The Iron Horseman (20 page)

Rafe
was only one step behind him as they sprinted through the dining area and up
the staircase. When they reached the top of the stairs, Rafe’s gun was drawn.
Levi reached beneath his vest to the holstered pistol he kept at his side and
pulled it free. He stepped onto the other side of the door to the room where
Cadence had slept and stretched for the handle. He twisted it open, but the
room was empty. Levi pointed at his room, where Eamon and the doc had slept.
The door was shut and a few muffled voices carried through the hall.

Rafe
nodded and led the way down toward the room. Levi leaned up against the wall
outside the door. He’d told Cadence to trust them and now she was in danger.
When he got that pretend Marshal in his hands, he’d take an ounce of trust out
of his hide.

“You
hell-cat!” The muffled voice coming from the room bit out the words with
striking clarity.

That’s
it!

Levi
didn’t wait for Rafe’s signal. He threw the door open and barged inside, gun
pointed. To his surprise, Eamon was sitting up on the bed holding his side
while the two brutes Rafe had apparently been chasing sat back to back on the
floor, their hands tied with something that looked like the green ties from the
flowered curtains. Elvin was standing behind the chair, his eyes and nose still
a little red.

“Took
you long enough,” Cadence said, standing up straight and tucking her revolver
back into the folds of her skirt. She rushed to the side of the bed and placed
her hand on her father’s cheek.

“Are
you all right, Daddy?”

Eamon
put his hand over his daughters and nodded.

Levi
returned his pistol to his holster. Relief flooded him at seeing she was safe.
That Eamon was safe.

Rafe
also slid his guns to their holsters. He dropped down onto his haunches in
front of the new prisoners. “Didn’t your mama ever teach you not to mess with a
beautiful woman?”

Levi
glanced down at his brother who was now staring up at Cadence. He’d seen that
look in Rafe’s eyes before.

Rafe
stood up and moved toward the Walkers.

“Oh,
no. I don’t think so,” Levi said, grabbing his brother by the arm and pulling
him backward. “Cadence,” he said from a safe distance, “this is my brother,
Rafe.”

“Ah,
the doctor turned bounty hunter?”

Levi
smiled. He hadn’t realized he’d talked so much about his family with her. She’d
listened. And remembered. Impressive.

“Why,
yes, ma’am,” Rafe said in that sultry voice that had always made women swoon.
“And you are?”

“Cade
Walker.”

“Well,
Miss Walker, it is a pleasure to meet you. And might I say that this,” he
pointed to the men on the floor, but didn’t take his eyes off Cadence, “is
very…impressive.” He stepped around Levi and held out his hand to her. She slid
her hand into his.

“The
pleasure is all mine,” Cadence said with a smile that widened the pit in Levi’s
stomach. He needed to stop introducing her to all of his brothers.

“Now
don’t be getting too cozy with my daughter there, Redbourne.” Eamon eased
himself to the edge of the bed and swung his legs over the side.

Rafe
laughed, dropping Cadence’s hand. “Good to see you too, old man.”

“Cadie,”
Eamon said, turning his attention to his daughter.

Cadence
glanced at Levi then back at Eamon. As much as she fought it, Levi could see
that she was pleased at her father’s use of the familiar name. She moved to sit
next to him on the bed.

“Do
you want to explain to me what just happened, little girl?” He said, wrapping
his arm around her shoulder and giving a light squeeze.

“Ah,
Daddy, I’m not such a little girl anymore.”

Too
true,
Levi thought, heat suddenly creeping up his neck.

Cadence
sounded so sweet and innocent, not unlike Hannah, his own little sister, when
she was talking to their mother.

“So,”
he said, coughing a little, “how long have you been working with the agency?”

Cadence’s
mouth fell open. She seemed at a loss for words—which was odd for her. “How…how
did you know?”

Eamon
leaned over with a groan, holding his side, and placed a kiss on his daughter’s
forehead. “Honey, it didn’t take a detective to see that you know your way
around a gun. Not just any woman could have gotten the upper hand on two armed
men with only an injured man and a drunk for support. You’ve got reflexes
like…” he winced in pain, “your pa.”

“Stop
right there,” Rafe pulled his gun, pointed at the so-called Marshal Stevens,
and cocked the hammer. The man’s hand had gotten loose from the bindings and he
was working to remove the rest.

