Yours Again (River City Series) (20 page)

“Not
too bad. No blood or nothing.’” Skeeter dragged a sleeve across his nose.

“Good.
You and Jimmy tail him out of town and we’ll be right behind you.”

Blake
turned to Taos. “You can’t let your emotions run off with you. You got to let
him get to open country. There’ll be no place to hide and no risk of a long
shootout.”

“What
about Sammy?”

The
old law man rubbed his three-day beard. “I know you don’t want to hear this,
but it’s probably a good thing she’s out.”

Taos
glared at him.

“Now
hear me out. Once he gets out of town, they’ll probably be riding double on one
horse. They can’t make very good time.”

“He
won’t need much time.”

“If
he intended to kill her he already would have.”

“There’s
worse things than dying.”

The
sheriff nodded in agreement. “We’ll have ’em before he can even stop to catch
his breath.”

Taos
nodded.

Shouts
from the end of the street drew the men’s attention. Sonny Harper rode toward
them at breakneck speed on a chestnut mare. He skidded to a stop and threw the blankets
that were heaped on the back of the horse to the ground. “He’s lit the brush on
fire.”

People
started running as more noticed the smoke rising just beyond the last buildings
of town.

Sonny
jumped off his horse and grabbed the blankets. “It’s at the edge of my place
and headed down the valley toward town.”

Taos
glanced around him as people panicked. All of these people’s livelihoods were
in danger, and possibly their very lives, and Samantha was in the arms of a mad
man. He couldn’t let these people suffer for something that he could have
prevented. His heart burned for Samantha, but he couldn’t go after her until
the disaster right in front of him was averted somehow.

Blake
and Taos grabbed the blankets and ran to the well right on Sonny’s heels. They
soaked them with water then rode in the direction of the smoke. A thin orange
line hugged the ground, sending billows of white smoke into a cloudless blue
sky.

Small
groups of men stood next to the leading edge of the fire, beating the flames
with the wet blankets. Young boys rode their horses to and from the well,
keeping the line supplied with more blankets. Taos waved Sonny down.

“Where’s
your stock?” he shouted over the fire noise.

“Most
of them are down just below the tree line on the south side of Placer Creek.” He
cast a worried look in the direction of the fire.

“We
need to move them. One good gust and this thing will jump the creek and head
straight up the ridge.”

Sonny
nodded his agreement and looked at the line of men. “We can’t spare any help.”

Taos
yelled at two of the boys that were delivering blankets. “Can you two round up
a few head for us?”

“Yes
sir!” Marly and Devin Ward rode to him. They looked like identical twins,
though Marly was a full year older at fourteen.

Taos
spoke to the boys for a minute, and then he sent them off and rejoined the
line. One hour turned to two, then just as they seemed to be getting control a
large gust of wind sent flames over the creek and up the slope.

Several
men paused to watch and then went back to putting out the flames around them. Taos
raced across the creek and up the other side. He pounded the flames and shouted
for help.

Sonny
grabbed several newly wet blankets and urged a few men to come with him.

“Just
let it go Sonny. It’ll burn itself out that direction, we need to focus on the
town.” Tom Banks leaned against a wagon and drained a large cup of water,
trying to catch his breath as a couple of other men brought more blankets.

“There’s
two boys over there rounding up stock. If we don’t get to them, they don’t have
any way out.”

Men
pounded the earth with renewed fervor. The terrain posed the biggest challenge.
Fire raced across the valley floor and they struggled to follow, trying to keep
it from getting into the tree line. Growing darkness offered no help as the
fire glowed further and further ahead of them. Small groups of pine and aspen burst
into flames, one after another.

Taos
stood and stared.

Blake
joined him. “We’re not going to catch it.”

“No.”

“Those
poor kids.”

“They’re
alright. If they did what I told ’em to, then they’re all right. We just have
to find ’em.” His eyes scanned the darkness.
Where were they?
The fire
had already raced across half the valley.

“Hey!”
One of the men yelled. “I found one of the horses.” They raced to the spot and
stared at the carcass which still smoked. There was no sign of a human nearby
though. The smell of burnt horsehair filled Taos’s nostrils. The animal lay
with its mouth open and tongue hanging out and Taos thought this had to be the
worst way for an animal to die. Several of the men turned away.

“Saddle’s
still on,” Blake mumbled, “Probably got spooked. The boy must be close.”

The
group walked a wide circle, peering through the darkness at the ground. None
wanted to find anything, but the search continued.

A
distant cough grabbed every man’s attention.

“Devin,
Marly?” Blake called.

“We’re
over here.” Taos watched as the boys appeared out of the darkness.

The
men greeted them with much back slapping and cheering.

“You
don’t have a scratch on you! How’d you get behind the fire?”

Devin
looked at Taos. “We did what you said.”

“Yeah,”
Marly joined in. “He said if the fire caught us to find a clear spot and lay
down with them wet blankets over us.”

“The
fire went right around us.” Devin held out a hand to Taos. He shook it. “Thanks,
Mr. Williams. If we hadn’t done like you told us we’d been goners for sure.”

The
fire raced toward the ridge of mountains and away from town. Blake ordered
several men to oversee the last of the effort to distinguish the flames close
by.

Blake
and Taos finally climbed aboard their horses to follow Lawson.

Sonny
rode up next to Taos.

“You
outta go on home, Harper, and get some sleep,” Blake said.

“I’d
like to ride along if you don’t mind.” He coughed a little, “Half my stock’s
dead and nearly all the forage is gone off my land.” He looked over at Taos.
“Sure appreciate the effort, though.”

