Kiss Of The Night Wind

by Taylor, Janelle

  “Have you never lied to someone you love to get what you wanted or to keep from hurting that person? Nearly all men deceive women for their own pleasures or reasons. T.J. is no different,” she alleged.

  “I’ve never told a woman I loved her just to use her.”

  “To let her believe you do is the same thing. Don’t kill him.”

  “We have to, chica, or he’ll dog us forever. Jamison is good, the best. If we get caught, he’s the one who can do it.”

  “He’ll leave with me today, honestly, Kale. He’s not after you all anymore. He loves me and wants to get me away from this peril.”

  “Even if that’s true, he’d expose us somewhere along the way or convince you to betray us.”

  She vowed heatedly, “I’d never do that; you know I wouldn’t.”

  “He’ll work on you until you weaken and see things his way. He’s a lawman, chica, and he’ll always be a lawman first. Jamison isn’t the changing kind, or the relenting kind. He’ll insist on finishing this last mission before running off with you, if that’s the truth. He has a personal stake in this matter; have you forgotten about his brother’s wife and child, and that Ranger friend of his? His honor will force him to destroy us. We’re both Apache raised, so I know what he’s like inside.”

  Carrie Sue stood up, holding the rock securely behind her in her left hand because her sprained right one was still weak. “You see that campfire in the distance,” she remarked, pointing southward with her right hand. When he glanced that way, she lifted the rock and struck his head with it. He collapsed to the ground. She yanked the red sash from his bleeding head and bound his hands tightly behind his back. She knew his head would pain him but he wasn’t badly injured. Taking Kale’s bandanna, she gagged him for silence. She took his knife and gun and concealed them beneath her untucked blouse.

  The redhead made her way to where Dillon was guarding the bound T.J. She whispered, “Can I see you privately for a minute, Dillon?”

  Dillon knew the lawman couldn’t escape as he was secured to a tree. He saw she was unarmed so he followed Carrie Sue into the bushes.

  She turned to him and asked, “What do I have to do for you to let him escape before the others get up? I don’t want him murdered.”

  Dillon studied her for a minute. “Anything for his freedom?”

  “Yes,” she replied guilefully. “What will it take to cut him loose?”

  Dillon Holmes responded confidently, “Promise you’ll marry me as soon as we reach Wyoming, ‘cause you’ll keep your word.”

  “What’s that over there?” she asked, leaning forward and pretending to strain to see into the shadows. When Dillon turned, she rendered him unconscious with Kale’s gun. She used his belt to bind his hands behind him and gagged him with his bandanna.

  The desperate woman took Dillon’s weapons and sneaked to her lover. Using Kale’s sharp blade, she cut T.J. free and handed him Dillon’s holster. “Let’s get out of here,” she whispered.

  T.J. made no attempt to get the drop on the sleeping men because he knew Carrie Sue wouldn’t stand for it, and wild shooting from the slumber-dazed outlaws could imperil her. He led her to their horses and they mounted bareback to prevent extra noise. They walked the horses from camp, then galloped southward.

  At nearly four-thirty, they rode into the midst of the posse’s camp before Carrie Sue realized what was taking place. Several men surrounded them and startled her.

  One asked, “What’s up, Thad? We trailing you too close?”

  Carrie Sue stared at the Ranger badge on the man’s chest and grasped his words. Kale had been right! It was a trap! She tried to bolt, but T.J. grabbed her from the sorrel’s back. “Let me go, you lying bastard!” she shouted and struggled for freedom.

  “Calm down, woman, this is for the best. I have to stop your brother’s gang before he gets himself or more people killed. I’ll explain everything when I get back. Saddle up, men. We can take them while they’re asleep. No shooting except in self-defense.”

  “No, T.J., he’ll be gunned down. Please. You owe me!”

  T.J. handed her to two men who held her captive between them. He pulled his silver star from his jeans pocket and pinned it on his shirt. “Sorry, Carrie Sue, but I have to do this. Darby’s crimes have to stop and I’m the only one willing to take him alive. You’ll be safe. Bob, you stay here and protect her,” he commanded one of the men.

  The posse mounted up and rode off with Rangers in the lead.