“Nice
improvising,” Rafe told Cadence, nodding his head in approval. He removed cuffs
from his belt and clicked them in place. It was hard to miss the scowl on the
imposter’s face, but the man tried to conceal it with a forced smile.

“Come
on, Redbourne. You’ve had your laugh, now let us go.”

“Let
you go?” Cadence jumped up off the bed and crouched down to face the man. “Let
you go?”

“Cadie,”
Eamon reached for her.

“It’s
all right, Daddy.” She brushed her hand in a broad stroke across the air. “If I
hadn’t come up to the room when I had…” she glanced away and stood up straight
without finishing her thought. “We need to get them over to the jailhouse.”

“We’ll
just stand you up.” Rafe grabbed a hold of the fake Marshal’s shoulders and
lifted both men awkwardly from the ground.

The
first man stumbled enough to allow his friend to pull something from the back
of his boot. A glint of metal in the beams of light coming in from the window
caught Levi’s attention.

“Knife!”
he yelled as he shot forward, shoving Cadence out of harm’s way.

Hot,
searing pain stung Levi’s shoulder. The blade had sliced across his arm. He and
Cadence landed on the ground with a thud. He raised himself up enough to look
at her briefly. “Sorry,” he said quickly before he pushed himself away from her
and off the floor. He spun around.

The
second man, the quiet one, had somehow gotten loose from his bindings and held
the knife, blood casing the blade, his stance crouched and ready for a fight.
He lunged toward Rafe, but his brother was too fast for him, and with a simple
move all Redbournes had all learned as children, he had the man’s arm twisted up
behind him. With a little coaxing, the knife fell to the ground and Rafe kicked
it away.

In
the ruckus, the pretend lawman lowered his head and shoulders, his hands still
bound behind him, and started toward Rafe, who’d yet to draw his gun. Levi took
a single step forward and landed a well-timed punch to the side of the man’s
head sending him sprawling into the dresser in front of the window.

“I’ll
take these boys down and get them locked up.” Rafe had finished securing new
bindings on the quiet one and held them while reaching down to pull the other
to his feet. “I’m guessing there is a sheriff somewhere around here.”

“Just
ask for Merle. He’s the deputy.” Eamon moved to stand up, but staggered
backward onto the bed. “Damn bullet.”

“Detective
Walker?” Elvin said quietly, nearly hidden behind the curtains. Levi had almost
forgotten the doc was even there.

“Yes?”
both Cadence and Eamon responded together. They shared a chuckle.

“Eamon,”
the doc clarified. “I don’t think you are in any condition to get up just yet.”

Eamon
leaned back against the wall and Cadence lifted his feet up onto the bed.

“You
still need to rest, Daddy.”

“We
need to talk, Cadie girl.”

“We
will.” She smiled at her father and placed a kiss against his forehead.

“All
right, no more fiddling around,” Rafe said, yanking good and tight on the
culprits’ bindings. “Don’t make me shoot you.”

“I’d
listen to him if I were you.” Elvin stepped out from behind the chair.

“Vinnie?”
Rafe obviously recognized the doc. He turned to Levi. “Watch them.”

Levi
pulled his gun and leaned back against the wall.

“Vinnie
Harper!” Rafe extended his arm and gripped Elvin at the forearm.

“How
are you, Redbourne?”

Rafe
clapped the doc on the shoulder. “It
is
you. I never expected to find
Mr. Valedictorian in a little town this far out West. I thought you were taking
up residency at the hospital in Boston. How are Shelly and baby George?”

Elvin’s
face turned solemn and he began to wring his hands. “Cholera.” He dropped his
head. “Took them both.”

That
explains a lot
,
Levi thought.

“Vinnie,
I’m so sorry,” Rafe said. “Come on. I’ll buy you some supper and we can catch
up. I just need to get these fellas down to the jailhouse.” He pulled out his
gun and motioned to the door. “Let’s go,” he said to the bound men.

A
slip of paper fell down onto the floor and Rafe bent down to retrieve it.
“What’s this?” He looked at it, then handed the telegram to Levi.

Pink
in Bryan STOP
Stop
him before completion STOP

“Before
completion of what?” Rafe asked.

