by Bobbi Smith
As they rode out of town, they passed the Stevens’ house. Steve was looking for Julie, but saw no sign of her. He glanced down and saw the badge pinned to his shirt. It felt different to be on this side of the law. Grim-faced, he concentrated on the quest ahead of them. He was ready to seek justice.
They traveled long into the night, and when they finally made camp, they were all exhausted. Tessa had matched Jared and Steve mile for mile and had never uttered a complaint. Jared saw to building the fire while Steve tended the horses. Tessa got her bedroll and was walking toward the fire with it.
“Put it right there,” Jared directed, pointing to where he’d already laid out his own. He wanted her right next to him, so he could make sure she was safe and protected.
He hadn’t said much to her since they’d left town, and she’d thought he was angry with her for insisting that he bring her along. She spread her bedroll on the ground next to his.
They didn’t even bother about food. They were all too tired. Steve bedded down across the campfire from them. Both men kept their guns close at hand, knowing that trouble could come at any moment.
Tessa lay close beside Jared, staring up at the stars. It was a beautiful night, but she didn’t notice. Her thoughts were dark and troubled.
“Do you think they killed Michael, Jared?” she asked him in a hushed, pained voice.
“We’ll know more when we get to the mine, but thinking about how minor Will’s injuries were compared to your brother’s, I think there’s a good chance.”
Jared looked over at her and saw a lone tear trace a path down her cheek. He reached out to her and drew her near. She curled against him, her back to his chest. Holding her felt wonderful, but her pain was real to him. He did not try to kiss her. He wanted only to hold her close and keep her safe. They didn’t speak again. There was nothing more to say.
When at long last Tessa slept, her dreams were troubled by visions of the outlaws at the stage robbery and Will riding into town with Michael’s body.
Dawn found them riding out again. It was late afternoon when they neared the mine. Tessa had described the layout of the mine, and they were not going to take any chances riding in. Steve left his horse a distance away and moved silently on foot over the rocky terrain until he found a good position above the mine’s entrance. He would be there, armed and ready, as Jared and Tessa rode in.
When all was ready, Jared and Tessa started toward the mine. Jared’s hand was resting on his sidearm. He expected trouble and insisted Tessa ride some distance behind him.
The silence that greeted Jared worried him more than if Will Kenner had come out to meet them. Ever alert, he reined in before the mining office, dismounted and tried the door. It was unlocked. He shoved it open, staying back in case someone was hiding inside, but there was no sound or movement from within. Jared entered the building to find it deserted.
“Where would they keep their horses?” he asked Tessa as he came back outside.
“That’s the stable over there.”
“Stay right here,” he ordered.
She wanted to go with him, but did as he’d told her. Jared strode to the stable and cautiously checked it out, too. A few moments later he returned to her.
“They’re already gone,” he said in disgust. He gave Steve the signal to join them.
“The one I saw in town must have hightailed it back here last night,” Steve said as he stood with Jared and Tessa in the office.
“I want to look in that mine shaft where they said Michael was killed,” Tessa said, wondering now why it had been boarded up.
Steve stayed outside to stand guard while Jared and Tessa took lanterns and a pick with them. She directed him toward the abandoned shaft.
“This is it,” she said as they came to the turnoff.
To her shock, the barricade had been torn down.
“I wonder why this is down?”
“I’ve got an idea,” Jared said, realizing just how treacherous and conniving this gang was. He’d never heard of anyone doing anything like what he suspected, but it was brilliant. When they started down the shaft, his suspicions were confirmed.
“Tessa, look.” Jared pointed to several gold coins on the ground. He bent to pick them up then continued on. A short distance later he found an empty chest on the floor. “That’s what I thought.”
“They were hiding the money here? In this shaft?” Tessa said, horrified at what had been going on at her mine.
“And look—there’s no sign of any recent cave-ins.” He was examining the support timbers.
“Michael must have found out what they were doing, and they killed him for it,” Tessa said, lifting her tormented gaze to Jared as her worst imaginings were confirmed.
A muscle worked in Jared’s jaw as he controlled his fury. He understood her helplessness and her horror. He opened his arms to her, and she went to him without speaking. The pain of discovering the truth was too great. She turned her face to his chest as sobs of anguish racked her. Jared knew there was nothing he could say that would make things better for her. He could only find the men who’d done this and bring them to justice.
And he would—for her.
Chapter Twenty-nine
Nathan and Tom remembered Jared’s warning, and they were as ready as they could be when the shots rang out. Harley Jenkins, the stage driver, leaned low and urged the team to a faster pace, trying to escape the assault.
“Damn!” Nathan swore, glancing over at Tom as he grabbed his rifle. “I wonder what happened to Jared?”
“I don’t know, and we don’t have time to worry about it right now!” Tom replied.
Rifles in hand, they began to return fire out the windows of the stage.
Nathan and Tom’s efforts did not deter their attackers, though. Will, Zeke, and Bob had planned a long time for this robbery. They were going to grab the gold and get out of Colorado while they could—especially now that they knew Steve Madison was on to them. They’d picked this particular site for the robbery because just up ahead was an area where the hillsides were steep and rocky. They’d dislodged several large rocks and sent them tumbling to the road below. The stage might try to outrun them, but it wouldn’t get far—and then the gold would be theirs.
