Hazard

by Ruth Ryan Langan

  Chapter 1

  “Hey, Hazard.” Ace poked his head in his brother’s room.

  Hazard looked up from the microscope with a frown. With all the demands of ranch chores, it had taken him every bit of ten years to earn the title Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, but it had been worth it. In between college credits, his hard work and determination had turned the Double W into the largest, most productive cattle ranch in the state of Wyoming.

  At first he had turned a small portion of his bedroom into a mini-laboratory, so that he could run tests and blood cultures on ailing cattle. Now, after years of caring for the thousands of head of cattle at the Double W, an entire suite had been added next to his bedroom, which housed a fully equipped laboratory.

  “Yeah? What do you want, Ace?” As always, when he was immersed in a medical problem, he had to struggle to bring himself back to the real world.

  “Maggie wants to know if you’re joining us for breakfast.”

  “Oh. Sure. Tell her I’ll be there in a minute.”

  “Uh-uh. Right now. Or she said to warn you there’ll be nothing left.”

  Hazard shrugged, then got to his feet. As he followed his brother through the sprawling ranch house to the kitchen, he noticed Ace’s suit and tie. “Where’re you off to?”

  “Colorado. McCormick asked me to drop by his mining operation.”

  “Is he thinking of selling?”

  Ace shrugged. “I doubt it. But I’m interested in buying. I’ve been investigating his operation. It’s a winner. I’m thinking I can relieve him of 50 percent.” Developing WildeMining had been a long, slow process. But Ace had finally raised his operation to a level of earnings that matched the ranch and the oil company headed by Chance. His had been the last of the operations to earn a million dollars, with the ranch coming in first and WildeOil running a close second. But, though it had taken longer, WildeMining was now a successful business. And looking to expand. “But I figure I’ll just play it by ear. See what he wants.”

  “And maybe take him for a few thousand in eight ball.”

  Ace’s grin was quick. “You got that right. Poor old McCormick never seems to learn his lesson.”

  “Just remember. When a guy loses to a pool hustler, he rarely wants to invite that same hustler into his business.”

  “Not unless that hustler is as charming as yours truly.”

  They were both chuckling as they entered the kitchen.

  The minute they stepped inside, their brother, Chance, and his new bride, Maggie, stepped apart.

  “No necking allowed before breakfast.” Ace took his place at the table.

  “See?” Chance tugged on one of Maggie’s curls before crossing the room. “That’s why we need our own place. Then we can make out wherever we want.”

  “You thinking about moving?” Hazard helped himself to a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice. As he drank it, he thought again how much better things had become since Maggie had come into their lives. For years they’d lived on nothing but greasy, overdone burgers and carry-outs from the E.Z. Diner in Prosperous. Now they ate like royalty, thanks to his sister-in-law’s gourmet cooking.

  “I’ve always loved that spot up on Tower Ridge. Maggie and I are thinking about building our dream house there.”

  “You’d take away the best cook we’ve ever had?” Ace looked from his brother to the woman who was just placing a platter of pancakes on the table.

  Maggie kissed her brother-in-law’s cheek. “Don’t worry, Ace. I’ll have you and Hazard over to dinner every other night, until you get wives of your own.”

  “Which means you’ll be stuck with us forever.” Ace speared a couple of pancakes and began drizzling them with syrup. “I don’t know about old Hazard, there, but the woman hasn’t been born who’s going to snag me into marriage.”

  At Maggie’s arched brow he shot her one of the famous Wilde smiles. “Not that there’s anything wrong with marriage. It works just fine for you guys. But I have no intention of falling into that…” He let the word die as Maggie lifted a skillet over his head in mock anger.

  Just then a lean, white-haired cowboy walked in and respectfully hung his hat by the door before greeting them. “Morning, Maggie. Morning boys.”

  “Cody.” Maggie gave him a warm smile as she handed him a glass of juice. “Sit right down. We’re having an interesting discussion about marriage. Have you ever been married, Cody?”

