by Kim McMahill
Deuce struggled to come up with a convincing argument to make her stay behind, but all her points were valid, especially the last. If her aim had been even several inches off, he’d be dead instead of the infamous Colonel.
“Bernie, talk some sense into her. She’s not coming with us,” Deuce growled as he stormed off.
Niki watched him leave, but didn’t go after him. Until he had time to think, there’d be no reasoning with him. There was nothing anyone could say to make her stay behind and she had no intention of arguing about it. She looked around at each remaining man. Frank and Joe sat sipping coffee, staring at the ground. She glanced at her grandfather, but couldn’t read his expression.
“Do you have anything to add?” she snapped.
“No, not a thing,” the old man replied while coughing in his hand to disguise the amusement in his voice.
“Fine then, as long as we’re all clear on the plan, I’m going to bring Storm in.” She left the men behind.
* * *
Deuce sat on a rock near the creek for an hour. True, he and Frank could use an extra rider and horse, but he didn’t want Niki put in danger again and Joe would be worse than nothing if stealth were called for. No doubt she was too stubborn to abide by his wishes, so his only hope was that she would listen to her grandfather.
He couldn’t hide out at the creek much longer, but he needed to have his temper under control before facing Niki. When she was young, she had always been strong-willed, but at least then she’d trusted him completely and always did as he asked. Though he knew he didn’t deserve her blind devotion after the way he had treated her for the past few years, he wanted her to stay at camp with her grandfather, so there would be one less thing for him to worry about. If all hell broke loose, which he could only assume it would, he didn’t want Niki anywhere near the soldiers. He doubted that after Colonel Nadari’s death they’d be too forgiving.
When Deuce returned to camp, he saw no sign of Frank, Joe or Niki. He poked his head in the tent and found Bernie wide awake with a worried expression on his face.
“Deuce, my boy, come here. We need to talk.”
Deuce sat down next to Bernie and listened.
“I know you don’t want Niki to go because you care about her and don’t want anything to happen to her. I don’t want her to go either, but I know my granddaughter well enough that if anything happens to Sarah or those two girls and she didn’t try to help, she’ll not only be unable to forgive herself, but she’ll be unable to forgive either of us if we force her to stay behind.”
“I’ve been a real jerk for the past five years. I wasted a lot of time wallowing in my grief and painting her in my mind as some breakable china doll, too delicate and fragile for ranching or to be part of my life. She’s proven me wrong and I don’t want to lose her now. She’s already faced more danger than anyone should ever have to.”
“You should be telling all this to her, not me, but the point is whether she stays or goes all may still be lost. There’s no guarantee either way. We don’t even know if America as we know it will survive this crisis, but if it does and we all do, she may shut you out of her life if you hold her back.”
“If Frank or I are captured we’ll be killed, but if Niki is caught it’ll probably be much worse.”
“I imagine that’s true and I’m sure she’s well aware of the risk. That’s probably why Niki’s so compelled to try and help Sarah and those girls. They’re already in that dangerous and vulnerable place we hope to heck Niki doesn’t get into.”
“Damn it, I don’t like this one bit, but you know her best.” Deuce stalked out of the tent.
“Deuce, wait. She can be an asset as long as you don’t think with your heart. She’s capable, let her pull her weight or she will be a liability.”
Deuce found Niki adjusting Storm’s blankets. He grabbed her saddle by the horn and set in on the big horse’s back with one easy movement as if the saddle weighed little more than a pillow.
Niki envied his strength and ease. At barely five-foot-four, saddling Storm was no simple task. Not only did she have to heft the saddle way over her head, but to her the thing weighed a ton even though she knew it was built to be as light as possible.
She stepped back and watched as Deuce tightened the cinch and adjusted the breast collar. He picked up the rifle Niki had leaning against a tree and checked to make sure it was fully loaded, which it was, before he slipped the gun into her scabbard.
“Got a jacket and plenty of water and supplies, since we’ll probably be stuck out overnight?”
