Stone shifted to lie on his back and warmed when she cuddled against him. “We wait for two hours and try to force his hand.”
Ginny’s fingers toyed with the buttons on his shirt, then her palm flattened on his chest. She felt the steady beating of his heart beneath her hand. Despite the perils outside, she wanted him this very moment. She wondered if it was crazy to be thinking of such wanton things in the face of death. She decided, it was normal to desire the one you loved, to want to end ‘ one’s existence locked together as closely as possible. “Are you sure there’s no other way out of here?”
“Not unless you’re a goat or a ram or a puma. If we tried to scale those cliffs behind us, they’d see us and circle around before we reached the other side, which we couldn’t, since they’re too steep and slick.” Yet Stone knew if it came to the last minute of hope, he’d try that—anything—to save her. He didn’t want to die but he’d faced that possibility many times; he didn’t fear it, not if it meant Ginny would survive. If he did have to sacrifice his life for hers, he prayed she was carrying their child so she’d have something of him to comfort her and to compel her to stay brave and strong.
“There’s no place to hide in here or on the shelf,” Ginny murmured. “Why would Father build in an area where he could be trapped?”
“It’s a good place for defense against enemies and wild animals. Besides, love, this cabin is sitting atop part of the very thing Kinnon craves.”
She stared at him. “You mean we’re sitting on a silver vein?”
“Yep, a rich one, high grade, almost pure. Plenty of it, too.”
“That’s very clever of them. Who would think to prospect under a cabin? What if we sign over the land in exchange for our freedom?”
“He wouldn’t let us go, not once he learned we are the real owners.”
“Why did you tell him Clay left you his half?”
“To get his attention off you as full owner and to let him know not to go shooting at either of us too impulsively.”
“But he could decide I’m V. A. Marston and that he can get the claim in his greedy hands by slaying you, partner, and holding me prisoner. If he killed both of us, what would happen to ownership of this land? Could he stake it?”
“Nope, and I’m sure he realizes that. Our families would inherit our shares, so he has to take them from us with legal signatures. No matter how rough it gets, love, never—I mean never, woman—admit to him you’re Ginny Marston. You’ll have to keep him duped until you can escape him.”
She grasped the meaning behind his alarming words: if he was murdered. “We live or we die together, Stone Chapman. I’m not going to him.”
He rolled half atop her, cupped her face, and imprisoned her gaze. “Listen to me, Ginny. It’s crazy and wrong for both of us to die, if it goes that far.” He shifted to caress her abdomen as he said, “You could be carrying our child so you might have his life to think of, too. You also have to think of what losing both of us will do to our families. I’ve ridden a hard and fast trail, woman, and stared death in the face lots of times and it never troubled me. Then I found you and changed. More than anything, I want to live and be with you. If it’s too late to snatch more time from the Great Spirit’s hands, though, let me die like a man, die knowing you and perhaps our baby are safe. Do whatever you must to survive for all of us. Swear to me you will. You also have to do this for my mother and father.”
“I can’t. I love you and need you. I can’t live without you.”
“You can and you must, woman. If you really love me, live for me.”
She wanted to protest but knew he wouldn’t argue the matter. When he pressed for her promise, she gave it with reluctance and in a strained voice. “Perhaps he’ll relent to your demand,” she sighed. “If you were alone, could you get out of this?”
“What do you mean? Surrender to him in exchange for my release?”
“No. If I pretended to overpower you and got down the ladder, could you escape without me to worry about?”
“No way, woman, would I turn you over to that devil while I’m alive.”
“But if you’re free and we’re both alive, you can rescue me. This standoff won’t last long, Stone. We need a backup plan. I won’t lose you.”
“If we have to, we’ll stay up here until they get tired and careless. We have enough supplies for two weeks if we’re careful. I won’t do anything rash. I’ll try picking them off one at a time with my rifle.”
