bunkhouse before entering the barn assured him that all the lights were out and the men sleeping. He saddled a horse, walked it through the gate, then mounted up and rode off.
Zoey wasn’t far behind him, dressed in almost identical dark clothing. She was mounted and heading for town a scant ten minutes behind Pierce. She had scarcely cleared the gate when the bunkhouse door opened and a man stepped out. A few minutes later he rode through the gate and was swallowed up by darkness.
Pierce reached town right on schedule and paused to get his bearings. The only light came from the saloon, which appeared to be doing a lively business. He watched a drunk man stagger out of the saloon and meander down the street. Hereined his mount into the alley behind the bank.
On his previous visits to town, Pierce had noted that the bank was the sixth building from the corner. He found it with little trouble, dismounted, and tethered his horse to one of the iron bars covering the small office window. Removing his tools from his pocket, Pierce knelt and began fiddling with the lock.
Darkness aided Zoey as she trailed Pierce. When he reached town and turned in to the alley, she realized he was headed for the back street that ran behind the bank. Zoey entered the alley and lost herself in the shadows, where she had a good view of the street. Should danger threaten, she wanted to be in a position to warn Pierce. If all went well, he’d never know she had been there.
Pierce cursed the lock’s resistance. After ten minutes he’d begun to question his skill. Then he heard the lock give way. His breath left his lungs in a loud whoosh as he eased the door open and stepped inside. He lit a match and crept across the room to the file cabinet.
Hidden in the shadows, Zoey watched as a lone rider, his wide-brimmed hat pulled low over his forehead concealing his features, passed by the alley and continued down the street. She watched in trepidation until he turned a corner and dropped from sight. After ten minutes Zoey grew worried. Pierce should have completed his mission by now.
Suddenly two riders rounded a corner and headed in her direction. Zoey held her breath, hoping their destination was the saloon. When they stopped in front of the bank, her apprehensiongrew. Peeking around the corner, Zoey knew real panic when she recognized Willoughby and the unidentified man who had entered town not ten minutes earlier.
Spurring her horse forward, Zoey raced around to the rear of the bank to warn Pierce of the danger. If he was found breaking into the bank, all hell would break loose. She saw his horse and knew he was still inside Willoughby’s office. She leapt from her mount and burst through the door. He blew out the match and jumped to his feet.
Her voice hissed through the darkness. “Pierce, Willoughby is at the front door. You’ve got to leave—now!”
“What in God’s name are you doing here?”
“There’s no time for that. Just get out of here before you’re discovered.”
Pierce spit out a curse. He hadn’t had time to pull the Fuller file from the cabinet, and it was too late now. He couldn’t let Zoey be found anywhere near the premises. Grasping her hand, he pulled her out the door and threw her atop her horse. “Get the hell out of here.” He slapped the horse’s rump. Zoey grabbed the reins as the animal surged forward.
“Aren’t you coming?” she called over her shoulder.
“In a minute.”
Closing the door carefully behind him, Pierce knelt and, plying the tool he used to break in, jiggled the lock until it fell back into place. And not a minute too soon. He was racing down the alley when a light went on in Willoughby’s office.
* * *
“There’s no one here,” Willoughby grouched. “You woke me from a sound sleep for nothing.”
“I tell you I followed them, boss. I saw them leave the Circle F.”
“You must have been dreaming.” Willoughby went to the door and tried the handle. The
Zoey wasn’t far behind him, dressed in almost identical dark clothing. She was mounted and heading for town a scant ten minutes behind Pierce. She had scarcely cleared the gate when the bunkhouse door opened and a man stepped out. A few minutes later he rode through the gate and was swallowed up by darkness.
Pierce reached town right on schedule and paused to get his bearings. The only light came from the saloon, which appeared to be doing a lively business. He watched a drunk man stagger out of the saloon and meander down the street. Hereined his mount into the alley behind the bank.
On his previous visits to town, Pierce had noted that the bank was the sixth building from the corner. He found it with little trouble, dismounted, and tethered his horse to one of the iron bars covering the small office window. Removing his tools from his pocket, Pierce knelt and began fiddling with the lock.
Darkness aided Zoey as she trailed Pierce. When he reached town and turned in to the alley, she realized he was headed for the back street that ran behind the bank. Zoey entered the alley and lost herself in the shadows, where she had a good view of the street. Should danger threaten, she wanted to be in a position to warn Pierce. If all went well, he’d never know she had been there.
Pierce cursed the lock’s resistance. After ten minutes he’d begun to question his skill. Then he heard the lock give way. His breath left his lungs in a loud whoosh as he eased the door open and stepped inside. He lit a match and crept across the room to the file cabinet.
Hidden in the shadows, Zoey watched as a lone rider, his wide-brimmed hat pulled low over his forehead concealing his features, passed by the alley and continued down the street. She watched in trepidation until he turned a corner and dropped from sight. After ten minutes Zoey grew worried. Pierce should have completed his mission by now.
Suddenly two riders rounded a corner and headed in her direction. Zoey held her breath, hoping their destination was the saloon. When they stopped in front of the bank, her apprehensiongrew. Peeking around the corner, Zoey knew real panic when she recognized Willoughby and the unidentified man who had entered town not ten minutes earlier.
Spurring her horse forward, Zoey raced around to the rear of the bank to warn Pierce of the danger. If he was found breaking into the bank, all hell would break loose. She saw his horse and knew he was still inside Willoughby’s office. She leapt from her mount and burst through the door. He blew out the match and jumped to his feet.
Her voice hissed through the darkness. “Pierce, Willoughby is at the front door. You’ve got to leave—now!”
“What in God’s name are you doing here?”
“There’s no time for that. Just get out of here before you’re discovered.”
Pierce spit out a curse. He hadn’t had time to pull the Fuller file from the cabinet, and it was too late now. He couldn’t let Zoey be found anywhere near the premises. Grasping her hand, he pulled her out the door and threw her atop her horse. “Get the hell out of here.” He slapped the horse’s rump. Zoey grabbed the reins as the animal surged forward.
“Aren’t you coming?” she called over her shoulder.
“In a minute.”
Closing the door carefully behind him, Pierce knelt and, plying the tool he used to break in, jiggled the lock until it fell back into place. And not a minute too soon. He was racing down the alley when a light went on in Willoughby’s office.
* * *
“There’s no one here,” Willoughby grouched. “You woke me from a sound sleep for nothing.”
“I tell you I followed them, boss. I saw them leave the Circle F.”
“You must have been dreaming.” Willoughby went to the door and tried the handle. The
Similar Books
