The Ranch (Book 1): Troubled Times (5 page)

S
ince Connie was not
with them, Andrew thought it would be better if the men split up to look for Debbie. Stewart went to the front of the ranch, thinking maybe he would find her near the road, while Andrew went back to where they were searching earlier and found the necklace. He knew there was a good chance they weren’t far beyond that point. Thomas headed to the entrance to the ranch.

While the men were searching, and the girls were watching a movie, Debbie patiently waited for the warmth of a fire. When James couldn’t handle the cold one more minute, he insisted it was time to gather wood. Excitement coursed through Debbie’s body. She hoped against all odds that someone in her family would either see the smoke or smell the burning wood and come find her.

Soon, a small fire was burning and James brought Debbie closer. He set out a blanket and let her use his pack as a pillow. She lay there, watching the flames flicker in the night, and glanced just past them at the four men sitting across from her. They were within earshot of her, so they were careful about what they said, and she could tell. She knew they wouldn’t say anything of importance until she was asleep, so she faked slowly falling asleep. She heard James say her name a few times and knew he was looking to see if he would get a reaction. So she didn’t give him one, allowing him to believe she was asleep.

“Dude, I gotta hand it to you; I didn’t think you would pull it off. When you went back there, I figured you would blow us off.” The voice was gravelly and Debbie didn’t recognize it, so she knew it wasn’t James.

“I told you that you could trust me,” James responded.

“Well, now you just will have to trust us. If you’re with us and want this to work, you will have to do whatever we tell you.”

Debbie listened very carefully to everything the men said. The gravelly-voiced one seemed to do most of the talking. “If the family is as close as you say they are, then I’m sure they will be splitting up to find her. That will be the best time to strike. Too many people together will make things too hard. We need to get them one at a time.” Debbie cringed inside when she heard that.

“Of course,” James said.

“We have to be careful, and we have to be fast. If we plan on taking over the ranch, we will have to get rid of them all. Even the little ones. Are you ready for that?”

“As long as you don’t touch a hair on her head, I don’t care what you do to the rest.” James sounded so cold when he said that, and Debbie’s heart began to beat so hard and fast she thought they would hear it.

“I don’t know why you feel the need to have her around, man. It’s not like she even likes you. She definitely will hate you after her whole family is dead.” The man said that and then laughed in such an evil tone that Debbie had to fight with everything she had not to scream.

Even though darkness gave them the best cover, the men decided they would leave at first light to take the family down and make the ranch their own. It was obvious to Debbie the man with the gravelly voice was clearly in charge, and that James was just along for the ride. It was decided that while one man stayed awake to watch the fire, and their hostage, the other three would sleep. The smallest man was voted as most likely to stay awake. So he was given the large stick that was being used to stoke the fire, and the others lay down around the fire.

Time seemed to drag, but after an hour or two, even the man who was to keep watch had fallen asleep. Debbie never had heard so much snoring and never imagined that snoring would sound so good. All day she had tried to get her hands free from the rope binding them together, and even though there was some wiggle room, it wasn’t quite enough to get her free.

She slowly and quietly slid herself closer to the fire. She knew the only way to get the ropes untied would be to burn them off. She also knew she could make her way home with her hands tied, but would need her feet free, so she decided to move her feet closer to the fire. With all her strength, she lifted her legs, hovering her tennis shoe- clad feet over the flames, and lowered them down so the fire would burn the rope.

She could feel the fire burning through her shoes and had to fight hard not to give up when her feet started to burn. It didn’t take long for the rope to burn and break loose, allowing her to pull her feet out of the fire. She was relieved to find that, even though the heat from the fire hurt, she hadn’t burned all the way through her shoes. She slowly slid herself back to the spot where they had her lay.

She had to make sure she didn’t wake them, so she lay there for a minute, watching them breathe and listening to them snore. Debbie struggled to stand up, and when she did, she tiptoed as quietly as she could away from the area she always would remember as hell. She never did like the deep woods, and now she knew she had good reason to feel that way.

