by Bobbi Smith
Relief flooded through her that they hadn’t found Abbie dead, but the thought of her sister being taken captive by the renegades terrified her. “All right, let’s get Mason back to the house.”
Tom and Hank carefully lifted him up and half carried him to Tom’s horse. It wasn’t easy, but they finally managed to get him in the saddle. Tom climbed up behind Mason and kept a grip on him so he wouldn’t fall off.
Hank and Faith mounted up, too, and they started home. The going was slow. Mason was in and out of consciousness as they covered the long miles.
Inwardly, Faith was frantic, but she managed to control her emotions. She silently cursed the fact that there was no way they could begin the search for Abbie until first light. Her sister was in danger, but for the moment she was helpless to do anything to rescue her—and Faith didn’t like feeling helpless.
“As soon as we get back, I’ll send one of the boys to town for the doc, and I’ll make sure he tells the sheriff, too. Then at dawn we’ll ride out again.”
“I’ll be riding with you,” Hank said fiercely.
“Me, too,” Tom added.
Faith was never so glad to see the ranch house as she was that night. Rose and the ranch hands who’d stayed behind had kept the lights burning and were watching for them. They ran out to help as soon as they heard the search party riding in. Several of the men carried Mason to his bedroom, while one of the other hands rode for town. Faith and Rose made Mason as comfortable as they could while they waited for the doctor to arrive.
It was late when Faith finally heard riders coming in. She’d been sitting by Mason’s side keeping watch over him, and she went out on the porch to see the ranch hand returning with Dr. Murray and Jake McCullough. She was surprised to see Jake, then realized he must have still been in town following the social. She had watched him with Abbie and had begun to suspect that he had feelings for her sister. Faith hurried forth to speak with them.
“Mason’s in his bedroom, Doc,” Faith told him. “It’s in the back.”
The doctor quickly related that the sheriff had said he would be out at first light to help search for Abbie. Then he went into the house to examine Mason.
“Jake . . .” She faced him for the first time, seeing his concern etched in his features.
“Is what the ranch hand told me true? Has Abbie been taken by a raiding party?” Jake began worriedly.
“Yes—Mason managed to tell us what happened. They were attacked by a group of renegades and the Apache took her.” She told him what little they knew and added, “We’re going to ride out again in the morning.”
“I’m going with you,” he stated fiercely.
“Good. We can use your help.”
“How’s your brother?” Jake looked past her into the house, where the doctor had gone.
“It’s serious.” Her mood was grim. “Let’s go inside.”
They went into the parlor to bide their time while the physician tended to Mason’s wound.
Several times while they were waiting, they heard Mason cry out in pain. Agony ate at Faith. She wanted to help her brother, to ease his torment, but she knew there was nothing she could do. The doctor had to remove the bullet, and there was no easy way to dig it out.
Jake was tense as he waited with Faith. He got up and began to pace the parlor, worrying about Abbie and Mason. Mason’s pain-ravaged cries haunted him, too, and Jake wondered if Abbie’s brother was going to survive.
Nearly an hour passed before Dr. Murray finally sought Faith out.
“Faith?”
She’d been sitting on the sofa and came to her feet the moment he appeared in the doorway. “How is he?”
“He’s resting quietly now. I did manage to get the bullet out, but he’s lost a lot of blood.”
“Is he going to make it?” she asked, in torment as she awaited the doctor’s answer.
“Your brother is a strong young man. If no infection sets in, I believe he’ll be able to pull through.”
“Thank heaven.”
“He’s going to need a lot of bed rest, though. Make sure he stays quiet. I don’t want him up and moving around too soon.”
“Don’t worry. I will.”
“I’ll come back to check on him in a day or two. If anything happens in the meantime and you need me, just send word.” He went on to tell her how to tend to Mason’s wound, before getting ready to leave.
“I’ll make sure Rose knows everything you’ve told me.”
“Rose?” He wondered why the housekeeper would be the one nursing him instead of his sister.
“I’ll be riding out in the morning to try to track down Abbie,” Faith told him.
“Do you think that’s wise?” He knew what a capable woman Faith was, but he believed a job as dangerous as tracking Apache warriors was best left to the men.
“She’s my sister. I’m going.”
“I hope you find her,” he said sympathetically.
“So do we,” Jake put in. He was glad to learn that Mason was going to survive, but he was anxious to go after Abbie.
“Be careful,” the doctor added.
“We will.”
Once Dr. Murray had gone, Faith went out to the bunkhouse to tell the ranch hands about Mason’s condition. Jake went with her, so he could bed down there for the night and be ready to ride out at dawn.
Faith returned to the house to stay by her brother’s bedside in case he woke up and needed something during the night. As she kept watch, her gaze went over him. With his clean-cut features and dark hair, her little brother had grown into a handsome young man. Although he was pale and his breathing was shallow, she knew how strong he really was.
Mason was a Ryan.
He would make it.
He had to.
A tear traced a path down Faith’s cheek as she realized she’d almost lost him. She loved her brother and sister, and the agony of thinking about what Abbie might be suffering at the hands of her Indian captors haunted and sickened her.
