Long Time Gone

by Mary Connealy

  “We need to get this to the sheriff.” Angie saw a way to live through the day. “You wanted to lure out your enemies, but using this new information about Dantalion might be a better way to end the trouble.”

  “But this is our chance,” Sadie argued. “I’m so exhausted by the worry and danger. I want this over, the attackers punished, and today is the perfect day.”

  “No, Sadie. We’re not going.”

  Sadie blinked at Angie’s stern tone. “What did you say?”

  “You heard me.”

  “This is my plan. You agreed to it. If you’re too afraid to fight—”

  “Don’t speak to me like that. You know the length of time it’s taking to solve this is grinding on all of us. You just said you’re exhausted by worry. But that’s a long way from it being a desperate situation. Your plan is fraught with danger. There might come a time when we have no other choice, but today is not that day. Especially now that we’ve found a clue that could help us unravel a mighty big knot.”

  Sadie rubbed a hand over her mouth. It was as if she were trying to hold her next words inside. Angie well knew that Sadie didn’t like taking orders, especially from someone not nearly as strong as she was. But common sense had to prevail.

  She glanced over at Mel and saw her fighting a smile. Plunking her hands on her hips, Sadie said in a disgusted voice, “You’re right. As much as I want this fight over with, it’s unwise to take unnecessary risks. Let’s go home.”

  Angie had braced herself to stand against Sadie’s arguments, and when she agreed, Angie could hardly believe her ears.

  Mel gave a sigh of relief. “I’ll head for home, too.”

  “Will you be all right, Mel? You have a long ride home and we won’t know if you made it back safely.”

  “I was willing to face my ma and pa’s anger in order to make this trap we were setting safer. This morning I managed to convince two groups of cowhands, riding in opposite directions, that I was going with the other group. They’ll be home for dinner and find out I’m missing. I left Ma and Pa a note sayin’ what we are up to. If I go home right now, no one will even know I snuck off. But if I run into trouble on the trail, they’ll find out and begin searching. After that, the alarm will be sounded soon enough.”

  It wasn’t enough, but Angie had little choice but to accept it. They descended the trail to the ground and then split up. Sadie and Angie had their horses put up and were back in the house in short order.

  As they entered the kitchen, they looked at each other, and Sadie said dryly, “You’re growin’ quite a backbone there, Angie.”

  “I’m just so relieved to be safe again, I could cry.”

  They stared at each other for a moment, then burst into laughter.

  “Now, I need to get out of my coat and riding boots. Then we can get back to work.”

  “I’m going to my room to change out of these dreadful trousers.” The two walked side by side down the hallway. “Let’s make the best supper for the men and Rosita they’ve ever had, and while they’re eating we can brag about climbing Skull Mesa.”

  Sadie nodded. “Maybe I can teach you how to take biscuits out of the oven before they turn black.”

  Angie definitely needed to learn that.

  Sadie’s voice dropped to a whisper. “And let’s never tell them about my plan!”

  Angie nodded as they parted ways. Sadie headed upstairs while Angie turned into her bedroom.

  She closed the door and walked to the nearest chest of drawers. She didn’t sit down because she was afraid she might not be able to get up again. Her knees were shaking, and it wasn’t because she was so glad to be safe. It was because of the way she’d spoken to Sadie on top of the mesa.

  It was the boldest she’d ever been in her life. And she’d convinced Sadie to abandon her plan, and now they could relax in the shelter of this house. Wherever else they’d run into trouble, no one had ever attacked them here.

  A rough hand covered her mouth and ruthlessly dragged her back against a hard body.

  Justin held the door for Rosita and then he, Cole, and Heath followed her out of the jail.

  “What a waste of time that was.” Justin slapped his hat against his pant leg to keep from shouting in frustration.

  “Someone is stirring up trouble with these folks.” Heath stared into the distance, thinking. “It sounds like it was Dantalion from their description. But they mentioned others. One of them could have been Windy, but I’d never be able to swear to it. He looks like a lot of other cowpokes. There has to be a way to find the men they’re talking about. Those folks look so scared, though, I doubt they’d point to the right man even if we did catch him.”

