Die by the Gun by William W. Johnstone

Author:William W. Johnstone
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Kensington
Published: 2018-10-04T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 17

Mac forced himself to keep his eyes on the ground. The tracks of at least four riders showed where Desmond had been taken. The difference in horseshoes made it obvious that Desmond rode flanked by the others. Mac’s hand twitched, moving toward the gun holstered at his side, but he covered the action by scratching his belly.

He knew perfectly well where the gang that had kidnapped Desmond was. He had to pretend he didn’t and that he was riding heedlessly into their ambush.

Mac slowed and finally stopped, as if confused about the trail. The earth, soft from the rains, took the prints well. He needed to play for time. He swung down from the saddle and continued pretending to study the tracks.

Then ignoring the outlaws was no longer possible. One of them stood up from behind a rock and called out to him.

Mac looked up. He tried to make it seem like he was taken by surprise.

“Come on over, or I’ll put a bullet in his head.” The man held a pistol to Desmond’s temple. He thumbed back the hammer with an ominous sound.

For his part, Desmond showed great courage. He didn’t flinch.

“There’s no call for you to shoot him,” Mac said. “What do you want in the way of ransom?”

“Ransom?” The man laughed harshly. “What’ll you give me for him?”

“Five hundred head of cattle. That’s half of what we have left.”

Mac knew who he dealt with by the way the gunman jerked around and eyed his prisoner in surprise.

The reaction told Mac they had kidnapped Desmond to get him to surrender and had no idea who they held. He recognized the man from Fort Worth and later as the leader of the bounty hunters on his trail.

“Why so much for this kid? It’s you we want, Mackenzie.”

“I reckoned so,” Mac said, slowly walking closer. He hunted for the others in the gang. At least two more lurked somewhere nearby, maybe three. He wished he had read sign better.

“Why’s he worth so much?” The gunman moved around, standing half behind Desmond now, making a shot more difficult.

“You’re bounty hunters. You want me. Let him go and take me.”

“Who we got here?” the man insisted. “Is he wanted, too? If you wanted to buy me off with that many head, he must be somebody important. He’s too young to be the rancher who owns that herd.”

“I’m not that young,” Desmond blurted. “My ma’d never give over that many beeves as ransom.”

“Your ma?” the gunman laughed harshly. “This is my lucky day. I got me a fugitive from the law and a sprout who can get me half of that great, big herd.”

Desmond should have kept his mouth shut when the bounty hunter revealed he had no idea who he had kidnapped. Mac couldn’t blame the boy too much. He had planted that seed himself, trying to make sure these men were the bounty hunters who had been pursuing him.

His presence on the drive had been a fuse burning down to a keg of giant powder.

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