Passions Wild And Free

by Janelle Taylor

  Matthew asked her if she knew the charges against her had been dropped, and she replied with feigned cheerfulness, “Yes, that’s why I returned today. I’ll explain everything to my fiancé when I see him. After that scare, I decided my task was too dangerous for a woman. I’m letting that Special Agent finish his mission alone.” She smiled innocently and fluttered her lashes dreamily. “I’ve ‘ missed Brody and I’m ready to settle down and get our ranch to working again. Any news on that gang, Matthew? I don’t want them returning to raid us again, just as Brody and I are rebuilding the place.”

  “They were raiding the other side of Fort Worth. But for the past week, they’ve mostly worked northwest and southwest of here. If the newspaper was right about that agent having evidence on them, maybe it won’t be long before they’re caught. I hope so. Lots of good people have been killed or run off. I sure am glad they don’t raid towns.”

  Randee noticed the man’s fear of that malicious gang, and she concluded that Matthew Johnson wasn’t working for Brody in that evil area. That was good, in case she needed his help in an emergency. They talked a while longer, then she smiled and left the sheriffs office.

  In her hotel room, Randee paced and planned. She wondered if Marsh Logan would come here after he awakened soon, and she hoped not. She wanted him to carry out his decision to head for Fort Worth. Whatever he had done to her personally, she still wished him luck and speed with this perilous assignment. She had believed she was getting to him, and maybe she had. But Marsh was so used to being on his own, so used to secrecy and self-reliance, so used to controlling and hiding his emotions, so used to keeping his heart stony to avoid more anguish. If only he weren’t so caught up in his blinding desire for revenge and justice, he would recognize the strong bond between them! When the strain of his current task ended, perhaps he would. She loved him, so she wouldn’t give up hope.

  Suddenly a daring idea came to mind, and Randee prepared herself to carry it out ….

  Marsh moaned and opened his eyes. As his mind cleared, he briefly fumed at what Randee had done. He sat up and rubbed his head. His mouth was cottony dry and tasted foul. He grabbed a cold biscuit from the table and devoured it to clean away the bitterness on his tongue. He didn’t have to search the area to know Randee was gone, or try to speculate on her destination and scheme.

  He got to his feet and opened the door, checking the sky for the time of day: between four and five o’clock. She had loaded him up good, as he had been out for hours. He looked down at his bare feet. Turning, he saw his boots and guns near the bunk, and noticed he had been lying on a bedroll. His papers and badge had been placed by his holsters, as had the silver necklace which he had given to her.

  Marsh scowled and exhaled loudly in annoyance. If she had given him more time, none of this would have been necessary! On second thought, he couldn’t blame her for feeling and acting as she had; all he could blame were himself and his damned secrecy!

  A mischievous smile claimed his mouth as he noted the clues which told him she still cared about him, even if she denied it to herself and to him. Soon, he would make her listen to his explanation. If things were as good between them as he believed, she would forgive him and relent. Surely by now he knew Randee Hollis well enough to be certain she loved him and would marry him.

  If he pursued her to Wadesville, that would interfere with her plans there. She needed to carry out this part of their mission, for herself and everyone else. His intrusion could prevent her success and might endanger her. Reflecting on what she had in mind, he realized it was a clever idea and might work. He had to give her the chance to succeed. He would visit Willard Mason and the authorities in Fort Worth, to file his report and to obtain more help on this case. Then, he would go to Wadesville to make sure she was all right. As smart and brave and cunning as his love was, she would be safe on her own for a few days.

  Marsh gathered his belongings and stuffed the necklace into his pocket, vowing it would be around her neck again soon, along with a wedding band on her finger. When his love had time to calm herself and think clearly, she should realize that she had won his heart and know that he would return for her soon. If he rode fast and hard, he could reach Fort Worth late Saturday night. With luck, he could be on his way back to Randee sometime Sunday … .

