by Laura Beers
With an uplifted brow, the sheriff inquired, “How did you make that discovery?”
Rosalie waved a hand in front of her dismissively. “We learned that tidbit when we broke into the bank to review their ledgers.”
Paden shot her a look of astonishment. What was she thinking? Why would she reveal that information?
“I should lock you up for robbing a bank,” Sheriff Walton said, pointing between them. “It would serve you two right.”
“There was no money to steal,” Rosalie informed him. “Besides, we don’t have time for that. We need to start searching for Emeline.”
Pushing back his chair, Sheriff Walton rose. “I am the sheriff of this town, and I’m in charge of this posse. I expect you both to follow my orders. Do I make myself clear?”
Paden nodded his understanding. “Pinkerton agents work with the law, not against it.” He turned toward Rosalie. “Right, Agent Brooks?”
Rosalie reluctantly nodded. “Yes, Agent Brooks.”
“It appears that your ‘talk’ last night went well,” Sheriff Walton teased as he came around his desk.
Deputy Charlie took a long drink from his cup, then remarked, “I have never tried tossing my wife over my shoulder before, but perhaps I should try it.”
“Amanda would never let you sleep in her bed again if you did,” Sheriff Walton quipped.
“Good point,” Deputy Charlie said, placing the cup onto his desk. “I have had enough coffee to focus now.”
Paden saw that Rosalie was visibly annoyed at the lawman’s jokes, but she kept a tense smile on her face. “Are you ready to ride?” he asked her.
“I am,” she answered. “Are you still good at tracking?”
A smug smile formed on his lips. “What do you think?”
Sheriff Walton interrupted their conversation. “There is no need for either of you to track. Deputy Charlie can pursue a suspect through the mountains with no issue.”
“Assuming he’s had enough coffee this morning,” Rosalie joked as she walked out the door.
“It seems that your wife hasn’t learned her lesson yet.” Sheriff Walton smiled. “Why don’t you toss her over your shoulder again and remind her who is the boss?”
Ignoring Sheriff Walton and Deputy Charlie’s laughter, Paden stepped outside and saw that Rosalie had already mounted her horse. He walked up to her and said, “You must be on your guard. There is a chance that this is a trap since Garrett knows that you’re here.”
Rosalie’s alert eyes scanned the foothills surrounding the town. “I’ve already considered that possibility.”
“Remember, you’re not alone. We are partners, and we look out for each other,” he said in a firm tone.
Her eyes met his gaze, and he saw longing in them. “It is nice not to be alone anymore.”
Before he said something crazy like ‘I love you’, he mounted his horse. He needed to put his feelings aside and focus on their assignment.
Again, much needed to be discussed, but only if they both survived this day.
Chapter 12
Paden took off his hat and wiped his brow with the bandana in his pocket. They’d been in the saddle for hours and appeared to be no closer to finding Garrett’s hideout. He turned toward Deputy Charlie, who had dismounted and was trying to find the missing trail on foot.
“Do you suppose that tracking means something different in Shelbrook?” Rosalie muttered under her breath.
He frowned. “We appear to be going in circles.”
“That’s what I was thinking as well,” she sighed.
There were far too many trees preventing Paden from seeing very far ahead as he led his horse toward a running creek. As he dismounted, he saw that the creek was very shallow, only inches deep, and the water was flowing toward a ledge where the ground dropped off sharply.
Stepping into the stream, he followed it until he reached the ledge, and he looked out over the mountainous terrain. Tall, green trees dominated the landscape, but he was able to barely make out a meadow in the distance.
“What do you see?” Rosalie asked, coming to stand next to him.
Paden pointed toward the meadow. “Do you see that clearing up ahead?”
“I do.”
With a side glance, he explained, “That would be an ideal place for a hideout. No one is around for miles, there’s running water, and I can’t imagine they would lack for food in this area.”
Rosalie squinted. “I agree. Should we go investigate?”
“Investigate what?” Sherriff Walton asked, joining their private interlude.
