Rocky Mountain Cowboy (45 page)

Panic rose inside her as Steve pulled out of the arena parking lot, spitting up gravel in the wake of his spinning tires. She started to voice her questions, but never got the chance. Startling her, the big man beside her wrapped an arm around her neck and brought one hand up to her face to press a cloth over her nose and mouth. Jenny fought furiously against imminent suffocation. The cloth reeked of something sweet and strong. Chloroform? Ether?
Before she could figure it our, she slid into oblivion.

CHAPTER 26

Hawk
was getting tired of Cindy fussing over him by the time the EMT finished cleaning and bandaging his shoulder. He wanted to get rid of her. The damn woman just wasn’t going to exit their relationship easily. He’d known her since high school, so he hated to get nasty about it. He felt he owed her more than that, but his patience was at an end. And he was annoyed that Jenny hadn’t come over to check on him. He’d seen her in the stands, looking wide-eyed and frightened. Where the hell was she? She was the woman he wanted fussing over him, not his ex-girlfriend.

“Cindy, go get me
a big cup of coffee and pick up my prize money.” He figured that would keep her busy long enough for him to find Jenny.

“Scott already picked up your money, and I need a ride home.” She pouted theatrically.

“Well, where’s your damn brother?”

“He didn’t come today, and my car is at home. Something is wrong with it.”

“I can’t take you home this time. Try to find someone else to give you a lift.”

“Everyone is leaving,” she fussed. “I’ll get you some coffee, but I really am stuck here if you don’t give me a ride home.”

Hawk swore under his breath as she strode away toward the concession stand. Still swearing under his breath, he proceeded to stiffly put his shirt and vest back on.

The EMT chuckled as he watched Cindy walk away. “You look like you got female problems, buddy.” Reaching around his patient, he stowed away his medical bag in the back of the ambulance. “That pretty dark haired gal didn’t look too pleased to see that sexy blonde one. Must be tough— having two good looking women chasing after you. Send the one you don’t want my way, will ya?” Finished, he slammed the double doors of his emergency vehicle closed. “Get over to emergency room at the hospital now and get those stitches put in, okay?”

Hawk wasn’t worried about stitches. If Jenny had come looking for him and seen him with Cindy again, she’d probably gotten angry and left. Damn it all to hell! He picked up his hat, dusted it off, and slammed it on his head, then headed for the arena. The stadium was nearly empty. The rodeo was over. He’d won over $5,000 by winning both the team roping and the bull riding, but for the moment, he didn’t care. Finding Jenny was more important. He had a small box in the glove compartment of his truck that he’d meant to give her this afternoon. His gaze searched for her and came up empty.

Next, he headed over to the participant section of the parking lot, and spotted Scott loading his horse into his trailer. He arrived just as his friend shut the rear gate. “Hey, have you seen Jenny? She was with Becky.”

Before Scott could answer, Becky got out of the truck and marched to the rear end of the horse trailer. “Yes, I saw her— after she saw Cindy draped all over you— yet again! Damn it, Hawk, when are you going to wise up and give that woman the boot?”

Scott gave his friend a shrug. Becky wagged her finger at Hawk. “You need to get in Cindy’s face and tell her to leave you the hell alone! I know you’re trying to be nice, but nice is costing you a woman worth a hundred Cindy Caldwells. Jenny just doesn’t understand why Cindy is always hanging around, and you’re always obliging her, you stupid dumb cowboy! Now she’s gone, and she’s hurt. Again! So much for giving her that ring Scott and I helped you pick out!”

Hawk stared at his best friend’s wife. “She left? Because she was angry?”

“Da
h?” Becky exclaimed sarcastically. “Shit! Men! You can be so dense!” At that, she spun on her boot heels and stalked back to the truck. Both men heard her slam the passenger door. Scott threw up his hands and gave his friend a commiserating look. “Sorry, buddy. I guess women got their own way of seein’ these things. How’s your shoulder?”

“Oh hell, sore, tore up
, needs stitches. I’ll live.”

Scott dug a check out of his hip pocket. “At least you’re $5,000 richer,” he reminded his friend, then grinned lopsidedly. “Well, not really, I guess, not after buying that ring. Hope you get to give it to Jenny. Good luck, buddy.”

