“Oh, I'll find my money.” Logan rose to his feet, buried a boot in Nicky's stomach, and demanded an answer, “Now tell me... where's Josiah Cole?”
“He--” Nicky started to answer, but when a bit of manure entered his mouth, he nearly retched. Not surprisingly, his distress had Ed cackling with laughter.
“You're an intelligent young man, Nicky Gunn. At least... I think you're intelligent. You look intelligent.” Logan drew his pistol and pulled back on the hammer, grinning at the click. “But if you
were really smart, you'd tell me where Josiah is before I'm tempted to put a bullet between your eyes.”
“Or maybe we should start threatening the girl again?” Ed crouched beside Jun and gave her hair a gentle stroke. “Tell me where Josiah Cole is, or I'll do things to this girl that'd make Beelzebub blush.”
When Jun felt Ed's filthy fingers sifting through her hair, she closed her eyes and tried to imagine herself somewhere else. Somewhere safe. Unfortunately, it was difficult to imagine, because she barely remembered what it was like to feel truly safe. Furthermore, Ed Hershall reeked. Try as she might, she couldn't push his presence from her mind. His rancid odor insisted on drifting into her nose, reminding her of her predicament.
“I'll tell you,” Flynn spoke up. When he had their attention, he solemnly reported, “Josiah went to Gravestone to get Nicky's brother out of jail. And he's using Logan's money to get him out.”
“Is that true?” Logan asked the question to Nicky, who nodded faintly. “Well, shit. If that's what's happening, we better get down to Gravestone to put a stop to that exchange. If we don't get our money back, ya'll can expect bad things to happen to you.”
“Real bad things,” Ed added with a snort—then he kissed Jun on the mouth.
She couldn't remember a more unpleasant experience than that.
Eighteen
“Josiaaaaah!” A deep voice boomed, echoing ceaselessly. “Josiah Cole, you goddamn bastard... are you down there in that gorge?”
Josiah's eyes snapped open in an instant. Within seconds, he was on his feet with a gun in his hand. Gwen woke too, but Carol didn't stir, not even a little bit.
“Josiiiiiah!” a similar voice cried out. “Josiah Cole, we've got your brother! If you're down there, we need to speak to you!”
“Carol!” Josiah attempted to nudge the slumbering engineer with the tip of his boot. “Carol Cassady, wake up! Something's going down!”
“Ugggggggghhhh!” Carol moaned and rolled over, away from Josiah's pesky boot. “If something's going down, it better be vodka down my gullet, because nothing else is worth waking up for. It's waaay too early!”
Josiah saw Nicky Gunn first. Ed Hershall was pulling him on the end of a rope. As they made their way down to the gorge, Nicky stumbled. When he dropped to his knees, Ed didn't wait for him to get up, he just dragged him along. Behind him, Logan Hershall had Flynn and Jun, who had been tied up individually, then tied together. Nicky was the only one with a gag in his mouth, which wasn't especially surprising to Josiah, who was well-aware of his young companion's annoyingly loquacious
nature.
“Josiah Josiah Jo-si-YAH!” Ed pressed his revolver against Nicky's throat as they closed in on the Cole brother's camp. “We was lookin' all over for you, you know.”
“And, as you can see, we've got your little brother!” as Logan spoke, he tugged on Flynn's rope, dragging him forward.
“So you do.” Josiah's eyes narrowed, and his hand stayed at his gun. “I know you Hershalls are dumb as hell, but I didn't think you'd be dumb enough to make an enemy of me. Are you sure you've thought this through?”
“Oh, I've thought about it.” Logan assured him. He stuck his pistol's barrel next to Flynn's forehead, then he stole a whiff of Jun's hair. “I had a lot of time to think about things after my money was stolen!”
“Yeah.” Ed lightly rapped on Nicky's head with the butt of his gun. “It was stolen by this one.”
“And we were told you had it,” added the other brother.
“Stolen money...” Josiah whispered as he dragged a hand through his hair, which had been disheveled by a night of sleep. “Nicky, did you steal money from these two?”
Nicky answered with a somber nod, but he didn't say a word.
“Dammit, Nicky, why? Didn't I teach you anything?”
Nicky's eyes rolled at Josiah's lecture. “Oh, like you haven't stolen money before, Jo! Don't be a damn hypocrite!”
