by Nya Rawlyns
Cussing himself roundly for having picked the tallest mare they owned, Josh dismounted for the twentieth time to open yet another gate, lead the mare through, and close it. Rinse, repeat.
He growled, “Fucking good thing for rocks to stand on,” as he struggled to swing his left leg over the mare’s back without whacking his knee on the cantle. The first time had been ouchie, and by the fifth time he’d left his sense of humor in the ditch he’d tried to convince the mare to stand in while he mounted.
At the top of the rise, he was surprised to see two riders, dismounted. Kissing. Hard. Josh grinned. Will and his girlfriend.
He called out, “Hey, Will. Lizzy. What are you two doing up here?”
The kids slowly extricated themselves and returned Josh’s greeting. Will grinned and said, “Howdy, Mr. Foxglove. Pa sent us up to check out old Summer’s place for strays. We been losing heifers right and left lately.”
Leaning down to shake the boy’s hand, Josh said, “Forgive me for not getting off, but I’m at that last straw thing. I’d forgotten how much old man Summer had cross-fenced this doggone gully. You find anything?” It was obvious they hadn’t, but Josh asked to be polite.
“No, sir. But it was a longshot anyways. Pa’s right worried that whoever set that fire was back doing more mischief. We found fence cut in three places.” He shrugged. “You know Pa. He ain’t one to get rattled, but almost losing the house? That done a number on both him and Ma.”
Lizzy said, “Don’t often see you riding this far from home, Mr. Foxglove. You lose a horse?”
“Nah, just thought I’d see if Mr. Colton’s van might’ve been stashed at one of the abandoned homesteads. Lord knows, I’ve looked near everywhere else.”
Anticipating Josh’s question, Will said, “That’s the other reason we come this way. Pa’s made runs with his ATV when he’s had a chance. But nobody’s seen nothing.”
Glancing at the darkening sky, Josh said, “Well, I won’t hold you. Tell both your folks I said hi. Look forward to seeing them at services on Sunday.”
Will helped Lizzy mount, though the teen didn’t need the boost. She was an all-star trick rider with more moves than Josh had ever seen. The girl nodded her thanks, then said, “I’m going to head home now, Will. I’ll call you later, okay?”
Josh turned to admire the view, giving the kids a little privacy so Will could kiss her goodbye. The boy mounted and moved to stand alongside Josh as they watched the girl and her gelding negotiate the steep drop with ease.
Not bothering to keep the admiration out of his voice, Josh said, “She’s a mighty fine horsewoman, Will. You’re lucky. Hope you know that.” Tucking his chin into his chest, the boy smiled.
Before Josh could move off and continue his search, Will asked, “You heading up to the cabin?”
“Yeah. Might as well check it out. It’s probably not worth the effort, but I come this far.”
“Mind if I join you?”
That surprised Josh, but he just nodded agreement and motioned for the boy to lead. His mare was a slow climber, which was fine when he was riding alone, but it got annoying for anyone who might be riding behind her. They had about a hundred yards of winding path uphill that finally terminated at an old wagon road you could drive up in a Jeep. But only if you didn’t much like your vehicle, or your kidneys.
When they were able to ride side-by-side, Will cleared his throat nervously and spoke low enough Josh had to cock his head to hear the boy. “Been wanting to have a word. But... what with Pa and school and shit...” He bit his lip and muttered, “Sorry.”
If Josh could have jumped for joy, he would have. It had been eating at him to get the boy alone, but there had been roadblocks at every turn. And he was well aware, even if he had managed to collar the kid privately, the odds of getting anywhere were slim, for the simple reason it was him coming at the boy, asking questions. No matter how much he might try to keep it neutral, the risk remained he’d come across as accusatory. That would shut the kid down faster than anything.
Especially if he was in any way guilty of having information he shouldn’t.
Josh said, “I’m listening,” and reminded himself patience was a virtue. Just because Will had volunteered didn’t mean he was prepared to divulge all he knew, or that it even had anything to do with Petilune and the other crap going on.
Hell, Will Barnes could be hitting him up for dating advice...
