Chapter 20

TW- Physical Abuse

'Woah… Woah.' Maddie brought Skylar to a stop, listening closely. 'I thought I heard something…' She murmured, running a hand down the mare's neck as she looked around. 'Guess it was just the wind playing tricks…'

She nudged the mare forward and they continued on their way down the path back home. A month had passed since Clint and everything that had taken place at the ranch and slowly, she was starting to feel like things had returned to normal. The Walkers seemed to be in a good place, Cordell having gone back to the Rangers a few days prior and she herself felt like she was coming out from under that dark cloud that had been hanging over her. Things with her father were the same as usual but she hadn't expected any difference there. He was just as hard to please as ever though he had refrained from any physical punishment for a couple weeks following the incident.

Hearing something again, she stopped the mare abruptly, looking around her closely. There was no denying it this time, she had heard the sound of cattle. It seemed to be coming from deep within the forest on the property. That's strange… Bonham doesn't have any cattle near here, they must be strays that have gotten onto our place from another property.

Glancing at the time on her phone, she decided that she had enough time to go check it out before she was required home and turned the mare off the trail. The sound of cattle calling grew louder the further in she rode across the property and her concern grew. Even though she had been living on the property for a few months now she had never bothered to explore it fully, having been too preoccupied with working for the Walkers.

Through the trees she could make out brown and black hides, Skylar tossing her head with anticipation. The mare was something else when it came to cows, she hardly needed to do anything except let her have her head and keep out of the way. Bonham had said that Skylar was so good she didn't need a rider to be able to cut cattle and she believed him.

She brought the mare to a stop and dismounted, leaving her behind tied up to a tree. Carefully she moved closer and to her surprise, found the cattle were being held in transportable cattle pens. Where did those come from? She wondered, moving closer to them to get a better look. Her father hadn't said a thing about them having cattle on the property and she was certain that these cattle were still being held on their property… It didn't make any sense. What were they doing here?

A steer came close to the panel, the cattle milling around anxiously. There was no food in the pens and there didn't appear to be any water in the plastic troughs either but they still looked in good condition. That brand looks awfully like… Her heart sank a moment later. Even though the brand had been tampered with, she'd know it anywhere. She had found the missing cattle from the Walker ranch.

The sound of a vehicle in the distance caught her ear, her heart skipping a beat as she carefully made her way back to the safety of the undergrowth. Hiding down in a bush, she sat still as two trucks came up the drive, her heart sinking further. Her father was involved, she knew that old red Ford F150 anywhere.

The vehicles stopped near the yards and her father got out of his car as the driver stepped from the other truck. She drew in a breath when she recognized him. It was Clive, one of the temporary ranch hands. So that's why no locks or fences have been cut, he'd have had the chance to make copies of the keys… It made sense now how the cattle had seemingly disappeared from the Walker ranch, they must have been taking a few head at a time through the gates and holding them here. Why were they still being held here though…

'Truck will be here in the morning…'

From her vantage point she could hardly make out what they were saying, only being able to catch pieces here and there of the conversation. Carefully she moved closer, keeping hidden amongst the bushes and trees.

'Bout time.' Robert replied. 'You sure this slaughter house won't ask questions?'

'I know the guy who runs it personally. He's happy to pay three fifty a kilo, no questions asked..'

Three fifty a kilo… She did the numbers up in her head. If each head weighed roughly six hundred kilos and there were one hundred and ten head there… That's over two hundred thousand dollars!

'Are you sure you'll be able to get them across the border? We don't want to have to deal with another stuff up..'

So that's why the cattle were still here.

'Bruce, I've got it under control.' Clive replied. 'Trust me.'

'I don't trust anyone.' He growled. 'I just want the damn cattle out of here and money in my hand before that nosey Ranger or my useless bitch of a daughter comes sniffing around here.'

