Wild Winds

by Janelle Taylor

On Sunday morning, Hawk and Maggie attended a local church on the edge of town before they had lunch. They skipped dessert to savor one at an ice cream parlor on Fourth Street. While strolling back to their hotel, they paused here and there to window shop.

  At Summerfield Bros., Maggie glanced at samples of new clothing in brocades, silks, and satins in many shades which were hanging inside the multipaned windows. On the Tombstone Epitaph’s window, there was a message for anybody who didn’t read the local newspaper: it announced a meeting of the Rescue Hook & Ladder Company at Judge Wallace’s court room at seven o’clock on Monday night.

  After reaching the hotel shortly before two o’clock, Hawk changed garments and left her in their room while he went to check on their targets.

  Since her tentative meeting with Pete Barber wasn’t until three, Maggie did the same before she walked to the telegraph office, open even on Sundays, to send her boss all the news. She told him she would be sending in her resignation soon because she had gotten married, and would be settling down soon on her new husband’s San Antonio ranch. She told him she would visit him when she came to St. Louis to pack and move her belongings.

  She also sent Abby a telegram to tell her everything was fine and that she would write her a long letter soon which would include “wonderful news.”

  That errand required longer than she had imagined, so she hurried to the hotel to learn that Pete Barber had not arrived for his appointment with her. She told the desk clerk she would be in her room if the man came later, which he didn’t.

  When Hawk returned at four-thirty and she told him Pete hadn’t showed up, he shrugged and said, “I didn’t expect him to. After talking with Fly yesterday, he’s probably satisfied we’re no threat to him. We’ll prove him wrong very soon, won’t we, my love?”

  “Yes, we will.” After Maggie told Hawk about her two telegrams, she was mystified by his reaction. He smiled as she related her news to Abby but it faded fast and he actually stared at her when she revealed the message to her boss. An odd expression crossed his face before he could prevent it, though he quickly concealed it. Yet even his tone of voice sounded a little unusual when he spoke …

  “I wish you hadn’t done that before asking me, Maggie.”

  “Why?”

  “We’re working on the sly and can’t afford any slips and exposure.”

  “Don’t worry; I used our secret code as usual, so the key operators won’t know what I said to him. I just didn’t want to surprise him with a sudden resignation; I wanted him to be prepared in advance. I always work on the sly and report to him, so that won’t be a problem for us. Besides, I needed to let him know why I extended my leave of absence. It wouldn’t do for an emergency to arise and for him to try to contact me at Mother’s in Tucson since we don’t want my name connected to Newl’s yet.”

  “I’m sure you’ll be a big loss to him and his agency, and I guess a warning is understandable and he’s trustworthy.” Anxious to change the subject, he suggested, “I tell you what, why don’t we take a ride before supper? We and our horses can use the exercise.”

  As Maggie changed into a split-tail riding skirt and boots, she stole a furtive glance at Hawk and wondered why he was frowning and what he was thinking about with such intensity. Although he had given her a plausible explanation, she didn’t think he had exposed his real reason for being dismayed by her action. Or perhaps she was reading him wrong and her imagination was running wild.

  They rode across the high desert terrain at a leisurely pace, enjoying their outing as much as Diablo and Blaze. The chestnut roan and black mustang delighted in having their owners atop them and seemed to revel in freedom from the corral. The day was still too hot for galloping or racing, though all four were tempted to do so. They weaved through red-blossomed ocotilla, flowering cacti, budding yucca and sotol, and scrubs of various types and sizes on the near-treeless landscape. They saw mines in several directions and talked about the wealth of that region. They sighted the reservoir atop Comstock Hill. They ascended a low ridge and gazed down at sprawling Tombstone whose streets were busy with people, horses, and wagons.

  They talked a little, but mostly just took in the sites and each other’s pleasant company in tranquil silence. Since there had been no rain in a long time, even the air smelled dusty and dry; but ever so often at certain locations or when a breeze wafted by, they caught the mingled scents of flowers and food cooking in homes and businesses nearby.

