Harder Than the Rest

by Shirleen Davies

  “I could’ve been Hawley, you know,” Jamie’s aggravated voice pierced the night air. “Only you’d both be dead now.”

  Drew and Will stood from their stooped positions behind a group of dead trees and holstered their Colts.

  “What the hell are you doing here, and who’s watching the ranch?” Will snarled at him.

  “I could ask you the same thing, but I already know the answer,” Jamie shot back. He, too, holstered his gun. “This isn’t the way, Will. Let Frank or another lawman arrest Hawley. He’ll go to trial, be found guilty, and hang. He tried to kill Frank and that alone will get him executed. Hawley is already a walking dead man. Don’t make it worse.”

  For the first time in years, Will thought there might be an alternative to killing Hollis. Maybe Jamie, Drew, Niall, and most everyone else who knew of the tragedy were right. He’d found the man, could lead the Rangers to him, and would stay to watch him hang. It had been five long years, and it was almost over.

  “Maybe you are right, along with everyone else, Jamie. I’ll go back to the ranch with you and talk with Frank. I can’t promise anything, but if we can bring him in to hang, I’ll go with it. But if Hawley runs, I’ll be going after him.”

  “That’s all I can ask.” Jamie replied and let out a deep breath. At least it was a start. Now they just had to find and arrest Hawley before he killed again.

  ******

  “Everyone here, Del?” Hollis glanced around. It looked like all the men had arrived. Chet had met with the boss earlier to finalize tonight’s raid. The boss would meet them in Slider Junction in three days to arrange transport of the cattle to Denver. The brands had been changed and there were enough men guarding the herd. The men here could ride to the Taylor ranch to steal the remuda. Hollis chuckled as he pictured the surprise on Grant’s face when he realized his prized horses were gone.

  “They’re all here, Chet.”

  “All right, men, listen up. We’ll split into two groups when we get a mile from the ranch. Del will lead his group straight to the horses from the end opposite the house, and I’ll lead a group to make sure no one from the Taylor ranch comes after them. Those with me have to be prepared to kill, and I mean even the women, if they start shooting at us. We’ll make no exceptions. Everyone with me?” Chet watched the quiet gathering. All heads nodded. He’d worked for months to find the right men—greedy men who lacked a conscience. “We’ll meet the others at the canyon and head out tonight, with horses and cattle, for Slider Junction. Be prepared for no rest the next three days. We’re almost done. Let’s go.”

  Several miles later Hollis and his men pulled up and split into two groups. It was late, and from their location they could see lights still burning in the house. Hollis didn’t care, and truth be told, thought this might be the best way to end it with MacLaren. Kill the man like he should have done five years before.

  Del took off around one side of the property, making sure to keep far enough away so that anyone in the bunkhouse couldn’t hear the horses. He saw the corral with the remuda and signaled his men to spread out. Del hoped Chet was in position. There’d be no better time than now. He waited for the signal.

  ******

  Ten hand-picked men accompanied Chet to the house. He wasn’t taking any chances that the MacLaren men would walk out of this alive. His message to them had been clear—nobody was to leave the house. Five men were sent to guard the bunkhouse and barn area. He sent two more to the back of the house, leaving Chet and three other men to guard the front. Everyone was in place.

  Hollis pulled a cheroot from his vest pocket and lit it. He took one draw and turned toward the horse corral. He put the cheroot to his mouth again, this time taking a long, slow drag on the thin cigar. A bright red glow burned in the moonless night. The signal to proceed had been given.

  Del saw it and gave another signal to release the gate. Just as his man readied to open the corral, a loud voice boomed from a few yards away.

  “I wouldn’t touch that gate, son, unless you have a wish to die tonight.”

  The young rustler turned and drew his gun but he couldn’t see anyone.

