Chapter 21

Brett Masters dismounted his horse. His legs were stiff and he needed a drink. They had ridden upon a pleasant spot near a small stream. “Let’s take a break men,” he said as he began to dig in his saddle bag, trying to find his back up flask of whiskey.

They had found Cody’s trail easy enough, which was a switch for Cody. Brett knew that she was usually much more careful than that. He attributed it to the fact that her injuries must have been more severe than she herself had thought.

Finally finding what he was looking for, Brett unscrewed the top of the flask and drew a big drink. The whiskey burned his throat as it went down, but warmed his stomach nicely. Wiping his mouth off with the back of his hand, he replaced the cap and stuck the flask in his back pocket.

Brett walked over to the stream, watching as the slow moving water passed him by. He could hear the idle chatter from the men as they discussed different things, like cards, money, and women. But Brett’s mind began to wander. Wander back to days long ago, when times were simpler. He wandered back to a whole different lifetime when Cody Dalton loved him and he had loved her. Looking across the stream, images of that first sunny afternoon flooded his mind....

He was 15 when he first met Cody. She lived with her sister, Elizabeth and Elizabeth’s husband, Luke, two miles down the road from Butch and Sandy Carson. Her parents had died too when she was young, which Brett had always felt gave them a special bond.

Cody was only a year younger than Brett, but she was brighter than a starry sky. Cody had a light in her that out shined all those around her. She was smart and fun and beautiful and Brett had fallen in love with her the moment he had laid eyes on her.

One bright, summer afternoon Brett had been working in the back field of the ranch. The sun had been relentless all day, beating its warm rays on Brett’s exposed back. Needing to cool off, he had headed over to a small stream that served as a boundary between the Carson ranch and the Dalton ranch.

Cursing as he pushed his way through the too high bush that surrounded the stream, Brett heard the sweetest laughter he had ever heard. It reminded him of the way the wind danced off the spring flowers. Startled out of his irritated mood, he saw a vision of an angel sitting on a log by the stream.

A soft peach dress caressed her milky white skin. Her eyes were a beautiful bright blue as clear as the water that was before her. Her smile made his breath hitch in his chest, small delicate dimples gracing her youthful skin. Her hair was golden blond, so silky that it could reflect the sun. It flowed in long, thick curls down the length of her back.

He had been speechless, surprised by her presence and muted by her beauty. “Auhh....”

She laughed, watching him with youthful trust. “Hello to you too.”

Finally able to regain use of his mind and body, Brett spent the whole afternoon with her by the stream. They talked and laughed all afternoon and into the evening by the silent comfort of that long ago place.

But it didn’t stop there. The two were immediately taken by each other. Every spare moment that they had was spent together, nurturing the most innocent and purist of loves. They quickly came to love everything about each other and had even talked of getting married someday.

Brett sighed. That day seemed to him like a lifetime ago. Brett pulled his gaze from the gurgling stream. The sun was just beginning to set and Brett was again transported back in time, back to the night that they had shared their first kiss.

Cody had been riding that day, her long curls pulled back with a piece of leather. Wild strands of golden hair framed the radiant glow of her precious smile. As they talked, Cody pretended to be irritated by some smart ass comment that Brett was so known to make. Getting up to leave, Brett grabbed her hand and pulled her to him.

Caught off guard by his sudden gesture, she stumbled into his arms. Her hands coming to rest on his well defined chest. Coyly she drew her eyes up to meet his, eyes that held so much trust and love for him that he felt as if he would loss himself in them. He took in very inch of her delicate features, so perfect and youthful until his eyes came to rest on the small jade star pendant that she was never without.

“Cody, one day I promise you all the jewels you could ever want. I promise you a great big house so that we can raise our ten kids in....” he vowed, his love touching each and every word.

Cody laughed, her eyes ablaze. “Well that’s a lofty aspiration. Are you planning on having these ten children?” she asked, smiling at his sweet sentiment. “Brett, I could never want for such fancy things, jewels or fancy clothes or a fancy house. All I have ever asked of you is for your love and your trust.” She pulled him closer to her, her arms wrapping snugly around his neck.

He loved the way that her body seemed to fit so perfectly next to his. As if they had always been made for one another. Brushing his fingers across her cheek, he smiled.

“Well my dear, you already stole my heart that first day I met you.” With his eyes, he traced every inch of her lips, longingly wondering how they would feel against his. Running his tongue against his lips in anticipation, he slowly began to inch himself closer to her inviting mouth. Quickly, he shifted his eyes to meet hers and saw that same wanting staring back at him. Inching closer and closer, he could feel her quick hot breath on his lips as they hovered only inches from his own. His heart was beating so fast and so loud, he feared it would jump right out of his chest.

At the moment their lips touched, Brett felt fire course through his body. He felt like the sun and the moon and the stars above somehow were in that kiss. He felt his body tense as they explored every inch of each others mouth, his hands rubbing across her back. As quickly as it had begun, Cody pulled herself away, blushing profusely as she drew her fingers up to her now slightly red lips. Trying to catch his breath, Brett felt as if the entire world had been explained to him in that one moment. And that world consisted of Cody Dalton.

Brett smiled as he revealed in those unforgotten times, before things had gotten out of hand. Times when Cody had loved him and not thought him the monster that she did now. Brett dipped his hands in the coolness of the stream and splashed the water to his face. “If only I could have.....” he started to say, but knew it was no use. She would never had listened.

Turning to his riding partners, “Let’s get going. We need to catch them before they get too far ahead. From the looks of their tracks, seems like we are getting close so let’s keep a look out.” Walking back to his horse, Brett only prayed that he was able to find Cody before Matt or Billy were able to get loose. If that happened, only God would be able to save her...

Chapter 22

They returned to the fire, Cody still cradling herself in Vin’s arms. Matt had passed out from the blows Cody had bestowed upon him. Vin had checked to make sure that she hadn’t done too much damage to Matt. His nose was broken and he had a small cut over his left eye, but nothing worse. Billy appeared to be in shock, frightened terribly by Cody’s raged outburst.

Finally able to gain control over her emotions, Cody moved herself from Vin. She was humiliated that she had lost control the way that she did. The worst part of it all had been her fit of tears. Cody had vowed to herself, that after the night out at her sister’s ranch, she would never cry again. Absently she stroked Tanka’s fur. The dog had taken up a close guard at Cody’s side.

“Cody, you okay?” Vin asked, concerned at the emotional turmoil that the woman was going through.

“Thank you Vin. I’m fine,” she said, keeping her eyes fixed on the fire before her. “I’m sorry that I lost it there. I am usually much better than that.”

“What is it about your sister?” he asked, curious as to what would be so bad that it would set her off like that.

She shot a quick painful glance to the tracker. Cody tried to conceal the pain in her eyes, but failed miserably. Vin could see the dark circles that rimmed them. From the way that she sat, he knew she was still favoring her ribs as well.

“Cody, I’m helping ya get them back to Ft. Laramie. You know I ain’t got to but I am. All I ask is that ya talk to me. Tell me why you’re so hell bent on them standing trial. You act like it was you that they wronged.” Vin wasn’t sure how far he was going to have to push her to get her to talk, but he wasn’t going to let her keep on with the silence. He wanted answers.

“I never asked for your help. Why don’t you get the hell out of here.” She said standing up quickly, and looking down at him with hate in her eyes.

Vin knew that whatever she had been through had been bad, but he wasn’t about to continue to subject himself to her abusive ways. Standing himself, “Fine, then I’ll leave. We’ll see how far you get.” He headed toward his horse, hoping that she would stop him. “And don’t forget them friends of theirs that are coming. But I’m sure that you can handle them too.” He had just put his foot in the stirrup and was about to pull himself up on his horse, when she stopped him.

“Vin please.......wait,’ she said, sounding tired and defeated. He turned to face her as she walked toward him. Her features had softened, becoming more beautiful by the light of the moon. She offered him all the smile she could muster, which wasn’t much. Shifting her eyes to the ground in front of her, “Please, I’ll tell ya the whole story if you will stay.” Vin could see that it took so much of her to exhort that much trust to him, and he was grateful for it.

