Free Lincoln County Series 1-3 by Sarah Jae Foster Page B

The door opened, creaking slightly on its hinges. Silence.
    “Hold it right there!” Andrew ordered dryly.
    Jake raised both of his hands and released his forefinger from the trigger.
    “Ya really gonna shoot an old friend, Reverend?” He pivoted slightly so Andrew could see his profile in the pale moonlight.
    “You scared me half to death, man!”
    “If it were anyone else robbing me, I would be hanging him from the nearest tree.” Jake looked at the empty display cases where his guns once were. The few boxes of ammunition that remained were scattered across the floor. “Are you really ready to shoot someone? I know you’re no coward, but doesn’t it go against...heck, I don’t know, against God or something?”
    “I’m here to do what needs done. That’s all there is to it.”
    “Let’s go to it then.”
    Andrew and Jake were soon next to Thomas, who was slouched behind a wagon bed. Without greeting or spite, he filled them in. “I counted three men down that way, to the right, protecting their horses.”
    Andrew turned to find an outlaw coming up on Jake. He had no choice and fired his weapon. The man fell to the ground, writhing around. Under cover, Andrew belly crawled to the body, aiming his gun at the man’s head to complete the job, the vision of his burning church raw in his mind. He looked at the blood flowing from the gut wound and hesitated.
    “Finish it!” the man pleaded, groaning in agony.
    Andrew’s hand shook. “Oh, God! I can’t do it!” Not like that, so close and so brutal. He heard a shot zing past him, striking the man in the head.
    Jake fired the final shot on his behalf.
    *** *** ***
    This town was madness! Shots were being fired back and forth, but Cameron had no idea who was shooting at who.
    A moment later she heard Thomas’s voice ring through the night air. “Took ya long enough to find me, Ken Murphy. Your men are a bit anxious with their guns. I’ve killed me three already,” he boasted. “There’s gonna be a whole lot more dead if you don’t come out now and fight like a man ‘stead of hidin’ behind skirts.”
    Cameron and Lacey looked at each other. Did Thomas have to taunt their captor so? Unfortunately, she’d come to know how Thomas dealt with lawlessness in his town. He cared nothing about hostages or innocent bystanders. His only concern was showing the offenders he was boss. Waves of nausea swept over her. If they didn’t fight to get themselves out of this, there was no telling what might happen to them in the hands of Ken’s men. Or, the more she thought about it, at the hands of her brother.
    Ken made clear his purpose and threat. “We just want you, Thomas. I’ll give back these whores the moment I see your face!”
    “And I think you’re gonna kill ’em anyway!”
    Lacey looked ready to jump through the window and throttle him. “If Thomas thinks he’s going to leave us in here do die for his despicable pride, I’m going to give him what’s coming to him!”
    Cameron pulled her down by her skirts. “Sit down! You’re going to get yourself killed!”
    Ken pushed greasy hair out of his beady eyes and pierced Cameron with a thoughtful look. The entire room fell to silence as he took in every inch of her. Reaching out he pulled her to stand. Hot breath heated up her neck. “Be a good girl and you won’t get hurt.”
    Ken slid out of the hotel with her in his powerful, tight grip.
    He placed her directly in front of him. “Come out Engel, all I want is you. Show yourself or this pretty little thing is going to suffer an unfortunate fate. I understand she might mean something to you.”
    She tried to remain stoic, all the while knowing she would die if Thomas didn’t come through and save her.
    “It’s over. Let her go.” Thomas surrendered his position.
    “Thomas,” she whispered, her heart pounded hard in her chest.
    “Toss your gun over here and tell your men to stand down,” Ken ordered.
    Thomas lowered his gun to the ground