  Carrie Sue paced frantically. Even if the posse sneaked up on Darby’s camp, there would be shooting and killing. Darby would never surrender, nor would Kale or Kadry or Dillon, if Kale and Dillon weren’t still disabled by her impulsive actions. This trap was her fault. She had trusted the wrong man, and he had used her vilely and betrayed her. He had sworn love, marriage, and freedom: all cruel lies! He had promised she would be safe, but she was a prisoner who would soon be facing either her Maker or a lengthy incarceration! He had alleged he couldn’t pursue and capture the gang because she had no pardon and would be endangered, but he was doing it anyway! Her jailbreak had been a clever ruse to ensnare them, including her, because there was no way he could save her now that she was in custody. He had lied to her ever since their first meeting. Surely he had duped her in all areas, including lovemaking, which hurt the most. She had to escape. She had to ride like a blizzard wind and warn Darby to flee; she had to make up for her foolish mistakes.

  She was standing near low hanging limbs. She pretended to toy with one while she asked, “Who planned this trap, Bob? How long has the posse been—” She yanked back the limb and released it, forcing the branch to slap the Ranger in the face and knock him backwards. She was on him in a flash, taking his weapon and getting the drop on him, a trick taught to her by Kale Rushton. Her friend had said that men could be duped easily by a female because they never expected or believed a mere woman could overpower and defeat them.

  “Toss me your cuffs!” she demanded, then changed her mind. “No, snap one on your right wrist. Do it or I’ll shoot you where a man doesn’t want to be injured,” she threatened, pointing the pistol at his groin. “I’m not a killer, Bob, but I can make you suffer badly if you don’t do as I say. I’m not going to let them ambush my brother!”

  After Bob obeyed, she gingerly stepped forward and locked the other cuff around his left wrist. She mounted Charo and, taking his horse along to prevent his pursuit, she galloped toward Darby’s camp.

  Before the posse reached their destination, T.J. halted them to give his final orders. “They’re camped in those trees about a mile ahead on the river. I want the camp encircled. I don’t want any of them to get away and risk a jailbreak later. I want them taken alive, all of them. They’re outnumbered, so they should give up without a fight. Give ‘em that chance.” He told which men to take each position. “The Rangers will close in and order them to yield.”

  The groups quietly took their positions. T.J. sneaked to the spots where Kale and Dillon were still bound and only halfconscious. He led them back to the Rangers. “Hold these two, Harry. That leaves only five in camp. Let’s go,” he told the third Ranger.

  They moved in closer and took cover behind two trees.

  The lawman was distracted by worry over his love. Without thinking clearly, T.J. called out in a loud voice, “Darby Stover! This is Captain Thad Jamison and the Rangers. We have your camp surrounded. Give up peaceably and there won’t be any killing. We’ve captured Carrie Sue, Kale, and Dillon. There’s only five of you and plenty of us.”

  Darby Stover was awakened by the commotion. He roused the other men fully. He warned, “Hold your fire until we see where the boys and Carrie Sue are. We don’t want to hit them by mistake.”

  T.J. yelled out, “Give it up, Darby, and you’ll get a fair trial. You don’t stand a chance of escape. Don’t force us to kill you.”

  Tyler Parnell panicked at the thought of being surrounded by Rangers and going to prison. He shouted, “Ya
ain’t gonna send me ta no jail.” He ran for his horse, shooting wildly in all directions.

  Several shots answered his challenge and he dropped to the ground.

  Walt Vinson heard his first cousin moan and saw Tyler attempt to get up. He raced from cover, yelling, “I’ll git ya, Cuz.” He dodged back and forth, firing into the trees, as he ran to Tyler’s aid.

  More shots rang out and Walt went down near Tyler, both dead.

  Seeing there were only three of them left, John Griffin threw down his pistols and stepped into the open with his hands raised. “Don’t shoot. I’m comin’ out,” the black bandit shouted nervously.

  “Hold your fire, men!” T.J. called out to the posse. To Griff he said, “Come this way and no tricks. You’ll get a fair deal from us.”

  Griff followed the voice into the shadows and was taken prisoner by the Ranger with Thad Jamison.

  Behind a tree, Kadry Sams turned to Darby. “I’m nae fool, man. I dinna want’ tae die.” He looked ruefully at his guns as he laid them down.

