Forgotten Legacy

by Perini, Robin

  Pops let out a low groan.

  “I need bandages,” Thayne said.

  Riley disappeared into the RV and opened one drawer after another until she found the dish towels. She raced out to Thayne.

  Mac crouched beside him. “You scared the hell out of your grandson, Lincoln.”

  “Helen? Chloe?” Lincoln’s words were slurred and barely audible.

  “Which way, Pops?”

  “South. Told them to run and hide. He went after them. Tried to stop him.”

  “I can see that.”

  Thayne stood and stared down at Mac. “You got a weapon?” he asked.

  Mac patted his side. “You bet.”

  “You okay to watch him until the ambulance arrives?”

  “You go find your grandmother and that sweet girl,” Mac said.

  A shot echoed through the woods south of them. Riley’s gaze flew to Thayne’s.

  Thayne leaned down and gripped his grandfather’s hand. “We’ll find them, Pops. I promise.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  The thick trees would’ve provided some cover. Chloe and Gram hadn’t tried to conceal their footprints. Neither had the man chasing them.

  Thayne pushed himself hard. He could hear Riley’s footsteps behind him. They raced down the hill, and when they reached the river, the trail vanished.

  “Good job, Gram,” Thayne said.

  “Or Chloe.”

  Thayne stared at the ground. “Good point.” They stayed close to the trees to keep out of sight.

  “They must be terrified.”

  Thayne increased his walking pace. He couldn’t run; he had to be smart. Gram and Chloe were up ahead, but so was a murderer. He glanced behind him. “Do you think this guy and Earnhardt were partners in the wedding ring murders, too?”

  Riley picked up the pace. “The MO is so specific I didn’t expect two perps. Something feels off.”

  “The guy we’re chasing killed Earnhardt. That makes him the alpha in my book.” Thayne jumped over a fallen tree just as Riley climbed up and over it.

  “I’ll agree with you there.” Riley sucked in a deep breath. “It makes me wonder about Earnhardt’s role.”

  “There’s only one way to find out.” Thayne increased his pace. “You good to speed up?”

  “For now.” Riley matched his steps. “They’re headed toward the cabin, aren’t they?” she said. “We’re on the back end of the disputed land.”

  Thayne gave her a sharp nod. “We know the maps were Gram’s. She obviously visited the area often enough. It’s in her long-term memory. She’ll take Chloe there.”

  “They’ll be cornered.”

  “Or he’ll find them sooner.”

  They trudged along the side of the creek. The water continued to rise. Soon the terrain grew rocky.

  “We have to cross,” Thayne said, sucking in a few deep breaths. “You making it okay?”

  “No choice . . . but to keep . . . after them,” Riley panted, bent over at the knees.

  Thayne knelt near the water and studied the ground. “We’re on the right track. Gram and Chloe were here. I don’t see the guy’s boot prints. They lost him. For a while, anyway.”

  “He could’ve stayed up in the trees,” Riley said. “He doesn’t know where they’re headed.”

  “Which gives us the advantage. Let’s move.”

  Thayne pushed hard, weaving over the rocks, crossing the stream whenever the going got too tough.

  When he spied the roof of the cabin, he stopped and crouched down. Riley hunkered beside him. His heart raced and he pulled out his pistol. “Should’ve brought my rifle,” he muttered.

  He scanned the wet earth near the stream. Two sets of footprints, one very asymmetrical, headed toward the rustic hunter’s retreat. “Gram’s using a walking stick. Looks like she hurt herself. Chloe’s prints seem sluggish but normal.”

  Riley unholstered her weapon. “Do you see him?”

  “No sign here, but let’s approach slow and easy.”

  One hundred yards, two hundred yards. The landscape opened up. Fewer and fewer boulders and trees could shelter their movements.

  Thayne squinted twenty feet away toward some tall grass. He crawled closer. A large boot print was visible deep in the waterlogged earth.

  “He’s close,” Thayne whispered.

  “Come out, come out, wherever you are,” a voice called out. “No one’s going to save you.”

  “Like hell we won’t,” Thayne whispered under his breath.