  As the sun sank lower on the western horizon, Hawk said, “We’d better head back to town before dark. We’ll need to tend our horses before we corral them and freshen up for supper.”

  Maggie concurred and guided Blaze toward their destination.

  After supper, Maggie—who had forced this afternoon’s mystery out of her head—and Hawk kissed and caressed and whispered endearments as they made love before she fell asleep.

  Before Hawk did the same, he told himself his initial apprehension over Maggie’s revelations to her boss were unnecessary. There was no way the man could or would jeopardize their assignment and lives, so he needn’t worry about their exposure and survival.

  Monday night, Hawk and Maggie prepared themselves and their horses before they went to spy on their targets at the saloon. Their mounts were saddled and waiting for them at a hitching post. Both were clad in a dark shirt and jeans, and Maggie’s long hair was stuffed beneath her hat. Their weapons had been cleaned, checked, and loaded that afternoon. Each wore a knife in a belt sheath; hers was a long and slender Spanish blade, and his was a large Bowie. All precautions had been taken and their plans made in detail. Ella Mae had told them this afternoon that everything was going as scheduled, with Conchita and a private card room hired for the entire night by Pete Barber.

  Concealed within sight of the window of that chosen room, Hawk looked at Maggie in the dim light of a fastwaning moon, and whispered, “This is it, woman, so be careful. I love you.”

  Maggie squeezed his hand and murmured in his ear, “I’ll follow orders, sir, and I love you, too.” She was anxious to get this episode started and finished so they could wind up the case soon and head for home. Home … what a beautiful word, her mind echoed. Please, God, guide and protect us tonight during this perilous ride.

  Chapter

  Fifteen

  At nine o’clock, Maggie and Hawk watched Barber and his men sneak out the window and make their stealthy way to where they had either stolen or borrowed horses waiting. The gang mounted and rode in a direction that would take them north of Fairbank to the Southeastern Railroad tracks. With caution, the couple mounted and followed at a safe distance, a waning moon refusing to illuminate any dust they might kick up en route and their horses’ hooves covered with thick cloth to prevent any telltale noises. Riding gloves covered their own hands. With little light available and with such a space between them, they felt it was unnecessary to soot their faces to prevent reflective shines.

  The landscape altered to a more protective one as they left the high desert plateau. They rode over knolls or around rolling hills. Tall agave, ballish sage, spreading mesquites, cottonwood, and other trees appeared; and increased in numbers and sizes as they entered the San Pedro Valley where lush and tall grass grew in abundance.

  At last the four outlaws reached a site east of the San Pedro River which Pete had selected for his daring crime. After secreting themselves in nearby trees in the fertile valley, the couple observed as the gang donned black hoods and waited until a locomotive pulling a wood car and an express car appeared, moving slow at that winding location and time of night to avoid striking animals which might wander onto the rails.

  Maggie and Hawk saw Pete gallop alongside the engine, leap aboard it, and draw a pistol with one hand as he held on to a bar with the other. With her rifle and his revolvers at the ready to defend any victims—though they surmised Pete didn’t intend to shoot them or hoods wouldn’t be worn for disguises—the train came to a stop and the others joined their leader. Above th
e hissing of steam, they overheard Pete’s shouts as the engineer and fireman were ordered from the locomotive. After Pete threatened to blow up the express car with dynamite if the two guards inside didn’t open the door and turn over the money, the wide wooden gate was slid aside and two weaponless men came into view with hands lifted upward. They, too, were ordered to “hop down and kiss the ground.”

  Within minutes, the safe was blasted open, the money sacks removed and loaded on the horses, and the deed completed. As hoped, Maggie and Hawk heard Pete warn the men to stay there for at least an hour until they got the train under way again; he said he would be watching them from a concealed location, until and if they moved an inch, he would blast them to pieces and dynamite the entire train.

  Then Pete changed his mind; he had the men bound with their hands behind their backs, shoved to sitting positions, and secured two by two with ropes encircling them so they couldn’t walk or run for help in Fairbank a few miles down the tracks.

