CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE

The Search

Sheriff Fred Madden shook his head. "I'm sorry, Jarrod. I can get some men and we can look. Do you think they're on your property?"

"I'm not sure, Fred, but Nick had a couple of hands guarding the intersection of our main road with the county road, and they said they did not see Heath or Margaret—nor anyone that shouldn't have been there. So, that means either they are still on our property, or they cut across the countryside at some other point where the guard couldn't see them."

Fred took a couple of rifles off his wall.

"Why don't you gather who you can gather and come out to the house?" Jarrod asked. "We also have all of the hands, and I'm sure some of the guests will also volunteer. Then we can divide everyone up and search our entire property."

Fred nodded. "I'll meet you out there."

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By the time Jarrod returned home, Nick had turned the library into a command center. He had a large map of the Barkley property laid out on a table. He'd put an X at the bridge referenced in the ransom note. Using the X as the center, he drew circles at five miles out, eight miles out, and twelve miles out. He then drew diameter lines through the circles in eight equal portions. Duke McColl had already organized a few teams and had sent the men out to the sections on the further portions out. They were told to start at the center of the circle and work their way out.

Sam prepared kits for each team that included a small map Nick had traced from the larger map of their area, compasses, and torches and matches for when it turned dark—which would be soon. He also made sure each man had a handgun and each team had at least one rifle.

"Any news?" Jarrod asked.

"No," Nick answered. "We don't have much daylight left, so we need to get as many men out as fast as we can."

"Fred will be here soon with more men," Jarrod stated.

"Thanks." Nick rubbed his forehead.

"Where's Mother?" Jarrod asked.

"She's in the kitchen. I asked her and the other ladies to make sandwiches for the men going out."

"Good thinking." Jarrod hurried to the kitchen.

Victoria, Audra, Isabella, Caroline, and Silas were busy making sandwiches. JR wrapped the sandwiches and placed them in a box. He also had a box of fruit, mostly apples.

Jarrod kissed his mother's cheek. "You doing okay, Mother?"

"Better now that Nick found a job for me."

Jarrod gave her a tight smile and went back to the library. Nick was busy giving assignments.

Jarrod stepped back and just watched for a few minutes. He seldom saw Nick at work, and whenever he did, he was surprised at how organized and quick-thinking Nick was. He handled multiple issues simultaneously, making fast—and good—decisions.

Fred arrived with six men. He joined Jarrod and Nick in the library and looked over the map Nick had made. "I usually cut the search areas in squares," he said, looking at Nick's circle with diameter lines.

"I think they will most likely be within five miles of the ransom drop-off," Nick stated, "and probably not more than twelve miles. This way, we concentrate on that area, and we start at the most likely spot and work our way out."

Fred nodded. "What do you need covered?"

"The south and east sections," Nick stated. "I doubt they have Heath and Margaret too close to the house, so those sections aren't as large as the others."

JR walked in, carrying a box of sandwiches. "I was thinking," he said.

Nick glanced at him.

"If they aren't on Barkley property—which I'm thinking is unlikely—they cut a fence somewhere. You've had guards at the main entrance, and we would've known if they left that way."

Nick's brow furrowed. "Okay?"

"I think we should have a couple of teams check the perimeter fences to see if any have been cut—especially the section that runs next to the road."

"Good idea." Nick swung around. "Sam, would you organize that? Get maybe three teams of two men. Have the first search from the main road for six miles. The second from six to ten, and so on. Have the later teams tie a bandana to the fence post where they start." Nick paused. "And, of course, do a full search of the line shacks and any other places someone could be hidden."

Sam nodded, took the men Fred had brought, supplied them with the equipment they needed as well as sandwiches and fruit, and took them outside to give them instructions.

Fred cleared his throat. "Have you paid the ransom?"

"Not yet," Nick stated. He looked at Jarrod. "Can you handle that?"

"Yes. Should we pay it or not?" Jarrod asked.

Fred shrugged. "You know as well as I do that paying the ransom doesn't guarantee anything."

"I know," Jarrod said quietly.

"We should pay the ransom," JR stated. "I'm happy to contribute half of it, although I don't have that much cash on me."

"We will pay the ransom," Victoria said from the doorway.

Jarrod nodded to his mother, and the two of them went to the storage room behind the library.

"We used a lot of our cash for the wedding," Victoria stated.

"I know." Jarrod opened the safe and pulled out the stack of currency. He put it on a table and counted it. "Four thousand seven hundred."

"The banks are all closed."

"Let's see how much everyone else has." Jarrod carried the cash to the library. The women—except for Isabella—had all congregated there now as well. "Audra, get a piece of paper and a pencil."

Audra didn't reply. She simply did as instructed.

"Where's Isabella?" Nick asked.

