CHAPTER 1 

November 1876

From his perch on a camp stool Liam looked over at his baby brother, Jake, and his new wife, Becky, sitting next to each other on the downed log by the fire. Surprisingly the day had turned out to be warm, so they weren’t all shivering while they ate their dinner. 
He could see they were perfect for each other, though that wasn’t what he thought when they’d originally married. Jake was still wanted for murder, that was true, and he knew Jake hated bringing that to their marriage. Their married life had had a rocky enough start. They wouldn’t have wed at all, or at least as soon, if Becky’s father hadn’t sold her to that bastard Edgar Winters. Jake and Becky tied the knot that same day to save her from Winters, the miner she’d been sold to. 
Winters was a man like Becky’s father. He liked to use his fists on anyone weaker than himself. Liam figured Jake very well saved Becky’s life. Though the same could be said of Becky. She’d saved that boy from himself. 
Jake had decided he couldn’t marry or have a family while the murder charge hung over his head. Liam understood his brother’s reasoning, but because Deadwood was outside the law, Jake was safe for the time being and he and Becky could live their lives fully. Together.
As to the murder charge, that was something Liam was going to try to take care of. He was leaving in the morning to talk to the Governor of Missouri, Charles H. Hardin, who was a friend and could perhaps intercede with Mayor Green. The fact that the sheriff of Blackwater believed Jake was innocent, would carry a lot of weight with Charles. 
After that, Liam was going to talk to the commanding general at Fort Leavenworth and find out what could be done about Colonel Jordan. Once the charges of murder against Jake were dropped, the general might see the colonel’s story in a different light. It was what Liam hoped for anyway.
“I need to talk to you all,” said Liam to his family. “David, you and Hannah, as well.”
David and Hannah were his joy. He didn’t know what he would have done without them when he lost Mary. He probably would have died, too. Admittedly, he only lived for his children. He had no use for women now, maybe not ever again. If he needed a woman, there was always The Gem. There were plenty of women in the whorehouses he could slake his lust with if he needed to, though the thought of it disgusted him. He did worry that David and Hannah needed a mother but he hadn’t been able to make himself do anything about it.
Hannah sat on his lap and David stood next to him. He gazed at the rest of his family who sat around the fire—his brothers and new sister-in-law, Becky. He was going to miss them all while he was gone, but especially his children.
“At first light I’m leaving for Missouri ,” he said without preamble.
“What? Why?” asked Jake.
“We need to get this situation with you and Mayor Green settled. I think I can get the governor to intercede on your behalf as long as the sheriff is still willing to vouch for you.”
“As far as I know he is,” said Jake, as he squeezed Becky’s hand. “Why do you think the governor will help me?”
“Because he’s an honest man and a friend,” Liam smiled. “Charles is a big proponent of the justice system and law enforcement. When he sees that the sheriff doesn’t have charges against you, that it’s the Mayor in his quest for vengeance for his little girl, he’ll be happy to pardon you and have all charges dropped. 
“He’s leaving office after this term and owes me a favor. This is one he won’t have to feel bad about doing. I should have thought of it before, but there was no time. With you both safe for the moment, I can take care of this. But I have to do it now. The next Governor might not be so reasonable.”
“Good,” said Zach. “The kid needs to start his family with a clean slate.”
“Then,” continued Liam, with a look in Zach’s direction. “I’m going to Fort Leavenworth to talk to the General. I intend to tell him the truth about Jordan and I’ll have the fact the murder charges have been dropped against Jake to convince him of Jordan’s perfidy.”
“Thanks for doing this, brother,” said Jake. He brought Becky’s hand up and kissed it. “We don’t know what to say. How will we ever repay you?”
“You’ll take care of my kids while I’m gone.” He hugged both his children to him. “I can’t take David and Hannah with me. I want to make it to Missouri before the really cold weather sets in. It’s already the first week of November and we’ve had several small snowstorms. If I’m lucky and ride hard, I’ll make it to Jefferson City by February maybe before. I’d like to be headed back this way no later than the first of March. It’s all going to depend on how well I do with the governor and the general.”
“Don’t you think that’s pushing it? It’s a thousand miles there and a thousand back. It took us five months with the wagon,” said Zach.
“Exactly. That’s why I can’t take the kids with me. I can ride a lot faster by myself. And I may be able to take the train part way. I think I can pick it up in Cheyenne. It won’t go to Jeff City but I can take it to St. Louis and then ride back to the capital.”
“I’ll miss you,” said David. “But I understand that this is more important.”
“Whoa,” said Liam taking his son by the shoulders. “Nothing is more important to me than you and Hannah. Never. You are my life. But this needs to be done. Understand?”
