Texas Manhunt

by Linda Conrad

  Straightening up, he went to the table and picked up the thing he’d been working on. “Nope. Tonight we’re going to have enough fun to last a lifetime.”

  He pocketed whatever he’d picked up, then reached for a bottle sitting on the other end of the table. “Let’s have us a little drink to celebrate justice, then I need to finish up. We’re expecting our guest soon.” Hoisting the bottle in one hand, he took a long swig but didn’t offer her any.

  Suicide. Horrified, her mind began taking in all she’d heard and seen. She would bet that was some kind of bomb he’d been making.

  Bodie didn’t plan on using a plane or spending the money. He expected to die. And he planned on taking her and Travis with him when he did.

  * * *

  It was everything Travis could do to keep from stomping his foot on the accelerator. Nice and easy does it. He was leading a small parade of trucks toward the airstrip with his headlights off.

  He’d had a hell of a time convincing Sheriff McCord and his brother to let him take the money to the meeting spot alone. But that’s what the kidnapper had ordered, and that’s the way things would go. Travis refused to take any chances with Summer’s life.

  He’d finally agreed to let the sheriff set up a perimeter around an abandoned line-shack near the end of the runway. Still, Travis had insisted everyone move into position without lights. No truck lights. No flashlights. Nothing that would give them away. He relented only on the point of allowing runway lights and running lights for the Cessna. The kidnapper had ordered the plane, and they would need enough light to see the situation.

  The closer he came to the airstrip, the more he wondered who it was they were really dealing with. He’d been born and raised in Chance County, Texas, and was sure he knew every single soul who’d ever lived here. So, who really was this guy named Hoss?

  Every time he tried to focus on her man, though, he kept circling around to their stalker. He just didn’t see how or why the man Summer was seeking, a coward who had run away, could be the one who’d set up all the so-called accidents on the Bar-C. In his gut, Travis was still positive that he had been the stalker’s target. The things the guy had done were far too personal and seemed directed solely at him.

  Even trashing Summer’s room and scaring her had felt like a strike aimed at him and not her. It was almost as if the stalker had been shouting, in loud and clear tones, that he was every bit as powerful as Travis and could do whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted.

  Just then they arrived at a spot behind the hangar where they’d planned to split up. Travis cleared his mind, put the pickup in neutral, and got out to direct the others to their spots.

  The sheriff was the first to meet him. “You’ve only got ten minutes, Chance. Do you have the money?”

  “It’s in the truck. And the plane should already be in place. You and the men need to move to your positions now. But I don’t want anyone shooting at anything unless they see I’ve been incapacitated. Is that understood?”

  “I heard you over the phone the first time.” The sheriff carried a high-powered rifle with a night scope in the crook of his arm. “Gage has outfitted all of us with communications equipment. Let him wire you before you head out. That way, if we can’t see you, at least we can hear what’s going on.”

  Travis had been clear about his wishes. No wires. No guns. Nothing that could be seen as threatening to the kidnapper.

  “Not for me. You don’t need to hear what I’m saying. The only time you should order any action is if I’m laid out on the ground. Got that?”

  The sheriff nodded but didn’t look happy.

  Gage came up to them at that moment. “Ready, brother?”

  “As ready as I’ll ever be. I just wish I knew who I was going to be facing. Watch my back.” He turned to the pickup.

  Gage snagged his arm. “Wait.” He thrust a .38 semi-automatic into his hand. “Conceal this under your shirt. Take it, Travis. Don’t go alone and unarmed.”

  Shaking his head, he handed the weapon back to Gage. “I’m not taking any chances with her life. I can’t. If she dies due to something I did wrong, I’ll never live with myself.”

  “But you haven’t put her in this position. She got there all by herself. Being in love is one thing, but don’t be foolish.”

  Travis had nothing to say to Gage. His brother had thought he’d been in love once, and it had not worked out well—somewhat the same as Travis’s own experience with his ex-wife. But since Summer had come into his life, Travis had changed his mind about love. Everything appeared in a different light when you actually found the right person.

