“I can help, and Pearce can go with Cindy.” Kira studied Pearce’s expression.
“No, I insist on helping my mother, but thanks for the offer.”
Kira left after Cindy. Her uneasiness had increased. Positioning herself so Pearce couldn’t see her, she went out the side door. Tiptoeing around, she peeked in the window. Mrs. Rexford was getting cups and saucers down, and Pearce had his head stuck inside the refrigerator.
His mother glanced around. “It’s the plate covered with foil, Pearce. I made your favorite, strawberry pie.”
Pearce took off the foil and set the pie on the wooden table. “It looks delicious, Mom.”
“I’m going to get the pink plates from my china cabinet. The pie will look beautiful on them. It turned out very well.”
She hurried out of the room. Kira ducked just in time as Pearce glanced toward the window. She waited a second and peeked again.
He’d pulled a tiny vial out of his pocket and shook the liquid over the left side of the pie. He began cutting that part and had the slices ready when his mother returned. Quickly putting those slices of pie on the plates, he carried three of them into the living room.
Kira flew back inside right after him. She rushed into the room, pretended to slip, and banged into Pearce, flinging pie across the room. Mrs. Rexford’s pink plates crashed to the floor breaking into many pieces.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” Pearce snapped at her. Mrs. Rexford rushed in.
“My beautiful plates.”
“It’s all right, my dear.” Lonato’s father stood and went to her side. “I’ll buy you a prettier set. The one you’ve been admiring in town.”
“But…my pie.”
“We’re all so full, we don’t need dessert,” Lonato said.
Hakan grabbed a broom from behind the kitchen door. “Why don’t you go for a ride with your husband? When you get back the living room will be all cleaned.”
“A good idea.” Mr. Rexford practically carried her to the car.
“Well, you all can clean up this mess. I’m taking Cindy home.” Pearce took her hand and pulled her along behind him. Soon, both his car and Lonato’s parent’s car were gone.
“What happened?” Lonato asked. “You aren’t a clumsy person and it was evident to me, Hakan, and my dad that you deliberately knocked him down.”
“He poisoned half the pie while your mother got the plates. The pieces he had with him were full of poison.”
“I’ll kill him. He tried to poison us and my dad. I was right about him all along. But even I didn’t want to believe he could be this horrible a person. What an evil man he is to be able to kill innocent people without a qualm.”
“You can tell your dad what’s going on, but don’t tell your mother yet. We need to call Mitch, get all the leaders together and see how we want to handle this.” She told them what Cindy had said. “The poor girl’s fighting him as much as she can.”
“Did you find anything in the car?” Rex asked Hakan.
“A bag was in the trunk. I didn’t take time to check what was inside.”
“Kira, dump the pie in a plastic bag. We’ll take it to our scientist for them to check. Put on gloves. Remember, the poison may go through our skin even mixed in the pie. I’ll put on gloves, too, and clean this up. Hakan, check the bag, and call Mitch while you’re at the car. We need to move fast.”
“When Pearce thinks about what happened, he’ll figure out you were onto him,” Rex said. “And he’ll be more dangerous than ever.”
Chapter Eleven
Cindy’s heart rate went into overdrive when Pearce parked his car at her house and charged around to the passenger side. He yanked her out and then propelled her toward the door.
She tried to pull herself free of his iron grip. “I’m tired, Pearce. I don’t want you to come in tonight.” Her head hurt, and fear of him made her feel sick.
Pearce swung her around in front of him and scowled. “I don’t care what you want. Unlock your front door.”
Fearful of what he might do, she put the key in the lock. Pearce knocked her hand away and opened the door. He shoved her inside. She lost her balance and fell at his feet.
He kicked her in the ribs. “You stupid woman. This time I’ll get you completely under my spell.” Leaning down, he pressed his hands hard on each side of her head. “I should smash your skull, and I will after you are of no more use to me.”
Cindy whimpered. The pain inside her skull was intense. His palms pressed harder, and she screamed in agony until finally everything went black.