Levi
looked at Cadence. “The railroad.” He passed the message to her.

“We
have to get to end of track,” she said after reading the brief missive. She
stood up and walked over to the men Rafe had escorted to the door. “What’s
going to happen at completion?”

“Shoulda
known you was a Pink. Heard them lady detectives’ll do anything for
information.” He licked his lips. “What ya going to do for me, wench?”

Levi
started forward, but Rafe raised his arm and held him back.

Cadence
took a step closer until she was mere inches from the man. Levi’s jaw flexed as
she placed a hand on the brute’s overcoat and smiled. She gripped a hold of his
collar and pulled him down gently, her lips moving slowly toward his ear.

Levi
couldn’t bring himself to just sit back and watch someone else on the receiving
end of her kiss.

With
no warning, Cadence raised her knee hard and slammed it into the man’s groin.
He doubled over in agony.

“You
b—”

Levi
pushed past Rafe and cold-cocked the thug before he could get the vulgar word
from his lips. “That’s no way to talk to a lady.”

The
dolt dropped to the ground with a groan, but no further utterance escaped his
mouth.

Levi
stepped toward Cadence. He lifted his uninjured arm toward her. She slipped her
shoulder beneath his and snuggled into him.

“Why,
I do believe you saved my life and defended my honor. A true gentleman of
gentlemen,” she said, looking up at him with wide, smiling eyes. Then, her
expression turned serious and she turned to face him. “Thank you.”

Rafe
pulled the needle and thread through the skin just below Levi’s shoulder as he
stitched up the wound. “She’s sweet on you, you know.”

Cadence
stepped into the room at the abandoned doctor’s office with a fresh bucket of
water and some clean rags. “He speaks the truth,” she said with a grin as she
approached the table where Rafe was working on Levi’s cut arm. “She
is
sweet on you.”

Levi
sat up straight, earning him a smack on the back of the head from his brother.

“The
only pretty face you should be looking at right now is mine.”

Cadence
couldn’t help but snicker. “Do all of you Redbournes have such pretty faces to
look at?” She set the water down, but made the mistake of glancing at Levi. His
bared chest looked as if it had been carved from warm-colored stone. She forced
her gaze upward, fearing she’d already crossed the line of propriety—something
she hadn’t concerned herself with in a long time. That scared her a little.

Levi
smiled at her. A light seemed to fill her insides and she felt the corners of
her mouth turn upward. She couldn’t help herself. Just being near Levi made her
feel safe. Protected. Loved.

“Ma’am,”
Rafe said in greeting with a nod and a mischievous smirk as he continued his
work.

Cadence
recognized the same white poultice that Levi had used on the wounds on her face
and leg. Rafe slathered it over his brother’s stitches and tied a bandage
around his arm.

“How
are you holding up?” Levi’s question was simple enough, but she wasn’t sure how
to answer. The last few weeks had taken a lot out of her and tonight she’d
almost lost her father. She refused to let him see her weakness, but chose
instead to channel her fears, her guilt, into being strong.

“Good.
I’m just trying to figure out how to be in two places at once.”

She
didn’t want to leave her father until she knew he would be safe, but she still
had a job to do and time was running out. Eamon was in no condition to travel,
but she couldn’t leave him here unprotected.

“Levi
told me that you have an assignment to complete before the Transcontinental is
completed.” Rafe washed his instruments over the sink with the water she’d
hauled in and wiped them down with a fresh towel.

Levi
slid down off the table.

Cadence
swallowed. Hard.

He
picked up his shirt and examined the cut sleeve. “Waste of a perfectly good
shirt.”

They
all laughed.

“I
have to get to end of track, but how can I leave my father here with the whole
town wanting to see him hanged?”

“They
are not going to hang Eamon. You have my word,” Levi said, meeting her eyes
with square certainty. “Besides, I think once we pay a visit to a certain
rancher named Adwell, your father’s problems with the law will go away.”

Cadence
believed him. From her experience, Levi Redbourne was a man of his word.

“I’ve
already sent word to the Marshals,” Rafe said, “I suspect Keat is already on
his way. The real Keaton Stevens.” He placed his tools in a squat black bag.
“I’ll stay.”

