Ace

  He made his way toward the lab, with Ally trailing behind. In the doorway he paused. Hazard looked up from the intravenous pack he was preparing.

  “How’s my old dog doing?” Harlan demanded.

  “He’s amazing. Just keeps improving every day.” Hazard turned his back to insert a new IV in the old dog’s leg.

  “I was hoping to take him home today.”

  Hazard adjusted the tube, then ruffled the dog’s head before getting to his feet. “I’m sorry. I know you’re in a hurry to leave. But I think Buster needs one more day.”

  “You’re sure? I’d take really good care of him back at my place.”

  “I know you would, Harlan.” Hazard glanced beyond the old man to where Ally stood watching and listening. “But I’m going to have to insist that my patient remain here at least another day.”

  At Harlan’s grudging nod of assent, Ally slowly released the breath she’d been holding. She’d feared she would have to engage in a shouting match to keep her grandfather here. But Hazard had managed it with a few simple words. As her grandfather rolled closer to the cage, where the two dogs lay side by side, Ally caught sight of the grin on Hazard’s lips. And realized that Ace had left nothing to chance. He’d already taken his brother into his confidence.

  “Well.” She turned away with a smile. “I guess I’ll go help Maggie in the kitchen.”

  Minutes later, when the call came from the insurance agent, her spirits lifted even more. “Yes. Of course I can meet the appraiser at my grandfather’s place.” She went in search of a vehicle. This day was just getting better and better.

  “Ace, we’ve got that first shipment ready to go.” The mine foreman’s voice crackled over the speakerphone.

  “Thanks, Kent. We’re running ahead of schedule.”

  “Yep. Thought you’d want to know.”

  Ace rang off, then looked up as one of the staff from the legal department stepped into his office and handed him a thick folder.

  “This is the Boyd contract you requested.”

  He nodded.

  “Mr. Boyd wants confirmation by noon.”

  “He’ll have it.”

  Before Ace could read the first line, the phone rang. He absently picked up the receiver. “Ace Wilde.”

  “Thorpe here. As we’d hoped, Marla Craine has made her move. She phoned a number in Prosperous.”

  “Is this the man who paid her?”

  “Yes. We weren’t certain at first. But now we’re sure of it.”

  Ace tensed. The file in his hand was forgotten.

  “Who is it?”

  “The man’s name is Martin Gardner.”

  Ace shook his head. “It doesn’t ring any bells.”

  “That’s because it’s turned out to be an alias. It took my operatives a while to learn his true identity. He’s a man who moves around a lot, and has no permanent address. But he’s lived at a number of different locations in and around Las Vegas. His real name is Mason Gabriel.”

  “Gabriel.” For the space of a heartbeat Ace was thunderstruck. “My father’s old partner.” A few more pieces were beginning to fit. “Great work, Thorpe. Contact the sheriff. Tell him where Gabriel is staying in Prosperous. Let him know that we intend to press charges. I figure, by the time you complete your investigation, we’ll have a whole lot more on him than just attempted sabotage against WildeMining.”

  “I’ll phone the sheriff as soon as I hang up.”

  Ace disconnected, then dialed the ranch. “Hazard? Thorpe just gave me the name of the man who paid my employee to sabotage our government deal. It was Dad’s old partner, Mason Gabriel.”

  He heard his brother’s quick intake of breath. “Gabriel?”

  “Yeah. He’s staying in town under an alias. I told Thorpe to alert the sheriff and have him picked up.”

  “The bastard.” Hazard’s tone hardened. “What do you think this is all about?”

  “I don’t know.” Ace took a deep breath. “But I figure between Thorpe and the sheriff, they’ll get to the bottom of it all. Now, did our plan work? Is Harlan still there?”

  Hazard chuckled. “Worked like a charm. Just like you said. The old man’s dying to get away from us, but not at the expense of that old dog’s health. So I just told him Buster needed one more day.”

  “Great.” Ace joined in the laughter. He could feel the tension slowly draining away. “Let me talk to Ally.”

  “She’s not here, Ace. She borrowed one of our trucks. She’s meeting the insurance adjuster over at her grandfather’s ranch. He wants to appraise the damage and issue a check so they can get started rebuilding.”

