“He’ll catch up when he can, Del. Any other questions?”
“Which group you riding with?” an older man asked.
“I’ll be with those going to the Taylor ranch. Del will go with the other group. Anything else?” When no one else responded, Chet made his last comment. “This is it boys, what we’ve all worked for. If anyone interferes, kill them. Got that?”
Most nodded, but some looked at each other as if wondering what Hollis wasn’t telling them. Each man had been hand-picked, and each knew the ruthlessness of their leader. No one wanted to cross him, and no one trusted him.
“We’ll meet at the designated place tomorrow at midnight.” Chet walked off, mounted, and turned his horse toward the Taylor ranch.
With Alts out of the way, Hollis had to take on the job of checking the Taylor layout before their raid. He didn’t make mistakes often, but getting rid of Alts probably hadn’t been his best move. Now he’d be the one sticking his neck out instead of some low-level rustler. Well, it was done, and there was no one left to handle it but him.
Hollis approached the ranch at a slow pace, watching to be sure there weren’t men posted around the perimeter. He took a slow swing around and saw no one. Taylor had built a series of corrals, each bordering another, in a long row behind the barn. The horses Hollis wanted were in the largest corral near the back. It was the farthest location from both the main house and bunkhouse. Easy pickings, if his men could get to the gate undetected.
He left his horse behind and worked his way closer to the house. He’d heard Jake put out word that the ranch was looking for more men. That was only two days ago. Hollis heard laughter from the house and crept up just below a window to peer inside. He knew Grant was back, but sitting next to him at the table was a man he didn’t recognize. Maybe Jake had found other men as well. Will and Drew MacLaren were at the table, also.
“Pass those potatoes this way, Jamie, unless you plan to finish them yourself,” Drew said.
“Here you go, little brother. Wouldn’t want to stop your growth spurt,” Jamie replied as he passed the dish over and laughed.
Brother, thought Hollis. Hell, another MacLaren. He wondered if this one was as good with a gun as the other two. Didn’t matter. He needed to focus on Grant being back. The man was a force in this area—someone you didn’t mess with—which meant it was also easy for him to attract new ranch hands with short notice. Grant could bring them on fast, but not fast enough to stop a raid tomorrow night, Hollis decided. He’d stick with the plan as well as his decision to take what else he wanted.
******
Frank had finally made it down the hill to a slow running creek at the far edge of the Taylor ranch. The bleeding had stopped, but a throbbing pain indicated the wound might be infected. He cleaned it as best as possible in the stream, and sat back to rest, and think.
He should’ve hauled Chet in sooner, but he had wanted to give the other rangers time to get in place. Doing that had cost young Mullins his life. If only Frank had been able to tell Johnny what was happening, but at the time, he wasn’t sure the young man wasn’t involved with Hollis. Now Alts knew Johnny had only been an innocent in the wrong place. It was in the past. Frank needed to focus on stopping Hollis and getting home to his son, Aaron. This might very well be his last assignment as a Colorado Ranger. The excitement of his job had worn off long ago, and since his wife had up and left, there was no one but a widow woman to take care of Aaron when Frank was gone. He’d finish this last job, return to Denver, and become the father Aaron deserved.
******
“Tell me everything you know,” Jamie commanded his brothers early the next morning. It had been late when they headed to bed the night before, each man exhausted from the long day.
“Like Grant already told you, one of the ranch hands has been in on the whole thing. Must’ve helped with the early rustling here, at Bierdan’s ranch, and possibly at other spreads. He and Mullins were in the canyon with two others the night we found them. Three were killed, but the fourth man got away. Haven’t seen him since.” Will looked disgusted at their inability to identify where the fourth man had gone. He’d just disappeared.
“He work here long?” Jamie asked.
“A few months, but long enough to learn how Jake ran the place, and where the cattle and horses were kept,” Drew said.
“Either of you get to know him?”
“Not really. Didn’t get close. He stayed with Tinder and Mullins some of the time. Alts was a loner from what I could tell.” Will hadn’t gotten close to anyone during his brief time at the ranch. Hadn’t planned to.
