Badlands Beware

by Nicole Helm

  She didn’t knock. She stepped inside, and she could hear Tucker striding quickly behind her as if he meant to beat her to the house and take over.

  No. Not on this. “Grandma Pauline?”

  “What on earth are you doing here?” Pauline demanded.

  Rachel could make out her form over by the sink or oven. “We need to get into the safe.”

  Tucker closed the door behind her, and she could feel him standing next to her. She couldn’t see Grandma Pauline’s expression, but she could feel the hesitation in the silence.

  Rachel nodded toward Tucker. “We have the combination. Because Dad gave us a clue. He wants us to get into the safe.”

  Grandma Pauline sighed. “All right, then. Follow me.”

  “That wasn’t exactly asking nicely,” Tucker muttered into her ear. He took her arm as if he meant to lead her, and though she didn’t need it in this house, she didn’t mind her arm in his hand.

  “I can say things like that to her. You can’t,” Rachel whispered back as Grandma Pauline led them down into the basement.

  Rachel had to trust Grandma Pauline and Tucker to open the safe. To tell her what was inside. She knew from hearing everyone talk about it that it was a giant safe. The boys used to joke it was where Grandma Pauline hid dead bodies.

  Rachel shuddered at the thought.

  “Bottom shelf there. That’s Duke’s,” Grandma Pauline said in her no-nonsense way.

  Tucker let go of her elbow. There was the sound of shuffling and scraping. “It’s another safe,” Tucker said, sounding wholly baffled. “Not small, either. What on earth is happening here?”

  “Is it another combination?”

  “No. This one has a lock. I’m assuming that’s what the key you found is for.”

  “Well, open it,” she urged. Surely this safe wouldn’t lead to yet another. Surely this was the last step.

  Rachel had to wait more interminable seconds. She could hear Tucker fitting the key into the hole on the lock. The click. A squeak as the safe opened.

  Tucker swore. Not angrily but more shock. More...fear. Rachel even heard Grandma Pauline’s sharp inhale of surprise.

  “What is it?” Rachel demanded when no one spoke.

  “Rachel...”

  “Tell me,” she insisted. “Now.”

  Tucker sighed. “It looks like... It looks like the knife you described in your dream. And there’s...there’s old blood on it.”

  Rachel couldn’t even make sense of that. “I don’t understand.”

  “He kept the weapon that injured you. Kept it locked away.” There was a ribbon of hurt in Tucker’s voice that finally made the words sink in.

  Except, how...

  “He kept the knife. That hurt me. On purpose.”

  “You knew,” Tucker accused, and Rachel understood he was talking to Grandma Pauline.

  “No. Not in the way you think,” Grandma Pauline replied. Though she didn’t betray any emotion, she didn’t speak with her usual verve. “After the accident, Duke was distraught. He needed... Well, he felt alone. Guilty. Responsible. Now, you’ve both dealt with the Sons enough to know that it wasn’t his fault. It was those awful people’s fault.”

  It was an admonition disguised as fact—Grandma Pauline’s specialty. It didn’t make Rachel feel any better about anything, though.

  “He asked me to hide something for him and not to ask questions. I didn’t. He called it insurance. That’s all I know about it. Timing-wise, I knew it connected to what happened to Rachel, but not how or what.”

  “It doesn’t make sense. If he had what hurt me, he would have taken it to the police. He would have used it.” She turned toward Tucker’s form. “Why wouldn’t he have used what he could to put them in jail with this when it happened?”

  “I don’t know, Rach.”

  He sounded immeasurably sad, which of course made her feel worse. Dad had kept a weapon that had blinded her at the age of three. Locked it up like he was protecting the people who’d hurt her.

  “I know it’s hard, but let’s not jump to conclusions.”

  “Not jump to conclusions?” Rachel couldn’t tell where Grandma Pauline was standing in the dark with her own heart beating so loud in her ears. “I was blinded by a man with that knife when I was three years old. I might have been killed. I’ll jump to every damn conclusion I want.”

