by Jenna Brandt
Gwendolyn hadn’t known that about her husband. They hadn’t discussed what each of them felt about religion. She supposed neither of them thought it mattered, since the marriage was only temporary. Hearing Bradley confirm that not only was he a God-fearing man, but that it went beyond just words and applied to who he was at the core of him, however, made Gwendolyn’s heart soar with joy. The more she found out about her husband, the more she realized she respected who he was and what he stood for.
“There you are, Mrs. Hampton. I was looking for you to give you the information about the luncheon on Saturday,” Cindy said, coming up to join the group.
“Why don’t I leave you ladies to talk about the event,” Bradley excused himself. “I’ll wait for you outside, Gail.”
“The luncheon begins at noon here at the church,” Cindy explained. “Everyone is encouraged to bring a side dish, and I’ll be providing the beef brisket.”
“You’re coming, aren’t you? Say you will,” Judy begged. “It will be wonderful to have someone new, for once.”
“What, I’m not good enough company for you?” Rebecca asked, poking her friend in the side.
“Of course you are, but you know I’m right. It’s been ages since we’ve had someone new in town. Why, I think the last time was when Nadine was here with her husband, Josiah? They had to up and leave for their work.”
Gwendolyn stiffened at the mention of her friend’s name. She remembered her writing about her first case in Texas, but she hadn’t mentioned it was in Rockwood Springs. She wished she could tell the women that she knew Nadine, but then she would have to explain how, and it would ruin her entire back story, since she was supposed to have met her husband back East. She had to keep the secret to herself, at least for now.
“You can’t fault them for that; they’re Pinkerton agents, after all,” Rebecca defended. “They have to go where the job calls them.”
“Ladies, I think that’s enough talking for now. You seem to be overwhelming Gail,” Cindy said with a sympathetic look. “We should let her catch up with her husband.”
“Thank you,” she said with a grateful smile. “I really should be going, but I look forward to coming to the luncheon on Saturday.”
“Oh, yippee, she said yes; she’s coming,” Judy said with glee. “I can’t wait.”
Gwendolyn headed out of the church, but as she made her way downstairs, she noticed that Bradley was already making the rounds in the courtyard. He was talking with a group of men, most likely probing to find out what he could about the cattle rustling in the area. She decided it would be better to let him work rather than go over and interrupt. She moved off to the side and waited patiently.
“What’s a pretty little thing like you doing standing over here all by yourself?” a man’s voice said from beside her, causing her head to jerk to the side to see who was speaking to her. A tall, brawny man with brown hair and cold gray eyes was staring at her in a lecherous way that made Gwendolyn’s skin crawl.
“I’m not sure if it’s any of your concern, but I’m waiting for my husband,” she retorted, giving him a look that she hoped made it clear she didn’t want to be bothered.
“I could keep you company,” he offered, wagging his eyebrows up and down. “We could even get out of here where I could keep you in really good company in private.”
“Why, I never had anyone speak to me in such a way,” Gwendolyn said in shock. “I’m a proper, married woman, and we’re standing right outside the house of God.”
“I’ve known my fair share of married women that haven’t been opposed to spending some time with me. Andy Wilson is known to be a generous lover. I could make it worth your while,” he offered with a disgusting sneer.
Rage rose up in Gwendolyn, causing her to want to smack the smug look off the man’s face. She held her temper, though, and tried to move past him.
“Where are you rushing off to so fast?” the man asked, moving to block her path. “I don’t come to church often, but I’m glad I did today. I should thank Mr. Lambert for avoiding my visits at his ranch and forcing me to come here to talk to him.”
“You should get out of my way,” Gwendolyn snapped out, her eyes narrowing into angry slits. “Before my husband sees you bothering me and makes you regret it.”
“I’m one of the richest men in all of Taylor County, and can do what I want, when I want. I’m not afraid of your husband.”
“You should be,” she heard Bradley growl out from behind the other man. “I don’t care how rich you are, you better leave my wife alone, right now, or I’ll make you.”
Mr. Wilson spun around, stammering out, “I didn’t know anyone was behind me.”
“I bet you didn’t,” Bradley barked out. “But now that you do, I would advise you to move on before I decide to punch you just for good measure.”
The rancher must have decided he didn’t want to take the chance that Bradley would follow through on his threat. He slunk off, and disappeared out of sight.
Gwendolyn rushed up and wrapped her arms around her husband’s waist. “Thank you for that.”
“You sure have a way of attracting trouble, don’t you?”
She shook her head. “I swear, it’s only been that way since I met you.”
“As pretty as you are, somehow I doubt that,” he mused. “I bet all the men you knew back in Boston were climbing all over each other to impress you.”
“Sure, right up until my family’s money was gone. All my prospects of marriage disappeared with my inheritance.”
“That’s a shame they didn’t see there’s so much more to you than just money.”
The compliment made Gwendolyn’s heart swell with pride. No one had ever made her feel important, beyond what her family name and money could provide. Bradley saw her in a way that she never knew she needed.
“Come on, let’s head back home,” he said, pulling her towards the exit of the church’s courtyard. “I’m starving and can’t wait to cook with you again.”