They walked back to the fire and sat down. Cody was facing the fire, her eyes taking in its every detail. She shifted her position, trying to find a comfortable spot on the hard dirt earth floor, but could find none. She sighed heavily as she seemed to contemplate where to start.

“It all started when I was about 18. The Carson family had a ranch that bordered my sister’s. Butch Carson had been urging my sister and her husband to sell to him, but my sister wouldn’t do it. She had put everything that she had into that farm, and she wasn’t about to go anywhere. I had been living with my sister for about three years after our parents died.”

“Everything was fine for a while. Butch made offers and my brother turned them down. Then Butch’s wife Sandy took sick and we didn’t hear from him for a while. My sister and I both knew most of the Carson boys, five of them all total. her husband, Frank, was even good friends with the older two, Tom and Travis.”

“We had heard from some folks in town that Sandy Carson had passed away and that Butch was taking it pretty hard. Everyone in town knew that Sandy was the glue that held that family together. We didn’t see hide nor hair of any of the Carson’s. I guess we figured that they were dealing with things in their own way.”

“About six months after the funeral, word started to circulate that Butch had become a drunken tyrant and folks began to get scared. Things around town began to happen. Cattle were either missing or found slaughtered in the fields. Buildings were vandalized and fights involving the Carson boys were frequent.”

“The offers that Butch had been making to my sister began to turned into threats. Threats on the ranch, that they would kill the cattle and burn down the house. Threats on her life and the lives of her family, including me, Luke, and my unborn niece. Even our ranch hand Tomah was threatened.”

“No one knew what to think. It was such a 360 degree change for the Carson’s who had once been God fearing people. My sister, being the stubborn fool that she was, continued to decline the so called offers that Butch continued to make. That is until he followed through......”

Cody stopped, a shiver running through her body. She reached for her canteen and drank greedily. Her throat was dry and her mind cried out in protest. ‘You can’t tell him about it. It’s nobody’s business. You just have to handle this yourself.’ Tanka must of sensed the fear that seem to radiate off of Cody, the fear and sorrow that plagued her mind. The loyal dog crawled slowly to her master, lying her front paws and head right in the female bounty hunters lap. Cody looked lovingly at the dog and began to absently rub the dog’s ears.

She glanced at Vin quickly and was greeted by his kind piercing blue eyes that held so much comfort. He was watching her intently, his face completely unmasked and understanding.

“Tomah had a daughter that was my age and on that awful hot summer day, I had gone with her to a swimming hole far out of the opposite end of town. We had taken some sandwiches with us and had just spent the day, being lazy and enjoying one of the few remaining days of summer. We stayed all day, laughing and talking about everything there was to say when you don’t know any better.”

“As the sun was setting, we decided that we had better get back home. My sister Elizabeth was aware, that at 18, I could do as I deemed appropriate, but she still worried about me so I tried not to stay out too late. I had left my horse at Tomah’s so after gathering Lady, I headed for home.”

“The evening was still smothering hot, just as the day had been. As I trotted along, I thought about how nice it would have been to have one more swim before I had left. As I came around the bend that led to my sister’s home, I could smell smoke in the air and see the orange haze that was peaking around the trees. As the house came into full view, I was frozen to my spot. From where I was, I could see the house ablaze, burning out of control. Even the barn was on fire. Horses were running wildly around the small property, and cattle had been slaughtered all over the field.”

“Terrified, I kicked my horse into a gallop. Once I reached the gate, I quickly dismounted and ran for the house. Jumbled thoughts clouded my mind. How could such a fire start? Where were Elizabeth and Luke?”

“The front door was no longer there and flames lapped at the door frame. Running into the house, I was smothering from the smoke that assaulted my nose. I searched the rooms frantically trying to find my sister.”

Cody stopped again, and drank from her canteen. Wiping away the water that had dribbled from her lips, she took a deep breath. Pain threatening her mind. Tears stood on the edge of her eye lids, wavering only a second before falling down her cheeks.

“I went into my sister’s bedroom and was forced back out of the room immediately by what I had seen. I threw up several times, my insides feeling as if they were trying to break loose. By this point, my mind was gone. I had forgotten the fire, and had never even thought that whomever had done such a heinous thing could still be there.”

“Slowly entering the bedroom, I could see my sister lying on the bed. She was naked, her body beaten and bruised. Her legs were spread open and blood was everywhere. In horror, I continued to approach the bed, thinking that maybe, just maybe she was still alive. But the closer I got, the clearer the bullet holes in her broken body were. Three shots: one to the chest, one to the head, and one to the stomach.”

Cody swallowed hard, tears flowing freely down her dirt streaked cheeks. She squeezed her eyes tightly together as if trying to block out that haunting image. She rubbed Tanka’s fur harder as she continued.

“At that moment, I lost it. I started to scream. I screamed with everything I had, everything that was in me. I stood in the middle of the room, my hands in my hair and I just screamed. It wasn’t until a beam from the roof came crashing down a few feet away from me that I realized that I had to get out. I ran out the back part of the house to the pasture. Without realizing where I was going, I felt hands snatch me out of nowhere.”

“I began kicking and screaming, the thought that whomever had done was still there was just now entering my mind. Large hands wrapped around the back of my neck as I was dragged to the tree behind the barn. Then I heard that laughter.....that maniacal, crazed laughter.”

“I was thrown to the ground, landing on my hands and knees. As I looked up I saw my brother hanging from the tree. His face was blue; his eyes raised toward the Heavens. I began to vomit again.....but that was when I saw Matt. He was standing near my brother, a knife in his hand and he was covered in blood from head to toe. And he was laughing.”

“I managed to look around and see that all the Carson’s were there, even Brett. Finally, my poor, fragile mind was able to put things together and I realized just who had been responsible for the tragedy I had just witnessed. Then I felt the first kick and the rest were on me like a pack of rabid dogs.“

“They were kicking me, in my sides, in my legs, in my arms. I tried to ball up to protect myself but then I felt the blows to my back. I could hear shouts to stop, but by then it was beginning to blur. I felt the harsh cold air on my chest as my shirt was ripped off of me, and then I heard the Sioux cry. It was like the voice of God in the pit of hell. And then I blacked out.”

Cody wiped absently at her eyes, and sighed. She managed a quick glance toward Vin and noticed how pale he looked. She looked back at the Carson’s still tied to the tree. Matt still hadn’t woken up from her earlier attack and Billy had drifted to sleep. Licking her lips, she continued.

“I woke up several days later at Tomah’s home. I was sick, sweating and vomiting. I asked over and over what had happened, but I got no response. Tomah just told me to rest and we would talk about it later. So I did. I have no real recollection of how much time had passed. The days rolled by. I would wake to the day, only to fall back into unconsciousness. Other times it would be night and by the light of the moon I could see Tomah, sitting quietly by my side.”

“After what seemed like months, I finally started to get better. Once he was satisfied that I truly was recovering, Tomah began to fill me in on the he details of that night. Having no where to go, Tomah took me in. He raised like a daughter and taught me the ways of the Sioux tribe. He was the one who gave me Tanka. He also taught me how to track and to use my knifes.”

“But he also taught me justice and to believe that no matter the consequences, justice will be done. I promised him that I would bring the Carson’s to justice. Not kill them one by one as I had wanted to do.”

Cody looked at Vin, pleading in her eyes. “That’s why I have to get them to Ft. Laramie. It’s there that they are to stand trial. And justice has to be done. They are the last. And when justice has been completed, my sister can finally rest in peace.”

Vin could see the lost soul that Cody Dalton was and his heart went out to her. She had a sense of strength in her that surpassed even the greatest of men. But she was weak and Matt was a ruthless bastard. Vin looked into the fire as if searching for answers.

“That’s why I need your help. I need to get them there, but Matt knows how to get to me. I’m not sure I can hold back much longer. I look at him and see Luke’s body hanging from that tree.” Cody turned away, her voice cracking as she talked. With her back to him, Vin could see the slight shake of her shoulders. He knew she was crying again.