  “Don’t do it!” another voice warned, but it had no effect. The thief spun around again, and along with several others began to shoot wildly into the dark. Not a minute later four of the seven rustlers lay dead, including Del Wiley. They’d ridden into a trap. The last of the rustlers spun their horses away from the gunfire and bloodshed, determined to get away. Grant’s men started running, keeping low and staying close to the corral fence. Gunshots from the house grabbed the men’s attention.

  “Jake,” Grant yelled. “Take Tinder and a few others and follow those low-lifes. Stop them before they get into the mountain country.”

  “Will do, boss,” Jake and his men started out after the remaining thieves.

  Grant and two men continued toward the house. He’d left two others inside along with Alts and hoped they were able to hold off the other robbers a little longer.

  ******

  Everyone in the house was in place. Amanda and Tess were in the living room with Gus, one of their men. Another ranch hand was in the office, Frank was upstairs, and Eleanor had just finished hiding Joey and Maria behind a trap door in the pantry with strict instructions not to come out, no matter what they heard.

  Gus looked over at Amanda, crouched by the window. “Miss Amanda, get down and give me that gun.”

  “I can handle this gun just fine, Gus, and you know it,” she whispered back just as a bullet crashed through a window and slammed into the man’s shoulder.

  “Mother! It’s Gus, he’s bleeding.” Eleanor dropped the rifle she held and ran to their long-time employee. She tore some fabric from the bottom of her chemise and pressed it into the wound.

  “I’ve got him, Amanda. Please stay down,” her mother pleaded.

  A shot rang out from the second floor and a loud crash was heard behind the house. They hadn’t been sure that Frank could handle a gun with his injury but he’d assured them they were wrong. Now they could hear him moving towards a front bedroom.

  Another shot echoed through the night, then another bullet pierced the glass in the office. The women heard a moan. The other ranch hand had been hit. A moment later, Eleanor was at his side, trying to stop the bleeding from a graze to the head that bled a lot, but the wound didn’t appear as serious as Gus’s.

  All the women could do was stay low and try to hold off the attackers until Grant and the other men could reach them. They heard the shots from the horse corral and realized help might come later than they’d hoped.

  “What can I do?” Tess crawled from behind the divan, a gun in one hand and a box of shells in the other.

  “Oh Lord,” was all Eleanor could get out before another blast of gunfire ripped through the windows. “Stay down, Tess. Your father will be here soon to help us.”

  “No, I can do this. I’ve been practicing with Drew for just this kind of attack. I won’t sit back and wait for them to come into the house.” Tess’s fingers shook as she loaded shells into the pistol, but Eleanor saw the determination in the young woman’s face and understood this was something Tess had to do.

  All three women’s heads snapped toward the front door at the sound of someone just outside.

  “Come out, MacLaren. I know you’re in there.”

  Amanda recognized Chet Hollis’s voice and cringed. He was after the horses, and Will. She raised herself to the window and peered out. Hollis and another man stood flush against the outside wall. She could just make out the outlines of a few other men near the bunkhouse. She hoped her Father saw them, but she couldn’t wait to find out. Amanda couldn’t get a shot off at Hollis but she might be able to hit one of the men at the bunkhouse. She aimed and fired at the same instant a shot from upstairs rang out. Two of Hollis’ men crumbled to the ground. How many more? Amanda wondered.

  Chet yelled, “You can’t hold out forever in there. Come out, MacLaren, and we’ll let everyone
else go. Just you and me, the way it should be.” Three bullets riddled the front door and a loud blow made the door shudder. Amanda realized he was trying to break it down.

  “Will’s gone, Chet. He took off hours ago and no one’s seen him. Take your men and leave before anyone else dies,” she shouted through a shattered window.

  “Ah, Miss Taylor. How nice to hear your voice. Why don’t you come out and we can talk this over? You and me,” Hollis called back and waved to the remaining men near the bunkhouse to start moving toward the barn and house. It had become clear the bunkhouse was empty and that Taylor had men spread out around the horse corral. It had been a trap but he still might be able to get away with the one thing he prized the most—Amanda Taylor.

  “Don’t you even consider it, Amanda,” her mother whispered as she crawled toward her.

