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Chapter One

Reese Starrett's eyes were steel gray and had about as much warmth as the cold, wintery sky above the deserted streets of Fort Worth. A late-winter storm had hit with the force of a blizzard, and a chilling wind whipped around the buildings, blowing the snow into a frenzy. The cold penetrated Reese's skin like icy fingers; he turned up the collar of his full-length fleece-lined coat and stepped into the Frontier Hotel.

He glanced around the small entry and found it deserted. No one was behind the front desk, but then he hadn't expected anyone at this hour. More than likely the hotel clerk had not expected anyone to be out in this blizzard. Probably he was the only fool who had braved the weather, Reese mused.

He spun the registration ledger toward him and ran his finger down the list of guests until he came to the name he wanted--Maj. Matthew Halloway--room twelve.

He moved leisurely up the stairs, wondering what was so urgent that Matthew would send for him in this storm. Reese didn't have many friends, but Major Halloway was one of the few. If Matthew needed him, he'd damn sure drop everything he was doing to help him.

Reese had first met Matthew last summer in Comanche country, where Reese had done some civilian scouting for the army. He'd quickly gained respect for the major, even though he was a Yankee. Matthew rejected the principles of some of his fellow officers, who wanted to see the South punished for war crimes. Matthew always insisted that anyone serving under his command treat Southerners with respect. He also showed compassion for the Indians, and that had won Reese's respect more than anything else he could have done.

Reese found room twelve and rapped on the door. He pushed the door open when he heard a deep voice bid him to enter. He was surprised to see Matthew propped up in bed with his leg bound, splinted, and elevated on several pillows.

Reese removed his coat and draped it across a chair, then swept off his hat and slapped it against his leg to dislodge the snow. He pulled up a chair and turned it toward him, straddling it before he spoke. "Well, if I can believe my eyes, it appears that you've broken your leg, Yankee."

"No, it's not broken, but badly sprained." Mathew's eyes snapped with hostility. "You sure took your time getting here!"

Reese grinned. "In case you haven't noticed, I had to ride through a blizzard to reach Fort Worth. And besides, usually when. I come to town, it's to spend a few pleasurable days with a pretty woman under me. Now, if you were a pretty woman, I might have gotten here sooner."

Reese noticed Matthew was not amused. He shrugged and met his friend's eyes. "So what happened to you? You look like hell."

Matthew Winced as he raised himself up on his elbow. He groaned and quickly let his head fall back against the pillow. "Damned flea-bitten nag threw me, and if that wasn't enough, she rolled over on top of my leg."

A slight smile curved Reese Starrett's lips. "Don't tell me an old cavalryman like you let a horse get the better of you? So the horse walked away, and you didn't."

"Something like that." Matthew quietly assessed the man many Texans called a legend. Reese was wearing the buckskin shirt and trousers that he wore only when he scouted for the army. Reese owned a small spread outside Fort Worth, and he was mostly a loner, keeping away from people and keeping them away from him. He was tall, probably six-foot-four, and ruggedly handsome. His hair was too long, but Reese didn't adhere to the rules that other people lived by. His gray eyes were now flickering with humor, but Matthew had seen them when they could pierce through a man's defenses. It was common knowledge that Reese was the best tracker in the state, and Matthew was counting on his help.

"I need you to do something for me, Reese."

Reese's eyes narrowed. "I can see you're worried about something, and it doesn't appear to be your leg. Where's the woman you've been mooning over ever since I've known you? Did she write and tell you the wedding is off, Yankee?"

"Reese," Matthew said worriedly, "I hardly know where to start."

"I've always found that the beginning is a good place."

There was desperation in Matthew's blue eyes, and he tried to sit up again, only to fall back in pain. "I need your skills as a tracker, Reese. I'm willing to pay you handsomely for your time."

Reese's face froze into a stony expression. "Don't be insulting. When a friend needs help, money doesn't come into it."

"But--"

"Forget it. Just tell me what I can do for you, Yankee."

"What I want from you will probably put your life in grave danger, but I don't know where else to turn. You are the only one who can do this for me."

"Are you going to talk me to death or get to the point?"

"Saber was ..." Matthew paused as if he couldn't go on. He swallowed hard and met Reese's eyes. "Saber has been kidnapped!"

"Aw, hell," Reese said. He didn't waste time on trivial questions, but went right to the heart of the matter. "Tell me what you know about her abduction."

"Not much. I am scared for her, Reese. If I could get my hands on the bastards who took her, I'd kill them without a hint of mercy." He closed his eyes for a moment before he could continue. "I can't help her. I can't even walk or sit a horse for at least a week. Will you go after her for me, Reese?"

Reese looked reflective, his silver eyes almost colorless in the faint light of the room. "What kind of men are we dealing with here, Matthew?"

"The kind of men who would take an innocent young woman in the middle of the night. They're cowards! Dregs of the earth--saddle bums!"

Reese had often listened to Matthew's praise of the woman who was to be his bride. He'd bore anyone who would listen to him with tributes to the beauty and accomplishments of Saber Vincente. Reese had scoffed at Matthew's assessment of his intended bride. No woman was that perfect! Reese had once acknowledged that Matthew had the right to perceive her as a paragon of virtue, but begged his friend to spare him anymore details about Miss Vincente.

