"He's been in the area a while, Sheriff, and Gabby told him she'd just got married. He found out she was a Wyler and that was that." Ben frowned. "Look, I want to be the one to take the money up."
"No, you can't." Jason shook his head.
"Why not?" Ben fumed.
"Because you got to help locate Gabby. And get her out of there as fast as you can, before he gets back." Jason insisted.
"I'm thinking of some kind of detaining trick." Jason mused as he studied the old maps.
"He said no tricks dad."
"He also said no law. But he won't see the law. He'll see me. I'm thinking I know how I can detain him. But you'll have had to see which direction he is coming from and get an idea of where she might be."
"How do you think you can detain him?" Ben asked.
"I'm old. I can reach the hill and collapse there."
"That's taking a mighty big chance Jason. He might just kill you."
"What choices do you have? He isn't turning her lose until he gets the money. You have to have time to get a sense of direction, rescue her and get the heck out of there."
"I'm not leaving you there alone with him, dad." Ben was fuming now. "This is my problem. I can't worry about you and Gabby."
"He won't get me, not if he wants the money, I'll be sitting on it." Jason smiled.
"You think that will stop him?"
"Why not."
"It's too simple dad." Ben argued. "And I don't want to have to worry about you too."
"I've dealt with this kind of villain before Ben. I know how they think." Jason argued.
"I can't let you do that dad, I just can't." Ben shook his head. "I'll deliver the money…"
"No, you need to get Gabby out of there, and as quickly as possible. Unless of course…."
"Course what?" Ben looked worried.
"He might drag her along and use her as a hostage."
Ben rolled his eyes. "Let's hope he isn't thinking along those lines."
"We might be able to pick him off easier if he does that."
"That's taking a big chance." Ben wailed. "They could hit Gabby instead."
"Times like these call for big chances, Ben." Doyle grumbled under his breath and went back to looking at the map. "We'll need some kind of signals to let me know all is clear." Jason added staunchly.
"And what if you don't get away dad? Do you think I could live with that? We've lost enough of this family…" Ben's voice rose.
"And we won't lose any more, son. I know what I'm doing. I brought Gabby down here. I promised to take care of her. Let me do this…" Jason pleaded.
Helena heard him and her eyes widened in fear for Jason. But she didn't say anything.
The Sheriff finally intervened. "I think Jason knows how to handle this better than you, Ben. He's been through it once. We'll take every precaution to keep him safe, and to get your wife back."
Ben sighed heavily. The pressure of letting his father deliver the money weighed on Ben. But he was out voted and he knew it.
"How can I find her?" Ben asked, worried about the time element involved.
"Will station men all around, he's got to have a place fairly close that he's hiding her." The Sheriff assured him.
"And what if he doesn't? What if he has her clear across town."
Pedro burst in just then. "We found tracks."
"Where?" Ben jumped up from the sofa and approached him.
"They are leading west." Pedro told them. "Quite a ways."
"West, what's west of town, Sheriff?" Ben asked.
"Not a lot." Doyle looked at the map. "A few farms, widely scattered. But…" He seemed to think for a moment. "There's an old mine out that way, a couple of run down old shacks, and then nothing for miles. If I had to guess, I expect him to hold up in one of those shacks out there. They haven't been used in years, and no one would bother them there."
"Do you know where those shacks are?"
"Sure…I can find them. Been a while, but I know the general direction." The Sheriff assured him.
Doyle Hoffman had been sheriff for three years. He was a good man, married, with grown kids; he'd been in law enforcement for many years of his life. He knew more than the average lawman because he'd been in many scrapes with outlaws. It was rumored he'd helped the rangers capture John Wesley Hardin.
Ben reflected on the colorful history of the Sheriff. "Is it true you helped to capture John Wesley Hardin?"
