Lady Deception

by Bobbi Smith

  Trudging on, Cody concentrated only on trying to find her clothes and horse. The moon was a sliver, providing little in the way of light, but she kept going. Nothing was going to stop her. She had to get to Luke.

  At the sound of hoofbeats coming up behind her, Cody knew a moment of panic. She looked around frantically, trying to find a place to hide, until the sound of Stalking Ghost's call calmed her terror.

  "Cody!"

  "Stalking Ghost! I'm over here!"

  He appeared behind her on his horse, looking in the darkness like a fierce Indian warrior. His expression was stem as he stared down at her. "I heard the sounds of gunfire."

  "Another bounty hunter showed up. He shot Luke!"

  "Is he dead?"

  "I don't know. I have to find him!"

  Stalking Ghost reached behind himself and freed a bundle he had tied there. He tossed it down to her. "Clothe yourself, and we will ride."

  She caught the clothes he'd brought along for her and went behind a bush to dress. It took her only a few minutes, and she felt wonderful to be back in her split riding skirt, comfortable blouse, and boots.

  "Here is your hat," he said, handing it to her as she emerged looking more like herself.

  He reached down, and when she grasped his forearm, he swung her up behind him in a single, smooth move.

  "The man said he was going to leave the rest of my clothes and my horse about a mile up ahead."

  He nodded, but didn't speak.

  "Mason Wells is due north of here; it's on the way to Del Fuego. If Luke isn't dead, the bounty hunter probably headed there with him," Cody said.

  "We will check."

  Stalking Ghost walked his horse, listening to the night sounds. They found her horse and the pile of her clothes less than half an hour later. Cody jumped down and quickly ran to the clothing, digging through until she found her purse.

  "No." The despairing word was torn from her.

  "What is it?"

  "He took my father's gun."

  "Let us ride for this town. We will find this bounty hunter who has stolen your gun and your man."

  The going was slow. They cautiously approached a deserted ranch house on the way. Thinking the bounty hunter might have holed up there for the night, they dismounted and quietly checked it out. Stalking Ghost was armed in case of trouble, but they found no trace of the bounty hunter, only decaying outbuildings and a brokendown wagon. They continued on.

  It was about an hour later that they reached the outskirts of Mason Wells. The town looked shut down for the night. Even the saloon was closed. They skirted the area, looking for some sign of Luke, and Cody was thrilled and relieved when she spotted his horse and the bounty hunter's tied up to a rail before a small building at the end of one block. Out front there was a small sign that said DENTIST, and a light was on in the front room.

  "He's alive! He must be or the bounty hunter wouldn't have stopped!" Cody breathed, looking over at Stalking Ghost, who was watching the house intently. "I'm going to sneak up there and try to listen at the window."

  "No. You stay here. I'll go." With that, he dismounted, handed her his reins, and moved off into the night.

  "Be careful."

  Cody rode back out of sight with both horses and waited for Stalking Ghost's return. Each minute seemed an hour as she sat in the darkness, anticipating the news he would be bringing her. Was Luke dying? Had he been grievously wounded? Her imagination threatened to run away with her, and she had to force herself to concentrate on trying to come up with a plan to rescue him.

  From where she was hiding, Cody tried to get a look at Mason Wells. The town was far from prosperous. It boasted only one saloon, a general store, and a small hotel. The rest of the buildings were nondescript. She was glad things were quiet tonight. She didn't want the bounty hunter to have any idea that she had already caught up with him. She was certain that she was the last person the man ever expected to see again. He was going to be in for one big surprise, once she found out how Luke was. Staying as calm as she could, she waited.

  Reid was tense as he stood in the room watching the man-who was as close to a doctor as he could find in Mason Wells-working on Majors.

  "How long is this going to take?" he demanded impatiently.

  "I don't know," Abner Fox answered as he continued to probe Luke's shoulder for the bullet. "I can't get a grip on it."

  Luke muttered a curse at the man's heavyhanded touch.

  "Easy there, mister. Just lie still and be quiet. If you hadn't been running from the law, you wouldn't be in this fix." Abner had little use for men like Majors. He dug deeper, not even trying to be careful.

