A Place Where I Belong

by Mary Tribbey

  Chapter 11

  After breakfast, Robert, Buddy, and Mandy mounted up and started out toward the next section of the ranch. Mandy was mounted on Thunder and rode beside Buddy. It was a hot, dusty ride, but Mandy didn’t care. She loved being out on the range helping Buddy and Robert. Mandy thanked God every morning for her wonderful new life on the ranch and for the family she belonged to. Her life was so filled with joy that hot weather couldn’t bring her spirits down. Mandy stopped and wiped the sweat off her brow and took a short drink from her canteen.

  At Robert’s signal, they separated and began circling the herd, Buddy and Mandy’s job was to try to keep any steers from breaking away and messing up the count Robert was making.. Mandy watched with admiration how easily the two men worked together.

  Mandy saw a large bull near Buddy break away from the herd and start running away from the circle. Buddy turned Buck and chased after it. Buddy had his lasso loose and was about to rope it when the bull spun around and began charging straight at Buck. Buck lived up to his name. He spun right and then began a series of wild hops, skips, and leaps trying to evade the bull’s horns.

  When Buck spun and leaped, Buddy was thrown slightly off balance. He was still struggling to regain his balance when Buck jumped sideways and spun again. Mandy watched in horror as Buddy flew off Buck. He twisted wildly in the air, before landing heavily on the ground. Mandy and Robert spurred over towards Buddy sprawled out on the ground and arrived at about the same time. Robert chased the angry bull away while Mandy rushed to Buddy’s side. He was motionless on the ground. His left leg was bent in an unnatural position. Blood was running down his face from a cut above his eyebrow, and he was unconscious..

  Robert dismounted and rushed to Buddy, “Don’t move him!” he ordered. He quickly checked Buddy’s breathing and pulse. He gently felt down Buddy’s legs and arms. “Either his leg is broken or his hip is out of its socket, or both. I don’t like the way his body is twisted around either. I’m not a doctor, but I’ve seen a lot of injuries, and this looks mighty bad to me. I’ll ride back to the ranch and get help. When he comes to, don’t let him move around, even if you have to sit on him. I’ll be back as quick as I can.”

  Robert mounted his horse and spurred him into a fast gallop. Mandy watched him disappear over the rise. Before turning her attention back to Buddy. She bent down and kissed his cheek and whispered reassuring words into his ear. “I don’t know if you can hear me, Buddy, but hold on. I’m here with you, and I won’t leave you. Just rest and lie still.” She wet her bandana and wiped away the blood on his face. She held steady pressure on the cut to stop the bleeding.

  Mandy felt helpless and alone. She bowed her head and prayed fervently, “Dear God, take care of Buddy. Please don’t let him be badly hurt or die. I need him and love him so much. Please let help get here quickly. Touch him and heal him. Please protect him and keep him safe,” Mandy prayed over and over again.

  Mandy sat watching his silent body for what seemed like an hour, but was only about 30 minutes. She heard the sound of Robert’s old truck roaring toward her. Overhead she heard the unmistakable sound of a helicopter. Mandy stood up and waved frantically. The helicopter veered toward her and landed nearby.

  The helicopter door opened and a paramedic dashed over to Buddy’s side. He opened his equipment bag and began taking his vital signs. He scribbled some numbers on his hand.

  “Has he been awake since the accident?” he asked Mandy.

  “No, he hasn’t been conscious, and he hasn’t moved at all,” Mandy explained.

  By this time, Robert and Madge had reached him, too. The paramedic told Robert, “His vital signs are steady, but we need to get him to the hospital right away! I don’t like the fact that he hasn’t regained consciousness yet. That makes me suspect a possible brain injury. Because of the way he landed, we have to be very careful to secure him on a transport board before we move him to keep him from further injury. Hold his head and neck steady while I put on a neck brace. Now we need to very carefully slip the board under him, keeping his spine from moving as much as we can.”

