Slocum and the Ghost of Adam Weyland by Jake Logan

Author:Jake Logan
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 2011-03-17T16:00:00+00:00

12

Slocum returned a few minutes later. Several minutes ago, the spot had been just another stretch of trail on the long way to Louisiana. Now, it looked like a section of a battlefield that had been cut off from the whole like a hunk of bloody pie. Smoke hung in the air, blood stained the dirt, and a woman’s muffled sobs could be heard beneath a restless wind.

“Did you find anything else to shoot?” Triedle asked.

Eyeing the gambler intently, Slocum replied, “Maybe.”

Triedle backed off.

The horse lying on the ground was still trembling. Most of the blood on the ground seemed to come from its wounds, but Slocum checked the others to be sure. Mia was unharmed and Adam had caught a few glancing rounds that had ripped through his upper arm without doing a whole lot of damage.

“You’re lucky,” Mia told her brother. “I still can’t believe you’re not dead.”

Adam pressed a hand against the wound on his arm and said, “Yeah. Real lucky.”

“I’m fine, by the way,” Triedle offered. “Not that anyone seems to care.”

Slocum dismounted and threw his reins at the gambler. “Obviously you’re fine,” he said. “You’re up and moving, aren’t you?”

“I suppose, but still. A little concern would be nice.”

“Are you all right?” Slocum asked.

Triedle smiled and nodded once. “Yes, I am.”

“Good. Now stop your bellyaching.” Slocum’s eyes were already on the horse. His face twisted into an angry mask beneath a thick layer of dust and gunpowder that had drifted onto him and mingled with the sweat on his skin.

Mia stepped forward and placed a hand upon Slocum’s shoulder. “Are you hurt?” she asked.

He shook away from her and winced in pain as he knelt beside the wounded animal. A quick inspection was all he needed to surmise that the wounds were grievous enough to keep it from getting up from where it had fallen. “Those sons of bitches.” Patting the side of the horse’s face, he added, “Fucking animals will pay for this.”

Even though Slocum’s touch was gentle, the horse trembled as if it could feel the impact of his hand all the way down to its belly. Without letting another moment of suffering go by, Slocum stood up, drew his pistol, and put a single round through the horse’s head. It shuddered once more and let out a breath that allowed its body to finally rest peacefully. When he looked up, Slocum’s expression made it clear that he was searching for a better place to send his next round.

“What do we do now?” Mia asked sheepishly.

“I’m surprised you haven’t taken another horse and gone after those assholes,” Triedle said.

“They’ve got a lead on us after riling us up and ambushing us once already,” Slocum pointed out. “And that’s after they tracked us this far, which means they can track us again. From the sound of what Cale said when he left, he intends on setting up another ambush somewhere along the line. Charging off after them right now sounds like a damn fine idea.

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