Marly's Choice by Lora Leigh
“Let’s get out of here. Leave everything the way you found it. Pull out, we’ll move along the edge of the rise.” Cade eased from the cabin, moving back into the night, heading for his horse.
The light was doused inside the cabin, the door relocked as they rushed back into the night. Cade wanted everything cleaned, out of sight. To catch the bastard, he would have to make him think he was still well hidden, undetected by the family or the ranch hands.
“Clear the horses’ tracks from the area,” Cade ordered them as he gathered the horse’s reins and led them from the cabin yard. “Make it as natural as possible.”
He pulled the horses back until they stood in the high pasture grass that made the remote area perfect for grazing.
“What do we do?” Cade could hear the fear in Sam’s voice. It was thick, punctuated by harsh breaths and the heavy beat of his own heart.
God. Someone was stalking Marly. And if those pictures were anything to go by, then it had been going on for a while. The truly terrifying part was the range of those pictures. The older ones had begun out of focus, from a distance. As the months had progressed, they had gotten closer. Cade clenched his fists as he watched the cowboys rushing to clean the area of hoof prints, or any sign of visitation. Cade wanted the bastard caught. He wanted to know who it was, and what he wanted, and there was only one way to do that. They had to catch him before he learned that Cade knew he was there. Let the bastard know they were onto him, then he would run, getting more deceptive, more dangerous to Marly.
Could it be Jack Jennings? Cade left the horses with one of the cowboys and moved silently along the canyon that led off the side of the cabin. Stepping on stone and grass, careful not to leave footprints, he worked the flashlight over the ground. The last report they had of Annie’s ex-husband, he was working out East, and Annie was safe in California, though the last time he talked to her, she was certain Jack wasn’t where he was supposed to be. She swore he had found her again. But the investigator was even more certain, in the form of pictures that Jack was still in the New York area.
There they were. Tire prints. Large ones. A four by four by the looks of it. Cade’s eyes narrowed. Dillon wasn’t sure what had happened the other night, but he remembered a black four by four, and a large man trying to drag Marly to the truck. Jack Jennings was a large man. Nearly as tall and broad as Cade himself.
“Shit,” Cade breathed roughly as he stared around the canyon, thinking of the cabin area. Where could he place guards, get them in and out without being seen until they could take the intruder down?
There was no place. The rise above the cabin might work, but it would be hard for the men to get down without being heard, which would put them at risk. Anyone bold enough to risk the pictures he had taken of Marly on the ranch, would be more than dangerous. And there was also the ammunition found in the back of the cabin. The guy was well prepared for anything.
Working his way back out of the canyon, he rejoined Sam outside the cabin yard.
“Four by four in the little canyon, well hidden,” he said softly. “Ammo in the cabin, but no weapons. He has them with him.”
“What do we do, Cade?” Sam hissed. “We can’t let her leave the ranch now. There’s no way we can protect her at school.”
Cade shook his head, trying to figure out quickly the best way to solve this problem. Marly would fight them if she thought they were trying to shelter her. She hated that, and wouldn’t stand for it. He didn’t want to have to fight her, and whoever was stalking her.
“We need to leave some men up here. Catch the bastard when he comes back,” Cade told him imperatively. “You know the area better than I do. Where do we put them?”
Sam breathed in deeply, looking around the area. The line cabin was well sheltered from the fierce storms that hit the mountains. Dug into the face of the hill behind it, with only the rough wood front visible to the eye. No other way to get out, which would help. But no other way to get in, either.
“What about the canyon? Catch him as he gets out of the truck?” Sam asked. “There are several small rock houses in there where a few of the boys could hide.”
“What about the horses?” Cade asked. “There’s no way to hide the damned horses in there.”
“Hell, turn them loose. The cattle have been grazing all over this place for a month now. A few more horses shouldn’t spook him. After they take the bastard, they can drive him out in his own truck,” Sam suggested, his voice rough with fury.
