CHAPTER 2
Sky Ryder was watching two airport crewmen fill the Hummingbird’’s fuel tanks when two County Sheriff’s cars and a State Police cruiser arrived. Sheriff Winchell, a wiry man with a graying mustache, and Deputy Barnes, tall and lanky, got out of the leading car.
Hi, Winch,” called Sky. “I hope I’m not late.”
Sheriff Winchell shook his head.
“No, Sky. I’m glad you’re here. This could be a tough one, and we’re going to need all the help we can get.”
He gestured toward the other cars that had arrived with him. Two burly State Troopers were getting out of one car, while from the other stepped a lovely and curvaceous female deputy. Though dainty and slender, the curve of her hips and the press of her rounded breasts against her uniform shirt made her anything but boyish in appearance. Her long dark hair was rolled into a bun under the rear brim of her Western-style hat, and her light blue eyes were eager. She smiled at the troopers and greeted Sky with a friendly nod.
“ ‘Morning Sky.”
Her voice was musical: a light, pleasing alto.
The troopers eyed her appreciatively. One gave the other a nudge with his elbow.
“You know Deputy Cole, don’t you, Sky” asked Winchell. “She’s the newest member of the force.”
“I certainly do,” said Sky, smiling and touching the brim of his hat in salute to her. “And I think that if this guy gets a good look at Deputy Amy Cole, he’ll only be too glad to turn himself in.”
Sheriff Winchell and the others laughed.
“I’m afraid that won’t work in this case, Sky,” he said. “You see, the escaped prisoner is a woman.”
Sky’s eyes widened in surprise.
Deputy Barnes handed Winchell a clipboard. On top was a mug shot the Sheriff removed and handed to Sky. The subject was an attractive woman with a hard expression.
“Starr Bell,” Winchell read from the top sheet of the clipboard. “Age twenty-seven, five foot ten, a hundred and thirty pounds, reddish-brown hair, hazel eyes. Convicted of armed robbery and assaults, including a female police officer.”
He looked up from the notes.
“A tough character. A car she had stolen was found thirty miles east of town. Not armed when last seen, but she should be considered dangerous.”
Sky whistled softly.
“I’d better warn Copper. We just assumed it was a man you were looking for.”
Winchell nodded.
“Get her on the radio as soon as you’re airborne, just to be safe. But from what we know of her movements, she seems to be headed east, away from your ranch.”
Barnes and Cole spread a large-scale county map on the hood of the Sheriff’s car, and Winchell briefed them about the search. A State Police plane and helicopter were already in action north and well east of town, as well as several other teams of deputies and troopers in cars. The State Policemen were going to patrol a state highway east of the Flying Coronet while Deputy Cole and the Sheriff covered the county roads to the northeast and southeast, respectively. Sky was to concentrate his search to the south and east.
“I don’t think that the ranches out that way should be in any danger, Sky, but I want you to make a thorough search.”
“The ranches out there are in pretty open country, Winch. If she tries to get to one of them, she should be easy to spot.”
Winchell handed out slips of paper with the radio frequencies for the Sheriff’s cars, the State Police, and alternate frequencies should they be needed.
“If anybody spots something, radio for help before trying to do anything. This is going to be a cooperative effort. Any questions?”
There were none. Sky turned to the refueled Hummingbird.
“Be careful, Sky,” warned Winchell. “Word’s out that she hates the police.”
Sky turned back to him.
“Then you’re the ones who need to be careful.”
He pointed to Amy Cole.
“Especially you, Deputy,” he added.
She smiled.
“I’ll be careful, Sky. Good luck.”
Sky went to his plane and the police to their cars. The search was under way.
An unhappy Summer Smith, clad only in panties and bra, sat on the lowered tailgate of her station wagon as Starr Bell wrapped ropes about her arms and body. Summer’s wrists were behind her back, palms facing and tied securely with rope. Her legs were bound together at the ankles and just above the knees. Starr had made several wraps around Summer’s torso, at the waist, just below her breasts, and just above. When the rope ran out, she anchored the end and tied it off, grunting with the effort to make the knot tight.
“There,” she said with satisfaction. “That ought to hold you. Now, let’s see how your clothes fit me.”
She peeled off the coveralls and took up Summer’s checkered shirt as the attractive rancher writhed experimentally in her bonds.
“Go ahead and squirm if you want to, Honey,” drawled the preoccupied Starr. “It’s not gonna do any good. When I tie a woman, she stays tied.”
Summer watched as Starr slipped on her shirt.
“Oh, you do this all the time, huh?”
Starr began working on the buttons.
“I do whatever I have to do to survive,” she said. “And I’ve had to tie up a few broads.”
She picked up Summer’s jeans and slipped them on one leg. She regarded her prisoner with a mocking smile.
“Aren’t you going to tell me that I’ll never get away with this? That they’ll catch me and take me back to jail, so I might as well give up now?”
