Head West (The Collected Western Stories of B.J. Holmes) by BJ Holmes

Author:BJ Holmes
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: action heroes, piccadilly publishing, best western ebook, southwest usa, gunfighters and lawmen, bj holmes ebooks, shot story fiction
Publisher: Piccadilly

They’d ridden a mile. The man with the badge took the paper from his pocket, unfolded it, and cast his eyes over the wording.

‘Real good touch, eh ?–– asking for a receipt: All that shit about getting reimbursed by County Office. He chuckled, screwed the paper into a ball and tossed it aside. ‘Pea-brained hayseeds! There ain’t no way they’re gonna be suspicious.’

The other man said nothing. He adjusted his seat on the blanketed horse and breathed deeply. He had nothing to gay. His captor held all the cards, the best, drawn from the bottom of the deck.

Tully, the man now masquerading as a peace officer, was anything but a man of the law. He’d crossed Brennan’s path a month ago. Already wanted for a string of robberies and murders, Tully had ridden into a small mid-western town and put up discreetly at the hotel for a couple of days, watching, listening. He got to know about the two things important to him: the bank and the law. Of the bank he learned the layout and what it was likely to hold––enough of the law, he learned there was only one representative: Marshal Brennan. The man had a wife and kid, and was respected by the townsfolk. He was nothing special.

On the third day, Tully had walked into the County Farmers’ Association Bank during a quiet spell and made a forced withdrawal totaling several grand. Apart from gunning down the teller in the process, it was so easy he couldn’t believe it, leaving town unhindered.

Brennan had been out of town refereeing a water rights dispute. That was typical of the run of his business––misdemeanors, drunkenness. He’d never been put to the test like big city marshals, he was no pistolero, no better than the next man with his fists. But he was more than saddened when he returned to town. He knew by name most of the farmers who had kept their small savings in the bank’s keeping; and he had played checkers regular with the now-dead bank clerk. Coupled with strong resentment about a big-time out-of-town desperado causing mayhem on his patch he had one significant quality––tenacity. Like a bulldog once he’d got his teeth into something. Ignoring advice from the town council to leave the matter to the federal authorities he’d lit out. Tracked Tully across two states, finally catching up and confronting him in a settlement on the edge of the vast Sonoran.

But the more experienced Tully had turned the tables, knocking Brennan out. When Brennan came to, Tully had made his escape into the desert. Brennan had figured he was making for the border and had followed him.

It isn’t difficult to follow a man across the desert when there is no wind to shift the sand. Brennan had sighted his quarry at noon on the second day, bringing down his horse with one shot. Then the unexpected. Tully had dropped his belt and raised his hands. When Brennan had closed in enough for words he realized why.

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