“Looks like someone did.” Zach laughed and boosted the boss man into the saddle. In his head, he already counted the reward and all the things he’d buy for Odessa at the mercantile before they set off for Phoenix.
* * * *
Odessa hungered for company. The room seemed to be growing smaller and more confining. She’d kept to herself since noon, and now dinnertime approached. A short nap had lessened time spent fretting, but she awoke to hair plastered to her sweaty face and clothing damper than those hung out in a spring rain. Maybe a walk would do her good. She washed up again, pulled a brush through gnarled locks, and captured her smoothed hair with a ribbon. Her curious side wondered how Alf and Flo were doing. And more importantly, if the Sheriff had any information on John’s murder. She didn’t dare venture back to the saloon, but maybe she’d pay a visit to the local lawman’s office. Discovering that O’Reilly would pay for his killing ways was the only thing that’d give her as much joy as having Zach back in her life. Holding to a glimmer of hope on both counts, she made her way downstairs.
Odessa waved at Bess, who stood inside the dining room, then passed through the front door onto the walkway outside. The building deflected the searing sun that heated her room, and a gentle breeze fluttered the hair across her forehead. The stench of horse urine drifting from the hitching post spoiled the pleasant moment and made her wince.
A passing woman smiled and her escort tipped his hat. Odessa acknowledged them with a nod, thankful her short time spent singing in the saloon kept townsfolk from looking down their noses at her. She glanced in both directions to get her bearings. Which way to the sheriff’s office? She clucked her tongue. If she had to pass the saloon, she preferred to do so, on the other side of the street. Lifting the hem of her skirt, she stepped down onto the street and made her way across rutted dirt littered with horse droppings. On the opposite walkway, she paused at her reflection in the mercantile window, smoothed her skirt and adjusted her posture as a distinguished-looking gentleman passed by and touched the brim of his stove-pipe hat. He looked sorely out of place.
Odessa’s heels clicked against the weathered wood and she stepped wide, playfully avoiding the patches where sun crept between the buildings and shone on the sidewalk. She pushed her worries to the back of her mind and enjoyed being free from the confinement of the boarding house.
A man bolted from an alleyway and fell into step alongside her. She gasped when he locked his arm through hers. “Keep walking and don’t say a word,” he rasped. Something hard and cold pressed against her side. She lowered her gaze and saw a pistol. A shudder rippled through her.
“W-who are you? What do you want?” Her heart thundered so loud she heard it.
“Don’t matter. Just do what I say and you won’t get hurt.”
She blinked back tears and swallowed the urge to scream for help. No doubt her abductor would pull the trigger and kill her before a sound passed her lips. She wasn’t willing to test him.
“B-but, I-I don’t have any money, if that’s what you’re after.” She pushed her words through a lump of fear.
“I said, shut up. Just walk.” He gave her a hard yank.
Hazed eyes made it difficult for her to focus, yet she put one shaking foot before the other and allowed herself to be led down the street. The man smelled of horse, sweat and wood smoke, and from the corner of her eye, he appeared to have missed far too many baths and shaves. The sleeve of his plaid shirt gaped at the shoulder.
Why didn’t someone notice her plight? Couldn’t passersby see the fright etched on her face? That same helpless feeling she experienced in the saloon enveloped and smothered her. Had she done something to anger God?
At the end of the block, the man dragged her around the corner to where two horses stood tethered to an outdoor staircase. He released her arm and gave her a shove. “Mount up. We’re goin’ for a ride.”
She wrung her hands. Her shoulders sagged. “Won’t you please tell me what you want from me?”
“I said, mount up.” He cupped his hands.
Dread sunk like a stone in the pit of her stomach, but she planted her foot in his palms and hoisted her leg over the saddle. She jerked her skirt down, denying him a chance to ogle her exposed calf.
“P-please, mister.” Her voice wavered when she peered down at him. “Don’t make me go with you. Maybe… you have me confused with someone else?”
