Callahan's Gold (Southwest Desert Series Book 3)

by Mary Tate Engels

  Ramona let Tory lead her away. They prepared Rex's sleeping bag and searched out whatever medical supplies they'd brought along.

  Finally, Ramona admitted, "I'm sorry for my outburst, Tory. That was dumb, to verbally attack Yazzie, but he makes me so damn mad."

  "I know, Ramona. You were scared and frustrated. We all were. And you took it out on the one person who didn't seem to risk anything, the one who doesn't seem to have our same fears."

  Ramona ran a nervous hand over her forehead and smoothed back her jet black hair. "When I realized Rex's life was at stake, all the horror of Sharkey's death came back to haunt me. And I think, more than ever, that your suspicions are right."

  "You mean about Sharkey—" Tory halted abruptly.

  Ramona shrugged silently, and her eyes met Tory's with unspoken fear.

  When Dodge arrived in camp with the shaken and injured Rex, everyone began working to make him comfortable for the night. Rex was unusually reticent, quietly letting them patch his wounds.

  Dodge confirmed the fear that Rex's arm was broken and helped Ramona wrap it. Tory brought him a small bowl of stew and a cup of steaming coffee. The others gathered around the campfire to eat, and Rex motioned to Tory. "I've got to talk to you."

  She sat on a large round stone and hugged her knees against the night coolness. "You okay now, Rex?"

  "As well as can be expected, considering I'm wrapped up like a damned mummy." He touched the bandage around his head.

  "You gave us quite a scare, you know. Dodge's right. Those dangerous mines are—"

  "Listen, Tory," he interrupted, motioning her closer, "we're in big trouble up here, and I mean big trouble. You and I never should have come along on this trip. We're too inexperienced. I mean, they all have a great advantage over us."

  "I know it can be dangerous up here."

  "We're still in danger."

  "You're just upset because of this accident, Rex. But we've all been upset by it. I'm really sorry about your injuries, but you know they could have been much worse."

  "What I'm trying to say is"—his dark eyes grew intense and hard—"I don't think this was an accident."

  "What? Not an—"

  "Shhh. Not so loud. Keep it down."

  "Rex, don't make any rash accusations. You'll just upset everyone."

  "Tory, I think I was pushed."

  "Pushed? Oh, no! You couldn't have been."

  "No"—he waggled his hand—"I take that back. I know I was pushed. I know it! As I think back on it, the whole series of events is coming back to me. I was climbing up the hill to see that little hut. When I got there, I walked around back and found a mound of earth. I thought it was probably an open mine pit, so I approached it with utmost care. Honest to God, I did."

  "Rex, that earth was loose. It would have been easy to fall down and slide out of control. And there's nothing for you to grab or to break the fall."

  "Only the bottom of the pit."

  "You were lucky to land on that ledge."

  "I was unlucky to be pushed!"

  "Don't say that." Tory lifted her hand to her own lips in a motion to silence him. "Oh, Rex, I— I don't know what to believe. Who would do such a thing? And why?"

  "Obviously, I was getting too close to the gold. Maybe it's in that very pit!"

  She shook her head. "I doubt it. Dodge says it's old, probably the first mine dug around here. And probably depleted of all metals."

  "Dodge says? Do you realize the nice share of insurance he'd have if I weren't around?"

  "Don't you dare accuse Dodge of anything like this. Anyway . . . anyway, he was with me the whole time." She admitted it reluctantly because she realized she was looking for an alibi for Dodge. "Dodge wouldn't do anything like that, Rex. He saved your life. How could you possibly think that he—."

  Rex touched her hand with his unbandaged one. "Take it easy, Tory. Okay, okay. I'm not blaming him. I'm just saying he has reasons to want to be rid of me. With Sharkey gone, he has to share everything with me. With me gone, he could have the majority to himself."

  "Oh, no. I won't believe it." But in the back of her mind Tory remembered how she and Dodge had daydreamed yesterday by the lake and mused about how they'd spend the money if they struck it rich. Dodge definitely had thought about it. But then, so had she.

  Rex sipped his black coffee and continued. "Of course, Ramona was right behind me. I heard her scrambling up the hill. Pushing someone into a hole is certainly easy enough for a woman to do . . ."

