Lone Star 03 by Wesley Ellis

under those conditions?”
    â€œBrad might hold on another year. The X Slash X—well, two years, maybe three.”
    â€œAnd how long do you think it would take the capital syndicate to decide they’d better get rid of the Lazy G?”
    â€œThey’re Eastern promoters, not Texas cattlemen. They’d sell out to anybody who made them an offer.”
    â€œWhere would the Circle Star be then?”
    â€œSurrounded by strangers.”
    â€œOr the cartel.”
    Ki stared at her, his mouth open. Then he said slowly, “Do you really think—”
    â€œYes I do. As long as there’s a Starbuck here, the Circle Star will be one of their prime targets.”
    â€œI suppose the cartel could have gotten the idea of starting the old Laredo Loop up again,” Ki frowned. “It wouldn’t be too hard for them to get a bunch of rustlers together in Mexico, outlaws who’d know how the Loop works.”
    â€œRemember what Brad said this evening. There are plenty of men in Mexico with guns for hire.”
    â€œBut doing what you’ve dreamed up would take them years!”
    â€œYou know how the cartel works, Ki. They don’t count time and costs, as long as they see a chance to win in the end.”
    Ki nodded thoughtfully. “Yes. They’ve already proved that by the years and the money they spent fighting your father.”
    â€œAnd if I can imagine a plan like the one I’ve just told you about, they can too. They’re not stupid.”
    â€œNo. They’re not. It wouldn’t take them long, either, if they really are working on the kind of scheme you described.”
    â€œEven if it cost them a fortune, they’d wind up owning a spread bigger than the capital syndicate got,” Jessie pointed out. “They’d make money, in the long run.”
    â€œAnd they’d have—” Ki stopped short.
    â€œThey’d have eliminated the Starbucks,” Jessie finished for him, her voice bitter.
    â€œYes. But I can’t see you just letting them get away with it. ”
    â€œOh, we’re going to fight. Even if everything I’ve talked about is just a wild dream, something I’ve imagined could happen, we’ll fight.”
    â€œThat’s hardly a surprise, Jessie. The question is how.”
    â€œWe’ll have to find out who and what we’re fighting, first.”
    â€œA trip to Mexico?”
    â€œYes. But first, a visit to Fort Chaplin.”
    â€œTo investigate Lieutenant Joseph Farnam?”
    â€œI’m sure that when we do, we’ll find out there’s a ‘Junior’ after his name.”
    â€œBrad might be able to tell us that,” Ki suggested.
    â€œPerhaps. But I don’t want Brad to know anything about our plans. Or what we’ve been talking about tonight.”
    Ki nodded. “There’d be no way of stopping him, if he found out what we’re planning.”
    â€œHe’s not in any condition to go back to Mexico, Ki. A trip like that would more than likely kill him.”
    â€œWhen do we leave?”
    â€œIt’ll take us most of tomorrow to get ready. We can’t even begin to make any plans until Brad starts back to the Box B.”
    â€œFort Chaplin’s a long day’s ride from here, Jessie,” Ki reminded her.
    Jessie shrugged. “We’ve made long day’s rides before. And will again, I’m sure.”
    â€œDay after tomorrow, then?”
    â€œYes,” Jessie agreed. “Day after tomorrow, at daybreak.”

Chapter 5
    â€œUnless I’m wrong, we’ll be in sight of Fort Chaplin before sundown,” Ki told Jessie across the coals of the small fire he’d kindled for their noonday meal.
    They both sat with folded legs, facing one another across what was left of the small, wood-conserving fire over which Ki was boiling water for their noon tea. Jessie wore her range clothing: tight, well-broken-in denim