by Lowe, Aden
"I found them. You guys stay here. I'm going to head over alone. They're a little familiar with me and my mount came from this herd, so maybe I won't scare the hell out of them."
"I don't think that's such a good idea, Kate." The frown Jakob wore promised he would argue. "The guys who did it could still be hanging around. You'd be a sitting duck."
Okay. So maybe he had a point. "You have another idea?"
"I say we all ride over, just keep our distance and watch for trouble."
Rita and Falon quickly agreed, so Kate gave in. She didn't much like the idea of having someone spook the horses right over her anyway. The rode toward the herd, careful to keep quiet and use whatever cover the land provided. When they finally had a decent vantage point, Kate signaled the others to stay while she advanced even more slowly.
Her first real look at the herd was shocking. Coats that should be sleek and glowing with health were dull and matted with dirt. Instead of playing and eating, foals huddled next to their mothers, heads down, not even nursing. A couple flicked ears at Kate's presence, but most ignored her, dazed.
She dismounted and dropped the reins, trusting her horse to stand and wait for her return. The nearest mare didn't even blink when she walked up and touched her. The poor thing didn't even have the presence of mind to switch her tail at the flies. Kate moved among the horses, finding them all in similar condition, traumatized, dehydrated, and some with physical injuries. One stood on a badly split hoof that had to be excruciating, and another had a nasty cut on her knee.
Unable to do anything to really help them, Kate mounted and rode back to the others. She shook her head at the questioning looks. "We might lose the whole herd. Besides the physical stuff, they're mentally fucked right now. At the first sound of an engine, I have no doubt some would just die on the spot rather than face that torture again."
Rita blinked back a tear Kate would have liked to shed. "I'm so sorry, honey. Is there nothing we can do?"
Kate shook her head again. "No. I could tend some of the worst cuts, but they won't heal, being dehydrated and not eating. They need vet care, and lots of it. And that's just the physical part. The mental part…" She let the words trail off, unable to state the obvious.
Jakob moved Ajax close and took her hand. "How do we get some of the boys out here to see to them?"
Of course. That was the obvious solution. A couple of the hands could come out and tend the injuries and just babysit them until a vet could come. Maybe they could at least maintain them that long and give them a chance. Once the physical damage was healed, they could assess the mental consequences and decide what to do.
"I brought flares this time to signal the ranch for help if we needed it." Excited at having the answer, Kate dug in her saddle bag for the case.
"Will they see it?" Rita frowned and watched her open the sealed orange plastic container.
Kate nodded. "Yeah, I told Ray I'd signal if we ran into trouble. He'll send help right away." The flare gun looked like some sort of child's toy, bright orange plastic, but when she fitted the flare cartridge into the slot, it turned into a formidable object, dangerous as hell. "Everybody look away."
She aimed the gun straight up, squeezed her eyes shut, counted off, and pulled the trigger. The thing left the gun with a hiss and sizzle. She chanced a look after a few seconds and caught the brilliant red light at its zenith. When it dropped, it emitted a lingering trail of red smoke.
Falon watched the smoke. "That should do it."
Kate shrugged and put the flare kit away. "What now? Think we should take break and let the horses rest a little?"
"Yeah, I think so. They could do with a drink, at least." Jakob stroked a hand along Ajax's neck, lifting back the heavy mane to let air under it and offer a little relief from the heat. The big black horse responded to some unseen cue from Jakob and started for the water tank and the others followed eagerly, ready for a break.
The cold fury she'd tried to control started to bubble to the surface. "What kind of person could have done that? Who could be that cruel?"
"I don't know, but we'll find them." Jakob looked as angry as she felt. "And when we do, they're going to regret it." The way he said it reminded her of what little he'd said about what he did in the Army. Perhaps he was more prepared for this than she'd thought.
Falon and Rita rode up beside them. "That's one thing we know for sure. They won't get off scot-free. Jakob and I have a little experience with stuff like this."