  Cole crossed his arms and frowned. “There had to be something in what they said that’ll give us a direction to hunt. Let’s get some coffee and go through all of it again.”

  “We can do that on the ride home.” Justin thought of his bride-to-be. It was past the middle of the afternoon now. He wondered if she’d gone hunting a noose yet.

  “No. The sheriff said he’s going to hold those men a few more hours,” Cole said, “but then he’s letting them go before supper so he doesn’t have to feed them. He had to pay for breakfast and dinner himself, and he can’t afford a third meal. If we think of more questions we need to ask, I want to do it before he unlocks that cell door.”

  That’s when Justin remembered that he hadn’t punched Cole in a long time. He also remembered why he liked doing it.

  “You men have this talk,” Rosita said. “I will run to the general store and buy a few things we need. Then I’ll go to the orphanage to see if I can be of any help. Pick up the supplies and come for me at the orphanage if you need me to listen in on more questions. Or if you are done, get me when you’re ready to ride home.”

  “You need to eat, Rosita. Come with us to the diner.”

  With a smile she said, “I will not starve, but thank you for asking.” She crossed the street without saying more.

  “Having Rosita there made all the difference,” Justin said. “You could tell that those varmints were ready to talk amongst themselves, then agree on an answer. With Rosita there to translate, I think we got the truth out of them.”

  “A mighty useless truth.” Heath kicked at the board sidewalk as they headed for the diner and went inside.

  It was long after the noon meal and none of them had eaten. They were lucky there was any food left. Soon they were digging into beefsteaks, mashed potatoes, and gravy. They had the place to themselves, which gave them freedom to talk openly.

  “Six men, all of ’em layabouts. They are discontented. That makes them willing to complain to folks and stir up trouble.” Cole looked to be preparing to go through the whole talk they’d had with the men in jail.

  Justin slowly and quietly lowered his right hand to his lap so he could clench his fist without being noticed. He did his best to keep any sign of irritation off his face.

  Cole really didn’t deserve Justin’s impatience. It made perfect sense to talk through what they’d learned before leaving town. And neither Cole nor Heath had any idea of how things had changed between him and Angie.

  Before they had debated what other questions they might’ve asked, they heard the hoofbeats of a galloping horse moving at a reckless speed. Horse and rider thundered past the window of the diner.

  A harsh voice whispered, “Don’t make a sound, Sadie.”

  Angie’s heart nearly pounded out of her chest. Her throat went bone dry. Her mind raced like a rabbit. Through her terror she heard the strange man’s words. He was here for Sadie.

  Bait.

  And he planned to use her to trap and kill the others.

  There was no doubt in Angie’s mind that he intended to kill Sadie, too. The bait died after the fisherman landed his catch.

  If Angie denied she was Sadie, he’d do something awful to her and then go find Sadie. Maybe if Angie didn’t fight him, once they’d left the house, she could convince him
he had the wrong woman and he’d let her go. If she disappeared, Sadie would be on alert. Justin would get home to protect the ranch, Cole and Heath with him. Maybe they’d send a search party for her. Of course they would.

  Despite being upset at him for his absence today, she couldn’t hold on to any doubts. Justin would come. She trusted him completely. She realized as she thought it that she hadn’t expected to trust another man ever again. Now the knowledge that she did washed over her like a purifying rain, and her heart changed. Healing had begun.

  Justin would come, all of them would. They’d find her, save her, and catch this man.

  If Angie struggled, made any noise at all, it would bring Sadie running, and there was no one else in the house. So she remained silent, for now.

  “You’re coming with me.” He raised a gun so it was visible right by her face. He whispered so close to her ear that she could feel the damp heat of his foul breath. “If you fight me, your friend upstairs will hear you and come to see what’s wrong, and then she’ll die.”

