Chapter Thirteen
Jensen
“Things have been going well with you and Harlyn helping out at both ranches,” Cash said matter-of-factly while we hoisted another cow out of the bog. We were using chains attached to one of the tractors.
Once she was on dry land, we dropped the chains and I checked her over for injuries. Finding none, I patted her on the rump and she trotted away to join the others that had been freed.
“Yours or ours?” Cash asked.
“Being honest…I didn’t think to look. We can sort out where they belong once they’re all safe and the fences are back in place.”
“Sounds good to me, they don’t have access to the rest of our herds in this pasture so it won’t be hard to cut them.”
We readied for the next rescue when the sound of gunshot pierced through the noise of the cow’s bellowing and tractor motors. Or at least I thought I’d heard a shot.
Cash’s eyes snapped to mine, he’d also heard the familiar sound of a gun.
“Was that…?
Before Cash could finish what he was saying, another gunshot sounded. I put fingers to my mouth and blew an ear-piercing whistle that had most of the men stopping what they were doing and turning in my direction. Elijah and Briggs jogged over while the other men continued with their rescues.
“What’s going on?” Elijah, standing beside Briggs, asked.
“Cash and I heard gunshots, we need to go up to the ranch house and check it out. Keep going with the rescue. Send Max to grab some extra temporary fencing from Carters. Get Tru and Sunny to secure the area around the dam while Virginia, Penn, and Ward sort the cattle and repair the boundary fence. We’ll be back to help as soon as we can. ”
Cash and I jumped in my pickup and I bounced the vehicle over the ground, anxious to reach Harlyn and ensure she was safe. Fingers of dread clawed at my chest making it hard to breathe.
Stop! Everything is probably fine so stop thinking the worst. Gunshots on a ranch weren’t unusual so why did I feel like I was on the verge of panic?
I slid the truck to a stop at the stables knowing Harlyn was starting her chores there. Cash and I jumped out and hurried inside.
“Harlyn!” I shouted as I burst through the opening.
Nothing.
“Check the stalls,” I called to Cash but he was already working his way down the building.
“Jensen!” When he yelled my name, I raced to where I found him crouched down, examining the straw.
I dropped to my haunches alongside him and looked to where Cash pointed.
“Blood,” I murmured, my stomach churning.
Cash rubbed his fingers over the straw and they came away red, confirming it was blood. “I don’t like this, we need to find Harlyn.”
I nodded. Calm down, it could be animal blood. “Maybe she’s up at the house? Maybe she cut herself on a sharp piece of straw, it wouldn’t be the first time.”
“I don’t mean to be the voice of doom but it seems coincidental…We hear gunshots and find blood,” Cash said what I didn’t want to hear.
We took off running toward the house. I burst inside and ran around like a crazy person, screaming Harlyn’s name, getting louder and louder as the panic took hold.
“Jensen!” Cash yelled from the living room and I was there in record time.
I looked at him expectantly.
“Harlyn’s truck is gone. Try calling her.”
“Right…” I fumbled the cell from a pocket of my jeans and hit speed dial for Harlyn’s number. It went straight to voicemail. I dialed again…Same result.And again…Still no answer.
“Fuck!” I shouted, dragging fingers through my hair so hard it’s a wonder I didn’t rip half of it out. I turned in circles, trying to think. Where the fuck had she gone…or worse…who had taken her?
“I’m going to look for her,” I started toward the front door.
“Where?”
When I stopped suddenly and turned back to Cash, he almost ran into me. “What?”
“Where are you going to look?”
Cash was right, she could have gone in any direction. “Okay, we’ll go and speak with Gordon.”
I continued outside to where my truck was parked near the barn. Fifteen minutes later, Cash and I were standing in the sheriff’s office, speaking with Sheriff Gordon Hart in Grantin.
The sheriff peered at me over his reading glasses. "How long has Harlyn been missing?"
"We heard gunshots about thirty minutes ago and went up to the stables where she was mucking out. There was blood on some of the straw and no sight of Harlyn up at the house. Her truck was gone," I replied, my voice strained. "I called her multiple times, but it goes straight to voicemail."
The sheriff leaned back in his chair, his fingers steepling. "Any idea where she might have gone? Or who she could have gone with?"
I shook my head vehemently. "No idea. If she’d gone somewhere willingly, Harlyn would have called to let me know she was leaving the ranch. She wouldn't just disappear without telling anyone. Something feels off…There were gunshots, Gordon."