He laughed. “I know exactly who you are. You’re Zach Johnson’s whore and I aim to teach him a lesson.” The man untied the reins, taking control of both horses, then hefted himself onto his own mount.
She clung to the saddle horn with both hands as he led her spotted mare out behind the building into open spaces. Her eyes widened when she finally realized what the man had said.
Zach!” she cried. “You know Zach? Is he alive? Hurt? Where is he?” She blurted out questions faster than a repeating rifle spit out bullets.
The burly man snapped a stony gaze back at her. “Shut yer yap. I don’t know where Johnson is or how he fares. One thing’s for sure, I have something he wants, and when he attempts to rescue you, I’ll get my revenge.” He ran an appraising leer over her. “Course, you might be a little worse for wear, but…” He nudged his horse in the sides, and Odessa tightened her grasp as her neck jerked in response to the rapid start.
* * * *
With Pete and Burt secured to their saddles, Zach mounted Storm and took the lead reins. T.J. settled atop his roan. “All we need to do is get these two polecats back to town, and you can reunite with your little lady.”
The words were like a balm to a burn. He couldn’t wait to see Odessa again, hold her…then tell her he hadn’t done anything to make him a wanted man. They could plan a life together without fear or worry. Eagerness bubbled in him like soup in a pot. “That sure sounds good to me. She’s going to be so surprised, and happy to see me, I hope.”
“Then let’s get going.” T.J. smiled. “I’m anxious to get back to my kids, too.”
They kept a slow and steady pace back to Charleston. Zach wasted no words. Instead, he passed the time thinking about the future he planned with Odessa. Aside from the plodding hooves, the only sound was an occasional moan from Spence.
Lost in thought, Zach didn’t see the buildings loom in front of him. His stomach rumbled as he’d had nothing to eat all day, and the sinking sun told him dinnertime was quickly approaching. He heaved a sigh when he stopped at the hitching rail in front of the sheriff’s office. Only one more chore to finish, then he’d find her.
After dismounting, he secured the reins of his and the other two horses to the hitching rail while T.J. jumped down from his roan and strode inside.
An orange paper fluttered in the breeze, and Zach yanked it off the pole. His smile broadened when he read the print.
One thousand dollars for information leading to the arrest of those responsible for the recent murder of three people at the Charleston-east way station. See the Sheriff.
T.J. reappeared with Brody. “Here they are, Sheriff. Just like I told you—Pete Spence and Burt Boehme.”
Brody hooked his thumbs in his belt and eyed the duo. “Well, well, gentlemen. I’ll wager there’s a special space reserved for you at Yuma.” He turned his attention to T.J.. “Mr. Spence, or Spencer as he’s also known, has been a guest of the territory before, but under the name of Elliot Larken Ferguson. Seems the man can’t figure out who he wants to be when he grows up.” The sheriff laughed.
Zach stepped up on the walkway and waved the poster. “How about making their next stay an extended one…or even a hanging, Sheriff? These are also the men who killed your friends.”
Brody turned steely eyes to the pair after T.J made them dismount. “Is that so?”
“That’s right, Sheriff. They told me all about what happened that day. As a sworn deputy, I’ll be ha
ppy to testify at their trial.” T.J. patted Zach’s shoulder. “And I’d like my friend here to get the reward for their capture.”
Zach widened his eyes. “All?”
“Yep.” T.J. nodded. “I’ll get my share for saving the payroll.” He turned his attention back to the Sheriff. “Can you arrange for Zach to get the money as soon as possible?”
Brody smiled at Zach. “Is tomorrow soon enough? Meet me at the bank in the morning and we’ll settle up the finances.”
“I’ll be there as soon as the doors open.”
The sheriff grabbed Pete Spence by the arm and shoved Burt toward T.J.. “Now, deputy, if you’ll join me, I’d like to get these varmints inside and locked up. Then we can take care of the paperwork you need to get your just reward.”
Zach shifted from one foot to another. He kept glancing toward the boarding house down the street. T.J. gave him a shove. “Go on… find your lady. I’ll see to your horse.”
