“Yes, I’ll be fine. Just hurry.”
Within seconds Jamie was riding away as fast as Rebel could run. He could see Amanda and Tess start to run toward him with blankets but he waived them off.
“We found him. He’s hurt, bad,” Jamie dismounted and ran to Grant. “Send for the doctor. And we need a buckboard.”
Grant never hesitated but instructed Hal to ride hard to get the doc. Jamie, Grant, and Amanda took care of the buckboard while Tess grabbed water, towels, and whiskey to go with the blankets she already carried.
“I’ll get a place ready for him,” Eleanor yelled as she rushed into the house.
“I’m coming with you, Jamie,” Frank said but Jamie held him off.
“Stay here. Help Eleanor with whatever she needs.”
“You drive, Father,” Amanda said and jumped in the back of the wagon with Tess while Jamie mounted Rebel.
Will, waiting for the wagon, continued to apply pressure to the wound. “Drew, can you hear me?” He thought he’d get no response, but heard a slight moan. “Drew, I’m here. You’re going to be okay.”
“What happened?” Drew asked, then winced from the sudden onslaught of pain. Recall came soon afterwards. “God, wherever that bastard hit me, it sure hurts.”
Will would’ve laughed if his brother hadn’t been in so much pain. “You remember?”
“Only that I was about ready to pull the trigger and pain shot through me—from behind. I remember falling to the ground, then nothing.”
Will looked up to see Jamie on Rebel, and Grant driving the wagon. Thank God, they weren’t far from the house. Drew had taken up a position about a hundred-fifty yards out—a sizable distance with a rifle, but he was a good shot, better than most men.
Amanda and Tess jumped from the wagon. Each loaded their arms with supplies, ran to Drew, and dropped to their knees.
“How’s he doing, Will?” Tess asked in a soft, calm voice but her eyes reflected the concern all of them felt.
“He’s going to live,” Drew replied in a strained voice.
“Good, you’re conscious. Do you remember anything?” Tess continued to speak to him in a soothing voice while she removed Will’s shirt from the wound and rinsed it with water. Amanda handed her the bottle of whiskey. “Drew, this is going to hurt but I don’t know how long it will take for the doctor to get here and we need to stop any infection. Okay?”
“Wait. Give me some of that whiskey before you waste it on my wound.” The demand made Tess smile and helped the others relax.
Jamie helped turn him on his side while Will held his head. Tess started to move the bottle to his lips when Drew snatched from her. “I can do it,” he said, and poured a generous amount of the golden liquid down his throat. “Okay, now I’m ready.”
Everyone watched as Tess poured whiskey on the wound. Drew winced but otherwise remained motionless. She signaled for Amanda to hand her a towel and began to clean the wound with more alcohol. Drew sucked in his breath but again his body was still.
“We need to get you in the wagon. It’ll hurt, but there’s no help for it,” Tess warned him. Three strong sets of arms wrapped around Drew and lifted. He didn’t make a sound. Amanda glanced at Tess but the younger woman shook her head. The men placed Drew on blankets in the back of the wagon and Amanda covered him with additional ones.
“You girls hold him secure during the ride back. Won’t take long,” Grant said and slapped the reins.
******
“How is he, Doc?” Will asked when the doctor emerged from the downstairs bedroom where they’d placed Drew. As he’d done with Frank, the doctor had shooed everyone from the room, except Eleanor. This time he had her stay. Will glanced at her and his stomach plummeted. The look on her face was grave, devoid of the encouraging smile he’d expected.
All the others had crowded around Will to hear the news.
“It’s not good, I’m afraid,” the doc said and a noticeable tension over-took the room.
“What do you mean?” Jamie’s frustration was directed at the Doc.
“I’m getting to that, young man,” the doctor replied and Jamie backed off. “The bullet is still lodged in his back. I don’t know how close it is to his spinal cord but it can’t be far. I can do my best to remove it without causing further damage, but there are risks. What worries me is that he can’t feel anything in his legs—nothing from his waist down. I need to get the bullet out to stop infection but there’s a risk that if there’s already damage to the spine, removing the bullet could make it worse.”