  “Come and get us.” Gram’s voice was cold and angry, carrying over the trees. “Where’s my Lincoln?”

  “Dead and gone. Like you’ll be soon enough.”

  A high-pitched scream pierced the air.

  Thayne and Riley took off running. If only they weren’t too late.

  Chloe had dreamed of this cabin every night. She’d been here before with her mother. Mrs. B had saved them both. The cabin made Chloe feel safe. The man pointing a rifle at Gram didn’t terrify her, though. She recognized his voice.

  “You killed my parents,” Chloe spat out. “You’re a monster.”

  The weird thing was, he didn’t look evil. He looked so normal.

  The man wasn’t anything extraordinary. He sort of blended into life. Except his eyes. They were cold and dark, and they sent a shiver through Chloe.

  “If I’d known you were there, Chloe, everything would have worked out exactly like I planned.” He shifted his aim just a bit. “Put the gun down, you old bat, or I shoot her. I can do it, too.”

  Gram wavered, uncertainty clouding her gaze. The tip of her gun dipped.

  “That’s it. Just a little lower,” he coaxed. “It’ll all be over soon.”

  Chloe eyed movement off to her left. She fought not to look. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of the sheriff. She didn’t know much about guns, but she knew a rifle was for long distance, a pistol was for short. The sheriff was too far away to help.

  “Why did you kill them?” she asked quickly. “They never did anything to you. They never did anything to anyone.”

  “They lied,” he spat. “They were living a lie. Did you even know?”

  “Of course Chloe knew,” Gram said. “Her daddy hurt them, hit them. They had to escape, but he was a powerful man in his small town. The cops wouldn’t help her—no one would. So she found another way. I helped her just like I helped a lot of families escape.”

  “This is your fault!” He shifted the gun to Gram.

  Gram stood straight and faced the murderer, her chin held high. She was so brave. “Young man, I didn’t make you chase us or hurt Chloe’s parents.”

  “They pretended to love each other. It wasn’t true. Love’s never true.”

  “Well, that’s just baloney,” Gram said. “Love is real. My Lincoln loves me just the way I am, even though I’m not as good as I was before. He’s mine.” She raised her gun. “I won’t let you hurt him anymore.”

  Chloe shut her eyes. She hoped Gram forgot Pops was dead. She hoped he stayed alive in her mind forever.

  “If you don’t drop that gun, I’ll kill Chloe,” he spat. “This is over.”

  “I couldn’t have said it better, Decker.”

  The sheriff’s words made Chloe’s heart hope for the first time in a very, very long time. She’d never trusted law enforcement. Her mother had drilled that into her, but Chloe was so glad to see the sheriff right now. Thayne was less than fifty yards away. Riley stood next to him. Both aimed their weapons at Decker’s back.

  “I must admit I didn’t expect to find you here,” the sheriff continued, moving a step forward with each word. “I figured you’d be drinking it up in Pinedale with your roughneck buddies.”

  Chloe’s eyes widened as Thayne and Riley continued to walk forward. Closer and closer. Were they close enough?

  “You have two guns aimed at you,” Thayne said, his voice soft but deadly. “If you shoot either one of them, if you so much as make a movement wi
thout lowering the gun, you die. Unless you take your finger off the trigger nice and slow and lower it to the ground.”

  “I killed your grandfather. You won’t let me live.”

  “I’m not you,” the sheriff said. “But just so you’re aware of another failure, Pops is alive.”

  Chloe’s knees shook. Gram’s eyes widened with a memory. “You shot my Lincoln.”

  Her finger pulsed against the trigger. Chloe held her breath.

  “Gram, it’s okay. I got this.” Thayne’s voice soothed her.

  She shook her head. “He hurt my family.”

  Decker stiffened; then a small smile crossed his lips, giving Chloe the shivers. “Sheriff. I’m surprised you found us, but the truth is you’ve made it easy. I’m assuming your lover is there, too.”

  “Fiancée,” Riley said. “I suggest you lower the rifle. Sheriff Blackwood doesn’t miss. And neither do I.”

  Decker turned his head and looked at Thayne and Riley. “You love each other?”

