"Put the bag on your head."

His voice was as flat as she'd ever heard it and her worry grew exponentially. She should, she realized, be more afraid. After all, this man was part of the trio that had literally thrown her to the dogs. But this was still Rat Face-someone she'd come across off and on over the years when she rode the rails along the East Coast. He was a pig and a crook and easily led by men who were his intellectual superior, which was just about everyone, but on his own she'd always believed in her heart she could manage him. Her gut, however, was telling her there was something very different about this time. She obeyed his command, and her world grew dank and dark, causing her to shiver and poke herself with the tip of the knife. More blood pooled at the waist of her denim pants.

"Very good, bitch."

A wagon pulled up to the entrance at the far end of the alley and stopped.

Lindsay could feel Albert let out a relieved breath.

"Walk," he commanded. Just before the wagon, he stopped."Where have you been?"

Bo looked at Albert's captive and then back at Albert. "At a party." A beat."Where the hell do you think I've been?"

Lindsay's head snapped up at the sound of the voice. Bo? It can't be. You shit! You're working with Rat Face?

"Dammit, keep your voice down. Help me into the wagon," Albert said impatiently.

Bo climbed jumped down, his shoes kicking up a cloud of dust when he hit the ground."You cut her tongue out?"He tried not to let his anxiety show.

"No." Albert laughed and kneed Lindsay in the back, only thinking at the last minute to move the blade so he wouldn't skewer her.

The woman let loose a loud grunt and a string of invectives and threats that caused Bo's eyebrows to crawl up into his hairline and stay there.

"You'd better hope she doesn't make good on any of that, Rat Face."

Albert sneered."Dead women don't make good on anything."

Awkwardly, the men loaded Lindsay into the wagon. Bo crawled up to the driver's seat and Albert stayed in back with Lindsay."Lay down and don't move."

Bo glanced over his shoulder. God, what have I gotten myself into to? What have you gotten yourself into, String Bean? He forced his voice not to quiver as he spoke."Where to?"

Albert thought for a moment, one hand coming up to scratch at his beard. Then his face broke into a startling smile."The river."

Ginny gathered Jane up in her arms and hurried out of the kitchen. She could hear Laura crying behind her and her heart clenched so painfully she thought her chest might split in two. I did the right thing. This was the right thing, she chanted mentally, tightening her grip on her sister as she bolted up the stairs, taking them as fast as her dress would allow.

The guestroom she shared with Lindsay was cool and she shivered as she set Jane on the bed and moved to the fluttering drapes to close the window.

The girl was dressed but her blonde hair was still damp and Ginny used a towel she'd hung over the back of chair the day before to dry it thoroughly."There," she sniffed back her own tears, "all dry."

Jane grabbed at the towel, exploring its slightly rough surface with curious, chubby fingers.

"You wanna go see Lindsay, sweetie?"

The blonde thought for a second before nodding decisively."Yes."

"You're so smart. That's just what we both need, I think," Ginny commented as she shucked her dress and began changing into what she'd come to think of as her traveling trousers. With a start, she realized what she was doing.

Her mother would have stepped into the closet so the toddler couldn't see her nakedness. Even Alice, whose bold behavior often inspired Ginny and infuriated her parents, would have, at the very least, turned her back on the girl and hidden her breasts with her dress. Yet here Ginny stood, completely comfortable in her nudity, shoulders squared, chest and chin lifted proudly. Despite what had just transpired, a small smile twitched at the corners of her mouth. She was proud of herself.

With gentle persistence and a heaping dose of love, her lover had convinced her that every curve she had was well appreciated and nothing to be ashamed of, making her feel at once treasured, sexy, and confident in her own skin. Ginny could wear men's pants, talk to strangers as though she was their equal, and find her way across this big country to achieve a goal she wouldn't be denied. And do it alone if she had to. Sometime between now and New Years, Ginny reckoned she'd actually grown up and become her own woman. I'm sorry, Mama, I know you'd think so much of the way I feel about myself now is unseemly, but I just don't believe that. Not anymore.

Ginny's musings came to an end when Jane untucked one of the bed's pillows and began pounding it with her fists, making deep indentations into the mound of feathers. She laughed and Ginny couldn't help but laugh too. It looked like fun.

Jane turned to her sister. "Where's Mama?"

Ginny sucked in a breath, a little unsure of what to say or how to react. Just hearing the words hurt."She's... she's busy, honey."She sat on the bed and tugged on her shoes."Are you ready to go see Lindsay? We'll get the boys and we'll all go, okay?"

Jane's big blue eyes lit with glee."We going fishing'?"She'd heard her brothers talk of little else over the past few days and was beginning to associate the word with them.

