Bobbi Smith (18 page)

It took some effort, but Fred managed to lift Randi up and lay her facedown across Angel’s back. He secured her there. Fred didn’t know how soon she might regain consciousness, but he knew what a wild woman Randi could be, and he wasn’t going to take any chances with her.

Mounting up on his own horse, he started down the canyon trail leading Angel. He was headed for the passageway. It was the fastest way out.

Fred glanced back one last time at Jack’s and Hawk’s lifeless bodies.

He smiled.

He had definitely won the shooting contest today.

Some days were better than others.

Blinding pain racked Hawk as he slowly regained consciousness. He groaned and lay unmoving. He fought against the agony that tortured him and tried to understand what had happened.

It took a moment for his thoughts to clear and the memory of the ambush to return. When it did, he sat up suddenly. He feared the man who’d ambushed them was still there, and he was ready to go for his gun. He remembered that Jack had been shot, too, and he was worried about Randi. He needed to make sure nothing had happened to her.

Hawk hadn’t reckoned on the excruciating torment that tore through his head when he moved so quickly. He sagged weakly back, bracing himself on one arm. He reached up and tentatively touched the wound at his temple. His hand came away covered in blood.

As much as the wound hurt, Hawk knew he was lucky to be alive. Desperate to help Randi and Jack, he tried to ignore the pain, but it wasn’t easy. He staggered to his feet and swayed unsteadily. He spotted his gun on the ground nearby and went to pick it up. The throbbing in his head intensified as he bent down to retrieve it. In silent agony, he locked his jaw against the torment and fought to focus on what he had to do.

Straightening up, he looked around. There was no trace of Randi, but he spotted Jack lying on the ground a short distance away. He made his way over to kneel down beside him. With great care, Hawk rolled Jack over. The front of his shirt was blood-soaked, and for a moment Hawk thought he was dead. He was surprised when Jack moaned and slowly opened his eyes.

“Hawk,” Jack managed, looking up at him and seeing Hawk’s bloody head wound. “The shooter . . . ?”

“He’s gone.”

“Randi . . . is she . . . ?” His words were tortured. He expected to hear the worst.

“She’s not here,” Hawk answered.

“Maybe she got away in time.” He sounded hopeful.

“Maybe.” Hawk knew better. Whoever had been after them hadn’t been about to let her get away.

“We have to go after her! We have to find her!” Jack agonized.

Painful memories of Jessie’s abduction suddenly returned to torture Hawk, and a fierce, grim determination filled him.

“I will,” he said solemnly.

“But what about your head?” Jack knew Hawk had to be in pain.

“I’ll be all right.”

“I have to go with you!” Jack insisted in spite of the seriousness of his own wound.

“You’ll only slow me down.”

“I’m going!” he repeated.

Hawk didn’t waste time arguing with him. He opened Jack’s shirt to take a look at his wound and realized how lucky they both were to still be alive. Hawk was thankful the man who’d ambushed them hadn’t been a better shot.

Taking off his own shirt, Hawk used his knife to cut a piece from it. Quickly, he bound up his own wound, then made a bandage for Jack out of the rest of it. He helped Jack to sit up and then wrapped the makeshift bandage tightly around his chest.

Jack grimaced in pain as he moved.

“The bullet’s still in you, but I don’t want to risk trying to dig it out here,” Hawk told him. “Are you feeling strong enough to get back to the ranch on your own?”

“I told you”—Jack ignored Hawk and tried to get up, determined to find his daughter—“I’m going with you.”

Jack was intent only on saving Randi. He couldn’t worry about himself when his daughter was in danger. He was ready to find his horse and start the search, but as he tried to get to his feet, he found he was so weak he almost collapsed.

Torment ate at Jack. He sat back down heavily on the ground. Hawk had been right. He was too weak from loss of blood to try to track her, and he wouldn’t get any better until the bullet was removed.

It was the most painful thing Jack had ever done when he looked at Hawk and told him, “Go find Randi. I can make it back alone.”

Hawk nodded. “Wait here while I find our horses.”

Jack prayed it wouldn’t take him long. Whoever had taken Randi already had a good head start on him.

Randi was in danger. Hawk had to rescue her before any harm came to her.