  “Of course,” Thayne said.

  The man smiled, his eyes cold and black and dead inside. “Haven’t you learned anything? Love isn’t real or true. All they do is pretend they care. First your mother and father lie, until they can’t anymore and they abandon you. Then you think you find the one. Until she leaves you, steals your home, steals your family, finds someone else.”

  Riley shifted her position. “They abandoned you,” she said in a soft voice, still moving closer to him.

  Chloe held her breath. What was she trying to do? Just shoot him.

  “They ignored me like I never existed.” Decker chuckled. “I was a fool. I still believed in love, so I began searching across the country. The ones who prided themselves on love were the worst. They lied. They don’t know what love is. I do.”

  His gaze fell to Thayne. “You love the FBI agent, don’t you?”

  Thayne nodded. “I do.”

  “I’ll save you the trouble, then.” He whirled around, sweeping the barrel toward Riley.

  Chloe gasped and flattened to the ground.

  Two guns went off at the same time, the loud blast causing Chloe’s ears to ring. She squeezed her eyes tight.

  Silence rang through the woods. With a deep breath, Chloe raised her head. She blinked once, then twice.

  It was over.

  A whiff of wet dirt and grass invaded Riley’s nose. Her body lay prone on the ground.

  Thayne raced over and knelt beside her. “Did he hit you?” He turned her over and checked each inch of her before pulling her into his arms.

  She could feel his heartbeat racing.

  “I’m okay.” She wrapped her arms around him and held him close, basking in the warmth of his heat.

  She didn’t bother checking the body. Decker was dead. Thayne had placed the head shot where few could. They were outside optimal range for a pistol.

  Her fingertips gripped his flannel shirt, and she clutched the soft fabric. “It’s over,” she whispered. “We make one hell of a team, you and I. I especially like that you’re an ace shot.”

  Thayne stroked her hair. “I get to thank you again for saving my family from despair.”

  Riley shook her head and pulled back so she could meet his gaze. “No, this time I get to thank you.” She smiled at him. “You don’t give up, do you? Not ever. No matter what.” She couldn’t stop the awe from lacing her voice. Somehow, somewhere, her heart filled with joy and the unbound thrill of being close to him.

  “It’s one of my more annoying traits,” Thayne said. His brow quirked. “What’s wrong? You’re giving me an odd look.”

  “Just thinking I wouldn’t mind waking up next to you for a long, long time.”

  Thayne’s face stilled. “Are you serious?”

  “I—” Riley’s gaze drifted to the cabin.

  Helen still stood in the door, holding her weapon.

  “Thayne.” She tugged at him. “Your grandmother.”

  He glanced over and, in an instant, crossed the distance between them. He placed his hand on the weapon. “Let me have it, Gram. Please.”

  She didn’t move for a moment and didn’t move before swiping her gray hair from her face. “Where’s Lincoln?”

  Riley’s throat tightened at the lost look on Helen’s face.

  Thayne’s loving gaze warmed her heart as he cupped his grandmother’s cheek. “Pops is fine. He’s probably at the hospital by now. Cheyenne will take good care of him.”

  “Cheyenne. Oh yes. She’s a doctor now, isn’t she?”

  His grandmother turned from Thayne and strode into the cabin. Thayne placed his arm around Chloe’s shoulder. “You okay?”

  She nodded. “Gram saved me. She knew about the cabin. She knew how to hide from him.”

  “Really?” Thayne couldn’t hide his surprise.

  “She was the Gram I remember. At least part of today.”

  “That’s a gift, Chloe. She’d want you to always remember her like that.” Thayne followed his grandmother into the house.

  Riley reholstered her weapon and walked over to Chloe. She glanced at the girl’s wrists. “Zip tie?”

  Chloe looked down. “I forgot about that. I used some metal in the back of the car to break it.”

  “That was smart. You’re very brave.”

  “Pops told me.” Chloe leaned in to Riley. “You’re sure he’s okay? You didn’t say that just for Gram?”

  “As far as I know.”

  “He was so brave.” Chloe swallowed and blinked back tears. “He went after that man instead of running away, just to give us time to escape. He’s a hero.”