“Alts? The man’s name is Alts?” The surprise on Jamie’s face wasn’t lost on his brothers.
“Yea, Frank Alts. You know him?” Drew asked.
“Ah, hell. I didn’t know he was working this far from Denver.” Jamie took off his hat, ran his hand through his hair, and paced a few feet before turning back to stand by his brothers. “Worked with him as a Marshal. Good man. He hired on with the Colorado Rangers when his wife up and left him with a young son. Moved to Denver. Mainly works cattle issues and rancher disputes. Surprised you never heard of him, Drew.”
The news that their brother knew the man they’d thought of as a rustler surprised them.
“Never worked with him or heard of the man. Of course, I didn’t work cattle disputes as much as land and purchase issues. Mr. Dunnigan is close with the head of the rangers in Denver. I can send another message to him today, find out if he can get us information on Alts,” Drew replied.
“Well, he wasn’t shot, didn’t come back here, and hasn’t turned up in town. He could be hiding out with the rustlers, assuming they haven’t figured out who he is, or holed up somewhere waiting for more help,” Will said. “What do you suggest, Jamie?”
“I’ll go into town with Drew. Meet with the sheriff, let people know I’m around. Maybe word will get back to Frank and he’ll contact us. Either of you know any places in town he’d frequent?”
“Like I said, I didn’t get to know him, and never saw him in town. Don’t recall him going there much, not even on Saturday nights. Seems strange now that I think on it,” Will answered.
“We better let Jake know about him. Don’t want Frank to get shot if he does show up back here. I’ll send a telegraph to someone I know in Denver who’s with the Rangers. That, and Drew’s contact with Dunnigan, should help us.” Jamie paused and rubbed a hand over his unshaven face. “I heard Grant say he planned to ride out with the men today. What about the women? They okay here on their own?”
“Amanda’s fine. Handles a gun, and rides well. Don’t really know about Tess or Mrs. Taylor,” Will said.
“Tess asked me to help with her shooting. Guess she knows how to handle one but isn’t confident like Amanda. I turned her down, pushed her to get Tinder or another ranch hand to help her.” Drew still felt bad about refusing her request. He pushed his hands in his pockets and looked down at his dust-covered boots. “Guess I could talk with her today, see if she still wants me to work with her.”
A smile passed between Jamie and Will. Drew had always been the shyest of the four brothers, and to their knowledge, had never been serious about anyone. His discomfort conveyed more than he realized.
“I think that’s a real good idea, Drew. We need to know the women will be fine if all of us are away.” Jamie looked up to see a few men riding toward the ranch house. “Looks like Jake’s coming in now. I’ll make sure he and Grant know about Frank, and what we suspect. I’ll meet you back here in an hour, Drew, so we can head to town.”
“Probably a good time for you to speak with Tess, don’t you think?” Will smiled at his twin. He turned and started toward the barn, then looked over his shoulder at Drew, who still stood rooted in place. “Might even be able to get in some practice time before you head out.”
Will was still chuckling as he entered the barn to grab his gear. It was his shift to watch cattle with the men, but he wanted to mak
e a quick detour towards the Bierdan ranch to see if he could spot Hollis. It’d been several days since he’d seen the man. He needed to catch him alone, force Hollis to confess. Then he’d decide what to do with him.
“Hello, Will.”
He turned to see Amanda at the back of the barn, lifting her saddle.
“Amanda.”
“Are you heading out? I’ll ride with you if you don’t mind.”
“Tell me you’re not thinking of watching the herd. There’re plenty of men for that. And besides, your father’s going to be out there. Who’s going to keep an eye on the ranch? Your mother?”
Amanda placed her hands on her hips and turned toward Will. “Jake and a few of the men are back. They’ll watch the place. I want to be out there, where I might be useful.”
“You can be more useful here, making sure everyone’s safe, and taking care of the chores. And what about Tess? You going to leave her behind?” Will’s voice rose along with his concern for Amanda. He just didn’t know what else to say to keep her here, safe.