  They secured him onto the backboard. Robert and the paramedic carried him to the helicopter. Quickly they loaded him inside. The paramedic climbed in and began rechecking his vital signs. “We’re taking him to the county’s regional medical center in Ventana. You can meet us there,” he said as they lifted off and hurriedly flew away.

  Robert mounted Thunder and caught Buck’s reins. “Madge, you and Mandy take the truck and go to the hospital. I’ll bring the horses back to the barn and join you at the hospital in Ventana as soon as I can,” Robert called.

  They all raced toward the main house. When they came to the driveway, Madge turned onto it and headed toward the highway. Robert continued to the barn, quickly tended to the horses, then got into Melanie’s car and hurried to catch up with the women.

  Madge gunned the truck around the twists and turns in the winding two-lane county road. Mandy shuddered and wondered if this was how Jerry was driving the night of his accident. “Madge, please slow down a little. It won’t help Buddy or anyone else if we get into a wreck on the way to the hospital,” she chided gently.

  Madge slowed down and said, “You’re right. I just want to be there as quick as I can.”

  By the time they reached the Regional Medical Center, Buddy had already been briefly examined. He was stabilized and sent directly out for CT scan and x-rays. The ladies checked in and sat down in the waiting room. After what seemed like an hour, Robert rushed in and hugged Madge. “Have you heard anything yet?” he asked.

  They shook their heads, and he took Mandy’s hand and squeezed it. He gave Madge and Mandy a quick hug then sat down between them. They sat silently waiting. Several minutes later, a doctor wearing scrubs entered the room. He walked over and shook Robert’s hand.

  “My name is Dr. Owens. I’m the Resident Trauma Surgeon on duty today. I was the first one who examined Buddy when he arrived at the trauma center. On the plus side, Buddy seems to be young, strong and healthy. The x-rays confirm that he has a broken femur. His hip is dislocated, too. He had a complete CT Scan of his head, neck and back. The most worrisome thing right now is he has damaged the first, second, and third lumbar vertebrae. There is no way to tell at this point if his spinal cord has been permanently damaged. The CT scan of his head also shows some bleeding in the frontal lobe. It seems to have stopped bleeding now, but we need to keep a close watch on that, too.”

  “Can we see him soon?” Mandy asked.

  “No, you can’t see him right now. Buddy has been taken directly into surgery. With spinal injuries, it is critical that we act quickly. The orthopedic surgeon is attempting to stabilize and repair the damaged area in his lower spine to prevent further damage to his spinal cord. It is much too early to know for sure if there has been permanent, irreparable spinal cord damage or not. If there is just bruising, usually, with rest and physical therapy, he could make a complete recovery. If the cord is badly crushed or severed, he will never be able to walk again.”

  “How soon will we know how badly he is injured?” Robert asked.

  “It is going to be a long time before we can see how well his body heals, and if he will walk again. After the spinal surgery is complete, he will go into ICU for recovery. In a couple of days, he needs to go back for surgery to have his femur and hip worked on. As soon as he is out of surgery today, I will come and talk to you again. Until then, all we can do is wait and pray.”

  Mandy’s head swam as she struggled to understand all the doctor had said. The words that screamed in her head were “he may never walk again.” Mandy sat silent and wooden between Robert and Madge. Outwardly she appeared calm, but inside she was in turmoil.

  Madge touched her arm and brought her back to the moment. “Remember, God is in control, and He is the Great Physician. We need to keep our faith strong.
Buddy is going to need our strength and faith now more than ever before,” Madge said.

  Mandy squeezed her hand and smiled weakly. “You’re right, Madge. We need to pray harder than we have ever prayed before. He has to get better. He has so much to look forward to. I keep hoping I’ll wake up and this will be a horrible nightmare,”

  Mandy leaned her head back, closed her eyes, and began praying for a miracle. Robert went to find a telephone so he could call and let Melanie know what the doctor had told them.

