by Ana Leigh
They entered the deserted livery. A moment later, a lone man slipped through the door.
Rico recognized him as the man who had been in the cantina. “You in charge here?”
“Yeah. I heard you asking about Ben Slatter.”
Rico exchanged a quick glance with Masters. “What about him?”
“He ain’t coming to town tonight.”
“How do you know?”
“I passed his camp earlier. Him and his gang were bedded down for the night.”
“Two women with them?” Don asked.
“Looked to be. I only got a quick look. As soon as I saw it was the Slatter gang, I hightailed it out of there as fast as I could. You don’t fool around with them boys.”
“Where were they?”
“At a water hole about five miles from here.”
“Will you take us to it?”
The man snorted. “Not on your life. Them fellas are mean, and they’d kill me for sure if they found out I told you. I’ve seen Slatter when he was drunk gut a man for just bumping into him. And I’ve heard what they do to women before they kill them is worse than what a Indian would do.”
“We’ll pay you if you take us to them,” Rico said.
“Money don’t do a dead man no good. Are you lawmen?”
“No. We’re trying to rescue the women with them,” Don interjected.
“I can’t help you. I just thought I’d let you know they wouldn’t be in town tonight.”
Rico burned with desperation. This could be the culmination of his three-year search, and he wasn’t going to let it slip through his fingers!
When the stranger turned to leave, Rico grabbed him by the shirt front and slammed him up against the wall.
“Listen, you yellow-belly coward. You’re going to show me where to find them or I’ll kill you myself.”
“All right I’ll take you there!” the man cried out.
Rico released him. “Let’s go. We’re wasting time.”
Rico’s excitement grew with every heartbeat as they moved through the night. After three years of endless pursuit, he was about to confront the men who raped and murdered his mother.
Finally, he’d be able to resume a normal life. He could return to his cousins in California whom he loved dearly, and most important, he could commit himself to loving a woman and raising a family.
They reined up when they heard a woman scream, and swiftly dismounted. “Get out of here,” Rico ordered their guide. He didn’t have to tell the man twice; he wheeled his horse and pounded away. Rifles in hand, Rico and Masters approached on foot.
The minutes had passed like hours as Jenny waited to make sure Kansas had fallen asleep before she made an attempt to escape. Without a campfire, the figures on the ground were hard to distinguish, but she knew where Andrea was lying. Slatter’s snores continued and her hand was trembling as she leaned over him and cautiously removed the knife from the top of his boot. Then squatting, she stole across the clearing to Andrea and put a hand across the mouth of her sleeping aunt to keep her from crying out in alarm.
Startled, Andrea’s eyes popped open. Jenny motioned for her to be silent and quickly cut the rope binding Andrea’s hands. Then Andrea’s cry of warning came too late.
Slatter grabbed Jenny by the hair and pulled her to her feet. Cursing, he backhanded her with a slap that knocked her to the ground. Andrea leaped at Slatter to pull him away, but the powerful man grabbed her by the throat and started to choke her.
Clutching the knife, Jenny got to her feet and drove it into Slatter’s shoulder. His enraged bellow woke the others and they came to his rescue. Releasing Andrea, Slatter reached back and pulled the knife out and then turned his full wrath on Jenny.
She tried to run away, but hands reached out to restrain her as Slatter approached her, knife in hand.
“You treacherous bitch. You’re gonna pay for this. Hold her down, boys.” Eddie and Curly stretched her out spread-eagled on the ground.
Slatter’s eyes gleamed with evil and madness. “You wanted to play with knives, sister, you’ll find out what fun it can be. Your daddy’s gonna get your parts back in a bag.”
“No-o-o!” Andrea screamed, horrified. She tried to come to Jenny’s rescue, but Kansas grabbed her.
The sound of a rifle shot split the night, and they all jerked up their heads. Eddie pitched forward, blood flowing from his temple. Slatter and Kansas dove for the nearest cover, but Curly scrambled over to Eddie’s body.
