Colton 911--Caught in the Crossfire

by Linda O. Johnston

  Damn. He saw Melody appear at the top of the portion of the path visible to him in the thick foliage. She put a finger to her lips to shush him, as if he’d call out to scold her the way he wanted to, but would then give away their presence.

  Without exchanging anything but a challenging look from her and an angry look from him, she sat down on the ground in the middle of the surrounding bushes, pulled out his phone and pressed the button as he’d shown her.

  Damn. She surely was aware of the danger they both were in. Scolding was only part of what he wanted to do, like force her back up the hill. Fast.

  Was she going to give them away?

  Maybe, but he hadn’t come up with anything better.

  He barely heard her as she whispered into the phone. If all went as planned, she was speaking with Sheriff Krester, telling him where they were and why, and asking for some support to be sent.

  That part was good...he hoped. But he turned back quickly toward the view he’d had before.

  The suspects remained in the same location, still talking to one another. No indication, fortunately, that they’d heard anything or were worried.

  Ah, but Casey intended to change that as soon as possible. But what was the best way to handle things now?

  To go back a few feet, where Melody stood, and just wait there with her...after confirming she’d been told help was on the way?

  To move forward, gun in hand, and attempt to make sure the bad guys didn’t try anything, like getting away?

  Although it wasn’t his favorite of the available choices, Casey decided to head toward Melody. If he just ran out there and made noises and attempted to scare the rustlers into submission, he doubted they’d accept that, anyway.

  And if that was his choice, he had no doubt that Melody would follow him and put herself into further danger. She’d promised not to, sure. She had also promised not to follow him here or do anything except what he told her.

  Well, that was an exaggeration. Which gave him all the more reason to inch his way back to where she was.

  She wasn’t too far from where he had stopped. His phone was in her hand, and, waving it in front of her, she remained grinning, as if she’d done exactly as he’d told her to.

  No...as if she’d done exactly as she’d chosen to, which of course was the case.

  He wanted to throttle her.

  No, he wanted to kiss those lips that were drawn into such a challenging, sexy smile.

  Definitely not here, though. Not now. But maybe a kiss in celebration once they were successful...

  He’d have to consider that later, when they actually were successful.

  For now, he quickly squatted down beside her. Though chastising her wouldn’t help a thing right now, he wanted to attempt once more to make her understand that she had to listen to him, to do as he said, to keep herself safe.

  “You’re supposed to still be at the top of the hill,” he whispered so softly that what he said couldn’t be any louder than a breeze through the foliage around here. Or at least that was his attempt.

  “Then I wouldn’t have been able to make that call for you, since I couldn’t see you before.” She, too, didn’t sound any louder than the softest of winds. She’d been slightly louder on the phone, but not much—and that had undoubtedly been of necessity, to make sure the sheriff could hear her.

  “Help on the way?” he asked her, even though she’d nodded at him after the call, which seemed to indicate all was well.

  She nodded again.

  “Okay, then. Let’s wait here.”

  He hated the idea of remaining idle, not doing anything but hanging out until they knew backup from his department had arrived.

  Still, it’d be safer for both of them. He could stay here with Melody to make sure she didn’t do anything stupid, like run out there and try to protect the cattle. They might not even need protection. Not now, at least. No one was getting them to move anywhere at the moment.

  And so he sat down right beside Melody. Close enough so their shoulders touched.

  She looked at him, and he had an urge for more than their shoulders to touch—but that was old news.

  New news would come when all was taken care of here.

  He wanted to know when that would be. He had an urge to return to where he’d been observing the rustlers a few feet ahead of where they were now and just watch. But if he did that, Melody would likely join him, and that was a bad idea.

  He kept looking there, though...and the smart ranch hand beside him apparently read his thoughts. “If you want to go keep an eye on things now, go ahead,” she whispered. “I’ll stay here.”

