Chapter Thirty-One
Justin's P.O.V.
I groan and rub my hands over my face as I wake up. I glance at my watch to see the time: 4:30. I haven't made any more progress with Ariya so there isn't much point me rushing out to the barn. I'm fed up of having this stupid, annoying face off with her, so I'm just going to leave her and have breakfast with everyone else this morning. It's not like she's going to eat or drink anything I bring her anyway. I am going to have to find a way to force feed her or something because she can't keep refusing to eat. It's not healthy and she's going to get very sick.
Honestly, I don't actually know how she survives on so little food, especially with all the fighting or training she does. I know she probably doesn't know when or where her next meal is coming from on the streets, but surely she's got to get hungry. Even if she doesn't rely on food every day, she still has to eat. I wonder how much damage she'll cause if I take one of the restraints off. If it's the only way she'll eat, then I might have to risk it. I can't have her getting sick or dying on my watch. I would have an extremely hard time explaining why she was bound and starved.
As we sit to eat, I say, "Mike, can you and Todd do a fence check please? There were no breaks yesterday, but I want to make sure we don't miss any. I can't afford for any of the herd to go missing. Brad is coming to pick up the cattle selected for the slaughterhouse this afternoon. Lou, you don't have to stick around for that. I know you don't like it."
"Thanks."
I notice her boldness appearing again when she asks, "J? What's happening with Ariya?"
She would never have been brave enough to ask something like that before Ariya turned up.
I smile at Lou and reply, "I'm dealing with her the only way she understands."
Her eyes widen in shock, "She's ok, right?"
"Of course she is. What do you think I'm going to do to her?"
She shrugs and Todd speaks up, "Hopefully give her a taste of her own medicine..."
"That wouldn't be very productive, would it? Don't you think that's what she wants? Why would I give her what she wants? Besides, I'm not just going to beat on a woman..."
He scoffs at that and his reaction irks me. I don't know why, but the fact he doesn't think of her as a woman gets my back up.
"Dude, she's hardly a woman. She's a beast. She should have been a guy."
"That's uncalled for, Todd. She's a female, even if you don't like to admit you got beat up by a girl. I'm sure you'd have a few things to say if she called you a girl, wouldn't you? Treat her the way you would like to be treated, even if she doesn't allow you the same courtesy. You don't have to stoop to her level. You can be the bigger person here."
I know they'll think I'm just taking Ariya's side, so I have to be careful what I say. I saw Mike's eyebrows raise when I started to tell Todd off. I know what he's thinking. He thinks I'm getting too close; too attached. Maybe he's right, but I like Ariya. Despite everything she's done, I like her. I can see something in her that isn't like how she portrays herself. I see myself in her to some degree and when I needed help, someone was there to give it to me. Why can't I do the same for her?
I send Todd and Lou off to the barn to start cleaning the stalls while Mike and I clear up the breakfast dishes. I know he wants to say something, so I question, "What? Just say it."
"You sure you're not getting too involved in this one, J?"
"Maybe, maybe not. She needs help, man. You think I wanted help when Chris first approached me? Heck, I might have even been worse than Ariya..."
"No, really you weren't. She is all kinds of messed up, man."
"You might be right about that, but I see something in her that none of you guys see. There's something deep inside her that's different to her tough exterior. It might be very deep inside, but I can see it. I see myself in her. What kind of person would I be if I didn't try to help someone who's in the same position I was in? I've got first hand experience of how anger eats you up, so I should be better equipped to help her."
"Dude, I don't think anyone can help her. She doesn't want to be helped. There's a world of difference between you and her. At least you acknowledged something was wrong. You knew you couldn't keep on the way you were going. There's only so many people you can fight and get a free pass, especially in this small town."
"It took me a while to realize that as well. I will keep trying until there really isn't any hope. As they say, where there's life there's hope. She's still alive, so I'm not giving up just yet. I'll help clean the stalls and work with Lou on one of the young stock before heading back out to Ariya. Let me know when Brad gets here."
"Will do. I'll grab Todd and we'll go out now."
"Take the shotgun with you, just in case."
He nods and heads for the barn, while I dry the last few plates.
It doesn't take too long for Lou and I to finish in the barn. As we're mucking out the last stalls, I say, "How you doing, Lou?"
"I'm ok."
"Sure? Not as nervous since Ariya moved out of the house?"
"I sort of got used to her being here to be honest. She never hurt me and I didn't worry so much after that night on the cattle drive."
"You know she won't hurt you, right?"
"I sort of believe her. I mean, she hasn't done anything to me so far. It seems like she hates Todd though."
"Yeah, that's an understatement. He needs to learn to keep his mouth shut though."
