Redemption's Edge (36 page)

He no longer had to wonder how she felt. She loved him and he hadn’t responded. Dax accepted if anything more were to happen between them, it would be up to him. She’d left the decision in his hands.

He took off his hat and wiped an arm across his brow, wishing he understood what drove him to want to ride hundreds of miles south to a place not truly his home, leaving behind a flourishing ranch, his brother, and a woman he loved. He feared the answer had nothing to do with Texas, but with his own need to be free of commitment. And he knew, to Rachel, it wasn’t just a commitment.

Dax inhaled a deep breath, letting it out in a slow stream. He had to focus on the threats coming from Drake and the Mayes brothers. Once those were settled, he’d redirect his attention to his future, and a life with or without Rachel.

Chapter Nineteen

“Who else?” Gabe leaned back in the chair, frustrated at the lack of progress and evasive answers from the men who’d been with Drake the night of the stampede. Each swore they hadn’t seen or heard anything out of the ordinary, and all were adamant that Drake hadn’t ordered an attack on the Pelletier cattle.

“Just Swaggert and Pruett, who are close to Drake. My belief is they’ll say whatever’s needed to keep suspicion off of them,” Tolbert said. “I’m not surprised none of the men we’ve spoken to were involved. I let most all the men Drake brought with him go. Other than Swaggert and Pruett, the men have been with me since before Drake.”

“Were the two with him when you hired Drake?”

“They were. He said they’d been together for years.”

“Well, let’s hear what they have to say.” Gabe stood, stretching his arms above his head while waiting for King to get the men. He walked over to the cabinet to pour a whiskey when King reappeared, his face red with anger.

“They’re gone.”

“Who?”

“Drake, Pruett, and Swaggert took off while we were talking with the others.”

“Did they say anything before they left?” Gabe moved toward the entry door as he spoke.

“I didn’t ask.” King followed him outside and toward the bunkhouse. He stepped in front of Gabe and pushed the door open.

All activity stopped and the men turned toward their boss and the sheriff.

“Did Drake or the others say anything about where they were headed or why they were leaving?” Gabe asked, moving into the circle the men had formed in the center of the room.

A few shook their heads, others mumbled, “No.”

“Their gear is gone, boss.” One of the men pointed to a spot where they kept their belongings.

“I’d better go warn Dax and Luke.” Gabe grabbed Blackheart and was on his way within minutes, leaving Tolbert to deal with the situation at his ranch.

Ellis, Bull, and the two new men who called themselves Ted and Bob, stood on the corral rails watching Joe take one more turn on the green horse. As with his other attempts, the horse bucked in a wild rhythm, surging from one end of the fenced area to the other. However, unlike the previous two rides, Joe managed to hang on until the horse became exhausted. He took his time, not rushing the animal, while letting it know he was the boss.

“Good ride.” Bull slapped Joe on the back as he left the corral, brushing dirt and hay from his clothes.

“Anyone know who rode in with the sheriff today?” Jed Olin asked.

“Hank says he’s a friend of the Pelletiers. Knew them back in Savannah before the war,” Bull said. “I guess he’s some kind of bounty hunter. Says there’s some outlaws from Texas tracking them down for killing their brother.”

“I wonder if that’s when Pat got killed,” Ellis said as they made their way into the barn.

“Don’t know.” Bull grabbed a frayed rope and sat down as the others occupied themselves with other chores. “Seems like a lot of trouble has been plaguing this ranch since Pat died.”

Bill and Jed stayed a few minutes longer listening to Bull and Ellis, but heard nothing more.

“Ted and I are going to wash off in the creek,” Bill said as the two started to leave.

“It isn’t Saturday,” Ellis joked as they left.

“What do you think of them?” Bull asked him, watching as the men walked away.

“Bob and Ted? They sure don’t seem to know cattle like I thought they would. Guess they’re better than nothing.”

Bull grunted. “I’m not sure they’re better than nothing.” He turned back to his work, ignoring the men who’d walked out of sight.

“What do you want to do, Bill?” Jed’s eyes darted around the area between the barn, bunkhouse, and main house. One of them had to warn the others.

“We can’t both go. They’ll get suspicious.” Bill thought a minute. “We’ll ride toward the creek. You’ll take off from there to let the others know what’s going on. I’ll tell everyone you had a hankering to go by the Wild Rose. Just get yourself back here as soon as you can.”

Dax, Luke, and Cash sat around the supper table with Hank and Bernice, laughing at the stories the three recalled from their childhood in Savannah. To the men who’d fought for the Confederacy and then returned to a home they no longer recognized, it seemed like a lifetime ago.

“What made you decide to turn to bounty hunting?” Hank asked Cash as Bernice handed him a plate filled with roast beef.