* * * *
Pearce lay Cindy on the sofa and pressed the first number in his phone contacts.
“Hello. If you are calling there must be problems.”
He told his birth mother about all that had recently occurred. “Have you heard of the Flaming Beauty bird?”
“Our ancestors learned much about the earlier Commandos’ home planet. It’s reported the ones who came to earth had never seen such a bird, but if they did, she would be there to protect and save them from evil.”
“There’s a woman here who can shift into the Flaming Beauty bird.”
A harsh laugh came across the line. “It is time to test if this legend is true. If it is, we’ll see which of us has the strongest powers. I sensed you were having problems, my son. I’m headed your way. Go back to the ranch and do as I say this time.” She told him her plan. “I’m quite excited. I haven’t had a chance to show my true self in a long time.
“When we take control of the three tribes, you and I will rule. You won’t need Cindy. But until this is over, we’ll use her for whatever purposes we want.” She ended the call.
Cindy’s eyes began to flicker open. Pearce helped her sit up. “I have good news, my dear. A woman will arrive here soon. You told me your mother hasn’t visited you since you moved to Wyoming, so you will introduce my guest as your mother. Do you understand? You will do whatever we tell you, no questions asked.”
Cindy nodded.
“Say it,” he demanded.
“I will say and do whatever you tell me.”
“Good girl.” He gripped her cheek tightly and leaned down into her space. “If you don’t, you’ll die.”
He walked to the door. “Sleep. You’ll wake rested.”
* * * *
Rex waited for his parents. Kira and Hakan had gone ahead to the main ranch house. His mother looked tired when she returned. She barely glanced at Rex before going to her bedroom.
“Dad, can we talk?”
“I think we need to. We’ll go in the kitchen and put on some coffee.”
“We cleaned the house, and all the pie has been sent to the lab.” Rex walked in the kitchen and sat at the table. He watched his father pour coffee into the coffee filter, water in the reservoir and turn the pot on. Then he sat and faced Rex.
“Was the pie poisoned?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“Kira had an uneasy feeling. She crept outside and watched through the window. When Mom went to get the plates, Pearce sprinkled the poison on half of the pie.”
“No, you lie.”
Pearce and his father jerked around to look at the doorway. His mother, dressed in her nightgown, held on to the doorframe. Her face was white, and her eyes blazed with anger. She stomped into the room and over to Rex.
“You’ve always hated Pearce. How can you tell such lies? He’d never do such a thing. Why, he would have poisoned his father if that was true. I won’t believe he’d ever harm either one of us. Your friend, Kira, overreacted.”
Mr. Rexford pulled her onto his lap and wrapped his arms around her. “I suspected Pearce was up to something, and I’ve been glad he stayed away from the ranch as long as he did. He doesn’t let you see his evil side.”
“No!” She beat on her husband’s shoulders and arms. “I’ll never believe what either of you say.”
“Mom, the pie is at the lab. They will tell us that poison i
s in it. Kira saw Pearce sprinkle a liquid on one side of your dessert. He took those slices to me, Hakan, and father. Kira saved our lives.”
“You’d believe anything she said. Wait and see. There will be no poison in my pie.”
Rex stood. “I’d better go, Dad.” He glanced at the coffeepot. “May I take a cup with me?”
“Certainly. Help yourself.”
“Aren’t you afraid it’s poisoned, too?” His mother mocked him.
“My dear, Rex is our son. We should have paid heed to him long ago when he tried to tell us Pearce was mean and vindictive. I believe Pearce is evil and will kill you and me, if given the opportunity.”
She jumped out of her husband’s lap. “Both of you are traitors. I don’t believe you and will have nothing more to do with either of you.” She left the room.
“I’m sorry, Dad.”
“No, I am.” He glanced at the doorway. “Hopefully, she’ll calm down, and then think more clearly. But you go on. I can handle things here.” He waved Rex off.
Rex was worried, but he needed to get to the meeting. There wasn’t much he could do at home. He doubted Pearce would make another move tonight, but he would definitely strike soon.
