Sharon Poppen (29 page)

The shouts out by the campfire let her know she had only seconds. She ran at the wall again. This time she found herself on the ground outside the shack. Grateful that her legs and feet still worked, she began to run. With angry shouts fueling her determination, she made it to some tall grasses and dropped down into them. She’d noticed some trees and a river not too far away and began a fast crawl toward them.

“What the hell kind of idiots do you hire, Conlon?” Drake’s rage echoed out across the grasses. “Put a bullet in that bastard and FIND THAT BITCH!” he roared.

A shot rang out, but Hannah didn’t have time to feel any sympathy for the inept man as she moved steadily in what she hoped was an escape route.

*****

Still out of sight of the shack, the sheriff and his makeshift posse heard the gunshot. He drew his horse to a stop and the others followed. He turned to the boys. “Are we near the shack?”

“Yeah,” said Tim and pointed ahead. “Just past those trees.”

“You boys stay here. If we don’t come back in an hour or so, or if Conlon’s men head this way, you hightail it for town.”

“Sheriff, we ain’t afraid,” said Tim. “We’ll go with you.”

“Got nothing to do with fear. Just do as I say.”

Cooper agreed with the lawman. “You heard the sheriff, boys. Stay here.”

“It’s still pretty light.” The sound of the gunshot tore into Liam’s heart. The thought that Hannah could be hurt or worse gnawed at his determination to wage an all out cowboy assault. “Once we get the shack in sight, we’d better dismount and see if we can creep up on them.”

The sheriff nodded. “We’ll do what’s right by Hannah, Liam. Right now, let’s move in on ‘em.” He spurred his horse.

They had no trouble finding their direction. The shouts of Conlon’s men slashing through the grasses got louder and louder. One particularly loud one reached Liam and Daniel. “Come on, bitch! Bitchy, bitch! Come to Papa.”

“Daniel, she got away!” Liam felt hope for the first time since Hannah had been carted off.

Daniel smiled. “Be like Hannah to rescue herself.”

“Damn if she couldn’t!” Liam smiled back, but didn’t slow his horse.

The shouting got louder and nearer bringing the sheriff to signal a slow down. “I think we need to continue on foot.”

Without a comment, the men agreed by dismounting. Daniel helped Liam down. Before they started off, Liam drew his pistol and held it at the ready as he walked forward. They fanned out and eased through the trees. Liam’s eyes raked across the area and found around a dozen men combing through the tall grasses. He continued to scan until his focus locked on a man in black. “Drake!”

“Liam, don’t do anything stupid now. Stay low.” Daniel eased closer to his brother.

Liam cocked his gun and moved dangerously near the edge of the tree line.

“Liam, ease back.” Daniel looked over at the sheriff and Cooper who hadn’t heard Liam’s word. They inched forward while trying to keep their cover.

Daniel wasn’t close enough to stop Liam from walking out into the late afternoon sun. “Drake!” Liam shouted. “Leave her alone, you bastard!”

Daniel, the sheriff and Cooper gathered close and cringed. The sheriff touched Daniel’s arm. “Stay put, son. Let’s see if we need to plow out there with Liam or stay put for a rescue effort.”

“Let her go!” Liam followed the barrel of his gun that held a bead on Drake.

The search party turned to aim at Liam. “Hold your fire!” Drake ordered. He walked toward Liam. “Now we got ‘em both.” He grinned. “Seems we meet again. And again, I have the upper hand.”

Liam fired a warning shot. His aim was dead on as it missed Drake’s ear by less than three inches.

Drake’s rigid stance surprised all onlookers, including Liam. “Do that again and I’ll order her shot on the spot.” Drake continued his slow, but sure, walk toward Liam. When they were inches apart, Drake held out his hand.

So intent on the scene that threatened his brother’s life, Daniel nearly cried out when Hannah appeared at his side.

“Give me your gun,” she whispered.

“What?”

“Your gun.” Hannah nodded at the sheriff and Cooper. “Give it to me, Daniel.”

“Do it,” the sheriff urged.

