Chapter 10
They traveled at an easy pace. They had far to go and didn’t want to overwork the horses on the first day.
Both Africa and Riot were fit and healthy, but just like Blade and Dakota, they had never gone on such a big adventure before.
The horses were going to be moving most of the day, unlike before, when they got to rest a lot, and Blade wanted to ease them into it.
He did not doubt that they could handle it, though.
Both horses were young, eager to please, and in the prime of their lives.
Their first target was located in Stanley, which was roughly two hundred and eighty miles from Silver City. How long it would take them to get there depended on a lot of factors, but Blade was hoping that it wouldn’t take much longer than a week.
“How are you holding up?” he asked, glancing at Dakota.
A smile formed on her lips. “Really good.”
She seemed happy, and that made Blade happy, but he wasn’t delusional.
Their adventure wasn’t going to be all fun and games.
It was going to be tainted with blood, and he honestly hoped that she wouldn’t regret her decision to come along later on.
For now, he basked in her happiness. Dakota was so different from other girls.
She was special and deserved to be happy, something which she seemed to be whenever she was around him. Blade was proud of that fact.
“I reckon we’ve got at least three more hours of sun left.” Blade pointed at some hills in the distance. “We’ll head that way, see what’s behind them.”
“Maybe somewhere to camp for the night?”
Blade nodded. “That’s what I was thinking.”
Talking to Dakota had always been easy. Being around her just felt natural.
He didn’t have to impress her or pretend to be something he wasn’t.
He could just be himself, and so could she.
It was amazing to have a friend like that, somebody who knew everything there was to know about you and still loved and accepted you.
They didn’t speak as they headed to the hills, but just knowing she was there beside him made all the difference.
Blade wasn’t afraid of going on his quest. In fact, he was looking forward to finally getting it done, but he also knew that it wasn’t going to be easy.
He had never before been away from home for more than a couple of days, and he had never traveled out of Idaho.
It was going to be a long journey, and not having to do it alone provided him with a sense of comfort.
“Didn’t take too long to get here,” Dakota pointed out as they made their way past the hills. “You want to keep going a little longer?”
The sun had started to set, but they still had light and could probably cover a few more miles.
However, Blade didn’t want to push Dakota or the horses too hard on their first day.
He looked from left to right, scanning their surroundings.
If there were more hills not too far away, they could go there, but otherwise, it was best to find a spot to camp.
In the distance, he could see the outline of a mountain range, but it was too far.
It would be dark when they reached it, and they still had to set up camp.
“No, we should find a spot to camp for the night,” Blade replied as he pulled on Africa’s reins, slowing him to a walk.
Dakota and Riot slowed down too and fell in beside him. “We’re looking for a cave?”
Blade nodded. “Anything that will give us cover.”
They didn’t have to search long before they found the perfect spot. It wasn’t a cave, but there was a rock overhang and a big boulder to their right. It would help protect them from the elements and from any unwanted eyes.
“This is great,” Dakota stated as she got down from Riot.
“Yeah, it’ll do.”
Blade dismounted Africa too, leaving him to roam.
Dakota looked from Africa to Blade, her brows furrowed.
“You know he won’t go far,” Blade said, knowing what she was thinking.
Dakota hesitated and then let go of Riot’s reins. “I don’t like it.”
“We’ve trained them well.”
“I know,” Dakota said as she took a step closer to Riot and grabbed his reins again. “But we’re out in the wild.”
Blade understood her concern, and although he trusted Africa, he gave in. “All right, let’s extend their reins with rope and tie them up.”
Relief washed over Dakota’s face. “Thank you.”
There were a couple of trees close by, so they quickly tied up the horses, extending their reins so that they were long enough for the horses to walk about and graze. With that done, they started setting up their camp for the night. Blade collected some wood while Dakota laid out their bedrolls.
“What’s for supper?” Dakota asked once the fire was going.
Blade pulled his bag containing their food closer and rummaged through it. “Did you pack any food?”
“Of course,” Dakota replied. “I figured you would have packed only enough for yourself.”
“Good,” Blade said with an appreciative smile. “We can always stock up in towns on our way or even hunt, but I’d hate to run out.”
