As Red Bear’s eyes met hers, Celia continued, “They all had a proper burial, I saw to it. Afterward, Dark Wolf brought me back to his ranch. I am safe because of them.” She could see what she thought was a glimmer of gratitude in his expression. It was short lived though.
When he turned to her, Red Bear gripped her shoulders once more. “My anger is great! The white man will pay! I will hunt down those responsible like the dogs they are and make them pay. You can believe what I say. They will be made to suffer…”
His tone held such pain and bitterness Celia thought her cousin might have gone slightly mad. “You know it wasn’t Dark Wolf’s men?” She watched his face for any sign of conformation.
The gleam of hatred burned in his eyes and made her blood run cold. “If what you speak of is truth, then there is only one other answer.”
“What are you saying? Who?” Celia implored.
“There were tracks made by the white man’s warriors – guns and shells from their guns. They all spoke of the U.S. Cavalry.” His gaze traveled toward the tree line. “I want the paleface bastards who did this. You know I will not sleep until this is finished.”
Looking into the stricken eyes of her cousin, Celia knew he grieved. She too felt the burgeoning fire of revenge well up inside her. The pain of their lose rose up in her so swiftly, she swayed on her feet. Now, all the hated memories and insults to their people’s way of life spoke to her. She felt as though they called to her.
“Seth has gone to the sheriff with some of the same things you mentioned.” Somewhere deep within, Celia knew there would be no help from the white man. After all, everyone knew it was tragic, but a few less redskins were a blessing.
She’d never believed in killing as a means to an end, but The People’s way of life was being slowly and methodically destroyed. Didn’t the white man have to be stopped? She watched her cousin’s face. The pain and humiliation of the tragedy he endured showed in his deep-set black eyes. “What are you going to do now?”
“You are staying under Dark Wolf’s roof?”
Something clinched in her gut. Hesitantly, Celia nodded.
“I want you to go back to the white man’s house. Find out where the guns and firepower are stored. When I come to you, I want you to show me where to find what we need.”
She could feel the chill bumps prickling on her arms. Fear was a weight in her chest making it hard to breath. Celia clutched at his arm in a panic and all but begged, “Red Bear! Dark Wolf, being a friend, would help you as a friend. He saved me.” She searched his face. “Don’t do this. Don’t do this to him or his family,” she pleaded. At the moment, Celia imagined all manner of death and destruction, far greater than simple stealing on her cousin’s part.
Red Bear said nothing.
She stepped back and clinched her hands. “I won’t help you, I won’t do it. I can’t be a part of such a betrayal. You have to listen to me…”
Glaring at her with contempt fueled by anger, Red Bear charged forward and snarled. “You speak to me of betrayal? You have been living among the white man too long, cousin. You have no idea.”
There was steel in his voice. Celia could feel the pain in her arms as he took them again in his great hands. He was hurting her, but she refused to cry out.
“Then you would take the side of a white man?” The air hung heavy between his words.
Celia could see the dark cloud of anger as it whipped around him. A ripple of guilt went through her.
“His kind deceived us, betrayed us, and we must now fight for what is ours. Ours! Have you forgotten?” He stared at her as if she were a stranger. “He is no longer a friend, but part of the enemy we now face.”
“No, it’s not true, Red Bear. Listen to me. Even now, he is in Tyler at the Fort seeking the help of the Army and the Sheriff. He’s a good man, an honest man who still sees right and wrong. Please, Seth has an idea who it could be. Let him try to solve this before you do anything you’ll regret.”
Red Bear’s face was grim and he glared at her with cold dead eyes. “We will take what we need with or without your help. We’re taking the horses. Dark Wolf has many and we will need all we can get.”
Celia shook her head. “Please…” she begged.
A glint shone in his eyes. “If you have such feelings for Dark Wolf and his people, you will want to save his life and the lives of his people. Would you save their lives?”
Celia nodded.
“You will do as I say then. Find out who the murdering bastards are. When we come, you will tell us who it is and we will take the guns and his horses. If you do this, Dark Wolf and his people will not be harmed.”