  "No! I will not listen to another moment of this trash!" Tory said in an angry whisper. "It wasn't Ramona."

  "How do you know? Was she with you, too?"

  "No, but—"

  "Then why are you defending her? I'm just telling you what could have happened."

  "No, you're telling me someone around here attempted murder."

  "Look, you were the one who first suggested this, Tory. Remember your doubts about Sharkey's so-called accidental demise? Well, they make more sense now. I'm afraid the violence was aimed at me tonight. But who knows who's next?"

  "P—please don't say that. Eat your stew, Rex. You need to get some rest. I know you'll feel better in the morning." She moved the bowl closer. "Want me to feed you?"

  "No, I do not want you to feed me. I want you to heed my warning. And believe me. Who made this stew? Yazzie?" He looked at the bowl as if he had spotted a six-legged creature floating on top.

  "Who else? Of course Yazzie made it. He's our cook, isn't he?"

  Rex shoved the bowl of untouched stew toward her. "Thanks, but I'm not hungry."

  "Rex, this is preposterous. You need the energy."

  He crooked a finger and motioned her closer. "Look, I think you're absolutely right. Somebody did away with Sharkey. And now he—or she—is starting on us."

  "Good heavens, Rex, you are absolutely paranoid. It's just all you've been through. You'll feel better tomorrow."

  Glancing surreptitiously at the others eating beside the campfire, Rex muttered under his breath, "Who better than Yazzie to do away with the whole lot of us with one pot of stew?"

  Tory shivered. Rex must be hallucinating after the fall, and she was victim of his paranoid ramblings. Now what she had to do was calm his fears.

  "That's impossible. Yazzie's eating out of the same pot, himself."

  Now was not the time to get hysterical. And here—in the lost town of Pyramid—was definitely not the place. They had to see it through, get back down the mountain together, and then look around at the situation. So far, her suspicions about Sharkey had been circumstantial. But coupled with what had happened to Rex tonight, it was enough to keep her awake at night.

  Finally, Dodge called to her. "Tory, your stew's getting cold."

  She helped Rex slide down into the sleeping bag. "Please try to get some sleep, Rex. You'll feel better and things will look different in the light of day." Fervently, she hoped so.

  Tory ate quietly, mulling over what Rex had said, and while trying to dismiss it as post concussion paranoia, she had to admit that there was a trace of logic to his conclusions. But only a trace.

  Yazzie collected everybody's bowls and grumbled over Rex's untouched food.

  "He didn't feel like eating. Shock, I guess," Tory explained simply, trying to make it sound normal.

  Ramona yawned and claimed exhaustion. Everyone agreed and proceeded to drag out their sleeping bags.

  Tory agreed and headed for the corner 'room' she and Dodge had chosen with such delight. But the excitement of having some privacy was gone. Now the area seemed dark and ominous, especially after Rex's ramblings that somebody was out to get them. She took a cupful of water and brushed her teeth near an empty window frame.

  After stopping to check on Rex, Dodge joined her. "Rex is sleeping. I gave him a couple of Ibuprofen. Thank God he made it through with nothing more than a broken arm and a few busted ribs."

  "Uh-huh," she replied quietly, hoping Dodge had no idea what kind of thoughts
were roaming through his partner's head. Or hers!

  "He was damned lucky."

  "Yes, he was."

  "I've always had that fear, that someone would fall into one of those pits," he said reflectively.

  "Guess I'd better watch my step from now on."

  "Oh hell yes!" Dodge bent over their sleeping bags and became very busy rearranging and manipulating. "That's why I've always warned everyone. And why I wanted to wait until tomorrow when the light was better. My God, do you realize we could have lost him!"

  Tory gazed intently at Dodge, unconsciously judging his reactions. "It was a close call. Rex thinks. . . that someone pushed him in."

  "That's crazy." Dodge sat on top of the sleeping bags and began peeling off his boots.

  She took a deep breath and knelt beside him. Should she share her burden with Dodge? But if not with him—if she couldn't trust him—who could she trust? She had to believe that he was innocent of Rex's accusations. And she had to be truthful with him. If Rex were right, they all should know. Tory lowered her voice. "Rex says he was pushed over the edge of that mine."

