Montana Sky

risk it.
    “God. Dear God. They’re heading west.” Think, she ordered herself. Think. “The cops can put up a roadblock, stop them if he tries for the main road. If he’s smart, he’ll figure that and go into the hills. We can be after them inside twenty minutes, Adam.”
    “I let her go. I let him take her.”
    Willa gave him a hard shake. “He’d have killed her, right in front of us. He was panicked and crazy. He’d have done it.”
    “Yes.” Adam drew in a breath, let it out. “Now I’ll find them. And I’ll kill him.”
    Willa nodded once. “Yes. You call the police, I’ll get the men. Those of us going into the hills will need horses and gear. Hurry.”
    She started off in a spring, nearly tripped over Billy,who’d managed to crawl, groaning, onto the road. “Jesus.” The blood covering his face made her certain he’d been shot. “Billy!”
    “He hit me. Hit me with something.”
    “Just sit tight. Stay right here.” She headed toward the main house at a dead run. “Bess! Get the first aid kit. Billy’s over in front of Adam’s. He’s hurt. Get him in here.”
    “What the hell’s going on?” Annoyed at having her evening session at her computer interrupted, Tess came to the head of the stairs. “First dogs barking like maniacs, now you yelling down the roof. What happened to Billy?”
    “Jesse Cooke. Hurry,” she ordered as Bess scooted by her. “I don’t know how bad he’s hurt.”
    “Jesse Cooke.” Alarmed, Tess raced down the stairs. “What are you talking about?”
    “He’s got Lily. He’s got her,” Willa repeated, overriding Tess’s babbled questions. “My guess is he’s taking her into high country. We’ve got a thunder blizzard in the works, and she didn’t even have a coat.” The first bubble of hysteria was her last as Willa clamped down hard on emotion. “He’s panicked and he’s got to be half crazy, more. You call Ben, Nate, anyone else you can think of, tell them we need a search party and fast. We’re riding after them.”
    “I’ll get warmer gear together.” Tess’s fingers stayed white on the newel post. “And for Lily. She’ll need it when we find her.”
    “Make it fast.”
    Within ten minutes Willa was organizing the men. They were armed, prepared to set out in rigs or on horseback with supplies to last two days.
    “He doesn’t know the area like most of us,” she continued. “He’s only had a few months. And Lily will throw him off, slow him down as much as she can. We’ll spread out. There’s a chance he’ll take her up to the cabin, so Adam and I will head there. The weather’s going to make it rough on him, but it isn’t going to help us either.”
    “We’ll get the son of a bitch.” Jim slapped his rifle into its sheath. “And we’ll get him before morning.”
    “There won’t be any tracking in this, so . . .” She trailedoff as she saw Ben’s rig drive recklessly into the ranch yard. She wanted to buckle then, needed to, so she stiffened her spine. “So we spread out over a wide area. You all have your targets. The cops are covering the main roads, and they’re sending more men. Search and Rescue will be out at first light. I want her back by then. As for Cooke—” She drew a breath. “Whatever it takes. Let’s move.”
    “Which are you taking?” It was the only question Ben asked.
    “I’m going with Adam, up the west face toward the cabin.”
    He nodded. “I’m with you. I need a horse.”
    “We’ve got one.”
    “I’m going too.” Eyes ready to brim over with tears, Tess stepped next to Adam. “I can ride.”
    “You’ll slow us down.”
    “Goddamn you.” Tess gripped Willa’s arm and spun her around. “She’s my sister too. I’m going.”
    “She can ride” was all Adam said. He swung into the saddle and, with his young hound beside him, galloped off.
    “Wait for Nate,” Willa ordered. “He knows the way.” She mounted quickly. “He’ll need someone to fill him in on the rest of it.”
    Knowing she had to be satisfied with that, Tess nodded. “All right. We’ll catch up with you.”
    “We’ll bring her home, Tess,” Ben murmured as he hoisted into the saddle, whistled for Charlie.
    “Bring them both home,” Tess said, as she watched them ride away.
     
    A DAM SAID NOTHING UNTIL THEY FOUND THE abandoned rig. His mind was too dark for words, his heart too cold. They stopped long enough to look carefully for signs. The rig was plunged to the wheel wells in snow,