As Tanner turned his horse toward the trees that spanned half the distance to the fort, she did her best to watch both him and the walls ahead. No sign of motion flashed among the logs.Lord, protect him. She sent up a steady litany of prayers.
The trees grew sporadically, so they didn’t fully conceal Tanner, but at least they would make him harder to aim at. Especially since he kept his mount to a faster trot.
But no blast of gunfire sounded.
Tanner reached the end of the tree line and halted. The knot in her throat made it impossible to swallow. He studied the fort for a long moment, then glanced back at them. Should she tell him not to go any farther?Lord, give him wisdom.
Tanner turned back to the fort, and a second later, his horse leapt from the brush and charged the log walls at a gallop. Such a quick-moving target would be hard to hit.
But still, no gunfire sounded. Was the man lying in wait until Tanner entered the gate?
She kept her gaze fixed on Tanner, but from the cornerof her eye, she caught White Horse nudging his stallion toward the same tree cover Tanner had used.
She had to go with him. When Tanner needed reinforcements, she intended to be there for him.
Pushing her horse forward, she followed White Horse’s path.
“Lorelei.” Rosie hissed at her, but she ignored the call. Seconds later, the rustle of Rosie’s horse trotting through grass sounded behind her.
Tanner had reached the fort walls and jumped from his horse’s back, pressing himself close to the gate. He seemed to be pausing, but she couldn’t be sure from this distance and with her horse moving.
White Horse left the last of the trees and kicked his horse into a run. She reached the same spot seconds later and bent low over her mare, urging the horse with body and voice. “Come on, girl.”
The horse responded, stretching her legs into a near gallop, covering the ground as the landscape on either side blurred. At this speed, she couldn’t tell if Tanner had entered the fort yet or not.Protect him, Lord. Guide him to the calf and shield him fromAnderson’s bullets.
As she neared the fort, she sat up and reined her mare down to a lope, then a trot. The horse’s sides heaved as she walked the last few strides and halted beside White Horse’s and Tanner’s mounts. Neither man was here, so they must have entered the fort already.
She grabbed her rifle from the scabbard and jumped to the ground as Rosie halted beside her.
“Wait for me.” Rosie leapt to the ground, her own rifle in hand, and together they approached the gate.
No sounds came from inside. Was that good? Tanner and White Horse must not have found Anderson yet.
But not even Curly cried out anymore. Her chest pressed harder. Had the physical and mental deprivations been too much for him? Or had they left this place already once they heard them coming? Her poor boy. Protect him,Lord. All of them.
Rosie reached the gate first, and as her sister pulled the wood open, Lorelei peered inside.
At first, nothing moved within. But then Tanner stepped from the door to the trade room. His face held grim lines, and he caught sight of her almost immediately and started her way.
She stepped inside the walls, with Rosie coming just behind. As soon as Tanner reached close enough to hear, she whispered, “Have you found anything?”
He shook his head and stopped in front of them, as though to shield them. His body was even half turned away as he spoke, his gaze roaming the area. “Nothing in the trade room. White Horse is looking in the supply building. I’m going to the cabin now.”
He started that direction, and she followed him. If there was danger, they would face it together. But would Anderson really hole up in there? It didn’t seem likely, but perhaps he’d wanted a place to sleep for the night. Evening would be on them soon.
But where were his horse and Curly? Maybe tied behind the fort with the milk cow.
As they reached the cabin door, White Horse stepped from the supply building and strode toward them. He shook his head to show he’d found nothing.
Only the cabin remained.
Tanner pulled the latchstring, and the click of the bolt releasing sounded from inside. She and Rosie aimed their guns, as did White Horse behind them. Tanner readied his own rifle, then pushed the door open. Woe to the scoundrel at the other end of all these weapons.
The cabin’s dim interior sat motionless, and the earthy smell of disuse lingered in the air. It had only been that morning since she’d left the place, but it felt like weeks. There was almost nowhere the man could be hiding inside, except perhaps crouched behind the barrel they used as a seat or tucked behind the door.
Tanner stepped inside and checked behind the door first, then made a sweep of the room. His face formed troubled lines as he approached them. “I guess he’s not here.” He looked to White Horse. “Let’s see if we can find his tracks outside. Maybe he left the main trail long enough for us to pick out his prints.”
Her belly sank at the thought of starting over. The man had been here less than a quarter hour before. She’d heard Curly, but he must have been riding away even then. Now they’d lose any distance they’d gained on him as they tried to find his trail again.
