“I don’t have it.”
Silas glanced at the shotgun.
“You found the compartment.”
Eleanor’s stomach dropped.
His smile deepened.
“Your face answered for you.”
He climbed one porch step.
She raised the gun.
“Don’t.”
Silas stopped.
“You won’t shoot.”
“Would you like to test that?”
For the first time his smile faded.
“You have seven children inside.”
“And that is exactly why I might.”
He studied her.
Then nodded.
“Perhaps you really were Nathaniel’s wife.”
Hearing Daniel’s hidden name infuriated her.
“What do the numbers mean?”
Silas’s expression changed.
Only slightly.
Enough.
“You found those too.”
“Answer me.”
“No.”
“Then leave.”
Mrs. Cromwell laughed.
“You don’t understand your position.”
Eleanor looked at the woman.
“I understand you intended to steal my children.”
“We intended to find what their father hid.”
“By separating them?”
“Children speak more freely when frightened.”
Eleanor’s finger tightened.
Silas raised a hand toward Mrs. Cromwell.
“Enough.”
Then he looked at Eleanor.
“Your husband took something from our family.”
“Evidence of your crimes.”
“Money.”
She blinked.
“Money?”
“One hundred and forty thousand dollars.”
Even Mrs. Cromwell looked uncomfortable.
Silas continued.
“Nathaniel moved it before betraying us.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“You should.”
“What do my children have to do with it?”
Silas looked toward the house.
“Everything.”
The sound of a rifle shot exploded from the ridge.
One of Silas’s men fell from his saddle.
Not dead.
His hat flew into the mud.
The remaining horses panicked.
A voice thundered from above.
“Next one takes his head off.”
Caleb.
Eleanor almost collapsed from relief.
He stood between two pines fifty yards away.
Blood stained one sleeve.
His rifle remained perfectly steady.
Silas cursed.
“Roar.”
“Leave.”
“You can’t shoot all of us.”
Caleb’s pale eyes narrowed.
“No.”
A second voice came from behind the barn.
“But we can.”
Thomas stared from the cellar window as three armed riders emerged from the trees.
Then five more.
Men Eleanor had never seen.
Caleb’s vanished men.
Witnesses people believed were dead.
A former sheriff.
A mine foreman.
A railway accountant.
A territorial clerk.
Men Caleb Roar had hidden across the West.
And now they had returned.
Silas realized it too.
His face changed.
Caleb descended the ridge.
“Federal warrants are coming.”
Silas laughed harshly.
“Based on what evidence?”
Caleb stopped.
“Yours.”
Silas frowned.
Caleb reached inside his coat and removed a bundle of papers.
“Your man Mercer sent after me talked more than he intended.”
Silas’s jaw tightened.
Caleb looked toward Mrs. Cromwell.
“So did yours.”
The woman turned pale.
Suddenly one of Silas’s riders drew his pistol.
Everything happened at once.
Eleanor fired.
The blast struck the porch railing.
The man’s horse reared.
Caleb tackled Silas.
Thomas came bursting from the cellar despite orders.
Sarah screamed his name.
Another rider reached for Eleanor.
Then little Edward appeared in the doorway holding Caleb’s cast-iron skillet with both hands.
He swung it into the man’s knee.
The man howled and collapsed.
Edward stared at the skillet.
“Bear said this was heavy.”
Despite everything, Eleanor nearly laughed.
Within seconds Caleb’s allies had disarmed the remaining men.
Silas lay face-down in the mud.
Caleb pressed a boot between his shoulders.
Mrs. Cromwell attempted to run.
Sarah stepped into her path holding a broom.
“Don’t.”
