Hired Gun

by Bobbi Smith

  “Why, Faith, dear, how are you tonight?” Dottie asked when Faith sought her out and sat down with her.

  “I’m wonderful. The social is always such fun.”

  “Yes, it is. How are things out at the Lazy R?” Dottie had known the Ryan family for many years, and she knew the hardships Faith had had to deal with. She also knew Faith had been very successful running the ranching operation.

  “Same as always. We’re working hard to keep the Lazy R going.”

  “Well, I’m glad you made it into town tonight.”

  “So am I. Dottie . . .” Faith paused, not quite sure how to ask about the man named Trent. “I was wondering . . .”

  “Wondering about what, dear?” She was puzzled by Faith’s hesitancy. This wasn’t like her at all.

  “Who is that man you were dancing with during the ladies’ choice? The one named Trent,” she finally blurted out. “He said he was a friend of yours when I danced with him, but I don’t remember ever seeing him around town before.”

  Dottie found herself smiling brightly at Faith. Obviously they had the same taste in good-looking men. “Trent was my knight in shining armor tonight.”

  Faith frowned. “I don’t understand.”

  “I needed a partner for the ladies’ choice and there he was, so I grabbed him. He was perfect, don’t you think?”

  “So you don’t know him?”

  “No, and that’s too bad, because he was a real good dancer.” Dottie got a devilish gleam in her eyes as she said, “If I were forty years younger, I’d be looking for him right now so I could dance with him again. Why don’t you go find him?”

  “I think he left already.”

  “I’m sorry, dear. If I see him again, I’ll let you know.”

  “Thanks, Dottie.”

  Faith gave Dottie a quick kiss on the cheek and moved away.

  Several of the other ladies sitting with Dottie were curious after listening in on their conversation.

  “You say you don’t know who he was?”

  “No, I’d never seen him before tonight.”

  “And you asked him to dance?” Alnette Scribner gasped, shocked by Dottie’s brazen actions. “What were you thinking?”

  “I was thinking I wanted to dance with a young, good-looking man!” she countered, accustomed to such comments from the gossipy Widow Scribner.

  The other ladies laughed aloud at her quip. It wasn’t the first time Dottie had done something wild, and they knew it wouldn’t be the last.

  It was almost midnight when Faith, Abbie, and Mason returned to the ranch. There was no doubt they would all have preferred to stay in town overnight, but they couldn’t. They had a ranch to run.

  Abbie had been particularly quiet on the ride back in the buggy, and Faith was a bit concerned. She knew her sister loved having a social life, and it was unusual for her not to be chattering on all the way home about the fun she’d had in town. As they were about to go to bed, Faith sought her out to talk to her and make sure everything was all right.

  “Did you have a good time tonight?” Faith asked.

  “Yes, why?”

  “It’s just that you’ve been so quiet. I was afraid something was wrong.”

  Abbie sighed. “No, I’m just tired—and tomorrow we’re back to work.”

  Faith understood then, and, wanting to brighten her spirits, she asked teasingly, “Well, are you going to wear your fancy dress again tomorrow? You know Jake said some of his boys would come over to help if you did, and we can always use the extra hands.”

  Abbie did manage a smile at the memory of the conversation—and the memory of her special time alone in the dark with Jake. “Believe me, if it would get Jake over here, I’d be tempted. I’ll see you in the morning.”

  Faith watched as Abbie went into her room and closed the door. Then she retired to her own room.

  It would be dawn soon enough, and as Abbie had said, it was back to work in the morning.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Mason and Abbie were hot, tired, and hungry as they rode for home late the next afternoon. They’d been working stock since just after sunup and were more than ready to call it a day.

  “You know, if you’d worn that dress like you said you might last night, we would have had some help from Jake’s boys, and we would have been done a lot sooner,” Mason teased her.

  “I know. I thought about it, but I just didn’t want to get it dirty,” she answered him primly.

  He laughed at her comeback.