Dakota shoved his shoulder, laughing. “I’d hate that too. You’re miserable when you’re hungry.”
It was true, so instead of arguing, he joined in her laughter.
They settled on cooking some rice and beans with tinned meat. It was a filling meal, and they had some left for the next morning, which would save them time.
“This is nice,” Dakota said, sipping her coffee.
“Want to be more specific?” Blade raised a brow as he took in her expression. She rewarded him with a smile.
“You and me, out here in the open. I know we have a mission, but I feel free.”
“It does feel good,” Blade agreed. “But after a couple of months, you might get tired of me.”
Dakota shook her head. “I’ve been putting up with you for almost eighteen years. I’m pretty sure I can handle you for at least a couple more.”
Blade laughed at this. “Only a couple more?”
“Maybe even a whole lifetime,” she stated with a shrug. “But we’ll have to see how you cope when we run out of food first.”
“Oh, and what about your irrational fear of spiders?”
“Irrational?” Dakota exclaimed. “They’ve got eight legs. Nothing is supposed to have eight legs!”
“They’re so tiny. You can just squash them.”
“That’s so gross,” Dakota replied with a frown.
“How about this?” Blade suggested. “We make sure we don’t run out of food, and if there are any spiders near our camp, I’ll take care of them.”
“Well . . . if you’re going to be well-fed and protect me from eight-legged monsters, I suppose I could do at least two lifetimes.”
Blade couldn’t help but smile at this. Having Dakota as his friend was what had gotten him through all of his difficult times in the past. He couldn’t imagine a future in which she wasn’t a part.
Dakota shifted where she sat and then stood up. “I’m going to shorten the Riot and Africa’s ropes,” she said, not looking at him.
It was obvious that she was still worried about the horses, so Blade didn’t argue.
Maybe she was right to be cautious. He watched as she walked over to the tree where they had tied the ropes.
Her rifle was positioned on her bag, which lay on the ground next to him, but her pistol was on her hip, and her hand lingered close to it.
Dakota never went anywhere without it. She didn’t care that people thought it strange for a young woman to be walking around with a pistol. She truly was different, and Blade loved that about her.
Once she was satisfied that Africa and Riot were close enough, she settled in next to Blade. “So, I know your plan, but can we maybe go over it again?”
Blade nodded. “That’s a good idea,” he agreed.
Opening one of his saddlebags, Blade removed the maps and list of names and handed them to Dakota.
***
Being out in the wild and knowing that she didn’t have to go home felt amazing.
Sure, eventually she would return to Silver City, but that was far in the future, and she wasn’t going to worry about that now.
Dakota didn’t hate Silver City; in fact, she loved her town.
She simply hated living with her aunt and uncle.
When their mission was complete, she would return home with Blade and then look for her own place to stay.
She wasn’t fussy, after all, so it shouldn’t be too difficult to find something.
“How many of these men will you be able to recognize?” Dakota asked, gesturing to the list of names.
Blade took it from her, hatred clear in his eyes as he looked at the names. “Most of them,” he replied. “There are a few that I don’t know personally, but I’ve got it on good authority that they are working with my uncle.”
“So all these men are murderers . . .”
“Yeah, and they’re finally going to get what they deserve.”
“What about the other men, the ones whose names we don’t have?” Dakota asked. Blade had told her that there were at least twenty-five men there that day.
“I wish I knew who they all were,” he replied, sounding frustrated. “But I’m hoping that when we find the men we know, the rest of them will be close by.”
Dakota nodded. “I guess that’s all we can do.”
“Hey, I’m sure we’ll get them all,” Blade said, bumping his shoulder against hers. “And since it’s been so long, there will probably be a lot more of them for us to kill.”
“Sounds fun,” Dakota said with a laugh. “Are we still leaving Austin for last?”
“Yes, we start with Liam Reed. He was one of my father’s ranch hands. I knew him well and thought he was an all-right guy, but Austin must have turned him against us somehow.”
“So he would have been working with my pa?” Dakota asked, feeling disgusted.
“They worked together a lot of the time,” Blade confirmed. “I actually thought they were friends.”
