bloodthirsty Duke.
"What happened?" Ruth asked.
"Duke shot him." Reina admitted as she sat back
down beside her.
"No!"
The two women exchanged knowing looks, and
Reina felt ice encase her very soul. It would all be up to
her now...
"Well, it looks like things have worked out jes' fine,
don't they?" Duke called out confidently. He believed
they were all unarmed, and he was sure the intruder
was dead. Duke was a little troubled by the fact that his
friend, Vic, had been killed, but the prospect of keeping
all that gold for himself eased whatever grief he was
feeling.
Duke was gloating over his triumph as he stood up,
but he knew he had to change his plans a bit since he
was now working alone. He figured he'd still take the
nun with him, but first he'd have to tie up the others,
release the horses from the coach and get the loot.
Then, when he was sure he'd be making a clean getaway, he would get the hell out of there.
At his taunting words, Reina grew even more frightened. She knew her own shooting ability was their only
hope, but serious doubts ran through her mind. Could
she do it? Could she really shoot a man, even if it was in selfdefense?
"C'mon, ladies, I know where you're hidin'," Duke
chided Reina and Ruth a little angrily. "Get out here
where I can see you. You, too, driver! Step out from
behind the stage so I know just where you are!" When
none of them responded immediately, he became incensed. "I said get the hell out here! Now!"
"Damn!" Clay swore softly through gritted teeth as he
clutched his upper arm. Sweat beaded his brow, and he
closed his eyes for a moment as he fought for control
over the pain.
Clay had somehow managed to keep a tight grip on
his gun, and he was glad for at least that much. Despite
the agony that throbbed through him, he knew the
wound wasn't life-threatening. Even so, it was bleeding heavily and that in itself was a danger. Grabbing his
bandana from his back pocket with his good hand, he
tied it tightly around the wound to help stop the blood
flow. There was no telling what the outlaw might do
next, and he had to be ready.
Clay had stayed down since being shot, but the sound
of Duke calling out to the women jarred him to action.
He put his own pain from him and levered himself up
on his good arm. Fighting for control, Clay brought his
gun to bear. He would have a good shot at him as soon
as he took a step clear of his hiding place. Clay only
prayed that he would be accurate enough to take advantage of it.
"C'mon!" Duke snarled viciously again, waiting for
Reina and the others to show themselves. He was
almost ready to drag the women out, but he didn't trust
the driver with the rifle and Vic's gun lying there so
close by the stagecoach.
Reina could tell by the outlaw's tone of voice that the
time had come. She could delay no longer. She had to
make her move, and she had to do it now.
"All right..." she called out, standing up slowly and
keeping the gun hidden in the fold of her skirts. A
hurried glance around told Reina that she still didn't
have a decent shot at Duke and that worried her. She
knew she could hit a target, but she didn't trust her
marksmanship enough to try to hit the bandit where he
was standing. She had to draw him out into the open.
Reina walked slowly away from the protection of her
hiding place, and relief flooded through her when Duke
did the same. As he stepped clear of the rocky barrier
that had protected him, Reina knew she had to act.
Desperate to catch the overconfident desperado offguard, she moved quickly, raising the gun and firing
without hesitation. To her heart-stopping horror, the
shot went wide, missing Duke completely. He stood,
unscathed, staring at her in shocked rage.
"What the hell?" Duke roared at the discovery that the nun was armed with a gun and more than willing to
use it. "You got a gun?"
"Sister!" Ruth and Fred cried out, miserable in their
frustration at being unable to
"What happened?" Ruth asked.
"Duke shot him." Reina admitted as she sat back
down beside her.
"No!"
The two women exchanged knowing looks, and
Reina felt ice encase her very soul. It would all be up to
her now...
"Well, it looks like things have worked out jes' fine,
don't they?" Duke called out confidently. He believed
they were all unarmed, and he was sure the intruder
was dead. Duke was a little troubled by the fact that his
friend, Vic, had been killed, but the prospect of keeping
all that gold for himself eased whatever grief he was
feeling.
Duke was gloating over his triumph as he stood up,
but he knew he had to change his plans a bit since he
was now working alone. He figured he'd still take the
nun with him, but first he'd have to tie up the others,
release the horses from the coach and get the loot.
Then, when he was sure he'd be making a clean getaway, he would get the hell out of there.
At his taunting words, Reina grew even more frightened. She knew her own shooting ability was their only
hope, but serious doubts ran through her mind. Could
she do it? Could she really shoot a man, even if it was in selfdefense?
"C'mon, ladies, I know where you're hidin'," Duke
chided Reina and Ruth a little angrily. "Get out here
where I can see you. You, too, driver! Step out from
behind the stage so I know just where you are!" When
none of them responded immediately, he became incensed. "I said get the hell out here! Now!"
"Damn!" Clay swore softly through gritted teeth as he
clutched his upper arm. Sweat beaded his brow, and he
closed his eyes for a moment as he fought for control
over the pain.
Clay had somehow managed to keep a tight grip on
his gun, and he was glad for at least that much. Despite
the agony that throbbed through him, he knew the
wound wasn't life-threatening. Even so, it was bleeding heavily and that in itself was a danger. Grabbing his
bandana from his back pocket with his good hand, he
tied it tightly around the wound to help stop the blood
flow. There was no telling what the outlaw might do
next, and he had to be ready.
Clay had stayed down since being shot, but the sound
of Duke calling out to the women jarred him to action.
He put his own pain from him and levered himself up
on his good arm. Fighting for control, Clay brought his
gun to bear. He would have a good shot at him as soon
as he took a step clear of his hiding place. Clay only
prayed that he would be accurate enough to take advantage of it.
"C'mon!" Duke snarled viciously again, waiting for
Reina and the others to show themselves. He was
almost ready to drag the women out, but he didn't trust
the driver with the rifle and Vic's gun lying there so
close by the stagecoach.
Reina could tell by the outlaw's tone of voice that the
time had come. She could delay no longer. She had to
make her move, and she had to do it now.
"All right..." she called out, standing up slowly and
keeping the gun hidden in the fold of her skirts. A
hurried glance around told Reina that she still didn't
have a decent shot at Duke and that worried her. She
knew she could hit a target, but she didn't trust her
marksmanship enough to try to hit the bandit where he
was standing. She had to draw him out into the open.
Reina walked slowly away from the protection of her
hiding place, and relief flooded through her when Duke
did the same. As he stepped clear of the rocky barrier
that had protected him, Reina knew she had to act.
Desperate to catch the overconfident desperado offguard, she moved quickly, raising the gun and firing
without hesitation. To her heart-stopping horror, the
shot went wide, missing Duke completely. He stood,
unscathed, staring at her in shocked rage.
"What the hell?" Duke roared at the discovery that the nun was armed with a gun and more than willing to
use it. "You got a gun?"
"Sister!" Ruth and Fred cried out, miserable in their
frustration at being unable to
Similar Books
