by Bobbi Smith
Glancing over at the bed, she noticed the sheets and felt a pang of remorse at the testimony to her lost innocence. She sat down on the bed and sighed as images of Luke and his lovemaking haunted her-his touch and kiss, his caring and gentleness.
And now he was gone.
By her own weakness she'd lost him. Cody vowed then and there that it would not happen again. She would seek him out tonight. She would get him back up to her room and haul him back to Del Fuego for justice. Even as she made the vow to herself, though, she remembered the glory of his kiss and the fiery brand of his passion. It would not be easy to forget Luke, or to resist him when they were alone together, but she would. She had a job to do.
The day passed slowly for Cody. There were times as she paced her room when she thought evening would never come. But finally it was dark and time for her first show. She was ready. She was going to find Luke, drag him upstairs. She was going to signal Stalking Ghost and they were going to get him out of town-tonight. Too much time had passed already.
Even as she plotted her next move, though, she was thinking about her conversation with Logan. She understood now what the Ranger had meant about having doubts about Luke's guilt. She had her own. But she told herself sternly that she would deal with that when the time came.
The music began and she went out onstage ready to do whatever was necessary to get Luke all to herself again. To her shock, there was no sign of Luke or the rest of the gang. Only her regular customers were there.
Cody did not let their absence affect her singing. She put on a show that left the men panting after her, and even went out and mingled with them afterward. Expecting Luke to show up for the sec and show, she waited again for the music to start, and then she went out onstage. Again, he was not there.
Luke was gone.
She'd had her chance to bring him in, and she'd lost him.
After the last show, Cody visited with the cowboys for a few minutes and then made her way to the bar to get a drink from Hal.
"Whiskey tonight?" he asked.
"Water," she said seriously.
He laughed. "They were something, weren't they?"
"Who?"
"The El Diablo gang. They scare the hell out of me every time they show up."
"Where have they gone?" she asked casually.
"From what I overheard, they had to meet somebody a couple of days' ride out of town. I don't know when or even if they're coming back."
Cody disappeared up to her room a short time later. She was not happy.
Jack was in the sheriff's office with Fred when he heard the shouts coming from the street.
"They got one of 'em! I think it's Majors!" a man was calling.
Jack and Fred rushed to the window to see a bounty hunter riding in, leading another horse with a man tied on the back. As they watched, the townspeople came rushing out of their houses and businesses. The crowd swelled behind the riders, and it almost looked like a mob scene.
"Hang the bastard right now!" another man yelled. "To hell with a trial!"
"Yeah! We know he's guilty! Let's string him up!
"If we make this one pay, they'll think twice about robbing our bank again!"
A roar of agreement went through the throng of people. They pressed in close as the bounty hunter reined in before the office and dismounted. He was a tall, dark-haired man, whose long days on the trail had left him bearded and covered with trail dirt. He went to the second horse to yank his captive down.
Fred moved to try to get a good look at the man who was tied up.
"Who've you got there, friend?" he asked.
"I've got Luke Majors here, and I want that thousand dollars," the man declared, shoving his prisoner toward Fred and Jack.
"It's Majors!" someone yelled.
The shout went up, and the mood of the townspeople grew ugly. They started to crush forward, wanting to get their hands on the man they believed was a cold-blooded killer.
Jack realized what was about to happen. He drew his gun and went to cover the prisoner. As he faced him, he saw immediately that it wasn't Luke.
"This isn't Majors, folks!" he called, but they were too angry to listen. He turned to Fred. "Get them inside. I'll handle this."
He confronted the crowd, gun in hand, and they stopped moving forward. Though anger was still plain in their expressions, they knew Texas Rangers meant business when they drew their weapons.
"I'll use this gun if I have to, to break this up. Now do what Fred said and go back home."
"He's a killer!"
"I just got a look at the man the bounty hunter brought in, and it isn't Luke Majors."
"You're lying!" someone yelled.
Jack turned a deadly glare in the man's direction. When he spoke, his tone was fierce. "There's no one in this town who wants Majors back more than I do. But this isn't him. Now get out of here, unless you want to be holding a funeral for one of your own tomorrow."
They could tell he was serious. For the moment they backed down. Grumbling, they moved off.
Once Jack was sure they were going, he hurried inside to find out what the bounty hunter thought he was doing.
"This isn't the outlaw," Fred was saying.
"I'm telling you this is Luke Majors!" Gary Reid, the bounty hunter, was arguing. "Look at him; he matches the description perfectly!"
"I know Majors, and this isn't him." Jack confirmed what Fred had said as he joined them.
"But he looks like him! And he tried to run from the saloon in San Angelo when I went after him!" Gary Reid was furious at the thought that he'd wasted his time.
"I been trying to tell him for days that I ain't Majors, but he wouldn't listen!" The man spoke up in his own defense. "My name's Walt Kinsel."
"Well, Walt Kinsel, you wanted for anything, anywhere?" Jack asked, closing on him, wondering why he'd run from Reid.
Kinsel looked shamefaced. "I'm wanted, but not by the law."
"What the hell does that mean?" Reid demanded.