Sheriff Hart nodded thoughtfully. "Alright, normally I’d wait twenty-four hours but since there were gunshots and blood…
.We'll start by putting out an alert and checking with her friends and acquaintances.
It's important we act fast just in case someone has forced her to go with them.
Do you have any clue at all as to who she might have gone with? "
My mind raced. "I have no idea. Her closest friends are those from our two ranches and Cash called around the wives while we were on our way here, none of them have heard from her. I have a gut feeling something's real wrong."
"Okay," the sheriff said, rising from his chair. "Let's get to work…Marv!"
Deputy Marvin Groth stepped through the open door of Gordon’s office. “Boss?”
“Get the call office to put a description out on HarlynJohnson. It’s feared she’s been taken against her will. What was she wearing, Jensen?”
Gordon and Marvin waited for my answer, “Blue jeans, red shirt, brown boots.”
“Ring the posse bell and I’ll be out to speak with the men as soon as they’re gathered,” Gordon instructed before Marvin hightailed it out of the office to follow through on the instructions he’d been given.
On the outside of the sheriff’s office building was a large brass bell that was rung to raise an alarm.
Mostly it was used when someone had gone missing and those in town were needed for a search.
If any of those from surrounding ranches were needed, the call center in Lannigan usually phoned and we hurried into town to assist.
“What do you want from us?” I asked on behalf of myself and Cash.
“Wait until I get everyone together and we’ll work out a plan.”
Things were taking too long, I couldn’t sit around and wait. “I’m going to head to Lannigan, see if I can sight her truck.”
“If you do, don’t approach in case she has been taken hostage and they have a gun. Speak with Doug and call me straight away.”
I turned toward the door and Cash fell into step with me.
“I’m serious, Jensen, don’t be a hero.”
I waved a hand over my head and kept walking. If I’d been a believer, I would have sent up a prayer. The weight of uncertainty pressed heavily on my shoulders as Cash and I headed out to continue the search.
Cash and I moved quickly to my truck, the midday sun casting shadows as we strode across the road.
Cash and I buckled into our seats. The tension in the cab was palpable as we both remained silent, the urgency of finding Harlyn driving me forward.
As I turned the ignition, the engine roared to life, and I felt a sense of purpose solidify within me.
No one, and I meant no one, was going to hurt the woman I loved.
The road to Lannigan was winding, flanked by sprawling ranches and fields that stretched endlessly under the vast Texas sky.
My mind raced with thoughts of Harlyn and the countless possibilities of what might have happened.
Cash sat silently beside me, his presence a comforting reminder that I wasn’t alone in our search.
We passed familiar landmarks, the cattle grazing lazily and the occasional tumbleweed drifting across the road.
Despite the serene landscape, the weight of uncertainty pressed heavily on my chest. I kept my eyes peeled for any sign of Harlyn’s truck, every shadow or movement in the distance catching my attention.
As we approached the outskirts of Lannigan, the town’s silhouette began to take shape against the horizon. My heart pounded in my chest, the adrenaline coursing through my veins. I was determined to find Harlyn and bring her back safely.
“If you see anything, let me know immediately,” I reminded Cash, though when I glanced to my side I saw he was already alert, his eyes scanning the surroundings with the same intensity as mine.
I drove the streets of Lannigan slowly, searching for Harlyn’s truck, hoping to find it parked somewhere. The town's busy streets, traffic moving back and forth, amplified my sense of urgency. My eyes darted from side to side, scrutinizing every vehicle and alley.
“Do you think she might have gone somewhere she felt safe?” Cash asked, breaking the silence.
“She doesn’t know the place very well, I’ve only brought her here a couple of times for dinner,” Jensen replied. “I think she’s been taken somewhere she couldn’t leave.”
As I continued to drive, my mind raced through possibilities, each more worrying than the last. I couldn’t shake the feeling that valuable time was slipping away from us. Suddenly, Cash pointed toward where an alleyway ran off Maple Street. “Over there! Isn't that her pickup?”
My heart skipped a beat and I quickly maneuvered toward the spot.
I pulled up beside the familiar vehicle and parked.
As we stepped out, I scanned the area for any sign of Harlyn.
Her pickup was empty, but when I sighted blood on the passenger side of the vehicle, determination burned brighter.
I wouldn’t leave Lannigan without finding her and ensuring she was safe.
“Stay close,” I reminded Cash as we began heading down the alleyway leading from Maple through to Main Street, my eyes sweeping from side to side.