by James, Ranay
“I am at your service, my lady. And I’m with you to the bloody end.”
“Thank you.” She would go it alone if necessary, but she was grateful he had her back.
“No need to thank me, Kate. You are my wife. However, keep this advice in mind. If you ever once cross that line of right to wrong, you can never return to the age of innocence. You can never wash the blood off your hands no matter how much you may want it gone.”
Kate wondered if he was speaking from experience.
Chapter 46
Kate knew they were being followed. So did Robert. Secure in that knowledge, they stayed close to each other never getting out of eyeshot. Robert had first heard the engine four days past. The person or persons following were being cautious, just not careful enough. What they were not counting on was Kate’s natural ability to track. With that ability it was not any wonder that as a little kid, she had always managed to find Kyle and him no matter how well they thought they had hidden from her. She had stealthfully maneuvered them back around and behind whoever this group was that was following them.
“What do we do now?” she whispered never taking her eyes off the group below. Her heart was racing.
“Nothing. We lose them,” he whispered backing away from the rock ridgeline over looking the campsite. They were too far away to see faces. However, Robert was close enough to see the guns even without binoculars. “Come on. We can cover some ground tonight.”
“But they could be the men responsible for killing Kyle,” she protested knocking off his hand as he tried to pull her backwards.
“Or not. Use your head, Kate. We are outnumbered and outgunned and it is almost dark,” he whispered.
“But we have the high ground and the element of surprise. They are trespassing, Robert.”
He did not need her to point out the fact she had every right to shoot at them should they threaten them. Nevertheless, they were not a current threat even if they both knew this was not a group of boy scouts. If they were on her land, then they were up to no good. Those facts did not help his argument. However, his superior leadership and intellect was not what won the day. Muscle had purely and simply. Since she was not going quietly, he had to physically drag her back to the horses. Without a doubt, she was a handful, kicking and fighting every step of the way. In order to preserve any advantage they might have gained, he suffered through her biting the hand that he had placed over her mouth. Only through a miracle did he managed to keep it there.
She had been impossible over the last few days, wearing his patience thin. It just happened to be coming to a head at the worst possible time, and he was not about to let her ride hell-bent for revenge into a camp full of armed men. Even if he did comprehend her need for justice, it wasn’t going to happen as long as he was in control. And as satisfying as a good old fashion lynching might be, that was not going to happen either. Not today. He needed to make sure the laws were followed and the criminal justice system had its chance to work. He did not want Kyle’s killers to go free just because she took the law into her own hands. Besides, he knew her well enough to know remorse would quickly follow on the wings of triumph should she do something drastic all in the name of justice.
He was protecting her against herself by lassoing her to her horse. Tying her horse to his and getting away from the area as soon as possible were his main focal points. It was almost dark and he needed to get her settled down. Figuring out how to smooth over hurt feelings would have to wait for a later time. This was not the place or time.
“Bully! Brute!” She continued to fight. “Why not just toss me face down like a sack of horse feed over the saddle next time.”
Her sarcasm was the final straw.
“If you don’t keep that smart yap of yours shut, I might do it this time. Don’t test me, Kate.”
“I will drive a nail through your temple while you sleep for this!” she hissed like a snake, fighting against the rope tying her to her horse.
She could not believe he actually did this to her. She was seething inside, not so much for his manhandling her, but more he had done it with such ease making her feel so totally helpless.
He had had it with her, his usual stores of patience completely tapped out. “No, you won’t. Now, hush up before you give us away, and furthermore, you should be thankful tying you to that horse is all I do to you,” he growled.
Robert was angry with her for forcing his hand. Manhandling her was not what he wanted to do, but she had given him no other alternative.
“Oh, just let me off this horse, cowboy, and I’ll show you how thankful I really am.” She fought against the ropes only serving to develop rope burn for her efforts.
He watched her for a moment and then started laughing softly, completely amused when he should have been angry at her threats. “You are kind of cute when you get all riled up, Katie Bug. Has anyone ever told you that?”
That shut her up as she sat there with her mouth open.
He continued to lead their horses back to camp. She was speechless. She had just threatened to kill him in his sleep and he was calling her cute?
It was so absurd, so much so, she let the anger go and lending her own chuckles to his.
“I’m sorry, Robert. Truce?” She smiled prettily at him in the late afternoon daylight.
“If I untie you, will you behave?” He gave her a long look betraying his suspicion that she was sincere.
“Yes. I promise to behave. I’m sorry. I should not have let it get to…” She paused. “Oh my God, Robert, look!” She tried to point. “Look! Over there.”
“What?” He was trying to make out exactly what had her so excited.
“Right over there, the last clue! There it is! See it! Untie me, hurry,” she said bouncing in the saddle.
Reaching across he prayed this was not a ruse to get him to untie her. Freeing her bounds, she took off like a shot to a small grove of trees.
It was then he saw it, too.