Chapter 23

He scooted near her, as close as he dared to get. Placing his hand on her shoulder, he gently turned her around to face him. Cody threw herself into the tracker’s arms. Vin was startled by the woman’s sudden closeness, but tightened his embrace as he held the fragile frame of the bounty hunter to him.

Cody loved the feel of Vin’s strong arms around her. It had been so long since she had let a man get within two feet of her, let alone touch her. She could feel the ripples of his chest, so hard and muscular, pressing into her. And she felt that overwhelming feeling of desire burning through her entire being.

Cody lifted her face to Vin, her eyes taking in every detail of his handsome face. She looked deep into his blue eyes, and saw in them the same burning desire that she felt smoldering within her very core. Brushing her palm against his cheek, she drew him to her, devouring every inch of his mouth in a passionate embrace. As she explored his lips, she felt his tongue dart out, tasting her, begging for permission to explore.

Cody tilted her head slightly to the side as Vin began kissing her neck. His hands pressed firmly against her back, sliding up and down it. Cody ran her fingers into his thick brown hair, grabbing it in her fists as she forced her self back on his lips. Their kiss was passionate, strong, and so fueled with desire that Vin thought he would burst into flames at any moment.

Forcing his way back to her neck, Vin nibbled on her ear. He flicked his tongue out to brush lightly against it, his breath causing shivers to rack her body. He slid his hands up her sides, carefully skirting the sides of her breasts. He didn’t want to push her too fast, but he ached to take her firm, voluptuous breasts in his mouth.

Cody waited patiently for Vin to explore her body, but he hesitated. Never one to be patient, Cody grabbed Vin’s hands and put them to her breasts, gently squeezing. Vin continued to kiss her neck, nibbling on her chin as she giggled. He caressed her breasts and his erection felt as if it would burst through his pants. Slowly working her shirt out from her trousers, Vin slid his cold hands against the burning skin of her stomach. Cody gasped as the coldness of his hands made her nipples so hard and inviting. Vin could feel them against his chest, causing his erection to tear at the very seams of his pants. He shifted where he sat, the pressure in his groin almost painful, yet so sensual.

Working his way up her stomach, he finally reached her breasts. He took them in his hands and squeezed lightly, caressing so softly. Cody moaned, tilting her hips toward him. Her movement caused her pelvis to brush his erection and he bucked from the sensation that spread from that small touch. Cody began to unbutton her shirt, the desire she felt almost unbearable. As soon as she had a couple of the buttons undone, Vin began a trail of kisses, starting with her chin and moving down her throat until he reached the center of her cleavage.

He licked his lips in concentration, looking at the beautiful plump breast that was before him. He shifted his hips so that again his erection brushed against her. Electric currents coursed through his body as he took her nipple into his mouth. He suckled it, lapping around the nipple, devouring it. Cody ran her fingers through his hair, grabbing hold and then releasing it.

Vin flickered his tongue on her hard nipple, teasing it. He looked up at Cody, her face bathed in pleasure and he smiled. All her defenses were down and she was beautiful. Not able to stand it any longer, Cody grabbed hold of Vin’s hair and crushed his face to her breast. She started moving her hips in a side to side motion, pushing down hard against him.

Grabbing hold of her waist, Vin laid her down to the ground. His groin burned with anticipation of her womanhood. He bit her nipple, causing her to arch her back and push her body against him. Vin moved to the other nipple and began a full fledged assault. Cody writhed in pleasure, her hands exploring his muscular body.

He moved back to the center of her chest and began to kiss down her stomach. Just as he began to undo the fasten on her belt, Vin heard a noise. Cody must of heard the same noise because she was already going for her gun.

“Well, don’t stop now. It was just getting good,” Matt said, a wicked smile across his blood stained face. When he talked, it came out funny. It sounded like a whistle, due to the breakage in his nose.

Cody quickly pulled herself out from under Vin, cursing as she did. She rebuttoned her shirt as she started over to Matt. Billy was also awake, a goofy red-faced grin marred his features. Cody was livid. Not only because it was untelling how long they had been watching, but because she didn’t get to finish what her and Vin started.

She kicked Matt in the leg, her Colt hanging by her side. Vin stood up, adjusting his positioning. He ached and could have killed those two for interrupting, but he couldn’t help laughing at Cody’s rage. At least he knew that she was enjoying it too.

Cody was calling Matt and Billy every name she could think of. She hated that they had been able to see her breasts. Disgusted crept over her body. She turned to look at Vin who was standing by the fire, laughing. “And just what do you find so funny?” she said as she watched the dark-haired man smiling with great pleasure.

“Glad to see that you are just as upset....”

“Well, well, well. What do we have here?”

Cody and Vin both turned to see two armed men standing at the edge of their camp. Cody recognized them right away. They were members of Matt’s gang. Quickly, Cody scanned the camp for Tanka, but the dog was no where to be found. Cody felt her breath hitch in her chest. She knew they were in trouble.

Chapter 24

Cody drew her weapon when she felt a shove in the small of her back. She was so caught off guard by it, that she fired her gun as she fell to the ground. Another shot went off as her head landed in the dirt. Cody rolled over, her weapon out in front of her. Billy stood over her. He kicked her hands, knocking the weapon loose. Cody watched as it flew through the air and landed by the fire.

Turning her attention back to the man in front of her, she saw Billy holding the rope that had been used to bind his hands. “But how did you.....”

He laughed. “Well sweet Cody, while you were over there with loverboy, I was working on getting these here ropes undone.”

Cody felt the rock in the pit of her stomach. She felt the doom closing in around her, and then she heard Vin gasping in pain. Turning to see what they were doing to him, she saw the blood that covered his stomach. She gasped in horror. Knowing that no other bullets had been fired but hers, Cody went pale. She had shot him.

As her attention was on Vin, Cody felt a hand grab a hold of her hair, and drag her to her feet. “That’s right,” Matt said, his bad breath assaulting her nose. “You shot loverboy.” Holding her close to him, Matt grabbed a hold of her breast, squeezing hard enough to make Cody jerk away in pain. “And before he got to fuck you. You are bad luck Cody, you know that?”

Cody could hear others milling around the camp and she could hear Vin moaning in pain. Her heart sank. ‘That’s right,’ she said to herself. ‘I am bad luck.’

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Brett knew that the lawmen would be catching up with them soon so he sent the others into the camp while he scouted the area. He searched as best he could, but didn’t find any trace of them so he headed for the camp. He didn’t want to give Matt much time alone with Cody.

As he entered the camp, he saw an unfamiliar man, lying in a pool of blood. He saw the other members of the gang. He saw Billy and doing a quick scan with his eyes, determined that he looked okay. But what he didn’t see was Matt or Cody.

“Billy, where’s Matt?”

Smiling, “He took that bitch over there to teach her a lesson.” With a nod of his head, Billy motioned out the other side of the clearing. Brett took off running. He had to try to stop Matt at all costs.

As he jumped through the brush, he found Matt standing over Cody beginning to undo his pants. Cody laid on the ground, blood running from her nose and lip. He could see the her hands had been bound in front of her. She was at Matt’s mercy.

Matt turned to see who dared intrude on his private moment. Seeing it was Brett, he smiled. “You want some when I’m done?” He had dropped his pants to the ground and was rubbing himself in anticipation.

Brett was disgusted. He hated Matt more and more everyday that he was around him. Pushing past Matt, Brett grabbed Cody by the arm and pulled her to her feet. Matt grabbed a hold of Brett’s shoulder. “What do you think you are doing? You can’t have her to yourself. We all get a turn. Look at that,” he said, eyeing Cody like a perfectly done steak. “Oh no, I am getting me some of that.”

With an amazing quickness, Brett had his pistol out and shoved it almost into Matt’s nostril. He stared into Matt’s eyes, daring him to say anything more. Brett could see the rage in Matt. He was not ever going to let this go. Brett knew that. And he knew that he had just changed everything.

