“No, he was kidnapped.” Sobbing, she thrust a note at the sheriff. “Now those awful people who have Ivan have Davey too.” She looked from the sheriff to Matt. “You have to rescue him. He’s just a little boy.”
Matt wanted to punch Warinsky in the face. Damn him! Pulling Beth to him gently, Matt’s thoughts grew more violent. The goose-stepping ruffians had gone too far.
Clamping on his hat, Sheriff Carpenter stood. “That does it. I’m wiring for Federal troops.” He stopped at the door and turned back. “Now don’t you worry, Beth. We’ll get little Davey back.”
“It’s all my fault. I’m being punished for my loose behavior last night.” She gathered Matt’s shirt in her hands and sobbed against his shoulder.
Her confession twisted a knife in his gut. “You’re a good woman.” He held her close and caressed her back. “This is not personal against you, honey. This is a bid to get the papers Davey had.”
“He’s only a little boy, a baby really.”
“Davey may be a boy, but he’s sharper than a lot of adults. He’ll make out until we get him out of there.”
Dear God, please let him be okay.
She lowered her voice. “I’m a bad mother, acting like a…a harlot when I knew it was wrong and my baby was asleep across the hall.”
“Beth, you know you’re a good mother. A good woman.”
“And you—what right did you have to endanger my baby? It’s your fault he’s been snatched by those horrible people.” She pounded on his chest. “You and your drunken ways. Why did you come here, making me feel things again?”
“Honey, don’t carry on. Tom and I will get Davey and Ivan back.” He wondered if he could keep his promise. Prayed he could.
When would he learn? Damn, he’d promised his wife he’d protect her and their child, but he let them down. Would he do the same for Beth and Davey? And Ivan?
Sheriff Carpenter strode in. “Sorry I was gone so long, but I waited for the answer. The commander is sending troops. They’ll be here tomorrow. Deputy’s coming in now to watch the prisoners.”
“Tomorrow!” Beth shrieked. “Who knows what could happen to Davey by then?”
Matt cupped her face. “Calm down. We’re going to get them out tonight. We were planning our move when you came in.” He turned. “Ready?”
Sheriff Carpenter nodded and grabbed extra ammunition.
“I’m coming too. You can’t keep me from helping Davey.”
Exhaling in frustration, Matt exchanged looks with the sheriff. “Tom, let’s go by the boarding house and get their wagon. We’ll need something to load Ivan in because I’ll wager he can’t walk after those boys have worked on him this long.”
With Henry Oslo still missing, the sheriff’s teenaged son manned the livery. Matt and the Sheriff saddled their horses while the young Carpenter took two horses across the road and harness to Lena Mae’s wagon. Matt eyed the rickety vehicle.
“Don’t worry.” Lena Mae tossed quilts into the back. “This thing’s sturdier than it looks.” With more agility than he’d have believed, she climbed up on the seat and took the reins.
Beth tossed pillows on top of the quilts and then clambered beside her mother. “I’ll drive, Mama.” She took the ribbons from her mother.
Matt said, “I can tie Jezebel to the wagon and drive most of the way.”
She raised her chin and flicked the reins. “I can drive this as well as you can. You just lead the way.”
Resigned to the women accompanying them, Matt followed her order and led the way. Creaking wheels let him know the rig fell behind and he slowed. Anger sparked through him at Beth’s need for independence. Worse, he wanted to kill Warinsky slowly and make him suffer.
By dusk they were near the corner of the ranch. Matt led the way to a grove of trees. “Park the wagon here.”
Beth set the brake. “Surely you don’t intend to sit here while those awful men have Davey.”
“We’ll wait for a couple of patrols so we know how close together they are.” He turned to the sheriff. “You have your glass, Tom.”
“In the saddlebag.” He reached behind him and pulled the spyglass from his pack. “I’ll ride up where I waited before. See if anything’s happening. Reckon I’ll leave you with these.” He tossed a pair of fence cutters to Matt.
“How long do we have to wait?” Lena Mae asked. Her fingers worried with her handkerchief.
“This is a large spread. Don’t expect they come by more than every couple of hours.”
