Chapter Thirty-Four
After the second shot was fired, Jackson ducked down and checked his body for a bullet hole, his breaths coming in short bursts.
He’d assumed Victor had fired again, this time at him, but upon finding no injury, Jackson looked up at Victor.
The man seemed just as surprised as the rest of them, and his head was practically turning around like an owl’s as he looked for the shooter.
Jackson stood up, first scanning for Hope’s face to make sure she was alright.
He found her wild, terrified eyes that softened as soon as she saw him.
He could see she was wracked with fear, and her frame trembled every few seconds.
His ma and Clara were close by, the three women holding onto each other for support.
At seeing him, Hope stepped forward, but Jackson shook his head. He needed to keep Hope safe, and that meant as far away from Victor and his men as possible.
“Good morning!” Daniel’s voice shouted over the confused hubbub.
Jackson spun around, his mouth falling open in shock. Daniel was on horseback, several guns slung over his shoulders. The grin on his face told Jackson that Daniel was proud of himself indeed. Jackson thought it was an expression that suited him.
“I’ve brought some friends along who’d like to have a few words with you, Victor!” Daniel shouted, gesturing to the space behind him.
In the early light of dawn, seven horsemen stepped forward, and Jackson began to recognize their faces. Ethan, David, Simon and his sons, Andrew, and even some of Jackson’s own ranch hands had returned on horseback. Daniel had certainly been busy.
He couldn’t stop himself from grinning, wiping the sweat from his brow in relief now that Daniel had pulled through for them. It had been a desperate plan decided between the two of them should Victor ever attack in person.
That was why he’d challenged Victor to a one-on-one fight. It was all in the hopes of delaying things to buy Daniel time, and it had worked.
Jackson turned to address Victor and his men in the growing light of dawn, raising his voice so that everyone could hear him.
“You’re evenly matched in men and guns,” Jackson declared confidently. “The whole valley stands against you, ready to fight.”
There was a cheer from the excited ranchers, and even the horses stamped their feet in unison. It was a good feeling, knowing that his community was behind him and they could finally do something.
Jackson continued, feeling encouraged by their enthusiasm, “This is your chance to stand down, men, to walk away from Victor Langford and join our side. Your statements will help your case, and prove who the real villain among us is!”
The ranchers cheered again, calling out to the men who’d sold themselves to Victor.
“It doesn’t matter how he tricked you!” Simon said. “Do what’s right now!”
“Be brave, men!” Daniel urged, shaking his gun in the air. “I broke free from Victor, and you can too!”
Jackson glanced back at Hope to check on her and saw her smiling, her hands clasped together in front of her. There was a glow of pride in her eyes as she looked from Jackson to her brother, and Jackson had to tear his gaze away from her. They had not won yet.
“This is your last chance!” Jackson shouted over the din of cheers and Victor’s angry shouts.
He grinned as two of Victor’s men, other ranchers from the valley, walked their horses away from him and positioned themselves by Daniel’s side.
“Stop!” Victor shouted, spittle flecking his mouth as he threatened them. “You can’t leave! I know everything you’ve done! I’ll destroy you every single one of you!”
“Don’t listen to him,” Jackson assured them. “You have more on Victor than he has on you. Your testimonies will break the power he has over you!”
Some of Victor’s more loyal cronies scoffed at Jackson’s words, drawing in closer around Victor to protect him with their very lives, but Jackson felt it only fair to give them the choice before continuing.
Jackson watched as another man tried to leave Victor’s side, only for Victor to angrily lash out at him, gripping his arm and shoving a revolver in the man’s face.
“Don’t you dare turn your back on me, Thomas!” Victor roared at him, his finger twitching on the trigger.
Jackson acted on impulse, leaving his position and diving forward to help the man.
Jackson reached up and dragged him off his horse seconds before Victor pulled the trigger.
The crack of the gun caused the man’s horse to rear on its hind legs, and Jackson grabbed the man, rolling him away over the muddy ground.
They shielded their heads with their hands as the horse’s hooves thudded down next to them and it kicked again.
A small part of Jackson had hoped Victor would see he was outnumbered and back down, but he wasn’t that surprised he hadn’t.
A man like Victor would never accept defeat, and worse, he’d be determined to take down as many others as he could with him.
Jackson’s thoughts flashed back to Hope, and it dawned on him that Victor still had one more gut-wrenching card to play.
When Jackson raised his head, Victor and his horse were no longer where they’d been.
“Hope!” Jackson shouted, scrambling to his feet and pushing through men and horses to catch a glimpse of her.
