J. Curtis - Calexit - The Anthology

Ryan shrugged, looking down. The sheriff turned to his dad. “I’d say we’re just here for the cookies, Dev, but it’d be a lie. We’re asking for help, and Irina said we’d find you here.”

“Y’know I’ll do what I can.” Dev gestured at the rough seating around the firepit. “But let’s eat while we talk.”

Ed climbed off his horse. Ryan thought the old cowboy was the most awkward person he’d seen on land, but throw him on the back of a horse and he could accomplish things that left the boy in awe. Ryan always made sure he was ringside when Eddie was riding at the fair or rodeo.

They nodded at one another now, the man and boy. Boll picked out a broad stump someone had cut and rolled it into place for seating. “Dev, you heard about the Willman’s.” It wasn’t a question, just a starting place.

Ryan’s dad, biting into his sandwich, just nodded. Ryan offered Ed a half of his tortilla wrap, but the man just waved it off with a grin.

Boll went on. “We’re getting a little more proactive. Shoulda, coulda, woulda,” He shrugged, letting his hands fall loosely into his lap. “No money, no manpower. So I’m goin’ round asking for volunteers.”

Ryan wondered why he hadn’t just called. Dad had a cellphone in his pocket.

Dev answered Boll, “I can’t give you much time. But…” He pointed at Ryan. “He’s a good rider, and a decent tracker.”

Ryan jerked upright. Was Dad saying…

Boll nodded. “He’s a good kid. Won’t leave you shorthanded?”

Ryan’s dad shrugged. “Yeah, but needs must.”

“When the devil drives.” Boll finished the catchphrase Dev used all the time. “Thanks. I’ll take care of him.”

“You do that.” Dev twisted around to face his son. “Ryan, you listen to Boll. And to Ed, here. You do what they say, and you do it prompt.”

Ryan nodded. His heart was racing. He was being deputized!

“Dad, will you be okay alone on the fence?” Ryan remembered what his Mom had said.

“I’ll be good, son.” Dev’s face was serious. “Don’t call and talk to anyone about this. We’re maintaining strict security protocols, and one of those is assuming cell transmissions are being monitored. Got it?”

Ryan noticed his father’s speech had changed, from his normal drawl to a crisp, precise tone. Dev kept talking. “Don’t even call your mother to let her know you’re going off with Boll. When, or if, you get internet access, don’t talk about where you are or what you’re doing.”

Ryan nodded again. He wasn’t sure what to say, or if he needed to say anything at all. This was now exciting and scary.

Boll reached over and patted Ryan’s shoulder. “You’ll be fine, kid. I just need more eyes to look for sign. Lotta these city boys don’t know what’s up.”

“Yessir.” Ryan responded. He knew his eyes were probably wide, but he couldn’t help himself.

Boll stood up. “I hate to run off.”

Dev stood as well and they shook hands again. “You haven’t got time for social niceties.”

Boll shook his head. “Always freaks me when you drop the country boy act.”

Ryan’s dad just laughed. Ryan got up and headed to his horse, to cinch up the saddle. His father followed him, and squeezed his shoulder. “Keep your powder dry, son.”

Ryan knew what he meant. His very modern rifle didn’t need powder, not like the old muskets. But… “I’ll be careful, Dad.”

Ryan mounted and followed Boll and Eddie out of camp. They rode quickly, but in silence, for about an hour. Boll knew where a gate in the fence was, and took them through it, and then they headed east, and south. Ryan kept an eye on the ground, since he’d been told to look for sign, but he also paid attention to where they were heading. He didn’t know this range well, but he’d ridden over it before with his friend Brian.

When they broke out of the brushy and broken ground, Boll waved him to come ride beside him. They’d been single-file on the trail, with no room to come abreast. Ryan obediently nudged his reliable gelding to move. Eddie peeled off and started scouting in an arc.

“How you doin’, kid?” Boll asked.

“Doing fine, sir.” Ryan looked around. He could see a good distance. “Sir, are we headed to the Fritzes?”

Boll looked approving. “Yep. Let’s see, Jimmy’s nearer your dad’s age than yours. And he’s doesn’t have kids.”

Ryan shook his head. “My friend Brian and I sometimes do a little work for Jim and Diane.” The couple were in their late seventies. Jimmy did his best, but running a ranch was not a single-handed job.

“They reported some movement. Jimmy was out riding the range, but when he got in, he could see that three-four men on horses had been near the house.”

Ryan nodded. He could see right off why that was a problem. The elderly couple was easy picking for the carpetbaggers if he understood what his mother had explained right. “Sir… what happened at the Willman’s?”

Boll’s face got still. He looked at Ryan for a long minute. “You’re about the age of the older girl.”

“Pat’s in my class at school.”

Boll sighed, a long, slow letting out of breath, and it seemed he deflated as the air went out of him. “Kid. I can’t tell you much.”

“I’ve been texting her and she’s not answered.”

Boll shook her head. “You keep trying. She’s been through a lot, and she’s likely to be spooky around you when she gets back. If she comes back here. But she’ll need friends.”

“Is she okay?” Ryan felt a stab of alarm.

“No. She’s not. Sorry, kid. She’ll live, but this’ll be rough on her a long time. Might be all her life. M’sister went through something like it.”

Ryan’s throat felt tight and hot again. Boll changed the subject. “Here’s the plan. We’re goin’ to try to catch them in the act. We’d really like to be able to prosecute some of these fuc- uh, bad guys.”

Ryan didn’t tell him he didn’t care if he swore. Ryan felt like doing some himself at the moment.

“We’ll scout, figure out where they were, and where they’re likely to come at the farm from. Then we’ll wait on them.”

Ryan took a deep breath. “I’d like to wait with you.”

“Thought you might. We’re glad to have you. Your dad says you’re a good shot. But there’s to be no shooting until I say, got it? I want some of ’em alive. Doesn’t have to be all of ’em.”

Ryan thought about Pat, and her riding side by side with him, laughing at some stupid joke, and he felt a burning sensation wash over him. He’d be happy to pull the trigger when the time came, he thought. “Will it just be the three of us?”

Boll shook his head. “Nope. Got a couple of fellers in the house with the old folks. Jimmy has another team covering the East side of the valley. We’ll be taking the West.

“Ok.” Ryan shifted in the saddle. It wasn’t near evening yet. “How long, um, do you think?”

“Might be tonight. Jimmy cut his trip short, but he was supposed to be out through sometime tomorrow. They were talkin’ on their cell phones, which is why we think we shouldn’t use those.”

That was frightening to Ryan. He knew from books and TV that you could track a phone by the GPS, but he’d never thought of people being able to listen in on his calls. “Should I turn mine off?”

Boll shook his head. “Nah, not for now. Later, maybe.”

Ed waved up ahead, and both Ryan and Boll kicked their horses into a canter. They reached him in a couple of minutes.

He pointed down. “See?”

Ryan could see it clearly. Several horses and one man, walking. Ryan leaned down, and his gelding followed his cues to walk a little down the trail. “One man wearing boots. I wonder why he’s walking?”