  “The Blackwoods are heroes, all right.” Riley hugged Chloe to her and glanced into the room, where Thayne held on to his grandmother. “They’ll do anything for the people they love.”

  “Like my mom and dad,” Chloe said. She walked into the log building. Two planks had been pried from the floor.

  “Gram hid the gun down there.”

  Riley had to hand it to Helen. The woman was resourceful.

  Chloe reached into the hole and pulled out a box. “Is it okay if I show them, Gram?”

  A blank look had taken over Helen’s expression. “What are you talking about, Cheyenne? That’s not mine.”

  “Show us,” Thayne said. “I don’t think she’d mind.” He hummed in his grandmother’s ear, and she sank against him, closing her eyes, swaying to the music of their song.

  Chloe lifted the lid of the box and pulled out a drawing. “I made this for Gram when I was little. When we came here for the very first time.”

  “May I?” Riley asked.

  With a nod, Chloe gave her the picture, obviously drawn by a small child. Harsh lines of black scrawled all over the page. The world was dark and scary, but in the center, a figure with brown-and-white hair was bathed in yellow like the sun. Almost as if the woman had a halo around her. She stood next to a red-haired woman and a red-haired child. Both were smiling.

  “Your mother and you and Gram?” Riley asked.

  “Yes. There are a lot more drawings inside.”

  Riley sat cross-legged on the ground and pulled out paper after paper. “Are they yours?”

  Chloe shook her head. “No. I guess there were other kids who stayed here, too.”

  The emotions in the drawings punched Riley in the gut. So much hurt. And so much hope. And in almost every one, a figure representing Helen Blackwood stood guard, like a protective angel.

  When she reached the bottom of the box, she pulled out an envelope with Cheyenne’s name scrawled across the front.

  Riley lifted it up for Thayne to see. “That’s Gram’s handwriting,” he said.

  Outside several shouts sounded through the woods.

  Riley rose and headed to the front door. “We’re here. They’re okay!”

  Ironcloud showed up first, riding a horse. He dismounted. “The others are on their way.” He glanced down at the dead body. “Isn’t that the oil foreman?”

  Sh
e nodded. “Thayne’s grandmother needs help.”

  Ironcloud passed her and disappeared inside the cabin. Within minutes, Thayne carried his grandmother out of the cabin, and Ironcloud followed with the gun. Chloe tagged along behind them, the metal box clutched in her arms.

  “Quinn and a few other searchers are on their way on ATVs,” Ironcloud said.

  “I think Gram would prefer the horse.” Thayne set Helen on the ground next to the animal. Her eyes lit up, and she patted his nose.

  “You want to go for a ride?” he asked.

  She nodded. He lifted her into the saddle and mounted the horse behind her. He looked down at Riley. “See you back at the ranch?” he said, the meaning clear in his eyes.

  Riley could feel the adrenaline seeping out of her body, weakening her body and limbs, but in its place, a satisfied warmth spread from the inside out.

  “I’ll be there. For good.”

  The corners around his eyes crinkled. “Come on, Gram. Let’s go home.”

  Seventy-two hours later, the Blackwood kitchen overflowed with more people since . . . Thayne couldn’t remember when. Luckily the brunt of the damage had been to the back of the house and the sunroom, so the family had decided to host a huge potluck for all the volunteers from the search to celebrate an ending they’d all survived.

  Thayne surveyed the slew of family and friends. He couldn’t believe it was over.

  Madison and Hudson stood side by side, looking like two rejects from a prizefight, dishing out food and shooting each other glances that should’ve lit the kitchen on fire.

  More than one person winced when they faced them, then scowled at Hudson before Madison set them straight.

  Chloe stood next to them, unwilling to leave their sides. Seemed like she’d glommed on to Madison, and Hudson by extension.

  Maybe they could heal each other.

  He carried two plates through to the sunroom. Gram sat in her chair, flipping through her sketchbook, pointing out every picture of Thayne she’d ever drawn.

  He’d never live the bare-baby-butt drawing down. It was actually worse than a photo as far as he was concerned.