Beth looked toward the expanse of range beyond the fence. “How far is the place where you think Davey’s held?”
“Nearly a mile. We’ll leave you two here, then Tom and I will ride a little closer so we don’t have to carry Ivan so far.”
Lena Mae sobbed and put her handkerchief to her mouth.
Matt spread his hands toward her. “Now, he’s okay. Just doped up.” He hoped he told the truth.
Tears ran down Beth’s cheeks. “My poor baby.”
“We’ll get him back.”
Fear coiled in his gut. What if he was too late? Ivan had been worked over, and he hoped Ivan was alive but not talking. Once Warinsky had the information he needed, Ivan and Davey were goners. Ivan hadn’t even recovered from his gunshot when he was captured. How long could he hold out?
He closed his eyes in panic. Davey knew the papers were gone. What if he told Warinsky the information to spare Ivan? He exhaled and opened his eyes. Beth watched him, her eyes searching his.
“We will get them back. I give you my word I won’t return without them.” He hoped he wouldn’t be bringing back bodies, and that Davey and Ivan were all right.
Twilight dimmed and the sun sank low on the horizon when they saw two men ride along the fence. Matt checked his watch. Eight o’clock.
“Keep your voices down,” he whispered. “Sound travels out here.”
Tom crept near them. “Big doings at the main building. All kinds of comings and goings.”
“They go back to the infirmary?”
“Not tonight. Something’s changed though. Two husky guards are walking around the building while another stands by the door.”
Time crawled. Finally, another two horsemen rode along the fence line. As soon as they were past, Matt handed Beth his pocket watch. “Don’t know if you can see it but step into the moonlight. We have two hours ‘till the next patrol, but it’ll take us that long to get to the infirmary without being seen. Give us until two o’clock. If we’re not back by then, you ride hard as you can for town to meet the troops.”
“I’m not leaving without Davey.”
Nerves taut, Matt leaned toward Beth. “Listen, this is no time to be stubborn. What kind of help do you think you can offer Davey if you’re caught? You want him to witness what those men would do to you?”
Shock spread across her face and she gaped at him. He was too angry to care. Stubborn woman! He stalked to the back of the wagon and grabbed the coil of rope.
Lena Mae took Beth’s hand. “Matt’s right, Beth. We have to follow his orders.”
Beth watched the two men ride away, her heart caught in her throat. Fright had stolen all the moisture in her mouth. Now she knew what “scared spitless” meant. Worse, a dozen scenarios flitted through her mind. How could she sit here doing nothing while her baby needed her?
What if they’d tortured Davey to make Ivan talk? She couldn’t bear even to think of any worse possibilities. The only thing that kept her anchored in place was the threat Matt had implied.
Dear God in heaven, what kind of men were these monsters who had Davey?
Beth’s mother slid her arms around her shoulders. “You have to give Matt and Tom credit. You know they’ll do all they can.”
“What if it’s not enough?” she sobbed. “What if those horrid people kill my baby?”
“He’s not a baby any longer. He’s a smart little boy and he’ll do all he can to keep himself and Ivan alive.”
“That’s
what Matt said. Oh, I should never have trusted Matt Petrov.” And she’d thrown herself at him like a loose woman, reveled in the feel of him inside her. The shame of it!
“Why, Beth. Matt’s a good man. I think he’s more than he seems. Have you noticed how the sheriff defers to him?”
“No, all I can think about is Davey. And Ivan.” Looking at her mother, she added, “What do you mean Tom ‘defers to’ Matt?”
“Tom’s the sheriff, and he should rightly be in charge. But he let Matt lead out. Did what Matt said. Doesn’t that strike you as strange?”
“I…I never noticed.” Now that Mama mentioned it, Beth realized her mother was right. Why had Matt been talking things over with the sheriff when she’d run into the office earlier? Why did Tom take orders from him? “He told me it was his job to look after Ivan.”
Mama nodded. “So he’s some kind of lawman just as I suspected. One higher than a sheriff.”
That hadn’t occurred to her. She didn’t really know much about him, did she? Just enough to have intimate relations with him. Heat spread through her at her memories of how well she knew him in the Biblical sense. She must have been crazy.
