The afternoon passed quicker than Laurel thought it would. The task of cleaning up the yard let her take her mind off what she planned to do in a few hours. Every time the thought of sneaking out in the middle of the night crossed her mind her stomach clenched and sweat bloomed on her skin that had nothing to do with the work she was doing. If we get caught I’ll be grounded ’til I’m ninety. And what do I do if Mr. Cullen decides to press charges against us? Coll will be in real trouble, more than me. Emily will be mad at me and Mom will get that look on her face she gets when she’s really disappointed in me. But I can’t just do nothing…. Laurel heaved the large branch into the bed of the old farm pickup and waved to Coll to move it on to the next pile of debris.
“There, that’s the last of it.” Laurel climbed into the cab of the truck next to Coll. “We just need to take it over to the brush pile behind the corrals. Some of it will need to be cut up for firewood and kindling, but we don’t need to worry about that now.”
“Almost time for dinner.” Coll eased the truck into gear and they bounced across the rough ground.
“This thing rides like a tractor with no suspension,” Laurel remarked hanging onto the holy shit handle by her head.
“It’s brill, like a carnival ride.” Coll shot her a wide smile. “I’m gonna miss this when I go home.”
“Miss what? Working your butt off and then riding in a pile driver so you can sweat some more?” Laurel gave him a wicked grin.
“Honestly, yeah. And I’ll miss you like crazy.”
“I’ll miss you too. I can’t believe it’s almost time for you to go back.”
“I know. The summer’s just gone by like nothing.”
They jounced to a halt beside the pile of broken branches, wilted green leaves fluttering in the light breeze. Laurel slid down from the truck and wiped the perspiration from her face with the tail of her shirt. “You’d never know the skies opened last night and this was all covered with hail, would you? Man, it’s hot.”
“Let’s get this load off. I’m starving, and I heard your mom say supper was steaks and baked potatoes on the bar-be-que. Now, that I’m really gonna miss! Bar-be-que anything.”
Laurel giggled. “You know what I miss about Cornwall? Cream tea and pasties. But not together,” she added at the expression on Coll’s face.
They made short work of unloading the tangle of branches and left the battered pickup by the machine shed. Her dad was under one of the combines tinkering with something, just his booted feet sticking out.
“We’re done with the yard, Dad. You coming in soon?” Laurel called from the doorway.
Colt scooted out from under the machine, a smear of grease down one cheek. “Almost done, here. Tell your mom I’ll be about twenty minutes.”
“Anything we can help with?” Coll eyed the huge machine with interest.
“Thanks, but no. You could start the bar-be-que and get the grill warmed up if you want. That’ll be a big help.”
“Sure, Dad. I’ll let Mom know. I think we can get the grill going without blowing up the house.” Laurel laughed.
Colt shook his head at her lame attempt at humour and slid back under the combine.
* * *
Now that supper was done and the last of the dishes put away Laurel was hard put to appear like everything was normal. The last thing she needed was for Dad to suspect she was up to something. Already this evening she’d caught him giving her odd looks when he thought she wasn’t paying attention. Coll was slouched in a chair in the front room engaged in a text conversation with Gort. It must be the middle of the night in Cornwall, she mused. Hopefully Gort wasn’t suffering from nightmares again.
“Everything okay?” Laurel plopped down in the big leather chair next to Coll. “What does Gort have to say?”
Coll looked up, peering through the hank of blond hair that always fell over his eyes. “What? Oh, Ash says hi.” He waved the phone at her. “Gort’s fine, no aggro.”
“Why is he awake in the middle of the night?” She leaned over to read the last message on Coll’s phone.
“I told him what’s happening tonight, and he wanted to know how it’s going.” Coll lowered his voice glancing toward the kitchen door.
“Don’t look so guilty,” she hissed. “You’ll get Dad’s spidey senses twitching.”
“Sorry.” His fingers flew over the keys again. “There, I told him I’ll text them when it’s over.”
Laurel’s phone beeped almost as soon as Coll stuck his back in his pocket. “It’s Ash. She wishes us luck.” She got to her feet and wandered out to the front porch. The evening was clear with the first stars just starting to glimmer in the silver-blue sky. A few pennants of clouds flew low to the western horizon. Coll came to stand beside her and she leaned into him.
“Looks like it should be a nice night,” he remarked.
“Thank God. Last night would have been a disaster. Although, maybe we should wish for some clouds. Too much moonlight will make it easier to spot us if someone’s watching for trouble.”