  Time seemed to slow to a crawl. The hands on the waiting room clock didn’t seem to move at all. More than six hours passed before Dr. Owens returned. “The first surgery is over and it went very well. The surgeons did their best to align and stabilize the damaged vertebrae. It was very delicate and tedious work, but they were able to secure a metal cage around the damaged area. It is up to his body now. In time, new bone will fill in the cage and strengthen the vertebrae. Hopefully, the spinal cord has not already been permanently damaged. If the bones shift, it could further damage the spinal cord. A body cast will help prevent his spine from shifting by preventing any movement. He will probably be in the cast at least two or three months. Because of the strain on the spine, we plan on keeping him fully sedated for at least the next 24 hours so his body can concentrate on healing. In a day or two, we will go back and repair his hip and femur. I recommend you all go home and get some rest. He will have a very long recuperation period from these injuries. He will need your support more after he wakes up. We will call if there is any change,” Dr. Owens said.

  Mandy didn’t want to leave the hospital, but Robert and Madge insisted. Madge took her arm and led her out to the car. Madge and Mandy took Melanie’s car, while Robert drove his truck home. Both women rode home in silence, each one was lost in prayer or thought

  Mandy walked into the silent house that she and Buddy had left together that morning. The dark silence surrounded her, and she sank down on the couch. She collapsed and sobbed until there were no more tears. She stretched out and tried to sleep, but the feeling of lonely emptiness overwhelmed her.

  Finally she gave up. She walked over to the barn, saddled Thunder, and went for a ride to clear her head. She followed the fence line, barely realizing where she was going. When she looked up, she saw a loading ramp and corral. She let Thunder pick the way. He slowed and stopped near a feed trough. Finding it empty, he shook his head and waited for Mandy to guide him away. Mandy had never been to this part of the ranch before since they had not sold or shipped any cattle off the ranch during the time she had been living at the ranch.

  Curious, she hopped off Thunder and walked around. There was a large holding pen in front of a gate that led the cattle onto the ramp to the loading dock platform. When she walked up the ramp, she noticed flies buzzing around small globs of fairly fresh manure. From the loading dock, she saw recent large truck tire impressions in the ground beside the loading dock. Mandy looked around again. “That’s strange,” she thought. “Cattle can’t get onto this ramp unless someone opens the gate to the loading dock. How did the fresh manure get on the ramp and loading dock? We had a big rainstorm three weeks ago. Why are those tire tracks still here? The tire impressions would have been washed away in that downpour, unless the trucks were here after that storm. This doesn’t make sense,” she puzzled.

  Mandy mounted Thunder and started riding west away from the loading dock. The sound and headlights of a vehicle attracted her attention. She turned around and saw a black pickup truck coming down the service road outside the ranch’s fence. She rode into a small clump of trees and bushes. The truck pulled up next to the loading dock fence. Jason got out and looked around. He stood leaning against the gate and scanned the area before getting back in his truck and heading back down the road.

  As she sat on Thunder’s back and watched Jason drive off, something clicked in her mind. She suddenly remembered Robert mentioning they had either miscounted or there were about 100 ‘missing’ cattle. Quickly Mandy put all the facts together, and she realized the cattle weren’t just ‘missing.’ They had been stolen. Everything dropped into place. The only reason she could think of for Jason to be so far out on their ranch road at 4 am to stop and look around here was clear to her. Jason must be involved someway in the disappearance of their cattle.

  As she rode back to the barn, she decided not to mention this to Robert until she had more proof. Robert and Madge were already stressed out about Buddy’s injuries and their money problems; she couldn’t add her suspicions to the load they were already carrying.

  At breakfast the next morning, Mandy said, “Robert, I think I know how we can get some extra help here on the ranch while Buddy is laid up, and it won’t cost much or maybe nothing.”

  Robert looked up puzzled and asked, “How can we do that?”

  “When I was in college in Ventana, they had a program where students could get work experience credit towards their graduation requirements. I know the man in charge of the Agriculture Department at the college in Ventana. Sometimes they have students who just need actual job experience to count towards their degrees. If you want me to, I can contact him and see if he has some students who might want to help out here.”

  “I didn’t know about that program. I know it is going to be a struggle to keep up with the work with Buddy in the hospital. That idea sounds really good to me. I’m sure it would be a big help for all of us,” Robert said.