“After you shoot the first one, they’ll take cover. He won’t give up, Stone, no matter how long it takes to starve us out and win. I wouldn’t be safe with him because I couldn’t dupe him for long if he tried to touch me. And I’d never be able to escape because he’s sure to mistrust me for a while and have me guarded. If he lets us leave with only your promise to release me down the trail, I’ll be shocked. We must stay up here until our supplies are gone. Maybe help will come before they’re depleted.”
“That isn’t likely to happen, Ginny love; there aren’t enough men to defeat Kinnon and his gang. They’d kill anybody who tried to rescue us, or anyone who witnessed what’s going on here. It’s us against them.”
“At least we’ll have two more precious weeks together. Longer if we don’t eat much to extend our supplies. We have water. They can’t get up here to attack or disturb us. If Frank balks, why risk death sooner than necessary?”
“The longer we’re alone where anything could be happening between us, the less Kinnon’s gonna want you back and the madder he’ll get. A crazed man is unpredictable. But you’re right about not being safe with him. I can’t allow him to capture you.”
“Then we are trapped, and trying to outwait him won’t make a difference. If Frank rejects your bluff, we’re doomed, my love.”
Stone knew he had to give her comfort and hope, so he made up a deception to possibly use. “I can leap off the cliff onto Chuune’s back and gallop off. At least half of them will chase me. Kinnon will figure you’re tied up and I’m going for help. I’ll either ambush my pursuers or elude them in the forest, then sneak back to disable the others.”
“That’s a wild chance, Stone. You could be killed.”
“Might be our only one if he’s determined to outwait us, or decides you aren’t Anna Avery, or if he’s willing to sacrifice whoever you are for the strike.” He smiled and caressed her cheek tenderly. “Don’t worry, Ginny love, I’ve jumped off higher roofs and boulders than that cliff out there. Landed in my saddle every time.” He chuckled. “Chuune knows that whistle. It’ll work fine.”
“They’ll see you, Stone, and shoot at you at close range.”
He kissed the tip of her nose. “Not if I do it after dark.”
“There’s a full moon. They’ll see you and come running.”
“It’ll happen too fast for them to react. I’ll take them by surprise. Once I’m on the ground, I can pick them off like I did Bart and his men.”
“Bart and his gang weren’t expecting your attack. Frank knows you’re skilled and determined to get him. He’ll be on alert for cunning tricks. There are too many of them and only one of you.”
“I’ve fought more men alone than he has out there. But I need an advantage. I don’t have one up here, and not while you’re in danger. We may have no choice. Please trust me and do what I say when the time comes.”
Ginny didn’t want her love to risk his life on such a hazardous ploy, but she knew Stone Chapman had the prowess to carry out his daring idea. “I do trust you and I will obey. But if they start firing at you, I’m going to give you cover with my rifle. I’m a good shot because I had a good teacher. I don’t care if it tells him I’m on your side. I’ll pin them down while you get yourself concealed.” She was relieved when he grinned and didn’t argue. To get away from the distressing subject a moment, she asked, “Do you think there’s any truth to his claim he didn’t do the shootings and burning?”
“Nope. I think you and Matt are right; he’s the target I wan
t.”
Ginny smiled and hugged him. “Thank you for believing us.”
They began sharing kisses and caresses until their deadline arrived.
A rider approached the anxious banker’s location in the edge of the dense forest. He dismounted, glanced at the band of men, and asked in a polite tone, “Frank Kinnon, what are you doing on my claim?”
“So, you are alive, just as Chapman suspected. He wants to find you and kill you. Looks like I saved your life by getting to him first. I have the sorry bastard pinned down in your cabin. He’ll surrender soon.”
“Stone Chapman? He’s up there?”
“That’s right, Matt, with your daughter. Isn’t that a surprise?”
“With my daughter? That’s impossible. Ginny lives in England. Even if she came to America, she doesn’t know where this claim is located.”
“She didn’t have to know; Chapman brought her here.”
“Stone and Ginny don’t know each other. I’ve never mentioned him to her. He’s a lawman, Kinnon. This is crazy. What did he do to provoke you?”
