Treacherous Trails Read online

  He pulled her hood over her hair. “Gonna rain,” he said hoarsely. “Doppler says eighty percent.”

  She did not reply, but he could tell she was breathing hard, perhaps as off-kilter as he was.

  “Five minutes,” he said. Not able to stand another moment of those wondering eyes, he put his head down and crept toward the mill.

  * * *

  Ella crouched in the tall weeds, wishing she could sit and allow her limbs to quiet. Owen. His kiss soldered her spirit to his with an indelible bond. She would love him until her dying day, beyond the hurt of him leaving her again, past the pain of this uncertain moment, however tragically it might turn out.

  “Please,” she murmured to God. “Please.” It was all she could manage, but He knew her deepest yearnings, for Owen, for Betsy, for herself.

  The minutes ticked by on her watch, one then three. She hadn’t heard a single sound but the frigid wind, her own tense breathing and the faraway howl of a coyote.

  Four minutes. Five.

  On shaky legs, she stood and texted Reed.

  I’m here.

  His response came immediately.

  Do you have what I want?

  Her fingers shook. Yes. Papers and key.

  “Good,” he said, stepping out from behind the ruins of the general store.

  She spun around, her blood freezing.

  He smiled. “The look on your face. Priceless. Did you think I was going to let your cowboy truss me up like a turkey while you stood outside and watched the fun?”

  “I did what you said. I want my sister.”

  He scanned the area, dark eyes unreadable. “I feel a little exposed out here, considering how many brothers your cowboy has. I’ve never been one for the wide-open spaces anyway. We’ll go inside.”

  Fear ratcheted up a level. Why would he risk confronting Owen unless...

  Reed laughed. “Oh, I think Tony will have probably finished up with him by now, but just in case...” He pulled a gun from his pocket and hefted it in his hand. “Funny isn’t it, how even the smallest of guns can make such a deadly hole?”

  The whites of his eyes glinted.

  Owen! her mind screamed, but she would not give him the satisfaction of seeing her desperation. “Where’s my sister?”

  He gestured with the gun for her to precede him into the mill. “Why don’t we go find out?”

  TWENTY-SIX

  Owen’s nose twitched at the smell of mildew that permeated the old mill. Crouching behind a haphazard pile of wood, he allowed his eyes to adjust, and then he went completely still, listening. As a new marine, he’d been too eager, bold to the point of brashness. If God had taught him anything through his deployments and the situation with Ella, it was the power of patience. Excruciatingly hard as it was, he stayed immobile, honing in on the smallest sound.

  The crouched position aggravated his leg, but he remained, until at long last he was rewarded by the quiet creak of a floorboard. He looked around the aged stamp machine that was rusted in place and saw Tony, peering at his phone. Owen aimed the rifle.

  “Game over, Tony,” he said, emerging from cover.

  But Tony seemed not at all surprised by his appearance and ducked immediately behind an enormous bin, pulling a gun from his waistband and firing off a round that pinged into the metal near Owen’s head. From somewhere he heard a scream. Ella? He dove for cover and loosed a few rounds of his own. The rifle bullets punched into and through the metal walls of the bin and drove Tony out the other side as Owen had hoped. This time Owen aimed close enough that the bullet whistled past Tony’s left ear, sending him to the ground, hands covering his head. Owen was on him in a second, boot coming down hard on Tony’s wrist until he let go of the gun.

  Owen kicked it away. “Get up.”

  Tony did, mouth twisted into a sullen line.

  “Where’s Betsy?”

  Tony glared. “Not gonna tell you anything.”

  “You’re going to go to jail for running down Linda Ferron and for Betsy’s kidnapping. At least make it easier on yourself by helping us find her.”

  “Not going to prison.”

  “You think Reed’s gonna bail you out? He lets you do the dirty work and he profits. You’re nothing to him. You handed over the thermos to him, didn’t you?”

  Silence. Owen shifted, once again listening. Tony’s lack of surprise at his arrival set off Owen’s mental alarm. He wondered where his brothers were. There was still no sound to indicate Reed was in the mill somewhere. Owen figured him for the type who would not put himself at risk when he could command his subordinate to do it.

