Texas Outlaw (Rory Yates #2)(77)

Carson argues that what Gareth says would be true if the other Ranger was still alive. But if one Ranger has gone rogue and the other has gone missing, more Rangers will come. Which means the McCormacks need to resolve this today.

And the only way they can is by bringing the bodies of Yates and Delgado in on a platter.

“I still think I could take him in a shoot-out,” Gareth says.

“Look at it this way,” Carson tells his son. “Put the first bullet in his kneecap. And then put one in his balls. Torture him a little. Have fun with it. If you face off with pistols, you’ll have to kill him too quick. I’d like to see the bastard begging for mercy, wouldn’t you?”

As much as Gareth wants to prove his mettle against the Texas Ranger in a one-on-one duel, he likes even more the sound of making him suffer.





Chapter 95



WHEN I HANG up the phone, I check my battery and see that it’s almost dead.

I take a deep breath and look out at the stars, which feel incredibly close this high off the ground. It feels like I’m floating in outer space.

I’m not.

I’m sitting on top of the oil derrick overlooking McCormack’s property.

I spent most of the night walking through the green growth alongside the river with only the moon and the sound of the water to guide me. When I arrived at the derrick, sweaty and tired, I climbed to the top as quietly as I could. Through the blackness, I can see a few lights at what I assume is the ranch house. But otherwise, the whole landscape is dark.

When I proposed my plan to Ariana, I felt certain of two things.

First, I could bait Gareth into agreeing to the duel.

Second, his father would break his word. He would send Gareth out to the derrick to kill me from up here. Which is why, as soon as the sun starts to rise, I’m going to lie down behind the metal railing and wait for Gareth.

When he gets to the top, I’ll arrest him and handcuff him to the derrick.

And then I’ll have his rifle. I’ll be outnumbered on his property, but the roles will be reversed from the situation I was in yesterday. I’ll have the gun that can reach across a thousand yards. They won’t be able to get to me, especially in the open expanse of the ranch. There’s even less cover here than what we had yesterday.

I won’t be as good a shot as Gareth would be, but I’ll be good enough to hold them off until help arrives.

Which brings me to the second part of the plan.

Ariana.

She has to find a way to sneak past McCormack’s men guarding the exit of the open space. Then she’s going to hightail it to town, find Tom Aaron, and tell him everything she knows.

If he can get word to at least the Rangers in Waco, tell them what happened to Kyle, and back that up with something put out over the AP wire, we’ll hopefully have a handful of law enforcement agencies converging on Rio Lobo by noon.

As long as I’m still alive, up here with a sniper rifle and Gareth as my hostage, I should be able to disrupt McCormack’s plans long enough for help to arrive. If I’m dead, maybe McCormack will be able to clear out his operation. Take the drugs off his property. Clean up all—or at least most—of the evidence.

The sky is starting to turn from black to blue, the stars disappearing. In the distance, I can make out the shape of the ranch house and the barns and corrals.

I have one more play before I lie down and wait for Gareth. I pull out my phone. My battery is in the red. I waited to send this message until after I got off the phone with Gareth and Carson. I wanted to make sure I had at least enough juice for that call.

I type a message to my former lieutenant, Ted Creasy.

I’m not sure what my reputation is within the Rangers right now, if Kyle really has soiled my name and made it so they won’t take a message from me seriously. Or, worse, if they think I’m an outlaw now, aiding a fugitive.

But Creasy will believe me.

And he’ll do everything he can to send in the cavalry.

I write,

Multimillion-dollar drug ring operating out of Rio Lobo. Kyle Hendricks has been murdered. They’ve murdered at least three others. Primary suspects are Carson and Gareth McCormack. Rio Lobo police chief is compromised. Send reinforcements to the ranch of Carson McCormack.

I think for a moment and then add,

If I don’t make it, tell my parents and brothers that I love them.

And Willow, too.

As I send the message, the screen goes black. The battery is dead. I don’t know if the message went through or not.





Chapter 96



ARIANA SNEAKS THROUGH a copse of trees to get a closer look at the roadblock McCormack’s men have set at the exit of the open space. The men are about two hundred yards away. The landscape is still gray in the morning light, but she can see well enough.

One of McCormack’s black pickups is parked there along with an ATV. Two men sit in camp chairs next to a fire. One of the men is sleeping, but the other is alert.

Ariana drove Tom Aaron’s Land Cruiser to a nearby ridge and walked the rest of the way. She has a plan to siphon some gas from the tank, put it in an empty water jug, and then set a fire somewhere else in the open space. When McCormack’s men go to investigate, she’ll race the Land Cruiser out of the open space as fast as she can.

It will take a lot of work because she needs to set the diversion far away from the Cruiser but close enough that she’ll be able to get to it and escape without alerting the men.