by Linda Ford
The trip passed in a haze of stark fear. Her mind had taken over, playing out endless scenarios, each more grisly than the last. She prayed she’d overtake Jessica, that they could talk things out and head home.
That didn’t happen. Leaving Rusty tethered near the lane, Jane trekked through the forest, impatient to locate her sister but also aware how foolish rushing into the unknown would be. She had to stay clearheaded. Not let her emotions rule.
On the edge of the clearing, she hid behind the reaper and strained to listen for evidence the guard dogs were out of their pens. She had four bullets, but she wasn’t a quick shot. The thought of their sharp teeth sinking into her flesh sent her pulse tripping into heart failure territory.
“Get a hold of yourself, Jane,” she said, her grip on the gun handle growing slippery.
She waited there for what seemed an eternity. Not a living thing stirred.
Screwing up her courage, she traversed the expanse and began systematically searching the buildings, weapon held close to her side. The second she exited the cabin’s rear door, ferocious barking shattered the silence. Squealing, she jumped back, the cabin wall blocking her escape. Any second now, she was going to be ripped to shreds.
It took her fear-frozen brain a full minute to realize no animals were materializing.
Gun outstretched, Jane crept forward, passing the outhouse and coming face-to-face with the beasts. Saliva dripping, gums curled back to reveal razor-edged teeth, they surged against the enclosure.
Movement in her peripheral vision had her whirling to the left, arms trembling so badly she doubted she’d be able to pull the trigger, much less aim.
The large form shifted restlessly. Jane lowered her gun and took a halting step forward.
Jessica’s horse had been tethered to the hitching post behind the barn. Her worst nightmare confirmed. She was here. Somewhere. Or had been at some point.
Where was she now?
*
“When will we see Jane?”
Tucking Clara closer against his side, Tom glanced down. “Soon. Five more minutes.”
Mired in shock and grief yesterday, he hadn’t given thought to how much Clara had come to depend on Jane. Nor had he anticipated how sticking to her usual routine would help her cope with the fact her pa wasn’t ever coming home. She’d woken up expecting to see her caretaker and, when she’d learned she wasn’t coming, burst into tears.
Tom had plenty of experience soothing her hurts, but having Jane by his side offering support and encouragement would make it a whole lot easier to bear.
The moment he’d arrived at Sam and Mary’s and looked into this little girl’s face, he’d regretted not asking Jane to accompany him. Clara needed her. So did he.
He just wasn’t sure how he was supposed to handle the fact she didn’t want him.
“She will come home with us, right, Uncle?” Tears shimmered in her red-rimmed eyes. “I wanna bake a cake. A big, tall one with icing. Do you think Miss Jane will let me?”
Reins in hand, he guided the team onto her property. “We’ll ask her, okay?”
“I hope she says yes.”
Tom was fairly certain Jane would do anything in her power to cheer the child. He’d seen the loving glances she bestowed on her charge, her contentment whenever she and Clara were together.
“Stay in the wagon.”
“Yes, sir.”
Tom fully expected to find her in the midst of household chores. He was forming an explanation in his mind when he climbed the steps and noticed the front door standing ajar. His calls went unanswered. After surveying the woods, which stood infuriatingly empty, he went inside. The stench of burning food accosted his nostrils.
In the kitchen, he discovered a skillet on the front cook plate, eggs scorched to a black lump. A half-empty cup of coffee was still warm, and baking supplies were laid out. If Jane realized she was missing an ingredient, she wouldn’t have simply up and left. She would’ve sent Jessica. And she wouldn’t have left breakfast to burn.
Foreboding niggled at the base of his skull. Shane’s warnings pulsed through his mind.
They’d slaughtered his hogs. What if the women were the next targets?
Striding out to the wagon, he hauled himself up and whipped the team around.
Clara blinked up at him, confusion creasing her forehead. “Where’s Miss Jane?”
“She’s not here. We’re going to Miss Mary’s to see if she paid them a visit.”
