Brand 6 by Neil Hunter

Author:Neil Hunter
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: frontier america, piccadilly publishing, neil hunter, jason brand, mike linaker, western adventure 1880, cowboys and outlaws
Publisher: Piccadilly Publishing

Chapter Eight

Crouching knee deep in brackish water Brand studied the movements of the two men guarding the entrance to the cave. It was fronted by a pool of sorts. A wide stretch of scummy water that seemed to be alive with swamp life. On the far side a rocky bluff, covered with greenery, rose high into the mass of trees, with a thin fall of water spilling over its rim. The water dropped straight down, shielding the mouth of the dark cave.

‘Jason,’ Sarah whispered.

‘What?’

‘I don’t want to make a fuss, but there appears to be a snake swimming this way.’

Brand took her arm and moved her aside. Thick mud lay beneath their feet, under the foul smelling water. Each time they took a step the disturbed slime released trapped gas. It rose to the surface, bubbling and releasing sulphurous fumes. They reached solid ground again and edged through the tangled undergrowth. Brand settled Sarah then returned to study the cave area again.

To one side of the cave was a crude hut. It appeared that St Clair had a permanent presence watching over the weapons cache.

He checked out his handguns, making sure they were both loaded. He handed the rifle back to Sarah.

‘Can you handle one of these?’

‘I can usually hit what I aim at,’ she said sharply. ‘But I’ve never had to shoot at a man before.’

‘I’m hoping you don’t have to. I just want you to stay here. Keep your ears and eyes open. If you do see anything that doesn’t look right use the damn rifle. Don’t think about it. Just shoot. You either want to stay alive or you don’t.’

She scowled at him. ‘Do my best to uphold the honor of the damn regiment, sir!’

Brand leaned across and kissed her. ‘Lady Sarah, you’d make a mean man.’

‘Wouldn’t be as much fun in bed though.’

‘You could be right.’

‘Jason — be careful.’

He eased through the undergrowth, skirting the edge of the pool, his eyes always monitoring the movements of the two guards. He was grateful for the thick tangle of greenery that grew across the whole area. It covered his movements. He could hear the guards’ voices carrying over the pool. They didn’t seem to be all that content. Being stuck out here in the bayou had unsettled them. Brand hoped it had made them lax.

One of the guards sat on a rotted stump and started to roll himself a smoke. The other man said something to him, tucked his rifle under his arm and wandered across to the shack. He went inside. Shortly smoke began to rise from the crude chimney stack angled crookedly from the sloping roof of the shack.

Brand kept moving until he was within a few yards of the rear of the shack. He could hear the man inside the shack moving around, mumbling to himself. The tantalizing aroma of frying bacon reached Brand’s nostrils making him realize how hungry he was.

He pushed thoughts of food to the back of his mind as he concentrated on the guard sitting on the tree stump, smoking his cigarette.

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