Brett half dragged, half walked Cody back to the campfire. As soon as they neared the fire, Brett could see that Cody’s concern was on the nameless man that lay withering in pain. He was pale and clutching tightly at his stomach.

Brett shoved her hard, and Cody landed on her knees. As quick as she could, she scurried over to Vin. She grabbed his hands and gently pulled them away. Terror gripped her heart as she took in all the blood. He looked pale and weak, sweat broken out all over his forehead.

Startled by her touch, Vin looked at her. He smiled, relief washing over his face. “I’m so glad you’re....” he started to say, but was consumed by a fit of coughing.

Cody leaned forward, placing a gentle kiss on his forehead. Lowering herself to his ear, she whispered, “Oh God Vin, I am so sorry. This is all my fault. But I’ll get you out of here. I promise.” As she pulled back from Vin, he could see a tear slide down her cheek.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“What in the hell do you think you’re doing?” Matt said, refastening his pants as he pushed his way through the bushes. He was furious that anyone would challenge his authority, especially when he wanted something as bad as he wanted Cody.

Cody turned her attention to the men that stood behind her. Brett was staring at her and their eyes locked. Cody felt the pain of that long ago night. ‘How could he do it? Do nothing to stop them?’ she thought to herself. She hated to even look at him, the betrayal too great. He always brought back old feelings whether she liked it or not.

Matt was steaming, smoke pouring through his nose like a raging bull. He charged over to Brett; his fists raised as if ready for battle. But Brett was too fast. He had his Colt drawn and pointed right between Matt’s eyes faster than Matt could even what was going on. Matt’s eyes widened in shock.

“Listen Matt, have your fun some other time. That tracker there was shot if you didn’t hear the gun fire. The other lawmen are on our trail. If he dies, we will be in a world of trouble, whether we did it or not. Now, of all of us here, Cody is the only one who half way knows how to tend to him. So I suggest you keep your dick in your pants for now and sit down. Jacob is making some food.” Brett’s voice was so calm and soothing.

Matt stood with his jaw hanging open. His nose and head ached like nothing he had ever experienced. Not even his father’s worst beating could compare to how he felt. Matt shifted his gaze from Brett to Cody. She had her back to him, and was trying to help the lawman that was riding with her. “You still got feelings for her, don’t ya? I know you do.”

Brett had been watching Cody with great interest. She moved with the grace and agility of a cat. Her fingers working feverishly over the tracker’s body. Startled by Matt’s question, Brett whirled quick on his heals until he was face to face with Matt. “I don’t know what you are talking about,” Brett said, his eyes narrowing with mistrust.

“Oh Brett. I think you do. Just know this, you can’t always be around to protect her.” With that said, Matt turned to check on his brother.

Brett was about to protest, to make him take it back. He hated the idea of Matt’s vindictive little mind thinking it had some secret knowledge of him. ‘He’s nothing,’ Brett said to himself, shrugging off the ill begotten leader.

Chapter 25

JD felt the cold air nipping at his nose. Oh how he hated the cold weather. And cold the night air of the desert was. They had been riding for four hours, getting closer with each mile, but still uncertain as to exactly where they were headed.

Without Vin, it had taken the group a bit longer to find the tracks left by all those that were in pursuit of Cody Dalton, but find them they did. Buck had been stomping around, calling up every excuse for them to ring Cody and Vin’s neck when he stumbled right on to the tracks.

JD looked around at the others and saw the same feelings reflected in their faces that he felt in his own. They were tired and so was he. They had been riding, in one direction or another, all day long. His butt was sore, his legs stiff and he was hungrier than he could remember ever being.

Josiah’s head dropped slowly to his chest before being jerked back upright. He squeezed his eyes shut several times as if trying to get them to obey that they needed to be open. Nathan and Ezra yawned continually, neither one trying to hid it. Buck was staring straight ahead, his eyes red and bloodshot. Even Chris was trying to stifle the yawns that threatened him.

“Chris?”

“Yeah JD, what is it?”

“I know we need to hurry and find Vin and Cody, but don’t you think we should stop for tonight? What good would it do to find ’um, if we fall asleep once we get there.”

All five men’s attention were on the black-clad leader. Chris looked from man to man and could see the wear on their faces. Sighing, he reigned his horse to stop. He looked out at the black night that stood before him. He hated to stop. His feelings of dread stronger than before, but what could he do? He knew that he couldn’t keep pushing his men as he had been. They were all tired and in need of food.

The black sky looked down upon him, barren of stars or moon. ‘Nothing to even help guide us to Vin,’ he thought to himself as he studied the land around them. It was a small clear spot that would do for a camp. “All right then. Let’s camp here for the night.”

Chapter 26

Most of Matt’s men had gone to sleep, pulling up bedrolls by the fire. Cody had tried to tend to Vin’s wound as best she could. Brett had offered her a little assistance to which she would have normally spit in his face. But not now. Now she needed every ounce of help anyone would give to her to save Vin.

The wound was deep. From what Cody could tell, the bullet had entered Vin’s side and had continued on through. What scared Cody the most was the blood loss. She had finally been able to get the bleeding to stop, but not after a significant loss.

Vin faded in and out of consciousness, sweat covering his brow. His body was racked with shivers. Brett had allowed Cody to keep Vin close to the fire, but he had stayed close to them himself. She loathed him that near her, but forced herself to push her feelings aside. Her main concern was to keep Vin warm.

Jacob had an extra bedroll on his horse and with a LOT of persuading, he had finally bestowed it to Cody. Wrapping Vin tightly in the blanket, Cody draped her arms and body against his for added warm. She rested her head on his shoulder to be able to listen to his breathing which was slow, but steady.

Cody looked around at the men, each appeared to be sleeping. She was worried, not only for the tracker, but for Tanka. The dog had disappeared hours ago. “That’s not like her,” Cody thought to herself as she scanned the outer edges of the camp.

She turned her gaze to the fire and watched it dancing merrily. She had to get out of there. But with her still weakened ribs and Vin’s injury, it was easier said than done. But she was worried. She had allowed herself to fall into the clutches of the Carson brothers once again. That was something she had vowed would never happen after the last time she had gotten careless.

Her carelessness that long ago night had almost cost her Tanka; had almost cost her life. It was the night that she had made the mistake of getting too close, too eager; the night she had felt the crack of the whip........

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Cody had been tracking Matt and Billy through Wyoming. She had just gotten the two older Carson brothers, Travis and Tom, sent to prison for their parts in her family’s murder. Now she was closing in on Matt and Billy’s trail. Her adrenaline was pumping hard. It was the closest she had been able to get to Matt and Billy, the last remaining Carson’s that had yet to received punishment.

They had just left a small village in the mountains near Cheyenne and made camp. Cody made sure to stay a good distance behind, but her eagerness had gotten the best of her. Tanka must have been able to feel her excitement because the dog was ready to spring.

Cody had given the men plenty of time to get settled before she made her way to the outskirts of the camp. She wanted to get a look at how they had decided to guard it. Leaving Tank with the horse, she hid behind a tree. She could see that there were five men in the camp, each with various duties to complete. As Cody watched them move about the camp. she realized that Brett and Billy were missing. Haven seen them leave Cheyenne, Cody allowed the thought to cross her mind that they must be keeping guard.

She had been so excited, the taste of revenge so sweet in her mouth, that she had forgotten completely that someone could be keeping watch. She decided that the smartest thing to do would be to get away until she could get a better spot with which to spy. She was too close for her own liking. Just as Cody began to turn, she felt the strong hands grab her by the arms and drag her from her hiding spot.

Cody struggled with all her might, trying to free the wretched hands that held her tightly. Once she was clear from the trees that had been her shelter, she was pulled into strong arms. They wrapped around her with intense pressure as she kicked and bucked with all her might. She was carried into the camp of her enemies and thrown to the ground. As soon as she landed, she was up again and ready to fight. Ready, that is, until she felt the blade of the hunting knife against her throat.

