Texas Blue

chapter 28



DUNCAN DIDN’T KNOW WHAT TIME IT WAS, BUT THE candle had burned low, telling him Ramon would unlock the door soon. The guard would send Anna out to the kitchen to start the fires and stare at Duncan for a while.

They no longer talked. Duncan couldn’t pretend not to hate the huge man with his ugly face and worthless arm that swung at his side when he constantly shifted, like some huge animal looking for footing.

Standing slowly, Duncan tried not to make a sound. He dressed, watching Anna sleep in the candle’s glow. He had to get her out of here. It meant more to him than his own life. He’d watched her carefully. Though she never spoke, there was an intelligence about her that surprised him. Everyone treated her like a slow-minded child, but he noticed method to her actions.

He stepped away from her, faced the door, and began practicing pulling his Colt from leather. He wanted to shoot Ramon the moment he opened the door, but that would draw too much attention. If he could somehow get the big man down, dead or unconscious, maybe he’d have a few minutes of time to slip out before anyone noticed. He also had to keep Anna near, for there would be no time to look for her.

When he moved the chair behind the door, he glanced at the bed and saw her staring at him. Fear danced in her dark eyes along with the firelight.

“It’s time,” he whispered.

She nodded once, understanding.

He motioned toward her clothes, but she didn’t move. Crossing the room, he held out his hand and waited.

Slowly, she laid her hand in his and let him tug her toward her stack of clothes.

He bent down and whispered, “We’re leaving today, Anna. You have to be dressed by the time the door is unlocked. Get ready. Take what is important to you. You will not be coming back here.”

She began to pack the few things she owned. A change of clothes. A hairbrush. A small bag that looked large enough to hold a few coins. Then, with him standing close watching her, she slipped out of her nightgown, rewrapped her breasts and put on her clothes.

She might be less than five feet tall and have the angel face of a child, but she was definitely a woman. Duncan guessed it might have been proper manners to turn his gaze elsewhere, but he couldn’t have looked away if a gun had been at his head. One way or the other, their time in this room was over and he wanted to see the only lovely thing he’d seen since he’d been hurt and brought here.

When she finished dressing, she looked up and smiled. It crossed his mind that she was aware of the gift she’d just given him.

He smiled down at her. “Ready?”

She strapped the bag over her back like a pack and nodded.

He explained his plan to her and they got in place and waited. Most mornings Ramon came after dawn. Duncan could hear the women in the kitchen when he opened the door. But twice, the big guy must have not been able to sleep so he’d unlocked the door while all the house beyond seemed silent. He’d said he was checking on Duncan, but he always stayed to talk.

Duncan suspected he’d broken in early to bother Anna because after he said a few words, he’d always close the door so no one would hear and try to touch her. Once Duncan was well enough to watch, the big man slowed his game. Maybe he worried that Duncan might tell the old lady, or maybe he thought Duncan might try to help the girl.

“I’ve touched her a few times,” he’d brag when he was too out of breath to chase her any longer. “And soon, I’ll handle her good and proper. When I’m through with her she’ll be lucky if she can walk from my bed, much less run. After she’s mine, I’ll touch her whenever I feel like it.”

Duncan stared at Anna and knew Ramon’s predictions would never come true. She’d escape today, or die. Either way, she’d be free of him.

They needed to be ready early. If Ramon didn’t unlock the door before the candle that never lasted the night went out, Duncan planned to make some noise that would draw Ramon in early. He had to knock the man out and get away before anyone woke.

About the time Duncan thought Ramon wouldn’t be coming in early, he heard a shuffling sound from the other side of the door and the bolt slid sideways.

Anna stood at her post five feet in front of the door. She’d combed her wild hair and, for once, stood tall as if she knew she was the bait for the trap.

Duncan hoped Ramon would see her first. She’d be close enough to catch and he’d head toward her without looking toward the empty bed. Once the big man stepped one foot in, Duncan would slam the chair into his head and hopefully knock him out.

If he didn’t go down, Duncan planned to fight while Anna would run and close the door. He had no doubt Ramon had a powerful punch with his one good arm, but Duncan knew he could and would take the man to the floor.

It wasn’t much of a plan, but it was all he could think of.

The door swung open.

Ramon walked in, staring straight ahead at Anna. “Well, there you are waiting for me this morning like I told you to be.”

Anna took a step toward him, making sure he looked nowhere but at her. Ramon raised his good hand, reaching for her, almost touching her. “I’m going to be easy on you this morning, girl, if you don’t fight me. All I want to do is feel if you’ve grown any and maybe touch your legs a bit. We’ll—”

Duncan swung the chair hard, then pulled his Colt and delivered another blow before Ramon hit the floor, out cold.

Duncan glanced up at Anna, expecting to see her smiling, but her big black eyes were filled with terror as she stared at the open door behind him. He was confused for a moment before he heard a familiar low voice.

“Well, that was easy,” Wyatt said. “I thought I’d have to kill the bull and carry you out.”

Duncan straightened. “’Bout time you got here.” He couldn’t hold back a smile. The one ranger who never gave up hadn’t given up on him.

Wyatt grinned, then dropped to his knee and began tying Ramon’s good hand to his useless one. “Don’t look like you needed me, partner.”

“I’ll need you to get out.” He moved toward Anna. “We’re taking her with us.”

“It’s too dangerous,” Wyatt said as he gagged Ramon.

“We’re taking her,” Duncan answered, knowing there would be no more discussion. He took Anna’s hand, fearing she’d freeze with fright.

The door bumped again and Lewt stepped in almost casually. “Hello,” he said, and tipped his hat at Anna. “Mind if I join the escape?”