  “Did you kill Luke Baker too, Tony? Do you do everything Reed tells you?” He shook his head. “What kind of a man are you?”

  A floorboard creaked and Owen tensed, rifle still trained on Tony as Ella stumbled forward into the space, propelled by a shove from Bruce Reed.

  “He’s the kind of man,” Reed said, “who does what he’s told and makes a good living at it. He’s about to head off for a nice long vacation to Mexico, aren’t you, Tony? As a matter of fact, we both are, as soon as I make sure there won’t be a pack of insurance investigators following me and I close a horse deal I’ve been working on.” Reed gestured with the gun at Ella’s back. “Your weapon on the floor, Owen, or my trigger finger will start to get antsy.” Owen could see the tension in Reed’s gloved hands.

  Ella stood, hugging herself, eyes wide. I’m sorry, she mouthed.

  Not your fault, he wanted to say. They knew it might be a setup and they were right. They still had his brothers and Ray as backup.

  “You’re not getting out of here,” Owen said. “Candy knows the truth.”

  He glowered. “The rifle, on the floor now.” Reed pushed the gun to the back of Ella’s head and she flinched. Fury sprang to life inside him, but he fought it back. Control. Wait for the moment. Keep him from hurting her.

  “And I am getting out of here. Your backup, the guy in the truck? He’s not close enough to help or even hear the shots.”

  But he hadn’t mentioned Jack and Keegan. Owen played for time. “He’s already called the cops.”

  “Then I better get a move on. Rifle. Floor. Now.” He pressed his gun so hard to Ella’s head that she grimaced.

  Pulse raging, Owen slid his rifle to the floor and Tony snatched it up, grinning. Reed gestured for it and pocketed his own gun to take possession.

  “Like candy from a baby,” Reed said, cradling Owen’s rifle. “Let’s cut to the chase. Give me what I asked for.”

  “It won’t matter anyway,” Ella said. “We made copies of Linda’s letter. We’ll give it to the cops.”

  He shrugged. “The ramblings of a drunk. You haven’t had time to make a copy of the key. That’s all I care about. Gonna clear out this mailbox and whatever it is she caught on tape before I leave town. Linda hinted at me that she’d recorded me. I told her it would be the worst mistake of her whole sorry life.” His face went tight as his free hand felt around her neck. Owen’s fury almost drove him crazy. Reed found the string, yanked it from her neck and pocketed it. Reed shoved her away and she tumbled into Owen.

  Owen grabbed at Ella and shoved her behind him.

  “Why did you kill Luke Baker?” Ella said.

  Reed laughed. “You know, I’d love to stay and have this chat, but time’s growing short before the police join the party.” With a blur of motion, he raised the rifle and fired.

  Tony fell to the ground. A spot of red blossomed on his side. Ella screamed in horror. Owen pushed them farther away from Reed, but there was nowhere to go and soon they were backed against the metal bin.

  “Why...?” Ella gasped.

  “Neat, isn’t it?” Reed laughed. “It’s like a movie, see? Here’s how the script goes. You two cornered Tony, who abducted your sister because you found some e
vidence that Tony killed Luke Baker. Tony pulled a gun on you, this gun,” he said, taking the smaller gun from his pocket. “And shot you both. While bleeding to death, the brave Owen, being the stalwart marine, got off one rifle shot, which killed Tony. I don’t think the police coroner will pinpoint the time of death precisely enough to figure out the truth.”

  Ella gasped. “You’re a monster.”

  “No, I’m just a guy trying to make it in this world. I’m determined, that’s all. It’s enough to make Candy believe me, I figure. If not...” He shrugged. “Mexico’s nice.”

  “My sister...”

  He raised a shoulder. “Your sister will die, like you.”

  “No,” Ella shouted. She lunged for him but Owen held her wrist.

  Tears streamed down her face. “There’s no reason to kill her. I’m the one you want. Leave her alone.”