“He’s dead. My brother’s dead!” he shouted, then keeled over when the shot that followed struck him in the heart.
“It’s that damn patrol,” Slatter snarled at Kansas. “I oughta shoot you on the spot.”
“It ain’t the army—they’d have ridden in! It must be bandits after our horses and supplies.”
With Kansas and Slatter hunched down behind the protection of a boulder, the two women remained flattened on the ground. Since the two men couldn’t reach them or shoot them without exposing themselves, Jenny crawled over to Andrea.
“Were you hit?” she whispered.
“No. Are you okay?” Andrea asked.
“Yes. Now’s our chance to escape. Kansas said it’s bandits attacking, and they’re probably just as bad as Slatter’s gang. Let’s get out of here and hope they kill each other,” Jenny said as bullets continued to fly. “Stay down and follow me.”
They crawled away and disappeared into the darkness of the surrounding trees.
5
“Dammit!” Rico swore when he moved into the clearing. If Eddie Carson hadn’t been blocking his view, he could have taken out Slatter with his first shot. Masters’s shot had killed Curly, but Slatter and Kansas had returned his fire. Now everyone was gone.
Masters had gone after the two women when he saw them crawl away. What condition they were in was hard to tell from a distance, but there hadn’t been time to move any closer, because Slatter was about to use a knife on the Burke girl.
He bent down and picked up the knife Slatter had dropped at the outbreak of the fight. There were traces of blood on the blade.
The slight snap of a twig caused him to spin around and he made out the faint outline of an approaching figure, then lowered his rifle.
“Dammit, Masters, I could have shot you. Did you even think of calling out to me?”
“How was I to know it was you until I got closer?” Don asked.
“Any sign of the women?”
“No. It’s pitch-black in those trees; I couldn’t see a thing. Are Slatter and Kansas dead?”
“No, they got away.”
“My God, those animals could stumble on Andrea and Jenny! They’d kill them for sure, now. We’ve got to find the women before Slatter does.”
“You go right ahead, Masters. There’s not much that can be done until daylight,” Rico said. “Then I’m going after Slatter.”
“And the women?”
“Are your problem now.”
“But they’re probably lost, could even be hurt! Lord knows what those killers might have done to them before we arrived—or will do if they find them.”
“You don’t need me to get them back to the fort.”
“Rico, I need your help right now. There are other dangers out here besides Slatter. Finding them as quickly as possible is critical.”
Rico sighed. Deep inside, he’d known his conscience would never let him walk away from the plight of the two women.
“All right. But there’s nothing more we can do until daylight, so let’s get some sleep. It’ll be light in a couple of hours.”
After an hour, breathless from their hurried escape through the darkness, Jenny and Andrea paused and leaned against one of the huge boulders that lined the path.
“How does your ankle feel?” Jenny asked.
Andrea slumped to the ground. “It hurts, but I can still walk on it. I’m sorry for twisting it, Jenny. I know I’m slowing us up.”
“I think we should try to find a
safe place to conceal ourselves until the sun comes up. Then we can take a better look at it,” Jenny said.
“Do you have any idea where we are?”
Jenny shook her head and sat down beside her. “I’m just trying to get as far away from that water hole as we can.”
“But how can you be sure we’re even going in the right direction?”
“Have you ever known me to lose my way? When we reached that water hole, the direction we came from was directly to my back. I never moved from that spot until I crawled over to you.” She pointed skyward. “See that shiny star up there? That’s the polestar—the North Star. I’m using that as a guide. Once the sun rises, we’ll head east.”
“We could still miss the fort by miles.”
“But once out of these mountains, we’re sure to stumble on a ranch or town.”
“I hope so,” Andrea said. “Then let’s find a safe place to hide until morning.”
“I guess this is as good a place as any. We’ll squeeze in between a couple of these boulders. That will rest your ankle and maybe we can get some sleep.”