“Don’t move Cody. I don’t want to have to cut your pretty little head off,” Matt said, panting heavily in her ear. His breath was soaked with booze and his speech was slightly slurred. They all seemed to be inebriated. Cody didn’t like the odds of that.

The point of Matt’s blade was pressed tightly to the base of her throat. Cody feared that with even the slightest move, the knife would be plunged into her skin. She heard the drunken laugh that came from the man whose mercy she was currently at and then she felt his hand. It was roaming her body freely, grabbing greedily at her breasts. Cody could feel her skin crawl as the rage built within every inch of her being.

Matt pressed himself against her back side, a hardness in his pants pressed firmly into her lower back. Without warning, Cody was turned around to face him. Standing only inches apart, Matt attacked Cody’s lips. He ravaged them, licking and biting as she tried to pull away. Instead it was Matt that pulled back. “What’s a matter Cody? You think you are too good to get fucked?”

Cody had hit her point of no return. Drawing her head back as far as her captive would let her, she used that moment to push forward with all her might. She connected her forehead with Matt’s nose and a sick cracking sound was heard. Immediately blood sprayed everywhere, including on Cody’s face.

Matt screamed in pain, drawing his hands to his face. The second that he released her, Cody took the opportunity to try and run as fast as she could. A bit of Matt’s blood had gotten in her eyes when she had hit him, causing her vision to be greatly blurred. As Cody ran, she misjudged her surroundings and ran right into a tree. Falling back hard, she landed squarely on her bottom.

She again felt the hands that closed on her shoulders, already dragging her up from where she sat. She could hear the screams from behind her as they drew near. “YOU BITCH!!!!” she heard as she was whirled around, her back scrapping against the tree that she had run into. She felt, rather than saw, the hands that began to hit her. Her face, her back, her ribs.....all were open targets. After the first 5 or 6 punches, she lost track of how many more had followed as her mind was threatened by blackness.

Fearing what would happen if she blacked out, Cody bit her lip hard. Blood ran into her mouth, and the coppery taste gave her something to focus on. “That’s enough. String her up.”

Cody felt her arms being tied together at the wrists. Drug back to her feet, her hands were raised above her. Cody tried to focus on what they were doing, but couldn’t understand. She hurt so bad, her ribs and her back.

“All right you fucken whore. You want to play rough? We’ll play rough,” Matt yelled into her ear. With both hands, he grabbed her breasts and squeezing them hard. He ran his hands over her body, touching every part of her. He had turned her around to face him, his eyes immediately drawn to the star that hung around her neck. “You won’t be needing this anymore, now will ya?” he said as he ripped it from her neck.

Cody tried to protest but not a word would come out. Instead she could only stand there, her arms above her head. She was in pain, and the only thing that she wanted more than anything else was to give into the blackness that danced at the edge of her mind. She could feel the comfort that it held, no pain, no aches, and no Matt. And then she felt that first sting that followed the crack of the whip.

Cody’s mind awaken with horror as she felt the second crack of the whip tearing at her tender flesh. She screamed in pain as fire flared across her back. “Oh dear God,” she cried to herself, not giving Matt the satisfaction of saying it aloud. Then there was the third crack. And the fourth.

Her screams of pain were heard by the only person that she had ever had by her side. From out of the bushes, Tanka flew threw the air, her jump landing on Matt with full force. Cody could hear his screams for help and Tanka’s vicious growl. As the sounds behind her continued, Cody was beginning to fade. The blackness was winning, no matter how hard she fought. Just as she was about to succumb to it, she heard the nerve piercing yelp that seemed to fill the night and her senses were once again fully aroused.

“God Damn Dog!”

Cody used what little strength she had left to turn herself as much as she could. Lying by the fire was Tanka, blood pouring from her stomach. “You son of a whore!!” she screamed as she fought the restraints that bound her. Knowing that it was no use, that she couldn’t get out, Cody turned her attention back to the heart breaking whimpers she heard coming from her best friend. And at that moment, Cody cried the first real tears that night.

Matt was starting to head back over to Cody when Brett burst through the brush. “We got riders coming in and fast.” He looked around the sight to see Cody strung up and her dog lying in a pool of blood. “What the hell did you do?” He walked over to Cody and saw her back a bloody mess. The parts that weren’t dripping blood, were already huge purple bruises. Undoing her restraints, he laid her to the ground, knowing she would never be unable to stand by herself.

Immediately Cody tried to crawl to the dog, her sobs filling in the silence of the night. Brett felt his heart break. What had he been thinking. Knowing how Matt was, how could he have ever thought that he could leave Cody with Matt. He should have stayed. She was a mess because of him. “All of you,” Brett shouted to the gang. “Get your stuff and mount up. The riders are from Cheyenne and I don’t think they want to welcome us back to town. We have to get out now.”

The men scurried about the camp, grabbing what they could before loading it all back on to their horses. Mounting themselves, the gang took off. They wanted to put plenty of distance between them and the mob. Making sure that anything of value had been gathered, Brett mounted his horse. He was the last to leave. He looked at Cody who had finally made it to the dog. “God, how could things have gone so wrong,” he thought to himself. “She has every right to hate me.”

In the distance, Brett could hear the riders approaching fast. He looked up at the starless sky and felt a lump in his throat. Choking it away, “I hate me” he said as he turned and rode out of sight.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Cody shivered against the desert air. That night seemed like a thousand years ago, and yet she had the scars on her back to prove it. If those riders had been farther away, she knew that Tanka would have died for sure. As it was, it had taken a long time for the dog to even be able to walk again.

“Awww”

She turned her attention to Vin. His color was completely gone, taking on an ashen gray. Sweat rolled across his brow.

“Vin, can you hear me?” she whispered. Matt had already hit her in the back with the butt of his rifle twice for talking to Vin. She didn’t need to arouse him again. Looking around the campfire, she could see Matt and Billy sleeping soundly directly across the fire from her. Several of the other men were scattered around the fire as well, but Brett was missing.

Turning her attention back to Vin, she could see that he had his eyes slightly open. It was such a chore for him to even do that. Cody felt her heart ache for him. Especially since she was the cause of it. “Vin, can you hear me?”

Barely audible over the wind that had blown in over the night, he whispered. “I think so,” he said, gritting his teeth against the pain. Cody was still laying next to him, using her body to give him warmth.

“Vin, I swear I am gonna think of something. I am going to get you out of here.”

Vin’s eyes fluttered and rolled back into his head. A low moan escaped his lips. He tried to refocus his eyes. “Cody, don’t be stupid. My friends will be here soon. They will get us.....” Vin was cut off by a shooting pain in his stomach. Again, he gritted his teeth against the pain and the scream that built up against his teeth. He fought it off, only to lay in agony, sucking in deep handfuls of breath.

Cody could see the weariness in his face. He was in so much pain and he didn’t look good. She was worried; worried for Vin and worried for herself. Her concern for Vin frightened her more than her concern for her own life. She had never really cared about anyone in her whole worthless life after her sister had died. The only thing she had cared about was revenge.

And now, she felt her heart race with panic at the prospect of losing the quiet tracker. No, she wasn’t going to let that happen. Scanning the campsite, her eyes happened on what she was looking for, Brett.

Brett sat at the far end of the campsite, his back to a tree. He had been watching the whole exchange between Cody and Vin with a blank face. Just looking at him, brought back all the pain that she kept hid deep in the depths of her soul. She looked back at Vin who had lost consciousness again. “Come on Cody. You can do this,” she told herself as she took a deep breath. “You have to do this, for Vin’s sake.”

Chapter 27

Cody briefly scanned the campsite to make sure that everyone else was asleep. She pulled herself up into a sitting position next to Vin. Running her fingers through her wild blonde mane, she tried to put it back into place. She straightened her vest, took one more deep breath, and prayed softly under her breath. “Please God....I haven’t asked you for anything. Just let me get Vin out of here alive.”