  Randee walked to Brody’s small house near the north end of town. She hoped the door key was still hidden where she had seen him retrieve it one day when he had stopped there on their way to a picnic. She lifted the rock by the back steps and smiled victoriously. She let herself inside and began to examine the house, being careful to put everything back into its proper place.

  She searched behind, beneath, and inside furniture and rugs. Nothing. She looked in the fireplaces and inside supplies. Nothing. She checked the floors and walls and closets for a hidden compartment. Nothing. She went through his clothes. Nothing.

  Feeling discouraged by her futile investigation, she sat in a chair and tried to imagine where a man— a criminal—would conceal something of such importance as clues to his wicked actions. There had to be evidence somewhere, as no man could contain everything inside his head, certainly not legal deeds or numerous instructions!

  Cautious in the daylight, Randee sneaked to a small shed which was attached to the back of the house and searched it. After rolling two empty barrels aside, she took a shovel and dug beneath them to check out her intuition. She was shocked to find that the hard objects which she had struck were gold bars! She worked harder and faster. She unearthed payroll sacks which had been stolen from various banks, companies, and the Army! There was a fortune here! Was that Brody’s role, to be the banker for that gang and land company? Hastily, she recovered the treasure, smoothed the dirt, and replaced the barrels.

  Randee went inside again and took another look around. She needed more proof than she had discovered; she needed something in writing, something with names and dates and places. She needed undeniable black words, not golden speculations. She found no new or suspicious stitches on the furniture or mattress and, when she squeezed them, she heard nothing crackle to indicate that something was hidden inside one of them. Her eyes settled on a framed map of Texas on the far wall. Pictures! her mind shouted to her. She had not checked behind pictures. She jumped up and hurried to the wall, taking down the map.

  Excitement flooded her when she noticed the slit on the back of it. Gingerly she withdrew papers and another map, which she unfolded. She studied the map and realized what she was holding: the motive for the raids. But that wasn’t all. She read the papers concealed there, and was horrified to comprehend that Sheriff Brody Wade was not a gang member; he was their boss! She shuddered at that revelation.

  Oddly, her first thought was about her mother. She understood how Payton Slade had duped Dee Hollis. Just as she had been irresistibly drawn to the devious Marsh Logan and had been deluded by Brody Wade, her mother had made similar mistakes with her stepfather. Randee realized how clever and guileful and convincing some men could be. If she could be so easily and completely fooled, so could Dee Hollis. Randee’s heart softened toward her mother’s error in judgment. Yet, she could not vanquish the resentment she still felt about how Dee had kowtowed to Payton and how her mother had changed so drastically. Perhaps losing Randall Hollis had weakened her mother. If Marsh were slain, how would she behave? No, she decided, it would not destroy her. It would tear her apart, but she was a survivor.

  Randee refocused her attention and concentration on the map and papers. Brody owned the Mid-Texas Land Company, and the other, diversified companies which Willard Mason had uncovered during his investigation. The map revealed the existing railroad lines in the West and the lands already purchased or designated for future railroads. She noted how Brody had inked in his own wishful lines to connect the Southern Pacific Railways from Louisiana to El Paso, and from Fort Worth to the Atchison Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad in Kansas: All speculative routes traversed the targeted area which she and Marsh had marked on
their map, an area which had been terrorized by the Epson Gang for over a year, an area almost entirely in Brody’s control now.

  It was a brilliant, but insidious plot: Obtain the land, sell rights-of-way to the railroad companies, and make a fortune. Then, with the land he owned on either side of the future rail lines, he would earn even more money with depots, stockyards and such. And with that much money and land came enormous power and prestige. The sheriffs motives and desires were only, too clear to the trembling blonde.

