Soldier's Duty

by Elle James

  “What are your plans for the day?” he asked.

  “I want to find out what’s so important about Wolf Creek Ranch that someone would try to poison the people and animals on it to get rid of them.”

  “I’ll be back around noon. We can drive into Bozeman and check on your mother and her foreman.”

  “I’d like that. She might know more about what’s going on and hopefully she’s feeling well enough to talk about it.”

  Colin, Sebastian and Duncan entered the barn and saddled their horses.

  Parker dropped the bay’s hoof and straightened. “Raider’s hooves are fine. He should be good to go for the day.”

  “Thank you,” Angus said. He entered the tack room, grabbed a saddle and blanket and returned to the bay.

  Soon, all five of the McKinnons and Parker had their horses saddled and ready to go.

  Bree almost offered to go with them, but she needed to get to work looking for the bastard who’d dumped rat poison in the creek.

  Angus was last to lead his horse to the door. He slowed when he passed Bree. “Do you want me to stay and help you?”

  She shook her head. “No. Finding your father is much more important. I’d go with you, but I have to deal with my own crisis.”

  Angus nodded. “Then I’ll see you later. Be careful. You don’t know who did this or why. He could try some other way to hurt your family. Maybe even come after you. I have a .40 caliber pistol you can borrow. My mother knows where we keep the weapons.”

  “I’ll be okay. I have my own pistol at the ranch. I’ll be sure to pick it up when I go to collect some of my things. I’m hoping to catch the CDC when they come out to assess the damage and cleanup needed.”

  Angus hesitated.

  “Go,” Bree insisted, waving a hand. “Your father and your siblings need you.”

  “I don’t like leaving you to handle things by yourself.”

  Her heart warmed at his concern. “I’ve been on my own for a long time. I think I can handle it.” She smiled. “Besides, it’s a bright sunny day. There will be people coming and going at Wolf Creek to help me figure out what’s going on. I’ll be fine.”

  “Humor me and get a gun.” He leaned over and pressed a kiss to her temple.

  Her breath caught in her throat. She wanted to turn her face and capture his lips with hers. God, this was hard. Every instinct was to be with this man for the rest of her life. But she couldn’t. Not when she’d end up in jail once she confessed to her crime.

  Bree watched as the group rode off through the pasture toward the hills and the canyon, the last place James McKinnon should have been. She prayed they’d find the man alive. And if not, that they found his body to bring closure to the family.

  When she turned, she found Mrs. McKinnon standing on the back porch, her gaze on the posse, her hands clutched together, as if in silent prayer.

  Bree crossed to the woman and slid an arm around her shoulders. “Do you want me to stay with you today?”

  Hannah McKinnon shook her head. “I’m doing some spring cleaning. It’ll keep me from thinking too hard and keep me close to the house in case the phone rings.” She sighed and turned away as the horses and riders disappeared into the tree line. “I never considered what I’d do without James. I always thought we’d be together forever.” She sniffed and wiped away a single tear. “Well, I’d better get to work. I take it you’ll be heading over to Wolf Creek?”

  Bree nodded. “I am. I’ll be back close to noon. Then I’ll head into Bozeman to see my mother. If you need anything while I’m there, make a list. I’d be glad to pick it up.”

  “Thank you. Right now, I can’t think of a thing I need. Except James.” She gave Bree a brave smile.

  Bree unhitched the trailer and headed over to Wolf Creek Ranch, anxious to get started on her own investigation and find out what the CDC or sheriff’s department might have to say about the rat poison.

  Angus caught up with Molly, his brothers and Parker on their way out to the canyon where they would continue to concentrate their search for their father. Already, they could hear and see the National Guard helicopter performing a search pattern over the area, expanding out from where they’d covered the day before.

  When they reached the canyon trail, they found a group of people gathered near the point at which the avalanche had completely covered the trail.

  Sheriff Barron stood nearby with men dressed in the bright orange of the Search and Rescue team. One of the members had a dog on a lead.

