Badland Raiders by Terrell Bowers

Author:Terrell Bowers [Bowers, Terrell]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Black Horse Western
Published: 2023-02-06T22:00:00+00:00

Cindy stood at the window and looked down into the street. She had been kept separate from the other hostages, more of a guest than a prisoner. Juanita and brought her a breakfast – which she refused -- and Gault had not let anyone trouble her. She could only hope he was wrong about his ability to kill Deeton Kenny.

Quince had been in town early. He'd even stopped in the street to look up at Cindy's window. His naked shame was plainly visible; his shoulders no longer erect with his grandiloquent pride, but drooped, with his back slightly hunched forward, all due to his cowardice He would not be able to stay in Halcyon, not after the way he had acted.

Come spring, he would be gone. He would take his cattle and ride away, hoping to start someplace new, where they hadn't heard of his disgraceful behavior.

She'd watched the man ride out a few minutes later. Somehow, she knew Quince's destination would be Kenny's place. He had been given the task of messenger for the Badland Raiders. Gault would issue the challenge to Deeton and face him in the street. The young man would come, if not for her, then for the sake of honor. They would meet with guns in their hands and one or both of them would die.

Deeton had proven his skill with a gun and bow, but it was against all logic that he would be able to beat someone like Gault in a fight. Joe Gault was a man searching for his own death, unafraid to tangle in mortal combat. With nothing to lose, he was fearless.

The sun shone brightly, the snow again beginning to drip from the eaves of the building. The street was crusted over with a mixture of frozen mud and ice. Once the sun reached its surface, it would become a mire. Winter had ceased its fury, and the temperatures were higher than normal. Without a new storm or two, the pass might thaw enough to be passable. That would throw a bull into the cow herd for the Badland Raiders. With their number cut to five – and their need to watch their hostages day and night – they lacked the manpower to constantly patrol the mountain pass. If word got out to Alamosa, a posse might be raised to come to Halcyon and arrest the bandit gang.

Cindy paced the room like a caged wild animal. If she could only figure out a way to escape, she would go to Alamosa for help herself.

However, the door was locked from the outside, there was a guard just up the hall watching over the hostages, and Joe Gault and Cole Lovejoy were downstairs. That didn't afford her any chance at all.

Even as she went to study the ledge outside her window, with the thought of perhaps slipping onto the roof and finding a way to the ground, she spotted her father. He was across the street at the Troup store. He and Tom wee near the door, both looking over at the saloon.

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