Following the south shoulder of majestic Mount Hood, Wolf’s party continued their slow and arduous trek along the Barlow Road. Each day, the weary emigrants came closer to their goal: Willamette Valley, now less than a week away.

Eirica, Jessie and Coralie walked together, ahead of the wagons, which were following single file behind them. Alison and Ian walked ahead of them. Lara had stayed behind with James. Running around the children’s feet, the pups pounced and barked at anything that moved. Sadie plodded along following them.

Holding Summer, Eirica enjoyed the quiet walk. It was so peaceful, a perfect day. The bite of winter was in the air, but when they hit patches of sunny trail, the temperature warmed, enough to dispel the chill. Above her head, squirrels went about their business of preparing for winter and birds glided through the branches. Each was content to just savor the day. Soon, their days would be filled once again with the hard work of setting up new households.

After a while, another noise intruded, ruining the perfect harmony of the setting. Loud shouts, the same combination of panic and excitement that hit men at difficult spots in the trail as they battled against the roadblocks nature put before them, warned Eirica they were coming upon what most considered the worst obstacle of the overland trip—Laurel Hill.

When they reached it, she made the children step back as all three women gasped with horror. “Land’s sake, this is much worse than Windlass Hill,” Eirica whispered, staring down at the scree-covered chute. It was so narrow, she couldn’t imagine there was enough room to walk alongside the cattle. And the trail itself looked dangerous. The soil had been worn down five to seven feet in some places, leaving steep banks on both sides.

But what left the three women breathless with fear was the two-hundred-and-forty-foot vertical drop-off. Eirica and Coralie shook their heads in denial. Impossible, Eirica thought, her gaze wide. And to top it off, she knew from James that this was only one of two such chutes. Beyond the sharp right angle at the bottom of this chute waited another sixty-foot drop.

“It’s worse than anything we’ve seen.” Coralie glanced back at the way they’d come. “Maybe we took a wrong turn somewhere,” she offered hopefully.

Jessie shook her head, her hand pressed to her stomach. She sat on the stump of a tree near the edge of the trail. “No, we didn’t take a wrong turn. But I’m not going down this until the others catch up.” They all glanced behind them but there was no sign yet of the wagons.

Eirica joined Jessie, eager for the rest, cradling Summer in her arms. She frowned when she felt the wetness seeping through the baby’s blanket. “Drat, she’s wet again.” Sadie also plopped down in the shade, keeping an eye on her rambunctious pups.

Coralie held her hands out. “Here, let me take her. I’ll go change her and let the others know what awaits them. I just cannot see how they are going to get the wagons down this without them ending up splintered at the bottom.”

Eirica handed the baby over. She and Jessie smiled as Coralie retreated, the two bored children following. “She’s going to make a wonderful mother,” Eirica said.

“Yeah. She will.” Jessie sounded tired.

“So will you, and you’ll get past this part soon.”

“Yeah, right. I’ll believe it when it happens.” Jessie leaned back, basking in the filtered sun.

With no children to keep an eye on, Eirica removed her bonnet to let the breeze slide across her neck and relaxed, content to gather her strength for the ordeal to come.

James and Wolf stared at one of the wagons. Another broken axle—and they had no spares and no time to make one. They’d already discussed trying to repair it, but Wolf knew it wouldn’t make it down Laurel Hill. Now, as they mulled over what to do, each was conscious that they were holding up the line of wagons behind them.

“Why don’t we just unload it, put the stuff in the other ones and dump it,” James decided. He hated to lose the wagon but he could always make another. Right now, it was more important to get to Oregon City. He glanced at Coralie when she came up to him with Summer in her arms, Alison and Ian at her side. Looking around, he asked, “Where’s Eirica?”

Coralie made a face. “She and Jessie are waiting for everyone up at Laurel Hill. I came back to change this sweet little thing. What happened?”

James ignored her. He met Wolf’s gaze, both men frowning. “Are they alone?”

“Well, Sadie and the pups are there. They aren’t going to go on ahead. Trust me, that hill is going to be a nightmare.”

James put his hands on his hips. “I didn’t realize they’d gone ahead. Wolf, I don’t like them up there by themselves. I think I’ll go up and get them.”

Wolf frowned, his hands on his hips. “I’ll go with you. Coralie, get your husband to come take care of this. Elliot, too.”

Coralie stopped them, her eyes wide. “You don’t think they are in danger, do you? I thought you said Birk would be waiting in Oregon.”

“Just in case,” James said, reaching into the wagon for his Sharps.

Wolf grabbed his and together they took off on foot, leaving Jordan and the others to deal with unloading the wagon and getting things moving. They hadn’t gone far when the sharp report of a gunshot echoed through the forest. Both men broke into a run.

Eirica was startled from her thoughts when Sadie growled, then let out a string of furious warning barks. Twisting on the boulder, she saw the dog hunch her shoulders and lower her head, her lips pulled back, revealing sharp fangs. Immediately, her pups scampered around, confused as to where the danger lie.

“What’s wrong, Sadie?” Jessie asked, jumping up to survey the wooded area on either side of them.

