Cowboy's Secret Son

by Robin Perini

  “He had an adventure but wore himself out a few minutes ago.”

  Jared picked up the stuffed bull and set it next to his son.

  Courtney studied his face. “How bad is the damage?”

  “We got lucky. The volunteer fire department and some of my men are staying to finish up. They’ll make certain there aren’t any live embers to reignite the fire.”

  “Could they tell what started it?”

  “That’s a complicated question.” Jared rubbed his eye. “A cigarette ignited the burn near the oil derricks, but once the flame reached the barn, someone used an accelerant.”

  “So it was deliberate.”

  “Not only that, someone hacked into the surveillance cameras’ signal.” Jared kneaded the back of his neck. “Someone wanted my whole place to burn to the ground.”

  * * *

  COOL WATER SLUICED down Jared’s back, soothing the heat. He winced as he passed over the scraped skin. He was getting too old to jump through windows. He pressed his hands flat against the shower’s tile and bent his head down so the water would do its magic. Roscoe had almost died. He’d almost lost the horses. Several men had been injured. And for what?

  They’d disabled the cameras until they could identify the vulnerability. He wanted to scream and shout, “What do you want from me?”

  A quick squeeze of shampoo and he lathered up his hair. He had no time for asking questions without answers. He had some decisions to make and actions to take.

  He rinsed and turned off the water. After drying, he wrapped a towel around his waist and rubbed his hair as he stepped into the bedroom.

  Courtney sat on the king-size bed, waiting for him. Her eyes widened, but she didn’t look away.

  “You need something?” he asked and pulled a white T-shirt from his drawer then slipped it over his head.

  “Sorry. I thought you’d be dressed.” She hesitated. “I better go.”

  “Don’t. We need to talk,” he said. “Wait here.”

  He grabbed a pair of briefs and jeans and disappeared into the bathroom. His mind whirling with concern, he slipped them on. When he returned, she sat still, her hands folded in her lap, appearing as proper as a woman could sitting in a man’s bedroom.

  He didn’t quite know how to begin.

  “Is Dylan with Velma?” He ran a brush over his wet hair, bringing the short cut to order.

  “She’s his new favorite person since he discovered her snickerdoodles.”

  “The way to a man’s heart—”

  “Is through a sweet tooth in Dylan’s case.”

  Jared tried to smile, but he couldn’t. He sat down next to her. “When you arrived on the ranch, you turned my life upside down.”

  She bowed her head. “I know. I’m sorry.”

  He lifted her chin with his finger. “I’m not. I’m just sorry I haven’t been able to live up to my promise.” He let out a long breath. “Whoever’s doing this is a step ahead of us. You’re not safe here. Every instinct tells me we’re sitting in the bull’s-eye of a target, and I have no idea who from. If the Criswells are willing to use fire as a weapon, and maybe even hire someone to sabotage security equipment, they’re out of control. I can’t call the sheriff or Dylan could suffer. If whoever is blackmailing you caused the fire, he’s already here. Either way, we have no choice but to act.”

  “We need another option,” she said.

  “Unless CTC comes up with a good suspect in the next couple hours, I want us to take you and Dylan into the mountains while they do their job. I probably should have made the move yesterday.” He clasped her hands. “I thought I could protect you. I really did.”

  “You have. We’re safe. Dylan’s here,” she said squeezing his hands in return. “It’s not your fault.”

  “My battle with Ned has compromised your safety. That is my fault, but I’m done playing by the rules, because our enemies sure as hell aren’t.”

  “What are you going to do?” she asked.

  “See that you’re safe, then have a long, serious conversation with Ned so CTC can focus on the man who’s threatened you and my son.”

  A soft knock sounded on Jared’s door.

  “Come in,” he said.

  Velma peeked inside. Dylan was balanced on her hip gnawing on a cookie. “Roscoe wants to see you, Jared. And Derek said he could make it here by morning.”

  “Good. He’s the only one I’d trust to keep this place running with Roscoe down. And maybe he can convince his dad to see a doctor.”

  She frowned. “I wouldn’t count on it. He seemed pretty set he’s not letting a doctor touch him.” Velma looked from him to Courtney and grinned before closing the door softly.

  A blush tinged Courtney’s cheeks. “I wish there was something I could do,” she said softly.

  “Maybe there is. Léon left a copy of the files he showed us. They’re on my desk. Go through them again. Perhaps you’ll see something they missed. I better go see Roscoe.”

  “Give him my best,” she said.

  Jared left her and made his way to the old part of the house. Roscoe had refused to get into bed and sat at a makeshift table eating a bowl of soup. He scowled. “That woman’s feeding me like I’m an infant,” he groused.

  “Let her pamper you or she’ll make your life a living hell.”

  “Don’t I know it.” Roscoe winced when he lifted his arm.

  Jared let out a curse. “You need a hospital.”

  “I need to be here. I saw the guy, Jared. He was wearing a mask, but I saw the triumph in his eyes when he poured the gasoline. He was about five-ten, medium build, brown eyes.”

  “So not Ned Criswell. Or Chuck. Nobody would call them medium build.”

