Cowboy in the Extreme

by Rita Herron

  “No, let’s just go.”

  He paid the check; then they both visited the restroom before driving to the BBL. When they arrived, Brandon parked in front of Kim’s cabin to wait on Johnny. He looked out at the teens Brody had brought in to train as junior counselors and saw himself at that age. Kim had come here to help these boys, another thing they had in common. He wanted to bring her back with Lucy.

  Kim checked her watch a half dozen times. “He said he’d call at sundown.”

  Brandon took her hand. Her skin felt icy, her fingers limp. “Hang in there, Kim. We overcame a lot of obstacles growing up. We’ll get through this now.”

  Kim looked up at him with such big, sad, frightened eyes that he pulled her against him and wrapped his arms around her.

  He had let her down once before.

  He would never let her down again.

  KIM TRIED TO CLING to optimism, but every hour that ticked by, she grew more agitated. She had come to the BBL to start a new life for her and her daughter. She had loved ranch life so much growing up that she’d wanted Lucy to grow up on a ranch, as well.

  She’d thought helping the boys would be worthy.

  And serve as a good example for Lucy.

  Now Lucy was gone....

  By the time Johnny arrived, she had chewed off three nails and had a splitting headache.

  Johnny took one look at her, handed his duffel bag to Brandon, and hauled her in his arms. “It’s going to be okay, Kim. Brandon and I will get Lucy back.”

  She wanted to trust and believe him. But as much as Brandon meant what he’d said, he might not be able to keep his promise to save their daughter.

  Johnny pulled back and looked at her. “You have faith, sis, okay?”

  “I’m trying,” she whispered.

  “Do you want me to go with you and Brandon?”

  A protective gleam flashed in Brandon’s eyes.

  “No,” Kim said, “we’ll let you know when he calls again.”

  Johnny released her; then she and Brandon climbed into the car and headed back toward the Woodstock Wagoneer. They passed a group of boys working some cutting horses and Kim thought about Lucy’s excitement over Spots. Her head pulsed with a throbbing intensity that made her nauseated, so she closed her eyes.

  Images of the past four years rolled through her head. Lucy learning to crawl. Lucy eating her first birthday cupcake, smearing chocolate ice cream in her red hair. Lucy’s first Easter egg hunt when she’d had no clue that she was supposed to hunt the eggs. She’d run past them, focused on a wildflower in the yard.

  Lucy’s sweet voice saying Mama for the first time.

  Lucy finally meeting her daddy.

  By the time they arrived at Brandon’s ranch, the sun had slid downward in the sky, streaking the horizon in a rainbow of oranges, reds and yellows. It was a beautiful sunset, but Kim couldn’t feel any joy because she had no idea where Lucy was or what was happening to her. Was she locked in a dark closet somewhere? Had the kidnapper tied her up?

  Was he giving her food and water?

  Brandon parked in front of the house and cut the engine, then sat and looked out at the ranch for a moment, his jaw set firmly as they watched the sun fade below the tops of the trees.

  Sundown.

  She clenched her phone with a white-knuckled grip and stared at it, willing it to ring.

  BRANDON SET THE DUFFEL BAGS of money inside the kitchen and tossed his keys on the counter just as Kim’s cell phone jangled. Her hand jerked as she connected the call.

  “Hello.”

  “Do you have the money?” The computerized voice sounded cold and unfeeling.

  “Yes,” Kim said between clenched teeth. “Where do we make the exchange?”

  “Be quiet and listen carefully.” The voice recited the address of a farm. “There’s an abandoned storage barn on the east side of the property by the creek. Leave the money in the barn, then drive away. Once I have the cash, I’ll call you and tell you where to pick up your little girl.”

  “No!” Kim cried. “Give her to me when I hand over the money.”

  “You want her back alive, then do as I say.” A brief pause. “And you’d better come alone. No cops. No cowboy heroes. If I suspect someone followed you, you’ll never see your precious Lucy again.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Kim’s pulse thumped wildly as she disconnected the call and turned to Brandon. She had to leave. She wasn’t exactly sure how to find this place and she didn’t want to get lost.