  The women heard another gun blast. “I got one!” an excited shout came from the office. Tessa had taken a shot and it had paid off.

  Amanda took a quick look outside and saw that another man lay prone between the house and bunkhouse. “Good shot, Tess. We need to figure out how many more men Hollis has with him. Can you see any from the office?”

  “I just saw another one run from the bunkhouse but I couldn’t get him,” Tess replied.

  “Well, four are down, but how many are left?”

  “Seven. There are still seven men,” Frank’s words drifted down the stairs as he made his way to the living room. “One out back, three by the barn, and three out front.”

  Amanda raised her head once more to look out the window. No one. The front porch was empty. “They’re gone,” she said and looked at Frank.

  “Not gone, just changed their positions. The shooting has stopped by the corral, so my guess is Grant and some others are making their way to the house. Hollis or one of his men probably spotted them and are preparing to pick them off. I’ll need to get outside, see if I can help,” Frank’s tone was matter-of-fact as he reloaded his pistol.

  Frank made his way through the kitchen to the back door and looked out. He spotted one of the robbers partially hidden behind a tree about five yards away. He leveled his pistol and waited. Five seconds, ten seconds passed before the man leaned out. One shot and the man slumped to the ground. That left six. Frank scanned the area once more, caught slight movement, and saw the silhouette of a man making his way behind the woodpile, toward his fallen comrade. Curses spewed from the robber when he turned the body over. Frank knew the rustler was dead.

  Frank took aim again. His shot was wide and his target leapt behind a large tree. A blast peppered the back door, then another. A single shot broke the glass above the sink. It sounded like another outlaw had joined the first. Frank heard feet pounding on dry ground and realized they were rushing the house. He stood to the side of the back door, aimed directly at the entrance and waited. It only took seconds for the first man to kick the door open, but a bullet from Frank had him on the ground before he had a chance to cross the threshold. Frank moved fast, centered his gun on the second man and fired. The rustler slumped to the ground. That still left four.

  Frank made his way outside and around the house, trying to get a good view of the barn. Gunfire reverberated through the night, followed by moans, but he had no idea if it was a robber or Taylor man who’d gone down.

  “They got Tuck, Grant.” Hal, the one remaining ranch hand crouched beside his boss behind a row of barrels next to the barn. Before Grant had a chance to reply the men heard movement behind them, and turned to see two rifles pointed at them.

  “Don’t try something stupid, Mr. Taylor. I’m not ready to rid the world of your presence, at least not quite yet,” Chet smirked. “Drop your guns and we’ll reunite you with your lovely daughter and wife.”

  “What’s this about, Hollis?” Grant glared at the man who held him hostage.

  “If you think about it hard enough I believe you’ll figure it out.”

  “It’s not just about the cattle or horses, is it?” Grant was trying to stall, hoping the MacLarens might make it back in time to stop the massacre.

  “Cattle, horses, land, people. It’s about all of it, Taylor. My boss believes you stole something from him years ago, and now he wants it back.”

  “Bierdan,” Grant said and resigned himself to the fact that his guess had been right.

  “That’s right—Bierdan. Guess you shouldn’t have crossed him. The man’s not one to forgive and forget. Now, turn around and start for the house.” Hollis raised the gun to indicate their conversation had ended.

  Frank saw Grant and Hal walk from around the barn, then cursed when he saw Hollis and another man following. At the same instant, two more of Chet’s men emerged from the barn to join their boss. Four men using the other two as shields. Frank had to come up with something fast, but what?

  Chapter Twenty-One

  The MacLaren brothers were still a mile from the ranch house when they heard the distinct sound of gunfire. A quick look between them was all it took before each horse began to fly across the open land.

  Will reached the edge of the fence first and reined Justice to a stop. Seconds later, Drew and Jamie pulled up beside him.

  “Shit, it’s Hollis, and he’s got Grant and Hal. I can see three I don’t recognize—must be with Hollis,” Will ground out as fear began to tighten his chest. “The women must still be in the house with Frank.”