* * * *
Rex was the last to arrive. Mitch had called a large number of his major Commandos, Mother Aileen, all the leaders, and both Priestesses. Mitch was pacing the floor in front of the chairs.
“Come up here, Rex, and explain what happened at your house. Hakan and Kira wanted to wait for you.”
Rex started at the beginning. He explained why he’d always disliked his brother and the concerns he’d developed since Pearce came home this time. Then he told them about this evening. “Do we know for sure the pie was poisoned?” Rex asked Kira.
“I stayed with Ellen while she checked it. It didn’t take long. Ellen said the liquid sprinkled on the pie was the most dangerous of the poisons. The one that almost killed Averil.”
“Kira, tell them exactly what you saw, and why you suspected Pearce.”
She took hold of Rex’s hand. “I had an uncomfortable feeling. I suspected Pearce had turned Cindy to his way of thinking, and while we cleaned up the kitchen, she all but told me he had. After that, the uneasiness increased.
“When he insisted on helping his mother with the pie, I decided to sneak outside to the kitchen window.” Kira told them what she’d seen and how she had rushed in to knock the plates out of Pearce’s hands. “It was the cake, he’d sprinkled with poison and had intended to give Hakan, Rex, and his father.
“He left with Cindy, and I fear for her life. He’s angry, and he’s cornered. Consequently he has become much more dangerous.”
Lang, the ranch foreman, stood. “I’ll notify my men to watch for him. He’ll be taken into custody if he returns to the ranch. If you’ll excuse me, I’ll take care of that now.”
Mitch waved him on. “Does anyone have suggestions about what to do?”
Nick, Cassie’s other husband, stood. “I say we go find him and lock him up down here. We can find out if anyone else is working with him.”
“We can start at Cindy’s,” Kira said. “I’m really worried about her.”
“I wonder if he’s a shifter and has hidden it from us all this time,” Hakan commented. “He has to be the one who killed Gala. Maybe he caused the severe damage to her body. It’s been suggested the animal was a large wolf. Lang never found any evidence of a wolf in the area. Mitch, you’d better call Lang and ask him to tell his men to keep a lookout for a wolf shifter.”
“I think you may be right. I’d shift if I was him and had the ability.” Mitch took out his phone and called Lang. When he finished his call, Mitch added, “I’d suggest you all call your wives. Tell them to keep the doors and windows locked tight. There’s no telling what a hunted animal will do next.”
Rex, Hakan, and Kira joined the group of men who gathered around Mitch and Daren. They were discussing going out in two groups, one to search for Pearce and one to go to Cindy’s house.
“I’m going with the group to Cindy’s house,” Kira said.
Mitch started to say no, but then he smiled. “We may need you. I keep forgetting what a valuable asset you are to all of us.”
“Thank you, I…”
All the leaders’, Kira’s, Rex’s, and Hakan’s phones rang at once. “This is bad,” Mitch said as he answered his cell phone.
Each person took their call. The emergency system had gone into effect. A programmed message said the hospital had a large number of people in the emergency room, very sick.
“He hit sooner than we expected. Let’s go,” Mitch said. “My group will start searching for him on and off the ranch. Kira, your group will go to Cindy’s. Daren’s going along to lead with you.” Kira nodded affirmative. “The doctors, Mother Aileen, Garth, Lann, and the Priestesses will head for the ER.”
Kira turned to Rex and Hakan. “Call me if I can help, but for now I can’t give any more blood unless we run completely out of the antidote and the situation becomes even more dire. But, I’ll come as soon as we check on Cindy.”
“We’ll let you know what we’re dealing with as soon as we get to the hospital.” Rex kissed her mouth and walked toward the door.
* * * *
Hakan held her close. “Be careful, my love.” His lips brushed across the top of her head. Gently, he pulled away from her. “Be safe.” He hurried out to catch up with Rex.
“Are you ready?” Daren asked.
“Yes, I feel Cindy’s in a lot of trouble.”