Niki nodded. “I already filled your canteen and saddlebags too. They’re over by your saddle.”
With one quick motion, he grabbed her around the waist and lifted her into her saddle. His hand lingered on her thigh. The worry in his eyes was evident. She hated seeing the anguish etched on his face, but she had no intention of sitting back and doing nothing to change the fate of three innocent lives.
“I appreciate your concern, but I’ll be fine. I’m not made of glass, so I won’t break if I fall off. I’ve already outran those bastards once and I’ll do it again if I have too, but I won’t sit here and wring my hands like some helpless prima donna.”
Deuce traced his hand down Storm’s neck and put his lips close to the horse’s ear. “Take good care of her or you and I will have a big problem,” he whispered.
A sad smile creased Niki’s lips as she watched Deuce saddle Traveler. She wasn’t sure what had changed his mind, but it looked as if the argument about her going along was over. Though she felt compelled to do what she could for Sarah and the girls, another part of her refused to let Deuce out of her sight. She prayed she would never be put in another position like she had been back at the ranch, but if she had to pull the trigger again to save his life, she would without any hesitation.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Niki studied the landscape closely, trying to memorize every tree, rock and drainage. They were riding in an area she had never been before and wanted to make sure she could find her way back to camp if they were separated. The thought of being without Frank and Deuce sent chills down her spine, but too much was at stake to crumble under the pressure. Sarah and her precious little girls needed help and Niki was determined to do everything in her power to remove them from what Niki could only imagine as a terrifying situation. She only hoped it wasn’t too late and the girls hadn’t been harmed.
They stayed close to a creek for hours to make sure the horses had easy access to water and the small drainage provided a relatively clear path through the trees. As they made their way off the mountain Niki could feel the subtle change in the vegetation. The trees were older and larger and more widely spaced, and eventually their narrow path next to the creek widened, exposing a site obviously used by others for camping.
A circle of rocks formed a charred fire ring in the small clearing. All branches within a man’s reach had been broken off and burned in the well-used pit. The ground was bare and compacted to a hard, concrete-like surface, and a crude hitch pole had been constructed just inside the trees.
Niki rode up next to Frank and Deuce and reined Storm to a halt. They were now less than an hour from the Stephens’ ranch, yet the sun was still too high in the sky to provide them with any cover. She watched Deuce as his eyes narrowed and he scanned the landscape. She wasn’t sure what he was looking for, but remained still and quiet for fear of disturbing his thoughts.
“Looks like a good place to take a break. Let’s eat a quick bite of dinner and let the horses rest for a while before pushing on.” Deuce stepped out of the saddle in one fluid, graceful motion. “If we have to make a hasty retreat we’ll want the horses as fresh as possible.”
“You’ve been mighty quiet,” Frank said as he dismounted.
“I’m just trying to learn every inch of this area in case we get separated. I don’t ever remember riding here before, nothing looks familiar. It’s really too rough for grazing sheep which is probably why Pa
pa and I’ve never been this way.”
“Make sure we don’t get separated. We stick together if at all possible,” Deuce ordered.
“It’s definitely not my intention to wander off, but I want to be as prepared as possible. One thing I’ve learned over the past couple of days is nothing ever goes smoothly or according to plan.”
The thought of Niki being separated from he and Frank made Deuce nervous, but he respected the fact that she was thinking every possibility through and preparing for the worst-case scenario. And, as much as he hated to admit it there were a number of situations which could make splitting up a necessary option.
“Frank, you’re probably more familiar with the Stephens’ place than I am, so what’s our best bet?” Deuce asked.
Frank pulled off his leather gloves, knelt down, picked up a pointed stick and began to sketch the layout of the ranch in the dirt. When he was finished he studied the diagram for a moment, pushing the brim of his old brown felt cowboy hat higher on his forehead, while rubbing his brow.
When he looked up, Niki could see the worry in his small narrow eyes. Niki couldn’t remember ever witnessing uncertainty or fear in this range-hardened man, but there was no doubt in her mind that he was deeply concerned about the Stephens’ family and not all too confident in their chances of a successful rescue.