Ginny smiled fondly at her."Not this morning." She brushed several pale strands from Jane's face."C'mon. We need to go."She reached out for Jane and the girl settled happily on her lap. Impulsively, Ginny threw her arms around her and gave her a good squeeze. Her throat closed and it was several seconds before she could speak."You know I love you, don't you, Jane?"

Jane responded by placing an open mouth kiss on Ginny's cheek and laughing."Yes. Love you."

Tears pricked tired eyes."I don't think you're going to believe that tomorrow, sweetheart," she warned thickly. Please let this have been right for her. Please."I'll remind you every day though that I love you, I promise. So will Lindsay and your brothers. We all love you."She released Jane from the hug and ran her fingertips across the baby-soft skin of one cheek."We were so sad when we couldn't find you."

Jane scrunched up her face. She was tired of the heart to heart talk that went right over her head anyway, and decided to end it as quickly as possible. She climbed down off Ginny's lap and headed for the door at a dead run."Boyzzzz," she warbled loudly, causing Ginny to let out a weak laugh as she recognized the joint term she herself usually used for their brothers."C'mooon."

Ginny stood and followed Jane as she headed down the hallway. She wondered if she shouldn't take their bag now, instead of tomorrow as she'd discussed with Laura. The older woman didn't seem the spiteful sort. But then, who could blame her, Ginny thought. I'd have kicked me out without even finishing the conversation! At the stairway she paused, knowing that she should probably go down and see if Laura wanted to head to town with them-she'd be needing to get to the store. Ginny took a step, then stopped, admitting to herself that she couldn't face Laura Gable. Not now. She still had to face Calvin and just the thought of it was making her sick.

Even through the bag on her head Lindsay could hear the sound of the water. She remembered that Calvin had told her it had been the wettest winter folks could remember and that the river was swollen and rushing. She shifted uncomfortably and her temper flared. Albert was resting his feet on her chest and had bound her hands together with his belt. Roughly, she knocked his feet away.

Albert laughed."Feisty to the end, String Bean. I must admit, I've always hated that about you."

"Fuck off," came the slightly muffled reply.

"Nope," Albert said amiably."Your ugly puss doesn't do it for me."

"Maybe you'd prefer the driver then? He more your type? Ow!"A kick in the ribs shut her up. "God," she moaned, clutching at her side, brown eyes squeezed tightly shut to hold in tears of agony.

Albert glanced around. They were still close to town, but it looked private enough."Good enough."When Bo didn't stop he smacked him hard in the back of the head, earning a withering glare."Stop the damn wagon already!"

"Fine. Whoa."Bo pulled back on the reins and the horses dutifully stopped.

Lindsay could feel the wagon shift as both men jumped out. Then she was being forcibly dragged from the back. She landed on the ground with a loud thump and the bag was torn from her head, taking a chunk of hair along with it. She blinked a few times as her eyes adjusted to the bright morning sun. The outline of a large body blocked her vision and she was hauled to her feet by the belt wrapped around her hands.

"What are you going to do?"

For the first time since he and Bo had left New York, Albert looked unsure of himself. He'd only planned to catch her and never really thought this far ahead. An image of himself holding her head in the river and making her suffer the way he had these past weeks had danced across his consciousness, compelling him to direct Bo to bring them here. But now that it came right down to it, he was losing his nerve."I don't know," he barked, surprising Bo."I need to think."

Lindsay laughed."Good luck at that."

"Quiet!"

"Why don't we just take her back to town and say we caught her stealing this wagon," Bo suggested."That'll get her sent to jail for sure. Then we can go back to New York and collect the reward. Easy as pie."

He looks just the same. A little heavier maybe. And the horrible mustache is new."There's a reward out for me?" she squeaked, suddenly realizing that Jacque or Jean must have died. She went a little pale."They're dead?" she asked weakly, not sure she wanted to know, but curious nonetheless.

Albert made a face. "Who?"

"Jacque and Jean."

Albert chuckled grimly, he'd enjoyed hearing those assholes cry like little girls and just knew it was Lindsay who had cut them down. "Those damn Frenchies ain't dead."

Lindsay expelled an explosive breath, her knees feeling like jelly. "Thank God."Then her brows furrowed. "Who would pay-?"

"Enough!"Albert's gaze bored into hers. "You aren't in any position to be asking questions. You're worth ten dollars to me, String Bean. That's all you need to know."

Her eyes went round as saucers."Ten dollars!"I'm lucky half the rail-riders aren't after me!

"You made the wrong person angry," Bo finally piped up."A man in a nice coat came down the tracks and made it clear there was money in it if you never made it back to New York."

