Dante, My Inferno

When Mary's phone rang she furrowed her brow. She looked at the caller ID before she answered it.

"AUSA Weathers," she barked at the caller.

"What do you mean Julio's got his dogs and is gone?!" Mary demanded of the caller.

"Well have people check the properties we know of.  And put out a BOLO on him," she ordered. Then she hung up.

 "Trouble?" Dante asked her. Mary started to snap at Dante. But she calmed down.

 "Baca was released on bail yesterday by the state court," she told us.  "He was processed out before we could arrest him." The color started to drain from Justin's face.

"We missed him at his home," Mary told us. "And this afternoon he stole his dogs back from the county animal control."

 "Wait! Didn't the cops shoot two of his dogs when they rescued us?" Tyler asked her.

"Yeah! But he didn't have Beast with him," Justin nearly cried.  "He still has Beast."

 "You're right Justin. He got the  rest of his kennel," Mary told us. "Another six fighting Pit Bulls."

 "Beast is half Pit Bull and half Bull Mastiff," Justin informed us. As he shook like a leaf.

"Beast is the worst," Justin told us. "Julio is so proud of him."

 "Hang on a minute," I said upon seeing the girls. "Sherry would you take the girls to check on the boys laundry?"

 "Come on girls," Sherry said getting up. "Alice do you want to carry Lil Billy?"

 "Thank you Sherry," Dante said.

"Thank you Marshal Hickok," Justin said after the girls got out of ear shot.

"Justin. Tell us more about Beast?"  Peter asked. "Only if you want to that is."

"Beast is the worst, like I said," Justin finally told us. "He would bit my neck while he..."

"That's why I like to wear my hair long," he said, causing Jean to look under his hair and winced.

 "Come on guys," Peter suddenly said. "Let's go help Tyler pick a saddle and a horse."

 "Great idea Petey," Bass said. "Come on guys."

 "We're staying ," Charlie said.

"If it's okay with you Justin?" Daniel asked. "You are our brother."

 "I think I'm going with Tyler," Justin said. "Come on my brothers." And the three of them followed the rest of the boys.

 "Dante, George. Would you two go with them?" I asked them. "I'll be along in a few."

Dante gave me a kiss as he got up.

 "Mary I want every law enforcement agency from the county at the Federal Building to start Monday afternoon at the latest," I told her.

"It sounds like you have your new task force in hand," Mr. Ashworth said. "Marshal Hickok I want regular briefs on this case."

"I'll get you FBI support Monday," he also said. 

 "Bob. Jean. We have a big job ahead of us," I told them. "Do you think you need anything?" They looked at each other. Then Bob nodded at Jean.

 "Just one thing Billy Hickok," Jean said. "To see these boys through this." Then Jean kiss my cheek.

 "Hey!" Dante barked having  come back. "You're married and he's mine." Then he smiled at Jean.

 "What is it?' I asked Dante before I kissed him.

"Marshal Genevieve Howard and Det. Darlene Yathers are here," Dante told me. Then they stepped around the corner.

 I asked them to sit down. I explained why they were out here.  I asked them not to talk about Julio or beast because of Justin. Mary had called Darlene because she had been in on the bust.

 As bedtime was looming. I asked Dante  if he minded if we slept  in Tommy's and Sebastian's room. The Ashworth's were wanting to take the room so we could have our room. But I explained it was to keep the boys safer.

The girls had come back. So we asked Alice to take Ginny and Darlene to the bunkhouse. The girls had washed , dried, and folded the boys clothes. Which they thanked them for. Dante and I headed for the corral.

Mr. Ashworth  followed us to the corral. He kept trying to get us to take our bedroom back.

 "No sir!" Dante said rather sternly.

"You are our guests," Dante told him. "We can survive a few nights in the bunk house. Especially for those boys safety." You could see Mr. Ashworth thinking over what Dante had said.

 "All right. No more arguments,"  Mr. Ashworth told us. "I'll be honest.  How did this all happen?"

 "I fell in love this young man," I said kissing Dante's cheek.

"The rest just fell into place," Dante said.

 "We've become a big  family," Angel told him from the door. "And they have given us Peter, Kevin, Katy,  Amelia, and Bass to start."

"And we keep growing. Making us all brothers and sisters,"  Angel said with a smile.

 "Angel said it," Daniel said. "But there's is so much more."

 "Like?" Mr. Ashworth asked Daniel.

 "Like a safe place I tell Angel I love him," Daniel told Mr. Ashworth. Following it with a kiss on Angel's lips. "Out in the world we know to be careful."

