She nodded. “Promise you won’t hurt me when I tell you.”
Jake felt sick with dread. “I promise.”
Trudy hung her head. “He said…something about you probably looking for him…so you’d be away from your family. He said them being in town wouldn’t stop him—said he had it figured out. He said it would be hard to just ride into town and try to kidnap people, so he figured he’d start a fire…grab everyone’s attention away from other things. While they were all involved in putting out the fire, he could…”
“Could what!”
Trudy got off the bed and backed against a wall. “He could get hold of your daughter, the one you call…an angel…and maybe even the girl your son just married…maybe your grandsons. He said that would bring you to him right quick.”
Jake felt as though someone was ripping out his heart. Had he been wrong to think his family would be safe in town? “You filthy slut!” he moaned. “How long ago was Bryant here?”
“About four days ago…”
Rage like nothing Jake had ever known permeated his whole being. He had to do something to keep him from taking his anger out on this woman.
He charged into the main room then, kicking over tables, sending money and beer flying. He shoved aside anyone in his way as he headed for the door. “Let’s go!” he ordered Lloyd and Jeff.
Both men jumped up and followed him out.
“He’s headed for Guthrie!” Jake shouted. “He’ll take Evie! He’ll take my Evie! Brian won’t be able to stop him, because he won’t be expecting it!” He started to mount up—then suddenly turned and vomited.
“Jesus Christ,” Lloyd swore. “Pa!” He ran around to his father.
Jake grabbed his arm. “God, Lloyd, they’ll take Evie, and maybe Little Jake…maybe Stephen and Katie. We never should have left! Evie! My God, Lloyd, you know what Marty Bryant is like. She’s never been touched by anybody but Brian…and she’s pregnant! Bryant will fucking rape her! He’ll rape both of them! He might even kill those kids! Trudy said he meant to start a fire in town to distract them.”
“Pa—” Lloyd turned away, his own guts tightening with dread. “Jesus!” he swore again. “Jesus God, protect them.” He walked to his horse. “Pa, can you ride?”
“No choice.” Jake walked to a watering trough, not caring that horses had drunk from it. He scooped water into his mouth and spit it out to rinse it.
“How did we miss them?” he groaned.
“They must have deliberately taken a different way home,” Lloyd surmised.
Jake mounted Prince then and charged away. He felt a blackness moving through him like a raging storm. And he swore he could hear the scream of demons.
Thirty
They rode like madmen, stopping only to get Ben. They left their horses at the ranch and grabbed fresh ones. Jake rode until well after dark, and Ben fell asleep in his arms. The poor child got handed back and forth among all three men as Jake became relentless in getting back to Guthrie, normally a good six-day ride. On the first night Lloyd finally had to stop Jake, convincing him that without sleep he’d be of no use to finding Evie or Katie. He felt crazy himself with the thought of what Katie or Stephen could be suffering. He wanted blood as bad as Jake did, but the pace they were keeping could kill his father…
Still, sleep was impossible. All they could do was rest, but true sleep wouldn’t come. Their only goal was to, by some miracle, reach Guthrie before Marty Bryant did. Marty wouldn’t be in near the hurry Jake and Lloyd were. “If he took a different way, it will take him longer than normal,” Jake hoped aloud once, yelling the words to Lloyd.
Lloyd didn’t know what to do or say. They were up before daylight the next day and off again. Lloyd felt ripped apart by worry over his sister, his mother, his wife, his son, his nephew…and his father, who was like a crazy man.
Jeff quietly made camp each night and cooked, finding ways to keep poor Ben occupied and trying to explain to the boy what was going on. He urged Jake and Lloyd to eat something, but the only one who ate much at all was young Ben.
They made it to Dixie’s in two and a half days instead of four, changing horses at various ranches and settlements along the way. When they reached Dixie’s place, Jake walked up and grabbed her close, clinging to her as he stumbled toward the house.
“Jake, what’s going on? Let go before we both go down.”
“They’re after my Evie, Dixie,” he groaned in her ear. “They might already have her and my grandson…my Little Jake! And Katie! Katie and Stephen! My whole goddamned family is in danger, and my wife might be dying, and I…I can’t…feel anything. Just rage! Just rage!”