He agonized over taking Victor’s bait, realizing it had been a trap to draw him into a fight so that Hope stood unprotected. He’d never forgive himself if-
“Jackson!” Hope screamed, interrupting his thoughts.
Jackson felt his stomach lurch at the sound of her crying out in pain.
He roared with anger, his fists clenching at his sides as he felt power surge through him like he’d never felt before.
He wrenched a gun out of a passing man’s hands and flipped it around so it was aimed at Victor’s head the second he came into view.
“Too late,” Victor growled, clutching Hope to him and using her body as a shield.
His ma and Clara had been knocked to the ground, obviously having attempted to help Hope.
Hope’s face was contorted with anguish, and she sobbed silently as Victor held her close, his mouth touching her hair as he spoke.
She was still in a white cotton nightdress, now smudged with smoke and mud and soot.
To see Victor’s hands gripping her turned Jackson’s stomach.
He locked eyes with Victor’s mad blue ones, his finger slippery with sweat as it slid into the curved metal trigger of the single-action revolver.
What he saw in Victor’s eyes left him cold.
There was no reason, no sanity, no humanity at all left to appeal to.
Jackson had to do whatever he could to ensure Hope wasn’t hurt in the crossfire.
“What do you want?” Jackson demanded, lowering his weapon slightly so that it was not in any way directed at Hope.
“Safe passage!” Victor barked, Hope flinching at the sound of his voice so close to her ear.
“You’ll have it,” Jackson assured him, his eyes on Hope. “But hand over Hope first.”
Victor let out a cruel laugh as he tugged Hope closer and pressed the barrel of his gun into the soft, fleshy part of her throat. She whimpered, her lips trembling as tears rolled down her cheeks, her eyes trained on Jackson.
Jackson lurched forward. “Victor, no!” he shouted. “Take me instead! I’ll ensure your safe passage.”
Victor shook his head, his sinister sneer indicating there was a twisted part of him that enjoyed causing them all pain.
“This is your punishment, Jackson,” Victor insisted, his eyes blazing. “For always resisting me.”
Jackson took another step forward, and Victor shoved the barrel of his revolver deeper into Hope’s neck. Hope gasped with pain, and Jackson backed away.
“I thought so,” Victor snarled, flicking his head at one of his men. “My horse!”
Jackson watched, powerless to stop Victor as he wrenched Hope over to his horse, dragging her by her hair. They were all frozen in place, the only person allowed to act being Victor. So many of Jackson’s nightmares had been just like this, with him stuck to the spot, powerless to save her.
Jackson had to remain calm. He bit back his fear, knowing that if he lost his senses, it would mean Hope’s life.
“Let her go,” Jackson ordered, his voice cracking with emotion.
“Oh, Jackson!” he heard his ma cry out loud.
“Get inside!” Jackson shouted at his ma, reading Victor’s body language as he turned his horse, still using Hope to shield himself from any attacks.
“I’ve got them,” Ethan called as he ushered the two women and his parents into the house. He turned around once they were inside to guard the door, his gun at the ready.
Jackson watched as Victor shifted in his saddle, one arm across Hope’s neck. He raised his revolver, aimed it at Jackson, and fired.
Jackson dropped to the ground just as the bullet whistled overhead.
He could smell the acrid scent of burning gunpowder from how close it had come.
That had been no mere warning shot. Victor had intended it to kill, and it was also the signal for his remaining men to attack at will.
Guns fired between the mounted ranchers and Victor’s desperate men, shouts of anger and pain filling the air, but Jackson was deaf to it all.
He whistled for Horse, trusting he’d found his way back after the fire. He then took a shotgun from Daniel, shoving past anyone who tried to stop him. Thankfully, Horse galloped right up to him, snorting heavily as though he was as ready for action as Jackson was.
He swung onto Horse, no need for a saddle, and quickly dodged an attack from one of Victor’s men. Daniel dealt with him immediately, knocking him out with the butt of his gun.
“I’m with you!” Daniel assured him, kicking at his own horse to keep pace with Jackson. “Just go!”
Jackson drove Horse on, urging him to make haste.
Horse darted in between the fighting riders, deftly avoiding danger while still maintaining his speed.
Jackson nudged Horse forward with his knees, breaking free of the chaos and shooting out into the open prairie.
He could no longer see Daniel, but the thud of hooves behind him assured Jackson he was still following.
Jackson would not rest until Hope was safe, even if that meant giving up his own life for her. He bent low and drove Horse on even harder, his eyes scanning the grass and brush for any sign of Hope.
‘Please!’ he begged the Lord. ‘I can’t lose Hope. Not now. Not ever!’