by Nancy M Bell
“Damn!” Joey was looking at his phone again. “We need to move. Dad says they’re headed this way.” He paused and frowned at his screen. “He says don’t get the horses where they’re blocked in. He doesn’t say why. Move them south, he says. That’s it.”
“Can we trust him?” Coll asked. “He’s riding with the ranchers.”
“But he’s on our side,” Joey insisted. “Where’s the way down, Laurel? It’s now or never.”
“This way.” Laurel vaulted into Sam’s saddle. Without waiting to see if Joey was mounted she led the way along the edge until she came to a faint trail. “This is it. It looks scary,” she looked at Carly, “but I’ve used it tons and Sam manages just fine.”
“Does Chance know about this place?” Carly sounded like she wanted to throw up.
Laurel stopped and considered. “Yeah, I guess he does. We used to ride out here and watch the horses before he became such a dick. Let’s go.” She urged Sam unto the trail, Coll on her heels with Carly and Joey coming behind. It was a tricky fifteen minutes to reach the bottom. Laurel moved Sam away from the last steep descent to make room for Coll whose mare skidded the last few feet. Carly came next, clinging to the pinto’s neck, her eyes closed. Joey came last. Excitement making his eyes shine.
“You sure we can trust your dad’s information?” Laurel met Joey’s gaze.
“Yeah. No question.”
“Okay, then let’s see if we can get them out of here and headed south.” Laurel urged Sam forward. “We don’t want to get them running, just moving the way we want them to go.”
“Wait up, Laurel. Carly needs to bork,” Coll’s voice halted her.
“Bork?” Joey echoed.
“Puke, unswallow,” Laurel enlightened him. “English slang. Hurry up for God’s sake, Carly.”
“Sorry.” She wiped her mouth and remounted. “I’m fine now.”
Spreading out, the four riders pushed the herd of ten mares and foals toward the mouth of the coulee. Coal strutted and snorted and make short challenging charges at the interlopers but nothing serious.
“Bloody hell, Laurel. If he wanted to, he could eat us alive.” Coll’s eyes followed the black horse who alternated between snaking his head at his mares and trotting stiff legged between his band and the riders.
“Isn’t he gorgeous?” Laurel admired the strong curve of his crested neck, the long mane and forelock tossing in the breeze of his own making.
“Almost there,” Joey called. “I can see the end of the coulee.”
“Any word from your dad? Do we know where the ranchers are?” Laurel concentrated on keeping the mares moving quicker without spooking them.
“Nothing. I’m getting worried.” Joey called back. He moved his position up the flank of the herd a bit to turn them south as they left the coulee. He was only a few yards behind and to the side of the lead mare when riders appeared blocking the exit.
A shot rang out, spooking the horses. Reacting on instinct, Laurel yelled and urged the wildies into a gallop. It didn’t take much persuasion. The already spooked horses stampeded toward the open prairie. The line of men held as they rushed toward them.
“Turn them, Joey,” she hollered over the thunder of hooves. “South, turn them south.” She urged Sam forward to guide the middle of the herd when Joey turned the front.
She ducked when another shot echoed through the coulee. The line of ranchers held for a moment and then chaos ensued as the lead wildies bolted past them. Laurel hung low over Sam’s neck and dashed through a gap in the line. A glimpse of Cory Cullen leveling a shot gun at her flashed across her vision. Her dad’s voice screaming at her to duck and cursing at Cullen registered as she thundered by. Then they were out of the coulee, streaming across the prairie. Joey was in front of her, straining to keep the wildies headed where they needed them to go. She glanced back over her shoulder looking for Coll and Carly. She thought Coll was at the back of the herd, but the dust made it hard to see. There was no sign of Carly, Laurel hoped she was back there somewhere keeping safe.
The horses were galloping still but not as wildly as before. Laurel brought Sam up beside Joey’s horse. “Where to? Can we get them unto the rez from here?”
“Another couple of kilometers. Are they chasing us?”
“I don’t know. Can’t see through the dust. Let me know when you’re ready to turn them so I can push from back there.”
