Her cheek flamed with the harsh treatment, and she screamed again, her head pounding as he rolled her to the edge of the bed. “You can’t hide all that purty stuff from me, lady,” he said, his voice low and rasping.
“Don’t be greedy, brother,” LeRoy said from behind him. “Save a feel for me.”
“There’s enough for both of us,” Shorty snorted. “You’ll get your turn.” And then he turned to look over his shoulder, his fingers grasping with greedy strength at the tender flesh Sarah tried in vain to protect from his touch.
“Where’d Les go?”
“After the boy,” Shorty told him. He ran to the back door and closed it. “If he wants to get back in, he can just damn well knock.”
“That ramshackle shed must be an outhouse,” Brace said, his tone barely a whisper. “Maybe I can get to it and find enough shelter there to get a good shot at the back door. If I make enough noise, they’ll no doubt open it and come after me.”
“Not a good idea,” Nicholas said. “It’ll leave you exposed.”
With that, the small back door of the cabin opened and Lester appeared in the opening. “Shall I grab a quick shot?” Brace asked, already aiming his gun, only to have it shoved aside by Nicholas as the small form of a boy trotted from the cabin, aiming with purpose toward the outhouse.
A scream split the air, and Stephen paused. “Stephen,” Brace breathed, and was rewarded by a quick look in his direction by the boy. “This way, son,” Brace said, still in an undertone, but obviously loud enough for Stephen to hear, for he veered sharply, ran behind the outhouse and halted.
“Pa?” he called out carefully, the single syllable barely a whisper.
“Over here,” Brace told him, moving just a bit, making himself visible, yet concealed from the cabin by the rude shelter Stephen hovered behind. From the cabin came another shrill cry of pain, and Brace held his tongue with difficulty.
“It’s Sarah,” Nicholas said quietly. “At least we know she’s alive and kicking.”
A shout of warning was all they had before Lester burst from the cabin and ran helter-skelter after his son. Stephen looked up at Brace and crouched low, running for all he was worth toward the man who had called him.
“Come back here, you worthless piece of—”
Whatever word the man was preparing to call Stephen died on his lips as Nicholas fired once, bringing Lester to his knees. And then with a cry of pain he fell to one side, clasping his knee to his belly.
“He won’t be running off,” Nicholas said with satisfaction.
The cry of a man in pain, even muffled by the walls, was enough to bring the men inside to attention. “That’s Les,” LeRoy said, rising to approach the back door.
“Don’t open the damn thing,” Shorty said. “If they got Les, they’ll be watchin’ for us to run out there.”
“Well, you got a better idea?” LeRoy asked.
“They aren’t gonna do much shootin’ with the woman inside the cabin,” Shorty told him. “She’s still our ace in the hole.”
Sarah felt less than a piece of valuable protection as she listened to the men talk, speaking of her as if she were something to be bartered.
“I’ve got money in my pocket,” she said. “I couldn’t come up with five thousand like the note said, but there’s probably several hundred there.”
“Not much good to us, lady,” LeRoy told her. “Now, a handy roll of bills might do the trick, but I’m not risking my neck for a few paltry dollars.”
“What you planning on doing?” Shorty asked, restless as Lester’s cries of pain continued without ceasing.
“I’d say Les is providing good cover for us out back,” LeRoy said. “I’d vote for headin’ out the front door and making a run for it.”
“Where are the horses?”
“Les put them in the shed next to the cabin. We can get out the cabin door and into the shed in no time flat. A couple of minutes to get mounted and we’ll be on our way.”
“What about her?” Shorty asked, pointing a finger at Sarah.
“She’s our protection. You don’t think they’ll shoot if we’ve got her for cover, do you?”
“You’re smarter than I gave you credit for,” his brother said. “Now, if we can get hold of the boy, we’ll be halfway home. And if we get caught between a rock and a hard place, we’ll bargain for the rest of the five thousand. I’d be willing to bet that there’s some money out there lining somebody’s pocket right now. They didn’t come after her without something to sweeten the pot.”