"And you agreed to help do me in?" Over the years she'd been in her share of trouble. But never, never had someone been so angry with her that they were willing, or even able, to pay that sort of money to get rid of her. What's different about my life now? Ginny, her mind screamed. That's the difference. But...

Then, like a lightning bolt striking from out of the blue, the answer snuck up on her and burned her to the core. Her face took on an incredulous expression."Jeremiah and Isabelle Ward? Jesus Christ."She screamed inwardly as her anger began to brew more violently.

"String Bean..." Bo began.

"Shut up." Her eyes flashed. "You make me sick," she spat, her words laced with venom. "Even Rat Face isn't two-faced. It's clear that he's a no good bastard from the very start."

"Hey!" Albert objected, not understanding the conversation in the least, but unwilling to stand by and not defend himself.

Bo felt a sinking sensation deep in his chest."It's not what you think, String Bean. I swear to God."

"Isn't it?" Lindsay looked at Bo for a long time. How could you do it, Bo? She felt like kicking his ass and then hiding behind a tree and sitting down for a good cry.

He visibly squirmed under her stare, eventually pulling off his Derby and fiddling with it just to avoid having to look her in the eye.

Unable to stand the sight of Bo for another second, Lindsay refocused her attention on Albert."You might as well take me to jail and see what happens over the wagon. I can swim like a fish," she lied easily."I won't be drowning today, Rat Face."I hope. As discreetly as she could, she began working to loosen the belt that held her wrists together.

Albert threw his hands in the air, his frustration spilling over into his actions. There was something between Bo and Lindsay. He could feel it. He just knew that shit was going to try to double-cross him before he could do the same thing back. Argh!"We can't take you back and turn you in. You'd just say that we stole the wagon and there's no telling which one of us would end up with a stretched neck. I heard they hang horse thieves in this part of the country."

"What?" Bo gasped."For stealing a horse!"He looked at the wagon and the two horses that were standing patiently in front of it.

Disgusted, Lindsay glanced back at Albert and straightened her back, pushing aside the shooting pain the movement caused her ribs."They'll need a really strong gallows for you, Rat Face. Of course," she paused and wrinkled up her face, "maybe the force of your bodyweight will just pull your head clean off your neck. Then it won't matter how strong the gallows are."

A dark shadow passed over Albert's face. "Shut up."

She cocked her head and said with a great deal more calmness than she felt, "Why?"

"Because I'm in charge here."The big man patted the knife that was now sticking in the waistband of his trousers."I have the knife. You're tied up," he reminded her, irritated that he had to do so. "You're my prisoner!"

Lindsay snorted and rolled her eyes."You think that means something? You should have never taken that knife off me, Rat Face. I'm not taking orders from you anymore." The timbre of her voice deepened."And you're going to be very, very sorry you kicked me."

Doubt flickered in his eyes.

"That's right, idiot. You fucked up again." Before he could reach for the knife again, she distracted him by saying, "Besides, did you think you were 'somebody' just because you're in charge of him?" She shot a derisive glance at Bo and laughed harshly."I'm not impressed. I've got news for you, Rat Face. You can roll shit in sugar but it's still just shit."She sniffed the air and took a step backwards, bringing her so close to the edge of the river that her heels hung over the edge of the riverbank."And you stink."

That did it. With a roar, Albert lunged forward, not stopping until he collided with Lindsay and raised his fist to pummel her.

She twisted her upper body just as he hit her, sending them both plunging into the river behind her. Lindsay heard Bo and Albert's strangled cries mingle just as river swallowed her.

Bo let out a second yell of frustration when both bodies disappeared beneath the surface and didn't reappear."String Bean!" He began running along the riverbank, trying desperately to see where they might pop up."For once in your life, couldn't you just wait? I had a plan, you know!"

Albert grabbed desperately at her as the current carried them downstream.

His fumbling grasp and the current flipped them upside down in the water, and water shot up her nose, burning her sinuses and causing her to gag. She could hear Albert's scream underwater and catch glimpses of his terrified face from close up as they moved. Her back crashed against rocks and they tore her shirt.

Then her feet hit a rock, and she twisted again, wrenching herself from Albert's grasp and pushing towards the surface. Then something amazing happened.

She stood up.

The water only reached the tops of her shoulders."For God's sake!" she sputtered, coughing up a little river water as she processed the unlikely news that she was actually alive. She rolled her eyes and her teeth began to chatter in pure reaction to the heady amount of adrenaline singing through her bloodstream. Shakily, she lifted her bound hands to her chest, acknowledging the pain that accompanied heartbeats so fast she couldn't distinguish one from the other. Happy to be alive, she let out a nearly hysterical whoop.

