by Toni Leland
She gulped back a sob and nodded. A hollow thud hummed through the quiet, followed by another, and she jerked around to look behind her. “What was that?”
“Nothin'. The windmill needs adjusting.”
She gazed up at the blades, which barely moved in the soft breeze. The thumping echoed again and she hesitated, then followed him back toward the house. When they reached the yard, she started toward the truck, but Travis took her shoulders and steered her toward the kitchen door.
“I wanna finish my beer. Besides, we haven't played our game yet.”
She slumped down on the ottoman and sniffled, her expression sullen. Irritation prickled across his neck. Maybe he should lock her up with Tina-they could bawl on each other's shoulder.
He gulped some beer, then grinned at his guest.
“Hey, you ever seen someone with their brains blown out?”
~ ~
Kellie reined in and dismounted, keeping her eye on Juicy as he approached. The pinto neighed and Kellie's horse answered. Moving swiftly through the long grass, Kellie lifted a hand and called the horse's name. He trotted up to her and blew the dust from his nostrils, then dropped his head to snatch a mouthful of grass.
Her heart thumped as she gathered the reins. One had broken off where he'd stepped on it-at least, that's what she hoped. Fighting images of Sara sprawled on the ground somewhere with a broken neck, Kellie led Juicy back to her own horse, then remounted. She nudged the horse into a brisk trot, turning in the direction from which Juicy had appeared. The southern section, and Randy's house.
Her thoughts raced as she searched, terrified she'd find her daughter's small body. The past fifteen minutes had lengthened into what seemed like hours. The house came into view and the worst scenarios faded, quickly replaced by new ones. Was Jethrow in there? Was Sara with him? Would he hurt her, as he'd hurt the horses? Kellie slowed her horse to a walk and circled toward the west to get a view of the back of the building. What would she do if there were trouble? She stopped to unbuckle the small saddlebag behind the cantle. If someone hadn't been too efficient, her coyote gun would be there. Her fingers closed on cold metal and her fear subsided a bit.
Urging the horse on, she kept her eyes on the house, watching for signs of life. A pickup truck with Texas plates sat parked outside the back door. She hesitated, then trotted the horses into the shade of the barn and stopped. Nearby, the hum of bumblebees working through a clump of fleabane was the only sound in the heavy afternoon air.
“Sara! Where are you?”
Nothing stirred and Kellie's fear grew. She called out again, the screen door flew open, and a small streak of blue denim dashed out.
“Mommy!”
Kellie jumped down and met Sara just behind the truck. Curling her arms around the small trembling body, she buried her face in the flyaway red curls.
“Oh my god, baby, you scared me half to death!” She hugged harder, and Sara began to squirm.
“Mom, you're choking me!”
A soft male voice resonated from close by. “Howdy, Aunt Kellie. Come on up.”
She released Sara and stared at the angular face, the hard eyes, the thin lips curling into a smile that more resembled a sneer. This couldn't be the adult version of the somber teen who'd run away so long ago.
Travis stepped closer and removed his hat. “Ma'am, good to see you again.”
Kellie tried to absorb what she was seeing and hearing. Campbell was wrong-this wasn't her nephew. Jethrow had masses of curly hair, the Sutton trademark.
She glowered. “Who are you, and what are you doing on my property?”
“Your property? Why, Auntie! I'm wounded to the core-surely you haven't forgotten your favorite brother's only child.” The sneer opened into a nasty smile, revealing familiar crooked teeth. “But then, maybe you have. After all, if he doesn't exist, you can keep all this oil rich land for yourself.”
Kellie took a deep breath and turned to Sara. “You get back home, right now. I'll deal with you later.”
The child's eyes widened and she opened her mouth to protest, but Kellie was firm.
“Now! And don't tell your uncles about this, you understand?”
Sara started to go, but Travis snaked an arm out and grabbed her wrist. “Hold up now. We're just getting acquainted.”
Sara's eyes glistened with tears. “You're hurting me!”
