“You already know the answer to that,” she said.
Graycloud nodded once. “We finish this. Together.”
“Then we ride toward the mountain,” Blaze said.
The Indian gestured toward the distant ridge. “It will take a day at least if the trail holds.”
“Then we move as soon as we can,” Blaze said.
Marisol reached out to Blaze and took the map from his hand.
“You want to keep this?” she asked.
“Fold it,” Blaze said. “It’s the only lead we’ve got.”
As she tucked it into her saddlebag, Blaze crouched beside Jake’s body one last time. The man’s eyes were still open, glassy and fixed on the fading light.
“You brought your master’s secret with you,” Blaze muttered. “Guess it didn’t buy you much.”
Graycloud watched him quietly. “He died for another man’s greed.”
“So did my father,” Blaze said softly.
Marisol glanced over. “You still don’t believe what he said?”
“No,” Blaze said. “But I’ll find out for sure when I find Kane.”
Graycloud’s gaze drifted toward the horizon. “And if your father did take that gold?”
Blaze didn’t answer. He stood, adjusting his belt.
“Then I’ll still do what’s right,” he said. “Same as he would’ve.”
His thoughts were scattered. His head was a mess.
There were too many voices telling him different things about his father. Deep down, Blaze didn’t want to believe any of it. However, all that information started to gnaw at him.
Doubt began to creep in. But there was only one way to learn the truth.
They mounted their horses as twilight deepened, the last light burning over the peaks ahead. Marisol rode beside Blaze, breaking the silence.
“You ever seen that mine?” she asked.
“Once,” Blaze said. “Years back. My father took me there after the collapse. Said it was cursed ground. Men went in rich and came out broken.”
He remembered that day very well. He recalled his mother telling his father that it was no place for a child. They went anyway.
Back then, Blaze was naive. He was excited to see anywhere that was different from Red Rock.
Now, he felt himself changing.
“Sounds like Wilder found his kind of place,” Marisol said, lowering her voice.
“Cursed suits him fine,” Blaze said.
Graycloud urged his Appaloosa forward, scanning the trail. “We should camp near the foothills tonight. The map says the main road curves west first.”
“Are you sure we ain’t ridin’ straight into his arms?” Marisol asked, glancing at the pair of them.
