This time, Marsh returned shortly after midnight, frowning and weary. He looked at her and said, “I got them all, but I didn’t learn anything from those bastards. They were as close-mouthed as I would have been. I just didn’t expect them to be so stubborn and brave. That worries me, woman.” He stretched out on the double bed without undressing and rested his arm over his eyes.
Randee watched him from her side of the bed, and decided to keep silent until he was ready to explain what happened tonight. He needed to get things straight in his head and rest a while. Maybe killing wasn’t as easy for him as she had imagined it would be for a gunslinger. Or maybe he was just depressed over this frustrating matter. He was accustomed to getting what he wanted, until tonight, until this gang. Clearly he wasn’t used to defeat of any kind, and it felt bad to him.
Finally he sat up and half turned to her. He was glad she had given him time to relax and think before asking any questions; most women would have been jabbering away the moment he returned. When she smiled encouragingly, he reached out and caressed her cheek. She cocked her head sideways and nuzzled his hand with her eyes closed, looking serene and radiant. He liked the way she gave him space and comfort when he needed them, and he needed both tonight. He felt better just having her nearby, better than if he’d had a shot of aged whiskey. Yep, it was good having somebody special to share good and bad times with, somebody to talk to, somebody to lean on for a change, somebody who understood him and his crazy moods.
He revealed wearily, “I hid their bodies, so we should be able to leave in the morning without any problem. I wish we could ride out now, but we can’t risk grabbing someone’s notice. Once they’re missed, along with those other two, somebody’s gonna get awfully curious about their deaths. ‘Course, we knew this was going to happen sometime. I just hate drawing them in on us and endangering you. Are you sure you won’t go somewhere and hide until this matter is over?”
“Please don’t ask me to leave you alone to face this peril. I’ll be fine, honestly. If you leave me somewhere, you’ll only worry about them locating me and that’ll destroy your concentration. We’re better off sticking together. Did you stop to think that maybe they were more afraid of their boss’s wrath than afraid of you and death?”
“That must be true, because they died in silence. It’s just that men like those are usually cowards when they don’t have their cohorts surrounding them. They played innocents up to the end.”
“I’m glad you got them, Marsh, because they weren’t innocents. That Indian was the one who killed my uncle. He slit Uncle Lee’s throat, then dropped his body to the ground and viciously kicked it over and over. And that Mexican raped and beat the housekeeper before slaying her. I wanted to look away from such horrors, but I watched so I could remember each one of them and despise them enough to kill them when the time came.”
He drew her tawny head against his chest and stroked her hair. “I’m sorry you had to witness such savagery, but they’ll pay, every one of them. I swear it.” “If those raiders are working nearby, what are they doing with all those stolen cattle and goods? They’d need a large place to corral them and store everything. Plus room to alter their brands before selling them. How can that much activity and stock go unnoticed?”
“Somebody big and important is protecting them. Maybe those infernal State Police are in on this mess. Whoever it is, their boss knows enough about this territory to hide them good. Darn it all, we can’t stop every large cattle drive and check brands and ownership, so we’re right back where we started, with nothing but questions and more questions. Dammit, Randee, we need a lucky break in this case!”
She noticed his last word, but assumed it was a holdover from his deputy days. She heard his heart thudding swiftly as she hinted, “Maybe you can pick up some current news in Wadesville tomorrow.”
“If those bastards are spreading out in local towns to rest a while, I wouldn’t know a stranger in town if I bumped into one. But I don’t want you.going there, with them in this area. By now, they could know about your threat and be waiting around for your return.”
Randee realized how worried he was over her safety, and it warmed her. “I’m not arguing with your order, Mr. Logan, so calm down. Why don’t we get some sleep and talk about this in the morning?”
“Sleep isn’t what I need, woman; you are.”
Randee leaned away to look up into his smoldering gaze. “I was hoping your needs matched mine tonight.” She unbuttoned his shirt and removed it, then pulled off his boots. Marsh stood beside the bed and eased out of his pants. He watched Randee lift her gown over her head and toss it to the floor before he doused the lantern and joined her. He pulled her into his arms, and simply held her for a long time.
