Desperation

Bud, Zack, Ben, Dan, Frank, Charlie, Liana

Dan Evans rode quietly beside Ben as they started toward the little house where Charlie Prince lived on the Wade ranch. He thought this was a waste of time, but he knew Ben was going crazy sitting in the house doing nothing. It had been two days since Liana disappeared.

Frank Parker was still running down even the narrowest of leads and they had the sheriff's office working on it now, but there had been no demand for any ransom. That was what Ben, Dan, and Frank had all been waiting for. Ben Wade was a wealthy man and that was well known. For his pregnant wife to be kidnapped for ransom would make sense, but it hadn't happened.

With everyone else out looking for leads, Ben had decided that he'd have another look around the property. Dan had insisted on going with him, after calling Frank to let him know that they were going to pick up Charlie Prince at his little house and search again. Frank had said, "I'll meet you at Charlie's," and hung up. As they approached the little house on their horses, he could see Frank's SUV coming in from the little back road that led up to the place.

Finally. Bud and Zack were heading toward the Wade ranch with official purpose. They'd had a helluva time convincing a judge in Coffs to get a search warrant for Charlie Prince's house. Wade's permission only went as far as his residence and out buildings such as the stables. It didn't include a private residence on the premises. And Bud and Zack knew that'd have a tough time getting a warrant on their hunches. At first that was all they had to go on. Judges didn't like the legal precedent set by hunches. But on digging deeper into Prince's background they found some ammunition. The shitbird had a history of violence and some of it against women.

With warrant in hand they were taking an official Sheriff's department vehicle. This was all going to be by the book. No advance warning in case Liana Wade was there. They didn't need her being used as leverage by a kidnapper. Plus with Prince's alibi for the time Mrs. Wade disappeared he had an accomplice. Then there was Wade himself. He was liable to lose control if he was there and they found Mrs. Wade. Including not knowing what shape she'd be in. Bud would be inclined to finish the job himself if they found her injured.

As Ben and Dan dismounted their horses and Frank got out of his car, they all looked toward the house. Charlie was coming out onto the porch and closing the door behind him. "Boss," he said with a smile, but Ben thought he looked rather nervous about something. And he thought he'd seen movement in the house through one of the windows.

Ben was immediately suspicious and on his guard. He'd never seen Charlie looking nervous before. Now, why would he be nervous about Ben and Dan being here? He'd always seemed at ease with them before. Looking over at Parker, Ben saw that he had the same idea.

Parker could see that something was bothering Charlie. The man had been downright relaxed before around them but now that they were at his house, he was definitely acting like a man with something to hide. Bud White had called Parker a little earlier with the news that he and Grant had gotten a search warrant for Charlie's house and would be here shortly to carry out the search. With the police on the way, Parker thought the best thing they could do was to stay out of the house and keep Charlie out of it too. Let the cops handle it when they got here, so that they would have no reason for investigations or checks into Ben Wade's background.

With a look at Ben, though, Parker could tell that wasn't gonna happen. Okay. He figured the next-best thing was for Ben to stay outside while he went in. That he just might pull off.

Bud was eager to get there. They'd been waiting for this for two days with their hands tied. A lot had been wrong with the old LAPD, but he had to admit some things wouldn't have gotten delayed like this when they shouldn't be in legal hassles like search warrants.

"What the fuck?" He glanced at Zack as they drove toward Charlie Prince's house. He could see Parker, Wade and Dan Evans. This could get ugly.

Speaking almost in a whisper, Ben told Frank and Dan. "I'm goin' in there. You two wait out here. Check around back of the house." Seeing Frank about to protest, Ben said, "I'm your boss, Frank. That's the way it is." His hard look left no room for argument.

Stepping forward onto Charlie's porch, Ben said heartily, "I need a drink 'a water, Charlie. Mind if I get one 'fore we head out to search?"

Leaving Charlie no time to protest, Ben pushed past him and through the door.

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In the bedroom of Charlie's small house, Liana was struggling to keep from crying out. Her water had broken earlier that day. She'd been terrified. It was too early. Something had to be wrong! Crying, she'd begged Charlie to get her to a doctor. "Please! The baby! He might die. I can't let that happen!"

"He'll be fine, honey." Charlie had used what he obviously thought was a soothing voice, but it had made Liana's skin crawl to hear him call her 'honey'. "I'm right here. Luke's right here. I'll deliver him and then we'll all three be one happy family."

In truth, Charlie had been annoyed. The kid wasn't supposed to be coming for another few weeks. He'd thought to have that much more time alone with her. Get her a little more used to the idea of him being her man instead of Ben Wade. He'd been staying right beside her, saying all the right things, with no concern for the fact that his presence only made things worse for her.