  He glanced back at her, and she nodded as if to reassure him she wasn’t kidding. Of course, that might be her intention for this moment. For the next...?

  Well, he’d take his chances...to some extent. He’d go take a look while keeping an eye on Melody, too.

  He nodded his thanks, then took her hand in his and squeezed it—for her reassurance, he told himself. But it also helped his own.

  This woman made him want to do everything right now and the right way, for her as well as for himself. She was so different from other women he’d known. She put herself out there, into danger, to help not only him, but the animals she cared about.

  After one final squeeze, he reluctantly let go, then edged his way back to where he’d been.

  Which turned out to be a damn good thing. He heard one of the people standing there speaking a bit more loudly over the continued lowing of the cattle. “Okay, let’s mount up and move them out.”

  Hell, no. Not now.

  Instinctively, Casey drew the gun from where it was hooked on his belt, behind his back.

  “What—?” It was Melody, still in a low voice but higher than a whisper.

  He turned slightly, and only for a moment. “They’re going to herd them again,” he said, also slightly louder. “I’ve got to stop them.”

  But when he reached the end of the cover provided by the bushes, he stopped.

  One of the rustlers had turned sideways enough that he could see her face.

  Her face. It was oval and pretty, with sharp features and surrounded by mid-length dark hair. And it suddenly came to him that she actually had received the charm her family had been talking about prior to their nonmarriage. The charm Melody and he had found. The G.

  G as in Georgia.

  His ex-fiancée, the woman who’d snubbed him at the altar—she was involved in this.

  Very involved.

  Chapter 18

  What was going on? Why had Casey stopped?

  Had he decided it was too dangerous to continue?

  Damn, but Melody wished now that she had a gun. Their backup might be on the way, but for the moment she was the only support Casey had.

  And for the moment, though she was watching his back from a short distance behind him and wanted more than anything to do what he needed from her, she had no idea what to do to help.

  She felt a vibration in her pocket. Casey’s phone. Thank heavens he’d turned off the ringer...although she wasn’t surprised. That deputy knew what he was doing in so many ways...

  She pulled out the phone and looked at the name on the screen. The sheriff. Were he and his men here, or at least close?

  Again speaking so quietly that she hopefully couldn’t be overheard, she said, “Hello, Sheriff. Are you—?”

  “You need to apologize to Casey and tell him to stand down for now,” he interrupted. “We had an emergency here in town—an armed robbery at a clothing store. A lot of personnel are working on it, but we’ll get someone to you soon as we can.”

  “This is becoming an emergency, too,” she sputtered at him, though she still kept her voice low.

  “Sorry,” he repeated. “You and Casey had better be careful. There’s someth
ing I may try here to get to you sooner, but not sure how long it’ll take.” And then he was gone.

  Melody hadn’t lied. Far from it. This was close to becoming an emergency now. Casey had just stepped out from his cover and into the clearing.

  What was he doing? She’d figured there was a problem a moment ago when he’d stopped moving, but this surely was a lot worse. She had to tell him that their backup wasn’t yet on the way, and the timing was uncertain.

  And for now, she definitely had to become his backup. But how?

  Once more she wished she’d brought some kind of weapon, preferably a gun. She’d practiced on shooting ranges. She was a ranch hand, after all.

  But she’d never acquired a gun herself.

  She heard more talking now. Raised voices. Damn! She definitely recognized Casey’s among them, and she could no longer see his back. He must be confronting the rustlers, and he couldn’t know how bad an idea that was at the moment.

  But even if the sheriff was sending some kind of backup now, Melody couldn’t imagine any way Casey could end this himself without anyone getting hurt. Without cattle getting hurt.

  Worst of all, without him getting hurt.

  She had to at least observe, and hopefully come up with a way to keep him safe. Maybe some kind of distraction with the cattle.

  Yes, that had to be it...she hoped. To figure out what to do and how to do it, she inched forward to the break in the foliage where Casey had just stepped out to look out at what was happening, who was there and where they all stood, and what Casey was doing.