Mercy, she had become a special part of him! Maybe that was why he had failed tonight, a lack of attention and the urge to get back at her side quickly, an intoxicating arrangement that could end at any time. Maybe he hadn’t used enough time and pain to withdraw information from those bastards. But he couldn’t leave her behind; she was in too much peril, and he needed her every day ….
“Woman, you’re driving me crazy,” he murmured in hert ear as she spread fiery kisses over his neck and chest, aware of how easy things were between them, including total intimacy. Being together. like this seemed as natural as breathing.
Randee rolled him to his back and straddled him, sensuously gathering his erect manhood within her receptive body. Randee felt that same closeness, that same powerful, but gentle, bond. It was as if they had always been a part of each other and always would be. As she made unrestrained love to him, she whispered almost breathlessly, “You affect me the same way, Marsh Logan. If we have to die together, what better way than this?”
Thoughts of nothing, including perils or doubts or hopes, intruded on “their blissful world in that small hotel room. No inhibitions, modesty, or worries came between them as they, captured a pleasure and closeness that few couples found even after years of lovemaking and marriage. Their hearts were united as tightly and rapturously as their bodies were, and their passions ran wild and free, never to be leashed again … .
Saturday afternoon, Randee remained hidden in a thick grove of trees while Marsh rode into Wadesville to see Sheriff Brody Wade. Marsh wouldn’t allow her to visit the ranch, speculating that someone might see her there. He told her he was afraid those raiders might check it out to see if she, or anyone else, had returned there.
Randee knew Marsh was right, because the house had been spared for some unknown reason. If that boss wanted it, surely he would have it guarded to make certain it remained abandoned. As she sat there alone, she tried to come up with uses for the targeted area of attacks. It was a large territory, so whoever wanted it so badly had to have plenty of money and a special teason. Who was rich enough to purchase so much land? she wondered. Who was powerful enough to control it after his gang was dismissed? What purpose could it serve? As Marsh had said, endless questions without answers, yet.
Marsh leaned against the door jamb in Brody Wade’s office as he waited for the sheriff to get his money and the release paper to sign. He watched Brody intently, as the man kept glancing at him oddly, and he recalled how Brody had had him and Randee followed.
Brody noticed that the man wasn’t wearing all black today. Instead, he was dressed in a medium-blue shirt, dark-brown leather vest, and faded .jeans. Still, he looked intimidating and self-assured. “I was beginning to think you weren’t coming back for this reward money; it’s been over two weeks. I suppose a man like you who earns blood money with his gun doesn’t need a measly two hundred dollars. Sign this,” Brody ordered, shoving the paper at Marsh.
Marsh picked up the money and stuffed it in his pocket without even glancing at it. “A man can always use money, Sheriff, for good whiskey and a pleasing woman here and there.”
“Speaking of women, that fair-haired girl you met here last time was kidnapped by Indians at the Red River. crossing. You interested in “earning a reward from me to go looking for her?” Brody asked, eyeing the other man closely for his reaction.
“That’s a shame, Sheriff Wade, she was a real looker. By now, she’s probably the personal slave of one of those red bucks. You sure you want her back? Most white men wouldn’t.”
“I ain’t most white men,” Brody snapped coldly. “You interested or not? I’ll pay you a thousand dollars plus expenses.”
“That’s a healthy bundle for a small town sheriff. You sure she’s still worth it?” Marsh asked, propping his boot, on the chair before Brody’s desk and laying his arm across his raised thigh.
“Randee Hollis is worth far more, but it’s all I have in savings. I was going to use it for a down payment on a ranch. But what good is a ranch without a wife? Not that it’s any of your business, but we’re supposed to be married when she returns. You’re a drifter, a gunslinger. Why not spend your time doing something good for a change? She’s a special woman, and I don’t want her living as no squaw.”