  “Go get into position,” he told Gage as he climbed into the pickup and turned on the headlights.

  Driving out on the tarmac, he headed down the runway toward the old shack. He told himself to put Summer out of his mind—that thinking of her could slow down his response time when dealing with the kidnapper.

  But immediately he saw that any such thing would be impossible. His whole life revolved around her now. This confrontation was all about her, at least in his mind, if not the kidnapper’s.

  No, he didn’t mind dying for her sake, if that’s what it took. But to his last breath, he’d be devoted to seeing her get out of this alive.

  * * *

  “Well, your boyfriend is right on time for the party.” Bodie laughed as though that was the funniest joke that had ever been told.

  They’d heard the small plane pulling up on the runway close by a few minutes ago, and since then Bodie had been staring out the window, around the newspapers covering the glass. Now she could also make out the sounds of a pickup. Travis was here.

  Summer promised herself she’d think of something to do to warn him. She couldn’t just sit and let everything go this crazy man’s way.

  But, drunk as he seemed to be, Bodie was smart enough to guess her thoughts. “Nothing you can do to prevent what’s ahead, missy. Start praying that you can endure pain well. Or that you pass out from the pain and are unconscious through the worst of it. As for me, I’m looking forward to what’s coming.”

  He wasn’t even drunk. But he was definitely insane.

  “Why?” she whispered.

  “Oh? Does that interest you? Maybe I’ll keep you alive long enough to hear what a jerk your boyfriend has always been.”

  Through the shadowed darkness, she watched him stuffing a couple of things into his pockets. Then he picked up a huge hunting knife and stalked in her direction.

  “I’d really like to rearrange your face a bit, just to torment Travis. But I can’t figure out a way to make that work out with my plans.” He chuckled as he sliced the knife through the ropes at her ankles.

  He grabbed hold of her by the shoulder, ripped her off her bottom and jerked her to her feet. She heard an odd popping sound when he lifted her and felt excruciating pain in that shoulder. But she refused to cry out. She had to think past the pain.

  “Now listen to me, bitch,” he began as he produced a handgun. “You keep your mouth shut and do whatever I tell you, or I swear I will kill Travis right in front of your eyes. But first I’ll make him suffer. One of my bullets at a time to one body part at a time.”

  She whimpered but kept her mouth shut. There had to be a way to stop this or warn Travis off.

  “Aw, sorry for that image.” He manhandled her toward the door. “You’re not really the one I’m trying to hurt, you know. But if our friend reacts like I think he will, when he sees you being hurt, it’ll kill him. Every twinge of pain you feel will be like a knife in his chest.”

  He opened the door carefully and then shoved her out in front of him. “Showtime.”

  * * *

  Travis stared at the door to the shack, willing Summer to be all right. When she was pushed through it a second later, he heaved a huge sigh of relief. She was alive. That’s all that mattered.

  A man, still in the shadows, came out of the shack close behind her. Glints of light from the runway and plane
gleamed off the weapon in the man’s hand as he jammed the barrel into Summer’s temple. Who was this guy?

  Travis grabbed the duffel stuffed with money he’d stored behind the driver’s seat and went forward to meet them. It had taken some doing to gather the money on such short notice, but he’d managed with Gage’s help.

  As he walked closer, the man stayed behind Summer, and Travis still couldn’t make out who he was dealing with.

  Until the next second, when the kidnapper spoke. “Took you long enough, Chance.” Bodie Barnes. But why? “Bet you never guessed the identity of your stalker until right now, did you?”

  Travis didn’t bother to answer. But his mind kept sorting through loose facts. This could not be Summer’s quarry. If Bodie had been the one all along, she would’ve recognized his face when she’d seen him the first time. So, Travis had been right. This stalking thing had been about him the whole time. And it still was.

  “What are you after, Bodie?”

  Travis searched Summer’s face for some kind of expression that would tell him whether or not she was injured. But her face was a mask. All he could see was her fear.

  The weapon in Bodie’s hand suddenly pointed directly at him. And then the bastard gave Summer a little push out in front so he could partially hide himself behind her body. Her eyes grew wider.

