by Jenna Brandt
Emmett stood up and glanced around, trying to figure out where Jesse was. It would be unlike him to leave his partner alone unless something went wrong.
They moved on to the next train car, the final one where the deposit of gemstones would be held along with an armed guard to protect it. The only car past that was a stock car filled with animals.
When no one was found in the next area, Emmett’s apprehension turned into downright fear. What was going on?
There was shouting from the outside of the train, drawing Emmett and Moses attention towards it. As they exited the last car, they both pulled their Colt revolvers from their holsters.
Below them and to the side were the guards, along with Jesse, tied up. All three were thrashing about, trying to get free. Emmett scanned the area but couldn’t find the bandits. Where had they escaped to?
A sudden explosion shook the whole train, knocking both Emmett and Moses to the ground. There were screams and cries as complete chaos unfolded; passengers and train employees were jumping from the train in multiple directions.
“What just happened?” Moses asked with confusion.
“I have no idea,” Emmett stated, “but we better go find out.”
They made their way back through the cars until they reached the front car where Nick and Gunder had been. The men were climbing up from the ground, along with a few other passengers.
“What happened?” Emmett inquired.
“We were stuck in a standoff with the two bandits, when a massive blast from the front of the train shook everything. It knocked all of us over,” Nick explained, “and the bandits got away. They didn’t seem concerned with it, almost like they knew it was coming.”
“Do you think they set the explosion as a diversion so they could get away?” Moses asked.
“Sounds completely bonkers, but I suppose they could have,” Nick stated.
“Did anyone go up there?”
“Not that we saw,” Nick stated, “but maybe we should check it out, anyway.”
“I’ll do that, but I need you three to go help John and free the guards and Jesse. Moses will fill you in on what happened.”
After his men took off, Emmett moved forward and entered the final front car. It was completely covered in soot and no one was in sight. Everyone who had been on it must have already abandoned the area.
Emmett cautiously moved down the length of the car, looking for any clues as to what might have happened. Towards the end, he saw a small figure crumpled in a ball. As he bent down, he realized it was the blonde woman from earlier. He placed his hand on the side of her neck, checking to see if she was alive. She was unconscious and covered in soot, but otherwise intact. He brushed her hair from her face, revealing a strong jaw, sharp cheekbones, and pretty brows.
Next to her, the tapestry bag she had been carrying lay wide open. Inside it, he noticed there was blasting caps and wicks; the exact items one would need to set off a stick of dynamite.
She groaned and moved, and a few seconds later, she mumbled out as her eyes fluttered open, “Where am I?”
“You don’t remember?” Emmett asked with concern.
She shook her head as she tried to sit up. “No, I have no idea.”
Two
The aching in her head wouldn’t diminish, causing her to place her hand on its side. There was a large knot that was forming. Merely touching the wound made her flinch with intense pain. What happened to her?
“Miss, miss, I’m talking to you. What’s your name? What are you doing on this train?” the man above her shouted. “Tell me now, before this gets worse for you.”
She tried to force the answers to come to her, but the harder she tried, the more she drew a blank. She had no idea who she was or why she was there. “I don’t know,” she stammered out, confused and afraid. “I can’t remember anything.”
“That’s impossible. Lying won’t get you anywhere with me,” the man threatened. “Tell me your connection to those men right now.”
She glanced up at him, wanting to put a face to the voice that was yelling at her. Instantly, she regretted the decision, shrinking away under his menacing glare. He seemed like he could tear her apart with his thick build, wide shoulders, and massive hands.
Defensively, she shouted back, “I’m telling you, Mister, I don’t know.”
“Stalling won’t do you any good,” he warned. “The longer you play this game, the worse it’ll get for you,” he said, grabbing her arm and shaking her. “Everyone has a name, so you better tell me yours.”
The only information that kept rolling around in her head was the name Naomi Rutherford. Was that her name? It seemed familiar, so without another thought she shouted at him, “I think… I think my name is Naomi Rutherford.”
She hoped it would get him to stop yelling at her. Her head was hurting so bad. All she wanted to do was lay down somewhere and sleep for a week.
“Now, we’re getting somewhere. What else can you tell me?” he demanded.
“I told you, I can’t remember anything.” Patting her blouse and then her skirt, she felt something in the pocket. She reached inside and pulled out a piece of paper. 8 a.m. Departure to Dallas, Texas.
She handed him the ticket, saying, “I was a passenger on this train, so whatever you were thinking about me is wrong.”
“I highly doubt that,” he grumbled, yanking her up by the arm. “You’re coming with me.”
Naomi pulled away from him, giving him a dirty look as she spat out, “I’m doing no such thing. I don’t even know who you are.”
Pulling back the edge of his outer jacket, the man revealed a badge on top of his vest. “My name is Emmett Moreley. I’m a Texas Ranger assigned to arrest all the members of the Beckett Gang—that includes you.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about, or what is going on. You must have me mixed up with someone else.”
“It doesn’t seem that way,” he said, pointing at the tapestry bag. “All the evidence I need is right there.”
“How do you even know that’s mine?” she asked with confusion. “I’ve never seen that bag in my life.”