Celia, stunned by what she was hearing, stepped backward as if to protect herself from this thing she couldn’t stop. “No…no!” she urged. He would actually use their lives as barter for what he wanted. She fought to compose herself. For now she forced herself to remain calm and pretended to go along. “You, you promise? You give your word as a warrior no one will be harmed?”
Celia watched as Red Bear nodded. A sinking feeling of dread churned in her stomach. She couldn’t help getting in the next words. “This isn’t the way the Great Spirit intended us to behave,” she said, finally shaking her head.
“The Great Spirit has forsaken our people,” he growled.
Celia couldn’t stop her own sharp intake of breath at his blasphemy.
Lines of grief fanned out from the corners of Red Bear’s eyes like evil streaks of lighting. “We must look to our own strength to see us through.” He raised his fist and beat his chest once in a show of commitment. “You have my word, Celia, now go and find out what I need or his people will die.”
Trembling, she reminded herself she had his word, if his word meant anything. She prayed it did.
Leaving her with three great strides, Red Bear disappeared into the night mist clinging to the ridge. The pony followed his master.
Chapter 5
The Truth
“Sheriff Cole!” Seth reigned in at the hitching post.
“Boys,” The sheriff greeted them both and laid down his knife next to his latest whittling project.
“Looks like you’ve been busy.” Ty motioned to the pile of wood shavings between Cole’s feet.
“A little.” Cole didn’t miss Ty’s jab. Instead, he ignored it. “What can I do for you?”
“We need to talk with you.” Seth tied Sarge to the post and faced Cole.
“Sure, step into my office.” Cole got up and opened the door to the one room office and jail was Tyler’s answer to law enforcement. “Don’t mind him. He’s just sleepin’ off another drunk.” With a nod in the direction of the snoring man behind the bars, Cole settled himself behind the desk. “Now, what seems to be the problem?”
The position of authority was Cole’s solely. He’d been Tyler’s one and only lawman for thirteen years. The fort offered further assistance if they needed any. Weary with the ride, Seth slid into the nearest chair and rested his elbows on his knees. “Sheriff, Lone Eagle and his tribe were massacred on Shooter Creek land two days ago.”
“Lone Eagle? Massacred?” Cole’s eyes searched intently from brother to brother. “Are you sure? Do you know who did it?”
“Yes, we’re sure and no, we have an idea but no real proof.” Seth glanced at Ty then before continuing, “U.S. Army rifles and shoe prints point to the Cavalry, but I think they were stolen by the murdering bastards who actually did the deed.”
“Sheriff.” Ty’s face was grim. “They scalped them and shot the horses. What Cavalry man do you know who would do that?”
Cole leaned back in his chair and steepled his fingers without saying a word for several minutes. “What about tracks?”
“There were plenty. Broken Horse is tracking them right now.” Ty helped himself to a cup of coffee and motioned to Seth to see if he wanted one.
Cole took a closer look at the two brothers from over his hands he now propped on his desk. “From the looks of t
hings, you boys haven’t had much sleep.”
“We’ve had better days.” Pushing back the Stetson on his head, Seth peered steadily at the lawman. “I need you to come out to the ranch and take a look at this mess.” He waited a beat as the Sheriff considered.
“Sure, I’ll ride out this afternoon. Give me time to deputize somebody to watch over things here. Okay?”
“Okay. Much obliged, Sherriff.” Seth’s next statement was firm and earnest. “We have to find out who’s responsible before things turned into an all-out Indian war.”
His meaning wasn’t lost on the lawman. “Don’t worry Seth. We’ll find out who’s responsible.”
“There’s one other thing I need to mention.” Tension churned in Seth’s gut as he pondered how to explain Celia to Cole.
“Sure…” Sheriff Cole’s eyes tracked from one brother to another. “Tell me what it is.”
Seth explained the situation with Celia. “I’ll bring her into town in a few days and you can speak to her yourself.”
“Good. It’s unlikely she’ll have any information. Maybe Broken Horse spoke to her about the problems the Comanche are causing in his communications with her. At any rate, I’ll talk to her about Red Bear’s whereabouts. He’s the one I’m worried about now.”