Two men emerged from behind the concealing trees, guns pointed at them. Eirica felt her heart freeze. “Birk!” Her mouth went dry and a chill ran through her as she stared at her husband.

Birk narrowed his eyes, pointing the rifle in his hands at Sadie. “Call off the dog, missy, or I’ll shoot it,” he warned Jessie, his voice low and threatening.

Jessie grabbed Sadie by the scruff of her neck and backed away, moving onto the trail in the direction they’d just come.

Eirica followed on shaking legs. She glanced down the trail. Where was everyone? They should have caught up to them a long time ago.

“That’s far enough,” the second man said, eyeing both women with a gleam in his eyes. “I gots a score ta settle with you,” he addressed Jessie, tracing his scar. But his gaze drifted back to Eirica.

Eirica swallowed. She recognized him. He was the one who’d tried to rape her long before, that night by the river. And he would have if it hadn’t been for Jessie. Her gaze shifted from him back to Birk. Her husband stood staring at her, hatred in his eyes.

Beside her, Jessie spoke, her voice loud. “The others are right behind us. If you value your lives, you’ll leave.”

Birk grinned, then spat on the ground as he advanced on Eirica. “Nice try, missy, but I know they’s back a ways, dealin’ with a broken wagon. By the time they git here, we’ll be gone and they’ll think you went on.” He leered at Eirica. “When they git down that hill and find you’re not there, it’ll be too late. Now, move up the hill behind you. We’s gonna take a nice walk through them trees.” Zeb moved over to Jessie, his shotgun trained on her and the dog that Jessie struggled to control.

Eirica and Jessie exchanged worried glances. If they left the trail, they stood a chance of never being rescued. Somehow, they had to stall the two men. When Coralie returned without her and Jessie, maybe James or Wolf would come to let them know about the delay. It was their only chance.

“How did you survive, Birk? We thought you’d drowned.”

Birk narrowed his eyes. “Did ya mourn me, wife? Did ya miss me?”

Eirica noted the clenching of the one hand steadying the butt of the gun. She braced herself before answering honestly. “No. You’re a mean, sick man, Birk Macauley.”

Birk reached out and grabbed Eirica, pulling her against him, his arm tight around her neck. “We’s gonna go have us a nice long talk, wife,” he sneered. “You’ve sinned. You need punishing.”

Eirica struggled against his hold. “My only sin was in marrying you, and believe me, I’ve paid dearly for it.”

“Why, you smart-assed bitch!” He threw Eirica to the ground, laughing at her involuntary cry of pain as she crashed to the rocky ground.

Eirica fought for breath. Her thigh throbbed where he’d kicked her and her hip ached from hitting a stone in the trail. When he came at her, she braced herself for the kick she knew was coming. She turned slightly, catching the heel of his boot in her thigh instead of her ribs or stomach, where he usually aimed. This time, she swallowed her cry of pain, refusing to give him the satisfaction. Nor would she cower. She glared at him.

Furious when she didn’t react as he expected, he grabbed a fistful of her hair and yanked her onto her knees. “Yep, we’s got lots to catch up on.”

Though scared, Eirica kept telling herself that the longer she was able to goad Birk, the better chance she and Jessie would have to survive. Taking a deep breath, knowing he couldn’t possibly hurt her more than he had in the past when he’d battered her body or the pain he’d put her through by taking Lara, she twisted around to face her husband.

Hatred for everything he’d put her and the children through filled her and gave her courage. “What’s the matter, Birk, haven’t had any helpless women or children to kick around? Is that the only way you can prove you’re a man?”

Seeing the look of utter rage come over him, she tilted her chin. “You don’t know the meaning of being a man. You’re a coward. A big, bullying coward!” With her fisted hand, she drew back and struck him as hard as she could between the legs. James had taught her that was the best place to aim to bring down a man.

Birk jerked and yowled in pain, dropping his weapon. He clutched his injured part through his pants, but her punch hadn’t carried enough force to double him over. It had just made him furious and more dangerous than ever.

When his fist connected with her face, she flew back, landing perilously near the brink of Laurel Hill. Pain radiated from her jaw and stars floated in front of her eyes. Still, she got to her knees. I have to stall him. I have to save us.

She had no idea where Jessie or Sadie were but through the buzzing in her ears, she heard the dog’s growls and knew her friend was still there, watching. This time, though, Jessie couldn’t save her.

Wild with an insane fury, Birk grabbed her arm, twisting it as he dragged her over to where his rifle had fallen. “You’ll die for that, you bitch. You’re gonna die!”

She lay on her back. He stared down at her, the gun in his hands. When she saw his foot lift, she tried to scramble away, but Birk used his foot to stop her by stepping on the side of her face. He applied just enough pressure to grind her cheek into the dirt. From far away, she heard Jessie shout at him, but she couldn’t make out the words.

When Birk shoved the hard, cold steel of his shotgun into her throat, Eirica knew her time had run out. She squeezed her eyes shut and held her breath. Tears trickled down the corners of her eyes, falling onto the leaves blanketing the ground.

Please, God, take care of my babies. Keep James safe.