“I’m
sure you’d have done the same for me.”

Sonny
grinned, “I’d like to think so. Anyway I’d sure like to help you find her.”

“Appreciate
it.” Taos nodded.

Blake
added, “Not only does Lawson have kidnapping on the list, he damaged a lot of
property and damn near killed two kids. The man will be lucky to see sunrise.”

Taos
agreed, and if he got a chance he would make sure John Lawson never took
another breath.

Gray
fuzz gave way to dim light as Samantha tried to shake the ache out of her skull.
Her groan was stifled by a handkerchief stuffed into her mouth.

Great,
another handkerchief.
She wiggled her tongue. At least this one was silk
and didn’t crunch. Thank God for small favors.

The
wood floor was cool against her forehead and helped the throbbing in her brain
somewhat. She pulled herself to a sitting position. Her hands were bound and
her muscles sore and stiff. The pounding in her head intensified as she
concentrated on staying upright. It was impossible to tell what time it was
from the dim light in the window. It could be evening, she thought, then
discarded that idea as her muscles ached terribly. It must be morning.

The
small, sparsely furnished room contained only a bed and washstand. It didn’t
look like a hotel of any kind. A hairbrush lay next to the water pitcher and
small framed tintypes hung on the wall. This had to be someone’s home, but
whose? They couldn’t be that far away from River City yet. Unless she was
unconscious longer than she thought. Who would Lawson know here?

The
fog in her mind cleared slowly. He couldn’t know anyone. As far as she knew he
had never been west of Pennsylvania. Footsteps clicking down the hall
interrupted Samantha’s sleuthing and she stared at the doorknob. Her heart
raced as the door opened. Lawson stepped inside and closed it behind him.

“Oh,
good. You’re awake.”

He
looked calm and poised, as if he had come to take her on a stroll in the park. He
walked over and knelt to help her up. Samantha shrank back. His hands were
surprisingly gentle.

“You
don’t have to fear me, you know.”

He
guided her over to bed. She sat on the edge and pulled away from him. His eyes
roamed over her body and an uneasy tremor snaked through her.

“You
created this situation. Though I won’t hold it against you.” He chuckled lightly
as if scolding an errant child. “Someday we’ll laugh about this little escapade.
It’s a good thing I came to get you. I hate to think what would have happened
to you in this Godforsaken place.”

Samantha
glared at him as he paced restlessly around the room. Shock was the only thing
that registered in her mind. She didn’t think she could stand any more rescues
in her life. Why did men think it necessary to tie up a woman and gag her in
order to save her?

“If
you had accepted my original offer we wouldn’t be here.” He stopped and smiled.
“Though this will make a wonderful story to tell our children someday.”

“Nmm
mommonn hmmonn!” The handkerchief vibrated with the frustration of her muffled
words, and Lawson’s patronizing smile made her hands itch.

“I
shall consider myself lucky to be spared what I’m sure was a very unladylike
response.” He gazed out the window. “You have a number of habits we will
endeavor to work on together. In time you will see this was for the best. You’re
lucky I’m a very patient man.”

Samantha
struggled against her bindings. It was one thing to be carried off by an evil
man. Yet quite another to be at the mercy of a crazy one. Lawson watched her
with detached interest as one watches a mouse try to free itself from a trap.

“Your
aunt would like to see you.”

Samantha
went completely still.

“She
isn’t dead . . . yet.” Lawson sat very close to her

Samantha’s
heart pounded wildly.

“I
never intended for her to get in the way. She just wouldn’t go along with
things.” He shook his head then shrugged his shoulders.

“It
can’t be helped now. The plan is already in motion.” He looked into her face.

“If
you will agree to accompany me and not try to alert anyone, I’ll take you to
see her one last time.”

One
last time.
Just the thought made tears spring to her eyes. She stared at
the floor. The last thing she wanted to do was cry in front of this twisted man.

“You
think about it, and I’ll return shortly for your answer.” He swept out the door
like an actor in a dramatic play. If only it was a play.

Samantha
searched for some sense of logic in his thought process.
Mattie.
He was
probably lying, just stringing her along so she would cooperate. Mattie must
already be gone. Samantha laid herself over on the pillow. Tears rolled down
her face. Her thoughts jumbled together except for one: The pillow smelled like
old socks.

What
if the whole thing was a lie? She popped back up. Why else would he be so
desperate unless he thought he might be found out? Hope sprang into her heart. Even
if he wasn’t telling the truth, what choice did she have? Bound like this she
had no way to escape. Her only hope was to gain his trust, to do as he asked.

To
a point.

She
stared at the ceiling. It was a difficult game to dance on the spider’s web and
not get caught. Games weren’t her strong suit to begin with; she just didn’t
have the patience for them. She tumbled scenarios through her mind to practice
her reactions. She had to be convincing, calm, docile.

Docile?

Okay,
not a word previously found in her vocabulary. That would be the hardest part,
playing the submissive, passive female. She had to keep her thoughts from
showing on her face and her mouth shut.

I’d
have a better chance if I left the handkerchief stuffed in my mouth.

That
cynical thought almost made her laugh. Taos would love to see this little debut
of her acting skill. Her shoulders slumped. She certainly never dreamed she
would leave him standing at the altar, even if it happened to be in a
whorehouse.

Now
that
was a story she wanted to tell her children. Make that her and
Taos’s
children. If Lawson hadn’t stopped them, she would be married by now and out of
his reach. She looked out the window to a view of trees and thick forest. She
would have been greeting the day lying in Taos’s arms and looking forward to a
lifetime of loving him.