Deliverance at Cardwell Ranch

by B. J Daniels

  He spun around, banged his head on a low-hanging ledge of rock and almost blacked out as he tried not to run back the way he’d come. To hell with the ledger. To hell with Gillian and her cowboy. To hell with all of it. He was getting out of here.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Victor believed in playing the odds. He’d always known the day could come when this life he’d built might come falling down around him. He would have been a fool not to have made arrangements for that possibility. He was no fool. He had a jet at the airport and money put away in numerous accounts around the world, as well as passports in various names.

  So what was he waiting for?

  He looked around his mountain home. He’d grown fond of this house and Montana. He didn’t want to leave. But there was a world out there and really little keeping him here.

  So why wasn’t he already gone? He didn’t really believe that Marc was going to save the day, did he? Isn’t that why he’d gone to Rebecca Stewart’s hospital room himself? It had been foolish, but he’d hoped to get the information from her and then take care of the problem. That’s what he did, take care of problems. He’d especially wanted to take care of her.

  He hated that he’d made this personal. He’d always said it was just business. But a few times it had felt personal enough that he’d taken things into his own hands. Killing came easy to him when it was someone he felt had wronged him. In those instances, he’d liked to do it himself.

  But he’d failed and he was stupid enough to try to kill her again.

  Victor glanced at the clock on the wall. Was he going to wait until the FBI SWAT team arrived? Or was he going to get out while he could?

  He pulled out his phone. “Take care of Marc.”

  Jumbo made a sound as if he’d been eagerly awaiting this particular order. “One thing you probably want to know, though—he’s gone into a cave apparently looking for his missing ledger.”

  “A cave?”

  “He’s not alone. There’s a white SUV here.” He read off the plate number. It was the same one Victor’s informant had given him.

  “The Texas deputy and Marc’s sister-in-law.” Victor swore. “Where is this cave?”

  Jumbo described the isolated gulch.

  “Make sure none of them come out of the cave.”

  “What about the ledger?”

  Victor considered. “If he has it on him, get it. Otherwise...”

  * * *

  AUSTIN HELD HIS BREATH. The footfalls had been close. He’d almost taken advantage of the few moments when the person had dropped his flashlight. But he hadn’t wanted to chance it, not with Gillian deep in this cave with him.

  What surprised him was when the footfalls suddenly retreated. The person sounded as if he were trying to run. What the—

  “What happened?” Gillian whispered.

  “I don’t know.” He kept listening, telling himself it could be a trick. Why would the person turn back like that? The only occasional sound he heard was some distance away and growing dimmer by the minute.

  “I think he left,” he whispered. “Stay here and let me take a look.”

  He eased out of the crevice a little, his weapon ready. In the blackness of the cave, he felt weightless. That kind of darkness got to a person quickly. He listened, thought he heard retreating footfalls, and turned on his light for a split second. He’d half expected to hear the explosion of a gunshot, but to his surprise, he heard nothing. He turned his light back on and shone it the way they’d come. Whoever it had been had turned around and gone back.

  The cave, as far as he could see, was empty.

  He had no idea who it might have been.

  Austin felt Gillian squeeze his arm a moment before she whispered, “Are they gone?”

  “It appears so, but stay behind me,” he whispered.

  She turned on her headlamp and they headed back the way they’d come.

  * * *

  “YOU THINK SOMEONE will be able to make sense of this?” Gillian asked as she watched Austin thumb through the ledger. They’d stopped to catch their breaths and make sure they were still alone.

  “Yeah, I do.” He looked up at her. “This is big, much bigger than some guy who owns an auto shop.”

  She heard the worry in his voice. “If you’re going to tell me that there are people who would kill to keep this book from surfacing—”

  He smiled at her attempt at humor, but quickly sobered. “I’m afraid the people your brother-in-law associated with would make him look like a choirboy.”

  “So we need to get this to the authorities as quickly as possible,” she said and looked down toward the way out of the cave. “You think that was Marc earlier?”