  “I’ll check with them today and try to find us some good, reliable help,” Mandy agreed quickly.

  After breakfast, Mandy drove to the college in Ventana to meet with Charles Sawyer, head of the Agricultural Department. Mandy explained who she was and the problem they were having. “Because of Buddy’s injuries, he will be unable to work for a long time.” Mandy asked, “Do you have any students who need job experience credits or who might want to work part time to help out on the Turner Ranch while Buddy recovers?”

  Mr. Sawyer thought for a couple of minutes. He nodded yes. “I can think of two young men who fit that description. They might be very interested in working on the ranch for credit hours.” Mr. Sawyer asked his secretary to page the students to his office. A few minutes later, they walked into the room.

  Mr. Sawyer introduced them to Mandy. Mandy briefly explained about Buddy’s accident and their need to hire reliable, experienced ranch hands until he was well enough to get back to work. “I know you need work credits, but I will also pay you for the hours you work for us. The Turner Ranch is east of Loomis. We are willing to work around your class schedules. We would really appreciate any help you could give us,” Mandy added.

  Bill Harris, a 20 year old junior agriculture major, said, “This semester I have all afternoon classes. I could work until 1 pm every day.”

  Mandy quickly sized him up. He was about six feet tall, thin, and bronzed from being outdoors a lot. She said, “That would be perfect, because we try to get the bulk of the chores done in the cooler morning hours. You could help Robert Turner, my father-in-law, in the morning, and then have the afternoon off for your classes.”

  Bill extended his hand and said, “I’d be glad to work for you. I know where your ranch is. This job would really help me get my credits faster. The extra money would be a big help, too. How soon do you want me to start?”

  Mandy shook his hand and answered, “Would tomorrow be too soon to start work? Be there at 5:30 and have breakfast with us and discuss the morning’s chores.”

  “That sounds fine to me. I’ll be there at 5:30, ready to work. Thanks for the job.”

  After he left the office, Max Brown, a tall sturdily built 21 year old senior, said, “I guess you won’t be needing me, since Bill took the job.”

  Mandy looked him over and said, “We do need another ranch hand for a special project. If you might be interested, we can discuss the details in the outer office so Mr. Sawyer can get back to
work. Thanks so much for your help, Mr. Sawyer.”

  Mandy and Max went into the outer office and sat down. Mandy asked. “Would you be able to work late night hours?”

  “I am just finishing my independent project now, so my schedule is completely free. I can work any hours. What special assignment do you have?” he asked curiously. “What kind of work would you want me to do at night?” he asked with a puzzled expression.

  “Can you keep a confidence? We have another ‘problem;’ at least, I think there is a big problem. Do you have time to go out to the ranch with me now so I can show you something? I’d like to get your opinion about what I’ve found. It is hard to explain unless you see it for yourself. I’ll pay you for your time, even if you decide not to take the job,” Mandy said.

  “Lead the way, ma’am. You’ve aroused my curiosity,” he said with a grin.

  Once in her car, Mandy headed for the ranch. During the ride, Mandy learned Max had transferred to Ventana College from Texas at the beginning of the school year. He had been looking for part-time work to finish his final work credits, but since he didn’t know local ranchers, he had not found a job that would qualify for the work experience credits program

  Instead of going down the driveway to the main house, Mandy turned down the service road that ran along the south fence line. “The Turner ranch goes from this fence line for about 4 miles north and west. My husband’s family has been on this ranch land for four generations, and it is very important to all of them. They have been having financial trouble the last year or two; and I think I may have figured out part of the reason for their struggle.”

  Mandy stopped beside the gate near the loading dock. She got out of the car, and opened the gate. Max followed her inside the fence, and latched the gate behind them. Mandy said, “Walk around and tell me what you see here. I want to know if you observe details.”

  Max started pacing methodically around the corral, the loading ramp, and the platform. He stooped down a couple of times then scanned the surrounding range land.

  “What can you tell me about this place?” Mandy asked.