There
was something about these Redbournes that made her trust them. Before she could
stop herself, she sprang into Rafe’s unsuspecting arms. “Thank you.”

“Hmhmmm.”
Levi cleared his throat.

Cadence
looked up at him sheepishly. His expression was almost sour and his jaw flexed.
Was he jealous? She glanced up at Rafe and quickly took a few steps back.
“Excuse me.”

“I
don’t mind,” Rafe said with a laugh. “But, by the looks of him,” he pointed to
Levi, “he might.”

“Jealous?”
Levi snorted. “Of a scalawag like you? He wadded up his shirt, stuffed it into
a large brown satchel, and retrieved a fresh folded shirt from the end of the
table. “Not likely.” He shoved his arms through the sleeves and pulled his vest
from the back of the chair.

Cadence
held her breath.

Levi
winked.

She
exhaled.

He
reached down and took her hand into his. “Come on. We need to go talk to Eamon.
Maybe he’ll have some idea why those brutes were sent to kill him.”

As
Levi led them out the door and into the street, Cadence bit her lip. She liked
the feel of her hand in his. Maybe too much. She had to force herself to stop
thinking about Levi. It wasn’t like her to lose focus.

When
they got back to the hotel, her father was sleeping. Cadence hated to wake him,
but they would be leaving on the next train and didn’t have much time. They
needed answers.
She
needed answers.

Cadence
walked into the room. Elvin sat on the chair next to the bed, his hands fisted
and curled against his bowed head. He hadn’t left her father’s side. She
stepped forward and placed a hand on the doc’s shoulder. “Can I talk to him?”

Elvin
looked up at her, the redness all but gone from his eyes. He quickly stood up
and allowed her his seat. She smiled at him and sat down.

“Daddy?”
She reached over to him and slid her fingers into his closed hand. “Daddy?” she
raised her voice a little louder.

“What
is it, Cadie girl?” he asked without opening his eyes. He still looked so
tired. Weak.

Cadence
had always seen her father as bigger than life and full of spirit. Seeing him
like this reminded her that life was short. “I…I…”

“This
better not be about one of those Redbourne fellas,” he said, a playful grin
cracking his otherwise stoic expression. “I haven’t got the energy right now to
warn them about how to treat my daughter.”

Cadence
glanced back at Levi who looked like he was biting back a smile of his own. He
winked at her and walked into the hallway.

“Do
you love him?” her father asked point blank, his voice scratchy and low from
nonuse.

Cadence
wasn’t sure how to respond. “Daddy, I have to tell you something and then I
need to ask you about your mission.”

Eamon
turned his head and opened one eye to look at her. “Answer my question first.
Do you love Levi?”

She
glanced back at the doorway again. Levi, Elvin, and Rafe were all gone.

She
closed her eyes and squeezed her father’s hand.

Am
I in love with Levi Redbourne?

Her
heart swelled at the thought of him, of her hand in his, and her lips tingled
with the remembrance of his kiss.

“Yes,
Daddy,” Cadence said quietly, “Lord help me, but I believe I do.” She sat up a little
taller. “I love him,” she said with incredulous conviction. “I love him.”

“Good.”
He pushed himself up from the bed. “Now, what is it you need to tell me?”

She
couldn’t look at him, couldn’t meet his eyes.

“What
is it, Cadie?”

“Mama’s
dead.”

“What?
When? What happened?”

Cadence
leaned down and laid her head against her father’s chest. “She got sick. It
didn’t take long.”

Silence.

“I’m
so sorry, Cadie. That I haven’t been there for you.” She could hear the sadness
in his voice. “How’s your brother?”

“He
moved to Maine and got a job with a shipping company. He’s doing well.” She sat
up, forcing a smile.

Eamon
nodded. “About this assignment of ours. I’m guessing Allan sent you here to
help me stop the attack on the completion ceremony.” With a deep groan he eased
to the edge of the bed. Avoidance was a tactic to stop from feeling the sadness
overtake you. She’d used it hundreds of times over the last couple of years.

“Daddy,
I can do this. I just need your help.”

“And
that is exactly what you are going to get.”

“I
just need information. It’s too soon for you to be up. The doc says you need a
few weeks rest.”

“Nonsense.”

“Dad.”