  “Maybe. Or one of his associates.”

  “Why did he turn around and go back?” she asked with new concern.

  “Good question.” He tucked the ledger back into his jacket. “When we get to the opening, if anything happens, you hightail it back into the cave and hide.”

  “You think he’s waiting for us outside?”

  “That’s what I would do,” Austin said.

  “That day with my sister? I never did see Luke. I saw him go into the cave, but I never saw them come out. There must be another way out of the caves. But I have no idea where.”

  Austin seemed to take in the information. “Let’s hope we don’t need it.”

  Gillian followed him as they wound their way back the route they had come. The cave seemed colder now and definitely darker. She turned off her headlamp at Austin’s suggestion to save on the battery, should they need it. She could see well enough with him ahead of her lighting the way.

  But just the fact that he thought they might need that extra headlamp made it clear that he didn’t think they would get out of here without trouble.

  * * *

  AS MARC STUMBLED headlong out of the cave, he gulped air frantically. His whole body was shaking and instantly chilled as the December air swept across his sweat-soaked skin. He bent over, hands on his thighs, and tried to catch his breath. So intent on catching his breath, he didn’t even notice Jumbo at first.

  When Jumbo cleared his voice, he looked up with a start to see the big man resting against a large boulder just outside the cave.

  “Where is the ledger?” Jumbo asked.

  “Inside the cave.”

  Jumbo lifted a heavy brow. “Why don’t you have it? You were just in there.”

  Marc shook his head as he straightened. His gun bit into his back where he’d stuffed it in the waistband of his jeans. “My wife’s sister has it.” Jumbo’s expression didn’t change. “If you are so anxious to have it, then go into the cave and get it yourself.”

  Jumbo acted as if he was considering that. At the same time the thought dawned on Marc, Jumbo voiced it. “If I go in for the ledger, then what do I need you for?”

  Marc’s mind spun in circles. Why hadn’t Jumbo just come into the cave? Something told him the big man didn’t like caves any better than he did. “Good point. I guess I’d better go get it.”

  Jumbo smiled and stood. “Or I can simply wait until she comes out of the cave and take it from her.”

  Marc shook his head. “You don’t want to kill her and the deputy out here where their bodies will be found too soon. Anyway, the cowboy’s armed and expecting trouble. Give me a minute and I’ll go back in so I can take care of them.”

  Jumbo’s smile broadened. “You’re smarter than Victor thinks you are.”

  He wasn’t sure that was a compliment, but he didn’t take the time to consider the big man’s meaning. He drew his gun and fired.

  * * *

  AUSTIN HEARD THE gunfire outside the cave. It sounded like fireworks in the distance, but he knew it wasn’t that.

 
“Stay here,” he said to Gillian. “I’ll come back for you.”

  She grabbed his jacket sleeve. He turned toward her, pushing back his headlamp so as not to blind her. In the ambient light, her face was etched in worry.

  He drew her to him. She was trembling. “You’ll be all right. I’ll make sure of that.”

  “I’m not worried about me.”

  He leaned back a little to meet her eyes. “Trust me?”

  She nodded. “With my life.”

  “I will be back.” He kissed her, holding her as if he never wanted to let her go. Then he quickly broke it off. “Here.” He leaned down and pulled a small pistol from his ankle holster. “All you have to do is point and shoot. Just make sure it isn’t me you’re shooting at.”

  She smiled at that. “I’ve shot a gun before.”

  “Good.” He didn’t want to leave her, but he hadn’t heard any more shots. He had to get to the cave entrance now. “Gillian—”

  “I know. Just come back.”

  He turned and rushed as fast as he could through the corkscrew tunnel of the cave until he could see daylight ahead. Slowing, he listened for any sound outside and heard nothing but his own breathing and the scrape of his footfalls inside the cave.

