“George!”
The sound lingered in the heavy afternoon air like a shimmering light, but Rose didn’t hear it. McClendon’s long, thin fingers closed around her throat, cutting off her air. All she heard was a ringing in her ears before blackness engulfed her.
An hour earlier George and Salty had abandoned their attempt to decoy the McClendons and started back to the cave. They had almost reached the creek when the cry turned George’s blood cold. It galvanized him into action. He sprinted across the open plain separating him from the creek, vaulted over the brush into the creek, and ran down the gravel-strewn bed toward the cry which still rang in his ears. He came to a shuddering halt when he saw McClendon dragging Rose’s inert form toward the creek.
A murderous fury unlike anything he’d ever known exploded inside him. He felt a cold-blooded desire to kill, to destroy without mercy this man who threatened someone he loved. It was as though some beast had lain, safely chained, buried deep inside him for years. But the need to fight for his life, and the lives of those he loved, had stripped away the softness and unchained the monster.
It was as though his father had come back to life and taken over his body.
Even as he stood facing McClendon, trying to decide what to do to protect Rose, George fought off the blood lust, the animal rage. Whatever he did, he would do it because he must, not because he couldn’t control himself.
“Let her go, McClendon,” George called out. “I’ve told you already, there’s no gold. There never has been.”
The old man looked up, surprised. Then an evil grin spread over his face. “I sent the others away,” he said. “They believe you’ve gone to Austin. I knew you wouldn’t. You’re too stubborn. But you’re not stupid. All I want is the money. You just tell me where it is, and I’ll let your woman go. I don’t want them boys to know I got it. They’ll just waste it on whores. They won’t have a cent left by Christmas. Not me. I don’t aim to be poor again.”
Salty had come up behind George during the exchange with McClendon.
“I’m going to try for a shot,” George whispered.
“Where? Even if you shoot him in the head, he might still get a shot into Rose.”
“I know. I’m going to try for his elbow. Watch him a minute.”
George disappeared inside the cave. He emerged moments later carrying a single dueling pistol.
“Keep an eye out for Zac,” he said to Salty. “I don’t see him anywhere.”
George vaulted out of the creek bed onto the flat ground above. He stood facing McClendon.
“Tell me where the gold is or I’ll kill her,” McClendon said, his grin even wider.
“You’re bluffing, old man,” George answered. “Let Rose go or I’ll kill you where you stand. And don’t think I can’t do it. My father taught me to shoot the pips out of a playing card at twenty paces. Wouldn’t let me sleep one night until I did it twenty times in succession.”
Uneasily, McClendon eyed the pistol hanging at George’s side, but he didn’t let go of Rose.
“You won’t kill me,” George continued. He started walking toward the old man. “If I did have any gold, I wouldn’t have told anybody where I hid it. You’d never find it if I was dead. And you won’t kill Rose because you know I’ll kill you.”
“You’d better not push me too far,” the old man threatened.
George kept walking.
“You don’t mean to let us go. You’ve got your kin out there somewhere. No more than half a dozen followed Salty and me. It wouldn’t surprise me if they were all around us this very minute. As soon as I tell you where the gold is, you’ll call them in and kill all of us.”
George continued walking.
“Don’t come any further,” the old man cried. “I’ll kill her.”
“Then I’ll kill you. You still won’t have any gold.”
George had come close enough to see that Rose had regained consciousness. He also saw a thin streak of blood trickling down her temple.
The beast inside him leapt up, snarling. Every feeling of compassion, every desire to spare the old man’s life, went dead in his breast. He had never felt so calm in his life, never felt so sure he could kill.
He wasn’t himself any longer. He had been shoved aside. Someone else was in control of his body.
“I’m going to kill him, Rose,” George said, ignoring McClendon. “As soon as you feel able, fall away from him. Then make for the creek as fast as you can. They’ll be coming out of the brush.”
“You’re a fool if you think you can get away,” the old man said, backing up, dragging Rose with him. “The boys will hunt you down out there.”