“I have to admit, you’re committed to this loss of memory facade, but I have to tell you, it’s wearing on my nerves.” With a shrug, he added, “I know the bag is yours because I saw you holding it earlier.”
Naomi pressed her lips together, trying to think of a reason to counter his argument. It would be easier if she could just remember why she had been on the train. Realizing she couldn’t explain it, she said instead, “I’m not sure where that came from or why, but it doesn’t give you a right to treat me this way.”
“You’re wrong about that,” he said, reaching out and grabbing her again. “This badge says I have the right to detain you as a potential suspect. You’re coming with me until we can figure all of this out.”
She didn’t like her choices, but Naomi realized fighting him wouldn‘t get her anywhere. Reluctantly, she nodded her head. “I’ll go with you, for now.”
Emmett grabbed the bag next to her before escorting her through the train cars. Once they caught up with the rest of the ranger’s posse, Naomi listened as they went over what happened.
Apparently, two of the ranger’s men were injured. One had a head wound that would need several stitches, along with an eye that was swollen shut. The other had several bruised ribs along with a broken foot from the explosion. During the robbery, the train conductor was also injured when one of the men shot him. Once he saw a doctor though, he would be all right.
“You’re certain all the bandits got away?” Emmett asked with frustration.
The older gray-haired man nodded his head as he said, “Nick grazed one of them in the leg as they took off, but it wasn’t enough to stop him from leaving with the others.”
“That means they’ll need to rest and get the wound treated,” Emmett realized. “Once we re-group back in Rockwood Springs, we need to figure out where they might do that.”
Turning his att
ention to the train conductor who was standing nearby, Emmett asked, “I noticed there was an animal stock car attached to the train. Are there any horses on it?”
The conductor nodded his head. “It’s half cattle and half horses being sent to auction.”
“Good, we need to borrow five horses to get us back to Rockwood Springs,” Emmett stated with authority. “As soon as we arrive, we’ll let them know you’re stranded out here since the explosion destroyed the engine.”
“Of course, Ranger Moreley, I’ll have a couple of the workers get the horses ready for you.”
“What about her?” Jesse asked, gesturing towards Naomi. “What are we going to do with her?”
“She’s coming with us. I’m certain she’s involved and knows something. Until she tells me, she’s staying right by my side.”
Naomi blanched at the idea. There was no way she wanted to stay that close to this brute of a man. Though he was good-looking in a rugged sort of way, she wouldn‘t let his thick, sandy-blond hair that came to rest at the nape of his neck or his smoldering green eyes distract her from the fact he was keeping her a prisoner. The fact he thought she was an outlaw was downright absurd. Naomi might not remember her past, but deep down, she knew she was a good person.
The other men mounted their horses, but before Emmett did the same, he unceremoniously dumped Naomi on his, then pulled himself up behind her.
His close proximity made Naomi uncomfortable. She could feel his every movement vibrate through to her own body. She needed to get some distance between them as quickly as possible.
“How long before we get back to town?”
“About an hour,” he said with an irritated sigh. “Is this too much for your delicate senses? Not used to this rough of a ride, sweetheart? Somehow I doubt that,” he said sarcastically.
“I’ve been on rough rides before. However, it’s the smell that offends me,” she stated indignantly, though it wasn’t the whole truth. She rather enjoyed his scent—enticing and knee weakening at times—but she certainly couldn’t have him knowing that.
“Ranger Moreley, when was the last time you took a bath?”
“Why, Miss Rutherford, how improper of you to suggest giving me a bath,” he said with a snicker.
She tossed him an indignant scowl. “If bathing you would remove your foul disposition, I’d do it in a heartbeat.” She elbowed him in the stomach, adding, “However my method would be pushing you off a cliff and into the ocean.”
Her elbow to the gut did little to stop his amusement. His snicker changed into a full-fledged belly laugh as he flicked the reins, causing the horse to move forward.
Resigned to the fact that she wouldn’t be able to gain the distance she so desperately needed, Naomi scrunched down in the saddle and prepared herself for the longest hour of her life—at least that she could remember.
Three
The ride in from the train hadn’t been a pleasant one. Naomi—if that was her real name—had squirmed and complained the entire time. It had been all he could do to keep himself from leaving her out on the prairie.
She was annoying for certain, but that wasn’t the only reason he didn’t like being around her. What bothered him more was the fact he found himself attracted to her. Even covered in soot, she was gorgeous, and he couldn’t deny the fact she fit nicely against his frame. Both observations frustrated him to no end. He didn’t want to be attracted to a woman that was most likely part of a notorious train robbing gang.
Now that they were back in Rockwood Springs, he could focus on catching the rest of the Beckett Gang, and deposit all of them—including Naomi—in jail as soon as he did.
They reached the sheriff’s office, and Emmett prepared himself to face the wrath of tracking a gang without making local authorities privy to the fact. As a Texas Ranger, he wasn’t required to do so, but it didn’t mean the local sheriff would be too happy about it.
“Why don’t you get John and Nick over to the doctor, so they can get fixed. Then head over to the bath house and get cleaned up,” Emmett ordered. “I will talk to the local sheriff.”