At one point during the night, Andrew, Thomas and Stewart met up near the back of the house, not on purpose, but glad to see each other nonetheless. They went inside to warm up with a cup of coffee and saw the girls sleeping peacefully on the couch. After checking in with Keith, they went back out and split up once again. This time, Stewart headed out at a diagonal across the pasture, not only to look for Debbie, but to check on the cattle. Andrew went to the opposite corner of the ranch, and Thomas went to the barn to make sure the horses had water and hay, and to check the buildings on the ranch one more time.

Debbie made her way through the woods, wishing she had taken the flashlight out of James’ backpack when she left. It was hard enough to travel through the heavy brush with her hands tied, but to do it in complete darkness was definitely more than a small challenge. She also had to move quietly enough to be able to hear around her. At that point, she wasn’t sure what she was more afraid of, the bears, or James and his new little gang of friends finding her.

S
truggling
against the brush and logs in her way, Debbie finally made it to a trail she was sure would lead her back to the familiar surroundings of the family ranch. Not wanting to move too slowly, for fear James and his friends would wake to find her gone and easily catch her, she quickened her pace. That was a choice she soon regretted when she tripped and fell, unable to get her balance due to the bindings on her hands. She hit the ground hard and groaned as she tried to stand herself back up. Falling definitely hurt, but she pushed on in true Smith family fashion.

As she moved closer to the ranch, she could smell the wood burning in the fireplace and just thinking about the fire gave her a warm and happy feeling. She kept chanting to herself, “You’re going to make it. You are strong. You will be home soon,” each step a struggle. It seemed with each step she took, the house moved one step farther away. It was frustrating, and so she pushed herself even harder.

Andrew was growing desperate, feeling like he never was going to find his daughter. Then he feared that he would find her…left behind and no longer alive. Exhaustion was setting in, making it harder to push the negative thoughts aside. He shook his head, as if shaking all negativity out of his head, and then continued checking areas they hadn’t already checked. He looked under bushes and shrubs for any sign of Debbie or James, and found a path he hadn’t yet walked.

Debbie actually could see the silhouette of the house in the distance and knew she had made it. She hit the clearing and ran as fast as she could without falling. Still afraid that James may have been on her tail, she refused to allow herself to call out to her family and just ran. As much as she hated being in the woods, she hated being out in the open even more, so she was ecstatic finally to make it to the cedar trees and evergreen bushes behind the shed and wood pile. Then she heard something and froze in her tracks.

Stewart heard a noise. It was a rustling in the bushes behind the shed, so he moved swiftly in that direction. He looked around and saw nothing. Thinking it was just a bird or a squirrel, he relaxed and kept on. Again, he heard the rustling behind him and spun on his heels, lifting his shotgun as he did so. He saw a figure standing a short distance from him.

“Stay right there. Don’t make a move.” He took a few steps forward and as he moved he said, “I will shoot you where you stand.”

“Stop! It’s me!” Debbie whispered forcefully.

Stewart ran the ten steps toward Debbie and grabbed her, pulling her closer to the shed. “Oh my God, are you okay?”

“I didn’t think I would be, but now I am,” Debbie said, not sure whether to shout and cheer out of happiness or cry out of sheer terror and relief.

Stewart realized her hands were tied in front of her and rushed to untie them. He couldn’t believe it was her and that she was okay. “Let’s get you inside. Are you alone? Is James with you?”

Not ready to talk about it, Debbie only wanted to see her family. “I’ll tell you all what happened in a minute. Where’s my dad?”

“He’s out looking for you. Let’s go inside and I’ll get him and Thomas. Keith is in with your sisters.”

Stewart led her inside, and as he did so, he rang the bell on the back porch; three swift strikes, which, on the ranch, meant to get to the house as soon as possible. He followed her inside and rushed her into the living room so she could warm herself by the fire.

Keith met them halfway and said, “Debbie! Thank God,” and hugged her tightly.

“Debbie? Is that you?” Connie asked, rubbing her eyes.

“It’s me. I’m home.”

When Connie and Debbie hugged, Keith and Stewart couldn’t help but cheer and high five. Amy and Beth were quickly in the mix, jumping up and down, laughing and crying. Within only a minute or two, Andrew and Thomas both ran in from the kitchen.