Tipping his hat, Zach loped toward Mrs. Hughes’. More light-hearted than he’d been for days, his arms itched to hold his beautiful Odessa and give her the good news. He burst through the door beneath Mrs. Hughes’ swinging shingle and took the steps two at a time. At the top of the stairs, he threw open the door, prepared to surprise Odessa. The room was empty.
Her hairbrush was on the chest, the dress she wore the day he found her hung on the back of a chair, and the rumpled bed showed she’d slept there. Maybe she was in the dining room. He turned and raced back down to the main floor, poking his head around the corner and scanning the tables for her beautiful, familiar face. She wasn’t there.
Slowing his rapid breathing, he stopped at the counter where the clerk stood. “Pardon me, but have you seen Miss Odessa Clay?”
The gangly, toothless man shook his head. “Not today. Did you check with Bess?”
“Who’s Bess?” Zach shrugged.
“My sister. She waits tables in the dining room. She and Miz Clay have become quite friendly.”
Zach doffed his hat and raced into the dining room. The woman he assumed was Bess stood with her back to him. He tapped her on the shoulder. “Excuse me, ma’am, but have you seen Odessa Clay today?”
The redhead turned and tipped her gaze to him. “Earlier. She waved at me when she left.”
“Do you know where she went?”
“No, and I didn’t have time to ask.”
A man seated at the nearest table cleared his throat and eyed the coffee pot in Bess’ hand. She turned toward the patron but glanced back at Zach. “If you’ll excuse me, I have to get back to work.”
Zach tapped his chin. Where could Odessa be? Not at the saloon? Maybe the mercantile? He raced back outside and sprinted across the street. Only one customer stood at the counter and looked up when the bell on the door tinkled. No Odessa. Zach nodded at the clerk and ducked out.
He charged toward the Golden Horseshoe and slammed through the swinging doors. A minimal evening crowd had gathered, and Zach scanned the room.
Alf Rearden swiveled around on his stool and greeted him with a smile. “Nice to see you again. How’s Miz Clay doing?”
Zach frowned. “I was hoping you’d know. I can’t find her.”
“Well, I haven’t seen her since the unfortunate circumstance that led her to leaving my employ.”
“What unfortunate circumstance?” Zach’s brow arched. “She wasn’t hurt, was she?” His heart pounded.
“Not in the way you worry about.” Alf shook his head. “She was distraught, though.” He swiveled back toward the piano. “Said she felt responsible for the young man’s death.”
Zach grabbed Alf by the shirt, spun him around so fast the man’s eyes bulged, then leaned his face a hair’s breadth away. “Stop talking gibberish and tell me what happened!”
Alf craned away. “Yes sir. Some rowdy tried to assault Miz Clay, and the young man who defended her was killed in the fracas. She took it poorly and said she’d never step foot in here again.”
“I’m surprised she came back here at all since we discussed the dangers before I left.” Zach tamped down his anger with a breath. “So, you haven’t seen her since?”
“No, sir. She quit and took her money jar.”
Zach straightened. “I have to find her, but I’m running out of places to look.” Worry replaced his eagerness. His gut told him something wasn’t right.
“Axel,” he muttered, clenching his fists. Without another word, he darted through the doors and headed for the sheriff’s office. His heart pounded in rhythm with his soles against the worn wooden walkway.
“I like to dance, but not in the air.” —Billy the Kid
Chapter Twenty Three
A pink ribbon scrolled across the sky as the sun settled beneath the western horizon. Odessa’s tired body swayed with each plodding step her horse took. The silhouettes of cactus in the distance resembled people in various positions; some with arms raised in surrender, others stooped with age, some even missing limbs. If she stared long and hard enough, the shrubs appeared to be moving instead of her. A lone cry from a coyote made her shudder and brought back terrifying memories of the night Pa died. Now she faced a different kind of varmint. A sigh fluttered her lips.