Again, Paden pointed toward the meadow. “We are thinking that would be a good place for a hideout.”
The sheriff tucked his thumbs into his gun belt. “That is Tilford Steiner’s place. He came out about five years ago and got himself a homestead out here in these woods.”
“Have you heard from him lately?” Rosalie asked.
“It’s been a couple of months, but that is not unusual. Steiner and his wife live off the land, and they only come into Shelbrook to trade fur for supplies,” Sheriff Walton answered.
Paden grimaced as he saw a thin line of smoke rising in the distance. “Someone is home. I would bet my wife that Garrett is holed up in that house,” he said, feeling the need to tease Rosalie.
“Your wife?” Rosalie repeated in disbelief.
Placing a hand on her shoulder, he said, “It is a figure of speech, darling.”
“I assure you it is not,” she argued, attempting to step out of his reach.
Sheriff Walton chuckled. “I have to side with your wife. Typically, I have heard men bet their horse or gun, but never their wives.”
Tightening his hold on Rosalie, Paden kissed her right cheek and whispered, “This is a surefire bet.”
“Why do you say that?” she asked, relaxing in his arms.
“When I look due north of the clearing, I keep seeing glints of metal,” he explained. “Someone is standing guard with a gun.”
“Or it could be Mr. Steiner out hunting for food,” Sheriff Walton rationalized.
Deputy Charlie’s voice came from behind them. “I lost the trail. I can’t figure out which way the horses went.”
“Not to worry,” Paden said. “We are working under the assumption that Garrett and his gang are staying at Steiner’s house.”
Wincing, Rosalie said, “I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I doubt Garrett is staying as an honored guest. My guess is that he’s already killed them.”
“Let’s hope not,” Sheriff Walton stated through gritted teeth. “The Steiners are good folks. But since we are dealing with Garrett, then they are likely already dead.”
Paden stepped away from Rosalie. “Where is the Steiners’ home?”
Sheriff Walton pointed toward the clearing. “At the base of the meadow.”
“There are four of us,” Rosalie said. “We need to branch out and take out all the guards, preferably without firing a shot. We don’t want to lose our element of surprise.”
Sheriff Walton gave her a stern look. “Thank you, Agent Brooks, but we have been doing this longer than you have.”
A smile came to Rosalie’s face, despite the sheriff’s annoyed drawl. “True, but I am clearly better at it than you are.”
Paden’s brow lifted at her brazen comment. He was relieved to hear a chuckle come out of Sheriff Walton’s lips. “You are just like your father. You both crack jokes at the most inappropriate times.”
“Let’s fan out, and we’ll meet up at the cabin.” Paden took a step closer to Rosalie, wrapped his arm around her waist, and yanked her toward him. “I find that I need some good luck,” he said before he kissed her hard on the lips.
Paden released her and stepped back. “No one dies today,” he ordered, “especially you, Mrs. Brooks.”
Glancing over the ledge, Paden saw the drop-off was steep, almost perpendicular, but it was only about three feet to the base. They jumped down and landed in some brush th
at ran along the banks of the creek. He veered off and headed right through the trees.
He found a guard resting his shoulder against a pine tree, oblivious to any threat. After hitting the back of his head with his pistol, he tied his hands with the twine that he’d brought along. He grabbed the guard’s revolver and tucked it into his belt. A spare gun could come in handy.
Creeping closer to the cabin, Paden heard a rustling of leaves near him and saw Rosalie jump up from the ground. An unconscious man lay on his stomach with his arms and legs tied together. When she saw him, Rosalie gave him a private smile before she disappeared back into the cover of the trees.
Paden had to admit that Rosalie was reckless, crazy… and magnificent. He was fairly confident that there was nothing that his wife wasn’t good at.
After taking out another guard, he stopped at the edge of the trees and looked at the small log cabin with a slight overhang covering the front porch. He saw movement inside through a side window, but he couldn’t get any closer for fear of discovery.