"That's right, you said you'd worked together or something?" Rita pulled her hat off to wipe sweat away from her face.
Jakob gave Falon a stern glance. "Yeah, Harris was in my squad before he got out. Better part of two years."
Falon nodded. "Yeah, we saw a lot of stuff." He turned to Kate. "Think we'll have time to have lunch on this break?"
Kate recognized the abrupt change of subject and decided not to pursue it. Jakob obviously didn't want to say a lot about his work, and that was okay. "Yeah, we'll stop long enough for lunch. The horses need a good drink and to cool down and graze a little. An hour sound okay to everybody?"
The others agreed, Rita and Falon looking relieved. "That sounds great to me. A horse is a bit different from my bike. Got a little seasick at first."
Jakob laughed. "Bet you kind of know how a virgin bride feels on her honeymoon too, huh?"
"That's just not even right, dude. But it might be just a little bit true."
Rita grinned. "It's still better than going down Kate's driveway on a bike. That was rough."
The banter continued as they reached the stock tank and dismounted. The horses drank deeply, and while the others moved off to graze, Ajax turned to Jakob as if to get his head patted. With a chewing motion, he dribbled a mouthful of water over Jakob's shoulder.
"Damn it, you bastard, what'd you do, drink ice water?" He patted the horse's neck affectionately.
A laugh escaped before Kate could stop it. "I can't believe he just played with you."
One of the heart stopping smiles curved Jakob's mouth. "Yeah he does occasionally."
She slipped into his arms and leaned up for a kiss. "Good. It's a different side to you." One she'd like to get to know much better after her horses were taken care of and she'd made someone pay.
He chuckled. "I have a lot of things to show you. It'll probably take the next seventy or so years." He pulled her up close and brushed a light kiss over her lips. "I don't understand it, but I can't get enough of you, Kate."
"It's a good thing, since I can't get enough of you."
"Go for a walk with me?" The wicked grin he wore promised far more than walking.
"Sounds good to me."
They walked to the other side of the willows, out of sight. Jakob gathered her into his arms and lifted her to pull her legs around his waist. "I wish we had all the time in the world. Right now, I just want to make love to you." The hard-on he pressed against her confirmed his words. "We could skip lunch?"
"Yeah, we could." At the moment, nothing mattered except getting him inside her. She pulled his head down for a real kiss.
He gave a groan and lowered them to the ground, settling her carefully on her back with his hips cradled between her legs. "You wear too damn many clothes, you know that?" One hand crept under her shirt to brush the side of her breast and send heat flooding her core.
"Mmm, you do too. We could get rid of some of them."
"Good." He lost no time lifting her shirt above her breasts so he could taste.
Kate reached between them to tug his shirt loose and up for skin on skin contact.
Jakob groaned. "Bet I get rid of mine before you do."
She smiled against his lips. "Oh yeah? What do I get if I win?"
"You already won my Metallica CD. Hmmm. How about my Marilyn Manson CD?" He chuckled softly.
She trailed kisses along his jaw. "I don't give a damn, as long as I win."
He rose to his knees and pulled his shirt over his head. "I don't ha
ve as much to take off as you do, so I'll win."
"Cheat." She dragged off her shirt and bra together and kicked her boots free at the same time. Hips lifted, she peeled jeans and panties off and smiled in triumph. "Ha, I won anyway."
"So you did." Jakob shoved his jeans as far as his knees and leaned over her. "I think I'll keep my CD, though. I'd rather listen to something else right now."
She wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled him to her entrance. "What's that?"
One smooth thrust brought him into her and he brought his lips to her neck. "You screaming my name." He withdrew in a tortuous glide.
Bet and discussion forgotten, she gave her entire being over to bringing him deep again and again. All too soon, the ball of tension in her lower belly let go, making her moan his name.
