Read Online Belle Gone Bad by Sabine Starr - Free Book Online Page A

Diana’s disappearance?”
    Surprised, he glanced over at her. “Do you think we’re watched?”
    â€œIf the kidnapper has help, could be.”
    â€œMaybe an outlaw gang?”
    â€œI wouldn’t rule it out.”
    â€œBut we may be dealing with a lone man,” Mercy said.
    â€œWe won’t know till I find the trail. Yet it makes sense for the kidnapper to have help. In Indian Territory, outlaws have systems of communicating with each other. If Deputy U.S. Marshals enter an area, the outlaws are warned ahead of time and disappear. It’s one of the reasons they’re so hard to catch.”
    â€œWhat kind of systems?”
    â€œDepends. They’ve got lookouts stationed at high spots across the land. When it’s daylight they might use mirrors to catch sunlight and send a message. Smoke signals from campfires work, too. At night, they can use fire for a light signal. They could also send a fast rider.”
    â€œI never felt watched when I was in Indian Territory.”
    â€œYou were probably noticed, but not considered a threat.”
    He shook his head at the unwelcome thought.
    â€œYou’re watched all the time in the country, and not just by folks. Cougars. Coyotes. Snakes. Raccoons. Every critter patrols his territory and knows exactly who or what enters and leaves.”
    â€œBut we rarely see them.”
    â€œMost critters want to avoid people.”
    â€œNow I’ll always be looking over my shoulder.”
    â€œJust as well. Territory is critical to survival. You either defend it or you lose it.”
    â€œThat’s your reality, but not everybody’s.”
    â€œTrue. Some folks believe in an unrealistic world where they are completely safe from harm. That’s truer in a town than in the country.”
    Mercy took a deep breath, considering her words. If he’d been more cautious back East, maybe he wouldn’t be in his current situation.
    â€œWolves and sheep. Predators and prey,” Belle said. “I’d rather be a leader than part of a flock.”
    He glanced over at her. “Put that way, I realize now that I was once part of a trusting flock.”
    â€œAnd you got the short end of the stick?”
    â€œGot no stick at all.”
    â€œYet you found a way to stay alive with your art. Maybe that’s your stick.”
    He nodded, realizing that still waters ran deep. She’d given life a lot of thought and come up with her own answers. In contrast, he’d taken the easy path. He’d never do it again.
    As they left Delaware Bend in their dust, Mercy felt uneasy. He’d been protected in the Bend. Diana had been helping him heal. He’d thought he was on his way to a full recovery. Not anymore. He’d been cast out among the wolves. But they’d find he was no longer a trusting lamb.
    â€œKeep a lookout for that pacer’s tracks,” Belle said.
    â€œI wouldn’t know a pacer’s track if I fell over it.”
    â€œNot that difficult. Their unusual gait leaves distinctive marks. Also, the dust goes to the front of the hoofprint. With most horses, the dust goes back.”
    He simply stared at her. “How am I supposed to see dust in a hoofprint from the back of a horse? I’m not sure I could see it if I had my nose pressed to the ground.”
    â€œYou’ve got an artist’s eye, so you’re used to noticing detail. If you can’t pick up reading sign fast, I’d be surprised.”
    â€œYou look for sign. I’ll look for rabid rabbits.”
    She chuckled. “What are you so grumpy about? Far as I can tell, you’ve gotten everything you wanted from the first moment I met you.”
    â€œNot everything.” He couldn’t resist giving her a look from head to toe to let her know there could be something between them if things were different.
    She simply shook her head, clicked to her horse, and rode ahead, leaving him in her