  “I’m comin’, tae, Rogue,” he called out, then walked into the clearing with his hands above his head.

  T.J. called to the gang leader, “It’s just you left, Darby. Let me come in and talk to you. I don’t want Carrie Sue seeing you gunned down, so don’t be foolish. I’ll get you a good lawyer. Harding will be captured soon and those fake charges against you will be dropped. Serve your time, man, and go free afterwards. You can’t keep up this killing and robbing. Give it up, for your sister’s sake.”

  There was no answer from the auburn-haired bandit. T.J. said, “I’m holstering my weapon and coming over there. Let’s talk.” T.J. told the Ranger, “I’ll handle him.” He left his cover and walked toward camp. “I’ll help you, Darby, if you’ll let me.”

  Darby allowed T.J. to get to within five feet of him. His revolvers were aimed at the lawman’s chest. He yelled, “Any of you get itchy fingers out there and Jamison will be dead before I hit the ground!”

  T.J. knew their words couldn’t be overheard by the posse at that distance. He said, “I ordered them not to fire, Darby. Drop your guns and give yourself up. I promise you a fair trial. I’ll do all I can to get you the shortest sentence possible, then you can join me and Carrie Sue in Montana. I’m serious about loving her and saving her.”

  “Where is my sister?” Darby demanded.

  “She’s safe with the Rangers, so are Kale and Dillon. This isn’t for revenge, Darby, but I had to stop you. Can’t you see this isn’t any kind of life for you? You got into this mess by accident. I think the judge and jury will understand and be lenient. I have evidence to clear you of many false charges. One of Harding’s men was wounded in that Stephenville train robbery. He talked plenty,” T.J. alleged, hoping the witness had lived and chatted plenty to William Ferguson.

  “You’re a fool to walk into my gun sights,” Darby told him.

  “You aren’t a cold-blooded killer, Darby Stover, and we both know that. When Harding’s convicted, you’ll probably get your ranch back. It’s a prize piece of land, worth plenty. If you sell it and pay back those people you’ve robbed, the law will probably look on you with favor. You can serve your time and have a good life when you get out. Plenty of men go straight in prison and get paroled early. Hell, they’ll probably hire a man like you as a lawman when you get out.”

  “You expect me to believe such crap?” Darby scoffed, but was intrigued by the man’s words and expression.

  T.J. saw the wavering in his love’s brother. “I can help you, man, but only if you lay down those guns and come with me. I—”

  T.J.’s words were cut off when Carrie Sue galloped into camp and dismounted near the two men. With a pistol in her hand, she ran toward them. “Darby!”

  A shot rang out and Carrie Sue was thrown backwards by the force of the blast into her chest. T.J. and Darby raced toward her.

  Thad Jamison shouted, “Hold your fire, damn you!”

  Darby gathered the wounded Carrie Sue into his arms. “I didn’t want it to go this way, Sis. Why did you do it? You can’t help me.”

  “I know, Darby. I…love…you. Don’t fight…them… or you’ll…get killed,” she murmured through a blackening haze. “It’s over, Darby…finally over.” Searing pain racked her shoulder and blood poured from the bullet wound.

  T.J. knelt beside her and said, “You’ll be all right, love. I’ll get you to a doctor. Hold on, woman, or I’ll beat you.” Sheer terror flooded his body. Would he be the cause of her death? He couldn’t lose her; he loved her and needed her.

  With the last of her strength and awareness, Carrie Sue looked at her traitorous lover and murmured, “I…hate you. …Let me die…get…it over…with.”

  Before others reached them, T.J. told Darby, “I love her. I’ll protect her. Don’t worry or do anything foolish. They’ll kill you.”

  Darby Stover met T.J.’s frantic gaze and knew the man was telling him the truth. He realized he should have let them go last night. “Get her away from this mess or I’ll hunt you down when I get out and kill you.”

  When the posse closed in on them, T.J. ordered, “Bring Kale Rushton over here. He’s probably got some Indian medicine in his saddlebag. Get me something to use for bandages. I have to halt this bleeding. Harry, send one of the men to fetch the doctor in Big Spring.”

  Harry informed his panicked friend, “Doc Pritchard died last month. They don’t have a doctor in Big Spring anymore. You’ll have to get her back to San Angelo.”

