Chapter 29
CASSIDY
“You were right,” Doc said the moment I answered the call. Pacing back and forth in the hot summer sun, I shook my head as he continued speaking. “I’m grateful you texted me to let me know what had happened, because otherwise, I may not have been as leery of my surroundings.”
“What happened?” I asked, stalking back over to the house and plopping myself down on the porch steps.
“Got to the slaughter house and just things felt off. The door was closed, but it wasn’t locked. I always lock it,” Doc explained. Bouncing my knee to relieve the tension that was building, something else swam in my gut. “So, I grabbed my gun from the truck and went inside. Cassidy, everything’s gone. All of the cows, even my equipment.”
“What?” I gasped, shooting up from the steps. “You’re okay, though right? Nobody was there?”
“I’m alright, Cassidy,” he replied and chuckled. “Don’t worry, though; the lab has everything I was going to send. The rest of the necropsies I had left were just to confirm that they all died from the same thing. And I know they did. Every one that I cut into had this brown discoloration to most of their tissues. There was this dried up, red-brown fluid staining different cavities. All of them had these exact symptoms, even if things were in varying stages of decay. I let Sheriff Jones know that I suspect foul play and made sure that the lab is running strange tests in hopes to pick anything up.”
“They still haven’t called, though, right?”
“Correct. Look, I wouldn’t say this if I didn’t think it was the right thing to do, but you need to take her somewhere else. Somewhere safe. This guy clearly knows where she is and has this entire time. I fear that with all of this extra heat on him, he’s going to escalate because he knows we’re getting close to the proof that we need. Which includes the next step that I’m taking.”
I tipped my head, running my hand over my jaw. “Doc, don’t do anything that could get you killed,” I cautioned.
“I’m choosing to do this on my own, Cassidy. For your family and for this girl. So, don’t stop me from it,” he answered with a sharp reprimand.
“What are you going to do?”
“Sheriff Jones is sending a deputy with me, and we are going to head on over to Briar’s home. I want soil samples of her pasture and to see what else we can find,” he said.
“Doc, what if that’s time we don’t have?” I hesitantly asked. That was at least a four-day trip, if not five, depending on too many extenuating circumstances. Wayde had escalated in the past few days. First the accident, then the guy showing up at my house, and now breaking into the slaughterhouse. He was somehow watching Briar and everything that she did or didn’t do.
“Which is why you need to disappear somewhere for at least four days. Someplace that vehicles cannot get to and that very few people know about. A place that would buy you time and force them to step back and figure out a better way to get to you. Four days. The lab should have results, and by that point, I’ll have at least collected what I need from her place even if I’ve not made it back to Riverford,” he explained, and then crackling silence permeated the speaker.
Apprehension stung the air, filling every orifice that existed. A couple of chickens squawked, a few horses whinnied, and some squirrels chattered, oblivious to the doom that was cramping in on this sunny afternoon. Weight settled heavy on my heart as my eyes scanned a view that would never grow old. Pine trees scratched at the cloudless canvas above, the sun sparkling and bright. A couple of butterflies flitted through the air, seeking the next flower to settle upon. So still, so peaceful, so opposite of what was swirling within my own soul at this moment. Briar was in danger. If I hadn’t gotten in the way either, then Wayde would have succeeded by now and—
“Sundance!” I exclaimed in alarm, spinning around on my heel.
“Who?” Doc asked through the speaker.
“I know a place. You be safe and smart about this. I’ll call you in four days,” I said, not quite answering his question, but there was no time. “Bye Doc,” I added.
“Stay safe, Cassidy. Four days,” Doc replied, and the line went dead.
Fear wrecked my soul. He’d been watching Briar. No one was down at the main area of the ranch right now, and I had yet to move Sundance back to my house. Which meant there was very much a real possibility that Wayde had already shown up and stolen his horse.
Taking a shaky breath, I walked back into Weston’s house as calmly as possible despite the blazing urgency that hammered in my veins.
Upon entering, my gaze scanned the guests and landed on Briar. She was talking with Tenley, holding CeCe carefully in her arms. Such a beautiful sight that I wanted to spend more time watching but knew I couldn’t.
As stealthily as possible, tracking around the edge of the room, I stopped behind the edge of the couch the two girls were seated at. Briar’s misty gray eyes met mine, and immediately, everything in her tensed. “What’s wrong?” she whispered.
“We have to go, and now,” I replied, glancing at Tenley.
She nodded once, understanding my silent communication, and gently lifted CeCe from Briar’s arms.
“Tenley, I need you to keep this between you and Weston. Can you do that?” I continued, turning my attention to the woman who clutched her daughter a little tighter.
“What is it?” she asked, her voice trembling.
“Tell him we’ve gone to Papaw’s river. We need four days,” I explained as quickly as possible. “Tell Weston to keep his phone on him, I’ll call him from the trail.”