"Can you help me, Reese?"

Reese believed in facing the truth in any situation, and it was up to him to point out the obvious to Matthew. "There is a good chance that she's already dead, you know. Of course, if she's a looker, she could suffer a far worse fate."

Matthew paled. "I have considered both those possibilities. But she has to be alive--she just has to!"

Reese saw the desperation in the major's eyes and wondered what it would feel like to love a woman that much. More females than he could count had lain beneath him during his life, but none whose loss would tear his guts out. Reese had a powerful drive to make love to women. But he always grew tired of them after a short time and moved on to the next one, never involving his heart with any of them.

There was torment in Matthew's eyes. "There is a chance that she's still alive, isn't there, Reese?"

Reese proceeded more gently. "There's always that chance. Now that I think about it, why would they go to the trouble of kidnapping her if they were going to kill her? If I remember correctly, your bride-to-be comes from a wealthy family, doesn't she?"

"Yes. You have heard of her brother, Noble Vincente."

Reese frowned in thoughtfulness. "I've heard of the Vincentes who own the Casa del Sol Ranch and half of west Texas. Is he the same one?"

"Yes. That would be her brother, Noble." Hope flamed within Major Halloway as he looked into Reese's pale eyes. "Don't you think it's possible that they took her for ransom?"

"It's been done before. It sounds like the most likely reason for abducting her."

Matthew gritted his teeth when he tried to shift his position. "Damn this leg! I want to go after her, but I'd never make it with this."

Reese nodded. "Tell me everything. How was she captured, where was she when she was taken, and who brought the news to you? Tell me everything you know about it."

"She was traveling with a companion, Winna Mae--the housekeeper, more like part of the family. Saber has written about her many times. She's of Indian heritage." Matthew looked down at his balled fists and paused for a moment. "The plan was for me to meet Saber and Winna Mae here in Fort Worth and escort them to Fort Griffin, where the wedding would take place." He dropped his chin on his chest as if he couldn't go on. "My folks are on their way here from Philadelphia to attend the wedding." His voice became almost inaudible. "We were to be married in three weeks."

"Why did she come to Fort Worth?"

"Because I encouraged her to meet me here." He shook his head. "Her brother didn't want her to travel until he and his wife could make the trip with her. It's my fault she's missing."

"You shouldn't blame yourself. How could you guess such a thing would happen?"

"Her brother sent three outriders with her, and I thought she'd be safe. But apparently Saber sent them home once she got to town, thinking she wouldn't need them when I arrived."

"Where is this Winna Mae? I need to know everything she can tell me."

"She's down the hall in room fourteen. According to Winna Mae, the men crept through the window of the hotel room and carried Saber away."

Reese's eyes burned with suspicion. "They didn't harm Winna Mae or attempt to take her with them?"

"They knocked her around a bit; the doctor had to bandage broken ribs. I think she's all right, but I couldn't tell for sure. Like most Indians, she's proud and doesn't reveal her suffering."

"Why do you suppose they let her live? Is there a possibility that she's involved in some way?"

"No. Not her. She's loyal to the Vincente family. I believe they let her live so she could give me the message about Saber's kidnapping."

"Sometimes people can deceive us. Are you sure of her loyalty?"

"She'd die for Saber before she'd let any harm come to her. I'd stake my life on that."

"I take it that the kidnappers haven't made any demands yet?"

"That's what troubles me. They haven't asked for anything." Matthew stared up at the ceiling. "I'm certainly not wealthy and neither is my family, so they couldn't want ransom from me."

"Which brings us back to her brother," Reese speculated. "He's the one with the money."

"Noble Vincente is not only wealthy in his own right, but he married Rachel Rutledge, who owns the ranch adjoining Casa del Sol, so his fortune has greatly increased."

"And Miss Vincente--does she have money of her own?"

Matthew nodded. "I don't know how much, but I believe she inherited a large fortune." He glanced into his friend's eyes. "I would marry Saber if she were penniless and barefoot. I love her. Do you know what it feels like to love a woman so much that you can hardly keep your mind on your duties?"

"No, I don't," Reese said flatly. Then he turned the conversation back to the kidnapping. "How did she arrive in Fort Worth?"

"By private carriage. Winna Mae said that Noble Vincente wouldn't allow his sister to travel by public stage." His eyes were filled with fear. "If anything's happened to her--"

"Have you sent word to her brother?"

"No. I have been so worried about Saber that I haven't given her family a thought. I suppose I should do that right away."

"Yes, I should think so."

Matthew doubled his fist and pounded his good leg. "My accident happened just ten miles out of town around the same time she was kidnapped. I should have been here to protect her!"

"It sounds like the kidnapping was a well-thought-out plan to me. What made your horse spook?"

"Them was a sudden rock slide, and my horse just went loco."

"That might not have been an accident. Besides, I don't think you could have stopped them if you had been here with a whole troop of cavalry."