  Luke set his jaw, but did not utter another sound. He would not give the sadist the satisfaction of knowing he'd hurt him.

  "There! I got it!" With great pride, Fox extracted the bullet and dropped it into the bowl on the nightstand next to the bed. "Now let me take a look at his head."

  He bent over Luke and examined the bloodied crease at his temple. His touch was not gentle. "You're one lucky fella. If Reid here had been a better shot, you'd damned well be dead right now."

  Abner thought himself hysterically funny, and he was chuckling at his own humor when his gaze accidentally met Luke's. The cold hatred that shone in those dark eyes sent a chill to the depths of his soul. He almost took a step back to distance himself from this man. He knew now why the gunfighter was wanted by the law. He'd never seen such a look in a man's eyes before.

  "His head will be all right. It's just a scratch. I'll bandage up his shoulder, and you can be on your way in the morning."

  "He can't ride tonight?" Reid asked, wanting to leave as quickly as possible.

  Abner shrugged. "You could try it, but he's lost blood, and if he passes out on you while you're riding, it'd slow you down."

  Reid's expression was black. He'd have been better off if he'd killed Majors. Then the wanted man wouldn't have given him any trouble on the way back.

  "All right."

  "I'll keep him here. You can get a room over at the hotel."

  "There is no way I'm leaving his side. I worked too damned hard to trap him. I'm not letting him out of my sight."

  "Suit yourself." He shrugged again, then finished doctoring Luke's shoulder. He bandaged it tightly. "I'll check it again one more time in the morning."

  "Fine."

  "My fee's ten dollars." He wiped the blood from his hands and waited.

  Reid paid up.

  "Good night, Mr. Reid."

  Reid was glad when he was gone. "Well, Majors, you'd better get all the rest you can tonight, because at dawn tomorrow, we're riding for Del Fuego as fast as we can travel." Reid settled in a chair in front of the door, his gun in hand. "Don't try anything. I'd hate to have to kill you now that I've spent ten dollars to get that bullet taken out of you, but I'll do it in a minute if you give me any trouble. You hear me?"

  Luke glanced down at the bounty hunter. "I hear you."

  Luke closed his eyes and tried to think straight. It wasn't easy. His head was pounding. He knew he'd been lucky. Half an inch over on the shot to his head, and he'd have been dead. The thought was not comforting. He considered escape, but as he shifted his shoulder, trying to judge his own condition, the agony that tore through him was testimony enough. As weak as he was right now, he doubted he'd be able to pull it off.

  And Reid was good. The bounty hunter watched him like a hawk. It was another three days to Del Fuego. Luke told himself to bide his time and watch for an opportunity to get away. For now, he was just going to rest and get as much of his strength back as he could. He hoped that Jack was waiting for him in Del Fuego.

  Cody was about to go crazy, waiting and not knowing how Luke was, and then finally Stalking Ghost returned.

  "How is he?" she asked quickly, trying to read something in his expression and failing.

  "Your man is alive."

  She sighed audibly and closed her eyes for a moment.

  "Let us ri
de out of town a ways to talk. I have much to tell you."

  "But shouldn't we keep watch?"

  "No. They are not leaving until morning."

  They mounted and rode quietly away. They reined in at a deserted spot well out of earshot of anyone to discuss their next strategy.

  "What happened? What did you overhear?"

  "Majors was shot twice. Once in the right shoulder, and here, his head was grazed." Stalking Ghost pointed to his temple. "The man at the house took the bullet out."

  "So Luke's going to be all right?"

  "That is what the man said. The bounty hunter is Gary Reid."

  Recognition shone in Cody's eyes. "I've heard of him before. Talk has it that he's tough."

  "He is guarding Majors now. They will ride out at dawn."

  "So we've got just a few hours to figure out what we're going to do." Cody started to pace, her mind racing as she tried to figure out a way to outsmart Reid and reclaim Luke. "I have to get him back, Stalking Ghost."

  He remained silent as he always did when she was thinking.

