Travis poked his head out, and although he looked in her direction, he said nothing before retreating.
On full alert, KC crawled to her right for a better line of sight into the cabin.
Travis moved the table and then dragged Irene’s sturdy chair to the doorway again, although this time, the captive was placed off center. He pounded on the floor. Wood squealed as he ripped up boards. Digging another hole?
Tick-tock. Tick-tock. At three o’clock, KC’s skills would be tested. Behind Irene, she could see Travis from the waist up, then he disappeared. Had he gone under the house? No sounds emanated from the living room.
Irene’s head bobbed up and down as if she were falling asleep. Poor thing. She was probably exhausted.
KC hiked her shoulder, dissolving the kernel of pity. Irene had threatened Sadie and the kids and used drugs to keep them under control. “I hope your nephew doesn’t hurt you, but I pray you’ll soon be in custody.” A movement to the right of the cabin caught her eye.
Coop stood at the edge of the vegetation.
KC clambered up and swayed. Close to fainting, she grabbed hold of a tree branch. Her muscles were stiff and her arm throbbed. But she waved at Coop and then pointed to the door. Would he get the message?
He disappeared, and five minutes later, emerged close to her hiding place. “Has Travis been awake long?”
That’s not what she wanted to discuss and shook her head. “How’d it go at the other cabin?”
Gray around the gills, Coop used his cane to slide to the ground. “I didn’t make it. Travis cut the guide ropes of the bridge.”
“No. The rat. How are you? Was the stress on your knee worth the trip?” She joined him and sat crossed-legged.
“Probably not. Another foolish decision, but I had to do something. Don’t worry about me. I’m used to the ache by now. What about him?” Coop nudged his chin toward the cabin.
KC studied his face. Deep lines formed creases beside his mouth as if he’d clenched his teeth for hours. His scar stood out against his glistening skin. Used to the pain? Yeah, sure.
“I assume he was asleep because he didn’t show at two o’clock. But recently, he moved the table and pulled up more floorboards.”
Coop pounded his thigh. “How will we get out of this mess, KC? We don’t know if Sadie reached the authorities and if help is on the way. Irene will alert Travis if we try to approach the cabin. His rifle is always within reach, and neither of us is in any physical shape to overpower him.”
Her heart twisted. She loved this man. How could she say good-bye to him in San Diego? “I have an idea.”
“Do you have another superpower?”
She smiled. “No. But look through the doorway. Tell me what you see.”
He leaned forward. “OK, door is open, but Irene and her chair block the way. Lights are on all over—”
“More detail.”
“I see the outside flood lights, which have been a great help to us. The wagon wheel chandelier, hanging by a chain. Light on in the kitchen.” He glanced at her. “Should I carry on?”
“No. You mentioned it. The chain holding up the wagon wheel.”
“What about it?”
“The fixture is directly over the area where Travis is working.”
“And…”
“The next time he stands up, I can shoot at the chain. The wheel will fall and trap him.”
He clapped her on the back. “Excellent idea, rookie.”
His thump reverberated to her wounded side. She flinched but quickly hid the reaction. “You’ll have to remove my bandages. I need both hands to hold the rifle. Can you do that?”
“Of course.” He pulled off her jacket. “I’ve seen worse in my time.”
Since he had applied the strips of cloth, he’d know where to begin. Easier said than done. Dried blood glued them together, and he had to yank at some of the pieces.
As the pressure eased, jabs of pain shot through her arm and shoulder. One of the places Travis had rammed extra hard began seeping.
“You’re losing more blood. I don’t think you should do this.” Coop stopped, his hands shaking.
KC covered his hands with hers. “It’s all right. I volunteered, remember, and we’re partners. At least for now. You’re almost done. Just a little more.” When the last bandage lay wadded on the ground, KC straighten her left arm, careful to keep her expression neutral, no matter how much it hurt. She bent her elbow, flexed her fingers, and twisted her wrist. All were in working order, but she almost chewed a chunk out of her cheek. “Give me the rifle, please.” How had she said the words without gasping?
Coop handed her the weapon. “Good thing you’re right-handed.”