  “No, ma’am.” He settled himself in a chair. “Marriage and cowboys just don’t mix.”

  Maggie took her place at the table and turned to Hazard. “How about you? Are you of the same mind as your brother about the state of matrimony?”

  Hazard shrugged. “I guess I could take it or leave it. But I think Cody’s right. I doubt there are many women who’d want to put up with the life I lead. Half the time I’m out the door before dawn tending the herds. The other half I’m up on one of the ranges, bunking with the wranglers for weeks at a time.”

  “Besides all that, you’re ugly,” Ace said as he downed his third pancake.

  “Yeah.” Hazard landed a punch to his shoulder that would have staggered most men. “That’s just what Beryl Spence was telling me the last time I dropped by Clancy’s for a beer.”

  Cody joined in the laughter. “She sure was falling all over herself to wait on you, wasn’t she?”

  “Couldn’t keep her hands off me,” Hazard said with a self-satisfied, purely masculine grin.

  “Beryl Spence.” Ace closed his eyes and pressed a hand to his heart. “That woman has the greatest—”

  Another punch to his shoulder had his eyes opening wide. “Hey.”

  “Hey, yourself.” Hazard flexed his fingers. “Watch your mouth around your sister-in-law.”

  “It’s only Maggie.”

  That had Chance punching his other arm.

  “Okay. I get the message.” Rubbing his arms, Ace emptied his plate and got to his feet. “I’ve got to get started. Alex and the crew have the plane ready and waiting.” He turned to Cody. “Sorry to spoil your breakfast. But I need a ride to the airstrip.”

  The old man sighed as he pushed himself away from the table. “You think you could keep some of these pancakes warm, Maggie?”

  “I’ll do better than that. I’ll make you fresh ones as soon as you get back.”

  “You got yourself a deal, Maggie, girl.” He hurried across the room and snatched up his hat before turning to Hazard. “When will you need me?”

  “Take your time. I’ve got some lab work to do. Then I think we’ll head on up to Peterson’s herd. And, Cody?”

  The old man turned.

  “Tell Russ to plan on coming along. We’ll need to load up some carcasses and haul them back here for testing.”

  “He’s already up at Peterson’s.”

  “He is?”

  Cody nodded. “Stayed up at their bunkhouse last night.”

  When Ace and Cody were gone, Chance looked at his brother. “What’s all this lab work?”

  Hazard shrugged. “A couple of the newborns in Peterson’s herd started out healthy, but ended up dead just days later.”

  “Wolves?”

  Hazard shook his head. “Nope. At least not those he got to right away. A few were eaten by wolves, but Peterson thinks they were dead first.”

  “Did their mothers reject them?”

  “Not according to Peterson.” He pushed away from the table. “I’m going to run a couple more tests, just to see if I can find any kind of infection.”

  Chance’s eyes narrowed. “Isn’t that the experimental herd you were so proud of? The herd that was going to be completely free of chemicals?”

  “Yeah. That’s the one.” He turned. “Thanks, Maggie. That was a great breakfast, as always.”

  “How about some coffee to take with you?”

  He smiled. “Thanks. That’d be nice.” He accepted a full cup before striding away.

  When he was gone, Chance stared after him. “He’s r
ight, you know.”

  “About what?” Maggie was already clearing away the dishes.

  “About no woman wanting to put up with his hours. Since we were kids, Hazard has worked harder than any of us. He can’t seem to separate himself from the land and the cattle. I’ll bet that’s all he even dreams about.”

  Maggie walked up behind him and pressed a kiss to his neck. “Maybe you haven’t noticed, but he’s a man. And a devilishly handsome one, at that. I’ll bet there are dozens of women who’d be willing to put up with his long hours, as long as they could have just a little bit of whatever time he has left over.”

  “Hey. Have you been admiring my brother when I wasn’t looking?”

  She laughed. “I have. He’s almost as handsome as his older brother.”

  He pulled her down on his lap. “Let’s say we sneak off to our room before we head on over to Tower Ridge.”

  She brushed her mouth over his. “I think I could be persuaded.”