  "We have to come up with a disguise that will work on Reid." She stopped pacing and looked at Stalking Ghost. "We're out in the middle of the countryside. I could dress as a boy, and we could just try to outgun him, but that's dangerous. I don't want any more killing. There's been too much of that already."

  "What would cause Reid to stop?"

  "Dressing like Delilah or Armita again won't work. He didn't pay the least bit of attention to me when I was sitting stark naked in the middle of that pond." She began to pace again, and then looked up at him quickly as she remembered the deserted ranch house. "Do you think you can get that buckboard we saw at that ranch to work?"

  He nodded.

  "I think I've got it then. But we're going to have to go back into town one more time. I've got to make a few purchases at the general store."

  Stalking Ghost mounted his horse and waited for her to do the same. They returned to Mason Wells quietly, keeping to the back streets, avoiding detection.

  With Stalking Ghost's help, Cody forced the back door at the general store and crept inside. She took the things she needed, first surprising her companion by her selections, then almost winning a smile of approval from him. She left a note on the counter near the cash box along with enough money to pay for all that she'd taken plus extra to cover the cost of having the door fixed. Silently, they disappeared into the Texas night.

  When they reached the abandoned ranch, Cody hurriedly set to work. She built a small fire in the fireplace for light and began her transformation while Stalking Ghost saw to the wagon. They were both concerned about their horses pulling a buckboard, but could only hope that it would turn out all right. One way or the other, they had to get ahead of Reid and Luke and set the trap.

  Cody called Stalking Ghost to her when she had completed her disguise. The firelight hadn't been easy to work by, and the small hand mirror she'd taken from the store hadn't afforded much of a reflection to perfect her makeup and hair, but she'd done her best. Now it would be up to Stalking Ghost to tell her whether the disguise was believable or not.

  "Well, what do you think?" Cody asked as he came into the dilapidated house.

  He stood in the doorway staring at her in silence for a long moment. "Put on the bonnet," he instructed.

  Cody did so, tying a bow beneath her chin.

  He nodded. "We can be ready to go in just a few minutes. It will take a firm hand to control and steady your horse. He does not like the harness."

  "Well, pray that he manages to get us to the other side of town before he acts up. Once we stage the breakdown, I don't care if he never pulls another buckboard again for as long as he lives."

  Stalking Ghost went to hitch up the wagon. Very shortly, they would be on their way.

  Luke did not sleep. The pain in his shoulder and the ache in his head had combined to keep him awake and miserable all night. When Reid roused him before dawn, he was as ready as he would ever be to begin the trek back. The only positive thought he could hang on to was that Jack would be waiting for him in Del Fuego. Reid cuffed his hands in front of him and prodded him along with his rifle as they headed out to the horses. He pain fully pulled himself up on his horse and prepared to ride out. As they started from town with Reid leading his horse, Luke thought of Armita. He hoped she was safe and would find her clothes and horse without any problem once it was daylight.

  The sun was up, and they were a good five miles out of town when they came upon an old woman, standing beside her buckboard, desperately needing help.

  "Thank heaven you came by," the old lady said effusively. "Young man, you are truly the answer to my prayers." That was no lie, Cody thought. "Could you help me?"

  "Ma'am," Reid said, tipping his hat to the grayhaired, elderly lady. She was wearing a sunbonnet that shielded her face from the hot sun, a rather plain calico dress, and a drawstring purse at her wrist. She reminded him a bit of his own grandmother back in Missouri. "You got trouble?"

  "I started out for town from my place over the hill there a ways, and this wheel started to go on me." She gestured toward the broken wheel on the decrepit wagon.

  "Let me see what I can do for you." Reid had no intention of spending a lot of time with her. But if he could rig it so she could make it the last few miles into town, he'd do it.

  "You have a prisoner?" she asked innocently as she saw the handcuffs on Luke.

  "He's wanted in Del Fuego."

  "What did he do?"

  "He's a killer, ma'am, and I'm taking him in." He tied Luke's horse to the side of the buckboard so he could keep an eye on him.

  "Law-abiding citizens are lucky to have good, upstanding men like you around to save them."