Chapter 5
Another week had passed by, and Bradley was beginning to wonder if taking the job at the Lambert Ranch had been the right choice for the case. Two more cattle heists had occurred at other ranches, and he was no closer to finding the gang than he was when they first arrived in Taylor County. Perhaps, it was time for him to rethink the way they were approaching this case. He needed to finish it as proof he could get it done in a timely manner. Once he closed it, he could have his pick of jobs around the state. Maybe he’d request a guard job for one of the train companies. That way he could set up a permanent home for him and his wife. Whoa, were did that thought come from? Since when did his plans include Gwendolyn? Why did his mind naturally go there?
“I need a few men to go out to the south end of the ranch and secure the fence where the cattle got through, then round them up and bring them back to the rest of the group,” Rex said, looking at the men in front of him.
“I can take a group,” Martinez offered. Glancing over at Bradley, he asked, “You up for it, Ben?”
“Sure,” he said with a nod. “I can help out with that.”
After four more men joined the group, they saddled up their horses and headed towards the part of the fence line that had fallen down. It stretched about ten yards, which by Ben’s estimate meant they would be there a good three hours fixing it. He looked up at the blazing sun that was already beating down on him and causing sweat to pour from his skin. He pulled out his bandana and swiped at his face, then adjusted his Stetson to make sure it gave him as much shade as possible.
The men divided up into three groups, each taking a section of the fence to repair. It was long, intensive labor, and after only an hour, all of them were ready for a water break. They each pulled out their own canteens, as Martinez walked around and handed them a piece of dried beef and an apple.
“If I had known fixing the fence was gonna be this hard, I would have stayed back with the others,” one of the newest and youngest workers
grumbled as he bit into his apple. “Ropin’ cows is way easier.”
“Why do you think no one else jumped at the chance?” Martinez chuckled. “Tried and true ranch hands know this is some of the hardest work we have to do.”
“Then why did you volunteer to come?” the young worker asked in confusion. “You’ve got enough time working at the ranch, you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do.”
“I like being out here on the prairie,” Martinez explained. “The farther I go out, the more open it becomes. I’m willing to give up ease in order to have more freedom in my day.”
“Well said,” Bradley agreed, giving Martinez a pat on the back. “Freedom is one of the few luxuries every man can have in this country. We’re lucky to live where we do.”
The men finished up their break, then started back to work on the fence. Bradley was working on securing a new line of barbwire, when out of the corner of his eyes, he saw something out of place that drew his attention.
Bradley was on the farthest end of the fence. Something made his skin prickle, drawing his attention behind him. Unfamiliar men on horseback were on the other side of the nearby hill, chasing after several heads of cattle that had gotten loose due to the broken fence. Suddenly, Bradley realized that the fence wasn’t an accident. The rustlers must have cut it the night before to get access to the Lambert cattle, but they hadn’t planned on Rex finding out about it when one of the new workers got lost and reported it earlier in the day. They must have been using it all night to gather up whatever cows they could take.
Bradley let go of his barbwire, then rushed over to his horse as he yelled at the other Lambert workers, “The rustlers are here. They’re trying to take the loose cattle. We need to prevent them from getting away.”
The men stopped what they were doing with the fence and rushed to their own horses. They charged towards the rustlers with Bradley and Martinez in the lead.
This was it. This was Bradley’s chance to finally catch the cattle rustling gang and put them behind bars for their thievery. All he needed was to catch them by surprise. He drew his gun as they came around the hill, ready to force them to surrender. What he didn’t expect was an ambush. Gunfire rang out across the prairie, causing him to stop his horse and jump down. He dove to the ground behind a cluster of boulders, continuing to hold his gun in his hand as he scanned the area.
“You should leave now if you know what’s good for you,” one of the rustlers shouted from behind the edge of one of the hills.
“No, I don’t think so. Those cows don’t belong to you. Your thieves,” Bradley shouted back. “If you surrender now, I can guarantee you won’t hang, but if you continue to shoot at us and someone gets hurt, your neck will surely meet the end of a noose.”
“You can’t guarantee nothin’,” the man shouted back in anger, firing several more rounds at them to prove his point.
“You’re wrong; the sheriff in Abilene wants to bring your gang in alive. If you put your weapons down now, and come out with your hands up, it’s the only way you won’t end up dead.”
“We have more firepower than you. Two of your men have already run off. You should do likewise before this ends badly for you.”
Bradley looked behind him, trying to verify if what the rustler was saying was true. Sure enough, the two youngest workers had taken off. They were nowhere to be found. That meant he only had three men with him now. Could they take the gang that was rumored to be six? Bradley had faced worse odds, but that was with other agents by his side. These cowboys weren’t prepared to endure a long shoot out; however, Bradley couldn’t just walk away from this. Of course, there was another option. He could bluff them into giving up.
“Those men didn’t just run off,” Bradley stated, laying the foundation to scare the rustlers into giving up. “They went back to the Lambert Ranch to gather up a posse. When they come back, there’s going to be a group of men two dozen deep. You won’t survive that.”