They managed to wedge in between two of them and cuddled together to stay warm.
Andrea continued to be plagued with doubts. “Jenny, what if that was actually Captain Masters’s patrol attacking?”
“I think there would have been more shots fired. I suppose it might have been the scout, Rico Fraser. More than likely he would have been alone.” Jenny thought for a long moment, then said, “No, I think it was another bandit gang.”
She closed her eyes and was on the verge of drifting to sleep when Andrea said, “If it was Mr. Fraser, do you think he survived the battle? It would have been four against one.”
“I don’t know. I wasn’t about to raise my head to watch what was happening. All I could think of was getting us out of there.”
Andrea’s voice trembled when she asked, “What if Slatter’s still alive and is trailing us?”
“I doubt he’d head back toward the fort. He’d be riding into overwhelming odds against him. Of course, he’s insane enough to ignore that.”
Andrea shuddered. “Well, if it was Mr. Fraser, I pray he survived.”
“I don’t think that bounty hunter is easy to kill, or someone would have done so by now.” Jenny finally slipped into slumber.
A light sprinkle woke Jenny and Andrea at daylight. “Oh dear, your ankle is badly swollen!” Jenny exclaimed.
“I’m sure I can walk on it.” Wincing with pain, Andrea tried to take a few steps.
“You can’t travel with that foot. We’ll have to stay here until some of that swelling goes down. I’ll help you back into the rocks, then I’ll try to find us someplace more comfortable. If I’m lucky, maybe I’ll find another water hole.”
“You aren’t going far, are you?”
“No. I’m sure I’ll find something nearby, now that it’s daylight. Stay concealed until I get back.”
“Be careful, Jenny,” Andrea said.
“I will. Just stay there and rest your ankle. I’ll be back shortly.”
Don awoke to discover there had been a mild sprinkle during the night and the ground and leaves on the trees were wet. There was no sign of Rico or his horse, and his first thought was that the scout had left in pursuit of Slatter. He felt overwhelmed with hopelessness. Rico had given him his word that he would help him find the girls, and would have staked his life that the scout would honor it.
He knew his limitations. He was no scout, and his only certainty was that the fort was northeast. Would Andrea and Jenny figure the same and head toward the rising sun? he wondered as he saddled his horse. Perhaps, if he was lucky, he’d find some sign of them.
Damn Rico! Don reflected as he mounted his horse and headed north, where the women had crawled. How could he desert these two helpless women?
Not even certain of what he was looking for, Don rode along slowly, studying the ground. He dismounted when he saw the faint outline of a footprint in the damp earth. A closer examination proved it was too small to belong to a man. And it had to be fresh or the rain would have washed it away. Now confident he was on the right track, he continued on.
He paused and dismounted in front of some large boulders where the ground showed signs of scuffled prints. The girls must have spent the night here.
“Andrea, Jenny,” he called out.
“Don!” a voice cried joyously. Andrea slipped out from between the rocks and, sobbing, she threw her arms around his neck and clung to him. His arms closed around her protectively.
“Where’s Jenny?” he asked when her tears subsided.
“She’s looking for water and a better place for us to conceal ourselves. I twisted my ankle and can’t walk on it.”
He sat her down and checked her ankle, “There’s no doubt you’ll have to stay off that ankle for a couple of days,” he said as he got his canteen from the saddle. “As soon as Jenny returns, we’ll get out of here. The two of you can ride double on my horse.”
“Your horse? Where’s your patrol?”
“There is no patrol. I’m alone.”
“Then it was you who attacked that gang last night? We thought it was bandits, that’s why we ran away.”
He grinned. “At least you ran in the right direction. But I have no idea where we are other than that.”
“You mean you’re lost, too?” Her disappointment was evident.
“I came with Rico Fraser, the scout I introduced you to last week. But he was gone when I woke up this morning. I assume he went after Slatter and Kansas Brody. They got away last night.” Don glanced around nervously. “How long has Jenny been gone?”
