PART 4 — THE MAN WHO CAME FOR JOSEPHINE HALE

The gunshot shattered the night.

Judson grabbed Josie and pulled her to the floor.

A bullet tore through the wooden door.

Amos stumbled backward.

“Down!”

Judson fired once through the wall.

A horse screamed outside.

Then everything went silent.

Too silent.

Josie pressed herself against the floor.

Her heart pounded so hard she could hear it.

Judson crawled toward the window.

He lifted his head just enough to look outside.

“Three men.”

Amos was breathing heavily.

“One is dead.”

Judson looked at him.

“You knew this was coming.”

Amos said nothing.

“You brought them here.”

“No.”

“You led them here.”

“I didn’t have a choice.”

Judson’s expression darkened.

“You always have a choice.”

Amos looked at Josie.

“Not when they have the people you love.”

Josie’s eyes filled with anger.

“You don’t get to talk about people you love.”

Amos flinched.

“You sold me.”

“I saved you.”

“You traded me for flour.”

“I needed them to believe you were worthless.”

Josie stared at him.

“What?”

Amos’s face crumpled.

“If they believed you were my daughter, they would eventually find you.”

“They already did.”

“I know.”

“Because of you.”

“I know.”

Josie pushed herself upright.

Judson caught her arm.

“Stay down.”

She shook him off.

“No.”

She looked at Amos.

“You changed my name.”

“Yes.”

“You lied to me.”

“Yes.”

“You let me believe my mother was dead.”

Amos closed his eyes.

“She wasn’t.”

Josie stopped breathing.

“What?”

Amos looked at her.

“Your mother is alive.”

The world seemed to tilt.

Judson stared at him.

“You told me Elizabeth disappeared.”

“I lied.”

“Where is she?”

Amos looked toward the door.

“I don’t know anymore.”

Josie felt tears slide down her cheeks.

“You know where she was.”

“Yes.”

“Tell me.”

Amos hesitated.

“She went east.”

“Where?”

“St. Louis.”

Josie whispered the name.

“Why?”

“To find help.”

“From whom?”

“A lawyer.”

Judson’s eyes narrowed.

“What lawyer?”

Amos looked at him.

“Samuel Mercer.”

Judson froze.

Josie noticed.

“You know him?”

“No.”

But the answer came too quickly.

Amos noticed it too.

“You’ve heard the name.”

Judson said nothing.

A second shot struck the cabin wall.

Everyone ducked.

Judson moved toward the back door.

“We leave now.”

Josie looked at him.

“Where?”

“The horses.”

Amos shook his head.

“They’ll be watching the trail.”

“Then we don’t take the trail.”

Judson opened a hidden panel beneath the floorboards.

A narrow tunnel appeared.

Josie stared.

“You had a tunnel?”

“Everyone who lives alone in the mountains should have an escape route.”

Amos laughed bitterly.

“You built it for this.”

Judson looked at him.

“I built it because I don’t trust men.”

Amos gave him a tired look.

“Smart man.”

Judson pointed toward the tunnel.

“Josie first.”

She hesitated.

Then looked at Amos.

“You’re coming.”

Amos shook his head.

“No.”

“You said they have the people you love.”

His eyes lifted.

“I don’t have anyone left.”

“You have me.”

The words escaped before Josie could stop them.

Amos stared at her.

She hated that she still cared.

Even after everything.

Even after the betrayal.

Because seventeen years of calling someone father didn’t disappear because one letter revealed the truth.

Amos’s eyes filled.

“I don’t deserve that.”

“No.”

Josie’s voice trembled.

“You don’t.”

“But you’re still coming.”

Amos looked at Judson.

Judson nodded.

“Move.”

They entered the tunnel.

It was narrow and dark.

Josie followed Judson.

Amos came behind them.

For several minutes, there was only the sound of boots against stone.

Then Amos spoke.

“Josie.”

She didn’t answer.

“I never meant for you to suffer.”

“You did.”

“I know.”

“You could have told me.”

“I was afraid.”

“Of what?”

“That if you remembered who you were, they would find you.”

Josie stopped.

Judson turned.

Amos nearly walked into them.

“Who are they?”

Amos stared into the darkness.

“The Black Ledger.”

Judson’s expression changed.

“You’re certain?”

“Yes.”

Josie looked between them.

“What is the Black Ledger?”

Amos swallowed.

“Not a person.”

“A group?”

“Yes.”

“What do they do?”

“Control freight routes.”

Josie waited.

“And people.”

Her skin prickled.

“They own warehouses. Shipping companies. Mining contracts. Judges.”

Judson’s face hardened.

“And Robert discovered them.”

“He discovered the payments.”

“What payments?”

“Bribes.”

Amos continued.

“Every time a shipment disappeared, someone was paid to make sure no questions were asked.”

“And Robert found the names.”

“Yes.”

“Then why did they kill him?”

“They didn’t.”

Judson stopped.

Amos looked at him.

“They tried.”

Silence.

“Robert survived the wagon crash.”

Josie’s heart pounded.

“He survived?”

“For several hours.”

“What happened?”

“He crawled away.”

Judson’s face became pale.

“I found him.”

“You did?”

Amos nodded.

