Black Hills Badman by Jon Sharpe

Author:Jon Sharpe [Sharpe, Jon]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 9780451227430
Publisher: Signet
Published: 2009-07-07T04:00:00+00:00

12

Senator Fulton Keever was in fine fettle the next morning. He came out of his tent all smiles and saying good morning to everyone. In his wake trailed Gerty, who scowled at the world and everyone in it. Rebecca emerged last and was her usual quiet self. She glanced at Fargo only once, and when she did there were daggers in her eyes.

Fargo hunkered by the fire, sipping coffee. He hadn’t slept well. Add to that his frame of mind over the shenanigans going on, and he was in a testy mood.

Senator Keever came over and clapped him on the back. “How are you, sir, this morning? Have you made up your mind? Are you leaving us and heading back to civilization?”

“No.”

“I won’t hold it against you if you do. But I wish you would reconsider. I hired you for a specific reason. You are supposed to be the best there is at what you do, and I—” Keever stopped. “Wait? What did you say?”

“I’m not going anywhere.”

Whether by coincidence or intent, just then Owen and his human shadow, Lichen, strolled over.

“Did you hear him, Mr. Owen?” the senator said. “Apparently he has decided to stay with us, after all.”

“I heard.” Owen grinned as if he found it funny. “You’re glad, I bet, all the trouble you’ve gone to.”

Keever coughed. “Yes, yes, of course. I was a little surprised, is all. He seemed so determined to leave us last night.”

Gerty said, “I wish he would. I don’t like people who don’t treat me nice. I don’t like them at all.”

“I know,” Keever said. “I’ve heard you say that a million times. But be a dear and don’t interrupt when the adults are talking, all right?”

“I’ll talk when I want. I’ll say what I want. If I don’t like someone, I’ll say that, too.”

Owen was staring at Fargo. “What’s this I hear about some squaw paying us a visit last night?”

“What’s that?” Senator Keever said.

Fargo nodded. “She was harmless. Touched in the head. But it worries me, her showing up like that. Her village can’t be far. I’m going to look around. I want everyone to stay in camp until I get back.”

“But I have hunting to do,” the senator complained. “I was hoping we could look for sign today.”

“When I get back,” Fargo stressed.

“Surely if a village was close by, we would know it by now?”

“Not if it’s behind one of these hills,” Fargo said to set him straight.

“Damn,” Owen said. “Just what we needed. I’ll keep extra men posted and have the horses ready to light a shuck.”

“This complicates things,” Keever said.

Fargo finished his coffee and put his tin cup in his saddlebags. He saddled up and was just done adjusting the cinch when Rebecca materialized at his elbow.

“I’m sorry about last night.”

“You don’t need to apologize for not wanting to die. It shows good sense, and there’s a shortage of that around here.” Fargo smiled to show there were no hard feelings. So what if she tried to use him? He got to make love to her—and wouldn’t mind doing so again.

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