  And because all she wanted to do was cry, she marched back the way she’d come and up the stairs.

  * * *

  “WELL, DON’T JUST stand there, boy. Go follow her.”

  “Grandma...” Tucker couldn’t wrap his head around it. He didn’t know how this could have gotten so much worse. “This is...”

  “You don’t know what it is. And before you get all high and mighty on me, I don’t know what it is, either. I took the safe and put it in my own because a friend asked me to. I didn’t ask any questions, because I’d been around enough to understand some things are better left alone.”

  “He made her believe—and all of us believe—she’d been mauled by an animal.”

  “Any person who’d use that knife on a child is an animal. That’s the truth of it. You don’t know Duke’s truth or what he’s done or escaped or how this might have been him protecting her. Don’t you think I’ve done some shady things to protect you and your brothers?”

  It was a horrible thought. She’d raised them to do what was right. To uphold the law after watching their father break it, try to destroy it for the entirety of their childhoods. And she was admitting to shady things to keep them safe.

  “Rachel’s hurting. She feels betrayed. Fair enough. But you’re protecting her, which means you’ve got to think beyond her hurt. Duke’s a good man. You know it and I know it.”

  “Maybe he’s not as good as we think he is.”

  “Or maybe, good isn’t as simple as you want it to be. Now, go after her.”

  Tucker did as he was told, in part because it was habit and in part because he was worried what Rachel would do next. He knew what it was like to feel like you could never understand or believe in your father, but she never had.

  She wasn’t in the kitchen and the door was ajar, so he stepped outside. She was pacing the yard. He had a feeling that constant movement was what kept her from losing the battle with tears.

  “We need to keep moving. Stay on plan.”

  She shook her head. “The plan? To save him from those people when he...” She just kept shaking her head as if she could negate the truth. “He shouldn’t have that. I can’t think of one good reason he’d have it locked up.”

  “Then let’s go find out the reason,” Tucker said gently. “We find your father. We have our answers.”

  “What if the answers are... What if he’s...”

  She couldn’t get the words out, so he supplied them for her. “Not the man you thought he was?”

  Her lips trembled, but she gave a sharp nod.

  “Nothing he’s done changes two very simple facts. One, we know he helped bring down dirty cops. Whatever he’s done, he fought for the right thing and probably out of a need to protect his family. Two, he’s been a great father and a good man for as long as I’ve known him. If he made a mistake, it might have been for the right reasons. Or maybe it’s forgivable. Or maybe, it wasn’t a mistake at all. We don’t know until we talk to him.” He took her by the shoulders, trying to give her a certainty he didn’t fully believe. “He gave you the clue. You figured it out. No matter what...we have to see this through. If only so you can have some answers.”

  “Answers. What possible answer could make this not awful?”

  “I don’t know. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t one.”

  She leaned into him. They didn’t have the time, and yet he couldn’t rush her. Not when she was grappling with what he knew too well was... He hat
ed his father. Always had. Yet even with all that hate, it was complicated knowing he was related to someone so awful.

  Duke wasn’t awful. Grandma had that right. Whatever mistake he might have made, it wouldn’t have been done out of cruelty. Tucker had to believe that, and with answers, they’d all be able to move forward.

  “Come on. Let’s head over to Bonesteel. We’ll meet with Cody and come up with a plan to get to Duke. He wanted us to find this, Rach. Maybe it’s useful. Important.”

  “Should we leave it with Grandma Pauline if it’s so important?”

  “She’ll keep it safe. That’s why it’s here in the first place.”

  “Tucker...” She pulled away, and tilted her head toward him. Her eyebrows drew together and she opened her mouth but didn’t say anything, as if she was struggling to come up with the words.

  She needed reassurance, and Tucker didn’t feel very sure, but he wanted to give that to her. Wanted her to be able to believe in Duke and trust that they were doing the right thing trying to save him from North Star, the Viannis and the Sons. “It’ll be okay. I’m not saying it will be easy, but it’ll be okay. I know it.”