“Papaw’s river. Four days,” she repeated, and I nodded in confirmation. “Got it.”
Standing up, Briar rose slowly from the couch, confusion coating every soft feature on her face. My fingers found hers and entwined them together, leading her out of such a blissful party.
The dogs of war were here, and I wasn’t sure what we were about to face. There was so much uncertainty that lay at the bottom of this hill. Pain, confusion, possible severe injury or even death waited like a lion ready to pounce at the final leg of this journey. A page we’d just entered as we jogged by the Razor we’d driven up here on.
We needed to move silently, slip away with the least amount of detection possible, especially if we also needed to sneak up on someone down at Sundance’s pen. The ride up to the fishing cavern was going to be an adventure on its own, considering the fact that Sundance was coming with us.
If we made it through the bottleneck canyon that was only wide enough for one horse moving single file without any issues, then there was a large chance we’d be safe and off grid for the four days needed. But that was only if we made it there before Wayde caught us, and if Sundance cooperated.
But it was the safest place that I knew to go because there really was only one way in and one way out. Papaw purposefully built the fishing cabin there, beside the small river that ran through this tiny valley, because of its seclusion. It made it the best location to stay safe because you’d see any visitors before they ever made it to the little cabin.
“Where are we going? What’s going on?” Briar asked, breaking my thoughts that were already jotting down the plan.
“Someplace my Papaw took Weston and I when we were little. We try to go back during the summer every year and were there just a couple weeks ago,” I answered.
“Won’t frequent travel leave a trail?” Her voice broke, nerves bubbling over as my own words turned stern and commanding.
“We take a new path every time we go up. It’s something my Papaw always did and one of the reasons that I know this ranch so well.”
“Oh, that makes sense,” she mumbled, huffing along beside me.
“And I’ll explain everything once we get packed up and out of here. The quicker the better, so get what you need for four days. As little as possible because we need more room for food, which I’ll take care of packing. Got it?” I replied as we bounded around a corner.
“Yes,” she stated.
“I’ve got you, Goldie. I promise,” I quickly whispered.
And we both skidded to a stop. Her fingers tightened in my hand as our sights landed on a group of ten men climbing out of vehicles parked behind all of the other trucks and cars in the drive.
“New plan,” I muttered under my breath as she stepped into my body. “You get whatever you need from the house. Bring whatever foods you think can be packed and last. Canned or freeze dried are going to be our best bet. There’s fish at the cabin. I can hunt squirrels or rabbits or other small game. So, just necessities and meet me back right here.”
“What are you going to do?” She slapped a hand around my forearm, digging her nails into my skin.
“I’m gonna get Sundance and two horses for us to ride before those men get to him.”
“How are you going to do that? They’re already headed for Sundance, so they’ll see you!” she cried out, terror ripping through her words and landing in my own heart. But she didn’t need to know that I was scared nor had any idea of what I was going to do.
Turning toward her, I brushed some hair away from her cheeks and gave her a reassuring smile. “Just meet me back here, okay?”
She nodded, her eyes staying locked onto mine, and then her brows stitched together and she glanced over my shoulder. “Weston?” she muttered.
Looking behind me, a smile crept across my face as my brother stopped beside us.
He grinned, his hat back on his head. “Did you really think that you could keep all of the fun to yourself?”
“Tenley’s fine with this?” I asked.
“Tenley sent me to make sure you got going where you needed to be,” he answered and then nodded at Briar. “Go get whatever you need from the house. Cassidy and I will have the horses here and ready to go by the time you’re back.”
She gave me one last glance and then leaned forward and kissed me. Her lips only pressed against mine for a brief moment, and then she slunk away.
“Alright, brother. How do you want to do this?” Weston asked, and I scanned the unfolding problem in front of us.
“Sundance isn’t going to be alone for long.”
“That stallion trusts you, so you’ve gotta go get him. I’ll have Cowboy and say, Johnny here, tacked and waiting for you. Can’t use Bud since he’s still injured,” Weston answered, his eyes scanning the ten men that were grouping in a circle between the two vehicles.
“I’m not going to be able to get him unnoticed,” I muttered.
Weston placed a hand against my back. “No, you probably won’t.”
Biting my bottom lip, I scanned the area once more and then tipped my head. “I have a crazy idea, but you’re going to not like it.”
My brother sighed, a chuckle following the exasperated sound. “What’s this idea?”
“We’ve got the cows that didn’t head up with the first half of the herd down here. You know, the new ones that you bought and didn’t want to mix with your proven herd until we see what kind of beef and babies they produce,” I began and he nodded.
“What if they just happen to get out of their pasture?” I suggested, seeing if he caught my drift.
Weston closed his eyes and tipped his head back, chewing on my words for a moment. “That would probably work. But you’ll have to be fast,” he answered through his teeth.
“Ready to go rile up some cattle?” I grinned as he placed his hands on his knees.
“I’ll go get some cattle prods,” he answered.