“What’s going on?” Andrew asked, confused because he didn’t see Debbie right away.

Amy, Beth and Connie stepped away and left Debbie standing alone, in the center of the room. “I’m home, Daddy,” she said, breaking down before she even made it to her father.

Andrew scooped her up in his arms and spun her around. “Thank you, God!” He looked at her face and wiped away a tear, “Are you okay?”

“I’m okay, Dad. I fell and scraped myself up a bit, but I’m fine.”

“Where is James?” His happiness replaced by anger.

“I got away and left them in the woods by the mountains.”

“Them? Who is them?”

“I don’t know, Dad. He had three men waiting for him when we got there. He forced me to go with him. It didn’t feel right, but he convinced me I had to go with him.” She put her hand up to her neck, feeling for her necklace. “Oh, no!”

“What’s wrong? Are you hurt?”

“No. My necklace…it’s gone! My necklace from mom!”

Connie stepped over to her sister and said, “I found it when we were looking for you.” She reached behind her head and unlatched the chain. With shaking hands, she placed it around her sister’s neck and watched as Debbie collapsed onto the couch and began sobbing.

For the next half hour, Debbie told her family everything that had happened. She told them about how James got her to leave the house with him. She explained as best as she could where he took her, and then told them about the conversation that she overheard when the men thought she was asleep.

As he listened, Andrew couldn’t help but feel so proud of his daughter. She did everything she could to get away, and when the time was right, she did just that. He realized his firstborn daughter was no longer his little girl, but a capable woman, and more and more like her mother every day.

“But, Daddy, they will be coming here as soon as they realize I am gone,” Debbie said, concern obvious in her voice.

“I don’t want you to worry about that. We will take care of them.”

Debbie took a deep breath and then spoke again in a calm tone. “You know, I don’t even think it was James’ idea. One of the other guys seemed to be in charge. James was just doing what they told him to do.”

“That figures,” Thomas said. “He never was much of a leader.”

“I knew something wasn’t right when he finally returned to the ranch after being gone for so long to go fishing,” Andrew said, frustrated that he didn’t just go with his original, gut feeling and not allow James to stay on the ranch after he was gone for so long.

Debbie was so exhausted that within a few more minutes, she was sleeping soundly on the couch. Andrew put a blanket on her and then told the girls to go up to bed.

“Awww, Dad! Can’t we sleep down here with Debbie?” Amy asked, not wanting to leave her sister’s side.

“Okay, but I need you to lie down and actually sleep. The guys and I need to go in the kitchen and talk. Deal?”

“Deal. Thank you, Daddy!” Amy gave her dad a big kiss goodnight and then climbed up on the couch, laying her head on Debbie’s lap. Almost instantly she was back to sleeping. The other girls followed suit.

In the kitchen, Thomas put on a pot of coffee, and the guys sat around the table. They knew they only had a limited amount of time to figure out exactly what they would do to keep the family and the ranch safe.

“I think it is abundantly clear what we need to do. The question is, ‘How do we do it?’ We don’t even know exactly where James and his ‘friends’ are,” Andrew said.

“Well, from what Debbie said, I think I have an idea of where they might be, which means I know where they will come out onto the ranch. That is where we will have to stop them.”

“Someone will need to stay here to protect the girls,” Andrew stated, almost feeling like he was saying something he didn’t need to say.

“I’ll stay here with them,” Debbie said from the doorway of the kitchen.

“What are you doing up?”

“I couldn’t sleep. I can take care of the girls, Dad.”

“No. Absolutely not. Not after everything you’ve just been through.”

“Really, Dad? I would think that would have been enough to prove to you I am capable of more than you give me credit for.” She never had taken such a tone with her father, and she instantly regretted it.

Andrew realized she had a point and said, “Okay. I will leave you the shotgun and a handgun. Keep your sisters upstairs. At least then you will hear someone coming in and have time to prepare yourself.”

Nodding, Debbie replied, “Just make sure that if any of you come in, you ring the bell three times first so I know it’s you. The last thing I want to do is shoot one of you.”

For the first time in twenty-four hours, they laughed, and it felt good. Now that they knew the girls would be taken care of, they sent Debbie back into the living room and spoke softly so Debbie would not be able to hear them and start worrying. She already had been through enough and they didn’t want to add to it.

