Behind him a voice gasped softly, “Gracia a Dios!”
He spun. Luz Salinas stumbled out of the ramshackle chicken coop. Her clothes were covered with filth. He hurried to her side.
“I am so glad you are here,” she gasped.
He looked her over. “Are you hurt?”
“No.” She clung to his arm as he escorted her clear of the heat from the fire.
“What happened?”
“Masked riders. Farley saw them coming. He and Buck grabbed rifles and yelled for me to hide in the coop. As soon as I got inside I heard gunfire. The fire started almost immediately after. Are they all right?”
“I don’t know. Bunkhouse is on fire, too. I sent Matt to look for them.”
Matt rode up.
“Did you find them?”
He nodded solemnly. “Farley’s dead. Shot in the back. Buck’s still alive, but barely. You need to hurry.”
Kent saw Portia and the others arriving. “Mrs.Salinas, can you make it to Portia on your own?”
“Yes. See to Buck. I’ll be fine.”
He ran to Blue and yelled at Portia. “I need the docs!” He rode off, hoping the men would arrive swiftly.
Buck was lying on the edge of the pond. Farley’s silent body lay a few feet away. Blood covered them both. Kent quickly dismounted, knelt beside the dying man and lifted his head. He knew his limited medical education wouldn’t be enough. “Hold on, Buck. Docs are right behind me.”
He grimaced a grin and whispered, “Too late. Farley and the old man are already pulling out my chair for the poker game.”
“Who did this?”
“Parnell. Had men with him. Made us run then shot us in the back.”
Kent’s anger boiled.
“Coward had his face hid, but couldn’t hide his voice. Get him for us, would you?”
“Will do. I promise.” A promise he’d keep.
By the time Jakes and Phillip Pratt arrived, they were too late. Kent gently lowered Buck’s lifeless body back to the ground. Seeing Portia, he shook his head to let her know he was gone. Her jaw tightened and a sheen of angry tears filled her eyes. Kent hadn’t known the two men long enough to call them friends but they’d impressed him as good people. They hadn’t deserved such ignoble deaths. “Portia, take Mrs.Salinas and your guests back to the hotel. Let your uncle know what’s happened. Have him tell the sheriff that Parnell was one of the killers. I’ll come soon as the fire’s out.”
She nodded. The doctors mounted, Cal took Mrs.Salinas up behind him and he and Portia led the party back across the meadow.
The fires were subsiding, leaving behind charred smoky skeletons. That it hadn’t been a windy day or the height of summer was a blessing. The wind would’ve spread the embers to the surrounding grasses, setting it afire, too. As it stood only a bit of the grass near the house had burned but both buildings would have to be replaced.
“Stock’s gone.”
Kent noticed the empty pens for the first time and swore softly. “Parnell must’ve run them off.”
“Riders coming.”
Kent looked up at Matt’s warning and watched them approach. There were four of them. They weren’t masked but he and Matt drew their guns and waited. As they neared Matt identified them. “Mr.Lane.”
Kent remembered meeting the big burly Howard Lane at the anniversary party. Lane and his men stopped to survey the charred house before continuing to where he and Matt stood by the pond.
“Saw the smoke. Sorry I didn’t get here earlier. We rode as hard as we could.” Only then did he see the bodies. He dismounted slowly and walked closer “Damn,” he whispered emotionally. “Who did this?”