“Funny, but when I gave him the message, he looked uneasy. Made it a point to let me know there were several other deputies who weren’t at the jail. He could’ve been lying. I don’t know if it’s worth taking the chance and riding in to find them waiting for us.”
Eplett wondered if MacLaren had left because he’d already heard about his sister being taken. He pushed the idea aside, figuring there hadn’t been enough time for them to suspect anything. Not unless…
He turned to one of the men. “Those horses you spooked. Where did they go?”
“North, Captain. Away from the Circle M ranch house.”
“Good.” Eplett believed it would take the horses hours to find their way home, then more time for the family to alert the sheriff.
“What do you want to do, Captain?”
“Wait. When the sheriff gets the message, he’ll do everything possible to save his sister. Until then, we bide our time.”
The man who’d ridden to town looked at Eplett. “Do you plan to return her once we get Card?”
Eplett crossed his arms, his eyes gleaming. “Well now, I don’t know. Could be we’ll use her to get away, then abandon her somewhere along the trail. I don’t care what happens to her once we get Card back and get away.”
No one spoke after Eplett turned his back and walked toward Jinny. Kneeling down, he lifted her chin with his hand. “Seems you may be with us a while.” He noticed the tin plate still full of beans and hardtack. “You don’t like our food?”
Jinny pinned him with an angry glare. “I don’t like anything about you and your men, Captain Eplett. You’re nothing but vulgar thugs. Dunderheads without honor.”
He barked out a laugh. “Such language from such a fine lady. What would your young man think of it?”
Her mind flashed to Sam, then realized he meant Deke. “If he’s been hurt, you and your men will pay for it.”
“Such fire from a woman who’s at my mercy. I’d think you’d be a little more careful with your tongue, Miss MacLaren.”
Lifting her chin, she spat the next words out. “Mark my words, Captain. If anything happens to me or Deke, you’ll not have a single day of rest. My family will hunt you until they’ve put you and your men in the ground.”
Something about the way she spoke the words made his jaw clench. Standing, he stared down at her. “We’ll see who goes into the ground first. You, me, or that sheriff brother of yours. Trust me. Killing any of your family will mean nothing to me.”
“Everyone ready?” Brodie looked at the men, seeing them nod, their resolute expressions telling him how determined they were to find Jinny and bring her home. “Let’s go.”
It had been an uneasy night. No one wanted to make camp, believing every minute the raiders held Jinny was a minute too long. The grim reality of the terrain ahead had been all that held them back. They’d used the time to come up with a plan to divide the group to cover more ground. Brodie would take one, Colin the other. At any one time, they would be no more than a mile apart, close enough to signal each other with rifle fire.
Brodie thought of the MacLarens back at Circle M, wondering if they were safe. His father, Ewan, had insisted on going with them on the search. Colin and Quinn urged him and Uncle Ian to stay behind. No one knew if there’d been an accident or if Jinny and Deke had been taken. In case they were abducted, someone had to be ready if a message arrived, or guard the family if they were threatened. Since no word had been sent, the group had to assume no one at the ranch had been contacted.
Colin rode up beside Brodie. “We go as planned?”
Looking toward the two paths they’d take, Brodie nodded. “Aye. Blaine, Cam, Caleb, and Sean go with you. Quinn, Bram, Fletcher, and Deke with me.” He pulled out his pocket watch. “If no one finds her, we meet at the designated spot at ten and regroup.”
Colin reined his horse close, clasping Brodie on the shoulder. “We’ll find her, lad. They’ll not be taking Jinny away from us.”
Mrs. Belford walked to her horse and mounted, then looked at Theo, Walt, and Cy. “Martin and Brandon know why we’re leaving and where we’re headed. You lead the way, Theo.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
They’d had an early breakfast, eager to get going to assess if the men camped north of them were friend or foe. She suspected foe, which meant they’d be looking to steal cattle from one of the ranches. As boundaries went, her house was much closer to the camp than the other two spreads.