Kellie stepped forward, but Travis pinned her with a look that set her blood to running cold.
“We have some catching up to do, don't we, Auntie?”
~ ~
Ed's chest tightened as he related the chain of events and his suspicions to Danielle. She listened intently, making only one comment.
“If the nephew is our man, why would he reveal himself?”
“The kind of person who could do something like this wants closure, proof that he has accomplished whatever goal he's set. Something in the Sutton family history will be the key. I'm sure of it.”
Danielle was silent for a moment and, when she spoke, her tone was cautious. “You probably know the family better than anyone. Anything come to mind?”
“On the surface, the Suttons were very clannish, but the truth of the inner relationships is ugly. The kid was a strange one, I remember that much.”
“Seems kind of stupid to chance getting arrested.”
Ed shook his head slowly. “A sociopath doesn't believe it could ever happen.”
They turned into the lane leading to the ranch, and pulled up beside another patrol car parked in the grass. Ed rolled down the window.
“Anything going on out here?”
The deputy assigned to protect Kellie shook his head. “Nope, just watchin' the grass grow.” He grinned. “Pretty good duty.”
“Nap time's over-stay put until we call you.”
He drove on up the lane and turned into the gravel parking area in front of the house, a painful knot forming in his stomach. He glanced over at Danielle.
“You wait here. Call dispatch and tell them where we are.”
He stepped out into the muggy warm air and positioned his hat, staring at the heavy oak door to his past. His boots thumped on the wood planks, matching his heartbeat. He rapped loudly, his muscles twitching with tension.
The door opened and Clarke Sutton's handsome face broke into a wide grin.
“Eddie Campbell! You old son-of-a-gun!”
Ed's tension faded and he grasped the outstretched hand and laughed. “I sure didn't expect to see you here.”
“Hey, we have to keep up with our family heritage, and 89er Days is as good an excuse as any.” He yelled over his shoulder. “Cliff! Come look who's here!”
Ed stepped back as the two men came out onto the porch. “Is Kellie here?”
“No, she went over the barn for something. She'll be back in a few minutes. Tell us how the investigation is going.”
Ed pursed his lips. “Slowly. I take it you two didn't get a message from Oklahoma City PD.”
Cliff's eyebrows shot up. “What do they want with us?
Ed glanced at Danielle watching them from the car. “Just routine. We're trying to eliminate as many suspects as possible.”
Clarke's face darkened, all vestiges of friendliness disappearing. “And we're on your list? Who the fuck do you think you are?”
Ed stared back. “I'm the sheriff of Logan County, and I'm doing my job.”
Cliff stepped up close, his voice filled with threat. “Listen, Eddie-you just take your hero ass back to town. This is our property and we aim to protect it, not destroy it.”
Ed didn't budge. “Is that a fact? So why are you working so hard to force Kellie to sell out? Would destroying her livelihood help your cause?”
Cliff's arm snapped back, and a loud click nearby froze the action in mid-air.
“I wouldn't do that, if I were you.” Danielle's dark eyes were hard, and her revolver held steady.
~ ~
A quick stab of nostalgia pierced Kellie's fear as
she stepped into the familiar kitchen and looked around. Images swirled through her head. All the times she and Randy had sat at the table, sifting ideas and solving problems, making plans, strengthening the deep loving bond between them. She ran her fingers lightly over the back of the old oak chair, wondering how to start with her nephew.
The unmistakable slide of the deadbolt made her pulse jump, then Travis's soft voice wrapped around her growing fear.
“The old place brings back memories, huh?” He pulled a beer out of the cooler. “You oughta swing through the barn while you're here. Now there's a memory!”
His jerky movements made his gestures look as though marionette strings controlled his hands and arms. A muscle in his jaw twitched incessantly, and his small dark eyes focused on something in his head. Kellie's skin prickled. She felt like she was caged with a lion. Was he on drugs? Mentally unstable? Panic rose in her chest. She knew nothing about this man-where he'd been or the life he'd led.
