Chapter Nine
Bonnie rode back to camp with Ace, feeling scared and uncertain. He’d forced her to confess the truth.
Now what? What will he do? Soon or later, this trail is gonna end. It’s not like the Oregon Trail. We’re just taking the herd north to Wichita. What then?
Lyle sneered when they showed up empty-handed. “See, told you there was no game!”
“Nope. Guess you were right, boy,” Ace responded in a way that told Bonnie he would ride easy for the time being.
Dallas was sitting on a log, eating some bacon. He looked at Bonnie.
She met his eyes for a few seconds. He knows. He’s got to know.
Then, a sudden urge came over her. “I got to go do my business.”
“Go on, but be fast about it,” Ace ordered. “We got to get the herd moving.”
“You best eat something,” Clyde told Ace. “I fried some bean and biscuit patties. Brandon, you best eat, too.”
“Will when I get back.”
Bonnie rode off, but not before hearing Dallas tell Lyle, “You best get to watching the herd. Finn is waiting.”
She didn’t think anything of Lyle being told to go watch the herd. After answering nature’s call, she’d get some grub down and then tend to the herd with Dallas at her side.
Bonnie found a good place behind some trees a hundred yards from the herd. Nothing seemed out of sorts—at first. But then, out of nowhere, Lyle jumped out from behind a tree like a wild bear.
“I knew it!” he hissed in a menacing tone.
Bonnie jumped to her feet and yanked her britches up. As she did, Lyle ran at her, grabbed her chest, and yanked down her bandanna. “Yeah, you’re a woman, all right!”
“Get off me!” Bonnie screamed. She drew back her hand and punched Lyle in the face so hard that he stumbled backward and nearly fell down.
“Why you—I’ll kill you!” Lyle growled. He’d just moved to draw out a hunting knife when a hard hand came out of nowhere, grabbed his arm, and twisted it behind his back.
Bonnie hadn’t even seen Ace come out. He had Lyle down on the ground so fast, the rotten turnip didn’t even have a chance to yell.
“Boy, you better be glad I don’t cut your ears off!”
“I was just… joshing with her!” Lyle cried out in pain.
“No, you wasn’t!” Ace added pressure to Lyle’s twisted arm.
“Okay, so I hate women!” Lyle screamed.
“You riding alone?” Ace demanded.
“Done told you I was!”
“Saw a lone rider last night. Who was it?” Ace added more pressure.
Bonnie winced, sure he would break Lyle’s arm.
Dallas, Finn, and Clyde came running.
“What in the world—hey!” Finn stopped
The bandanna covering Bonnie’s face was all the way down.
“Guess we were both right. She’s a gal, for sure,” said Clyde
“Yeah, she is,” Ace told everyone. “She’s running from Roscoe Carver. Her secret stays right here. Is that clear?”
“We get it,” Finn told Ace.
“Carver is bad news,” Dallas said, shaking his head. “So are you, Lyle. You should be ashamed of yourself. Shame on you, boy!”
“I saw a lone rider last night,” Ace said without letting up on Lyle’s arm.
“I’m riding alone!” Lyle insisted. “You’re gonna snap my arm like a twig… let up!”
Bonnie pulled the bandanna back over her mouth. “He’ll run his mouth to Roscoe if you let him go,” she told Ace.
“Aw, I ain’t gonna do nothing?—?”
“You were preparing to pull your knife on a woman!” Ace snatched Lyle up off the ground so fast, the boy barely had time to blink twice—then punched him square in the nose.
Lyle’s nose turned into a bloody mess as his eyes rolled back into his head—but only for a second.
Bonnie saw fury enter Lyle’s eyes. No, something worse than fury: murder. He stumbled back and then went for his gun.
“Ace!” she yelled.
Time suddenly slowed down to a drip. Ace reached for his gun just as Lyle cursed and yanked his gun free from a dirty holster.
Bonnie’s eyes grew wide. Surely, she feared, the rat would shoot Ace deader than a still heart.
Only, Ace proved to be far faster. His gun was drawn and ready in a flash, and he fired off a single bullet.
An agonized cry left Lyle’s mouth as the bullet struck his gun hand, and the weapon hit the ground.