The door to the cabin banged open. A stocky man, with a weathered face and dingy clothes, dragged Emeline outside by the back of her hair. “You have one minute,” he barked as he shoved her to the ground. “Do your business quickly.”
Tears streamed down Emeline’s face as she rose and wiped her hands on her ripped dress. She walked to the cover of the trees and squatted behind a bush.
A few moments passed, and the man became increasingly agitated. “I said hurry, you worthless thing,” he growled from his position on the porch. When Emeline failed to respond, his eyes narrowed at the bush she had squatted behind. “You will pay if I have to come in after you.”
Paden was about to rush to Emeline’s aid when he saw Rosalie crouch behind the bush that Emeline had just been in.
What was Rosalie up to?
“Emeline,” Rosalie said in a hushed voice, hoping to avoid scaring her. “It’s me, Rosalie.”
To her surprise, Emeline whispered frantically, “You have to get out of here! It isn’t safe for you!”
Rosalie crouched down next to her. “Don’t worry about me. I need to know how many men are in the cabin.”
“Three.”
Glancing up to see the man stepping off the porch and striding toward the edge of the meadow, she asked, “Does that include this man?”
Emeline whimpered with fear when she saw the man coming closer. “It does.”
Rosalie nodded. “Good. I want you to stay close, but you need to stay low and duck behind a large tree. If there is a shootout, I don’t want you to get hit by a stray bullet.”
“I tire of your insolence, woman,” the man growled, causing birds in the tree next to them take flight as he approached them.
Rosalie saw Emeline freeze with fear, and she placed her hand on her arm. “Stay low and run. You’re safe now.”
With a disbelieving expression, Emeline asked, “How are you going to stop that man? He has a gun.”
“I’m a Pinkerton agent,” she revealed. “Trust me, this is like child’s play to me.”
The man’s voice came from above them. “Well, lookie here. I found Rosalie Addis hiding in a bush. Garrett is going to reward me handsomely for this.”
Rising slowly, Rosalie put her hands in front of her. “You have me. Let Miss Holmes go free.”
The man waved his pistol in front of him. “I don’t think so. We need her. We need to know when the next shipment of gold is.”
“You’re wasting your time then,” Rosalie revealed. “There isn’t going to be another shipment of gold.”
“Why not?”
Lowering her hands to her sides, she explained, “It was a trap to see if Garrett would play his hand. And he did.” She gave him a sympathetic look. “Your boss isn’t that smart.”
“I can’t wait till the boss kills you,” the man scoffed.
The moment he jerked his pistol to the side to indicate they should walk, Rosalie moved slightly to the left, out of the line of fire, grabbed the barrel of the gun and twisted it, while her other hand hit his wrist, and removed the weapon from her attacker’s possession.
Turning the gun on him, she ordered, “Get on the ground.”
“No,” he replied defiantly.
“Fine,” she said in an annoyed tone. Taking the butt of the pistol, she hit him against the side of his face, causing him to crumble to the ground. “I tried being nice.” She stepped over his unconscious body.
Turning toward Emeline, she ordered, “Go. We will find you when this is over with.”
Rosalie watched for a moment as Emeline ran further into the woods. Then she stooped low and ran toward the cabin. There were two points of entry. One in the front and one in the back. She peeked into a side window and saw Garrett sitting at a table near the fireplace. Another man was playing cards at the table, but he would occasionally look out the front window.
Rosalie saw Paden out of the corner of her eye. She held up two fingers and pointed at the window. He nodded his understanding before he disappeared from her view.
A few moments later, she saw Paden, Sheriff Walton, and Deputy Charlie all crouching low as they came across the meadow toward the cabin. Paden arrived at the porch first, his gun drawn in his left hand. In one fluid movement, he stood and kicked open the door.
The man playing cards put his hands up, but Garrett charged toward the back door, right toward her. After the door was thrown open, she fired a warning shot, and Garrett came to a skidding halt.
“Turn around slowly,” she ordered,
Rosalie saw him reaching for his gun. “Put your hands up, or I will shoot you where you stand!” she shouted.