"I know. As long as I don't say anything to upset her, I should be fine, right?"
"You shouldn't have to walk on egg shells round her, Lou. You're getting braver though, I've noticed it recently. Is that because of Ariya?"
She nods sheepishly, "Since she told Todd off for speaking to me like that, I've felt like she might have my back a bit. That's stupid, right?"
"Not at all. I truly believe she didn't like the way he spoke to you. I know she said it was just an excuse to hurt him, but I don't think that was the full story. She wants you to stand up for yourself and not let him walk all over you. I don't agree with her on much, but on that I do. I know that's tough for you."
"Do you think I'll ever be brave like she is?"
"You don't want to be like Ariya, trust me. She's got her own issues to deal with, just like you have. They might not be the same, but they're definitely affecting her life. Getting over what Emmett did isn't going to happen overnight, Lou. Just give it time and don't give up."
Emmett is Lou's ex boyfriend. He's a scumbag and I don't know what she ever saw in him. He was a bit too happy with his fists and he used them on her a few times. She turned up on my doorstep after he'd laid into her for the third or fourth time. She didn't want to go to her brother, Noah, so she came running to me. I went to school with Noah and knowing what he's like, he would have found Emmett and pounded his face in. It look Lou a lot of begging to get me to back down from doing the same. She's been staying with me since Noah went to study in the UK. She's definitely better than she was. I know it didn't go on for very long, but the whole thing really knocked her confidence. Mike and I have been trying to build it up ever since.
"It's hard, you know?"
"What is?"
"Getting myself back together. Trusting someone else."
"I know, but you've come so far. You and Mike seem to be building something."
"Yeah. You think he's a good guy, J?"
"Most definitely. You won't find many more who will treat you better. Plus, he knows I'll take him out back and sort him out if he hurts you."
She smiles softly at me, "Thanks. You've been very good to me."
"That's what big brothers are for. You want me to give you a lesson now?"
"Maybe later? I want to tidy up the feed room first."
"Sure thing. I guess I should go and check on our resident firecracker, huh?"
She chuckles, "Firecracker? Where did you get that from?"
"Isn't that what she's like? She explodes out of nowhere."
"I suppose you're right. What time is Brad supposed to be coming?"
"He said around 2. I'll give you a lesson before then so you can get out of the way."
"Thanks."
I leave Lou in the barn and head towards the back barn. As I get closer to the building, something doesn't feel right. There's a feeling in my gut that something is wrong in here, so I walk a little quicker, hoping I won't find a sick or dead Ariya inside. When I get to the actual barn door, I see that it's open. I know I shut it last night; in fact, I know I locked it all up. Mike's the only one who knows where Ariya is and he wouldn't dare let her out, not without clearing it with me first.
I notice the snapped padlock on the floor and my stomach drops. Someone has been here. Someone who wasn't supposed to be on the property was here and Ariya was tied up, with no way to defend herself. I prepare myself to find an awful scene, while also trying to figure out how I'm going to explain the situation to the authorities, when I hear groaning and grunting. That does not sound like a girl's voice. In fact, that doesn't sound like a single voice either. What the heck happened last night? Thinking the worst, that some men have broken in and are now taking advantage of a tied up Ariya, I jog into the main section of the barn. I almost laugh with relief when I find three men zip tied to the chair that Ariya was once in. For now, I skip over the fact that she isn't where she's supposed to be and I focus on the scene before me.
The men are awake and struggling to get out of their binds. She's done a good job of restraining them and they won't be getting out anytime soon. So, I scan the room to see if I can figure out what happened.
As my eyes glance over everything, I notice a note on the window of my dad's old truck. She wrote in the dust, which means she's gone. When I read that these guys were going to steal the horses, I'm almost not mad at her for running. She saved my horses, which she didn't have to do. I don't know if that means she doesn't hate me as much as she pretends, or she genuinely didn't want the horses in the hands of these guys. I may never know what really happened last night. I probably won't find out if they tried to hurt her or if they actually did manage to hurt her. She was dehydrated and half starved at the time. I'm sure she won't ever tell me when I do find her. And trust me, I will find her.
She's a cocky little thing, ending her note with 'You're welcome.' I'm not saying I'm not thankful, because I am grateful she didn't let them take my horses. However, she didn't need to be so cocky about it. I grab my cell and call the sheriff before turning my attention to the three guys struggling to get loose in my barn.
"What happened in here, boys?"
No one answers, although to be fair they aren't quite with it yet. They're still a bit groggy and wondering what's going on. Having Ariya on my side for this one worked out very well. She's obviously a good person fighting for your team. Not so much for the opposing team though.