  “We can’t wait until Hollis gets the women to come out. We need to move fast, surprise them before they claim more hostages.” Jamie’s old life kicked in as his mind quickly assessed what needed to be done.

  “What do you want us to do, Jamie?” Drew asked.

  “Drew, you move in from the left, Will from the right. I’ll go straight in and take out Hollis first, then the man next to him. You two okay taking out the others?” Jamie was already checking his pistol.

  “Hollis is mine. I’ll kill the bastard,” Will said with finality. Jamie and Drew looked at each other but didn’t protest.

  “All right. I’ll take the man next to Hollis and the tall, slim one. Drew, you take the short one to the far right,” Jamie said. “All right. Let’s move up as close as possible, get in position, then move fast. There won’t be time for a second shot or Hollis might kill Grant. First shot’s got to hit the mark.” Will and Drew, nodded and the three moved forward.

  ******

  “Ladies,” Hollis called into the house, “I’d suggest you make your way outside before we have to rid you of one more man.”

  Eleanor, Amanda, and Tess looked through broken glass to see Grant standing, arms slack at his sides, facing the house.

  “They’ll kill Father and Hal if we don’t go out,” Amanda’s face reflected her misery.

  “They’ll kill all of us either way. We know who they are—they’re not going to let any of us live through this,” Eleanor replied. “But, we can’t just stay here and take the chance.” Resignation laced her voice.

  “I think we should shoot them. They’ll never think we’d take the chance,” Tess offered.

  Amanda put an arm around her sister. “That may be right, Tess, but we can’t take the chance. Our aim just isn’t that good.”

  “Well then, let’s go,” Eleanor motioned for the others to put the guns on a nearby table. She looked around the living room that had been her home for over twenty years and wondered if she’d ever see it again or sit with Grant at night to share their day. She and her husband had plans. This wasn’t the way their lives were supposed to end. Eleanor reached out to grab the door handle but the sound of rapid gunfire stopped her.

  The women moved to the closest window and looked out. What they saw shocked all three. Hollis and his men lay on the ground while Grant and Hal stood motionless and stared at the bodies around them.

  “What on earth?” Eleanor asked no one in particular and ran outside. Amanda and Tess followed, but stopped as Jamie and Will rode up and dismounted.

  Neither said a word to anyone, but walked
to each body and kicked it to confirm each man was dead.

  Hollis was the only one who stirred. Blood streamed from his slack lips and pooled on the ground. His eyes began to glaze. He recognized the man glaring down at him—Will MacLaren. I lost and MacLaren won. It was his last thought before his heart stopped.

  Will stared at the man who had ruined his life and watched as the life flowed out of him. It was over. The long search had ended and the vengeance he’d sought for his wife had been realized. It was a justifiable and righteous death, but too quick for a man as evil as Hollis.

  “What happened?” Jamie walked up to Will to peer down at the object of his brother’s five-year journey.

  “He’s dead,” Will looked at Jamie with confused eyes.

  “I’m asking about Drew. He didn’t get his man and he’s not here. Did you see him after the men fell?”

  Will looked around as fear gripped him. “No!” he roared and ran to mount Justice. Jamie was right behind on Rebel. They wasted no time finding the spot where Drew had taken cover. Their horses had barely stopped when they each jumped off and ran to the body of their brother.

  “God, no!” Will’s agonized cry pierced the night sky as he fell to his knees beside his twin. Drew lay prone on the ground but was breathing. Jamie crouched on the other side as they gently examined him. There was blood around his waist and hips, and down his legs.

  Jamie pulled back Drew’s clothing to expose a wound where a bullet had ripped into the right hip. It appeared that the bullet was still lodged in his body. Will tore off his shirt and applied pressure to the wound. Jamie grabbed his canteen to wash the blood away.

  “I’ll go back and have Grant send someone for the doctor. I’ll bring back the wagon. Are you going to be okay here for a while?” Jamie asked Will.