Tess turned and nearly ran into Cale. “What’s wrong?”
“There was an attack in a canyon to the east.”
“Is it military? Captain Fitzgerald?”
“No. It looks civilian.”
Tess’s eyes widened. “Are they coming here?”
“Maybe. Mohan thinks it’s retribution for something Jackrabbit might’ve done.”
“How can I help?”
“We need to move everyone. To the south there's a ravine, and then it leads to a vantage point.”
“I'll help the women.” She grabbed his arm. “What about Hank?”
“Frankly, Tess, I think he can handle himself. And I don't have time to get him.”
She knew he was right.
Cale gave her a quick kiss and departed to help the men.
Tess collected her belongings, then pushed through others crossing her path until she found Lenna. “Where is Cocheta?”
Lenna pointed.
Tess went to the elderly woman who spoke quickly to several young girls, a knapsack and two woven baskets sitting nearby. When Cocheta noticed Tess, she pushed her to an area where piles of food lay. Cocheta circled her arms, and Tess understood. They needed to gather and pack as much as they could.
Tess deposited her satchel and cane and went to work, along with a group of Apache women, in placing bags of corn, flour, sugar, beans, and coffee into large wicker bins that had already been secured atop several horses.
Soon, a caravan set out. Tess glanced around, trying to locate Cale, wondering if she should stay or go. Surely these men in pursuit wouldn't hurt her?
She spied Cale across the clearing and made her way to him, ignoring the sudden, throbbing ache in her knee. “Are you staying? Because if you are, I am too.”
Cale grasped her shoulders. “No Tess, and don't argue. Hank’ll be fine. He's been in far worse skirmishes than this. You need to go with the women and children. Several of the older men will accompany. We're staying back and will throw them off your trail.”
“No. I don't want to leave you. Why would they hurt me?”
“Don't be naïve. If there's a battle, it'll be messy, and it won't matter what color your skin is. It could even be worse for you, especially if they think you're friendly with the Indians.”
“I don't want to leave you,” she repeated, grabbing at his arms and trying to hold him to her.
“I'm not dead yet.” He smiled. “I'll find you. I promise. Get your Remington and keep it close.”
His mouth crushed hers, and she clung to him, desperate not to let go, but he extricated himself despite her attempts to stop him.
“Be careful,” he said, backing away from her. “Remain vigilant.”
He climbed atop Bo, barked orders in Apache at warriors also on horseback, and they dispersed in different directions away from the path the women had fled. He spun Bo around, took one last look at her, then disappeared into the trees.
Tess grabbed her satchel and cane and found her horse, already saddled. She secured the bag, then settled on Gideon, who shifted on his feet in agitation. Tess noticed that Lenna was still afoot. A swift scan told her there weren't enough horses for everyone. She had no idea where Moses had gone.
“Lenna! Climb up.”
The girl did so, and Tess guided the animal behind members of Mohan’s band as they fled into the wind, abandoning a very visible campsite. Should those men happen upon this place, they'll know it was recently occupied by all that was left behind.
The tracks leading away would be impossible to miss.
Tess let the others gain distance while she hung back, trailing the group. The men with them had gone to the front.
Tess scanned the trees and brush around them.
“We need to keep up,” Lenna said from behind.
“We need to provide a diversion to protect those ahead.”
She steered her horse back the way they'd come.
* * * *
Cale rode with a handful of Apache warriors over two miles of rough terrain. When they came upon the sight of the attack, all they found were horse droppings and confused tracks leading in several directions.
He dismounted and walked the area searching for clues, and bodies.
When a rider approached, he raised his Winchester, but he lowered it when he realized it was Hank.
“You boys in trouble?” Hank asked.
“Someone might be after Mohan’s band.”
“Where’s Tess?”
“She’s safe.”
“You need help tracking?”
Despite his haggard appearance, Hank’s eyes shone with the thrill of the hunt.
Cale gave a nod of agreement.