Sarah was hauled unceremoniously from the bed, and her hands rose to hold her dress together. Slung over LeRoy’s shoulder, she made a perfect target, she decided, should there be someone out in front of the building.
Chapter Fourteen
“Where are they?” Brace asked, muttering the words to himself.
“I thought sure hearing Lester howling would bring them out that door,” Nicholas answered.
“Well, we managed to have one bit of success,” Brace said, holding his arms wide as Stephen ran through the weeds toward him. He gathered the boy close and brought them both to the ground.
“Is Sarah all right?” he asked Stephen, his need for her superseding all else.
“She’s alive, Pa. Those other two men are being mean to her, but she’s madder than a wet hornet at them.”
“Where is she?” Nicholas asked. “We need to figure out her position in the house, Brace,” he added in an undertone.
“She’s on a bed, on that side,” Stephen said, pointing to the north wall of the building.
“A bed,” Brace repeated, casting a look of frustration toward Nicholas. “Have they hurt her?” His arms held Stephen away for a moment, and looking down into the boy’s face, he awaited an answer.
“My father slapped her once, and one of the other men hit her, too, right after he tore her dress all to pieces.”
Nicholas placed a heavy hand on Brace’s shoulder. “You won’t do her any good if you run out there and get yourself killed,” he said, his voice cold, as if icy talons of anger had gripped him. And so it seemed to be, Brace decided, looking at the stern visage offered by his friend.
Nicholas ready for battle was a sight to behold, he’d found, and today had brought all of the man’s warrior instincts to the forefront. “I’d like to get around in front of the house,” Nicholas said quietly. “I’d have thought that Jamie and Amos would be situated out there already, keeping an eye out for us, especially since old Lester is making so much of a fuss here.”
Behind them, Bart whispered a word of warning. “Be careful, the both of you. I just took a walk around the other side, and the door of the cabin was open a little bit. I think they’re considering making a run for it.”
“With Sarah as a shield,” Brace surmised. “You can stay here and keep an eye on Lester, Bart. I doubt he’s going anywhere, but if he tries to haul his miserable body away from here, put another bullet in it. Right where it’ll do the most good.”
“Yeah, I can do that, Sheriff,” Bart returned. “I’ll just get me a good spot here, and hunker down and wait.” He looked up as Brace moved to stand behind a tree. “I take it you’re going out front?”
“Yeah. Nicholas and I will see what’s going on.”
“Me, too,” Stephen said from his place on the ground.
“I want you right where you are, son,” Brace told him. “Bart won’t let anything happen to you. I’ll guarantee it. And Nicholas and I can move faster if we don’t have to worry about someone picking you off.”
“Yessir,” the boy answered, crawling a foot closer to where Bart lay with his gun before him. “Me and Bart will keep an eye on him.” His voice was bitter as he looked in Lester’s direction. Blood flowed freely from the man’s knee, and he groaned aloud, with profanity interspersed amid the threats and grumblings.
From the front of the cabin a loud shout caught their attention, and Nicholas and Brace vanished into the shadows of the woods behi
nd them, intent on circling the building and locating the cause of the alarm. Bent low, they ran as one, their clothing ripped by the branches they ignored, their hats jammed low on their heads, their guns in hand.
In sight of the door, Brace drew up short. “Look. Over there,” he told Nicholas, lifting his hand to point a finger toward the north. Almost entirely concealed in the heavily undergrown area were two men, and Brace breathed a sigh of relief. His backup had not failed him. Jamie and Amos were at hand.
Beside him, Nicholas growled an oath and Brace turned, his eyes questioning. “Damn woman didn’t have enough sense to stay where she was told,” he muttered, his gaze apparently caught and captured by the sight of a wagon, and a woman who sheltered behind it.
“Where are the children?” Brace asked. “She surely wouldn’t bring them along, would she?”
Nicholas shook his head. “She’d die before she let anything happen to her babies. But the problem now is that there are a couple of desperate men ready to come out that door with guns firing, and no doubt using Sarah as a shield.”
