The Fire in Ember - DiAnn Mills [100]
He blew out his anger in a heavy sigh. He had no idea who’d taken Racer, but he’d find out. The suspects—Clint and Lester Farrar—were nowhere to be found. The only other men who might have been a part of the lawbreaking were the Wide O’s two missing ranch hands.
Tying his horse to a hitching post, John mounted the steps to Oberlander’s front door and knocked hard. He remembered the harsh words that had passed between them in the ongoing struggle to find the cattle thieves. For a moment he believed all of his rage about Racer went into his fist.
The door flung open. Oberlander’s face registered surprise. “John, your knocking could have raised the dead.”
“With the mood I’m in, I could wake a graveyard.”
Oberlander’s brows narrowed. “This isn’t a social call, is it?”
“No sir. We need to talk.”
“Come on in, then.” Oberlander stepped back from the door.
“I’d rather find Queen Victoria.”
“Why? Do you have reason to believe my mare’s been stolen again?”
“Yes.” John summoned a calm composure, realizing the man before him valued his horses more than people. “Someone stole Racer last night, and if my suspicions are right, your mare may not be in her stall either.”
Oberlander rushed out the door to his stables with John beside him. The man hurried inside the building toward a rear stall. Flinging open a stall door, he uttered a deep guttural grief that John recognized as how he’d felt when he discovered Racer was missing.
Victor Oberlander swore. John stepped out of the stall and allowed the man his ranting. He’d considered using the same language—as heathen as it sounded.
When Oberlander emerged from the stall, hatred burned from the pores of his skin. “Any idea who’s stolen our horses?”
“I have a few suspects.”
“My missing ranch hands are at the top of my list.”
“Add Clint and Lester Farrar. Bob, Wirt, and I wanted to believe they’d left the territory. But that’s changed.”
“Stealing a man’s property is worth a hanging,” Oberlander said. “And I’d welcome the chance to do it. Queen Victoria’s been stolen twice, and she’s the finest horseflesh I’ve ever owned.”
John wanted to agree, except he valued a man’s life more than an animal’s. He had a feeling more men would die before this ended.
Leah stood on the porch while Evan coaxed Rowdy to open his eyes. Aaron, Mark, Davis, and Ember knelt beside the dog as the solemn scene unfolded in front of her. She’d shed more tears this morning than she’d done for a long time. Racer’s disappearance and Rowdy’s condition were like more bruises to a battered family. Right now all she could do was pray for Rowdy to fully recover and pray for Racer to be found.
This morning, John feared his family could have been harmed. When she thought about it, she realized the improbability of such a thing happening. But John had much on his mind. He’d been wild, frantic with the realization someone had stolen valuable property while the family slept.
How much could John handle with the evil surrounding them? They’d all thought it was over with Simon’s arrest. Now the situation had grown worse. She thought of how a cat played with a mouse before killing it … and the gut-wrenching fear accompanying those emotions made her physically sick.
She stared at the rifles lined up by the barn within easy reach. Glancing behind her, she viewed her own borrowed weapon close by. Oh, Lord, watch over my family. Help John, Bob, and Wirt find who is doing this. Please.
“Come on, Rowdy.” Davis stroked the dog’s side. “I know you can do it.”
A tear slipped from Leah’s eyes. Her baby boy loved that dog.
“Maybe he needs to sleep some more,” Mark said.
Evan nodded. “I’ll carry him back inside and keep watch. He took a nasty blow to the head, and it may take awhile for him to wake up.”
“Let’s feed the animals and do a few chores while we wait.