Blade had told her all of this before, but Dakota wanted to hear it again. She hated the men who had murdered her and Blade’s families, but talking about it always added another layer of anger, and she was going to need it for what they were planning.
Dakota took another look at the map with the locations marked on it and then handed it back to Blade.
“We’re going to make them pay,” she assured him.
“These men, no . . .” She shook her head.
“These monsters will finally learn that they didn’t get away with what they did.
We’ll make them hurt, just like they did to our families. ”
Blade exhaled deeply. “We sure are,” he agreed. “But we have to be careful.”
“Of course.” Dakota had no intention of being unnecessarily reckless, but at the same time, she was willing to die if it meant justice for her and Blade’s families.
“I know that look.” Blade shook his head. “You’re saying one thing but thinking something else.”
“I’m not.”
Blade raised an eyebrow.
“I really wasn’t!” Dakota protested, pretending to be hurt that he would even think such a thing. “I plan to survive this little adventure of ours, and if I can, I’d prefer not to get hurt in any way.”
“But you’re also willing to risk getting hurt or worse . . .”
“I wouldn’t have insisted on coming along if I wasn’t,” Dakota pointed out. “Both of us know the risks and are willing to take them.”
Blade nodded and smiled at her. “I guess that’s true. I just don’t like the idea of you getting hurt.”
“Same,” Dakota agreed. “So let’s just try really hard not to.”
Blade laughed at that, and Dakota joined in as she watched him put away the list and maps and then dig around in his bag.
“You’re going to need this,” he stated, removing something from his bag and handing it to her.
Dakota took the piece of black material from him and held it up in front of her to see what it was. “A neckerchief?”
“A mask,” Blade corrected. “We don’t want anybody seeing our faces.”
“Don’t you want the men to know who you are and why you’re killing them?” Dakota asked, tilting her head to the side.
“I do, and they will, but only if there aren’t any onlookers.”
Dakota folded the piece of material between her fingers. Blade had really thought of everything.
“These men we are after, they’ve managed to remain hidden for years, even though I know for a fact that their gang is still active.
The people they surround themselves with probably have no idea who they really are,” Blade explained.
“If they see us killing them, we’ll look like the bad people to them, and I really don’t want to end up in prison or on a wanted poster. ”
“I didn’t even think of that,” Dakota admitted. “Thank you.” She put the neckerchief in her bag and took a sip of her coffee. “Do you have another one for yourself?”
Blade nodded. “I brought a few.”
“That’s clever. You never know when it might come in handy.”
“Exactly,” Blade agreed as he fidgeted with a small stick lying on the ground. “It’s not too late for you to go back.”
“Not happening.”
“Dakota . . .”
“Look, this is where I want to be. By your side, righting the wrongs.”
“You’re not going to change your mind, are you?” he asked with a smirk as he shook his head.
“No, so you can stop trying.”
“Okay,” he agreed with a sigh.
“You’re making it sound like having me with you is a horrible thing,” Dakota said with a laugh. “And here I was under the impression that I’m your best friend.”
“You are, and that’s why I’m worried about you.”
It was sweet, almost too sweet. Dakota looked down at her hands as heat rose to her neck and face. “I’ll be fine.”
“I really hope so,” Blade said beside her.
Dakota kept her eyes on her hands, not daring to look at him. “So, is there anything else I need to know about the plan?”
Blade shifted and tossed the stick he had been playing with into the fire. “I want Austin to be scared, not just a little, a lot. I want him to know how Millie has been feeling the last seven years.”
Dakota sucked in her breath and finally looked at Blade again. “How are we going to do that?”
“We’re not going to hide the bodies of the men we kill.
We’re going to leave them where they can be found.
Word will travel, and it won’t take long before Austin figures out that somebody is killing his men and leaving a trail.
He’s evil, but he’s not dumb. He’ll know we’re coming for him; he just won’t know who we are or why we are after him and his gang. ”
“That’s brilliant,” Dakota whispered as their eyes met.
“I just want the bastard to suffer, you know. I want to hurt him the way he hurt our families.”
“And you will. We’re going to see this through and make it back home.”