Taken By Storm Part 20

They turned silent, each one lost in thought, Burke's thoughts once again centered on Storm and her

dangerous life. How did one stop being an outlaw? In the Dakota Territory, outlaws were outlaws. They were hunted until captured, and few if any escaped the law.

It was in essence a chosen life with a predictable ending.

Burke didn't care for the thought and wondered how, in the time that remained to him here in Scotland, he could change the ending for Storm.

"Feel up to talking with us?" Storm asked Henry upon entering the hut.

"Of course," Henry obliged, pulling himself up in bed with a groan or two.

Burke watched as Storm a.s.sisted the boy, helping him to sit up and arranging a pillow behind his back

for comfort before sitting on the bed beside him. That she was an angel to these freed captives was obvious. They gazed on her with eyes of grat.i.tude. He doubted there was anything they wouldn't do for her if asked.

He dragged the only chair in the room over to the side of the bed where Storm perched and joined them.

"We heard that another prisoner shared the cell with you," Storm said.

Henry nodded. "A big man."

"Tall, wide?" Storm asked.

"Both," Henry said, sounding impressed. "I had thought for certain he would break the chains they kept

on his wrists and ankles, so large and thick were his arms."

"Do you know his name?" Burke asked, hopeful.

Henry thought a moment and then shook his head slowly. "He never shared his name with me."

"Do you know of his crime?" Storm asked.

"I heard the guards mention a theft and I asked the man one night what he had stolen. He told me something of great value that could never be replaced and that he would do it again if given the chance."

"What else did you speak of?" Storm inquired.

Henry once again pondered the question. "We talked of family and discovered we both lacked one, his mother dying when he was young as did mine."

Burke felt as if one of the pieces of the puzzle had just fallen into place.

"He didn't know his father, nor did I. We both drifted among helpful strangers."

"Can you think of anything else this man might have said?" Storm asked.

Henry once again gave the question thought and looked about to shake his head when suddenly he

blurted out, "Love. He told me to find love, that it makes all the difference in the world."

"Can you describe him to us?' Storm asked.

Henry nodded staring at Burke. "He resembles him, same hair color, though longer, eyes, mouth the

same, though bigger in size, a broader chest and shoulders and taller by a good four to five inches."

"Good, that helps us," Storm said. "If you should remember anything else about him, please tell me or Burke."

Burke held his hand out to the lad. "Glad to meet you, Henry, and thanks for the help."

Henry shook his hand. "Pleased I could help and I'm grateful for the rescue."

Storm and Burke left the hut and wandered over to the campfire. They sat side by side on the decaying

tree trunk.

Burke stared at the flames, his thoughts on his brother and all the years spent alone while he grew up with a loving family. It didn't seem fair, but life wasn't fair. If it was, his father would have found Cullen as a

child and they would have been raised as brothers. They were nothing but strangers right now, and Burke wanted desperately to change that.

He felt Storm's hand slip over his and lock fingers. He grabbed on to her offer of comfort, not letting go.

"I can only imagine how difficult this must be for you."

"He wandered all those years thinking no one loved him, no one cared, while my father frantically

searched for him." He shook his head. "I am here only a short time and I find his trail. Why? Why couldn

't my father have found him?"

"I think it is easier to trace a man than it is to find a child. There are so many homeless children that it would be near impossible to find the one you search for. Would your father have recognized him if he had found him? He had left when his son was a mere babe and returned when he could walk. It was a difficult mission in more ways than one."

"He blamed himself his entire life for leaving his family behind."

"Your father attempted to find a better life for his son, and that he searched for him proved how much he loved him."

"I won't leave Scotland until I find Cullen," Burke said stubbornly."Are you threatening me?" Storm teased. "Must I find your brother just to be rid of you?"He raised their joined hands. "We're stuck with each other until then." He paused, staring at her. "Is that so bad?"

His query fl.u.s.tered her and she fumbled for an answer.

She finally calmed. "No, it is not so bad."

He squeezed her hand. "Thank you for helping me. I would never have gotten this far without your help."

"You are paying for that help," she reminded.

"Somehow I think you would have helped me whether I paid or not. You just wouldn't leave a man

imprisoned if you could help it, though logically you can't free them all.""I can try," she said with a smile and a tilt of her head."A heroic gesture, but foolish."To his surprise, she didn't disagree."So I've been reminded time and time again.""Then why do it?"He noticed she glanced down at their joined hands, and for a moment, he thought he saw tears glistening in her eyes, but then she raised her head proudly.

"Someone has to help the helpless."

"Are you pus.h.i.+ng for sainthood?" He sounded petulant, but couldn't help it. He worried about her safety,

and yet each day she willingly placed her life in jeopardy. It irritated the h.e.l.l out of him, though he did

admire her courage.She shrugged, her thin shoulders falling slowly down as if a heavy weight descended on her. "Don't askme to explain. It's something I must do."

"So you woke up one morning and decided to be an outlaw," Burke said, needing her penchant for her

work to make sense, needing to understand her more.

He realized he struck a nerve when she wiggled her fingers free of his, and her silence warned him that she was not about to share the truth.

Finally she stood. "I have things to see to." And walked away.

He let her go. There was no point in stopping her. Obviously, she didn't wish to discuss the topic, which made Burke all the more curious to find out about it. In time, though, he would.

He stretched his legs out in front of him and rolled his shoulders, easing the ache in his back. He had

walked his fair share back home, but never the distance he had covered while here in Scotland. He much preferred a horse to his legs, but the terrain surrounding the camp wasn't conducive to riding horses.

He wondered if Cullen was a horseman, or had he only his legs to depend on?

He was anxious to find his brother and get to know him. He hoped Cullen would agree to return to America with him if just for a while. Burke thought if he could get him there, Cullen just might like it and decide to stay.

Actually, with Cullen being a wanted man, there was no way he'd be able to remain in Scotland. He would always be hunted unless, of course, he could buy his way out of his crime, and he would certainly have the money to do that.

Their father had been brilliant when it came to investing, and money really was not a problem for either of them. They could live an entire life and not spend the wealth their father had acc.u.mulated, which continued to grow each day.

He wanted to make certain Cullen shared in that wealth, and he hoped to find in Cullen the brother he

had missed while growing up.

But what of his brother? Was he a thief or falsely accused? Was he a good man or a troubled man?

Would he welcome a brother into his life or take his share of the wealth and want nothing to do with Burke?