“You having second thoughts?” Coll looked down at her.
“You almost sound like you wish I was,” Laurel accused.
“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t worried about what might happen, not only if we get caught tonight, but about what goes down when we confront them tomorrow. That’s still the plan, right? Get between the men and the horses?”
“If we can’t get the horses hidden before they find them, and if we don’t have any safe place for them to go…yeah…I don’t see any other option except to get between them and chase the horses in the opposite direction they want them to go.”
Coll shrugged. “I guess we just see how it goes.”
“Dad is going to kill me.”
“And me right after you.” He grinned down at her. “At least I get to runaway home next week. You have to live here.”
“It’ll be worth it.” She tightened her grip on the railing. Light leaked from the sky while they stood in silence. A skein of wild geese cried down the evening wind while the V of their flight stitched the sunset clouds together. “They’ll be gathering soon to leave for the winter. Soon there’ll be hundreds of them every night coming to the sloughs and the pot holes.” Laurel dropped her head back to follow their flight.
“Pot holes? That’s a new one?” Coll tipped his head back too.
“It’s just a name for those random ponds and bits of water that are everywhere. For some reason most of them are sort of round. I have no idea who came up with that name for them.”
A cool wind ruffled the tattered leaves of the cottonwood near the house and whispered through the grass. “Brrrr, it feels like fall already.” Laurel shivered and wrapped her arms around her waist. “I sure hope we have a long open fall this year. Early snow makes it hard on the cattle and the wildies.”
“It sure comes early here. Back home it’ll stay pretty warm right until the end of October.” Coll moved a bit closer to her. “You’re right, it is chilly.” Night had truly fallen now. The waning gibbous moon threw shadows across the yard while stars pricked the sky in diamond points.
Laurel pulled her phone out and checked the time. “It’s almost nine. We should try and get a couple of hours sleep. Mom and Dad will be asleep by midnight at the latest. It’ll depend on if they watch the news at eleven. I’ll text you when I’m ready to go. I already made sure the tack is all ready and our horses are up by the barn. I’m gonna text Joey and let him know. He’ll pass it on to Carly.”
She sent a short text and waited for Joey to reply. “He must be with Carly at the cave,” she fumed when there was no response. “Oh well, he’ll see it when he gets service. I know he’ll check it before they do anything. Oh, good.” She checked Joey’s reply. “He says they’re all set, and he’s got a horse for Carly all lined up. Looks like we’re good to go.”
“There you are. I wondered where you’d gotten to.” Anna Rowan stepped out onto the porch. “Sure is a pretty night.”
“It is, isn’t it?” Laurel agreed.
“I just made some hot chocolate. I thought you might like some before bed.”
“Thanks, Mom. That sounds great.” Laurel moved toward the door.
“Thanks, Mrs. Rowan,” Coll echoed.
“You go ahead in, Coll. I need to speak to Laurel about something.”
“Sure.” He glanced at Laurel as he passed, she gave her head a tiny shake and turned her attention to her mom.
“I know you’re upset about the cull tomorrow. I’m proud of you for not making a big deal about it. Your dad was worried you were going to do something foolhardy. I know how much those horses mean to you, but there really isn’t another solution.”
“I think there could be a better way to deal with them, but nobody else seems to care.” She bit her tongue to hold back the rest of the heated words on the tip of her tongue. “I guess you’re right though, there’s nothing I can do to change what’s going to happen.”
“That’s very mature, sweetie. I’m happy to hear you say that. C’mon, let’s go get that hot chocolate.”
Anna put her arm around Laurel’s shoulder and they went in search of the hot chocolate. Coll and Colt were sitting at the kitchen table when they got to the kitchen. Coll handed Laurel a steaming mug and pulled out the chair beside him. Laurel left the conversation with her parents to Coll, while her thoughts ran ahead working out which traps to hit in what order. Finishing her hot chocolate, she took the mug to the sink.
“Leave it, sweetie. I’ll wash them up when we’re all done,” her mom said.
“Thanks, Mom. I think I’ll go up to bed and read for a while. Night, Mom, Dad.”
“I’m for bed, too. Night everyone.” Coll followed her out of the kitchen and up the stairs.
“Midnight,” she whispered when they parted at her bedroom.