  “Maybe one of his hands?”

  Jared sat across from Roscoe. “I’m taking Dylan and Courtney into the Guadalupes, up to the old hunting shack. You and I are the only ones who know about it and I can keep them safe.”

  “You gonna let Ned Criswell destroy this ranch for good?” Roscoe said with a frown.

  He lifted his chin, and Jared winced at the scrapes and bruises his foreman sported.

  “Look, I’m just going to say it. What if she’s making the whole thing up, Jared? What if that woman Marilyn never died. What if this is a big plot to insert herself here and get your money.”

  “Careful, old man.”

  “Hear me out. The private investigator could’ve been mugged. Or she could’ve hired some thug to kill him. She could have an accomplice who’s calling that cell phone. Hell, it could even be a recording. We don’t have any proof the threats against that boy are real. Except maybe in her mind. We do have proof someone’s trying to destroy this ranch. Seems to me you should be worrying about the King legacy and not some elaborate fairy tale spun by a woman you don’t know except to take her to bed.”

  Jared jerked to his feet and grabbed the neck of Roscoe’s shirt. “If you hadn’t almost died a couple hours ago, I’d slug you for that. Do you think I never considered the possibility? Well, of course I did. The moment she mentioned she needed money for the ransom I suspected her.”

  A gasp sounded from behind Jared. Courtney stood in the hallway, her face pale. She turned and ran.

  “Courtney,” he shouted. He glared at Roscoe. “Damn it. If anything happens to them because of this, I don’t know if I can forgive you. Ever.”

  * * *

  COURTNEY SPED DOWN the hallway, away from Jared. She didn’t veer into her bedroom. It was the first place he’d look. Did he really believe she’d planned this whole thing? They didn’t know each other well, but she’d trusted him with her son. She’d put her faith in him. His words stabbed at her heart, a betrayal like she’d never experienced.

  She made it to his study. This was his room. The last place he’d search for her. She walked the room, not
icing for the first time the wall of antiques mounted near the stone fireplace. An old horseshoe circa early nineteenth century. A barbed wire wreath. An Apache medicine bundle and an array of Apache knives from different eras. Some with stone blades, some with steel.

  Several newer knives were displayed in Jared’s gun cabinet. Everyone on this ranch carried a gun of some kind. Courtney had never shot one, but she was tired of depending on others to defend her.

  She reached inside and pulled out a sharp knife in a sheath. She slid it from its leather case and the blade glinted in the light.

  “You going to gut me with that?” Jared said quietly.

  “Maybe.” She faced him. “Do you still believe I made this all up to somehow gain control of your money?”

  “I considered it.”

  The words were a slap in the face.

  “And dismissed the idea when you responded to the threat to Dylan when Velma left the stuffed bull in his crib. You may be from New York, but you’re no actress. Your emotions come through with every expression.”

  “Roscoe doesn’t trust me.”

  “He’s scared. He almost died and he doesn’t know how to stop what’s happening any more than I do.”

  “I’m done trying to convince him, Jared.”

  “You don’t have to.” Jared took the knife from her. “What’s made you so curious about the weapons?”

  “I have to be able to defend myself.”

  “A knife is more difficult to use than a gun,” he said. “But it can be hidden and used to surprise someone. Try this one. It’s a folding knife with a five-inch blade. Legal in Texas. You can slice someone across the belly and run like hell.”

  She turned it over in her hands and opened and closed it several times.

  “If you’re going to carry it, stand so you protect your vital organs. Bend your knees and keep your nondominant hand in front of your neck. Your heart and lungs will be harder to reach.”

  She stood as he instructed. It felt strange. Jared took his position about an arm’s length in front of her. “Stand up straight and hold your arm out. See how you can barely reach me.”

  Nothing she could do at this distance.

  “Okay, now go from the other position and slash at my neck or chest. The angle gives you better coverage. The goal isn’t to kill me. Just to stop me and get away.”

  “Let’s try it.”

  He took her through a series of moves at least a dozen times. She bent over and took in several deep breaths. “I don’t know if I can do it.”

  Jared put his hands on her shoulder. “If you’re not going to use the weapon, don’t carry it. I’ll put it away.”

  She gripped the knife and shoved it into her pocket. “If it’s a choice between me and Dylan and someone else, I can use it.”

  “Have you ever fired a gun?” Jared asked.

  She shook her head.

  “It’s easier to use, but you have to be willing to pull the trigger.”

  “For Dylan, I’ll do whatever it takes.”

  “Let’s go to the root cellar,” he said.

  Before she could question the bizarre statement, he disappeared out the door and returned with a large target.

  “With the cameras hacked, I’m not risking going outside.”

  He pulled out his Glock and grabbed her hand, leading her downstairs. He set up a backstop then added several bales of hay. Finally Jared pulled over a small table and placed the gun down on it.

  “You ready for this?” he asked.

  She took a deep breath and nodded.

  “This is a Glock. They don’t have a traditional safety that will stop you from pulling the trigger. However, there are internal safeties that will stop it from firing unless you actively pull the trigger. So if you drop it or throw it, it’s not going to fire.”

