Longarm and the Owlhoots' Graveyard by Tabor Evans

Author:Tabor Evans
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group

Chapter 14

“Custis!” Caroline cried out in surprise and relief.

As much as Longarm wanted to, he didn’t look at her. Instead he kept his attention centered on Riley Bascomb as he said, “Caroline, get up and come over here. Don’t get between me and Bascomb, though.”

She came to her feet, still holding the blanket tightly about her, and began working her way around the campfire away from Riley.

“Long!” Riley said, and he put as much hatred into the word as Longarm had ever heard before. “I thought you were dead!”

“You can see for yourself that I ain’t,” Longarm said. “Not for any lack of trying by you and your pards, though.”

“Where’s Cole?” Riley demanded.

“Don’t worry about him. He’s back there in the brush, out cold, but he’ll be all right to stand trial for kidnapping and attempted murder, just like the two of you.”

Bradford, the wounded man, licked his lips nervously. Suddenly, he lunged at Caroline, who had come within reach of him as she tried to reach Longarm’s side. Longarm had considered Bradford the lesser danger, but obviously the man still had some fight in him. He grabbed Caroline around the waist with his good arm and jerked her in front of him as she uttered a short scream of surprise and fear.

“Don’t shoot, Marshal!” Bradford said as the barrel of Longarm’s Winchester swung toward him. “You fire and you’ll hit the girl!”

“Let her go, old son,” Longarm grated. He could see part of Bradford’s face as the man peered out from behind Caroline, but not enough to risk a shot.

“The hell with that! I ain’t goin’ to prison! You let me go or I’ll kill her!”

“You hurt her and I’ll kill you, right here and now,” Longarm warned.

The thing that Longarm most worried about happened just then, as Riley Bascomb threw himself off the log in a dive that took him in the opposite direction from Bradford. Longarm was caught between them now. He snapped the rifle back toward Riley, because Bradford didn’t have a gun out yet and Riley had drawn his as he rolled across the ground. The revolver in Riley’s fist spat flame.

Longarm triggered the Winchester as he felt the tug of Riley’s bullet on his shirt. Riley cried out, but Longarm didn’t know if he had actually hit the young man or just come close. He darted back a couple of steps as he levered the rifle, trying to put himself at a better angle as he turned toward Bradford.

He was surprised to see Caroline hurtling straight toward him. Bradford had given her a hard shove that sent her careening forward out of control. The blanket fluttered around her, revealing most of her naked flesh. Meanwhile Bradford struggled to reach across his body and draw his gun with his left hand.

Caroline crashed into Longarm. His arms were suddenly full of nude, terrified woman. The impact knocked him back a step, and one of his feet came down on a small stone that rolled underneath him. He felt his balance desert him and he went over backward, taking Caroline with him.

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