Laurel left her jeans on but slipped into her pyjama top in case Mom decided to check on her before going to bed. The novel on her bedside table was Storm’s Refuge, a romance set in Longview, Alberta. The words couldn’t hold her attention tonight though she pretended to read for a bit. Her parents were still downstairs, the sound of the news program came faintly through her open door. Laurel closed the novel and turned out the light. Turning on her side, she faced the wall and tried to breathe slow and deep as if she were asleep. Shortly after eleven-thirty, her parents padded up the stairs. One of them, probably her mom, paused by Laurel’s door and then pulled it gently almost closed. She released a silent sigh. So far so good.
She waited until a minute to midnight before sliding out of bed. Peeling off her pyjama top, she pulled on a T-shirt and a flannel shirt. Her phone flashed with an incoming text from Coll.
:U ready?:
:meet U at the barn: She texted back.
Then sent a text to Joey. :leaving in 10 meet U by cave:
:C U then: He texted back.
In her stocking feet Laurel slipped out of her room and down the hall, being careful to avoid the places where she knew the floor boards creaked. Reaching the kitchen, she unlocked the back door and left it open for Coll when she went out. In the mud room, she picked up her boots and a jacket. It wasn’t until she was safe outside that she allowed herself a sigh of relief. A few clouds scudded across the moon, throwing the yard into shadow. She scurried across to the barn and waited for Coll to join her. To her surprise he was already there.
“You scared the life out of me,” she smothered a yelp of surprise.
“Sorry, I was ready, and the house was quiet, so I snuck out when I had the chance.”
Laurel looked at the ranch house, it was dark and quiet. “I think we’re good. Looks like they didn’t hear a thing. Let’s get the horses and get out of here.”
A few handfuls of sweet feed kept the horses quiet. The last thing Laurel wanted was for one of them to whicker or make a fuss. Dad would hear that for sure, no matter how soundly he was sleeping. Her fingers flew, making short work of tacking up. She swung up to Sam’s back and waited for Coll to mount. Keeping to the grassy verge to avoid the crunch of gravel, Laurel led the way onto the moonlit prairie. It wasn’t until they were well out of sight of the house that she relaxed a little. Now they just had to find Joey and Carly. Nodding at Coll, she sent Sam into a lope. They loped side by side until they neared the cliffs by the cave.
Halting by the bush where they’d tied the horses before, Laurel peered into the shadows. “Joey? Carly? You here?” Her voice echoed oddly off the cliffs. “Do you see them?”
“No. Are you sure this is where we’re supposed to meet them?” Coll sounded strained.
Laurel’s heart kicked into double time. What if Carly caved and went home, what if she sold us out. Where are they? Laurel backed Sam up a few paces, ready to whirl and run. What if it’s a trap? Maybe Chance is just toying with me, waiting ’til I’m good and scared before he jumps me. That’d be just like him. “This is where we agreed. Something must have come up…”
“Laurel! You here yet?” Joey’s harsh whisper came from behind them.
Laurel pivoted Sam so quick the gelding snorted in surprise and shook his head. “Where’d you come from?” Her voice came out in a gasp.
“Carly was afraid to wait any longer, so we went on a little reconnaissance mission.” Joey’s teeth flashed white in a grin.
“I remembered hearing Chance bragging about how there were a couple of new catch pens nobody knew about. But I know where they are. Joey and I just got back from being sure I was right.” Carly emerged from the gloom mounted on a flashy pinto horse, one of the Good Smoke’s.
“Did you start on them yet?” Laurel nudged Sam closer to her friend.
Carly shook her head. “No time, we didn’t want to miss you guys.”
“Okay, let’s roll,” Joey said. “You got a plan, Laurel?”
She named off the locations she was aware of and motioned for Carly to add her information. “What if we split up. We can cover more ground, and,” she hesitated, “if some of us get caught, the other two will still be able to keep going.”
“Let’s go. I can’t wait to wipe that smart ass look off Chance’s face.” Carly sounded grim. “Joey and I can take the pens I just found out about, then we can join you guys and help with the rest of them.”
“If we get separated somehow, we’ll meet here at first light and try to find Coal and his mares. If we can get them hid somewhere and keep them hid, the men will have to give up for today anyway. If any of us have any bars we’ll text back and forth with how many pens we have left to take down,” Laurel announced.
“Okay, see you in a few.” Carly and Joey loped off into the dark.
Laurel and Coll took the path down into the coulee and found the first pen. Someone had repaired it since Laurel’s last visit, just like Cory Cullen boasted. She yanked the wire cutters and small axe out of her saddlebags and set to work. Coll moved to the far side, the satisfying sound of falling poles and splintering wood was music to Laurel’s ears. Once the pen was down, they dragged the poles and shoved them into the river. The water was still fast and swollen from the rain the night before and the current carried them downstream.
