Rewarding Redemption

by Bonnie R. Paulson

  Jenny’s blue eyes didn’t waver. She didn’t flinch with the tightness of his grasp. “Can you get me out?” She whispered, begging him for help. “Just call for backup, right?”

  Did he share with everyone that he gave up his job? Would his decision matter?

  Maybe he had time to withdraw his resignation. Say he’d had a momentary lapse of sanity or something. If he didn’t have more to stand on than a gun out there against the Caracus gang, Jason could very well lose Jenny forever.

  But she needed to know. He couldn’t lie to her anymore. Not when so much hung in the balance. “No. I quit my job not too long ago. I’m not FBI anymore. I can’t call for backup.”

  Her hope fell from her face like a smile fading to a frown, but not her determination, which stiffened her shoulders.

  From the bottom of the steps, as if through a haze, Nate’s voice reached Jason. “We got you, Mendez. We don’t need the law. Let’s do this the Montana way.”

  The Montana Trails. He had forgotten about their loyalty, their fearlessness. Their courage helped Jason redefine his. He wasn’t a badge. He was a man, and the woman he loved needed him to save her. He wouldn’t let her down, or her sisters. There was so much more riding on the outcome of the morning’s events than just himself and his job.

  He smiled at Nate. “Thank you, brother.”

  Looking back into Jenny’s eyes, Jason gave a short nod. “I’ll get you out. No matter what.”

  His hesitation must have given her doubt. The struggle to trust him was clear on her face.

  “I will. I promise. No matter what.” Even if he had to do something to land himself in jail, he would save her.

  But… “I’m not comfortable with this. Bear Claw demanded you go alone.” He considered her quiet bravery and the subtle lift to her chin as she accepted what he said. Jason slid his hands down her arms and folded her fingers against his palm. “I’ll take you there. I can’t let you go alone. I won’t.” He twisted at the waist to partially face Michael but Jenny tugged him back.

  “No, you need to go get the treasure.” Determination puckered her lower lip.

  Jason shook his head. “No, we’re going together. I’ll trade my map.” He had more of a leg to stand on than he thought. He could trade his map. Jenny knew where to go. She could translate the map for the gang and send them on their way. “If you can, you’ll need to translate the markings for them and send them the wrong way. If you don’t know how to read it, just fake it.”

  Considering giving up the map left him with an aching pit in his stomach. The paper might be worthless, but it was something from Jenny’s past. Giving up Jenny, though, would leave his soul black and blue like a bruise.

  He couldn’t guarantee Jenny would take him to get the treasure after he gave up the map. Jason might have a better chance of getting her to take him with the pressure of all the sisters there.

  “You can take us all after we rescue your sisters.” He dropped one of her hands and faced Michael, glancing over his shoulder to see why she wasn’t replying. She had to know that now he wasn’t required to give anything back. Nothing but the shame of his last name and theirs to keep him honest – except his own character.

  Seriousness, sadness, and the bitterest of guilt stormed in her eyes. He would never erase the pain on her face from his mind as long as he lived.

  Chapter 23

  Jenny

  Jenny and Rosie sat in the back of Michael’s truck. No one owned a car large enough to hold everyone once they recovered Lisa, Mary, and Sara Beth. They had all tried getting some sleep, but Jenny was willing to bet what money she had that not one of them did more than toss and turn and stare at the ceilings – just like her.

  Guilt consumed Jenny. Each bump they hit and every turn which had them leaning against the side and each other sent Jenny spiraling deeper into a reserved depression.

  Rosie was closer with the other women than Jenny. No doubt Rosie would gladly trade Jenny for them.

  As well they should. What were they doing playing with a paper map as collateral? Not for the thousandth time Jenny rolled her eyes and smothered a sob working its way up her throat.

  Reaching over, Rosie entwined their fingers. “It’s okay. The girls will be fine. You’ll be fine. This will be over faster than you know.” She patted Jenny’s hand. “You won’t have to go with the gang now and we’ll get our sisters back.” But she didn’t look at Jenny as she eyed the countryside and subtly swiped at her cheeks.

  “Are you okay?” Of course Rosie wasn’t okay. Her sisters were captured and being held for ransom by men who were known for their cruelty and horrible ways.

  Softly, Rosie shook her head. “I’m fine. Sara Beth was paralyzed a while back after falling off a horse. She’s been doing better, but she still can’t walk completely unassisted and as determined as she is, I’m worried they won’t be careful with her.” She sniffed.

  Jenny glanced at the blurring tree line. She hadn’t thought about how the girls were doing. She only thought of them as pawns to get at Jenny and to inconvenience her dreams.

  Okay, that was callous. She wasn’t inconvenienced, she was searching for someone to blame if something happened to her mom’s box. Her letter. Jenny would never forgive anyone – least of all herself – if she didn’t read it.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be this much trouble.” Heck, she hadn’t meant for anything to happen.

  A sinking weight in her chest warned her she wasn’t coming back, no matter what Jason promised. Yet, still she held on to his words, his earnestness.

  The truck slowed sooner than Jenny was ready for. Swiveling on her butt, she stared at the wooden archway over a drive which read ‘Lonely Rivers Ranch’.

