Now and Forever (21 page)

S
unrise told us about the attack last night,” Aaron said. “I’ll stay with the women while you go hunting.”

Aaron was a decent tracker but not as good as Tucker. Then he saw Nev. Nev had uncanny tracking skills. For the first time it occurred to Tucker that those were skills the Barnburner had.

Nev had come into the area with vengeance on his mind, half crazy. Some said more than half. Tucker didn’t want him along. But was it safe to leave him with the women?

He knew Aaron trusted the man. Too much trust was a weakness that’d never plagued Tucker. Aaron wouldn’t be watchful enough to suit Tucker.

“Ma?” Sunrise had ridden in with the group, too. “Can we talk a minute?”

The trouble with this was that he’d have liked to have Sunrise along. She was every bit as good a tracker as he was, and if he was in a humble mood, he’d have to admit she was better. But Shannon’s safety came first.

She followed him toward the barn without question. He quickly told her what Shannon had seen the night before.

“She can’t describe the man,” Tucker said with a shrug. “I don’t want Nev with me, and I don’t want him here with the women without someone mighty suspicious keeping an eye out for trouble. And that ain’t Masterson.”

Ma’s eyes shifted to Nev. “He seems to be over his grudge against Aaron, but a man can hide the truth. And he is new enough here not to fear you.”

“When you get a chance, warn Shannon. But don’t say anything to Aaron.”

Ma nodded. Tucker walked back to the cabin just as Shannon came out, dressed in her britches. It struck Tucker as such a sensible way to dress, he didn’t know why all women didn’t insist on it.

He could hardly wait till he and Shannon moved to his cabin in the mountains. Up there, no one would tell her how to behave . . . though no one much told her down here.

Turning to Aaron, he snapped, “You’ll stay here as long as it takes, even if that’s days. I won’t be back until I’ve found the varmint.”

A hint of a smile crossed Aaron’s lips, and Tucker thought the man got the message that for once Tucker was giving the orders. It was a nice change. “I’m here until you get back, Tucker. And we’ll post a night watch.”

Tucker glanced at Ma, who nodded her agreement. Nev might get a shift during the night, but he wouldn’t be left alone—not that he’d be told of it. It’d make long nights for Ma, yet she was tough as a boot, and besides, Tucker wouldn’t be gone that long. It occurred to Tucker then
that he ought to hike up into the mountains and find Caleb and a few other friends to help him. But they’d been on their way to distant parts when they’d stopped to search for him. They’d be hard men to find now.

With a special look for his wife, he headed for the barn. He wasn’t going it completely alone; his grulla would keep him company. The horse was a better tracker than he was.

Mounted up, they rode for the clearing Shannon had spoken of. He knew the place. He’d start from there and wouldn’t be back until he had his man. He just hoped his man wasn’t right now smugly watching him ride away from his own homestead.

He’d failed last night, and it left him torn up inside.

It was satisfying to hurt something—like that mule. He felt like he’d wasted years not knowing what his true mission was.

And then that mule had kicked him so hard he might have cracked ribs, then bit his shoulder. The animal had paid for it, and the rush afterward made him feel so powerful he wanted to feel it again.

He’d had a glimmer of it when he lit the fires. Knowing he was harming those people. And he’d savored turning those innocent sheep loose when he heard those howling wolves nearby. But until the mule, he hadn’t understood the power of killing.

Last night he’d gone to the Tucker farm eager to get another dose of it, but then that vicious horse had attacked. He’d barely been able to light the fire and run.

And then he’d heard the woman in the woods and had stalked her, and he’d almost pounced. He’d wanted to. The fury of being bested by that horse had driven him to want to harm someone. That woman thought she was so clever.

But his eyes were as sharp as an eagle’s. He could smell her. His ears could pick up every breath. He could have walked right up to her and taken out his fury. He’d’ve found more power than any mule would ever give him.

But she might have a gun. That had stopped him. And did that make him a coward? No! It made him smart. A smart man didn’t just attack blindly. He planned. So he’d savored her fear as she hid from him like a frightened rabbit, then he’d gone on, stayed with the plan. Left the fire to do its damage and kill those animals that way, that unsatisfying way.