  Finally, when he was almost to the cave entrance, he stopped. No sound came from outside. A trap? It was definitely a possibility. He eased his way toward the growing daylight of the world outside as he heard the roar of a vehicle engine.

  He rushed forward, almost tripping over a body. The man was large. Austin didn’t recognize him. It appeared he’d been shot numerous times.

  Below him on the mountain, an old pickup took off in a cloud of dust and gravel. He spun around at a sound behind him to find Gillian standing in the mouth of the cave. She had the gun he’d given her in her hand.

  “I thought you might need me,” she said as she lowered the gun.

  * * *

  “MARC’S NOT DONE,” Gillian said as she watched Austin try to get cell phone coverage to call the police. She realized she still had the gun he’d given her. She slipped it into her pocket without thinking. Her mind was on Marc and what he would do now. “He gave up too easily. Why didn’t he wait to kill us, as well?”

  “He’s wounded,” Austin said and swore under his breath. “There is no cell phone coverage up here.”

  “How do you know that?”

  Austin pointed to several large drops of blood a few yards from the dead man. “Right now he’s headed to a doctor. Hopefully at a hospital. This is almost over.”

  Gillian shook her head. “I hope you’re right.”

  He stopped trying to get bars on his phone and looked at her. “Then where is it you think he’s gone?”

  “If he is headed for a hospital it’s my sister’s. If he thinks we have the ledger and it’s over... I have to get to the hospital. Now!” She could tell that Austin thought she was overreacting. “Please. I just have this bad feeling....”

  “Okay. As soon as we can get cell service I’ll call the hospital and make sure there is still a guard outside your sister’s room and that she is safe, and then I’ll call the police.”

  “Thank you.” She couldn’t tell him how relieved she was as they hurried down the mountain. Austin seemed to think that the reason Marc had left was because of his wound. The one thing she knew for sure was that Marc wasn’t done.

  If he’d given up on getting the ledger, then he had something else in mind. She feared that meant her sister was in danger.

  * * *

  VICTOR EXITED HIS car and started across the tarmac to his plane. A bright winter sun hung on the edge of the horizon, but to him it was more like a dark cloud. Jumbo hadn’t gotten back to him to tell him that all his problems had been handled up the gulch. He’d been right in not waiting to see how it all sorted itself out.

  He squinted and slowed his steps as he saw a figure standing next to his plane. Jumbo?

  Marc Stewart stepped out of the shadow of the plane. He had his hands in the pockets of his oversize coat. “Going somewhere?”

  Victor smiled, accepting that Marc wouldn’t be here if Jumbo was alive. “Taking a short trip.”

  Marc nodded and returned his smile. “I told you I would take care of everything.”

  He cocked his head. “I assume you have, then.”

  Anger radiated off him like heat waves. “I thought you had more faith in me. Sending Jumbo to kill me? That hurts my feelings.”

  Victor didn’t bother to answer. He’d noticed that Marc seemed to be favoring his right side. Was it possible Jumbo had wounded him?

  “I can’t let you get on that plane,” Marc said, his hands still in his pockets. “Not without me.”

  “I doubt you want to go where I’m going. Nor do I suspect you’re in good enough shape to travel. I’m guessing that you’re wounded and that if you don’t seek medical attention—”

  Marc swore. “Give me the briefcase.”

  Victor had almost forgotten he was carrying it. He glanced down at the metal case in his right hand. “There’s nothing in there but documents. You’ve forced me to buy myself the same kind of protection you would have had if you’d been able to get your ledger back.”

  “Jumbo said I’m smarter than you think I am. Actually that was the last thing he said. Now give me the briefcase. I know it’s full of money.”

  Before Victor could say, “Over my dead body,” Marc pulled the gun from his pocket.

  He glanced toward the cockpit but saw no one. Nor was there any chance of anyone appearing to turn things around. Realizing it would be over his dead body, Victor relented. Marc might have killed his pilot, but Victor was more than capable of flying his own plane. A flight plan had already been filed.

