Why Me, Cowboy?

by Stephy Smith

  The runaway truck careened around the corner. Tansy kicked her horse into a run. Jo screamed and then the front end of the truck struck the pipe fence a few feet away from Tansy. She wheeled her horse around and jumped off. The engine revved. Jo’s body slumped over the steering wheel. Blood trickled down the side of her face.

  Jo was still, quiet. Tansy’s heart pounded. Her hands shook fiercely. She dropped the reins and ran to her friend. “Jo! Jo! Please answer me. I need help. Jo’s hurt.” Tansy reached through the window and turned off the truck.

  “Benny is on his way. Tansy, try to stay calm.” Gulch’s low voice sounded like he was hollering into a bucket through her earpiece. She hoped the wire she was wearing was still in place.

  “Thanks, Gulch. I see headlights. They’re going pretty fast. I don’t know what happened to Jo’s truck, but it wasn’t right. I could hear her trying to stop the truck. There was a clunking and grinding coming from it. Right before I got out of the way, she was turning the wheel, but the truck continued to head toward me and the fence.”

  “Tan . . . sy?” Jo tried to lift her head.

  “I’m right here Jo. Where do you hurt? Try to be still.” Tansy laid her hand on Jo’s shoulder. Jo’s eyes were closed and her mouth was open.

  “Give this note to the sheriff.” Jo raised a crumpled piece of paper in her hand and thrust it toward Tansy who stuffed the note into her pocket.

  “Are you alright Jo?” Benny stepped up beside Tansy.

  “I’m not sure. My head and chest hurt. I can’t hardly breath. That steering wheel is hard. I’m sorry I wrecked the truck, Benny. I tried to stop and it wouldn’t. The steering wheel turned, but the tires didn’t.” Jo moaned and leaned her head back on the headrest. “I almost plowed over Tansy and Jema. I came pretty close. I hope they are all right.”

  “I’m fine, just a little shaky. Jema is fine. Thanks.” Tansy didn’t remember if she had used her phone or the wire she wore to get Benny there quickly. Then she remembered Gulch was the one who contacted Benny. Jo loved animals. It would bother her if she knew a horse had been injured. Everything was fine except Jo.

  A soft, gentle voice only she could hear came through the tiny ear bud she had in her ear. “Thank God!” a whoosh of air followed. Tansy gave a half-hearted smile as she listened to Gulch’s sigh of relief. “Read the note, Tansy.”

  She unfolded the paper and straightened it the best she could. “This is your one and only warning Jo. Leave the feed yard and don’t ever look back or you will be hurt worse than Andi. Leave now.”

  Tansy shivered as she lowered her hand. “That was in my truck when I got here this morning. What I want to know is what have I done to Gulch? I don’t work near that man and he has the nerve to threaten me. Just let me meet him face on and I will kick his−yeah those, clear to the moon. Hopefully they’ll get hung up on an alien.”

  Tansy tried to disguise her giggle with a poorly exaggerated cough. “Jo, the ambulance is here. Be on your best behavior and maybe they’ll let you bunk with Andi.”

  “That would be nice. You need to be careful. We don’t want to see you on a bed in our room. Someone has to sneak in chocolate for us.” Jo raised her bloody hand and patted Tansy on the arm.

  “Right now, you need to worry about you. I’ll watch for this monster. First sign of aggression and I will call the sheriff. I’ll come by to check on you when I get off work.” Tansy backed away to let the emergency technicians wheel Jo away.

  As soon as they were out of hearing range, Tansy turned to Benny. “We need to turn this note over to the sheriff. Can you fax a copy to Gulch’s office?”

  “Sure. Tansy, are you sure you know what you’re doing? I don’t like the idea of you playing the sitting duck.”

  “Benny, I have tried to come up with a logical answer and all I can say is I don’t know what I was thinking when I told Ken I would do this. But, I agreed to it and I’m standing by my word.” She glanced around and then back to the boss. “I am armed and I won’t hesitate to shoot anyone who tries to hurt me. No matter who they are.”

  Benny shook his head and turned toward the pickup. “Don’t shoot just to be shooting. And don’t tell anyone you have a gun. Half the men will show up tomorrow with theirs strapped to their hips. I’m going to the office and then I’ll be at the hospital to check on Andi and Jo if you need me.”

