Hired Gun

by Bobbi Smith

Jake and Hank were up before dawn, and both men were thankful for the clear skies.

  “Trent’s not going to come looking for us, so we’re going to have to catch up with them,” Jake said.

  “What are we waiting for? Let’s go.”

  The two men saddled up and rode hard and fast after Trent and Faith. They knew Trent would not slow down in his quest to find Abbie. They found the arroyo where they’d been separated from the others by the fast-moving water the day before and crossed it with ease now. It took Jake and Hank a while to locate Trent and Faith’s trail, but once they did, they rode at top speed, trying to catch up. It was late morning when they finally caught sight of them in the distance.

  Trent had been keeping watch, too, and he spotted the two men at about the same time.

  “Jake and Hank are coming,” he told Faith, pointing them out.

  “Should we wait for them?’ ”

  “No. We’ll keep riding for the ranch. I want to talk to the rancher to see if he’s seen or heard anything of the raiding party. They can catch up with us there.”

  Faith said no more. She was as anxious as he was to reach the ranch.

  “Pa! Get your gun!” twenty-year-old Pete Gray shouted to his father when he saw the riders appear at the top of the rise.

  John Gray reacted immediately, dropping the shovel he’d been using to bury the dead and grabbing his rifle. Pete ran to his side, his own gun in hand. Both men were tense, their moods dangerous and deadly as they waited to see who was riding in.

  They had returned a few days early from the cattle drive to find their ranch in ruins. The buildings had been burned to the ground, and all the ranch hands had been slaughtered. By the look of things, they had no doubt the attack had been carried out by an Apache raiding party.

  John and Pete had searched among the burned-out ruins for any sign of Ellie and Caroline, but had found no trace of them. Afraid to think what might have happened to their womenfolk, they were intent on mounting a search, but decided to take the time to bury the dead before leaving. After such a severe storm, they knew finding Ellie and Caroline wasn’t going to be easy.

  Father and son were both ready for trouble as they watched the riders approach.

  “Do you recognize them?” Pete asked.

  “No.” John didn’t take his eyes off the incoming riders. “But it looks like one of them’s a woman.”

  They lowered their guns a little, but didn’t relax as the man and woman reined in before them.

  “What do you want? What are you doing here?” John demanded aggressively.

  “We’re after an Apache raiding party,” Trent began, looking around at the burned-out ruins of what had once been a prosperous ranch. He saw, too, the fresh graves the two men had been working on.

  “They were here,” John answered him in an emotionless tone.

  “How long ago?”

  “Must have been yesterday or the day before.” He turned and looked at the devastation. “We were on a trail drive and weren’t due back for several more days. We got done early, so we left the rest of our hands in town, and my son and I came on home. We just got here a few hours ago, and this is what we found.” He paused again, trying to control his emotions and deal with his pain. “There’s no sign of my wife or my daughter.”

  “We’re so sorry,” Faith said gently, understanding what the two men were going through.

  John looked up at them again. “My name’s John Gray and this is my son, Pete.”

  “I’m Trent Marshall, and this is Faith Ryan. This same Apache raiding party was up near Coyote Canyon and took Faith’s sister captive. We’ve been tracking them ever since.”

  John and Pete exchanged a haunted look.

  “That’s what we were afraid of,” John began in a tortured voice. “I was almost hoping to find them dead in the ruins of the house, but they’re not here.”

  “You think they took Ma and Caroline, too?” Pete was horrified.

  John looked at his son. His expression was grave as he answered, “It looks that way, son.” John turned back to Trent. “We’ll be going after them, too. We can ride with you or we can track them on our own. It doesn’t matter to me as long as I find them.”

  “Ride with us,” Trent told him. He didn’t really want them along, but he didn’t want them getting in his way, either.

  “Trent, Jake and Hank are here,” Faith announced as she saw the two men crest the rise.

  “They’re with you?” John asked.

  Trent quickly put his concern to rest, explaining how the searchers had gotten separated in the storm.

  “How soon can you be ready to ride?” Trent asked them.

  “We’ll be ready as soon as we finish burying our dead.”

  “Do you need any help?” Trent offered.

  “No. We’ll handle it.” John and Pete continued their gruesome task.

  Trent and Faith turned their horses away and rode off to meet up with Hank and Jake.

  “I see you two made it through the storm all right,” Faith said to Jake and Hank as they reined in before them. “We were worried about you.”

  “It was a bad one,” Hank said.

  Jake was looking past them to the ruins of the ranch and watching the two men at their grim task. “We may have lost the raiding party’s trail, but we know now that they were here not too long ago.”

  Trent explained what John Gray had told them. “John and his son, Pete, will be riding with us once they’re done.”

  The other two men understood.

  “Let’s take a look around while they finish up,” Trent said.

  They rode around the area, looking for anything that might give them an idea of where the raiding party was headed. The heavy rains had erased almost all traces of the trail, but Trent did manage to find some small rocks that had been dislodged—he believed by horses passing through.

  When they saw that John and Pete had finished burying the dead, they rejoined them.

  “Are you ready?” Trent asked.

