Chapter 5 - Brother
Daniel had always been a poor liar.
As a boy, his ears turned red.
At sixteen, he had blamed a broken barn window on a mule while holding the stone that broke it.
At thirty-five, he had learned to control his face.
But not his eyes.
Those still betrayed him.
“You knew,” Eli said.
Daniel stopped on the threshold.
“Knew what?”
“That they were here.”
His gaze shifted toward the bedroom.
“People are talking in town.”
“Nobody from town has been here.”
Daniel removed his hat.
“Eli—”
“Who told you?”
Silence.
Tala stepped into view.
Daniel’s face drained.
She recognized him.
Eli saw it.
“You know my brother?”
Tala’s good hand moved toward the knife now tucked at her belt.
“I saw him.”
“Where?”
“Three weeks ago.”
Daniel shook his head quickly.
“No.”
Tala ignored him.
“With the men who took our father.”
Eli turned toward Daniel.
For a moment, the cabin became impossibly quiet.
Daniel looked older than Eli remembered.
Gray near his temples.
Deep lines around his mouth.
A freightman’s neat vest covered a body that had softened with office work.
Nothing about him looked dangerous.
But Sarah’s warning lay in Eli’s pocket.
“Explain.”
Daniel lowered his voice.
“I didn’t take anyone.”
“You were there?”
“I was delivering freight.”
“To whom?”
“Harlan Voss.”
Eli laughed once.
Coldly.
Daniel stepped forward.
“Listen to me. I have contracts with Red Mesa. I move feed, fencing, equipment. That doesn’t mean I know what his hired men do.”
Tala said, “You spoke to the man with the silver tooth.”
Daniel froze.
Eli noticed.
“Who is that?”
Daniel rubbed his face.
“Caleb Rourke.”
“Bounty hunter?”
“Security.”
“For Voss?”
Daniel didn’t answer.
That was an answer.
Eli closed the door.
Mira stirred in the bedroom.
Daniel saw the blood on Tala’s clothing.
“What happened?”
“Men carrying your employer’s bounty notice shot her.”
“I don’t work for Voss.”
“You just said you do.”
“I haul freight.”
“You always did love technical differences.”
Daniel flinched.
The brothers stared at each other.
They had once been close.
Before the cavalry.
Before Sarah.
Before Daniel moved to Tucson and learned that polished shoes opened doors muddy boots never could.
Daniel said, “Eli, whatever those women told you, you’re stepping into something bigger than you understand.”
“That sounds familiar.”
“What?”
“Voss said almost the same thing at Sarah’s funeral.”
Daniel stopped.
Eli watched every movement now.
“Why did Sarah tell me not to trust you?”
Daniel’s face changed.
Not shock.
Recognition.
That was worse.
“What did you find?”
There it was.
Not what are you talking about?
What did you find?
Eli moved close.
“What did Sarah know?”
Daniel looked toward Tala.
Then Mira.
“Send them outside.”
“No.”
“This is family.”
“So was Sarah.”
Daniel’s jaw tightened.
“I loved her too.”
“You lied at her grave.”
Daniel slammed his hat onto the table.
“I was trying to keep you alive!”
The words exploded out.
Mira woke fully.
Tala’s hand went to her knife.
Eli’s voice became dangerously quiet.
“How?”
Daniel paced once.
Then stopped.
“Sarah came to me two weeks before she died. She had papers. Names. She said Voss had been buying land through forced defaults.”
Eli’s chest tightened.
“You knew.”
“I knew enough to be afraid.”
“What did you do?”
Daniel looked away.
Eli grabbed his vest.
“What did you do?”
“I told her to stop.”
“And?”
“She wouldn’t.”
“And?”
Daniel’s face twisted.
“I told someone she was asking questions.”
Eli released him as if burned.
“Who?”
Daniel said nothing.
Tala answered.
“Voss.”
Daniel closed his eyes.
Eli hit him.
One punch.
Daniel fell against the table.
The coffee tin crashed to the floor.
Mira gasped.
Eli stood over his brother, fists shaking.
“Did you kill her?”
“No!”
“Did you tell Voss where she was going?”
“No.”
“Then why did she die?”
“I don’t know.”
Eli hauled him upright.
Daniel pushed him away.
“I swear to you. I told Voss’s attorney she was digging through land records. I thought they’d threaten her. Buy the papers. Something.”
“You sold her.”
“I was in debt.”
The words came quietly.
Eli stared.
Daniel explained.
Bad investments.
Freight contracts bought with borrowed money.
Voss had covered his notes.
In return Daniel passed information.
Nothing violent, he claimed.
Nothing he believed would hurt Sarah.
“I was a coward,” Daniel said. “Not a murderer.”
Tala moved beside the table.
“Where is our father?”
Daniel looked at her.
“I don’t know.”
She drew her knife.
“I saw you when they took him.”
“I saw him loaded into a wagon.”
“Where?”
Daniel hesitated.
Then said, “Copper Wash.”
Tala took one step closer.
“Alive?”
“Yes.”
“Where did the wagon go?”
Daniel’s eyes shifted to Eli.
“Red Mesa headquarters.”
Outside, a distant rifle cracked.
Everyone froze.
A bullet struck the porch post.
Daniel looked toward the window.
Then at Eli.
His fear was genuine.
“They followed me.”
Eli reached for his rifle.
Daniel whispered:
“No, brother.”
His face went pale.
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“They didn’t follow me.”
“They were waiting for me to lead them here.”