Marsh suspected that Brody was feeling him out for information, baiting him for answers. He didn’t bite rashly. “Trouble is, Sheriff, I already have a higher paying job awaiting me in Austin.. A rich rancher is having problems with some rustlers and I’ve agreed to get rid of them for him. He’s offering five thousand. Can you better that offer?”
Brody glared at the cocky man and sneered, “You know I can’t. Dammit,” man, you met her! She’s sweet, and innocent, and gentle. She doesn’t deserve a fate like that. She has money; I know she’ll up the reward if you locate her and rescue her.”
“Best I recall, you warned me to stay away from her. You sure you would trust me on the trail with her? I wouldn’t if I were you. Why don’t you go after her? She’s your …friend, wasn’t it?”
Rage colored Brody’s cheeks a bright red. His brown eyes blazed with fiery hatred and contempt. His muscles were taut and his fists were balled tightly on the desk. His request for help had been to probe for information, but it was actually a good idea to hire this rogue to do a job he couldn’t do himself. He tried to compose himself as he scoffed, “I don’t know anything about Indians or Indian Territory. It would take a skilled gunman like you to find her and rescue her”
“Thanks for the compliment, Sheriff, but I can’t afford to lose that job in Austin. It’ll keep me in pocket money for a long time. Besides, that little gal appeared mighty feisty to me. I wouldn’t be surprised if she tricks those redskins into bringing her home before dark.”
“You’re a cold and cocky son of a bitch! You don’t care about anybody except yourself. One day somebody’s going to kill you.”
Marsh retorted flippantly, “Plenty have tried, and plenty more will, but I don’t die easily. I can’t risk a sure five thousand on the hope I can find her alive and she’ll honor your offer with her money. Once she’s free, you two might decide to double-cross me and keep the money; that would be a fatal mistake for all of us.”
Infuriated, Brody nearly shouted, “Sign that release and get out of my office! In fact, get out of my town!”
As Marsh lifted the writing quill, Brody warned icily, “And sign your real name, which ain’t the Durango Kid. I’ve seen him.”
Marsh chuckled, further irritating the man. “Durango is my cousin. We look alike, so people are always confusing us. He doesn’t mind if I use his name once in a while to make people either take notice or steer clear of me. If you don’t believe me, ask him the next time you see him, which shouldn’t be too long from now. I hear he’s riding up this way soon.” Marsh signed the paper and tossed it to Brody.
The scowling man lifted it, read it, and frowned again.
“Be seeing you around, Sheriff Wade,” Marsh said. He left to buy supplies, aware of the frigid gaze boring into his retreating back. Yep, he decided, that sheriff could be trouble if he wasn’t careful.
Brody eyed the paper skeptically, then looked puzzled. Where had he heard or read that name before? he wondered. Storm Hayden, is it? We’ll just see why that name sounds vaguely familiar ….
Brody called his deputy into the office and ordered, “Matt, follow that snake and see what hole he slithers into. And don’t lose him this time. I don’t trust him, and I’m gonna find out why.”
Marsh knew Deputy Matthew Johnson was observing him as he visited the mercantile store and gun shop. He chatted genially with both shopkeepers, learning of two raids near the center of that oblong area which was marked on the map in his saddlebag. He must have guessed right; those bastards were fanned out to avoid grabbing anyone’s attention while they awaited orders for their next raid. He wished he could ask if a Marshal Foley Timms was, or had been, in this area, this town, but Brody Wade might check with these townfolk to see what questions he asked. And such questions would appear too suspicious.
Marsh grinned as the incompetent deputy tried to dog him when he left town. He took the road southward to indicate a ride to Austin as he had claimed. He was amused at Brody’s challenge of his identity and hadn’t minded signing a name which he had used long ago during one of his missions. There was no way Sheriff Brody Wade could investigate “Storm Hayden,” because the man didn’t exist, and all information about that false identity had been ordered destroyed years ago. For certain, he didn’t want Brody discovering he was Marsh Logan, at least no time soon. After a few miles, Marsh tricked the careless deputy and doubled back to join up with Randee.