“Tess wouldn’t be comfortable riding out with us. Besides, this isn’t the kind of work she could do.”
“What? Put herself in danger like you want to do?”
They were standing only a foot apart, glaring at each other, neither giving an inch.
“Why are you so insistent I stay here when I’d be more help watching the herd?”
Will stared into her deep blue eyes and tried to calm the fear welling inside him. She was right. He had no right to try and stop her.
“Forget it, Amanda. Go wherever you want.” He threw his saddle over his shoulder and started toward the barn door.
“Well then, I choose to go with you.”
“No.” He didn’t look back.
“I’ll just follow you.”
Will stopped in his tracks, dropped the saddle, and turned to face her. Hands on hips, he looked down for several seconds before raising his eyes to meet hers. Then he started to walk toward her. His arms dropped to his sides as he advanced. One, two, three measured strides, and he stopped inches away. She could feel the heat radiating from his body. He could see the alarm in her eyes, but also the determination not to be intimidated. She raised her chin to glower into eyes that had turned hard as stone.
“You will not, today or ever, while I’m around, place yourself in danger. Not if I can prevent it. This is not something I will discuss further with you, Amanda. Don’t push me. You won’t like the man you’ll see if you do.” He stood for several moments, letting her absorb his words, then turned to pick up his gear.
“Why?” Amanda spoke the word in such a soft voice that Will almost missed it. When he didn’t respond, but didn’t walk away, Amanda moved up behind him and placed a hand on his back. “Why are you acting like this, Will?”
She could sense the struggle within him, feel the muscles in his back tense. He took a couple of deep breaths but did not turn around. Instead, he started forward, and walked away into the early morning sun.
Chapter Eighteen
“Sheriff should be back tomorrow, but perhaps I can help if you can’t wait.” The deputy eyed the man he’d met the day before and wondered about his business in Cold Creek.
“I’m looking for a man. Frank Alts. He’s been working at the Taylor ranch for several months but disappeared a few days ago. You know him?” Jamie had to start some place and with the sheriff out of town the deputy would have to do.
“Sure, I know him. What do you want with him?”
“Just to find him. Mr. Taylor’s worried something could’ve happened. Alts just up and disappeared—left his clothes and extra gear in the bunkhouse. Thought maybe someone in town had seen him.”
“I haven’t seen him in a few weeks. He’s not much for coming to town from what I’ve heard. I could check around, let people know he’s missing.”
“Glad for your help, Deputy. Word can be sent to Mr. Taylor if you hear anything.” Jamie walked out into a strong wind and looked up and down the main street. He clamped down his hat and walked toward the saloon. It was early, but saloons never closed. Perhaps he’d get lucky.
“What can I get you?” the bartender asked as he set a glass on the bar.
“Just coffee for now and possibly information. You know Frank Alt—works at the Taylor ranch?”
“I know him, but he don’t come in here much. Haven’t seen him in two, maybe three weeks. Why?”
“He’s missing. Left his gear behind.” Jamie sipped the hot brew and peered over the rim of his cup at the man across the bar.
“That so? Well, it’s strange but not unheard of. Maybe someone was after him and he had to take off in a hurry. I’ve seen a lot of strange things in my time, if you know what I mean?” The bartender grabbed a towel to wipe down the bar before adding more coffee to Jamie’s cup.
“Could be right, but Mr. Taylor wants to find him, so that’s what I’m trying to do. I’d appreciate it if you’d send word out to the ranch if you hear anything.” Jamie dropped some coins on the counter, four times the amount for coffee, and left the saloon. He tried the gunsmith next, then met Drew at the mercantile.
“Any luck?” Drew asked as Jamie approached.
“Nothing. You?”
“No one’s seen him. What now?” Drew grabbed the items he’d purchased and started for the door.
“Head back to the ranch and talk to Grant about places cattle can be kept for long periods, hidden, but with good access to food and water. We need to find the missing cattle and in the process, maybe find Frank.”