  Reed aimed the smaller gun at them. “Betsy is such a delicate flower, Ella.” He smiled, wolf-like, lowering his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “How do you know she’s not dead already?”

  Ella cried out and Owen used the moment to shove her aside and launch himself right at Reed.

  * * *

  The scream died in Ella’s throat as Owen knocked Reed over backward, the rifle flying out of his hand and skittering under a pile of rusted iron.

  She ran for it.

  Owen and Reed rolled over and over, grunting. Frantically, she scrambled for the gun, but it had wedged itself far under the pile and she couldn’t reach it.

  Turning back, she tried to spot Reed’s weapon, realizing to her horror that it was now locked in the man’s grip. He’d managed to get it out of his pocket. A shot rang out, sizzling through the air and ricocheting off a metal beam overhead.

  “Ella,” Owen gasped. She knew he was telling her to take cover, but this madman had taken her sister and she would not let him take Owen too. Snatching up a metal bar she raised it up and brought it down on the back of Reed’s leg.

  He howled in pain and Owen wrested the gun from his grip and leapt to his feet, breathing hard, gun trained on Reed.

  “Get up,” he spat.

  Reed did, palms raised, eyes murderous.

  Ella faced him. “Where’s my sister?”

  “The only way you’ll ever know is if you let me go.”

  “No way.” Owen looked from Reed to Ella. “If we let him go, he’ll never tell you anyway.”

  Ella’s mind raced. How could she let him go? How could she stand knowing she might never find her sister? Never know what Reed had done with her? Her legs shook, mind unable to process, soul unable to pray.

  Betsy, Betsy.

  The door was flung open. Keegan came in, leading Zeke Potter by the shoulder.

  “What...?” She could not get the rest of the question out.

  “I’m sorry,” Zeke said. “I didn’t want to.”

  Jack followed behind. “We heard the shot. Police are rolling.”

  There was a blur of motion. “Stop,” Owen hollered.

  Her attention snapped back just in time to see Reed bolt for a gaping hole in the wall. Owen raised the pistol he’d taken.

  “No,” she cried out. “I’ll never find Betsy.”

  Owen hesitated, torn.

  The second delay allowed Reed to disappear into the night.

  “I’ll go after him.” Keegan raced toward the spot where Reed had made his escape.

  Owen lowered the weapon, wiping a hand across his brow. “Call Ray,” he told Jack. “And get the police to bring a search dog.”

  Jack nodded and made the call.

  A dog? She did not understand at first, so jumbled were her thoughts. Then she was enveloped by a cloud of despair. Reed had the key and he knew where Betsy was. And he’d just made his escape. Owen was right, she knew with a sick feeling.

  He’ll never tell you anyway.

  It had been almost twelve hours since her sister was abducted. How many more would it take to find her in this blighted ruin? Or maybe it was already too late. Far easier to hide a body...

  Nausea clawed her insides. She felt the weight of Zeke’s tortured gaze on her.

  She went to him. “Why are you here?”

  “I...” He looked down.

  “He was Reed’s backup. Phoning information to him,” Jack said as he disconnected. “He blabbed the whole story when I intercepted him outside.”

  Ella could not process the statement. “You...you were helping Reed?”

  Tears rolled down Zeke’s face. “I had to. I owed a lot of money and he talked me into doing a job for him. Just one job. And then he owned me.”

  “What job?” Owen’s tone was hard as granite.

  Zeke didn’t answer.

  Owen let out a breath. “You killed horses for him, didn’t you?”

  Ella shook her head. “No, no, you could not have done something like that.”

  “I needed the money to pay back my gambling debt. It didn’t hurt them. A simple electrocution. They died instantly.”

  “You did it to Trailblazer, Macy Gregory’s horse?” Owen said.

  He did not answer at first. “Reed said if I didn’t help, he’d tell the cops.”

  “And you lied about Candy’s broodmares. You told her they were good specimens.”

  “Yes,” he whispered.

  “Oh, Zeke.” Ella’s eyes burned but no more tears would come. “You helped Reed frame me for Luke’s murder?”