  She stopped when she saw something that startled her and made her stand still.

  And listen to the yelling, which continued.

  The three rustlers consisted of two women and one man, and they were confronting Casey.

  Melody was close enough now to hear what they were saying, despite the somewhat distressed mooing of the cattle that were now just behind the people who faced down Casey. Were the cows upset because of the raised human voices?

  The rustlers’ horses stood off to the side of the small herd of cattle.

  And it became clear to Melody nearly immediately how furious Casey was. He was shouting at the people as if he knew them. “You’re such fools,” he was yelling. “Murderers—Sean, and Georgia and even Delilah. So stupid, all of you. Damn you for starting this, and for killing that ranch hand.”

  He’d drawn his gun, but it wasn’t aimed at any of them, at least not at that moment.

  But his shouting or insulting or whatever it was had now apparently escalated the argument even more.

  Because the man drew a gun and pointed it straight at Casey’s chest.

  * * *

  “Why the hell are you the one who’s after us?” demanded the assailant holding the gun on Casey.

  And why the hell was Sean Dodd, the man who’d helped to steal the cattle, aiming at him? Sean was his brother’s one-time best friend and his ex’s brother. Casey might not have been overly fond of Sean, even when Georgia and he were engaged, but he hadn’t foreseen he’d become a cattle rustler—and a murderer.

  Georgia, who stood slightly behind Sean now, was clearly using her brother as a shield to confront Casey.

  Georgia, the too-pretty woman with long, dark hair and full lips that had tantalized him once upon a time. The bitch who had left him at the altar...and had apparently dropped that charm near the broken fence, the charm Casey now assumed was hers.

  As with her brother, Casey was surprised. Whatever Georgia used to be, he’d also never considered that she would steal cattle, let alone murder someone.

  Georgia, who kept peeking around Sean and grinning at Casey so evilly and challengingly that he was tempted to ignore Sean’s gun and go confront her, face-to-face.

  But, of course, he knew better than to move, at least for the moment. Sure, he still held his gun, too, but he’d stopped himself from pointing and shooting once he was certain who the suspects—more than suspects—happened to be.

  People he knew, even if he hadn’t trusted or liked them for a long time. Not even the third member of their party, Sean’s wife, Delilah. She was attractive, sure, and wore her black hair pulled back to show off her usual dangling earrings and wide-eyed, pretty face that nevertheless seemed intelligent, as an accountant should be. But was Delilah?

  What was she doing out here? Was she involved in stealing the cattle, too? It certainly appeared so, but she’d always struck Casey as a nice, normal person.

  Why she’d ever married a jerk like Sean was a mystery to Casey. Not that the answer mattered in the scheme of things, particularly here.

  And why the heck were any of them rustling cattle, let alone killing people? Why break the law at all? Were they somehow out of money? Doing it just for fun? It must all be new, since he’d had no indication of their being criminals when Georgia and he were together.

  Casey kept his tone as mild as possible when he responded to Sean’s question, which hung in the air.

  “As you’re aware, Sean, I’m a deputy sheriff here in Sur County. It shouldn’t be surprising to you that I’m attempting to bring down people who are breaking the law. I’d no idea it was you and don’t believe anyone else in my department did, either.” He paused. “Not that I’m particularly surprised about you or dear Georgia, and since you’re involved I guess I shouldn’t be surprised about Delilah, either.” He stared at Sean’s wife, who stood behind the other two looking off to her side...as if she wanted to be anyplace but there.

  Maybe. That could, of course, just be his interpretation, or her ruse.

  “Well, I’m not surprised, but I’m also not thrilled,” Sean said. The guy looked relaxed despite holding a gun on Casey. His hair was brushed high to reveal his long forehead, and he’d grown a scruffy beard since Casey had seen him last. And when Sean smiled, like now, he revealed even, white teeth. “I’d figured we’d just take these cows and sell them and that would be that. Changed their brand so no one would know where they came from, to SG—Sean-Georgia. Didn’t really want an escort.”