  Ace sat up straighter. “I told her not to go there. Why didn’t you send Cody or one of the wranglers along?”

  “She won’t be alone, Ace. She’s meeting the adjuster. She wrote his name here somewhere.” Ace could hear the shuffling of papers on the other end of the phone. “Yeah. Here it is. Martin Gardner.”

  Ace closed his eyes against a wave of shock. When he could find his voice he said, “Get hold of the sheriff. Tell him Mason Gabriel isn’t in Prosperous. He’s out at Harlan’s ranch. And he has Ally.”

  Ally parked the Double W truck beside the shiny sedan. As she strode toward the house she felt a quick tug at her heart. She’d always loved this place so. It just cheered her to know that Gramps would soon be back in his workroom, doing the work that gave him so much pleasure.

  She knew these past few days had been hard on him. But soon, she told herself, he would be back on his own land. Doing the work that he loved.

  “Mr. Gardner?” She stepped into the burned-out shell of the barn and peered around in the gloom.

  On the far side of the building she could make out a man, standing in the shadows.

  “I’m so glad your company decided to handle this promptly. You’ll never know what it means to my grandfather and me to get started on rebuilding.”

  He stayed where he was, allowing her to pick her way through the ashes and debris. When she reached him, she offered her hand. “Mr. Gardner? I’m Allison Brady.”

  He took her hand and smiled. But when she started to withdraw her hand, he grasped it firmly, holding her when she tried to pull away. At first she was merely puzzled. But when she looked up into his eyes, she felt a sudden surge of fear. His smile was gone. In its place was a look of pure hatred.

  She yanked her hand free and started to back away. He reached out to a spot against some fallen timbers. When he straightened he was holding a rifle.

  Ally’s eyes rounded with fear. “Who are you?”

  “An old friend of the family, my dear. Come to collect a debt.”

  Despite the gun in his hands she turned and started to run. She steeled herself, waiting for the report of gunfire. When it didn’t come, she chanced a quick look over her shoulder. He was close on her heels.

  She cleared the burned-out barn and was halfway to the house when she felt his hand close over her shoulder. She managed to wrench free, but it caused her to stumble. As she pitched forward, his big hands closed around her throat and began to squeeze.

  She fought desperately, kicking, biting. But nothing would dislodge those hands, cutting off her breath until spots danced in front of her eyes, and she lost consciousness.

  Ace drove by sheer instinct, negotiating the rutted road without really seeing it. Dust rose up around the vehicle as he pushed it to the limit, careening around twists and turns. He glanced at the fuel gauge, hoping the mine truck he’d commandeered didn’t have an empty tank.

  In his whole life he’d never known fear. It was an alien emotion to a reckless gambler who’d lived his whole life on the edge. But he tasted it now. A bitter, metallic burning in his throat as he thought about Ally in the clutches of a madman.

  As the ranch came into view, his fear grew when he caught sight of a Double W truck parked beside a plain black sedan.

  He came to a screeching halt beside the other vehicles and slammed out of the truck. A man sto
od on the porch, holding a rifle. Before Ace managed two steps, a gunshot rang out, spewing dust at his feet.

  “Hold it right there, Wilde.”

  “What have you done with Ally?”

  “You mean Allison Brady? She’s in here. All cozy and comfortable. Want to see?” The man waved the rifle. “Just keep your hands where I can see them.”

  As Ace started forward the man reached into his pocket and removed something small and shiny.

  “What’s that?” Ace squinted against the sunlight.

  “Another weapon.” The man laughed at his joke. “Just a little backup, to see that you don’t try anything foolish.”

  When Ace reached the porch the man held the door and Ace stepped inside, then froze.

  Ally was seated on one of the kitchen chairs, her hands and ankles bound with cord. All around her feet colorful rag rugs had been bunched and mounded. The smell of gasoline was almost overpowering. It lay in puddles and formed a small stream from the door to where Ally sat.

  Ace realized at once what the other weapon was. A lighter. One spark, and Ally would be engulfed in flame.