Sara scuttled over and clung to her waist. “Mommy, I want to go home.”
Kellie stroked the soft curls, garnering all the confidence she could muster. “In a few minutes, honey. You go in the living room while I talk to your cousin.”
She met Travis's amused gaze, silently defying him to challenge her. He nodded, and Sara walked toward the front room, stopping once to look back, her features pinched with fear.
Travis raised the beer bottle in a mock toast, and Kellie's fear turned to nausea. A gaping wound on the back of his hand was identical to the gory hole in Dancer's foot.
He leaned against the kitchen counter and crossed one boot over the other. “I'm lookin' forward to the big barbeque tonight.”
She took a shallow breath to level her voice. “Everyone's excited to see you again.” She refocused on the chameleon change in his demeanor and, with the transition, a hint of the familiar returned. This man really was her nephew-surely that meant something to him. She took a step forward, softening her tone. “How long have you been out here, Jethrow?”
“Don't call me that! My name's Travis!”
His eyes bugged out with the intensity of his words.
“Jethrow was your great-great-grandfather.”
“I don't fuckin' care if he was the fuckin' president! You got any idea what it's like to have a fuckin' sissy name?”
He pushed away from the counter and Kellie fought the reflex to step back.
His expression changed to a wide grin. “Anyway, I've been here long enough to know I want what's mine.”
She avoided looking at his hand, resisting the urge to ask him about the pictures, the horses, all of it. Don't play detective. Just get the hell out of here.
“While we have some time alone, would you tell me why you ran away?”
His eyebrows came together. “Figure it out, lady. Being your little puppet wasn't what I had in mind.” He pushed away from the counter. “You never had the time of day for any of us when Dad was alive, then all of a sudden, you're Earth Mother, fawning all over me like some precious posy you grew yourself.”
The tic returned to his jaw and his agitation grew.
A plan formed in Kellie's head. “I made some mistakes, Jeth-Travis. I can see that now, and I'm so sorry. When your dad died, something inside me died too-I couldn't focus on anything but the pain. I let you down, but I'll make it up to you, I promise.” She gestured around the room. “We'll get the place cleaned and painted. I'll help you get started with whatever you want to do out here-cattle, alfalfa, anything you want.”
His voice came out a growl. “You just don't get it, do you? If any one of you had really cared about Dad, he'd still be alive.”
A cold chill raced over her skin. “What do you mean?”
His agitation escalated, the twitch taking on a life of its own. “A shambling moron could see his desperation, but no-you fuckers were too busy with your fancy lives!”
Sickening reality oozed into Kellie's thoughts. The boy wouldn't have known about her efforts to help Randy pull himself back together. The mortgage payments she'd forked over to keep the land from being seized while her brother wallowed in self-pity. The offers to pay for professional counseling.
Jethrow had embraced his hatred with a vengeance, and now the concept of an eye-for-an-eye had cost her.
She assumed a soothing tone. “You're right, and I'm so sorry. Please let me help you now.”
His words were thick with malice. “Oh, I plan on it.”
She struggled to maintain a neutral expression as she stepped over to the living room door and looked in. “You okay, honey?”
Sara sat on the couch, her gaze glued to something on the cushion beside her-a gleaming rifle with a mounted camera scope.
Pain and anger fought for first place in Kellie's head. Stay calm. Just try to get out of here in one piece. Eddie will do the rest.
“Come on back to the kitchen, sweetheart. We're going home.”
“Think again, Auntie.”
Chapter 18
Cool air washed over Frank's sweaty skin and he blew out a long breath of relief. Locking the door behind him, he turned to the crude shelves lining three walls. If he could outwait the law and get out of here with even a fraction of this stuff, he'd be set forever. His heart warmed with thoughts of spending the rest of his life with Celeste. The visions faded and his throat tightened. He'd never see Sara again. He leaned on the worktable and closed his eyes, remembering her wide-eyed curiosity about his life outside the ranch. Why had he made so many bad choices?
His phone rang and he stared again at “unknown caller” on the screen.