“Nicky... unlike you, I don't go picking fights with the wrong kinds of people! Now look what you've gone and done!”
“Ey!” Ed suddenly spoke up. “Can we save the lovers' quarrel for later? We need to talk about what's important right now.”
“The money,” Logan reminded them. “We were told you had it, Mr. Cole. So... if you don't want your brother to have two broken legs, you better hand it over.”
“That'll be a bit of a problem...” Josiah briefly glanced at Carol, who was still trying to rub the grogginess from her eyes. “I already dropped off the money back at Gravestone.”
“Shit!” Logan hissed. While dragging his captives behind him, Logan marched over to Ed, and the two of them shared a whispered conference. “You really don't got it no more?”
“I really don't,” Josiah assured them. “You can search the camp, if necessary. You'll find nothing here.”
“Dammit!” Ed kicked a boulder, but the boulder didn't budge. He was lucky he didn't end up with a stubbed toe. “You're gonna have to pay up somehow, boys.”
“Maybe I should shoot out little brother's eye!” As Logan shoved his gun's muzzle against Flynn's cheek, the younger Cole's expression remained as stony as ever. Threats rarely made him flinch.
“Look, Logan, I didn't know the money was stolen. I honestly didn't. This idiot told me he won it at cards, fair and square.” Josiah briefly glared at Nicky. “There's got to be a way I can make it up to you. Like I said, you don't want an enemy like me... and I sure as shit don't want a couple of enemies like you. So let's work something out. Let's be gentlemen about this.”
Ed whispered into his brother's ear. A few seconds later, Logan was nodding with approval. “We'll give you a chance, boy,” Logan finally decided. “If you can bring us that two hundred dollars, all will be forgiven, and we can part as friends.”
“We're gonna head on over to Yooma,” Ed added. “When you've got the money, you can meet us up there.”
“We'll be taking your brother, of course.” Logan gave Flynn's cheek a few light pats, but Flynn just glared straight ahead, unblinkingly and unflinchingly. If he wasn't tied up, Logan might have been intimidated by the boy's razor-sharp stare.
“And we'll be taking Nicky Gunn, since he's the cause of all this.” When Ed smacked his captive's rear end, Nicky yelped and squeaked. “Hey, Logan... should we keep the girl?”
“Nah.” Logan was already cutting Jun free of her ropes. “I don't think that's a good idea. I don't want to have to feed her.”
“She's real pretty, though,” Ed said. “So's that one over there.” He pointed at Gwen, who had been stunned into silence. “I think we should take her!”
“No, please!” Gwen was practically in tears when she saw Ed moving toward her. “Please please please please no!”
“Aww. Are you sure you don't want to come, sweetheart?” Ed simultaneously grabbed his crotch and thrust it toward her. “If you come with old Ed, he'll make you wetter than the month of April.”
“Leave her alone,” Josiah coldly cautioned him. “If you take her, you and I no longer have a deal, and this'll turn ugly real fast.”
“Alright, alright!” Ed held up a hand as he stepped away from Gwen. “There's no reason to get your knickers in a twist, boy. It sounds like we won't be takin' any of the girls... much to my disappointment.”
Logan shoved Jun to the ground and started to walk away with Flynn. “Don't forget... Yooma!” he reminded him.
“And if you need a tip, I've got a good one
for you!” When Ed spoke again, his eyes were feverish with excitement. “Princess Isabella's carriage will be rolling through Traitor's Gorge around noon today. Now... I don't know how familiar you are with the area, but--”
Josiah interrupted. “I'm familiar.”
“Good. Then you'll know Traitor's Gorge ain't too far from here,” Ed continued. “I reckon a princess should have lots of money on her, so you might be able to earn yourself that two hundred dollars real quick.”
“You know, that sounds like a pretty good plan to me!” Logan exclaimed. “Robbing a coach should be easy for the great Josiah Cole, hmm?”
“Should be,” Josiah calmly agreed.
“Well, I wish you luck.” Logan tapped the brim of his hat as he left the area with Flynn and Nicky. The latter was practically in tears, while the former still showed no emotion on his face. “See you in Yooma!”
The Hershall brothers shoved their captives into a ramshackle carriage and abandoned Josiah's campsite. As soon as they were gone, Josiah ran to Jun's side and helped her to her feet.