Chapter 47
After finding the last and final clue, her hopes soared. Now, she could not believe her eyes as she stared down at the items they had uncovered.
“It is apparent someone beat us to the punch,” Robert stated the obvious.
“Or this is just some son-of-a-bitch’s idea of a cruel joke. Treasure? More like crap.”
Their treasure consisted of a few odds and ends more worthy of a child’s buried treasure than what one would expect from the legend. All her hopes were dashed. There was nothing here, not really. All the chasing around and all the sleepless nights were all for nothing. No buried treasure, no hidden clues, and no more time.
“Only a bunch of stupid stories, stupid signs, and a near empty cache box maybe worth ten bucks at some stupid flea market,” she said kicking the dirt. “Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!”
She fell to the dirt on her knees looking one last time for anything they might have missed. Taking the shovel and frantically digging the hole wider, crying in frustration, she found nothing more than a good, wide, and deep hole to bury her hopes of ever saving her ranch.
Robert felt sorry for her as he leaned over picking her up by the arms and setting her unceremoniously back on her feet.
“Well, it is treasure, Kate, sort of,” he said trying to console her.
Even she knew she could not expect him to accept this as the treasure to secure her debt. Her sense of fair play would prevent her from even trying to claim that debt as paid. The artifacts and coins had some small value, but let’s face it, there was no way it was enough to cover her.
What was she expecting, a miracle?
Well, yeah, her mind answered.
He could see she was deflated. “Come on, it is getting late. We still have an hour to ride back to camp. It will be past dark by the time we make it as is.”
Tossing the shovel down with considerable force and trying to walk past him to the horses, he held out his hand for her to take. She paused realizing it was his way of saying he was sorry and still in her corne
r. She took that hand as they walked to the horses. Slinging herself up into the saddle, she looked at Robert over her shoulder and made a decision.
“I’m not going back to camp, Robert,” she said softly before kicking her mount into motion.
She was going back to the ranch. They had been out for six days and she was tired of all the hunting. They had found what they were looking for, and it was just one more joke Loki, the Norse god of mischief, seemed to be enjoying at her expense.
“Yes, you are going back to base camp, Kate. It is dangerous to ride out here at night. Don’t be foolish.”
He knew foolishness was not in her basic nature, conceding she was impulsive, impetuous, and spontaneous. However, foolish and reckless was something he had not witnessed in her behavior, at least not until today.
He offered to take her back to the ranch first thing in the morning. Then they would freshen up, get new supplies, and regroup.
“I’m done with this crap, Robert. I concede, you win.”
She swatted impatiently at the tears seeming to materialize from nowhere. “My thirty days was up two days ago. The Golden Circle is yours. Congratulations. I’ll pack what few things I own and will be out of your hair by Friday.”
She put the spurs again to the horse leaving him seconds behind cursing her for what he now actually did consider foolishness and recklessness.
He caught up to her horse and reached for the reins pulling both of their mounts up short in the waning evening light.
The look she gave him was scalding. Fire burned from her depths, and he could feel her anger, her aggravation, and her disillusionment.
“This was not a contest, Kate, at least not between us. We are partners and partners do not compete.”
“Is that your lame attempt to make me feel better?”
“No. It is the truth,” he countered without a moment’s hesitation.
She sighed heavily knowing all hope was lost. “Robert, I needed to find that treasure. You know that.”
“Yes, I do know, probably better than anyone and believe it or not, I wanted to find that treasure as much as you. My reasons may have been different, but valid all the same.”
She held her ground.
“Let go of my mount, McKinnon,” she kept her voice passive. It was the only way to keep a tight rein of control over her emotions. She was dying inside as she began to realize she would lose more than just the ranch. She was losing a friend. Once she walked away, that would be the end of it with Robert. She liked him, and she was even growing to love him.
Narrowing his eyes he lowered his voice. It was a sight and a side of him she had seen once before. Cold, almost cruel, would be the way she would have described him just as he had been the night they married.
“All right, Kate, if this is the way you want to play it, then so be it. However, don’t let my easy-going nature fool you into thinking I’m a pushover. If you make this a contest, especially of wills, you will lose I assure you.”
Again, she held firm. Her daddy had always said make sure any fight worth fighting is worth the effort of winning.
Then reevaluate.
Even if you win, if the end result is not worth the effort, then let it go. She could not let it go. Not today.
“You may own the land, and you may have married me, but I am no longer a part of the bargain.” Her eyes flashed in anger and frustration. “I’ve filed to dissolve this marriage. You will soon be free of this pathetic creature because the way I see it, as a couple, we no longer serve any purpose. So don’t think you can intimidate me by trying to bully and threaten me.” Ginger Snap picked up on her heightened emotions and pranced sideways. She was fighting to keep control of herself and the horse.
