Two hours later, all the horses were fed and saddled. John and Jared secured two bales of hay to one horse, using parachute cord John pulled from his pack. A third animal was loaded with several rolls of fencing wire hung from its withers. Claire rode behind Jared while Stephani climbed on behind John. Devon refused to ride behind Barry, instead choosing to walk. This lasted about four miles before the kid climbed on after a short break to rest the horses. Neither Jared nor John said a word as Devon wordlessly climbed onto the animal and situated himself behind Barry. When the lad was aboard, the group moved off toward the ranch house.
Chapter 36
Late in the afternoon, the group approached within half a mile of the ranch house. John called for a halt and dismounted. He led the horses, along with their riders, to a clump of oak trees, where he secured his mount and gestured for Jared to secure his as well. Jared dismounted and tied the horse to a low-hanging branch. John turned and walked a short distance away from the rest of the party, checking once to ensure Jared was following him. When the two men were fifteen yards from the rest of their friends, John stopped.
“I’d like to scout the house before we ride straight into something bad,” John stated.
Jared’s mouth felt dry at the thought of something bad happening to Essie. “I’m going with you,” he said without hesitation.
John gave him a drawn smile. “I was hoping you’d say that.”
An hour later, Jared lay a hundred yards from the ranch house, watching a complete stranger walk across the front yard of the property until the stranger disappeared around the side of the ranch house and was lost from Jared’s view. A moment later the man reappeared, carrying a roll of black irrigation hose. As he passed by the front of the house, the door opened and Shannon stepped out.
Jared rose slightly, hefting his rifle up, pointing it at the unsuspecting man, but John hauled him to the ground. Shannon and the man were within ten yards of one another, and John didn’t want to create a hostage situation. Jared struggled in John’s grasp for a moment before rolling on his side to face John.
“What the hell?” Jared hissed angrily.
“Relax, man,” John soothed, pointing toward Shannon and the stranger.
Jared rotated his head and saw Shannon speaking briefly with the stranger before the man left and disappeared into the brush surrounding the house.
“Something happened while we were gone. The guy wasn’t even armed, and Shannon seemed good to go with him being here,” John pointed out in a hushed voice.
Jared processed what he’d just seen and had to agree. Without waiting, John got to his feet and gave a short whistle, causing Shannon to spin on her heel, a look of concern washing over her face. John gave a short wave and stood fully erect. Jared followed John’s lead and also waved.
“Spread out a little just in case I’m wrong,” John said through the side of his now smiling mouth.
Jared stepped several yards to the right as the two men advanced on the now relieved-looking former schoolteacher.
As they neared Shannon, the woman pivoted and called out, “Carlos, Calvin, the boys are home!”
Calvin stumbled out of the house, looking a bit disheveled, but immediately grinned ear to ear as he saw who it was. John saw the stranger appear from the side of the ranch house and stop uncertainly.
John held his rifle at low ready, but was facing the stranger in case the man suddenly needed to be shot. “We all good here?” John asked, looking straight at Calvin.
The older man stepped stiffly from the house’s porch, waving a boney hand at John and Jared.
“For God’s sake, don’t shoot him. This is Carlos. He stopped in a few nights ago, half starved to death, along with his son, Salvador.” Calvin concluded his statement by waving a hesitant Carlos over to meet the two returning men.
That evening, the ranch house somehow seemed smaller with all the new people under the small structure’s roof. Six people had been hard enough to find a place to sit or sleep, but now with eleven, the group was sure to get cozy. They all sat in either the living room or the kitchen, and still, they were in close proximity to one another. Shannon and Jared prepared food from their stores while the rest of the group waited patiently. When Jared and Stephani recounted the Tongan barbeque story, the room fell silent as each member listened and salivated.
Calvin brought up the white elephant in the room, asking where the guy they’d gone to find was. He assumed Dwight hadn’t been located or refused to relocate, and was shocked by Jared’s account of all the trouble they had endured, only to have Dwight shot and killed halfway back.
After dinner, Jared brought out the pony box along with the small bear he’d taken from Essie’s former home.
“You went to my house,” Essie squealed, leaping to her feet and snatching the items from Jared’s hands before wrapping her small arms around his neck and planting a very unexpected kiss on his cheek.
John observed the scene with Essie with more than a little concern written on his face. Jared sensed John’s disapproval of what he’d done, but didn’t care. Essie was so elated it was now worth the risk he’d taken. John, on the other hand, didn’t see it that way. Jared had deviated from the mission, doing so with an inexperienced woman in tow. This was reckless, in John’s opinion, and he planned on addressing it with the younger man, just not now in front of everyone.
The people sat eating together, getting to know one another and learning each person’s story. Carlos seemed uncomfortable in the presence of John and Jared’s returning group, even though Shannon and Calvin made it clear the man was more than welcome. Jared stepped outside