“What are you going to do with her?” John asked, tilting his head to the side as he wagged his eyebrows up and down. “I can take her off your hands if you’d like.”
Despite having a massive head wound, John could still only think about one thing. It figured.
“That won’t be necessary, John. You’ve got enough of your own problems. Besides, like I said, she’s sticking with me until I get what I want from her.”
“Oh, I bet, Boss. You make sure to get exactly what you want,” Nick teased. He paid for the joke. However, when his own laughter caused him pain because of his injuries. He coughed a couple of times, grabbing his side.
“Get out of here, the lot of you, before Nick keels over on us. I’ll catch up with you once I have everything settled,” Emmett stated before splitting off from the group.
A few minutes later, he entered the Rockwood Springs Sheriff office, pulling Naomi along with him. She didn’t seem too happy about it, but he didn’t much care. He had a job to do, and he would do whatever it took to get it done, including pressing her for information. He had a hard time believing she couldn’t remember anything from her past. Maybe having a run-in with the law would help her recall her memories she conveniently forgot.
As Emmett entered the sheriff’s office, a man with brown hair and matching eyes stood from behind one of the two desks. He had a look of curiosity on his face. “What can I do for you?”
“Are you in charge around here?” Emmett asked, not wanting to waste his time on an underling.
“I’m Levi Emerson, a junior deputy sheriff. The senior deputy who is in charge of the Rockwood Springs area isn’t here right now.”
“When will he be back?”
“He should be any time now, but I’m sure I can help you with whatever you need in the meantime.”
“I think I would rather wait,” Emmett stated, eyeing the other man who had the countenance of a bounty hunter more than a traditional lawman. Deputy Emerson was casual in both appearance and demeanor, which made Emmett skeptical.
“Suit yourself,” Deputy Emerson said, slinging himself back into his chair. “We don’t have a lot of space in here, but you can wait against the wall over there,” the deputy suggested, then glancing at the woman, he pointed across from him. “The lady can sit in the chair behind the other desk while you wait.”
Emmett let out a snort and shrugged. “Believe me, she’s no lady, and she’s fine right here next to me. She’s lucky she’s not tied up, considering where I found her.”
Deputy Emerson raised both of his eyebrows in shock as he leaned back in his chair. “What did she do?”
“She’s suspected in being involved with a train robbery gang.”
The deputy let out a whistle, then said, “Whoa, sounds like you’ve got your hands full with her.”
“You have no idea how right you are,” Emmett stated with irritation, hoping it wouldn’t take too long for the senior deputy to return.
About a half hour later, a tall man with short, black hair and green eyes, entered the sheriff’s office. He had an air of confidence about him, not to mention his sheriff’s badge prominently displayed on the front of his jacket. Instantly, Emmett was certain he must be the local sheriff.
As soon as the tall man locked eyes with Emmett, he stopped moving and asked, “And who might you be?”
“The name’s Emmett Moreley. I’m a Texas Ranger stationed out of Abilene. I’ve formed a posse and we’ve been tracking the Beckett Gang.”
“Is that so? And how does that bring you to Rockwood Springs?” the tall man inquired.
“We had information that the gang planned to rob the train that left here this morning. The information turned out to be valid, and we ended up in an altercation with them on the train. A couple of men were injured, and the gang got away.”
“In other words, you messed up and got a bunch of people
hurt,” the junior deputy clarified, crossing his arms.
“I’m still not understanding what you’re doing here in my office though. The Texas Rangers rarely come around informing local sheriffs of their happenings,” the senior deputy pointed out.
“I’m surprised you know so much about the rangers’ habits,” Emmett noted. “Why is that?”
“I used to be one back in the day. Name’s Jake Bolton.”
“Wait a minute, are you ‘Bullseye’ Bolton?”
The other man let out a heavy sigh as he nodded. “No one calls me that around here, but yes, that’s me.”
“I can’t believe I’m in the presence of Texas Ranger royalty. You’re a legend.”
“That was a long time ago, and I was a much younger man.”
“You’re not that old, boss,” Deputy Emerson corrected with a chuckle. “You can still hold your own with any man.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence, but you’re not so bad yourself for a bounty hunter turned legitimate lawman,” Deputy Bolton stated with a grin. “Even if it has only been a couple of months.”
The comment confirmed Emmett’s suspicion about the junior deputy. Emmett knew the man had to be good at his job to instill that type of loyalty from ‘Bullseye’ Bolton.
Gesturing to Naomi, who was still standing next to Emmett, Deputy Bolton asked, “What does she have to do with the gang?”
“I found her on the train with this,” he said, handing over the bag with the evidence in it. “I think she was the one who set the dynamite off on the train, enabling her fellow gang members to scurry off during the chaos afterward.”
“I’m sick of you accusing me of horrible things,” Naomi said, glaring at Emmett. “You don’t know a thing about me.”
“You’re right, but I have my suspicions. Until they are proven one way or the other, you’re not leaving my sight.”
Deputy Bolton looked through the items in the bag, then glanced over at Emmett. “So, what are you wanting from me? And before you go denying it, I can tell by the look in your eyes, there’s something.”