Dropping his hands and stepping back, he removed his hat, running unsteady fingers through his damp hair. “How did you get Pennington to talk, Lena?”
Walking to Joker, she grabbed her reticule and returned to Gabe. Slipping her hand inside, she gripped the derringer, pulling it out enough for him to get a glimpse.
“You threatened him?”
“It worked, and I wouldn’t have actually pulled the trigger.”
Gabe pinched the bridge of his nose. “Cash said Eb Smith was there. Didn’t he try to stop you?”
“He hadn’t eaten all day. I convinced him I’d be all right watching Tommy while he left to eat.” Crossing her arms, she glared at him. “We’re wasting time. We need to leave and find Jack.” She spun away, grabbed Joker’s reins, and put her foot in the stirrup, ready to swing up, then froze as strong hands held her in place.
“You’re not going and that’s final. We’ll come back for you when we find Jack.”
“If you leave me, I’ll follow. I won’t be left behind to worry. It’s not going to happen.” Crossing her arms, she stood firm, glowering at Gabe.
Swearing under his breath, Gabe looked at the other men, who just shrugged, indicating they weren’t going to be any help.
“All right. But you do what I say at all times. If you don’t, I swear I’ll take you over my knee and make you wish you had.” Gabe didn’t wait for a response before mounting Blackheart, reining him south.
~~~~~
Chapter Twenty-Three
“Shut up, kid. I’ve had enough of your whining.” Willie’s eyes were narrowed into slits, his hands fisted as he glared at Jack.
“He needs to go outside, Willie. You’ll end up with a mess if you don’t let him.” Isabella’s calm voice pleaded with him. “He’s already waited hours.”
“I don’t give a…” He stopped himself, rubbing his throbbing eyes with his thumb and forefinger before storming toward the door, throwing it open. “Get out there. But if you try to run, I’ll catch you, and Isabella will be the one to pay.” His vacant eyes focused on Jack, his son, a boy for which he felt nothing.
Jack ran outside, past the one guard Willie had posted, and disappeared behind a bush. Willie turned a venomous gaze toward Isabella.
“You’ve turned him into a sniveling weakling.”
“He’s six years old, not a man. You’re being very hard on your own son.” Isabella glared at him, hating every inch of the man standing before her.
Willie snorted, glancing back outside. “Hurry up, boy! You’re wasting time.”
“Do you feel anything for him?” Isabella asked, her voice soft, full of uncertainty. She couldn’t understand how a father could be so ambivalent about his own blood.
“Why should I? He’s been kept from me his entire life.”
“I’m aware of the letters, Willie. You knew where to find Jack at any time, yet you showed no interest and offered only threats against him and Lena.”
Willie glanced outside just as Jack peered around the bush, then started back, the one guard keeping his eyes trained on him.
“I’m finished.” Jack stood in the doorway, his gaze darting between the two adults.
“Then sit down. And stop whining for your mother.” Willie closed the door before adding wood to the stove.
“What are your plans for us?” Isabella reached over, putting an arm around Jack’s shoulders. She’d been surprised when Willie hadn’t tied them, assuming the isolation and his threats would keep them from running.
Taking a seat in a rickety chair, he crossed his arms, spearing them with a smug look. “I’ve offered to exchange you for Lena. Word has been sent to her about when and where to meet us. If she doesn’t appear, she’ll never see either of you again.”
Isabella felt Jack begin to shake. Looking at him, she could see his lower lip tremble as he began to understand the meaning of Willie’s statement. Jumping up from the chair, Jack ran toward his father, pushing him and pounding his chest, tears beginning to stream down his face.
“I hate you. I hate you.” Jack’s voice, loud and clear, broke as he pounded on Willie’s chest, pushing him with such might the chair almost toppled over.
“Enough.” Willie grabbed Jack’s wrists, wrenching them until he cried out in pain.
“Stop, Willie. You’re hurting him.” Isabella rushed toward them, slapping at Willie’s face, forcing him to let go of Jack before he turned and slammed a fist in her face. Isabella spun away, falling to the floor.