They planned to approach from the south, on the same trail Theo and the others had spotted the men the day before. He figured it would take no more than an hour to reach their destination. If all went well, they’d be back at the Belford ranch and eating dinner before noon.
Sam slid off Pirate, glad he hadn’t sent word to Stein to sell the horse he’d left in Conviction. Bram had trained him well, selling the gelding to Sam at a fair price.
Kneeling beside a set of tracks, he pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head. He and Nate had ridden well into the night before making camp on the western edge of MacLaren land. They could’ve covered more ground, but he didn’t want to miss anything that would give him a clue as to Jinny’s whereabouts. From previous rides, he knew they were about two hours from their ultimate destination—the original Estrada hacienda.
Nate watched him from his saddle. “If we keep going, we’ll pass through the old Pearce place, then some of Mrs. Belford’s land before returning to Circle M. If she and Deke rode from the ranch to the hacienda, do you think they would’ve been this far west?”
“No. Just being cautious.” Mounting, Sam knew they had no more time to waste. They had to make their way in the direction Jinny would’ve taken, find tracks, then go from there. They’d gained nothing by moving slow. “We’ll head to The Boulders, then veer north.” Reining his horse around, they started up the trail.
“The Boulders?”
Sam smiled. “It’s what Jinny calls the big outcropping of large rocks, shrubs, and trees up ahead. It spans a large area and is hard to ride through. If someone took them, it would be a perfect place to hide.”
“We don’t know if they were abducted, Sam. All we know is they’re missing.”
“True.” He pursed his lips. Both Jinny and Deke having an accident seemed too coincidental, and he’d never been one to believe in coincidences. “Did anything happen in Conviction while I was gone? Something that would encourage someone to go after Jinny?”
Nate rubbed the upper part of his left arm, feeling the phantom pain of his missing left hand. Yesterday had been brutal. Today threatened to be worse.
“Nothing except the incident at Maloney’s.”
Sam shifted in his saddle to look at Nate. “What incident?”
“That’s right. You were back east when it happened.” Nate explained how the ex-Confederate raiders had threatened the women at the general store, showing a special interest in Jinny. With each word, he could see the anger on Sam’s face build.
Trying to control the rage at the knowledge someone had threatened the woman he loved, Sam’s mind raced with questions. “Were they seen again?”
“One is still in jail, awaiting trial. Nobody has seen the others since they rode out of town. We kept expecting them to try to break the prisoner out of jail, but so far, nothing. Brodie figures they took off and left him behind.”
Sam’s instincts had always been sharp, saving him from serious injury or death many times. What Nate told him had his entire body on alert.
“They didn’t leave.”
Nate stared at him. “What do you mean?”
“The raiders never left. They have Jinny.” And he thought he knew just where they’d be hiding her. “We have to find them.” Without waiting for Nate to respond, he kicked Pirate, reining him in the direction of The Boulders.
“There they are, Mrs. Belford.” Theo held the field glasses, pointing toward the camp, his eyes widening when he saw a woman. Walt and Cy had stayed a good distance away wi
th the horses, not wanting to alert the men until Mrs. Belford saw them. “I didn’t see her before, but there’s a woman with them.”
“A woman? Let me see the glasses.” Taking them from Theo’s hand, she focused on the camp. “Oh no. It can’t be.” She looked again, watching the woman stare into space, her hair in disarray, clothing dirty. Mrs. Belford’s hand shook as she lowered the glasses.
“Do you know her?”
“It’s Jinny MacLaren, the sheriff’s sister.” She handed the glasses back to Theo, who took another look.
“They have her tied up. What do you want to do?”
She thought of the distance between here and Circle M, wondering if the MacLarens knew Jinny was missing. If they did, there’d already be a search party looking for her. “We have to let the MacLarens know she’s here. The four of us aren’t enough to go up against those men. And truthfully, I’m not that good a shot.”
Theo cocked a brow. “Pardon me, Mrs. Belford, but we wouldn’t let you go down there anyway.” Pushing away from their perch between two boulders, he stood, helping her to her feet. “I’ll send Cy to the Circle M. I think you should head back to the ranch.”