“What if she’s not there?”
“Then you and Amy will play together while I look for her.”
“Amy has school.”
He glanced over at her. “You can entertain Victoria. I’m sure Kate would love to have you visit. How does that sound?”
With a shrug, she watched the passing forest without uttering a word. Her profile looked so much like Charles’s. A pang of regret struck him low in the gut.
I’ll be the best pa I know how to be, brother. With the Almighty’s help, I’ll love her and guide her to the best of my abilities.
Fighting off the rising tide of sorrow, he settled Clara at the O’Malley farm. Sam shared his concern and went off in search of Josh and Caleb, who had gone hunting on their property. Tom didn’t heed the older man’s urging to wait for them. He couldn’t afford to wait. His gut told him something wasn’t right.
His first stop—Lee’s cabin.
*
Jane contemplated the steep mountain hollow, nearly impassable with brambles and rhododendron bushes, and holstered her gun. She’d need both hands and all her concentration to traverse this trail. It was the most obvious location for the still. Difficult for revenuers to find. More importantly, the stream trickling down the incline provided a constant source of water for the process of turning mash into liquor.
If she hadn’t seen her great-uncle’s still she might never have known to investigate this place. Jane, her sisters and cousins had overheard the adults talking about Uncle Peter’s involvement and, curiosity sparked, had explored his property and discovered the location of his still. Of course, their folks weren’t happy when they found out. They’d been relegated to mucking stalls, washing windows and other more unpleasant chores for the remainder of the week.
The climb wasn’t pleasant. Branches got caught in her hair and occasionally poked her neck. Cobwebs with fat spiders hovered too near her head, and she was certain she’d have a tick or three stuck to her once she emerged. Three-quarters of the way up, the brush cleared, the terrain evened out and she was able to walk upright.
Following the stream, she stopped short at the wisps of smoke curling into the sky.
Crouching low, she kept close to the ground as she rounded the slope, heart leaping into her throat. A pair of stills occupied the small clearing. Behind them, a weathered shack was situated close to the rushing water. Lee paced the short distance between it and the bank, his normally even-tempered demeanor gone. His big body radiated tension.
Feeling as if she might come out of her skin, Jane scoured the area for a clue as to Jessica’s whereabouts. Could they be keeping her in the shack? What if she was tied up and gagged, unable to call for help?
The thought was cut off the instant a beefy arm snapped around her midsection. The breath whooshed from her lungs. Terror trickled into her veins as a knife’s thin blade pressed into her throat.
“I don’t recall inviting you up here.” A gravelly voice grated against her ear.
Instinct urged her to fight, to struggle against her captor. Jane disobeyed her body’s commands. She didn’t move. Didn’t speak. Was afraid to swallow as a stinging sensation radiated from the blade and a single drop of blood slid beneath her collar.
One swipe, and she’d be dead.
She’d never see Jessica or her family again. Tom would never know he meant everything to her. Unless he read her journals, she thought inanely. Then he’d know.
“Move.”
The knife fell away, and a sharp shove low in h
er back had her stumbling forward into the clearing. Lee’s head shot up, and the expression of disbelief was replaced by a grimness that frightened her more than the knife had. He wasn’t going to fight for her.
“How did you find us?” he said.
“Where’s Jessica?”
Apprehension slithered through his eyes. “Not here.”
“Her horse is at your cabin. If she’s not here, where is she?”
The stranger grabbed her arm, his grip brutal. He pointed to the shack. “Get a length of rope.”
Jaw jutting, Lee planted his boots wide. “What are you going to do with her, Farnsworth?”
“What do you think? We can’t have her snitching to the authorities again.” Fingers digging into her skin, he told her, “You saved me a trip, you know that? You were next on my list.”
“I didn’t sign up for this. I’m a businessman, plain and simple,” Lee said. His hand sliced the air. “Look, we can relocate to another area. They suspect us now. It’s only a matter of time before they find this place.”