  "Thank you, ma'am." Reid hunkered down to take a look at the axle.

  Cody almost shouted "Hallelujah" when he fell for her ruse. She quietly took a step back as he set to work. In a single smooth motion, she drew her gun out of her purse and pointed it at Reid's back.

  "Don't move, Mr. Reid."

  "What the hell?" He froze. Suddenly her voice didn't sound like a pitiful little old lady's anymore. He took a quick glance over his shoulder to see her holding a gun on him. "Lady, I only got a little money on me; there's no point in trying to rob me. Hey.. .Wait a minute. How'd you know my name?"

  "I know more than your name, and I'm not robbing you. You're the one who robbed me."

  "What?" He was shocked.

  So was Luke. He was staring at the old lady. When she tore off the bonnet and shook out her hair, he was unable to believe his eyes.

  "Armita?"

  In spite of the flour she'd used to powder her hair and the heavy makeup she'd used on her face, Luke recognized her.

  "How did you get here? Are you all right? What are you doing?"

  "Not now, Luke." She glanced up at him, then turned her full attention back to the bounty hunter. She knew Reid was tricky and dangerous, a more than worthy opponent, and she had no in tention of losing in this confrontation. "Mr. Reid, let me introduce myself. The name's Cody Jameson, and you made a big mistake stealing my man from me last night."

  "You're Cody Jameson?" Reid said, shocked. "But..."

  "Cody Jameson?" Luke repeated, his gaze fixed on her in complete confusion.

  Luke frowned at the woman who seemed to be transforming right before his very eyes. It was Armita, yet there was something else vaguely familiar....

  And then Stalking Ghost appeared over the nearby hill.

  "What the...? Sister Mary?" Luke looked from the old Indian to the old lady, and he suddenly saw the connection. The old lady was Armita-was Sister Mary, too. And he was the fool. She was Cody Jameson!

  He felt betrayed. He was furious.

  "All right if I get up, Jameson?" Reid was asking.

  "Just move read slow," Cody answered. "I don't like to use force, but I will if I have to."

  "Heard you were one of the best bounty hunters around," Reid remarked
, slowly rising and turning to face her. "Now I know why."

  "There's no need for compliments, just unbuckle your gunbelt real careful and drop it on the ground."

  He did as he was told. "So Majors here didn't know he was caught?"

  "No. And he still wouldn't if you hadn't interfered."

  "Sorry if I spoiled things for you," Reid drawled. Even as mad as he was about losing Majors, he had to smile. Jameson was damned good. She'd even fooled him.

  Cody shrugged. "It was tricky there for a while, but things will turn out now." She motioned toward his gunbelt where he'd dropped it. "Kick that over here."

  He did.

  "Now I want you to start walking up that hill toward my friend. Don't make any sudden moves."

  Reid headed up the incline, wondering what she had in mind.

  "Stalking Ghost, come down here and guard Luke while I take care of Mr. Reid."

  He nodded and moved in closer to Luke as Reid and Cody disappeared over the top of the hill.

  Cody walked behind the other bounty hunter, keeping the gun on him until they were a good half mile from the road. "You can stop here."

  "Yes, ma'am. Now what?"

  "Strip." She'd been planning this fate for him ever since last night at the watering hole, and she was going to enjoy every minute of his discomfort.

  "Strip?"

  "You understand English real good, Mr. Reid. You left me out in the middle of nowhere in my unmentionables last night, and I'm just returning the favor."

  "Mighty thoughtful of you."

  "Glad you think so." She grinned. "Let's go. Take off your clothes. I don't have a lot of time."

  Reid's good humor held, but not by much as he took off his hat, shirt, then his long underwear top. He stood staring at her as his hand rested on the button on his pants. "You sure you want me to do this?"

  "Positive."

  "You gonna watch?"

  "Damn straight." She gestured with her gun for him to get a move on.

  "I'm gonna have to sit down and take my boots off so I can get my pants off."

  "Go right ahead."

  He sat down hard and tugged at his boots. When they were off, he stood and dropped his pants. Reid then stood before Cody in only his long johns.