  “Where are your keys, Brandon?”

  Brandon covered her hand with his. “I’ll drive, Kim.”

  “No.” She jerked away and snatched the keys. “He said to come alone or he’d hurt Lucy.”

  Brandon trapped both of her arms this time, stopping her before she could reach for the money. “Kim, there’s no way in hell you’re meeting this bastard by yourself.”

  Panic stabbed at Kim. “Do you want to get our daughter killed?”

  His eyes narrowed to menacing slits. “You know I don’t. I love Lucy, Kim. But you said earlier that the kidnapper might be setting a trap. What if he’s luring you there to kill you?”

  Kim trembled with anger and fear. “That’s a chance I have to take. He asked for money, and I’m delivering it. I’ll call you when I have Lucy.”

  “No.” Brandon’s harsh tone made Kim draw back. “The maniac who took Lucy has tried to kill you twice. I swore to you and to Johnny that I’d protect you and Lucy, and I will.”

  “You can protect Lucy, but you don’t owe me anything,” Kim shot back. “You gave up that right when you married Marty.”

  Remorse flickered in his eyes, but he didn’t waver. “Maybe so. But we have a daughter together and you’re stuck with me. I don’t want her to grow up without a mother like I did.”

  Guilt clawed at her. Brandon had had a terrible childhood. His father had beat him to a pulp while his mother had drank herself to death. Then his father had set the house on fire one night when he’d been doped up on pills and passed out with a cigarette in his mouth. Brandon had rescued his sister but hadn’t been able to save his old man. Then he’d assumed responsibility for Joanie.

  She released a labored breath. “Brandon, I appreciate your concern, but we can’t risk Lucy’s life. If the kidnapper sees you and hurts her, I’ll never forgive myself.” Or you.

  “He won’t see me,” Brandon said. “I promise. I’ll hide in the back. But I will be there in case he ambushes you.”

  Kim hesitated. She would feel safer with Brandon backing her up.

  He strode to the desk in the corner of the kitchen, unlocked it, then removed a pistol and tucked it into the back of his jeans. Her pulse quickened as he shoved extra ammunition in his pocket, then picked up the bag of cash.

  “Okay, now we’re ready.”

  Kim inhaled a deep breath. Then he handed her the keys and they walked outside to his SUV. Brandon stowed the cash in the backseat, then crawled on the floor and covered himself with a blanket.

  Kim plugged the address into the GPS, then switched on the engine and shifted into gear. Anxiety knotted her shoulders, but hope and adrenaline pulsed through her.

  She was on her way to bring her daughter home.

  And nothing was going to stop her.

  BRANDON HAD A BAD PREMONITION as Kim drove toward the drop site.

  Something about that address sounded familiar, too, as if he might have been there before. The SUV hit a bump in the road, and he gritted his teeth. He removed his cell phone and tried to google the address, but his battery was low and all he got was static.

  Dammit. Why did the address seem familiar?

  Had he looked at the land to invest in at some point?

  No…he didn’t think so. It was north of San Antonio and miles from his ranch, so he would have had no use for it.

  Then again, there might be no rhyme or reason for the address other than the fact that it was probably deserted and no cops would be sn
ooping around.

  The SUV ate up the miles, the tension in the car palpable. Every breath that Kim took seemed to rattle in the awkward silence.

  More questions pounded through his head. The kidnapper had instructed her to leave the money, then he would call with instructions.

  But Brandon could not let him leave. If he did, they might never see Lucy again.

  Sweat beaded on his skin and trickled down the back of his shirt. The air in the SUV felt hot and clammy, tires churning over gravel and rock as Kim veered off the main highway.

  “Keep alert,” Brandon said. “Do you see any cars or a house?”

  “No,” Kim said in a strained voice. “It looks like this place might have been a working ranch at one time, but it’s run-down now.”

  “How about any barns or other outbuildings?”

  “Not yet.” Kim sighed. “We’re on a long winding drive. It’s cloudy and so dark I can barely see.”