  Tansy had her foot half way to the stirrup. “You didn’t tell me you had a gun this morning. Don’t hide things like that from me, Tansy.”

  “You didn’t need to know, Gulch. I guess you would have figured it out if I had to use it. Besides, you and Ken told me to trust no one.” Tansy mounted the mare. “Something is wrong with Jema. She’s kind of sluggish today and that’s not like her.”

  The sound of gravel beneath tires scrunched near her. Tansy watched the reverse lights of Benny’s pickup drawing closer to her. “Gulch texted me. Pen the horse in that alley and you can ride with me to the bottom. We’ll pick up a trailer, come back, and get her. I have a bad feeling the killer was trying to take out you and Jo.”

  Tansy reined the horse to the gate. Movement from the corner of her eye alerted her. When she looked straight on nothing was there. A gate swung open and the cattle from the pen stampeded toward her. Tansy kicked Jema into a trot. She opened the gate to an empty pen. The cattle turned in. She jumped from Jema’s back. The horse wobbled.

  Hurriedly, Tansy unsaddled the horse and removed the bridle. As soon as she cleared a few yards, Jema went down. The mare was fine the day before when Tansy fed her and brushed her down. The back of her eyes burned as she knelt next to Jema.

  “I hate you Gulch! I hate you.” Her voice broke the silence around the downed horse.

  “Me? What did I do?”

  “You know Jema is my world. Why pick on her? She’s a horse. She’s never done anything to you. Never!”

  “Tansy, you know I would never harm or mistreat an animal.”

  “No I don’t! You admitted to sneaking in the feed yard. You’re hiding from everyone just like a common criminal would. You could have killed Jo and Jema. You can mess with me, but you stay away from my horse!”

  Benny’s wrinkled hand rested on her shoulder. “Tansy. I’ll go get the trailer and come back for Jema. In the meantime, don’t talk to Gulch. I know y’all have personal problems, but we are close to solving this problem and you’re on the verge of blowing his cover. I won’t stand for that.”

  Tansy nodded. “You’re right, Benny. I’m sorry and this is your deal. I have to respect your wishes.”

  The dirt, gravel, and muck crunched beneath Benny’s hurried steps.

  She glanced down the alley. The last of the steers bolted toward the gate. Tansy rose from Jema’s side and walked over and closed the cattle in. Down a few pens, she walked down the alley to where they escaped from. She inspected the latch. There was no way the gate could have opened on its own.

  “Gulch. The gate came open on Mountain Row. The steers spooked and ran toward me. I got them into Boulder Bend. Jema acts like she’s been drugged. Can I get a vet to do a blood test on her?” The back of her eyes burned. “Oh, I thought I saw someone run across the alley before the gate came open, but I’m not swearing to that. It happened way too fast.”

  Tansy walked back over to the horse and sat on the ground. She cradled the mare's head in her lap to wait for Benny to return with the trailer and the vet. About fifteen minutes later, the clinks and clanks of the trailer stung her ears.

  “Oh yep. Looks like Jema’s been tranquilized. Can we get her up?” The vet knelt down beside Tansy.

  It took a lot of effort on Tansy’s part to get the mare off the ground. It took more than Tansy to get her in the trailer. Tansy pulled, the vet raised her front legs, and Benny pushed until Jema took a notion to help.

  Tansy rode down to Purgatory with Benny and the vet. “There isn’t much you can do now except wait. You can go back to work or go home if you want.”

  “Thank
s Benny, but I prefer to stay here for a while. I want to make sure she’s going to be all right before I leave for the day.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Gulch scanned the feed yard as Tansy made her way to the horses. He had seen Edgar go into the pen and disappear for what seemed a long while. Then he reappeared leading his horse. He relaxed as soon as Edgar left the area. It wasn’t long when Tansy also left, headed for the mountain. He had to rely on the wire to keep her safe up there. It was the only part of the feed yard he didn’t have visual contact with.

  He rubbed his forehead. The thought of Tansy going up there scared him half to death. According to the conversation with her horse, she wasn’t concerned about it. She even sounded excited to get away from Purgatory for a while.