  “How many more weeks until the next social?” Abbie asked, smiling as she thought of all the fun they’d had the night before, and wishing there were a dance every week.

  “Too many,” Mason replied.

  “You had a good time last night, too, didn’t you?”

  “Yes, I did,” he agreed.

  “I figured as much when I saw all of those girls throwing themselves at you.” She cast him a mischievous sidelong glance. There were times, like now, when she still found it amazing that the bothersome brother she’d tolerated all these years had grown into such a handsome young man.

  “Yeah, I had a real rough time fighting them off all night, but then, I wasn’t the only one.” Mason gave her a knowing look.

  Abbie looked uncomfortable as she tried to play the innocent. “What do you mean?”

  “Why, you and Jake. I saw you two sneak off the dance floor.” He grinned when he saw that she was actually blushing. It wasn’t often he got the upper hand on one of his sisters, and he was going to enjoy every minute of this.

  “You knew?” Abbie had had no idea anyone had seen them.

  “I’m the man of the family. It’s my job to watch over you and protect you. I was just about ready to go after you when you came back.”

  “Well, I’m glad you didn’t come after me.”

  “Why? Did you enjoy your time with Jake?”

  “That is none of your business, Mason,” she answered in her most dignified tone; then she put her heels to her horse’s sides and raced away from him.

  He only laughed at her attempt to avoid him. He urged his own mount to a quicker pace to stay right with her.

  From their hiding place among the craggy boulders on the rocky hillside, the Apache warriors watched the two unsuspecting riders draw near.

  “One is a woman!” Lone Eagle said in surprise when he saw that she had long hair the color of the sun.

  Crooked Snake, the leader of the raiding party, was pleased by the discovery. “Kill only the man. We will take the woman with us.”

  Lone Eagle and the other two warriors with them, Little Dog and Black Cloud, knew he was right. White women were valuable. There were many men who would pay a high price for one.

  The warriors remained patient, waiting until they were certain of victory before attacking.

  When Mason caught up with her, Abbie reined in and slowed their pace.

  “Is Jake seriously courting you now? He sure was acting like it.”

  “I don’t know how serious he is, but he is special.”

  They fell silent, thinking about everything that had happened at the social. Without any warning at all, the first shot rang out.

  Mason and Abbie were caught totally off guard by the attack. They looked around and were filled with terror when they saw the warriors charging their way.

  It was their worst nightmare come true.

  “Ride for the canyon!” Mason shouted.

  They were still miles from the ranch house, and there was no one around to come to their rescue. They both knew that seeking cover in the narrow, rock-strewn canyon a mile or so ahead would be their only hope—if they were lucky enough to make it that far.

  Mason and Abbie both drew their guns and began returning fire. They spurred their horses to a breakneck speed in their desperation to escape what they were sure would be certain death.

  When Mason ran out of ammunition, he cast one last glance back over his shoulder to find that the warriors were closing on
them. He was glad Abbie was keeping up with him. He leaned low over his horse’s neck and prayed for a miracle as he raced on.

  A moment later he heard Abbie scream.

  He looked over to see that her horse had stumbled and fallen. Abbie lost her seat and was thrown violently to the rocky ground. Determined to save her, he reined in to try to get back to his sister in time.

  But he never made it.

  The moment Mason slowed down, a bullet slammed into his chest. He was knocked from his horse and lay unmoving in the dirt.

  Crooked Snake, Lone Eagle, and the other warriors rode quickly to the woman. They reined in and dismounted to check on her. They had seen her violent fall, and all feared the woman with hair the color of the sun had been killed.

  “Is she alive?” Lone Eagle asked, watching as Crooked Snake reached down to turn the female over.

  Abbie had been stunned and battered by her fall, but at the sound of the Apache warrior’s voice so close by and then the touch of his hands upon her, she didn’t think. She only reacted. She hit out at the renegade with all the force she could muster.

  “No!” she screamed, frantically praying that Mason would be coming to her rescue.

