A Texas Hero

by Linda Warren

  “I know that’s hard for you, but I hope you’ll give your dad a chance. He’s a good man. I raised him and I know him inside and out, and then some. Make an effort and he won’t disappoint you. You have my word on that.”

  She didn’t respond, but gently, almost reverently, placed the photo back on the nightstand. “Can I stay on the computer for a while?”

  “Sure.”

  “I have a couple of friends in Dallas and I want to check their Facebook pages and let them know where I’m living now.”

  He stood. “Tell them you’re home.”

  “Okay.” She slid into Ethan’s desk chair.

  “Tell them you’re home with your dad and your grandpa.”

  “Okay.” Her fingers flew over the keyboard.

  At the door, he added, “And don’t do anything illegal. Your dad’s a cop.”

  She lifted her head, a slight smile on her face. “I won’t.”

  He was beginning to like that smile.

  Before he could make it to the kitchen, a knock at the door sounded. Carson Corbett stood on the porch, his Stetson in his hand. Carson was a good friend of Ethan’s. They’d grown up together. A former marine, Carson was now the constable of Willow Creek and surrounding areas.

  “Hey, Carson, come on in.”

  “Thanks, Walt, but I don’t have a lot of time. Levi wanted me to stop by and give you the news in person.”

  He drew a long breath, bracing himself.

  “They arrested the second robber.”

  “I know. I talked to Levi a little while ago.”

  “Once the charges were upgraded, Devon Williams cracked quickly. He finally told them they didn’t kill Ethan or the woman. They left them on the Old Mill Ranch south of Bastrop.”

  “Thank the Lord.”

  “I’m going to Austin to join the search after Williams pinpoints exactly where they were left.”

  “That shouldn’t be too hard, should it?”

  “It’s a five-thousand-acre ranch that’s been for sale for years. The heirs are up north, so the place has been abandoned.”

  “But Ethan’s alive?”

  “We hope so, but Williams said they didn’t leave any water and it was one hundred and two yesterday.”

  “That son-of-a-bitching bastard. How does that lowdown piece of shit think a person can survive without any water?” Familiar cuss words erupted from his throat and it was too late to yank ’em back. He was just so angry.

  Carson placed a hand on his shoulder. “Ethan’s resourceful. We all know that. Just keep thinking he’s alive. Choppers will be in the air as soon as we have the location and rescuers will go in on foot. We’ll find him, Walt. Stay strong.”

  “Call me as soon as you know anything.”

  He closed the door and saw Kelsey standing in the doorway. “They don’t know if he’s alive or dead, do they?”

  “No, but your father is strong. Everything will be okay.”

  “You don’t know that!” she screamed and ran to her room, slamming the door.

  Lordy, Lordy. He trudged to the kitchen and sank into a chair. I’m sorry, Ethan. The cuss words just flew out of my mouth. I’ll do better.

  He stood up and then sat down again. Fear made him antsy, but what could he do? He couldn’t sit here and think about his son dying from heat exhaustion. He had to do something.

  “Kelsey,” he shouted.

  No response.

  “Kelsey, get out here. I need your help.”

  “What?” Her eyes were red. She’d been crying.

  “I want you to look up something on the computer.”

  “What?”

  “Old Mill Ranch.”

  “Isn’t that where...”

  “Yep. Let’s find out how to get there from here.”

  “You mean we’re...”

  “Yep.”

  “Cool.”

  After he had directions, he and Kelsey filled three five-gallon water coolers and he planned to stop at the convenience store and buy all the bottled water and Gatorade he could. Volunteers and rescue workers would be there, and they’d need water.

  As he stored the last container in the back of his truck, Henry Coyote came around the corner of the house.

  “Hey, Walt, I’ve been knocking and knocking. What are you doing?”

  “Loading water.”

  “For what?”

  “They know that Ethan and the woman are on the Old Mill Ranch. I’m joining the search.”

  “Have you lost what little sense you’ve got? You’ll just be in the way. Let the authorities handle it.”

  He opened his truck door. “I’m going.” Kelsey scurried around to the passenger’s side. “If it was Levi, you’d do the same thing.”

  “Mmm. But you don’t need to take the kid.”

  Kelsey frowned as she opened the door. “He’s my daddy and I’m going. You can’t tell me what to do.”

  Henry leaned over and whispered, “That kid has a mouth on her.”

  “Then don’t tell my granddaughter what to do.” He climbed into the truck. “I’ll see you later.”

  “Oh, sh—”

  Walt’s dark look stopped him midcurse. “Shih Tzu. Are you satisfied?”

  Walt nodded.

  “I better go with you.” Henry climbed into the backseat.

  “Suit yourself.” Walt backed out of the driveway. “You’re my navigator, Kel. When we reach the highway, tell me where to turn.”

  Henry mumbled something under his breath, but Walt ignored him. He had other things on his mind. Kelsey had called Ethan Daddy for the first time. He wondered if she even realized she’d done it. It didn’t matter. She’d said it. That was a big step.

  He might be doing the wrong thing in joining the search, but he couldn’t sit around waiting any longer. His son needed him and he had to be there. His only hope was that Ethan was alive.