“A few weeks ago, a beautiful woman came to town. She went to work for me and we got real close. I was going to marry her until I found out she was your daughter and the strike’s filed in her name: V. A. Marston. She and Chapman took off for this cabin Friday when they realized I had caught on to their scheme. We trailed them and have them trapped up there.”
“She’s an imposter. They’re lying. Ginny hasn’t had time to get here since her last letter, which said nothing about a trip to Colorado. She’s to stay there until I send her and Robert the money to join me. Something’s amiss. What ‘scheme’ are you talking about? How does my land figure into it? And it is in my name: Virgil Aaron Mathew Marston. I was named after Mama’s three brothers who were killed in the last war with England. That clerk must have left off the M in V. A. M. Marston. It’s on my deed.”
“Maybe Virginia talked her husband into letting her come search for you or persuaded him to bring her. Haven’t seen him, though.”
“Robert would never allow such foolishness and Ginny’s an obedient wife. The woman up there isn’t my daughter; she can’t be. If she thinks she can impersonate Ginny to take over my claim, she’s wrong. If Stone’s in on her lies, he’s wrong, too. I’ll tell them so right now. But why are you—”
“What does your daughter look like?”
“Flaming red hair and blue eyes, about five feet three inches tall, slim. Why? What’s going on? Nobody’s stealing my claim, not even a past friend and his female cohort. Whatever scheme he has in mind, it won’t work. I’m alive and this land is mine. But it isn’t like Stone Chapman to work with another agent, and he’s never shown any real interest in a woman. Are you sure she came here willingly? Stone’s one to use any trick to accomplish his missions. He hates defeat. Maybe he planned to force her to pretend to be my Ginny to entice me out of the cabin if he found me here. I know he thinks I killed his best friend, but he’s wrong and I’ll tell him so. Why don’t you explain what’s happening here before I go talk to him?”
“Chapman said he kidnapped my fiancée to use her to force me to sign a confession that I killed you and Clay. When I found out about the claim registration on Saturday, I surmised she was your daughter and that her behavior with me was a trick to help him expose me. Obviously it isn’t.”
“Why would Stone think you were involved? That’s crazy.”
“That’s what I told him, but he doesn’t believe me. Where have you been? Why did you disappear after Clay’s death? And why have you come back now?”
Mathew Marston related clever answers to those questions.
“Your timing is a little suspicious. First she comes, then Chapman, then you: all within a few weeks of each other. Mighty strange to me.”
“Not if Stone’s been tracking me and knew I was about to return. If he’s got it in his head that I killed Clay, or you did, I’ll have to convince him otherwise. Let me talk to him and get this matter cleared up.”
“I can’t let you join him, Marston. We have him outnumbered.”
“Then keep my weapons down here.”
“He probably has extra ones you can use to help him.”
“Then I’ll speak to him from the ground. I don’t have to go up there. I need to set him straight on some matters. I don’t want him terrifying an innocent young woman on such foolish notions about you or me.”
“You think you can talk him into coming out and giving up the girl?”
“I’ll try my best. I don’t want her harmed and I want him to stop chasing me. I have work to do, a mine to get going.”
“If he’s dead, he can’t trouble you again.”
“I don’t want him killed or injured. He was my friend for a long time. Clay lied to him about me. Things will be fine when he hears the truth. Besides, you can’t gun down a lawman without terrible repercussions.”
“He’s stubborn and he might not believe you. We’ll have to trick him to flush him from the cabin. I don’t want Anna harmed.”
“Who is Anna?”
“Anna Avery, my fiancée, the woman he’s holding captive.”
“I thought you just said she’s Stone’s cohort and impersonating Ginny.”
“That was a trick to see if you and Stone are working together.”
“We aren’t. What I can’t understand is why he’s trying to force a confession out of you when he thinks I killed Clay. It could be he thinks we did it together and he’s after both of us. We’ll do it your way. But no shooting. I don’t want his agent friends coming after me.”