  Just then the door slammed inward, and Ace paused to gape at them. “Sorry. I forgot my keys.”

  “Then get them and get going,” Chance barked.

  “Hey. Don’t get so huffy. You two ought to leave that for a more private time.”

  “That’s just the trouble. There is no private time in this place. It’s like living in a zoo.”

  “Okay.” Ace snatched up the ring of keys from a hook by the door and shot them a grin. “I’m leaving now. You can go back to doing…whatever it is you were doing.”

  When he was gone Chance kissed Maggie hard and quick. Then he got to his feet. “That does it. We’re going out to Tower Ridge right now. And next week I’m getting an architect up here to start drawing up some plans. We need a place of our own.”

  “There were two more over here.” Peterson led the way, with Hazard and Cody and Russ Thurman trailing behind, until they reached a mound of blood-spattered snow.

  “Wolves?” Hazard bent down, noting the trail of blood that led to the brush just beyond.

  “Yeah.” Peterson was one of the many cowboys who lived on the Double W, tending the herds of cattle. Those who were single stayed in the more than half a dozen bunkhouses scattered across the ranch. Because he had a wife and children, Peterson was provided with a ranch house of his own. And because of his years of loyal service to the Wildes, he had recently been named official ranch foreman.

  “Dragged the carcass in there and were having themselves a nice dinner, until I ran them off with my rifle. But from the looks of it, I’m thinking the calf was already dead when they got to it.”

  “What makes you think that?”

  “There were three more right over here.” He walked a short distance and stopped.

  Hazard knelt down and studied the dead calves, looking for some sign of injury. There appeared to be none. He glanced at Cody. Though the old cowboy was no veterinarian, Hazard trusted his judgment. The old man had been around cattle all his life.

  “What do you think?”

  Cody scratched his head. “Don’t know what to make of it. I’ve seen a lot in my day, but this one beats all. Still, they had to be sick. Probably some new strain of virus in cattle.”

  From his pocket Hazard withdrew a surgical knife and located a clot of blood in a vein. Then he located the cows, still heavy with milk, and obtained samples of blood into syringes.

  “You think their mothers have some sort of infection?” Cody asked.

  “I hope so. At least then we’ll have our answer. And we’ll know how to treat it.”

  “If these calves are dying of infection, won’t it be passed on to the wolf population?” Peterson asked.

  “It could. If they don’t have an immunity.”

  “So this could spread beyond the herd.”

  Hazard shrugged, not wanting to take his mind in that direction. The problem, unless caught soon, could become immense. “Until I know what I’m dealing with, I don’t have a clue.” He stood and idly wiped his hands on his pants.

  Then he turned. “Russ, bring the truck up here and help Cody load these in the back.”

  Russ Thurman was a big, burly cowboy with rusty hair and ruddy complexion. Though only a couple of years older than Hazard, years of heavy drinking had already thickened his middle. He moved the plug of chewing tobacco from one side of his mouth to the other, then turned away and spat a stream of juice. “Why don’t I bury them right here?”

  Hazard shook his head. “I’ll need the carcasses in case I have to run more tests.” He turned to his foreman. “Let’s look at the rest of the newborns. See any sign of sickness?”

  “No. That’s what has me worried. I didn’t see any sign of sickness in these either. One night they’re fine. The next morning they’re dead.”

  As the two men walked away, Cody turned to Russ, who was still watching and listening, and quietly chewing. “Want me to get the truck?”

  Russ shook his head. “Naw. I’ll do it.” He walked away, jingling the keys in his pocket.

  Minutes later, he and Cody loaded the dead calves in the back of the truck, then settled themselves in the cab and kept the engine idling, blasting warm air and a radio station that played nothing but country.

  When Hazard returned, he shook hands with Peterson, then climbed in behind the wheel, grateful for the warmth.

  “The calendar says spring. But the weatherman hasn’t heard the news yet,” he muttered as he put the truck in gear and started off.

  “Looks like more snow.” Russ pointed to the clouds hanging low over the Bighorns.

