Read Deadfall for Free Online

Rod.”
    â€œThere’s someone else you’ll be happy to see, too,” said Charley.
    He indicated the porch of the house where a young woman in her late twenties was just stepping through the front door.
    â€œKelly,” yelled the boy. “It’s Kelly King!”
    â€œShe’s Kelly Lightfoot now, son,” whispered Charley. “They were married last winter.”
    Henry Ellis dismounted, then he ran toward his two friends, intercepting them both and diving into their open arms.
    â€œWow,” said Henry Ellis, “it sure is good to see you two.”
    Â 
    Â 
    Kelly finished pouring lemonade into the tall glasses she had set up on the table in the shade of the front-porch roof, where everyone was gathered.
    â€œThank you, Kelly,” said Henry Ellis.
    The others chimed in, thanking her as the boy had done.
    When Kelly had finished pouring the lemonade, she took her seat between Henry Ellis and her husband, Rod, directly across from Charley.
    â€œMexico is it?” she said to Charley. “And you’re not sure yet just where in Mexico? . . . just that it’s Mexico?”
    â€œMy daughter . . . Henry Ellis’s mother . . . and her husband, Kent, have been abducted, Miss Kelly,” said Charley. “This could turn into a very solemn situation. That’s why we rode out here today to ask Rod if he’d like to ride along with a bunch of ex–Texas Rangers and see if we can track down the bad hombres who are responsible for this dreadful act.”
    â€œWhy were they taken?” asked Kelly.
    â€œWhy . . . ?” said Charley. “Hell, I don’t rightly know why. Henry Ellis here just showed up on my doorstep and told me all about it. I don’t know any more than that.”
    She turned to the boy.
    â€œDo you know why your parents were abducted, Henry Ellis?” she asked. “Do you think they knew who the men were that abducted them?”
    Henry Ellis shook his head.
    â€œNo,” he said. “My mother and father were just as surprised as the rest of us when those men started jumping onto the side of the coach.”
    â€œHow did you manage to get away?” she asked.
    â€œMy dad told me to jump out of the carriage,” said the boy. “So I jumped.”
    â€œThen, it appears to be obvious that they weren’t after you. Just your parents.”
    â€œI really don’t know,” said the boy. “Señor Fuerte told me that—”
    â€œWho is Señor Fuerte?” asked Rod, cutting him off. He moved in closer.
    â€œHe’s a bodyguard,” said Charley. “Henry Ellis’s father’s company hired him to protect all three of ’em while they were in Mexico.”
    â€œHe certainly wasn’t very good at his job, was he?” said Kelly.
    â€œTell me more about this special bodyguard,” said Rod.
    â€œI don’t know anything more,” said the boy, “except that he wanted to take me to Don Roberto Acosta’s hacienda right then, instead of going to the Brownsville authorities.”
    â€œDon Roberto Acosta,” repeated Kelly. “I’ve heard that name before. Rod,” she said, motioning for her husband to follow her.
    Rod got up and followed his wife, while Charley and Henry Ellis watched. The couple stopped to discuss something of importance near the front door.
    When they were done talking, they both returned to the table and took their seats.
    â€œRod’s going to go along with you, Charley,” she told him.
    â€œ. . . And so am I.”
    Her words made Charley a little bit uncomfortable. He squirmed.
    â€œI can’t be taking a woman into Mexico, Miss Kelly. This’ll be a lot different than the cattle drive. There could be shooting.”
    â€œThere was shooting on the cattle drive, too, Charley Sunday, or have you forgotten that?”
    â€œNo . . . no,” said Charley, “and I haven’t forgotten that