When he reached the place he had left her, she wasn’t there. Her saddle and possessions were piled beneath the tree, but Randee and Rojo were nowhere in sight. A fear such as he had never experienced before charged through his body like a bolt of lightning. Nervous sweat beaded on his forehead and above his upper lip. His heart thundered erratically, altering his respiration to a rapid pace. He searched the area and noticed a line scratched on the ground, an arrow pointing westward. Obviously she had left of her own free will, and left him a message of some sort. He dropped their supplies and his saddlebags near hers, mounted Midnight, and followed her trail.
It was one of the longest rides Marsh had ever taken. When he finally sighted her, joy and relief flooded him. He forcibly mastered his visible panic, a new emotion for him. Now he understood that same reaction in the beauty before him, and he would never fault her with it again. He sneaked up to where she was hiding in a gully, which was densely edged with trees and bushes.
The green-eyed blonde smiled and motioned him close enough to whisper into his ear, “Three more raiders, Marsh, camped over there. Two of them rode past the place I was waiting for you, so I followed them here. They joined that third man. I was very careful. I used the skills you taught me about removing anything that could make noise. I didn’t take any risks, and I was about to come fetch you for help.”
Marsh peered between the heavily leaved limbs and saw three men lying around a campfire, drinking and talking. It didn’t appear as if they were expecting any other gang members to join them. He whispered, “I’m riding into their camp to see if they’ll drop any clues. I’ll pretend I’m looking for a job.” As Randee started to protest, he told her, “Take your rifle and train it on that man in the tan shirt. If there’s trouble, you get him and I’ll take out the other two. Watch him close, woman. Don’t let him finger that pistol too long before shooting him. I don’t want any bullet holes marring this handsome body, and you don’t either,” he teased as she composed herself. “Ready?”
She looked him in the eye and said, “Ready. Be careful.”
Marsh smiled, kissed her lightly, then sneaked back to his black stallion. The surge of energy from an imminent challenge filled him. He was proud of Randee; she had done everything right this time. Between the two of them, she wasn’t in any peril, so he relaxed. He called out, “You there in camp, rider coming in.”
Having used the standard announcement before approaching another man’s camp, Marsh slowly guided his horse in that direction. The men roused themselves instantly, all three coming to their feet and staring at Marsh. Randee aimed her new rifle at the center of one man’s back, the one in the tan shirt, the bearded one whom she recalled vividly from the Carson Ranch attack. She did not allow her attention to stray for a single moment, as her love’s life depended on it.
Marsh casually reined in a few feet from the three men. “Got any coffee to spare, or a sip of. good whiskey? I’ve been riding since dawn and I’ve got a thirst which would shame a desert. I can pay fifty cents for a share of your supper, but that’s about all I got until I find some work around here.” Making sure to move unthreateningly slow, he dropped Midnight’s reins to the ground and jested amiably, “Hell, these ranchers want to work the hide off of you for a few dollars a month. Got to be an easier way to make your pockets jingle.”
“Rest your butt on that log, stranger, and help yourself,” said the man in faded Army clothes. “Where you from?”
Marsh dished up some beans and poured himself some coffee, then took a seat on the suggested log. “Down San Antonio way most recently. Had to leave real quick for shooting a deputy in the leg. ’Course, he, deserved it. Got real mad when I spent my last two dollars on his favorite saloon gal. But a man’s gotta have his releases. Shame though, ‘cause she weren’t worth dying for. Some new gal in Digger’s Saloon, who didn’t know much about pleasing a man.” Marsh chuckled wickedly, then sipped the hot coffee and shoved beans into his mouth to stall for time to study the men. He noticed that they remained standing, a bad sign because they were displaying ready-to-attack stances. He set his coffee cup on the ground and held the metal plate between his hands, as it would be easy to toss it aside to draw his guns. Knowing Randee had the tan-shirted man in her sights, he concentrated on assessing the other two villains. “Damn, that’s good. My belly’s been chewing on my backbone for hours. You fellas know anything about work in these parts? I need money real fast to keep from starving.”
