Bobbi Smith (19 page)

“That’s why we haven’t been able to catch the rustlers in all these months,” he explained; then he quickly told them about the passage and its location. “Whoever took Randi must have ridden out that way, and Hawk went after them.”

“We’ll ride out right away,” Rob promised him.

“Good.” A sense of relief filled him. “But be careful. Whoever did this is out for blood.”

“I’ll go tell the boys to saddle up,” Wade said, starting from the room.

Lew followed him. Wilda went down to check on the water Rob had put on to heat, leaving Rob alone with Jack. Rob started to go.

“Don’t leave . . .” Jack began in a faint voice. He could tell that what little strength he had was rapidly fading.

“What is it, Jack?” Rob went to stand at the bedside.

Jack looked up at Rob and reached out to grab his arm. As weak as he was, his hold on the other man was fierce, and he braced himself up on one elbow to speak. “Be careful.”

“We will,” Rob promised.

“No, you don’t understand.” He paused to draw a ragged breath. “Watch out for Wade.”

“What?” Rob was completely shocked.

“I don’t know for sure,” he said in a low voice, “but he might be involved in this. Watch him. Don’t turn your back on him.”

It was an order.

Rob nodded, but he doubted Jack’s suspicions. He knew for a fact that Wade had been at the ranch all day. There was no way he’d had any part in the shooting.

“Good. Now, go on—go. Hurry—help Hawk find Randi.” Jack sagged back on the bed and closed his eyes. He was totally spent by the effort of speaking.

Rob rushed from the room, passing Wilda on her way back in with a basin of hot water.

“We’ll be back,” he told her, “with Randi.”

Wilda tended to Jack’s wound as best she could while they waited for the ranch hand they’d sent to town to return with the doctor.

Fred was glad when he saw a spring up ahead. The horses needed a rest. There was no need to run them into the ground. They were making good time, and nobody would be coming after them anytime soon. Reining in on the bank, Fred dismounted and looked up at Randi.

“Get down.” It was an order.

Randi’s gaze was cold upon Fred as she did what she was told. Hatred for him filled her. He had killed Hawk and her father in cold blood and actually seemed proud of it.

Fred walked slowly behind her. Randi tensed and wondered what he was doing. She was surprised when he removed the kerchief he’d used to gag her.

“Here,” he said, getting his canteen and shoving it at her.

“Untie my hands,” Randi said, holding her arms out to him.

“Hell, no. I know you too well.” He smirked at her. “Drink up while you can. We got a lot of miles to cover today.”

Randi took the canteen from him and drank thirstily. It was awkward to do with her wrists tightly bound, but she managed.

As she drank, Randi looked around for a way to escape. She’d been tempted to take off when he’d first dismounted at the spring, but Angel was so tired now, she knew they wouldn’t have gotten very far. Still, she was sure the opportunity for escape was going to come. It had to! And when it did, she would be ready. She just wished she hadn’t lost her gun.

“Things have turned out real good for me,” Fred bragged as he led both horses down to the water’s edge, leaving her standing there on the bank. “Yeah, good old Wade should have paid me double for the way I pulled everything off today.”

“Wade!” She hadn’t meant to say anything. She’d wanted to ignore Fred completely, but his mention of the foreman proved Hawk had been right in his suspicions. Rage and even more pain filled her at the knowledge of Wade’s betrayal.

“That’s right. Me and Wade, we been working together for a long time. Your pa never figured it out. Wade’s slick—real slick. He has everybody fooled.”

“He doesn’t have everybody fooled!” she countered, unable to control her fury any longer. “Hawk knows!”

“But that don’t matter now, does it?” he said snidely, enjoying tormenting her. “Your precious half-breed is dead—and so is your pa.”

The agony in her heart tore at her, but more than the agony, uncontrolled fury erupted within her. No longer caring if she lived or died, she ran at Fred and attacked him. She hit him and kicked him as hard as she could, and she did manage to land a few blows.

Fred was infuriated by her attack. He grabbed her by the arms and hauled her up against him, holding her pinned so she couldn’t move.

Randi twisted and turned, frantic to break free of his vile hold. She hated him with every fiber of her being.