  Dodge frowned. "Ridiculous. We knew where everyone was."

  "No we didn't. He claims he would not have gotten that close to the edge, that he knows the inherent dangers, that he was shoved from behind."

  "So he thinks someone tried to kill him? Who, for God's sake?"

  She took another deep breath. Was it obvious that Rex doubted everyone, even his only remaining business partner? "That's why he wouldn't eat Yazzie's stew tonight."

  "He suspects Yazzie? Hell, we were all eating that stew, including Yazzie."

  "I know. And I tried to tell him that, but he wouldn't listen. He was still quite upset about what happened, as you can imagine."

  "Obviously," Dodge agreed with a slow nod. "What made Rex think someone pushed him? Did he hear anyone behind him or have any other proof?"

  "I don't know. I tried to dismiss his accusations as ramblings after the accident. And possibly his head injury. But maybe he has a point, Dodge. Maybe somebody is after all of us because of the gold."

  "Yazzie?"

  "Not necessarily."

  "Then who? Ramona? Or me?" Dodge's eyes grew sharp and hard in the darkness.

  "Well, no, not really." She hesitated. "I don't agree with him, but Rex thinks insurance payouts could be incentives."

  "Then he's accusing me," Dodge breathed through his teeth.

  "Not exactly." She rushed on. "Of course, I denied that either you or Ramona could have had anything to do with this. And I ... I really believe that. I trust you both, completely." She paused and touched his arm. "Dodge, listen. Hear that?"

  They looked around in the dark. Then Dodge said, "That's just Yazzie, walking around somewhere. He's restless, as usual."

  "What if he falls in another unmarked mine? Or what if he's the one who—" She pressed her fingers to her mouth, keeping the fears from surfacing. "Oh, God, Dodge, I'm scared."

  "Tory, Tory, with Rex's help, you've worked yourself into a royal lather over this. Don't pay any attention to what Rex said. Try to forget it." He took her hand and gently pulled her down into the comforting cradle of his arms.

  She rested her head against his chest and smothered a quivering sigh against the hair she could feel beneath his shirt. "Hold me, Dodge. I'm so scared. This whole thing has me puzzled. I don't know what to think."

  "Yes, honey, I know." His words were soothing, his body comforting and strong. This was what she needed. He was what she needed and Tory went eagerly to him.

  Her tormented soul exulted as his renewing energy swept around her, engulfing her with masculine warmth and power. His lips were gentle and comforting on her hair, then seeking and hungry on her face and throat. Then he found her lips, and his kiss answered all her questions and removed whatever doubts she had ... for the present.

  Dodge was honest and innocent. Tonight they would cling to each other with trust and understanding. Tomorrow would be another day of doubt and worry, but tonight they had each other. And she was safe and secure in his arms.

  A force greater than either of them drew them together. As Tory relinquished to his passion, she knew this was the way it was meant to be. She and Dodge belonged together. She melted with him, praying this moment of shared love would never end. That they would never have to part.

  Tory knew completeness with him, loving the fortress of his body as it dominated hers. She undulated with him, her desire building with each thrust, hotter and higher. The pleasure was intolerable, the sensations wild and tempestuous. The climax came in ripples, endless waves of rapture unlike any others. For endless time, they clung to each other.

  Finally, Tory stirred. "Dodge . . ."

  He kissed her. "I know . . ."

  She turned her head away. "No, listen. I hear something—"

  "Not again."

  "Someone's coming, Dodge!"

  They froze, their arms still locked around each other.

  "Dodge, Tory?" The small voice in the night was Ramona's.

  Dodge managed, "Yes, Ramona? What is it?"

  "I'm sorry to intrude into your privacy. But do you mind if I stay here in your section? I'm—I hate to admit it, but I'm scared. Too much has happened lately. And Yazzie is still gone. Where could he be at this hour?"

  "He probably made his bed out near the mules. You know how private he is," Dodge said.

  "Of course you can stay here, Ramona," Tory said generously. "Dodge will protect us."

