the sound of her voice that it unnerved her greatly to have this man in their home. Noah glanced at the clock across the room. Five minutes would pass quickly, but he realized that under the present circumstances it could end up seeming a lot longer. 

“I escaped so that I could visit a number of individuals,” the outlaw explained. “I haven’t been able to find all of ’em, but I’ve managed to locate several.”

“Is this about revenge?” Noah asked him, even though he already knew the answer to his own question. The man seated before them didn’t strike him as an individual bent on vengeance. The energy he gave off was too mild for that—too tame. There was even an odd kind of serenity about him, the bounty hunter couldn’t help but notice. 

“I’m done seeking revenge,” Russell Zander said. “I suppose you could say that I’m seeking forgiveness, but to be honest that’s not something I’m really expecting to find. I s’pose I’m doing this for my own soul. I’m trying to make amends with as many folks as I can before I reach the end. And I couldn’t do that sitting in a tiny prison cell in Jefferson City, Missouri.”

Noah could hardly believe what he was hearing. The man had come to apologize . . . not to him, but to Abby. It was her husband Russell and his brother had slain all those years ago. Noah’s mind grasped for some sort of familiar ground, but he could find none. He’d never heard of a man even contemplating the task Russell Zander was currently attempting.

“You came to tell me you’re sorry?” Abby said, her voice heavy with disbelief. “Because you murdered Cy?”

Russell Zander nodded. “That’s exactly what I came to do,” he said. He raised his fist to his mouth and coughed again, but this time, Noah noticed, he was holding a handkerchief. When the outlaw drew the handkerchief away from his face, Noah saw the red splotches. 

“You’re ill,” the bounty hunter said.

“More than ill,” said the outlaw. “I’m dying. Pretty quickly too.”

Noah and Abby exchanged glances again. Before either of them could respond, Elisha, their daughter, began to coo softly over in her bassinette. 

“You have a child,” Russell Zander observed. “Congratulations. I’m sure the two of you make excellent parents. Probably a real good-looking kid, too.”

“Thank you,” Abby replied, her voice softening slightly. “We consider ourselves to be very blessed. We had to try a couple of times before we finally got her.”

The slightest hint of a smile touched the corners of Russell Zander’s mouth. Another moment passed, then, sitting up straight in the chair, he said, “I am deeply sorry for the sin I committed against your former husband and thus against you. He was merely trying to do his job. I thought he was a brave man. What we did was wrong, and I’m certain my brother and I will pay eternally for that sin and for all the others we committed.”

“Where is your brother?” Noah asked. He’d wondered before, but until this moment he’d not thought to ask about Leo. 

“Leo passed away about a year ago,” Russell informed them. “He wanted to do this as well—what I’m doing now. He never got the chance. But if he were here I know he’d be telling you the same thing I’m telling you. So I’m also apologizing on his behalf.”

Abby suddenly got to her feet and went off into the next room. 

After her departure, Russell Zander looked across at Noah, blinking but saying nothing. 

Noah cleared his throat. “This is a very unexpected thing,” he remarked to their guest. “I’m sure your apology has brought up some feelings my wife hasn’t felt in some time.”

“People have reacted differently,” said the outlaw. “One woman tried to shoot me. I almost wish she’d succeeded, but her gun jammed. One woman invited me to share her dinner. Some just stare at me, like stunned deer. Most of ’em cry, of course. I’ll bet none of ’em ever expected to be getting an apology from the one who killed their loved one.”

Abby reappeared in the room then. It was apparent that she’d spent the last couple of minutes crying. Taking a seat again beside Noah, she looked across at their guest and said, “Mr. Zander, I’ll be honest with you . . . your actions create a lot of confusion within me. Part of me wants to kill you. An even darker part of me wants to torture you. But, surprisingly, another part of me wants to give you a big hug. I’m not even sure why. For years I’ve been trying to forgive you and your brother. I’ve never made it very far with that. I had pretty much given up on the notion. And now here you are . . . and wouldn’t you know it, we’re about a week away from the anniversary of Cy’s death. In fact, today is probably the anniversary of the last day I ever saw him . . . the day he stepped out that door to go track down the infamous Zander brothers. And, you know, it’s not just Cy. You killed Bill Ratliff, the former sheriff of Garden City, along with another man, Willie Bragg, who was a beloved cook in one of our local eateries.”

“I know,” Russell said. “I didn’t come to ask your forgiveness. Like I said, I never really expected anyone to offer me that. But, still, I owed you an apology. It’s sincere—you can believe that. I mean it from the bottom of my heart, from whatever good part of my soul might still remain. And now that I’ve given it to you, I’ll be on my way. I don’t mean to trouble you folks, or take up too much of your time.”

The outlaw, catching Noah’s gaze, said, “May I stand now? I have another visit I’d like to get in before the day’s end. I would understand it if you feel the need to capture me and hand me over to the authorities, but I would ask that you refrain from doing that. I know by this time there’s a bounty on my head, but I’ve already selected the person who will receive that bounty. My last visit. Someone not too far away from here.”

Noah exhaled a long breath, then nodded and said, “You may stand. And . . . you may go freely.”

All three of them got to their feet. In the bassinette at the room’s edge, little Elisha continued to coo and giggle. 

Russell Zanders, addressing Abby, said, “Would you mind if I had a look at your baby? Just a look—I won’t touch her. Haven’t looked into the face of an infant in some years.”

Once again, man and wife regarded one another. After a brief hesitation, Abby nodded. 

“You can have a look,” Noah told the outlaw. Then he quickly issued a warning: “But don’t get too close.”

“Of course,” Russell said. “I understand.”