Joey nodded, and Laurel let Sam fall back to flank the herd. She kept an eye on the foals running at their mother’s side. The last thing she wanted was for one of the babies to get hurt. For a moment she worried they were doing as much harm to the herd as the ranchers. Running babies like this wasn’t a good thing. Ruthlessly, she pushed the thought away. Another few kilometers and they’d be safe. At least, she hoped they would be.
“Laurel!”
She stood in her stirrups and swiveled around at Coll’s summons.
“We got company,” he yelled over the hooves and the wind in her ears.
Behind him she could make out at least four riders. Please don’t let one of them be Mr. Cullen with his gun. I hope Dad didn’t get hurt.
“Now!” Joey’s command shook her from her thoughts.
The lead mare slowly veered away from Joey’s pressure near her shoulder and dropped down unto an old dirt packed road. The rest of the herd followed. Laurel kept her position, waiting to redirect any horse that strayed. Coal bugled behind her, the sound sending goose bumps over her just before he swept by so close she could have touched him. He snaked around keeping his mares together and snapping his teeth at Sam who faltered in his gallop. Laurel pressed him on.
“We’re trying to help you, stupid horse. Get on with you,” she growled at the stallion. The adrenaline rushing through her negating any common sense that would have made it plain she should be afraid of the muscular creature. As if he understood, Coal tossed his head and snorted before circling toward the back of the herd. Something cracked above the cacophony of sound. Laurel ducked, hoping it wasn’t another bullet, or worse a broken leg on one of the horses. She looked up as the herd slowed its headlong flight. Joey was in front of the wildies now, leading the way and they seemed content to follow him. She blinked. The road was blocked ahead by a row of mounted men.
“Are you kidding me?” Laurel muttered. “They can’t be serious.” She stood in her stirrups and urged Sam forward. “Run over them,” she shouted at Joey.
She caught up with Joey two hundred yards before the line blocking the road and looked at him. “We run them over. You with me?”
Joey nodded grimly. “We’ve come too far to stop now.”
They were close enough to make out faces now. Harry Good Smoke sat his horse in the middle of the line blocking their path. “I thought you said we could trust him,” she hurled the comment at Joey, outrage blurring her vison.
“I thought we could.” Joey looked grim and hunched over his horse’s neck. “Let’s go!”
Side by side Laurel and Joey drove for the middle of the blockade. Behind her Coll whooped and urged the horses on. Other voices mingled with the thunder of hooves. That’s Dad! He’s probably trying to get us to stop. As if. Where the hell is Carly? The men blocking their path were only yards away now. Joey looked over and smiled. She deepened her seat in the saddle and pushed Sam onward. Joey surprised her by standing up with his arms wide and letting loose with war cries she couldn’t hope to match. Emboldened by his courage, she stood up over Sam’s straining back and whooped like she did at hockey games. For a minute she thought Harry Good Smoke was smiling then she closed her eyes preparing to crash into the line of horsemen. Another few strides…she opened her eyes in astonishment when more voices joined in Joey’s war song. The line of riders opened up and let the herd stream through, closing behind when the last horse was through.
Laurel brought Sam around and halted behind the line of Piikani horsemen. Joey stood on her right and Coll on her left.
“Bloody hell, I thoug
ht we were goners for a while there.” Coll’s breathing was rough, and the words caught in his throat.
“Me too.” Laurel turned to Joey. “Did you know they were going to let us through?”
He shook his head. “I didn’t know what to think when I saw Dad in the middle of it.”
“Send those damn horses back,” Cory Cullen ranted, his agitated horse dancing under him. “They’re mine. I got the permit to catch ’em. Those little bastards wrecked my traps and don’t think you’re not going to pay for it!”
“Horses are on our land now. You have no rights here. Go home.” Harry Good Smoke refused to move, sitting his horse calmly with an unreadable expression on his face.
“Where’s Carly?” Laurel whispered to Coll.
“Don’t know. Haven’t seen her since we left the coulee.”
The wildies milled restlessly surrounded by more Piikani holding them in check. Laurel’s attention snapped back to the confrontation. Cory Cullen discharged a shotgun into the air.