“Ain’t much work in this area, stranger. Too many ranchers been run out by that Epson Gang,” another man informed him.
Marsh knew the three men were openly studying him as hard as he was furtively studying them. “Seems like the only paying job around here is with them,” he teased, filling his mouth again.
“If you don’t mind the law running up your backside, I guess it is.”
“Can’t say I do, but it’s happened a few times,” Marsh hinted.
“I figured that, by the way you wear your guns,” the first man remarked, resting his right hand on his pistol butt.
“You can relax, friend; I ain’t wanted in this area.”
“You wanted someplace else?” the third man finally spoke up.
“Maybe. Does it matter?” Marsh asked, staring the man down.
“Not to us, but it might to the local law if you hang around these parts very long,” the first man told him.
“Too dull around here. All I need is some money in these pockets and I’ll be riding out. You boys live around here or just passing through?”
“Just passing through like you, mister.”
“Need an extra hand at anything?” Marsh asked pointedly.
“Nope,” the first man replied quickly. The leader of this resting party nodded to his two friends, then suggested, “Why don’t you pass those guns over before we talk any more? I got a strange feeling in my gut about you. If I like your answers, I’ll give ‘em back.”
Marsh’s gaze shifted from one man to the next. “The Durango Kid don’t hand his guns over to nobody. If you want ‘em real bad, you’ll have to risk taking them. But don’t call me out unless you’re ready to die on this beautiful day. I ain’t looking for a fight, boys, but I’ll be obliged to give you one if you make any moves I don’t like.”
The three men stared at Marsh, then exchanged rapid looks. “We’ve heard about you, Kid. Why didn’t you just give us your name up front? What you doing in this area?”
When they didn’t relax their stances, Marsh knew he hadn’t won them over. He told himself to be ready for trouble to strike any minute. “Like I said, boys, looking to earn a dollar or two while I rest up a spell. Then, I’m heading down San Antonio way for some unfinished business. Got any objections?” Marsh’s ice-blue gaze was cold and confident, and he saw how tensed and excited the raiders had become.
“You got a price on your head?” the third man asked oddly.
“Not that I know of. But if I did, it’d take more than three cowpokes to take me down and collect it.”
“You sure you’re that good?” the first man asked skeptically.
“You wanna try me and find out?” Marsh challenged.
It happene’d quickly. All three villains grabbed for their weapons. Marsh dropped two of them dead, and Randee shot the third man. He looked her way and signaled her over to the campfire. He checked the bodies to find none of the three breathing.
When Randee reached his side, he grinned and hugged her. “See, woman, I told you that you wouldn’t panic. Thanks.”
“You took a big risk, Marsh Logan; I could have reacted too slowly. I’m not used to showdowns like you are. What did they say?”
Marsh repeated the conversation, then added, “I knew they wouldn’t spill their guts either, so there was no reason to wing one to question, then have to finish him off later. We. need to get moving quickly in case somebody heard those shots and comes to investigate. I want to check their pockets and saddlebags and release those horses.”
While Randee unsaddled the animals and freed them, Marsh went through the men’s clothing and possessions, finding nothing useful except money.
Not having been given time to think about killing a man, Randee defensively ignored her necessary action. “We’ll have to bury them,” she remarked absently.
“We don’t have time or a shovel to use. They’re coldblooded killers, woman, so they don’t deserve a decent burial. We’ll leave them to rot in the open, just like they left their victims.”
Randee inquired softly, “Don’t you think that’s being cold and hard, Marsh? We’re not like them.” Marsh looked at her. “We’ll shove ‘em into that gully. We have to get moving pronto. I heard about two new raids nearby in the last few days. That means those bastards headed straight here from the Fort Richardson area. We’ve got eight of them, but there are plenty more around. There’s another problem; Sheriff Wade still doesn’t trust me. He had that deputy of his follow me again after I left town. I lost him before I doubled back to meet you. He could be searching for us right this minute, just to make certain you aren’t traveling with me.”