  The McKinnon clan dismounted and joined the group.

  “What’s the plan for the day?” Angus asked.

  The lead man for the SAR team pointed to the east side of the snow and debris left by the avalanche. “We’re going to start down the flow on the opposite side today and see if the dog can sniff out anything different. We have to be extremely careful. The weather is warming. The snow and ice will be melting a lot faster, making the terrain a lot more dangerous.”

  “Where should we look?” Angus asked.

  The SAR lead gave them instructions.

  As the McKinnons turned to mount up, the sheriff got a call on his radio.

  “Sheriff, this is Smith. We’ve found something.”

  The words were heard by all standing close to the sheriff.

  Angus’s pulse picked up, and he returned to the sheriff’s side to listen to what the man on the other end of the transmission had to say.

  “Where?” the sheriff asked.

  “We started up the canyon from the bottom, like you asked us to. The water in the creek made it pretty difficult to navigate, so we moved up the side of the hill to an old road. That’s when we saw it.”

  “Saw what? What did you see?” the sheriff asked, his tone sharp, his brow furrowing.

  “A body.”

  Angus’s throat clenched, and he struggled to catch his breath.

  “Actually, not even a body, but a pile of bones.”

  “Bones?” the sheriff asked. “As in picked clean?”

  “No, as in weathered. They appear to have been here a long time.”

  Angus let go of the breath he’d been holding. If the bones had been there a while, they couldn’t possibly belong to James McKinnon. The man had only been missing for a few days. Long enough for an animal to eat, but not long enough to weather the bones clean.

  “Let the state crime lab handle the evidence,” the sheriff said. “I’ll send them down from the cave.” The sheriff looked across at Angus. “There’s no way that’s James McKinnon.”

  Angus, his siblings and Parker all nodded.

  The sheriff stepped away and reported what his deputies had found at the bottom of the canyon. A couple of men on ATVs descended the trail to gather evidence.

  Angus glanced around at his brothers and sister whose faces were grim. “Come on, we have work to do. You heard the sheriff. It wasn’t Dad.”

  They mounted their horses and spread out, searching areas they hadn’t covered the day before.

  Angus had chosen the opposite side of the canyon and the trails leading out to the lower-lying hills of Wolf Creek and Iron Horse Ranch. He figured he’d end his morning’s search at Wolf Creek and check in on Bree. She was smart enough not to drink the water. He wasn’t worried for that reason. What had him concerned was the fact someone had been willing to kill the inhabitants of Wolf Creek using rat poison. When he discovered that hadn’t worked, would he try something more deadly and fast-acting, like lead poisoning from a bullet?

  Chapter 10

  Pulling into the barnyard at Wolf Creek Ranch was like pulling into a post-apocalyptic scene.

  Bree shifted into park and sat for several moments taking in the scene.

  Nothing moved. The usual chickens scratching at the dirt and horse in the pastures weren’t to be seen. The house stood like a tomb, the windows dark and haunted.

  Pushing aside her unease, Bree dropped down from the truck and made a quick inspection of the barn and surrounding
buildings for any other animals that might have suffered the same fate as the cat and the chickens. Other than a few sparrows, she didn’t find any other creatures she needed to dispose of.

  The McKinnons had hauled the dead mare to the far side of the field. When the ground thawed a bit more, they’d promised to be back to bury the carcass.

  Bree hadn’t spent much time in the house the day before, having been occupied with saving the remaining livestock. Now, she took her time going through the home she’d grown up in from the tender age of eight. Since her stepfather’s death, the house looked completely different. Gone were the ugly brown curtains Greg had said didn’t need to be replaced. Her mother had exchanged them for white lace valances that enhanced the picture windows rather than covering them and hiding the view.

  She’d refinished some of the dingy old pieces of furniture that had belonged to Greg’s mother, refurbished the wood flooring and replaced the threadbare throw rugs with bright and cheerful rugs.

