Jeremiah turned around, yanked his hat from his head, and raked his hand through his hair. He couldn’t even spare a thought for the money, not right now. Turning back to Liam, he asked, “Did they say where they were going? Back to Denver?” He’d chase them clear up to Canada if he had to.
“I think so. They said they’d leave her outside of town, but then . . . I don’t know, Wiley. I don’t know what to believe.” He shook his head, closing his eyes again. “I’m a horrible brother. It’s my fault, and now she’s in danger.”
Jeremiah returned his hat, determination setting his mind into order. “You can apologize later. Right now, you need to alert the marshal or the sheriff. Whoever you can find first. I’m going after her. Go. Now!” he said when Liam didn’t move right away.
Liam finally turned to do as Jeremiah asked, and Jeremiah took off running back toward the livery. He quickly filled Roman in on what had happened while he saddled Robin Hood and then lit out of the livery faster than he’d ever left before.
He tried to think as Robin Hood thundered out of town, headed north. They’d arrived so quickly, meaning they’d left Denver before that telegram was ever sent. They must’ve come by train. No train left town until the following day, which meant they left on foot or by horseback. The first option was utterly foolish. They must have run out on horseback. But they certainly hadn’t gotten any from the livery, which meant they rented—or likely, stole—horses from the hotel livery or from some sorry men in town who’d left their horses tied up outside.
Counting up the minutes it had taken between them leaving and Jeremiah leaving, he estimated they had a good thirty minute lead on him. He pushed Robin Hood as fast as he dared. All he could picture was Deirdre, frightened and alone.
“I’m coming,” he whispered into the wind whipping around him. “I love you, and I’ll be there soon.”
It was surreal how similar this felt to when he chased her down from the livery, but that fear had nothing on this one. Nothing on the urgency clawing up from his insides, and the gnawing realization that he might lose her without ever really telling her how he felt about her.
Finally, after what seemed like hours but was likely only minutes, he thought he heard the nickering of a horse from somewhere up ahead.
Then there was a loud shot, and a bullet flew past him.
Jeremiah dove for the ground, and Robin Hood trotted off to somewhere behind him.Good horse, he thought as he pressed himself into the dirt.
The shot had come from somewhere up ahead. Lifting his head just far enough to see, he spotted one of the occasional small hills that rose from the valley floor. There was nowhere else they could have gone and still been able to take that shot and not be seen.
Crawling along the ground, slowly enough that he hoped they couldn’t see him through the darkness, Jeremiah made his way to the closer side of the hill.
“There’s the horse,” a voice said, distant but distinct.
Jeremiah craned his neck to see to his right. Robin Hood walked slowly out onto the road, reins dangling.
“I don’t see a rider. I think I hit him,” another voice said, this one lower pitched.
The other man grunted, and Jeremiah thought he heard the stifled whimper of a woman.Deirdre.
Safe in the shadow of the hill, he rose slowly and pulled a pistol from his belt. He glanced at the ground. It was clear of leaves and twigs, as far as he could tell. Step by careful step, he made his way around the hill.
“Might’ve been Hannan,” the man with the gruffer voice said.
“Or a lawman. I wouldn’t put it past them to be that thick-headed,” the other man replied.
They were shuffling, moving around. Jeremiah couldn’t tell if they were on horseback or on foot, but he wasn’t waiting to find out.
They were quiet for a while, and he took a few more steps.
Until he met the muzzle of a revolver pointed right at his face.