Hawk set out after their horses. He hoped they had run deeper into the canyon, for then he’d have a chance to catch them. If they’d fled the canyon, he and Jack were in trouble.

Hawk hadn’t gone far when he found Randi’s gun and gun belt lying on the ground; he had the answer he’d dreaded. Just as he’d suspected, she hadn’t escaped. Something terrible had happened to her.

Taking the gun with him, Hawk continued to search the area. It wasn’t easy, but he finally found fresh tracks leading toward the passageway, and it looked like one of the horses had been Angel.

Whoever had ambushed them had taken Randi captive, but why? It hadn’t been an Indian raiding party. There was only one other set of tracks with Angel’s.

Hawk whistled and called out for Bruiser as he moved on, looking for the missing horses. On foot the going was slow, but he finally found both the animals near a small watering hole farther back in the canyon. He was relieved that they didn’t run off as he approached them and got their reins. After tying them to a nearby tree, Hawk stowed Randi’s gun in his saddlebag, then took time to wash the blood from his hands and face. The pain in his head was still severe, but he couldn’t let it stop him. Nothing mattered except going after Randi as quickly as he could.

He rode Bruiser back to where Jack awaited him, leading Jack’s horse behind him.

Jack was sitting down, leaning against a rock when he saw Hawk approaching in the distance. Jack realized then that with his shirt off, Hawk once again looked as he had the first time he’d seen him. He looked like a true Comanche warrior. The moment he thought it, he grew angry with himself. He knew and respected Hawk. Hawk was no murderous savage. He was the man who was going to help save Randi.

“Thank God, you found them,” Jack said when Hawk reined in before him.

“I found Randi’s gun, too. Whoever ambushed us took her prisoner.”

Jack was sickened by the news. “Who would do this?”

“I’m going to find out,” Hawk told him with certainty.

Hawk dismounted and went to help Jack to his feet. He knew how weak the rancher was and that he was going to need help.

Hawk was right. It was a struggle for Jack to get on his horse even with help, but somehow he managed.

Still, man that he was, Jack wasn’t about to let anyone know how bad he was feeling. He looked over at Hawk once the younger man had mounted up on Bruiser.

“Be careful,” Jack said.

“I will.”

“Hawk—find her.”

Their gazes met in painful understanding. Hawk nodded to him, then wheeled Bruiser around and galloped off at top speed toward the passage. There was no time to waste.

Jack watched him go, and he prayed for Randi’s safe return.

Fred was feeling pleased with himself as he rode across country. He was traveling as fast as he could with Randi tied down across her saddle. It wasn’t easy going, but she was bound to come to sooner or later.

Fred knew eventually some of the hands from the ranch would go looking for Jack, Hawk, and Randi, but he figured he had close to a full day’s head start on any search party. Of course, once they found Jack’s and Hawk’s bodies, they would come after him and try to track him down, but by then he’d be long gone.

He’d been riding for almost an hour when he finally heard Randi groan. He stopped and dismounted to take her down from Angel’s back.

“You finally woke up, did you?” he said coldly.

Randi had regained consciousness to find herself bound and gagged, and tied facedown on Angel’s back. She’d struggled to get a look at the man riding the horse ahead of Angel, and when she’d seen that it was Fred, she’d been stunned. She tried to free herself, to break loose, but bound as she was, she was helpless.

Fred came back and released the ropes that held her on Angel’s back. When he reached up to pull her down, she kicked him in the chest.

“You bitch!” Fred snarled. He yanked her down from the horse’s back and shoved her to the ground. He’d wanted to backhand her, but controlled the urge. He didn’t want to risk bruising her face.

Randi lay sprawled at his feet in the dirt, glaring up at him. She deliberately tried to act defiant as she struggled to hide her fear from him. She couldn’t let him know she was terrified.

Fred bent down and untied her ankles.

“Now get on your horse and don’t try anything stupid.”

She stood up and mounted Angel.

Fred took Angel’s reins and got ready to ride. He glanced over at Randi and saw that she was looking back the way they’d come.

“Don’t go getting your hopes up. There ain’t nobody coming after you. Your Pa and the half-breed are both dead.” He saw her eyes widen in shock and pain, and he enjoyed the feeling of power her reaction gave him. He grinned. “Yeah, I made sure of that. So it’s just you and me, now.”