The two men walked into the clearing before the stream. “Chapman! Chapman, I have a new deal for you!” Frank shouted.
“What now? Time isn’t up yet,” Ginny fretted and held Stone tightly.
“Don’t worry, love, I won’t let him get you. Stay down while I see what he wants. He’s in a quandary; he doesn’t know if you’re lying.”
“Use me for cover again,” she urged.
“No, you’ve taken enough risks already.”
“Yes, Stone. Until he’s sure I’m tricking him, he won’t shoot me.”
Stone cracked open the door and shouted, “What is it, Kinnon? I’m busy getting to know your woman. I can see why you wanted her so badly. I would, too, if she wasn’t so enchanted by a varmint like you.”
“You bastard! Accept my bargain or your friend’s dead! He showed up in the nick of time to save your hide. We all thought he was dead, but here he is, my prisoner. Let Anna go and you can have your friend in exchange. We’ll ride out and forget everything. All I want is her. That’s my offer.”
“Friend?” Ginny murmured. “What friend? Clay?” she hinted.
“I’ll have to take a peek.”
Ginny grabbed his arm and restrained him as she said, “No. He’ll shoot you the minute you show yourself. It’s a trick. He probably has rifles aimed on the door. I would look, but I don’t know Clayton Cassidy.”
“You’re lying, Kinnon,” Stone yelled, “and I won’t fall for any tricks! I guess you don’t want your woman back. Too bad for her.”
“It’s me, Stone, Matt Marston. I just returned. What’s going on here? What are you doing up there? Why did you take his fiancée hostage?”
An astonished Stone looked at a pale-faced Ginny.
“Father…That beast has my father prisoner! What shall we do?”
Stone was worried about the suspicious timing of Matt’s return.
“We can’t let Frank torture and kill him. We have to do something.”
“It’s been years and you’ve probably changed. Will he recognize you?”
Ginny nodded and replied in dismay, “Yes, I look like my mother. He’ll be so stunned to see me here and in danger, I’ll be exposed. My heavens, Stone, he has all of us captive now. We’ll never escape. He’ll torture us until we sign over this claim; then he’ll kill us anyway.”
“I won’t let that happen, Ginny. If Matt can’t get a look
at you, he can’t expose you. We’ll still call our bluff and ride out of here. I’ll hide you in a safe place and return to rescue your father. You have to do as I say.”
“But—”
“No buts, Ginny. Didn’t I teach you the importance of obedience during your training in Georgia? Remember how I tricked and captured Bart’s gang? I’m experienced and skilled at this kind of ruse. But I can’t let you be around to distract me and endanger all of us. You have to trust me.”
“If you cover my head, Frank will be suspicious. You need a shield.”
“I have an idea…” Stone prepared her for initiating it, then shouted, “Coming out, Kinnon, but she’s first. Better relax those trigger fingers.”
Ginny was guided through the door, a wide bandanna secured over her mouth and nose. Her hair was pulled back and stuffed beneath the floppy-brimmed hat. At that distance and with her face partially concealed, the couple hoped their disguising ruse would work. She ordered herself not to do anything to arouse suspicion as her gaze sought her father below. Matt was standing with Frank Kinnon; he was smiling and appeared to be relaxed.
Stone grinned. “Hope you don’t mind that I gagged her, Kinnon. Got tired of her chatter and crying. Matt, my treacherous old friend, what brings you back after so long? I was finally convinced you were dead, but my first thought was accurate after all. Your timing is mighty strange. I was about to trade Kinnon’s sweetheart for a confession he murdered you and Clay.” The Special Agent’s tone altered to one of coldness and accusation. “Where have you been, you sorry snake? What happened at that cabin last year? Were you and Kinnon working together all this time? Have you been hiding in the woods until he needed to use his ace? It won’t work, old friend. You’d shoot me in the back the moment it was turned.”
Midnight Secrets Page 46