Poppy by Kat Flannery

Author:Kat Flannery
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Picco Press
Published: 2018-05-16T08:00:00+00:00

Chapter Six

Poppy leaned her hip against the hitching post outside of the mercantile. They’d finally crossed into Missouri five hours after leaving the cave. It was a relief to be heading in the right direction toward Paul Malone, where the weight she’d carried could finally be lifted. She glanced at the wooden sign staked into the hard earth: Welcome to No Where.

A sad welcome it was. The town of No Where, Missouri, was about as welcoming as a rattler in the hayloft. One saloon, a mercantile, and some tents were the only structures within the settlement. In the five minutes she’d stood there, no one had walked by. Three cows grazed on the grass between some of the tents, and she wondered if anyone was sleeping under the makeshift homes. With no mountains or hills, this was unlikely a mining settlement or trading post. Come to think of it, she wasn’t sure what this little town was.

Throughout her years of traveling across the country she’d been through many quaint settlements, but this was not one of them. Something was off here in No Where. She just didn’t know what.

She could’ve kept riding right past this forsaken lot, but Noah needed to wire the agency an update. He stifled her argument, warning her in a deadly tone this was his job and, unlike her, he answered to the agency. Instead of going inside with him, she chose to remain out in the sun.

She pulled the Stetson lower onto her forehead to conceal half of her face. A light wind blew at the nape of her neck, and the hairs stood.

She glanced at the door of the mercantile. Noah had been in there for more than five minutes, so someone must be inside helping him. The shuffling of feet carried toward her, and she scanned the street for the source. Poppy knew from experience to always be ready, be alert. She ran the tips of her fingers along the handle of her Colts. Where was Noah? Why was it taking so long for him to send a wire?

She stepped toward the mercantile, when the faint click of a barrel cocked. A pistol trained on her. Damn it. She didn’t know what direction the bastard aimed from either. She tipped her head to conceal her eyes and searched the corners of the buildings, the tents, and the bush to her left. She saw nothing. No movement. No shadow. No gun.

The narrow porch off the mercantile carried past the building about two feet. It was her best shot at cover.

She dove over the hitching rail at the same time a shot went off. Poppy rolled behind the boardwalk. The bullet had struck part of the heel on her boot, removing half the wood from the bottom. There wasn’t much room beside the mercantile to protect herself from the shots she knew were about to fly.

She huddled into the side of the building, pulled her guns, and peeked over the porch floor.

If Noah was smart, he’d stay inside.

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