Lin appeared as a dim form behind Jamie and Amos, but her body was well protected by the seat and the side of the conveyance.
From the cabin came another shout and then the door was flung wide, making a loud clatter as it struck the logs. Jamie’s gun was aimed at the doorway, but something there caused him to lower the rifle and speak in a low tone to Amos.
“What is it?” Nicholas asked Brace, who had made his way far enough to catch sight of the doorway.
“One of those thugs has Sarah tossed over his shoulder and he’s coming out. I think Jamie wisely decided not to take a chance on hitting her and lowered his gun.”
Nicholas came closer. “They’re both there now. The second one looks like he’s heading for the shed door. Must be where the horses are.”
The two men made a quick break for safety, and in seconds were inside the small shed, where horses could be heard milling and neighing their confusion at the sounds that had caught them unawares.
It was several minutes before the shed door opened again, and a loud voice called out. “Sheriff. I know you’re out there. I just wanta know how bad you want this woman of yours. I’ll bet your pockets are lined with ready cash, and you’re out here to buy us off and rescue her, ain’t you?”
“I’ve got five thousand dollars with me,” Brace shouted at the open door.
Neither man could be seen, but the second one called out orders in quick succession. “Put the money on the ground right out in front, Sheriff. Drop it quick and back off. We don’t want to kill nobody, but we will if any of you try to stop us.”
“You can’t go out there,” Jamie said in a hushed tone, coming up behind the two men. “They’ll shoot you, sure enough.”
“Just keep your guns aimed at that door. Shoot anything that moves, so long as it isn’t Sarah. If that fella heads out with her over his shoulder, aim at his legs. Getting hit in the knee sure made Lester drop in a hurry. I’ll bet he’s back there thinkin’ about his sins.”
Brace stood up and drew forth the wad of bills from his pocket. “If you shoot me, these will fly all over the place and you’ll have a hell of a time finding them,” he shouted.
“No, Brace, don’t do it,” Sarah called from inside the shed, and Brace heaved a sigh of relief. She was alive and didn’t sound badly hurt. And then she appeared, one of the men hauling her up in front of him, an arm around her neck, shuffling along behind her reluctant body. His other hand gripped a gun and he aimed it at Sarah’s head.
“If you want her alive, you’ll drop that money and make tracks, Sheriff. And leave that gun behind.”
Brace drew in a deep breath as the man and his shield stepped back inside the shed. Then, with barely a pause, the other brother appeared in the opening, bending low over the neck of a horse as he left the shelter behind. “Where’s the money?” he called out.
“I’ve got it,” Brace answered and, dropping his gun as he left the depths of the wooded area, he made an open target of himself, just twenty feet in front of the man on horseback. Holding up his hand, the money clutched tightly in his grasp, he waited.
“Don’t be droppin’ it, Sheriff,” the man told him, riding closer and snatching the wad from Brace’s hand. Behind him, a second horseman appeared, riding double, Sarah in front of him.
Brace’s heart fell at the sight of the woman he loved. She was bruised, her face swollen and already turning a deep crimson, where cruel blows had bruised her tender flesh. Her clothing was awry, her dress torn, the sleeve tattered and her arm exposed, as was the upper slope of her breast. The man holding her had a gun in one hand, waving it as a threat in Brace’s direction.
And then the two men bent low and turned their mounts toward the other side of the cabin, obviously seeking shelter there. Sarah slumped against her captor, her head dropping to her chest, as if she had fainted in his arms. With a quick movement he turned her across his thighs, and Brace watched as her head lolled loosely in the bend of the man’s elbow. Brace turned and slid quickly to the ground, fearful of making himself a target for the rider, yet aware that he must reach his gun in short order or lose the chance to fire.
Then a shot from a rifle split the tension-filled air and the rider who clutched Sarah tumbled from his saddle, dumping the woman to the ground. Blood poured from the man’s head, and even as he ran toward his wife, Brace knew he was dead. A perfect head shot. The second man looked about the small clearing, indecision apparent on his face. Obviously deciding that defeat was at hand, he rode away, leaving his brother behind.