There had been pictures of Marly, standing on her balcony, dressed in one of the shirts she slept in. Cade narrowed his eyes, judging the area the picture would be taken from.
“Let’s get back.” Cade headed quickly for his horse. “Bret, you and Michael let your horses loose here in the pasture. Get in one of those rock houses and keep an eye on that canyon. When he brings that truck in, take him.”
“Yes sir, Mr. Cade.” Bret nodded quickly, rushing to join Michael to follow orders.
“You two be careful, Bret,” Cade told him roughly. “Don’t do anything foolish. If you can’t take him, let him go and we’ll get him later. I’ll send you relief out here in the morning. You have your cell phone?” Cade mounted his horse, swinging quickly into the saddle and turning the horse for home.
“Me and Mike both.” Bret nodded. “We have everything we need. You guys head out, I’ll check in, in a few hours.”
Bret was already removing the saddle from his horse, checking his flashlight, his gun. Cade watched him for long moments, knowing well the competence of the man taking charge of the watch. Bret wasn’t reckless, but he wasn’t one to back out either. And the Augusts were as close to family as he had since the death of his own parents. He wouldn’t let Cade down if he could help it.
Cade nodded, checked behind him for Sam then set the horse off at a run, hearing the steady beat of hoofs behind him. The time for caution was over. He was going to have to trust in his own experience, and the horses instincts now. His first priority was to get home as quickly as possible.
Those last pictures had been taken from the rise behind the ranch house. It was the only way to achieve that angle, or to get such a clear shot into the pool area. Whoever the bastard was he had plenty of weapons, which meant a bullet could be aimed at her next time. Fear thrummed through his body, setting his blood to a rhythm as harsh and pounding as that of the hooves striking the ground.
Cade had to get back to Marly. The overwhelming need nearly stopped the breath in his chest as he urged his horse to a faster pace, feeling the wind blowing through his hair, the urgency flowing through his body. He had to protect her. He had to keep her safe. And to do that, he had to find the mad man stalking her.
Chapter Seventeen
Cade and Sam slipped silently into the dark house, their rifles ready, their eyes narrowed as they attempted to pierce the darkness. There wasn’t a sound that could be heard. Cade glanced at Sam, seeing the tense readiness for action in his body. If anyone had managed to get into the house, he felt he would know it. The bond he and Brock shared would have warned him.
It was eerie though, stepping into a home that had never known darkness. As far back as Cade could remember, the hall light at least was left on after dark, all night. The inky blackness wrapped around them now. There was no creak of floorboards; the only sound Cade could hear was the beat of his own heart.
“Settle down.” Brock’s whisper was infused with caution. “Marly and I are the only ones in here.”
“Then why are all the stinkin’ lights out?” Sam growled. “I can barely see my hand in front of my face.”
“Beats the bullet getting a clear aim to your heart,” Brock hissed back. “Quit being such a baby.”
“Baby—”
“Enough.” Cade wanted to rap both their heads together. Now was not the time for another of their infernal arguments.
Brock had stepped from the shadows of the curved staircase that led upstairs. He walked out, a dark silhouette m
“Where’s Marly?” Cade’s voice was strained and concerned.
“Still sleeping on the couch. I left her there.” Brock nodded to the opened door of the study. “All things considered, maybe we shouldn’t let her sleep in her room for a while.”
“Why?” Cade’s eyes narrowed on Brock’s expressionless face as he neared them silently.
“Come upstairs, I’ll show you why. I saw it right after you left.” Brock moved quickly up the steps as they followed. “After Marly went to sleep, the cattle started acting funny in the pasture out back. So, I locked everything up, shut out all the lights and started watching. I didn’t see anything until I got to Marly’s room.”
He opened the door to Marly’s bedroom, careful to stay against the wall as he entered rather than moving into the center of the room. Edging along silently, he came up beside the glass balcony doors.
“Look out there, and tell me what you see.” He nodded into the night.