Doyle blushed, and then nodded. "In a way, Laban Hoffman was my kin, a cousin, and I took a real interest in John's life after he killed him. I'd helped in several of the chases. I found out after he killed Laban, one of his relatives let it fly that he and his gang were headed for Pensacola, Florida by rail. Don't know why he took off for Florida, unless he had more kin there. I tipped the rangers off to his whereabouts. They caught him, not me. I was just an informant. I owed my brother that much." Doyle claimed readjusting his hat.
"You've dealt with a lot of hard cases, then, haven't you?"
"My fair share. I helped chase Sam too."
"Sam?" Everyone choired.
"Sam Bass. You know it seems to me that most really bad ones always seem to have kin or friends that tell off on them. With Sam it was a friend, part of his gang, with John, it was his kin, they couldn't keep their mouth shut. John might have gotten away if it hadn't been for that. But I happen to know his folks and frequented their homestead many a time." Doyle nodded. "So this hombre we're chasin' don't seem none too bright as he could get a lot more than fifty thousand from you. And he should know that."
Jason nodded. "That's what I thought, too. Kinda sticks in my craw. Why didn't he ask for more?"
"Since he ain't got much sense, he'll probably trip himself up. But the important thing is to find the girl and get her safe, after that, it's my work. Jason if you are willing to deliver the money, I'll have a couple of sharp shooters with me to protect you. Ben, you and some of my best trackers and Pedro here, need to see how far you can get with those tracks. If we can get your wife out safe before the money is delivered, the rest will be easy." Doyle promised.
His confidence bolstered Ben.
Jason looked at his son, and frowned. "Ben…" he started to warn him that Gabby could already be dead, but the fact that his son didn't handle death well, kept him quiet.
"Yeah…"
"Nothing. Just concentrate on finding her." Jason advised.
"He wants the money delivered tomorrow at sundown. We got footwork to do, trying to find his place. So let's plan on that right now, tomorrow, we better know where he's at." Doyle grumbled.
"I'm gonna round up my boys for the job now and Ben I want you along with me tonight and Pedro too. Tomorrow, we'll concentrate on Jason and his job."
"Alright, sounds like a plan." Ben nodded. "Do you need any of my boys to help out?"
"Pedro, we don't want too many others. We'll have to be quiet and work together closely on this. Your other men can keep a look out here, since the kid is here. He might try to get him too."
"You think Jimmy is in danger?"
"No, not as long as you post your boys around the place for the next couple of days. That's why I don't need them. But Pedro is a good tracker, I could use him."
Pedro nodded.
Helena had heard them and was busy packing some food for the men. Before they left, she gave it to Pedro to pass out. "Be careful." She warned him.
Jason was about to leave, but Helena reached to touch his arm as he headed out the door. "Jason…please be careful."
Jason looked at her and saw the love in her eyes. He grabbed her and hugged her. "I will. Don't you fret."
"You know he shot the dog, don't you?" Ben asked the Sheriff.
"Jim was telling me about that. I don't hold with anyone that would shoot a dog, unless it was rabid or something."
Ben's head jerked up. "Yeah, well, we had one of those here too, not long ago. But no worries. I had Pedro scout the place and he found the dead coon that cause
d the problem."
"Good. That's a relief." Doyle nodded to Pedro. "Jason, we'll see you tomorrow. Get some rest, you'll need it."
"You don't need me tonight?" He asked.
"No, rest up you'll have your excitement tomorrow."
Jason nodded and watched them all ride out together.
Helena came to stand beside him. "Poor Gabby, she's had a rough time of it. Want some coffee?" She offered.
"Sounds good," He turned to look at her and winked.
"I'm sure glad I brought her here though. Do you know that Ben's in love with her?" He took her arm and looped it in his.
"Yeah…I know. And she with him."
"No kidding?" He looked at Helena.
"Do you think she's alright?" Helena asked her brow furrowing with worry.
"I hope so. With all my heart I hope so." Jason murmured.
"I want you to be careful tomorrow. Don't get yourself killed." Helena shot him a worried glance.