“I think if we come at it from this direction,” Frank said while pointing the stick at a spot on the diagram in the dirt. “We can get pretty close to the house without being seen, which I’m assuming is where Sarah and the girls are being held. The interior of the yard has a lot of big bushes, a few scattered fruit trees and some statues and stuff. The yard itself is surrounded by trees and there are quite a few lilac bushes. Sarah has a real green thumb.”
“What about hands, livestock, dogs or anything else that might give us away or be of help?” Niki asked.
“They quit running cattle and only do sheep and raise hay. Cal isn’t much of a horseman, so he doesn’t keep many horses and the few he has are old as dirt. His sheep, dogs and herders should be in the high country still. They have chickens, pigs and goats and those are all further away from the house than even the sheep sheds, so if we stay to this part of the ranch I doubt the animals will cause a ruckus.”
Deuce studied the diagram in the dirt as he rubbed the stubble on his chin and grimaced. Without knowing how many soldiers were at the ranch it was difficult to plan, so they had to keep it flexible.
“Frank, when we get there, you head toward this side of the backyard and take cover behind the woodshed. That way if there’s anyone in the sheep sheds or barn, you’ll spot them right away and you’ll also be able to see the front porch. Niki, you take the other side. From there you can cover both Frank and I most of the time, but you won’t have as good of cover for yourself. You’ll just have to be extra careful to stay out of sight, but if we need someone taken off the front porch, you have the only rifle and I’m confident you can do it from that distance. I’ll head to the back of the house once you two are in place and try to figure out where they’re holding Sarah and the girls and we’ll wing it from there.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Frank said as he tossed his apple core into the swift-moving creek.
Niki nodded her understanding, but remained deep in her own thoughts. A million things ran through her mind and none were pleasant. She feared for Sarah and the girls and she couldn’t quite push the knowledge out of her mind that if they were caught, Colonel Nadari’s death made it unlikely any compassion would be shown, especially toward Deuce. There were no witnesses to her involvement, so she had no doubt Deuce would be blamed for the Colonel’s death.
“Don’t take any chances or Bernie will have our hide,” Frank stated as he untied his stocky black mare.
Niki nodded as she checked Storm’s cinch and mounted. She didn’t reply to Frank’s statement since her mind had already returned to her dark thoughts. Now that they were so close, she was afraid she might lose her nerve. Breathe...we’re their only hope. We can’t fail. Niki repeated the mantra over and over in her mind while she waited for Deuce and Frank to catch up.
As the sun dropped below the trees and she watched the men approach, she noticed that Deuce’s sorrel gelding and Frank’s black horse melted into the shadows of the trees. Both men had dark hair and coats and Frank wore a dark cowboy hat. The only things that stood out, besides Storm, were the dirty white fleece collar on Frank’s old denim jacket, the light colored pad under his saddle, and the white patch running down nearly the entire length of Traveler’s head and nose.
“I bet all Palominos are almost as fast as you,” Niki whispered as she stroked Storm’s neck. “If they weren’t, the color line would have eventually bred out. Compared to Traveler and Frank’s horse you practically glow in the dark, so if we’re spotted you better be ready to run.”
Niki had no doubt Storm would be ready to run when and if needed. The horse loved to run, but most of the time he was well behaved and gave no indication he could take off with or without Niki’s consent any time he wanted. She patted his neck and quietly fell in behind the group as soon as Deuce and Frank rode by. Staying close enough to hear their conversation, she returned her focus to the landscape. She had no intention of getting lost with so much at stake.
“Let’s hope there’ll be some way to discretely get Sarah and the girls away from the ranch, but if things get crazy, ride for the campsite we just left, hide and wait for everyone else. If one of us gets caught waiting for the others back at the Stephens’ ranch, then this will all be for nothing. As Niki pointed out, we’ll want Sarah to ride with her, Frank you take April and I’ll take Lacy since she’s the smallest and I’m the heaviest and have the greenest horse. Obviously if that doesn’t work grab anyone.”