  A smile pulled at his lips. So, he stirred her blood. What an amusing thought. Maybe he did have a chance to make it all up to her when this was over. That bit of information chilled him to the bone. Tansy seemed to be comfortable. He listened to the hoof beats and the ease with which she talked to the horse as she continued up to the mountain.

  At least she hadn’t forgotten about the mission she was on. She had noticed the eeriness of the feed yard and even refused to tell her horse about it. Tansy loved that horse and he knew it. Up until now, he couldn’t afford to let her ride. Edgar used any and every means to rustle from the feed yard. Why?

  The high pitch and motor revving grew louder over the wire Tansy was wearing. Gulch stood and leaned into the window, but she wasn’t anywhere in sight. Something was wrong with the vehicle coming toward her. His blood chilled as he listened to the scream and Jo telling Tansy to get out of the way. The dizziness and sudden metal crashing into the pipe fence weakened him.

  His heart pounded in his ears until he heard Tansy and Jo’s voices. He punched the number to Benny and alerted him there was trouble on the mountain. His dad told him to hang tight. Gulch spent the next several minutes listening to the conversation between those on the mountain. He paced the room, rubbed his hands together, and forced himself not to run from his office and drive up there.

  How could he be so stupid? It was his fault Tansy was on that horse. Edgar had repeated the same steps he used to kill Robin. When Robin was killed no one knew what they were dealing with. Thank the Lord above Tansy had been paying attention. She even thought she saw someone before the cattle stampeded toward her.

  “Hey Tansy?” he paused long enough for her to answer. “You said you thought you saw someone near the gate before the stampede.”

  “Yep. I’m not sure because whatever it was ran down the alley away from the herd. It stayed close to the fence. I lost sight behind the steers, but I thought it was a man.” Tansy’s voice quivered.

  “Take a guess as to the color of shirt for me.” Gulch closed his eyes and massaged them with the palms of his hands.

  “I don’t know. I’d say maybe a dark blue or black. Like I said, it didn’t take long for it to blend in with the steers. That’s what makes me think I didn’t see anything. I looked over the gate and there’s no way it could have came open on its own.”

  “Is there anything else you can think of? Did you recognize the movements of the man?” Gulch pulled in a deep breath. Ken didn’t want Tansy to focus on one suspect until they could get proof. It was a long shot, but worth the chance if it saved someone’s life.

  “Kind of . . .”

  “What does that mean? It doesn’t matter how small and insignificant you think it is, I need to know about it.” His voice seemed gruffer than he intended.

  “It reminded me of Edgar. The way he ran and dressed. He was hunched over, and his hat was cocked to the side like his. I didn’t see his horse anywhere. Do you think it could be him?”

  “Unless you are a hundred percent positive, I can’t pin it on him. You have to keep your eye on everyone, Tansy. Don’t suspect and don’t accuse. Maybe the suspect left something when he messed with Jo’s truck to help us figure this out.” Gulch scribbled a note to have cameras placed around the mill and at the horse pens.

  Gulch asked Benny to gather the wires from the four-wheeler and put an out of order sign on it. Tansy was the main one who rode it, but she didn’t know it had been tampered with. From the conversation she had with Edgar earlier, she told him she would be on the horse. Edgar’s demeanor had changed and Tansy told her horse how strange it was.

  The hard plastic case of the cell phone bit into Gulch’s palm. He texted Ken the activities for the morning. Ken responded back quickly. “We need hard evidence. Suspicion isn’t getting us anywhere.”

  “I can’t bring anyone else into this. If Edgar gets wind of it, he will stop. Maybe we can question him as a witness. He is on duty today and we can see if he says anything incriminating.” Gulch was already on the move to the door.

  “Yes. It’s a start. Be careful, Gulch. He’s killed more than once, I doubt it will bother him to do it again.”

  Gulch let the cell phone slip from his fingers and into his lap. There had to be a way to keep Tansy away from Edgar and prevent more chaos from disrupting the feed yard. He let out a deep sigh.

  “Are you . . .” Tansy’s wire communication garbled.

  “Tansy! Tansy, what’s going on?” Gulch sat straight in the chair by the window. Her voice was rushed and her breathing labored. He scanned the pens and alleys. Edgar stood behind Tansy with his arm around her neck and was dragging her down an alley toward his personal vehicle.