Putting his heels to his horse’s sides, Fred started off again. He kept a tight hold on Angel’s reins. He wasn’t taking any chances.

Tears streamed down Randi’s cheeks as she held on tight to the saddle horn.

Hawk and her father were dead.

Memories of the ambush, of seeing her father and Hawk gunned down in cold blood, assailed her. She had tried to go to them and help them. She had tried to return fire, but then Angel had panicked and she remembered nothing after being thrown.

Desperation filled Randi.

She was alone.

Hawk rode out of the passage and picked up their trail. He had no idea where they were headed, and it didn’t matter.

The only thing that mattered was saving Randi.

He had to find her.

He couldn’t let anything happen to her.

Forcing away thoughts of what had happened to Jessie, Hawk concentrated only on his tracking. Whoever had taken Randi captive had close to a two-hour head start on him. Every minute counted. He pushed Bruiser to his limit as they raced on. Time was of the essence.

The ride back to the Lazy S was torture for Jack. When the main house finally came into view, he was swaying weakly in the saddle. Encouraged that he was so close, he held on as tightly as he could and kneed his horse to a faster pace. He had to get home. He had to let the men know what had happened, so they could ride out and help Hawk find Randi.

As anxious as he was to have the men go after Hawk, Jack was tortured by thoughts of Wade and his possible betrayal. Could he trust his foreman? Did he dare let Wade head up the men who would go to help Hawk? He didn’t know. If Wade was involved—if Wade had betrayed him—there would be grave danger in including him. He wasn’t sure what to do.

Jack had almost reached the house before anyone spotted him. A shout went out among the men when they realized something was wrong, and they rushed out to meet him.

Wade was one of the first to reach Jack’s side.

“Jack! What happened to you?” Wade asked, helping Jack as he collapsed and half fell out of the saddle.

“We were ambushed in Black Canyon,” he managed.

“Where are Hawk and Randi?” Rob asked, looking around to see if they were following him in.

“Whoever shot us took Randi. Hawk’s gone after them. He’s trying to track them down. You have to go help him.” There was desperation in his voice.

“Let’s get you inside.” Wade stepped up and took charge. “Rob, you ride into town and get the doc.”

“There’s no time for that!” Jack protested angrily with all the fierceness he could muster.

“You need a doctor,” Wade countered.

“I’m not worried about me. Wilda can take a look my chest. She may be able to get the bullet out. The rest of you men”—he looked up at the hands who’d gathered around—“get ready to ride.”

“Come on. We need to get you inside,” Wade urged. He appeared concerned as he helped Jack up the walkway, but, in truth, he was furious. Fred had been told to take care of things. He and Pete hadn’t paid the fool that money to miss!

Jack allowed Wade to help him, but, troubled as he was by his suspicions, he was repulsed by his touch. Still, he knew he couldn’t allow his reaction to show. He didn’t know anything for sure—yet.

Wilda heard the commotion outside and was just coming to see what was wrong when they entered through the front door. Rob and Lew followed them in, while the rest of the men waited anxiously outside on the porch.

“Jack! What happened?” She was shocked by the sight of his bloodied shirt.

“He’s been shot,” Wade told her.

“Let’s get him upstairs and into bed,” she directed, leading the way to turn back his bed for him.

They followed her down the hallway into Jack’s bedroom and helped him sit down on the side of the bed.

“Rob, I’m going to need hot water, and a lot of it,” Wilda ordered.

He hurried off to tend to it.

She stripped away Jack’s bloodied shirt. Once she had it off of him, she helped him to lie back. After carefully removing the makeshift bandage, she quickly examined his wound.

“You need to have the doc look at this,” she said, her expression grave as she glanced up at him. The gunshot wound was serious. She knew Jack was lucky to be alive. If the bullet had been any closer to his heart, he would have been a dead man.

“All right,” he groaned, “but don’t send Rob. He’s one of the best trackers we have. I want him to help find Randi.”

“Where was Hawk headed?” Wade asked.

Rob had returned from the kitchen by then, and Jack looked up at both of them as he answered, “Hawk found a secret passage out of Black Canyon.”

“What?” Everyone in the room appeared shocked by his claim.