  As all that took place, Maggie whispered, “How did Pete know the train’s schedule and how many guards would be aboard? And why did they give up so quickly and easily? They had cover and the gang was in the open, so that gave the guards an advantage. They aren’t brave or dependable.”

  Without taking his gaze from the scene and while staying prepared to shoot Pete and Slim, who still had weapons in their hands, Hawk whispered in return, “We’ll check out that strange angle later.” Even after Pete and Slim holstered their pistols, Hawk relaxed only slightly. He knew Pete was dangerous and unpredictable, but he was confident he could use both of his hands and revolvers skillfully enough if necessary.

  The alert couple observed in suspense as the gang mounted and left, both sighing in relief that the victims were alive and unharmed. Each had feared the vicious Pete might turn and shoot the disabled men just for fun.

  Hawk told Maggie in a rush, “You wait about ten minutes, cover your face with a bandanna, and go untie the engineer so he can free the others and get that train moving before the morning one comes along and crashes into it. Make sure you don’t talk and reveal you’re a woman They won’t know what’s going on, but they’ll be glad to be freed. Then head back to the hotel and wait for me there. I’ll follow Pete and his boys to see where they hide the money. For certain they won’t go spending it around town and arousing suspicions; they’ll wait for things to settle down before retrieving and dividing it. Be careful, Maggie, and don’t get seen by anybody.”

  It was a long time after she reached their room that Hawk joined her. “Where have you been?” she asked anxiously. “What took so long? Did they change the plan?”

  “Nope, they wanted to get back in a hurry to establish their alibi. It’s clever of Pete to use other horses and gear so his won’t be dusty and damp if they’re checked out later. They discarded the saddles and released the horses before they reached town and walked the rest of the way. They sneaked back in the window; then Pete and Chita left the room hugging and laughing. I guess they were heading upstairs, probably making sure everybody in the saloon saw him there. I doubled-back, hauled the money to another spot, and hid it, then brushed away mine and Diablo’s tracks. Course, Pete shouldn’t go checking on it for a while, not before we get to the sheriff in the morning and arrest them in their beds. I also rode over to Fairbank to relate our suspicions to the sheriff there; I told him he should hold and question both guards as soon as the train arrives. I also told him to do it quietly so he won’t alert our targets we’re on to them before we take action in the morning.”

  Maggie smiled and said, “He won’t have to arrest both of them. The guilty man already confessed to the others. When I walked up with a mask on and drew my knife, they were scared witless. One of the guards started begging me not to kill him and swearing he wouldn’t tell anybody anything about the robbery, that he’d followed the boss’s orders and opened the car without resistance. It seems he convinced the other guard they were going to be blown up in the blast if they didn’t surrender and they put up a fight. The other three began cursing and threatening him with jail. After I cut the engineer loose and returned to hiding, he freed two of the others, but they kept that guard bound to turn over to the authorities in Fairbank. As lilylivered as he is, it shouldn’t take much to scare him into shedding light on how Pete learned about the delivery and got him involved.”

  “You’re right, woman, and that won’t sit well with ole Pete. Looks as if I’m finally going to see justice done toward those sorry bastards. Excuse the crude talk, woman, I forgot myself there for a moment.”

  “You’re forgiven, but why are we waiting until morning to talk to the sheriff and go after them? What if they panic and escape?”

  “I doubt Pete Barber’s ever panicked for even an instant in his entire life; he’s too cocky and arrogant to think anybody or anything could harm him. It’s late, so the sheriff’s asleep. Besides, as I said earlier, those culprits aren’t going anywhere until the excitement dies down and they recover the money. Pete will probably consider it an amusing challenge to bluff his way out of this situation if the Law even glances in his direction. He thinks his cunning alibi is unbreakable. Too, by taking them in the morning after they’ve had a long and busy night celebrating, they’ll be asleep and groggy, so there’s less chance of a shootout and people getting hurt.”

  Maggie unfastened the large buckle of Hawk’s gunbelt, removed it, and laid it aside. “As always, my beloved husband, you’re smart and right.”