  It had to be.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Tucker had to lead Rachel to Cody and Nina’s door. Rachel had been to their house in Bonesteel a few times, but most family get-togethers were at one of the ranches. She didn’t know her way around very many other places.

  Tucker had explained he was parking around back, so she knew she was being led to the back door, which opened into a kitchen. Since it was the middle of the day, Nina was probably teaching her seven-year-old Brianna and Liza’s half sister, the just-turned-five Gigi. Her and Liza traded off homeschool-teaching duties.

  The door squeaked open. Immediately Nina went, “Oh,” as if she knew exactly what was going on.

  Then Rachel was quickly being ushered inside and greeted by her enthusiastic niece.

  “Aunt Rachel! I didn’t know you were coming over. Are you good at adding?”

  “Brianna,” Nina said in that warning tone moms always seemed to have. “No having Rachel or Tuck do your math while I go get your father.”

  “Where’s Gigi?” Rachel asked as she heard Nina retreat.

  “She’s sick. I heard Aunt Liza say she threw up everywhere,” Brianna said with some glee. “If you had three hundred and twenty-four...um, apples. And then Uncle Tuck brought you fifty-seven more—”

  “Brianna!” Nina yelled from somewhere deeper in the house.

  Brianna humphed. “Why are you guys visiting in the middle of the day?” Brianna seemed to suddenly realize it was odd timing. “Is there trouble again?”

  Poor girl. She was way too intimately acquainted with trouble. Rachel forced a reassuring smile. “Just a little, but it’s a problem for Uncle Tuck and me. Nothing for you to worry about.”

  “You need Daddy’s help?”

  “Only for a few minutes,” Tucker interjected. “He won’t even have to leave home.”

  Brianna sighed with some relief. “So are you guys going to get married then?”

  Tucker seemed to choke on his own spit, and Rachel found herself utterly speechless.

  “What now?” Tuck finally managed, though his voice sounded croaky at best.

  “Well, when Mommy and Daddy were in trouble, they ended up getting married. And same with Aunt Liza and Uncle Jamison. Then Uncle Gage and Aunt Felicity are getting married and having a baby. Uncle Brady and Aunt Cecilia aren’t getting married yet, but I heard Mom say that it was inevitable. Now you two are in trouble. So...”

  “No, sweetheart, that’s not...how it works...exactly.” Tucker sounded so pained it was almost funny.

  There was the sound of footsteps and low murmurs. Then Nina’s voice. “Get your math book, Bri. We’ll go finish up in the living room.”

  There was a long suffering sigh and the shuffle of books, papers and feet.

  “Say goodbye to your aunt and uncle.”

  “Aren’t they going to stay for dinner? We could order pizza.” Nina must have given her a significant mom look because Brianna groaned and stomped away.

  Rachel felt Nina’s slim hand on her arm. “I’m sure Cody and Tucker can take care of whatever this is.”

  Rachel slid her arm away. “Don’t do that to me. You didn’t let Cody and Jamison handle your thing.”

  “Rach, I’m just saying... You’re not a part of this. You could go home and—”

  “I am a part of this. I’m the only reason we’ve gotten this far. Isn’t that right, Tucker?”

  There was a hesitation, like he might refute her so Nina could whisk her away and keep her safe. But there was no safety here. Whether she helped get Dad away from North Star or these other groups or not, Dad had still lied to her—to all of them.

  She wanted to believe there was a reason for it. Maybe she had to do this so she could actually...see it. If someone just told her, even Dad, that it was for her own good...

  She’d never be able to forgive him.

  “Rachel’s right,” Tucker finally said. “We wouldn’t be this far without her. If we’re going to get Duke away from North Star—”

  “Woah, woah, woah,” Cody’s voice interrupted Tucker. “What makes you think you’re getting anyone away from North Star?”

