What was wrong? What was wrong?
Revis gave a low whistle in Leah’s direction and when she looked at him, he silently motioned her to come nearer. Purposefully she didn’t look at Wes. He might signal her to disobey Revis and she didn’t want Revis to turn on Wesley.
As she nudged her horse forward something in the trees caught her eye. It was just a flash of a shiny glint. At first she ignored it, but as she stood beside Revis, looking down at Justin, she realized she had just seen the sun flashing off a gun barrel.
“You’ll never get away with this,” Justin was saying in a convincing manner.
Leah hardly heard any of what was going on around her. She wondered if there was more than one gunman hidden in the trees. Were they Wesley’s men and he just hadn’t told her about them or were they Revis’s men?
Wesley was giving orders, John was obeying, and Justin was arguing while Leah was trying to think. Secretly she jammed the stirrup into her horse’s side, making it jump. While she looked as if she were trying to gain control, her eyes searched the tree line. There was concern on Wesley and Justin’s faces, but Revis watched her with the unblinking gaze of an eagle. He watched her eyes.
They’re his men, Leah thought. Those men belong to Revis.
“Whoa girl,” Leah said, patting her horse’s neck and leaning forward to adjust her stirrup. One of the glints in the trees moved.
“Cover me,” Wesley said to Revis as he dismounted.
Revis nodded once and leveled his pistol at Justin while Wesley and Bud began to load goods onto the horses. Abe sat on his horse, his eyes darting around.
He’s as nervous as I am, Leah thought.
When all the goods were loaded, Leah knew that what was going to happen would start soon.
Revis dismounted.
“Let’s get out of here,” Wesley said.
“I want to see inside those wagons for myself.”
“Are you saying you don’t trust me?” Wesley threatened.
“I don’t trust anybody.”
It seemed to Leah, that Revis made what was a strange move in the way he stepped between Wesley and the wagon. As he moved, Leah’s head instinctively came up and again she saw a glint in the trees.
Without another thought she raised both legs and slammed her heels into her horse’s side and went charging straight for Wesley. Complete confusion erupted.
Wesley jumped out of the way, was knocked down by the rump of Leah’s horse, and as he went sprawling in the dirt three shots were fired.
All of them hit Revis in the chest.
Bud grabbed the reins of Leah’s horse as Leah half jumped from the animal. “Wesley, are you hurt?”
He gave her a very odd look, his mask about his neck. “No.” He looked up at Justin, who was bending over Revis.
Justin shook his head.
With a frown Wesley went to Revis and held the dying man’s head in his lap.
“You thought you were so smart,” Revis whispered. “You thought I’d believe you. I knew you were the one she visited. She turned everyone against me, even my own brothers.”
He stopped to cough. His chest was soaked in blood seeping from the three wounds.
“Who is the Dancer?” Wesley asked. “Do something good in your life and tell me who he is.”
Revis gave a bit of a smile. “I thought that’s what you wanted to know.” He closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them to look from one face above him to another.
“Macalister,” he whispered. “Ever hear of Devon Macalister?”