“Are you alright, sweetheart?” His thumb rapidly brushed her cheek. If she wasn't so shaken, it might have been titillating to be touched by him.
“I... think so.”
When he saw her torn shirt, he frowned. “They didn't touch you, did they?”
“No.”
“Good.” Josiah sprinted to his bag and pulled out a spare shirt for her. As he popped it over her head, he said, “Because if they hurt you, I wouldn't be giving them money in Yooma. I'd be giving them a couple of bullets.”
“They didn't hurt me, but it was still a... a frightening experience,” Jun admitted. Her eyes were blurred by unshed tears, and when she rubbed them, they were blurrier than ever.
“I'm sure it was.” Josiah wrapped an arm around Jun and pulled her against his chest. As he lightly stroked her hair, he looked back at the other two women who accompanied him. Gwen looked envious, while Carol looked vaguely amused.
“So, uh...” Carol was hesitant to speak up, and when she finally did, she was wincing, “So, what now?”
“Shouldn't that be obvious?” As he gave his answer, Josiah looked oddly dignified. “We're robbing a stagecoach.”
Nineteen
“Okay, but you did say we rob a stagecoach,” Carol pointed out. “We rob. Not you. We. That sounds like you're willing to let me help, Jojo.”
“Nah.” When Josiah brought his cigarette to his lips, he took a longer drag than usual. The thought of robbing the princess' stagecoach was more than a bit unnerving, since it would almost certainly be under heavy guard. Every time he raised the monocular, the coach was a little bit closer. Within a few minutes, the princess' equipage would dip into the valley, and that's when he would make his move.
“I really think I could help you, though,” Carol insisted. “I'm not a bad rider and I'm a decent enough shot. I promise I won't get in your way!”
“You sure about that? If I have to worry about you, that could end up costing me the mission's success.”
“But you won't have to worry about me! I can handle myself! I'll be a good sidesidekick, I swear!”
Josiah chuckled at Carol's remark. When he glanced over his shoulder, he saw Gwen and Jun cowering behind him. Fortunately, Carol was the only one who insisted on offering unwanted assistance.
“Awww!” Gwen suddenly and inappropriately cooed at the sight of Josiah's face. She leaned in closer, trying to get a better look at him. “Josiah, do you have freckles?”
“I do,” Josiah confirmed as he turned away from her. “They're more noticeable when I've been in the sun a lot.”
“Aww. That's adorable! I can't believe I never noticed that before. I have a weakness for men with freckles!” Gwen exclaimed. “As if you weren't handsome enough already!”
A hint of scarlet rushed across Josiah's cheeks as he listened to Gwen's compliments. With a dismissive snort, he raised the monocular again, checking the situation. As the stagecoach crept closer, it was easier to see what he was up against. There were four horses, as well as four guards—two on either side of the vehicle. He expected guards inside the carriage as well, but he couldn't be certain.
Carol nagged him again. “So... can I help? I'll be an asset! I swear I will!”
“Alright, Carol,” Josiah finally capsized. “You can ride on Gwen's horse, assuming she doesn't mind too much?”
When he looked back at Gwen, her smile was wide. As smitten as she was, he could have asked for her left arm, and she would have happily forfeited it. “Sure.”
“Girls... in the unlikely event that I don't come back... Santo Feo is ahead of us, and Gravestone is behind us,” Josiah said. “But don't go anywhere until you definitely know I'm dead, alright?
“Please don't die!” Jun begged him “Don't even talk about dying! It hurts my heart to think about it!”
A hint of confusion briefly lifted Josiah's eyebrows. He barely knew her. He certainly didn't know her well enough to make her heart hurt. Nevertheless, Josiah smiled at her. If a beautiful girl like Jun wanted to care about him, he was flattered. In fact, his chest was tickled by pride.
“Here.” Josiah suddenly shoved a narrow-nosed gun into Carol's gloved hand. “That's a tranquilizer gun. I'd rather not kill innocent people, so that's what I'll be using today. I've got one too.” He pointed at the gun on his left hip.
“Do you ever use guns that can actually kill people, or are you always just a big, ole softie?” Carol asked.
Josiah pointed at his right hip, where his revolver was holstered. “Sure. I just prefer to be a softie.”