Hannah put it in her boot. She took the gun from her waistband and put it in her other boot. “Daniel, if this doesn’t work, I’m sorry. But know this. I love your brother and our love is such that we would die for each other.”

“What are you going to do?”

“Stay here.” She touched his arm with affection and began to unbutton her blouse as she walked out of the tree line.

During the time Hannah had gotten Daniel’s gun, Drake had taken Liam’s and was now verbally abusing him. “Yes, indeed. It is a pussy to chase. Once you’ve tasted it, fucked it, you just have to have more.”

“I’ve given you my gun. Now, stop chasing her.” Liam would not back down.

Drake looked at the taped arm and gripped it. He smiled at Liam’s grunt of pain. “Get hurt? Oh yeah, the boys told me about you getting stepped on by a horse.” Acknowledging that Conlon and his men had abandoned their search and were closing in around him and Liam, Drake laughed, and spoke to them. “See boys, luck is with us. This here dupe is honey. The little bitch needs the honey he gives her. She’ll come out of hiding now.” Drake looked out past Liam. “Won’t ya, Bitch,” he called out.

Liam prayed that Hannah had made it to Daniel and the others and was safe from this beast. A wave of relief that she might be safe raced through his heart, but it was short lived. The sound of her voice replaced relief with heart wrenching sadness.

“Drake. Yes. I need his honey. I need your honey.” All eyes were wide as a topless Hannah walked toward them. Her blouse was still tucked into her britches, but it circled her hips and fluttered in a slight breeze as she moved. “You taught me about a good fuck. I need it now. I need lots of them.”

As she eased up alongside a shocked Liam, Conlon and his men raped her torso with their eyes. But as she’d hoped, the scars of the still red and raised variety of bite marks, dozens of burn marks and the patchwork of tiny knife slashes shocked many of them. Embarrassed or filled with pity, or both, many of them eased back and turned away.

“Fuck! She’s …, she’s … Christ. How did she survive all that?” One of the cowboys verbalized what many were thinking.

Hannah held her head high. She smiled. “I survived. And, I will again.” She reached up and touched Drake’s cheek. “Take me. Now.”

He smiled and pointed his gun at Liam’s head. “As soon as I take care of this.” He cocked his gun.

Hannah took a step closer to Drake and put her hand over the gun he held to Liam’s head. In doing so, she pressured her leg against Liam’s calf. She could only hope Liam felt the gun tucked in her boot.

With her lips against Drake’s throat, she murmured, “Drake, fire that gun and we’ll have his blood and brains splashed across our faces. And, I want to taste you,” she touched his crotch, “not him.”

Drake laughed and turned to Conlon. “What did I tell you about the bitch? She was just waiting for me to bring out the whore in her.”

Conlon and his men were backing away. One was already mounted up, while the others were definitely heading toward their horses. “What the hell’s going on?” Drake demanded.

The distraction allowed Hannah to shove Drake’s hand away from Liam. The gun went off and Conlon went down.

Liam fell to a crouch and grabbed the gun from Hannah’s boot. He gave a mighty shove into Drake who fell backwards with Liam sprawled atop him. The impact of Drake’s butt hitting the ground jolted the gun from his hand. It landed a few feet away.

Hannah pulled her gun from the other boot and aimed it at Drake’s head as Liam rolled to his side and jumped up. Drake started to do the same, but Hannah fired into his thigh. “You aren’t going anywhere today, except maybe to hell,” she screamed. She fired again into the same thigh. “For Caleb!” She fired again. “For Caroline!” She fired again. “For the Mexican woman.”

Everything was happening so fast that by the time Liam was at her side yelling, “Hannah, Hannah,” Drake’s screams drowned out his words. Liam tucked his own gun at his waist and gripped her arm. “Stop. Hannah, stop.”

Conlon’s men had mounted and were already spurring their horses across the desert, away from Conlon’s ranch and away from Blanco. The sheriff and Cooper were checking on Conlon while Daniel rushed up to help Liam calm Hannah.

Liam’s grip got Hannah’s attention and pulled her from her trance of hateful vengeance. She dropped the gun and would have crumpled to the ground if not for Liam’s quick action in pulling her into his arms. She sobbed uncontrollably against Liam’s chest as he eased her dress top back up into place.

