“Tucker’s not likely to ride alone,” Eli pointed out. “What if he has someone with him?”
“When I saw him outside Oakmede, he had only one man with him. And he didn’t seem thrilled to be along for the job. I don’t think he’ll give us much trouble. As far as I know, the rest of Tucker’s men are still in Mather’s Creek.”
“And what about Levi? Should we be worried about him?” Eli pressed.
Logan shook his head. “Levi never does his own dirty work. He’ll be comfortable in the saloon during the entire event, I guarantee it.”
Eli nodded, thinking through the details and making sure all areas were covered. “That leaves only one thing. We have reason to arrest Tucker. He’s a wanted man. But how are we going to tie Moran into all of this? Sure, we know he’s playing an important role, but a judge won’t.”
“I’ll testify to what I heard. But if that isn’t enough, I’m willing to bet that Tucker will turn on him if the opportunity sways in his favor.” Logan took a deep breath and rose to his feet, glancing out across the yard. “It’s not without a few risks, but I’m not willing to wait around long enough to chance a gunfight on Tom’s land.”
“Alright,” Eli nodded, joining Logan near the window. “I suppose the sooner we get this underway and these criminals behind bars, the safer everyone will be. How do you plan on getting word to Tucker?”
“He’ll have his ears out for my name. If I send Mr. Hodges to town with a message for the sheriff, it’s sure to get his attention.”
With that, Logan penned a quick note to the sheriff, explaining everything. As soon as Peterson and Hodges returned from the pasture for the morning, Logan sent him on his errand. Janie was sure to be furious if she learned of Logan’s intentions, but he held to the fact that everyone was in great danger otherwise. This entire ordeal had gone on long enough, and it was time to force matters along.
By the time Hodges returned that afternoon, Logan and Eli had readied their weapons and saddled their horses. Logan earnestly met the cowhand in the yard.
“Did all go as planned?” he asked, studying Mr. Hodges.
“Yes, sir. I delivered your note, and the sheriff and I went for a little stroll past the inn. Tucker was definitely on the lookout through an upper-floor window. We kept our discussion of your trip to the prison discreet but made sure he heard us. Everything is set…I only hope you know what you’re doing.”
“Thank you, Hodges,” Logan smiled, giving him a handshake. “There’s no need to worry. I’ve dealt with Tucker’s kind for a long time. He may be dangerous, but he’s also predictable. It’ll work in our favor.”
“I hope you’re right. You’d best be riding out, though. You’ll be losing daylight before you get halfway to Pine Ridge,” Hodges urged.
“All the better,” Logan smirked, glancing out across the land. “I know this land far better than he does. I’ll take any advantage I can get. Once things are settled, I’ll send Sheriff Graves with the news. I’m not taking any chances by bringing Tucker back to Oakmede. Eli and I will be escorting him directly to the prison.”
“Yes, sir. I’ll let Tom know.”
“Thank you,” Logan said, swinging himself up into the saddle. “Oh, and Hodges, try not to worry Janie too much. All will be well soon enough, but I don’t want her driven to madness before I can return.”
Hodges nodded. “I understand.”
With a tip of the hat, Logan and Eli rode out of the yard. The weight of the journey ahead of them rested heavily on their shoulders as they trotted down the path toward town. As planned, Eli pulled off the trail just short of reaching Oakmede, taking cover in a clump of trees. From here, he’d have a clear view of any riders leaving town.
Logan readied his rifle in his saddle slot and double-checked his revolver. The two men had no need for conversation. They’d worked together on many such errands and were well acquainted with their duties. Eli gave Logan a nod once he was satisfied with his vantage point. With Eli’s signal, Logan started down the last stretch of path into Oakmede.
His heart pounded heavily in his chest, fully aware of the outcome if anything went wrong. The slightest misstep by either of his colleagues would leave him an easy target for his experienced adversary. Logan cautiously rode past the inn, stopping in at the sheriff’s office.
Despite his best efforts to remain calm, Sheriff Graves leapt out of his chair as the door opened. “Logan, thank goodness it’s only you!” he exclaimed, clutching at his chest.
“Settle in, Noah,” Logan urged. “Things have only just begun.”
“I don’t like this,” the sheriff warned. “You’re putting yourself in far too much danger.”
“I’m already in danger,” Logan retorted. “Would you rather I waited until he knocked on my front door?”
“Of course not,” Noah shook his head. “But isn’t there some other way of flushing him out of that inn?”
“None that I can think of. Besides, I don’t want a run-in to happen in the middle of town. There are far too many people around here that are looking to us for their protection. I can’t let them down now…not with a man like Philip Tucker.”
“No, I suppose not,” Sheriff Graves sighed. “What about Levi?”