“Aunt Isabella!” Jack cried, wrenching out of Willie’s grasp and dropping beside her.
Willie stared down at them, showing only frustration. Stalking outside, he closed the door, leaving them alone. He reached into a pocket, pulling out a cheroot and lighting it, inhaling deeply. The weather had turned cold. As he exhaled, the smoke from the slim cigar and his warm breath hitting the cold air combined to form a wide, white cloud.
He’d sent two men to deliver the message to Lena early that morning. They had yet to return with any news, although he knew she wouldn’t put either Jack or Isabella in further danger. Her love of them both would force her to do as he asked. After the exchange, they’d ride to Big Pine, marry, then return to Splendor as one big happy family.
“Did you find any sign of them?” Gabe caught up with Travis, who’d ridden ahead in search of tracks. The two Pelletier groups had merged, then headed for the mine, catching Gabe and the others as they rode off. The sheer number of men allowed them to fan out and cover more ground.
“About a mile from here. Fresh tracks of four riders took a trail up the mountain. I didn’t get any closer as I wanted to let you know what I saw.” Travis had tracked during the war. When he returned to the family’s horse farm, he’d found it destroyed with no sign of his wife or daughter. A neighbor, beaten down and weathered from the war, had told him they’d all perished. Unable to find the heart to begin again, he rode west, making it as far as Splendor before finding work with Luke and Dax. “But there are also tracks of two horses riding out. We may get lucky and catch two people guarding them—assuming we’ve followed the right group of riders.”
Reining their horses toward the others, Travis explained to them what he’d found.
Gabe silently counted the number of men. “We have more than enough men to surround whoever is up there, leaving a small group down here so they can’t escape.”
“Agreed,” Dax said.
“Noah, you pick four men to stay with you, the rest ride with us. Travis, you’re in the lead.” Gabe knew Noah would understand why he’d been asked to stay behind. His sharpshooter skills might end up being their last chance of stopping Carlyle if he somehow escaped the posse. There would be no chance he’d escape Noah.
Taking it slow, the men traveled up the narrow path, following Travis, who rode about a hundred yards ahead. Once he spotted the shack, he’d ride back and approach on foot with the others.
Gabe thought of Lena. She’d done as he asked and stayed close to him, keeping her silence throughout the ride from the mine—until he’d ordered her to stay with Noah. Her protest had been loud and agitated, her contempt for his decision clear. She wanted to be there for Jackson and Isabella. Once calm, she understood his concern, as well as those of the other men. They didn’t want to risk her getting shot or even taken. In the end, Gabe had left the decision up to her. That’s when she agreed to stay behind.
Thinking of the argument, his mouth tipped into a grin. Lena had wanted the choice. Once given the reasons to stay behind, safe with Noah, she’d backed off, deciding the concerns were valid. She’d be no help to Jackson if a bullet found her.
“The shack is about two hundred yards ahead. There are two horses, one man standing guard. Carlyle must be inside, although I didn’t get close enough to look.” Travis had reined up alongside Gabe and Cash, Dax and a few others joining them.
“We can split the men into groups and surround the shack, but we run the risk of Carlyle using Jack or Isa
bella as a hostage.” Luke spoke without emotion, his years in the war kicking in as if he’d never been away. “Gabe, it might be better to let him think you’ve come alone, draw him outside so we have a shot at both men.”
“That puts you right in his line of fire, Gabe. Let me ride up instead.” Cash had little to lose if shot or killed, while Gabe had Lena and Jackson.
“He’s more likely to shoot you, but try to use me as an additional hostage. No. I’m the one who needs to go.” Gabe checked his revolvers and rifle, then looked at Luke. “Get everyone in position. Signal me when you’re ready.”
“Riders coming from the west, Noah.” Dirk Masters, one of the foreman at the Pelletier ranch, pointed behind him.
“How many?”
“Two.”
“Might be the ones Travis thought had ridden off.” Noah signaled to the other men, motioning for them to move off the trail. “Lena, you’re with me.”