  As near as she could think in her panicked state, either she sacrificed herself to save Sadie or she didn’t . . . and got them both killed. Though she was terrified of what she might face, she let the man drag her toward the window. He thrust it open with one hand and clumsily dragged her through. His grip slipped a bit, and she had a moment where she was tempted to fight back. If she could get even a few paces away and duck behind some furniture, maybe she’d have a chance.

  But he had a gun. And given his boldness in hiding in the Boden house, she had no doubt he would do whatever was needed to accomplish his ends, murder included.

  Still she was tempted. She bunched her muscles to jump for cover.

  Then his grip on her tightened, the gun was again in her sight, and seconds later she was outside.

  It was cold, the wind biting at her. The man dragged her fast across the grassy stretch between the house and the nearest tree line. Once they were in the woods, he gagged her mouth with a kerchief and tied her hands in front of her. They moved deeper into the thick woods. This was the side of the house away from the barn. She’d never paid much attention to it.

  They stumbled along and quickly came upon two horses. The man swung her up onto one of the horses and lashed her hands to the saddle horn. He released her and hurried to his horse. Finally she could see him and was stunned.

  Arizona Watts.

  The last she’d heard, Watts was locked up in jail.

  Well, here he was running free. She’d only really gotten a good look at him once, the day she first came to the CR with the doctor after Cole had been shot. Very likely shot by this same man. Certainly if not him, then confederates of his.

  He was most definitely part of the gang who wanted to use Sadie as bait.

  Heath rose and stepped to the door to watch for where the rider went. “He’s gone straight to the jailhouse. Let’s go see what’s happened.” Seconds later, Heath was outside and hurrying toward the sheriff’s office.

  Justin threw some coins on the table and caught the door before it slammed shut. Heath was striding down the boardwalk, and Justin went after him, Cole right behind.

  The sheriff swung the door open and charged out only to see them and nearly skidded to a stop. “That rider just told me Arizona Watts reached the jail in Santa Fe, and a man from the governor’s office arrived within minutes and demanded he be set free.”

  “What?” Justin shook his head.

  “Remember he said he’d walk right out and we’d let him go? Well, it wasn’t us, but the rest of his boast came true.”

  The sheriff kept talking, raising his voice and shouting at the backs of the Boden men. “If Watts wanted to, he’d’ve had plenty of time to get back here.”

  Justin ran for his horse with only one thought in his head. Bait.

  26

  Angie did as she was told and realized that, for the first time in her life, it was truly necessary.

  If she did the wrong thing, it might mean the end for both Sadie and her. And for Justin and all the Bodens. She hoped and prayed not. But to yell, to fight, it all seemed to lead to death.

  They rode along in the woods, twisting around tree trunks and underbrush. Watts had a lead rope tied to the horse Angie was on, so she had no choice but to go along.

  They followed no trail. She ducked branches that would have knocked her to the ground. Or with her hands tied to the saddle, knocked her off the horse to be dragged.

  The man looked back to check on her every few minutes, and each time his face twisted with malicious satisfaction. Soon they were a long way from the house. She had no way to estimate just how far, but hopefully by now Sadie had found out that Angie had vanished and needed help.

  Angie thought of all the times she’d done as she was told when the only risk was cruel words and criticism. Compared to this, why hadn’t she just laughed at her mother and her husband and said, “Do your worst. I’m not going to obey your senseless rules or believe your unjust criticisms”?

  With that defiant thought in her head, suddenly Angie realized she was most likely going to her death. So why obey this time either?

  Angie leaned down to the saddle horn, used the bit of movement her hands were capable of and pulled her gag off. Then she threw herself off the horse and screamed for all she was worth. The horse reared as she dangled and slammed Angie into a clump of aspens. The lead rope tied to Watts’s saddle ripped loose.

  Relentlessly screaming, stirring up the horse, trying to draw attention, Angie was swung hard by the ropes on her wrists. Her skin tore. She screamed again and again.

  Watts leapt from his saddle and rushed at her. He tripped over a downed branch and fell on his face.