And he’d gone home, carefully, mindful of not leaving a trail.

All according to plan.

Only to find out this morning he’d been thwarted.

Not a single animal dead. The barn had survived. Nothing he’d hoped to accomplish had taken place. He thought of that woman. Leaving her alive ate at him and seemed like the biggest failure of all.

If he wanted to regain a true sense of power, he knew the way to get it was to get her.

He was going to do it right this time. And enjoy every minute of it.

But only when he was ready. After all, he was a patient man.

Tucker headed for the clearing without doing anything more than glancing at the ground. He didn’t expect to see much and he didn’t. Then he reached the spot where Shannon had lost sight of the man. Dismounting from his horse, he crouched down at the spot where the faint trail entered the clearing. Tucker was glad he’d had a few minutes the other morning with these tracks before the rain. He picked out where the man had swerved away from the trail and ducked back into the woods.

A chill slid down Tucker’s spine.

He remembered what Shannon had said, how she’d rushed to the clearing with her gun drawn. The man had been within grabbing distance. But she’d gotten spooked, turned, and run for home. No, that wasn’t what she’d said. She’d run for
him
.

She’d even said she felt like he was chasing her and then laughed at her foolishness. But maybe her fear wasn’t so foolish. Maybe he’d been coming. If not, it had been because he had chosen not to, because he’d been right there watching her.

Tucker could read sign like the written word, and right now a story was shouting at him. His wife had nearly fallen prey to a man with a cruel, maybe a murderous streak.

Tucker studied the prints and followed them. Not a bit of it was easy.

He was an hour finding where the man had hid his horse. A lot of that was sheer knowledge of the lay of the land and how a man would move, where the next trail crossed this clearing. Tucker had to go along, with no tracks, for too long until finally he’d catch just a hint of a footprint.
Just enough sign that the man had passed by to know he was on the right track.

When he found the horse, it was a different spot from the night before. This horse had the same rags on its hooves. He let his grulla sniff the spot. When the trail got thin as air, the horse might find what Tucker could not.

Tucker then saw where the Barnburner had joined the wider trail heading toward town, and he let his grulla lead the way. They rode along at a fast trot, Tucker unable to see any sign. The trail turned rocky and was covered with clumps of grass. He wondered if he was going to just end up in Aspen Ridge with no notion of whether he was on the right trail.

They were nearing town when the grulla veered up a steep slope strewn with rocks. Tucker stopped and dismounted. He studied the land and saw a couple of those strange depressions in soft dirt.

Patting the grulla’s shoulder, he peered up the hill. There were enough scuffs in the dirt to know the rider had gone up the rise. Mountains rose on all sides, but straight ahead was a saddleback between two peaks. No trail. His jaw set in a grim line, Tucker knew that was the only possible route.

He mounted up and rode on. He could have checked for tracks, but instead he watched. No one, no matter how good, could stop a bullet fired from cover. He kept his gaze roving, constantly looking for any movement, anything out of place.

He also kept a hand resting on the grulla’s shoulder, to feel for any tension in the savvy critter. The horse moved
upward without a sign of nerves. Tucker trusted that more than what he could see.

He was a long time reaching the point where the two peaks met at their lowest. At last he crested the mountain and looked down: a large corral with horses and cattle grazing. No sign of a cabin or a barn and certainly not a man.

Whoever kept the animals in this place, tucked well away from any trail or home, would ride his own horse here and leave it, probably switch saddles, and bind up the hooves of one of the horses before riding out again.

No one would recognize these critters even if the man and the horse he rode in on were known.

Tucker studied the slope long and slow. Plenty of cover for a gunman. Trees and boulders, rugged gullies. If he could pick up a trail here, it’d lead to some real answers.

He was at it for hours and found an easy walk to Aspen Ridge by a route that didn’t go over the saddleback. All his instincts said the man came in from town on foot, then rode out over the saddleback cut.