All three of them walked over to the bassinette. Russell Zander stayed back a few feet, but he was close to catch sight of the infant’s face. 

Little Elisha Galloway went on giggling and cooing as she seemed to be discovering her fingers and toes all over again. 

Noah watched their visitor’s face. A smile slowly crept over the lined, leathery mug. And then something appeared in the man’s eyes. A glint, a tiny little light . . . maybe, it occurred to Noah, the outlaw was thinking back to an earlier time in his own life. A time when he too was young and innocent, like baby Elisha.

“She’s the most beautiful thing I’ve laid eyes on in years,” Russell Zander commented, his smile now having overtaken his entire face.

“Would you like to . . . hold her?” Abby asked him. 

Noah snapped his head toward his wife. “Abby! Do you really think that’s a good idea?”

“I don’t think it’s a bad idea,” she answered him. “It’ll be fine, dear. We’ll both be right here.”

Noah exhaled loudly. “Just one minute,” he told the outlaw, holding up a single digit.

“I don’t have to hold your baby,” Russell said. “I thank you, but—”

“It’s fine,” Abby said insistently. “Go ahead and pick her up.”

Russell Zander locked eyes with Noah for a moment before stepping forward. Reaching carefully into the bassinette, he cradled the infant in his hands and raised her up to his chest. He bounced the baby up and down a few times as she continued to coo and laugh in her tiny sing-song voice. 

“I think that’s long enough,” Noah said, reaching out and taking his daughter out of the outlaw’s hands. 

Russell Zander gazed into the baby’s eyes for a moment longer, then smiled over at Abby. “Thank you, ma’am. You’ve truly made my day. My whole year actually.”

The outlaw turned then and began striding toward the door. When he reached the door, he coughed into this fist again. The cough was a rattly one, and it brought to Noah’s mind an aunt of his who’d died from consumption some years ago. 

“Have you gone to the doctor for your illness, Mr. Zander?” Abby asked their visitor. 

He nodded. “The docs can’t do anything for me. They can’t even tell me how long I have left on this Earth. But they don’t have to. I already know.”

Donning his soggy hat, he opened the door and began to step over the threshold. Outside, Noah could see through the doorway, the rain had let up somewhat. In the distance, the thunder boomed softly, sounding like distant cannonade echoing across the plains. 

“Hold on a minute,” Noah said as he handed Elisha over to Abby. “I’ll saddle up an extra horse. You can ride into town with me. I’m heading that direction anyway.”

“You don’t have to,” Russell said. “I surely don’t expect it.”

Noah shrugged. “It’s not a problem. A man as sick as you shouldn’t be walking so much.”

Russell Zander smiled again. “I’m glad I was able to find you folks,” he said. “This has been one of my better visits. I’d tell you that I’ll remember it as long as I live, but, given my condition, that’s not too impressive a feat.”

Noah put his pistol back in the box where he kept it. Then, donning his own coat and hat, he joined their visitor near the doorway. 

Before the two men stepped outside, Abby called out across the room, “Russell . . . I . . . I want to tell you something before you go.”

The outlaw turned back to face her. “Yes, ma’am?”

“I wish you well on your journey,” she said. 

“Thank you, ma’am,” Russell said. 

He’d already started to pivot back toward the open doorway when Abby added, “And one more thing. I want to tell you that . . . I forgive you.”

The man stared at her for a long moment, his eyes welling with tears. He opened his mouth to speak, but his words were overtaken by the onset of another coughing fit. By the time he was finished coughing, Abby had taken the baby and disappeared into the back room again.

“Tell your wife I said thank you,” Russell told Noah. “Tell her it means the world to me what she said.”

Noah gazed into the man’s eyes for a long moment before replying, “I’m sure she knows already, Russell. In fact, I’d bet my life on it.”

As the two men strode out toward the barn, the day’s first ray of sunlight suddenly appeared, poking through a low-hanging cluster of clouds in the western sky. 

“Looks like we may have a nice sunny ride into town,” Noah remarked to their guest. “As long as those clouds keep breaking up the way they are.”

The man in the dark coat didn’t respond, but Noah didn’t take it personally. 

They’d already said everything that needed to be said. Nothing, at this point, could improve upon the easy silence that lay between the two men. 

THE END


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OFFER: A BRAND NEW SERIES AND 2 FREEBIES FOR YOU!

Grab my new series, "Heroes of the Wild Frontier", and get 2 FREE novels as a gift! Have a look here!




21 thoughts on “A Brave Alliance to the Rescue – Extended Epilogue”

  1. Loved the development of the story line & characters, especially Abby. She was not the flighty type, even in a tense situation. The extended epilogue was a complete surprise, exactly what I look for in an ending!

  2. This was a very good storyline and Abby was an extraordinary woman.I think Russell was truly sorry and it meant a lot to be forgiven The extended epilogue is very good

  3. I really enjoyed how you brought the characters to life and made real and not super humans as so may books do,thank you a a good and entertaining read.

  4. Thank you Henry for great and interesting stories. For me personally I love that your stories are not full of cursing and sex. Thank you again. Keep up the good work.

  5. An excellent, well written book. Great characters, story line and plenty of action. It is a pleasure to follow you and watch as you mature in your craft. Keep it up Sir!

  6. A good story that developed with many different characters. My favorite were Noah and Willie. Yes, Abby had a stressful
    Life and came out a better person. Forgiveness even when it it hard is the best policy.

  7. I been putting off reading this book. I decided yesterday I was going to give it a go. I’m glad I did. I enjoyed reading this book. I’ll leave a review on goodreads. I would on Amazon but they did me wrong.
    God bless

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