“Yes, sir.” David straightened his back and stood tall.
“We’ll be happy to take care of David and Hannah while you’re gone,” said Becky. She smiled at his children. “They spend half the day at our place anyway.”
“And it’s the least we can do for you, especially if you’re successful. I’ll owe you my life,” said Jake.
“Our lives,” said Becky.
“I’ll go with you,” said Zach.
“You can’t. I want you out of harm’s way with Jake. Besides, you have to work our claim. Jake and Becky have their own claim to work now that Becky’s father is dead. When I get back we’ll start on the cabin.”
Zach nodded. “All right, I can do that. I want you to write as soon as you get to Jeff City and again when you leave to come home. If you’re able to take the train, you may beat the letter home.”
They all laughed at that, but it was no less true. Mail was very slow getting to Deadwood.
“I’ll write. I promise. Now it’s getting close to suppertime.  What do we have for tonight, David?”
David straightened, as he always did whenever he spoke to his father. A habit left over from him watching all those soldiers come to attention in front of his dad. David had only been about five, Hannah’s age now, when a general stopped by Liam and Mary’s home. Liam automatically came to attention when he answered the door and saw who it was. Of course, the general put him at ease but David remembered, and mimicked his father ever since. Even when he understood the meaning behind the gesture, he continued to put his shoulders back, chest out and stand up straight whenever someone spoke to him. It was a habit no one wanted to see the little gentleman lose.
“I caught lots of tiny brookies today. Becky scrambled them up with some fried potatoes, made some cornbread and found some tinned peaches for dessert.”
Liam looked over at his new sister-in-law. “You’re going to spoil us.”
“It’s nothing,” said Becky, the color rising in her cheeks. “Besides it turns out it’s going to be the last family meal for a while. It should be a little special.”
Liam smiled at her. “Thank you. I’m glad you’ve joined the family.”
Jake put his hand on Becky’s knee while she sat on the log next to him and gave her a little squeeze.
She grinned. “So am I.”
Jake cleared his throat. “We were going to wait but with Liam leaving we decided to tell you all now.” He paused. “Becky and I are going to have a baby. Doc Cochran says probably late June or early July.”
“Congratulations,” exclaimed Liam and Zach simultaneously. 
Zach clapped Jake on the shoulder and shook his hand.
Liam got up, walked to Becky holding Hannah’s hand. He gave Becky a kiss on the cheek and then looked down at Hannah. “What do you think about Becky having a baby? Are you excited?”
Becky looked down at Hannah, a smile on her face.
Hannah stared up at her daddy, her eyes looked so unhappy. “Does that mean she won’t be my Aunt anymore, ‘cause now she’ll have a baby?”
“No, pumpkin. Becky will always be your aunt, but she’s going to be someone’s mama now, too,” he explained to his daughter. He understood she was afraid of losing Becky to the new baby. Apparently Becky recognized it, too.
“Hannah, this baby isn’t going to change who you are to me, which is a very wonderful little girl. You and I have a special bond,” she pulled Hannah up on her lap. “When I saved you from the river, we became bonded to each other. Nothing can get rid of or change that bond, because it happened to us. Just don’t go near the river again. I don’t want to lose you, sweetheart.”
“I won’t. The river is bad. It almost drownded me.”
“Yes, it did. It almost drowned both of us.”
Liam owed Becky so much more than he could ever repay. She’d saved his baby, and risked her own life in so doing. When Hannah fell in the river in September he’d nearly lost her. Hannah was fine now, but definitely had a healthy respect for the water. She didn’t go anywhere near it without an adult with her. Nearly dying cured her curiosity about the water.
*****
Early January 1877
Jefferson City, Missouri

“So, Charles, what do you say? Will you help me?” said Liam, smoking the cigar Charles had given him upon his arrival, along with a glass of the best whiskey Liam had had in a very long time.
He stood by the window, being able to observe the room and the growing city outside at the same time. Charles’ office was opulent by the day’s standards. A large mahogany desk, behind which Charles sat in a well-padded leather chair, dominated the room. 
The sideboard held a crystal decanter and glasses, one of which Liam sipped from. He was surrounded by bookcases filled with leather bound books. Law journals, most of them. If Liam were a betting man, he’d bet there were some fiction first editions on the shelves as well. Perhaps the copy of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain. Written only last year, the book was already being touted as a classic.
“I looked into this a bit after you wrote me.” Governor Hardin was of average height and build. He had brown hair with a receding hair line and wore glasses that kept slipping down his nose. “The sheriff confirmed your story about Jake. He was not in a rage or drunk, said he was in shock, more than anything.