  Bree smiled at the transformation. By all appearances, her mother had made a new and happier life for herself on the ranch after Bree had left.

  It seemed fitting that she’d found peace and happiness after all she’d put up with during her marriage.

  Her mother had married Greg Hemming three years after the death of her husband, the love of her life, in an automobile accident.

  The only good thing about her mother’s marriage to Greg Hemming had been the ranch that had gone to her upon his death. The ranch had been in the Hemming family for a century.

  Greg had been an only child and had inherited Wolf Creek Ranch from his father. He’d been married once before to a woman from Helena. When she hadn’t produced any children for him and had become unhappy with ranch life, he’d divorced her. Less than a year later, he’d married the pretty waitress from the Blue Moose Tavern, Karen Lansing, a woman who had a proven ability to bear children.

  Bree and her mother had moved from Eagle Rock out to Wolf Creek Ranch and had learned all there was to know about raising cattle and horses and mending fences.

  Determined to have children of his own, Greg had become surly when Karen hadn’t produced an heir. She’d suggested they both be tested, and they’d discovered that Greg had a low sperm count. He’d been the reason he hadn’t had any children of his own.

  From that point on, he’d become increasingly angry with the world and took it out on his wife and stepdaughter.

  Bree hated seeing her mother kowtow to the bully. He’d started by mentally abusing them, eventually becoming physical in his cruelty.

  Every time he’d hit his wife, he’d made her feel like it was her fault that he’d had to punish her. First, it was for spilling his beer. Then, it was for burning their dinner. He drank heavily at night and his temper got worse.

  Once, when Bree was sixteen, she’d gotten between him and her mother when he’d started slapping her and calling her names.

  He’d slapped Bree instead, knocking her to the ground and leaving a bruise on her cheek.

  When she’d gone to school the next day, her teachers had asked what had happened. Afraid the state would remove her from her home, Bree had lied and said she’d been thrown from her horse.

  Angus had known as soon as he’d seen the bruise, and he’d been livid.

  Bree had begged him to leave Greg alone. He’d tried to convince her to come live with his family, but Bree couldn’t leave the ranch knowing her mother would stay.

  For several months, Greg had backed off. He hadn’t raised another hand to Bree or her mother and he’d slowed down his consumption of alcohol.

  Bree had been dating Angus and planning her life away from the ranch, hoping and praying Greg had truly turned over a new leaf, would remain sober and not hurt her mother. After she and Angus had graduated from high school, Angus had enlisted in the Army. All she had to do was wait for him to come home from his training. They’d get married in a small civil ceremony, and she’d follow him from post to post.

  Bree had it all planned. She’d work fulltime and take college courses part time. Eventually, she’d earn her degree. When Angus completed his commitment, he’d have the GI bill and be able to go to college if he wanted or go back to work on the ranch with his father.

  Bree hadn’t cared, as long as he was happy, and she was with him. She’d loved Angus with all her heart and couldn’t imagine life without him.

  She stopped by the fireplace and stared at a photograph of her and Angus at their senior prom. He’d been so handsome in his rented tuxedo, and she’d worn the dress her mother had worn to her own prom. Greg had been too cheap to let her spend money on a new dress. Her mother had altered her old dress, bringing it up to date.

  Bree had been so proud of how the dress had turned out. Angus’s expression when he’d seen her in it had made her even more excited. That night, they’d consummated their commitment to each other and had promised to spend their lives together. She’d given him the gift of her virginity and he’d vowed to love her forever.

  Heaving a sigh, Bree ran her finger across the image. They’d been so young and naive. Their first time making love had been awkward. They had gone into the mountains for a picnic that had turned out to be so much more.

  Angus had done his best not to hurt her.

  She’d loved him even more for his tenderness.

  That had only been the beginning of their sex life. They hadn’t been able to get enough of each other. Bree had insisted they take precautions. She hadn’t wanted to have children until they were ready to start a family. She’d gone on the pill, and Angus had always carried a condom.