No, she warned herself. You were lonely. Still are.
“A lawman. I guess he could be. But I wouldn’t trust him as far as I could throw him. If he hadn’t come here, none of this would have happened.”
Her mother gasped, “How can you say that? Ivan was already missing when Matt arrived.”
“Davey wasn’t!”
“Elizabeth Margaret, I swear I don’t know what’s gotten in to you. Think what would have happened when Davey was kidnapped if Matt wasn’t here. Then it’d be up to Tom Carpenter to rescue him and Ivan.” She held up a hand. “Tom’s a nice man, but he’s not up to fighting this kind of battle, and you know it. You wouldn’t want to wait until the Army troops arrive, would you?”
Beth put her hands to her face. “I’m just so worried I can’t even think. I know he’s scared.”
“I’m sure he is, but he’s a brave boy. And one thing he knows is that someone is coming to rescue him and Ivan. He’ll know Matt is doing something.”
“I hope you’re right, Mama. I hope Davey realizes he won’t have to wait much longer.”
Matt and Tom rode in the tree shadows beside the road. When the outline of buildings appeared, they tied their horses out of view. Walking to where bushes grew next to the barbed wire fence, they crouched and Matt cut the bottom three strands between two posts and trimmed off the loose wire. Better leave tension in the top strands to hold the posts upright.
He and the sheriff strode stealthily toward the infirmary, weaving among the grazing cattle. Matt checked the sky. “Time for another patrol.”
The men laid flat on the grass. Sure enough, two riders rode by so close Matt smelled smoke from their cigarettes. After the men were out of view, he and Tom crept toward the infirmary.
They hit the dirt when a guard turned the corner. A pungent smell assaulted his nose. Danged if he hadn’t landed on a cow patty.
The guard stopped, peering into the night.
“Vas ist loss, Hans?” The other guard called softly from the other corner.
The first guard shrugged. “Nichts. Als normal betrachten.” Both men resumed their patrols.
Matt exhaled, unaware he’d held his breath until the men turned away. He tapped Tom, nodded for him to take the man on the right while he went for the other guard.
Each of them waited at a corner of the infirmary, gun drawn. As the first man showed around the corner, Matt cold-cocked him with the butt of his gun. Soon he heard the thump of Tom’s guard following. He shoved the first guard’s handkerchief into his mouth and tied his arms and legs.
Quickly crossing to the other felled man, he tied him.
“Whew, you smell like a barn” Tom whispered.
He held his shirt away from his body. “Fell on a damned cow patty back there.”
“Now what do we do with the one in front? He’s gonna miss these two purty damn quick.”
Matt grabbed a handful of grass and wiped dung from his shirt. “He’s at the door, right? I’ll distract him while you sneak up behind him and give him the same love tap we gave the other two.”
“Okay, give me a couple of seconds to get in place. I hope you got you a convincing speech ready.”
“I hope I do, too.” Thinking of Davey and Ivan inside, he had to make this happen. He holstered his gun and picked up an unconscious man’s rifle. Matt sent up a prayer, and then walked around the building.
“Look what I found.” He pointed it at the remaining guard. “I sure would hate to shoot a hole in that impressive vest you’re wearing.”
The man opened his mouth but Tom struck before the guard could shout a warning. Quickly, Matt pulled him inside the building.
Davey lay tied to a bed with a gag in his mouth. His eyes were wide with relief when he realized Matt was there. Matt untied him. “Keep real quiet.”
The boy nodded. He tried to stand and fell, but regained his legs and hurried to Ivan. Davey shook his arm and leaned near his ear. “Grandpa Ivan, wake up.”
“It’s all right, Davey. He’s drugged. You let the sheriff help you while I take care of Ivan. We have to hurry.” Matt hefted Ivan over his shoulder and followed Tom and Davey.
Walking quickly, they approached the cut in the fence. A furor broke out behind them. Dogs barked and men shouted. Tom slapped several heifers on the rump to head them toward the noise. Other cattle joined the rush.
Matt sped as fast as he could while carrying Ivan. Tom and Davey were ahead of him. Davey fell and Tom scooped him up. They rolled under the cut fence and into the shadows where their horses were tied.
