Love's Mountain Quest

by Misty M. Beller

  It must have been at least twenty minutes, or maybe only ten, since time seemed to crawl by, but then the sound of a voice drifted from the cabin. Too deep to be Aaron or Nate, but definitely male.

  Then it struck him. Something he should have thought about long before now. Where were the horses?

  They used to keep them either in this area in front of the cabin or in a section farther up the mountain. Seeing the horses would help them know with more certainty that the gang was holed up in the cabin. Then again, he’d heard the voice moments before, which meant someone was there.

  Easing backward, he turned and stepped out of the crevice, then limped toward Tillis.

  The man stepped from behind a tree as he approached. “See anything?”

  Isaac shook his head. “I heard a man’s voice coming from inside. Just a word or two I couldn’t make out. We need to locate their horses, though. There’s a little grassy spot up the mountain where we sometimes tied a rope corral to let the horses graze. Do you wanna hike up and see if the animals are there?” Should they cut them loose? If the horses came clambering down the mountain, it might stir the men into a frenzy.

  But then . . . maybe that’s exactly what they needed. At the right time.

  Stepping closer to Tillis, he spoke in low tones. And within a couple minutes, they had developed a plan.

  One that would require divine help to carry out.

  It took everything in Joanna not to pace. Not to call out for Isaac to see what was happening. Not to race up the mountain after him.

  What if he fell, and the noise alerted the kidnappers? What if they were a day too late for her son? For Laura? Bile churned in her stomach at the thought of what her friend had likely suffered. Joanna couldn’t imagine what that would be like.

  Didn’t want to imagine.

  One of the men—a Mr. Camden—had a pocket watch. He was kind enough not to share the time unless she asked, but as an hour passed, then another fifteen minutes, then five more, his tone said his patience with her requests was waning.

  Finally, she turned to the group. “Something must have happened. They were only going to scout out the area, confirm who was there, and come back so we could make a plan. I’m going up to see what’s wrong. Is there one man who’d like to accompany me? I think it’s best if we stick in pairs.”

  Mr. Knight straightened and opened his mouth to respond, but before a word could come out, a voice sounded behind her.

  “No need.”

  She spun to face the newcomer, even as the timbre of Isaac’s voice settled the raw edges of her nerves. “Isaac.”

  He was safe, as hale and hearty as he’d been when he and Mr. Tillis walked up the mountain. The livery owner now stood behind him, and both of their expressions looked optimistic.

  Or maybe that was wishful thinking on her part.

  She strode toward them, as much to do something with herself as to learn what they’d found. “What did you discover?”

  Isaac spoke up, his usual confident presence easily taking over the lead role in this mission. “The cabin is mostly quiet, but I heard a man’s voice inside. Their horses are in a rope corral a little farther up the mountain. We have a plan, but it will take all of us to pull it off.”

  “You didn’t see Samuel? Or Laura?” She had to stop herself from clutching his arm, squeezing answers from him that would reassure her at least a little.

  Isaac met her gaze, pain deepening the green of his eyes. “Not yet. But everyone looked to be holed inside. We’ll know soon.”

  She forced herself to take a breath and nod. She had to trust that between Isaac, these men, and her heavenly Father, her boy and friend would be saved.

  And unhurt. Lord, please.

  As Isaac laid out the plan they’d developed, with a few added comments from Mr. Tillis, the knot in her middle pulled tighter, her chest nearly closing off breath more than once.

  It might work. Or it could make things even worse.

  Yet as the men around her batted about questions and pondered other options, the truth became painfully clear. This was their best hope to rescue the prisoners and take down the gang members.

  Both of those goals were of utmost importance. They had to make sure this awful evil was never forced on anyone else.

  Isaac stood at the edge of the crevice once again, peeking around the corner to see the cabin. This time his walking sticks lay at his feet and he held his rifle, fully cocked and ready to take down any man who stepped out, firmly against his shoulder.

  Knight stood behind him, then Tillis, then the rest of the men. All except Adam Canton, who was helping Joanna with the horses. She’d argued vehemently against being given a job so far away from the main action—or at least from the bulk of the gunfire.