  Tansy’s hands were on Edgar’s forearm. Her feet dangled off the ground. She was kicking, wriggling, fighting to get away. “Go limp.” Gulch stood at the window as he talked into the microphone transmitting to Tansy’s wire.

  He quickly sent a text to Ken as to what was taking place. He used the desk phone to call Benny. Gulch ran out the office door, down the stairs, and met his dad. They ran to Benny’s pickup. The doors slammed shut as Benny sped off in the direction to where Tansy and Edgar were last seen.

  The pickup fishtailed around corners. Dust filled the air behind them. Gulch looked around in case Edgar had made it to his vehicle. It was still parked where Gulch had last seen it. He held his breath as Benny swerved to keep from hitting a pen rider. “Come on Dad! We have to get there in time to save her.”

  “I’m doing the best I can!” Benny yelled back as he careened down a feed alley.

  “I know. I’m just a little worried. She’s got a gun! And the nerve to kill him.” Gulch moved to the edge of the seat.

  “Yep, I believe you're right there. She also has a brain. Something you should pay more attention to.” Benny slammed on the brakes and Gulch jumped out the door before the pickup stopped.

  Gulch ran toward Edgar and Tansy. His lungs burned. His side cramped. Tansy was looking straight at him. Her head turned toward the side. Redness covered her cheeks. She lowered her chin and slipped through Edgar’s grasp.

  Tansy whirled around and pulled the concealed weapon from the back of her jeans. Gulch too, had pulled his from the holster. Both guns were leveled at Edgar. The old man laughed.

  “Get on the ground, Edgar!” Benny yelled from behind Gulch. “You best be quick about it or I’m gonna let these kids give you the what-for.”

  “Come on Benny, you won’t let them shoot me.”

  Bang.

  The aroma of burnt gunpowder floated in the air.

  The breath whooshed from Edgar’s lungs as his body hit the ground.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Tansy lowered her hands to her side. The ringing in her ears was worth the shot at the rock in front of Edgar. He hit the ground as the rock shattered and peppered across his legs. His eyes were wide and she could have sworn there were tears in his eyes.

  She could barely hear Edgar’s screams as he rolled on the ground clutching his legs with his hands. Turning her head toward Gulch and Benny, she shrugged her shoulders. “He didn’t move fast enough to suit me.”

  Neither man moved. Gulch lowered his gun and replaced it in his holster. He f
inally strolled over to Edgar and cuffed his hands behind his back.

  “That was a mighty fine shot, Ms. Adams.” Ken’s shadow blocked the sun from her face. He smiled down at her.

  “Haul me in and call me an aggressive assailant. It was the least I could do to him after what he has done to me and my friends.” Tansy held her hands out in front of her. “For my horse . . . I should have put a bullet in his heart.”

  Ken shook his head and walked over to Gulch. He took Edgar in his custody. “I need the three of y’all to make statements at my office.”

  Benny quickly shuffled to the passenger door. “I’m riding with Ken. Gulch, you and your woman bring my pickup. Y’all have issues to discuss that I don’t want to hear.”

  “I’m not his woman!” Tansy kicked a rock on the ground.

  Or am I? Do I even want to be? She stomped over to Benny’s pickup and climbed in. The last thing she needed was to be penned up in the cab of a vehicle with Gulch. Tansy couldn’t take her eyes off him as he strolled to the pickup and slid behind the wheel.

  Dust swelled in front of them as they followed Ken down the alley and out to the highway leading into town. Silence filled the interior. The pulse in her neck picked up a beat. Benny was right. There was a lot that needed to be said. Tansy didn’t know where to begin without starting a war with Gulch. She sucked in her breath and hoped for the best. If he would start it, she was sure she could finish it.

  Gulch pulled the pickup over to the side of the road and put it in park. He turned sideways to face Tansy. There was a spark in his gaze. His lips turned up and the dimples in his cheeks deepened. A joyful laughter filled the interior.

  “What is so funny? Have you gone mad?” Tansy couldn’t help the curiosity of his strange behavior. “I almost died when Edgar had me in the choke hold and here you are laughing. You are an evil, cold-hearted cad, Gulch whatever-your-name-is. By the way, what is your name and what are you?”