  “It’s time,” John said in a voice completely devoid of emotion as he took one last look at the graves of the men they’d just buried and his burned-out home.

  “We’re going to find ’em, Pa. I know we are.”

  “I hope you’re right, son,” he answered. He looked up at Trent. “There was some talk going around a month or so ago that renegades were selling women captives for a good price just across the border.”

  The thought sickened Faith, and Jake’s expression grew even grimmer.

  “Let’s ride,” Trent responded, leading off. “They headed out this way.”

  Faith was relieved to be back on the trail again. She didn’t want the renegades to get any greater lead on them than they already had.

  As they rode away, Faith was touched by Pete’s fierce determination to find his mother and his sister. She thought of her own brother and wondered how his recovery was going. She hoped no fever had set in and that Mason was getting his strength back. He had always been a man of action, and she was certain being left behind at the ranch this way wasn’t sitting well with him. She could imagine how frustrated and miserable he was. No doubt he blamed himself for not preventing Abbie’s abduction, and so Faith offered up a silent prayer that they would be able to find the raiding party soon and bring Abbie and the other women home.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  Mason was ready. His expression was serious, his concentration fierce. He squared off, ignoring the pain that ate at him. Then he drew and fired his gun.

  The shot went wide.

  Mason swore under his breath in disgust as he shoved his gun back in his holster.

  He’d gotten up that morning determined to get back to his normal activities again. He’d had enough of taking it easy, waiting for his wound to heal. He was used to keeping busy and getting things done. Since he was feeling stronger, he’d decided it was time to test himself and see if he could still use his gun. He had his answer now, and it wasn’t the one he wan
ted. He’d been practicing for close to half an hour and had yet to hit the target.

  Angry and as determined as ever, he got ready to try again.

  He was a Ryan.

  He didn’t quit.

  Larissa and Dottie made the carriage ride out to the Ryan ranch together, enjoying each other’s company and looking forward to having a visit with Mason. They wanted to make sure he was feeling all right and to find out if there had been any news concerning Abbie.

  “What’s that?” Dottie asked worriedly when she heard what sounded like gunfire in the distance.

  “Here, take the reins.”

  Larissa handed them over and pulled out the rifle her father always insisted she carry with her for protection. As the shooting continued erratically, she appreciated his sage advice.

  Dottie was uneasy as they continued on. When the ranch house finally came into sight and it looked like nothing was out of the ordinary, both women were able to relax a bit. They could still hear shots being fired, but realized it was not a gun battle of any kind. Larissa stowed the rifle back under the seat again.

  Rose saw the carriage coming in and went out to greet them. “It’s good to see you.”

  “You, too,” Dottie returned. She knew that if Rose was calm, there was nothing wrong.

  “What’s all the shooting about?” Larissa asked.

  “It’s Mason.” She quickly explained to them what he was doing. “I’ll go let him know you’re here. You can go on inside.”

  “That’s all right, Rose. I’ll get him,” Larissa offered. “You and Dottie visit for a while.”

  The two older women went in the house while Larissa went to find Mason.

  It didn’t take her long. Mason had his back to her, so he didn’t see her coming, and that was fine with Larissa. It gave her the opportunity to watch him, and watch him she did. He looked wonderful to her—so tall and broad-shouldered and powerfully built. Her gaze never left him as he squared off as if in a gunfight. He drew his gun and fired, his motion smooth and confident. He came close to the target he’d set up for himself, but he didn’t hit it.

  Mason’s frustration was growing as he holstered his sidearm again. He was getting tired, and the pain was getting to him.

  “You were close,” Larissa said, coming up behind him.

  Mason turned quickly to face her. His concentration had been so fierce, he hadn’t heard her approach.

  “Close doesn’t count,” he told her.

  Larissa sensed his frustration and gave him an inviting smile as she stopped before him. She’d noticed there wasn’t anyone else around, and she wanted to take full advantage of having a moment or two alone with him.

  “Oh, I don’t know,” she purred. “I think being close counts a lot.”

  As Mason gazed down at her, he momentarily forgot all about his impaired shooting ability. He hadn’t realized just how much he’d missed her until now. “You know, I think you may be right. . . .”

  He didn’t hesitate, but took her in his arms and kissed her. It was a deep, hungry exchange that left them both wanting more. He was reluctant, but managed to put her from him.

  “I’ve been worrying about you,” Larissa said as they finally moved apart.

  “I’m better.”

  “I can tell,” she said.

  “There is something that might help me recover even faster, though.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Another kiss,” he answered.

  She obliged, and her heartbeat quickened at the intensity of the embrace. She clung to him in delight, thrilled and relieved that he was obviously well on his way to recovery.

  Larissa would have stayed in his arms forever if they hadn’t heard someone calling Mason. They broke off the kiss. Both were a bit embarrassed by the power of their need for each other, and they both regretted that the moment had to come to an end.

  Mason looked over to see Tom and the new man, Charley Tucker, coming to speak with him.

  “How’s it going?” Mason asked.

  “We’re doing fine,” Tom answered. “I was just talking with the boys, and they were wondering if it would be all right if they went into town tomorrow night. It’s payday weekend, and they wanted to have some time off.”