I kick one of the guy's feet to grab his attention, but he just groans. I have my cell to my ear and when Mike picks up, I say, "Hey. You found anything?"
"Yeah. There was a cut just along the fence line behind the back barn. We've patched it up but there's no one around. There is an empty truck though. I don't know what happened..."
"I have a fair idea. Drop Todd off at the house and give him the horses. Meet me at the back barn. Our little firecracker happened..."
I hang up before he can ask any questions and I wait for him to appear. None of these guys look familiar. This town is really small and I know everyone in it. I also make a point of checking out any new comers, so unless they moved here in the last day or two, they're not from around here.
Mike appears in the doorway and lets out a low whistle when he assesses the scene.
"What happened here?"
"Ariya happened."
The big guy lets out a low growl. He's finally alert enough to understand what I'm saying.
He snaps, "You know that crazy b...?!"
Mike surprises me by saying, "I'd watch your language if I were you. You're not exactly in a great position to be talking badly about her, are you?"
The look he shoots the guys almost has me chuckling. I gather he read the little note Ariya left me.
I nod at Mike and say, "Let's go wait for the sheriff outside. These guys aren't going anywhere..."
The oldest looking guy says, "Hey! I can't feel my fingers!"
I call out, "Not my fault or my problem."
When we're clear of the barn, Mike sounds shocked as he asks, "What the heck happened in there?"
"Not quite sure, to be honest. She says they were going to steal the horses, but I think there's more to it than that."
He shoots me a look, "It's Ariya, of course there's more to it than that. I want to know how she got them to untie her."
"Me too. I bet they're regretting that decision now. I almost want to laugh at the whole thing."
"Except she's gone and now we have to find her. We've got no way of knowing how much of a head start she has on us..."
"She won't get far. She hasn't eaten in a week and I only left a couple bottles of water in there. She won't get far on those in this heat."
"I think you're underestimating her again. If she follows the river then she can fill up those bottles again."
"She won't follow the river. She'll know it'll be too easy for us to track her. That route doesn't have enough coverage to hide her and it's the most predictable route. If she's smart, she'll want to try to confuse us and go the most difficult way."
"I sure hope you're right. You want to get a head start on that and I'll deal with the sheriff?"
"I want to, but the sheriff will want to talk to me. I need to find a way to explain why Ariya was out here. Those guys will try to land me in trouble to save themselves. I need to smooth that over."
"Sure. You want me to head out and start looking?"
"Yeah. That a couple of the dogs with you. They should be able to follow a scent."
"On it."
He's gone just as the sheriff is pulling into the drive. This is going to be interesting.
Chris, the sheriff smiles, shakes my hand and says, "Hey Justin. How's it going? I must admit, I wasn't expecting a call from you of all people."
We don't usually have trouble, but I tend to deal with it myself if we do. Especially with the troubled people that stay here. I lead him up to the back barn and we talk on the way.
"Hey Chris. Yeah. I wasn't expecting to call you either. We've got a few men tied up in here. They were attempting to steal the horses, according to one of my guests."
He raises his eyebrows, "By guest, you mean one of the inmates?"
"They're not inmates. This isn't a prison, Chris. But, yes, she's a criminal."
"She? Can I speak with her?"
"Er, not right now."
"Why not?"
"Because she's run away. Mike's out looking for her now."
"So, how do you know what happened? If she's not here to give you her story, then we can't be sure what happened."
"She left a note before she ran."
"A note?"
He eyes me suspiciously.
"Yeah, a note. I'll show you."
"How can we believe she's telling the truth, Justin?"
"She doesn't lie. Even if it gets her in trouble, she will tell the truth."
"Really? A criminal that tells the truth all the time? Do you realize how absurd that sounds?"
"I know, trust me. But if you spend more than five minutes with her, you'll understand what I mean. She doesn't have a filter, honestly. She will say whatever she thinks, even at the risk of trouble. She does tell the truth. I've found that out the hard way."
"So, how come she heard these guys and you didn't? It's not like you to not hear trouble outside."
I internally grimace. This is where the problems may start.
"She was in the back barn."
"In the middle of the night?"
"Yeah. She's a tough one and I've been having trouble with her, so I had to use some extreme measures to get through to her."
"Define extreme measures? Do I need to report it?"
"No, no reporting necessary. The New York District Attorneys office told me to deal with her, so I am. She's not hurt or anything. Although, the same can't be said for these guys."
I don't know if he believes me, but he nods and asks me to show him where the guys are. When he see the guys and then the note, he frowns and then comments, "She seems a bit cocky, doesn't she?"