Jared, Tessa, and Steve had been after the outlaws since leaving the mine. The miles had seemed endless over the rugged terrain, and tracking had been difficult, but this time Jared never lost the trail. It took him only half a day to realize where the gang was planning to rob the stage, and they had increased their pace, hoping to stop the gang before they could attempt the robbery.
They came close.
The sounds of shots being fired reached them as they rode across country, and Jared and Steve drew their guns.
“Tessa, stay back here!” Jared ordered.
Jared had already discussed with Tessa what he expected of her when this moment came, and she had agreed to stay out of harm’s way and let him handle it. He had given her a handgun to protect herself, just in case one of the gang tried to make a run for it. So she was forced to stay behind as Jared and Steve spurred their horses to a dead run.
Will, Zeke, and Bob were all wearing their masks as they shouted down to the stage driver from their vantage points above.
“Throw down your weapons!” Will ordered. He’d been surprised that there had been return fire from the passengers, but then he’d realized this was a valuable shipment, and he should have expected guards to be riding with it.
Harley did as he was told.
“You passengers! I want to see your guns thrown out, too!” he shouted. “Or the driver’s dead!”
From where he had positioned himself, Will could see two rifles tossed out the stagecoach window.
“That’s better. Now, you passengers! Open that door real easy-like and climb out of there. Keep your hands up and nobody’ll get hurt!”
Nathan and Tom shared a look.
“What do you think? We’ve still got our sidearms,” T
om said hopefully.
“They won’t do us much good, pinned down like we are. Where the hell is Jared?” Nathan said in growl. “He should have been here by now.”
“You’d better take off your badge,” Tom warned him.
Both men quickly put their deputy’s badges in their pockets.
“You! In the stage! Get out now, or we start shooting again!”
Trapped, they swung the door open and slowly got out. They took care not to make any unexpected moves. They didn’t want to give these men any reason to shoot. The gang was going to be angry enough as it was once they found out there was no gold in the strongbox.
* * *
“All right,” Will said triumphantly as he saw the two men emerge. “Zeke, you and Bob go down there and get that strongbox.”
Zeke was almost rabid in his excitement to get to the stage. The thought that this robbery would keep him from working for a very long time was a big incentive to him. He led the way down to the stranded stage. Reining in, he dismounted and climbed up on the driver’s seat to grab the strongbox, while Bob rode over to keep an eye on the two passengers. He dismounted and collected their rifles off the ground.
“They were worried about this shipment!” Bob called out to Will as he eyed Nathan and Tom. He recognized them from town even without their badges on. “These two boys are deputies!”
Zeke didn’t give the driver or the two men a thought as he dragged the strongbox from the boot. It was very heavy, so he let it drop to the ground, intending to scoop up the gold once he’d opened it.
“What the . . . ?” Zeke said in a stunned voice when he saw what spilled out on the ground—rocks, nothing but rocks.
“What is it?” Bob asked, staring in shock at the contents.
“Why, you—” Zeke turned on Nathan and Tom and raised his gun, ready to shoot them where they stood.
“What is it?” Will called down.
“There ain’t no gold! It’s all a hoax! There ain’t nothing here worth anything at all!”
“What?” Will couldn’t believe it. He’d heard about the shipment from the banker himself.
He emerged from his hiding place and started down toward the road, determined to find out what was going on. There were two deputies riding with the stage, yet there was no gold. Why?
The sudden realization that they might have been lured into a trap jarred Will.
“Boys, let’s get the hell out of here!” Will shouted, wheeling his horse around. “Now!”
“Hold it right there, Will Kenner—or whatever your name is!” Jared shouted. He and Steve had maneuvered themselves into position above the road and had watched as Nathan and Tom were forced to climb out of the stage. “This is Jared Trent. You’re all under arrest for attempted robbery. Drop your weapons and give yourselves up.”
“The hell with you!” Will yelled back.
“We got you in our sights,” Jared warned them. “You aren’t going anywhere.”
Will ignored him. Ripping off his mask, he urged his horse on, desperate to escape. When a shot exploded in front of him, though, the horse shied and reared. Will drew his handgun and fired back at Jared as he fought to keep his seat and control his mount. His shots went wild.
As the shooting began, Nathan and Tom both dove for cover, and so did Harley. The deputies drew their sidearms and began to fire at Zeke and Bob as the driver crouched behind them.
The two outlaws tore off their masks and raced for their horses. They paused only long enough to return fire. One of Zeke’s rounds wounded Nathan in the shoulder, but Bob screamed and collapsed in the dirt when Tom got off a clean shot at him.
“You all right?” Tom called over to Nathan.
“I’ll live,” he said with a groan.
Zeke kept firing at them to discourage them from coming after him, as he successfully managed to get on his horse and ride out.
Steve was in a perfect position to deal with any fleeing outlaws. He took careful aim at Zeke and fired once. His aim was true and deadly.
