Saved by the Rancher

chapter Forty-Three


JACK, CALEB, AND Sam rode through the low area on horseback, past the large pastures to the part of the property where the tree lines on both sides of the valley were closest. None of the men found any sign of Jenna, but they all thought this area the most logical place to search. This part of the valley was a long way from the main house, but the best place to cross from one side to the other without being seen.

They made their way through the forest to the dirt road high in the hills. They’d seen several broken branches and disturbed dirt, but it was difficult to tell if it was manmade or from the animals. They’d make their way back down the road past the lake to the main road, searching for any sign Jenna or a vehicle had come this way.

As they rode on, Jack noticed something up ahead. Deep tire impressions in the dirt and gravel and something else he couldn’t quite make out in the setting sun. They reached the spot and found the rope. “He had her here. These tire tracks are fresh. He must have tied her up at some point.” Jack fisted his hands on the reins, his knuckles going white and his hands aching.

They dismounted and Caleb searched the area. “Where is she now?”

They fanned out, calling out for her, but received no response. Some brush and dirt had been disturbed. Sam searched the road in a zigzag pattern, stopping every couple feet and bending down to take a closer look.

“Check this out,” Sam called. They rushed to his location and stared down at the drops of dried blood.

“That doesn’t mean anything,” Jack said, unwilling to believe she could be dead.

“It’s not a lot of blood. Something happened here. Take a step back and look at the disturbed ground. The footprints start here. They’re widely spaced and headed for the trees. She ran.”

“He ran after her,” Caleb said, indicating the larger prints that followed Jenna’s smaller ones.

“Yes. She ran. Despite the blood, the evidence in the disturbed dirt and gravel indicates a scuffle. Hopefully she was able to get away.”

Sam took a closer look around and walked several yards into the trees, following the trail and other bits of evidence. Broken limbs, trampled weeds, disturbed dirt and dried leaves. He came back to the road and walked along the edge further up the road. Spotting something, he bent and pivoted on his toes and looked down the road where he and Caleb waited.

Sam made his way back and spoke first, because Jack couldn’t form a single coherent thought, let alone speak his worst fears.

“All indications show they fought, ran, but . . .”

“But what?” Jack demanded.

“I found her footprints coming back out of the trees about a quarter mile up. Headed this way. Makes sense. This road has a downward grade. If she escaped him, she’d head downhill in hopes of finding the main road or even the ranch. Maybe she’s up ahead.”

Jack held on to Sam’s optimism. He didn’t even want to consider that maybe Merrick had killed her and taken her body somewhere else.

Mounted, about to head out, Jack’s radio squawked to life.

“Jack, this is the sheriff. You read me?”

“Did you find her? Where is she?”

“One of my men reported seeing what looks like a body down by the lake. He’s up on the hill and making his way down to the lake now.”

“We’re on our way. We’re not that far. Call an ambulance, have them meet us there.”

Jack, Caleb, and Sam kicked their horses into motion, racing down the road as fast as the horses could run. They knew it was Jenna. She’d made it all the way down the hills to the lake. Jack prayed she’d be alive when he got to her.

As the three men approached the lake, the sheriff’s man came out of the woods on the run, too. Jenna lay sprawled in the mud, partially in the water.

Jack, Caleb, and Sam jumped off their horses and ran over to her. Covered in dirt and mud, dried leaves and twigs tangled in her hair. Her swollen and bloody hands lay limp in front of her. Several of her nails were broken and torn. Blood covered her neck, hair, and shoulder from a cut on the back of her head. She didn’t move at their approach.

Jack placed a hand on her ribs, barely able to feel the shallow rise and fall as she breathed. Cold to the touch, Jack’s insides froze with fear. He bent his head low to her ear. “Jenna, baby, wake up. Wake up, baby, please.”

Her lips formed Jack’s name, but he couldn’t even hear her voice.

Gently, the men rolled her onto her back, and Jack saw the blood and open wound. “She’s been stabbed.” Covered in blood and mud, the cuts looked bad. “Oh, honey, it’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have left you alone.”

Jenna’s eyes fluttered, but she never got them open. She softly spoke, “Lily?”

“What, honey? What did you say?”

Jenna’s cracked, split lips mouthed, “Lily?”

“Lily’s fine. Everyone else is fine. He didn’t hurt Lily.”

“Water.”

“Yes, honey. We’ll get you some water, and we’ll take you to the hospital.” Jack tore off his jacket and tucked it around her.

Jenna passed out, unable to stay awake any longer. Caleb brushed the hair away from her face and neck and untied the bandana covered in blood from Jenna’s head wound. The men starred at Jenna’s bruised neck.

“He tried to strangle her,” Sam said, shocked. How did she survive in the woods after being strangled and stabbed? “My God, she’s one amazing woman.”

The ambulance finally arrived after what Jack considered an eternity. The sheriff’s men, Caleb, and Sam stood back while the paramedics carefully put Jenna on a stretcher and into the back of the ambulance. Jack refused to leave her side for even a second. They’d started an IV for her dehydration, covered her in several blankets to get her warm, and Jack climbed in to ride to the hospital, despite objections from the paramedics.

Sam and Caleb watched as they drove away. “Caleb, let’s take the horses back to the barn and meet Jack at the hospital.”

“Can you believe what that bastard did to her?” Caleb asked.

Furious, Sam saw a lot of horrible things in the FBI, but seeing a woman or child hurt always made him sick. And this was his future sister-in-law. He’d seen the devastated look on Jack’s face, felt his deep pain all the way to his own soul. He hated the bastard who’d done this and made his brother and Jenna hurt.

“You should have seen her the last time,” Caleb said on a weary sigh. “I don’t know how she survives that a*shole. He better hope Jack doesn’t find him before the cops do.”