  All he had to do was settle up with Marc. It was just money and as they say, he couldn’t take it with him if Marc pulled that trigger.

  Stepping toward him, Victor said, “It’s all yours. A couple million in large untraceable bills.” He started to hold the case out to him. At the last minute, as if his arm had a mind of its own, he swung the heavy metal case. It was just money, true enough, but it was his money.

  He’d never thought Marc particularly fast on his feet. Nor had he thought Marc had the killer instinct. But circumstances could change a man. In retrospect he should have considered that somehow Marc had bested Jumbo. He should have considered a lot of things.

  The first bullet tore through his left shoulder just above his heart. The impact made him flinch and stagger. As the second bullet punctured his chest at heart level, Marc wrenched the briefcase out of his hand.

  Victor dropped to his knees and looked up at the man as his life’s blood spilled out on the small airstrip’s tarmac.

  “I made you,” he said. “You were nothing before I took you under my wing.”

  “Yes, you made me into the man I am now.” Marc Stewart stepped to him, placed the barrel of the gun against his forehead. “You shouldn’t have told Jumbo to kill me.” He pulled the trigger.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Marc stood over the dead man. He wiped sweat out of his eyes, chilled to the skin and at the same time sweating profusely from the pain and the adrenaline rush.

  It made him angry that Victor had put him in this position. None of this should have happened. If Rebecca hadn’t— He stopped himself before he let his thoughts take him down that old road again.

  What was done was done. Jumbo was dead and so was Victor. He stared down into that boy-next-door face. Victor looked good, even dead. The man’s words still hung in the air. Yes, Victor had made him. He’d turned him into a killer.

  Marc had been happy enough running his own body shop. Hell, he’d been proud of himself. He’d made a decent living. He hadn’t needed Victor coming into his life.


  But there was no going back now. That Marc Stewart was dead. He was now a man he didn’t even recognize. But he felt stronger, more confident, more in control than he ever had before. Rebecca hadn’t understood his frustration, his feelings of inadequacy. He’d struck out because he hadn’t felt in control.

  But now...he knew who he was and what he was capable of doing. He hefted the briefcase as he walked to his pickup filled with a sense of freedom. He had more money than he could spend in a lifetime. He could just take off like Victor was planning to do. He wouldn’t be flying off in a jet, but he could disappear if he wanted to.

  Without his son.

  That thought dug in like the bullet from Jumbo’s weapon that had torn through his side.

  Or he could finish what he started. He thought of Rebecca. It galled him that she might win. He thought of his son. My son, he said under his breath with a growl.

  Then there was Gillian and the cowboy deputy. He tucked the gun back into his jacket pocket as he climbed into his truck and started the engine. Once he got bandaged up... Well, the people who had tried to bring him down had no idea who they were dealing with now.

  * * *

  AUSTIN PUT IN the call as soon as they neared Townsend and he was able to get cell phone coverage. As he hung up, he looked over at Gillian. “The guard is outside your sister’s room. Rebecca is fine. I told the doctor we are on our way.”

  She nodded, but he could tell she was no less worried.

  He called the police, knowing there would be hell to pay for leaving the scene. Right now his main concern was Gillian, though. He’d always followed his instincts so how could he deny hers?

  The drive to Bozeman took just over an hour since he was pushing it. Gillian said little on the trip. He could see how worried she was.

  When his cell phone rang, he saw it was Marshal Hud Savage, his cousin-in-law. Had Hud already heard about what had happened back up the gulch?

  “I was worried about you,” Hud said.

  With good reason, Austin thought. “I’m fine. Gillian Cooper is with me. We have Marc Stewart’s ledger. We’re pulling into the hospital now so Gillian can see her sister. Rebecca has regained consciousness, the doctor said. Gillian’s worried that Marc is also headed there and not for medical attention. He’s wounded after killing a man neither of us recognized. I spoke with the nurse earlier and all was fine, but—”