“You found Robert alive.”

Judson’s jaw tightened.

“I thought he was dead.”

“He was barely alive.”

“What did he say?”

Amos hesitated.

“Three words.”

Judson waited.

Amos whispered:

“Find Josephine Hale.”

Judson’s eyes closed.

Josie felt the ground beneath her shift.

“Why me?”

“Because Robert knew something about your mother.”

“What?”

Amos looked at her.

“Elizabeth had the original ledger.”

Josie stared.

“The ledger page we found?”

“No.”

Amos shook his head.

“The real ledger.”

“Where is it?”

Amos didn’t answer.

Josie stepped toward him.

“Where?”

“Your mother hid it.”

“Where?”

“Inside something nobody would ever think to search.”

“What?”

Amos looked at her.

“You.”

Josie’s face went blank.

“What does that mean?”

“When you were two years old, Elizabeth stitched something into your dress.”

Judson’s eyes narrowed.

“What?”

“A strip of paper.”

Josie touched her chest.

“Paper?”

“With names.”

“Where is it?”

Amos shook his head.

“I don’t know.”

“But you said she hid it inside me.”

“She did.”

“Then how could you lose it?”

“I didn’t.”

Amos’s voice broke.

“Someone took you from me before I could find it.”

Josie stared.

“Who?”

“Elizabeth.”

The tunnel became silent.

“Your mother took you east.”

“But you said she went to St. Louis.”

“She did.”

“And then?”

“She disappeared.”

Josie felt sick.

“Seventeen years.”

Amos nodded.

“I spent seventeen years looking for you.”

“You found me.”

“Yes.”

“Then why did you sell me?”

Amos looked at her.

“Because the Black Ledger had started asking questions again.”

He swallowed.

“If they saw me protecting you, they would know who you were.”

“So you made me look abandoned.”

“Yes.”

“And you thought Judson would hide me.”

Amos looked at Judson.

“I knew he would.”

Judson frowned.

“How?”

“Because of Elizabeth.”

Judson went completely still.

“What does Elizabeth have to do with me?”

Amos gave him a bitter smile.

“You still don’t know?”

“Know what?”

“Elizabeth didn’t choose your cabin by accident.”

Judson’s face changed.

“What are you saying?”

“She knew you.”

Josie looked at Judson.

“Before me?”

“Yes.”

“How?”

Amos hesitated.

“Because you were the man Robert trusted.”

Judson shook his head.

“I never met Elizabeth before she came to the cabin.”

“You did.”

“No.”

“She was the woman in the blue dress.”

Judson froze.

Josie remembered her own fragmented memory.

A blue dress.

A crying woman.

A mountain cabin.

A little girl.

She looked at Judson.

“You knew my mother.”

Judson didn’t answer.

Amos continued.

“She came here seventeen years ago carrying two children.”

Judson’s voice was barely audible.

“I remember the boy.”

“And the girl?”

Judson looked at Josie.

“I remember her.”

Josie’s breath caught.

“Me?”

He nodded.

“You were asleep.”

A tear rolled down his cheek.

“I held the door open while Elizabeth ran.”

Josie stared.

“Why was she running?”

Judson looked toward Amos.

“Because someone was coming.”

Amos nodded.

“They were already on the mountain.”

A distant sound echoed through the tunnel.

Footsteps.

All three froze.

Someone had found the entrance.

Judson raised his weapon.

“We have to move.”

They hurried deeper into the tunnel.

Then Josie saw something.

A small wooden door.

Judson opened it.

Beyond was a hidden chamber.

Inside stood an old table.

A lantern.

And a trunk.

Judson stared at it.

He had never seen it before.

Amos whispered,

“That wasn’t here seventeen years ago.”

Josie stepped closer.

Something about the trunk felt familiar.

She touched the lid.

A carving appeared beneath her fingers.

A small flower.

She knew it.

Her mother had carved the same flower into the wooden spoon she used as a child.

Josie’s hands trembled.

“It’s hers.”

Judson opened the trunk.

Inside was a folded blue dress.

Beneath it—

A photograph.

Elizabeth.

Robert.

A young Judson.

And a little girl.

Josie.

But there was something else.

A second child stood beside her.

A boy.

On the back of the photograph were four words:

THE CHILD THEY MISSED.

Josie turned toward Amos.

“What does that mean?”

Amos’s face had gone white.

Judson looked at the photograph.

Then at Amos.

“You said there were two children.”

“Yes.”

“Where is the boy?”

Amos said nothing.

Josie stepped closer.

“Who is he?”

Amos finally whispered the answer.

“Your brother.”

Josie’s heart stopped.

“I don’t have a brother.”

“You did.”

“Where is he?”

Amos looked toward the tunnel.

Then came the sound of a man’s voice from the darkness.

Calm.

Cold.

Almost amused.

“You still don’t understand, Josephine.”

Everyone froze.

A figure stepped into the lantern light.

He wore a gray coat.

City boots.

The same man O’Malley had described.

He smiled at Josie.

“You were never the one we were looking for.”

He looked down at the photograph.

“We were looking for your brother.”

Josie’s blood turned cold.

“And now…”

His smile disappeared.

“…we know exactly where he is.”