Aside from taking care of James and his little gang, they also had to make sure they kept the family safe from that moment on. They formulated a plan to deal with James first, and just before the sun rose, Andrew, Thomas, Keith and Stewart headed out on a mission that could end in disaster, or could bring them home victorious.

While the girls waited in their rooms, they talked about anything and everything that Debbie and Connie could think of to keep their younger sisters occupied. Time seemed to be dragging and then, all of a sudden, the girls heard something they had hoped they would not hear. Gunshots rang out; so many they weren’t able to keep track of the number.

“Amy, Beth, I want you to get in the closet. Keep the door closed and don’t come out until I tell you,” Debbie said quickly. The girls did as they were told, tears streaming down their faces.

Connie and Debbie prepared themselves for whatever would happen next, even though they really had no idea what that was. They armed themselves and sat, ready to fight to protect their little sisters.

The gunfire lasted for only a minute or so, and then there was nothing but silence. Time seemed to move in slow motion, and a few minutes later, Debbie was relieved to hear the bell ring three times, but then quickly realized one scary thought…James knew about ringing the bell three times. What if it was him?

“Don’t get up, Con. There’s a chance it could be James.”

Connie hadn’t thought of that, and she was glad her sister did. They stood, guns pointed at the bedroom door. As they stood there, they could hear footsteps on the stairs. It sounded like more than one person, and soon they heard one door after another open and close. The steps drew closer, and then the knob on the bedroom door started to turn and the girls held their breath.

The door flung open and Andrew stood there, a look of relief on his face. “It’s over, girls.”

Debbie and Connie let out deep sighs of relief and then Debbie asked, “Is everyone okay?”

“We’re all fine. You won’t have to worry about James or his friends ever again.”

Andrew and the guys made it a point never to speak about what happened to the men who threatened to take over the ranch. That decision came easily because they didn’t want the girls to think about anyone else dying in the place where they already had lost their mother. For the time being, Andrew was comfortable knowing that only the guys knew where the four unmarked graves lay, deep in the woods. The girls, however, didn’t seem to want to let the issue go.

“Where are they, Daddy?” Amy asked.

“Don’t worry, little one. You are safe now.”

“But, Daddy, what if they come back? How many were there?”

“They won’t be coming back.”

“But,” Amy started, “What if they DO?”

Andrew couldn’t believe how much his baby girl was growing into a young woman who had so many traits of her mother. He knew he never would be able to get one by her, because she likely would question him to death, just like Sandra used to do. He missed his wife, and it was times like these when he wished she was here. “Baby Girl, we worked really hard to make sure you and your sisters are safe. James won’t be able to ruin that again. He is far away and can’t come back; neither can his friends.”

Smiling, and hugging his neck, Amy replied, “Okay, Daddy. I love you.”

“I love you too, Baby Girl.”

For the next week, things were run quite tightly on the ranch. Winter was coming and there was so much to do to get prepared. They knew they should have begun preparing sooner, but so much had happened in the previous weeks that time seemed to get away from them.

Andrew could see a noticeable difference when it came to his daughters. Amy and Beth seemed to look to Connie and Debbie more than they used to. They relied on their older sisters for more, and it gave Andrew an incredible feeling knowing that they felt they could count on each other for anything. Connie went from being his fifteen-year- old daughter to taking on the role of a much older, more responsible woman. She really embraced the idea of taking care of her little sisters, and even tried to take better care of the men on the ranch. It was an honor for Andrew to see the transformation. Debbie, after such a horrible ordeal, decided she would learn from the experience and not cower because of it. She stepped up her role as protector of her sisters, and was viewed as more of a mother figure.

All in all, Andrew was not just proud of his daughters for how they handled the entire situation, but was also proud of his ranch hands, who became more of a family than ever before. Everyone, adults and kids alike, joined together to make life safer, and more enjoyable, and Andrew couldn’t have been prouder. For the time being, he felt good about where life was headed, but knew in the back of his mind that life could change at any moment. Yet he was more prepared than ever to take on any challenge that may come their way.