Anger rushed through Matthew, and he trembled from the intensity of it. "But you think you could have saved her if you'd been here--is that what you are implying, Reese?"

"No, that's not what I'm saying, and you know it. Matthew, if your woman can be found, I'll bring her back to you."

Matthew's face whitened even more. "These men have no respect for women. Suppose they have ..." He licked his lips. "What will I do if they have violated her?"

Reese looked long and hard at his friend. "Just how much do you love this woman?"

"More than my life. But if they've ... touched her, I just don't know how I'd feel about marrying her."

Matthew's admission made Reese feel suddenly sick inside. If what he said was true, Matthew was the most selfish bastard he'd ever met. He jerked to his feet, anger tightening inside him like a noose. "If the worst has happened, she will need your love and understanding more than ever," he said coldly. He moved to the door opened it, and glared back at Matthew. "I'm going to question the housekeeper, Winna Mae. I suggest you get word to Saber's brother about what has happened. We may need his help."

Matthew nodded. "I hate like hell to let him know. Noble Vincente will probably think it's my fault."

"Just do it," Reese said, going out the door and closing it firmly behind him.

Reese had half expected to find Winna Mae wringing her hands and hysterical, but that was not the case. Although she moved restlessly about the room, she held her back straight, and her steps were sure.

Her Indian heritage was apparent in her coloring and her high cheekbones. She was tall Her gray hair had been braided and pulled away from her face. Her eyes were dark and intelligent. His gaze fell to her hands, which were scarred, as if she'd been badly burned in the past. He guessed there must be a tragic story behind those scars.

Winna Mae's voice betrayed her irritation when she spoke. "I suppose you are going to be as worthless as the sheriff and the witless men he called a posse. I told them which way the kidnappers went, but they didn't believe me, because late last night someone saw three strangers riding in the opposite direction."

Reese looked past the scorn in her eyes and saw the concern she felt for Miss Vincente. "Suppose you tell me everything you know. I even want to know your impressions, everything you suspect, and anything you can think of that might help me. When I've heard your story, then I'll decide which way to ride when I leave town."

"I'll tell you everything you need to know if you will take me with you.

Reese shook his head. "You know I can't do that, ma'am. You'd only slow me down. I have to move fast if I am going to find Miss Vincente."

At last she nodded and eased herself onto a chair, trying to hide her Wince of pain. "I told the sheriff that the men made a big show of riding south. But moments later I heard horses galloping to the north, and I know it was the kidnappers."

"There can be no mistake?"

"I have good ears, Mr. Starrett. They rode north. If Saber's brother, Noble, were here, he would believe me and act accordingly." She lowered her head. "But I have to rely on you because too much time will be lost before Noble gets here, and the trail may grow cold."

"It looks like I'm all you've got. Er, what do I call you?"

"Winna Mae."

"Winna Mae, you will just have to trust me."

"Are you saying you can find her and bring her back?"

"I'm saying I'm sure as hell going to try." He drew in a deep breath. "Now, did you overhear anything that would help me?"

Winna Mae frowned. "They hit me, and I do not know how long I was out. But when I came to, I kept my eyes closed so they would think I was still unconscious. I overheard one of the men say they had to meet a man named Felton in Dallas."

Reese looked closely at her. "Are you sure that's the name they used?"

"Yes. I am sure. Does it mean anything to you?"

"Yeah. I've heard he's a bit crazed and that everyone fears him and stays clear of him." He shifted his weight and tried to remember everything he'd heard about Graham Felton. His gaze went back to Winna Mae. "Anything else you think I should know?"

"I heard one of the men brag that after the kidnapping, people would have more respect for the Miller brothers."

Reese's broad brow furrowed. "How many were there?"

"I saw only two. But I had a feeling that there was another waiting below with the horses." She looked into his eyes as if seeking the truth. "Do you know who the Miller brothers are, Mr. Starrett?"

Reese nodded, and he felt a knot tightening in his stomach. "I have a hunch it's Earl and Eugene Miller. They have a younger brother--they could have brought him in on this. He could be the third one."

Reese listened while Winna Mae talked. She had a keen memory for details. The sheriff had been a damned fool for not listening to her.

He stood up and walked to the door. "I'll do what I can, Winna Mae. Take care of those ribs."

"Which way do you ride?" she asked, her dark eyes staring into his.

He placed his hat on his head and gave her a grim smile. "I ride east to see if I can locate Graham Felton, and then north to find your lady."

There was respect in Winna Mae's gaze. This man was no one's fool. If anyone could find Saber, it was him. "Saber is not easily frightened, but she will be afraid of those men. Find her quickly."

Reese gave her a slight smile. "I'll do my best."

* * *

As Reese rode out of town, he tried to fit all the pieces together. He knew Graham Felton only by reputation, and it was all bad. He'd once heard that the man owned a saloon, but Reese didn't know where. He did know that the two of them were about to meet. Destiny would throw them together, and he intended to come out the winner. He had heard of the Miller brothers--they were little more than thieves and saddle tramps They were not the danger that concerned him--the danger would come from Graham Felton.

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Ride the Wind

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