It took almost an hour to climb out of the hollow up the hill. Dan and Lilly's cabin was situated the edge of the hill, half of it was on stilts to keep the floor level. The whole thing looked worn, but well kept. Forrest let out a whistle as they neared, but nothing happened.

"Hmm," he muttered under his breath.

"What's wrong?" Rose whispered into his shirt, peaking once more over his shoulder.

"What? Nothing. Eddie is probably inside eating lunch."

Rose nodded, but she could feel the tension in Forrest's muscles. His shoulders tightened and he took the reins in one hand, letting the other slide down and reach for the saddle bag.

Rose jumped as his hand brushed past her thigh to dig into the bag.

"Sorry," he whispered so quietly she barely heard him. He lifted his gun out.

He pulled Tessa to a stop and reached behind him and helped Rose slide to the ground. Her legs felt like jelly from the ride and she had to place a steadying hand on the horse's side. Forrest swung down after her.

He looped the reins over a low hanging branch but didn't tie her. "You stay here with her for a minute, anything happens, you jump on and run her all the way back to town. You hear? You go straight to Avery's café; it's the safest place in town. You don't stop for anyone."

Rose swallowed at the intensity in Forrest's eyes. He really thought something was wrong. She nodded quickly.

"Good," and he kissed her once on the forehead before turning and creeping around the backside of the cabin so he was approaching it from uphill.

Rose stood at Tessa's head and gently stroked the horse's neck as she fought back her nerves. She strained to hear anything but the only sounds were the wind in the trees. Rose shivered, but it had nothing to do with the temperature. The heat from the sun caused a few drips of sweat to run down her back .She brushed her hair from her face in annoyance as she strained to hear anything.

What felt like hours but was in fact only a few long minutes Forrest came jogging down the road to her. "Are you alright?" His voice was harsh, but he kept it low as though he were afraid of being overheard.

"Yes, whats-?" she started to ask, but Forrest crushed her against his chest. There was a slight tremor to him that scared her more than anything.

He released her just as quickly and immediately started looking around, his eyes sharp and wary. "Dan is dead."

"What?" Rose gasped, her hands covering her mouth.

Forrest nodded. "Dan's dead, no sign of Eddie."

"What do we do now? Tell the sheriff?" Rose asked.

Forrest's mouth was set in a grim line and he didn't look happy.

"Forrest we have to tell Sheriff Avery," Rose said firmly.

Forrest looked ready to argue but finally nodded and ran a hand through his hair. "We need to get out of here."

Forrest swung into the saddle and helped Rose up behind him. He clucked to Tessa and pushed her into a trot. Rose felt less secure and gripped Forrest tightly. "Do you really think it was the man from Chicago?"

Forrest didn't respond at first. "No it wasn't. It was the Klan."

"How do you-" she started to ask, but stopped as she realized Forrest had seen the body and there must have been some sign of the Klan on it. She closed her eyes and squeezed them shut as tears slid down her cheeks. Poor Lilly. At least Lilly didn't have to find the body.

Forrest kept Tessa moving at a brisk clip all down the hill. He didn't stop when they reached the store and instead continued on to town.

"I thought you said it wasn't the man from Chicago." Rose said gently. Forrest was tight and tense with grief and she didn't want to anger him anymore.

"That's what it looks like, but just because it might have been the Klan doesn't mean the man from Chicago isn't still around."

"Are we safe on the road like this?" she asked, looking around. Suddenly the large trees overhanging the road no longer seemed beautiful. Instead they seemed forbidding, and their size seemed only fit for hiding threats.

Forrest covered her hands with one of his own. "As safe as we are anywhere right now. Like I said before hopefully he's a city boy through and through and won't be comfortable in the forest."

Rose snorted inappropriately at that. She felt a little hysterical, like if she laughed she wouldn't be able to stop. It was as though this were all happening to someone else. To keep herself from flinching at every shadow, she buried her face in Forrest's back and closed her eyes. She breathed in his scent and let his warmth ground her.

"We're here," his voice rumbled quietly.