Moving well off the trail, he hid her behind a group of bushes several yards behind him.
“Stay there until this is over.”
Long minutes passed before the two riders approached, their guard down. Looking straight ahead, they followed the trail, heading toward the shack.
“That’s far enough, gents.” Noah stood at the edge of the trail, his rifle aimed at the lead rider.
The men pulled up short, fumbling for their weapons.
“I wouldn’t try it.” Dirk stood behind them. “You have four guns on you.”
“What do you want?” the lead rider spat out.
“Are you Carlyle’s men?” Noah shifted his weight. There was no way he’d miss from this distance.
“Yeah. What of it?”
“Get off your horses. You’ll be staying with us a while.”
The man in front glanced around, gauging their chances if they tried to run. They weren’t good. Nodding to the second man, both slid from their horses.
“Now drop your guns.” Noah moved a few feet closer as Dirk and the others stepped forward.
Within minutes, the men were off the trail and tied up. Noah and Dirk gathered their weapons, noting they weren’t indicative of hired gunmen.
“Neither of you appear to be gunslingers. What are you doing working with a man like Carlyle?” Noah looked down at them. From their clothes, they didn’t appear to be miners, either.
“That’s none of your business.”
“It is our business when you’re part of kidnapping a young boy and woman. The circuit judge isn’t too fond of men who terrorize women and children. My guess is you’ll hang.” Noah set his rifle aside and crossed his arms. “He might be more lenient if you tell us what you know about Carlyle.”
The men glanced at each other, their faces full of fear.
“We’ll tell you what we know, but it isn’t much.”
Willie paced inside the cabin as he smoked another cheroot. The two men should have been back by now, perhaps with Lena in tow. Instead of having this settled and being on the trail to Big Pine, he sat in a dilapidated shack, with his brat and Isabella.
“Boss, there’s someone coming up the trail,” the guard he posted outside shouted through the broken window.
“Our men?”
“No, sir.”
Willie leveled a hard look at Jack and Isabella. “Don’t say a word. You try to warn whoever this is and I’ll shoot him, as well as one of you.” He waited until they both nodded, then pulled his gun from its holster and walked outside.
Gabe rode Blackheart forward, stopping as the man on guard raised his gun.
“Get off your horse and keep your hands away from your guns.”
He slid to the ground, taking the reins in one hand and walking forward.
“That’s close enough.” The guard kept his gun trained on Gabe, taking a quick glance at Carlyle.
“So, the sheriff has decided to pay us a visit.” Carlyle made a show of looking behind Gabe, knowing he wouldn’t find who he sought. “It doesn’t appear Miss Campanel is with you. That’s a pity.” Taking several confident steps forward, he stopped within feet of Gabe, smirking at the stupidity of the man riding in alone. “What did you hope to accomplish coming here without her? Surely you don’t believe I’ll hand the boy and Isabella over to you.”
“Your son should mean more to you than just his value as a hostage. And taking a woman? What kind of man does that?” Gabe glared at him, noting Cash and the others making no sound as they came up from behind.
“If you believe you can insult me, Sheriff, you’re wrong. I’m long past letting slurs affect me. And to answer your question, I’m the man who is going to marry Magdalena and make her a respectable woman. If she doesn’t agree, she won’t ever see Jackson again.”
Willie must have seen Gabe’s eyes flicker when Cash crept along the side of the shack, moving closer. In an instant, Willie backed inside, closing the door at the same time Gabe leaned down to retrieve his gun.
“Don’t move, Sheriff.” The guard kept his gun on Gabe, although his hands shook as he sensed others moving behind him.
“Drop your gun.” Beau’s firm voice came from mere feet away. The man turned, seeing several men, their weapons trained on him. Dropping his gun, he held his hands up as Beau moved forward. “Get back there.” Beau indicated with the barrel of his gun for the man to join a couple of the Pelletier men behind the shack.
Shots blasted from the broken windows of the cabin, hitting the ground in front of Gabe, missing him by inches. He dove toward some bushes, although they weren’t much cover from a flying bullet.