“Grant will need more men to protect the ranch and horses, keep watch on the herd, and try to locate the stolen cattle. There’s just too much ground to cover with the men he has. Another five or six would do it, but where do we find them?” Drew knew his time in Cold Creek was short. Dunnigan wanted him back in Denver in another week, but he wouldn’t share that with his brothers—at least not yet.
“That’s Taylor’s decision to make, not ours.” Jamie wished it was his decision. He’d have the extra men hired in a day and positioned about the ranch. His gut told him time was short, that the rustlers would make another move soon.
******
Frank woke to sun burning down on his face. He’d fallen asleep by the stream. The sun was high, and he knew it had to be close to noon. His shoulder throbbed and his back ached, but at least he was alive and near Taylor land. Frank still needed a doctor and food. He couldn’t recall the last time he’d eaten but it had to have been several days ago.
Alts pushed up and found it easier to stand than it had been the night before. He looked around and found a long, straight branch that could be used as a walking stick. The ranch house had to be several miles south. For a while he’d be protected by the thick stand of pine, but he’d need to travel over flat pastureland the rest of the way. It would take time but he’d make it to the ranch and in the process decide how to confront, and arrest, Hollis for attempted murder.
An hour passed, maybe two, before Frank came to where he needed to leave the shelter of the trees and start across open land. He stopped to rest and gather his strength. The next few hours would be the worst, but there was no other way to reach the ranch from here. The chances of anyone finding him this far out was slim, so he’d just need to pace himself. He couldn’t afford to lose his strength and collapse. If he did, he’d most likely die, and that wasn’t an option, not with Aaron waiting for him at home. The thought of his son gave Frank strength. Aaron was the best thing that had ever happened to him and he wouldn’t let him down. Not like Aaron’s mother had. Frank had no idea where she’d gone and that was fine with him. He hoped she’d never show her face again. Yes, he’d make it through this last assignment and return home, to Denver and to Aaron.
******
“Where next, Jake?” Tinder and the others had been riding on little sleep. Jake had only let them rest three hours before getting them up and back out looking for the missing cattle. He’d told them
all what he expected and it didn’t include much rest.
“Continue up toward the north pasture. We’ll sweep the open areas then check the valleys around the forestlands. Those are the last places I know to hide that large a herd. Something’s got to turn up soon.” Defeat tinged Jake’s voice, a trait uncommon in the long-time foreman, but he was stumped. He had men riding the entire perimeter with nothing to show, not even tracks or any other signs of cattle movement. “Tinder, you go ahead with Johnson while the rest of us spread out to cover more area.”
“Sure thing, boss.” Tinder spun his horse and Johnson followed, determined to find something to help locate the cattle. Tinder, riding ahead, reined in sharply. “Is that a man?” He approached with caution, then jumped from the saddle when recognition hit. Kneeling beside the figure half buried in the grass, he turned the man over. “My God, it’s Alts. Quick, ride back and get Jake. Tell him we found Alts and he’s in a bad way.” Tinder began to pull the coat, vest, and shirt back. They came away with caked blood and gore, the stink indicating the wound was beginning to fester. He grabbed his canteen and soaked the kerchief he’d pulled from around his neck.
“Frank, you hear me?” Tinder started to clean the wound while urging Frank to respond. “Come on, talk to me.” He looked for other injuries, thankful not to find any. He rolled the injured man a little to the side. The bullet had gone clean through. At least they didn’t have to worry about digging it out of him. When he rolled him back, a soft moan escaped Frank’s lips and his eyes fluttered.
“Frank, can you hear me?”
“Yea, I can hear you.” The words were soft, strained. Frank tried to lift his head. “Tinder? What are you doing out here?”
“Trying to save your sorry butt, although I don’t quite know why yet. I’m going to help lift your head so you can have some water, but only a sip. Got that?”
“Yea, I got it.”
Tinder let a small amount of water trickle down Frank’s throat, then eased him back down. Relief washed over him as he saw Jake, Johnson, and the others appear in the distance. “We’ve got help coming, Frank. Won’t be long now.”
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