  “I don’t see why not,” Mason agreed. “It’s been a while since they’ve had the chance to unwind.”

  Tom turned to Tucker. “Why don’t you go tell the rest of the boys the good news?”

  “I’ll do that.” Sykes couldn’t believe his luck. He couldn’t have planned it better. He’d been afraid he was going to be forced to bide his time at the ranch, trying to find a way back into town to take care of the man at the stage office, but now everything was working out perfectly. In just a matter of days, he would start claiming his revenge.

  Sykes was smiling as he and Tom walked away.

  Mason turned back to Larissa. “Let’s go back up to the house.”

  She smiled at him as she answered, “I like being out here alone with you better.”

  “So do I,” he agreed.

  They returned to the house to find Rose and Dottie sitting in the kitchen talking. They joined them there.

  “So you haven’t heard anything new from Faith?”

  “There hasn’t been a word,” Mason answered.

  Larissa looked across the table at him. “Then we have to hold on to the hope that no news is good news.”

  “That’s what I keep telling myself,” he said, meeting her gaze.

  In his eyes she saw a flash of the emotional pain he tried to keep hidden from everyone, and she understood even more clearly just how hard it was for him to be forced to wait at the ranch while Abbie was facing possible death at the hands of the renegades. Her love for him grew even greater.

  Dottie spoke up, hoping to cheer him. “We just need to keep praying for her safe return, and we need to start thinking about the celebration we’re going to have when they do come home.”

  “That is going to be one big party,” Rose agreed, wanting to be positive.

  “I know,” Larissa said. “And I can’t wait.”

  They stayed on to visit for several hours before heading back to town. Larissa and Dottie were both relieved that Mason seemed to be doing so well physically.

  As he worked stock the following day, Sykes was all but counting the hours until it was time to ride for town that afternoon. Since it was a payday weekend, he knew there would be a lot of free-spending cowboys in Coyote Canyon that night from the Lazy R and the other neighboring ranches, and he was going to take full advantage of the chaos to kill Cal Harris.

  Sykes knew he had to plan things carefully, though. Getting even with Harris was important, but he couldn’t take any chances. He couldn’t risk getting caught. He had to be ready and waiting at the ranch on the day Trent Marshall rode back in. That was the most important thing.

  “Tucker!” Tom shouted, motioning for him to ride over.

  The fact that the foreman wanted to talk to him left Sykes edgy. He rode toward Tom, wondering what he had to say. Although Mason had given his permission for the men to go into town, as the newest ranch hand, Sykes was worried they were planning on making him stay behind and work.

  “What do you need?” Sykes asked, reining in next to the foreman.

  “Were you planning on going to town with the other boys tonight?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then, here.” Tom reached into his shirt pocket and took out a roll of money. He peeled off several bills and held them out.

  “What’s this for?” Sykes was surprised.

  “Consider it an advance against your paycheck. I heard you telling Mason when you hired on how you were running short of cash, so this way you’ll be able to have yourself a little fun tonight.”

  “This is mighty generous of you,” Sykes said.

  “It’s not a gift. I expect you to pay me back.”

  “I’ll do just that,” Sykes said, smiling at him. But even while he was smiling
, he was thinking that the way he was planning to pay Tom back was a far cry from what the foreman would be expecting. He believed the man was a fool to trust someone this way, and he’d show him why real soon.

  “Be ready to ride for town in about two more hours. We’re meeting at the bunkhouse.”

  “I’ll be there. You don’t have to worry about that.”

  Tom wheeled his horse around and rode off. Tucker seemed to be working out all right. He hadn’t had any complaints from the other hands, so he assumed the man was carrying his weight. He’d recognized Mason’s hesitation in hiring him, but so far had seen no reason to doubt Tucker could give an honest day’s work for his pay.

  Sykes let out a sigh of relief as Tom left him. He wasn’t quite sure what he would have done if the foreman had insisted he stay behind, but he didn’t have to worry about that now.

  Things were looking good.

  Sykes and the other men reached Coyote Canyon and took rooms at the hotel before making their way straight to the Ace High Saloon, ready to have a good time. They’d been there ever since, drinking and gambling and being entertained by the saloon girls.

  Sykes was sitting at the poker table now, smiling down at the three of a kind he held in his hand. He was certain he was going to win big this time and just wished he had even more money to bet so he could run the pot up still higher.

  “I’ll raise you twenty dollars,” he told the other players as he pushed the money out into the center of the table.

  “I’m done,” Tom said in disgust, throwing in his hand.

  “Your luck’s running out?” Sykes asked him.

  “No. My luck’s the same as it’s been all night—bad,” he complained, sitting back. He looked over at Tucker and knew his hand had to be darn good for him to run the stakes up so high.

  Sykes turned his full attention back to the game as it played out. Just as he’d hoped, his three of a kind won it all. His smile was even bigger as he raked in the pot. He did like having money.

  The saloon girls were very aware that he was the big winner tonight, and they were eager to get his attention.

  “You in the mood for something a little more exciting than card playing?”Ruby asked, leaning close to give him a view of her ample bosom, which was enticingly revealed by her low-cut bodice.