  “I’m glad you think so. I know I was smart to lasso you.”

  Maggie was aroused by the way his eyes were devouring her face and gown-clad body. “And I was smart to let you rope me tight.”

  Although he ached to take her in his arms, Hawk said, “We’d best get to bed, you tempting woman; we have an early and busy day coming. I need to be up and seeing the sheriff at dawn.”

  Maggie deliberately danced past him to the bed and smiled as she murmured in a seductive tone, “I was hoping we’d have a busy night over there before the excitement starts tomorrow.”

  Hawk grinned and chuckled. “You were, were you?”

  “Yep, boss man, I was.” She sent him a mischievously playful look of disappointment as she purred, “But I guess I can wait until later to—”

  Hawk grasped her arm to halt her from walking away. “Oh, no, woman, you can’t start something like this with out finishing it. Shuck those clothes, my arresting wife, and climb into bed. I’ll join you faster than snow can melt under a blazing sun.”

  After they were undressed and cuddled, Hawk drifted his fingers over her sleek arm as he gazed down at her in the glow of a lowered lamp whose flickering light seemed to play across her flesh as merrily and freely as he did. “You’re so beautiful and enchanting, my heart’s pounding inside my chest like a Cheyenne war drum. I think I could just stare at you for hours; heck, for weeks or months without end.”

  Maggie smiled as she stroked his jawline and teased her fingertip along the cleft in his strong chin, then over his full lips. “It’s you who’s utterly irresistible, Hawk. Every time you look at me or smile at me or I hear your voice or inhale your scent, I want you,” she murmured with another radiant smile.

  “Then we’re well matched, woman.” He trailed kisses from over the joint of one bare shoulder, across her collarbone, and up the silky column of her throat before kissing her. His thumb stroked one cheek as his mouth deftly plundered hers for hidden treasures. Consumed by suspense and anticipation, his hands roved her naked body with delight.

  Ensnared by the magic and pleasure of her husband’s actions, Maggie clung to him and allowed her exploring fingers to chart his torso and face. She relished the taste and feel of his unleashed responses to her stimulations. He was the most exciting and alluring man she had ever met. Since their initial union, she couldn’t get enough of him, in and out of bed.

  Hawk separated their mouths so his could journey down her neck to take turns swirling his tongue around her taut
nipples, teething them with gentleness, then kneading them with eager fingers. Soon, his questing hand sought out the moist heat between her thighs. She gasped as he began to pleasure her with his touch. Moaning softly, she surrendered to his masterful caress until she cried out in sweet release.

  Maggie was astonished by climaxing from his kisses and caresses. Yet within minutes of receiving that unexpected gift, there didn’t seem to be an inch of her that didn’t beg for more. She wanted and needed her husband, her lover, her friend, her partner, to the fullest with all of her heart, soul, and being. She was surprised that he could ignite her passions to such a high degree so fast after sating her so wonderfully.

  Hawk had reached a near feverish level himself. Unable to wait any longer to become one with his beloved, he took a position over her and buried his pleading erection deeply and snugly within her moist recess.

  Maggie’s hands journeyed over his virile frame. Her fingers clutched his buttocks and felt the muscles there contract and relax as he entered and withdrew from her feminine core. She lapped her legs over his. Her cravings mounted as they loved each other without hesitation or restraints.

  “Mercy, woman, you’re driving me loco. I can hardly control myself.”

  “Then don’t, my beloved. Ride away with me, Hawk, now.”

  As she arched toward him, hugged him tightly, gasped for air, and kissed him, he knew she was claiming her prize, and he did the same. In a glorious burst of supreme ecstasy, he once more branded her as his wife.

  Total tranquility settled over and within them as they relaxed in each other’s arms.

  “I love you, Maggie Reynolds; mercy, how I love you, woman.”

  “I love you, Hawk. We’re going to be so happy together as soon as we complete our assignment. I can hardly wait to see our home.”

  “It won’t be much longer now,” he said and kissed her temple before he doused the lamp light and filled the room with darkness.