“You’re right,” the other man shouted back, causing Bradley to sigh with relief. It was short lived, though, because the rustler quickly added, “Which means we have to shoot our way out of this.”
The rustlers emerged from behind the hill, shooting their guns as they moved across the prairie. Bradley, Martinez, and the other two men fired back. Heavy gunfire whizzed through the air, causing the smoke of gunpowder to decrease visibility.
There was a loud grunt from beside him as one of the Lambert workers was hit in the leg. He fell down, grabbing the wound and crying out in pain.
Bradley squinted, trying to figure out where the rustlers were. There was movement to his right, and he quickly trained his gun on the spot. Once he was certain it was one of the rustlers, he squeezed the trigger. Bradley knew he hit his target when the other man grunted and put his hand to his shoulder. One of the rustlers helped the injured man onto his horse, then the entire group took off as Bradley, Martinez, and the other worker fired at their retreating figures.
“Should we go after them?” Martinez asked.
Bradley shook his head. “We’re outnumbered and we need to get Stephen back to town to have his wound treated before he bleeds to death.” He pulled out his bandana and pressed it against the wound of the other man. “You need to keep pressure on it while we ride back.”
Martinez and Bradley took Stephen straight to the doctor, while they sent the other worker back to the ranch to tell them what was going on. When they arrived at the doctor’s office, they rushed Stephen inside and helped him onto the doctor’s examining table.
“What happened?” the doctor asked as he cut the pant leg off of Stephen.
“We were ambushed by rustlers,” Martinez explained. “They shot Stephen before they took off towards Woody.”
“I hit one in the shoulder, and I was hoping he might double back and come here to have the wound treated. I can see that isn’t the case, since he isn’t here,” Bradley added as he looked around the office. “Can we leave Stephen here with you, Doc, while we head back to the ranch to figure out what to do next?”
“Yes, he can stay here. When I’m finished, I’ll send word to the ranch.”
“You’re going to be all right,” Martinez assured Stephen, who was now laying back on the table. “I want you to know, you did good out there. I’ll make sure Rex and Mr. Lambert know that. You’re going to get a big bonus for your help today.”
Martinez and Bradley left the doctor’s office and headed back to the ranch. The place was in complete chaos as they entered the foreman’s office, slipping in and standing towards the back of the room.
“You’re sure one of them was wounded?” Mr. Lambert asked, a look of fury in his eyes. When the worker nodded his head, Mr. Lambert added, “If he isn’t dead already, I’ll make sure he is by the time we find him. I can’t believe those rustlers had the audacity to come on my land and try to take my cattle. They’re all going to hang for this.”
“We’ll make sure of it, Pa,” Eli Lambert, the eldest Lambert brother vowed. “Logan and I will head up the posse to track them down.”
“I want to come, too,” Caleb Lambert, the youngest brother said, pushing his way forward and past his older two siblings.
“You’re not old enough, Caleb. I can’t have you out there creating more problems than solving them.” Mr. Lambert stated dismissively, then turned to face his foreman. “Do we have any idea where the rustlers might be hiding out?”
Rex shook his head. “They were headed towards Woody, but that’s the most we know.” Rex must have noticed Martinez and Bradley in the back, because he added, “You’re both back from Doc’s place. Tell us what you know about what happened.”
“We were ambushed by the gang of cattle rustlers. The two youngest workers took off when shots were fired.” Martinez explained. He looked around and asked, “Did they ever return?”
Mr. Lambert shook his head. “And if they know what’s good for them, they won’t. I don’t put up with cowards on my ranch.�
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“What about Stephen? How is he?” Rex asked with concern clear in his voice.
“Doc’s patching up Stephen as we speak. He’ll be fine after a few days recovery,” Martinez explained as he stepped forward. “When are we headed out to look for the gang? Where do we start?”
“I have an idea about that,” Bradley said, stepping forward. “When I shot the rustler in the shoulder, I made sure the bullet hit him in a spot that would make him bleed a lot but not kill him. They won’t be able to patch that up on their own without supplies. They’re going to need a doctor, which means if we head to the doctor’s office in Woody right now, we’ll be able to catch them before they get away.”
“How did you know where to shoot him to cause that kind of injury?” Martinez asked.
Bradley realized if he was going to have any chance of convincing them his plan was the best choice, he was going to have to come clean about who he was and what he was doing there. “My real name is Bradley Holmes. I’m a Pinkerton agent who was hired by the Abilene sheriff to track down and arrest the cattle rustling gang that’s been plaguing Taylor County.”
“You posed as a worker to get access to my ranch?” Mr. Lambert growled out in anger. “You could have just come to me and asked for it, rather than lying to all of us about why you were here.”
“I didn’t know how far spread the rustling went. There’s been cases in the past where the gang members would get jobs on various ranches in order to find out the inner workings to make the heist easier. I hope you know I was doing this for the benefit of all the ranchers in the area.”
“Wait, but you arrived here with a wife. Does she know you’re a Pinkerton agent? Have you been keeping that a secret from her, too?” Rex asked with confusion.