“I also spoke to Mayor Green. He’s not a bad man, just a father in pain looking for the murderer of his only child. He’s since regretted his decision to put a price on Jakes’ head, but didn’t know how to stop it once the ball started rolling. His solution was to require Jake to be alive and unharmed for the bounty to be paid.”
“Two men lost their lives trying to collect that bounty,” said Liam.
“He knows and is sorrier that he can say. I’ve told him I’m pardoning Jake Anderson and having all charges dropped. He had no problem with that. I even think he was grateful it was out of his hands.”
Liam puffed out a couple of rings of smoke from the fine cigar. “Thanks Charles. I appreciate it. Jake is trying to start over. Has a new wife and they’re expecting their first baby the end of June. This will start them off right. You’re giving them a wonderful wedding gift.”
“Tell them if it’s a boy to name it after me,” laughed Charles.
“I will.” Liam stood. “Well, I need to leave. I’m heading to Fort Leavenworth to find out what can be done about Zach. I’ve got to convince General Lassiter that a miscarriage of justice will be done if he doesn’t arrest Colonel Jordan. And that Zach was acting not only for his brother’s safety, but on behalf of the army at large, by keeping an innocent man from hanging.”
Charles stood and came around his desk. He reached his hand out to Liam. “Take care, my friend. I have prepared a letter for you to take to General Lassiter with my request that charges against Zach Anderson be dropped. Perhaps it will aid you in your discussion with him.”
They shook hands. “I hope so, too. Lassiter is a good man and I believe a fair man. Zach and Jake will probably have to come back to testify against Jordan, as will the sheriff, but I don’t think it will be a problem now that the murder charges have been dropped.
*****
Fort Leavenworth, Kansas
Late January 1877

It had taken Liam two weeks of hard riding to cross Missouri and reach Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. He was ready to head home, but not without the generals decision.
“I understand the problem. The letter you brought from the Governor of Missouri explained it and so did you. However, Colonel Jordan is AWOL. He apparently knew the nature of your visit as well,” said General Lassiter.
Lassiter was a slender man of average height and about fifty years of age. He had dark black hair with a shock of silver at each temple. Women would have called him distinguished. Liam thought he just looked tired, as men in his position often did, the weight of their responsibilities, heavy upon their shoulders.
Liam sat on the hard wooden chair across the oak desk from the general. The comfort of the chair did not encourage lingering. The room also held a sideboard and two bookshelves that matched the wood of the desk. He did notice that the general’s chair was heavily padded, giving Liam the impression that the general spent a lot of time there.
“Liam, you do realize that Captain Anderson will have to answer for the AWOL charge. Even with my recommendation that all charges be dropped, he may be sentenced to time in prison. The only way I can see for this to all go away is for him to resign his commission with an effective date prior to his encounter with Colonel Jordan.”
“I’m he sure would be willing to do that. I know he had intended to make the military his career, but he is prepared to do whatever he needs to.”
“Good. I think he’ll be exonerated due to the circumstances, but I can’t say for sure. I can only give my recommendation.”
Liam stood up and extended his right hand. “Thank you, General. You’ve been very helpful as I knew you would be.”
General Lassiter took Liam’s hand and shook it. Then he laughed. “I could have been a real bastard, you know.”
“Yes, sir, you could have, but there are not too many generals that have been in the position as long as you have, that would be bastards. The rigors of the job require that you be fair and just.”
“That sounds like the response a good politician would say. Do you have any aspirations to that end?”
“No, sir. I leave that for others. The only thing I want is to get back to my children.”
The general inclined his head. “Ah, that’s right. You said you have a gold claim up in the Dakota Territory. Deadwood wasn’t it?”
“Yes, sir. I left my children with my brothers.”
“I wouldn’t have picked you for a man with gold fever.”
“I’m not. It was just the farthest I could get from St. Louis at the time.”
The general looked at Liam as if he understood. “Running from something?”
Liam nodded. “Memories.” He said nothing more and the general let it go at that.
“Good luck to you, Liam. I’ll write you as soon as I know more about Colonel Jordan.”
He rose and took the general’s outstretched hand. “Thank you, sir. I appreciate you giving me some of your time.”
“You’re welcome. You know, the army is always looking for good officers. Should you want to resume your commission, please come talk to me.”
“Thank you, sir, but my children are my only concern now and army life does not agree with raising children alone.”
General Lassiter said, “I understand. Still if you change your mind….”
“I will, sir.”
Liam left the general and went back to his hotel. He was anxious to begin the trip back home. But tonight he would enjoy his last night in a real bed for a long time.