* * * *
Tess brought Gideon to a split in the trail. She dismounted, tied the horse off, grabbed a piece of brush and began sweeping away the tracks. She indicated for Lenna to do the same. After they’d done this for some time, she pulled one of her more well-worn ivory blouses from the satchel and began to tear pieces from it. She snagged strips of cloth onto the brush, leading in a different direction.
She and Lenna mounted Gideon and guided him into a walk in this new direction, periodically leaving behind more pieces of cloth.
By dusk, she knew they would have to stop for the night.
With no supplies, they huddled together against a large boulder. Gideon was agitated, but she removed his saddle, and he finally settled down.
“I wish I had food and water for you, boy,” she murmured to him.
She awoke the next morning to a gun pointed at her and a gloating Saul Miller on the other end.
Chapter Twenty-Five
“Little Tess,” Saul said. “Figured you were dead.” The pock marks on his cheeks compressed as a smile creased his face, but no humor reached his eyes. They were as black and calculating as ever.
Frozen, all Tess wanted to do was run. Run fast and far and never stop. She glanced for an escape route and wondered if she could do it. All she had to do was make a break for it.
But what about Lenna? And Gideon?
The girl sat beside her, stoic and unmoving, pressed against the boulder where they’d slept.
She couldn't leave Lenna. God only knew what Saul would do to her.
“I told you I saw her.” Walt Lange suddenly appeared.
“I guess I should’ve believed you,” Saul answered. “She’s all grown up, there’s no mistakin’ that.” His lecherous grin made her want to wretch.
Terror slid into Tess’s limbs, like a drunk imbibing liquor. “Walt said you were dead.”
“Thanks to Hank, I almost was.” He shifted his hat with his free hand, and she caught a glimpse of an old wound near his forehead. Had Hank really shot him? “Why’re you out here?”
“I told you,” Walt chimed in, “she and Cale are lookin’ for Hank.”
“So Walker’s really in these parts?” Saul grinned, revealing blackened teeth. “Sounds like we’ll all have a nice reunion.”
“Why are you here?” Tess forced the words out.
“Unfinished business. So, tell me where Hank is.” He raised the pistol higher.
“I don’t know,” she replied in a rush. “The Apache were attacked, and everyone scattered.”
“I told you about that, too,” Walt whined. “I’m tellin’ you, Saul, that Haverly guy attacked me and my Apache, causing One Ear to up and run off. Haverly’s crazed. Aren’t you friends with him?”
“Not since that whore in Tucson we shared.”
A shudder snaked down Tess’s spine, memories pressing on her of what it had been like to experience Saul’s lust. The knot of fear in her stomach sat like an omen. This conversation was simply a prelude to what he'd do to her later. That certainty gripped every fiber in her body .
How could she go through it again?
Her heart pounded, and she felt light-headed. Overwhelmed, she began to shake.
“It’s really a miracle I found you,” Walt said to Saul.
/> “Shut up! You left me for dead that day. You’re as guilty as Hank.”
“I told you, I really thought you were a goner. I’m really sorry, Saul. We all make mistakes. I’ll make it up to you. Really, I will.”
“We’ll see about that.”
“We’ve got Tess,” Walt continued. “If we just sit tight, I’m sure Hank’ll come right to us. And Walker, too. He seemed mighty protective of her.”
Saul narrowed his eyes at her. “Are you and Cale up to somethin’?”
“No,” she answered.
He grabbed her arm and yanked her to her feet, pushing the end of the pistol into her cheek.
“You think I believe you?” He eyed her warily, his rancid breath filling her nostrils. “You were a little liar and a cheat when you were with us. My guess is that hasn’t changed.” His fingers dug into her flesh. Tess flinched from the pain, repulsed by his touch. “You'll help us now, you hear, sweetheart?” He leaned close to her face, and panic reared in Tess again. She struggled to get away from him. “Easy. You fought before, if I remember.” He laughed and pushed her to the ground. “You better tie ’em up, Lange. These little hellcats will run if given the chance.”