  The white woman’s attack surprised Crooked Snake, but even so, he easily overpowered her. He looked up at the other warriors as he stood, holding her trapped against him, her back to his chest, her arms pinned to her sides.

  “Yes, she is still alive,” Crooked Snake said, speaking in his native tongue and smiling slightly at her show of spirit. He ordered the others, “One of you go get her horse.”

  Abbie had no idea what they were saying, and she didn’t care. She only cared about getting away from the warrior who held her. She continued to struggle against his domination. She twisted sideways as hard as she could, trying to break free, and it was then that she caught sight of her brother lying unmoving in the distance, his shirt soaked with blood.

  “Mason!” she screamed.

  Fury unlike anything she’d ever known possessed her. Desperate to help her brother, she stomped her booted foot down as hard as she could on her captor’s foot and at the same time jabbed her elbow violently into his side. The warrior holding her gave a grunt of surprise and loosened his grip on her for just an instant. That instant was all Abbie needed. Tearing herself free, she ran to Mason.

  “Mason, please . . .” Her heart was breaking as she dropped to her knees beside him.

  He had been coming back to save her when he’d been shot.

  It was all her fault.

  She took his hand in hers and was relieved for an instant when she saw the slight rise and fall of his chest. Her relief was short-lived.

  Outraged by her defiance, Crooked Snake had gone after her. He grabbed her by the arm and jerked her violently up to him.

  Abbie screamed and tried to fight him off. She battled as hard as she could against his superior strength, not only to try to get away, but to distract him from Mason. She didn’t want the warriors to suspect her brother was still alive. Her ploy worked, but she paid the price. Her captor finally overpowered her and hit her harshly, bloodying her lip. He dragged her back toward his horse.

  Physical pain radiated through Abbie, but the pain in her heart was worse. She wanted to help Mason, but there was nothing she could do. Mason was grievously wounded, possibly dying—and now, as the prisoner of this raiding party, she knew she was as good as dead, too.

  Abbie glared up at her captor as he bound her wrists before her. All the hatred she was feeling for him was reflected in her eyes. When another warrior returned with her horse, she tried to resist her captor’s effort to lead her there, but he hauled her bodily to the horse and lifted her up into the saddle. He kept control of the reins, giving her no chance to escape.

  The warriors mounted up and they rode off, leading her horse.

  Abbie was hysterical in her grief. The horror of what had just happened was too great. Over and over again she prayed that her brother would somehow survive, but she feared the worst for him. The emotional pain finally overwhelmed her, and she retreated deep within herself. She stared straight ahead with unseeing eyes.

  It wasn’t like Abbie and Mason to be late, and Faith was getting worried as she watched the sun sink ever lower in the western sky. She left the house and was on her way out to the bunkhouse when she saw a saddled, riderless horse in the distance running toward her. She recognized the mount immediately as Mason’s Lightning, and shouted to the hands for help as she ran to try to grab the horse’s reins.

  The ranch hands heard her frantic call and knew the boss lady didn’t yell like that for nothing. They came running out of the bunkhouse, wondering what was wrong. They caught sight of Faith going after Lightning, and they knew there had to be trouble—bad trouble.

  “Easy, boy. Easy, Lightning,” Faith said in a low, calming tone as she approached the frightened horse.

  Lightning was pacing skittishly before her, but she was finally able to get hold of the reins. Faith stroked his neck as she looked him over. True horror struck her when she saw blood on the saddle blanket.

  “Mason must have been hurt,” she told Tom, her foreman, as he came running up to her side.

  “Where’s Abbie?” Tom asked, looking off in the direction Lightning had just come from for some sign of her.

  “I don’t know—she must have stayed with Mason,” Faith responded. She hoped there had just been an accident and that they would be able to find her brother and sister quickly. She didn’t even want to consider any other possibility. “Tom, you and Hank saddle up, and get my horse ready, too. As soon as I tell Rose what’s happened and get my guns, we’ll ride out.”