“What did he say about me?” she asked.
Without mentioning Storm Hayden, Marsh repeated the curious conversation and teased, “He still has a fever for you, woman. A real shame, since you belong to me now. If he finds us together, it’ll stick in his craw and he’ll become a pest. You know I can’t afford any trouble with the law, especially a lawman who’s sweet on my partner.”
Randee didn’t want to discuss Brody Wade with her lover, so she asked, “Did you hear anything about that Marshal Timms?”
“Nope, and I couldn’t risk asking about him, not the way Sheriff Wade was having me watched and dogged. Let’s check out those new raid sites before we head for Fort Worth.”
They rode for hours toward the center of the target area, with Marsh on constant alert for any sign of danger around them. When they camped that night, they ate cold food, which Marsh had purchased that morning in town. He didn’t want a campfire, which could draw the attention of anyone nearby.
“This business is getting hard and dirty, woman. Now that you’ve had a foul taste of it, are you sure you want to continue with me? I can take you to Fort Worth and have my friend there guard you until it’s over.”
“My mind’s made up, Marsh; I’m sticking with you.’ Maybe these killings will work in our favor. If those gang members think their boss is having them weeded out because their task is almost done, we might gain an advantage over them if they get nervous and mistrustful.”
“I thought about that angle too. But it might only make them more cautious. If they get to watching their backsides, it’ll be hard to sneak up on them. But if we’re lucky, we can get more of them out of the way while they’re separated, before they learn about their friends’ fates.”
Marsh didn’t shave that night and he didn’t allow them to make love or sleep together so he could remain on full alert. Every time Randee awoke and glanced his way, he was awake, on guard.
On Sunday morning and late Sunday afternoon, they checked out the two attack sites. One was totally abandoned and destroyed, but squatters nearby answered some questions for them. A Marshal Foley Timms had been in the area before and after the raid, asking questions and looking for witnesses. As with all other times, nobody saw or heard a thing, or so they claimed.
At the second site, fresh mounds of dirt loomed before their vision, and the smell of burned wood still lingered around the wanton destruction. Marsh examined the area for tracks and clues, and cursed to himself when he found neither. They rode to the next ranch, to find the owners packing to leave. When questioned, the couple fearfully told Marsh and Randee that they were pulling out to start fresh in a safer place. Considering the farmer had several children and a pregnant wife, it was a wise, but difficult decision.
This time, however, Marsh was given a clue. The shaky man said, “I was hunting early that morning and saw that gang leaving the area. They were heading northwesterly. Must have been twenty-five or thirty of them. They had bushes tied to the tails of Joe’s cattle and they were moving real slow. I couldn’t see too good, but I’d swear there was something covering their horses’ hooves, like cloth sacks. I got to get my family out of here before they hit us. There ain’t hardly a ranch or farm around which ain’t been attacked once or twice. I ain’t waiting around until they find my place and kill us all in our sleep.”
“Do you recall a U.S. marshal coming by to see you lately?”
“Sure do,” the man answered Marsh’s query. “His name was Foley Timms, a real big man. Said he’d been on their trail for nearly a year. I didn’t tell him nothing ‘cause I didn’t want to get involved. I was afraid he’d make us hang around and answer more questions.”
Marsh smiled genially. “Don’t you worry. I won’t tell him anything you’ve told me. Which way did he light out?”
“Toward Granbury,” he said.
Marsh knew the man didn’t have time to sell his land and was probably near broke this time of year. He pulled out the two hundred dollars reward money and pressed it into the farmer’s hand. “I appreciate your help, sir. You take good care of your family.”
The man stared at the money, then looked up at Marsh, his eyes misty. “This is real kind of you, son We can sure use it.”