  Her horse jumped sideways, stumbled, and went down. She was dragged backward, then flung into the air. The rope on Angie’s wrists was jerked free of the pommel and she was tossed aside.

  She hit the ground so hard that for a moment she couldn’t draw breath. With her hands still bound, she struggled to her feet. The impact had left her dizzy and disoriented, but she saw her horse behind her and Watts behind the horse, which told her the direction of home.

  She ducked and dodged trees. Every step took her closer to home and closer to help. Fighting for each breath, she wasn’t capable of a scream. Without the use of her hands, each step was more difficult than the last. Branches slapped at her face. Fallen trees tripped her and threatened to twist her ankles.

  Finally she managed to free her hands of the rope. That’s when she heard thudding footsteps coming from behind. She didn’t look back. She knew who it was. And he was gaining.

  Frantic, she ran faster now, looking ahead and seeing she’d been taken into the woods just north of the house. These trees bordered the field that led to Skull Mesa. If she was out in the open, she could be seen all the way to the house. She’d have a lot better chance of finding help.

  She turned and headed for the open area. As she ran, the trees began to thin. She rushed forward, praying, trying to think as she ran.

  At last she burst into the open . . . and plowed into something hard.

  She looked up, hoping for Justin. Instead it was Alonzo. Still, she was saved. “There’s a man after me!” she cried. “Arizona Watts. He’s got a gun. Please, help me!”

  Alonzo shoved her backward into the woods. What is he doing? She opened her mouth to scream, but Alonzo gripped the back of her head and slapped his hand over her mouth.

  “You stopped her in time.” Watts ran up, gasping for breath.

  So shocked she couldn’t quite figure out what was going on, Angie shook her head violently to dislodge Alonzo’s hand.

  He leaned closer, and she saw his eyes. Angry, dangerous. The eyes of an enemy.

  “This isn’t Sadie. You’ve got the wrong girl.” A smirk then replaced the rage in his expression. “But Justin will be baited just as surely. He’s sweet on her.” Alonzo reached for his gun. “But we’re not going to have another escape attempt.�
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  Her heart slammed against her chest. Her breathing snagged and nearly stopped.

  He flipped the gun over. “This will keep you quiet.”

  She saw the butt of the gun swinging hard.

  And then felt the pain.

  Then nothing.

  “Watts broke out of jail!” Justin banged the back door open. “Sadie! Angie!”

  He’d been in a flat-out panic ever since he’d gotten word of it. Only Cole’s ice-cold control kept him from leaving Rosita behind in town.

  Sadie came running, dressed to ride, a holster and gun on her hip. “Angie’s gone.”

  “Gone?” Justin’s heart wrenched.

  “I’m pretty sure she’s been kidnapped. Her bedroom window is open. No sign of her around the yard. No horse missing. She didn’t take a coat. She left no note. No reason at all for her to be gone like that. Someone must’ve taken her.”

  “We’ve got to save her!” He whirled toward the back door. He took Cole’s fist full in the face. No anger, no shock, it just stopped him in his tracks. “What was that for?”

  “You’re acting like a lunatic.” Cole grabbed the front of his shirt and jerked him forward until they were facing each other. “You can’t do anything by jumping on your horse. What direction would you ride? Let’s first look for tracks out the bedroom window. See which way they went.”

  Cole nodded at Heath. “You’re the best tracker. Lead the way.”

  Heath darted out of the room toward the bedroom. Sadie was on his heels with Rosita behind her. Justin was about to charge after Rosita when Cole shoved him hard into the doorframe.

  Justin, furious, looked at Cole and shouted, “What are you pounding on me for? We don’t have time for this.”

  “No, we don’t. So stop and think before you act. You’re useless to us right now.” Cole leaned closer till they were nose to nose, and oh, Justin was so tempted . . .

  Except Cole was right, blast it. Justin was useless if he didn’t get himself under control. Fighting to slow his breath and use the brain in his head, he bore down on the terror of Angie being in their enemy’s hands. With teeth gritted, Justin regained control, cleared his thoughts.