Hawk thanked Scott for picking up his check, then left. In the main parking lot, where the spectators had parked, it was easy to spot Jenny’s deep red Corvette. He walked up to it expectantly, but found it empty and locked. He hoped that meant she hadn’t left. He started back to the rodeo arena and the bleachers to resume his search. Along the way, he saw a woman’s black cowboy hat lying on the ground. He picked it up and immediately recognized it as Jenny’s. It wasn’t a good sign. She would never leave one of her new hats. She loved them. Something didn’t feel right. His gut twisted.

When Cindy found him and handed him his coffee, he had her check out the women’s restrooms. They were empty. They walked back to the snack bar. It was closing. He searched everywhere he could think of. Jenny was nowhere, and no one that knew her had seen her. But her car was still here. If she’d left, she’d left with someone.
But who? And why would she do that? Why would she leave her car? Why would she have lost her hat? Hawk thought he knew her well enough to know she wouldn’t have done any of those things. Not voluntarily, his mind whispered chillingly.

Taking Cindy by the elbow, he dragged her after him to the stock corral
where Red Phantom was waiting.

“I guess this means you’re giving me a ride home,” Cindy concluded, more than a little irritated. “What’s the damn hurry?”

“Something has happened to Jenny, and I have a hunch your goddamned brother knows what.” Once he had his horse in tow, he directed Cindy toward his truck and trailer. “Let’s go pay Brad a visit. Where is he? At home? At the bank? At his office? I didn’t see him here, today.”

Cindy frowned at him over her shoulder. “
I told you he didn’t want to come today. I don’t know where he is, though! He doesn’t give me his daily schedule. Why do you think Brad would know where your precious partner is?”

Hawk sent her a cynical look. “You’ve got to be kidding! Whenever I have trouble lately, your brother is behind it. Now, get on your cell phone and find him,” Hawk ordered, giving her a little push to the passenger side of his truck. After putting Red Phantom into the trailer, he shut and locked the rear door, then joined Cindy in the cab of his truck. “Well?” he
inquired. “Have you found him?”

“I’m working
on it! He’s not at the bank.”

Hawk started the powerful diesel engine of his big Dodge, slipped it into drive, and pulled out, throwing up gravel under his wheels as he headed toward the parking lot exit.

“He’s not at his office,” Cindy announced after the second call.

“Try home, goddamn it!”

On the fifth ring, Cindy got her brother at home. She said a couple of words to him, then handed the phone to Hawk. “He wants to talk to you.”

∞∞∞

Hawk decided he wasn’t going into the lion’s den without being prepared. By the time he reached the ranch and pulled up in front of the bunkhouse, it was late-afternoon and snowing fairly hard, enough to begin covering the ground in a blanket of white. By nightfall, the roads were going to be a bear to navigate, but his big four-wheel-drive Dodge was still better than a horse in such conditions. He left Cindy in the front seat of his truck and went inside to find Hank and Eli. They were both watching television in the living room area of the bunkhouse. Hawk shucked out of his blood-encrusted shirt and yanked a thermal one out of the dresser
he was using, then went to a closet for a heavy flannel shirt.

Both Eli and Hank came up to him as he dressed, their craggy faces lined with concern.

“You get hurt at the rodeo?” Eli asked.

While he buttoned his outer shirt over his inner one, Hawk answered Eli’s questions about his shoulder wound, then waved aside further concern for his injury and told them about Jenny’s disappearance after the rodeo. He went on to explain what Brad Caldwell had told him on the phone.

“He wants me to sign a bill of sale for the three hundred acres up by the hot springs. Then he’ll tell me where to find Jenny.”

“The son of the bitch has really gone off the deep end if he’s resorted to kidnapping,” Hank swore. “How the hell does he expect to get away with something like that?”

“There’s only one way he
can
get away with it,” Hawk stated grimly. “He’s got to get rid of Jenny, then me when I go after her. He’ll have to stage it so no evidence will fall back on him.”

