Chapter 1

Jane took off her hat and wiped her brow. She looked over the landscape in front of her. The sweeping hills gave way to the valley below and the river was that large, but it was sufficient to local community. She put her hat back on her head and scanned the countryside one more time. She could see the train moving towards town, if one could call it that. It was no more than a little train depot and some houses just west of the fort. Not too many people stayed on there, but it was as close to home as she would ever find. She shifted on her horse. She grabbed her canteen, took her leather gloves off, took a swig and then draped it back across the saddle horn. Rubbing the back of her hand across her mouth, she watched the train and its progress towards the depot. She reached down, grabbed her gloves and then put them on. Then, she grabbed the reins of her horse and slowly started tuning towards the depot.

It was a warm day for being early September, but Jane didn't mind. She was getting paid as a Ranger from the state and the Government had given her a decent size area to patrol and protect. She was the law for part of Hill Country, but she had back up. The local sheriffs all welcomed the Rangers when they came to town. It was the side jobs that the Federals and the Army gave her. She knew that they were jobs sent down from Washington or politicians that the Generals and higher ups in the area didn't want to waste troops on. That is where she came in with the Rangers. Sometimes it was a thankless job, but she was grateful for it. She really wasn't fit to be some rancher's wife and her family knew it. As much as it pained her mother, she knew that she couldn't stop Jane.

She was used to the harshness of the land. She'd grown up here. This was her backyard. And, no Mexican or Federal was going to take that from her. She would die first. This was her land, the land of her parents and her family. She wasn't going to give it up willingly. It was one of the reasons that she became a Ranger when they were reinstated. One of the other reasons was all the criminals that were hiding out in Texas. She'd willingly hunt them down and send them back East where they belonged. It was no skin off her back.

Her family lived in her patrol territory. She wasn't sure if that was by design or happy accident since her mother knew Colonel Cavannaugh at Fort Stockton. She wasn't sure what their relationship was, but he did come over for dinner at least once a month. Her mother, Angela, ran the local tavern at Fort Stockton. It was a modest Bed and Breakfast style establishment. Her baby brother, Tommy, worked with her father, Frank, as the local blacksmith and tinker. Her baby brother liked to get into trouble, but that is why she got her little brother, Frankie, a job with the local sheriff at Fort Stockton. She couldn't always be there to bail him out but she didn't want to wonder what the Army would do with him if they caught him and tried him. Nope, he was just going to have to be watched by his older brother until she could find something to keep him occupied and out of trouble. Then, she remembered that Amos Jessup owed her a favor for making sure he got his liquor at The Bandit. She reminded herself to talk to him about getting Tommy a job at the saloon when she got back to Stockton. It wasn't perfect, but it would probably keep him out of trouble for the most part.

She was meeting up with two friends at Fort McKavett. There they were to escort a new teacher from somewhere back East to the little town of Pecos. She wasn't sure what to think about the woman coming out to the frontier just be a teacher, but it wasn't up to Jane. She was just glad that she had fellow Rangers Vincent Korsak and Barold Frost with her. Vincent was a frontiersman that turned to law enforcement after some issues in a land dispute after the war. Barry, as he liked to be called, was a former sergeant with K Troop, US Cav. She wasn't sure why Barry left the Army, but he was content to serve the people of Texas, so that was enough for her. They patrolled between four major forts, Fort Lancaster, Fort Stockton, Fort McKavett and Fort Concho. If they had trouble, they went to the local fort and let the Army deal with it. But, for the most part, they were law enforcement for the all the towns and settlements. Occasionally, they would help out a sheriff or lead a posse if need be.

Picking up a teacher and escorting her through hostile territory was going to be a welcome change for Jane. It did get lonely sometimes out there on her own tracking down lost people, criminals, and rogue Indians. She was just happy that it was just an escort mission and in her own wasn't sure if she relished the idea or she was just happy to be doing something different for a change. Either way, she couldn't stop the slow smirk that graced her face as she turned her horse towards the boardwalks near the rail head at Lancaster. It was the farthest West and the closest that anyone could get to Pecos by rail. She'd have thought that they'd call her to San Antonio with all the Indian attacks lately, but they sent her up anyway.

She shifted in the saddle as she neared Fort Lancaster's outpost depot. They would give her a horse and a pack mule according to her orders from the Governor. It was all they could spare until she got to Fort McKavett. There she would resupply with Korsak and Frost and then move on towards Pecos. She hoped that the "iron horse" wasn't bringing more than the teacher with it. She didn't have time to deal with any other craziness.

She knew that she'd be green, this Eastern woman with no frontier skills. This ride was going to be annoying and telling at the same time. Jane just prayed that she didn't lose her temper with the woman. It was a good paying job with a nice bonus if she could get her to Pecos before October. They had the time as long as Jane didn't lose herself on the way. Her temper had a nasty way of slowing things down. Jane just hoped that they made good time on the trails and didn't get into any trouble with any of the Indians on the way.

She pulled up to the small train depot. It wasn't anything more than a boardwalk and a small building next to the tracks. The water tower and coal fill up were just down the track. Jane tied off her horse Jo Friday to the hitching post.

She stepped up on the boardwalk. She adjusted her hat as she looked down the tracks to see the puffs from the smoke stack on the train. She looked at the small office and saw the train officer coming out to meet her.

"Heya, Jane," the depot Army officer said as she walked up.

