dynamite, it was quicker, but he’d have to leave fast and wouldn’t have had time to go back for Abner. Besides, he was an expert at manipulating combination locks. This way was quiet; the robbery wouldn’t be discovered until morning, allowing him plenty of time to escape. He began packing money in his saddlebags. When they were full he stuffed bills into his vest, jacket, and trouser pockets. When he could carry no more, he left the same way he had arrived, returning the saddlebags to the horse’s back before returning to the saloon.
Freddie found Sadie sitting in the back room watching over Abner. “You done good, Sadie. Thanks. I’ll take Abner off your hands now.”
“Where did you go?” Sadie asked suspiciously.
“Don’t ask questions, you’ll live longer.”
Opening his coat, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a hundred-dollar bill. “Here’s a little bonus. See you around, Sadie.”
Sadie had seen more than Freddie intended. When he opened his coat she’d spied sheaths of money sticking out of the inside pockets. She also noted his bulging trouser pockets. She couldn’t recall them bulging like that when he’d first come into the saloon. Sadie put two and two together and came up with the right answer. She might be a whore but she was an honest one.
Sadie gave Freddie enough time to mount up and ride off before hightailing it to Sean MacKay’s house.
Sarah rode into Medicine Bow in time to see Freddie ride away from the saloon with a sleeping Abner resting across his knees. Lines of exhaustion marred her brow and her still tender hands hurt dreadfully from hanging onto the reins. She wished she had thought to bring gloves but she’d been in too much of a hurry to think beyond the fact that Freddie had taken Abner away from her.
Sarah dug her heels into her horse’s flanks and took off after Jackson. In another hour or so dawn would lighten the skies, decreasing the difficulty of following him. Unfortunately it would also make it easier for Freddie to see her, but she didn’t care. She wanted Freddie to know she was following him. As she rode out of town she could have sworn she heard someone shouting, “Bank robbery!”
Jackson was five miles out of Medicine Bow before he realized he was being followed. Not by a posse, it was too soon for that. Unless it was the bounty hunter, he had no idea who it could be. When he passed a large boulder, he rode his horse out of sight behind it. The moon was a bright beacon in the sky, providing sufficient light to see by as he pulled his gun free of his holster and waited.
Freddie had dropped from sight and Sarah grew frantic. She had no idea how he had eluded her. Had he turned off someplace? Had he…?
Her questions were answered when Jackson shot out from behind a boulder, directly into her path. Her horse shied, nearly throwing her, but she hung on, staring at the gun in Jackson’s hand.
“Aw, shit! What in the hell are you doing here?”
Abner awoke with a start, saw his mother, and screamed for her.
“I want my son!” Sarah shouted, gaining control of her frightened horse with difficulty. “Give him back to me.”
“You might as well turn back ‘cause you can’t have him. You babied him for the first five years of his life, now it’s time to turn him into a man. Ain’t that right, kid?”
Abner’s chin lifted belligerently. “I am a man. I want my mama.”
Jackson cocked his gun. “I oughta get rid of you right now, Sarah. You’re making me mad.”
“Don’t you dare hurt my mama!” Abner cried. “I’ll hate you forever if you do.”
Abner’s words gave Jackson pause, and he uncocked his gun and rammed it back into his gunbelt. He didn’t want his kid to hate him for killing his mother. “Get out of here before I change my mind.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” Sarah charged. “I’ll follow you to the ends of the earth, if need be.”
Jackson looked fit to be tied. The sky was changing from black to
Freddie found Sadie sitting in the back room watching over Abner. “You done good, Sadie. Thanks. I’ll take Abner off your hands now.”
“Where did you go?” Sadie asked suspiciously.
“Don’t ask questions, you’ll live longer.”
Opening his coat, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a hundred-dollar bill. “Here’s a little bonus. See you around, Sadie.”
Sadie had seen more than Freddie intended. When he opened his coat she’d spied sheaths of money sticking out of the inside pockets. She also noted his bulging trouser pockets. She couldn’t recall them bulging like that when he’d first come into the saloon. Sadie put two and two together and came up with the right answer. She might be a whore but she was an honest one.
Sadie gave Freddie enough time to mount up and ride off before hightailing it to Sean MacKay’s house.
Sarah rode into Medicine Bow in time to see Freddie ride away from the saloon with a sleeping Abner resting across his knees. Lines of exhaustion marred her brow and her still tender hands hurt dreadfully from hanging onto the reins. She wished she had thought to bring gloves but she’d been in too much of a hurry to think beyond the fact that Freddie had taken Abner away from her.
Sarah dug her heels into her horse’s flanks and took off after Jackson. In another hour or so dawn would lighten the skies, decreasing the difficulty of following him. Unfortunately it would also make it easier for Freddie to see her, but she didn’t care. She wanted Freddie to know she was following him. As she rode out of town she could have sworn she heard someone shouting, “Bank robbery!”
Jackson was five miles out of Medicine Bow before he realized he was being followed. Not by a posse, it was too soon for that. Unless it was the bounty hunter, he had no idea who it could be. When he passed a large boulder, he rode his horse out of sight behind it. The moon was a bright beacon in the sky, providing sufficient light to see by as he pulled his gun free of his holster and waited.
Freddie had dropped from sight and Sarah grew frantic. She had no idea how he had eluded her. Had he turned off someplace? Had he…?
Her questions were answered when Jackson shot out from behind a boulder, directly into her path. Her horse shied, nearly throwing her, but she hung on, staring at the gun in Jackson’s hand.
“Aw, shit! What in the hell are you doing here?”
Abner awoke with a start, saw his mother, and screamed for her.
“I want my son!” Sarah shouted, gaining control of her frightened horse with difficulty. “Give him back to me.”
“You might as well turn back ‘cause you can’t have him. You babied him for the first five years of his life, now it’s time to turn him into a man. Ain’t that right, kid?”
Abner’s chin lifted belligerently. “I am a man. I want my mama.”
Jackson cocked his gun. “I oughta get rid of you right now, Sarah. You’re making me mad.”
“Don’t you dare hurt my mama!” Abner cried. “I’ll hate you forever if you do.”
Abner’s words gave Jackson pause, and he uncocked his gun and rammed it back into his gunbelt. He didn’t want his kid to hate him for killing his mother. “Get out of here before I change my mind.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” Sarah charged. “I’ll follow you to the ends of the earth, if need be.”
Jackson looked fit to be tied. The sky was changing from black to
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