“Oh no, my lovely Katherine, this is no threat. I do not have to threaten. You have officially conceded and now this horse is mine. I’ll not allow you to endanger what belongs to me. And that also includes you until I decide whether or not to sign those papers.” He was fighting for control too. “If you won’t think of the danger to yourself as my wife then think of my horse. Will you be the one to put it down if it breaks a leg trying foolishly to get you home after nightfall?”
She stared him down and blinked first.
“You're right.” she conceded. "All right, what now?" She looked to him for guidance.
"We sleep on it and remount in the morning."
All she could do was nod.
Chapter 48
Slowly and at a saner pace, they made their way back to base camp. Setting up camp for the evening was a tense affair; the air crackled with mainly one-sided tension. Kate could see he had already let it go. Holding grudges was not his modus operandi. It usually was not hers either. However, she wanted to hold on to her anger. It was the glue holding her world together.
Conversation was engaged only if he initiated it. Answers were brief and to the point. She was getting good at the silent treatment. It was not aimed directly at him. There was no reason to aim it at him. Furthermore, it was not her attempt to punish him either. It kept her from screaming. To her way of thinking, and Robert would probably agree, that silence was the lesser of the evils.
Robert watched her. She gathered wood for the fire and laid out the bedrolls inside their tent without a word. The connection to her was growing. With that connection was coming knowledge. He knew she hurt deeply. Simply the fact she willingly admitted defeat let him know she was close to the end of her rope, and he could well imagine this defeat was something not easily admitted for her. She was, after all, a Brandenburg. It did not matter that she had taken his name. The loss of the ranch was almost the last straw, and he did not have to have a connection to her to see the deep disappointment.
He could see her point.
And the hurt went beyond her wounded Brandenburg pride.
He hated to see her lose all hope, and once one peeled back the layers that was what this quest had been about, hope. Hope of finding the means to fulfill her dreams. Hope of independence. Hope of a way to redeem the Brandenburg name, and a means to recapture her pride. It was simply a means to other ends, not about the money or the treasure.
To her way of thinking there was nothing left for her. He wished deeply she felt their relationship was worth the effort. However, it was apparent she did not. He feared Candice was the main cause.
Well, one way or the other, he had to make her see treasure was not always currency. There were other means and ways to make the ranch profitable, and Candice was not a permanent roadblock.
After eating supper, Kate excused herself leaving the security of the ring of firelight to place some distance between her and Robert. By now it was completely dark with little light from the new moon.
Robert followed.
Keeping a discreet distance, he reminded himself she was still his client. Snakes of the two-legged kind were always a possibility and given the events of the last few days he dared not leave her alone with only a flashlight for defense. Theie earlier encounter on the rocks proved that someone was following them, and even if she was a deadly accurate shot, under the circumstances, he needed to guard her back. It would not be a good thing if she were caught literally with her pants around her ankles.
Coming out of the woods she went to the horses to ensure they were comfortable for the night. It gave her something constructive to do, allowing her to focus on something other than herself. She was not ready to face the facts or face Robert either, not just yet at least. It kept her from returning to the safety of the fire. Nevertheless, she knew she could not stall forever.
Kate knew herself well enough to know what she was doing. She was tucking her tail, slinking away to go crawl into a hole and lick her wounds in solitude. It was not usually her way. However, it just seemed easier than facing the truth as she wondered how she was going to accept this defeat. Her life was in shambles. There was no denying it. The decade of her twenties was a disaster, and she figured she was the only woman in the world looking forward to turnin
g thirty.
The next ten years have to be better than the last ten, she thought.
“It’s me,” Robert spoke softly as he approached, not wanting to startle her.
She knew he was there, just as he had been there silently for years.
It should not have come as a shock to her, she supposed, when George told her Robert was the one to bail her out of her legal troubles back in New York and to give her money to get home. He was the one to save Kyle from ruination on more than one occasion, and now he had saved her and the land as well. The marriage had been purposefully arranged to throw off the dogs. It had worked. Again, his guidance had saved her hide, her land, and her pride. What amazed her was not so much he had been there for Kyle and for her, but the fact he had asked for nothing in return. Absolutely nothing.
He fronted her money to live until the insurance claim could be settled and had given her a safe roof under which to reside with room to breathe. If you discounted Candi’s annoying presence, it was a haven, with twenty-four hour armed security, yet she never felt as safe as when he was near. They had been out in the open for days, and she had never once felt afraid even knowing there was a small band following them. His presence surrounded her like a protective vault making her feel secure for the first time in years. It too was all an illusion, soon to be gone along with the ranch.
“Kate? You all right, baby?” he questioned.
His voiced was soothing, stroking frayed nerves. She wanted desperately for him to hold her and tell her everything was going to be all right. She wanted him to lie sweetly and tell her it was all a bad dream and Kyle was really still alive.
How delusional was that, she wondered?
Instead, the stark reality was she had foolishly sold the farm for an oilcloth and a rusty old cache box.
He probably thinks I’m pathetic, she thought.
Turning her around he could feel her stiffen in the process.
He took her gently by the shoulders.