“With luck, maybe I can use the information you gave me to stop those … that gang. Before you sell out here, check back in a few months to see if they’ve been stopped. You got a real nice place and I would hate to see you lose it. Why don’t you try working and camping just the other side of Fort Worth for a while? They’re not doing any raiding over that way. If we can help the law defeat that gang, you can return home before harvest time.”
The man smiled and shook Marsh’s hand gratefully, accepting the wise advice. They talked a few more minutes before the man told them, “You two be careful, ‘cause that gang is bad, real bad.”
“We will. Good luck to you.”
Marsh and Randee mounted, waved, and rode northwestward. They halted at the spot where the farmer had told Marsh he’d been concealed. Marsh looked over the area closely.
Randee asked, “Wouldn’t dragging brush cover any trail made by slow movement?”
“Most of it, and the weather would finish the task. That Indian riding with them is real smart; he knows all about concealing tracks. Obviously he’s tailing them and removing all signs of their passing. No trampled grass, no broken limbs, no rocks turned over …”
“What now?” she asked, hunkering down beside him.
“If they kept going this way, they’d be heading into territory which we’ve already searched pretty good. Somehow, I doubt they’re hiding around Fort Richard-son. It’s my guess they were only skirting other ranches to keep out of sight. You can bet they know where every spread is located.”
“What about Marshal Timms? You think he’s their scout? Or boss? You think he’s heading to Granbury to see what happened to those other men?”
“Whoa, woman, not so fast,” he teased. “I have my suspicions about this Timms, but we’ll know more about him after we reach Fort Worth. Who knows? Maybe he’s a real lawman and he has contacts sending him news of strangers in towns. Coming around after a raid doesn’t intrigue me, but doing it before so many certainly does.”
On Monday, they followed a similar pattern, and camped a half-day’s ride from Fort Worth.
On Tuesday, they rode a few hours eastward before making camp. While Randee prepared a quick meal, Marsh scouted the area. After eating, he shaved quickly and doused the small fire. Again they slept separately and Marsh remained on tense alert during the night.
They entered the large town of Fort Worth and dismounted before a hotel. Again, Marsh rented two rooms and registered them as cousins. He left Randee to eat, bathe, and rest while he went to see his friend and to gather any available news.
Randee turned their dirty garments over to the laundress who came for them. After eating, she took a long bath and washed her hair. While she awaited Marsh’s return, she did their mending, the task reminding her of home and her mother.
She halted and stared ahead blankly. How was her mother? What was Payton doing? Was he still searching for her, or had he given her up as lost property? Would her mother and the child be all right until she and Marsh could rescue them? Which problem was the most important to her: defeating this murderous gang or helping her mother? She couldn’t defeat Payton alone, and Marsh wouldn’t head for Kansas until this grim task was over, so the choice wasn’t hers.
If she tried to go home and thwart that evil beast, she would only manage to place herself and her mother in new peril. She had to forget about Payton Slade until … The door opened and Marsh entered.
She was sitting cross-legged on the bed, with their sewing. He came forward and sat down on its edge. Her homey task seemed to make him nervous, so she set it aside and asked, “Any news?”
“You don’t have to do that, Randee. The laundress can take care of it for me,” he replied, ignoring her question.
“I hope you don’t mind, Marsh, but I needed something to occupy my mind and hands. This is one thing mother taught me to do well. If you object, I can leave it for …”
He interrupted to drop the subject. “If it uses up some of that abundant energy, fine. I just didn’t want you doing more than your share of the chores, partner. Is that what you were thinking about when I came in, your mother?”
“I can’t help but worry, about her. She was so foolish to marry that deceitful devil. He’s lied to her and used her, and she’s blind to his flaws and the truth. She’s living with a man she doesn’t even know. You won’t forget your promise to help us after this job is over, will you?”
“You have my word on it, woman. Would it make you feel better if you wrote her a letter to let her know you’re safe and well?”
“It’s too risky, Marsh. I don’t want to remind Payton I’m alive somewhere. We don’t need his intrusion when we’re facing such peril. I have to believe she’ll be fine until we can rescue her.” Randee sighed heavily. “What if she doesn’t take my word against his? What if she hates me for having him killed? Even if he’s worthless, she loves him.”
