A Powerless World | Book 3 | Defend The Homestead Hunt, Jack (read my book TXT) 📖

is exactly what they want. To divide us, to draw us out and pick us off one by one. No, we need to double down here. Protect the homestead.”

“And do nothing?” Zeke asked in astonishment. “Father is dead. Lincoln is dead. Miriam had God knows what done to her and now Jessie?”

“What do you expect?” Colby asked.

“What did you say?” Zeke asked, lowering his rifle and giving Colby a stern look.

“You heard me. We’ve been playing with fire for years. All of us. You can only do that so long before people get burned.”

Dylan piped up. “Are you saying he deserved this?”

“No. Of course not. What I’m saying is that his involvement in the death of the Stricklands could have brought this on, but do you think this would be the outcome? If they somehow have figured out that Jessie was involved, and that it wasn’t just Alby, do you think for one moment they would have left him alive? They would have killed him, and probably strung him up from that bridge.”

Zeke threw a hand up. “Well, maybe they think death is an easy way out. They could have killed Miriam but they didn’t and we all know they were responsible for that. Seth was responsible.”

Colby looked at Miriam who was nodding.

“I’m just saying that what if it wasn’t them?”

Before any of them could say any more, there was a commotion down by the gate.

“Please. Let me through. I just want to see him,” a female said.

“Get off the property.”

Martha stepped down from the porch and cupped a hand over her eyes to see what was happening. “Laura. Who is it?”

Laura was closer to the gate than them.

“It’s one of the Stricklands. Nina. She says she needs to speak to you, to speak to Jessie. That… hold on a second…”

Everyone waited on bated breath.

Whatever Nina had told Laura, it must have convinced her to open the gate. Few Stricklands had ever stepped on their property, those that had were buried in a shallow grave in the hills. They watched from the porch as Laura escorted Nina up to the home. She was an attractive woman, dark-skinned. “Where is he?”

Martha raised a hand to those who stepped forward, still angry at what they believed was a beatdown from Nina’s family. “Better question. Why are you here?”

“To see Jessie.”

“Why?” Martha asked.

“Who cares? Get off our land,” Dylan said.

“You need to hear this,” Laura said. She didn’t need to encourage Nina to go on, what came out next shocked them all.

“He’s the father of my child or…” she dipped her head. “Or was.”

It was a strange and shocking statement. No one moved an inch. No one said anything. A few heads turned his way. He could only imagine what they were thinking. Skye. A repeat of history. Colby made his way down off the porch.

“Was?” he asked, probing for more clarity.

Nina squeezed her eyes shut, the pain becoming her expression. “Please. I’ll explain but I just need to see Jessie.”

“He’s inside,” Martha said.

“Give the woman some room,” Colby said, stepping forward to part the wall of Rikers that was blocking her way. As she went to pass them, Miriam grabbed hold of Nina’s arm.

“You have some nerve coming here.”

“Get off her, Miriam,” Colby said.

She hesitated, scowling at Colby, then released her grip. He led Nina into the house and into his room at the front. When she made it to the doorway she stopped and looked on in shock. “Jessie…”

It was as if she didn’t know.

As if this was new.

Slowly she made her way across the room, the daylight filtering in through the drapes offering her a clear view of his battered face. “No. Why would they do this?”

“Who did this?” Colby asked. His mother was nearby, almost breathing down his neck. A few of his family members lingered in the hallway.

“The militia.”

“The militia?” Martha said, stepping into the room. “You want us to believe the militia did this? Why? Huh?”

She shrugged, not taking her eyes off Jessie, then closed her eyes and shook her head. A groan escaped her lips. “Seth.”

“Seth? He was responsible?” Colby asked.

“Yes. No. I mean sort of. He led them to us but it was the militia that dragged him out.”

Martha had heard enough, she grabbed Nina and spun her around. “A child? Militia? What are you talking about? You better start making sense and fast.”

She took a seat on the edge of the bed, then gripped her stomach as if she was in pain. “I was carrying Jessie’s child and...”

“Impossible. Why would he get involved with you?”

“Mother. Let her speak.” She folded her arms, defiant, annoyance spreading. She stepped over to the window and looked out while Colby drew closer.

“The militia showed up. They said that Jessie wasn’t supposed to be carrying weapons in Eureka. They said he knew about an arsenal of weapons and gold. When they threatened to harm me he told them that he would take them to it.”

“Oh God,” Martha said, turning.

Colby was confused. “Mother? You know about this?”

She nodded. “Before Alby went in, he told me about the cache of weapons and gold bars. I removed it.” She brought a hand up to her face. The reality of it dawned on them all. It was beginning to make sense. Jessie would have taken the militia to Alby’s only to find it not there. They would have thought he was lying or withholding and… Colby’s eyes drifted to his brother. To his swollen and battered face.

“How did they know?” Martha said.

“Well, it’s obvious, you were seen.”

“No. There was no one around.”

“Obviously, there was,” Colby said. He exhaled hard, looking at Nina again. “You said you were pregnant with Jessie’s child?”

She nodded, looking as if she could barely get the words out. “Until Seth told Hank and my father.” Her lip quivered. “They brought in a doctor to abort the baby.”

“What?” his mother said. Nina placed a hand over her belly, clearly still in pain from whatever had been done. “You agreed?”

“Why would