Derailed by Paul Lederer

Author:Paul Lederer
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781480487536
Publisher: Open Road Media

SIX

‘Marina!’ Ned Chambers said with astonishment. He turned and walked to her, putting his arms around her. Tango noticed that she did not pull away or seem offended. ‘What are you doing here? Why did you come? It’s very dangerous.’

‘Probably no more dangerous than standing in the snow hour after hour,’ she argued. ‘I was watching you two from the bluff. Whatever you were doing you must have been successful at it. At least no shooting started. And in all that time I never saw any of the bandits slipping around near town. I told Wilson we might as well come in.’

‘Did he agree?’

‘After I told him I was going to anyway. He hadn’t the stomach for staying out there alone. I told him to hide in the stable until I found out what I could – I hope that was a good idea.’

‘Good enough,’ Ned had to admit.

Tango spoke up, ‘Look, Marina, we’re ready to make our try now – to get the train going. Keep hold of your rifle and keep a sharp eye out. That’s the most help you can be. We’re going to bring the engineer and his fireman out now. Once they fire up the boiler, someone’s bound to come to see what’s happening. So when you see the crew in the locomotive cab, get aboard the train quickly. And keep your head down!’

‘All right,’ she said calmly. ‘I understand.’

‘This joker here,’ Ned said, nodding toward their captive, ‘assured us that there’s no one else on board the train, but we don’t know if we can trust him. While the engineer is trying to get up a head of steam, Tango and I are going to search it. Don’t wander around the train until we’ve done that.’

‘I won’t,’ Marina said, again without evident nervousness. ‘I’ll stay at a window with my rifle.’

‘Good girl,’ Ned said, and he took the time to hug Marina again as Tango watched, his mouth twitching.

‘No time for that,’ Tango said. ‘Marina – get Wilson and sneak him on board. Ned and I are going to release the train crew.’ They started toward the door. Tango took a moment to look back at the captured bandit.

‘If you were lying about the train being empty you’ll regret it, old man.’

Leaving their horses, Tango and Ned Chambers raced back toward the store where they had left Frank Polk and Danny Short. They entered through the front door, moved quickly to the storeroom and untied the engineer and the fireman. Neither could rise by himself after sitting bound for so long. They were assisted to their feet and stood against the wall, breathing deeply, shaking their limbs to aid the circulation. Danny Short was wincing, and Tango knew what that was – invariably they would feel the pins and needles of returning blood.

The captured guard sat watching them bleakly. For a single moment he had had the idea that his men were returning to free him, but that hope had faded to grim acceptance of the reality.

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