Tom set Davey on his horse and held Ivan while Matt mounted. With the older man seated in front of him, Matt moved out while Tom and Davey followed.
The women heard their approach and turned the wagon ready to head for town.
Dropping Ivan onto the readied quilts as gently as possible, Matt gestured the wagon to move ahead. “Get going!”
“Davey!” Beth cried.
Tom set the boy beside his mother as the wagon picked up speed. Lena Mae climbed in the back to tend Ivan. Tom and Matt rode behind the wagon to make sure no riders were in pursuit.
Matt partially relaxed when the buildings of town came into view. They pulled up at the boarding house. “Get inside and lock all the doors and downstairs windows. Tom and I will keep watch out here.”
Tom’s son ran out to take charge of the horses. “Good lad.” The sheriff clapped the young man on the shoulder. “When you’ve finished with the horses, run to the office and let Lefty and Will know we’re back.”
When a deputy came to relieve them, Matt realized he had nowhere to sleep now that Ivan was back in his old room. He supposed he could have used Miss Pounds former room, but he simply laid on the porch swing and was asleep in seconds.
Sounds of commotion waked Matt. Beth sat nearby, rocking.
“You could have come in and slept in Miss Pound’s room.” She stretched out a hand. “Here’s your watch.”
“Worse ways to wake than having a pretty woman nearby.” Matt ran fingers through his hair and jammed on his hat.
“Mama put breakfast aside for you, but it’s likely ruined now.”
He opened his watch. “Ten o’clock?” He couldn’t believe he’d slept in broad daylight with folks coming and going.
“Come on inside and get something to eat. Tom sent word the Army will be here by noon.”
“Don’t mind if I do.” Matt opened the screen door for her.
In the kitchen, all the boarders crowded around while Beth set a plate in front of him. Embarrassed to be the center of so much attention, he answered questions between bites.
“Whew, Matt, you smell bad.” Davey hugged him anyway. “I knew you’d come get me. Grandma’s up taking care of Grandpa Ivan.”
Matt raised his eyebrows at Beth. “That so? Who
’s taken care of you?”
“Mama is, of course.” He glanced at his mother and frowned. “But she won’t let me go outside until those men are in jail.”
“Don’t blame her. We were sure scared for you.” Matt forked more ham into his mouth. Even warmed over, this food was the best in the state.
Davey’s mouth gaped. “You? I didn’t know you ever got scared of anything.”
“Only a stupid man isn’t afraid. My momma didn’t raise any stupid kids.”
Looking down, Davey admitted, “I was scared. I knew you’d come, but I was afraid of what those men would do before you got there.”
“You don’t have to be afraid now. Your mother and Grandma will take good care of you.”
“You and Grandpa Ivan, too.”
Matt saw Beth stiffen. He figured that told him a lot about whether she wanted him hanging around. He polished off his meal and stood. “Reckon you could get me a clean shirt out of my saddlebags in Ivan’s room?”
“You bet.” Davey ran up the stairs and soon returned with a not-too-dirty shirt. Better than one with cow patty on it.
Matt stepped out on the back porch and shucked off the dirty duds, washed himself to his waist, and pulled on the replacement. Davey watched as if it were a solemn occasion.
Ruffling the boy’s hair, Matt asked, “I have to go to the sheriff’s office now. Reckon you can protect everyone here?”
Solemnly, Davey nodded. “You can count on me, Matt.”
An Army platoon arrived just before noon. After eating and conferring with the sergeant in charge, Matt and the sheriff rode with them. As they passed the boarding house, Matt waved to those with faces pressed against the windows. He caught Davey’s enthusiastic waves back.
Had he lived, Matt’s own son would be almost two years older than Davey. Matt fought the catch in his throat at the painful memories. He would have loved to have a son like Davey. At least Davey was safe now. Surely that counted for something in God’s tallies.
Emotions welling inside, Matt swiped a sleeve across his eyes. Who was he trying to kid? God didn’t keep a tally on the likes of Matt Petrov. He was bound for hell, even though he’d spent a lifetime there already. One night in heaven with Beth didn’t change the outcome.
Wild Western Women Boxed Set Page 37