  “It looks like it is in reasonably good condition. The fences are all intact; There’s a large enough feed area to take care of a sizeable herd, and the water troughs look like they would hold water, but should be cleaned out before filling. It didn’t get a thorough cleaning after the last shipment, but other than that it seems usable,” Max reported.

  “When do you think the last shipment went out?” she asked.

  “It is hard to tell exactly. Since we had some very heavy rain storms three weeks ago, it looks like you shipped a bunch of cattle out in the last two weeks. There are some reasonably fresh piles of manure on the ramp. There are some semi-truck size tire tracks still showing in the soil leading into and out of the loading dock area. I’d guess it was probably a fairly small shipment, just one cattle truck with 3 or 4 cowboys managing the steers,” he reported.

  “Good eye, Sherlock! That’s exactly what I thought! The fact is we haven’t shipped out any cattle since last fall. Recently we did a rough count, and we are about 100 head short of what we should have,” Mandy said.

  “Do you think someone has used this dock to steal your cattle during the night?” Max asked.

  “Yes, that’s exactly what I think happened, but I need proof. If someone has been stealing our cattle that would explain why our count was so short and why we haven’t been making as much money recently,” Mandy explained.

  “What does that have to do with me?” Max asked.

  “A few days ago, I saw a guy checking out this area about 4 am. I recognized him as a local troublemaker who has a grudge against my husband and his family. He has no reason to be on this property, especially not in the middle of the night. I think he may be involved with our missing cattle, but I need proof. What I’d like you to do is find a good vantage point where you can keep an eye out on this area during the night. If you see anything, call me and we’ll get the sheriff out here to catch them. I don’t want you to be a hero and take any chances. I just need good reliable eyes. Between helping on the ranch in the days, and helping take care of my husband at the hospital in the afternoon and evenings, I just can’t do this job by myself. My father-in-law and mother-in-law are already so stressed, I just need some proof, before I mention anything about rustlers. By then, hopefully, we’ll have the rustlers in custody.”

  “How did you see the guy scoping out your ranch at 4 am?” Max asked.

  “It was just a lucky accident. The day after my husband was injured, I was so upset when I came home that I couldn’t sleep. I finally decided to go out for a ride to clear my head. I came upon this loading area and was looking at it. I had just started riding away from where we are standing now when I spotted headlights. I rode over to that group of trees and watched a black pickup truck stop and a guy got out. I recognized his truck. I saw him go over to the gate and look all around. After he got in his truck and left, I came over here and looked around more carefully. That’s when everything fell into place,” Mandy explained.

  “That could have turned out a lot worse if he had seen you. If he is involved in rustling, he could be very dangerous,” Max warned. “I need a job for work credit. I’d be grateful for the hours. The extra pay would be awesome, too. It would tickle me pink to help catch some dirty, rotten cattle rustlers. If you still want me to work for you, I’m your man. I’d be glad to help out here,” Max said extending his hand.

  Mandy reached out and shook his hand. “I was thinking you could come in late at night and ride out here. I think that grove of trees and brush area would be a good lookout spot. There’s plenty of cover, and there’s a creek below it so you’d have water nearby for you and your horse. I hope this works! Times are tough enough for ranchers without having cattle rustlers stealing what little they have. When you come to work, I’ll give you a cellphone to use. I’ll program my number into it in case you need to call me. No matter what time, day or middle of the night, I need to know what they do and when they make their move. If you see Bill at the college, you can fill him in on this. Please don’t tell anyone else. The only chance we have of catching these rustlers is if they don’t know we are aware of their activity,” Mandy said.

  When Mandy dropped Max off at his car, she shook his hand again. “I don’t know how to tell you how grateful I am that you are going to do this job. With good luck and God’s blessing, we are going to solve this mystery and catch these crooks.”

  “I’ll do my best. I’ll start tomorrow about 10 pm,” Max said.