Morning couldn’t come soon enough.
She had to save her sister.
Jake lay in the bunk, unable to sleep. Images of Abbie helpless at the hands of her Apache captors haunted him. Tension and a terrible anger and fear gripped him. He cared about Abbie—deeply.
Thoughts of how it had felt holding her in his arms when he’d danced with her at the social returned, along with the memory of the sweet, stolen kiss they’d shared that night. Abbie was beautiful and all woman, and he loved her. Regret filled him that he’d never told her of his feelings for her.
Jake knew he needed to be alone for a while, so without disturbing the other ranch hands, he got up and dressed. Silently he left the bunkhouse.
The night was as dark as his mood. No silver moon brightened the sky. Had Abbie been with him, he would have thought the stars were beautiful as they twinkled in the heavens above, but knowing she was in danger, he only wanted the night to come to an end.
He wanted to be on the trail.
They had to find Abbie and bring her home.
Every minute that passed took her farther and farther away and made the tracking more difficult.
Jake stared off into the darkness of the night, wondering where Abbie was and hoping no harm had come to her.
CHAPTER SIX
Abbie had slowly managed to gather her wits about her as they’d ridden over the endless miles that took her farther and farther away from her home. She’d clung to the one hope that she might find a way to escape that night when they made camp, but that slim hope had disappeared when they’d finally stopped for the night. Her captor had forced her to sit on the ground near the campfire and then had bound her feet. She had stayed emotionally numb until then, but tied up as she was and anticipating the night to come, she was overwhelmed by the terror she’d fought so hard to control.
Abbie could only imagine the horrors that awaited her at the warriors’ hands. Her face was sore and aching from where her captor had hit her earlier,
and she dreaded what would happen next. Abbie would not submit to their abuse without a fight. She had heard the stories of the torture other captives had suffered, and believed she was facing the same fate.
As she sat there bound before the fire, one of the other warriors came to stand over her. She kept her gaze downcast, playing the submissive role until he spoke to her.
“Eat,” the warrior ordered, and he held out a piece of dried meat to her.
Abbie looked up at him in shock. “You know how to speak English? Talk to me! Tell me, why are you doing this to me?”
Lone Eagle just looked down at her and repeated, “Eat.”
When she still didn’t take the meat from him, he dropped it in front of her, then turned his back on her and walked away.
Abbie stared after him, wondering how he’d come to know English, wondering if he was different from the other warriors—if he would help her. But he didn’t look back at her. He just returned to where he’d been sitting and sat down to eat his own meat.
Abbie’s brief moment of hope was gone. She was aware of the other warriors watching her from where they sat opposite her, so she looked away. She hated them all with every fiber of her being. They had shot and possibly killed her brother. Somehow, she vowed to find a way to avenge Mason.
When her captor returned and sat down beside her, she tensed, expecting the worst. She was shocked when he made no move to touch her. Momentary relief swept through her, but she knew better than to allow herself to relax.
“She is not so wild now, is she, Crooked Snake?” Little Dog said, eyeing the beautiful blond captive sitting so quietly beside the other warrior.
“No. The Golden One has learned her place,” Crooked Snake answered as he glanced over at her. He hadn’t been quite sure what to expect out of her after the fight she’d put up when he’d first taken her, and he was glad she had become submissive. She would be worth more to the man buying her if she were unmarked. He knew the bruise on her face from where he’d hit her earlier would fade before they reached the meeting place.
“That she has.” Little Dog’s thoughts were dark and erotic as he wondered how submissive she really would be—to him.
“Do you think anyone will come after her?” Black Cloud asked.
“It does not matter if her people try to track us. They will never catch us.” Crooked Snake was confident the whites would be unable to follow their trail over the harsh, rocky terrain.
Little Dog’s gaze lingered hot and hungry upon the woman with hair the color of the sun. He wanted to rape her, to take her right then and there, but he knew better than to challenge Crooked Snake’s possession of her. No one dared to defy Crooked Snake. He was too fierce and too deadly. Little Dog fought to control his desire for the woman, but it wasn’t easy.
Abbie had no idea what the two men were saying, speaking as they were in their native tongue, but she understood full well the look in the other warrior’s eyes as he kept staring at her from across the campfire. She shuddered, and her flesh crawled at the thought of him touching her. She struggled to stay in control emotionally.
Abbie turned her thoughts back to her home—and to Mason. Guilt filled her at her brother’s fate, and she offered up a silent prayer for him. If her horse hadn’t stumbled, they might have made it to the canyon safely and been able to hold off the raiding party. She was certain Mason had been on his way back to help her when he’d been shot, and she would carry that terrible knowledge with her forever.
She thought of her sister and wondered what Faith was doing. Abbie was certain Faith would have gone out looking for them when they didn’t return on time. She knew once her strong-willed sister found out what had happened, she would do everything possible to find Abbie and bring her back home. That was the only glimmer of hope Abbie had left to cling to in the total darkness of her captivity.
Jake slipped into her thoughts then, and Abbie’s heart ached. Just a day before, she’d been with him at the social and they’d shared a kiss. And now . . . now she wondered if she would ever see him again.