  He wanted her as far away from flying bullets as he could get her. Lord, protect this woman. No matter what, keep her safe. Please.

  He may have lost his chance with her, but he still wanted her to be healthy and happy. And to have her son safe in her arms.

  As he studied the slits in the cabin wall, he was fairly certain a flash of white passed in front of one of them. Could that be Miss Hannon? Or one of the men? If only he knew what was happening inside.

  A whinny sounded in the distance, then an answering call. He glanced behind him, even though he could see nothing, save the stone wall and a few treetops above it. Enough time had passed that Joanna and Adam were probably releasing the horses up on the hill.

  The excitement would start any time now.

  A few more painful minutes passed as his nerves bunched tighter and tighter.

  Then a shot split the air. That would be Adam shooting to rile the horses. He focused on the cabin, squinting to see any motion, any shift of lighting at those peepholes. His ears strained for sound, both from behind and ahead.

  Something shifted at the slit cut into the door. One of the men peering out probably. He raised his rifle and squinted down the barrel. Did he dare shoot without knowing who stood on the other side of that wood? The men probably wouldn’t allow the woman or boy near the peepholes, not if they were prisoners.

  But he couldn’t take that chance.

  Especially with Joanna’s son.

  His ears picked up a distant sound. The clack of hooves on stone, if he wasn’t mistaken. Probably not loud enough yet for the men in the cabin to hear.

  But as the seconds passed, the noise grew louder. The shrill whinny of a horse sounded again, either in excitement or fright. Keep the animals safe, Lord. Isaac didn’t want them hurt, just needed them to draw the men out of the cabin.

  He kept his gaze sighted down the barrel of his Hawken, and when the door opened, he was ready.

  A figure darted out, tall and lean, with a brown shirt and dark trousers that almost hid him against the worn wood of the cabin. Yet it wasn’t hard to recognize the set of his shoulders, the way the man carried himself. The fellow sprinted to his left toward the wall, where Isaac would have to expose more of himself to follow the man with his rifle.

  But the pain in his chest made him pause. Could he shoot Aaron? Actually kill a man? He had to wound him at least. Shoot his gun hand? Except the man had been almost as good with his left as his right. Maybe he could hit a leg so he’d stay put.

  He had to do it now. Pushing everything from his mind except his focus down the rifle barrel, he leaned around the rock wall. Aaron had run the length of the long stretch and now sprinted down the short wall straight toward Isaac, gripping a rifle in both hands. His legs were moving too fast for an accurate shot, so he raised the gun to aim at the right shoulder. Far enough from the heart it shouldn’t do too much damage.

  He squeezed the trigger.

  TWENTY-FOUR

  Through the haze of gun smoke, Isaac watched as Aaron jerked but didn’t fall. More relief swept through him than he should have felt. The rifle must have fallen from Aaron’s hands when the bullet hit, for he reached down and swooped it up with his left hand, then pressed himse
lf flat against the rock wall.

  He turned his gaze to Isaac, but no flash of recognition appeared on Aaron’s face. He breathed hard, his shoulders rising in great heaves from the effort he’d spent. And maybe from the pain of the bullet wound, but Aaron showed no sign of it.

  Maybe now would be the time to barter for the prisoners’ release. He deepened his voice so maybe Aaron wouldn’t recognize it. “Turn yourself in and you won’t be hurt any further. We want the boy and woman back.”

  A flash of something crossed Aaron’s face—annoyance, maybe? But the expression fled, leaving only pressed lips to show his displeasure. “I’m not the one you need to convince.”

  Isaac exhaled a breath. So the kidnapping hadn’t been Aaron’s idea. “Then come this way and we’ll keep you from getting shot while we convince the others.”

  Aaron tipped his head, as though listening for something. Isaac cringed. He’d not disguised his voice that time. Did the man recognize him?

  But when Aaron spoke again, his voice didn’t carry a hint of suspicion. “Doesn’t sound very safe to me. How many of you are there? How do I know you won’t shoot me through the chest the minute I hand over my gun?”

