Chapter Twenty-nine
Nathan and Tom remembered Jared’s warning, and they were as ready as they could be when the shots rang out. Harley Jenkins, the stage driver, leaned low and urged the team to a faster pace, trying to escape the assault.
“Damn!” Nathan swore, glancing over at Tom as he grabbed his rifle. “I wonder what happened to Jared?”
“I don’t know, and we don’t have time to worry about it right now!” Tom replied.
Rifles in hand, they began to return fire out the windows of the stage.
Nathan and Tom’s efforts did not deter their attackers, though. Will, Zeke, and Bob had planned a long time for this robbery. They were going to grab the gold and get out of Colorado while they could—especially now that they knew Steve Madison was on to them. They’d picked this particular site for the robbery because just up ahead was an area where the hillsides were steep and rocky. They’d dislodged several large rocks and sent them tumbling to the road below. The stage might try to outrun them, but it wouldn’t get far—and then the gold would be theirs.
Jared, Tessa, and Steve had been after the outlaws since leaving the mine. The miles had seemed endless over the rugged terrain, and tracking had been difficult, but this time Jared never lost the trail. It took him only half a day to realize where the gang was planning to rob the stage, and they had increased their pace, hoping to stop the gang before they could attempt the robbery.
They came close.
The sounds of shots being fired reached them as they rode across country, and Jared and Steve drew their guns.
“Tessa, stay back here!” Jared ordered.
Jared had already discussed with Tessa what he expected of her when this moment came, and she had agreed to stay out of harm’s way and let him handle it. He had given her a handgun to protect herself, just in case one of the gang tried to make a run for it. So she was forced to stay behind as Jared and Steve spurred their horses to a dead run.
Will, Zeke, and Bob were all wearing their masks as they shouted down to the stage driver from their vantage points above.
“Throw down your weapons!” Will ordered. He’d been surprised that there had been return fire from the passengers, but then he’d realized this was a valuable shipment, and he should have expected guards to be riding with it.
Harley did as he was told.
“You passengers! I want to see your guns thrown out, too!” he shouted. “Or the driver’s dead!”
From where he had positioned himself, Will could see two rifles tossed out the stagecoach window.
“That’s better. Now, you passengers! Open that door real easy-like and climb out of there. Keep your hands up and nobody’ll get hurt!”
Nathan and Tom shared a look.
“What do you think? We’ve still got our sidearms,” Tom said hopefully.
“They won’t do us much good, pinned down like we are. Where the hell is Jared?” Nathan said in growl. “He should have been here by now.”
“You’d better take off your badge,” Tom warned him.
Both men quickly put their deputy’s badges in their pockets.
“You! In the stage! Get out now, or we start shooting again!”
Trapped, they swung the door open and slowly got out. They took care not to make any unexpected moves. They didn’t want to give these men any reason to shoot. The gang was going to be angry enough as it was once they found out there was no gold in the strongbox.
* * *
“All right,” Will said triumphantly as he saw the two men emerge. “Zeke, you and Bob go down there and get that strongbox.”
Zeke was almost rabid in his excitement to get to the stage. The thought that this robbery would keep him from working for a very long time was a big incentive to him. He led the way down to the stranded stage. Reining in, he dismounted and climbed up on the driver’s seat to grab the strongbox, while Bob rode over to keep an eye on the two passengers. He dismounted and collected their rifles off the ground.
“They were worried about this shipment!” Bob called out to Will as he eyed Nathan and Tom. He recognized them from town even without their badges on. “These two boys are deputies!”
Zeke didn’t give the driver or the two men a thought as he dragged the strongbox from the boot. It was very heavy, so he let it drop to the ground, intending to scoop up the gold once he’d opened it.
“What the . . . ?” Zeke said in a stunned voice when he saw what spilled out on the ground—rocks, nothing but rocks.
“What is it?” Bob asked, staring in shock at the contents.
“Why, you—” Zeke turned on Nathan and Tom and raised his gun, ready to shoot them where they stood.
“What is it?” Will called down.
“There ain’t no gold! It’s all a hoax! There ain’t nothing here worth anything at all!”
“What?” Will couldn’t believe it. He’d heard about the shipment from the banker himself.
He emerged from his hiding place and started down toward the road, determined to find out what was going on. There were two deputies riding with the stage, yet there was no gold. Why?
The sudden realization that they might have been lured into a trap jarred Will.
“Boys, let’s get the hell out of here!” Will shouted, wheeling his horse around. “Now!”
“Hold it right there, Will Kenner—or whatever your name is!” Jared shouted. He and Steve had maneuvered themselves into position above the road and had watched as Nathan and Tom were forced to climb out of the stage. “This is Jared Trent. You’re all under arrest for attempted robbery. Drop your weapons and give yourselves up.”