"I thought you might be after me 'cause I left a girl in a family way back in Austin. Her daddy threatened to come after me for what I did, so I thought you were sent by him."
Fred was disgusted. "Maybe I'll just send him a wire and tell him I got you here. Then I'll just keep you locked up nice and safe until they can come down here with a minister."
"You ain't got no right to do that to me!"
"He's right," Jack said tensely. "Let him go. Mr. Reid, I'm sorry, but you brought in the wrong man."
"I'm not quitting yet. I'll be back." He stormed out of the office and rode off.
Kinsel disappeared as soon as they untied him.
"That was close," Fred said wearily, thinking of how quickly the crowd had gathered and how hostile the townspeople were.
"Too close," Jack said. "I don't like this at all. Luke is innocent until proven guilty. No one saw him shoot Sam Gregory or the deputy."
"Yeah, but we got witnesses who say that he was the one who shot Harris."
"Witnesses can be wrong."
"Why are you so convinced he didn't do it? The whole town believes he's guilty, and frankly, so do I."
Jack glanced over at him, seeing the sternness in his expression and realizing that the new sheriff did believe what he was saying. "You're wrong, Fred."
"How can you be so sure?" Fred frowned, and then looked up at him suspiciously. "Wait a minute.... When you were talking to Reid you said you knew Majors. Just how well do you know him?"
Jack had debated for many days whether to confide in Fred or not. He knew now that he had to tell him the truth. It was too dangerous here in town. If a bounty hunter brought Luke in when Jack wasn't nearby, they could have him strung up before he could stop it. He didn't like the mood here at all, and he was going to do something about it. But first he needed an ally to help him keep Luke safe if he was brought in.
"I've got to tell you something that nobody but me knows. I have to have your word that you will not tell anyone
else. Lives depend on it."
Fred stared at him, puzzled. "You have my word. What is it?"
Jack quickly told him all that had happened before the jailbreak.
"But he shot Harris!" Fred argued in disbelief.
"You're wrong. The robber drew his gun, Luke drew his gun, shots were exchanged. The outlaw shot Harris, not Luke. He was there to get a loan from the bank, not rob it."
Fred shook his head in confusion. "All this time you've been waiting to hear from him."
"If he can get back to me with El Diablo's identity, he'll do it. Then we can shut the gang down permanently. But I have to protect him in any way that I can."
Fred was silent for a long moment.
"Sam didn't believe me at first either."
"You honestly trust Majors."
"I would trust him with my life, and right now, he's trusting me with his."
"I'll keep your secret, and if Majors is brought in and you're not around, I'll make damned sure he's safe until you get here."
"I'm going to send word to my captain, too, just to let him know what's going on. I don't want any deadly mistake made with Luke's life. He's working for us, not against us."
Fred nodded and they shook hands on it.
Much later that night, Elizabeth lay in the curve of Jack's body, savoring his nearness. He was a wonderful lover and she had never regretted coming to his bed. He looked like he was asleep. Not wanting to waste a minute of their precious time together, she splayed her hand across his chest and then let it drift lower until she had his attention.
"Were you sleeping?" she asked throatily as she became the aggressor and mounted him.
"No, I was resting. You wear me out, woman," he said with a smile as she ground herself against him.
"Well, if you're too tired..."
She pretended to begin to leave him, but he grasped her hips and pinned her to him.
"I never said I was too tired." He grinned. "I'm never too tired for you."
He started to roll with her, to take her beneath him, but she resisted. Leaning down, she offered him her breasts as she rode him. She controlled their joining. She set the pace. She brought him close time and time again, then stopped just long enough to draw out his excitement and make him furious with desire for her. She wanted to enslave him with her passion. Only then could he give her what she needed... what she wanted. They reached the peak together, and Elizabeth collapsed in his arms. They lay sated and exhausted.
Later, she finally spoke of what was troubling her. "Have you heard any news at all about the gang?"
"There was some excitement down at the jail earlier. A bounty hunter rode in and said he had Majors."
She looked up at him quickly, hopefully. "And 7"
"And he didn't. Wrong man, but we almost had a riot when the word got out."
"So there's nothing new you can tell me?"
"No, but I've been doing some serious thinking about El Diablo and this gang of his. I'm beginning to wonder if maybe he has an informer who's well connected either at the fort or here in town. How else would they have known the exact date of the gun shipment?"
"Maybe they didn't know," she offered. "Maybe they'd just been watching and got lucky."
"That could be, but I don't think so. This gang's too smart to leave that much to chance."
"How are you ever going to catch them? The town wants to see justice done. That's why people are so angry."
He tightened his arms around her. "I know, and I'm sorry things aren't moving faster. I'm doing everything I can. We just have to be patient. There are things going on that you don't know about."
"There are?" She looked at him with a questioning gaze.
Jack was quiet for a moment, wondering whether to tell her just to lift her spirits a little. He finally answered. "The reason I've been staying here in town is that I've got a man on the inside. As soon as he can identify El Diablo, he's going to contact me, and then we're going to take the whole gang down. Until I hear from him, I just have to sit tight."