Within less than a quarter of a mile from their emergency meeting point, they descended off a gentle slope onto a small plateau covered with large scattered boulders and nearly devoid of trees. Some of the boulders were rounded and appeared to be stacked on top of each other and others looked like tall fingers poking high into the sky, giving the entire area an unusual and somewhat alien look.
“This is a pretty distinctive bench. It’ll let you know you’re close to the rendezvous point if we get separated and it’s also a good guide. If you go that way,” Frank pointed, “you’ll get way off track and if you go the other, you’ll think you’ve found a nice route for the first mile, then as the trees start to thin a deep narrow gully opens up. The gap is only about ten feet wide in most spots, but at least twenty feet deep and runs for a good half of a mile. It’s too steep to ride down into and back out. You won’t want to take the time to skirt the gully if you’re in a hurry, so make sure to keep to the center as much as possible as you ride up the hill.”
Niki studied the area closely. It was fascinating. She had taken a geology course in college and had learned that this unique landscape was a product of glacial advances and retreats millions of years ago. The boulders would have been rounded by the heavy ice rolling them slowly down the mountain. When the glacier began receding, the giant boulders would have been dropped in place. Then, thousands of years of erosion from wind, rain, freezing and thawing would have further sculpted the stones into the unearthly shapes strewn about the plateau. She figured the fissure Frank described could also be a remnant of the powerful forces of the advancing ice or maybe the torrential runoff as the glacial-ice melted.
Whatever the reason, the landscape was stunning. Niki never grew tired of gazing at the unique beauty of the Big Horn Mountains. The peace and solitude she usually felt had been destroyed on this trip, but the unparalleled splendor remained. As she thought back to all the horrors of the past few days, she felt vengefully determined to prevent another and return harmony to this paradise.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
The sun had fully set by the time they reached the trees butting against the backyard of the ranch house. The moon illuminated the sky, giving plenty of light to work.
They tied the horses far enough away so as not be heard and scanned the grounds. No lights were on in the barn, so they hoped that indicated the soldiers were concentrated around the house where they could keep an eye on all of them at once.
“Oh crap,” Niki hissed.
The two men looked at her with confusion and concern.
“Dirt bikes,” she said, pointing to the three bikes parked next to a large brown SUV no one recognized in the well-lit parking area in front of the house. The bikes were so similar to the ones which had already given her a terrifying and frantic chase that she had no doubt as to their ownership.
“Another argument for stealth,” Deuce whispered.
Niki and Frank nodded and then trotted off in opposite directions, taking their posts as planned. Niki checked to make sure the safety was off, a round was in the chamber, and got as balanced and comfortable as possible. From her post, she could see the front porch, all the parked vehicles and Deuce slinking around the side of the house nearest to her. When he glanced in her direction she held up two fingers to indicate she’d spotted two men on the front porch.
Deuce nodded his comprehension and continued to sneak around the house. Niki held her breath as he peeked in the side window closest to the back of the one-story ranch home. He glanced in her direction and shook his head and crept closer to the front. She had been in the house enough times to know the next room he would be spying into was the kitchen. He looked through the kitchen window then quickly ducked down and backtracked to behind the house and out of Niki’s sight.
After several minutes he reappeared and motioned her back. She quickly made her way to Deuce. Within moments, Frank also arrived.
“This isn’t going to be easy, but at least for now everyone looks okay. Sarah is in the kitchen cooking and three heavily-armed men are sitting around the table watching. The girls are in a bedroom on Frank’s side of the house. The door is shut and no one else appears to be in the room. I can’t tell how many soldiers, if any, are in the living room or elsewhere in the house, but Niki saw two on the front porch keeping watch. Gauging by the group size at the control tower and our ranch, I’m guessing there’s probably only five or six total. I really hate to do this, but Niki, the girls will probably be least frightened and most trusting of you.”