But being sure wasn’t the same as finding a trail he could follow. Which left Tucker one choice. He had to take cover and wait hours, days, forever if need be. And that went against his instincts, because he wanted to be with Shannon, guarding her.

And what if the Barnburner turned out to be Nev Bassett? He knew Tucker was on the hunt and would be wary when Tucker didn’t come back. So wary he’d probably stay far away from this place.

Tucker found himself a spot to settle in where he’d never
be spotted, no matter how careful the culprit was, but was it right to stay here?

Should he ride home and act like he’d been bested, send Bassett on his way, then . . . what? He couldn’t both guard his homestead and keep watch here.

Masterson would protect his home and his wife. Tucker trusted him, especially with the warning he’d given Ma. Bassett was the problem, and he was only the problem if he was the one behind burning the homesteads.

It wasn’t the first time Tucker wished Caleb was close to hand, one of the few men on the earth he trusted.

Tucker fumed over what to do, and finally his mind settled on someone else he could trust. It wasn’t a perfect answer, but nothing about this mess was perfect.

He had to ride home and convince them all he’d given up. Then, once they headed home, Tucker had to ride back here fast. Because once he settled Bassett’s mind, and considering Bassett might not be the man he was after, then either he or whoever else it was who’d picked this hideout would be back. And probably soon.

The Barnburner wasn’t a patient man.

Tucker led the grulla away, hiding his trail with more care than he’d ever used in his life, hoping and praying that the man he was hunting couldn’t tell he’d been here.

I
t’s snowing!”

“Shhh.” Tucker lay next to her. He reached around and pressed a finger to her lips. “I should have left you home.”

Shannon clamped her mouth shut. Silently she promised he wouldn’t hear another word of complaint. Not after the fit she’d pitched to come along with him. Well, not a fit. He’d agreed after not much of a fuss from her.

She even knew why. He didn’t like the idea of her staying at the cabin with Gage Coulter, even if the man did sleep in the barn, and Tucker’s very own mother, Sunrise, was there as a chaperone.

Tucker hadn’t liked it, so he’d decided she could come, and that let Coulter sleep in the cabin where it was warm. Sunrise would help him guard the homestead and the sheep, and Shannon could take turns here with Tucker, keeping watch over the cattle and horses in this hidden corral.

Shannon had warned Coulter about eating her sheep.
He’d only grinned at her, but she was pretty sure he was teasing.

Tucker leaned forward, less than an inch from her ear. “You sleep now,” he whispered. “After a while I’ll wake you to stand watch.”

She hid a grimace. After she’d fallen asleep on guard duty, she was surprised he was willing to trust her again.

He pulled her tight against him and tilted her chin so that their eyes met. “I’m trusting to my horse more than myself. The grulla will let us know if a rider’s approaching, so I might even risk sleeping myself.”

Nodding, she looked out at the barely visible livestock across the mountainside. They stood with their heads lowered, some of them lying down, sleeping in the moonless, starless night. It was October now and getting colder every day. Clouds had rolled in, and light snow drifted down and scudded across the ground. Tucker had found a sheltered spot, and they were wrapped in thick blankets, sharing their body heat, but nothing could fully block the cold. Shannon suspected she’d have no trouble staying awake, no matter how tired she got.

Kylie and Aaron had to leave if they wanted to get out before the heavy winter snows blocked the passes and made travel too dangerous. They wanted to go, but they never would until this man was caught.

She thought of that silent man with the flowing cape, the way he’d turned and looked right at her. The way his eyes seemed to glow. Ghoulish. Tucker said he was a man with the makings to be a monster, and that agreed with everything Shannon had felt last night.

She’d gone with Tucker with the promise she’d be quiet.
Dear God, please help me to shiver as silently as possible.

She snuggled as close to him as she could, felt his watchfulness, and knew she was in good hands. Though she was cold, she smiled as she closed her eyes, honored that her husband had brought her along.

“Shannon.” Tucker barely breathed her name as his stomach twisted.

Shannon jerked awake but was silent. Savvy woman. Tucker found he liked his wife more with every passing day.

