Sharon Poppen (27 page)

“This is getting uglier and uglier.” Hannah began to put things together. “First we find the bodies carrying railroad papers, we get a rock through our window, and then you find out no one’s looking for the railroad men. When you go to question the livery boy, he’s nowhere to be found and now the bodies have disappeared. Sheriff, you’ve got a real problem here.”

“Damn right! And I damn sure hate to be made a fool of.” The sheriff turned back toward his horse when the sound of many horses announced new arrivals. The moist earth and the rolling hills hid the riders until they were almost upon the trio.

The sheriff, Liam and Hannah readied their pistols at what looked to be about fifteen horsemen already within shouting distance.

“Lower your guns.” The lead rider called out.

“Who are you?” yelled the sheriff.

“I said lower your guns or the lady goes down first.” They were close enough to make good their threat.

“Sheriff, we’ve no choice. There’s too many of them. We can’t risk Hannah.” Liam lowered his gun and stepped to Hannah’s side.

“This is bad, Liam.” Hannah kept her gun aimed at the leader.

“He’s right, girl,” said the sheriff as he lowered his gun.

Liam gently applied pressure to Hannah’s arm until the gun was at her side.

The new arrivals, all sporting bandanas to hide their identity, circled the trio. The leader moved to within a few yards of them and reined his horse. “Drop your weapons,” he commanded.

“What do you want?” demanded the sheriff.

“I ask the questions,” the leader said. “Now, drop your weapons, or she’s dead.”

The trio looked at the circle of guns all focused on Hannah. They threw their guns to the ground. A man jumped from his horse, picked up the discarded guns and collected the rifles from their saddles.

“Wise decision.” Without taking his eyes off his captives, he gave another order. “Take her.” Five men urged their horses toward Hannah.

“No,” yelled Liam. “What’s going on? You can’t take her.”

The leader fired a shot into Liam’s horse. The aim was perfect into the brain. The horse fell into the grasses without uttering a sound. “Now, cross me again and the next bullet’s for you.” He motioned his men toward Hannah.

She began to run and the chase was on. Liam raced after her, but one of the men butted him with his horse, throwing Liam to the ground. Liam yelped as the horse stomped his left arm. Another man jumped from his horse and hog-tied Liam’s feet to his uninjured right arm.

During Liam’s rescue attempt, Hannah had been overtaken, tied up and gagged. She was thrown belly down on her saddle.

“For Christ’s sake! What do you want?” yelled the sheriff.

“Forget about those bodies you thought you found here yesterday,” said the leader.

“Fine. If we do that, will you leave the woman alone?” asked Liam as he desperately tried in vain to stand up.

“Woman has nothing to do with this. Deal is, you forget, you get to live.”

“Turn the woman loose.” Liam refused to give up.

The leader ignored Liam’s plea and turned to the sheriff. “Listen up, lawman. Only reason we’re leavin’ you alive is cause a dead or missing sheriff would bring them Rangers back here snooping around.” He aimed at the sheriff’s head. “You ever want to see this woman alive again, you keep your mouth shut. You wire the Rangers. You tell ‘em you was mistaken about the bodies.” The leader rode over to Liam. “That goes for you, too. Want the woman alive? Keep your mouth shut. Oh, and don’t you worry about her. She’ll be in the company of an old friend.” He laughed, turned, and rode off. His men followed, taking Hannah with them.

“Nooooooo,” Liam cried over and over until a firm slap across his face brought him back to the moment.

“Boy, listen to me. That ain’t helping her.” The sheriff worked at the ropes tethering Liam. Once freed, he reached over to check Liam’s arm. His touch generated a painful groan. The sheriff shook his head. “Broken. Hope it’s not crushed.”

Liam struggled to his feet. “I don’t give a damn about my arm. We’ve got to get Hannah.” He staggered over to the sheriff’s horse. “Help me up.”

“Listen, we need to talk this out. Think about what to do.”

“We need to get Hannah back.” Liam struggled to pull himself up into the sheriff’s saddle.