They moved further away and their conversation couldn't be heard any longer so carefully, Maddie turned-tail and hurried back to where she had left her mare. She had heard enough. Quietly leading her horse far enough away they wouldn't hear her, she mounted and headed to the house. This, her father and his lies, had gone on long enough. He might be her father but the Walkers were her friends and she wasn't about to sit back and let her father continue stealing their cattle any longer.


'How was work today?' Maddie questioned as her father walked into the kitchen that afternoon, washing the dirt off some carrots she had pulled from the garden.

'Work is work.' Robert replied, pulling a beer from the fridge. He looked over at his daughter and frowned. 'What are you looking at?'

'You tell me.' She said, placing the carrot and cloth back into the sink. 'Am I looking at Robert Adams, or Bruce Steinfield?'

He glared at her. 'Who have you been talking to?'

'I'll answer your question after you answer mine.'

'My name is Robert Adams, and you-' He shook a finger at her. 'Are on thin ice young Maddie.'

'Interesting…' Maddie turned from the sink, leaning back against the bench as she looked at her father. 'You know, when Clint West held me hostage with the Walkers, he mentioned a few interesting facts about my father to me that at the time, I didn't want to believe.'

Robert stepped closer to her. 'Maddie-'

'You can't intimidate me any more Dad.' She spat back at him. 'I know what you have been doing, I know where you were those months. You were in jail, you weren't working for a company. You were in jail.'

'Maddie, shut up-'

'What you are doing is wrong.' She took a step closer to him, glaring at him. 'I know you have been stealing the Walkers cattle, I know that you intend to sell them tomorrow across the border. That is wrong-'

The beer can fell to the floor, his fist connecting with the girl's stomach a second later. Maddie doubled over coughing and he grabbed her long hair in his hand, pulling her head back. 'You do not get to tell me what is right or wrong.'

'I… don't… want you to go… to jail again…' She replied, swallowing hard as she tried to catch her breath. 'Dad, you… can… change.'

He let her go, throwing her to the floor. 'Maddie, I do this, for you. Why do you think I stole those cattle in the first place? To provide for you.' He growled. 'The Walkers have plenty of money, they can stand to lose a few stupid cows.'

'It's wrong and you… you know it.' Slowly she rose to her feet again, still slightly winded from the punch. 'You can't take what doesn't belong to you, it is wrong.'

'How do you think I make money, hmm? So I can put a roof over your head and food in my ungrateful daughter's stomach.'

'But you don't have to steal to make a living.' Maddie said. 'Return the cattle, please.'

'Mind your own damn business!' He shouted, the girl flinching as he backed her into a corner. He grabbed her by the front of her shirt, pulling her towards his face. 'And if I find out you have told the cops, your life won't be worth living.'

Her vision was starting to go black from lack of oxygen before he finally dropped her, the teen sinking to her knees as he stormed from the kitchen. Her hands came to her neck, rubbing where he had twisted her shirt collar to choke her… After catching her breath she rose to her feet once more and made her way to her room to lie down, her father in his recliner watching television with a beer can in hand.

Closing the door behind her, she sank down onto her bed, trying to figure out what to do. She couldn't go to the authorities, couldn't see her father sent to jail and herself placed back into foster care. She much preferred to stay here where she knew what she had to deal with rather than have the chance she'd end up in a home like she had been before… At least here she only had her father to deal with, he didn't let anyone else lay a hand on her.

Knowing she couldn't go to the police she was forced to start thinking of another way to get her father out of this mess. The only way she could think of saving him from his own stupidity was for her to return the cattle onto the Walkers property herself. If she didn't, tomorrow the entire herd would be sent to the slaughterhouse. Most of those cows were breeding stock, if Bonham lost those, it would be a hard thing to replace their bloodlines.

Her father was wrong, he was doing wrong and he wouldn't listen. If she was honest, she hadn't expected him to listen to her but it had been worth a try. At the end of the day, he was all the family she had, regardless of how he was. She couldn't let him go to jail.

A moment later her mind was made up. Those cattle would be returned to the Walker property. Tonight.


