Free Outlaw's Reckoning by J. R. Roberts Page A

saw that she was more surprised than anything else. He drew his Colt and stepped away from the door. “Who the hell are you?” Clint shouted.
    Taking his cue, Matt bolted out the door and ran straight along a path that took him past all the other homes. After tugging the bandanna off his face, Clint stepped onto the front porch, straightened out his arm and sighted along the top of the Colt’s barrel. Pulling his trigger once, Clint saw Matt stumble and then continue running.
    Clint took a few more steps before breaking into a halfhearted run. All the while, he fired at Matt’s back, until his target finally disappeared into a shadow. Standing out for all to see, Clint flipped open his Colt’s cylinder and dumped out the spent shells so he could replace them with fresh ones.
    â€œThere were two of them!” said someone from one of the nearby houses.
    Looking in that direction, Clint spotted an older lady with a kerchief tied around her hair. “Did you see where the other one went?” Clint asked.
    The woman looked at Clint for a few moments and then leaned out so she could look up and down the path that wove between the other houses. “No. He must’ve run in another direction.”
    â€œDid anyone see where the other man went?” Clint asked loudly.
    A few neighbors shouted their responses, but they quickly began shouting back and forth to one another about what they all thought they’d seen. Clint turned back toward Kay and holstered his pistol.
    â€œWhere’s Henry?” he asked.
    â€œStill in his room. Was that man . . . ?”
    â€œYeah,” Clint replied quickly. “Did he hurt you?”
    She shook her head. “He . . . didn’t lay a finger on me.” “Here,” Clint said as he took Kay’s hand and placed the wad of money into it. “Take this and stash it somewhere nobody will find it. Nobody, you hear? Not even Henry.”
    Kay’s face was a mask of confusion as she shook her head in disbelief. “But that man just stole this from me. Did you catch him?”
    â€œAs far as anyone knows, the man got away with every last penny of it. That way, nobody will try to steal it for real. After Henry showed that cash around town, someone was bound to come for it. This way, they’ll all think it’s already gone.”
    She nodded as everything sank in. “So that man wasn’t really captured?”
    â€œNo. He was the one to come up with this idea. Frankly, I think it’s a pretty good one. But you’ve got to do some playacting to make certain everyone buys into it. Don’t show this money to anyone. If you spend it or deposit it into a bank, do so in dribs and drabs.”
    Now Kay nodded with assurance. “I understand,” she said while tucking the money into a pocket of her night-gown and covering it with the robe she’d thrown on. “But what if that man comes back? Should I thank him?”
    â€œHe won’t come back. I’ll make sure of that.”
    She started to ask another question, but stopped so she could lean to one side and take a look over Clint’s shoulder.
    At that same time, Clint heard steps pounding up toward the house.
    â€œWhat’s going on here?” a burly man with a large, bald head asked. “Who was doing that shooting?”
    â€œI was robbed,” Kay said sadly. “This man right here chased him off.”
    Clint had gotten a look at the burly man and immediately spotted the badge pinned to his chest. “I think I know where he went.”
    â€œGood. Give me a moment to round up some of my boys and we can go after him.”
    â€œJust head out toward the southeast,” Clint said. “That’s where I’m going and I’ll signal for you. If I have to change directions, I’ll fire some shots into the air to let you know where I’m at.”
    â€œAre you a lawman?”
    â€œNo, sir.”
    â€œThen stay