Abbie bit back a sob and tried to be strong. The days ahead were going to be pure hell, but she told herself that she would survive. Knowing she had to maintain her strength, she picked up the piece of meat and took a bite. It tasted terrible to her, but she had no choice. She ate it.
Her captor got up and moved away from her again, and Abbie breathed a quick sigh of relief. Her reprieve didn’t last long, though. He quickly returned, and she tensed, expecting him to assault her. She was surprised when he simply tossed a blanket to her.
Abbie grabbed the blanket and wrapped it around herself as best she could with her hands bound as they were. She huddled beneath the blanket’s protection. The night wasn’t cold, but the cover gave her at least a small feeling of having a shield from the harsh reality that surrounded her.
Abbie wasn’t sure what to expect next. She waited, prepared for the worst, and was surprised when the warriors left her alone. They all went ahead and bedded down for the night. Abbie did not know why she was being spared further abuse, but she was thankful. Trembling with relief, she curled up on her side. She closed her eyes and prayed to be saved from this terrible, horrible, unending nightmare her existence had become.
Faith had stayed awake all night, sitting in the chair beside Mason’s bed. She’d kept watch over her injured brother as he’d slept. Mason was pale, but she knew that was to be expected, considering what he’d been through. His wound was serious, and he’d lost a lot of blood. He was lucky he was still alive. Dr. Murray had said he should make a full recovery, and she prayed the doctor was right.
When Faith glanced out the window and saw that the eastern horizon was starting to lighten, determination gripped her. She quietly got up to leave the bedroom.
“Faith,” Mason managed to call out to her in a rasping whisper.
She hadn’t realized he was awake, and she quickly went to him to see what he wanted. “I’m right here.”
With what little strength he could muster, Mason reached out and grabbed her arm. He looked up at her, his gaze revealing the torment that filled him, physically and mentally. “Find Abbie.”
“We will,” she promised him.
At her words, Mason’s hand fell weakly away. In his heart he wanted to be riding out with the search party. He wanted to help find his sister, but the pain and weakness that filled him were overwhelming.
“We’ll bring her home, Mason,” Faith said.
He nodded, then closed his eyes.
Faith left his room to get ready to start their search.
She changed clothes, donning pants for the long days of riding ahead. Then she packed what she needed for the trek, including a small tintype of Abbie she wanted to carry with her for luck. She made her way to the kitchen, where she found Rose already up and working.
“How was Mason overnight?” the housekeeper asked.
“He stirred only a couple of times.”
“That’s good. The more rest he gets, the better.” Rose was relieved. Her husband, Tom, had been the foreman on the Lazy R for many years, and she served as the housekeeper. She’d watched the Ryan children grow up, and she cared deeply about them. “What about you? Did you get any sleep?”
“No. There was no way I could rest—not with what we have to do today,” Faith answered.
“I understand. I was awake most of the night, too, worrying about Mason and Abbie,” the housekeeper said sympathetically. “Tom’s already down at the stable waiting for you. He’s ready to ride, and so are Jake and Hank.”
“Good. I don’t know when we’ll be back. Take care of Mason for me.” She glanced back toward his room for a moment.
“I will.” Rose gave her a quick, encouraging hug. “Now, you go find Abbie and hurry back home.”
Their gazes met in understanding as Faith took the supplies Rose had put together for them.
The housekeeper’s heart was heavy as she walked outside with Faith. She hoped they foun
d Abbie quickly. The thought of the young woman being taken by the raiding party was horrifying. She had heard the stories of what happened to captives, and sometimes she believed the women who were rescued would have been better off dead than returned to their families. The thought disturbed Rose, and she put it from her. She went back in the house to check on Mason.
Faith found Tom, Hank, and Jake waiting for her at the stable, just as Rose had said.
“Last night, Dr. Murray told me that Sheriff Fike planned to ride along with us.”
“I guess we’d better wait for him,” Tom said.
“I hope he gets here soon.” Faith wasn’t pleased with the idea of having to wait. She was anxious to get going. Every minute counted, but she knew the lawman was a decent tracker and, even though her men were good, they might need his help.
She was relieved and grateful when she saw Sheriff Fike riding in a short time later, along with several other men from town.
“Thanks for coming,” Faith greeted them when they reined in before her.
“How’s your brother doing?”
“He was awake and talking when I left him this morning.”
The lawman was glad to hear Mason was doing so well.
Faith went on to tell him everything they knew about the attack as she mounted up. They didn’t bother with any small talk. Time was of the essence. They had a lot of ground to cover.
By the time the sun had cleared the eastern horizon, they were riding away from the Lazy R, intent on their search.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Four Days Later
Mason lay in bed, awake and miserable. The days since Faith and the others had ridden out in search of Abbie had seemed like an eternity. His physical pain was bad, but the emotional pain of not knowing what was going on was agonizing for him. Abbie was on his mind every waking moment, and he could only pray that she would be found and brought home safely.
He turned his head to stare out the bedroom window. The sun was shining brightly in the cloudless sky, but it did nothing to ease the darkness of his mood. Only a slight knock at the door distracted him from his thoughts.