“Then somebody will have to do his dirty work for him. Who do you think the bastard is
whose holding Jenny?” Eli looked ready to punch a hole in the wall, he was so red-faced with anger.

Hawk tucked his shirt into the belt encircling his waist
, and shrugged.

“Walker, I’ll bet,” Hank spat.

“Sure as shit! The son of a bitch!” Eli swore.

“And probably one of those gangsters Brad’s been doing business with,” Hawk added. “Least that’s what I’m afraid of. This sounds a little too deranged and ruthless for Brad. That guy I saw outside Brad’s office last week must have been six and half feet, easily, and three hundred pounds.” The thought of Jenny at the mercy of the beefy giant made Hawk’s blood run cold.

When he walked over to the footlocker at the end of his bunk, Hank and Eli followed. From inside the trunk, he withdrew his hunting knife and the leather back sling he had made for it. Hank helped him put his arms through the shoulder straps, careful of his heavily bandaged injury. Then Hank adjusted the leather sheath that hung from a cross strap across his shoulder blades. Hawk handed him the long serrated knife, and Hank slipped it into its holster. The hilt of the custom-made, hand-carved handle rested beneath the collar of his flannel shirt. The whole knife fit comfortably between his shoulder blades.

From the night stand by the bunk he was still sleeping in, Hawk pulled open a drawer and took out the extra set of car keys Jenny had given him, then a box of rifle cartridges. He tossed the keys to Eli.

“Have Hank take you out to the arena and pick up Jenny’s Corvette. If we leave it there, it may be too much of a temptation for someone to take for a joyride.”

Eli looked at him skeptically. “You want me to drive that thing?”

Hawk cast him a quick grin. “Hank can drive it then.”

“Hank should probably go with you. I can drive my relic out there and leave it. Nobody would want it. I’ll figure out that sport
s car somehow.”

“Brad told me to come alone— no sheriff, no help. I can’t risk Jenny’s safety by having one of you go.”

“You know they’ll be expecting you,” Hank pointed out. “It’s going to be a trap.”

“Probably, but what choice do I have?”

Hawk walked to the locked gun cabinet in the room and lifted his hunting rifle out. Then he loaded it. After putting on a down filled parka, he stuffed both pockets with extra shells.

“Use as much surprise as you can manage,” Eli advised.

“Keep your head,” Hank added.

Hawk accepted the advice from both men with a nod as he put his hat back on
his head with a yank to secure it.

Outside, both cowboys helped him unload Red Phantom, then unhitch his trailer from his truck. Eli noticed Cindy sitting in the front seat and scowled.

“What’s she doin’ here?”

Hawk left his horse with the old man and answered, “She needed a ride home. Since I’m paying Brad a visit, I decided to get what I needed before going over there. Less time wasted.”

“Good luck.” Hank said as Hawk walked to the driver’s door of his Dodge.

“Bring her back safe and sound,” Eli advised with a slap on his uninjured shoulder. “Then go beat the crap out of Caldwell.”

“Don’t worry about the bastard,” Hank amended. “You can deliver him to the sheriff once you take care of his henchmen.”

“You bet. That’s what I’m planning on doing.” Hawk pulled on a pair of gloves, opened his door, and swung inside his truck.

Hank and Eli waved him off. Hawk rolled down his window for one last instruction. “Stay close by the phone after you pick up the ‘Vette. I’ll be in touch as soon as I can.”

Soon as the Dodge pulled away, Eli turned to Hank. “I’ll get the Corvette by myself. You better follow him once he leaves Caldwell’s. I think he’s gonna need your help. Just make sure you stay outta sight.”

“Just exactly what I figured,” Hank said in complete agreement. “Caldwell’s not going to get it his way this time.”

∞∞∞

“I swear, I didn’t know anything about Jenny being kidnapped,” Cindy was angled toward Hawk in the truck, staring at his implacable profile. Her hands were moving rapidly as she spoke and her tone was vehement. It was still snowing relentlessly outside, blanketing the road that lead up to the massive Caldwell ranch house. “I know Brad was getting really angry and agitated about not being able to close that land deal, but I can’t believe he’d resort to kidnapping in order to get you to sell that property. My god, if it’s true, he’s gone over the deep end!”