The room fell silent. Will ran a hand through his already disheveled hair and Jamie walked to the living room and dropped into a nearby chair. Everyone followed.
“You boys want to be alone, talk about this with the doc?” Grant asked.
The brothers looked at Grant but neither said a word. Finally, Jamie cleared the catch in his voice and responded. “No, we’d appreciate it if you’d stay. Help us talk through this. Not sure that either Will or I are thinking too straight right now.”
“You okay with that, son?” Grant asked Will, who just nodded his agreement.
“How much time before these two have to make a decision, Doc?” Grant asked.
“Well now, I’d like to do this soon, before there’s more damage. Within an hour at the latest.”
“Eleanor, would you mind getting us all some coffee? Might help us think better.” Grant smiled at his wife as she turned for the kitchen. He motioned everyone to have a seat.
Will slammed the flat of his hand into a wall. “It’s my fault.” No one said a word, just let him get it out. “I told Drew over and over that I didn’t want him here, that I could handle this on my own. Now this.” The agony in his voice brought tears to Amanda’s eyes.
Jamie walked to his brother, and placed a hand on his shoulder “He was here because that’s what he wanted. It wasn’t your decision to make. He knew the danger and he chose to accept it. If you were in his place, would you have stayed away?”
Will contemplated Jamie’s words. “No, I would’ve come anyway.”
“All right, then, let’s talk about this decision that must be made,” Jamie said to everyone. “Doc, how good are you as a surgeon? Do people live or die under your hand?”
The doctor was taken aback only a little, then a smile curved his lips. “That’s an excellent question, young man. The truth is, I haven’t had to remove a bullet quite like this one in a long time. Not since the War when I was a surgeon for the Union Army. But at that time, I did pretty well. Course, they were running the injured through quicker than I liked, but that was war. Taking my time, the clean conditions we have here, and Eleanor’s help, I’d give your brother a fifty-fifty chance of no additional damage. That’s the best I can tell you.” The doctor sipped at the hot brew Eleanor handed him.
“And infection if the bullet stays inside Drew?”
“That’s the critical issue here. Leaving the bullet will most likely cause infection which could lead to death. Taking it out will give your brother a much better chance to live. It may cause more damage—increase the lack of feeling or worse—but the chances that he’ll live are much better.”
Will looked to Grant. “What do you think?”
Grant didn’t hesitate. “Your brother is a smart man, an attorney. He’s got good experience and mighty fine connections. Seems to me it’d be best to be alive and practicing law, then dead from infection. Besides, we don’t know if the paralysis is permanent or temporary, right Doc?”
“That’s true, Grant. Truth is, we might not know for several weeks or months. Some people do have injuries that heal with time and rest. Your brother might be one of those.”
Jamie and Will took in the words of both men, then spoke in soft tones between themselves. Will ran another hand through his hair as Jamie kept talking, but it didn’t take long for them to agree.
“We’ll go for the surgery, Doctor,” Will said with finality. Jamie squeezed his brother’s shoul
der, then sat down next to Tess.
“All right, boys. I think you’ve made a wise decision. He’s out from the laudanum so now’s a good time to get started. Eleanor, you up for this?”
“I’d be honored to help that boy, Doctor. Just tell me what to do.” The two disappeared into the back bedroom.
Chapter Twenty-Two
“How do you want to handle this, Grant?” Will asked the day after his brother’s surgery. Drew had come through fine, but the paralysis remained. It didn’t seem to be any worse, and at least the bullet was gone. But his mood was something no one wanted to be around for long. He was on heavy doses of laudanum and was half-witted much of time. Grant’s decision to go after the cattle, then focus on finding the man who’d shot Drew sounded real good to Will and Jamie.
“Tinder just got back an hour ago, but according to him, Jake and the rest of my men are keeping watch on where the rustlers are holding the missing cattle. He can take us to them. It’ll be Tinder, you two, plus Frank and I riding out with the other men. Damn fool insists on going even with his injured shoulder. Tinder estimates only ten rustlers for all that cattle. We’ve got fifteen so that’s good odds,” Grant paused to toss out his tepid coffee. “Can’t wait any longer if we hope to get them all back.”