  Isaac dipped his chin, focusing on changing the tone of his voice. “We have twice as many as you. All seasoned gunhands. Like I said, we came for the woman and the boy. As long as they’re turned over unharmed, none of you will be hurt.”

  Aaron looked straight into Isaac’s eyes, and this time there was no doubt in Isaac’s bones the man knew who he was. “It wasn’t my idea, Bowen. And I didn’t hurt either one of them.”

  Isaac sucked in a breath. A small part of him felt a wash of relief. Then he focused on Aaron’s other words: “I didn’t hurt either one of them.” Did that mean the others had? He opened his mouth to ask, but the distant clack of hooves was now a thundering sound. The animals were running down the grassy stretch just above them.

  Aaron tipped his head to listen, then raised his brows at Isaac. “It doesn’t matter what you try, Rex and Bill aren’t going to send them out. And I’m not leaving without my brother.”

  The determination in the man’s eyes was an all-too-familiar sight. Aaron and Nate held an unshakeable loyalty to each other. Isaac had never seen anything break that bond. Not even the weighty guilt brought on by a life of crime.

  “Step aside.” The low voice came from behind.

  Isaac pulled back, grabbing his walking sticks so he could hobble out of the crevice before the horses charged through.

  Joanna and Adam appeared through the trees, each riding their own mounts and leading two more horses. The men on the ground swarmed them, taking the ropes of the gang’s animals.

  A flurry of low comments sounded between the men, and Adam’s brother led the first horse forward to the crevice. If the gang kept the routine they’d used years ago, these horses would be used to walking through the narrow opening, over stone that would clatter loudly beneath their hooves.

  One by one, the men loosed the four horses into the courtyard area in front of the cabin. Isaac strained to hear anything the gang might be doing on the other side of the wall, but he could hear nothing except the noise of the animals.

  He limped forward behind the last horse, closing in the gap in case one of the animals tried to bolt back out. Or if one of the men—like Aaron—tried to leap aboard a mount and use the horse’s power to force his way to freedom.

  Carefully, he peered around the edge of the rock. The cabin appeared quiet, except for the four horses milling in front. Then he leaned farther to check Aaron’s position. That man would have had time to dart back into the building while they were bringing the horses in, but he still stood pressed against the rock wall.

  They needed to take him captive, but the thought of using force pressed hard on Isaac’s chest. He had to talk Aaron into coming on his own. But maybe the man would share a few details about the situation inside first.

  “Are the woman or boy hurt, Aaron?” He tried to keep his voice from sounding too harsh. Too demanding. Aaron was more likely to give information if he didn’t feel forced.

  “Just a few bruises and scrapes. Mostly from that woman trying to escape. She got in a gunfight with Bill, which didn’t help any of us.”

  A gunfight? He’d only met Miss Hannon a handful of times, but Bill had a reputation for his brawn and ruthlessness. She must have been desperate to take him on.

  A shuffling sounded behind him, and he glanced back to see Joanna sitting atop her horse, only an arm’s reach behind him. The way her face had blanched, she must have heard Aaron’s words.

  She met Isaac’s gaze with fire in her eyes. “I’m going to ride in. I’ll stay low and stir up the other horses so they can’t get a good shot at me.”

  “No.” He shook his head hard. “Once you’re through the opening in the rock, you’ll be fully exposed for anyone to pick you off. I’ll fire a shot to stir up the horses, then we’ll draw the men out.”

  Her chin jutted upward. “I doubt they’ll come. Even if they do, it’ll take too long. Who knows what they’re doing to my boy and my friend while we stand here. I’m going in.”

  The bile in his gut churned like a raging river. Under no condition could he allow Joanna to ride into that courtyard with rifles pointed at her, eager for the clear shot she would give the criminals.

  She was right that they needed to take action. His original plan hadn’t worked at all the way he’d hoped. He had to come up with something else.

  Something better.

