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She wondered briefly who Refugio had brought with him. Lucho had been his only brother. But he had several cousins in the cartel, all sworn by blood and fanatically loyal. Any of them would kill at a word from their boss. Women, children, it didn’t matter. She had seen it with her own horrified eyes.
The radio crackled as Joe’s voice came back on. He had reached the housekeeper at the Rimrock. Bull and Jasper had driven up to the mountain pasture to check the line shack. They should be back anytime. Meanwhile, she was just leaving to meet the boys at the school bus stop. She would leave a note on the front
door.
Tanner laid a hand on her shoulder. “Try not to worry too much,” he said. “I’m here, I’ll protect you, and this nightmare will soon be over.”
“Yes,” Rose said. “And when it’s over, I’ll either be free or be dead.”
* * *
Bull drove into the ranch yard, tires spitting gravel as he pulled up to the house. Bernice’s station wagon was gone, but then, as he checked the time, he realized she would have left to pick up the boys when they got off the bus.
“There’s a note on the front door,” Jasper said. “Hang on, I’ll get it.” He took the steps two at a time and was back in seconds. “Rose and Tanner know about the cartel,” he said. “Tanner’s taking her to the ranger post. He’ll call you when they get there.”
“Thank goodness.” Bull breathed a sigh of relief. But he knew the danger was far from over.
They could hear the ringing phone in the ranch office. Bull raced inside to answer it. Tanner was on the line.
“I got your note,” Bull said.
“We’re here,” Tanner said. “Rose is all right, and I’ve phoned a description of the men and their vehicle to the sheriff. They’ll have patrols out looking for them.”
“Wait—you saw them?”
“We talked to a rancher who did. They asked him for directions. He had a good memory. One of the men matches the description of Refugio Cabrera, the cartel boss.”
“The one who’s after Rose.” It wasn’t a question.
“It looks that way,” Tanner said. “Call us if you get any news, and we’ll do the same.”
Bull was about to hang up when he remembered. “Oh—I don’t know how you’ll want to handle this with Rose, but we found Raul and Joaquin dead in the line shack. The cartel got to them before we did.”
“The little bastards got what they deserved. I’ll tell her, but she won’t be surprised. She already knows they gave her up to Cabrera.”
Bull hung up the phone. At least Rose was in a safe place. But the rest of what he’d heard was bad news. If Cabrera had taken the risk of crossing the border and coming this far, he wouldn’t go back without taking his revenge. Rose was in even more danger than he’d realized.
He glanced at the clock. Bernice and the boys were usually back by this time. What could be keeping them?
Jasper had been waiting on the porch. Now he walked into the house, a stricken look on his face. “You need to see this, Bull,” he said. “Come on outside.”
Bull followed Jasper back onto the porch. Jasper pointed in the direction of Rose’s property, where a thick, black column of smoke was rising into the sky.
Bull swore. “That would be the trailer and probably the truck, and maybe the blasted chickens, too.”
“Rose will be heartsick,” Jasper said. “But at least she isn’t there.”
“Damn,” Bull muttered. “I’d like to get those bastards in my sights and blast them off the face of the earth.” He glanced at his watch. “It’s past time for Bernice to be back with the boys. I’m going to drive out to the bus stop and see what’s holding them up. You stay here and listen for the phone.”
“I’ll be right here.” Jasper was still gazing at the distant smoke.
Bull climbed into the truck, turned around, and headed down the gravel lane that intersected with the highway to town. The bus stop wasn’t more than ten minutes away. Maybe the bus had had some kind of engine trouble. If Cabrera and his buddies were still at large tomorrow, he would have Bernice keep the boys at home. Better safe than sorry.
The bus stop was just ahead. Bull slowed the truck, eyes scanning the empty corner. No bus. No Bernice. And no sign of his sons.
He drove closer, his hands gripping the wheel in a frenzy of disbelief. An instant later, he spotted Bernice’s brown station wagon. It lay in the deep bar ditch, where it had rolled partway onto its side.
Heart in his throat, Bull slammed on the brakes, leaped out of the truck, and half slid down the grassy slope.