  CHAPTER NINE

  BY MIDAFTERNOON THEY were out of water, and Ethan’s strength was waning. Abby lagged behind and he waited for her. Her dirty hair was matted to her skull. Her sweaty clothes stuck to her slim body. Defeat was evident in the slump of her shoulders. Where in the hell were the rescue people? With each passing minute, he grew more frustrated.

  “Time to rest,” he told her as she reached him. “It’s too hot to keep walking and it’s difficult to breathe.” She followed him to a clump of trees and they sat in the shade. After a moment, she stretched out, her head on his thigh.

  “I’m so hot, Ethan.”

  “Me, too.” He stroked her hair from her face, feeling as close to her as he had to anyone in his life. Their circumstances had bound them in a way he hadn’t expected. “Try to rest.”

  She went to sleep and soon he drifted off, too. Something woke him. He stirred restlessly and opened his eyes. The wind was blowing, whipping the heat around them. It whistled through the trees and stirred the leaves on the ground. Leaves gathered in piles and then scattered to other resting places. He noticed a group of leaves near some rocks that didn’t move. Something glistened on them and drew his attention. Was it just the sun? Or...

  He eased away from Abby and went to check. When he stepped on the leaves, it was squishy. Water! Where was it coming from? He squatted and raked away the leaves. Water pooled in a muddy puddle. He trailed it to the rocks and then he saw it. Water oozed from between the rocks. A spring. A natural spring.

  “Abby,” he called.

  “What?”

  “Come quick.”

  “What...” She paused when she saw the water. “Is it a mirage?”

  “No. It’s a natural spring. Come. Drink.”

  She stepped through the leaves and knelt by him. “How?”

&n
bsp; He bent over and caught the water with his mouth. “It’s like a water fountain.”

  She followed his lead, licking her lips. “Oh, it tastes so fresh.”

  They drank their fill and then sat back. “This is a godsend.”

  “I couldn’t go much farther without water,” she said, placing a hand on her stomach. “I’m so hungry.”

  “Me, too. Take a deep breath. It will pass.” He studied the ground. “There are a lot of animal tracks around the puddle. This must be a watering hole, but because of the drought it’s low.”

  “We haven’t seen any animals, though.”

  “I was wondering about that.” He scratched his beard. It was driving him crazy.

  She touched it, her hand lingering on his skin. “Sexy.”

  “It itches,” he replied, wanting to remove her hand, but it felt so good.

  “I thought you were sexy from the first moment you glared at me.”

  “I didn’t glare,” he refuted. “I was pissed off.”

  “Oh, excuse me.” She removed her hand and he wanted to catch it, to keep it close against him. “I stand corrected. From the first moment you were pissed off at me.”

  He didn’t say anything. He felt it best if he didn’t.

  “And you thought I was annoying.”

  “Yeah, but I noticed how beautiful you were.” He hadn’t meant to say that. It had just slipped out.

  She fanned herself. “Oh, I do declare I’m going to swoon from sheer delight.”

  “Abby.”

  “I’m sorry if my honesty makes you uncomfortable.”

  “I’m not uncomfortable. It’s complicated.”

  “I know.”

  “And you’re still fixing my bumper.”

  “Oh.” She cocked her head. “I don’t think so. It needs to be left as a reminder of everything we’ve been through.”

  He pressed the heel of his shoe into the dirt. She was right. He’d never repair that bumper.

  They were silent for a while as they came to grips with the change in their relationship.

  Once again their dire situation pressed upon him. “We need to go over our options.”

  “Like what?”

  “We have water. We could stay here and wait to be rescued or we could walk on risking our lives without water in this heat. Or you could stay here and I could go on ahead and bring back help.”

  “No, Ethan, please don’t leave me here. I’ll walk faster. I’ll keep up.”

  Unable to resist, he touched her arm in reassurance. “Don’t worry. I won’t leave you if you don’t want me to.”

  “I don’t.”

  “Then let’s stay here for the night. We have water and we can rest. In the morning, if there’s no sign of a rescue chopper, we’ll start walking again.”

  “Okay.”

  A foul stench drifted to his nostrils. “What’s that?”

  “I don’t know. I smell it, too, sort of like a cigarette scent.”

  He got to his feet. “I’m going over to that clearing to see if I can see anything. It might be rescuers with a diesel engine.”

  Out in the clearing he didn’t see anything, but dirt and brittle grass. Then he looked up and froze. In the distance dark plumes of smoke billowed toward the sky. Above the treetops orange flames leaped.

  Oh, my God!

  A wildfire. And it was headed straight for them.

  Abby!

  * * *

  “IT’S GOOD NEWS, Gayle,” Everett told his wife. “The robbers told the detectives they didn’t kill Abby or Mr. James. They left them on a ranch south of Bastrop. Rescue crews will be on the ground and choppers in the air. My daughter’s alive. They’ll find her.”

  “Everett, calm down. I’ll get you a glass of tea and your medicine. The doctor said to take a half of a pill when you’re upset.”

  “I’m not upset. I have hope now.”

  “I’m getting the pill anyway.”

  He sat in his chair, cell in his hand, waiting. Gayle handed him the tea and pill. He took it. He had to stay calm and strong.