"But here," Angel said returning Daniel's kiss.

 "I get it sadly," Mr. Ashworth replied. "Well let's join my wife and the others down at the corral."

"She was a show jumper when we met."

 "Well Tyler has a saddle. Now all he needs is a horse," Angel said as we walked to the corral.

 When we got to the corral. Bass and Charlie were in the corral working the last two horses we had.

Tally was standing in the middle as if conducting a concert.

 "Hold them up a moment," Tally said "Justin. Would you bring Tyler into the corral."

"Me!" Tyler croaked.  "In there with wild mustangs?"

 "Yes," Tally told him. With that said. Peter swung the gate open enough to get through. He grabbed Tyler's hand and led him in.

 "They're not wild anymore," Peter explained as he led Tyler in. "She's just not quite saddle broke."

 "Peter is an extraordinary young man," Sam(antha) Ashworth said.

 "That's my youngest," Ethan said with pride. Linzie thinking we weren't looking put her arm around Ethan. Dante looked at me and smiled.

 "Peter is also the youngest of the Marshal's Search and Rescue Posse,"  Dante told Sam Ashworth.

 "And our best tracker," John said with a smile.

 "And my, our best pupil," I added. "Peter could you come here please?"

 "Sure," Peter said coming over. As he started to climb over one of the fillies took a nip at him. And Peter instantly dropped  back to the ground.

 "Come here!" Peter ordered after spinning around. The filly tossed her head. "I said come here!"

 The Filly defiantly tossed her head again. So Peter slowly walked toward the filly. Then he grabbed her lower jaw.

 "Now that wasn't funny," Peter told her firmly.

"Tyler come here please?" Peter asked Tyler.

 "Would some one  get us a hackamore ?" Peter then asked. So I grabbed one and went in. 

Peter took it from me and held it out for Tyler.

 "Now Tyler. Put this part over her nose," Peter said guiding Tyler's hands. "And this over her ears to the back of her head."

 "What if she moves?" a scared Tyler asked. 

"Just relax," Peter told him with a smile 

"So you can do this," Daniel call out.

 Tyler placed the the nose piece over the filly's nose. Then the crown carefully behind her ears.

"Wow! I did it. Now what?"  Tyler asked.  

"Justin's done it already," Peter told him. Waving  Justin over.  "This way we can go riding with you."

Bob handed Justin his hackamore and nodded at him. Then he and I picked up the boys saddles. But Dante nudged me and motioned to the right. Daniel and Angel were leading several horses. Bass and Charlie took the saddles from us.

 "We got this," Bass told us. As he and Charlie stepped into the corral. They helped Justin and Tyler saddle their horses. Peter mounted up quickly. Alice and Antonia rode into the corral. 

After he mounted Justin's filly humped her back about three times. Justin whooped and smiled. Then he laughed.

 "Hey Uncle Bill," Bass called as they rode over to the fence.

"How about you and Dante come with us?" Bass  asked us.

 "I think we can do that," I told him. Dante and I headed for the upper corral. Then we got there.

 "Come on Big Man,"  I said. I threw my saddle on his back. George came over and started saddling his horses.

"I hope you don't mind," Sherry said walking up with Lil Billy as the kids rode up.

 "Not at all," Dante said.

Det. Yathers  came walking over with Ginny, Ethan, and Linzie.  

"Would you like me to do anything?" Darlene asked me.

 "Yeah, you could," I told her.

"How about you get me any reports and information the S.O. has," I told her.  "Marshal McCall can take you to my office. I have a secure computer in there."

 "Okay Ladies and Gents," I called out "Let's ride."

Peter led out with with Lotte. Charlie rode with Justin, and Bass  rode with Tyler.  Dante rode up next to Sherry. While George Lil Billy and I brought up the rear.

We rode up the trail to the Wickiup but went past it. About a half hour later we rode up to the gate to the National Forest.

 "There've been a lot of people coming to the gate," Peter called back. I rode up to open the gate.

"They had some big dogs with them," Peter whispered in my ear as I walked up.

 A few minutes into the  Forest there were screams from around a bend in the trail. I motioned for the kids to move off the trial. As Peter motioned for me.

"Stay with the kids George," I said as I tapped my heels to  Zeb's ribs.

A family came running toward us.  So I quickly dismounted.

"It was horrible!" the father said before I could ask.

 "What is it?" I asked him.

 "Our little girl saw them first," the mother said. "She was holding the scared little girl about Peter's age.

 "What did you see?" I asked them again.