“I guess about thirty minutes or so. Do you think Slatter might have followed us?”
“I don’t know. I’m not an experienced scout, so I can’t read trail signs too well.”
“Dear God, what if they find Jenny?”
“I think they’d have headed out of this area. And the sooner we get out of here, too, the better.”
“Do you know the way back to the fort?”
“I’m pretty sure I can get us there. If we continue east, we should cross the path—”
The sudden sound of a rifle shot startled them as a bullet shaved a strip of bark off a tree nearest Don. Spooked, his horse bolted away. “Stay down,” Don shouted and they crawled toward the cover of the rocks.
“I don’t know who you are, mister,” a voice called out, “but I want that woman with you.”
“That’s Slatter,” Andrea said. “I’d recognize his voice anywhere.”
“Damn! My rifle’s on my horse, and a pistol’s useless at this distance.”
“Did you hear me?” Slatter called out.
“I’m Captain Donald Masters, United States Cavalry,” Don shouted. “Lay down your weapon and come out with your hands in the air. My patrol is nearby and your shot will attract their attention.”
“You ain’t no soldier boy—I seen ya, and you ain’t wearin’ no uniform. And there ain’t no army patrol in this area or I’d of seen it. So hightail it out of here, ’cause I ain’t tellin’ you again.”
Don slipped Andrea his Colt. “As soon as I get up, get back into those rocks and shoot anyone who comes in after you.”
“He’ll kill you the minute you stand up,” she said.
“Andrea, do as I say. Now get going.”
“Time’s up,” Slatter shouted. Several shots whizzed past their heads.
“Okay, okay,” Don yelled. “I’ll get out of here. How do I know you won’t shoot me when I stand up?”
Slatter stepped out in the open and laid his rifle on the ground. “I’m a man of my word, mister.”
“This woman said you have partners.”
“They’re all dead. You got ten seconds to get on your way.”
Don stood up and Slatter shouted, “Have a good trip, sucker. And tell the devil Ben Slatter sends his regards.”
Kansas’s shot from concealment hit Don. He fell to the g
round after the second shot.
Andrea crawled over to his fallen body. She emptied the pistol at them, but her shots went wild. Sobbing, she laid her head against Don’s chest as Slatter and Kansas approached.
6
Jenny felt a rising panic. Not only had she failed to find food or water, but she had lost her sense of direction.
She took a deep breath as she looked around for the dozenth time. Don’t panic. She would have sworn she was on the right path; now everything looked alike to her. The trees, the rocks…. Why hadn’t she paid closer attention to where she was going?
She sank down to the ground. Think, Jenny. You haven’t come that far, so you must be near the spot.
When she left Andrea she had walked downhill, so she had to go uphill to return. She had already done that. Had she turned right or left?
She jumped to her feet. Right! I turned right when I reached some dying piñon trees! Find that copse of trees, Jenny. It has to be around here somewhere. And this time mark where you’re going.
Jenny struggled up a bluff that overlooked the immediate area and located the dead trees. Upon reaching them, she found a broken branch, then picked up a rock and drove the stick into the ground. Gathering up some pebbles, she formed an arrow pointing in the direction she was heading, and stuffed several handfuls of them in her pocket for whenever she changed direction. This time she would make certain she wasn’t going in circles. With a determined stride she started out again to find Andrea’s location.
After about half a mile, certain she was on the wrong track, she reversed her steps to get back to the marker.
She screamed in alarm when a figure stepped out from behind a tree.
“You out for a stroll, Miss Burke?”
“Oh, thank God,” she managed to gasp when she recognized Rico Fraser.
“May I ask what you’re doing here, ma’am?”
“Looking for some food and water.”
“Stay where you are. I’ll be right back,” he said.
Relieved, she slumped down on the ground and waited for him to return.