“I didn’t make the decision. A friend of mine is a sheriff outside of Savannah. He needed help finding a man accused of murdering a neighbor. It took about a week to find and turn him in.”

“That led to the next one?” Luke asked.

“In a way.” Cash sat back in his chair, deciding this would be the best time to tell them of his search for Drake. “I’d ridden to Louisiana to visit my uncle, aunt, and cousins. They owned a farm near the Texas border and helped raise me before my parents moved to Savannah. A small place, a few head of cattle, pigs, and various crops. My uncle worked it with one other man—an ex-slave, Rawley, who’d been with them for years—and my two cousins. I arrived in the nearest town to learn they’d all been killed—murdered by persons unknown. I found Rawley still living at the farm, trying to take care of the place on his own. He swore he told the sheriff he knew who killed them.”

“They never arrested anyone?” Dax asked.

“Didn’t even search.” His voice held a deceptive calm, hiding the anger he felt for those who ignored what Rawley had told them. “You may have forgotten how the word of a slave, or ex-slave, is ignored and counted as less than nothing. They didn’t believe him. Some even wanted to hang
him
for the murders. Might have done it if the local preacher hadn’t come to his aid and talked some sense into the others. He brought in some tracker who convinced the town it couldn’t have been done by one man, not with the tracks of multiple horses and other evidence he turned up.” Cash took a deep breath, trying to control the rage that still consumed him when he thought of the evil which destroyed his family.

“Did the man give you a name?” Dax asked, frustration burning in him at the sheer brutality.

“The leader introduced himself when the gang rode up asking for water and feed for the horses. Even though he was in the barn, Rawley said he heard it clear as day. Parnell Drake.”

Bernice gasped at the mention of Tolbert’s foreman, as Luke and Hank let out muttered curses.

Dax sat forward in his chair, leaning his arms on the table, his eyes locked on Cash. “You’re certain?”

“No mistake. Problem is, there’s no wanted poster or warrant for him since they didn’t believe Rawley.”

“That’s when you decided to track him down yourself?”

“Yes, Drake and whoever rode with him.”

“What did you plan to do once you found them?” Dax would do whatever he could to help his friend, short of gunning someone down without cause.

“I’ll do what needs to be done.” Cash pushed from his chair and stood, pacing away from the table at the same time loud pounding came from the entry door. He yanked it open to see Gabe, tired and windblown.

“I need to speak with Dax and Luke.”

“We’re here,” Dax called. “Come on inside. We just finished supper.” He noticed the look of deep concern on Gabe’s face.

“Drake and his two partners, Pruett and Swaggert, have disappeared. Rode out of Tolbert’s ranch while we were talking with the other men.”

“Shit,” Cash muttered and walked toward the hook where he’d hung his gun belt.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Dax asked.

Cash finished strapping on his guns, then glanced over his shoulder as he grabbed his hat. “They need to be found and brought in before they disappear.” He started out the door, but came to a halt when Gabe grasped his arm.

“Do you know something about them I don’t?” Gabe asked, confused at Cash’s sudden interest.

Cash glanced at Luke and Dax. “They’ll explain.” Once again, he turned to leave.

“Wait. You have no idea where they are, if they’re holed up someplace or halfway across the Territory Range by now. If you want to help us, stay and we’ll go with you to track Drake after we’ve brought in the Mayes gang.” Dax stood next to his friend, his calm voice penetrating Cash’s overwhelming need to take off after the men he suspected of gunning down his relatives.

Cash’s hands moved to his waist as his head tilted up and he searched the dark sky. He knew Dax was right. He hated waiting, knowing the men he hunted were close. He let out a deep breath, pushing away the urge to do what he wanted. Putting the Mayes brothers behind bars had to come first. He stepped back inside and shot a look at the sheriff. “Grab some supper and coffee, then I’ll explain what I know about Drake and his men.”

“You’re sure that’s what you heard?” Duff asked Jed as his cousin finished explaining the new arrival at the Pelletier ranch.

“Certain. The man’s been tracking us for weeks.”

“Dammit, Duff. I told you we were being followed.” Whitey’s gut had warned him more than once they were being hunted, the same as they were hunting the Rangers.

“Quiet. I need to think.” Duff paced away a few feet, pondering the possibilities for continuing their mission and still getting away alive. When the gang had started in Texas, the decision had been simple.

They’d learned the Rangers were in a small Montana town with no sheriff and no law nearby. Now they had a sheriff plus a bounty hunter to contend with, as well as losing the element of surprise. He turned back to Jed.

“Do they suspect you and Bill are with us?”

“Not from what I can tell.” Jed chewed on a piece of hardtack, dipping it in his coffee every couple of bites.