“We’re ready when you are.” Jamie had expected Grant’s decision. It made sense. Stalling would serve no purpose.
“Is everyone ready to go, Will?” Amanda walked up to Justice and stroked the long, sleek, black neck of the stallion. He was a magnificent animal, much like his owner. She’d stopped denying her feelings and had come to terms about her deep affection for Will. She was in love with him.
“Looks like it. Hope to be back by nightfall, with the cattle, and perhaps the men who took them,” Will replied. “You’ll watch over Drew for us, right?” He was torn. He needed to go help recover the cattle but wanted to stay in case his brother needed him.
“Of course. Tess and I will take turns checking on him. You don’t need to worry.”
Amanda and Tess watched the men ride out. Their father had refused to let either go along and warned each there’d be severe consequences if they tried to follow.
“I guess I’ll go check on our patient,” Tess began to turn toward the house, but stopped. “I don’t believe he’s accepted that he’s paralyzed, at least for now. When he’s lucid, he focuses on what the Doc said about the bullet not hitting his spine. He’s sure he’ll recover in a few days and start back for Denver.” Tess folded her hands in front of her. “It could be temporary. I’m just worried how he’ll do if the paralysis lasts for weeks or months. Or, if he’s never able to walk again. He’s a good man, Amanda. It’s just not right.” Anger, and perhaps something else, laced her words.
Amanda walked up and pulled her sister into her arms. She could feel Tess’s body tremble and realized the young woman felt much more for Drew than she’d let on.
“It’s in God’s hands now, Tess. All we can do is be here for him and pray that he regains the use of his legs. It’s going to be a long recovery whether he walks again or not. But, like Father said, Drew has education and skills that can be used whether he stands or sits. That’s a lot more than most men have. He’s strong. I know he’ll get through this.” She hugged Tess tighter then stepped back. “Come on. I’ll go with you to check on the grizzly bear inside.”
******
“Let’s ride out, men. I expect Taylor will find this spot soon enough and we need to be long on our way before that happens.” Gordon Bierdan had no choice but to lead the drive to Slider Junction. Hollis and Wiley were both dead. There wasn’t anyone else he trusted to get the cattle to the railroad. His partner in Denver wouldn’t be happy with the change, but there was no choice.
He knew he’d screwed up and shot the wrong MacLaren. He had spotted them the day before as they surveyed his ranch and realized they’d figured most of it out. At least he was sure they knew his men were involved in the rustling. Gordon followed them when they rode off, but held back when he heard the shooting at the Taylor place. He’d tried to get in position to bring down two of them but wasn’t fast enough, so Gordon decided he could at least get the one who was after Hollis. Now he realized the wrong man had fallen. It was a critical mistake. He knew Will wouldn’t stop until he found the man who had shot his brother.
Gordon rode his horse to the front of the herd and motioned that the drive had begun. They’d have to take the cattle through a narrow gorge that few men knew about. Grant and maybe a handful of men besides himself had ever seen it. It would be slow moving as the animals would need to go through two or three at a time, but once on the other side, it was a clear expanse of open land for miles. That’s where they’d meet up with the chuck wagon and extra horses. The men at the back had been instructed to close the narrow opening when they passed through. Once closed, anyone who followed would be required to ride a full day around the mountain to get to the open plain. The cattle would be almost to Slider Junction by then.
Bierdan rode through first and motioned for his men to drive the cattle forward. Only six or seven head had passed through when a shot rang out. It hit the ground not five feet from where Gordon sat atop his horse. Dust flew up and the cattle began to panic.
“You’re through, Gordon. Don’t push that herd any farther. My men have orders to open fire if any more cattle come through that pass.” Grant’s deep voice echoed through the narrow canyon.
Gordon circled his horse and peered up at the ridge above. Nothing. He had no doubt Grant had men stationed above and at the end of the narrow gorge. They’d found this spot years ago, when they were partners, before Grant had betrayed him. Two of Bierdan’s men rode through the opening with weapons drawn.
