[Texas Rangers 04] - Ranger's Trail (33 page)

“
See?” he said. “It’s still there.”

She tingled, not yet quite accepting what had happened to her. “Maybe a little bit.”

“
I never got over you, Alice. Seems like you never got over me, either, even if you thought so. We’ll make us a good life together. You’ll see.”

“
But I still want to go home, at least long enough to see for myself that Mama is all right. Take me there, and then I’ll go with you wherever you want. Colorado, California. Any place.”

“
Is that a promise? You’re not just sayin’ it to stall for time ’til you can get away from me?”

“
Us Monahans were taught never to lie.”

He reined up. “All right. You know the risk. But if you’re willin’ to take it, so am I.”

“
I don’t understand why your mother is so bent on seein’ me dead. If I intended to tell what I know about the Bascoms I’d have done it a long time ago.”

“
That’s what she was fearful of at first. I have a feelin’ it’s gone way past that now. Us three sons are all she’s got left in the world. She sees you takin’ me away from her. She’s jealous, and she’s afraid.”

“
And maybe a little bit crazy.”

“
Maybe. Anyway, Oregon is way out of her reach, and they tell me it’s a pretty country.”

“
Just one more thing. I don’t want to spend the rest of my life dodgin’ the law with you. Are you through with robbin’ stores and banks and such?”

“
Never was very good at it in the first place. There’s other things I can do. I’m a pretty good carpenter and a damned good blacksmith. I could even farm if I had to. I’ll make us a livin’ and do it honest. I swear.”

She turned her horse around and pointed toward the north star. “Home is that way.”

Reluctantly he reined up beside her, pulling the pack mule after him. “You know what we might run into.” He reached into his pocket and withdrew a small derringer. “Picked this up in Fort Worth a while back. Worst come to worst, you might need it.”

She had been taught the use of guns ever since she was old enough to hold one. She had never handled one this small. “Looks like a toy.”

“
It’s not. It can kill if you put the bullet in the right place.”

She had never been far south of Rusty’s farm. The darkness offered no landmarks, anyway. She trusted that if they rode north long enough they would come upon familiar ground. As she rode she puzzled over her contradictory emotions. She had believed any affection she once felt for Corey was gone, killed by his mother’s cruelty and his own rough nature. But at least a remnant of it had survived, rekindled now by his presence. She found herself wanting him to take her in his arms and kiss her again. The thought made her ashamed, yet she took a guilty pleasure in it.

How could she hope to understand people like Corey and the whole haywire Bascom family if she did not even understand herself?

A glow in the east told her it would soon be daylight. Maybe now she could see a farmhouse and get some idea of where she was. She watched for chimney smoke. It was time for farmers and their families to be up and making breakfast. But she saw no smoke.

As the sun broke over the horizon and spilled early light across the land, she saw two horsemen.

Corey saw them, too. He said, “Damn. I hope that ain’t Ma and Lacey.” He drew his pistol. “Keep behind me.”

The riders’ faces were in shadow so that she did not recognize Rusty and Andy until they were within fifty yards. Rusty was hatless, a white bandage around his head.

She moved a little past Corey, trying to block him. “Don’t shoot. They’re friends.”

“
Not of mine.” Corey brought the weapon up and drew back the hammer.

Rusty was quick to recognize Alice and Corey. He drew his pistol before he reached them.

Andy warned, “Careful. He’s packin’ as much artillery as you are.”

Anger boiled up and strained Rusty’s voice. “Move aside, Alice.” He motioned with the weapon. “It’s time for Corey to pay the preacher.”

Her eyes pleaded as strongly as her voice. “You’re wrong about him. He didn’t kill Josie.”

Rusty barely heard her. His hands shook with pent-up fury. “You don’t owe him nothin’. I said move aside.”

Andy had watched and listened, his mouth wide open. Now he pulled in front of Rusty and grabbed the hand that held the pistol.

“
Hold on, Rusty. Hear her out.”