  “I’ll ask the questions. Did you come alone like I told you?”

  “Of course.” Then, ignoring Bodie, he turned to Summer. “Are you all right?”

  “Don’t say nothing, bitch. Or he gets it.”

  Travis dropped the duffel at his feet and fisted his hands. “If you’ve touched one hair on her head, you’re a dead man.”

  Bodie gave out an eerie belly laugh from where he stood in the shadows. “There’s nothing you can do, big man. I’m holding all the cards. Now, shut up and listen.”

  Travis kept his eyes trained on Summer, carefully watching her every move through the streaks of light coming from the runway. She was trembling and he could almost taste her fear.

  “It’s past time for you to know the way real pain feels,” Bodie began in a high-pitched voice. “For years you’ve been dishing out hurt. Now it’s your turn.”

  “I haven’t done anything,” Travis said through gritted teeth. “But I’ve got your money, and you can see the plane is right there. Take the duffel and go.”

  “I don’t want your frigging money or your plane. I want you to listen to me for once.”

  Travis shut up, but he kept his eyes glued on Summer’s face. This was not going to end well for someone. And it damned sure wouldn’t be her.

  “You murdered my father,” Bodie whined. “Took away the only person who ever gave a damn whether I lived or died.”

  “He committed suicide,” Travis corrected him. “Your father lived a tough life and couldn’t get clean. I tried to help him and I had nothing to do with his death.”

  “Shut up!” Bodie’s gun barrel went to Summer’s neck. “I’m not the only one in town who feels this way. You and your family have done people wrong. There’s a lot of hate built up against you. A couple of people have even been helping me. Egging me on. But they didn’t have to.”

  “Travis…” Summer started to say something, but Bodie pointed the gun right back in his direction and she shut her mouth.

  So, Bodie had probably threatened to kill him if she didn’t cooperate. In that case, if he played this guy just right, maybe she had a real chance to live.

  “Listen, pal.” Travis tried to think fast on his feet. “You don’t have to do this. There’re places that can help you. Medicines that can take away the pain. Let me send you there. I can pay—”

  “No one wants your tainted Chance money,” Bodie screamed. “Can’t you see that?”

  Bodie made a rough sound like a growl and then lowered his voice. “No more talking. We’re going to play us a little game. Let’s see how much pain Travis Chance can stand to see inflicted on his little darling here.”

  “He’s got a bomb in the cabin,” Summer shouted.

  Without any warning, Summer hiccupped and then collapsed in a silent heap at Bodie’s feet. Horrified, Travis went toward her. “What the hell did you do to her?”

  She began to twitch and moan as Bodie waved a gun in one hand and a Taser in the other. The man’s eyes were wild as he pointed.

  “Taser gun, man. It hurts like a son of a bitch. But she’ll live if you stand back. Don’t come any closer.”

  That was enough for Travis. He had a promise to keep, and Bodie had just hurt her for the first and last time.

  But Bodie spoke before Travis could react. “Okay, Chance, you were right. Pick her up and carry her into the shack where we can see better.”

  From her position on the ground, Summer groaned up at him. “Noooo. The bomb.”

  Bodie cursed and bent down, reaching to grab hold of her hair. It was all the opening Travis needed. He sprang at the other man’s gun hand, intending to knock the weapon away.

  Several things happened at one time. The gun went off and a sharp pain shot through Travis’s left arm. But he didn’t stop moving as his forward momentum pushed him into Bodie’s gun hand. He landed on the ground, while the weapon skittered off on the tarmac.

  Rolling, he prepared himself to spring back up and put the madman down. Bodie was hovering over him and staring with raw hatred in his eyes.

  Travis took a breath, ready to fight through the pain in his arm. Without a weapon and despite his wound, he could still easily take this guy out.

  But in the next instant, what he saw made any more efforts unnecessary. As if out of nowhere, a row of bullet holes had suddenly appeared across Bodie’s chest. The madman gawked down at them with a stunned look in his eyes. Glaring at Travis as if to say, “You lied,” he never had a chance to open his mouth, before falling to his knees on the asphalt.