“I’ll tend to Levi once Tucker is behind bars,” Logan muttered, glancing out the window. “Levi wouldn’t dare cross me. If he’d had the guts to approach me himself, we wouldn’t be in this position.”
“It’s strange…,” Noah said, shaking his head, “somehow I always figured Moran to be our biggest threat.”
“In a way, he still is,” Logan reminded. “There will always be another gunslinger willing to take a shot at someone if the price is right. Levi’s fortune could hire any man he wanted. Until he is in custody, nothing is complete.”
The sheriff nodded as he secured his holster on his hip.
“We’re losing daylight. It’s time I got on the trail. Do you know where you’re supposed to be?”
“Yes, sir. Your note explained everything.”
“Good,” Logan said, pulling his hat down a bit more securely. “Then it’s time.” With one last look up and down the street, Logan re-emerged from the sheriff’s office and mounted his horse. He struggled to avoid looking at the inn. He knew Tucker was watching him, but he didn’t want to give himself away. He’d follow soon enough; Logan was sure of it.
Logan kept a steady pace as he set out across the countryside. Keeping his distance was a good thing, but he didn’t want to lose Tucker altogether. A discreet glance behind him gave him all the assurance he needed.
In the distance, a small cloud of dust drifted up into the air in front of Oakmede…a sure sign that a rider was following him. Logan picked up the pace a bit, anxious to remain out of range of an accurate shot. Steadily, the two riders crossed the open plains, never truly closing the gap between them.
It was two long hours before Logan neared the wooded area he had in mind as his destination. The trees were thin enough near the path to allow a rider to quickly enter beneath them. But not far under their cover, the bushes and brambles thickened into a latticework that would ensnare even the most experienced horseman.
Beyond the clutches of the branches lay a small river that snaked its way across the plain. If all else failed, Logan hoped he could escape down the river under the dark of night without being seen.
Dusk was just beginning to creep over the land when Logan slowed to a near stop, allowing his pursuer to advance on him. Logan struggled to keep his thoughts clear. The last time he’d passed this way, Sara had still been in Oakmede and he was bringing Tom home. Things with her had begun to look up that evening, just before they all went so terribly wrong.
Logan shook his head, desperate to clear his mind. Soon enough, a well-calculated shot rang out, instantly bringing Logan back to the present and sending him darting under the cover of the trees. The gunshot had been too close for comfort, embedding itself in a tree mere inches from Logan. He knew he’d
set himself up as a target, welcoming such a shot and betting on a miss, but none of it seemed quite this real while planning in the bunkhouse.
Having seen that he’d missed, Tucker raced forward, ambushing the wood near where Logan had taken cover. The thundering of a horse’s hooves sent Logan’s adrenaline racing. He silently prayed that Noah and Eli had been in their positions when Tucker had taken his shot. He had no other way of revealing his location to them without bringing Tucker down on himself. Logan forced his way as far into the wood as he could manage before dismounting and sending his horse into a small break in the thicket. He hated to leave behind his only hope of escape, but it was his only means of keeping his horse alive. If Tucker truly wanted him dead, he was sure to take away his steed.
Darkness encompassed the wood while Logan waited in complete silence for his adversary to show himself. The hooves pounding the earth soon slowed and eventually stopped. Logan’s eyes strained in the blackness, desperate to see any signs of movement as he perched himself on a branch. His other senses heightened, struggling to make up for his sudden blindness.
A bird fluttered in the branches overhead, disturbed by his unexpected presence. The howl of a coyote in the distance served as a sharp reminder that Tucker wasn’t his only concern on the plains at night. Soon, he sensed movement nearby and heard the subtle crunch of leaves beneath a man’s feet. Logan held his breath, hoping that his own heartbeat wouldn’t be enough to give him away. To his surprise, Tucker, too, had dismounted.
Even the light of the moon could scarcely find its way through the thick branches, leaving only tiny beams poking through the darkness. Logan stared relentlessly, desperate for any sign of Tucker’s whereabouts. He dared not flinch…he could not breathe.
“I know you’re here, Payne,” a deep, raspy voice soon growled. “Isn’t it funny how the hunter has become the hunted?”
Logan followed the sound of the voice, straining to catch sight of the man. It was not like Tucker to give away his position. Logan knew there must be more to the situation. Did he have someone with him that he and Eli hadn’t counted on?
“You made a fatal error in coming to Mather’s Creek. I had put my past encounters with you behind me and would have never paid any mind to some small-town crook like Moran. But coming after me on my own territory…that changed things.”
The voice was growing ever closer, and Logan silently pulled his weapon. Finally, a tiny beam of moonlight shone off a grim face. He was mere inches from Logan. Even his breath could be felt now. He’d clearly not seen the lawman yet, though, and Logan was desperate to keep his cover for a little while longer.