  He picked up the weapon. “There’s an eject button on the side. Flick it and the magazine will come down. That’s where the bullets are located.”

  The magazine fell into his hand and he placed it on the table.

  “The other important thing you should know is how to pull the slide back. When you pull the slide back, you can verify there aren’t any rounds in the chamber.”

  He tugged and the Glock clicked open. He gave it to her.

  “So, right now, we have an empty, safe weapon.”

  Jared pulled out a box of bullets. “Load the magazine one bullet at a time.” He showed her one. “Now you try.”

  Seemed easy enough. Courtney pressed a bullet into the magazine and added a second by pressing the first one down and sliding the second one back. Before long she’d filled the magazine.

  She could do this. She had to. For Dylan.

  “Excellent.”

  “Push the magazine into the bottom until it clicks.”

  “It’s more simple than I thought.”

  “Now you pull the slide back. When you do that, you’ll have loaded and cocked the gun. It’s ready to fire.”

  Very gently she tugged it back and the weapon clicked in place.

  “See how the trigger is now forward. You’re ready to shoot. All you have to do is point downrange and pull the trigger.”

  Courtney squeezed and the gun jerked in her hand. By the time she’d emptied the magazine she had better control. She set the weapon gingerly on the table. “There’s quite a bit of kick.”

  Jared nodded. “Remember, it’s not like the movies. Don’t plan on shooting farther than ten feet or so. You probably won’t hit the target.”

  “Can I try again?”

  “We can practice as much as you want to.”

  Courtney began loading the Glock again. “I don’t want to practice, but I need to. I just hope I don’t have to use it,” she said.

  “If we’re faced with life and death, I plan to be there so you don’t have to.”

  Jared stared down at her. “Are we okay?”

  She grimaced. “We have to be. Dylan’s all that matters.” Courtney turned away from him.

  Jared opened his mouth to say something but his cell phone interrupted. He tapped the speakerphone. “You have us both, Léon.”

  “We met with Jamison. Your father is somewhat...indisposed.”

  “You mean he’s drunk. He’d started when I arrived the other day.”

  “Well, I don’t think he’s stopped since. He was passed out. We took him to the hospital.”

  Courtney rubbed her eyes.

  “Zane’s going through his computers, but he didn’t keep great records. His emails are more informative. He was trying desperately to save your family home. Doing anything he could.”

  “Where do we go from here?” Jared asked.

  “I’ll send what we have,” Léon said. “Can Courtney review the documents? Maybe she’ll see inconsistencies we don’t.”

  “Whatever you need,” she said.

  “Zane will keep searching. There’s nothing more I can do here, so I’m heading back. When your father regains consciousness, we can hopefully catch a break.” Léon paused. “Ransom informed me about the hack. There are other options, you know. We can make Courtney and her son disappear. We’ve done it for others.”

  Jared met Courtney’s gaze. She shook her head.

  “We’re not ready to turn our backs on solving this yet, Léon. But we’ll keep it in mind.”

  Jared hung up the phone. “What do you think? Would you want to change your identity, leave behind everything and start fresh?”

  Courtney folded her hands. Could she and Dylan give up everything? “If I thought he couldn’t be safe, I’d consider it.”

  Jared nodded. “Me, too.”

  “But like you said, I’m not ready to give in to this guy yet.” She strode over to his desk. “Can you check your email?”

  He smiled at her. “
Let’s do this.”

  On a tablet, Courtney reviewed the documents one by one, line by line. She sifted through the notes from CTC and then returned to the documents. Her eyes went blurry.

  “There’s not enough tying the numbers to a particular person or group,” she said. “And nothing that matches the number in the blackmail note.”

  Courtney retrieved her notepad. She transcribed all the numbers that were smaller than the total. Soon a prick of excitement tingled at the back of her neck.

  “Jared. I think I found something. These four numbers add up exactly to $3,680,312.00.”

  He leaned over and gave her a huge smile. “What do they correspond to?”

  “These four entries. I recognize one of the names. It’s a Pennsylvania bank.”

  “Does your family have business in Pennsylvania?”

  “I remember my grandmother talking about a mill that had been in the family since the Industrial Revolution. At one time it was the flagship of the company.”

  Jared typed the information into a Google search.

  “Bingo. A mill owned by your family was shut down without notice five days ago. Several hundred people lost their jobs.” Jared picked up his phone. “I’m calling Léon. You may have just solved the mystery.”

  * * *

  HIS CAMPOUT WAS well hidden, out of view of the cameras. No one would find him there.

  The plethora of computer equipment in the trailer had come in handy. He hadn’t expected the challenge of CTC.

  They’d been good. They were better than him, but he’d had years to prepare.

  He’d faced a few hiccups, but nothing he couldn’t handle.

  After pressing the jamming signal he searched the smoky remains of the buildings.

  No one had died.

  Pity.

  Unfortunately, the destruction hadn’t forced Jared’s hand. Yet.

  One window of opportunity, that’s all that was needed. He scanned the horizon and his gaze lightened on a fresh target.

  Yes. That would do. That would do nicely. Jared would never be able to resist.

  Chapter Nine