  He swallowed, struggling to control his fury. “You okay, Red?”

  At the sound of his voice, Ally felt her eyes fill. She’d been trying to be so brave. But seeing Ace, and hearing him call her Red, had a sob backing up in her throat.

  She lifted her chin. “I’m fine.”

  Ace saw the bruises on her throat, and more on her upper arms, and knew that she’d put up a fight. He struggled to bank his anger and keep his voice calm. “Your fight isn’t with her. It’s with me. If you promise to let her go, I’ll let you tie me in her place without a fight.”

  The man’s brows lifted. “Oh, this is rich. I’ve caught myself a hero.” His voice lowered. “Or is there more here than heroics? Have you fallen for Harlan Brady’s granddaughter?”

  He saw the look that passed between Ace and Ally, and threw back his head to roar with laughter. “Now this is even better than I’d planned.”

  “What did you plan, Gabriel? What is this all about?”

  “You know me?” The man’s eyes widened in surprise.

  “I know that Martin Gardner is an alias, and that you’re really Mason Gabriel, my father’s old partner.” He heard the gasp of surprise from Ally, and forced himself not to look at her. He couldn’t bear to see the bruises that marred her skin. “What I don’t know is why you’re here.”

  “I’m here to get what’s owed me.”

  “I don’t understand. My father paid you off years ago.”

  “Yeah. That’s right. Paid me off. He gave me a measly half million dollars, then left his sons a ranch worth a hundred times that much.”

  “He paid you a fair market value. That’s what you demanded. If you’d stayed to work it, you could have had half of everything.”

  “Yeah, well I had other fish to fry.” His smile returned. “I lived like a king in Vegas. Mr. G. That’s what they called me. What’ll it be, Mr. G? What would you like, Mr. G? The penthouse suite? It’s yours, Mr. G. A high-rollers game tonight, Mr. G? A couple of ladies to entertain you, Mr. G?” His smile faltered. “Then I got on a losing streak. I phoned your dad and told him I needed money. He said he’d paid all he owed me. So I asked him about this miserable piece of land. I knew it always stuck in his craw that he couldn’t buy it. But if old Harlan could be persuaded to part with it, I figured your old man would owe me half. So I flew out here and decided to ‘persuade’ the old man to let it go.”

  Ace’s eyes narrowed. For the first time, it was all beginning to make sense. “You were the one who threatened Harlan Brady?”

  “Yeah. I hung around town and kept my ear to the ground, picking up any little bits of gossip I could. I learned that Harlan Brady’s son and daughter-in-law wanted out of ranching. Figured the old man would be willing to take the money and run. When that didn’t work, I decided to scare him off.”

  “You don’t know my grandfather.” Ally’s eyes blazed.

  “Oh, but I do. I made it a point to learn all I could about him. And I found his soft spot. His only weakness.” Gabriel pinned Ally with a look. “You. I’ve been waiting for you to come back. And when you finally did, I decided to make my move. You see, my plans are a lot grander than they used to be. Before, I just wanted half. Now I want all.”

  Ace studied the man who stood with a rifle in one hand, a lighter in the other. In his eyes was a look of madness. That made him a whole lot more than just dangerous. It made him a deadly opponent. The burned-out shell of the barn just beyond the windows was a jolting reminder that Mason Gabriel didn’t bluff. He played for keeps.

  “All right, Gabriel. I’ll ask you again. Let me change places with Ally. This fight is really about us. It has nothing to do with her.”

  “That’s the beauty of all this. Don’t you see? When her body is found, the town will rise up against the Wilde brothers. There isn’t a jury in this state that won’t believe you finally took the revenge your father sought all those years ago. And when the trial is over, I’ll come forward with a deed to the property.”

  “What deed?”

  Gabriel gave a sly smile. “Let’s just say I have friends in low places. They can get me any document, for a price. A document that will stand up in any court in this land. And with the Wilde brothers out of the way, I’ll sell off old Wes Wilde’s empire and go back to living like a king.”

  Ace glanced around for something, anything, to use as a weapon. He would have but one chance to take this madman out. Otherwise, a single spark from his lighter would end everything. “It sounds like you’ve been planning this for a long time, Gabriel.”