Lindsay began slowly plodding to shore, moving carefully so as not to be caught up in the current again and carried farther downstream. Albert was nowhere to be seen, but Bo was frantically running along the shoreline and was nearly even with where she intended to climb out.

"I can't believe you did that!" he shouted, his face flushed with anger and worry."I know you can't swim unless you learned in the past five years."

Lindsay made a face, irked at herself and the stupid decision she'd made. She had believed the odds were better against the river than Albert's knife. Now that she'd actually acted on her crazy scheme, she was pretty sure that if she ever was faced with the same decision again, she'd grapple with the knife. Her knees were shaking and she was afraid it was going to cause her to topple over.

Bo offered his hand to haul her up and the indecision in Lindsay's eyes broke his heart."Take it," he pleaded, his voice dropping to a whisper."Please, String Bean."

Reluctantly, she allowed herself to be pulled onto the riverbank and into a fierce hug. Bo squeezed her gently but firmly and a feeling of familiarity washed over her.

Lindsay was thirteen and Bo fourteen when they met in a railroad yard in Baltimore. The dark-haired teen had beaten Bo at craps after he'd joined the game late and lied about knowing how to play. Then, worst of all, she found out he didn't have the money to pay his debt. Lindsay exacted payment in a rather unusual way-by making Bo her slave for a day. His thin, still-growing frame, harelip, and gentle mannerisms made him a frequent target of the older and sometimes cruel men who rode the rails. And the teen jumped at the chance to spend the time with someone not only closer to his own age but who actually laughed and smiled every once in a while, and didn't scare him to death.

Being Lindsay's slave, he had discovered, consisted of handing her things when she remembered that she was supposed to be bossing him around, otherwise they spent their time getting into trouble and acting like kids, something neither one could afford to do around the other riders. They ended up traveling together for three weeks that long hot summer, marking him as the first and only friend Lindsay made on the rails.

Their parting was as haphazard as their meeting. At the time they were like leaves in the wind, following a path that changed and meandered, seemingly on a whim, and resisting any attempt to be corralled or controlled. Bo had wanted to jump a train heading south and Lindsay north. So with a quick and awkward goodbye that was bereft of even a handshake, a pair of crooked smiles, and a wink from Lindsay, they set out walking in opposite directions and never looked back.

Lindsay allowed thoughts of the past to recede to the small place in her mind where she stored memories worth keeping."Bo?" She could hardly believe it was him. Something about the smell of him and the feeling of his body drew her thoughts to Queens, and flashes of a man with broad but slender shoulders lifting her from the ground and carrying her for what seemed like forever.

Uh oh. A few seconds later she roughly pushed him away and promptly fell to her knees where she emptied the meager contents of her stomach on the thick grass, her body still reacting to the shock of nearly drowning. "Y-you," she choked out between heaves. A single brown eyeball rolled upwards. "You saved me?"

Bo nodded, knowing what she was referring to and wondering how she knew. He was sure she'd been unconscious the entire time."I couldn't let you lie there and freeze to death, String Bean. Right place, right time is all."He studied his shoes, unwilling to reveal the crush he'd harbored since he laid eyes on the sometimes wild, always unpredictable girl.

"So you saved m-me...."She threw up again."Ugh." Lindsay closed her eyes."Just to help Rat Face kill me. Nice," she murmured sarcastically."Very nice."

Bo winced as dry heaves racked her body once there was nothing left to throw up. He reached down to put a hand between her shoulder blades, seeing several shallow, bleeding cuts on her back and scars across her neck and shoulders that looked recent. With her hair wet and slicked back, he also caught sight of her ear, which looked as though a good portion had been torn away. A lump developed in his throat. Jesus, String Bean.

When she was finished, she sat back on her ankles, panting tiredly.

Bo gently cleared his throat and once again offered her his hand. This time necessity overruled her pride and she took it. "I'll bet you're wondering what I'm doing here with Rat Face?" He glanced back at the river."Where is that fat-"

Before he could finish his sentence Albert exploded from the water no less than two feet from Lindsay. Gasping for air, his arms flailing madly, he reached out and latched on to the back of Lindsay's pants."Save me!" he screamed, in an octave usually associated with choirboys or eunuchs. "Can't s-swim!"

Bo and Lindsay screamed as well and Lindsay began kicking at the man hoping to detach him from her leg. Strong hands grabbed Lindsay until she felt like a rope in a tug of war, with two men pulling her apart."Hang on, String Bean!" Bo cried out. "I won't let him get you."

"Get...." She managed a sharp kick to Albert's cheekbone and heard the crunch of bone over his wailing."Off..." Finally Bo dug in his heels and tugged as hard as he could."Of me!"