Free Ace in the Hole by J. R. Roberts Page B

high-stakes game before, but nothing to match this.
    â€œClint?”
    He turned and looked at the girl on the bed. She was naked, propped up on one elbow.
    â€œCome back to bed,” she said. “I’m cold.”
    He was kind of cold, too. He went back to bed, took her in his arms and they fell asleep while keeping each other warm.

    Clint rose the next morning and left the room without waking Loretta. They’d already said their good-byes. He took all his gear, because he doubted he would be returning to Virginia City.
    He left the hotel and walked to the livery. When he got there, he was surprised to find the banker, Arliss Morgan, already there, the horse hitched to the buggy.
    â€œWhat took you so long?” Morgan asked.
    â€œYou’re very anxious to get going, aren’t you?”
    â€œYou bet,” Morgan said. “I would have saddled your horse, but I couldn’t get near him.”
    â€œYeah, he’s temperamental sometimes. I’ll saddle him and be right with you.”
    â€œI can ride over to the general store and pick up our supplies,” the man offered.
    â€œIt’s better if we do everything together from now until we get to the ranch,” Clint said.
    â€œYou think somebody would try something?”
    â€œYou’re carrying a lot of money, aren’t you?”
    â€œWell, actually, no…”
    â€œI thought you told me a banknote wouldn’t work.”
    â€œActually, our host is arranging to have something set up so that we can all get the money we need rather easily.”
    Clint squared up and stared at the banker.
    â€œIs there anything else you haven’t told me yet?”
    â€œI don’t think so.”
    â€œWhy was it so important to hold back that little bit of information?”
    The banker actually shrugged, looked as if he’d just been scolded.
    â€œLook, just wait here while I saddle my horse,” Clint said. “Don’t do anything, and don’t go anywhere. Somebody is sure to know where we’re headed, and they won’t know that you don’t have a bunch of money with you.”
    â€œAll right.”
    Clint turned to go inside, then turned back and pointed his finger at the banker.
    â€œOnce we’re on the trail, you’re going to have to do what I tell you to do, when I tell you, without question,” he explained. “Is that understood?”
    â€œUnderstood,” Morgan said.
    Clint went into the livery…

    â€œGet away from the edge!” Tom Kent hissed.
    Looking down at the livery from the roof of the building across the street, Tito Calhoun said, “They’re not gonna look up here.”
    â€œThey might.”
    â€œRelax, Tom.”
    â€œAnd how are you gonna get down from here fast enough to follow them?”
    â€œWe just have to see what direction they take when they leave,” Calhoun said. “I’m not gonna be right on their trail, Tom. They’d see me for sure.”
    â€œWhat about this other fella you said was gonna help you track ’em?”
    â€œI’ll be catchin’ up to him outside of town.”
    â€œMaybe I should go with you.”
    â€œYou leave when we planned,” Calhoun said, “in a few hours. You head for Carson City and pick up the rest of the men there.”
    â€œI don’t know if this is gonna work.”
    â€œIt’ll work,” Calhoun said. “We know the general area the ranch is in, and they’re gonna be there for days.”
    Kent wasn’t sure that Diane was going to be happy with this plan.

    Tito Calhoun, on the other hand, had seen Diane happier than Kent had ever seen her, and just the night before. Running into a woman like Diane Morgan fresh out of prison was something Calhoun had not expected. He intended to enjoy her as much as possible, and use her to get ahold of the money. But he had no intention of sharing the money with Kent, Diane or any of the