Ace was standing over Lyle.
Clyde’s slow voice came through the troubled air. “How come you didn’t kill him?”
“He ain’t worth the trouble. I got to get the herd to Wichita.” Ace looked at Bonnie. “You okay?”
“I’d’ve killed him,” Bonnie told Ace in a shaky voice, not bothering to lower the pitch of her voice.
“He’s gonna need a doctor,” Dallas told Ace. “You shot his hand up real good. He’s bleeding everywhere.”
“There’s a town about a day's ride from here,” Ace told Dallas. “We’ll drop him off there. Best tie him up.”
Bonnie looked down at Lyle. He’s bleeding real bad. Don’t matter none to me. He was gonna use his knife on me. If Roscoe comes up this way and runs into that varmint, he’ll run his mouth for sure.
“Why didn’t you just kill him?” Bonnie asked.
“That’s not my way.” Ace checked his gun and then put it away.
“Seen all the killing I can stand. Someday, that boy might change. Not likely, but God works in ways we can’t understand.
When you’re young and hotheaded, you do stupid things.
Reckon Jesus showed me plenty of mercy… best do the same to others. ”
Bonnie was shocked to hear Ace speak in such a way. She’d assumed he was the type to kill without thinking twice.
What in the world is he showing mercy to a trail snake for? That boy is just gonna continue to ride wild and hurt folks. Why, he’s no better than Roscoe.
Bonnie met Ace’s eyes. “He’s just gonna cause us trouble.”
“Ain’t right to kill a fella after a fight is over,” Clyde told Bonnie. “We’ll let the law handle him.”
“That’s right,” Dallas agreed, obviously wanting to end all talk of killing.
“We’ll protect you,” Ace promised Bonnie. Then, he turned to the rest of them. “Keep calling her Brandon. Don’t let on you know she’s a woman, no matter who we pass by. Understand?”
“Yeah, I get it.” Finn nodded his head.
“You better,” Dallas warned, “because Roscoe Carver is riding this way. If he thinks we have his woman, he’ll attack us like fire ants on a stick of honey.”
“Roscoe will catch up to us,” Bonnie added. “Jack Yelters, Roscoe’s best man, is part Apache. He can track a sneeze in the wind.”
“She’s right,” Dallas agreed. “I had dealings with the man. He’s dangerous. He tracked some lost steers up in canyon country just as easy as you’ve ever seen.”
“Fast on the draw?” Finn asked.
“Yeah, but not as fast as Ace, I don’t think. Neither is Roscoe.” Dallas rubbed the small of his back. “I’m getting too old for this. Back feels sore most of the time. Word is, Roscoe’s nephew, Lucien, is trying to take over his gang.”
“That true?” Ace asked Bonnie.
“Ace, Roscoe rides with dangerous men. Lucien ain’t no different. He’s out to prove himself. Thinks Roscoe ain’t doing things right. Thinks he can get in with the railroad and start controlling people,” Bonnie explained. “He’s not gonna stop anytime soon—his head is puffed up like a rooster.”
“What do you think?” Finn asked Ace.
Bonnie saw Ace look down at Lyle. His eyes grew silent and thoughtful.
Ace isn’t yellow. He set out to get the herd to Wichita, and he’s gonna do just that. I don’t think he’s ever been yellow a day in his life. But Roscoe’s after me, and he’s not gonna quit until one of us is dead.
“I signed on to get Henry’s herd to Wichita, and I intend to do just that. You boys with me?” Ace asked.
“Yeah, Ace, you know we are,” Finn promised.
“You don’t see me riding off, do you?” Dallas asked Ace.
“I’m not riding off,” Bonnie told Ace.
“Then we stick together and get the herd to Wichita. From there… we’ll figure out what to do.” Ace kicked at Lyle’s legs. “Let’s get him tied up.”
Bonnie watched Ace walk away. She didn’t follow. Her mind felt all tangled up, along with her heart. Why was he risking the herd to protect her? Why were Finn, Clyde, and Dallas risking their lives to protect her?
All she knew was that death was riding her way, and riding fast… and there was nothing to do except mount up and ride—and keep pretending.