  “I didn’t know he was gonna do that. I went along with killing horses, but people? Luke? I told him I wouldn’t cooperate, that I knew it was him that killed Luke because he was going to tell Candy everything he’d found out about Reed. Reed said if I talked...” Zeke rubbed at his eyes. “I didn’t want him to hurt you or Betsy. I begged him. I didn’t know he’d cooked up a plan to frame you for the murder until he’d already drugged you, honest I didn’t.”

  Ella strode up to him, forcing his chin up so he would have to look at her. “Where is my sister, Zeke? You have to tell me.”

  He looked at her through a veil of agony. “I don’t know. Reed wouldn’t let Tony tell me. I think he thought I would break down and tell. And I would have. I wouldn’t have let him hurt Betsy.”

  Two shots rang out in the distance, each one punching a hole in Ella’s heart. Had Reed gone to Betsy before he made his escape? Was her sister dead? A smothering wall of darkness began to press down on her and her legs began to shake as the cops arrived and began to dispatch various officers to investigate the shots. “So you don’t know where my sister is?”

  “I’m sorry.” He began to sob. “I’m so sorry for everything.”

  TWENTY-SEVEN

  The police had sent a request to Rock Ridge for a search-and-rescue dog.

  “We’ll find her,” Larraby said.

  If it’s not too late. Ella began to pace in front of the derelict stamp mill. The medics were tending to Tony who was still breathing in spite of his grievous wound, and the police were recording statements from all of them after taking Zeke Potter into custody. Keegan had returned after Reed eluded him. There was no word yet from Ray, no indication of whom had fired the shots they’d heard.

  Owen stood nearby, restless. They’d fanned out, calling Betsy’s name until the police took over. Still Ella’s body would not rest, not until they brought her sister home. She couldn’t stop herself from walking, calling, entreating her sister to answer, but there was no response except the moaning of the wind.

  She gazed up into the watery moonlight, her heart crying out for Betsy. Owen came close, taking her in his arms. She didn’t want to be there in the circle of his embrace, so weighted was her heart with her failure, grief and hopelessness.

  But her legs would not hold her, and there seemed to be nothing keeping her together except for the strength of his touch.


  The moon appeared from behind the clouds, glinting on the broken panes of glass of the old chapel. Her body vibrated with shock. She wrenched away from Owen.

  “What is it, Ella?”

  She could not answer. Instead, she sprinted to the chapel, praying that she had not been tricked by the light, by her own avalanche of grief.

  He ran after her, almost colliding when she stopped short, shaking fingers touching the glass. There on the broken pane was a name, crudely written in the dust.

  B-e-t-s-y. It showed backward, indicating her sister had written it from the inside.

  She slammed into the chapel, hunting through the broken pews.

  Owen did the same.

  “But we already checked the building. There was no sign of her,” he said.

  “She’s here. I know it. They left her alone long enough that she wrote her name.” Ella searched again, looping in ever more frantic circles in the wrecked building.

  Jack and Keegan joined in.

  “They might have moved her to another location,” Keegan said. She refused to believe it, pawing through piles of debris for any sign of her sister.

  “Here.” Owen was crouching on the filthy floor, behind the last pew. His fingers traced a grimy line cut into the wood. “Trapdoor.”

  All four of them dropped to their knees, searching for a handle. Jack finally found it. He yanked it open.

  Body gone cold with fear and hope, Ella leaned over, hands reaching into the darkness.

  A trembling palm met her own, so fragile, but it was enough to cement the pieces of her heart back together and breathe life back into her spirit.

  “Betsy!” she cried out, her tears falling down onto the pale face peeking up at her. “I’m here. I’m here.”

  * * *

  Owen and Keegan extracted Betsy from the hole as gently as they could while Jack summoned the paramedics.

  Betsy was weak, unable to talk, but her pulse was strong, the medics told Ella.

  A pickup blazed up the road, stopping next to the ambulance.

  Ray hopped out, weight on one foot.

  “She’s alive,” Ella said. “Betsy’s alive.”