Gone was the stifling heat. The evening’s cool air swept over the perspiration on Odessa’s body and formed goose bumps on her arms and turned her nipples hard. She’d gone from hot to cold in a matter of seconds. The man leading the way kept her reins pulled taut, so she gripped the saddle horn with both hands and tried not to concentrate on how miserable she felt.
Leather chafed her thighs, and coarse horsehair bit into her calves. She’d rather walk, but how she traveled—where she traveled—wasn’t her decision. Biting her lip, she sniffed away tears. She’d already displayed fear; her pride refused to let her captor see more of her weaknesses.
She squared her shoulders, sat straighter and studied the man in front of her. Where was he taking her? Who was he, and what did he want? The twists and turns her life had taken boggled her mind. Lifting her left leg from the stirrup, she eased her burning skin for a moment. Where was Zach? Was he safe? Did he even know she was gone? The memory of his smile faded with a fiery sensation in her other inner thigh. Freeing her right foot brought instant relief. She wished for a wagon seat, but settled her foot back in the stirrup and adjusted her position for the hundredth time.
With only fingers of daylight clinging to the sky, an outbuilding came into view. Her abductor halted the horses in a clearing between a weathered house and a corral. The place struck a familiar chord. She squinted, and in the distance recognized three distinct crosses highlighted by the day’s end. The unpleasant memories of the burial washed over her. She feared there would soon be a fourth cross. Fear danced on her nerves like sparks on a damp log.
* * * *
Zach burst through the Sheriff’s door, panting to the amazed stares of T.J. and Dan Brody. “Y-you have to help me.” He gasped for breath. “I think Axel took Odessa.”
T.J. stood, his brow furrowed. “Slow down, partner. Are you sure she’s even missing? Maybe she went shopping, or…”
“I already thought of that and checked. She’s nowhere to be found.”
The sheriff leaned forward, resting his elbows on his desk. “Eating perhaps?”
“For God’s sake, that was where I looked first. She’d only eat at the boarding house, and that was the last place anyone saw her.” Zach’s patience wore thin. He removed his hat and raked his fingers through his hair. “This is my fault. I never should have considered robbing the stage. When I found her, I should have just taken her to Phoenix….”
Brody’s eyes widened. “You planned to help with the payroll heist?”
“There were extenuating circumstances.” T.J. interjected. “I talked him into it, knowing full well he wouldn�
��t go through with it.”
“You told me earlier that you figured me for an honest person, but did you really know I couldn’t finish the job?” Zach asked.
“Sure did, my friend. I knew from the minute you sat down and started talking to me that you were between a rock and hard place. I played on the love you have for your father to get you involved because I knew I could count on someone with your morals and—”
“But,” Zach yelled, “in the meantime, Odessa is paying the price for my poor judgment.” The urgency to find her bubbled in his chest. “You have to help me find her.”
“What makes you think Axel took her?” The sheriff asked.
“Just a gut feeling,” Zach admitted. “She wouldn’t leave without taking her few belongings. Besides, Axel is mad as hell at me and T.J. for turning against the gang and cheating him out of his share of the loot, so how better to pay me back than taking what I value most?”
“So where does your gut think he took her?” Doubt colored Brody’s words.
“I don’t know.” Zach massaged his brow, feeling his urgency to search swelling into a headache. “We have to do something.” He opened the door.
“Wait.” T.J. held up a hand. “You can’t go off half-cocked. We hafta have a plan.” He kicked a chair toward Zach. “Close the door and have a seat. Think! Where would Axel take Odessa? The place would have to be somewhere known to you if he didn’t leave any clues behind. She’s the bait to draw you to him.”
Zach remained in the doorway. “I don’t know this area well. I have no idea where they might be, but I can’t just sit and do nothing. Who knows what he might do to her?” His stomach turned at the image of Axel having his way with Odessa. He’d kill him if he so much as harmed a hair on her head.
* * * *
“Get down.” The man yanked Odessa from the saddle.
She teetered to retain her balance and avoided eye contact lest he glimpse her recognition of the place. “What is this place? Won’t you please tell me what you want from me?”
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