They’d been at this for three days now. They’d slipped out and gone home during the day, since the man they sought did his evil at night.

Tucker shook his head. “He’s been here and gone. I missed him.”

She went rigid in his arms, but beyond that she didn’t move.

Tucker was furious with himself. But more than that, for the first time since he was a kid, he was scared.

“How could he have slipped in and out without me noticing?” But he had. A horse was gone out of the corral. Yes, Tucker had been asleep. Yes, the night was black as pitch. Yes, there was no moon and heavy cloud cover. But Tucker slept light, and his ears were sharp.

Beyond all that, there was the grulla. Nothing slipped past his mustang.

Tucker had no idea how long that horse had been gone,
but it was for certain not in the corral anymore, which meant the Barnburner was out tonight. And he’d already attacked Shannon’s homestead twice.

“Let’s go.” Tucker had left Shannon’s horse hidden a few miles away, not trusting it to keep quiet like he did Grew. He was on the mare and had Shannon sitting in front of him within seconds. Tucker knew he was being a reckless fool, but he kicked the horse and tore away. A soft snow sifted down and left clear tracks with every move they made.

The man they’d sought left tracks too, right out of the corral and over the saddleback.

Maybe this time, thanks to the snow, Tucker could track him, but he knew better than to expect it to be easy.

Sure enough, the Barnburner’s tracks headed straight for Shannon’s homestead. Tucker had to beat him. Ma was there, along with Coulter. Both might be in danger. Because whoever this was had just done something Tucker would have said was impossible by getting in and out of that canyon without Tucker noticing.

If the man was that good, then no one, no matter how careful, was safe.

And here was Tucker carrying Shannon straight for him.

Would the woman be watching again tonight?

Oh, he hoped so. He found himself riding too fast. He, the most patient of men, was being a headlong fool in his eagerness to see if she’d be out and about.

He’d made a decision the other night to leave her alive.
Smiling at his own wisdom, he knew he’d done the right thing. He spent a few moments admiring his self-discipline. He even celebrated the shocking temptation to stay and hunt that woman. A temptation he’d resisted, of course . . . but he could enjoy the feel of it.

And he knew exactly what had awakened that hunger to hurt the woman.

That mule. When it bit him and he’d lashed out with his knife, the satisfaction of meting out pain to that ugly brute had unlocked something in his very soul. The pleasure of it. It was like switching on a light and finding a large part of himself that had always been in darkness.

He’d done it to protect himself and also out of anger. He’d planned to do the same at the Tucker homestead, this time for the pleasure. But he’d been stopped by Tucker’s horse. He’d left the homestead in a rage.

And then he’d seen that woman walking so innocently through the woods, all alone in the middle of the night. He’d begun to play with her. Following her, letting her know he was there, watching her fear.

Even as he played his games, he knew there was no time for what he wanted. He’d already set the barn on fire, and that might’ve awakened someone in the house.

But to take that moment and pause and look at her where she cowered in the woods . . . he’d terrorized her. It was glorious. Then he’d ducked off the trail and she’d walked right by him, so closely he could have reached out and touched her. He even followed her back toward the cabin just to watch her run. He’d seen her husband find
her and knew he had to go, yet he’d vowed to himself there would be another time.

They were on edge. They posted a watch. They’d saved their sheep twice now. They had that horse, a truly dangerous brute, and a man gifted with the art of silence couldn’t turn to gunfire.

His common sense told him he should leave the Tuckers alone.

He smiled. A less talented man might admit defeat.

But Mrs. Tucker, Shannon, had just strolled along. Such innocence. Almost as if she wanted him to come for her. Longed to put herself under his power. He considered that. Having a woman in his power. Instead of just slashing away, stretching out the time. The danger of it, because she had people who would be coming for her, searching. The risk was so tempting it was hard to resist.

And she made it so easy. If her behavior was an example of how well they handled guard duty, he could grab her and hide her just as he had the cattle.

His breathing sped up, and his heart hammered. He felt so alive he wanted to laugh out loud. Instead he leaned closer to his horse’s neck and rode fast toward the Tucker place.