“You thought that you could tame this territory,” he smirked. “Did you really believe that you could run out every gunslinger that had laid claim to this land? Even the law can’t help you do that. And worse still, you promised the locals peace and protection. Now look where your fanciful ideals of justice have landed you! You’ve failed, Payne. You’ve failed them all!”
Just as the criminal was close enough that Logan could’ve reached out and touched him, a shot rang out from out in the open. Tucker whirled around, alarmed at the sudden announcement of their company, giving Logan the opportunity he needed. He lunged forward, barreling down onto Tucker’s shoulders and knocking him to the ground.
Together, the men struggled around the rough terrain, each desperate to gain a steady hold on the other. As they wrestled around in the leaves and fallen twigs, their commotion led Eli directly toward them. Though those few moments had seemed like an eternity, their struggle was brought to a sudden halt at the sound of a gun being released from a holster.
“Stop where you are!” Eli’s steady voice demanded.
Tucker managed to slip in one last punch before Sheriff Graves joined Eli, bearing a lantern and the now captured partner of Tucker. Staring down the barrels of two lawmens’ weapons, with Logan holding his arms securely behind him, Philip Tucker had been beaten. He growled and kicked at Logan’s legs, but he soon fell into submission as Logan pressed his own revolver into Tucker’s back.
“Your game is over,” Logan growled near his ear. “If you want any hope of making it to the prison, you’ll come peacefully!”
At that, Logan felt the fight leave the man. Noah retrieved a rope from his saddle, securing the criminal’s hands and giving Logan a chance to get his horse.
“Your timing couldn’t have been better,” Logan told Eli as he rejoined their little posse.
“I was beginning to think you’d had it,” Eli muttered, not wanting Tucker to know. “It had grown so dark; I nearly couldn’t see you from across the way.”
“That’s alright. I depended on the lack of light. Sheriff Graves, will you take word to Tom and Janie that our job is complete? They’ll be worried about us all,” Logan asked, taking up the lead rope now tied on Tucker’s steed.
“I’ll be happy to, but I’d feel a lot better if I rode to Pine Ridge with you first. I want to see him locked up with my own eyes.”
Logan chuckled. “I can’t blame you for that. Alright. Eli and I will need to spend the night there to speak to the judge in the morning. Once that’s taken care of, we’ll be back for Moran.”
With both Tucker and his partner securely in custody and their destination in mind, the trio of lawmen set off toward Pine Ridge. The starry sky above them stretched on as far as the eye could see, and a gentle breeze accompanied the band of riders.
Though Logan knew he could not yet relax as Tucker had escaped the hold of the law before, he breathed a sigh of relief. At long last, things were finally returning to the peaceful way they’d once been. One more trip to the prison should see Oakmede freed from Moran’s tyranny at last.
Logan’s thoughts drifted to Sara, as they did so often. If only she were still in Kansas, they could share in this victory together. She would rejoice to know that justice was finally prevailing. Somehow, her absence left a hollow spot in the triumph. His heart ached for her as he continued on the journey across the plains.
It was well into the night before the men reached the prison. The utter shock on the guard’s face brought a sense of satisfaction to them all. After having called for added security, the clang of a prison cell’s door echoed throughout the building, bringing an end to Tucker’s criminal ways.
Once outside the prison, Eli gave Logan a hearty handshake. “It’s been years in the making, but we’ve finally done it!”
“And everyone will be a lot better off because of it,” Sheriff Graves chimed in. “There’ll be a hefty reward on his head, and you’ve both earned it!
“You’re here with us,” Logan reminded. “You’ve earned your share of it. We’ll tend to those matters in the morning. I don’t know about you two, but I’m long overdue for a decent night’s sleep. With him finally behind bars, I just might be able to get it.”
“I can’t argue with that,” Eli laughed. “We could all use some sleep. Let’s see about rooms in the inn. It’s much too late to travel back to Oakmede tonight.”
Agreeing, the men secured rooms for the night, welcoming rest for their minds as well as their saddle-weary bodies. Logan lay awake for a while, staring at the moon shining through his window and thinking of Sara.
As it had done so many times before, his mind replayed every moment of the argument that had sent her packing for Baltimore. He could still see the life that had filled her eyes at their shared confession of feelings for one another. The sunlight beaming down on her strawberry blonde hair had illumined her face, leaving an impression he was sure he could never forget.
He shook his head, trying to force the vision from his mind. What good could it do him now? Logan rolled out of bed and pulled the curtains closed, hoping to find sleep in the darkness, yet he couldn’t escape his thoughts. How could two people, who were so fervent for justice, be so adamantly opposed to one another on what that justice should look like?
Partners in Justice and Love: A Historical Western Romance Book Page 23