Ducking to use the cover of the balcony railing, Cade slid over to the other side of the doors. Leaning over slowly, he stared outside. The night was moonless, a thick cover of clouds making the land darker than usual and filled with shadows. At first Cade didn’t see anything. He knew the area the stalker was most likely taking the pictures from, so he centered his attention there. It only took a few minutes to see what Brock had seen.
A flare of light in the darkness, the strike of a lighter or a match as tobacco was lit. As Cade watched closer, he was able to pick out a shape moving against the boulders on the furthest point as a shaft of moonlight lit up the inky darkness.
“He’s watching her room,” Cade said softly. “That’s why he wasn’t at the cabin.”
“He could be using infrared glasses too,” Brock said softly. “I watched him for a while through my own. He can see everything going on from the house, and would know the minute anyone set out for that rise, in any direction.”
“Are you sure he’s using them?” Cade asked carefully.
Brock breathed roughly. “Not sure, but I wouldn’t doubt it. None of our men have seen him, and if he didn’t know what the hell was going on down here, he would have been caught by now.”
“We’ll trap him. He has to leave sometime. We’ll let more of the cattle out into the pasture there, and give the impression we’re working it tomorrow. That should run him off again until dark,” Sam murmured. “He would come back soon. The man’s obsessed.”
Cade watched the area, considering Sam’s plan. It had merit, but it required waiting, and taking a chance that they missed him entirely. He was there now, watching the house, waiting to see Marly. Undressing. Cade gritted his teeth, wondering how many times the bastard had watched her dress, or undress. His fists clenched with the need for violence.
“This room is easily watched from that rise,” Brock told them as they continued to stare at the high rising hill. “Cade, yours is harder. But if the bastard is intent on grabbing her, he’s gonna be damned hard to catch this way. We’re cowboys, not Green Beret’s.”
Cade swiped the hat from his head, running his fingers through his hair worriedly. Brock was right, they weren’t soldiers and had no idea how to be. But a man didn’t have to be a soldier to track a rabid animal. And the one on that rise could be nothing else.
“We tell Marly about this, it’s going to terrify her,” he said softly, moving carefully from the window. “Let’s get downstairs, I need to check on her. There’s no way to watch that son of a bitch from here for long. He could sneak away and we’d never know it.”
They moved from the bedroom, using the same route they had entered, careful to stay away from the window just in case the infrared binoculars were being used.
“Cade, remember that pair of investigators the Stewarts used a year or so ago when that kidnapper tried to take their daughter?” Sam asked as they made their way down the stairs. “They caught four guys, and rescued the girl on the last attempt. Maybe we need to check into that. Brock’s right, we’re cowboys, not hot shot bodyguards or military types.”
Cade breathed out roughly. His heart was pounding sluggishly in his chest, fear moving through him. They entered the study quietly, and Cade saw immediately that Brock had closed the shades on the balcony doors.
Marly was sleeping where he had left her, her hair fanning and falling around her, her face composed and innocent in sleep. He breathed out deeply, relief nearly overwhelming him. Brock and Sam were quiet behind him, but Cade had nearly forgotten they were there anyway.
She was lying on her back, her face turned towards him, her lips parted as she breathed deeply. Cade went to his knees beside her, his finger touching a curl that teased her cheek and moved it back gently. She whispered his name, turning toward him, reaching for him even when unaware of his presence.
Cade lowered his head, his heart clenching with pain. How in the hell was he going to protect her from this?
“Get two of the boys in here. Brock, you come with me. Sam, you stay. Get Marly the hell out of here if you don’t hear from us soon.” He rose to his feet, moving quickly from the room.
“What the hell are you going to do, Cade?” Sam whispered fiercely. “Dammit, you aren’t going out there?”
Cade went to the door, motioning two of the half dozen cowboys he had left waiting on the porch, the others came to attention when they saw his face. The night wasn’t over.