  Jason climbed out and reached up to help Rosie and Jenny from the bed. Michael took off in a quick jog toward the house in the distance. Jason nodded at Rosie. “Michael’s going to let the MacAllisters know what’s going on. We tried calling on the way over, but didn’t get an answer.”

  Rosie nodded, avoiding Jenny’s eyes.

  Across the black top, a dirt road winded away from the street, disappearing behind a curve in the trees past where the lights from the arch reached.

  Ominous at night, the road didn’t help Jenny’s misgivings, but she fought her trepidation and straightened her shoulders.

  A man stepped from the tree line beside the dirt road, his gruff voice evident in the late night chill. “I said she was supposed to come alone.”

  “I’m willing to trade you something better than Jenny.” Jason stepped forward, careful to place himself between Jenny and Bear Claw. The man’s features were easily visible without a hat. He stood in a straight line from the flood lights.

  Bear Claw stepped further into the light and Jenny backed up. The last time she’d seen him, he tried to kill her. If she went with him, she wouldn’t survive.

  Call it her sixth sense or whatever, but she knew it down deep in her gut.

  The Salish outlaw ambled across the road, not checking for cars or even caring. At the earliness of the hour, no cars would be out that way, but his arrogance stank like dirty horse. The closer he came, Jenny realized he actually stank with his matted duster and his greasy hair.

  She shuddered, pressing against the metal of the truck.

  Regarding Jenny with open lust, Bear Claw licked his lips. “What could be better than a blonde who’s going to personally escort me to a treasure?”

  “My map.” Jason reached into his jacket and pulled out a small manila envelope. “But first, where are the women?”

  Bear Claw scowled. “I don’t want your map. I want her.” He pointed a darkened finger at Jenny, his words growing sharp with anger. There wouldn’t be a trade and Jenny feared what more Bear Claw would want from her besides the treasure. He wasn’t keeping much a secret.

  Shrugging, Jason waved loosely in Jenny’s direction. “Well, according to my meeting with her yesterday, she doesn’t really remember where to go. She
has a foggy memory of riding through the night, but even that memory is wrong.” Jason laughed, tapping the envelope on his wrist. “I followed Devlyn when he went to drop his map off at the cemetery and then I stole it. He hid his treasure during the day.”

  In disbelief, Jenny watched Jason grab Bear Claw’s attention with his lies. The kidnapper considered what Jason said, studying him for tricks. He reached out for the map.

  Jerking back, Jason snorted. “Yeah, you’re not touching anything until I see those women.” Jenny glanced back and forth between the men, nervous for the outcome.

  Bear Claw glared at the three of them, gauging how far he could push the boundaries. Then he stared hungrily at the envelope in Jason’s fingers. “Fine.”

  He let loose with a shrill whistle even more piercing in the pre-dawn calm.

  Two men shoved two women around the bend in the dirt road. Another carried a separate woman slung over his shoulder.

  Rosie gasped. “Sara Beth.”

  The newly arrived men didn’t even pretend to care what they handled. One man reached out and slapped the brunette woman’s butt, hard. She didn’t make a sound or look at him. Her eyes blazed with subdued anger, easily spotted from across the road.

  Jenny tightened her hands into fists. She had never wanted revenge so badly on anyone.

  Not even her father.

  Chapter 24

  Jason

  Jason lifted his hand, ready to draw his holstered gun. “What’d you do to her?” He didn’t even look at Bear Claw, and stayed focused on the unconscious Sara Beth as she hung limply over the shoulder of the third man.

  “Wha —” Startled, Bear Claw looked around at each of the women until his eye caught Sara Beth. He chortled, turning back to Jason and the group. Uncaring, he shrugged. “She was talking back so Mendez clocked her.”

  Confusion drew Jason’s eyebrows together. “What?” Questioning glances from Jenny and Rosie didn’t help the situation. “I didn’t touch her.”

  The man carrying Sara Beth plopped her carelessly on the ground between Lisa and Mary, who shifted close enough to touch Sara Beth with their feet, like protecting her from anyone who tried to get at her.

  Bear Claw laughed, slapping his thigh, the thwap loud and raucous. “This is the best thing ever.” He pointed at the man who had carried Sara Beth and now stood with his arms crossed and his head back. “Jason Mendez meet Jack Mendez, your half-brother.”

  Surprise covered the other Mendez’s face, but he didn’t change his stance.

  Shock almost doubled Jason in half with the sucker-punch. He had a half-brother? Since when? Jack didn’t look much younger than Jason. Judging by the hard lines on his face and the faded ink on his arms, Jack’s life had been hard like Jason’s, too.

  Rosie rushed forward, almost passing Jason as she headed toward Sara Beth and the other side of the road. Jenny chased her, wrapping her arms around Rosie’s waist, about a foot from Jason. Her blonde hair swung forward to shield Jenny’s face as she whispered, “Watch. Something’s happening to Sara Beth, watch.”

  Her words barely reached Jason and he studied the group for the change. Sure enough, Sara Beth’s eyes opened a crack and she reached out slowly to tough Lisa and Mary’s legs.