Lange pulled out a length of rope and knelt before her as he tied Tess's hands.
“You said he was dead,” she whispered.
“I thought he was.” The flash of misgiving in his eyes made her almost believe him.
As he bound Lenna’s hands, Tess was brought up short by the steely anger in the girl’s brown eyes. It shocked her to realize that Lenna wasn’t afraid to die.
Shame filled her. Lenna was in this situation because of her. She needed to get them out of it.
Her gaze shifted to Saul, standing several feet away. He’d confiscated her Remington, but a pistol sat in the holster at his hip. She considered her chances of grabbing it if he came close.
Could she do it? Could she kill Saul, and Lange?
Resolve crept upon her.
Yes, she could.
* * * *
As midday came and went, Saul and Lange ate and tended to their horses, as well as Gideon. Her mount was ravenous for oats and water, and Tess was glad they hadn’t neglected him. If she and Lenna could get free, Gideon would be strong enough to spirit them away.
Without warning, Saul came toward her with a knife. Frantic, she tried to scoot away.
“What’s the matter, Tess?” he coaxed. “We’re such old friends.”
“Hold on,” Lange said from behind him. “If you mess her up, we'll get nothin' from her. Shit, Saul, don't you remember what you did to her before?”
Saul stopped and watched her with barely restrained rage, and something else—arousal fueled by violence.
“I don't rightly remember every whore I've rutted.” He took a fortifying breath. “Did I hurt you Tess?”
She knew he mocked her. She didn’t want him to see how deeply she feared him.
“You're a woman now,” he continued, “and I'm sure you've spread your legs for other men. It won't hurt as much this time.”
“No,” Lange continued. “It ain't that. You beat her up pretty bad last time. If you do that, we won't be able to take her with us. She'll smell and stuff.” Lange wrinkled his nose. “I really don't like blood.”
“When did you become such a Nancy-boy, Lange?”
“There’s just no reason for it,” Walt pleaded.
Saul’s gaze swung to Lenna. “What about her?”
“No.” Tess's voice came out strong and quick.
“She's just a squaw. No good for nothin' else.”
“Saul, please,” Lange implored. “Can we just leave the wimmin alone for now? It's just gonna get all messy, and I don't wanna clean up after ’em.”
“When did you turn into a woman yourself?” Saul demanded. “You're whinin' like one.”
“I'm tired.” Lange shifted his attention to Tess. “Look, just tell us what we wanna know. Where’s Hank?”
“If I tell you, then what? You’ll free me?”
Lange’s mouth hung open. “Well, I don’t know about that. But what if I guarantee that Saul’ll leave you alone?”
Tess didn’t believe him.
“Alright, Tessie,” Saul said. “Tell us where Hank is, and I’ll set you free.”
Tess knew she had precious few options. “He’s back the way we came. He had a camp set up.” She hoped for two things. One, that Hank had abandoned that camp. And two, retracing their path would bring her closer to Cale's position. There was also a third reason. Maybe those men, led by some man named Haverly, would handle Saul and Lange for her.
She just needed to stall long enough for one of those events to occur.
“You can lead us to this location?” Saul asked.
Tess nodded.
“Then we go now. And you’d better not double-cross us again. No matter how sweet our little romp was, it nearly cost me my life. As I see it, you owe me somethin’ for that.”
Tess tried not to envision what that something would be.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Tess grasped Gideon’s saddle horn, and Lenna clasped the waistband of Tess’s skirt to avoid falling. With their hands still bound, they struggled to find balance as the animal loped ahead, led by Saul.
By mid-afternoon, when they approached Mohan’s abandoned encampment, billowing smoke in the distance made Tess apprehensive.
Saul pulled his revolver from the holster, and Tess heard Lange chamber a round into his rifle from somewhere behind them.
They halted while still under cover of the surrounding vegetation, the remnants of the Apache rancheria visible just beyond. A fire had been built, burning what was left of the tribe’s belongings.