Marsh realized she needed this small and comforting talk, so he didn’t halt it. “Whatever happens in Kansas, you’ll have to accept it. The most important thing is saving her life, not pleasing her.”
Randee told him what her mother used to be like with her father, and how she was with her stepfather. “He’s draining the life from her, Marsh, and it torments me. If only she could come to her senses and forget him, maybe she could become Dee Hollis again.”
“Change is hard, Randee, sometimes impossible for one reason or another. You have to realize that she might not want to know the truth about Slade. Or she might know it already and is simply ignoring it because she doesn’t want to lose even a bad life. It’s hard.to start over with a new life. It’s worse for women when there’s no man … no father or husband to care for them. Saloons are filled with widows and orphans. You said your mother wasn’t the kind of woman who wanted to be on her own. What happens after Slade’s dead, if she won’t let you go home or refuses to live on the Carson Ranch with you?”
“I don’t know, Marsh. I’ve never thought about the points you just made. One thing for certain, if she marries again, surely he can’t be as wicked as Payton Slade. I want him out of her life, at any cost.”
Marsh replied, “I know, and I don’t blame you.”
“Let’s talk about something else. What did you learn today?”
“I got a map of the purchases by that land company. They’ve gotten hold of most of those spreads. But as far as my friend can learn, it’s all been very legal. He says that company is planning a big promotion back east like Jacob de Cordova pulled off. You remember, the man from Granbury who did the same thing years ago. They’re planning settlements and smaller spreads to get this area more populated. If they build towns, they’ll make a fortune with stores and such. But he still can’t get hold of any names.”
Her eyes brightened with a bold idea. “If they make an offer on the Carson Ranch, maybe I can learn who’s behind it.”
“Not yet, woman. I want you kept out of this as long as possible.”
“You’re too protective of me, Marsh Logan.”
“If you get them sniffing after you and they are involved, our mission could fail before we get close enough to stop them.”
“What about if I try to get a job with that company or that lawyer? I might can learn something on the inside,” she ventured.
“It’s too dangerous. From what I can learn, there’s no such lawman as Marshal Timms. He saw you in Wadesville. If he dropped by either office, he’d notice you in a second and get too curious.”
“Doesn’t that mean he’s involved? Isn’t this that lucky break?”
“Not if he’s new on the job or if he’s working under a false name.”
“Then, we’re still nowhere,” she murmured dejectedly. “If this whole job is dangerous, why not take a few risks to get ahead?”
“Not yet, woman,” he stated firmly. “I know what I’m doing. We have to stay patient and be cautious or we’ll ruin everything.”
“Is it because of me, Marsh? Am I causing you to hold back?”
Marsh’s gaze locked with hers and he smiled. He asserted, “You’re keeping me from acting rashly just to get vengeance. What you’re doing to me is keeping me alive and careful.”
“The moment that isn’t true, please tell me,” she urged.
He caressed her. cheek as he promised, “Don’t worry, I will. We might have more help, or interference, to deal with. Seems as if the State Police and Army have been ordered to get moving on this case. That could explain why there haven’t been any raids since last Friday and why those villains are separated and laying low for a while. I want us to rest here tomorrow, then head back toward Fort Richardson on Thursday. If they’re spread out in camps, maybe we can locate some and get rid of them a few at a time like we planned.”
“That sounds good to me,” she concurred.
“Before we leave town, I want you to meet my friend. If there’s any trouble, you come to him and he’ll protect you.”
Randee caught the meaning between his words. She didn’t want anything to ever happen to him. From now on, she wouldn’t flinch at doing anything to get this matter over with so Marsh would be safe.
“It’s suppertime. You hungry?” he asked, lifting her hand and playfully nipping at her fingers.
“Not for that kind of food,” she responded meaningfully.
He chuckled and teased, “What do you do, woman, read my mind?” He pulled her into his arms as she grinned happily ….