Meade was at her side instantly, drawing her into his arms. “I’m sorry, Rayna. I should have found a way to help you sooner.”
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Rayna didn’t return his embrace, but she didn’t reject it, either. She needed Meade’s strength right now to bolster her own.
“I am deeply sorry, Miss Templeton,” Crook said. “This never should have happened. General Whitlock should have ordered her release the moment you brought the situation to his attention.”
Rather than comforting her, his apology pierced through her fear for Skylar and found a home at the core of her rage. A flash of blinding anger gave her all the strength she needed to pull out of Meade’s arms and turn on Crook. “Don’t talk to me about what should or should not have happened, General, and don’t expect me to stand still for a mouthful of polite apologies,”
she spat out viciously. “I want to know what the hell you’re doing to get my sister back!”
Crook sat back in his chair so quickly that it nearly toppled over. “I’m doing everything I can, Miss Templeton, I assure you,” he told her when he finally found his voice. “But this is a very complex and complicated matter.
I’ve ordered a full investigation into the death of the soldier—”
“That’s absurd! Skylar couldn’t kill anyone even if her life depended on it.
The charge is obviously a lie!”
“I believe you’re wrong about that, miss,” Crook said, taking a stern tone with her. He understood her anger, but a lady found better ways of expressing her displeasure. “According to the report I received from the commander of the detail, your sister admitted killing the soldier.”
“Damn it, I tell you that’s not possible!”
“Rayna, that’s enough. Sit down and listen to what the general has to say.”
Meade placed his hand on her arm, but she jerked it away.
“Don’t tell me what to do!”
He took her arm more forcefully and all but threw her into the chair. “I said sit down and shut up!” he commanded, startling her into momentary silence. He turned toward Crook. “Please forgive Miss Templeton, sir,” he said with very little apology in his voice. “You can’t possibly imagine what she and her family have suffered because of the army’s insensitivity. Perhaps if you gave us more details of this incident, we might be able to piece together the truth of the matter.”
Crook looked at Rayna as though waiting to see if she had any objection.
“I’m sorry, General,” she apologized sincerely. “Please tell us everything you know about what happened to Skylar.”
With a nod, Crook recounted the scant details from the report he’d received.
Despite the sketchiness of the report, Meade thought he had a clear picture of what had happened, and it sickened him. “Who is in charge of the Rio Alto detail?” he asked.
“Captain Luther Haggarty.”
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Meade knew him and didn’t like him one bit. “And the soldier who was killed?”
“Private Stanley Talbot.”
Meade knew him and liked him even less. Now he understood exactly what had happened to Skylar. “General, I have met Private Talbot and know him to be a degenerate swine who openly brags about the Apache women he has molested.” Meade heard Rayna’s despairing gasp, but he continued. “If Skylar did indeed kill him, she was only defending herself from rape.”
“That is my assumption as well,” Crook replied, then glanced at Rayna and found that she was as pale as a sheet. “Are you all right, Miss Templeton?”
The tears she had conquered before were stinging her eyes again. “How can I be all right, General? My sister may have been raped, and she is most certainly living a nightmare. I don’t know where she is or how to get her back or what she is suffering at this very moment.”
Meade reached out and covered her hand, but she balled it into a fist and twisted away from his comforting touch. “Don’t,” she commanded. “I don’t want or need your sympathy. I just want Skylar back.”
Meade retracted his hand and looked at Crook again. He knew the general too well to believe that he hadn’t taken some sort of action to rectify this problem. “What have you done to locate Skylar, sir?”
“I’ve turned the matter over to Case Longstreet,” Crook replied. “He’s taken his uncle and nephew with him, and by now they should have intercepted Captain Haggarty’s detail. His plan was to question Sun Hawk’s family in the hope that learning more about the brave would give him an idea of what he might do or where he’d go.”
Meade felt his first ray of hope dawning. “That’s good news, General. If anyone can find Skylar, it’s Case Longstreet.”
“My thinking exactly.” Crook looked at Rayna again. “I know my apologies are meaningless, Miss Templeton, but my promises never are. And I promise you that I won’t rest until you and your sister are reunited.”
Rayna believed him, and she finally understood why the Apache people trusted and respected him so much. His clear eyes and resolute mien demanded respect. She was only sorry she hadn’t seen it in him earlier.
Crook was an honorable man who would do everything in his power to right this injustice.
Unfortunately, that knowledge did nothing to assuage her fear for Skylar’s safety.
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16
Case caught up with Haggarty’s party at Fort Bowie, where they had been camped for two days to allow for provisioning the soldiers and collecting much-needed rations for the Mescaleros. In two more days the Apaches would be safely ensconced at Rio Alto.
Haggarty hadn’t been happy about giving Case the complete run of the camp, but considering the wording of Crook’s directive, he hadn’t had much choice. Case inquired about the wounded soldier who had been sent ahead to Fort Bowie along with the dispatch that had eventually made its way to Crook. He learned that the soldier was expected to recover. Case considered that very good news for Skylar and Sun Hawk.
He wasted no time questioning Haggarty about the events that had led up to Skylar’s escape, because he knew the captain would resent being interrogated by an Apache—even one who was so close to General Crook. Haggarty would only lie, and Case thought it best not to stir up trouble. He would leave getting the truth from the soldiers to Crook and instead concentrate on what he could learn from the Mescaleros.
Not surprisingly, Case was greeted with looks of suspicion as he made his way to Naka’yen’s campsite. His heart bled for the pitiful condition of the 192
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Mescaleros who had been uprooted from their reservation. He couldn’t understand why the government was so intent on stripping an entire race of people of everything they had—including what was left of their pride.
When he finally found Naka’yen, the old man was the perfect example of the kind of damage the white man could do to an honorable old man.
Naka’yen had kept his people at peace for years and all he had received in exchange were broken promises, and now a broken heart. The old chieftain barely had the strength to sit upright when he saw Case approaching.
Case had had the foresight to bring gifts of food and cloth for Naka’yen.
He knew he could never buy the man’s favor, but at least he could show him the respect he deserved. “I offer a gift of friendship,” Case said, placing the bag on the ground between them.