Zeke shrieked in agony as the bullet tore into his chest. He fell from his horse and was dead before he hit the ground.
Will was leaning low over his horse’s neck and trying to make a run for it. He’d witnessed the carnage below and realized he was running for his life. The horse charged on as best it could on the rocky terrain.
Jared was already giving chase, taking what shots he could at Will as he closed the distance between them. This was the leader of the gang that had been robbing stages in his town and had been behind Michael’s death. He was not going to get away from Jared. Will Kenner was his.
Tessa had heard all the vicious gunfire and began to fear for Jared’s and Steve’s safety. She knew Jared had told her to stay where he’d left her, but she couldn’t wait there any longer. She had to be sure he was safe.
The chase didn’t last long. Will made it to the road ahead of the stage and paused to get a shot off at Jared, but he never got the chance. His stopping gave Jared the opportunity he needed. With careful aim and deliberation, he fired at Will. The outlaw leader screamed in pain and fell from his horse.
Steve had ridden after Jared to help him. He reined in beside Jared, who now stood over Will, where he lay facedown in the dirt. The bullet had struck him in the back, but he was still breathing. Jared had his gun in hand, and his expression was stony.
“He dead?” Steve asked, coming to stand with him.
“No,” Jared said tersely. He kicked the gun from Will’s grip, not trusting him no matter how serious his wound, and then rolled him over.
Will groaned and opened his eyes. He glared up at Jared and Steve, hatred plain in his expression. “You thought you were so damned smart,” he said with a sneer and gave a strangled laugh. “You ain’t nothing but a fool: All that time you were searching for the robbers, and I was right there. You didn’t even know it.” His eyes closed again.
The sound of a horse coming at top speed caused Jared to look up, and he saw Tessa galloping toward them.
Tessa had ridden down to the stage, searching for Jared, and Tom had told her the direction in which he and Steve had gone. Frantic, she’d followed them, giving no thought to her own safety. Finding Jared and Steve standing over Will, she reined in and dismounted. She ran to Jared’s side and immediately wrapped her arms around his waist.
“You’re all right?”
“I’m fine.”
Will opened his eyes again at the sound of Tessa’s voice. What he saw infuriated him. Tessa was hugging the lawman! He found strength enough to lever himself up a bit on one elbow.
“You bitch!” he managed in a hate-filled voice. “You ruined everything! You and your stupid brother!”
“Will!” she gasped and looked down at him. The malevolent look on his face frightened her. She had never seen such open hostility in anyone before.
“I’m glad I killed your precious brother! I’m glad!” Will said, laughing crazily.
Jared tightened his arm protectively around Tessa when he felt her stiffen and then begin to tremble at Will’s confession. Their worst fears had been confirmed. Michael’s death had been no accident. He had been murdered.
“I could have had you, Tessa. I was going to have you. You were mine.” Will’s gaze was feverish as he stared at her. The sight of Tessa in Jared’s arms represented everything that had gone wrong in Durango. He’d planned everything perfectly and now . . . Mindless anger filled him. He wanted to get even with them.
“Jared, go on. Get Tessa out of here.” Steve gestured toward the horses. “I’ll take care of him.”
Jared holstered his gun and started to walk away with Tessa. She was clinging to him, needing his strength and his support.
Mad with pain and fury, Will saw his gun lying in the dirt a few feet away, where Jared had kicked it earlier. With what little strength he had left, Will made a lunge for the weapon as he screamed Tessa’s name.
Steve reacted instinctively. He had been watching Jared
and Tessa, wanting to make sure she was going to be all right, but when Will made his move, Steve turned and fired before the outlaw could get off a shot.
Steve’s aim was unerring and true.
Will Kenner would never hurt anyone again.
Epilogue
The church was aglow with candlelight, and the heavenly scent of flowers filled the air as Tessa slowly made her way down the aisle. The full skirt of her lace and satin bridal gown swayed gracefully about her hips as she moved ever forward.
She was getting married.
At last, she was getting married.
All around her were her friends and family. They were smiling as she passed them, their gazes warm and approving upon her as they whispered among themselves.
“She looks so lovely.”
“I always knew she’d make a beautiful bride.”
Tessa lifted her gaze to the altar. She could see the reverend waiting for her, Bible in hand. At the end of the aisle and off to the side, with his back to her, stood her future husband.
Tessa smiled. Her mother had been urging her to find a good man and settle down for several years now, and it seemed the time had finally come. Getting married to the man she loved was every woman’s dream, and her groom was her dream man. He was tall and dark and handsome and . . .
Her heartbeat quickened as she reached the end of the aisle. Anticipation quivered through her.
This was her wedding day. She was going to live happily ever after.
Tessa stopped before the minister, who was gazing down at her, his expression serious. The moment had come. She was to be married.
The minister began the ceremony, “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today . . .”
Tessa started to turn, to look up at her future husband as the minister went on. She wanted to gaze into her beloveds eyes and let him know without words just how much she loved him.
“ . . . to join in holy matrimony . . .”
This was the man she had dreamed of. This was the man she’d been waiting for. This was the man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with.
