Secluded with the Cowboy

Burke came up beside him. He wasted no time with discussion. With hand signals, he indicated that he’d ride around to the other side of the trees.

If Nate had parked in the cover of those trees, they’d have him surrounded.

Rifle in hand, Jesse rode up beside Dylan. “When we’re close,” he said, “we approach on foot.”

Dylan understood his thinking. He wanted both feet planted on the ground before taking aim. There might only be time for one shot, and he didn’t want to miss. Beside a shrub, barren of leaves, he and Jesse dismounted. Dylan drew his handgun.

Together, they picked their way through trees and shrubs. The dry soil, littered with pinecones and dead leaves, crunched underfoot.

They could see the road. The truck sat there, idling. The old engine rattled. The stink of exhaust tainted the air.

He couldn’t see anyone inside. Nate might have left his vehicle, might be on foot, hiding behind a tree trunk or crouched in the shadow of a rock. He didn’t expect Nate to play fair.

“Split up,” he whispered to Jesse. “I’ll go left.”

“I’m sticking with you.”

They’d have a better chance of finding Nate if they spread out, but there wasn’t time for a discussion of strategy. He moved forward.

The truck lights flashed on.

Jesse dropped to one knee and pulled Dylan down beside him. Before either of them could take aim, the truck raced away.

Dylan started toward the pavement, but Jesse held him back. “Stay down.”

“He’s getting away.”

“That’s what we should do. Get the hell out of here.”

On the opposite side of the road, Burke waved. He was also on foot. “Stay down. I called Jesse’s men at the ranch house for back-up.”

Dylan crouched beside a waist-high boulder. He had to agree that this set-up didn’t feel right. The truck had waited for them to get close. They’d been drawn into this area. It was a trap.

“Damn, Jesse. I want to go after him.”

“There could be somebody else driving that truck,” Jesse said.

“What? Who?”

“Nate pulled over a hundred thousand bucks off the top of the ransom. He’s got money to pay an accomplice.”