Chapter Twenty: Kellen
Finally back to his post, Kellen settled in again to watch. At least he knew Barger was coming now. The question was, how many would be with him? Maybe he should put a man on the other side of that boundary. Blackwell had been pretty damn specific that they had to stay on his side of it for this part. But it would be good to know what they were going to face.
He continued to debate the question for a few moments, and finally decided to keep his men where they were. If one got caught on Holt's land, things could go bad fast. He didn't need Barger having any more information than he already did.
The Roman Empire's expansion into Brittaniae captured his attention for short periods while he continued to watch for signs of Barger's approach. No doubt it would be soon.
Sometime during Boudica's Rebellion, the radio crackled. "You see that, Kellen?"
Kellen looked up to where a faint cloud of dust rose, barely visible. "I do." He got out his binoculars and studied the area. Eventually, he made out the dark forms of four horses carrying riders, still too far away for him to identify Barger. "Listen up. Time to move. Go to Trip's position, and take your time. We don't want dust or noise to alert them, so go easy. Wait with Trip and keep it quiet. When it's time to move further, I'll give the word." No need to complicate things by giving complex directions. Somebody would screw it up, for sure.
He went back to Boudica, stopping to check the dust trail periodically. The rest of the Raiders radioed one by one as they reached Trip. Everything was falling into place, despite the near disaster of Dix's battle with the snake.
When he judged the riders might be close enough to make out faces, he shoved his sunglasses up and focused the binoculars. Two men, two women. Damn. Which one was Kate Holt? They both had their hair up or something, concealed under hats. The curve of their tits was the only thing that confirmed they were actually females. The men's faces were also shadowed by hats, but unless he missed his guess, Barger would be the one on the big black horse.
Judging by the distance they'd come since he first saw them, he figured he had about an hour and a half before they came within range for him to spring the ambush. He would have to juggle the timing carefully to keep from alerting them too soon.
He radioed Trip. "Start them this way, slow, and stay on grass. No gunning engines. No dust and no noise."
"Yeah, boss. See you in about half an hour."
Perfect. Kellen went back to the Roman Empire and the construction of Hadrian's Wall. A flash of pride in his ancestors made him smile. Even the mighty Roman Empire had feared the wild Highland Scots. Yeah, he was proud to carry mostly that blood.
The half hour passed quickly as he read and watched Barger and his party, and watched for signs of the Raiders' passage that might alert Barger. Fortunately they held the high ground and trees shielded a good portion of the trail they would take. That should filter both sound and dust and keep them well-hidden.
The ATVs rolled somewhat quietly into Kellen's hiding place and parked behind the clump of boulders where he'd concealed his machine. Hell Raiders squatted down to stay out of sight and talk quietly while Kellen continued to watch their quarry.
The four riders seemed to have slowed a little, not as close as Kellen had expected they would be. That might be a good thing, or could mean they would turn back at the boundary. Damn, he hoped not. That would drag this job out indefinitely while he figured out another way to draw the Holt woman and Barger into the open. His stomach rolled with dread at the prospect.
Time slowed to a crawl and Kellen felt every damn step those horses took. Who the hell rode horses for actual travel these days, anyway? ATVs would make far more sense and cover the ground a helluva lot faster.
Finally, the black horse in the lead stepped across the boundary onto Blackwell land and the others followed. Barger signaled the other three, as if to warn them they'd crossed into hostile territory. The group slowed even more and spread out a little.
Kellen's pulse pounded in his ears, just like before a big fight. It never failed, no matter how many times he led the Hell Raiders into battle, he always got an adrenaline rush like a rookie. Probably because the possibility of death hung over their heads each time. Nothing like an up-close-and-personal with the Reaper himself to get your heart pounding.
He forced himself to read more instead of watching Barger and the riders constantly. Barger's sixth-sense probably sat at hair-trigger sensitivity. Staring would set it off faster than a three alarm fire and send them pounding back across that boundary. Men like Barger, undercover cops and such, tended to listen to their gut. So Kellen went back to the Roman Empire and the Severan Reforms and stayed there with steely determination.