“
What’s there to hear? He’s lied to her and got her to believe it.”

Alice said, “It wasn’t Corey. He wasn’t even there. It was his brother Lacey. He thought Josie was me.”

Rusty did not want to believe. He had carried his hatred for Corey too long to turn loose of it easily. He jerked his hand free of Andy’s grip and fired past Alice. Corey dropped his pistol and grabbed his right arm. He made a cry of surprise and pain.

Rusty saw that in his haste he had hardly more than scratched Corey. He leveled the pistol again. Andy grabbed Rusty’s hand and gave it a twist. The muzzle pointed downward. Andy shouted, “Pull that trigger and you’ll kill your horse.”

“
Turn me loose. Corey’s got it comin’.”

“
By law I’m still a ranger, Rusty. I didn’t resign. I just took a leave. I’m arrestin’ Corey, and if you don’t cool down I’ll have to arrest you, too.”

Rusty glared at him but found that Andy stared back with eyes that reminded him of a Comanche about to kill. Andy said firmly, “Corey’s my prisoner. He’s got my protection.”

Slowly Rusty relaxed his grip on the pistol. Andy wrested it from his fingers and stuck it in his waistband. He said, “Maybe she’s right, Rusty. Maybe Corey didn’t kill Josie. And again, maybe he did, but it’s up to the law to sort it all out. You were a ranger long enough to know that.”

Rusty was confused, a hot streak of anger still burning. “First time you ever laid a hand on me, Andy.”

“
I oughtn’t to’ve had to. You just lost your head for a minute. Once you’ve cooled off you’ll see that I’m right.”

Alice broke in, “Corey’s bleedin’.”

Rusty’s bullet had cut a gash along Corey’s forearm.

Andy said, “See what you can do for him.” He stepped down to retrieve Corey’s fallen pistol. He stuck it into his waistband along with Rusty’s.

Alice ripped off Corey’s sleeve, already torn by the bullet. She wrapped it around the wound. “That’ll hold ’til we get to Rusty’s cabin. Then we can fix it proper.”

Rusty wrestled with his emotions. He looked in Alice’s anxious face and saw Josie. He had faced the man he had searched for, then he had missed a chance to kill him. He felt uncertain and deeply frustrated. “I’ve ridden a thousand miles tryin’ to find him. Now you’re tellin’ me I ought to’ve been huntin’ for somebody else all the time.” His hands trembled.

“
I’m sorry, Rusty. We were all wrong about Corey. He’s been tryin’ to help me in his own left-handed way.”

Rusty turned aside. He did not want her to see the turmoil he was going through.

Andy broke his silence. “Alice, how come you-all to be headin’ back this way? Rusty came by and asked me to help him cut your trail. He figured Corey was takin’ you to Mexico.”

“
That was his intention. I talked him out of it. I told him if he’d take me home first I’d go with him anywhere he wanted.”

Rusty regained some of his composure. “You’d go with him willingly? Surely you don’t still love him?”

“
I didn’t think so. I thought I was over him. I guess I didn’t know my own feelin’s.”

“
They’re wasted on him. Even if he didn’t kill Josie, they could put him away for life for what he
has
done. He’s wanted for robbin’ a bank over at Brownwood. Lord knows what else.”

Corey complained, “I’m leakin’ my life’s blood. If you-all stay here talkin’ all day I won’t live long enough to see the jailhouse.”

Rusty said, “It’d serve him right to just leave him afoot and let him die in his own slow time.”

Andy said, “You know we can’t do that. Even an outlaw has got certain rights.”

Rusty shrugged, still conflicted. “Just so he doesn’t get away. If he does, I’ll kill him for sure the next time.”

R
usty rode in silence, nursing his doubts, fighting confusion. His stomach was uneasy. His head still ached from the blow Corey had struck last night. He only half listened to Andy throwing questions at Alice.

“
What you goin’ to do about bein’ married to Corey? The preachers say ‘for better or worse, richer or poorer,’ but they don’t say what you do if your man goes to jail.”