She nodded, unable to utter another word. The weight of the weapon in her left hand was almost more than she could bear, but she held it to her shoulder, took aim at the chain, and then relaxed. “I can do this.” A tremor ran through her upper body. She breathed deeply, over and over. When the time came, she would corral all her strength. Travis would not have the last word.
Beside her, Coop hovered like a mother hen, murmuring encouragement one second, and demanding she quit the next.
“I’m ready. You need to get Travis to stand. OK?”
He shook his head. “You won’t be able to bear the full weight of the gun long enough to aim accurately. Maybe one of these shrubs has a branch you can use. Or I can make a tripod.”
She hung her head. Why hadn’t she thought of that? “No time to make anything. Help me find a sturdy, forked branch.”
KC examined one shrub while Coop checked another.
“Here. What do you think?” He pointed to a branch about knee-high.
Inching closer, KC set the barrel in the fork, hunched her shoulders, and aimed. “Perfect.”
“It’s past three. I’ll holler at him. Ready?”
Finger on the trigger, she murmured, “Roger.”
“Hey, Travis. We’re here. Where are you?”
Irene woke up, but the kid didn’t respond. Was their plan all for naught?
“Travis!” Coop yelled again.
A thud, and then the kid stood behind Irene, glaring in their direction.
Before he could utter a word, KC held her breath and squeezed the trigger.
The chain fragmented, and the wagon wheel crashed over Travis. The hub and spokes broke apart as they conked him on the head and the rim pinned his arms to his sides. He crumpled out of sight.
45
The explosive boom ricocheted inside Cooper’s head. “Great shot! Let’s hurry and get that kid tied up.” He turned and nabbed his cane and the discarded rifle.
KC hadn’t moved. She sat in silence as if in shock, staring blankly ahead, arms slack. Her effort had taken a toll on her already compromised body.
What a self-centered lout. “Hey, KC. I’ll help you inside and tend to your wounds.” He stood then offered her his hand.
They struggled together, but at last she leaned against him and slipped her good arm around his waist. He took one step and stopped. “I won’t go to the cabin unarmed again.” Once he had his pistol in hand, he and KC hobbled to the porch.
She sank into the rocking chair, drawing in air through clenched teeth.
Cussing a blue streak, Irene glared at Cooper.
He grinned and pushed her chair inside. The sight of Travis trapped in the light fixture satisfied him completely. The kid was conscious but stunned, blood oozing from a gash on his forehead. He’d need to be secured before Cooper would offer first aid.
The sweet aroma of freshly turned earth mixed with the metallic smell of gunfire.
Cooper placed his rifle alongside Travis’s on the counter and shoved the handgun in his back waistband before scouring the rooms for more rope. As wiry as the kid was, Cooper would need yards of the stuff. He found none, but in the living room closet, he located several extension cords, including a long, orange cord on a plastic spool. “Just the ticket.”
Re
moving the wagon wheel took more time than he’d expected. Travis groaned as Cooper pulled him from the hole. Heart pounding and breathing heavily, Cooper tied the boy’s arms and legs together, not exactly hogtied, but with enough tautness to keep him from getting loose. Leaning against the wall, Cooper sucked in oxygen. If he was this tired, how must KC feel? He returned to the porch and, using every ounce of residual strength, assisted her to the sofa. “What can I get you?”
“A drink.” Her hoarse words barely reached his ears.
The refrigerator housed several bottles of tea and water. He opened one of each, set them on a small table beside the sofa, and then headed to the bathroom where he’d previously seen a bottle of rubbing alcohol and a bag of cotton balls. He collected the supplies as well as several bath towels and a pair of scissors.
Standing beside the sofa, he hesitated. “Um, I need to cut off your bloody clothing. Sorry. Maybe you should do it. I can’t exactly close my eyes.”
“No worries. Sports bra.” A hint of a smile tweaked her lips. Trust her to find humor at his expense.
He sliced up the sleeve and across the shoulder, then down the front revealing a tan undergarment. No matter its modesty, heat rose up his neck.