  “Let me know if you spot anything suspicious,” Brandon said.

  “You think someone is watching us?” Kim asked.

  “I don’t know. It’s possible, especially if the kidnapper has a partner.”

  “Oh, God…” Kim whispered. “I’ll be so glad when this is over.”

  So would he. He just prayed it ended the way they wanted, with Lucy riding home with them safe and sound. When they had her back, he’d move heaven and hell to track down the person responsible for terrorizing them and make him pay.

  The lowlife would be begging for Brandon to call the sheriff rather than face the punishment he would dole out.

  Kim swung the SUV to the right and shifted gears, and he held on as the vehicle bounced over several rough patches.

  “There’s an old barn up ahead,” she said, slowing.

  “Look around, Kim. Do you see any other buildings? A car in a wooded area? Lights?”

  Time ticked by excruciatingly slowly as he waited on her response. Finally she released a pent-up breath. “I don’t see anything. It’s dark and deserted. Weeds have overtaken the barn and are half covering the door.”

  “Drive around the outside and look for someone hiding around back?”

  “Okay.” He gripped the bottom of the seat as she swerved, bouncing again over the weed-infested path. Suddenly she screeched to a halt.

  Brandon tensed. “What’s wrong?”

  “The grass is knee-high,” Kim said, sounding weary. “And it looks snake-infested.”

  “Then drive back around front. I don’t want you to get out here.”

  The SUV jolted him as she backed up and spun the vehicle around. “Brandon, there’s an old farmhouse on the hill above the barn. It looks deserted, but he could be holding Lucy there.”

  Brandon itched to sit up and search the area himself. He hated to think of Kim climbing out in an overgrown snake bed with a dangerous kidnapper watching. Maybe even waiting to attack her.

  “I’m going to put the money in the barn like he instructed,” Kim said in a shaky voice.

  “Wait,” Brandon said. “Unlock the glove compartment and take my other pistol.”

  “Brandon—”

  “You need protection, Kim. And if you see or hear anything, shoot.”

  Kim’s nervous breath echoed through the car. “I will.”

  “Reach under the seat and grab a flashlight, too,” Brandon whispered.

  He heard her shifting as she felt for one, then saw a light flicker on. Then the sound of the car door lock clicking made him catch his breath, and he held it while Kim climbed out.

  He closed his eyes and prayed again as she shut the door and left him inside. Dammit, he felt helpless and more terrified than he’d ever felt in his life.

  KIM’S HANDS SHOOK as she clutched the duffel bag of money and plowed her way toward the barn. She was grateful she’d worn boots because the weed-infested brush was knee-high and obliterated the trail that had once led to the drive. Wind whistled through the trees, shaking and rattling them, the smell of damp moss and rotting wood swirling around her.

  The kidnapper couldn’t have Lucy here. Could he?

  What if he had left her inside that snake hole?

  Her heart beat so loudly that she heard the blood roaring in her ears. “Lucy?” She picked her way over loose rocks and dirt clumps, shining the flashlight to guide her way.

  Grass and weeds clawed at her jeans, and she stumbled over a rock, nearly slipping into some scrub brush. But she caught herself and pushed aside a patch of weeds in front of the barn door, then pulled hard to open the door.

  Rotting wood splintered in her hands and the bottom of the door dug into the dirt, but she managed to wedge it open just enough to peer inside.

  “Lucy?”

  Nothing but the wind whistling again, and in the distance, the wail of a vulture.

  She shined the flashlight across the interior of the barn, shivering as she noticed more weeds, broken-down, rusty farm equipment and a pitchfork propped against the wall. A window was broken out near the right side, and leaves and dust swirled inside.

  Lucy wasn’t inside though, so she dropped the money and turned to head back to the SUV.

  Suddenly a shot rang out. Kim darted sideways as the bullet whizzed by her head.

  Then another shot pinged off the barn door, and she screamed and ducked down into the trees, searching blindly for the shooter. Inside, she heard something moving.

  Then running.

  Someone had been hiding inside that barn.

  And now he was escaping with the money....