Rose opened her eyes and saw they were stopped in front of the jail. The sheriffs car was parked out front beside the hitching post where Forrest had stopped Tessa. The two of them got down and started for the door. She could feel eyes on them, but she was too shaky to care and when she reached for Forrest's hand to steady herself, he laced his fingers with hers rather than pull away.

"Bet you never thought you would be willingly going in here." Her teeth chattered as she spoke.

Forrest paused and turned to face her. His brow furrowed as he looked at her. He reached out and cupped her cheek with his other hand. "You're pale," he commented. "Are you okay?"

She nodded. "I'm fine. We need to do this and then find Peter and Arthur. Let's just keep moving."

Forrest looked doubtful but agreed and turned to the door. Sheriff Avery and his deputy were standing at the top of the stairs. The deputy's hand rested on the handle of pistol, and Rose suddenly understood Forrest's hesitation in coming to the Sheriff. The people of this town legitimately feared Forrest, she had seen it firsthand, though she still didn't understand it. She wanted to ask about it, but she didn't know how to do that without hurting Forrest.

"What can we do for you Mr. Garrett?" Sheriff Avery asked, he tried to sound casual but failed miserably.

"I've come to report a murder," Forrest's voice was perfectly calm. He stood straight and square before the sheriff in what Rose had learned was Forrest's attempt at making himself appear less intimidating. It didn't really work.

"You reporting on someone you murdered?" The deputy asked, disbelief coloring his voice.

Forrest shook his head. "Nope. The Klan murdered Dan and Eddie is missing."

The deputy shook his head. "Eddie probably sleeping off a jar of your finest. It ain't our job to track down every lazy negro," he said unkindly.

Rose found herself filled with anger at this man's callous words and the anger helped burn away the shock she had been precariously holding at bay. "Excuse me, sheriff," she snapped angrily. "We have come here to report the murder of our friend, are you going to let your partner here continue to mock our grief and concern for another friend."

The sheriff dropped his eyes to where Rose still clasped Forrest's hand. "Sheriff." She stressed.

Finally he looked from her and back to Forrest. "What makes you think Dan was murdered?"

Forrest made a sound in his chest, and Rose knew his patience was gone. His hand in hers stayed gentle but his words were harsh and colored with rage. "His slit throat and knife in his chest was a pretty good indication, as was the message left by the Klan about black men staying in their place, written in blood on the wall."

Rose swallowed as bile rose in her throat. She closed her eyes as she fought the nausea that rolled through her. She felt the blood leave her face and she worried for a moment she was going to behave very much like the weak willed female so many men believed her to be. She dug the nails of her free hand into her palm.

Her name was Miss Rose.

She was safe.

She needed to help Forrest find his brothers and find Eddie.

When she opened her eyes the sheriff was watching the two of them closely. "Well, I suppose we'll head up the hollow then and check it out."

Forrest nodded. "It would be appreciated."

The deputy turned to face the sheriff shock on his face. "Are you serious?" he asked.

"You'll be safe enough." Forrest spoke directly to the deputy now, and it made the man uncomfortable.

"And where are your brothers?" The deputy snapped. Rose was amazed to see he truly was afraid to go up into the Hollow. His fear made him angry.

"Not here, they won't give you any trouble," Forrest assured them, and turned the two of them around and went back to Tessa.

The sheriff and deputy passed them in the sheriffs car before they left town. Forrest paused at the road that led up the hollow. "Do you want to go on and find Peter and Arthur?" Rose asked quietly into Forrest's shoulder.

Forrest glanced back over his shoulder at her. "Tessa can't handle that much today, we'll head back to the store and wait for them."

<><><><><>

When Peter and Arthur returned Forrest told them the story of what happened. They took off in the truck and went back up the hollow to see if the sheriff was still at Dan and Lilly's. Rose and Forrest sat around the store. Rose tried to stay busy cleaning, but she found she couldn't keep her mind off the day.

She was scrubbing the same table for the third time when Forrest came up and stopped her. "Rose, why don't you go up and try to get some rest, you've had a trying day."

Rose put her rag back in the bucket and turned to face him. "Maybe you're right," she agreed.

She heard Arthur and Peter return, but she was so tired she dropped off to sleep even before the sun had set fully.