It was early morning before her father had gone to bed to sleep off his drink, Maddie waiting a little longer until she was certain that he wouldn't hear her leave. Already dressed she slipped out from beneath her covers and gave her kitten a pat before pulling her boots on. Quietly she stepped over to the window and opened it then climbed out and closed it behind herself.

Slipping across the yard she hurried to the barn, Skylar knickering softly as she walked in. 'Hey girl, we've got a job to do.' With time of the essence she caught the mare and tacked her up in record time, leading her out the back door then mounted.

The half moon illuminated their way as they walked away from the house, the girl urging the mare to trot when she was sure her father couldn't hear them. Skylar's hooves sounded loud on the hardened dirt, Maddie's heart in her throat. If she got caught… She took a deep breath. It was worth it. If someone found out what her father had been doing, he would go to jail. It was worth the risk if she could make sure that wouldn't happen.

She brought Skylar to a halt at the gate connecting the two properties together and opened it up before heading on her way to the holding pens. Once the cattle were back on the Walker property they would be safe, it was just the problem of getting them there… One hundred and ten cattle was a crazy number for her to attempt moving on her own but she didn't have much of a choice.

The cattle started moving around as she rode up to the pens, just able to make out in the dim light remnants of hay left over from what they had been fed. At least they had been fed and watered, they still looked in good condition considering they had been held here for quite some time. Holding tightly to Skylar's reins she opened the gate then mounted again, riding the mare into the pen. The cattle started moving away from her and jogged towards the gate to freedom.

Maddie let Skylar have her head, the mare knowing exactly what she was doing as they started guiding the herd back towards the Walker property. Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she kept a close eye on the dark hides in front of her, attempting to keep the herd going as straight as possible. It was hard through the trees and the brush but without having much of a choice, they had to keep going.

Finally, to her relief, the gate onto the Walker ranch came into view up ahead. They had made it to the halfway point. Once that gate was shut behind them, the cattle would be safe. While she had been waiting for her father to go to bed, her mind had been working overtime as to what she would do with the cattle once they were on the Walker property. One hundred and ten missing cattle just randomly turning up out of the blue with tampered brands sure was going to raise some questions. She had decided though that for the time being, herding them into one of the back pastures where Bonham wouldn't be expecting them to turn up was the best idea for now.

As the last cow trotted through the gate, she breathed a sigh of relief as she dismounted to close it. The cattle, seeing the fresh grass, stopped running and began to eat as she closed the gate. Mounting again, she started them forward at an easy pace. When she looked at her phone she didn't like what she saw. It was almost three in the morning already… Nudging Skylar with her heels she urged the cattle onto a faster pace.

Another gate loomed up ahead, the gate into the back pasture. Opening it, they urged the cattle through and locked the gate behind them. It was only after hearing the satisfying 'click' of the padlock that Maddie could breathe easy. The cattle were returned now and if they were returned, they were no longer stolen.

With less than an hour to get back before daybreak, she urged Skylar into a canter to cover the ground in time. When they were back onto their own property, she slowed the mare to a walk to allow her to cool off before she was turned back into her stall. Skylar eagerly dipped her nose into the water bucket as she untacked her, the girl giving her a quick curry to get the sweat stains off her fur.

Her mare tended to, she quickly slipped back into her room through her window and changed into her pajamas before crawling back into bed. She was exhausted, having been up all night and with only half an hour before sunrise, drifted off to sleep. There would be trouble when her father found out the cattle were missing but for now, she needed to rest.


'Maddie! Maddie-'

The yells of her father were the first thing Maddie knew before her door was kicked open, her father storming into her room. He was angry, angrier than she had ever seen him before…

'What kind of stunt are you trying to pull?' Robert roared, pulling the girl from her bed and pinned her against the wall. 'I was just out at the yards and you know what I found? The gate opened and not a cow in sight. What did you do?'

'N-nothing.' It was a weak lie and they both knew it.