“Tell your men to put their guns away, Gordon. There’s no point in any more dying over my cattle. We’ll kill if needed, but it doesn’t have to be that way.”
“The hell it don’t, Taylor,” Gordon yelled. He reached over and drew his rifle from its scabbard. He didn’t fire, but raced toward the opening at the other end of the gulley.
“Don’t shoot. Bierdan is mine,” Grant told his men and raced to his horse. He knew the lowland valley twisted and turned, which would slow Bierdan’s escape. It was an easy trail down the back side for Grant. Only a few minutes and he’d meet up with the man who’d tried to gamble away their ranch years ago.
They’d been partners, grown the ranch into a success in only a few years. But Gordon’s love of liquor and cards proved too much. He’d tried to put up his half of the ranch on a poker bet. One of the ranch hands overheard the bet and notified Grant, who sat with some other men at another table.
A few minutes later Gordon had been knocked out, dragged from the saloon, and thrown over his horse. Grant had known the bet wouldn’t hold up in court due to a creative legal clause in the contract requiring both signatures for any transfer of land, but he’d been furious with his partner—felt he’d been deceived.
The next day Grant made Gordon an offer to buy his half, and the man had accepted. It was a fair offer, but as the years passed, Bierdan had convinced himself that Grant had stolen the property from him. No one else had seen it that way. Gordon’s bitterness had increased and now it had come down to the simple truth that one would survive this day and one wouldn’t.
Grant made it down the slope, dismounted, setup behind a large boulder, and waited. He saw Bierdan approach and leveled his rifle. “Stop, Gordon. I don’t want to shoot you, but I will if you don’t pull up.”
“Not this time.” Rifle in hand, Gordon reined in his horse, settled in the saddle, and pulled the trigger. “It’s you or me today. I won’t walk away again.” He fired once more before dropping off his horse to hide behind a rock outcropping.
Grant moved around the boulder to get a better view. The last shot had ricocheted, grazing his left arm. “Give up, Gordon. You’ve got no chance of getting away and neither do your men. No reason for you to die.”
“Go to
hell, Taylor,” Gordon shouted and squeezed the trigger.
The shot missed but now Grant knew where the man was hiding. He made his way around another small boulder and climbed up. He was looking down at his adversary twenty feet away. His boot slipped on the loose rock alerting Gordon to his location. Another shot buzzed past Grant at the same time he aimed and pulled the trigger. The bullet hit Gordon in the chest, spraying blood across the rocks and dirt. The rifle dropped from his hands as his legs gave out and he slumped to the ground.
Grant knelt next to the man he’d known for over thirty years and held his head. “It didn’t have to be this way,” he whispered.
Gordon’s life beat out of him but he’d heard his old partner. “Sure it did.” He coughed blood and spit. “At least I got one of them MacLaren men,” he choked out. His eyes rolled back and his breath ceased.
******
“Doc says you’ve got to try to get something down, Drew. Now stop fighting me,” Tess snapped.
“Leave me alone. I don’t know how else to say it. I’m not hungry and I don’t want you around,” Drew snarled. She was trying to help but he didn’t want to deal with this, with anything. He lay on his side, unable to move his legs, paralyzed.
“Well, that’s too bad. You haven’t put anything in your stomach since yesterday and I’m not leaving until you try.” Tess held her ground. “Of course, if you don’t want me in here, I can always get Eleanor or your brothers to help out,” she threatened.
He lowered his head to the pillow in defeat. “Fine. What is it?”
“Just broth. It won’t kill you and it may take the edge off your foul mood.” She smiled at his disgusted look. He has to walk again, she thought as she tried to help him turn just enough to make it easier to swallow.
The door opened and Amanda walked in as Drew finished the last drop. He did feel better, but he wouldn’t let Tess know. She didn’t need to get any closer to him. No one did. This was his problem and he’d figure out a way to handle it. Alone.
Harder Than the Rest Page 15