“About that Sunday, sir.” There was a pregnant pause that lasted too long.
“Call me Josh. And if you’re going to thank me, you’re welcome. Just wish Marcus and me had got there sooner. Sorry you got beat up.”
That seemed to break the ice. Or the dam. The boy blushed and nodded, the words tumbling out so fast Josh had trouble keeping up. Racing over what Josh already knew or guessed, the kid described what he’d overheard while Dee and the other two hoodlums had trapped Petilune between two parked vehicles.
“They kept asking her about where she’d put it.”
“Did Petilune tell them?”
“No sir, Josh. They never said what it was they wanted. It sounded like they thought she knew and was holding out.” He took a deep breath. “Thing is, Pet gets confused easy. And when she’s confused, she gets upset, starts wailing. All of us who look out for her at school know enough to keep the assholes from winding her up just because they can.”
Josh’s blood went into a rolling boil. He hissed, “How bad’s the bullying, Will? You want me to talk to the Principal?” He’d do more than talk, he’d kick ass and take names. Then he’d have a word with the parents.
Will looked startled at Josh’s reaction and hastened to say, “It’s not bad, Mr. Foxglove. Honest. Used to be. Last year especially. But when school started, Pet had a...” He stopped and chewed on his inner cheek for a few moments. “I guess he’s her boyfriend.”
“You guess?”
“Well, he was always around. Walked her to class, ate lunch with her. It’s like he’s her bodyguard, you know?”
Yeah, he did. That was exactly the vibe he got off Kit Giniw. But he had to confirm they were talking about the same boy, so Josh asked, “Who is this guy? Is he new to the area?”
Will responded, “I suppose. He just showed up first day of school. Nobody knows where he’s from. Since he calls himself Golden Eagle, we all assumed he was from the rez.”
Something wasn’t connecting, so Josh asked, “When you say he’s around all the time, you mean... like he walks her to every single class?”
“Um, yeah, at first. But once the assholes got the message, they knew enough to leave Pet alone. After that, we only saw him now and then.”
“Message. What kind of message?”
Squirming in the saddle, Will seemed to be buying time. When he finally turned to look at Josh, his expression was wary. “I never saw it myself. But the rumor going around was Kit Giniw was real good with a knife. All I know is some of the worst offenders were off school for a time. After that, nobody much bothered Petilune.”
Although Josh wanted to know more—where Kit came from, where he lived, how he supported himself—that wasn’t likely to be information available to Will and his friends. Kit was a ghost, a very talented one. Just knowing the kid hadn’t locked himself into a typical school day told Josh that he’d probably had free rein over the entire area. The question, of course, was why stay around. What—other than Petilune—held his interest?
Young love was one thing, but to keep up a façade for at least eight months, pretending to be a student? Josh had trouble buying that kind of commitment.
Deciding he wouldn’t get anywhere unless he asked some direct questions, Josh said, “What I’m going to say next, Will, please don’t take it the wrong way. I’m not accusing you, but we have some crap going on in the valley that’s looking to spin out of control. You know what I’m talking about, don’t you?”
Will nodded, his lips pinched, eyes darting nervously across the trail in front of them. Josh had the boy’s atten
tion. It was time to dive in the deep end.
“We’ve had a drug problem at the school. That’s nothing new. What is new is some heavy hitters coming into the valley bringing the kind of shit that’s gonna ruin lives unless we get a handle on it.” He gave the kid a pointed stare.
“I don’t... I would never.” Will swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple vibrating from the effort. “Pa’d kill me if he even thought...”
“But you know the ones who do.”
The kid ducked his head. It was a hell of a spot to be in, seeing your friends making shit choices, getting high because it felt good, never accepting there were consequences. The worst thing though was having to shut your mouth and look the other way because, in their world, being a snitch was an automatic death penalty, socially. And sometimes for real.
Just because they were in rural Wyoming, smack on the corner of No and Where, didn’t mean the laws of urban guerilla warfare and retribution didn’t apply equally as well.
“I ain’t asking for names, Will. What I need to know is who was dealing before those guys who beat you up came into the picture.”
