by Linda Broday
“So we meet again,” he said.
The gravelly voice paralyzed her. She wanted to run but her feet wouldn’t move. A scream froze in her throat.
Only a handful of people knew where she was.
“I’m not afraid of you, Early,” she bluffed. “Cooper will be here any second.”
“Nice try. I know he’s nowhere near this place.”
When he stepped closer, she saw the rope in his hand. In the other, he held that bowie knife.
Run!
Fighting rising panic, Delta sprinted for the open door.
Early threw the rope and caught her around the neck. He pulled the rough hemp tight, choking her.
Struggling to breathe, she sagged to the dirt floor.
Thirty-eight
When Delta came to, she found herself bouncing around the bed of a wagon as it moved down the ruts of a road. A wooden crate shared the space with her. Sharp pain tore through her.
Early had bound her ankles to her neck from behind using the length of rope, tightened so that it drew her legs up. He’d also tied her wrists and had crammed a gag soaked with some sort of vile liquid into her mouth. As the wagon came to a stop, she feigned unconsciousness and readied to make her move. She might only have one chance to escape.
From beneath lowered lids, she watched Early remove the crate. The rope cut into her wrists in the struggle to free herself. But no matter that she used all her strength, the knots refused to loosen.
Footsteps crunched on the ground as Early returned. He uttered a loud curse and removed something from beneath the seat.
Delta’s stomach tightened with fear so overpowering she could taste it. She didn’t know what Early planned, but she knew him capable of anything, even torture and murder.
Please, Cooper, find me.
But he wouldn’t know where to start. No one knew.
She rose as far as the ropes allowed and looked around. Early strode into a ramshackle structure.
Who knew what the sinister man had in mind? Whatever it was, it wouldn’t be good.
Desperate, Delta began to think. She found that by twisting and turning she could push herself toward the end of the wagon. Once there, she could fall off onto the ground. Hopefully Early wouldn’t hear the sound of the thump from inside the old structure. And with any luck it would help loosen the ropes.
Inch by inch she worked herself toward her goal.
Her heart echoed in her ears like pounding hooves.
Then came the falling part. She stilled her fear and braced herself for impact. With one last twist, she propelled herself over the edge. The blow knocked the wind out of her. Bruised and battered, she lay there for a moment, struggling to fill her lungs.
Stifling her whimpers, she assessed her situation. She’d landed in a clump of low vegetation.
But as she tried to regain her momentum, her skirt snagged on a jagged branch of the brush.
Stuck.
Unable to move, she contorted her body this way and that.
The noise couldn’t be avoided. She just prayed Early wouldn’t hear and come out of the barn.
Please, God, just give me one chance.
Precious seconds ticked by. Knowing she had only a few moments before he detected her, she used all her remaining strength and slung her body sideways. She rolled, ripping the fabric free.
Quickly, she maneuvered herself into a nearby thicket and wriggled into the shielding greenery. Then she set to work on the bindings at her wrists. But without her teeth or an implement of some sort, it seemed hopeless.
Yet she couldn’t give up.
Straining and pulling against the rough hemp, she made a bloody mess of her hands.
Still the bindings held fast. Hopelessness washed over her.
Before she could do more, Early stalked to the back of the wagon.
Delta lay perfectly still and held her breath.
The man cursed loudly, kicking the ground. He looked beneath the wagon and then searched the surrounding growth.
“Come out, girlie,” he called. “I know you can hear me. I’ll find you, make no mistake about that.”
Silent tears ran down Delta’s face. Prayers that someone would find her before it was too late formed in her heart. She didn’t want to die this way.
Please, God, she needed to tell Cooper how much she loved him before the light went out in her eyes.
Early stomped through the dense thicket where Delta hid. Suddenly he reached down and grabbed the rope that cut into her throat. Only she, and God, could hear her silent scream.
“You know better than to hide from me.” He yanked her up and dragged her toward the barn. “A little birdie told me you came into some money. Too bad you won’t live to spend it.”
Delta fought, jerking and thrashing about as much as the rope allowed. If only she could free her feet. Or a hand. Or her mouth. Anything.
But in the end, she could only succumb to his strength and watch in horror as her hell unfolded from Early’s evil, twisted mind.
“Won’t anyone think to look for you here, girlie.” He dropped her to the dirt floor and laughed. “Not Thorne. Not his meddling brothers. Not anybody.”
She looked around, trying to discover where she was. Some abandoned farm, judging by the decaying wood.
Every bone cried out.
Beads of sweat formed on her forehead and ran down her face.
Praying she’d meet a swift end, she closed her eyes, accepting her fate.
Moments later, new fear lodged in her throat as she watched him sling a long rope over a rafter. Whimpers of despair penetrated the gag. Her eyes widened when she watched him set the wooden crate on end beneath it.
Oh God, he meant to hang her.
Unable to speak, she resorted to loud grunts of protest. If only he’d remove her gag so she could bargain. She’d give every bit of money she had to her name in exchange for her freedom. She’d gladly part with the windfall.
