by Ben Bridges
Suddenly I grew aware of the people around me. Already I was back in town, with Sheriff Carr, Deputy Jeffers and a crowd of other townspeople shoving past me, flocking up to the ruined house to help the wounded and gauge the true extent of the damage.
‘Ashley?’
Startled, I looked around. Jane was standing outside the hotel, her father beside her, their faces still white with the shock of what had happened. Suddenly I felt stronger for seeing the girl, stronger and more optimistic for the uncertain future.
‘Ashley?’ Her blind, anxious eyes were searching the darkness, her neat fingers knitting worriedly together just below her breasts. ‘Are you all right?’
I said tiredly, ‘Yes, Jane. I’m all right.’
‘Is it...over now?’
‘I don’t know. Maybe, if whoever takes over has the good sense to learn from this, see just how futile it all was.’ I sighed. ‘The newspapers will report what happened. The Marshal’s office in Helena will send someone in to make sure that Carr keeps order until things quieten down again.’ I swallowed softly. ‘There’ll be questions asked, answers given. And then, if we’re lucky, someone somewhere will make some sense out of it all and see to it that it never happens again.’
‘You?’ she asked.
I shrugged. ‘Maybe. Who knows?’ I looked a question at her father, and he nodded a gentle yes.
With his permission, I went gratefully towards her, climbed the steps and reached for her, and as she came into my arms I realized that this was indeed the end...but only the end of the beginning.
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WESTERNS (Writing as ‘Ben Bridges’):
APACHERIA SERIES:
Apacheria
Lockwood’s Law
ASH COLTER SERIES:
Gunsmoke Legend
Ride the High Lines
Storm in the Saddle
HELLER SERIES
Heller
Heller in the Rockies
JIM ALLISON SERIES:
Rattler Creek
Blood Canyon
Thunder Gorge
JUDGE AND DURY SERIES:
Hang ‘em All
Riding for Justice
Law of the Gun
Trial by Fire
Barbed Wire Noose
Judgment Day
O’BRIEN SERIES:
The Silver Trail
Hard as Nails
Mexico Breakout
Hangman’s Noose
The Deadly Dollars
Squaw Man
North of the Border
Shoot to Kill
Hell for Leather
Marked for Death
Gunsmoke is Gray
Cold Steel
Mean as Hell
Draw Down the Lightning
THE WILDE BOYS SERIES:
The Wilde Boys
Wilde Fire
Wilde’s Law
Aces Wilde
STAND-ALONE WESTERNS:
Ride for the Rio!
Back With a Vengeance
Blaze of Glory
Tanner’s Guns
Coffin Creek
The Spurlock Gun
All Guns Blazing
Cannon for Hire
Montana Gunsmoke
Starpacker
Cougar Valley
SHORT STORIES:
Three for the Trail
HORROR (Writing as David Whitehead):
The Fluttering
Scare Tactics
Hell on Earth
SCIENCE-FICTION (Writing with Alfred Wallon):
Earth-Shattering
THRILLERS (Writing with Steve Hayes):
House of the Dead
Vampire Wars
Women Kill Me
Another Dame, Another Dollar
The Doomsday Conspiracy
The Trail to Death Mountain
Under the Knife
Night of the Demons
Blackout!
SHERLOCK HOLMES (writing with Steve Hayes):
Sherlock Holmes and the Queen of Diamonds
Sherlock Holmes and the Knave of Hearts
Sherlock Holmes and the King of Clubs
ROMANCES (as ‘Janet Whitehead’):
Yours for Eternity
Patterns in the Snow
Far Eastern Promise
A Time to Run
Winterhaven
Hold Me Forever
Yesterday’s Child
Light of My Life
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
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