Linda Ford Read Online Free PDF Page A

to?”
    “She’s strange. Just like Thorton says.”
    A whole section of the door gave way. Holding the ax ready to use as a weapon, Red poked her head through the opening. Belle sat shivering on a crude bed. “Belle, honey. It’s me. Come here.” She held out her arms.
    Belle’s eyes were wide and staring.
    What had these men done to her in the three days that Red had been missing? She swung about and faced them, the ax lifted like a sword. “Anyone touch either of us and I’ll leave you in pieces.”
    The men kept back a safe distance.
    She turned back to her sister. “Belle, come here. I’ll look after you. Just like I always do.”
    Whimpering, Belle slipped from the bed.
    “What’s going on here?”
    Red slowly turned to face the Mountie with Thorton on one side and Ward on the other.
    “She’s trashed my house.” Mike pointed. “Arrest her, I say.”
    “Red, what are you doing? Give me the ax.” The Mountie gingerly reached for her weapon.
    Red didn’t budge. Didn’t offer to release it. Nor would she until Belle was safe and sound. “Have a look for yourself.” She stepped aside and indicated the Mountie should look in the hole.
    He watched her carefully as he edged forward. She kept her back to the shack as she watched the circle of men for any threat, but she knew the moment the Mountie saw Belle because of his indrawn breath. “Come on, child. You’re safe now.”
    Red kept her eyes on Thorton. She saw his intention to escape and sprang forward, waving the ax.
    Ward also saw his intention and grabbed an arm and twisted it behind Thorton’s back.
    The Mountie lifted Belle through the opening. She glanced about at all the men and pressed her back to the shack.
    Red dropped the ax and held her arms out. Belle hesitated a moment, then raced to her sister.
    “Thorton Winch,” the Mountie said, “I’m arresting you for kidnapping and a number of other charges. Take a good look at the sky. You won’t get many more chances.”
    As he was led away, Thorton turned to Red. “Don’t think this is the end. I’ll get away and I’ll find you.”
    The Mountie jerked his arms. “You aren’t going anywhere.
    “Mike Morton, you are under arrest, too. Ward, would you bring him along?”
    Thorton gave Ward a look fit to cure leather. “I’ll find you, too, and make you regret your part in this.”
    The Mountie pushed him along.
    The men shrank away, muttering they didn’t know about a child. She expected most of them told the truth.
    In a few minutes Red and Belle were alone.
    “What are we going to do?” Belle whispered.
    “We’ll be fine.”
    “Who’s going to take care of us?”
    “We’ll take care of ourselves.” She spoke so reassuringly she almost believed her words. But she had no money. No clothing except the dress on her back and grateful she was for the brown one Linette had given her. But they had their freedom.
    “Let’s go.” She took Belle’s hand and headed out of town, a different direction than the one that had brought her back a few hours ago.
    “Where we going?”
    “To a new life.” One, she vowed, where she would never again depend on a man. Or trust one.
    They marched bravely onward until Belle dropped to the edge of the trail.
    “We’re lost. And I’m hungry.” Silent tears trailed down her pale cheeks.
    Red hated those tears and that silent cry, even though she felt like sitting at Belle’s side and joining her in a good wail. Her leg hurt even though she’d looked at it closely when Linette changed the dressing last night and knew it was a minor injury. Her head pounded like a thousand horses kicking to be released. “We’ll be okay.”
    Belle shook her head. Not that Red blamed her for not believing. She had no plan. No options. “Come on. We can’t sit at the side of the road feeling sorry for ourselves.”
    Belle didn’t move.
    Red dried her sister’s tears on the skirt of the brown cotton dress. “Something will work out. It always does,