“You two stay here with, Sam—”
“Dammit, I’m not staying anywhere,” Sam bit out. “If you and Brock go, then I go.”
“What about Marly?” Cade turned to him furiously. “If something happens to us, who will take care of Marly, Sam? Who will get her out of here and make sure she’s safe?”
Sam grimaced in indecision.
“Cade’s right, Sam.” Brock checked the pistol he was carrying on his thigh, then grabbed his rifle from where he had propped it against the wall.
“Then you stay,” Sam bit out.
“I’ve done my babysitting for the night,” Brock informed him harshly, but Cade knew it had nothing to do with sitting with Marly. Sam didn’t have the hard core of violence Cade and Brock carried. “Your turn at it, bro.”
“Stop trying to protect me,” Sam bit out, watching the other two with a furious glare. “Dammit, what happened to the ‘we’re not Green Berets’ bit? This is stupid. Marly needs us all.”
“And we need Marly, Sam, or have you forgot that?” Cade bit out. “Whoever that bastard is out there, he’s not playing with a full deck. Do you want to risk her this way?”
Cade watched Sam grimace. Pure fury lit his face and his gaze, but he knew there was no other way.
“Dammit, be careful,” he growled. “And remember, you two bite it, and this ranch will go to hell. Be damned if I’ll try to run it alone.”
For a few moments, Cades eyes widened. Hell, Marly was more important than the ranch, but still—he was going to have make certain he was damned careful. This ranch was Marly’s livelihood.
“Let’s go.” Cade headed out the door with Brock following close behind.
Cade waited until he heard the lock snap into place, then he turned to the other four cowboys.
“Brock, take two with you and head up the west slope. I’ll take the other two and head up the east. Hopefully, we can catch him between us.”
Terse nods greeted his orders. Staying low and moving carefully around the house, they kept a close eye on the area pinpointed as the stalker’s location. It was nothing more than shadow, the entire area. Impossible to make out, or to catch movement this far below the bench where he hid.
The moon was tucked carefully behind clouds, its rays blocked from the land below. It left the area in a blanket of deep night, usually not a concern. Unless there was a mad man with a gun hiding within it.
Cade and the two cowboys following him stuck to the shadows as they made their way throug
“Spread out,” Cade ordered the men following him as they started up the rise. “And be careful, for God’s sake.”
The rise was a tall hill, not really a mountain, but steep and tall just the same. It sloped up nearly a half mile, with a flat bench near the top. On that bench, hidden behind the concealment of large boulders, sat the stalker. Cade gritted his teeth in fury as he began a parallel path up to that bench. The son of a bitch was watching her, taking pictures of her, and only God knew what he had planned.
The shadows were long and deep on the hill, the trees sheltering as he moved along them carefully. He fought to move his body soundlessly through the underbrush and dried twigs. It wasn’t easy, though, to clear a path as he went. Damned if he knew how the Indians used to do it. One thing was damned sure, they didn’t try to do it in boots.
Still, he moved slowly, if in silence up the hill. He kept a careful watch on the bench above him, wondering, waiting.
Cade well admitted the stupidity of even trying to catch the crazy bastard, but he was pissed. Those pictures of Marly had sent his rage level out the roof. He wanted to kill the man who dared to violate her in such a way.
Moving stealthily, Cade neared the bench, his eyes narrowed in the darkness, searching for any sign of movement that would indicate the stalker’s location. There was nothing. The wildlife in the surrounding trees and brush were silent. Not even a birdcall, or the click of a cricket.
Stepping carefully, he moved along a small stand of trees perpendicular to the bench, straining to catch a glimpse of movement. Anything. There was nothing. Moving carefully, Cade turned to try another angle when wood flew from the tree behind him. Almost instantaneously, the sharp retort of a rifle followed.
Cade dropped to the ground as he brought his own rifle up, scurrying to find cover among the trees and small boulders that littered the lower end of the bench. The shots kept coming, followed closely by rounds being returned from the cowboys below.