What did Rausch offer you?
Liv wiped her eyes with her sleeve and swallowed the lump in her throat before she could force words out. A quarter of what the ranch is worth. A quarter! She laughed, the sound ending in a sob. Ill die herding cattle before I sell to that man.
Yeah, well, you could die a lot sooner if you go like your father.
Liv clenched her fist in her lap. Its physically demanding, ranching in the foothills of the Beartooth Mountains. Falling off your horse and hitting your head on a rock could happen to anyone around here. She shot a glance at Abe. Right?
He nodded, his voice dropping to little more than a whisper. Yeah, but I would bet my best rodeo buckle your father had some help falling off that horse.
What do you mean?
Just that wed had some trouble on the ranch, leading up to that day.
Trouble?
Abe shrugged. Thereve been a whole lot of strange things going on in Grizzly Pass in the past couple months.
Dad never said a word.
He didnt want to worry you.
Liv snorted and then sniffed. He was a little late on that account. She swiveled in her seat, directing her attention to the older man. Tell me.
You know about the kids on the hijacked bus, right?
She nodded. I heard about it on the national news. I couldnt believe the Vanderses went off the deep end. But what does that have to do with my father and the ranch?
Abe lifted a hand and scratched his wiry brown hair with streaks of silver dominating his temples. Thats only part of the problem. I hear theres a group called Free America stirring up trouble.
What kind of trouble?
Nothing anyone can put a finger on, but rumor has it theyre meeting regularly, training in combat tactics.
Doesnt the local law enforcement have a handle on them?
Abe shook his head. No one on the inside is owning up to being a part of it, and folks on the outside are only guessing. Its breeding a whole lot of distrust among the locals.
So theyre training for combat. People have a right to protect themselves. She didnt like that it was splitting a once close-knit community.
Yeah, but what if they put that combat training to use and try to take over the government?
Liv smiled and leaned back in her seat. Theyd have to have a lot more people than the population of Grizzly Pass to take over the government.
Maybe so, but they could do a lot of damage and terrorize a community if they tried anything locally. Just look at the trouble Vanders and his boys stirred up when they killed a bus driver and threatened to bury a bunch of little kids in one of the old mines.
You have a point. Liv chewed on her lower lip, her brows drawing together. She could only imagine the horror those children had to face and the families standing by, praying for their release. We used to be a caring, cohesive community. We had semiannual picnics where everyone came out and visited with each other. Whats happening?
With the shutdown of the pipeline, a lot of folks are out of work. The government upped the fees for grazing cattle on federal land and there isnt much more than ranching in this area. People are moving to the cities, looking for work. Others are holding on by their fingernails.
Her heart ached for her hometown. I didnt realize it was that bad.
Yeah, I almost think you need to take Rauschs offer and get out of here while you can.
Her lips firmed into a thin line. He was insulting, acting like I didnt know the business end of a horse. Hell, he doesnt know the first thing about ranching.
Which leads me to wonder
Something flashed in front of the speeding truck. A rider on a four-wheeler.
Abe jerked the steering wheel to avoid hitting him and sent the truck careening over the shoulder of the road, down a steep slope, crashing into bushes and bumping over huge rocks.
Despite the safety belt across her chest, Liv was tossed about like a shaken rag doll.
Hold on! Abe cried out.
With a death grip on the armrest, Liv braced herself.
The truck slammed into a tree.
Liv was thrown forward, hitting her head on the dash. For a moment gray haze and sparkling stars swam in her vision.
A groan from the man next to her brought her out of the fog and back to the front seat of the pickup. She blinked several times and turned her head.
A sharp stab of pain slashed through her forehead and warm thick liquid dripped from her forehead into her eyes. She wiped the fluid away only to discover it was blood. Her blood.
Another moan took her mind off her own injuries.
She blinked to clear her vision and noticed Abe hunched over the steering wheel, the front of the truck pushed into the cab pressing in around his legs.
The pungent scent of gasoline stung her nostrils, sending warning signals through her stunned brain. Abe? She touched his shoulder.
His head lolled back, his eyes closed.
Abe! Liv struggled with her seat belt, the buckle refusing to release when she pressed the button. Abe! She gave up for a moment and shook her foreman. We have to get out of the truck. I smell gas.
He moaned again, but his eyes fluttered open. I cant move, he said, his voice weak. I think my leg is broken.
I dont care if both of your legs are brokenwe have to get you out of the truck. Now! She punched at her own safety belt, this time managing to disengage the locking mechanism. Flinging it aside, she reached for Abes and released it. Then she pushed open her door and slid out of the front seat.
When her feet touched the ground, her knees buckled. She grabbed hold of the door and held on to steady herself. The scent of gasoline was so strong now it was overpowering, and smoke rose from beneath the crumpled hood.
Straightening, Liv willed herself to be strong and get her foreman out of the truck before the vehicle burst into flames. Shed already lost her father. Abe was the only family she had left. Shed be damned if she lost him, too.
With tears threatening, she staggered around the rear of the truck, her feet slipping on loose gravel and stones. When she tried to open the drivers door, it wouldnt budge.
She pounded on it, getting more desperate by the minute. Abe, you have to help me. Unlock the door. I have to get you out.
Rather than dissipating, the cloud of smoke grew. The wind shifted, sending the smoke into Livs face. Damn it, Abe. Unlock the door!
A loud click sounded and Liv pulled the door handle, willing it to open. It didnt.
Her eyes stinging and the smoke scratching at her throat with every breath she took, Liv realized she didnt have much time.
She braced her foot on the side panel of the truck and pulled hard on the door handle. Metal scraped on metal and the door budged, but hung, having been damaged when the truck wrapped around the tree.
Hands curled around her shoulders, lifted her off her feet and set her to the side.
Then a hulk of a man with broad shoulders, big hands and a strong back ripped the door open, grabbed Abe beneath the arms, hauled him out of the smoldering cab and carried him all of the way up the hill to the paved road.
Her tears falling in earnest now, Liv followed, stumbling over the uneven ground, dropping to her knees every other step. When she reached the top, she sagged to the ground beside Abe on the shoulder of the road. Abe? Please tell me youre okay. Please.