Will looked surprised, then relieved. “That’s easy. It was Petilune’s brothers. Jackie made runs to all the hotspots along I-25, including Denver. Joey’s still in school so he’s the main contact.”
“When did that change?”
Will pulled at his chin, eyes squinting. “About the time Kit Giniw stopped being Pet’s shadow. I’d say... maybe late October, early November.”
“Had you seen any of the three who beat you up before then?” Will went rigid in the saddle, enough so his mount halted as if cued. Josh reined in and asked, “Where did you see them?”
Haltingly the boy explained, “In the parking lot at school. After one of our wrestling meets. It was the big guy, the one they call ‘Dee.’ I never saw the other ones.”
“What was going on?” Skittish as a frightened colt, Will looked like he was ready to bolt. Josh kept his voice even. “Son, I can’t help Petilune if I don’t know the whole story.”
Will squeaked, “Petilune? Is she in trouble?”
Although Josh was surprised the boy hadn’t heard about the girl going missing, they hadn’t broadcast it either. He explained, “She might be. This Dee seems convinced she knows something. So, tell me, what was going on after the meet?”
Head down, Will described what he’d overheard. In addition to the new class of drugs hitting the school, the dealers were also peddling growth hormones and steroids to some of the athletes, especially those on the wrestling team. Will had recognized a couple of the kids by voice alone, but he hadn’t actually witnessed the exchange. After he’d figured out what was going on, he’d left as quickly as possible. And he’d kept his mouth shut.
Josh pressed him for some specifics, but after a few minutes, it was clear the kid had told him everything he knew. He said, “I understand why you didn’t say anything, Will, but in hindsight, I wish to hell you had.”
“I almost did, Mr. Foxglove. I was heading back to my truck when I saw a state patrol car parked up on the highway. By the time I unlocked the door and looked up the hill, it was gone.”
Josh filed that away as interesting but not entirely out of the ordinary. Sports events always drew an enthusiastic crowd, and the state troopers made a point to be around in case it got messy, or to handle traffic issues.
Josh thanked the boy for trusting him. He looked at the sky and grimaced. Time had gotten away from him. The sun had set behind the mountains, casting everything in shadow. They still had some light left, but the ride home meant taking the long way on logging roads. And that meant missing his date with Marcus.
He muttered, “Shit,” only to have it echoed by Will.
“Mr— Um, Josh?” He pointed toward a break in a line of trees. “Isn’t that Mr. Colton’s van?”
They dismounted and approached the vehicle carefully. Josh reached for the scabbard and withdrew his hunting rifle. Will mirrored his action. Josh whispered, “Hold the horses. I don’t fancy walking back home in case this gets noisy. Got me?”
Will nodded agreement and took the mare’s reins, holding both sets in his left hand. Josh strongly doubted there’d be anyone around. The cabin was nothing more than a pile of collapsed timbers, with no roof, one standing wall and an ancient door hanging off rusted hinges. He circled the vehicle, then made a sweep of the area, carefully checking the ground. When he was done, he waved for Will to approach.
The boy asked, “What do we do now?”
“Nothing. Whoever left it here is long gone. I’ll call this in when I get back home.” He took the reins and smiled gratefully when the teen gave him a leg up. “We’d best make tracks. It’ll be dark soon. I’ve never been a fan of night riding.”
At a split in the trail, where Josh turned right to head to his ranch, he assured Will that he’d done the right thing talking to him. “This goes no further, Will, I promise. But if you think of anything else, no matter how trivial, be sure to tell me, okay?”
The boy tipped his hat and trotted off, leaving Josh as perplexed as ever. Forty-eight hours ago, he’d almost been convinced Petilune was better off with Kit than with them. His talk with Will Barnes had done little to corroborate that idea.
Although the new facts brought to light were largely circumstantial, Will’s story had hinted at the one question that never got resolved: how Kit Giniw supported himself.