She looked at him with renewed respect. "That's so smart of you! I didn't know you'd done something like that. It must be difficult for you waiting here like this."
"It isn't easy, and it isn't over yet. I just hope everything comes together so I can help you, and bring El Diablo down. I want to stop him and his gang before they can hurt anybody else."
"If anyone can do it, Jack, you can." She leaned over him and kissed him.
He needed no further invitation. They loved long into the night until, driven by the need to maintain their secrecy, Elizabeth crept from the hotel and returned to her loveless home.
With Hadley in the lead, the gang rode straight into the Mexicans' hideout. Luke was riding near the front, wanting to learn all he could about names, locations, and the negotiations that were about to take place.
"Carlos! Hola!" Hadley called out as he reined in before the heavily armed bandidos who were waiting for them in front of their leader's shack. These men had a well-earned reputation for being as deadly as the El Diablo gang, and Hadley treated them with respect. "It has been a long time, my friend."
"Indeed it has, amigo," the outlaw replied, his gaze sweeping quickly over the riders who'd accompanied Hadley. "But my heart is breaking. Where is that devilishly beautiful sister of yours? I was looking forward to seeing her again. Has the infamous El Diablo stopped riding with her own gang? This is the second time you have come to me and she has not been with you."
Hadley smiled, but he wasn't pleased that Carlos had said so much in front of Luke. "El Diablo is busy planning what we will do next."
"Ah, Hadley, are you finally admitting she is the brains of your gang?"
"Finally?" He laughed coldly at the insult. "Have we not admitted it all along? Why else would we call ourselves the El Diablo gang? Come, let us have a drink and talk of old times before we get to business."
Hadley clapped Carlos on the back, and the two men led the way farther into the campsite to where they could sit and talk.
Luke dismounted and followed along with Carson and Jones. His mind was racing with the power of what he'd just learned. El Diablo was a female! But who? Tension filled him. He knew he was as close as he was going to get to the outlaw's identity, and he had to get back to Del Fuego and let Jack know.
A woman! The idea was outrageous, but also incredibly brilliant. Who better to listen in on conversations and deliver important information to Hadley? It was perfect. No one would suspect. Luke couldn't imagine how a woman could have come to be such a cold-blooded killer, but that didn't matter. What mattered was that he could help Jack catch her now, and he was going to get back to his friend as quickly as he could.
Getting away from the gang was going to be a trick, Luke realized. When he did it, he was going to have to make sure he had a head start or he'd end up dead real quick. And he wouldn't be of much help to Jack dead.
Luke kept a low profile. He said little, watched all that transpired carefully, and waited impatiently for the deal to be concluded. Several times during the day and a half they were there, the lovely Armita crept into his thoughts, and he had trouble putting her out of his mind. Her innocence had surprised and pleased him. He'd hated leaving her as he had in the middle of the night, but he'd needed to ride out at sunup with Hadley and the others. Luke would be glad to see Armita again. She had been the one bright spot in this whole sordid affair.
Cody met Stalking Ghost in a secluded area on the outskirts of town. Nobody paid much attention to her comings and goings during the day, and, with the gang gone, she wasn't overly concerned about being seen with him.
"There has been no word of them?"
"No, and Hal doesn't even know if they're coming back-not that I could come right out and ask. He actually said he was glad they were gone, but the girls want them to come back because they're big spenders."
"And you?" he asked intuitively, knowing something was different this time in her hunt for her man.
Cody had not told Stalking Ghost what had happened the other night. She had only told him that she hadn't been able to get Luke in a position where they could take him out. He had never had any reason to doubt her judgment before, and he had not questioned her this time.
"What do you mean?"
"This one is important to you."
"No, I"
"It is in your eyes," he stated, having known her long enough to read her moods.
She sighed in frustration. "When Logan hired me, he told me the reason he wanted Luke back alive was because he had doubts about his guilt." She lifted her troubled gaze to Stalking Ghost. "I do, too. There's something about him that doesn't fit with this gang. Look at how he's acted since we caught up with him. He rescued me from Sully in El Trajar when he could have minded his own business. If he had minded his own business, we might both be dead right now. Then there was the other night, when we were talking. He said that he was there with the gang because he had a job to do. When I pressed him about that, asking him if he thought riding with the gang was a job, he said that riding with the gang was hell." Cody looked away from her friend, out toward the wilds of the Mexican countryside. "He doesn't belong with these men. For all that we know he was a gunfighter, in my heart I'm sure he's not a coldblooded killer."
"You will take Majors in?"
It was the point that had been troubling her for days now. She had given the Ranger her word that she would bring Majors to him alive. If she didn't, some other bounty hunter might just shoot him on sight for the money and ask questions later. For his own sake, as well as hers, she knew what she had to do.
"I don't have a choice. I gave Logan my word. I'm bringing Luke Majors in."
Cody was in the middle of her last show when Luke and the others returned to the cantina. She couldn't believe the thrill that shot through her when she saw him coming through the doorway. He looked dirty and tired, but his gaze was only on her, and she felt the heat of it even across the saloon. She finished off the performance to the rousing cheers of the gathered men, and then went straight to join Luke at the bar.