"She wanted to go to your room and pray," Caroline answered. "If no one needs me, I'll go join her."

Nick nodded. "Go ahead. Thanks."

Jarrod faced the men remaining in the room. "We have four thousand seven hundred." He took a wad of cash from his pocket and counted it. "And I have three hundred seventy-five on me." He put the cash on the desk and told Audra to record his name and the amount.

Nick looked up from his map. He took out a wad of cash and tossed it on the table. "That's ranch money there." He took out another wad of cash from a different pocket and tossed it into a different stack.

Jarrod counted it. "Put the ranch down for six hundred sixty-five dollars." He glanced back at Nick.

Nick shrugged. "I took extra out for overtime, and then decided to give the men next Friday and Saturday off instead."

Jarrod counted Nick's stack. "And put down four hundred and five for Nick."

JR emptied his pockets, including change, and handed it to Jarrod.

Jarrod counted. "Put JR down for two thousand, nine-hundred, twenty-two dollars and forty cents."

Eugene emptied his pockets.

"Put down twenty-one dollars for Eugene."

Fred emptied his pockets. Thirty-seven dollars and eighteen cents.

That was all the men in the room. Audra added the figures. "Nine thousand, one hundred, twenty-five dollars and fifty-eight cents."

Jarrod nodded. "So we're short—"

"Eight hundred seventy-four dollars and forty-two cents," Nick replied.

Sam walked back in from sending out the men. They explained what they were doing.

"I don't have much on me, but let me run home. Jeannie keeps a rainy-day fund."

Sam returned several minutes later and dropped a stack of bills on the table. He then emptied his pockets and added to that.

Jarrod counted. "Put Sam down for six hundred seventy-two dollars and nineteen cents."

Audra recorded.

"We're still two hundred two dollars and twenty-three cents short," Nick stated.

Jarrod gave him a sharp look. "How do you do that?"

"I'm not as dumb as you think I am."

Jarrod smiled. "I think I'm finding that out."

Nick took some change out of his pocket. "There's the two dollars and twenty-three cents. Maybe they won't count it until after they let them go."

Charlie walked into the library, holding a stack of bills. "How much do you need?"

"Two hundred dollars," Jarrod said.

"I have it." He counted out the money and added it to the pile.

"Thank you," Jarrod said. "We will reimburse each of you on Monday."

Nick released a breath. "Who wants to take it out there?"

"I will," Jarrod offered.

"Probably should have someone go with you," Nick stated.

"I will," JR and Sam both stated.

Nick nodded. "Sounds good. Make sure you have handguns and rifles with you—and make sure they're fully loaded."

"I'll grab a saddlebag out of the tack room." Sam ran out the door. When he returned, the money was recounted and then put in the saddlebag.

"Be careful," Nick cautioned as the three men left.

By the time the men returned, it was fully dark. Nick paced.

"Nick," Sheriff Fred Madden said, "I know you're going to fight me on this, but I strongly suggest you and your brothers go get some sleep."

Nick glared at him. "I ain't goin' nowhere."

"Hear me out," Fred stated. "I doubt we'll find much out there in the dark, and I don't think you want to risk the men or the horses getting hurt. We will be able to accomplish much more in the daylight tomorrow."

Jarrod put a hand on Nick's shoulder. "That makes sense, Nick."

"If you want to go to bed, go!" Nick snarled. "I ain't goin' nowhere."

"What are you going to do all night?" Jarrod asked.

"Wait for the men to come in. Wait for word."

"I can do that," Fred said. "I'm accustomed to night shift. And, as the men come in, I'll send them to get some sleep so they can hit it again in the morning."

"I'm not goin' nowhere!"

"And you'll be worthless tomorrow," Jarrod said. "Brother Nick, we need your brain—your knowledge of the land and the men—tomorrow. If you're awake all night, you're not going to be at your best tomorrow, and we need you at your best."

Nick didn't respond.

"You're the best person to manage this situation, but there's not much to manage right now," Jarrod stated. "Please, Nick. We need your brains tomorrow."

"He's right." Fred stepped next to Nick. "I promise you I'll wake you up if there's any news at all. I promise you."

Victoria stepped up to Nick. "If you go to bed, I will too. If you stay up, I will too."

Nick scowled. "Okay. Fine." He pointed at Fred. "But you damn well better wake me the second you get any news. Anything."

"I will," Fred promised.

Nick glanced around the room. "The rest of you should also get some sleep."

"I'll stay up with Fred," Sam said.

"I will too," Eugene added.

The rest of the group headed up the stairs.

Nick waited for Jarrod to pass him, then followed him. He felt like he was giving up on Heath, but he didn't know what else to do. Hopelessness weighed heavily on his shoulders.

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