  Mason Gabriel gave a chilling laugh. “Who do you think paid off Iris Arnold at WildeOil to doctor that multimillion dollar contract a few months ago? All I had to do was remind her that it was Chance Wilde who had caused her father to leave his wife and children, when he’d feared being fired.”

  “That was a lie and you know it.”

  “But Iris didn’t know that.” He sneered. “And who do you think fed the flames of hatred in Russ Thurman, and got him to take out his anger on your brother Hazard’s cattle?”

  For the space of a full minute Ace couldn’t believe what he’d heard. His voice deepened with fury. “You caused all those problems? The investigation of all the employees at WildeOil? The loss of all those cattle at the Double W?”

  “That’s me. The little fly in your ointment, Wilde. Flitting here, flitting there, planting a rumor here, a lie there. Before long, there are all kinds of old enemies waiting to take potshots at the Wilde brothers. But since none of them succeeded in taking you out entirely, I realized it was up to me to step in and do the job myself.” He flicked open the lighter and a tiny, deadly flame danced in his hand. “And now this fly is going to flit outside. Wouldn’t want to get too close to the explosion that’s about to take place.” He laughed. “Let’s see if you can untie your ladylove in time to save her.”

  “No!” Ace leapt across the space that separated them. But even as he did, he knew it was too late.

  As he hurtled through the air, gunfire roared, and pain exploded through his upper body. Through sheer determination he kept on going. His hands clutched at Gabriel’s shirtfront. He heard the fabric tear as he struggled to make contact with slippery flesh. He saw the lighter arc like a flaming torch and land in a puddle of liquid, just as Gabriel disappeared through the doorway. And then all he could see was a thin line of fire streaking toward the gasoline-soaked rugs at Ally’s feet.

  Raw panic scraped over his nerves as he struggled to outrace the flame. But the bullet to his shoulder had left him sluggish. By the time he was struggling with the cords that bound her hands and ankles, there was a wall of fire around them, scorching their hair, searing their flesh, burning every breath they dragged into their oxygen-starved lungs.

  “Hang on, Red.” Ace’s fingers felt stiff and awkward as he fumbled with her bonds. He discovered to h
is horror that she was not only bound at the hands and feet, but tied to the chair as well.

  By now their clothes were smoldering, and the heat so intense, they could no longer breathe. In desperation he lifted her, chair and all, and raced through the leaping flames and billowing smoke to freedom just beyond the door.

  For several seconds they lay in the dirt, choking and coughing as they dragged air into their lungs. Seeing smoke curling from Ally’s clothes, and from the legs of the chair, Ace smothered it with his body. Then, panting from the effort, he lifted his head.

  “Are you all right, Red?”

  She nodded, too overcome to reply. The front of his shirt was stained with his blood. So much blood. She marveled that he could remain conscious. Still, she knew it was only a matter of moments before he would lose the battle to remain awake.

  Smoke still curled from the cord binding her hands and ankles, and she realized it had burned clear through. It seemed too much effort to even lift herself free. But she managed to squeeze Ace’s hand.

  He glanced down and saw that she was no longer bound. He started to draw her toward him, then froze.

  “You must have some kind of luck, Wilde, to come through all that alive.”

  At the ominous tone, Ace looked up to see Mason Gabriel standing over him. In his hands was the rifle. Pointed directly at Ace’s head.

  “But I’m about to end your lucky streak right now.”

  “How are you going to explain the gunshot?” Every word Ace spoke strained his raw lungs.

  “I’ll tell the authorities you tried to burn down the Brady ranch, with his granddaughter inside. I had no choice but to save her and shoot you.” Mason touched a hand to his heart in mock sadness. “Unfortunately, the little lady was overcome by smoke, and expired.” He grinned. “Even an autopsy won’t prove otherwise. Her lungs are full of smoke. A plastic bag over her head will just end it.” He threw back his head and laughed. A high, thin sound of dementia that scraped over their already ragged nerves. “I’ll probably be hailed as a hero for ridding Wyoming of such a dastardly villain.”