When Josiah winked at her, Carol could almost understand what the other women saw in him. Almost.
“Well, Miss Cassady, they're almost within range.” Josiah smoothly donned his hat and mounted his horse. “You ready for this?”
“Uhh... yeah.” Carol mounted Gwen's horse, albeit much less fluidly. She was already starting to regret her decision to help. “I'm ready. Let's do it, Josie.”
“I'll approach from the left, you approach from the right. If you struggle with the guards on your side, I'll try to lend a hand.”
“I think it's safe to say I will struggle.” Carol hoped he wouldn't hear her whispered words, not after she was so confident a moment ago.
“Yah!” Josiah suddenly screamed, coaxing his horse into action. When the princess' stagecoach was within range, he raced down the hill. The attack was a total ambush, so it was easy enough to take out the first and second guards. Josiah shot one in the back and another in the arm. Within seconds, they were both slumping in their saddles, unable to ride or move.
It took the others a moment to realize they were under attack, but when they did, another guard appeared in the carriage window. Before he could fire, Josiah raised his tranq gun and shot him in the neck.
When Carol appeared on the vehicle's right flank, the guards were ready for her. One of them shot off her hat, narrowly missing her head. As her hat spiraled across the desert, Carol screamed maniacally.
“You alright over there?” Josiah shouted to Carol as he aimed for the stagecoach's driver. A direct shot in the nape made him pass out in his seat.
“Um... sort of.” As Carol steered her horse to the left, another bullet whizzed by her ear. “Uhhhh... I could use a little help, though!” She tried to raise her gun, but her hand was trembling so violently, it nearly slipped from her fingers. “Unlike you, they're firing real bullets, Jo! Real. The could-kill-you kind!”
Josiah squeezed his horse's reins as he stood up in the saddle, which required a tremendous amount of balance and concentration. Hearing Carol scream again, he nearly slipped. “What happened?”
“I hit a guy!” Carol cheered for herself. “I got him in the back. He's... aaaaah!”
“Carol?” As his horse rode alongside the stagecoach, Josiah tried to find the perfect moment to leap on top of it. Carol's terrified squeals didn't help. “Carol, what's happening over there?” She di
dn't respond, so he decided to expedite his leap. Josiah jumped from his horse and landed on top of the moving carriage. His legs were flailing behind him, so it took him a moment to pull himself up.
On top of the carriage, Josiah had a better view of Carol's situation. She had successfully neutralized one guard, but the second one was giving her trouble. Josiah, who only had two tranquilizers left, had to make them count. He got down on his knees, regained his balance, and fired at Carol's troublesome guard. Thankfully, his aim was perfect. He shot the man's shoulder, and when he lost consciousness, he dropped from his horse.
Josiah dragged the stagecoach's sleeping driver out of the seat and took his place at the reins. At the same time, yet another guard appeared at the window on Carol's side. When she saw him, she screamed.
“Jo! Jo Jo Jo Jo Joey Jooooo!” Carol hollered for him. “There's a guy over here! He's got a mask and he... aiiiiieeeeeeee!”
Holding onto the horses' reins, Josiah glanced over his shoulder, checking on Carol. “What happened?”
“He shot me, man! In the leg!” Carol cried. “And... holy shit, it hurts!”
Josiah briefly abandoned the driver's seat and jumped on top of the carriage again. He got down on his stomach and slid to the edge of the rattling equipage. With his torso firmly on top of the carriage, he slowly slithered forward. Hanging upside down, he could see into the carriage window. As soon as he spotted the masked man who was responsible for shooting Carol, Josiah unleashed his sixth and final tranquilizer on him. When the man was down, Josiah got back up and returned to the driver's seat. Below him, he could hear Princess Isabella and her handmaidens screaming in unison.
“Josiaaaaah!” Carol whined his name. “Oh god, Josiah... my leg hurts so bad! Owwwww.”
“Keep it together, Miss Cassady. We're just about done.” Josiah tugged on the horse's reins, bringing the carriage to a slow and steady halt. As soon as they were completely stopped, he climbed down from the driver's seat and crept to the coach's door. Before peering inside, he slipped his second gun from its holster; he couldn't be too careful. For all he knew, one of the princess' handmaidens could have been heavily armed.
The Emperor's Bride (Belles & Bullets Book 6) Page 13