The shirt fabric clung to her bloodied, macerated flesh.
“Wet it first.” She patted his arm.
“Right.” He filled a bowl with warm water, and then draped a towel over her abdomen and lap and padded another under her arm. Once he saturated the messy shirt, it peeled away more easily. She winced a time or two, but in ninety seconds, her arm and shoulder were exposed. Using another small towel, he washed off the dried blood. No foul odor. No sign of infection. Good.
“This will sting.” He dabbed a liberal amount of alcohol on the wounds, expecting her to holler, but she clenched her teeth and closed her eyes. The sharp smell caused his eyes to water.
Irene, on the other hand, continued to shout vulgarities Cooper hadn’t heard in a long time. He gagged her and then checked on Travis. Venom spewed out of his eyes as he glared at Cooper.
“Life’s tough, kid. We gave you every chance to surrender.”
“You don’t play fair,” Travis yelled.
If KC was more alert, she’d want to dialogue with Travis and perhaps uncover the reason for his animosity. Maybe later. Cooper noted the scrape on the kid’s head had stopped bleeding, and a cursory inspection revealed no other injuries, and his speech wasn’t slurred. No need for first aid.
Cooper applied another dose of alcohol to KC’s wounds. This time she sucked in air and turned her head away.
“Lean forward so I can get the back of your arm.”
She complied, and he cleansed the pellets’ exit wounds. Large, purplish bruises covered the skin over her shoulder blade. He gently touched the area and she pulled away. “I wouldn’t be surprised if Travis fractured the bone.”
Head bowed, she nodded. “Feels like it. I hurt all over.”
“No wonder.”
After Cooper tore more strips off the bedsheet, he returned to the sofa and paused. Irene’s luggage sat on the armchair. “Do you have any medications in there? Antibiotic cream, for instance?”
Irene shook her head, but her gaze rested on a small case on the floor.
Cooper opened it and discovered her toiletries. A ton of makeup, lotion, deodorant. And a half-used tube of antibiotic cream. “Well, look here.” He squirted the medication onto KC’s arm and had enough for a blob on her shoulder. “Better than nothing.” Once he wrapped her arm, he wound the bandage around her upper torso, adding another layer for good measure.
“You’d make a good nurse.” She peeled off the rest of her shirt, stopping halfway to take a breath. “I need something to wear. Please, check Irene’s bag.”
It must be hard to smirk while wearing a gag, but Irene managed. Cooper quirked his eyebrows at her and opened her suitcase. T-shirts, jeans, a zip up hoodie. Just the ticket. He held the pink fleecy thing for KC to slip in her right arm. Then he zipped it up. “I know it’s not teal blue, but it’ll do until you’re home.”
“Teal. Ha ha. Thanks.”
After collecting a large garbage bag from the kitchen, Cooper gathered towels, shirt, and used cotton balls, and dumped the bag by the back door. “Are you hungry, KC? I can—”
“You think you’re so clever. Just wait until Vicky gets here.”
Cooper’s gaze flew to Travis.
The boy was still incapacitated but squirming and wiggling away from the wall.
“Big mistake. I’ll have to tie you to something heavy.” But what? Irene and Travis needed to be where he could keep an eye on them. For now, the woman secured to a chair and gagged posed no problem.
“Hey, over here.” KC motioned to Cooper. When he neared, she whispered, “Do you think Vicky might come?”
“Possibly. If she has another way to get here. Remember, the bridge is out of commission. But to be prepared for any and all, I’ll close the door, and move Travis and Irene out of this room.”
First, he dragged Irene’s chair into the bedroom. Then he grabbed the cords holding Travis secure and pulled him in, too. Cooper had two extension cords left and used them to tie the kid to the bunkbed frame. “That’ll keep you in one place.” Cooper added a gag for good measure.
After closing the front door, Cooper surveyed the room. “If I move the sofa by the closet, we can keep watch out the windows and see into the bedroom. No need to get up, KC.”
But she eased to her feet, bottle of tea in hand, and staggered to the wall. “I’m all right but move it quickly.”