“The hell with you!” Will yelled back.
“We got you in our sights,” Jared warned them. “You aren’t going anywhere.”
Will ignored him. Ripping off his mask, he urged his horse on, desperate to escape. When a shot exploded in front of him, though, the horse shied and reared. Will drew his handgun and fired back at Jared as he fought to keep his seat and control his mount. His shots went wild.
As the shooting began, Nathan and Tom both dove for cover, and so did Harley. The deputies drew their sidearms and began to fire at Zeke and Bob as the driver crouched behind them.
The two outlaws tore off their masks and raced for their horses. They paused only long enough to return fire. One of Zeke’s rounds wounded Nathan in the shoulder, but Bob screamed and collapsed in the dirt when Tom got off a clean shot at him.
“You all right?” Tom called over to Nathan.
“I’ll live,” he said with a groan.
Zeke kept firing at them to discourage them from coming after him, as he successfully managed to get on his horse and ride out.
Steve was in a perfect position to deal with any fleeing outlaws. He took careful aim at Zeke and fired once. His aim was true and deadly.
Zeke shrieked in agony as the bullet tore into his chest. He fell from his horse and was dead before he hit the ground.
Will was leaning low over his horse’s neck and trying to make a run for it. He’d witnessed the carnage below and realized he was running for his life. The horse charged on as best it could on the rocky terrain.
Jared was already giving chase, taking what shots he could at Will as he closed the distance between them. This was the leader of the gang that had been robbing stages in his town and had been behind Michael’s death. He was not going to get away from Jared. Will Kenner was his.
Tessa had heard all the vicious gunfire and began to fear for Jared’s and Steve’s safety. She knew Jared had told her to stay where he’d left her, but she couldn’t wait there any longer. She had to be sure he was safe.
The chase didn’t last long. Will made it to the road ahead of the stage and paused to get a shot off at Jared, but he never got the chance. His stopping gave Jared the opportunity he needed. With careful aim and deliberation, he fired at Will. The outlaw leader screamed in pain and fell from his horse.
Steve had ridden after Jared to help him. He reined in beside Jared, who now stood over Will, where he lay facedown in the dirt. The bullet had struck him in the back, but he was still breathing. Jared had his gun in hand, and his expression was stony.
“He dead?” Steve asked, coming to stand with him.
“No,” Jared said tersely. He kicked the gun from Will’s grip, not trusting him no matter how serious his wound, and then rolled him over.
Will groaned and opened his eyes. He glared up at Jared and Steve, hatred plain in his expression. “You thought you were so damned smart,” he said with a sneer and gave a strangled laugh. “You ain’t nothing but a fool: All that time you were searching for the robbers, and I was right there. You didn’t even know it.” His eyes closed again.
The sound of a horse coming at top speed caused Jared to look up, and he saw Tessa galloping toward them.
Tessa had ridden down to the stage, searching for Jared, and Tom had told her the direction in which he and Steve had gone. Frantic, she’d followed them, giving no thought to her own safety. Finding Jared and Steve standing over Will, she reined in and dismounted. She ran to Jared’s side and immediately wrapped her arms around his waist.
“You’re all right?”
“I’m fine.”
Will opened his eyes again at the sound of Tessa’s voice. What he saw infuriated him. Tessa was hugging the lawman! He found strength enough to lever himself up a bit on one elbow.
“You bitch!” he managed in a hate-filled voice. “You ruined everything! You and your stupid brother!”
“Will!” she gasped and looked down at him. The malevolent look on his face frightened her. She had never seen such open hostility in anyone before.
“I’m glad I killed your precious brother! I’m glad!” Will said, laughing crazily.
Jared tightened his arm protectively around Tessa when he felt her stiffen and then begin to tremble at Will’s confession. Their worst fears had been confirmed. Michael’s death had been no accident. He had been murdered.
“I could have had you, Tessa. I was going to have you. You were mine.” Will’s gaze was feverish as he stared at her. The sight of Tessa in Jared’s arms represented everything that had gone wrong in Durango. He’d planned everything perfectly and now . . . Mindless anger filled him. He wanted to get even with them.
“Jared, go on. Get Tessa out of here.” Steve gestured toward the horses. “I’ll take care of him.”
Jared holstered his gun and started to walk away with Tessa. She was clinging to him, needing his strength and his support.
Mad with pain and fury, Will saw his gun lying in the dirt a few feet away, where Jared had kicked it earlier. With what little strength he had left, Will made a lunge for the weapon as he screamed Tessa’s name.
Steve reacted instinctively. He had been watching Jared and Tessa, wanting to make sure she was going to be all right, but when Will made his move, Steve turned and fired before the outlaw could get off a shot.
Steve’s aim was unerring and true.
Will Kenner would never hurt anyone again.