“One down, four to go.” Laurel wiped her hands on her jeans.
“Good work.” Coll pulled her close and kissed her.
The horses seemed to enter into the spirit of the night, dancing playfully when the teens mounted up. The night wore on with no sign of any one waiting to ambush them. Laurel texted Joey periodically. Sometimes the message got through and other times there was no reply. The readout on her phone said it was 3 a.m. when they arrived at the third pen. Laurel hesitated before letting Sam move down into the small valley. “Something doesn’t feel right,” she whispered to Coll.
“What do you see?” His breath stirred the hair by her ear.
“Nothing. But it just feels…wrong. Shit!” She held Sam from bolting. Something big moved in the trees and low bushes by the head of the trap. “Coll…”
A bull moose burst from the shadows, head up and snorting. “Back up, Coll. Slow and easy. Give him a way out.” Laurel moved Sam back.
Coll followed, his eyes huge and staring in the light and shadow cast by the fading moonlight. “Bloody hell, that thing is huge! Is that a moose?”
“A bull moose. Don’t get in its way. Just let it go wherever it wants.”
The moose turned his beady eyes and shook his head again. He stamped his forefoot and snorted.
“If it charges, turn and run. Try and get into the trees, get something between you and him,” Laurel kept her voice low and soft.
“Easy for you to say,” Coll’s voice held an edge of hysteria. His nervous laugh came out sounding strangled.
The moose gave one last loud snort before he turned and trotted off in the opposite direction. “Thank God.” Laurel let the tension drain out of her. A trickle of sweat ran down her spine and stuck her T-shirt to her back. “Okay, we’re wasting time. Let’s get this thing down before someone decides to get an early start.”
Anxiety lent speed to their hands. Coll kept casting glances behind him and starting at every noise. Laurel’s nerves were on high alert as well, but she was more worried about the amount of time passing. It was 4 a.m. by the time they finished. Laurel checked the sky, already there was a faint grey cast to the eastern sky. Sunrise was around 5:45 a.m. but the light of false dawn would come around 5 a.m. Not much time left to get done what they needed to do. She pulled out her phone. There was finally a text from Joey.
:Last 1 down. On our way to U:
:1 left meet by river C any horses: Laurel texted back.
:No horses:
“Joey and Carly are gonna meet us at the last trap. They haven’t seen the horses yet either.” Laurel turned Sam’s head toward the south. “The last trap is near the reservation land. I sure hope Coal is over there. If we have to we’ll chase them onto the rez.”
“Won’t that cause trouble for Joey and his dad?” Coll jogged at her side.
“Probably. C’mon, we need to hurry. It’s gonna be light soon.” She urged Sam into a gallop, trusting him to avoid any holes or hidden obstacles.
The sky was definitely getting lighter by the time Laurel she saw Joey and Carly waiting for them. The white markings on Carly’s pinto glowed in the faint light. Laurel pulled Sam up and leaned forward to catch her breath.
“How’d it go?” Joey asked.
“Good. Didn’t see a soul,” Laurel replied.
“Except for a bloody big moose,” Coll exclaimed.
“Moose?” Carly laughed. “Where’d you find a moose?”
“By the last trap. Big bull, nice set of antlers on him.” Laurel shook her head. “Scared the crap out of us at first. I thought for sure it was one of the ranchers waiting to grab us.”
“Let’s get moving. We still need to locate Coal and the mares,” Joey reminded them.
The group attacked the last pen with a vengeance. Laurel kept glancing to the east as the light strengthened. Finally, the last pole dropped with a thud. She surveyed the mess with a satisfied smile. It wasn’t as complete a job as the others, but it wouldn’t be catching horses any time soon.
“Way to go,” Carly cheered. “I wish I could see the look on Dad’s face when he sees what we’ve done.”
“Might be just as well that we can’t,” Joey said. “I don’t want to be anywhere close when those guys discover the mess we’ve made.”
“Probably right,” Coll agreed.
“Let’s go find Coal and the mares. And any of the other horses. If we can drive them up into the hills they won’t be able to find them.”
“What if we can’t get them hid in time?” Carly worried her bottom lip.
Laurel glanced at Joey. “Your dad hasn’t managed to change the Council’s mind, has he? I was really hoping that would be an option.”
“Nope. He said he was still gonna try, but…” Joey shrugged.
“We’ll cross that bridge when we get there, I guess,” Laurel said. “We need to get moving and find Coal before they do.”