Cody stood up, holding her hands out in front of her. Brett had been watching her with great interest as she sat up next to the tracker. Now as she slowly stood up, his hand went immediately for his gun. He knew Cody was unarmed, but she was still quite dangerous and he wasn’t about to take any chances.

“Wait,” Cody said softly as she slowly made her way over to where he sat. “I just want to talk to you.” Cody’s mind raced in all directions. She knew he was never going to buy a peace treaty between her and him. He knew good and well that she hated him with every ounce of her being. She knew her only hope was to play on the fact that he had loved her once upon a time.

Brett stood up quickly, his hand still resting on his gunbelt. “Stop Cody. What are you doing?” Confusion nipped at the edge of his voice and his heart began to race. He hadn’t been that close to the lone bounty hunter in a very long time.

Cody stopped two feet from Brett, her hands still held up by her shoulders. “Brett, you know I am unarmed. Can I put my hands down?” It took every ounce of her being to keep her voice steady and her hate in check. She could see Brett relax a little. He motioned for her to drop her arms as he pulled his hand away from his gun.

“You never answered my question. What do you want?” he asked as he looked deep into the brilliant blue eyes of the woman he once loved with all his soul. He took in every inch of her beautiful face and felt his anger grow as he came upon the purple welts that marked her cheek and forehead, courtesy of Matt. “That sick bastard,” he thought to himself as their eyes locked once again.

“Brett, it’s been a long time, you know? Here I am, so close once again, and again you save their sorry asses,” she said as she shook her head, turning her gaze to the ground in front of her.

Brett was speechless. Cody took a step toward him and immediately he drew away, his back coming to rest on the tree behind him. “What do you want Cody?”

Cody laughed softly, her voice sweet to his ears. “Now Brett. Is that anyway to treat an old friend?” Cody took another step toward him and smiled. “You know Brett, that man is law,” she said, motioning with her head toward Vin. “You don’t want him to die. Isn’t there enough hanging over your head already?” she said softly, her voice almost a purr.

Brett felt drunk on her beauty. His thoughts were jumbled, sweat covering his brow even in the chilled desert air. He watched her lips move with a dazed intensity. She kept coming closer and closer. He tried to sort out what was happening, but all he could do was watch. His heart raced madly with anticipation of her touch, the smell of her skin, the desire of her embrace.....

“Brett, we can help each other here. We need to get Vin to a doctor or else he will die,” she said as she inched her way to him. She brought her hand up and slowly moved it toward him. Her mind screamed in revulsion at what she was doing, but her heart knew that there was no other choice. She laid her hand lightly against his chest and he jumped as if he had just been shocked.

She smiled coyly. “Here is what we can do. If you help me get Vin out of here and to a doctor, I will be very generous to you in return,” she said as she drew herself to him, her body pressed gently to his. Cody looked up into his confused face and saw that one glimmer of hope...she saw his desire.

Cody could feel his breath coming out in rapid bursts. Carefully she raised herself to meet his lips. She brushed her lips delicately across his. Again she drew them back the other way, lightly brushing them as she went. A moan escaped Brett’s lips.

He drew his hands up to the center of her back, pulling her body hard against his. He could hold back no longer. He crushed her lips with a passionate embrace, devouring them. He felt his mind splitting in all directions. He felt his heart ache with passion for the pretty blonde. He felt all the old feelings that he had tried, for so long, to suppress. Then he felt the gun as it was pressed hard into his stomach.

Cody pulled away, spitting on the ground. In her hand, she held Brett’s revolver. With her free hand, she wiped at her mouth. She looked up at him, evil and hate marring every inch of her once beautiful face. “You stupid fool.”

Brett felt his heart shatter into a million pieces. “God, what happened to the girl I used to know? The girl who liked to sit by the lake and look at the stars,” he said as he pulled his arms up by his side.

The smile faded from Cody’s face. “You want to know where she is?” she whispered through gritted teeth. Cody thrust the barrel of the pistol to the base of Brett’s throat. “You want to know where she is?” she said again, emphasizing every word. “She died, you sick bastard. She died the night you killed my sister.” Cody drew her knee back with all her might and planted it hard into his groin.

“Aaawwww.” The air escaped from his lungs with a forced vengeance. Brett tried to double over to ease the pain, but Cody wouldn’t allow it. Instead, she pushed the barrel right up under his chin.

“Did you have any more questions?” she hissed in his face.

Brett slowly opened his eyes. The pain caused small white spots to cloud his vision. He looked weary, plagued with long ago memories. “I swear Cody,” he said through gritted teeth. “I didn’t do it. I wasn’t even at the ranch that day. I went to Joplin to sell the horses that you and I used to ride. I tried to stop them, but it was too late. Your sister was dead when I got there.”

He stopped and looked into Cody’s eyes. He could see that no matter what he said, she would never listen. “For God’s sake Cody,” he begged, searching for some remnant of the girl he once loved. “You know me better than that. I would never harm you. Don’t you know that?”

But it was useless. His words fell on deaf ears. He allowed his head to turn to the side, coming to rest on his shoulder. He wasn’t going to fight with her. In fact, he would have felt better if he could get her away from them. He sighed. “God Cody, I loved you with every ounce of my soul.” He looked back at her with wounded eyes. “I still do.”

Cody’s head was beginning to hurt. ‘Why was he saying this?’ she thought as the days, weeks, months and years of long ago came flooding back. She tried to remember why he hadn’t been with her that day of the fire. She tried to remember the days right before that awful night......the days at the lake.....the days in his arms.......”NO.”

“You shut your stinken, lying mouth. You would say anything to keep me from killing you,” Cody said as she pushed harder on the barrel under his chin. She could see the hurt in his eyes. She could see the lover she once knew. She could see him as he stood over her dead sister’s body....all covered in blood. What she didn’t see was Matt standing behind her, his rifle trained directly in the center of her head.

Chapter 28

Chris Larabee walked through the streets of a deserted Four Corners. The sun was just beginning to set on the small town, painting the sky with dark blues and purples. The wind was blowing, carrying with it a chill that nipped at the black clad leaders bones. There was something about the air that made Chris stand on edge, something he didn’t like. It was dark and evil. And it was coming fast.

He walked by the deserted businesses and began to wonder where everyone was. Even the saloon, which never seemed to sleep, was dark and empty. He passed by the Clarion and wanted to go in and check on Mary, but he couldn’t. He wasn’t sure why, but he knew that he had to go forward. He had no time to stop.

The church bell rang, startling Chris out of his thoughts. As he turned his attention to the church that lay directly in front of him, his suspicions began to grow as he saw the dim illumination of candles in the church window. “Whatever is going on has to be going on in there,” he said trying to reason with himself.

Chris mounted the steps of the church. From within it’s walls, he could hear the soft voices in song. Dread weighed Chris down like a drowning man. He stood before the church doors, staring at the door handles. His mind told him to open the door, but every muscle in his body told him to run the other way.

Chris forced himself to bring the doors open and step inside. He stood at the back of the dimly lit church. The entire town filled the small church pews, packed together like sardines in a can. It was hot in the church. Hot and something else. Something that made the hair on the back of Chris Larabee’s neck stand on end. It smelled like death.

He scanned the room, looking for the other members of his group, when his eyes caught site of something at the front of the church. Josiah stood at the small podium, his head hung in prayer.

“Dear Lord. Please accept our brother into your forgiving arms. Show him your grace and your kindness. Give to him your love as he will be sorely missed. Lord accept Brother Tanner into the graces of Heaven....”

“What?” Chris said aloud, shock in his heart. “No, it can’t be. Josiah....you’re wrong!” he said as he moved quickly to the front of the church. A coffin sat on a bench surrounded by candles. Chris moved to the bench, but drew swiftly back at the sight of his partner in the coffin.

“No,” he said, shaking his head. “I don’t understand.” Chris turned to Josiah for answers. The preacher still stood at the podium, his chin resting against his chest. Chris moved to Josiah, grabbing his arm and turning him to face the fearless leader.

Chris screamed aloud for on the face of the preacher was the face of death....

