“Kane?”
Rachel nodded. “He won’t stop till he finds me. I heard what he said tonight. He’s workin’ with them...the Riders.”
Mrs. Albright’s breath caught. “Lord help us.”
“They want somethin’ they say my father stole. Gold.”
It was hard to get the voices out of her head. There must have been at least three men with Kane. It must have happened an hour ago.
There was no chance of Rachel sleeping now. Her heart continued hammering against her chest.
She didn’t know whether to focus her mind on escaping Kane or warning Blaze about his intentions.
Either way, the latter was impossible. Rachel couldn’t find her brother if her life depended on it. He was too far away now.
“Gold will rot men’s hearts quicker than whiskey,” Mrs. Albright said, climbing the last step to sit beside her. “But the Lord’s seen worse and still delivered the lost.”
“What if He don’t this time?” Rachel asked as she stared at her hands.
“Child—”
“What if He don’t?” Rachel said again, sharper. “What if Blaze is out there fightin’ alone, and I’m just sittin’ here waitin’ for a miracle that ain’t comin’?”
Mrs. Albright took her hand gently. “Faith don’t always mean waiting. Sometimes it means surviving long enough to see the sun rise.”
“Mama used to tell stories like that,” Rachel said as her lip began to tremble. “About people who waited and believed. She said there was always somethin’ watching...angels, she called them...but not the kind you read about. Not the pretty ones.”
“Your mama sounds wise,” Mrs. Albright replied, smiling faintly.
“She was.” Rachel looked out the window. “She told me once about a rider that haunted the plains. Said he came for men who broke their word. Said he was headless...rode a black horse, carried a lantern that burned cold as ice.”
Mrs. Albright’s brow furrowed. “That old story? The Headless Rider?”
“Mama said he was no ghost,” Rachel continued. “More like justice wearin’ the shape of a man.”
“Sounds like something folks tell to scare children into honesty,” Mrs. Albright said.
“Maybe,” Rachel said. “But she swore it was true. Said he came for those who betrayed blood or kin. Men like Kane.”
“Vengeance is the Lord’s work, not ours,” Mrs. Albright reminded her.
“I know.” Rachel’s eyes glistened. “But I can still pray for it.”
Mrs. Albright was silent for a while. The wind pressed against the church walls, making the wood creak.
“You really think he’ll come for you?” Mrs. Albright asked quietly.
“No,” Rachel replied, shaking her head. “He’ll come for Kane.”
The older woman gave a tired sigh. “Don’t let the darkness twist your heart, child. It’s easy to wish for death when we’ve seen too much of it.”
“I ain’t wishin’ for death,” Rachel whispered. “Just justice. The kind the law can’t give.”
Mrs. Albright looked at her for a long time, then nodded slowly. “You sound like your brother.”
“He’d say the same thing,” Rachel said, giving her a weak smile. “He always believed right and wrong weren’t somethin’ written in books...They were somethin’ you felt here.”
She touched her chest.