Rodriguez kept his message short. “Carlos will be there any minute. You give me proof, I let your family live.”
Frank shook his head. The man's word was about as reliable as a smoke ring. “You'll have it.”
He disconnected, then set the phone to vibrate mode. Carlos is in for a big surprise.
Roaming around the room, he took stock. On the floor beneath the shelving were several cardboard boxes with black marker writing on the sides. He squatted down and pulled one out. It contained several gallon jugs of water. He dragged out another box and opened the flaps. Canned beans, tuna, evaporated milk, and a box of crackers the mice had discovered. The third box held an assortment of paper plates, plastic utensils, cups, paper napkins, and toilet paper.
He rocked back on his heels and chuckled. He could hide for a long time with these provisions.
A sound outside the door brought him to his feet. He pulled the revolver from his waistband and released the safety. A sharp rap. A gruff accent, muffled by the thick wood.
Frank stepped up close. “Who's there?”
“Carlos.”
“I'll be out in a minute. Go wait in your truck.”
He stepped back from the door, thinking over his plan one more time. Carlos was slow-witted, so it wouldn't be hard to lure him to the back side of the barn. Frank smiled grimly. A year's worth of hay could hide a body for a long time.
Suddenly, a gun retort echoed in the stairwell and the doorjamb splintered. Frank leaped back and aimed his own weapon. It looked as though he'd have no need for a cover story.
The door swung open and Estevan Rodriguez stepped over the threshold.
~ ~
Kellie's insides recoiled at Travis's tone. Sara had risen from the couch, but Kellie shook her head, warning her to stay put.
The child turned to Travis. “Are you coming to the barbecue tonight?”
“Hell, yes! I been planning this reunion for a long time.”
Sara relaxed visibly, her curiosity taking over. “Do you ride?”
The tension in the room lessened and he guffawed. “Missy, I got calluses on my ass from spendin' my days in the saddle, wrangling cattle.”
“Bet I can out-ride you on the poles.”
“Yeah, you probably could.”
“May I go to the bathroom?”
He nodded, then turned to Kellie. “Want a beer? We've got som
e catchin' up to do.”
She watched Sara disappear down the dark hallway, then followed Travis into the kitchen, scrutinizing the man who bore no resemblance to her memories. He was hard and lean and tall, with a confident swagger that mirrored his expression. His mood swings might afford an opportunity for them to escape. She'd play along.
The brew fizzed down her parched throat. “What do you want to talk about?”
He moved to the kitchen window. “That barn. I think it needs to come down, build something better.”
“We can do that. The guys at the ranch built an equipment garage in a weekend. I can-”
Travis turned his head slowly and stared at her from fathoms of darkness. “You think I need you?” He snorted and returned his attention to the landscape.
He'd retreated into his own head again, and Kellie wondered if the front door was unlocked. With him right there in the kitchen, she wouldn't be able to use the back door.
She let her gaze drift to his swollen hand. It was a clue to what happened to her horses-she was sure of it.
“What happened to your hand? Looks like you could use a doctor.”
He glanced at the wound, then shook his head. “Nah, it's just a spider bite. I've had worse.” He set his beer bottle on the counter with a bang. “Where's that kid?” He moved to the living room door and hollered, “Hey, get back in here. You've had enough time to have a baby in there!”
Sara didn't respond and Kellie started toward the hall, but Travis grabbed her arm hard, sending pain deep into the flesh.
“I'll get 'er.”
He pushed Kellie back into the kitchen, and headed down the hall. She followed, her heart thundering in her ears.
Sara screamed and Travis's voice echoed in the bathroom. “You little bitch!”
Sara screamed again, then began to cry. Kellie charged into the bathroom and stopped short.
Travis had reverted to the personality that empowered him, his eyes smoldering with hate. “Your little brat was on her way out the window.”
He shoved Sara toward the door, then stepped up close to Kellie's face. His breath smelled of stale alcohol and cigarettes. But worse, at that intimate distance, she saw the depth of his intent.