He avoided the hole Travis had made in the middle of the floor and shoved the sofa until it rammed against the closet door. “Sit, rookie.”
They both collapsed onto the cushions.
“We need rest, and then we can form a plan of action.”
KC nodded once as if the simple action required too much energy.
Cooper straightened his leg. Would his knee ever be the same again? Swollen, tender, throbbing constantly. He had no desire to remove his bandages for fear of what he might find. Minutes passed. Cooper expected KC to fall asleep, but she sipped the tea, crossing and uncrossing her ankles. If he didn’t know better, he’d say she had something on her mind. Anticipation ate at his innards. When would she communicate what was obviously bothering her? To keep from coming apart at the seams, he jumped up and turned off the kitchen and living room lights. “I’ll leave the floodlights on so we can see anyone who approaches. But this way, they can’t see us.”
“Good idea.”
Was that all? Cooper glanced at her.
A cagey smile turned up the corners of her mouth.
He couldn’t contain his curiosity any longer. “Out with it, KC. What’s on your mind?”
She turned, her uninjured arm against the cushions. “How can you tell?” A one-shoulder shrug, and then she tilted her head. “I’m ashamed of the way I told you about my decision. Although I’d prayed about it, I should have waited until we were out of here. I’m sorry I burdened you unnecessarily.”
“As they say, there’s no time like the present. I’m glad you told me. We have plenty of time to dissect our actions, or failures, rather my failures. And I, for one, want to find out more about your future plans. In fact, I’d like to make a couple of suggestions.” He couldn’t tell if it was his imagination or not, but it seemed KC had a little more energy, a return of some of the spunk than had attracted him when they first met.
“You want to offer suggestions for my future? Are you sure you want to go there?”
“Don’t jump to conclusions. I won’t tell you what to do, just offer some choices, maybe avenues you haven’t thought of.”
She drew in a deep breath and then stopped. “Ouch, that hurt. OK, proclaim away.” She giggled. “Pour out your wisdom, oh, Sir Callahan.”
“What?”
“Remember when you came to my folks’ house, and I teased you about saving damsels?”
&nbs
p; A vision of her struggling to get up off the grass while wearing a tight skirt and high heels flashed in his mind. Was that when he began to fall in love with her? He grinned. “Yeah.” Seated at the other end of the sofa, Cooper felt as if a mile separated them. He moved closer, took her hand, and gazed into her face. The light from the bedroom illuminated the planes of her cheek bones, the tip of her nose, the curve of her lips. He didn’t know what he expected, but it wasn’t a frown, nor her pulling away her hand.
“What are you doing, Coop?”
Blew it again. Too much, too soon. “Sorry, I—”
A tinny bell jingled in the distance. Cooper limped to the window. “Did you hear that?”
“Yes.”
He peered down the driveway and the bell sounded again, accompanied by Vicky’s strident voice.
“Hey, Travis, get out here. Sadie’s escaped.”
Cooper grinned. “I wasn’t expecting such great news to be delivered by Vicky…on a bicycle.”
46
Nothing poured adrenaline into the blood stream quicker than the announcement of an adversary’s arrival. KC stood, breathing hard as if she’d run to the other cabin.
Backing away from the window, Coop motioned for her to stay put as he drew his pistol. “Here, take this and go into the bedroom.” He entered the kitchen and picked up his rifle. “I’ll hide behind the counter.”
“Good thing you gagged those two and turned off the inside lights. Be careful.” In the bedroom, KC partially closed the door to keep Vicky from seeing her sister and nephew, and to provide cover.
“Travis, where are you?” The aunt plodded up the steps and opened the front door. Click, click. “Why doesn’t the dining room light work?”
The captives moaned through their gags.
“You sure made a mess of the door. Whoa. No wonder the light doesn’t work. What happened to the wagon wheel?”
Obviously, enough light entered from outside to illuminate the chaos for Vicky.
“Travis, did you find the money?” Her voice drew nearer as she turned on the living room floor lamp.
Aha. Travis was seeking hidden treasure.
Pistol ready, KC stepped away from the door.
Justice at Dawn Page 24