“When obstacles get in the way of profits, we take action. We can’t have a witness walking around free to testify against us. Get the rope. Now.”
Lee shifted his weight, fists opening and closing. Clearly a battle waged inside him. Hope sprang up in Jane. Would his love for her twin push him to do what was right?
But then he turned on his heel and stalked into the leaning structure, returning within a minute with the requested rope. Anger mingled with fear. Once they tied her up, there’d be no way to reach her gun.
“I don’t know what Jess ever saw in you,” she exclaimed. “You don’t deserve her.”
“That may be true. Not for you to say, though, is it?” The skin around his right eye twitched. “If you’d kept your pretty little nose out of my business, I could’ve gotten out eventually. Made a good life for ourselves.”
“Don’t you dare blame Jane.”
Jane gasped as Jessica materialized from the woods, gun drawn and leveled at Farnsworth.
“None of this is her fault.”
“You shouldn’t be here, Jess,” Lee spit out, shock written across his face. “You should’ve stayed far away.”
“I had to see this for myself,” she retorted. “And I’m glad I did.” Her narrowed gaze bounced between the rope in Lee’s grasp and Farnsworth’s hand practically glued to Jane’s arm. “Release her, and you won’t get a bullet lodged in your brain.”
In a flash, Farnsworth had her pinned to his front, the blade digging into her throat again. Jane’s eyes watered as it lightly pierced her skin.
Jessica went white. The color even leached from her lips. Her eyes were tormented pools of darkest green.
“If you don’t wanna watch your sister bleed, you’ll place the gun on the ground.”
Lee lifted his hand in supplication. “Jess, do as he says.”
She didn’t move for long moments, her indecision playing out across her features. Jane swallowed thickly against the despair lodging in her throat. The stuttered prayers half forming in her mind hardly made sense.
God knows my need. He sees.
“All right.” Slowly pointing the barrel toward the sky, she bent at the knees and laid the gun on the ground. “Just…don’t hurt her. Please.”
“Move closer to the fire.”
Stepping over the gun, she did as he instructed.
The pain around Jane’s wound increased a second before her captor lowered his weapon and shoved her against Lee, who caught her awkwardly. “Tie her up.” Whipping a gun from where he’d had it tucked into his waistband, he pointed it at Jessica. “Over here, little lady. You’re next.”
When she’d reached their spot, she glared at Lee as he bound Jane’s wrists in front of her. “I trusted you.” The words were ripped from her. “I thought you loved me.”
His fingers fumbled on the rope. Was he deliberately tying it loosely?
When he didn’t respond, Jess’s face blazed. “I guess I was wrong.”
“Now’s hardly the time to discuss our relationship,” he said at last, sounding morose.
Lips quivering, Jessica’s lashes swept down, but not before Jane caught the anguish shining there.
Lee was apparently taking too long for Farnsworth’s liking. Stalking past them, he fetched another length of rope and proceeded to tie Jess. Gauging from her wince, he wasn’t as gentle as Lee.
“I say we leave them here.” Lee faced his partner. “We’ll take our money and supplies. Relocate where no one knows us.”
“That’s not an option.” Turning away, he studied the coiled copper tube and the alcohol dripping steadily into the container below.
“At least ask Bryce. I’m sure if you explain—”
“I’m not asking Bryce anything. He’s already aware of the situation.”
“And he expects us to stay here?”
“He’s got ways of handling problems like backwoods sheriffs.” His focus shifted to where Jane and Jessica had edged closer together. “And I have mine.”
Lee scowled. “What are you planning?”
“A little trip.” He waved his weapon. “Start walking, ladies. Oh, and if you even think about making a sound, you’ll discover just how creative I can be with a knife.”
“I can’t let you do this.” Without warning, Lee tackled his partner, and a gunshot rang out.
They scuffled on the ground, Farnsworth slamming the butt of his gun against Lee’s back.
“Jess, get my gun!” Jane cried, limbs shaking from terror.
Dropping low, she tried to shove Jane’s skirts aside, but her hands were at an awkward angle.