“It’s a damned pity I already have plans for you,” he snarled in her ear. “Otherwise, I might just be seeing how much of a fight you’d put up if I spread them pretty legs of yours right here and now.”

She shuddered at his words.

He felt her tremble and laughed aloud. Then he bent to her and pressed a hot, wet kiss to the side of her neck.

“Leave me alone! Don’t touch me!”

Fred laughed even more at her reaction. He shoved her away from him.

She pivoted around to glare up at him in fury and disgust.

“Don’t you worry, Randi. I won’t be using you. I’m taking you to a nice little place near the border. There’s a fella there who pays a lot of money for pretty little virgins like you.”

Randi was horrified by what he’d just told her. She wanted Hawk to come and save her from the terrible fate that awaited her. She longed to look up and see him riding toward her at full speed, coming to rescue her as he had in the past.

But Hawk would never be coming to save her again.

Hawk was dead.

Regret and agonizing pain filled her, for she’d never had the chance to tell him she loved him.

Randi went numb inside, overwhelmed by all that had happened to her.

Fred eyed Randi hungrily as she stood there before him. She was a pretty one, all right. He’d secretly watched her all the time on the ranch. He liked the way she looked in those pants of hers. He was enjoying her feeling of helplessness, too. On the ranch, she’d been the boss’s daughter, someone they all had to listen to. Out here with him, she was nothing. Having her all to himself this way made him feel powerful.

He smiled and went to get the horses ready to ride. The sooner they got back on the trail, the sooner he’d get the rest of the money he was wanting.

Hawk and Bruiser raced across the countryside, following the double set of tracks. He knew Bruiser was growing tired, but he wanted to keep going as long as he could. When he finally found a small watering hole, he stopped only long enough to let Bruiser get a drink and rest up a little.

Hawk couldn’t sit still while Bruiser rested. He was too worried about Randi. He paced tensely, staring off in the direction the trail led. Though Angel was fast, Bruiser was faster. He had to be gaining on them, but without a sighting he had no idea just how far ahead of him they were.

Once he was sure Bruiser was rested, he rode out again. It was then that he thought of Jack. He hoped the rancher had made it safely back to the house.

Jack lay rigidly on the bed as Dr. Murray worked to extract the bullet from his wound. Sweat beaded Jack’s brow. His hands were clenched into white-knuckled fists by his sides.

“You are a very lucky man, Jack,” Dr. Murray told him, finally speaking after removing the bullet. He held up the bullet for his patient to see.

“I’m not feeling real lucky right now,” Jack said in a hoarse voice as some of the tension went out of him.

“You should. If this bullet had been an inch farther over, Wilda would have been sending to town for the undertaker instead of me.”

The doctor set the bullet in a dish on the night table and went back to cleaning out the wound. When he finished, he looked down at Jack, his expression serious.

“You really have no idea who shot you?”

“No, none, but I intend to find out,” he said grimly.

Dr. Murray knew Jack, and he warned him, “You’re in no condition to go anywhere for a few weeks. You can’t start moving around too soon.”

Jack didn’t respond; he just turned his head away to stare out the bedroom window.

“When your ranch hand came into town to get me, I left word at the sheriff’s office that there had been some trouble out here at the ranch. Sheriff Johnson wasn’t there at the time, but I’m sure he’ll be riding out to check in with you when he gets back.”

Jack looked over at him. “Thanks, Doc.”

Dr. Murray nodded. “You’re welcome. You stay in bed and let that would heal. I’ll come back out tomorrow and look in on you again,” he instructed as he got ready to leave.

It was midafternoon by the time Wade, Rob, Lew, and the other men who’d ridden with them reached Black Canyon. Rob hadn’t understood the reason for Jack’s warning, but he took it seriously. Jack wasn’t a man who spoke rashly. As they rode into the canyon, looking for the hidden passage, he watched Wade to see if the foreman did anything unusual. He expected him to be able to find the passage reasonably quickly, since Jack had given them directions. Wade was leading the way, and he rode on past the area where it was supposed to be.

“Wade,” Rob called out, reining in at the hidden entrance. “This is it here.”

“Are you sure? I thought Jack said it was farther back.” Wade stopped and looked back at Rob.

“Yeah, this is it. Follow me,” Rob directed the men as he guided his horse through the thick brush and into the narrow passage.