A tense, eerie quiet settled over the Hell Raiders as the riders passed them only a few hundred yards away. One of the horses raised its head and looked directly at them, but the woman on its back didn't bother checking. A full five minutes afterward, the Raiders released the collective breath they held. They stayed quiet, wary and ready to get to the action.
And they waited. And waited. Kellen continued to read, watching for the riders to pass the fallen boulder he'd chosen as a landmark for the safe zone. Beyond that boulder, the Raiders could block the trail back before the horses had a chance to reach the property line. It was just a technicality, really, but he agreed with Blackwell that Barger and the woman should be taken on his land. It presented less risk of anyone figuring out what happened and coming after them.
After about forty-three years, the last horse passed the boulder. Kellen waited a full five minutes, then stood, nodded to the others, and headed for his ATV. They all followed suit, careful to stay quiet and preserve the element of surprise until the last possible moment.
The ATVs all purred to life with minimal throttle and rolled as quietly as possible toward the trail. When they reached it, Kellen led them at full speed toward the horses. The race began. The ATVs managed to get in front and the horses spun and galloped back toward Holt land, but Hack pulled three Raiders away from the main group to intercept and turn them back.
In a quick switch of tactics, the horses headed for rougher ground to the east where the ATVs would have to go slower. Trip and two others split away and blocked them.
The horses spun and headed back, deeper into Blackwell land. Kellen gave the signal to surround them and bring it to a halt. Finally, they were close enough for him to determine Barger rode the black horse, just as he'd expected. Of course the bastard would have the biggest, baddest horse in the bunch.
The horses circled and sort of milled around, progress halted. Barger's horse reared and made a threatening noise. Damn, Kellen hadn't realized a horse could be that intimidating. The ATVs came in closer, engines gunning. These horses didn't freak the hell out, instead standing their ground other than hopping around a little.
A handgun appeared in Barger's hand and a shot rang out, punching a hole through the fiberglass fender of Trip's machine. Time to wrap shit up. Kellen drew his own gun and waited for the rest of the Raiders to arm themselves. He put a harmless warning shot out there, then deliberately aimed at the other man. He wanted Barger in one piece for the moment and didn't give a damn a
bout the other one.
The other guy's back presented a good target, but Kellen hated to shoot someone in the back. So he waited. Another shot rang out, and the only Prospect in the group yelped a little as blood spread over the sleeve of his t-shirt and down his arm. Flesh wound apparently, since the prospect still used the arm to steer his machine. Bleeding for the club would go a long way toward getting the kid his full patch.
The second man turned, finally presenting a proper target, even as he aimed his own weapon at another four-wheeler.
Out of patience, Kellen stopped his ATV and leveled his gun at the man. Dude would be nothing more than dead weight, literally, so he might as well go for a kill shot. He adjusted his aim, took a breath, and pulled. The guy's horse threw its head up and jumped around a little.
Everything froze for a second as the man tumbled off his horse and hit the ground. Kellen pressed the advantage and turned his gun on one of the women. "Barger, drop the gun and get your hands up, or I'll drop her too." His shout carried over the engines and noise the horses made.
Like magic, Barger raised his gun and ejected the mag. "Don't shoot. Just tell me what you want."
Kellen grinned. "Well, Barger, I want your hide mounted on my wall. Simple. You can either surrender, or I put the woman down."
"Alright. Just don't shoot her. I'll do whatever you want. Let them go. They have nothing to do with whatever your problem is with me."
A laugh escaped. "Not that simple, Barger. I want you. But the guy paying me wants Miss Holt. The other two, I don't give a shit about, but I can't have the woman running back to blab. So, lady, you're coming with us." He gave a nod and a pair of the Raiders climbed off and grabbed the fallen man and boosted him back aboard his horse. Only instead of sitting, he lay across the saddle, unconscious and bleeding.
He'd expected tears and begging, not this quiet acceptance, from the women.