“Absolutely not. I may not be the right person to confront those no good varmints, but I’m not leaving. We’ll keep watch on Jinny, make certain they don’t do her any harm before the MacLarens arrive.” Anger and unease settled in Mrs. Belford’s stomach. All the MacLaren women were good people. Jinny, though, was special. Sweet, kind, smart, and stubborn when it came to those she cared about. Well, a lot of people cared about her, too, and it wouldn’t be long before Jinny knew it.
Finding nothing, the two groups of men met as planned. Each showed a different emotion on his face, but no one had lost the sense of urgency to find Jinny.
“There’s one place out here for them to hide her.”
Brodie stared at him. “And where would that be, Quinn?”
“The Boulders.”
Brodie blew out a frustrated breath. “That’s where we’ve been looking for three hours.”
“Emma told me there’s a particular area where the women like to ride to, uh…get away from us.” A sad smile curved the corners of his mouth. “It’s still a big area, but from what Emma said, it’s right in the middle of the rock formation.”
Colin raised a brow. “That’s due west of where we are now.”
“Aye.” Quinn drank from his canteen, swiping the excess away with the sleeve of his shirt. “If it’s true they’re holding her in exchange for the prisoner, it’s the perfect place to hide without anyone finding them. We’ve searched the north and south ends. We need to search the middle.”
Brodie remembered Jinny mentioning the specific area a few times during Sunday supper. Now he wished he’d paid more attention, learned of landmarks or anything else that could help them find her.
Quinn handed the canteen to Brodie, who thought about their next move. Taking a deep swallow, he narrowed his gaze on the area directly ahead of them. “We’ll need to ride in slow. Sound carries, bouncing off the boulders.”
Colin nodded. “Aye. If we find them, we may need to leave the horses behind and go in on foot. Less chance of them hearing us.”
“Agreed.” Brodie rubbed the back of his neck, wishing he knew where Sam and Nate were. If they found the raiders, they’d need every man to make sure Jinny got away.
Colin turned to the others, who stood in a circle around them. “Did you all hear?”
They nodded, Fletcher speaking for all of them. “We search The Boulders. Slow and easy so as not to spook them or bring harm to Jinny. We’ll follow your lead, Brodie.”
Brodie clasped his younger brother on the shoulder. “We’ll find her, Fletch, and bring her home.”
“Aye. I’ve no doubt we will.”
Chapter Eighteen
Jinny leaned back against the tree, or as she’d come to think of it, her home away from home. Her body hurt from spending so much time in the same position. They had loosened the rope around her wrists, allowing her to take care of her needs whenever she asked.
With each passing hour, Jinny worried more about Deke. Besides being at the mercy of wild animals, he had no one to provide food or water. She had to believe he’d loosened his ties, found his horse, and ridden back to Circle M. If so, she had no doubt he’d be part of any search party her family organized.
She’d slept little the night before. Eplett had forced her to lay down next to him, tying a rope around her waist and his so she couldn’t sneak away. Worse, the continuous roars of the mountain lion kept everyone on edge. After the death of one of his men, Eplett had posted two guards and kept the fire burning. The glowing flames comforted Jinny and gave her hope someone would see them and ride into the camp. That hadn’t happened.
“Here.”
Jinny lifted her gaze, seeing the dented tin cup full of water Eplett held out to her, a knowing sneer on his face. She wondered what he had planned for her if no one came to her rescue. If she weren’t so thirsty, she’d shove it away, spilling the contents on the ground. Impulse gave way to the practical need to sate her dry mouth. Lifting her bound wrists, she took the cup and drank, looking over Eplett’s shoulder, seeing a glint of light in the rock formation behind him.
Her heart sped up. Nothing natural could reflect the light in such a way. The flash had to be created by something manmade.
“What’s wrong?” Eplett glanced over his shoulder.
Finishing the water, she held up the empty cup, refusing to return her gaze to where she’d seen the light.
