Chapter 7: A Painful Reunion.

Jake and Nancy crept up behind the house where the Bloodhounds were holding Jenny for ransom.

"I'm here, but I don't have fifty dollars. I need to find out some other way to get Jenny out of there." Jake said. Nancy got up to leave. "Where are you going?"

"I was only supposed to bring you here. I told you the best way to get in as a favor."

"Thanks, Nancy. You're not so bad after all."

"I know." She said. She walked off toward town. When she got there, her mother was waiting.

"Did you bring that disgusting drifter to them?"

"Yes, mother." Nancy said, putting on a fake smile.

"Good. The sooner they take care of him, the sooner they can leave. Come, dear." Nancy followed her mother into their house, taking one look back in the direction of the house where Jenny sat tied to a chair.

"I can't believe you told those three where Walnut Grove is!" Harriet said as she entered the door. Nels was sitting in his chair.

"Harriet, you know as well as I do that people pass through Walnut Grove all the time! As far as that display at the church, you should be ashamed of yourself! I just hope for your sake that nothing happens to Jake or Jenny!"

Jake slowly opened the back door of the house. There were two floors in the house, but the Bloodhounds were only using the first, as it contained all the room they needed to hide out. They must have been in a different room, because all he could see was Jenny sitting in a chair, with her arms tied behind it. He walked up to her and began untying her bonds. He held up a finger to his lips as soon as she saw him. Soon enough, he had freed her, and the two of them were just about to leave when they heard voices.

"That really hurt! I told you we should've tied her legs up too!"

"I wonder if Henderson is here with our money? Let's find out!" The door opened. The Greenwood brothers were delighted to find that he indeed had arrived, but they weren't so happy to see Jenny freed from her chair.

"So, you decided to show up after all. Where is our money?" Marty asked.

"I didn't bring any. Jenny is worth far more money than you could ever want." Marty took a step forward.

"I hope that was a joke. Even if it was, it wasn't very funny. Give us the money, or we'll kill you both!"

"I'm telling the truth, Marty. You killed Susan when I quit the Bloodhounds, I won't let you kill again!"

"Well, that's just too bad, ain't it?" Joe stepped out from behind his brother, brandishing a baseball bat.

"You can have me, just let the girl go!" Jake was running out of options. Marty grinned.

"Okay, fair enough."

"Just let me say goodbye, all right?"

"Okay, but hurry up. Time's a wasting!" Jake knelt next to Jenny.

"Hey Jenny. I just wanted to tell you that I think you're really special. If I don't come out of this alive, give my regards to your aunt and uncle for all of their kindness. I'm sure we'll meet again, someday." Jenny started to tear up.

"You can't leave! You've been such a great friend, and you found my old locket with my father's picture!" They embraced. "I'll miss you so much!" Jenny was suddenly knocked to the floor. Jake looked up into Marty's eyes.

"Time's up." Jake didn't even say a word. He just jumped up and tackled Marty to the floor, throwing punches in a blind rage. Joe and James moved to grab Jenny, but she escaped through the door Jake had left open. They chased after her, leaving Marty and Jake to tussle.

"You punched out Jeb Carter, and now you start knocking Jenny around! How dare you lay your hands on a child?" Jake continued to rough up Marty. He tossed him through the window of the house, shattering it into a million pieces.

Jenny saw two men on horses approaching as she ran from Joe and James. She noticed one of them as they got closer.

"Uncle Manzo! Come quick!" Almanzo recognized Jenny and stopped his horse. He hopped off and ran toward her, taking her in his arms when they reached each other.

"Are you all right? Oh Jenny, I thought we'd lost you!" Joe and James caught up to her.

"All right sir, if you could just hand over the girl..." Joe said.

"You dare lay your hands on my niece? I have a shotgun that is fully loaded back in my wagon. You make one wrong move toward her and I will blow both of your heads right off. Now, let's go back to your house and settle this like men." Almanzo and Mr. Edwards, who was the other man on horseback, led the two men back to the wagon, where Almanzo made sure to keep his shotgun close.

Back at the house, Jake and Marty were still going at it. Marty was bloodied up pretty badly after going through the front window of the house.

"You want to put a young girl in danger for the sake of money?" Jake smashed Marty's head against a table. "You want to come into this town and hurt these people?" He smashed Marty's head off of a wall. Marty fell to the ground.

"You listen to me, Marty Greenwood. You and your brothers can just pack up and leave. I won't let you hurt anybody else in this little town!" Marty cowered on the floor. Jake went to pick him up again, but Marty threw a low punch, causing him to bend over in pain. Marty then got up and began bashing Jake against various objects in the house. After a few hits, Jake went down.

"You listen to me, Jake Henderson. The Blue Bloodhounds are in charge now. And the more we think about it, the more we like the thought of running this town after we've killed you!" He returned the favor from earlier by throwing Jake through one of the windows, just as Almanzo's wagon pulled up. He ran to his friend.

"Jake!" Jake looked up.

"Almanzo...what are you doing here?"

"Well I wasn't about to sit back and let a good friend lose his life in a one sided fight!"

"We found these two chasing Jenny toward town. She told us where you were, and here we are!" Mr. Edwards said.

"Mr. Edwards, you're here too?"

"Yes sir! I have a bone to pick with these three!" He and Almanzo helped Jake to his feet.

"What about Jenny? You've got to get her out of here!" Jake saw a figure walking down the road. He couldn't make it out at first, but then he realized it was someone familiar.

"Jeb Carter?" Jenny said. He stood next to her. "Jeb what are you doing here?"

"I want to help!"

"I don't think so Jeb. It's way too dangerous! I mean, look at me! Do you want to end up like this?" Jake said. Marty emerged from the house with a pistol.

"Stick your hands up and don't move a muscle, any of you!" Joe and James held knives to Almanzo and Mr. Edwards' backs.

"Bring them into the house. And I see the boy I beat up yesterday has come back for more!" Marty had suddenly noticed Jeb. "Joe, James, grab the girl and bring her to me. And if the boy should make any sudden moves, I'll shoot him!" The brothers went to grab Jenny, but Jeb pulled her behind him. Marty saw this, and he wasn't too happy about it.

"Okay boy, if that's what you want..." He pulled the trigger.