Kidnapped Part One

 by Jenny C.

Chapter 1.

"Mommy, when is Daddy coming home?" Five year old Lilly Prescott asked.

Andi looked down at her daughter. "He'll be back in a month."

Riley was on a cattle drive. Memory Creek Ranch had been blessed this year. For the first time Riley and Andi had a lot of cattle to sell. Mitch went along with Riley. But Chad had to stay at the Circle C Ranch.

"I miss him." Lilly said.
"I know," Andi replied. "I miss him too."

Andi looked around the yard. The yard looked so empty. Ever since Riley had left for the drive, Andi had a strange feeling that something was not right. Every time Andi walked out of the house, she felt like someone was watching her. But she always brush it off.

"Let's go in the house." Andi said as took Lilly's hand.

A little bit later Andi was making dinner when she heard horses hooves. The horses stopped in front of the house. Andi thought it was Chad.

When Riley went on the cattle drive, Riley had asked Chad if he would come and check on Andi. And of course Chad said, "I would be glad to."

Before Andi could get to the door, the door flew opened, and four men walked in, their pistols pointed at Andi. Andi back away from the men and crashed into the table.

"Oh, Riley, I wish you hadn't of gone on that cattle drive." Andi thought. "What do you want?" she demanded.

A tall man walked up to Andi. "You don't recognize me." The man laughed. "I'm surprised, miss Andrea Carter."

Andi looked bewildered, what was this man talking about?

"Well, I guess I will have to tell you who I am." The man said. "I'm Toledo McGuire."

At that Andi gasped, she couldn't believe her ears. What was Toledo McGuire doing here? The memory of the cattle being stolen, and Chad being shot, all those years ago, made Andi shudder.

Andi looked at Toledo. He had changed, he had a full beard. No wonder Andi didn't recognize him. "What do you want?" Andi demanded again.

"We are taking you with us to our hideout, and then we are going to sell you to China." Toledo said.

But before Andi could say anything, Jared walked into the kitchen.
One of the men pointed his gun at Jared.
Andi quickly run over to Jared, and picked him up.

"What do you think you are doing pointing a gun at a little boy?" Andi shouted. "You should be ashamed of yourself!"

Toledo said something to the men that Andi couldn't hear. Then truing to Andi Toledo said. "My men are getting hungry." Go and fix them something to eat.

Andi was about to protest, when she heard a horse coming up the road. "Oh no!" Andi thought. That's probably Chad." He's probably coming to check on us.

Toledo walked to the window and looked out, then truing from the window, he pointed his finger at Andi. "Go and see who it is, and what ever you do, do not let them in."  Toledo said. "And I will have one of my men standing behind the door ready to shoot any one that comes though that door."
"Is that understood?"  Toledo added

Andi nodded, and set down Jared, and went to the door. Andi opened the door and quickly shut the behind her, and stepped out onto the porch.

"Hey, Andi." Chad said. "Mother and Ellie were wondering if you were still coming to the Circle C?"

Andi hesitated for a moment and then said. "No, not today Chad."

Chad nodded his head. "Okay, Andi, I just wanted come and check on you."

Andi looked at Chad. How she wished she could tell Chad, that Toledo was here. But she was so afraid that Toledo would shoot him or her children.

"Andi, are you okay?" Chad asked. "You don't look so good."

"Yes, I'm fine." Andi replied. "I got to get back in the house."

"Andi, is there something going on?" Chad asked.

Andi didn't know what to say. "I wish I could just tell him the truth, but I can't. "Yes, Chad, everything fine." Andi tried to smile. "I really got to go in and check on the twins."

"Okay, I will see you later." Chad said as he went down the stairs.

"I love you, Chad." Andi said as tears came into her eyes.

Chad looked at Andi. "I love you too, little sister." Chad got on his horse and left.

Andi watched as Chad disappeared around the bend. Andi felt a tear slide down her face. Would she ever see her family again? Andi quickly wiped her eyes and walked back into the house.

                          ********
When Chad left Memory Creek Ranch, he felt like something was not right. So he went back, he stopped Sky behind a tree, Chad went as close to the house as much as he could. But without being seen.