Everything that money had represented—independence, finally being a woman of substance, doing good for so many people—it meant nothing now.
Early cut the rope binding her legs to her neck and yanked her up onto the narrow box.
Only the arches of her feet found purchase, leaving her toes and heels hanging off. The whole thing wobbled, threatening to tip over.
“Don’t panic an’ you’ll be all right,” Early said. “It’s up to Thorne how long you have before your legs give out or you topple the box over.”
Delta took a deep breath and forced a calm she didn’t feel.
But when Early knotted the noose around her neck and hoisted her up so only the tips of her toes touched the crate, she trembled violently from one end of her body to the other.
Dear God, how would she live through this?
***
Sleep wouldn’t come. Cooper rose. Dousing the fire, he pulled up camp and rode to the only place that gave him peace.
The boardinghouse was dark. He climbed to Delta’s window, but she didn’t answer the tap on the pane.
Odd that her curtains were open and the shade up. Clearly she wasn’t in the room, even though it was after midnight.
Had Jenny’s condition worsened?
Panic gripped his throat, blocking the air he needed.
Climbing down, he went around to the back door. Luckily Mabel had forgotten to lock it. Darkness bathed the kitchen.
As quietly as he could, he found the stairs and went up. He opened Jenny’s door and looked in. She was asleep in her bed. Tiptoeing down the hall, he rested his hand on the knob of Delta’s room and steeled himself for what he might find.
But everything was neat and tidy, not in disarray as he’d pictured in his mind.
It felt as though someone had drenched him with a bucket of icy water. Fear raced alo
ng his spine. No time for quiet now. He needed answers and he wasn’t going to wait until morning.
Cooper strode down to Mabel’s room and knocked.
Mabel opened it and glared. “What are you doing, trying to wake the dead?”
“Delta’s missing,” he barked.
“What do you mean?”
“Gone. Bed hasn’t been slept in. When did you last see her?”
Mabel scratched her forehead. “This afternoon, I guess. I thought it odd that she didn’t show up for supper but figured she must’ve lost track of the time.”
“Where was she?”
“At the Richardson place. We worked in the barn, getting it fixed up to hold school for when we get a teacher.”
“You didn’t leave together?”
“No. I had to come back and fix supper for my boarders.”
“Thanks, Mabel.” He whirled and thundered down the stairs.
Vaulting into the saddle, he turned the horse toward the Richardson place, riding full-out.
The moonlight cast a pall over the barn, which sat eerily quiet. The door stood wide open. He leaped from Rebel before the animal stopped, and raced inside.
Quickly, he located the lantern and lit it. Bloodstains on a wooden railing brought crushing pain.
Then he saw drag marks in the dirt. His hands curled into a tight fist.
Someone had hurt her.
Delta only wanted to make things better for people and the town she’d adopted.
Now she was at the mercy of a madman.
Thirty-nine
Delta found out how utterly terrifying Early could be. Though a sliver of moonlight sifted through a crack between one of the boards, it couldn’t drive back the demons that pressed so close. She shivered from the cold, and mind-numbing fear gripping her. The deafening silence would surely drive her mad.
The overpowering smell of death suffocated her. Funny that she’d never considered death and fear had a smell. Now she knew with certainty.
And then she heard them.
Rats.
Each time they bumped against the crate, she had to struggle to keep her toes from slipping off. One slip was all it would take.
Desperate for something to take her mind off her impending death, she focused on Cooper, recalling his touch along her bare skin, his kisses, and the sound of the deep timbre of his voice.
She loved him with all her heart and soul, and she believed he loved her too. No one would risk what he had to be with her if love didn’t figure into the equation somehow. He simply couldn’t say the words. And maybe it was wishful thinking to hold on to hope that he would.
But she wouldn’t give up on him.
Everyone except Isaac Daffern had. That rancher had gazed into the future and had seen what a vital man Cooper would become.
She pictured herself back in her room lying in his arms, their legs entangled in the sheets. He’d leave a trail of kisses down her neck to her breasts, caress her body, and gently lower himself on top of her when she could bear no more sweet torment.
What were the four promises he’d made?
Oh yes. You’ll never have to walk alone. You’ll never be invisible to me. You’ll always be my forever woman. And finally, I’ll help you blaze the trail only you were meant to travel.
All of a sudden, she understood clearly that last promise. She couldn’t will him, or anyone, to do something they weren’t supposed to. She had to live her life and let everyone else live theirs. It all made sense. What a fool she’d been.
He was a bachelor and she had no right to try to change him, to bend him to her will.
Like a soft lambswool blanket, she tucked those promises around her. She wasn’t alone. She had Cooper and his promises. Somehow she felt a little warmer and less afraid.
***
Cooper pounded on Strayhorn’s door. He didn’t care if it woke everyone in town. Delta needed help and she needed it now.
Wearing a holster hastily buckled around a nightshirt, the sheriff glared. “What in blue blazes are you doing? Have you gone loco?”
“Sorry to wake you, but this couldn’t wait until morning.”