  Almost as one, the two standing sisters bent down and grabbed Sara Beth under the arms and rushed forward as she awkwardly stumbled between them.

  Everything happened so fast, Bear Claw and his men didn’t react until the three women reached the center of the road.

  “Hold it. I’ll shoot you in the back. I don’t care.” Bear Claw’s voice quivered with anger. The other three men also trained guns on the women.

  Lisa and Mary froze, half-suspending Sara Beth between them. Their feet shifted on the center line.

  Jason drew his gun and aimed at Bear Claw. He desperately wanted a chance to pull that trigger. “You can shoot them in the back, but I’ll shoot you before you get the second shot off.”

  Bear Claw’s features darkened and in the shadowy scene his hooded eyes almost disappeared into black sockets. He shouted, the word hard to decipher, but the stomping feet and shouting men soon rounding the curve, weapons drawn, clarified the meaning fast.

  Six men arrived and with Bear Claw and the three other men, Jason was sorely outnumbered. Even if he did get some shots off, he would never hit every single one of them before they killed everyone in his group.

  Were the few minutes they’d stood there enough for Michael to warn the MacAllisters? Did Jason show his hand?

  Jason released a shrill whistle, dubious in nature as if he didn’t care who heard him, but loud enough for everyone to hear.

  From out of the shadows along the road on the Lonely Rivers’ side, the Montana Trails cousins stepped, guns drawn and trained on the other men. Relief flooded Jason as movement from the side of the truck drew his gaze. Out stepped Slate and Robbie MacAllister along with Ian Dawson, Ryan Noland, and Johnny Mayfair.

  Michael spoke loud enough for everyone to hear from behind Jason. “Ronan James will be here in three minutes with the Lacey Caverns’ Posse. You’re looking at well over thirty men.”

  Many of the men across from the ranch mumbled at Michael’s lazy insult.

  Indifferent, Bear Claw yelled back. “You’re going to be dead in three minutes.”

  Jason nodded at Bear Claw. If that was the way it had to be. He glanced at Jack, who aimed at Jenny.

  Jack’s choice to focus on the one person Jason cared about – intentionally or not – sealed his fate. The guy wasn’t family to Jason. Not right then.

  “We’ll see who dies first.” Jason clenched his teeth, waiting for the go ahead. If Jason had to die, he’d want to be with Jenny. And he’d be hanged before he’d let her go with Bear Claw and the Caracus gang while he died.

  Waiting for someone to make the first shot, Jason hoped against hope Lisa, Mary, and Sara Beth weren’t run over by a late night long-hauler.

  And he waited for a miracle.

  Chapter 25

  Jenny

  Horrified at the sudden standoff, Jenny covered her mouth, smothering a shriek.

  Someone was going to get hurt, and all because of her. They gave her an option. They said they would let the other girls go, if she came alone. Now, everyone around her might get shot. She couldn’t lose Jason, not like that. Too much tragedy in her life prevented her from accepting the most tragic possibility of all – Jason dying before she even had a chance at getting closer to him, knowing him better.

  Breaking the tension, Jenny stepped forward. Guns swung to aim at her but she kept her voice calm even as her chest tightened. “No one needs to get hurt.”

  An older man stepped from the line of the newly arrived group and holstered his weapon. “Little Jenny. So nice to see you again.” His oily charm coated her mouth with a bilious flavor. As he came closer in the light, Jenny recognized his square, hard features and matched them with his familiar snake-ish voice. Age hadn’t treated him well, with pitted skin and a pitiful attendance of whiskers in patches across his jawline. Greasy, dark and gray hair hung limp from under his bent, faded hat brim.

  “Uncle Chris. It’s been a long time.” She smothered the nausea creeping up the back of her throat. He was always the perverted uncle everyone jokes about but only a few people really have. He never touched her, but he asked her to sit on his lap every time he was around.

  He was a Caracus. Probably the last male in the family.

  “You’re a smart girl, Jenny. You know this treasure is ours by right. Your dear dad, may he rest in peace, would have wanted his friends – no, his family – to have it in its entirety.” He stopped walking as he reached the edge of the blacktop, formally folding his hands at his waist.

  “I’m his daughter, Uncle Chris. This treasure belongs to me first before any goes to you. And I’m not his only child, which you know. So as far as I’m concerned you’re long down the list of people his loot will go to.” Why couldn’t Jenny bite her tongue?
She didn’t need to get smart with him, but he seemed to bring out the bitterness and memories of her childhood.

  He redrew his gun, his face still amiable. “Well, then, maybe I should kill you girls and return my rights.” He watched Jenny as she moved further into the street. “I’m sure you’re a smart girl, Jenny. Hell, you’re a Caracus, you gotta be. You come with us and we’ll all walk away. No one has to get hurt.”

  She would get hurt.

  Glancing at Bear Claw, Jenny was surprised to see him cowed down, watching Chris like he was the boss. And why wouldn’t he be? The Caracus Gang had to have a Caracus leader and he was the last. True Caracus style would be hiring a henchman to act as leader, redirecting the attention from the real head of the snake.