The drive into town and to Cindy’s house seemed to take forever. Hakan called Kira and told her a large number of the residents from the third tribe had been poisoned. Some were worse than others. “I’ll put Mitch on the phone so he can tell you about what he’s found.”
“We think he hit the tribe’s temporary water system, so I’ve shut it off,” Mitch said. “We’ll have to call the sheriff and see about getting barrels of water sent out. I don’t trust our system either.”
He gave the phone back to Hakan. “Ellen and her team are here. They’re giving shots to all the victims. They’ve been working hard on developing more of the antidote. But if the numbers keep increasing, we’ll run out.”
“We’re almost to Cindy’s. I’ll get back there as soon as I can.” She ended the call.
Daren glanced across at her. “Can you give any more blood? I’d think it would be dangerous. We can’t risk losing you.”
“You’ve done well without me all these years. You can do so again, if necessary. Perhaps my job in life is to save the tribes, even at the cost of my own life.”
“We won’t allow that to happen.”
Kira didn’t answer. She’d see what she had to do.
“This is the house,” the driver said.
“The lights are on, and there’re two cars in her driveway,” Daren said. “Stop, before they see us. Our four warriors, in the car behind us will park, and I’ll get out to tell them what to do.”
Daren and Sahale, who’d ridden in the front of their car, got out, and the men gathered around them. Kira, not wanting to be left behind, walked over and stood between Sahale and Daren.
“Kira and I will go in first. We’ll put on hidden mics so Sahale can hear what’s going on inside. Hide around the house and wait for our signal. Sahale, you’re in charge out here. Get your receiver on now. If we get in trouble, storm the place.” Sahale nodded. He and his men disappeared into the darkness.
“Drive on up and park beside the two cars,” Daren told their driver. He and Kira put on their hidden microphones, and when the car stopped they climbed out. They walked to the door, and Kira knocked.
“Cindy, it’s Kira,” she yelled out. At first there was no answer, and then the door cracked open.
“It’s late, Kira. What are you doing here?”
“I wanted to make sure you were all right.” The door opened further, showing an older woman with dark hair standing behind Cindy.
“I appreciate your concern for my daughter. I surprised her tonight. I’ve been promising to visit and just decided now was the time. So I’ll be here to take care of her. You don’t have to worry.”
Kira moved closer to the door. “Is this your mother, Cindy?”
“Yes, I’m very happy to see her. We’ll have a lovely visit.”
Kira had gotten close enough to see the flat expression in Cindy’s eyes, and to smell a foul odor around her. Kira knew she was in trouble, but this might not be the best time to try and free her.
“I’m glad you’re doing well. It’s been nice meeting your mother. I think the two of you should come with us. You may be in danger. We can protect you better on the ranch,” Kira said.
“A ranch? Oh, I’ve always wanted to see a real, working ranch. Can we look around once the danger is over?” Cindy’s mom asked.
“Absolutely.” Daren stepped forward. “It’s a beautiful place. You’ll like it. You can stay in one of our guest cabins. We’ll place a guard outside to keep you safe.”
“Cindy, go pack a bag. My suitcase is still in the rental car. I’ll drive Cindy and me. We can follow you, and please call me by my first name, Dyna.”
Cindy hurried back to them. She’d packed a small overnight case.
“We’re ready,” Dyna said. “Shall we go?”
Daren led the way. Sahale had heard what was said and when they got to their vehicle, the second car was out of sight.
“Drive straight to the ranch,” Daren told their driver. Then he pressed in the numbers for Mitch. He explained their plan. “We’ll put them in cabin three and have our men hidden in number four. Have them hide several hearing devices in cabin three and put a man in the front and back to guard them.” Kira pulled on his arm. “I think Kira’s trying to tell me she wants to speak with you.” He handed Kira the phone.
“Mitch, this woman has the same odd odor as her son. I smelled it, but I don’t think anyone else will. It’s very faint. Ask Mother Aileen to go with you and greet them when they arrive. We should be there in less than thirty minutes.”
Cameron, Paige - Commando Cowboys Desire Their Queen [Wyoming Warriors 8] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Polyromance) Page 11