"Now honey, I've no intention of that. I got too much to live for here…don't I?" He pulled her against him and kissed the top of her head. It was the first time he had kissed her and although he did it as though it were commonplace, Helena was shocked and thrilled at the same time.
Helena warmed to his affection, cuddling against him. "Yes, you do…that's the first time you've kissed me."
"I guess it is. Well, it won't be the last." He pulled her closer and hugged her. "When this is all over, we got a few things to talk over ourselves. What do you think?"
She looked up at him, tiptoed, kissed him gently on the lips, and smiled. "I think we do too."
"Don't you fret; we'll get her back, safely."
Helena squeezed him tighter. "I hope so. Jimmy is beside himself with worry."
"Yes, I imagine he is. For one so young, he's seen a lot of heartbreaking things. At least you are here to help him get through this."
"Si…but he will be happy here. I just know it."
Chapter Nineteen
Ben, Pedro, and the Sheriff rounded up several professional trackers, went out, even though it was dark, and rode out west of town. Doyle knew where the shacks were and he was anxious to surround them and flush Colby out before the money was delivered.
Doyle checked the maps before he left and he was sure he could find the two shacks.
By the time they came to the first shack it was dark and hard to see anything going on inside, there was no light. But Doyle didn't expect any.
"If she's not here, then we'll find the other one before morning." Doyle whispered to the men. "We'll make camp here and see if there is any activity early morning. If not, we'll check it out, then move on. No fires, boys,"
Ben nodded.
They made camp, with no fires and only a couple of canteens filled with coffee that Helena had made for them. Pedro passed out the sandwiches she had made for them too.
Ben wanted to rush the cabin now and find out if she was in there, but Doyle cautioned him from that.
It was hard to be patient. Ben felt his guts burn with a fire. He needed to know she was safe. She couldn't die, he hadn't even told her how much he loved her, yet.
~*~
Gabby had woken in the dark, fear speared through her when she didn't recognize her surroundings. Her mouth was full of a dirty old sock, and her hands and feet were bound. She looked around, but saw nothing. Her stomach roiled.
If Colby was here, she didn't want to wake him.
She lay in a fetal position on the bunk now, as fear was her worst enemy. Knowing she couldn't get up or move without making noise, she lay still all night, but she hardly slept.
By dawn she looked around and Colby was already up and moving about in the kitchen. She smelled coffee.
"Want some coffee?" He asked when he spotted her eyes open.
She nodded.
"I guess I can let you loose again now. Had to keep you tied down for the night though, didn't want you getting up and running away on me."
As he untied the sock from around her mouth, and let her hands and feet free, she rubbed her hands. "Yes…I'd like some coffee."
He poured her some.
"Got bacon and bread for breakfast, you can cook us some in a minute, after you wake up." He offered.
The way he was acting, he was almost friendly. She didn't understand that.
"I guess you are wondering why I'm being so nice, huh?" He laughed.
"A little, yes."
"Well, I'm gonna be a lot richer tonight. I'm happy about that. And if all goes well, you can get on with your new life."
"You have big plans for your money, do you?" Gabby asked as she sipped the hot coffee. It was actually pretty good coffee, she marveled.
"Sure do." But as soon as he said it, he got very quiet. She stared at him.
"Well…what are your plans?" Gabby crooked her head in question.
He frowned. "I know you think I'm just a low down skunk of a man. But…I got a cancer, growing in my gut. Found a doctor that can take care of it, but had to have the money to take it out. Now I'll have that money."
"A cancer?" She suddenly looked stunned. "You're dying?"
"Not with the money. They can operate and get it out, maybe." He beamed confidently.
"I'm sorry…I didn't know."
"No need for you to worry, little lady. This money will take care of it and take care of me when they get through." He assured her.
"How long have you known?" She asked
"A while now."
"Are you in pain?" She asked.
He looked at her funny. "I got laudanum to dull the pain some. I get the money, they can take it out."
All of a sudden, tears came to her eyes and he stared at her. "Awe now, ain't no reason to fret. I'm gonna have that money soon and get it taken care of."