There was one obvious answer. And Marcus was going to shit a blue brick over it.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Tracks
Marcus was all too aware of the flutter in his gut as he made the final turn onto Josh’s lane. He chalked it up to being worried when Josh hadn’t shown up at the restaurant. He was even more worried now. After the phone call, he’d run back to the store with the list of things he’d need. A list that read too much like he was provisioning for a military campaign.
The barn floodlight flickered through the trees as the truck bounced over the ruts. He slipped it into second gear to save his kidneys. Polly’s daughter had done a great job on the tune-up. Her next task was to see to the suspension. He already had an appointment.
The town needed a good mechanic. The valley was filled with competent do-it-yourselfers, but sometimes it just made a heap of sense to let someone else handle the maintenance and small repairs. If the girl was as willing as she seemed, Marcus decided he’d talk to a few people to see what they could do to help her out.
Paul had grumbled about what the world was coming to. Girls fixing trucks. He might have sounded disgruntled, but Marcus guessed he’d be the first to offer up a hand seeing how he had a couple daughters studying engineering at the University.
Times were changing. Centurion was changing. He wished that didn’t also include the kind of trouble that had seeped into his home town over the last few years. Ranching was a tough way of life. It took its toll on a man and his family. Attrition had always been high—sons leaving to make their own way, daughters making families of their own. Now they were bleeding their brightest and their best, losing them to bloodsuckers like Dee and the other dealers.
Marcus parked next to Josh’s truck and reached for the paper bag on the seat, deciding to leave his backpack and small suitcase for later. Josh was sitting on the front porch, his heels up on the railing.
“You made good time.” With a grunt, he lowered his legs and gingerly set his boots on the floorboards. “Damn. I shouldn’t do that. Miss it though, rocking on the back legs.” He sniffed the air. “Is that dinner?”
Marcus grinned. “Yep. Polly made a couple plates for us. Just meatloaf and mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans. Nothing fancy.”
“God damn, Marcus. I think I love you.” Josh ducked his head, and even in the dim porch light Marcus saw he was blushing.
Heart pounding double time, Marcus was ready to jump Josh’s bones, but now wasn’t the time. With so much on their plates, they needed to focus on one thing: getting Petilune
back. He tried defusing the admission by teasing, “Don’t love me, it was all Polly. I’m just the delivery boy.” Josh gave him a sideways glance.
Marcus followed Josh to the kitchen and settled into the comfortable routine of putting out silverware and plates. Josh pulled beers from the fridge and a couple mugs he kept in the freezer. They sat side-by-side and ate quickly, knees touching, shoulders bumping. When they finished, Marcus cleared the table and set the rinsed dishes in the sink.
Josh wiped the table down with a cloth, then spread topographic survey maps across the surface. Marcus joined him as Josh set pennies to mark various locations. A pattern emerged, though Marcus wasn’t sure of the significance.
Josh filled him in about meeting Will on the lee side of Sheep Mountain. It was a relief to know the boy wasn’t directly involved in all the shenanigans taking place but, like Josh, he was disappointed the boy hadn’t spoken up sooner.
“We found the van at the Summer homestead. Keys were still in it. I called it in to Calhoun. I expect they’ll send somebody to check it over, then drive it to town. It’ll be in impound for a couple days while they dust it for prints. Cal said to call first before you go pick it up.”
Marcus asked, “What are the odds it’ll still be there tomorrow?”
“Good question. I took the keys and hid them. Calhoun knows where to look when he eventually gets there.” He grinned. “Of course, that doesn’t mean Kit can’t break in and hotwire it.”
“You’re sure it’s him?”
“Positive. He tried to cover the Harley’s tracks right around the van, but I did a few loops farther out. Saw what I needed to.”
“Where do you think he’s heading?” Marcus had never been very good with tracking skills. It was a good thing Josh had had plenty of experience, both growing up in the area and when he’d been an MP.
Rubbing at the raised flesh on his chin, Josh tapped a finger on top of the pennies he’d positioned on the topo map. “These are campgrounds on the north side of the scenic byway. They’re all at a pretty good elevation—nine, ten thousand feet—so it’s not likely they’d be accessible, even with this year’s light snowpack.”