  "Thank you." Ramona hauled her sleeping bag into their little private adobe "room" and settled down for the night.

  Dodge rolled over and whispered in Tory's ear.

  "How am I supposed to protect the two of you? I don't even have my pants on!"

  "Don't worry, my brave hero. You'll manage something." Tory snuggled down with a smile, resting her head on his arm.

  Dodge lay awake, long after everyone else was breathing softly in sleep. In the soft moonlight, he could see the relaxed expression on Tory's face and knew she felt safe and secure with him. So did Ramona, lying nearby. He found himself straining for unusual sounds and didn't sleep very much during the night. The responsibility was too great.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  "Is this it? This hazardous hole in the ground is what Sharkey sent us after?" Rex, his head and arm bandaged, perched astride a mule and fumed angrily.

  The rest of the sun seekers stood around and gaped at the abandoned gold mine atop the pyramid-shaped hill.

  "Obviously, the digging will have to take place below the surface. Which is what we all expected, I think," Dodge observed. He kicked the rickety old mine frame. "This can't be trusted. Nor the elevator. We'll have to lower ourselves into the mine using the pulleys we brought along. Yazzie, want to go down with me to explore the place first?"

  Yazzie nodded and helped Dodge rig the pulleys with a seat. Tory watched anxiously as the two men disappeared into the bowels of the mine pit, and she realized, perhaps for the first time, that the actual digging could be quite dangerous. A hundred things could go wrong, and there they were, eons away from the real world and help. Twenty minutes later the men returned, excited about their findings and eager to get started.

  "This is it," Dodge said with a firm finality. "It's going to take some hard work, but the gold's there. And we're going to get it out!"

  They worked out an equitable schedule alternating work and rest periods. A water barrel was brought up to the mine as well as all the lighting and digging equipment. Tory and Ramona also joined in the effort, agreeing that they had come this far and wouldn't be denied the opportunity to dig for the gold, no matter how rough it was. By noon, Tory realized she'd taken on more than she bargained for, but it was too late to back out. Ramona had large, capable hands, but her own were already scraped and raw with nails chipped and broken.

  At lunchtime, everyone was hot, sweaty, and already tired, but the conversation was animated. The morning's dig hadn't been very fruitf
ul, but spirits and hopes were still high. They all voiced expectations to find the treasure soon. Gold!

  However, by nightfall they had extracted only a few buckets of low-grade ore, not worth very much. While Rex rested, the four workers hovered beside the campfire, exhausted and frustrated.

  Yazzie seemed to be the only one with high spirits. "You didn't think it would be easy to get the gold, did you? What'd you expect, pots of it sitting around at the end of a rainbow?" He began dishing up supper and passing heaping plates of meat and potatoes around the quiet circle.

  Dodge was at the end of the line and accepted the plate passed to him. "Nobody expected it to be easy, Yazzie, but we didn't expect to come up empty-handed, either."

  "Well, we did get a few rocks with a little value," Ramona admitted, taking an unenthusiastic bite of the hash on her plate.

  "Very little," scoffed Rex. "So far, our findings haven't been worth my trip. And my injuries."

  "How are you feeling tonight, Rex?" Tory asked. Even though the man had a broken arm, they hadn't considered sending him back. And he hadn't suggested it, either. The urge for gold was too strong. She couldn't help wondering if this gold fever that seemed to inflict them all was too strong for their ultimate well being. But it was too late to question that now.

  "Aw, I'm as well as can be expected," he grumbled, then turned to Dodge. "Let me see that map again. Maybe we aren't in the right area."

  "We're right, I tell you," Yazzie said firmly. "This is exactly where the map directed. Now, if it isn't here, he was wrong. It's possible, you know. Sharkey may have been mistaken."

  "I don't think so," Ramona objected. "He got us this far, didn't he?"

  "Let me see for myself," Rex insisted, stretching out his one good hand.

  "There's no use," Yazzie stated. "We're digging exactly where he directed. Dodge and I double- checked."

  "Dios mio, man! I just want to see the map!"

  Dodge shuffled over with the yellow sheet. "Here, Rex. What's the big fuss? Take a look for yourself."