When the brothers left, Cole leaned back in his chair. “Did you hear all of that?”
The man in the cell rolled slightly as he scratched at a spot under his arm. “Yeah, I heard. Didn’t expect ‘um to find it so soon.”
“You’ve made a mess of things that’s for sure,” Cole said from his place behind the sheriff’s desk.
“Well, we’ll just have to fix things then won’t we?” the man in the cell said as he stared sleepily at the ceiling.
***
A couple of very, weary brothers rode into the ranch yard later in the evening. They’d pushed to get back to the ranch as quickly as possible. The call from the tower went up as the two crossed the cattle gap.
Seth’s worry over leaving Celia alone had fueled their hasty return. He would’ve normally stayed overnight and enjoyed the company of a lovely young lady or two at one of the Tyler saloons, but not this time. What Claudette didn’t know had never worried him before. Now irritation at the thought of more responsibility warred with the unmistakable urge to see the intoxicating beauty again. Seth found his mood fowl.
Seated on the veranda, Shorty and Jake watched them ride up.
Seth would have much rather made it into the house and at least have gotten his boots off first. Being interrogated by his foreman and the chuck wagon cook wasn’t the homecoming he was looking for.
“How’d it go in town?” Shorty spit tobacco in a stream off the side of the porch and wiped the juice off his lip with the back of his sleeve. His pruned face sported the stubble of a beard and the old, grizzled veteran squinted at Seth from under white, bushy eyebrows. Shorty had been a fixture on the ranch since before Seth was born. He knew everything there was to know about cattle, horses, women, booze, cards, cooking and whatever else came to mind. All anybody had to do was ask Shorty.
Reluctantly and without a word, Seth headed down the porch to where the two sat. The cool breeze whipping around the corner of the house did little to relieve his mood at the point. “We told Sheriff Cole everything. He said he’d keep a watch on the situation.” Seth’s eyes flicked from one man to another. “Not much he can do. Then we spoke to Major Chance at Fort Tyler. He told us Texas Rangers had been patrolling the area earlier this month. Said it was Brannon’s bunch.” Seth gave his audience a disgruntled sneer. “Since they were most likely in pursuit of hostiles, it’s probable they would’ve thought nothing of eliminating a few more Injuns.” Without even trying to hide the sarcasm tainting his words, Seth continued, “After all, they’d have the blessing of the Governor of the great state of Texas.” His jaw tensed at the thought. He could never agree with the non-discriminatory killing of innocent women and children. There was no justice in the cowardly act as far as he was concerned. Probably one of the reasons he mustarded out of the army and came home, Seth mused. He thought of Celia and the grief she’d endured because of such a cowardly deed. His gut tightened again.
“Did you find anything out on the trail?” Shorty reared back in his chair and peered up at the boss.
“We tracked about twelve riders heading north into Oklahoma territory, but never caught up with them. They rode army issued horses. I’m sure of that. Maybe with them headed northwest, we can concentrate on convincing Red Bear’s bunch we didn’t kill his people and things will die down. At any rate, I’m going to double the watch for the time being and move the majority of the herd in from the north grazing range until the Comanche move on,” Seth added.
Shorty sat pondering the dregs in the bottom of his coffee cup and said nothing.
Seth knew his mind was working. The wheels were turning. Ever since Earl Loflin had died, Shorty had taken over the role of guardian. Apparently, Seth thought sourly, the old man figured Seth needed somebody to look out for him. It irritated him to no end, but he let the old man think he was the one running the show just to keep the peace.
“How does it sound to you, Shorty?” He couldn’t help the need to poke at the old man with the point of his words.
“Yeah, yeah, that sounds fine.” Shorty’s face pokered-up and he lowered his head to study the dregs in his cup more thoroughly. “Still can’t believe they’re gone.” The scruffy, old geezer coughed and wiped at his face with the back of his battered old hand.
Seth looked away rather than acknowledge Shorty’s moment of sorrow over the loss of old friends and a whole way of life. Things were definitely moving too fast for all of them.
Jake cut in to the silence. “If you got a minute, Seth, I need to talk to you about the new calves. A couple of them seem to be under the weather.”