The sheriff grabbed his good arm. “Liam, think man. We go after her, just you and I, she’s a dead woman and us too. We gotta think this through.”

The horror of the sheriff’s words managed to penetrate Liam’s terror about Hannah’s fate. He nodded and pressed his head against the saddle in agony. “Hannah, oh Hannah, not again. Not again. I’ve let you down. Oh, God!”

Eventually, the sheriff risked a hand to Liam’s shoulder. “Son, we don’t have time to grieve. We gotta figure out how to get that girl back, alive.”

Liam raised his head and nodded. He used the sleeve of his good arm to wipe his eyes and nose. “You’re right.” Liam turned to face the sheriff. “Where do we start?”

“Well, first off, what do you suppose he meant when he said she’d be with an old friend?”

“My fear is that it’s Drake.”

The sheriff nodded. “That’s what I thought, too.”

“Do you have any idea who those men were? Did you recognize any of them?”

“No, they all looked alike with those damn bandanas. And, look here.” He pointed to the hoof tracks all about the area. “No brands. No ‘cc’.”

“They rode west. Any idea where they’d be headed?”

“Conlon ranch is west. But, I couldn’t identify any of them as Conlon’s boys.”

“How’d they know we were here? How’d they know we’d been near the bodies yesterday and came back again today.” Liam walked over to the horse that had carried him from South Carolina across the country. He’d had the horse for six or seven years and now he lay dead. Angry bile stirred and rose, until Liam puked it up into the grasses. He reached over and closed the animal’s eyes and then turned back to the sheriff. “Cassie’s father. He told them.”

“I can’t see Jeb Cooper involved in anything like this.”

“Who else?” demanded Liam. “He’s the only one who knew we’d been out here.” Getting no answer, Liam strode back to the sheriff’s horse. “Help me up. Cooper’s got some answers I need.”

“I’m not sure –

“Sheriff, neither am I. But, damn it, we’ve got to start somewhere. Because I’m getting Hannah back.”

“We may get her killed if we rush into things.”

“I’m getting her back!” Liam put his foot in the stirrup. With a horrible groan of pain, he pulled himself up and settled into the saddle. “I’m getting her back alive. Can I count on your help?” He extended his good arm out to the sheriff who hesitated only a moment and pulled himself up to ride double behind Liam.

Chapter 36

Time to Think

“I swear, Sheriff, I knew nothing about those bodies.” Jed kept brushing his horse and didn’t look at his inquisitors.

Liam kept his tongue during the interrogation between the sheriff and Jed Cooper. He looked and listened for any sign or tone of duplicity. He hadn’t picked up on anything definite, but Cooper’s words seemed stilted, practiced. Liam forced himself to listen, to stay out of the sheriff’s way.

“Just seems funny that you met us over in that area yesterday and now today, the bodies are gone.” The sheriff pressed on.

“I’m telling you, I didn’t see those bodies yesterday, or any other day,” Jeb insisted.

“You didn’t hear any talk of a triple murder from any of your cattle buddies?”

“I don’t have cattle buddies.”

“You know I’m talking about Conlon and the others you get together with to discuss your herds?”

“That’s all we do. Discuss our herds. Not murdering anyone. For God’s sake we’re family men.”

Liam was beginning to have sympathy for the horse. Cooper brushed the same area over and over again despite the creature’s attempt to move away. Liam looked out the barn door and glanced around the ranch. He thought he saw faces at the kitchen screen, but they disappeared when he stared back.

“Family men or not, you cattlemen would have some real grazing problems if the railroad ran track through our valley.”

Cooper threw the brush down, grabbed at the horse’s bridle and led it to a stall. “Well, from what you said about the bodies, don’t guess the railroad is interested in this area anymore. So, don’t see as there’s anything to worry about.”

“Cooper, I’m not through –

“Mr. Cooper,” interrupted Liam. “Could I talk with Cassie?”

Cooper gave the horse a swat into its stall and turned abruptly to Liam. “No!”

“But, I’m sure if she knew that we believe Hannah has been delivered to Drake. Cassie would appreciate the danger she’s in.