Summer had been on the point of doing exactly that, but now could only watch blankly as the fugitive pulled on the other leg of the jeans and buttoned them.
“No? That’s good because if you don’t say that, then I won’t have to tell you…”
She walked over and put her nose almost against Summer’s to snarl out the next words:
“… to keep your mouth shut and do exactly what you’re told if you want to get out of this in one piece.”
Involuntarily, Summer shrank back from the outlaw’s threatening words. Starr smiled affably and stepped back.
“How do I look in your clothes?”
She stretched out her arms. A couple inches of forearm showed beyond the end of the sleeves.
“Sleeves a little short…”
She stuck out a leg. The cuff pulled up well above her foot.
“… pants same.”
She reached up to her bust and pulled some excess fabric away from her breasts.
“And loose around the boobs. You’re a healthy gal, ain’t ya, honey?”
She laughed and sat on the tailgate to put on Summer’s boots. The bound woman struggled again, lifting one shoulder and expanding her chest as she fought her bonds.
“ ‘Course, that’s why you look so cute when you fight the ropes.”
Starr leaned over and put her hand on one of Summer’s breasts. The rancher gasped in protest and tried to twist away.
“We could have some real fun, if you’ll be good,” purred Starr.
When she finished putting on the boots, Starr wadded her coveralls into a ball and tossed them, and her shoes, behind some rocks. From the back of the station wagon, she took a blanket and more cords.
“It was real nice of you to bring along everything I need to tie you up,” she said, eyeing her prisoner.
She found a clean white cloth and began tearing it into strips, smiling malevolently at Summer.
“I think you know what comes next.”
Summer shook her head weakly as Starr approached, a wad of cloth in her hand.
“No, please,” begged the rancher. “You don’t have to do that.”
Starr took her by the hair to force her head back, and jammed the wad deeply into Summer’s mouth. Next she took the long strip and wound it twice around Summer’s head, passing it between her teeth to hold in the gag.
“I may not have needed to gag you,” she said as she tied the ends behind Summer’s head, “but I really enjoyed shutting you up.”
The helpless woman watched as Starr wrapped the blanket around her and bound it in place, the last unsecured flap of blanket being pulled over her head. She shrieked in alarm as Starr shoved her into the cargo space of the station wagon and closed the gate.
“There you go, Sweetie,” cooed Starr. “Just be quiet and do what you’re told and nothing’ll happen to ya.”
She started around to the driver’s door.
“For a while anyway,” she said under her breath.
“Calling Flying Coronet. Calling Flying Coronet. This is the Sheriff calling. Over.”
Copper Ryder had been having a slow day. She raced to the radio set, hoping to find adventure close at hand.
“This is Copper, Sheriff. Over.”
The Sheriff’s car was pulled over on the shoulder of a dusty gravel road. Deputy Barnes leaned on the wheel, took off his sunglasses and mopped his forehead and long face with a handkerchief. Winchell sat on the passenger side, his legs stretched out the open door. He raised the radio microphone.
“Copper, have you heard anything from Sky? Over.”
Before Copper could answer Sky broke in.
“I’m here, Winch. I’ve been checking out some canyons east of the ranch. The terrain must have blocked my reception for a while. Nothing to report. Over.”
“We’re at the intersection of County 39 and Y,” Winchell said. “No sign of anything out this way. How about you, Amy? Over.”
There was a moment of static then Deputy Cole’s voice came through.
“This is Car 4. I’m on County Road M, about five miles from the junction. Nothing to report. Over.”
Copper seized her opportunity to get in.
“Everything’s quiet at the ranch, Uncle Sky. Over.”
Winchell exchanged a look with Barnes and shook his head.
“I think that the subject must have slipped out north of town, and may have another car by now. Keep up the search while I contact the State Police on their frequency. I’ll check with everybody again in thirty minutes. Sheriff out.”
Copper leaned back in her chair and yawned. It was going to be a dull day.
Summer Smith writhed uselessly in her bonds. Though she was now sweating profusely, wrapped in the blanket in the back of the station wagon, the moisture was no help in slipping out of the ropes with which Starr had tied her. The woman was an expert.
“Don’t work too hard there, Sweetie,” drawled Starr as she drove. “You’ll sweat yourself dry in no time in this heat, and I don’t intend to make too many stops for water.”
She pulled over to the side of the road and popped the glove box open to search for a map.
“Besides, I want you in good shape in case I need you to get past the cops.”
She unfolded the map and held it in her left hand, reaching back with her right to pull the bound bundle closer to her. She gave Summer a gentle slap on her wriggling rump.
“And tonight, we’ll find a nice cool spot somewhere and get acquainted, you and me. There’s nothin’ I like so much as sittin’ under the stars with my arms around a sweet thing who’s all tied up and gagged.”
When Summer mewed in alarm, the convict laughed.