  The next morning when Bill arrived, Robert explained what he needed help with for the day. Before Bill left, Robert showed him where supplies and equipment were stored. When Robert wasn’t around, Mandy pulled Bill aside and told him about Max and the missing cattle. “Please don’t tell Robert anything about this or about you getting paid for working here. I will pay you myself out of my own money. I don’t want him worrying about the money. He thinks you are just earning class credits. I don’t want him having more stress. If you see anything that looks suspicious, like strangers snooping around, let Max or me know. You can talk to Max about this, because I hired him to keep watch out by the loading dock during the night, but it is critical that no one else learns about it,” Mandy said quickly.

  The next night, Max arrived at 10 pm. Everyone else was asleep in bed. Mandy hurried over to the corral area where she fed Thunder. She handed him the cellphone and said, “Remember, call if anything happens.”

  “I’ll let you know if I hear or see anything suspicious. Try to relax and get some rest, too. I’ve got things covered here,” Max said as he rode out to start his watch. Mandy watched him disappear into the darkness and sighed, “Thank you, God, for guiding me to find Max. Now I can rest easier knowing his eyes and yours are on this ranch tonight.”

  Life at the ranch returned to its now normal
pattern for Mandy of work on the ranch during the day, hospital visits to Buddy during the afternoons and evenings, and breakfasts together with the family and Bill. For several days, neither Bill nor Max saw anything suspicious. Mandy felt a little more relaxed knowing there were two others who knew her suspicions about the rustlers and were helping her.

  About a week later, Mandy rode out early in the morning checking the fences. About a mile from the main house, Mandy noticed a broken fence wire. She grabbed a long piece of wire, her cutters, and gloves. She jumped down off Thunder and focused her attention on splicing the wires. She was twisting the last splice when she was suddenly grabbed from behind with her arms trapped at her sides. She struggled frantically trying to get loose, but the grip tightened even more. Unable to get a deep breath, she stopped struggling. “Relax, Mandy. I told you we’d meet again,” Jason said with a sneering laugh.

  “Let me go!” she demanded.

  “Not until you relax and give me a kiss,’ he said.

  “Jason, take your hands off of me!”

  “Is that all you can say? You talked pretty big at that bar.”

  “You won’t get away with this!”

  “Who’s going to stop me? Your loser husband or his dear old daddy? There’s no one for miles around to hear you or help you. I can do whatever I want, and I know what I want from you! One way or the other, I’m going to get what I want today. Stop fighting. You’re going to find out what a real man feels like,” he said ominously.

  Mandy stopped struggling and caught her breath. Jason turned her slightly and grabbed her chin. He pulled it, trying to force her to kiss him. “That’s a smart girl. I don’t want to hurt you, but I will if I have to. Come on, you know you need a man. I hear your hubby is paralyzed. A beautiful woman like you needs a man, and I’m the man who’s going to have you now. Kiss me!” he ordered forcing her mouth close to his. “You know you want it!”

  Mandy fought to avoid his kiss. Just as he was about to kiss her, she raised her right foot up and stomped on Jason’s foot with all her weight. Jason jerked back in surprise. Mandy brought her knee up and smashed it into his groin as hard as she could. Jason doubled over in pain.

  Mandy sprang away from him. She whistled for Thunder and leapt onto his back before Jason could recover. She rode a few feet from him. She stopped, turned and shrieked at Jason, ”Get off this ranch, Jason, and don’t ever come back! You’re crazy! You’d never get away with this.”

  “Don’t be so sure,” Jason yelled. “You aren’t the first, and you won’t be the last woman I’ve had. This isn’t over—not until I get what I want from you. If you tell anyone, I’ll deny it. You’re just a poor nobody, a stranger. No one will believe your word over mine. All you’ll accomplish is make yourself look like a money hungry slut chasing after a rich man. I got away with it before. Remember, we aren’t finished until I say so!”

  “If you come near me or this ranch again, I’ll shoot you and make sure you aren't able to attack any woman again,” Mandy threatened.

  “You haven’t got the guts to do that!” he taunted.

  “Don’t underestimate me. I was questioned about my first husband’s death, but they couldn’t prove it. I got away with that! I’m warning you to leave me and my family alone!” she yelled back. She spurred Thunder’s side and raced back to the barn.