Longarm and the Wyoming Woman (19 page)

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Authors: Tabor Evans

BOOK: Longarm and the Wyoming Woman

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Stoneman wasn't a bit touched with sentiment and growled, “I'll find you someday, Crawford. Nobody quits on me and gets off clean.”

Crawford swallowed hard and Longarm said, “Pay him no mind. He'll be hanging by the neck in a few weeks.”

Longarm waited for Addie to come back while Ben and Shorty saddled and bridled all the horses they'd need for the journey south.

One of the cowboys said, “Could we at least get some gloves and extra clothes, Marshal?”

“No. You're already wearing a coat.”

“But it's mighty damn cold out there and it's a long ride!”

Stoneman shouted, “Quit sniveling, you sorry bastard!”

Longarm was amused to watch Wade and his men bicker. They all looked plumb fit to be tied. He kept his eye on everyone and the shotgun up and ready just in case anyone was going to try to be a hero.

When the barn door opened behind him, he didn't even turn, but asked, “Did you get all the food we'll need, Addie?”

“Drop the shotgun, Marshal, or I'll pull the trigger!”

Longarm twisted around to see a tall old woman holding a hammer-cocked six-gun to Addie's head.

“Drop it or I'll shoot!”

Longarm swore to himself. He knew that, if he dropped his gun, Wade would kill him for certain, and probably Addie and young Joel Crawford as well. And yet, he could see that the old woman wasn't bluffing. She'd kill Addie and then she'd try to kill him as well.

A losing hand
, he thought with an overpowering sense of despair.
I'm suddenly holding a losing hand.

Longarm had no choice but to drop the shotgun. He heard Wade's chilling laughter, and then the man said, “I guess you didn't know that she's my momma, did you!”

“No,” Longarm answered. “And I don't think anyone else in this room knew it either. But I should have guessed a man like you would treat his own mother like poor hired help.”

Wade bellowed with laughter and said, “Nice going, Ma.”

She smiled a half-toothless grin that sent icy chills up and down Longarm's spine. “We'll get you untied and then you'd better just kill 'em right quick, son.”

“I will, after I have a little fun with them.”

Moments later, Wade was untied and holding the eight-gauge shotgun in his large fists. Longarm and Addie were backed up against the barn wall and unless Longarm was mistaken, they were both about to suffer and then die.

Chapter 20

Longarm glanced sideways at Addie, and then immediately wished that he hadn't. She was white with fear, and so he reached out and took her hand. He squeezed it, hoping it would give the young woman the courage to die well.

“I'll stand with you to the end,” Addie whispered as she bravely lifted her chin.

“I'm afraid your end won't be long,” Stoneman said a moment before he swung the butt of the shotgun and knocked Longarm up against the barn wall. Longarm tried to regain his balance, but Wade used the heavy gun's butt against him again, viciously slamming it into his stomach.

Longarm tasted bile and crumpled to his knees. The first blow had struck him in the side of the head and his head was reeling. Stoneman kicked him in the balls and Longarm pitched over onto his stomach, violently retching.

Stoneman laughed, and Longarm knew it was almost over.

“Get up!” Stoneman ordered. “Get to your goddamn feet!”

Longarm took a few fast, deep breaths, and somehow he made it to his feet. He wobbled like a drunk, and it was all he could do to focus on his enemy.

“After I'm done with the marshal, I'm taking you into my house,” Stoneman told Addie with a terrible smile. “I'm going to show you that Italian bed that Custis ruined, and then I'm going to show you what I do to women in that bed.”

Addie retreated along the rough barn wall, and ended up standing beside the prostrate Joel Crawford. “No,” she hissed, head shaking back and forth. Eyes defiant. “You can shoot me right now, but I'm not going anywhere!”

Stoneman went for her. He grabbed Addie by the throat and started to pull her to him, but then Joel Crawford clamped a hand on his boot top and pulled with all his strength just as Addie shoved the rancher backward.

Stoneman lost his balance, dropped the shotgun, and toppled to the barn floor. Longarm lunged at the man and landed on top of him, swinging his fists like sledgehammers.

They rolled, gouging and punching. Normally, Longarm could probably have overpowered Stoneman, but given that his head was spinning and he'd just been kicked in the balls, he didn't have his normal strength, and he could feel Wade getting the better of him. Now the man was on top, and he was both heavy and extremely powerful.

Addie snatched up the fallen shotgun and pointed it at the two big men, her eyes wild with panic.

“No!” Longarm shouted, certain that she'd lost her mind and was going to shoot.

Addie realized what Longarm meant. She dropped the shotgun, grabbed a pitchfork, and raised it high overhead. Then, because Stoneman was on top and beating Longarm, she stabbed downward with the pitchfork and impaled him with four wickedly sharp tines.

The big rancher had one hand on Longarm's throat, choking him, and a fist lifted to slam downward into Longarm's exposed, bleeding face. But when the pitchfork skewered him, Stoneman arched his broad back and screamed like an animal.

Longarm rolled out from under the man, grabbed the shotgun, and fired in one smooth, instinctive movement.

And just like that, Stoneman's head was gone.

The old woman shrieked and fired at Longarm, missing. Longarm unleashed the second shot, and blew her completely off her feet and up against the barn wall. She hung there, impaled by blood, bone, and lead.

Addie and Longarm glanced at each other, and then she looked to Joel Crawford, who had found a gun.

“What's your move, kid?” Longarm asked, knowing it was all up to Crawford.

The kid's hand was shaking and he couldn't seem to stop staring at the headless man and the old woman pinned to the wall with buckshot.

“Joel?” Addie asked, her voice a trembling question.

He blinked, and then tossed the gun to Longarm, croaking, “I want to marry Betsy and take her to California. If that's still okay, Marshal.”

Longarm still felt like retching, but he did manage a thin smile as he collected the gun and answered, “That's fine, Joel. Just plenty damn . . . fine.”

Watch for

LONGARM AND
LOVIN' LIZZY

the 359
^thnovel in the exciting LONGARM
series from Jove

Coming in October!

And don't miss

LONGARM AND
THE VALLEY OF SKULLS

Longarm Giant Edition 2008

Available from Jove in October!