Cowgirl Up! (23 page)

Sam went through the gate without triggering any alarms, but a female guard stopped and motioned for her to follow. Sam did a mental eye roll. She knew she looked bug spit and now she was going to have to endure a pat down.

The guard took Sam to the side and waved a black wand around her body. She patted Sam’s legs and sides and then had Sam sit down so she could check the bottom of her feet. She took Sam’s boots and looked them over as thoroughly as she could from a safe distance. Satisfied that Sam was no threat she turned and waved her through.

Sam grabbed her boots and danced around again as she put them back on. She raced down the escalator to wait for the train to concourse C.

When it arrived Sam stepped on and grabbed a pole in the middle of the car. A little girl about five was staring at Sam with an open mouth.

“Are you a cowgirl?” she asked.

“No, I’m a veterinarian,” Sam told her sweetly.

The little girl turned to her mother. “Mommy, I don’t want to be a veterinarian when I grow up. They smell really bad.”

The little girl’s mother bent over quickly and whispered something in her ear. Sam pulled her cap down to try and hide her face. Her day from hell was continuing.

When the train arrived at Concourse C, Sam jumped out and ran to Gate 64. She didn’t see her grandpa anywhere. She went up to the one remaining attendant behind the monitor.

“Excuse me. Did you see an elderly man in a wheelchair come off this flight? He was supposed to be here waiting for me.”

The man looked up and smiled. His smile faded when he saw Sam. He slowly backed away.

“You look like you fell in a big mud puddle lady,” he sniffed. “A big stinky mud puddle.”

“Yes, I did. I’m a vet and I’ve had a hard day. I’m late picking up my grandfather. He was on the plane that just arrived from Dallas. Can you tell me where he is?”

The man frowned. “I’ve been here a few minutes but I don’t remember seeing anyone in a wheelchair hanging around.”

“Can you verify for me that he was on the flight? His name is James Malone.”

The attendant keyed in some information and nodded.

“Yes, he was on the flight.”

“So, where is he?” Sam was getting testy. Actually, she was close to bitchy. So bitchy that she wanted to bitch slap someone into next year.

The man looked at her with a smile.

“I don’t know where he is. You’ll have to check with our customer service desk at the main terminal. They can help you locate him.”

Sam raced back to the train looking for her grandpa along the way. He was nowhere in sight. She boarded the train and stood in a corner away from children. When she got back to the main terminal she ran back to the customer service desk to confront Ms. Sparrow.

Ms. Sparrow frowned when she saw Sam approach.

Sam frowned back.

“My grandfather was not at the gate when I got there. An attendant told me to come back here. He told me you could make some calls and find him.”

Ms. Sparrow picked up a walkie-talkie and made a call. She talked for a minute and then disconnected. Then she picked up a phone and dialed a number. She talked for another minute and then hung up. She turned and looked at Sam apologetically.

“We can’t seem to locate your grandfather,” she told her.

Sam looked at her in shock. She took a deep yoga breath but it didn’t help.

“You lost my grandpa! How can you lose an old man in a wheelchair, for God’s sake!?”

“Well! You don’t have to get so huffy. Ninety-five percent of the time this never happens!”

Sam was tired, stressed and Ms. Sparrow was stomping on the last nerve she had in her body. Sam looked deep into her eyes. She was getting close to the person Sam wanted to bitch slap into the next century.

“So what happens to the five percent you lose? Are they like socks that disappear in the dryer? You never see them again?”

Before she could answer the desk phone rang.

“Yeah, did you find him?”

Sam could tell from the triumphant look on her face they had.

“He’s at the baggage claim area waiting for you.” Ms. Sparrow told Sam when she hung up the phone.

Sam ran down a floor to baggage and saw her grandpa immediately. He was sitting in a wheelchair watching luggage roll around on the carousel. A chubby attendant was leaning over talking to him. Sam ran up and gave him a hug.

“Grandpa!”

“Sam! How are you sugar? You look like hell!” He sniffed. “You don’t smell so good either.”

“I know. I’ve had the day from hell. Has your luggage arrived?”

“We’re looking for it now. This here is Audra,” he said pointing to the attendant. “She’s been helping me. I told her you would give her a big tip.”

Sam smiled at Audra.

Audra smiled back and pointed to a suitcase coming around the carousel.

“Is that the one?”

“Yep, grab it!”

She pulled it out and rolled it to them.

“I’ll push your grandfather if you can handle the suitcase.”

Sam led the way and they headed for the door. When it opened Sam could hear the rush of traffic and a horn honking in the garage. She hesitated a minute. That horn sounded familiar. She rolled her eyes. Dundee was at it again.

“Wait right here and I’ll get my truck.”

Sam ran as fast as she could while dragging a huge suitcase. When she got to her truck she could see Dundee sitting behind the wheel with two security guards standing by the door watching him. One of them turned to Sam when she came up.

“Is this your truck and dog?”

“Yes. Was he disturbing the peace?”

“You could say that. He’s been honking that horn for the past half hour.”

The horn honked again and Sam jumped. It was loud. Sam threw her grandpa’s suitcase in the back of the truck and opened the door.

“Go ahead. Arrest him,” she told the guards. “Throw him in jail. He deserves it.”

Dundee scurried to his pillow in the back seat.

The guards smiled and walked off shaking their heads.

Sam jumped in the truck and glared at Dundee. “You are in so much trouble, mister!”

He looked at her with sad eyes.

