Jesse Howard—Huntsville, Utah
Arthur Hill—Reno, Nevada
Jonah Carter—Tucson, Arizona
Jeremiah Wilson—Santa Fe, New Mexico
Maxwell Barnes—Sweetwater, Texas
Austin Cassidy—Houston, Texas
His uncle’s name was last on the list. Blade wanted to put off killing him until he had killed all the other men. Ending his uncle’s life would be the last thing he did to avenge his family. Every man on that list was evil and deserved to be brought to justice. Some of the names belonged to men he recognized from the day of the attack, while others belonged to men who had been linked to his uncle over the years.
Wolfe had helped Blade tremendously. After taking him under his wing, the sheriff had assisted him in gathering all the information he needed about his uncle. Without Wolfe, his mission would have been a million times moredifficult. Wolfe had used all his contacts around the country to gather information about Austin’s whereabouts. He also got information about the men he was often seen with or associated with.
Blade folded up the paper and slipped it into an envelope. Next, he opened two maps and laid them out next to each other on his bed. They were identical except for the fact that one of them had the locations circled where Austin and his men had been spotted. Those were the places he was going to. Blade was determined to find them all and make them pay for the horrible things they’d done.
Austin Cassidy was an evil man, but he had never been caught or even suspected of the crimes he had committed. There were no wanted posters of him on the wall at the sheriff’s office, but his reign of terror was coming to an end. Blade was going to make sure of it.
***
Dakota woke long before sunrise. She didn’t sleep well at all, tossing and turning the whole night. She understood why Blade had to go on his quest for revenge; she just hoped that he would understand why she needed to go with him.
Her aunt and uncle were sleeping, so she moved through the house quietly. It was something she had learned to do soon after moving in with them. She placed a letter she had written for them on the kitchen table, gathered her belongings, and snuck out of the house. Blade said that he wasgoing to be traveling light since he didn’t want to overload Africa on such a long journey.
Dakota had only packed what she could fit in her two saddlebags and gunnysack. One saddlebag held about ten boxes of .36 slugs for her Colt and two boxes of .44 slugs for her rifle, which was secured to her back using a sling. The Colt Navy Revolver that she carried around her waist in a gun belt used to belong to her father, and the rifle had been a gift from Blade. There was also a little pouch with some money she had saved and a canteen filled with water in the bag.
The other saddlebag was filled with medical equipment. She wasn’t naïve enough to think that they weren’t going to need some.
Once the two saddlebags were secure, she fastened her gunnysack, which held some spare clothing and as much food as she could fit in it, to Riot’s saddle. Lastly, she secured her bedroll on the back of her horse and then mounted him. It wasn’t much, but it would have to do.
***
Blade quietly checked on Millie. It was still early, and she was sleeping peacefully, so he didn’t want to wake her. Instead, he kissed her forehead, tucked the blanket in around her, and then gathered his things. It was time to set his plan in motion. Blade quietly made his way through the house. Wondering if he had taken everything he needed, he opened the door and came face-to-face with Dakota.
She was standing on the porch, dressed in denim jeans, a work shirt, boots, and a wide-brimmed hat. Her long dark hair was braided and hung over her shoulder. As usual, her gun belt, holding her Colt and scalper’s knife, was fastened around her waist, and from behind her back, the barrel of her rifle was visible.
“I’m coming with you,” she said. There was no hesitation in her voice.
Dakota had never mentioned that she wanted to go with him before, but it made sense that she would want to.
Blade blinked his eyes and stood up straight, having been taken by surprise. The idea of Dakota going with him made him feel both worried and happy at the same time. It was a strange combination of feelings. He loved Dakota and trusted her more than anybody in the whole world. She was tough and smart, and he knew he could always rely on her. Having her with him on his mission would help tremendously.
“It’s going to be dangerous, Dakota. I couldn’t live with myself if something happened to you.” If she got injured, or worse, while she was with him on his quest for revenge, the guilt would destroy him.
“It’s my choice to do this. I know the risks, and I want to come with you,” Dakota replied.
Blade knew there was no point in arguing with her. Dakota was stubborn.
Once she decided on something, there was no changing her mind.
“All right,” he agreed. “Let me load my things on Africa, and then we’ll get going.”
Chapter 9
Millie woke up in an empty home. The house was quiet, and it felt horribly strange. She was used to Margaret singing and moving around, and the silence made her feel on edge as she got dressed and did her hair. Millie made herself breakfast and sat down at the kitchen table. Usually, all three of them ate breakfast together, and Blade and Margaret would talk to her even though she couldn’t answer them.
Millie missed the days when she would talk nonstop. She used to love singing and reading for Annie. Millie pushed the thought away and focused on what she had to do. Life was easier when she didn’t allow herself to remember the past or to want things for her future. She had chores to do and a vegetable garden that needed tending.