Out of the corner of her eye, Jane saw Lee go down, blood trickling from his temple. He let out a frustrated groan of defeat.
Her hope withered and died then and there.
Chapter Twenty-Six
He’d found Jane’s horse first. Then Jessica’s.
Jane had come looking for her twin, putting them both in harm’s way.
The sound of a single gunshot reverberated along the mountain walls. The fear Tom had been battling became a living, breathing, formidable foe, driving calm and reason from his mind. He had to get to them before it was too late.
Gun drawn, he was about to follow a barely discernible path at the southwest edge of the property when he heard voices. His muscles were primed for a fight. Sweat slid beneath his collar. Seeking shelter behind the nearest tree, he pressed against the rough bark, ears straining.
What he heard sent shards of icy alarm through him. Lee’s voice followed by a stern reply from a male voice Tom didn’t recognize. And then Jane’s soft entreaty.
He abandoned his hiding spot. Edged around the barrel-like trunk and caught a flash of red hair. Jane.
The stranger, Lee’s associate, had her. Forcing her in the direction of the cabin, his weapon was trained on the couple walking ahead of them. Tom registered several things at once. Lee’s busted-up face. Jessica’s very real distress. And Jane…her eyes had a hunted look about them…and her neck…
The wretch had cut her. Badly. Red-hazed rage distorted his vision. Tom very nearly exposed his presence right then and there. Farnsworth would pay and pay dearly.
Calm. He had to calm down. Control his emotions.
Finger on the trigger, he blinked away the sweat dripping in his eyes. He couldn’t get a clean shot. From this angle and distance, he couldn’t be certain the bullet would find its target. Jane was too close. Too many trees for it to ricochet off and possibly hit Jess.
Caging the fury pushing him to act, he called on all his willpower as he crept silently through the woods, trailing them, waiting for the right opportunity to act.
He couldn’t afford any mistakes.
*
The circuitous ride through the thickest parts of the forest stretched Jane’s nerves to the breaking point. She’d stopped trying to figure out their destination and instead alternated begging God for her and Jess’s lives a
nd reconciling the very real possibility she wouldn’t see Tom again.
More than anything, she hated that their last exchange had been marked with tension and sorrow. Regretted her lost chance to comfort him. Tom would be left with troubling memories of her. She doubted he’d ever have a chance to read her journals. Her mama wouldn’t think of giving them to him.
Mama. Her poor heart would crack clean in half. Two daughters lost…
Squeezing her eyes shut, she shoved the morbid thoughts aside. Now wasn’t the time for mourning. There was still a chance for survival.
It’s my fault Jess is in this mess. It’s my responsibility to get her out.
Turning again to prayer, she asked God to grant her the opportunity to save her sister. She asked Him to make her brave.
The cabin up ahead didn’t at first register. Farnsworth had put her on a horse with Lee while he rode with Jessica. Guess he figured the chances of Lee trying to take off were lower that way. She could hardly fathom that Lee had ambushed his own partner. Somewhere inside, the urge to do good existed amid the greed and ambition.
“Why did you bring us home?” Jess demanded.
Home. Jane blinked. She’d been so disoriented, numb with horror, that she hadn’t recognized it.
“Those unfortunate O’Malley girls,” Farnsworth drawled. “They perished in a barn fire.”
His plan finally revealed, Lee stiffened in the saddle, muscles going taut. After the scuffle on the mountain, Farnsworth had given him one more chance, had said he understood his need to protect his girl, but he had to make a choice. The business or her.
Lee hadn’t said a word. Did that mean he’d chosen the business?
Poor Jess. What she must be going through right now…
When they came to the barn entrance, Farnsworth was on the ground and barking orders. Gun barrel shoved under Jess’s chin, he forced them all inside.
“Lee, douse the floor with kerosene.”
Farnsworth gave Jessica a shove that sent her sprawling on the floor. Jane rushed over, crouching close to her face. “We have to stop him,” she whispered.