  “It’s a big ranch, but with choppers it shouldn’t take long to find them.”

  “I wonder if Doug knows?” Gayle asked.

  “I’m not calling him. He can find out on his own since he seems to have so many contacts. I’m glad Chloe’s with him. I don’t want her to see how worried I am.”

  His cell buzzed and he reached for it. “It’s Detective Logan,” he said, clicking on.

  “Mr. Baines, I’m sorry...”

  “No,” he moaned and dropped the phone. Gayle immediately picked it up.

  “What is it?” she asked the detective.

  He collected himself, forcing bad thoughts from his mind. He had to hear what the man had to say.

  He grabbed the phone.

  “Everett, no. Let me talk.”

  “No, she’s my daughter. I can handle it.”

  “Mr. Baines, are you okay?”

  “Is my daughter dead?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “What do you mean you don’t know?”

  “Rescues crews were set to go in, but the search was called off.”

  “Why?”

  “A wildfire is raging across the ranch and we can’t get in until the fire is contained.”

  “Oh, no!” A pain shot through his chest and he took a deep breath.

  “I’ll stay in touch and give you updates, but right now things aren’t looking good.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Mr. Baines, reporters and TV crews are out here. Please don’t turn on the TV unless you can take it.”

  Without another word he clicked off.

  “Everett, what did he say?”

  He told her the bad news. “Abby can’t survive a wildfire. She will die a horrific death.” He buried his face in his hands.

  “Listen to me. We are not going to believe that. We will keep hoping until they bring her body in. Anything can happen and we’re staying positive. Lie back and I’ll get you a pillow.”

  As she left the room, he stared at his remote control. Against every objection in his head, he picked it up and turned on the TV. A wildfire scene immediately flashed onto the screen. A reporter talked into a microphone. The fire raged in the distance.

  The reporter’s voice finally penetrated. “As you can see the fire is blazing behind me. The entire area has been evacuated. The fire is burning west to east across Old Mill Ranch. We’ve been told no one lives there and the main focus now is to contain the fire.”

  “Phil,” a newscaster at the station butted in. “We have reports that the two hostages taken from an early-morning bank robbery yesterday in Austin might be on that property. Have you heard anything to confirm that?”

  “There are a lot of rescue teams here along with emergency vehicles. We’re on the south side, away from the fire. The rumor is that they were ready to go in to search for—” he looked down at the iPad in his hand “—Ethan James and Abby Bauman, the two people taken from the bank. As of now, no one is allowed in. It will be a game of wait and see. But the fire is the top priority.”

  “Everett, what are you doing? Turn that off. You’ll have a heart attack.” Gayle clicked off the TV.

  “It doesn’t matter, Gayle. Nothing matters anymore.”

  * * *

  WALT TURNED DOWN the country dirt road and stopped the truck. Emergency vehicles, trucks and people were everywhere.

  “There’s a lot of searchers here,” he commented.

  “Walt, look.” Henry pointed out the window.

  Thick, heavy smoke rolled toward the sky. “What the...?”

  A man wearing an orange vest came to his window. “
Sir, you’ll have to turn around. This road is closed.”

  “I’m Walton James and I’m here to help in the search for my son, Ethan.”

  “Sorry, Mr. James, the search has been called off for now.”

  “Why?”

  The man waved toward the smoke. “Firefighters have to control the fire first.”

  “You mean...?”

  “Mr. James, turn the truck around and go home.”

  “I’m not going anywhere until I talk to Ross Logan or Levi Coyote.”

  “I don’t know where they are.”

  “I do.” Walt reached for his cell and called Levi. He picked up immediately.

  “Walt, what’s up?”

  “You didn’t tell me about the fire.”

  There was a slight pause. “I haven’t had time. Just sit tight.”

  “I came to help, but no one is searching for my boy.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I’m here, but they won’t let us in.”

  “Us?”

  “Yeah, me, Henry and Kelsey.”

  “Oh, shit.”

  “Watch your language.”

  “I’ll be right there.”

  “Told you, Walt, this ain’t a good idea.” Henry, as usual, had to put in his two cents.

  Walt looked at his granddaughter and saw her big eyes and frightened face. For once, Henry was right. This wasn’t a place for Kelsey. They had to go home.

  Levi ran through the group and came around to the driver’s side. “Walt.” He rubbed Walt’s shoulder. “Please go home. Only professional firefighters, officers and volunteer firemen are allowed in. It’s too dangerous.”

  “I just wanted to help my boy.”

  “I know, Walt.” Levi glanced in the backseat. “Pop, stop encouraging him.”

  “Well, son, it’s kind of like stopping a train. When you realize that’s impossible, you jump on for the ride.”

  Levi just shook his head. Sometimes it was hard to understand Henry.

  “Carson and I are going in as soon as we can. The moment we know anything, I’ll call.”

  Walt nodded. “I brought water and Gatorade. The firefighters might need it.”

  “Thanks, Walt.” Levi motioned to two guys. They came running and unloaded the bed of the truck quickly. “Try not to worry.” Levi looked over at Kelsey. “We’ll find your dad.”