Buying or taking.
Calder leaned back.
"Why would Voss tie you to a fence?"
"Because I refused to sign."
"Sign what?"
"Land papers."
She reached beneath her torn dress.
From a hidden pocket she pulled a folded piece of paper.
Calder opened it.
His eyes moved across the page.
The document claimed that Elena had voluntarily surrendered ownership of a large section of land inherited from her father.
But Calder knew enough about legal documents to recognize the signature.
It was wrong.
"Forgery," he said.
Elena nodded.
"They wanted me to sign the real document."
"And you refused."
"They killed my uncle when he refused."
Calder looked at her.
"Why didn't you run?"
"I did."
Her voice cracked.
"They found me."
Silence filled the room.
Calder folded the paper.
"You can't stay here."
Elena stared at him.
"I know."
"I mean Voss will come."
"I know."
"You don't understand."
"I understand perfectly."
Calder stood.
"If Voss knows you're alive, he'll come looking."
Elena lowered her eyes.
"He already knows."
A rifle shot exploded outside.
The window shattered.
Calder moved instantly.
He grabbed Elena and pulled her to the floor.
Another shot struck the wall.
Bishop screamed from the corral.
Calder crawled toward the rifle beside the fireplace.
"Stay down."
Men shouted outside.
"Calder!"
A voice carried through the darkness.
Gideon Voss.
Calder's hand tightened around the rifle.
Voss called again.
"We know she's there!"
Elena whispered, "You have to give me to them."
Calder looked at her.
"No."
"They'll kill you."
"Maybe."
He chambered a round.
"But they won't get you tonight."
Outside, horses moved through the darkness.
Calder opened the back door.
"Can you ride?"
Elena nodded.
"Good."
He looked toward the eastern ridge.
"We're leaving."
The Men Who Came at Midnight
They escaped through a dry creek bed.
Calder rode ahead, rifle across his saddle.
Elena followed.
Behind them, gunfire cracked through the night.
Bullets struck the rocks.
The desert gave them darkness, but darkness could also become a trap.
After nearly an hour, Calder stopped.
They were inside a narrow canyon.
He dismounted.
"Here."
Elena climbed down.
"Where are we going?"
"Somewhere they won't look."
"You don't even know me."
"No."
"Then why?"
Calder stared at her.
"Because I've seen men like Voss before."
"What happened?"
"I trusted one."
Elena waited.
Calder looked away.
"His name was Samuel Voss."
"Gideon's brother?"
Calder nodded.
"He rode with me years ago."
"What happened?"
"We were hunting cattle thieves."
Calder's expression darkened.
"We found a camp. Samuel wanted to kill everyone in it. I refused."
"And?"
"He did it anyway."
Elena's face tightened.
"Women?"
"Yes."
"Children?"
Calder nodded.
Elena looked down.
"That's why you hate him."
"I don't hate him."
"You should."
Calder's voice was quiet.
"Hate makes a man careless."
They stayed in the canyon until dawn.
When the sun rose, Calder discovered blood on Elena's sleeve.
"You've been shot."
She looked down.
"I didn't feel it."
"You've lost enough blood already."
He examined the wound.
The bullet had grazed her upper arm.
Calder cleaned it.
Elena watched him.
"You don't talk much."
"Talking doesn't fix wounds."