“That scoundrel Wyatt betrayed us.” Lester’s voice shook with a rage Elizabeth had never heard from the normally calm foreman. “We were busy getting the animals settled and racing against the storm, working ourselves half to death to make sure everything was secure. We had some cattle get loose—probably spooked by the wind—and we had to track them down in the blizzard. Took us nearly two hours to round them all up and get them back in the lower pasture.”
He paused to catch his breath, and Elizabeth could see his hands trembling even through his thick gloves. “By the time we got back to the barracks for supper, we were frozen through and exhausted. The storm was already in full swing, and all we wanted was hot food and warm beds. Wyatt was there, acting helpful as always, telling us Cookie had made beef stew and fresh biscuits. We should’ve known something was wrong—he was too eager, too friendly—but we were too cold and tired to notice.”
Lester’s jaw clenched, the muscle jumping beneath the blood and soot on his face. “Wyatt waited until we’d all sat down with our food, until every man was at that long table with his back to the door. And then he walked out calm as you please, pulled the door shut behind him, and barred it from the outside. We heard the scrape of the wooden beam sliding into place, and for a second we all just sat there, too confused to understand what was happening.
“When we first smelled the smoke, we thought Cookie was burning something in the kitchen—he’s done it before, gets distracted and forgets about the bread in the oven. But then the smoke got stronger and it started filling the room, thick and black and choking. Everyone hustled for the door but we couldn’t get it open. Men were throwing their shoulders against it, kicking it, but that beam held solid.”
His voice dropped lower, and Elizabeth saw him swallow hard. “And then Seamus—big Seamus O’Malley who could lift a full-grown steer—he gave it a good kick with his boot and the wood cracked. Just a little, but enough. And Wyatt was waiting right there for him with his shotgun, the barrel pointing right through that crack. Seamus took the bullet right in the chest, and the force of it threw him backward into the table. The sound of it…”
Lester shook his head, unable to continue for a moment. When he spoke again, his voice was barely above a whisper. “He was dead before he hit the ground. Good man. Had a wife and three little ones waiting for him back in Boise.”
Lester shook his head, and there was anger in his eyes. “We had no choice but to go back inside and try to get out another way. Every time one of us would break a window, Wyatt would shoot off a shot right at us. We finally ran back through the kitchen where the fire was worst and took our chances with the flames. The whole thing was coming down at that point. I took a knock on the head,” he said, pointing to where the blood was coming from.
“Wyatt wasn’t alone by the time we got out. There were five others with him, and I swear I thought one of them was you, Sheriff. He was the spittin’ image, but his clothes were fancier. City clothes. All of them were dressed for the city. Had some polish to them.”
“My brother always had a taste for the finer things,” Cole said.
“Brother?” Lester asked. His expression grew thoughtful and his mouth pressed in a straight line. Snow and ice clung to his mustache and brows. “Well,” he finally said. “That’s a heck of a thing. Wouldn’t want to be in your shoes right about now.”
“Blood doesn’t make you family.” Goliath shifted impatiently beneath him. “What happened after you escaped the barracks?”
“They started shooting, but they was shooting blind. I always keep my pistol on me, and it’s the same with a couple of the others, but we were outgunned and we knew it. They had the advantage, but we know the land, so we set off for the hunting cabin and put as much distance between us as possible.”
“Why’d you come back?” Elizabeth asked him. “You’re taking a terrible risk.”
“The only chance we had was if one of us went into town to find you. There’s no telling how long the storm will last, but once the snow stops I figured they might come looking for us. Or worse, the two of you would come home and walk right into an ambush.
“I snuck down from the cabin to see what was what, and went straight to the barn to make sure they hadn’t done anything to the animals or the structure. I crept around to see if I could get a glimpse of them, but they weren’t anywhere to be seen. All our stalls are full because of the storm, so they just left their horses loose downstairs to feed and bed down. I was able to get the barn door open a crack and one of their horses was right there. Managed to get him out without being noticed. But I could hear people talking up in the loft. I got out of there fast as I could. And this is how far I made it. Feel like I’ve been out here for days.”
“You’re still armed?” Cole asked.
“Of course.”
“Fall in line. We can use all the men we can get. You just met the Silver Creek Bandits.”
There was a large tree that Elizabeth’s grandfather had planted in the crook where the road split and the long driveway toward the ranch began. The tree had withstood many storms, and it would withstand this one.
They started up the drive, and about halfway along Cole signaled Calhoun to take his men in the opposite direction. Their time was limited. Their bodies and the horses could only last so long in the elements. If their plan failed, they’d all be holed up in the hunting cabin for the night. And taking the bandits out would be harder and probably cost more lives.
When he and those who had followed him reached the split-rail fence, they veered to the right to circle back around the barn. They’d put out all but a couple of their lanterns, and visibility was almost impossible. He used the fence as a guide until they reached the paddock and the barn came into view.
There were no lights, other than the lanterns they used.
“We’ve got to flush them out,” Cole said. “They have the advantage being up high. I need you all to circle around and wait. They’ll try to escape somehow, and they’re likely to come out shooting. Be ready.”
“Wait,” Elizabeth said, grabbing his arm. “What are you doing?”
“I’m going in there,” he said. “If I can sneak in and take them by surprise, there’s a better chance of keeping our men alive.”
“You’re not going in there by yourself. You’d be outnumbered.”
“This is what I’m good at,” he promised her. “They’ll never know I’m coming.”
“Then I’m coming too. I won’t let you go in there by yourself. You keep saying how smart they are. Don’t you think they’ll have planned for something like this? Especially Riley. Doesn’t he know what you’re good at as well as you do?”
He knew she had a point, but his gut instinct wanted to protect her. Not put her in harm’s way.
“You’ll stay with me,” he agreed. She was shivering beneath the warm layers of her coat. They couldn’t fight the cold much longer.