'One hundred and ten head of cattle!' He yelled in her face, his hands around her throat as he started to pound her head into the wall. 'Do you know how much money that is? Do you realize what you have done-'

The next thing Maddie knew was that she was on the ground, punch after punch brought down on her. Her father was yelling words she couldn't make out. It was just his shouting and punch after punch-

'You useless bitch!' He roared, getting angrier by the minute. 'You bloody useless bitch…'

The blows stopped but a moment later his hands were around her throat, choking her. With the need to breath overwhelming her, she started to fight against him but that only made it worse. In his eyes was a look she had never seen before, a look of pure unrestrained anger and hate. Her vision was starting to go black, her fight weakening as his grip tightened on her…

Suddenly, a furry black ball launched herself at him, the kitten digging her little claws into his back. Robert howled in pain, dropping Maddie as he stood, the kitten's claws ripping through his skin as she slid down his back.

Maddie breathed in sweet air into her lungs, her vision clearing as her father danced around the room, yelling and screaming as he tried to pull something from his back. The distraction was all she needed, the teen crawling on her hands and knees back to her bed.

The kitten finally let go, making her escape to safety beneath the dresser before Robert could get his hands on her. 'I'm going to kill you, you little bastard!'

A gun safety was flipped off, the sound stopping him in his tracks.

'I… wouldn't…' Maddie panted, holding the pistol on him with one hand as she held onto the bedhead with the other. 'Get… away from… her.'

Robert snarled at her, stepping towards her. How dare she hold a gun on him- 'You wouldn't.'

She lifted the pistol to the roof, firing a shot before she turned it back onto him. 'That was my first and only warning.' Her chest heaved as she breathed in as much air into her lungs as she could. 'You take one step towards me or my kitten and so help me God, I will pull this trigger.'

'You'd shoot your own father…' He began to chuckle. 'You wouldn't-'

'You can take that chance if you like.'

'You are going to regret this…'

'I don't think so.'

'Let me tell you something Maddie.' He sneered. 'You are going to wish you were dead when I am through with you. If you leave, I will hunt you down. You will not be safe no matter where you go. Anyone who tries to protect you, I will kill them-'

Her finger tightened on the trigger as he went to move towards her. 'Get out.' She growled. 'Get out of this house and don't you dare come back until you've lost that temper.'

'You will regret this-'

She took an unsteady step towards him, still holding her aim true at his heart. 'Get out!'

A moment later, he backed down, placing his arms up in surrender and attempted a different tactic. 'Maddie, this is all just a misunderstanding-'

'Out!' She roared, firing a second round into the roof. 'GET OUT!' The second shot seemingly gave him the hint to get moving, her father hurrying from the room. A moment later, the whole house shook when the front door shut, Maddie slowly sinking to the floor as his truck sped out of the drive. Oh God… What had she done? She had just pulled a gun on her own father…

Tears began to run down her cheeks as her body wracked with sobs, the pistol dropping onto the floor as she buried her face in her hands. She could have killed her own father, and had wanted to pull the trigger.

It was Bubbles' soft purring and nudging that brought her back to reality, the teen holding the kitten tight against her chest as tears rolled down her cheeks. Her father's threat was no idle threat, he would kill her, and anyone else that dared stand up to him… What was she going to do? There was nothing she could do.. She was trapped, hopelessly trapped with no way of escape.

The thought of ringing the police didn't even cross her mind, having been conditioned by him that police were the enemy. 'What… what am I going to do?' She cried softly, rocking back and forth as Bubbles kept rubbing her head against her chin. She looked down at the kitten, unable to bear the thought of her father hurting her. She didn't care what happened to herself, but she couldn't let anything happen to her little girl.

August. August would look after her for her.

Hands shaking she wiped the tears from her eyes, trying to get her emotions under control as she reached for her phone. Taking a few deep breaths to calm herself, she called August, begging silently that he would pick up. Finally, his cheery voice was heard over the line. 'August, I need a favor…'