  Then another bullet hole silently appeared in his forehead and Bodie quietly fell backward for the last time. Bodie Barnes would never have another word to say.

  For a fleeting second Travis was furious at the sheriff. He’d had the guy. Another couple of minutes and Bodie would’ve been carted off to an institution, where he couldn’t hurt anyone ever again. Travis had intended to force Bodie to tell him if someone had really been helping him, or if that had only been Bodie blowing hot air.

  “Travis?” Summer’s weak voice turned him in her direction, and he used his one good arm to drag himself to her side. “Is he gone?” she asked. “Are you all right?”

  “Bodie’s dead and I’m okay, sugar. Are you hurt?”

  “The pain’s finally going away. But I’m afraid I may have separated a shoulder.” She leaned up on one elbow and watched him coming nearer. “You’re not okay. You’ve been shot.”

  She lifted her head and started to shout. “Help! Somebody help us!”

  Her voice was strong and clear, and he was relieved to hear her seemingly well enough to be yelling. So relieved that, when he looked down and saw a heavy stream of blood rolling down his useless left arm, his mind blanked. Then his vision blurred as he jumped off that high cliff of pain and fell right into a dark, black void.

  Chapter 18

  After only forty-eight hours, Summer was already frustrated with her injuries. But fortunately for her, the pain had become manageable with aspirin. Now she just wanted to see Travis and get out of the hospital.

  “When are they discharging you?” The voice was similar to Travis’s, but it belonged to his brother.

  She looked up and saw Gage lounging against the threshold to her room. “The nurse tells me a doctor should sign my release papers this afternoon. Not a moment too soon. Have you seen Travis?”

  Gage nodded. “Not for long, but he’s out of ICU and can talk. He’s asking for you.”

  Her free hand automatically went to her messy hair. “I’ll have to ask the nurse to help me get dressed. Having my shoulder immobilized in this odd, uplifted position is annoying. But they tell
me it won’t be this way for long, and at least the two Taser barb injuries are feeling better and almost healed.”

  “What are your plans? Who’ll help you when you’re released?”

  She’d been thinking over her plans since the night they’d been flown on the Bar-C’s helicopter to this hospital, but talking to Travis came first. “I’m hoping to speak to Travis about that. Your aunt June has been here to see me and volunteered to let me stay with her until the shoulder is out of this sling. Jenna seems eager to help me out, too.”

  That thought made her smile. The seven-year-old hadn’t been allowed in to see her yet. But Jenna had drawn get-well cards and sent wildflowers with June. Both of them wanted her to come home soon.

  Sounded good. But in truth she really didn’t have a home anywhere.

  Travis would never send her away while she was still unable to fend for herself. She knew that. But what would happen when she was well?

  “Talk to Travis.” Gage smiled at her and gave her encouragement. “Will you continue searching for the guy you’ve been seeking? If so, I’ll still help you.”

  “I’m not sure. He knows I’m here. He saw me. Maybe he’s already left the area.” Her quest to find Hoss was one of several things bothering her.

  After the other night and all she and Travis had been through with Bodie, she was no longer positive as she had been about the importance of bringing her nemesis, Hoss, to justice. She felt changed and that confused her.

  Gage shrugged. “Up to you. I’m sorry I was so hard on you before. But Travis had been hurt by someone he cared about in the past, and I didn’t want to see that happen again.”

  “I know. And I also know Travis doesn’t like liars. I’ve ruined his trust. I’m sorry for that, too.”

  Gage nodded and smiled again. “Glad to see you looking so well. Let me know if I can do anything to help you.”

  “Thanks.” She tilted her head and thought of something else. “Oh, Gage. What happened with the bomb?”

  “Sheriff McCord called in a bomb squad from San Antonio. They removed all the explosive materials from the cabin. But apparently Bodie didn’t have enough knowledge to set things up properly. That C-4 is dangerous stuff, but the way it was handled would’ve never caused a real explosion.”