“Fine,
but I don’t want you to go alone.” He pointed at the door with his chin.

“It’s
my assignment, not Levi’s.” She held up her hand when her father motioned to
protest. “But,” she said with only the slightest trepidation, “Levi is already
planning on being there, so he’ll be with me all the way to the end.”

Eamon
smiled.

“Don’t
look so smug,” she teased, leaning into him.

An
exaggerated groan escaped him.

“Oh.
Sorry.”

He
laughed, evoking a real groan.

“Serves
you right,” Cadence said with a laugh of her own.

“Now,
listen, honey. These folks aren’t fooling around. They are downright mean and
will do anything they have to in order to see their goal accomplished.”

“And
just what is their goal?”

“To
stop that railroad from being completed.”

“But
it’ll be finished within the week. How can they possibly stop it?”

“I
don’t know all the details, but they have spies everywhere. I overheard the
sheriff talking to a man who showed up in town a few weeks ago. He was staying
at the Adwell ranch.”

“The
sheriff was a part of it?”

Her
father nodded.

“He
was part of a southern sympathizer organization that doesn’t want the country
to be united under one government.” He stopped speaking and turned to look at
her. “My little girl.” He shook his head. “A lady detective. I still can’t
believe you went and followed your old man. And now you’re headed directly into
harm’s way.” He winced and didn’t speak for a moment. “I can’t help but think
this is about Daniel.”

It
had been a while since Cadence had thought about Daniel and a twinge of guilt
settled in her gut. She looked away from her father. She didn’t want to admit
that she’d joined the Pinkertons to learn how to distance herself from ever
feeling as helpless as she had the night they’d told her that her betrothed had
been killed. She’d also joined to bring justice to the man who’d killed him.
She’d used everything in her power to find out what had happened to him, but by
the time she’d learned what to do, the trail had gone cold.

She
didn’t say anything. Couldn’t.

“Yeah,
well, what’s done is done, I suppose. If you’re who Pinkerton sent, he must
have a lot of faith in you.”

Cadence
pursed her lips.

“Don’t
suppose there’s enough time to get Annie out here instead?”

“Dad.”
Cadence whispered as she shook her head. She hadn’t been aware that her father
knew Annie. She’d never even thought to ask if there might be a connection.

“I
know I should have been home more.” Her father’s eyes moved to the floor, a
distant expression crossing his features. “But I’m here now.”

“I
know you are. I have to go.” Cadence cleared her throat. “Rafe is going to stay
with you here in Bryan until the real Marshal arrives. He’ll make sure no one
strings you up in front of this town.”

“Those
Redbournes are quite strapping young men, don’t you think?”

She
inhaled deeply, willing patience to find her. “I’ve come to collect your
information. So, enough of this runaround. Tell me what I need to know.”

Hahaha.

Her
father’s deep, rich laughter, almost made her forget her sudden irritation with
him.

“Ouch.”
He pulled his legs back up onto the bed and leaned against the outside wall.
“All right. All right. I can tell you some of what I found, but you’ll need to
head out to the homestead for the rest.”

Cadence
scrunched her brows and squinted her eyes. “What do you mean?”

“I
have a list of names. The sheriff found out that I had it and—”

“And
that’s why he tried to kill you. He was on that list.”

Eamon
nodded. “Very perceptive. There’s also a journal, which I suspect is a cipher,
and some sort of medal that I took off one of their operatives. These are
dangerous folks, sweetheart.”

“We’re
headed for Promontory Summit in the morning.” Cadence stood up and walked to
the window. She had to think for a moment. “We’ll have to head out to the ranch
tonight,” she said more to herself than to her father. “Where did you put
them?”

“In
a hidden drawer. Under the desk in my study.”

Cadence
nodded. She turned back to her father. “Thank you,” she said as she leaned down
to give him an awkward sort of hug. When she started to pull away, Eamon
tightened his grip on her arm.

“They
killed Lincoln, Cadie.”

She
looked at him, concern engraved into his face. “They can’t kill his dream.”
Cadence leaned over and kissed her father on the cheek. “I’ll be careful.” She
walked over to the door, pulled it open, and twisted back around to look at
him. “By the way, do you have any idea what might be inside of the sealed tube
I’m supposed to deliver?”

“
You
have the cylinder?”