I scoff, "You have no idea. I'll deal with her myself. I wouldn't advise you or your men getting too close to her if they find her...."
The big guy grinds out, "She's completely crazy!"
Chris clears his throat, "I'm Sheriff Christopher Lockwood. Would you like to tell me what happened in here?"
The older one is angry as he speaks, "That crazy b... girl, just went insane at us. We were trying to help her. She was tied up and she said the guy was coming back for her. She said he was going to hurt her, so we untied her. We thought she was just going to run away, but instead she went crazy and beat us up."
Chris glances at me but doesn't say anything. I can tell he's not happy I didn't tell him about keeping Ariya tied up.
"So, why were you here in the first place?"
"We heard her screaming for help."
Definitely not. There's no way they'd hear her screaming for help if they weren't already on my property. Besides, Ariya is not the kind of person to scream for help and if she did, I would have heard her before these guys.
Chris frowns. He must know I'd have heard her screaming and woken up to check it out.
"Right. I'm having a hard time believe your story, sir. I will take all three of you in for questioning and we'll see what comes of this. I guess I don't need to cuff you guys. Let's get them up, Justin."
So, I help Chris to get the two guys off the floor and the other one out of the chair. She really did make sure they couldn't escape. Once they're in separate cars and the officers have taken them in, Chris turns his attention to me.
"You had her tied up?! Really? You couldn't tell me this before I went in there?"
"I didn't think it was important. I did tell you it was extreme measures."
"Why was she tied up?"
"She keeps attacking Todd. Granted he asks for it, but she's beat him up a number of times. She has anger issues and I've tried a number of ways to get through to her."
"Right. Anything like you?"
I grimace. There's no hiding that from him, seeing as he was the one who helped me.
"Worse."
"Really? That's quite something. So, does their story hold any water?"
"Nope. They'd never hear her screaming if they weren't already on the property. She's not the kind of girl to scream, or even ask, for help. I'd have heard her if she was screaming and I would have checked it out. Especially as it would so out of character for her."
"Does this girl have a name?"
"Ariya Flynn. She's dangerous, Chris. Just make sure you guys are careful. She has this thing about being shot, so she will provoke you guys. She's unlike anyone I've ever met."
He chuckles, not really taking me seriously.
"No, you have no idea. Take all your preconceived ideas about anger issues, troubled pasts or whatever and throw them completely out of the window. She is nothing like any of those stereotypes. She will fight to the death if she has to and man can she fight. I don't want any of your men getting hurt."
"But she tells the truth?"
"Always. Annoyingly so. Trust me, it gets old really quickly. She has no filter whatsoever and everyone she meets pretty much hates her after five minutes."
"She sounds like a charmer. You sure you can handle this one? Sounds like you've bitten off more than you can chew here, son."
"Maybe, but I've got to try. Despite everything, I like her. I just want to help her."
"Fair enough. So, what do you think went down here?"
"I think she heard them outside and used them as an escape plan. I don't doubt she told them all manner of things to get them to untie her. I'd bet she was angry they were going to steal the horses and she eliminated that prospect, knowing I'd find them all tied up this morning. What happened in between that, I can't say. We'll probably never find out. She'll tell you the bare minimum, if she even talks to you. She doesn't have a good relationship with the cops."
"Well, you've got to find her first..."
"She's got a good few hours on me, so I'm guessing she'll try to find somewhere to rest soon. I'm hoping that'll give me a chance to catch up a bit. Mike's already out looking."
"You better get going then. Call me if you need anything. I'll come by later to tie everything up."
"Thanks. Her mugshot will be in the system, so keep an eye out for her, but tell your men to approach with caution. She doesn't need a weapon to hurt them."
"You make her sound like a monster."
"Check her sheet before you poke fun at my cautiousness."
He nods and gets in his truck while I go to saddle up Star. I take a wild guess at the direction Ariya would travel. She'd want cover to hide, but she'd also want to take the route I'd least expect. It takes me a couple of minutes to decide, but I head off to the north west of the ranch. She ran to the north east for her fight with Rob, so she'll want to travel in a different direction to that. She'll think I'll expect her to go the same way to somewhere familiar, so that's out of the question.
Any other direction and she'd have to pass the house, Todd's place or the animals. She wouldn't want to risk the animals making noise when she passed or us hearing her so they're all out of the question. North west has the most cover and the quietest way of escape and that's what makes me decide on my route.
I have to admit, I am quite impressed with her plan. I know the guys trespassing were an unknown and a spur of the moment thing, and her plan was thought out on the spot. That impresses me even more. Maybe she was right, maybe she should have been a Marine. We could do with people like her in our armed forces. Now I just have to find her.