Then, he'd heard the horses approaching. Dammit! Thing weren't going the way they were supposed to go at all! He'd called Luke in from the kitchen. "Stay with her!" he'd ordered harshly. "Keep her quiet!" Liana had seen the gun he'd picked up and hidden under the coat he was wearing. Would he kill Ben? Fear for her husband rushed in to join the fear she already had for her baby.

Even in her pain, Liana had heard the voices outside, including Ben's. She'd tried to cry out, but Luke had put a gag in her mouth. Oh, God! That was Ben out there and their baby was coming! Would he find her? Or would he turn away from Charlie's house without even looking? Would Charlie shoot him?

Helpless, she lay on the bed, hearing the voices, but not understanding a thing they were saying. Then, she heard Charlie's front door opening again.

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Ben went through the front door, pulling out the pistol he'd been carrying in his belt as he did. The gun Liana had given him for their first Christmas together. The one called The Hand of God that had once belonged to an outlaw. He'd been carrying it around with him since she'd disappeared, feeling some need to be prepared.

Not seeing the boss's gun, Charlie allowed him to go through the front door and followed him closely.

"Damn it, Wade," Zack cursed as they pulled up in front of the house and approached the group, "thought we'd agreed to let White and I handle this."

But it was too late and Wade was disappearing through the door with Charlie Prince. Bud saw a gun in Wade's hand. If this was where Liana Wade was being held as he and Grant suspected everything was going South real fast.

"Gun, partner." Bud pulled his revolver as they ran toward the house. "Sheriff's department. We've got a warrant." He yelled it out but knew it was probably too late.

Luke was too nervous and had way too little patience. He had released Liana from the bed and, despite her pain, had forced her to her feet and taken her to the doorway between the bedroom and the little kitchen. Opening the door, he pushed her largely-pregnant body through it ahead of him, using her as a shield and holding his gun to her side.

As Charlie came through the front door, he drew his gun. Things were not turning out the way he'd planned them, but he could still remove Ben Wade from the picture, from Liana's life. As he pulled out the pistol, he heard a scream.

Luke and Liana had just entered the kitchen. Liana's eyes had gone immediately to Ben, crying with relief at seeing him there, and his eyes had locked on hers. Then, from the corner of her eye, she caught Charlie's movement, saw the pistol in his hand. "Ben! Behind you!" She cried out, forgetting the gun Luke was holding on her.

Heeding her cry, as well as the panicked look he saw in her eyes, Ben whirled around, firing the Hand of God as he did so. Charlie crumpled, an uncomprehending look on his face, as he dropped to the floor. Immediately, Ben turned back to Liana.

Luke was in a panic at the sight of Charlie Prince going down. This was supposed to go easy, dammit! No problems, Charlie had told him!

Seeing the look in Luke's eyes and painfully aware of the gun he held pointed straight at Liana's pregnant belly, Ben said soothingly. "Just calm down, Luke. No one's gonna hurt you. It's money you want, ain't it? Money, you can have. As much as you want. Just as long as you don't hurt Liana and the baby."

"Shut the hell up, Wade! Lemme think!" Luke's voice was strained.

But Ben was continuing in that soothing tone. "An' I'll make sure you get clear of here too. Get you a car an' a plane at the airport. Everthin' you need."

Despite his telling Ben to shut up, Luke was listening, his eyes and his attention on Wade. He hadn't noticed that Liana was inching carefully away from him. Ben had lowered his gun and was still talking, trying everything he could think of to calm Luke and lessen the danger Liana.

She, meanwhile, had been inching toward the table a few feet away, where the dishes from Charlie and Luke's morning meal still sat. Just as she reached the large serving fork lying on the edge of the table, a fresh contraction seized her. Desperately, summoning all her strength and will, Liana grabbed up the fork. She swung around, driving it at Luke with all the strength she was able to muster, wielding the fork blindly without knowing where she would hit him.

Through her own pain, she had a vague image of Luke going to the floor, heard a weirdly cut off scream. Then, she fainted.

Ben was across the room in an instant, barely catching her before she hit the floor. As he swung her up into his arms, he looked coldly and disdainfully down at Luke. The gun had fallen from his hand and clattered away. The fork Liana had wielded had sunk into his neck, apparently hitting the carotid artery from the gush of blood Ben could see. The man was clutching at his neck with both hands, not realizing he was already dead.

Ignoring the gurgling sounds from him, Ben stepped over the man's lower body, carrying his wife back into the bedroom.