Seth nodded and followed Jake off the porch and then down to the barn. He’d been thinking about a warm bath and a stiff drink all the way back from Tyler, but the foreman seemed serious so he fell in behind Jake as he entered the big, weathered wooden doors. There was no more loyal a man than Jake Turner. He too had been around since Earl had first set up ranching on the piece of ground his father had christened ‘Shooter Creek’. Seth trusted his word above all others and thought of Jake in some respects as the father Earl had never been.
As they entered, Jake walked toward the backside and peered out first one way and then the other.
Bemused, Seth stood patiently waiting on the slow moving, slow talking, cigarette smoking , died in the wool cowboy who habitually referred to him as ‘Boss’ despite Seth’s repeated objections.
Retracing his steps, Jake began, “Ain’t no calve I need to talk to you about.” He paused and looked down at the hay mixed with the dirt at his feet. “I kept a close watch on things like you asked me to. Maggie suggested I show Celia around the place to keep her occupied. Everything was going fine until we spotted a lone Comanche on the trail yesterday.” Jake shifted uneasily and glanced back at Seth. His face wreathed in lines of concern. “He was a warrior and when Celia saw him, I could’ve sworn she knew him. She got real jittery and wanted to turn back right then. She claimed she was tired and needed to rest.”
“Did you get a good look at him?”
“It was a ‘fer piece but I could make out a red sash tied at his waist.”
Seth’s mouth firmed at the information. Only one Comanche wore a red sash – Red Bear.
Jake hunched his shoulders even further and kicked at the hay lying on the floor of the barn. “Then last night I was outside smoking. I watched Celia creep back into the barn on her mare. When she’d gone in, I went out to check on the mare. Its coat was wet with sweat. Its legs were scratched and it looked like she’d been ridden a long way.” His face drooped even further. “Celia came from the direction we ridden.” He looked sheepishly toward Seth. “I thought you should know,” he finished tightly.
Seth nodded slowly and then
took a step toward the back door. Suddenly, he needed the air. He stood looking off toward the hills skirting the ranch. You could just make out the silhouettes of their tree-covered tops in the waning light. He didn’t say anything for a long time. Finally, he lowered his head and kicked at the hay under his feet. “I appreciate you keeping your eyes open. If you see anything else, let me know, okay? Oh and, Jake, remember to double the watch from now on. Have Ned Johnson and Pearly Simmons head up to the line shack tomorrow to get the herd ready to move south. We’ll meet them on the way back as soon as I can get caught up here. Okay?”
“Sure, no problem,” Jake assured him.
Seth thought Jake had gone and was mildly surprised when he came out of his own head and found him still there. “What – something else?” Seth asked with a grain of irritation showing.
“We lost nearly twenty head of cattle and ten horses are missing as of last night.”
“I know I shouldn’t be surprised, but hell…” Seth stuffed his hands into his front pockets and stood absorbing the news. The temper , which had wormed its way up his gut into his throat settled with a bit of force now. After a beat, he spoke again. “I’ll tell Ty. Thanks for lettin’ me know.”
Jake ambled out the door and answered without looking back. “Sure thing, Boss.”
***
Seth sank into the steaming tub of water Maggie had prepared for him, almost immediately, after reaching his room. Steam rose in a cloud around him. He leaned back and closed his eyes. The numbing power of the hot water was doing a fine job on the aches and pains in his body. What the water couldn’t fix, the whiskey in his hand could, so he closed his eyes and tried to forget the trouble brewing around him.
Dark hair and cool green eyes appeared in his mind’s eye. Ty and he had traveled hard to make it back by sunset. He hadn’t wanted to leave Celia alone any longer than was absolutely necessary. Jake’s report had him wishing he’d sent the foreman to Tyler in his stead.
While the bath and whiskey did their job, Seth had time to consider what Jake had told him. Celia had slipped out and gone to meet Red Bear. It didn’t set well. But the fact she’d gone alone and told no one was more disturbing. Right now, he was in no mood for deceit under his own roof.
Comanche Haven (The Loflin Legacy: Book 1) Page 12