  BRANDON’S PULSE JUMPED at the sound of the gunshots ringing out. He grabbed his gun and swung open the car door, searching for Kim. Dear God, had the shooter killed her?

  The air felt thick and muggy; the night was dark and cloudy. He scanned the weeds surrounding the barn and thought he saw movement. Then another shot blasted from the right, and he spotted a figure in the woods.

  He fired back, ducking low as he ran for the barn. “Kim?”

  “By the door,” she whispered.

  He released another shot to ward off the shooter. “Are you hit?” he shouted.

  “No, but he’s escaping with the money.”

  “I’ll go after him.” Brandon pushed to his feet, still ducking low as he ran toward the woods. But the sound of a motor rent the air, and he looked up and saw a motorbike zipping through the woods. He ran faster, desperately trying to get a look at the driver, then realized he couldn’t catch him or her on foot and his SUV wouldn’t make it through the woods.

  Dammit.

  A ray of moonlight shimmered off the trees where the bike headed, and he cursed again. There were two people on the bike.

  They had been working together. One had snuck into the barn to retrieve the money while the other fired at Kim.

  Had they intended to scare her, or had they been trying to kill her?

  Heart pounding, he fired a round toward the shooter, but he was too far away to hit him. His boots crushed dry brush as he hurried to Kim, but by the time he reached her, she was running toward him.

  He pointed to the woods. “The kidnapper escaped on a motorcycle.”

  Kim clutched his arm. “Could you see who it was? Did he have Lucy with him?”

  “No, they were too far away,” Brandon said. “And there were two people, but they were both adults.”

  Kim sagged against him. “So where’s Lucy?”

  He had no idea, but terrifying thoughts bombarded him. The property was overgrown, deserted, had been abandoned for months probably, maybe longer. And there were too many places to hide a body....

  He could not share those fears with Kim though.

  So he scanned the property and noticed the old farmhouse Kim had mentioned. “Let’s check out the house. Maybe they left her inside.”

  A flicker of hope, then terror flickered in Kim’s eyes, and he realized he hadn’t had to voice his worst fears. Kim was thinking the same thing.

  The kidnapper could have killed Luc
y and buried her here or left her in that house and was getting farther and farther away.

  They hurried back to the SUV, and this time Brandon drove, speeding up the dusty trail and sending rocks flying behind the wheels. His headlights beamed down on overgrown grass and brush that had choked the life out of the land, his anxiety mounting with each second.

  They bounced over a pothole, then screeched to a stop a few feet from the house, the headlights highlighting the chipped, peeling paint and rotting wood. Kim reached for the door handle and he covered her hand. “Let me go first. Stay behind me and keep alert.”

  Someone could still be inside, waiting to strike. They might be walking into a trap that the kidnapper had set and end up dead.

  Then they’d never know what happened to their daughter.

  KIM TRIED TO CONTROL her panic by taking deep breaths as she and Brandon wove their way up the dirt path to the front porch of the old farmhouse. The porch was sagging, boards broken and cracked, and one of the posts had splintered. The shutters on the house hung askew, weathered and worn from storms, and mud caked the house.

  The thought of her little girl in this creepy place sent a shiver down her spine.

  She had seen the terror in Brandon’s eyes as well. He was afraid the kidnapper had killed Lucy and left her here for them to find.

  Or worse…left her body in the woods.

  Shuddering with revulsion at the thought, she silently willed herself to remain positive. The kidnapper had said he’d call with Lucy’s location once he picked up the money. She had to believe that would happen.

  The door squeaked as Brandon pushed it open, and Kim glanced behind her to make sure the shooter hadn’t returned. He could have parked the bike in the woods again and sneaked back to the house.

  A musty odor mingled with mildew and something else Kim couldn’t define—maybe rancid food or a dead animal—assaulted her as Brandon eased one foot inside the door. The linoleum squeaked beneath his boots, and he shined the flashlight across the room, revealing scarred dingy walls, a broken kitchen table, a counter caked with layers of grime, and then something else that made Kim’s pulse race.