  “Oh, you don’t have an escort, believe me,” Casey said, taking a step closer but still not raising his gun, figuring that would only cause Sean to shoot him. At least Sean hadn’t ordered him to drop it yet. And when he did, would Casey obey? He doubted it. “Now, why don’t we wind this down?” Casey continued. “You can go back to town, and I’ll get the cattle taken care of.”

  Sean laughed. Sarcasm coated his words as he quipped, “And then I’ll take over the town from Selectman Edison and make a little money that way. Hah, hah. As if.” His expression changed from a smile to an angry glare. “Forget that. And I—” He looked over Casey’s shoulder, and that expression changed again, to...what? Puzzlement? Or was it a smug look? “Hey, I guess I’ve found a way to end this stalemate, to make sure you do exactly as I say.”

  What the hell? Casey had a bad feeling, considering the direction of Sean’s gaze, that maybe Melody had stepped out from her hiding place. He didn’t turn to look. Maybe, even if Melody had been made, Casey could take control while Sean was distracted by having seen her.

  “Hey, come out of there, miss,” Sean called. “Melody, isn’t it? I did a little bit of research before we adopted those cows, and I learned who worked at the ranch, who Edison’s ranch hands were. So, Melody Hayworth, why don’t you join us?”

  Casey didn’t hear anything from behind him. Was Melody still hiding? He hoped so. Better yet, maybe she’d started sneaking her way back up the hill. After all, thanks to her, help was on the way. She didn’t need to do anything else.

  Apparently Sean didn’t see or hear more, either.

  “Where is she?” demanded Georgia. “Want me to go get her?”

  “No need,” Sean told his sister. “I can get her to join us, I’m sure.” He raised the gun he held a little more, now aiming it at Casey’s head. Case
y had an urge to duck and roll up to Sean’s feet and pull him to the ground. Anything to help Melody. But when Sean yelled out, “I’m about to shoot Deputy Colton here in the head unless you come out here right away, Melody.”

  “Stay there!” Casey yelled, still not taking his eyes off Sean. Worst case—he hoped—was that he could save himself the same way, by throwing himself to the ground and shooting Sean.

  “Ah, at last,” Sean said, though he didn’t lower the gun. “So come over here, Ms. Ranch Hand.”

  Damn. Melody must have walked away from the cover of the bushes. And Casey knew it for certain when he heard some footsteps on the turf behind him, and Melody showed up at his side.

  He turned slightly to glare at her, but what was the use? Showing anger at her now wouldn’t help either of them.

  And the half-defiant, half-petrified expression on her face made him want to grab her and hold her and somehow protect her with his body.

  Which wouldn’t work, if Sean decided to shoot him. Unfortunately, he wasn’t made of armor.

  “Hello, Casey.” Her tone sounded calm and not scared in the least. “And hi to you, robbers.” She didn’t mention they were killers, too, as she turned to face them, probably a good thing at this moment. “Guess we’re at a standoff here. That’s a shame.”

  Casey wished there was a way to ask her if she knew how far away their backup was.

  Better yet, he wished the deputies Sheriff Krester had sent would finally arrive.

  How long would it be before help got here?

  * * *

  Damn. Melody wasn’t surprised that the guy with the gun—Sean, wasn’t it? That was what Casey had called him—had noticed her, even though she’d tried to stay hidden. But she had also wanted to watch what was going on with Casey, so she obviously hadn’t remained hidden enough.

  She wished she could tell Casey the truth about their possibly nonexistent, or at a minimum delayed, backup. But there was no way she could mention it now. And how would his knowing help them, anyway?

  The best thing would most likely be to get these people talking, hopefully more relaxed, and just pray that the sheriff got whatever help he’d hinted at on its way. Fast.