“
I guess that’s part of the ‘worse.’”

“
A lawyer could get you a divorce.”

“
I don’t think a Monahan has ever been divorced, not as far back as anybody knows. It’d raise a scandal from here to Georgia.”

Rusty saw his farm looming up ahead. He glanced at Corey, who had both hands clasped around the horn. He had paled from shock and loss of blood.

Alice said, “We’re almost there, Corey.”

Rusty said, “
He
wouldn’t be if I was a better shot.”

They stopped in front of the cabin. Andy dismounted and moved to help Alice down from her saddle, then Corey. Rusty took his time. He did not offer assistance.

Andy said, “We’ll find some clean cloth and bandage him right.”

Rusty grunted. “Do what you want to. He’s your prisoner.” He had rather have left Corey out there alone and let nature take its course.

Alice took Corey’s left arm. “I’ll help you with him, Andy.” She started to move, then halted abruptly. Rusty saw shock in her face.

Two men and a woman stepped out of the kitchen and blocked the way onto the dog run. Bessie Bascom held her double-barreled shotgun. Lacey and Newley stood on either side of her. The old woman said, “Well, look who showed up. You people are the devil to find. Now you-all drop your guns on the ground.”

Rusty had no weapon to drop. Facing the business end of those two barrels, Andy reluctantly placed his own pistol on the ground along with those belonging to Rusty and Corey.

Bessie’s malevolent gaze fastened on Alice, then shifted to Corey’s crudely bandaged arm. “What’s the matter with my boy?”

Alice said, “He’s been shot.”

Bessie shifted the shotgun’s muzzle toward Rusty. “Who done it? Him?”

Rusty swallowed, expecting her to shoot him.

The old woman stepped toward her son and reached out to touch the bandage. Most of the blood had dried, but a little was fresh enough to shine in the early morning sun. It stuck to her palm and fingers. She looked at her hand with revulsion and shifted her gaze back to Alice. “That comes from havin’ truck with such as you. I told him you were a Jonah from the start.” She swung the shotgun up into Alice’s face. “You ain’t puttin’ a spell on any more sons of mine.”

Corey stepped in front of Alice. He swayed a little but remained on his feet. “No, Ma, I ain’t lettin’ you.”

“
Get out of the way, boy.”

“
Before you can kill her you’ll have to kill me.”

The woman’s eyes bulged with rage. “I’d kill anybody to protect what’s left of this family.”

“
Not your own son.”

“
You’ve betrayed the family, just like your pa done. I killed him. I can kill you.”

“
It was the state police that killed Pa.”

“
They shot him, but I was the one told them where he’d be.”

“
You? Why?”

“
I always kept this from you boys. He was fixin’ to desert the family and run off with a saloon trollop. Now you’re tryin’ to run off with this piece of baggage.”

Corey seemed shaken by the revelation. “She’s my wife, and I love her. Killin’ Alice will just make bad things worse. There’s witnesses here, and one of them is a ranger.”

“
There won’t be no witnesses when we leave.” She laid the shotgun barrel against Corey’s good arm and attempted to shove him aside with it. “Damn you, boy, I said move out of the way.”

Corey tried to wrest the weapon from her but lacked the strength. He gave it a hard push instead, striking her chin with the barrel. She staggered. In attempting to regain her balance she let the shotgun tip down. One barrel fired.

Corey took the load in his chest and hurtled backward.

The old woman screamed. “Corey!”

She froze for a moment, choking down a rush of grief. Then she turned her fury back upon Alice. “You miserable Jezebel!” She brought the shotgun up again.

The tiny derringer flashed in Alice’s hand. The shotgun tilted toward the ground and discharged its second barrel. It raised a small eruption of dust. Bessie shivered, her confused eyes fixed on Alice. She protested, “I kept tellin’ him …”

Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth. She leaned forward, then struck the ground like a felled oak.