  “They tried to kidnap me,” Rachel said.

  “Rach, if they tried, you’d be kidnapped.”

  “No, she’s right,” Tucker told him. “They sent this woman named Shay to take her. They must have been listening in somehow and knew she was getting clues about everything from her dreams. Shay and I fought—”

  “No offense, Tuck, but Shay’d take you down in a heartbeat.”

  “You know her that well?”

  There was a pause. “I worked with her quite a bit. She’s helped me out of a few jams.”

  “I have to go help Bri,” Nina said softly. “Just...be careful. Both of you.” Rachel felt arms wrap around her and squeeze, then heard the sounds of Nina exiting the room.

  “I pointed out to Shay that kidnapping an innocent bystander wasn’t necessary,” Tucker said. “That I wouldn’t let anyone put a mission above her life. Eventually, she agreed with me.”

  “So, she let you go.”

  “Yeah. Because she knew I was right. She knew that what North Star has been doing isn’t what I signed up for.”

  “What you signed up for?”

  Tucker huffed out a breath. “What? You don’t believe they’d tap me for some help? I’m not North Star material?”

  “I didn’t say that,” Cody said evenly.

  Rachel wanted to defend Tucker, but it wouldn’t change the fact he felt slighted by his baby brother. Still, she understood a little too well what it was like to be overlooked. Underestimated. To not fully realize it until the crap hit the fan.

  I’m sure Cody and Tucker can take care of whatever this is. Nina meant well, because she loved her. Because they were sisters. But it still hurt.

  Silence remained. Tucker and Cody were likely having some nonverbal conversation she’d never be privy to.

  Rachel could be mad about that, and pout, or she could take matters into her own hands. “After we ran from Shay, after she let us, Dad sent us a note, through Shay. It led us to the weapon that did this to me.” She pointed at her face. “We could hand that over to North Star, but what would they do with it?”

  Cody didn’t answer for a few seconds. “I couldn’t say.”

  “But you know as well as I do that it wouldn’t be used to save my dad or keep me safe. It would be used to take someone down.”

  “Taking those people down would be keeping you safe.”

  “Would it? Because Ace is in jail. So is Elijah and Andy Jay and all the Sons members who’ve come after you all this year. They’re all in jail. Am I safe, Cod
y? Are you?”

  Cody didn’t have anything to say to that, either.

  “Dad sent me this note in secret. He wanted me to get that evidence without North Star knowing. What does that tell you about what North Star is doing? Shay let us go and she works for North Star.”

  “Look, you avoided getting kidnapped because Shay let you. Maybe you’re right and North Star can get a little...people blind. Regardless, you can’t get into North Star and get Duke out. You just can’t. They’re too well organized.”

  “You know where he’s being held?” Tucker asked.

  “I have an idea. You wouldn’t make it within fifty yards without them picking you up. Then they’d have Rachel like they wanted in the first place. And you’re right, mission comes first. It has to or they can’t do what they do.”

  “I don’t care what they do, Cody. I care about my father. I care about the fact someone did this to me when I was three, and I won’t let them do anything else to my family. Maybe I’m not a detective or a secret operative, but I sure as hell am in the middle of this thing.”

  “She’s right,” Tucker said softly. “She remembers things. She knows Duke. North Star wanted to kidnap her. She’s smack dab in the middle of this.”

  “Why are you, Tuck?”

  “Because North Star asked me to be. But they’ve taken a wrong turn, and I won’t let that hurt Duke. They asked me to keep his daughters safe—so that’s what I’m going to do.”

  “If I tell you where Duke probably is, like I said, it’s not going to go well. I can’t tell you how to sneak in. They’ll know you’re coming a mile away. I can’t help you get in there. I’m not part of North Star anymore, and as much as I know, they know I know it. They’d have protections against it if they wanted to keep me—or someone related to me—out.”

  “You know how to get in touch with Shay.”

  When Cody spoke, his voice was firm. “I won’t get her kicked out.”