Chris bolted up right, panting as he did. The dream held firmly to Chris’s mind. His hand immediately went for his gun as if he could shoot the image from his memory. Frantically, he looked around himself only to see his fellow gunmen by his side. Ezra, Buck, JD, Nathan, even Josiah who still had his face intact. The only one missing was Vin.

“You okay?” said the familiar voice of his oldest friend.

Chris turned to Buck. He could see the concern on Buck’s face. Hell, he could feel that same concern mirrored on his own face. Off in the distance, a soft bark echoed through the night. Chris turned quickly in the direction of the bark. “Think that’s her dog?” Chris said, pondering the possibilities.

Another lonely howl filled the cool desert night. “I think so,” Buck said as he stood up from his spot by the fire. “She sounds like there’s trouble.”

Chris also stood up and began to gather his sleeping roll. “I think so too. We need to go. Don’t ask me why Buck, but we need to ride on out now. We have to find Vin. I think he is in terrible danger.” With that said, Chris began to rouse the others.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Cody pushed the barrel of the gun even harder into Brett’s throat. She looked hard at him when she noticed his eyes shift ever so slightly to behind her. Grabbing Brett by the arm, Cody pulled him in front of her as her shield. “Drop it Matt. Or I kill him.”

Matt had just cocked his rifle when Cody made her move. “Damn it,” Matt yelled. “Brett, you stupid ass. You tipped her off.” Matt shifted his gaze from Brett to Cody. “Now Cody, you know I can’t do that. I can’t let you get away this time.”

“What the hell happened?” Billy said as he pulled himself up on his elbow. He rubbed his eyes, trying to focus on all the ruckus. Other members of the gang were beginning to rise. “Oh shit,” Billy said as he was finally able to grasp what was happening. He hurried to his feet, drawing his weapon.

“Matt, put down your gun or else I kill Brett,” Cody said as she positioned the pistol at the base of Brett’s neck. “I swear to you Matt. Put your gun down or he gets it.” Cody’s mind raced. “What the hell am I going to do now?” she thought as she watched all of Matt’s men pulling their guns and aiming them at her. It hadn’t exactly gone according to her plan.

“But then,” she thought to herself. “You really didn’t have a plan, did you? Damn it Cody, you always do this. Rush into this shit without thinking it through. I’ve got to get Vin out of here.” She shifted her gaze from Matt to Billy and then to Vin who moaned softly at Billy‘s feet.

Billy looked from Cody to the tracker and a smile spread across his face. He reached down and grabbed the semi-conscious man by the arm. “All right Cody. Unless you want your friend here to die, I think you better put your gun down.”

Cody’s eyes grew wide with panic. She looked from man to man and felt her stomach turn as she saw that familiar look of confidence. They knew they had won and she hated them for it. Cody looked back at Billy who held his Colt to Vin’s temple. Vin’s pale face glistened with sweat as his eyes rolled back into his lolling head. She had to get him out. “But how? Think Cody girl,” she said to herself as she looked around the campsite for some way out. That was when she noticed the ex-preacher coming in from the far side of the camp.

Chapter 29

Chris circled the camp like a demon in the night. He had to find a way to get in the camp. He could see Vin lying next to the fire and he didn’t look good. His face was pale and sweaty. He was covered with blankets, and yet, he still appeared to be shivering. Chris turned to see the other members of the seven taking position around the camp. All eyes were eagerly waiting his signal to move in.

Frustration bit at the lawman. The clearing where the Carson’s had camped had sparse coverage. It had made it extremely easy for them to find Vin and the others, but now was a hindrance because they couldn’t get close enough to mount an effective attack. The only saving grace was a small cluster of trees that served as a northern border to the camp. Chris could see Josiah and Buck carefully making their way through the outcropping to get as close as they could.

“Now I just have to think of a plan,” he thought to himself as he counted the number of men between him and his partner. Eight men stood between him and Vin. Chris knew that if they couldn’t keep their element of surprise, they didn’t stand any reasonable chance of getting Vin or Cody out alive.

He began to clench his jaw, a habit he had developed over the years during stressing situations. Just when he was about to barrel straight in the camp for lack of a better plan, he saw Cody stand up and walk toward the guard, her arms up in the air. “Now what is she up to?” Chris said to himself as he watched the pretty blonde with great interest.

Chris motioned for the men to hold their positions until he could figure out what Cody was doing. He could see the same curious expression on their faces as he knew rested on his own. “She sure is gutsy,” he thought to himself, knowing that if anything happened to Vin, he would have no choice but to kill her.

The scene unfolded as Chris and the others watched. When Chris saw that Cody had effectively gotten a hold of the guard’s gun, he motioned for Josiah and the others to quietly make their way into the camp. When Matt woke up and saw what Cody was doing, Chris and the others froze. The five men turning toward their leader to see how they should proceed next.

Chris didn’t like the way things were unfolding. All of the men were beginning to stir and Cody was in a precarious situation. It wasn’t until the gun was pointed to Vin’s head that Chris threw all caution to the wind. When Billy had lifted the sharpshooter off the ground, Chris could see the large dark stain on the tracker’s clothes. He knew that Vin had been shot and that there was no more time left. Turning to the others, he motioned them to proceed into the camp.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Billy, I swear I will kill him. You don’t want me to do that after all the times that he saved your sorry hide, do ya?” Cody said, trying to keep the shakiness out of her voice. She was severely out gunned, but she knew she had to keep their attention.

She had seen Josiah, and next to him was Buck. She knew that the others had to be out there as well, but she didn’t dare to look for fear of tipping her hand to Matt. Billy pushed the barrel of his gun harder against Vin’s head. A soft moan escaped his lips as Vin stirred from the unconscious state he had fallen into.

“Go ahead. Kill him. But you and loverboy here will never get out alive Cody. I think you know that too, don’t ya?” Matt said as if he were talking to a small child. “Why don’t you give me the gun and maybe, we will let the lawman go. But not you Cody. No matter what,” Matt said as he drew his hand up to the space where his tooth had once been. “You will never get out of here alive.”

Just as Josiah was about to burst into the camp, Brett caught site of him. “Billy, look out!” he yelled, trying to pull away from Cody’s grip. Knowing that his hand had been tipped, Chris burst into the camp area, the others close behind him.

Everything snowballed once Chris and the others attacked the camp. Cody stood by the tree watching in horror as guns went off all around her. Loud shots rang through the stillness of the desert night.

Billy, who had been holding the semi-conscious tracker by the arms, turned his gun back to Vin’s head. “So long,” he said as he drew back the hammer of his weapon. Just as he was about to squeeze the trigger, a large figure sprang on the unsuspecting outlaw, ramming into him with the force of a steam engine. Vin fell to the ground with a resounding thud as Tanka chewed on Billy’s arm. He screamed as the 80 pound dog bounced around him like a mad rabbit.

Cody just stood and watched as men fell to the ground all around her. Moans and screams filled her ears as the smell of gun powder burned her nose. A shot hit the tree behind her only inches from her head and yet, she stood frozen to her spot like a statue. It wasn’t until Matt made a move on Vin that she sprang into action.

Both Cody and Matt reached the unconscious Vin at the same time. Gun fire was going off all around them, but that didn’t matter to them. It was a final showdown. Cody could feel it. Either her or him were going to walk away, but not both. It would end tonight and they both knew it. Matt turned the pistol he held in his hand on Cody as she dove to cover the tracker.

The bullet ripped through her right arm as she landed hard on Vin’s side. Rolling over to get her good arm free, she aimed right between the eyes of the outlaw and fired. Cody could have sworn that the bullet left the gun in slow motion. She watched it as it tracked its way across the distance that stood between herself and the evil that had plagued her for seven years.

Another bullet tore into her left thigh, but she didn’t feel it. She could only watch the slow bullet as it made contact with Matt’s skull and dug it’s way into his brain. Goo and mess blew from the back of the outlaw’s head as the bullet ripped the back side of his skull apart. Cody could see the life leave his body as his empty carcass fell to the ground near her.