"Why didn't you try to borrow the money on your mine or something?" She asked.
"Tried that, said until they saw the gold, they wouldn't give me a dime. Lots of people have mines, don't mean they have gold though. Takes money and equipment to get it out of the ground."
"That's true I suppose." She answered dully.
"I wish you'd have said something sooner about all of this. I mean, maybe we could have just loaned you the money to get it taken care of."
Suddenly his temper flared, "Ain't nobody gonna loan me money with me dying of cancer."
"Without the operation would you die?" She looked almost tearful.
"It would prolong it. That's all. Give me some time to do a few things I wanted to do all my life."
"If you do manage to make it, what will you do?" She asked with concern. "Where would you live, Colorado?"
"Nah…I'm through there. That place is a God-forsaken stink hole. Got a sheriff breathing down my neck there too. I'll go on to California now. Probably mine for more gold. It's what I know best. Problem is, once you find gold, everybody else wants it. Gotta fight to keep it. Makes things kind of hard, don't it?"
"What happened to your mine in Colorado?" She asked curiously.
"Everyone was trying to jump my claim. It was a good claim, could have made me some money. I couldn't work the mine because of people wanting to take it over. Had to kill the last person too. Just wouldn't leave it alone. I finally found me a partner; we'll split it if we can get the gold out of there. I figured it wasn't worth it. The law after me and all. I didn't want to kill them, but they left me no choice. Your Frank, he was downright mean." He looked at her and she didn't refute that. "If I can get this money, I can get the operation, and send my partner money to dig for the gold. If we strike it rich, as I think we might, then I'll go onto to California and set up another mine. I figure in a year or two we'd be rich."
"You think it will be any different in California?" She asked.
"I don't know. Maybe, I could buy me a place, settle down, and have myself a family. I could even take you with me…if you wanted to go."
Gabby's eyes widened. She stuck her foot in it this time. "I don't want to ho
ok up with a miner any more…" She began as though that made any sense.
"Well…I could settle down, get a place, wouldn't have to be a mine." He insisted as though he were really considering it.
"Colby…." she couldn't believe his mind was working like this. "Don't you want someone that loves you?"
"You could maybe learn to love me…you learned to like that rancher, Wyler, didn't you?" He asked coming closer.
He stood over her now and she wondered how she could get his mind off her and onto something safer.
"Do you think you could ranch?"
"Sure, why not. I've punched cows before." Colby laughed. "Hard work, but I probably wouldn't have to kill nobody for it."
Then Gabby realized, Colby was a little bit slow about things. His mind wasn't quite right. She'd never been around him enough to know it before, but she could tell something wasn't quite right about him. His mind seemed to wander.
"Did you like it?"
"Nobody likes trailin' cattle. Nobody." He insisted.
"But you like mining?" She asked.
"I had a good mine in Colorado." He told her, his eyes looking far off as he spoke. "But I couldn't keep it. Greed can take over a man. I couldn't sleep but what someone was tryin' to do me in, over it."
"But you don't want to go back there?" She suggested.
"You been there. You didn't like it there, did ya? It's dirty there, the people, the mines, everything is dirty there. And people…they are so low-down."
"No…I didn't know many people there. It was dirty place to live though…you're right about that." She agreed. Strange how they had so much in common.
"Dirty, yeah, it was dirty. The whores there were too old. The town, full of thieves. Cut throats. Everybody wanting to hit the big time. But I had a good mine. I found gold on it. Course the problem with a good mine, it takes money to get it out. There you had to dig it out. But, I'll send my partner some money, if he's still alive. I wouldn't bet on that though. Too many cut-throats. Everyone jumped me for it. I had to kill them or they would have killed me. I had no choice. The sheriff didn't believe me the last time and he put out a warrant. I left Colorado. I wasn't gonna go to jail. Especially not with this cancer in me." Colby shouted.
Love As Big As Texas Page 19
