The Sunday Scare (ages 13-17)

 by Violet R. 

• #18 Andi and Riley (plus their children) go to the Circle C for Sunday evening supper to find everyone gone without a trace!

  Andi Prescott glanced quickly around their small house on Memory Creek Ranch, making sure she had everything she would need for an evening at Circle C.

  “Extra cloth diapers? Check. An extra change of clothes for the children? Check.” Andi finished checking off her ‘mental checklist’ as she closed the door and ran out to the waiting cart.

  It was Sunday afternoon, and Mother had invited Andi and Riley, plus the three kids, of course, for a Sunday evening supper. Andi was looking forward to no cooking for once! Luisa and Nila always did a fabulous job cooking, and Andi was always happy to let someone else cook!

  Andi jumped up into the cart and set two-year-old Lily on her lap. “Ready, Riley!” She turned to Riley and grinned.

  Riley chirruped to the horses then reached over to five-year-old Jared and tousled his light blond hair. “Are you excited to see all your cousins, Jared?”

  “YES!” Jared exclaimed, bouncing up and down on the seat. He clearly was excited to see his cousins!

 

  The thirty minute ride to Circle C ranch passed quickly, and in no time, they were pulling up to the front of the huge ranch house. Behind them a small ‘parade’ of carts drove up.

  “Oh good, the rest of them are here,” Andi exclaimed. “Well at least most of them.” Andi turned back to the cart and got the kids plus the basket out. She looked up to see everyone except Chad and Ellie (and their family) getting out of their carts. A couple minutes later, everyone started up the steps on to the spacious porch.

  “Wait a minute,” Justin said. “It is way too quiet. What is going on? And… there are no horses anywhere!”

  “Or any animals for that matter,” Mitch said, coming up behind Justin.

  “Oh, I’ll betcha they are all inside or working,” Riley said.

  “No, Riley, something is definitely wrong,” Andi exclaimed. An uneasy feeling filled her as she walked inside with Lily and Lottie.

  “Or any animals for that matter,” Mitch said, coming up behind Justin.

  As everyone walked into the house, nothing but silence greeted them! Everyone stood in confused silence for a minute- it was not usual to have a silent house at Circle C!

The men were the first to move; they broke away and began searching.

Fingers of fear curled themselves around Andi’s heart as she ran into the kitchen, shouting for Mother. NO ANSWER. Then she raced up the stairs with Lucy close behind, but didn't see anyone there either! Andi raced back downstairs only to find everyone else frantically searching.

Andi was almost hysterical with fear. Just that morning, Andi had confirmed with Mother about the plans for the evening, including the plan that Chad and Ellie would take Mother home from church… but they weren't here either! She then went into the living room to find a pile of bewildered kids sitting on the rug. They all had been so busy they had forgotten about the kids!

  “I’m going to check outside,” Riley yelled as he ran past.

  “I’ll go with you,” Chad called, and the two men went off. They came back a few minutes later yelling for everyone.

  “We found some of the ranch hands! They were tied up in the bunkhouse!” Chad yelled. “But we need to go search for the others. You women stay here, while we go look out on the ranch.”

  “I am coming with you then,” Andi said, jumping up. “I don’t want to helplessly sit here on an empty ranch waiting for you all.” She followed Riley out the door and onto the horse.

  “All the horses and livestock were gone,” Riley said in a worried tone. “Not a single one was left! Not even the chickens!”

  “Oh Riley! This is not good! Was it cattle thieves again??” Andi buried her face in Riley’s shirt and tried to keep the tears back.

  “ I don’t know honey. We’ll find them.” Riley spurred his horse into line behind the others. “We did find most of the ranch hands as well as Luisa and Nila. But not Mother, Chad, Ellie, or the kids.”

  They slowly made their way around the ranch, but as they approached the far end of the ranch, Andi’s hopes had almost dissolved. They still hadn’t found anyone!

Just then a faraway whinny caught Andi’s ear. She jerked her head up and looked around. There in the distance she saw a cloud of dust rising behind what looked like a wagon and a huge herd of livestock!

  “Riley, look!” She exclaimed. “Do you think that’s them?”

Riley galloped off, yelling at the others at the same time. They soon reached the fleeing wagon, and found that it WAS Circle C beef that was running away as well as riders herding the cattle on Circle C horses!

Mitch and Justin galloped off to pursue the thieves, while Riley, Andi and Troy pursued the wagon.  As they came abreast with the wagon, Andi was sure she heard Chad in the back! And there… she heard Ellie and Mother…

But as she glanced up at the driver, Andi’s heart stopped. It was Toledo McGuire. She nearly fell off the horse, but Riley caught her. The wagon slowed down, and Toledo looked down and said, “Well it looks like you caught me, Miss Andrea. You are just the person I was hoping to see!”

  Andi’s face burned with anger. “Riley,” she whispered, “It’s Toledo.”

  Riley stiffened and pulled out his pistol. He turned to the stopped wagon. “YOU are in BIG trouble.” He leaped off his horse and grabbed Toledo. “Get off that wagon and tell me what you mean by kidnapping our family and making off with our livestock!” Riley was almost yelling as he yanked Toledo off and motioned for Troy to tie him up.

  “All I wanted to do was see your wife,” Toledo said this scornfully. He smirked at Riley’s surprised look. “Yes, I know. I asked around, and found all the details! Well most of them in fact.”

  Andi ran to the back of the wagon to find the faces of the missing family looking up at her!

  “Oh Thank God! You are all here!” She jumped inside the wagon, fished out her pocket knife and began to cut the ropes that bound her family.

  “Andi thank goodness you found us!” Mother said, pulling Andi into a hug.

Andi burst into tears. “Mother, that's Toledo out there! I can’t bear to face him again!”

  “And if I can help it you won’t.” Chad said as he threw away the ropes and leaped out of the wagon to join the men.

Andi glanced out of the wagon and saw Mitch riding back with a string of horses tied behind him, all with cattle thieves, those probably in cahoots with Troy, tied to them. She ducked back into the wagon and told them what she had seen.

  “They all just barged into the house and overpowered us! They probably had six or seven men as opposed to the few of us!” Ellie relayed what had happened as she gathered her kids with her.

  They all jumped out to find Riley, Troy, and Mitch standing over a stone-faced Toledo. Riley looked up.

  “He won’t say much at all.” Riley said prodding Toledo’s leg.

  “Well now that we have the family, and the ranch hands are going after the livestock, let’s get these thieves back where they need to be.” Chad grabbed one of Toledo’s arms while Troy grabbed the other. They hoisted him into the wagon, then put the tied up thieves with him.

  “You ladies get the horses,” Justin said. They all piled onto the waiting horses, and headed back to Circle C to the rest of the family.

 

  Later that evening, the family lounged in the living room after a delicious supper prepared by Luisa and Nila, recounting the afternoon’s events to those who had stayed home.

  “You wouldn’t know how scared I was when I saw it was Toledo,” Andi said as she laid her head on Riley’s shoulder.

  “Well, I’m just thankful that you found us!” Mother said as she bounced Lily on her knee.

  “Thankfully, Toledo and all his men are paying their fine in jail for kidnapping and stealing.” Justin spoke up.

  “Why don’t we pray and thank God for keeping us safe?’ Mitch said.

  Everyone readily bowed their heads as the family thanked God for his protection over the family.