  There wasn’t much time before dark, but none of the hands tried to dissuade Faith. She was a tough, hardheaded woman, and they respected her decisions. They hurried off to get ready.

  “What do you want us to do, Faith?” another of the ranch hands asked.

  “Take care of Lightning, Will.” Faith paused to look at them, her expression grave. “And pray.”

  Will’s gaze met hers as he took the reins from her. He promised her, “We will.”

  Will watched her walk away, impressed not for the first time by her inner strength. He wasn’t alone in his admiration for her. All the men who worked on the ranch appreciated her intelligence and her determination. Will knew she would do everything in her power to find her brother and sister and bring them back.

  Faith went into the house to speak with Rose, the cook and housekeeper. She explained to her what had happened, and then got ready to leave. Faith strapped on her gun belt and got her rifle, along with some medical supplies that she hoped she wouldn’t need. After stowing the supplies in her saddlebags, she was ready to ride out.

  Time was of the essence. Faith, Tom, and Hank followed Lightning’s trail, hoping to find Mason and Abbie before night fully claimed the land. They rode hard and didn’t rein in until they topped a low rise.

  “I don’t see any sign of them anywhere,” Faith said as she stared out across the landscape, heavily shadowed now in the fading daylight. She’d been hanging onto the hope that they would find her brother and sister riding double on Abbie’s horse, but it looked like that wasn’t to be.

  “There! I see something,” Tom shouted, pointing off in the distance. He kneed his horse to action and led the way.

  Faith and Hank rushed to follow.

  At first Faith wasn’t sure what it was Tom had spotted, but as they rode closer, her heart sank.

  It looked like a body. . . .

  It looked like Mason.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Tom reached Mason first and quickly dismounted to go to him. “It’s Mason! He’s been shot!”

  “Oh, my God.” Faith all but threw herself from her horse’s back. “Is he . . . ?”

  Tom knelt down beside Mason. He’d obviously lost a lot of blood, and Tom thought for sure the man was dead. He was shocked when Mason let out a low groan.

  “H
e’s alive!” Tom shouted in relief.

  “Hank, get my saddlebags,” Faith ordered as she dropped to her knees beside her wounded brother. “Mason!”

  “Faith?” he muttered, and slowly opened his eyes to see his sister and Tom hovering over him. He frowned and tried to focus as a myriad of wild, conflicting visions tormented him.

  “Mason, where’s Abbie?” Faith asked frantically.

  “Abbie . . . ?” Mason’s voice was hoarse and rasping as he struggled to think. And then the memory of the attack returned. “Apache! They were after us, and her horse fell. . . . They must have taken her captive! We have to save her! We have to go after her!”

  He fought to get up, but the effort cost him too much. He fell back, weak and exhausted.

  Faith and Tom shared a horrified look as they realized the full truth of what had happened.

  “The only place you’re going is back to the ranch,” Faith said, taking the saddlebags from Hank as he came up to her.

  “But Abbie’s in trouble,” Mason groaned. The thought of his sister in the hands of the renegades sickened him.

  “We’ll find her,” Faith promised him as she began to treat his wound. The gunshot was an ugly one, and she knew her brother was lucky to be alive.

  “We have to,” Mason insisted.

  “Hank, you and Tom ride out a ways and look around. See if you can find anything,” Faith directed.

  The two ranch hands did as they were told, while Faith turned her attention back to Mason’s wound.

  “The bullet’s in too deep. The doc’s going to have to get it out. I’ll get you wrapped up and we’ll start back. Are you strong enough to sit a horse?”

  Mason was pain-ravaged and weak from loss of blood, but determined to survive. “I’ll make it,” he said fiercely.

  Faith finished binding his wound, and it wasn’t long before Tom and Hank returned.

  “Any luck?” Faith asked hopefully.

  “Their trail headed south. We’ll be able to tell more in the morning.”