From Jamie’s pistol another shot rang out, accompanied by a second flash from the rifle that was positioned near the wagon. The rider fell to the ground, and from the rapidly forming pool of blood beneath his body, Brace was certain he had breathed his last, as had his brother.
“Shoots like a champ, doesn’t she?” Nicholas asked, his pride in Lin’s marksmanship evident. “Got that fella square in the back of the head, and unless I miss my guess, between her and your deputy, they’ve nailed the other one for keeps, too.”
Nicholas was fast approaching, his gun held cautiously at one side, Brace’s own pistol in his other hand. “You dropped this,” he said with a smile.
“Didn’t have enough hands to hold it,” Brace said. “I was more interested in drawing those crooks out into the open with the money. I figured being unarmed would entice them, too.”
“Well, it succeeded,” Nicholas said, his jaw working as he watched Lin burst through the covering of the trees, her movements bringing her to his side. Nicholas snatched her up against himself, holding her close.
“You fool woman,” he said roughly. “Why didn’t you stay where you belonged? You could have been killed.”
“He was riding off with Sarah,” Lin said, her voice breaking as she spoke. “I couldn’t let him do that, Nicholas.” She looked up at her husband. “I killed him, didn’t I?”
“Damn right you did,” Nick answered. “But you shouldn’t have even been here.” With another curse, he lowered his head to her, and his mouth covered hers in a possessive move that stunned Brace. The man was furious. His actions left no doubt of that, yet his first thought was to lay hands on his wife and hold her fast in his embrace.
“You just wait till I get you home,” Nicholas threatened the woman he held.
“You gonna hit me?” she whispered, the words carrying to Brace as he knelt by Sarah’s side. He could not suppress the laughter that bubbled from his chest as Lin’s teasing reply reached his hearing.
Sarah moved then, looking up at him, her eyes wide, with no trace of pain visible on her face. Her clothing was rumpled and torn, but she’d not been the victim of a gunshot. “Stephen?”
“He’s all right,” Brace said quickly.
He picked her up, kneeling beside her and holding her fast. “I thought I’d lost you,” he muttered against her face. And then in an unconscious manner, he did as Nicholas had done j
ust moments before, taking Sarah’s mouth with a kiss that left those watching with no doubt as to where his priorities lay. She clung to him, whispering words he could not interpret, but it made no matter, for the message was clear.
He stood and lifted her with him, holding her high above the ground. Lin tore herself from Nicholas’s arms and came closer. “I aimed high so I wouldn’t take a chance on hitting her,” Lin said.
“You didn’t even nick her,” Brace said, smiling his thanks at the woman. “She’s just bruised up and looks like she was handled pretty roughly.”
“Did they—?”
Lin’s words broke off, but Brace read accurately the thoughts that begged to be spoken.
“No, I don’t think so. They hardly had time. Things were moving pretty quickly there for a few minutes.”
“Where’s that dirty rat, Lester?” Lin asked. “I was wishing I could get a shot at him, too.”
“Missed your chance,” Brace said with a grin. “Nicholas got his bullet there first.”
“Is he dead?” Sarah asked, her voice faint, almost muffled against Brace’s chest.
“No, he’ll be alive when the judge gets here. And I think we’ll be turning him over to the authorities back east. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised to find a couple of Pinkerton men in town when we get back, looking for him.”
Nicholas followed behind Lin and his arm scooped her close, his mouth touching her ear as he muttered words that made her smile. “I want you to get your little fanny up on that wagon seat, and I want you to hightail it for the ranch. You got that?” he asked, his voice harsh, leaving her no option but to nod.
“Can I stop in town first and pick up the children?” she asked. “I left them at Brace’s house with Sarah’s folks. I couldn’t think what else to do with them, in order to keep them safe.”
“Probably the smartest thing you’ve done all day,” Nicholas said gruffly. He turned her toward the wagon and then accompanied her there, lifting her with an easy motion to the seat and turning the horses in the direction of town. Standing with hands on his hips, he watched her lift the reins and crack them loudly over the horses’ backs.
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