Despite his pain-laced groans, Drake inched himself toward his gun. Daniel noticed and picked it up. He turned at the sheriff’s report.

“Conlon’s dead.” He and Cooper came to stand with Daniel above the writhing and moaning Drake who’d curled into a tight fetal position.

“Sheriff,” Liam spoke over Hannah’s sobs. “Tie him up.”

“He’s not going any –

“Tie him up,” Liam demanded. “That bastard is like a cat with nine lives and I don’t want to chance it that this isn’t number nine. Tie him up.”

“He’s right, sheriff,” agreed Daniel who was already heading for the horses. When he returned with the rope, they stretched Drake out flat on his stomach. His blood soaked thigh would keep him from walking so they’d only roped his hands behind his back. His screams and moans had ceased, but his eyes raged with pain and hate.

Hannah’s sobs had abated. She kissed Liam’s damp shirt. “Thank you. Thank you for keeping me from …”

Liam hugged her closer.

“I’m alright now.”

His expression reflected doubt.

“Really.” She managed a slight smile. “I’m alright.”

He kissed her forehead and loosened his grip.

She stared at Drake. His left thigh was covered in blood. Her eyes took in the deep rise and fall of his chest as he struggled for breath. But it was when she looked into his eyes that she shivered and moved back against Liam’s comforting presence.

“What, Hannah? He’s tied up. He’s probably bleeding to death. Nothing to be afraid of now.” Liam draped his arm protectively about her shoulders.

She shook her head no. “Look at his eyes. He’s making plans.”

The men did as she asked. Drake managed to curl his lip into a weak corner smile. “She’s right,” he rasped.

“Damn you.” Liam took a couple of steps toward him, but Daniel walked between them.

“Let it go, Liam. He’s done.” Daniel put his hand on Liam’s arm. “He should be praying, not planning. He’s done for.”

“He’s right.” The sheriff motioned for Cooper to come alongside him. “Let’s toss him over a saddle and drag his sorry butt back to my jail.”

While Drake was loaded onto a horse, Hannah helped Liam mount up and climbed up behind him to ride double. She circled him with her arms and allowed herself to relax into his back.

The makeshift posse mounted up and went to gather Cooper’s boys before heading back to town.

Chapter 38

Drake’s Last Stand

Despite Drake’s occasional agonized moans, they made good time and the sheriff had hopes of getting back to town before it got pitch dark.

A particularly loud cry of pain preceded a plea from Drake. “I’m dying. Need water. Water …” He groaned.

The sheriff reined in and slowed to a crawl, and then stopped completely.

As he dismounted, Liam yelled, “What the hell are you doing?”

Grumbles of disbelief and complaint rained down on the sheriff.

“Man needs water,” the sheriff insisted.

“So what,” challenged Daniel.

“So if we don’t give him some, we ain’t no better than him. Takes an uglier man than me to deny a dying man water, no matter he’s the devil himself.”

Hannah tensed the moment the sheriff dismounted and slid off the horse she was sharing with Liam. She made sure she was on Liam’s side with the bad arm, so he couldn’t reach for her.

“Hannah, what are you doing?”

She walked toward the sheriff.

“Daniel, help me. I need to get down.”

Hannah turned to Liam. “No, stay where you are. I’m fine.” She tried to give him an assuring smile, but knew her calmness was scaring him more than her rage. She knew he could see the planning in her eyes.

“Daniel!” he yelled.

“Everybody stay put,” roared the sheriff. “I’ll just give him some water and we’ll be on our way.” The sheriff opened his canteen and tried to get some water down Drake. But with his stomach down on the saddle, the angle of his throat was wrong. “Damn! Cooper come help me with this.”

They pulled Drake from the saddle and set him flat on the ground. The sheriff stooped to offer the water. Drake took several swigs as he appeared to toss and wiggle in pain.

Hannah had a funny feeling about the way he was moving. She was trying to get a good look at his tethered wrists, when the sheriff screamed in pain.