“Nooooooooo,” she heard as she turned to see Billy running at her, Tanka close on his heels. Cody tried to get up, but the pain in her leg was taking over. Shots were being fired all around her, and yet, Billy still came barreling toward her. Cody pulled her Colt up to fire, but was met with an empty chamber. She looked at the gun in disbelief, and then threw it aside. Her only thought was to protect Vin.

Cody pulled her body over that of the tracker and waited for the final shots to come. She looked up at Billy, anger and hate consumed his youthful face. Just as Billy was about to pull the trigger, his body began to jerk. His expression of hate turned to late of surprise as he fell to the ground. Standing behind him was Brett, a smoking gun in his hand.

Blood covered his shirt as he fell to his knees. Torment marked his face as he stared at the fallen body of the man he considered to be a brother. Looked from Billy to Cody, Brett felt the tear slide carelessly down his dirt streaked face. Cody could see the love that she had once known in the eyes of the man she had grown to hate.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As the gunfire came to an end, Cody pulled herself off the tracker who was beginning to stir. She looked around at all the carnage that surrounded her. She heard moans and shouts for help. She could see that the young sheriff had been shot in the shoulder. Buck was attending to the wound. The ex-preacher was tying a piece of his shirt around his calf to try and stop the blood loss from a shot he took while Nathan looked on. The gambler was blotting at his forehead with a handkerchief. He looked like a few cuts were the extent of his wounds.

Cody turned to the other side of the camp. Bodies of Matt’s gang littered the ground. Jesse was stirring, favoring his right side which had taken a bullet. Another member moaned in pain, rocking himself back and forth as he cradled the blood mess that had once been his hand. Lying near her feet was Brett, blood flowing from a chest wound. Exhausted, Cody started to lay her head against the coolness of the desert floor.

Movement to her left caused Cody to quickly turned toward it. Standing near the far end of the camp, his black duster blowing out behind him, was Chris. Not a single scratch was on the fearless leader. He stood like the dark hero of a novel, the moonlight creating shadows on his face. Tanka sat at his feet. “He truly is magnificent,” she thought to herself as the darkness took over.

Chapter 30

Three days later

Vin could hear singing. Some kind of awful, out of key singing that was making his head ache. “What in God’s name is that awful noise?” Vin slurred through his dry, sticky lips. He pulled as hard as he could on his eye lids until finally and reluctantly, they opened. But were immediately shut again. Determined to keep them open, Vin pried his eyes open They fluttered wildly as he tried to look around.

“Brother Tanner,” said the rich, deep familiar voice. “So glad that you decided to rejoin the living.” Josiah stood over tracker with a smile. Vin tried to laugh, but intense pain in his stomach put an abrupt end to it.

Instead, it was Josiah who laughed. “I don’t think you will be doing much of anything for a while.”

“Where’s Cody?” Vin said as he tried to raise his head from the cot. His head felt like it weighed a thousand pounds. Too tired to continue to try, Vin laid his head back against the pillow. Instead he searched for answers in the face of his friend.

“She made it through. We have her over at Mary’s. It was rough for a while. We weren’t sure she would survive, but that woman is strong. She has fire in her,” Josiah said as he stretched his arms out in front of him. Yawning, he turned his attention back to the tracker. “Most of the Carson men were killed. Only two of them survived. That Brett fellow was one of them.”

Vin felt his eyes getting heavy. His stomach ached, and the only thing he could think of was sleep. “I saw him take a bullet in the chest. How did he manage to survive?”

Josiah shrugged. “I don’t know. We thought he was dead. He looked dead, but then, when we were gathering up the bodies, he started moving around. Nathan has him down in the clinic. Turns out it just barely missed everything important.”

“What about Chris and the others?” Vin asked, his speech getting more slurred as sleep pressed heavily on his tired mind.

Josiah smiled big-heartedly. “Nothing serious. JD’s got a shoulder injury. Ezra had a fight with a tree. I took one in the leg.”

“Chris? What about Chris?” Vin asked, his eyes creeping closed. He fought with them, pulling them back open with each new attack.

“You know Chris,” Josiah said as he yawned again. “He’s too stubborn to be hurt.”

Vin had heard all he needed to hear. He let himself slip back into the warm comforting folds of sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~

Vin sipped the steaming black brew as he looked out at the early morning dawn. The sun was golden, rays of fire burst from its edges. Vin drew in deeply on the clean morning air. He liked the feel of it. He had been in so much pain since the night of the confrontation that he hadn’t been able to take a good deep breath in a while.

In fact, he was just happy to get to see something other than the ceiling of his room. It was the first time he had been out since the night at the camp and he was taking in every minute of it.

“Good morning Vin,” came the familiar female voice.

“Mornin’ Cody,” Vin said as he turned to greet the female bounty hunter. Vin’s jaw dropped open at the sight that his eyes were met with. Standing before him was Cody, but not in her usual gunfighter attire. Instead she wore a dress, cream colored with light brown lace covering the bodice. Soft hues of brown makeup covered her face and her hair was swept up in a bun. Tendrils of long golden curls fell loosely around her face.

Cody laughed at the tracker’s reaction. “I know. I am still getting use to it myself.” She ran her hands long the front of her skirt in an absentminded gesture as she looked to Vin for approval.

“Cody, you look beautiful.”

Cody smiled grandly. “Thank you Vin,” she said as Tanka came from around the side of the jail. The dog’s tail wagged casually as she made her way over to Vin. Tanka mounted the boardwalk and proceeded to lay her head in the tracker’s lap. Cody and Vin exchanged amused glances as they shared unguarded laughter.

Cody looked down at her hands, absently rubbing at her palm. “Listen Vin, I wanted....”

Vin stopped her. “You don’t need to say anything. What’s done is done. Say, I heard that Brett fella survived?”

“Yes, amazingly he did.” Cody smiled as she shifted her face toward the rising sun as it spread colorful waves of gold across the morning sky. “I don’t know that I can ever get used to how beautiful that is,” she said as she motioned to the rising sun.

Vin watched the bounty hunter with interest. He could see a renewed light in the young woman that hadn’t been there before, a sparkle that had returned to a once burned out smile. “So what are ya going to do now that you ain’t got the Carson’s to chase anymore?”

“That’s a good question,” she said as she put her hands on her hips. Cody looked back out at the sun as it began creeping its way up into the sky. “I’ve been so filled with hate for the Carson’s for so long, I almost forgot what it was to live. Brett and I are actually going to have another try at it.” She sighed as she turned her attention back to Vin. “Maybe it will work out this time. Maybe it won’t. Who knows,” she said smiling. She brushed at a piece of hair that tickled her cheek.

“As a matter of fact,” she said, looking deeply into Vin’s eyes. “We are leaving on the stage today. We’re heading back to Missouri. I just wanted to say goodbye. And to thank you for everything you did.”

Vin stood up from his chair, wincing as he did. “Don’t worry about it,” he said as he turned to face Cody. “So I take it that you have given up bounty hunting then?” he said, his hands resting on his hips.

“Yeah,” she said as she brushed the loose hair from her face. She looked out at the vast emptiness of the Arizona territory. Sighing, she turned her attention back to the tracker, her blue eyes blazing. “It’s time to let old demons die.”

Cody quickly threw her arms around Vin’s neck before heading back toward the hotel. Buck had just emerged from the saloon to check on the tracker’s condition. As he headed toward the jail, he saw the beautiful young woman approach. Being his usual charming self, Buck smiled one of his best smiles. “Mornin’ ma’am,” he said as he tipped his hat.

It wasn’t until he had passed the woman that Buck realized who she was. Stopping dead in his tracks, he whirled around on his boot heels. He looked from Cody to Vin. “That who I think it is?” Buck asked, a mischievous smirk on his face.

Vin couldn’t help but laugh. ‘Good ole Buck,” he thought to himself as he watched Cody crossing the street, heading for the hotel. Tanka was not more than three feet behind her. “A diamond in the rough, my friend,” Vin said as he clapped Buck on the back. “And that dog is never far behind.”

The End

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