  Angus was scheduled to leave for bootcamp a week after their high school graduation. Bree, Duncan and some of her and Angus’s friends threw a going away party the night before he’d left. They’d met out by the lake and partied until ten o’clock. Angus and Bree left early to spend time together, making love until midnight.

  They’d kissed goodbye in his truck in front of Bree’s house when he’d dropped her off.

  She’d been high on love and sad about his leaving, but hopeful for the future.

  After Angus drove off, Bree sat on the porch swing, imagining a life when they’d spend nights together in each other’s arms. Married. She’d been full of dreams.

  Several nights later, she’d come home from her job waitressing at the diner. She’d been climbing the stairs, wondering if there’d be a letter from Angus, when a crashing sound had startled her out of her reverie. She’d rushed inside the house to find her mother cowering on the floor, her nose bleeding, her cheek bruised.

  “Mom?” Bree had dropped to her knees beside her mother. “Are you okay? Should I call for an ambulance?”

  She’d shaken her head. “No. I’m okay. I just fell.”

  Bree had known it was a lie. “Mom, you didn’t fall. He hit you, didn’t he?”

  “No. I’m fine. I’m just getting clumsy.” She’d tried to push to her feet. Her knees had buckled, and she’d fallen back to the floor.

  “Mom, let me call an ambulance,” Bree had cried.

  “No,” she’d insisted. “I’ll be all right.”

  She’d helped her mother to the couch and wrapped a blanket around her. Once she’d been certain she was all right, she’d asked, “Where’d he go?”

  “Don’t, Bree.” Her mother had gripped her arm. “This is between Greg and me.”

  “Anything that has to do with hurting my mother has to do with me. He can’t keep doing this.”

  “It was my fault,” her mother had cried. “I yelled at him.”

  “Bullshit, Mom,” Bree had said. “It’s never your fault when he hits you. He’s an abusive bastard and you need to press charges.”

  “No, Bree. I can’t.”

  “You sure as hell can.” Bree had straightened. “Did he go out to the barn to drink himself into oblivion?”

  “I don’t know,” her mother had said, pressing a hand to her bruised cheek.

  “Mom,
you have to stand up for yourself. If you can’t do it physically, you have to get the law on your side. What will you do when I’m not here to pick up the pieces?”

  “I’ll be fine. You can’t live your life worrying about me.” Her mother shook her head and winced. “I don’t know what happened. I thought he was doing so well, cutting back on the drinking. Then I found out he had something else to occupy his time other than drinking.” Her lips had pressed into a thin line. “He’s been having an affair.”

  “That bastard,” Bree had muttered. “He doesn’t deserve you.”

  “I called him out on it.” Her mother had pressed a hand to the bruise on her cheek.

  “And I bet he denied it.”

  Her mother had laughed harshly. “Actually, he didn’t.”

  “Did he say who she was?”

  “No. But I have my suspicions.” She’d glanced down at her hands in her lap. “He said it was all because of me.”

  “Geez, Mom, that’s pure bullshit. You have to see that.”

  Her mother had shrugged. “We haven’t had much of a sex life.”

  Bree shook her head. She hadn’t wanted to hear about her mother and stepfather’s sex life. She’d barely learned what sex was. She hadn’t needed the images crowding her head of older people doing that. “I can imagine it’s hard to make love with someone who treats you as badly as Greg treats you.”

  She’d nodded. “I can take it. But when he slapped Evan…I had to do something.”

  “He hit Evan?” Bree had sworn. “Why was Evan there?”

  “He heard us arguing and came in because he was worried.”

  Bree shook her head. “Greg can’t get away with hitting an innocent like Evan.” She’d left her mother in the living room and made a quick check through the house. Finally, she’d glanced out the window and saw a light shining from the tack room of the barn.

  Hitting women was bad enough, but hitting Evan, the sweet, mentally challenged ranch hand who wouldn’t harm a fly…Anger had boiled up inside Bree as she’d stalked toward the barn.