Forcing calmness he didn’t feel, Cooper explained the situation. “We need everyone we can get to round up and start searching for her.”
“Give me five minutes to dress.”
“I’m going to roust Rand and Brett. We’ll meet you at the jail.” He didn’t know if Rand would be up to helping or not, but he hoped so.
Few patrons occupied the saloon. Cooper strode to the living quarters above and barged in.
Rand struggled to rise from a chair. A thick bandage encircled his chest. He didn’t waste any time with formalities. “What’s wrong? How can I help?”
“Depends on your wound.”
“Let me worry about that part. Nothing will stop me when there’s a life on the line. Want to tell me what happened?”
“Someone has taken Delta. I’m guessing Early.” Cooper gave what details he knew. “We need Brett’s tracking skill.”
“Try down the hall. Decided to spend the night here instead of riding out to his place. Frankly, I think he harbors this secret desire to play nursemaid. Like I need that.”
“I’ll get him.”
“I’ll throw on some clothes. I’m coming.”
“No, you’re staying. You’re not up to it.”
“Like hell. I’d like to see you keep me from it.” Rand stood there with his arms crossed and glared.
“We’ll talk about this in a minute.” Seething over his brother’s stubbornness, Cooper whirled and went down the hall.
Still fully dressed, Brett grabbed his hat, buckled on a gun belt, then the sheath that held the longest-looking knife Cooper had ever seen.
“We’ll find her,” Brett assured him.
Minutes later, they stood with Rand in the hallway. “Don’t have time to argue with you, Rand. Just don’t hold us up. We’re going to ride hard and fast.”
“You won’t have to worry about that.” Rand glared. “You’ve never left my ass in the dust before. Won’t this time.”
After meeting up with the sheriff and his deputy, the men rode back to the Richardsons’ barn and searched every inch of it. They discovered Delta’s shawl lying on the dirt floor.
“She fought like the dickens,” Strayhorn said.
Cooper beamed with pride. His woman was a fighter. She didn’t lie down for anyone.
Brett examined the drag marks. “It was one man. Strange how he dragged Delta. Her legs aren’t stretched out. The way he pulled them upward, they just about have to be attached to a rope tied around her chest or…”
“Or what?” Cooper snapped.
“Her neck.”
Cooper’s legs went out from under him and he sank to the ground.
“Don’t worry, we’ll find her.” Brett knelt and rested a hand on Cooper’s shoulder. “The wagon ruts are deep.”
“Lead the way.” He jumped up and strode to his horse. One thing was clear—Early was a dead man. Didn’t matter how long it took. He’d rain fiery hell down on anyone who harmed Delta.
Sheriff Strayhorn and his deputy took turns riding beside Cooper as though they could read his black thoughts and intentions.
Brett dismounted at Fire Creek and walked up and down the bank, scowling at the ground.
Cooper got down and joined him. “What are you thinking?”
“Doesn’t make sense for him to cross the creek. And I don’t think he did. He’s only wanting us to think he did. See how he drove right down to the water?”
“But the ruts on the other side aren’t as deep.”
“No.”
Strayhorn scratched his head. “What’s going on?”
“Early had two wagons.”
“Or he could
’ve dumped Miss Dandridge in the creek, thereby lightening his load,” Strayhorn pointed out.
Cooper stared at the fast-moving water. “No, I can’t see that. Knowing Early, he’d want me to watch and not be able to do anything to stop him. Part of this revenge thing.”
“I agree,” Rand spoke up. “He’s all about making us pay. Throwing Delta over without anyone to see would steal his thunder. Brett is right about the two wagons.”
“So where did he go from here?” Strayhorn asked.
Brett knelt to brush away some branches. “He turned around here.”
The wily devil. Cooper shook his head. Thought he could trick them by covering his tracks. Many a man used that old ruse.
Through the night, the group painstakingly followed the marks until losing them on a rocky patch of ground. No matter how many times they retraced their steps, they were unable to pick up the trail. At last dawn came. A group of men and women from town caught up to them. Mabel brought warm biscuits and sausages for everyone, which was a welcome sight.
But the fixings to make coffee were even more well received. They promptly built a campfire and soon had hot coffee in hand while Cooper and the men outlined a search plan.
“Thank you all for coming,” Cooper said. “With your help, we can cover more ground.”
“Delta belongs to us,” Mabel said firmly. “Anyone threatens her messes with all of us.”
“That’s right,” John Abercrombie said. “She’s like a daughter to me. I won’t rest until she’s back safe and sound. Just tell me how I can help.”
“I figure if we each take a certain section, we can find her a lot sooner. Time is of the essence. I know she’s hurt and bleeding.” Cooper didn’t add that it was cold during the night and she had nothing to keep her warm. He didn’t like to think about how scared and cold and hungry she must be.
God help him, if he ever got her back, he’d make some changes.
Holding a cup of coffee in his hand, Rand stood beside him. “She’s tough, Coop. Plus, she’s one of the smartest women I know.”
Cooper met his gaze. “We have to find her before…”