The sound of her boots on the boardwalk were loud with the clang of her spurs and the thud of her heel. She looked down the tracks to see the train coming through the hills. She smiled at Corporal Hank Benjamin as she stepped closer to him.

"Hola, Hank."

"You picking up that new teacher for Pecos?" he asked her as he raised a hand to his eyes, shielding them as he looked towards the pass to see the train coming.

"Yeah, I am. I hope that there is a horse and mule on that train too. If not, we are going on foot."

"According to the manifest that Colonel Cavannaugh dropped off on his last check in, they will be."

"Cav told you about her?" Jane questioned.

"Yeah, he wanted me to know that you were coming to get her and the extra supplies comin' wit' her. He'll meet you with Korsak and Frost at Fort McKavett. Train's on time, today," he stated as he looked at his gold pocket watch.

"They generally are, aren't they, Hank?"

"Usually, yeah, but the tracks are getting extended, and more trains will be heading this way. They coming out to lay more track soon, too, here and beyond. I expect that it will keep you busier, too. I heard that the Texas American Railroad would be out here soon to build up the depot. Goodness knows that we could use some help out here," Hank told her.

"I am sure that it will build up around here for you. Especially with Fort Lancaster right next door. The Army is probably working with the rail company to get more people and businesses out here. It will make the men of the fort happier. Especially if their wives have a place to stay that is more like a town and not just a fort. Just keep up the wanted posters and make sure to get the dispatches to the Fort quick enough and you'll be okay, Hank."

"True. Well, let me check the telegraph for any dispatches to the next depot. Looks like they'll be here in ten minutes or so. I'll be back then," Hank stated as he went back into his little office just off the boardwalk.

Jane walked down the boardwalk. She sat down at the bench at the end of the boardwalk and watched as the train slowly chugged into the depot. She wasn't sure that this was a job that she wanted to do, but it came down from the governor. Turns out that he still had "important" friends back East and this was one of their daughters. Jane decided not to question it more.

She looked down at her dark leather chaps and brushed them off. She would need to get a new pair of dungarees when they got to a camp that was selling some. Her favorite black pair were about warn out. She pulled at her linen shirt. It was a hot day, but she was glad for the thinness of it. Her normal cotton shirt and the brown and black flannel were packed away in her saddle bags for night. Her bruised duster was laid across the saddle horn. She knew that she'd need it on the ride, but her boots caught her eye. They were dirty. She reached down and brushed them off just as the train pulled into the station.

Hank came out of the office. He shook his head at her as he watched her try to tidy up. There was no use really. She'd be on the road, on horseback, with dust and dirt flying at her in a few hours, he was sure. Appearances didn't matter there. This wasn't some hoyty-toyty city back East.

She stood up, took her hat off and waited for the passenger car to finish unloading. It was then that she remembered that she had no idea what this woman looked like. She wondered if it would be a guessing game or if the woman would just stand out in the crowd. She didn't have to wait long. She stood out like one of the French Girls that Jane had seen back in San Antonio last time she was in town for trial. She shook her head.

"Well, dang my belt. This woman ain't fit fo' no horse. How in tarnation did she manage to get this post anyway?" Jane asked herself as she started down the boardwalk towards the gussied up woman, shaking her head the entire way.

"Heya, Jane," Hank said as he ran down the boardwalk before she made it to the gussied up woman.

"Yeah?" she replied turning around to face him.

"Can you take these dispatches on up to the Colonel? It'll save us a rider since you're going that way. Plus, it'll make up for the incident with the Gomez family from last year. You know that the Colonel is still mad at ya because of that," Hank said handing her a bunch of yellow papers.

"Yeah, yeah, I remember. Next time the Mexicans won't have the Army to hide behind when they are targeting my friends live stock. I'll take 'em for you," she told him as she took the papers and turned back around to face the woman before her.

Jane thought that her eyes must be bugging out of her head. The woman was dressed up like a French lady. She wasn't sure of the cloth, but it looked damned expensive. Her hair was done up under some flossy, feathery, contraption of a hat. The golden curls shown in the sunlight and Jane could swear that the woman was smiling at her so big that she must be making some sort of face. Her radiant hazel eyes were full of wonder and her pale skin was a sight in this part of Texas. She was pretty. No, Jane shook her head, she was beautiful and she knew it.

"Excuse me, officer...I'm looking for the Texas Ranger that is here to take me to Pecos. My name is Maura Isles. If you could just direct me, I'll be on my way," the woman stated as she extended her hand in greeting.

"I'm Texas Ranger Jane Rizzoli. I'm the one takin' ya. Uh...Let me check your supplies and then we'll be going. You might want to change, though," Jane told as she shook her hand and then left her on the boardwalk with Hank.

"My, she is direct."

"You don't know the half of it, Ms. Isles. She's one the best Rangers that Texas has. No criminal wants to oppose her. But's she right about changing. You don't want to be riding in that," Hank said.

"Well, I don't have anything else but dresses to wear."

Jane wanted to laugh as she came upon the livestock cars. A soldier exited with three horses and a mule. She walked up to him.

"Hey, Ranger. Those two are yours. I'll get all the supplies over to the depot for you. Doubt you're gonna head out today anyway."

"Why's that?" Jane asked.

"You should see what she's brought with her."

"I'll go through it and post the rest," Jane told him.

"Post won't be in until tomorrow."

"Then, will leave in the morning. Thanks for the heads up. I'll take them now," she told him as she reached for their leads. "Ding Back East woman, don't know how to survive out here on the prairie. Well, that's all about to change."