  She also grasped why the Carson Ranch house had been spared. Its location, beauty, and size made it the perfect home for such an important man. Too, Brody must have suspected she would be hiding there and he hadn’t wanted her slain. Otherwise, he would have ordered his men to make certain everyone there was murdered, or he would have gotten rid of her by now. No, she refuted, because he needed her alive to sell the ranch to his land company! Having discovered she actually owned the beautiful ranch, she was relieved she hadn’t closed a deal with George Light that day in Fort Worth. Panic began to build within her as she wondered if Brody did really love her after all. Maybe the ranch was the only thing he craved from her. If so, she was in real danger. Yet, despite the fact he had fooled her so deeply, she believed he truly loved her and wanted her as his wife. The fact that Foley Timms or other gang members hadn’t tracked her and Marsh down and forced her to relinquish the ranch made her doubt Brody would slay her. A soon-to-be-rich and powerful man needed a wife, and obviously he had chosen her.

  Randee started to take the evidence and leave town immediately to locate Marsh or Willard Mason. That was reckless. Brody could return at any time, even if Matthew had said he wasn’t expected home until tomorrow or Saturday. If he discovered these papers missing, he would telegraph his men and have them set a trap for her. Then, she would be dead for sure! Alone, she couldn’t battle a band of black-hearted villains. If only Marsh were here with her …

  He wasn’t, so she had to decide what to do. Randee went to Brody’s desk and withdrew two pieces of paper. Skillfully she copied the map and made notes of the information on the papers. Afterwards, she replaced the originals and rehung the picture. The apprehensive female checked everything to make certain her presence wouldn’t be noticed. Cautiously she locked the door and put the key back under the rock.

  In her hotel room, Randee hid the evidence inside a pocket of her trail coat. It was seven o’clock, and she was safe. She mustn’t do anything to call suspicion to herself. She went downstairs and ate leisurely. Following a short stroll, she returned to her room to plot her next move. Even though Marsh had betrayed her for one reason or another, this mission was vital. She had to find a way to get this information to him or the authorities. She reached for her necklace to toy with it nervously, but it had been left behind. If Marsh had been coming here after her, he would have arrived by now. She was slightly annoyed and disappointed that he hadn’t. Obviously he had continued with his assignment and was on his way to Fort Worth, probably furious with her and planning some way to repay her. She wished she was important enough for him to pursue her as his first priority… .

  The next morning, Randee took a stroll after breakfast so. as to be seen before she sneaked out of town. She had decided against waiting for Brody and trying to dupe him. If she did, she might not be allowed another chance to escape with her crucial evidence. With luck, Brody wouldn’t return until tomorrow, too late to halt her imminent actions.

  She saw a black-clad figure enter a mercantile store down the street. She hurried that way and entered the store. Grabbing the man’s arm, she tugged on it and began, “Marsh, I didn’t expect— “

  He turned and looked down at her. Embarrassed, she blushed and stammered, “You—you aren’t M-Marsh” Logan.”

  Sending her a smile which could charm the bloomers off the chastest of females, he replied in a tingly voice, “Sorry, miss, but I wish I were. Name’s Durango. What’s yours, if I might ask?” he inquired politely, disarmingly.

  Randee saw the resemblance immediately. He was just as devastatingly handsome and virile as Marsh Logan! When she realized how she was staring at him, more color suffused her lovely face. “Randee Hollis,” she replied, flustered.

  “This Marsh Logan, he’s the one who’s been using my name, isn’t he?” Durango questioned in a mellow tone, and smiled again.

  “Yes, but I can explain everything,” she responded quickly, not wanting them to tangle in a gunfight. “It was— “ she faltered as those ice-blue eyes fused with her wide green ones.

  “Why don’t we talk about it over coffee in a more private place?” he suggested, eyeing her with interest and appreciation.

  In the hotel restaurant, Randee revealed the complicated situation to the famous gunslinger, who seemed amused by it, but most impressed with her. When she finished, she asked, “Are you sure you two aren’t related? You favor each other enough to be brothers, almost twins.”

  “I don’t know my real name or who my parents were. I was abandoned at a mission in San Antonio when I was a baby. I was raised by a local family until I left there at seventeen. You might say I got tired of being a slave to a family who made sure I knew what I was.”