“That won’t work either. I’m going to put you under house arrest if you ever do that again!”

Sam picked up her grandpa, gave Audra a big tip, and they headed for home. Finally.

By the time Sam got home with her grandpa it was getting dark and had started raining again. She parked in the front of the house and quickly hauled his luggage out of the back of her truck before it got wet. As she was helping him in the front door, her mom and Mason came through the back door.

“Hi sweeties!” Sam’s mom greeted them. She and Mason gave Grandpa a big hug. Then her mom turned and stared at Sam.

“What happened to you? You look like shit!”

“Let’s just say I’ve had a really bad day. How’s Dad?”

“The doctor said he has a concussion and they’re keeping him in the hospital overnight for observation. He’ll be fine, but if he doesn’t start listening to me I’m going to give him his next concussion.”

Grandpa grinned. “It sure is good to be home where everything is normal.”

IT WAS DARK and rainy when Sam walked into her house a few minutes later and collapsed on the couch. She jumped up quickly and checked to make sure she didn’t get any horse poop on it.

“I’m taking a shower,” she announced to Dundee and headed for the bathroom. She took about three steps when the phone rang. She groaned and answered it.

“Doc?”

“Mitch?”

“Doc, listen to me quick,” Mitch told Sam in a hushed whisper. “I’m in the barn at the Lazy W. Something’s going on tonight but I don’t know what.”

“What do you mean something’s going on? Where have you been? The Sheriff has been looking for you and Marcus!”

“We’ve been staying with a friend of Marcus’ until everything blows over. Tonight I overheard a conversation Marcus had on the phone. He told someone he was coming out here to take care of everything,” Mitch hesitated a second. “I think he’s going to do something to the horses again. He doesn’t know I followed him, but I’m really worried. You gotta get out here!”

Sam frowned and thought for a minute. This could be a set up.

“Mitch, this is really weird.”

“What’s weird is this place,” he whispered. “Everything is dark out here. There aren’t any lights on anywhere. Usually there are lights on in the bunkhouse or at the Wilson’s, but not tonight. None of the security lights are on either. I think the electricity has been cut off.”

“Is Marcus meeting someone?”

“I don’t know. Maybe you better call the sheriff. Something’s wrong here.”

There was silence for a second and then Sam could hear Mitch talking to someone. “Who are you?” he asked.

Sam heard a pop that sounded like a gunshot.

“Mitch?”

She heard a groan and the phone went dead.

Sam stared at her phone in shock. Then she pulled herself together, put her rain duster back on and ran to her truck. Fear gripped her heart. She had to get to the Lazy W and find Mitch. Dundee jumped into the truck with her and she peeled out of the driveway.

When she hit the highway she remembered her promise to Sheriff Olson. She wasn’t going to break it this time. She picked up her cell phone to dial 9-1-1 but it was dead.

“What in the world?” Sam looked at her phone and checked the connection. She always kept it plugged in so it would stay charged. Then she saw the limp wire hanging down from her charger. It must have broken loose sometime during the day, and with all the confusion she hadn’t noticed it.

“Shit!” Sam exclaimed. “Shit! Shit! Shit!”

Sam knew what she had to do. She had to get to the Lazy W and see what was going on. She would call the Sheriff from the office phone when she got there.

It seemed like an eternity before she turned into the driveway of the Lazy W. Mitch was right. The houses and barn were dark. Fortunately the rain had stopped and the clouds cleared out revealing a full moon. Sam drove around the main house and could see Mitch’s truck parked behind the barn. She pulled in beside it and jumped out.

“You stay here, “She told Dundee as she grabbed a flashlight from the back seat.

It was quiet and eerie. Sam walked toward the barn guided by moonlight and entered the back door. She turned on her small flashlight and headed toward the office. She passed the vet’s treating room and thought she heard a moan. She stopped and edged inside and flicked the light switch on. It didn’t work so she shined her flashlight around the room and froze.

Mitch was in the corner. He was leaning against the wall with his hands tied behind his back and duct tape across his mouth. Sam ran to him and checked his pulse. He was alive but unconscious. With her flashlight she looked him over and saw blood coming from his side. She leaned in closer and could see the bullet wound.

“Oh, Mitch! You’ve been shot!”

She gently patted his cheek. “Mitch, Mitch, can you hear me?”

He didn’t respond.

Suddenly Sam was aware of another presence in the room. Every hair on her head stood on end. She slowly turned around and could see the tall shadow of a man in the doorway.

“I should’ve known Mitch would call you,” Lance said.

“Lance! Are you okay?”

For a second Sam felt relief and then it was replaced instantly with fear. Lance was holding a small pistol in his hand and it was pointed right at her.

“What’s going on? Sam asked. “Mitch called to tell me he thought something bad was going to happen here tonight.”

“Something bad is going to happen here tonight. I’m sorry he got you involved.”

“I don’t understand. What do you mean?”

The only light in the room was coming from their two flashlights. Sam could barely see Lance in the shadows but when he moved toward her and she shined her light in his face she almost fainted. His eyes were dilated and he looked like a delirious lunatic. Sam caught the scent of whisky on his breath. Great. He was a drunk and delirious lunatic.

“Lance, please,” Sam begged. “Tell me what’s going on.”

He waved the gun at her. “I’ll tell you what’s going on. I’m finally getting rid of this stinkin’ place forever.”

Sam’s eyes widened in surprise.

“What do you mean by that? Are you talking about the Lazy W? I thought you loved this place. It’s your home.”