“But right now, I gotta find a nice quiet way outta here,” she continued, studying the map. “And I don’t know rightly where we are right now.”
She looked back at the struggling bundle and gave its occupant another good-natured smack on the behind.
“I’d ask you, but I don’t think you’d tell me the truth under the circumstances.”
She laughed again as Summer tried to wriggle away, then scanned the area ahead. Though the bright sun made it difficult to see, there appeared to be a ranch not far away.
“Come on, Sugar. I’m gonna ask directions at that place down the road. You just stay nice and quiet while I do. Or do ya want me t’ come back there and hogtie ya real good?”
Summer stopped moving.
“Good girl.”
Starr put the car in gear and pulled back onto the road.
Copper Ryder paced up and down in front of the radio in the living room of the ranch house. She rarely took her eyes from the set, as though watching it would somehow cause more calls to come out of the speaker. She had heard the Sheriff check with Sky, Deputy Cole, and the other deputies, but had been unable to hear what the State troopers had found. She supposed, correctly, that they were on a different frequency than the County forces. It had also begun to occur to her that the job that Sky had given her was not nearly so important as he had led her to believe.
“It was just an excuse to keep me at home while the men get all the fun!” she fumed “Only that new woman deputy gets to really help!”
She began to resent Deputy Cole deeply, feeling that somehow it was only her pretty face and how her figure looked in uniform that had caused the men to include Amy and exclude her. That it was part of Deputy Cole’s job did not occur to Copper.
The radio remained stubbornly silent. Restlessly, Copper went to the kitchen and poured herself a glass of water. She was just about to drink when she saw through the window above the kitchen sink the dust cloud of an approaching car. For a moment, she was seized with excitement. It might be the convict! Her disappointment was doubled when she recognized Summer Smith’s station wagon.
“Oh, that woman!” muttered Copper. “She’s back after Sky already.”
Placing the glass on the counter, she strode out the front door, intending to meet (and give a good piece of her mind to) her attractive and unwelcome neighbor.
It had been a dull hour or so for Sky Ryder. There was no sign of anyone on foot along the roads in the area. He took off his sunglasses and dabbed his eyes one at a time with a bandana. It would be next to impossible for the woman to have gone very far in open country without being spotted, but if she had taken cover during daylight it would be equally impossible to see her in a decent hiding place.
It suddenly occurred to Sky that in all the excitement of getting the search started that he had neglected to tell Copper that the escapee was a woman. Though his niece had been monitoring the radio transmissions, he could not remember if the gender of ‘the subject’ had been mentioned. It was important information, and it would make Copper feel more like an equal partner in the search.
He reached for the radio microphone and put in a call to the ranch.
The station wagon pulled off the road in a cloud of dust and sand by the ranch gate.
An irritated Copper called into the dust cloud.
“What’re you doing back here so soon?”
She stopped when she saw that the driver getting out was not Summer Smith.
“Whaddaya mean ‘back here’?” asked the woman.
Copper was genuinely puzzled. This was surely Summer’s car, and the woman was even dressed exactly as Summer had been. Her confusion showed.
“Excuse me. I thought you were someone else.”
The stranger gave her a steady, appraising look.
“Yeah? Who’d ya think it was?”
The strange woman’s gaze made Copper uneasy. She tried to hide her confusion.
“Oh, one of our neighbors has a station wagon like yours,” the girl said as casually as she could. “Of course, a lot of people own station wagons.”
“Well, I’m just passin’ through and I’m kinda lost,” the woman said. She held up a map. “Can you show me where I am?”
As the woman unfolded the map, Copper stole a couple glances at the station wagon. She was certain it was Summer’s. There was also a large bundle in the back. Though it may have been a trick of the light reflecting off the windows, it seemed to Copper that the bundle moved.
She looked back to see the woman watching her closely. Copper smiled wanly and tried to think quickly.
“Are you making a delivery out here?” she asked with a nod toward the bundle.
The woman regarded her with a cool smile.
“Yeah. A surprise package.”
She laid her map on the car hood.
“Now can ya show me where we are?”
Her mind racing, Copper studied the map.
“I wonder if this woman is the convict’s accomplice,” she thought. “That might be him hiding in the back of the car. I’d better try to find out where they’re going.”
She pointed to their location.
“We’re about here. If I knew where you were going, maybe I could help you find a shorter way.”
The woman studied her thoughtfully.
“Yeah, I think you can help me, all right,” she mused, picking up the map.
While the woman’s attention was on the map, Copper glanced at the back of the station wagon again, trying for a better look.
The woman dropped the map and grabbed Copper by the right wrist. The surprised girl had no time to react as her arm was twisted behind her back. The woman’s left arm went around her neck.
“Hey, what is this!” cried Copper. “Let me go!”
Starr Bell chuckled as Copper writhed in her grip.
“It’s time to start bein’ helpful now, Honey. Let’s go inside and see if you have any rope.”
END OF CHAPTER 2