  “Just what we need.” Hazard frowned. “Calving begins and we get another snowstorm.”

  “I wouldn’t worry. There’s not too much snow in those clouds.” Cody idly rubbed his knee. “These old bones always warn me when a big storm’s coming.”

  “I need some good news right now. So I’ll hold your bones to that prediction.”

  The old man laughed.

  An hour later they rolled up to the bunkhouse, where Hazard brought the truck to a stop.

  “Home sweet home.” Russ’s tone was sarcastic as he opened the door and climbed down.

  He held the door. “You coming, Cody?”

  “That depends.” The old man looked toward Hazard. “You need me for anything more?”

  “Not right now. I’ll probably just start running a few tests. See if I can come up with anything.”

  As the old man climbed down Hazard called, “Whatever tests I’m going to do on these carcasses should be finished tonight. If you two want to come by the house in the morning, you can pick up the truck and see to their disposal.”

  “Don’t you worry, Hazard. We’ll take care of it.”

  As the truck rolled away, Cody looked after it, then dug his hands in his pockets. “I hate seeing him worried like this.”

  Russ shrugged, spat a stream of juice. “No big deal. Just a couple of dead dogies. Happens every spring.”

  “Maybe.” Cody turned up his collar and headed for the bunkhouse. “I just hope we don’t find any more.”

  A few days later, Hazard peered into the microscope and studied the cells with a critical eye. As far as he could see there was nothing out of the ordinary. Yet the animal, who only yesterday had been taking its first tentative steps and learning the scent of its mother, was now dead. As were dozens like it.

  He rubbed the back of his neck, stiff after so many hours bent over microscopes and test tubes. It wasn’t unusual to lose a number of calves every spring. Between the harsh environment and the wolf, a natural predator, they were bound to lose a few. But this year the numbers were far too high and were concentrated in the very herd on which he’d pinned so many hopes.

  Something was wrong. And it nagged at him that he couldn’t come up with a solution.

  He glanced at the clock. Nearly three in the morning. There would be time for only a couple of hours to sleep before he would have to face another day.

  He stood and made his way to the bedroom, stripping off h
is shirt as he did. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he kicked off his boots, then stripped and climbed naked under the covers.

  But sleep wouldn’t come. He kept seeing the dead calves in his mind. So many. All without a single mark on their bodies.

  If it was a new strain of virus or bacteria, left untreated, it could wipe out an entire herd in a season.

  He sat up, then resolutely slipped into his jeans and made his way to the computer. There was no time to waste. He needed help now.

  He would begin with the state board of veterinary medicine. See if they’d heard of any new strains attacking cattle in the area.

  He went on-line, found what he was looking for and began the first of more than a dozen requests for information on any and all viral and bacterial infections that might be attacking vulnerable, newborn calves.

  It was almost six in the morning when he connected with his old university professor, Dr. Marlon Wingate, who offered a tiny ray of hope.

  The message was terse. Dr. E. Ryan, from Harvard University, is considered best in that field. A brilliant laboratory researcher. Fortunately for you, the doctor is serving a year’s fellowship at the University of Wyoming in Laramie and is currently in your area to lecture at the university in Cheyenne. I could request that Dr. Ryan travel to your ranch to observe firsthand and gather blood samples. Is there a place on the premises where the doctor could conduct tests?

  Hazard’s fingers flew across the keyboard. I have a small, but well-equipped laboratory here at the ranch. Dr. Ryan is welcome to share it. The Double W will, of course, assume all expenses and is willing to pay whatever the doctor requires in compensation.

  He waited impatiently for the reply. At last it came.

  Dr. Ryan considers the mystery intriguing. Will arrive sometime late afternoon.

  Hazard wrote, Thank you, Professor Wingate. I owe you, big-time.

  The response was slow in coming, as the old man’s fingers fumbled over the keys. Your gratitude is thanks enough, my young friend. I hope I haven’t raised your hopes prematurely. But if anyone can find the answer to your problem, it is Dr. Ryan.