  He didn’t dare fire into the cabin while he had no idea where the two innocents were. He wanted to go in after them himself. He hated sending these men into clear danger, but they had a better chance of coming out alive than Joanna. Once she saw her son, her decisions would likely be tinged by too much emotion.

  “I’ll do it.” Knight’s voice rang strong as he stepped up beside Joanna’s horse. The determination on his face brooked no argument as he reached for the animal’s reins and looked up at Joanna. “Like you said, Mrs. Watson, we don’t have a minute to lose. I’ll need to ride your horse.”

  “I’ll ride in with you.” Adam Canton still sat atop his horse behind Joanna. “Two of us can keep them on their toes.”

  Isaac eased out a sigh of relief. “I’d go in alone if I could, but I’d have trouble once I was off the horse.”

  Knight motioned for Joanna to dismount. “Please, Mrs. Watson. We need to hurry.”

  Her face was a tempest of conflicting emotions, and Isaac almost stepped in to make his case clear. But she finally leaned forward and dismounted. Knight leaped into the saddle and readied his rifle.

  “We’ll cover you with gunfire on this end.” Isaac held the horse’s reins as the man finished preparing for the charge.

  He turned back to the stone wall and eased around so he could see Aaron. “Drop your rifle, Aaron. This is your last chance to come join us out of the way of gunfire. Otherwise, your life’ll end with a stray bullet, likely as not.”

  Aaron studied him, then shifted his gaze back to the cabin. “Nate’s in there, tied up like a prisoner for trying to help the woman and boy. I’ve done a lot of things I’m not proud of in my life, but I’m not leaving my brother behind.” His voice rang firm.

  The knot pulled tighter in Isaac’s midsection. He’d not been able to imagine the Nate he knew taking part in whatever these men had planned for such innocents. As much as it was a relief to hear he’d not gone along willingly with the plan, this meant they’d need to get Nate out without injury, too.

  He turned back to the men behind Knight and Canton. “Make sure your rifles are loaded and ready. We need to keep steady fire toward the cabin to distract them, but don’t shoot inside the building unless you see one of the men shooting at us. Aim for the ground or the sky.”

  Then he looked to the two mounted with rifles at the ready, prepared to charge in the moment he gave the signal. Without wasting words, he relayed the new information about
Nate. “I have no idea where he’ll be tied or how the cabin is laid out these days. But Rex and Bill shouldn’t be hard to miss. They’ll be the ones shooting at you.” He couldn’t help a grimace.

  “Let’s go, then.” Knight straightened in the saddle, clearly raring to get started.

  With an ache in his chest, Isaac stepped aside. Sending these men in his place felt wrong in every way possible. Protect them, Lord. Guard them on every side, and make their mission successful.

  As soon as the horses cleared the rock crevice, Isaac stepped to the edge and fired a shot toward the sky just above and to the right of the cabin.

  Rifle fire lit from the building, and the two mounted men ducked low in their saddles. Knight’s small stature made it possible for the horse’s mane to almost cover him.

  They’d closed half the distance by the time Isaac had used up the bullets in all his guns. He stepped back to allow someone else to shoot while he reloaded, but stayed close enough to the edge of the opening so he could see what was happening in the yard.

  Canton was the first to reach the cabin door, and he leaped from his horse on the threshold. With rifle ready in both hands, he kicked hard on the door. The wood had to be at least a dozen years old and quite weathered, so it splintered easily enough under his blow.

  At that moment, Knight’s horse stumbled and went down, somersaulting the man forward on the ground. With a grace not many men could manage, he sprang to his feet, took half a second to get his bearings, then charged toward the cabin door.

  Maybe Canton’s entrance distracted the men inside enough to keep them from shooting Knight. Stop any bullets aimed at them, Lord.

  Shots continued inside the structure, and Isaac kept his focus pinned to the open doorway. A bit of gun smoke wafted out, but otherwise, he could see nothing but darkness.

  “Should we keep firing?” Joanna stepped back from the shooting position, planting herself just in front of him where she could still see the cabin. She must be out of bullets, too, for Wesley Canton stepped into her place at the wall.