“Next one won’t be in the air,” he threatened. “Those wildies worth dying for?” He leveled the gun at Harry. “Or maybe your kid would be a better target seeing as how he enjoyed destroying my property so much.”
“Cory, for the love of God. Stand down,” Colt Rowan shouldered his horse into Cullen’s.
“Get away from me. Your bitch of a daughter is the ring leader. She’s gonna pay too.” Spittle flew from his mouth.
“Cory, put the gun away.” Colt reached for the long gun.
“Not ’til I get them horses. Chance!” he called over his shoulder. “Get yer ass up here.”
Chance separated himself from the huddle of ranchers and moved to his father’s free side. He didn’t appear as cocky and sure of himself as Laurel was used to lately. His face was white under the dark tan. He looked between his father and the stubborn line of Piikani facing him.
“Go on. Go get them horses.” Cullen punched his son on the shoulder while holding the gun out of Colt’s reach.
Chance rode forward a few steps and halted when none of the ranchers moved with him. “How am I supposed to do that, Dad? There’s no way I can break through.”
“Useless sorry excuse—” he began.
“Where’s Carly? Why isn’t she with you?” Chance glared at Joey. “I thought you were the big man rescuing my sister. At least that’s the story she gave me.”
“Isn’t she with you guys?” Laurel scanned the riders facing her.
Chance shook his head.
“Where you hidin’ the girl?” Cory Cullen demanded, momentarily side tracked from the wildies. He wheeled his horse to face the lone rider approaching at a hard gallop. The man pulled his horse up and looked around wildly.
“Cullen! Where the hell are you?”
“Here, Rolly. What in blazes you want? Can’t you see I’m busy here?” He waved the shot gun erratically.
“Thought you might want to know how your daughter is, you asshole,” Rolly spit the words out in disgust.
“What are you talking about?” Colt glared at the rider.
“What’s wrong with Carly?” Joey leaped his gelding forward. Laurel grabbed his bridle on the way past.
“Hang on, Joey. It might be a trick. Wait and see what he says,” she cautioned. “I’m worried about her too.”
“Ain’t nothin’ wrong with the girl. She’s just hidin’ ’cause she knows I’m gonna tan her hide when I get my hands on her,” Cory insisted.
Laurel tore her attention from the tense scene to scan the sky for the source of the thumping sound getting louder and louder. “That’s STARS!” She craned her neck to see the bright red medic helicopter.
“You better hope it’s not the RCMP comin’ to arrest you,” Cory snarled at Laurel.
“It’s STARS. That’s what I’m trying to get through your thick skull, Cullen. I was lucky to get service to call 911,” Rolly snapped.
Joey tensed beside Laurel. “Oh God, it’s Carly,” he whispered.
“You don’t know that,” Laurel said softly with no conviction.
“Nobody’s hurt. We’re all here now.” Cory turned back to the confrontation.
“Everybody but your daughter.” Rolly’s voice was loud in the sudden silence. “She’s on her way to Calgary right now.”
“What happened? She fall off again?” Chance taunted.
“No, jack ass. Your asshole of a father shot her.”
The bottom dropped out of Laurel’s stomach. For a moment the world tilted, and she forgot to breathe. Joey’s mouth opened and closed but no sound came out.
“What do you mean I shot her?” Cory Cullen demanded. “I never did any such thing.”
“That’s not how I saw it.” Rolly stared him down. “You were shooting blind and winged your own kid. I’m sure the RCMP will be asking questions and I’m not lying for you. Or any of you.” He surveyed the group of quiet men.
“Dad! Are you just gonna stand around and fight over a bunch of useless horses while Carly’s on her way to the hospital?” Chance yanked his horse’s head around. “How bad was she hit?” He gripped Rolly’s arm.
“Don’t know. There was a lot of blood though. By the time the medics got there she quit crying and passed out. I did what I could.” He held up blood stained hands.
Chance swore and kicked his horse into a gallop. He disappeared except for a rooster tail of dust that marked his passage.
“I’m going too.”