 "I think it was a pack of coyotes at one time," the father told me. "They've been torn apart by something."

 "You guys go back to the kids there," I said. "I have to go have a look."

 So I walked forward. Leading Zeb. But as I slowed at the scene.

 "Oh! Man!" Peter said behind me as he saw the mauled coyotes. The father had been right. The coyotes had been torn apart.

 "Peter!" I barked. "What are you doing here?"

 "I thought you might need some help looking for sign," Peter told me. I had to smile.

"It's gruesome some times. Isn't it?" he asked me

 "Well we could get out of here quicker," I told him.

"Walk down to that big yucca," I told him. "Then swing around to the left until you get back here."

 "Should I leave Hermosa?' he asked.

 "No. Lead her, " I told him.  "Keep an eye on her. She can hear, smell and see things before you."

 "I gotcha Billy," Peter said coaching  Hermosa past the mangled coyotes.

The tracks told me that the coyotes had picked a fight. A fight with two very large dogs. The second was huge.

 As I was checking the coyotes. One of them whimpered and it's legs moved.

"Peter! Cover your ears," I called out. "I have to put a coyote down."

 "Okay Billy," Peter answered.  Then I pulled out the .22 revolver. I fired a shot and it was over.

"Okay Peter. Let's go," I called out.

"What did you find?' I asked Peter after we met up.

"There are two men and two dogs," Peter said as we walked up on more tracks.

"And?" I asked.

"It doesn't look like he's with these guys, but?" Peter said, but wasn't quite sure.

 I sat Peter up on Hermosa before I answered.

"Yes he is," I told him as I saddled up. "I think we're looking at Julio Baca's tracks.

"So you let me know if you see those tracks again," I told him.

"You got it Billy," Peter said. "And I'm sorry." 

"For what?" I asked him.

 "I didn't see it right away," he said feeling down.

"Peter we don't always see things at first," I told him. "But you saw them."

Then we got back to the others. George had the family mounted up with some of the kids. 

 "The Rangers are going to meet us at the La Cueva picnic area," George told me. "Jessie and Shawn will meet us at the gate on our way back."

 "Well Jessie must want some practice," Peter said with a grin.

"Well lead out young man," I told him. 

 When we got to the picnic area. The forest Rangers were waiting for us. The family told them their story. Then I told them about Julio Baca. I warned them about how  dangerous Baca was, and his dogs.

 They didn't like it at first. But then Justin told them about Beast. And I had worked with them before as well.

 Then we headed for the ranch. I had Peter and some of the others spread out. Then Antonia rode a little further out and got down when she stopped.

 "Marshal Hickok!" She called out. But I was already there. There was another mauled coyote.

 "Go head back to the others," I told her. "It was a good catch Antonia."

"Thank you Marshal Hickok," she said with a big grin.

"Antonia, You can call me Billy," I told her. "Okay?"

 "Okay Billy," she said 

 We could see Jessie and Shawn when we got within view of the Gate. Then we made good time back to the ranch. Ethan and Linzie came down to the corral.

 "So you found something disturbing?" Linzie asked.

"Yeah we did," I told her. 

 "Did Peter see it?" Ethan asked concerned. 

 "He did Ethan," I told him.  "He handled it like a champ," 

 "So it didn't bother him?" Ethan asked, still concerned. 

 "Yes it did," I replied. "But he handled it."

He'll make a good officer if he wants," I told Ethan.

Thinking I was turned away. Linzie kissed Ethan on the cheek. But she wasn't as careful as she thought.

 "I thought so," Dante said with a smile.

"I don't know what you're talking about?" Linzie said turning red.

"It's none of your business," Linzie  barked at us as we laughed.

"What are you guys talking about?" Amelia asks as she walked up.

"You mean like My dad liking your Mom?" Kevin asked Amelia.

 "No! They mean like my mom liking your dad," Amelia said.

 "You two are funny," Ethan told them.

 "I didn't say anything," Dante said getting the eye from Linzie.

"We didn't say a thing about anything," I said. "And neither did they."

 Then someone called it was dinner. And we headed for the patio. We loaded our plates and sat down.

"So who wants to say grace?" Dante asked.

"I would like to," Daniel  replied.  "I want to say one for my new brother Justin and his boyfriend Tyler."  Getting a kiss from Angel and a hug from Justin.

 "Sure thing," Dante told him.

"Dear Lord. Today we wish to thank you for rescuing Justin and Tyler. So Bless  us O Lord and these, Thy gifts, which we  are about to receive from thy bounty. Through Christ our lord. Amen."

"Amen," we all chorused.