“Come out, Carlyle. We have men all around you. You’ll never get past us.” Cash had moved to the front corner, opposite where Beau stood, both guns pointed toward the door.
“You forget I have the boy and woman in here. Are you willing to lose them to get me?”
“Are you willing to hang for killing innocent people?” Gabe continued to move until he’d come up alongside Cash. “Let them go and we’ll talk. Perhaps the circuit judge will show leniency if you set them free now.”
Gabe received a bitter laugh in response. “You and I both know what the judge will say, Sheriff. Here is what is going to happen. I’m taking my boy out of here. I’ll leave the woman. You and your men will back away and let me ride off. If you don’t, I swear I’ll put a bullet in Jackson’s head.”
From inside, the men could hear the sounds of muffled crying, knowing they came from Jack. Gabe’s features hardened as anger flashed through him.
“It may be our best choice, Gabe.” Cash’s calm voice came from beside him. “Isabella will be safe. Unless Carlyle plans to work his way through dense bushes, there’s one trail out of here, and Noah’s posted at the bottom of the mountain with Dirk and two other good men. Carlyle won’t have any idea they’re waiting. He’ll never get past them.”
Gabe knew Cash’s assessment would mean the least killing. Noah could shoot a man between the eyes at a long distance. He’d proved it over and over during the war. The difference would be Lena, who’d be standing near him, watching as he took aim in the direction of Jack.
Gabe nodded. “We’ll follow Carlyle as soon as he and Jackson disappear down the trail.” Motioning to the other men to back off, he stepped onto the porch. “All right, Carlyle. We’ll do it your way.”
“No!” Isabella’s anguished voice pierced the air. “You can’t let him take Jackson.”
“Shut up!” Willie’s voice preceded a slap.
“I hate you.” Jack’s cry died quickly, replaced by frightened whimpers as Willie pressed a gun to his head.
“That may be, but you’re coming with me.” He grabbed a piece of rope, handing it to Isabella. “Tie his hands behind him.” Once done, he yanked Jack to his feet, positioning him in front as he walked to the door. “I want a horse brought to the steps and everyone to place their weapons on the ground, then gather over by the tall boulder to the left.”
Gabe nodded to his men, who did as Carlyle asked.
/> Waiting for Gabe to do as he asked, Willie thought through what he’d already done to prepare. As a life-long gambler, he’d made a wager with himself and lost, hoping he could claim Lena and their son. It wouldn’t happen. At least not now.
A portion of his wealth had been transferred to several banks, some as far away as Europe. Most importantly, he’d stashed enough across the border in Idaho to live comfortably for the rest of his life. All he had to do was get into the neighboring state, take his money, then disappear into Canada before traveling to Europe, where he’d live in luxury.
“You’re betting a lot on Noah’s ability to stop him.” Dax stood with the others, aware he and Luke had other weapons they hadn’t surrendered. “We can try to take him if you want.”
“I’ve got to rely on Noah. He has the best chance of getting Carlyle without shooting Jackson. If he gets past them, we’ll follow. He won’t get far with Jackson slowing him down.”
“If he gets past Noah, he won’t be taking Jack with him. I guarantee it.” Dax’s comment agreed with Gabe’s thoughts, although hearing it from someone else gave him no comfort.
“Noah won’t miss.” His confidence in his friend didn’t dispel the growing sense of unease or the knot in his stomach as he thought of Lena. If this failed and Jackson died, he had no doubt he’d lose her forever.
“All right, Carlyle. We’ve done as you asked.”
Willie leaned down near Jack’s ear. “Don’t think you can get away. Do as I say and no one else will get hurt.” He straightened, glancing over his shoulder at Isabella, her hatred almost tangible. “We’re coming out.”
Guiding Jack, he instructed him to climb into the saddle, using the porch for additional height, as Willie held the reins. His gun never wavered from Jack, even as his gaze darted toward Gabe. Jack’s frightened eyes sought and found Nick, his lower lip trembling. Nick nodded in encouragement, trying to convey that everything was going to be all right.
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