Wade rode back to follow Rob and the others. He’d deliberately ridden past the entrance to make their search take longer. He wanted to give Fred as big a lead as possible.

Sheriff Johnson made it out to the Lazy S late that afternoon.

“We’re so glad you’re here,” Wilda said, showing him the way up to Jack’s room.

“Dr. Murray told me some of what happened, but I wanted to hear the whole story from Jack.”

“He’s been resting since the doc left, but I know he’ll be glad to see you.” She stopped before the bedroom door and knocked lightly before going in. “Jack, Sheriff Johnson is here.”

“Come on in,” Jack said.

“I’ll leave you two to talk. If you need anything, I’ll be downstairs.” She let herself out of the room.

“Jack, sorry to hear what happened,” the lawman began after she’d gone. “Are you doing all right?”

“As well as I can be, I guess,” he answered, hating his own weakness. He wanted to be out searching for Randi, not lying there in bed.

“The doc said you were ambushed?”

“That’s right—out at Black Canyon.” Jack went on to tell him all he could remember about the shooting. “I’m damned lucky to be alive. Hawk, too.”

“Where is Hawk?”

“He rode out after Randi, straight from the canyon, but whoever took her had at least a two-hour lead on him. I sent Wade and Rob and the boys out to try to help him. We’ve got to find her!”

The sheriff understood his desperation. “I’ll get some men together from town and have them ride out there, too.”

“There is one other thing.” Jack looked at the lawman. “Wade may be involved in this. I can’t prove it yet, but I’ve got my suspicions.”

“I’ll remember that, and I’ll get back to you if I find out anything.”

“Thanks, Sheriff.” All the talk had exhausted Jack.

“And if you hear back from your hands, send word to me right away.”

“I will.”

With that assurance, the lawman headed back to San Miguel.

Sherri showed up at the store to go to work and found her mother and father in serious conversation behind the counter. When they saw her walk in, they both went quiet, and she immediately suspected something was wrong.

“What is it? Did something happen today? You both look worried,” she said.

Her father nodded. He looked concerned as he answered her. “One of the deputies was in a while ago to tell us there was trouble out at the Lazy S.”

“What kind of trouble?” Sherri looked between her parents, wondering at their guarded expressions.

He related what little he’d learned. “Talk has it Jack and Hawk were ambushed and shot, and Randi was kidnapped.”

“Randi? Kidnapped? But why? Who would have taken her?” Sherri demanded, aghast.

“The deputy didn’t have any idea. Sheriff Johnson is out at the ranch right now talking to Jack.”

“What are we going to do?”

“There’s nothing we can do but wait.”

“And pray,” her mother added.

Sherri was tormented by what she’d learned. She went about her work at the store, but her thoughts remained on Randi. She hoped her friend would be found, and she prayed she was all right.

Sindy was bored. The day had been quiet at the bar, and she liked a little excitement in her life. When a few cowboys came in, she was glad for the distraction and hoped they’d liven things up for her. She worked her wiles on them, trying to get them upstairs, but they seemed intent on talking about the big news in town.

“What big news?” she asked, irritated that she couldn’t get their undivided attention.

“You ain’t heard?” one of the cowboys said. “There’s been big trouble for Jack Stockton.” He quickly related the talk he’d heard around town.

“His daughter was kidnapped?” Sindy repeated in disbelief, remembering her conversation with Fred and knowing he might be the one responsible.

“That’s right, and there ain’t no telling if they’ll ever be able to find her.”

“I gotta go.” She was angry and disgusted at the same time.

“Where are you going, Sindy? I was just about ready to take you upstairs and have some fun with you.”

“Wait for me. I won’t be gone too long. I’ll make it worth your while and show you a real good time when I get back.”

Sindy left the Silver Dollar and hurried toward the sheriff’s office. She didn’t care that she was wearing her working clothes from the saloon. She ignored the open, disapproving stares of the townsfolk. She just wanted to let the lawman know about Fred. She thought it might help the search party find the girl. She’d always suspected Fred was really stupid, and he’d just proven it.

When she got to the office, only one of the deputies was there.

“Where’s the sheriff?”

“He’s out at the Stockton place,” he told her. “Why? You got trouble?”