  “That’s too far and too rough a ride in her condition!”

  “There’s no choice, Thad,” the Ranger reasoned.

  T.J. thought swiftly. “There’s a ranch a few miles away. Borrow a wagon from it while we tend her.”

  Harry sent two men to fetch the wagon. After cuffing Darby’s hands, he searched the saddlebags for something to use as bandages. He handed them and a canteen of water to Thad Jamison.

  The man who had done the impulsive shooting babbled anxiously, “She had a gun in ‘er hand. I thought she was going to shoot Cap’ain Jamison. I didn’t mean to kill ‘er, just wound ’er.”

  Kale was unbound and brought forward to help Carrie Sue. T.J. ordered the posse to move away with the prisoners to give them working room and privacy. Harry urged the men backwards to the river.

  After everyone cleared the area, Kale pushed the red splotched blouse to her waist and unlaced her camisole. He and T.J. studied the wound and glanced at each other.

  “It’s bad. Deep. Lots of bleeding,” Kale remarked. He opened his Apache medicine pouch and withdrew a smaller pouch of powder. He shook some onto the wound, then bound it. “Bullet’s in too far. If I dig around in there, I’ll kill her. She needs a good doctor, fast.”

  T.J.’s voice was choked and his eyes were glittery with moisture as he asked, “You sure that’s all you can do, Kale? She can’t die on me. Dammit, I should have kept riding like I promised her.”

  Kale looked at the famous lawman. “She was right; you do love her.”

  “Yep, but I might have just killed her with my stubbornness. Not even the capture of the Stover Gang is worth her life. This was crazy.”

  “Si, amigo, but something a verdadero hombre had to do,” Rushton remarked.

  T.J. scoffed, “This is anything but honorable. No real man would do what I’ve done, but thanks, -ch’uune.”

  The outlaw was impressed when the Indian-raised lawman called him a friend and helper. “I wish I could do more. I can’t.”

  “When that wagon arrives, I’ll get her back to San Angelo and the doctor. I won’t let her die on me,” he vowed with determination.

  While T.J. was busy with Carrie Sue, the other Rangers assigned men to return the gold to Big Spring. Harry took control of Walt Vinson’s badge collection, pulling out Thad Jamison’s to return it to him. The bodies of Walt and Tyler were secured to their horses for burial in San Angelo. The prisoners—Kadry Sams, Dillon Holmes, John Griffin, Kale Rushton, and Darby
Stover—were ordered to mount up to be taken to the jail in San Angelo. From there, they would be escorted to Waco for trial and sentencing.

  The wagon arrived. Darby entreated, “Please, let me ride with my sister. She could die along the way and I should be with her.”

  T.J. ordered, “Harry, you come along with me to guard Stover. I’m going to let him stay with his sister. I’ll drive the wagon. The rest of you men take those prisoners back to town. Watch them closely, and no trouble. I promised them a fair trial, so get them to town alive and well or you’ll answer to me personally.”

  T.J. and Darby loaded Carrie Sue with gentleness and worry. Her blouse had been replaced but the camisole was being used to help stop the continuing blood flow. Charo, Nighthawk, and Darby’s mount were tied to the wagon gate. T.J. put their supplies in the wagon and told Darby to watch her carefully, to call out if he needed to halt and give her relief. Both men were scared because she hadn’t regained consciousness. They pulled out with Harry riding beside them and guarding the notorious bandit leader whose lap cradled his sister’s head.

  It was a long and difficult trip back to San Angelo with T. J. and Darby trading places as the driver while the other man tended Carrie Sue. They halted only for the horses to rest and water. The men ate cold beans and chewed on dried strips of beef. They forced water into Carrie Sue, but she remained in her world of silent blackness.

  They traveled all of Monday, most of Monday night, and part of Tuesday. The wagon had to move slowly to keep from jarring her too much and causing more bleeding. They reached town about five o’clock and took Carrie Sue to the doctor’s office.

  The physician checked the wound and shook his head. Carrie Sue moaned and moved slightly. The doctor said he had to use ether to make sure she held still while he removed the bullet. It was lodged near her lung and he didn’t want to puncture it. He poured ether onto a clean rag and laid it over her nose and mouth. Soon, she quieted and lay motionless.