“Nothing’s wrong. Thank you.”
Turning back to her, Eplett narrowed his gaze. Jinny’s body tensed under his penetrating scrutiny. He grabbed the cup and stalked away, his head once again lifting to the rocks where she’d been looking. As the air rushed from her lungs, she chastised herself for being so careless. She could think of one reason for the flash she’d seen—someone watched the camp.
“Did you hear something?” Sam raised his hand, indicating for Nate to rein up, then listened again. A moment later, the sound of voices could be heard in the distance.
“Men shouting.” Nate closed his eyes, focusing on the sound.
“There it is again. They’re up ahead.” Excitement coursed through Sam’s veins, believing they may have found the men they sought. “We’ll ride a little farther, then continue on foot. I don’t want to alert them to our presence until we know if they are friend or foe.”
Riding on, it seemed like forever until they heard the voices again, much closer this time. Approaching from the west, they dismounted, ground tying the horses behind shrubs. Their cautious steps took them through a series of boulders until they stood on high ground, looking down on the camp below.
Sweeping his gaze from one man to another, he spotted a small figure on the ground. Holding up his field glasses, he looked again, rage sweeping through him. Lowering them, he turned to Nate, his features twisted.
“Is it Jinny?”
He nodded. “Yes. They have her hands bound. She’s dirty and looks like she hasn’t slept in days.”
“But she’s alive, Sam. We need to figure a way to get to her.” Nate drew his six-shooter from its holster, then checked the cylinder. “I’ll get our rifles.”
“Wait. There’s no good path from here. They’ll spot us before we’re halfway down.”
Holding the glasses up to his face again, Sam scanned the area. He counted six men, all armed, but no one on alert. Shifting his gaze upward, he scanned the area surrounding the camp, stopping when a flash of light caught his attention. Concentrating on the spot, he waited, seeing the flash again, mumbling a curse when he couldn’t get a clear view.
Nate crouched beside him. “What is it?”
“Someone with a rifle or gun is hiding in the rocks south of us.”
“Friend or foe?”
“I wish I knew. I can’t get a good look at them.” Moving to the horses, Sam shoved the glasses back into his
saddlebag. “We can’t go after Jinny until we know who’s watching from those rocks.”
Mounting, they rode south, careful not to alert anyone to their location. Sam estimated it wouldn’t take long to move behind the person watching the camp. A few minutes later, they spotted horses grazing. Sliding to the ground, slipping rifles from their scabbards, Sam and Nate moved cautiously toward the rocks. Two men and a woman stood with their backs to them, their attention focused on the camp below. Lifting their rifles, Sam and Nate aimed at the trio.
Sam took a step forward. “Drop your guns, then raise your hands and turn around.”
The three froze, doing as he asked.
The woman pierced him with an exasperated expression. “Why, Sam Covington. You lower that rifle right now.”
Shock registered on his face when he recognized the widow. “Mrs. Belford? What are you doing out here?”
“The same as you and Nate. Trying to figure a way to get Jinny away from those thugs. We sent Cy to the Circle M, letting them know we found her. I expect it won’t take long for them to get here.”
Sam recognized Walt and Theo, two of the men who’d killed Bob Belford. He knew they could shoot, and from what he could see, were loyal to Mrs. Belford.
Sam leaned toward Nate, lowering his voice. “Can we trust those two?”
“I don’t know them well enough. If Mrs. Belford trusts them, I guess we can, too.”
Sam breathed a little easier. This location provided a better path to the camp. With four men, they could ride their horses down, surprising them before the raiders had a chance to respond. First, they had to find a way to keep Jinny safe.
“Excuse me, Deputies.” Sam and Nate looked at Theo, who motioned them over. “I think there are riders up above, coming from the northeast.” He motioned up high, toward the other side of the camp.
Theo handed Sam his field glasses. He put them to his face, staring across the distance, seeing movement. He spotted the horses first, then moved his gaze up, expelling a deep breath. “It’s the MacLarens. Brodie is in front.”
Sam's Legacy Page 16