Chapter 14
Too small for fighting.
Useful for skinning squirrels and cutting cord.
Useful, perhaps, for rope.
My fingers reached it.
Not enough.
The hired man yanked me upright.
But now the knife sat loose inside my boot.
I only needed time.
Behind us, Elias called toward the cabin again.
“Cora!”
His voice carried through the snow.
“You have one minute!”
No answer.
He turned to his man.
“Bring Mercer where she can see him.”
The hired man hauled me back.
Exactly what I wanted.
As we moved, I worked the knife upward with my heel.
My boot nearly came off.
Then the handle touched my fingers.
I gripped it.
Slowly.
Carefully.
The blade opened.
I began sawing the rope behind my back.
Elias dragged me into the clearing.
The shed had collapsed inward.
Flames licked through the snow.
The cabin roof had caught once but the snowfall had smothered most of it.
Good.
One problem at a time.
Elias stood behind me.
His pistol pressed beneath my ear.
“Come out, Cora.”
The rope weakened.
I kept sawing.
“You know how this ends.”
Cora answered from inside.
“Yes.”
Something in her tone made Elias hesitate.
“So do I.”
The front door opened.
My heart stopped.
Cora stepped outside.
She wore my heavy coat over her dress.
The Winchester hung loose in her right hand, pointed toward the ground.
Snow touched her hair.
“Cora,” I said.
Her eyes flicked to me.
“I’m sorry.”
For half a second, I thought she meant she was surrendering.
Then I saw her left hand.
Empty.
But held slightly away from her body.
A signal?
I did not know.
Elias smiled.
“That’s better.”
“Let him go.”
“When you come here.”
“Let him go first.”
“No.”
“You said this was between us.”
“It was. Then you involved him.”
“I involved him by marrying him.”
“You did not marry him.”
Cora’s expression turned almost pitying.
“I did.”
“You signed a paper.”
“So did he.”
“You know what I mean.”
“No, Elias. I finally don’t.”
His face tightened.
She took one step forward.
“You spent years telling me what I meant. What I felt. What I owed. What I should want.”
Another step.
“You told everyone I had agreed to marry you because you could not bear admitting I refused.”
Elias raised his pistol toward her.
My rope was almost cut.
The hired man noticed my shoulders moving.
“What are you doing?”