He'll want to savor it, show it off. He paused. That buys us time. It was a solid plan, but it meant putting Sihaya right in the middle of Holt's camp. Every instinct I had pushed against it.
There's got to be another way, I said. There isn't, Sihaya replied, her voice firm as iron. This is our best chance to save those families and make Holt pay for what he did to my brother. I looked at her and saw that same unbreakable resolve that had carried her this far. She wasn't backing down.
And deep down, I knew she was right. All right, I said at last. But we do this smart, careful. First sign something goes wrong, we pull out. Agreed, she said.
Rook gave a short nod. Then we start planning. If this is going to work, we need to think through every way it can fall apart. The next 2 days were nothing but planning. Rook knew Holt's operation better than anyone, and he walked us through every detail.
How the camp was laid out, their routines, the personalities of Holt's top men. Holt's main camp sits in Dead Horse Canyon, Rook said, sketching out a rough map on a piece of paper. About 30 men total, but they're not all there at once. Half of them are usually out on jobs or scouting. What about guards?
I asked. Three posted at all times, Rook answered. One at the canyon entrance, two up high watching the ridges. They're looking for lawmen or rival outfits. He glanced at us.
Not for someone riding in with a gift for Varick Holt. So how do we play it? Sihaya asked. Rook didn't hesitate. I ride in with you tied behind my saddle, he said.
Tell Holt I found you hiding near your brother's old cabin, that I figured he'd want to deal with you himself. He tapped the map. While I get close to him, learn what I can about the caravan plan, you keep him distracted. Give him a story he wants to hear. I didn't like any part of it, but it was the best shot we had.
What about me? I asked. You take the high ground, Rook said. Set up in the rocks overlooking the camp, close enough to cover us if things go bad, but far enough the lookouts don't spot you. How do we stay in touch?
I asked. We don't, Rook Vatcher said plainly. Once Sihaya and I ride into that camp, we're on our own until we can signal you. The plan had a hundred ways to fall apart, but it was the only shot we had to get the information needed to stop Varick Holt's ambush on the Ash Trail Caravan. That night, while we finished preparing, Sihaya and I found ourselves alone again on Garrick's porch.
The sky was thick with stars, and the night air carried the scent of wild flowers and open earth. You afraid? I asked. I am, she admitted. But not of Holt.
I'm afraid of what might happen to you if this goes wrong. Nothing's going to happen to me, I said, taking her hand. And not to you, either. I won't allow it. She squeezed my fingers gently.
Dax, there's something I need to tell you about my brother and Varick Holt. What is it? Cairo wasn't just working for him, she said quietly. He was his right hand for nearly 2 years. He knew everything.
Where everybody was buried, literally and otherwise. The weight of that hit hard. When he tried to leave, she went on. Holt didn't just kill him to keep him quiet. He tortured him, trying to find out if he'd told anyone what he knew.
My jaw tightened. Holt thinks you know what Cairo knew, I said. She nodded. That's why they've been hunting me so hard. It's not just revenge.
It's about protecting his secrets. That changed everything. This plan just got a whole lot more dangerous, I said. If Holt suspects, even for a second, you're lying to him, he'll kill me slow, she finished. I know, she added softly.
But those secrets, they're the key to bringing all of it down. If I can get to his records, his plans, his contacts, we could end it. Not just the caravan ambush, everything. Her voice steadied. The kidnappings, the killings, the corruption.
We could stop it for good. Standing there under the stars, looking at her, brave, unshaken, I felt something shift deep inside me. This wasn't just about saving a caravan anymore. This was justice. For Cairo, for every soul Holt had broken, for the life we were trying to build together.
All right, I said. We do it. But promise me something. What? If things go sideways, you run.
Don't try to be a hero. Get out alive and leave Holt to me. She smiled, fierce and unyielding. I promise to be careful, she said. But I won't promise to run if you're in danger.
"We're partners now, Dax," she said. "Partners don't leave each other behind." When she kissed me that time, it felt like a promise and a goodbye. At dawn, we would ride straight into the heart of darkness to face one of the most dangerous men in the territory. But that night, we still had each other, and that was enough.
The morning we rode out for Dead Horse Canyon came cold and clear, the kind of air that made every detail of the land stand sharp. Rook had done his work well. The setup looked real. Sihaya's hands were bound with rope that appeared tight, but could be slipped free if needed. Her dress had been torn just enough to sell the story.
Remember, Rook said as we neared the canyon, you have to look defiant, but beaten, angry, but not foolish. Holt needs to believe he's broken you enough to control you, while still enjoying the fight. I understand, Sihaya said. There was steel in her voice, enough to make me believe she could pull it off. I split off from their path about 2 miles from the canyon entrance, taking a longer, quieter route that led me to higher ground overlooking Holt's camp.
I moved carefully, avoiding the lookouts Rook had warned about, until I found a narrow perch among the rocks. From there, I could see everything. Through the binoculars, I studied the camp spread out below. Rough shelters and makeshift lean-tos circled a natural spring. Horses were penned in a crude corral, and I counted at least 20 men moving between tents.