When he didn’t move right away, she cocked her gun. “Give me a reason to shoot you, Garrett.”
Bill Garrett put his hands up and slowly turned around. A smirk was on his lips. “Well, well, well, if it isn’t Sheriff Addis’s daughter. What are you doing in these parts?”
“As if you didn’t know,” she responded curtly.
“I saw you on the stagecoach,” he remarked. “It shouldn’t have surprised me to see you again, especially since you and I are not so very different.”
She reared back, outraged by his accusation. “We are vastly different.”
“No, we aren’t,” he replied with a shake of his head. “We are alike in many ways. For starters, you have a thirst for vengeance, like I do. That’s why I had to kill Sheriff Addis. He’d arrested me many times over the years, and I warned him to stop.” His eyes darkened. “Killing your father was nothing personal. It was more of a business move. I’m sure you understand.”
“No, I don’t,” she said, keeping her pistol aimed at his cold, blackened heart. “You murdered him in broad daylight, and your gang killed innocent women and children.”
He shrugged. “It’s a lonely profession, our line of work, and I don’t have time to count the dead. You will have to excuse me for that.”
“We are not in the same line of work. I am a bounty hunter, and you are a murderer.”
“Come, come now. The only difference between us is which side of the law we’re on, and bounty hunters tend to side-step that line on a regular basis,” he contended. “You killed some of my men while you were rounding them up. I bet you enjoyed it, too.”
Paden’s voice came from behind her. “He’s goading you. Just ignore him.”
Garrett chuckled dryly. “You must be her husband,” he said, turning his knowing gaze toward Paden. “I was surprised when I heard that our Rosalie had gotten herself hitched.” He brought his hardened gaze back to her. “For so long, you have made it your mission to find me, and I was always one step ahead of you. It was the same way with your father. He was a failure, much like yourself.”
“Put down your gun, Rosie,” Paden ordered gently as he came to stand next to her. “Sheriff Walton will take him into custody.”
“No!” she shouted, her voice taking on a hard edge. “He deserves to die for what he did to
my father. He is a murderer!”
“He is,” Paden agreed. “But we don’t dispatch justice. That’s not the Pinkerton way.”
“I am a bounty hunter,” she declared.
Sheriff Walton walked up next to Paden. “Let your wife kill Garrett. It would save us a lot of paperwork, and then we won’t have to worry about him trying to escape from prison again.”
“Don’t listen to the sheriff… or Garrett,” Paden said softly. “You are nothing like Garrett. He is an egotistical maniac that kills without remorse.”
Garrett ran his finger down his scar. “Did you tell your husband how you attacked me not so long ago and left me disfigured? You were lurking in the woods, waiting for your chance at revenge. It was a pathetic attempt, really. Your father would have been disappointed in you.”
“You will not talk about my father that way!” she exclaimed, gratified to see a glimmer of fear in Garrett’s eyes.
Sheriff Walton spoke up. “I see that you two have this situation under control. I am going to take Deputy Charlie, and we are going to round up the rest of the men in the woods.”
Rosalie saw from the corner of her eye that Paden’s mouth dropped open. It was clear that he did not support Sheriff Walton’s decision to walk away from this situation.
“I have hunted you for more than four years,” she shared. “I have seen the carnage you’ve left behind when your gang goes through a town.”
Garrett shrugged. “Because of you, my gang had to disband. It was safer for us to go off on our own, but I became tired of the sedentary lifestyle. I got myself a new gang.”
Rosalie’s finger itched to pull the trigger. If she killed him, then she would be doing everyone a favor.
Paden stepped closer to her, his voice holding a warning. “If you pull that trigger, there can be no future between us. The Rosie that I know is not a murderer.”
“But he deserves to die!” she shouted.
“He does,” Paden agreed. “What he has done is inexcusable, but do not let him take away your future. Do not let him have that control over you.”
Garrett scoffed. “How sweet. But your husband will never understand you like I do.”