“I said no. Now, I’d appreciate it if you’d mosey off my property.”

“Pa, we must tell them.”

All three men turned to see Cassie standing just outside the barn door.

“We can’t let that terrible man do to Hannah what he did to Rachel.”

“Cassie! Go into the house. Now!”

“Wait!” Liam hurried to the girl. “Please, tell us if you know anything.”

Cooper grabbed Liam’s arm.

“Agggghhhh.” Liam groaned as all color drained from his face.

Cooper pulled his hand away. “You hurt?”

“Doesn’t matter,” croaked Liam. “Cassie …” His voice choked and he felt faint. He grabbed the sheriff’s arm to steady himself and took a couple of deep breaths while the sheriff told of Liam’s injury.

Cooper bit his lip, looked off into the distance for a moment, then nodded toward the house. “Take him inside. We’ll talk while my wife sees if she can do anything for that arm.” He turned to his daughter. “Cassie, run tell you mother we’ve a man that needs some doctoring.”

The three men followed Cassie into the house. Once Liam was seated, Mrs. Cooper began to ease his shirt off. Cassie returned with a basin of water, soap and some towels.

“Wait.” Liam used his good arm to push Mrs. Cooper’s hands away. “Before you do anything for my arm, I need to know if this Conlon is involved in Hannah’s disappearance.

Mrs. Cooper bit at her bottom lip and turned to her husband. “Jeb, think of the children, of me, of you. You know what, uh, they’ll …”

Cooper nodded. “I know.” He looked at Cassie, who touched her mother’s arm.

“Ma, they’re evil. They probably suspect that we, at least me, have already said too much to the sheriff, Hannah and this man. It’s possible they’ll come after us no matter what we tell them now.”

“Listen to her.” Jed agreed with his daughter. “It’s time we did what’s right.”

The woman sighed, then nodded her agreement. “But while you men talk, Cassie and I are going to get the other children and bring them here into the kitchen. We need to be together.” She and Cassie hurried away to gather the rest of the family.

“So, Cooper. What’s going on?” The sheriff pulled two chairs from the table, sat in one and motioned for Cooper to join him.

“You’re right about Conlon. He was in town gambling on the day the railroad men showed up. He’d gone to the livery to get his horse, when he heard old fat Henry answering some questions about the terrain, the town growth and how busy the livery was. Made Conlon curious, so he joined in the conversation. When he found out they was scouting out the possibility of bringing a railroad through, he offered to give them a tour of the area. Invited them to stay at his place, instead of the hotel, so they could see the land and the cattle business up close. Paid Henry to keep his mouth shut about them coming to town.”

“They stayed at Conlon’s ranch?” asked the sheriff.

“Yeah. He showed them around the area, fed ‘em and bedded ‘em down for the night. He’d already sent his foreman around to all us ranchers, even went to the sheep folks. Said for us to meet here at my place. When he told everybody about the railroad, he got us all fired up and mad. Folks, includin’ me, told Conlon to run them men off with the message that we didn’t want no railroad in our valley.”

“No one mentioned killing anyone?” asked Liam.

“Course not. We ain’t killers.”

“Then why’d he kill them?” Liam persisted.

“Called another meetin’ two days later. Told everyone the men had agreed to no railroad and they’d left town.”

“But, they didn’t. Conlon had ‘em killed,” the sheriff speculated.

Cooper nodded. “Once the ranchers and sheep folks went home, Conlon told me about the killings. Said the railroad men liked what they saw and were going to recommend a line be brought through the area. Conlon told me they’d buried them out there on the edge of my property down by the grove of trees. I was to tell no one, but I was to check on the area now and again to be sure no one came snoopin’ around.” Cooper looked at his family standing in the kitchen doorway. He motioned for his wife, Cassie, two young teen-age boys and a tiny little girl toward the kitchen table. “Conlon didn’t make a specific threat about my family. He just said, it be a shame if I let him down and something was to happen to my wife or one of my kids.” Cooper picked up his little girl and set her on his lap. He turned back to the sheriff. “That’s all I know.”