  Randee heard the bitterness in his tone and saw it in his eyes. Her heart warmed to this man who was so like her love. “I’m sorry, Durango; that must have been a terrible life. But you’ve done well for yourself. From what I hear and read, you’ve a beloved legend, a good man, well-liked and widely respected.”

  He grinned and said, “I learned early in life that you don’t kill another person without good reason and provocation. I don’t look for fights, but I don’t run from them. Nothing’s worse than being a coward.”

  Randee looked him in the eye. “How do you feel about female partners, a woman boss?” she asked unexpectedly.

  “Don’t rightly know, never had either one; What you got in mind?” He leaned forward and propped his elbows on the table, intrigued.

  “I need to get to Fort Worth, pronto. Would you be willing to hire on as my guard? Say for … two hundred dollars a day?”

  Durango observed her closely and intently. “Those are steep wages, Randee,” he said, calling her by her first name this time.

  “It’s a dangerous job, Durango. I’ve made lots of enemies lately.”

  “How could anyone want to harm a beautiful woman like you?”

  “I have this way of annoying people when I’m after something important,” she teased, laughing softly. “Your life would be in constant peril if you sided with me.”

  “That’s nothing new for me,” he remarked and chuckled.

  She informed him, “I have to drop off something in Fort Worth, then I’m going to check out a clue . .. on the Epson Gang. Interested?”

  Durango’s surprise wasn’t concealed. “Dangerous isn’t the right word, if that’s what you’ve got in mind. Why me?”

  “Three reasons: You’re here now, I need help and protection, and you’re the best man for the job. You won’t have to work alone; I’m an excellent shot and rider, and I’ll be glad to prove both to you,”

  “I read the papers, Randee, so I’m already aware of your skills. That jailbreak was a fine piece of work. Took real courage and cunning. Where’s this Marsh Logan? Why did you two split up?”

  “He got tired of working with a woman and thought he could move faster and better without me.” She related her personal motives for wanting to defeat the Epson Gang. She told him about Flossie’s murder, which saddened and riled him. “You see, I’m not only involved, but I’m also in danger until they’re stopped. Besides, I think I know where they camp between raids. All we need to do is check out the location, then we’ll report it to the authorities. You needn’t worry; I don’t plan for us to tangle with them. I’m brave, but not stupid.”

  “You amaze me, woman,” he murmured, looking and sounding like Marsh. He extended his hand across the table and said, “You’ve got yourself a new partner. When do we leave?�
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  “Immediately,” she announced, rising gracefully.

  “I’m afraid that isn’t possible, Randee. My horse is being reshod at the livery stable. The blacksmith is busy today. Said it would be late this afternoon before he could get around to my job. What about leaving at first light in the morning?”

  Durango noticed her worry and hesitation. He asked, “Any special reason why you need to get out of town ‘today?”

  “Could be,” she responded absently and prayed Brody wouldn’t return until they had departed. After a moment, she met his astute gaze and said resignedly, “It can’t be helped. First light, partner.”

  “You need a guard tonight?” he asked, his tone lacking any wanton suggestiveness.

  “Not unless the local sheriff returns before we can leave. We’re supposedly betrothed, but I would never marry him. I let him believe it because I needed to spy on him. He’s … a gang member,” she half confided. Later, she would reveal more to him.

  “I see,” he murmured thoughtfully. Durango realized something he doubted the beautiful blonde did: She was trusting him and treating him as if she had known him forever, as if he were his look-alike …

  Randee left town the next morning at dawn with the Durango Kid. He had suggested they not be seen together again before their departure, so she had spent the evening alone in her room.

  At their first rest stop, Durango told her, “You can relax, Randee; I’m not going to make a play for you this soon. Not that I ain’t tempted; I am. You’re a beautiful woman. But you’re a real lady, and I don’t want to give you a bad impression of me. This isn’t the time to be thinking of romance if I’m going to keep my concentration on protecting us. Later …” he hinted with a charming grin.

  Randee returned his smile and calmed her tension, She felt she could trust him to keep his word and distance, for now. The trouble was, he was too much like Marsh in appearance and personality!