Chad got behind a tree, he looked from behind the tree, and what he saw made his blood run cold. He could see Andi, Jared, Lilly, and Charlotte, and four men, walking into the barn, one man stood out side the barn. It looked like to Chad that he had a gun.

"Oh, Lord, protect Andi and the children." He prayed. "And please Lord, let Andi get away. Amen."
"I got to go and get the sheriff." Chad thought.

Chad quickly got on Sky, and road off. He was busy thanking, when he hit his head on a tree branch. He flew off his horse, and landed with a thud.
Everything went black.

      
                          *******
Andi and Toledo and his men went to the barn. Toledo had said after Chad had left. "That they had to be going." He didn't want to take any more chances, with people coming.
Toledo and his men got their horses.

Andi grabbed Shasta's reins and pulled Charlotte, and Lilly in front of her. Jared got on his horse Cocoa.
Toledo grabbed Andi's reins from her, and pulled her alone side of him.

Just then Andi heard a thud in the woods.

"What was that?" Toledo asked.
Before anyone could answer, Toledo yelled. "Go and see what it was!"
The men ran into the woods.


Chapter 2.

A couple of minutes later the men came back out of the woods carrying a man.

Andi leaned forward in her saddle, and caught a glimpse of the man. It was Chad.

"Oh no! We are in worse trouble now!" Andi thought. "What are we going to do?"

The men dragged Chad to the water trough. And put his head in the water. Chad came up gasping for air.

Toledo jumped down from his horse and grabbed Chad by the head. "Well, Chad Carter, I didn't expect to see you hear." He gave Chad a kick. Chad groaned.

Andi jumped off Shasta, and came to her brother's rescue.
"Leave him alone!" Andi snapped. "Let him go!"

Toledo looked at Andi then back to Chad.
"Well, I guess we are going to have to take Mr. Carter, with us." Toledo said.

"Why can't you let him go?" Andi asked.

"Because he will run and tell the sheriff." Toledo said.

Andi looked at Chad, he looked like he was about to explode. Chad and Andi looked at each other. "What are we going to do?" Andi's eyes seemed to be saying.

Chad shook his head. Like he didn't know what to do.

Andi helped Chad get to his feet. Andi suddenly felt a pain in her stomach, she lost her hold on Chad. Chad fell to the ground, Andi fell on top of him.
Andi stumbled to her feet, Andi looked back to Chad. She hadn't noticed that Chad had a gash on his forehead.

Andi felt around in her pocket, and found a handkerchief. She gave it to Chad.
"Are you okay?" Andi asked.

Chad nodded, and got up.

"Hurry up!" Toledo yelled. "Let's go!"

Andi hurried to her horse, and swung into the saddle behind Charlotte, and Lilly.

Andi looked at Toledo. "We need another horse, for Chad." Andi said. "There's a horse in the barn that he could use."

Toledo nodded. "Go and get it!"

The man disappeared in the barn, a couple of minutes later the man came back with the horse.

Everyone got on the horses, and left Memory Creek Ranch.
Andi glanced behind her, she watched as the ranch disappeared around the bend. Tears came into her eyes, would she ever see this place again? She wondered if she would ever see Riley.
 
      
                             ******
At the Circle C Ranch.

Mother and Ellie started to wondered where could Chad, and Andi could be. It was getting late by the time Mother and Ellie decided to go and see where they was.
It didn't take long to get to Memory Creek Ranch. They got out of the buggy, and walked onto the porch. The house was dark.

"I wonder where Chad, and Andi, are," Ellie said. "Chad! Andi!" No answer.

"I don't know, something is not right." Mother said.
Mother knocked on the door, but no answer.
Mother opened the door and walked in, followed by Ellie.

"I can't see anything." Ellie said.

"Go, and get that lantern!" Mother said.

Ellie quickly went and got the lantern and handed it to Mother.
As they walked through the house, they could see that the house was a mess. Everything was turned over.

"I think we should go and get the sheriff." Mother said.

Ellie agreed, and they left for town.  By the time Mother and Ellie reached town, it was way past 10:30 when they reached the sheriff's office.

Ellie burst in the sheriff's office. "Oh, Jim! Chad and Andi are gone!" 

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