The smiling faces of White Bird and her family passed through her mind. It hit her then that she would never see them again, nor talk to them.
Her heart squeezed with pain and she let out a wail like that of an animal caught in a trap.
God, why? Why did you allow this to happen? Why? This is the second family that has been taken from me. Am I destined to be without a family? Am I destined to have people in my life for only a short while?
Olivia broke down and sobbed helplessly.
Chapter 8
Adam’s chest tightened as Olivia continued to wet his shirt with her tears. His chest tautened at the sorrow she was going through. He hated that he couldn’t do anything about it.
The only true way he could offer her comfort was if he brought all the men responsible for the attack to justice. And he would do that even if he died while doing it.
“They didn’t deserve to die like that,” she murmured against his chest. “They were peaceful and loving. Their warriors already laid down their arms because they didn’t want war with other Indians and white people.”
Every word she spoke was like a stroke on his heart. It filled him with determination to get to the bottom of the case no matter what it took.
He gently pulled Olivia away from his arms. Her tear-stained face tore his heart to shreds. For some minutes he couldn’t say a word but just stared at her as tears streamed down her face.
“I … I promise you right here and now that I will bring those despicable men to justice. They will pay for what they did to your people.”
He had never meant anything more in his life the way he meant those words to Olivia. He would not fail her. Whenever she was able to pull herself together, he would ask her questions about the raid.
“Stealing was greatly frowned upon in the tribe. As a matter of fact, they dealt severely with thieves.” She hiccupped and went on. “So, they would never take another’s property. They were innocent of the crimes. And even if they were guilty, was death the ultimate price they had to pay? Couldn’t they have been tried and jailed?”
Gritting his teeth as anger surged inside him at the laid-back attitude of the sheriff, Adam said, “I know, Olivia. And that’s why I’m here. It will never happen again. I promise you.”
With sorrow-laden eyes, she replied, “But it won’t bring back White Bird and her family and the whole tribe.”
Adam shook his head. Cora came into the kitchen just then. Her hand instantly went to her chest.
“What’s going on? Why is Olivia crying?”
Adam turned to his foster mother, grateful that she was there to offer Olivia the comfort that he couldn’t.
“Her tribe was killed in the attack,” he explained to Cora.
“I have no home to go back to,” Olivia wailed. “I don’t understand how God could have allowed this to happen.”
“Oh, no! You poor child.” Cora immediately came forward to put her arms around the weeping Olivia.
Adam took a step back and watched the pitiful scene. Soon, tears were also running down Cora’s face.
Gutted, Adam hurried out of the kitchen and out of the house. He stopped at the porch and ran his fingers through his hair repeatedly. The scene of Olivia weeping so helplessly had cut him deeply.
And she was still calling on her God. He had wanted to ask her where her God was when innocent men, women, and children were being killed. He had figured his bitterness would show, and so had kept it to himself.
Nevertheless, why would God take away the only family a young woman had ever known? It didn’t make any sense. Yet people continued to serve him and he continued to hurt them.
Adam pushed away his angry musings at the creator and tried to think of what to do.
Still furious that the tragedy could have been stopped from happening if the sheriff had done his job, Adam strode down the steps. He untied his horse from the post and swung himself on it.
“Hiyyah!” he shouted as he nudged the horse into a fast trot.
In a short time, he arrived in town and headed straight for the sheriff’s office. He tied his horse at a post and hurried into the office with long strides.
As usual, the sheriff was leaning back against his chair, having a humorous conversation with two of his deputies. Why a peaceful town like Ruby Rock needed three deputy sheriffs was beyond him.
