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“That will come in real handy,” Ben remarked with a nod. “Where did you get it? I’ll order some and hand ‘em out.”
“Will they sound the same?” Rick asked. “Miss Piggy might only respond to the one Bailey’s been usin’.”
“They’re called silent, but they do make a sound and they can be adjusted. I’ll make sure they match,” Ben replied confidently. “I was part of a canine unit and I used one with my girl. Now, Bailey,” he continued, leaning forward and touching her hand, “the best thing you can do is have a good meal, and tonight you need to get some rest. I’ll make some calls, then tomorrow come on back here around lunchtime and we’ll make a plan.”
“I don’t know how to thank you. I really am so very grateful.”
“Thank me by takin’ care of yourself. I need you alert and rested. You must get some sleep.”
“I will, but, uh, before I go, are there any ranches nearby? Places I might not see from the main road? I’m not ready to go back yet.”
“Actually, yeah, there is. On the other side of the slope at the back of my property there’s a place owned by a guy known around here as Big Bad John. And that’s no joke. He’s not someone you wanna mess with,
“You’re sayin’ that like he’s a possible suspect,” Rick declared. “Do you think the horses could be there?”
“Let’s just say I wouldn’t put it past him. He has a couple of paddocks surrounded by trees and they can’t be seen from the main road. There’s a firebreak though, and sometimes people go drivin’ on it. But if you decide to check it out, be sure to stay under the cover of the trees. If Big John sees you, he’ll shoot.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
As Rick drove his truck to the slope behind Ben’s paddocks, Bailey tried to stay calm, but it wasn’t easy. When he started up the hill and stayed on the well-worn track that zig-zagged across the side, she couldn’t contain herself.
“Why can’t we just go straight up?” she asked impatiently. “You have four wheel drive!”
“Yep, but Ben and his boys must do it this way for good reason,” he replied, then taking a breath, he added, “Bailey, it’s unlikely Miss Piggy is on the other side.”
“Uh-huh.”
It was all she could manage.
She couldn’t say her stomach was churning because she knew, absolutely, that her precious marewasthere. That shewaswaiting to be rescued in one of Big John’s paddocks.
“Remember Ben’s warnin’,” Rick continued. “We have to stay in the trees. You can’t go runnin’ up to the fence.”
“I’m surprised he gave us his blessing to go over there at all.”
“We’ve been close a long time. He trusts me. He knows I won’t do anything stupid, and I’ll make sure you won’t either,” Rick finished, shooting her a look.
She was about to tell him if she saw Miss Piggy all bets were off, but held her tongue.
“This hill is higher than it looks,” she remarked as they reached the top.
“That’s because it’s not steep. An easy slope like this fools the eye. Look. You can see the field and the trees around it.”
But staring down at the valley below, Bailey wasn’t interested in the trees. She was focused on the thee four-legged occupants. As Rick started the drive down, once again following a crisscross path, she lifted out her binoculars.
“Do you see any people?”
“No,” she replied, scanning the area beyond the fields. “It’s not easy though, with the truck bouncing, but there’s a house off in the distance, lots of brush and a barn. I don’t see any riding rings. If there is one it must be on the other side of the buildings. I see the firebreak above it though.”
“You do?”
“Yeah, but not very well. I can’t tell how wide it is, but it looks like it meets up with these hills then disappears.”
“Any vehicles?”
“Let me check,” she replied, looking back at the house. “Sorry, all I’m seeing is the thicket now.”
“We’re too far down,” he remarked as she returned the binoculars to her bag.