Joey pulled his horse free, bolted past the two groups of horsemen and took off after Chance. Laurel warred with herself. She should go right now and get to Carly, but there wasn’t anything she could do for her friend and it would take hours to get to Calgary. By the time she got there whatever was going to happen would have already occurred. A few more minutes to get the wildies situation settled wasn’t really going to matter.
“You’re not jokin’?” Cullen’s anger seemed to have died. The nose of the shot gun lowered, and he glanced at his supporters who backed away from him.
“Do I look like I’m joking, for Christ’s sake?” Rolly roared.
“I…” Cullen seemed at a loss for words.
Colt took the opportunity to snatch the gun from Cullen’s hands. Laurel breathed a sigh of relief. “I think we’re done here, Cullen. You men turn around and go home. The cull is over for this year, I think.”
Silently the ranchers surrounded their former leader and they moved away. Colt Rowan stayed behind. Once Cullen and the others were out of sight, he approached Harry Good Smoke and shook his hand.
“Thanks for not making a dangerous situation worse.”
Harry nodded. “Your girl’s got some guts, Colt. We’ll take the horses from here.”
“My girl needs to think before she acts,” Colt said grimly. He gave her a look of grudging admiration. “But she does stand up for what she believes in.”
Harry gave a silent signal to the men lined up on either side of him. They turned their horses and rode toward the milling wildies. Laurel and Coll moved to flank Harry. She leaned over and threw her arms around the older man.
“Thank you. Thank you so much for giving Coal and his mares a safe place to live.”
“I’m only doing what I think is right, little one. Those horses deserve the same freedom to live as they see fit that we do.”
“I thought the Council wouldn’t agree to help us?” Coll spoke for the first time since the race for freedom ended.
“They didn’t at first. But I got them to see reason this morning in a last-ditch effort. Too late to let you young’uns know. We only got here about ten minutes before you did.”
“That’s why Joey couldn’t get you to answer his texts!” Laurel released him and straightened in her saddle. “Where are the wildies going to live?”
“Don’t you worry your head about them. There’s plenty of space here and we’ll keep track of them. Make sure they don’t stray back onto the Crown land. Any other wildies you come across, you let me know a
nd we’ll find room for them too.”
“That’s such a relief.” Tears pricked the back of Laurel’s eyes. “Can I come and see Coal sometimes?”
“Anytime. Well done, Laurel Rowan.” Harry Good Smoke stuck his hand out and Laurel shook his hand, returning the firm grip.
“And you Coll Tinne, you also are a warrior.” Harry shook the surprised Cornish boy’s hand.
“Now, I believe your father would like a word or two with you, Laurel. And you need to get home and see if there is any word about the Cullen girl’s condition.”
Laurel swallowed past the anxious lump in her throat. “Thanks again, Harry.”
He nodded, wheeled his horse and trotted away.
“Dad—” she began.
“Not now, Laurie. I’m just relieved you’re safe. For now, let’s get home. We’ll talk about all this,” he waved a hand at the scene before him, “once we’re home and the horses are taken care of.”
Laurel nodded. Coll let his horse fall into step beside her. He reached over and squeezed her hand. Colt led the way, his back ramrod straight. Laurel was content to ride in silence, it was better than Dad yelling at her. Although it did give her far too much time to think about how Carly was, not to mention the severe consequences she was sure would come her way.
Chapter Fifteen
Colt was silent when they reached the ranch house. He dismounted and handed Laurel his horse. She took it wordlessly and watched him stalk toward the house, his boot heels ringing stridently on the boards of the porch.
“C’mon. Let’s get these guys taken care. If there’s any news, Dad’ll come out and tell us.”
Fifteen minutes later, the three horses were untacked, groomed, and fed. Laurel hovered uncertainly in the barn door eyeing the house.
“I wonder what happened to Carly’s horse?” Coll ventured.
“If no one caught it I bet it made for home. It’s probably safe at Good Smoke’s right now.”
“How do you think Carly is?” Coll frowned. “For crying out loud, I sure never thought I’d be in a gun fight when you invited me to come visit.”