Duncan laughed. “What are you doing here?”

“I came to help. It seems the only people they welcome here are gamblers. So I rode in first and figured out where you were. We couldn’t very well go knocking on doors in a place like this.” He watched Duncan favor his leg. “How are you feeling? Can you ride?”

“I’m weak as a kitten, but I can make it. Doesn’t look like I have much of a choice. My stay here is over. It’s ride or stay around here having them fight over who kills me.”

Lewt helped Wyatt lift Ramon onto the bed and tie his head to the bedpost. If he wiggled too much, he’d choke himself.

“Is he alive?” Duncan asked as he collected his gun and hat.

Wyatt raised an eyebrow. “Do you care?”

“Nope,” Duncan answered, remembering how the big man had let Toledo hurt Anna. “I don’t care at all as long as he doesn’t wake anyone up.”

“We need to move fast,” Wyatt said, as he pulled his gun and crossed to the door. “Lewt unbuckled any saddles still on horses, and I opened the corral to other stock. Hopefully by the time they figure out we’ve gone, we’ll be too far ahead to catch. The hard part will be making it to our horses without being noticed.”

Duncan motioned for Anna to stay close, and they stepped out into the kitchen. Halfway across the floor, they heard a rattling at the back door.

They all froze, as if making a sound would draw more attention than being seen.

Sarah J, the taller of the two cooks, came in first. She glanced across the room and saw them in the shadowy light.

Rachel Elizabeth bumped into her sister, then turned and looked at them. Her eyes widened, but to her credit, she didn’t say a word.

“We’d best get the coffee on first,” Sarah J said as she stared at Duncan. “The first of the guards will be in directly.”

“I’ll do it,” Rachel whispered. “I believe the second door nearest to the pot leads to the gambling room directly. This time of a morning it’s dead as a graveyard in there.”

Wyatt and Duncan prepared to fight, but Lewt pulled them backward to the door leading to the bar. He and Duncan both nodded their thanks to the women, who still stood blocking the kitchen door.

In single file, they slipped into the saloon. Ducking low in case one of the drunks might look up, Lewt moved behind the bar, careful not to awaken the bartender sleeping in a nearby chair.

Duncan thought he heard one of the little Irish murderers yelling for someone to wipe his feet good before stepping foot in the kitchen. They were giving them seconds, but it might be all they needed to get away.

The gambler led them down a hallway to a door with a three painted on it, and they vanished into a saloon girl’s room.

Lewt picked up an empty bottle as he crossed the room and opened a window.

“Friend of yours?” Wyatt asked as he followed.

“Just met her,” Lewt said, “but she invited me in so I thought we’d stop for a visit before we leave.”

“Friendly type,” Wyatt said, as he climbed through the window with both guns drawn. “Wish I had time to stay awhile. I have a fondness for blondes.”

Duncan lifted Anna through, then started out the window. “In case I forget to say this, Lewt, thanks for coming after me. You didn’t have to put your life at risk.”

Lewt grinned as he left a twenty on the table by the sleeping girl. “Sure I did. Who else can I beat at poker so easily?”

Duncan limped out into the blackness of night. A moment later, Lewt was behind him, holding him up just in case he needed support. They moved around to the side of the house, where Sumner waited beside the horses. He helped Duncan climb into the saddle, then lifted the girl up behind him. She held on so tightly he could barely breathe.

They walked their horses twenty yards before they heard men shouting, and then a moment later, three shots rang in rapid fire as if a signal.

“They’ve found Ramon,” Duncan whispered.

“I knew this was too easy,” Wyatt said, taking command. “Duncan, you and the girl ride hard toward the river. Sumner, you and Lewt cover them. I’ll hang back a little and try to slow anyone down who got into the saddle fast.”

As they kicked their mounts and began to run, shots came from the house. A moment later the thunder was answered from a rise just beyond the barn.

“Who’s covering us?” Duncan shouted.

“Em,” Sumner answered.

“You’ve got to be kidding.”

“Don’t worry, she’ll be along. I told her to hold the men in the building for five minutes, then get the hell out of there before someone manages to sneak up to her on foot. She knows where to meet up.”

“Em?” He had no idea how his cousin got here, but she was a good shot. If she was firing, even in the dark, men running for their horses better be ducking. “You shouldn’t have brought her!” he yelled, angry at Sumner.

“We couldn’t stop her,” the retired ranger yelled back. “Take it up with her, not me.”

Duncan and the girl were out of range before the sleepy guards could find rifles and try once more. Every shot they fired from the house was answered from the direction of the barn.

He glanced back and saw Wyatt slow, fire a few rounds, then kick his horse to catch up to them. Duncan wasn’t sure if he’d stopped anyone in close pursuit or was simply firing a warning for anyone who thought of following.

When they reached the first bend in the road, Sumner turned them off toward a stand of trees. They wouldn’t be able to travel as fast as they might on the road, but they’d have cover. With luck the guards would pass by in the dark once they did follow and be miles down the road before they noticed they were trailing no one.

Lewt slowed and circled Duncan. “I’m going back for Em. Wyatt and Sumner will see you to the river and beyond.”

Duncan wanted to yell no, but in truth if he had been able and hadn’t had Anna to worry about, he would have already been heading toward her. “Be careful,” he said.

“We’ll meet you on the other side of the river.”

Duncan saluted and prayed his friend spoke true.

Lewt took off at full speed just as Wyatt caught up to Duncan. “Where’s the gambler going?” he asked as they moved slowly into the trees.

“He’s going after Em and he doesn’t even know her.”

Wyatt laughed. “He knows her better than you think.”

They were on the move now. There was no time for questions.