Saul froze at the cocking of pistols. Tess held her breath.
“Don't move.”
“We're just riding through, boys,” Saul said. “No harm here.” His horse shifted around, which caused Gideon to turn as well.
“Is that you, Saul?”
The man speaking must be Haverly. With a nose and cheeks cut from hard lines, he appeared more like an angry old spinster than a man who would frequent whorehouses. He wore a dusty jacket and rode a scrappy pinto. Taken as a whole, he seemed to not care about being seen.
Unease rippled down Tess’s back. Her and Lenna’s situation may have just gotten worse.
“Yeah,” Saul answered. “You gonna put your guns down?”
“Nah. What’re you doin’ all the way out here?”
“We’re lookin’ for Hank Carlisle. You seen him?”
“Nope. Why do you have those girls tied up? It looks like one is Apache.”
“They’re none of your concern.”
Saul still held his gun. Tess’s heartbeat quickened.
“Well, I think it is,” Haverly said. “We never did settle the score after you stole that skirt out from under me.”
“You owed me, Sid, and you know it. I diverted that Marshal for you when he was intent on busting you for selling whiskey to the Apache.”
Haverly didn’t look convinced. “Maybe I’ll just take those two girls, and we’ll call it even.”
“You really want to slow yourself down with two females?”
“That ain’t no concern of yours.”
“Then take the Apache girl, but leave the other one.”
Haverly’s horse shifted, but his rifle remained pointed at them. “I certainly have no use for both, but I’ll take ’em just the same. You can get on out of here now.” He flicked the gun slightly. “Don’t try anything funny, or I’ll kill you right here.”
As near as Tess could tell, they were surrounded by at least ten men, maybe more.
Saul’s sense of self-preservation kicked in. He dropped Gideon’s reins, and then he and Walt guided their horses from the group.
“Follow ’em,” Haverly said, and two men obliged. “Make sure they don’t come back.”
Shocked by the turn of events, Tess wasn’t sure whether to feel re
lieved or concerned.
She and Lenna were brought to the edge of the clearing, helped down from Gideon, and told to sit.
Haverly approached and knelt before them.
“I need your names,” he said, piercing blue eyes boring into them. They put Tess in mind of another sky-tinted gaze, and she longed for Cale. She prayed he wasn’t hurt, or worse.
“I’m Tess, and this is Lenna.”
His eyes shifted quickly to Lenna. “You speak English?”
Lenna nodded.
“Are you part of Mohan’s tribe?”
A bad feeling settled in Tess’s stomach, and she wanted to tell Lenna not to answer, but the girl gave a silent affirmation.
“Can you tell me where they've gone?”
Lenna shook her head.
Haverly smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. They might share eye color, but he was nothing like Cale.
“If I put you on a horse,” he continued, watching Lenna, “can you lead me to them?”
“We became separated and don't know where they are,” Tess cut in. “And then those two men kidnapped us. We're grateful that you saved us.”
Haverly scratched the side of his nose. “Yeah, we saved you.” He stood, and walked away.
During the next hour, Tess and Lenna watched as Haverly's men dug a hole, dragged large pieces of timber into the area, and erected what looked like a giant cross. Smoke continued to crest skyward from the several fires now burning around the rancheria. Tess’s senses went on full alert when twigs and branches were placed at the base of the cross.
Without warning, one of the men grabbed Lenna and dragged her away.
“What are you doing?” Tess stood, her hands still tied, and tried to follow but a man grabbed her.
“Tess!” Lenna screamed.
Tess squirmed and twisted, but the man holding tight easily overpowered her. “Let go of me!”
To Tess's horror, five men lifted Lenna to the cross and made fast work of securing her to it, hands above her head.
Lenna wailed, attempting in vain to fight back.
“What are you doing?” Tess fought the man who held her. Just as she got free, another grabbed hold. “Stop this! Stop this now!”
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