Outlaw's Lady

by Bobbi Smith

  Alyssa remembered the outlaws' conversation. "I heard Slade Braxton saying they shouldn't kill you because a shot would give the jailbreak away."

  "I was just lucky that they didn't have a lot of time. Whoever killed my men used a knife on them, and they could have done the same to me."

  "I'm so sorry," Alyssa said.

  "So am I," he responded. "They were good men."

  "It was probably Zeke Malone. He's a cold one, who's known for being real proficient with a knife," Rob told them. "It's small consolation, but we did get Red Parsons during the shootout."

  "Good," Jones said savagely, "that means there's one less murderer on the loose. Who's left of the gang now? Just the Kid and Zeke Parsons?"

  "It looks that way."

  He nodded, pleased. "Good. We may be taking them down slowly, but ultimately, we're going to win this. They are not going to escape us."

  The two lawmen shared a look. They both hated the Kid and wouldn't rest until he'd been brought in to face justice.

  "I'm just sorry I missed him tonight. I was so close-" Rob regretted not figuring out what was going on more quickly.

  "His day's coming-one way or the other."

  "Will you need any more help tonight?"

  "I will, Rob. Thanks. We're stretched pretty thin, the way things are."

  "Just give me time to escort Alyssa to her room, and then I'll come back and stand guard with you."

  "We'll stay and help, too," Hawkins and Brown volunteered.

  Jones appreciated the other lawmen's aid. He turned to Alyssa as they prepared to leave.

  "Miss Mason, I can't thank you enough," he said. "If it hadn't been for you, things would have turned out quite differently tonight."

  "I'm just glad I could help."

  "You did. You foiled their whole escape attempt. Without you, they would have been long gone by now."

  "Your father would be proud of what you did," Rob complimented her. "Maybe you should forget about being a judge and hire on as a deputy. We're the first territory to have female jurors and justices of the peace-why not deputies?" He found the thought of working more closely with her quite appealing.

  "I think I'll stay right where I am. I like using the gavel to bring order much better than I like using my gun."

  With that, she said good night to Sheriff Jones and the others, and Rob walked her back to her hotel room.

  "Since we've been together on this trip, you've been in one adventure after another," Rob remarked as they reached the door to her room. "I think you're due for some peace and quiet pretty soon."

  "I hope so. I think I've had enough excitement to last me quite a while."

  There was an awkward pause in their conversation as she turned to unlock her door.

  "Well, good night, Rob."

  "Good night, Alyssa," he said softly.

  She looked so beautiful that he was tempted to kiss her, but he controlled the urge. He waited until she was safely inside; then he returned to the sheriff's office. As he passed the long hours of the night with Jones, though, Alyssa stayed in his thoughts.

  Alyssa awoke several hours before dawn and was unable to get back to sleep. She rose and, without lighting a lamp, drew a chair to the window to wait and watch for the sunrise.

  Today was the day. Today, the trial would begin.

  She had expected to be excited that the outlaws were finally being brought to justice, but she only felt numb... especially after last night. The memory of how Slade had argued with the other men and saved the sheriff's life stayed with her. And again, she was haunted by the possibility that he was not the killer he seemed to be.

  Staring out into the pre-dawn darkness, Alyssa debated with herself about what to do. She knew how Rob felt about Slade's guilt, yet her own doubts could not be erased. They had been troubling before, and now, after listening to his argument with the other killers last night, they were even more so. Alyssa remembered, too, the way Slade had looked at her as she left the cell area with Rob, and she wondered...

  An hour later, when the eastern sky had brightened, Alyssa dressed and prepared for the eventful day ahead. She would be in court from the opening moment, but first, she had a stop to make-at the telegraph office.

  Judge Banks was a strictly by-the-book, nononsense judge. He called the court to order right on schedule and the trial was under way. Guards were posted inside and outside the courtroom. They were taking no chances with security after what the Kid had tried with the fire the night before.

  The jury was made up of four women and eight men. They paid close attention to all the evidence presented and seemed, to those watching them, intelligent and rational. Alyssa was pleased with the twelve selected.

  The hours passed quickly. The witnesses who'd testified before her court were all present and more than willing to cooperate. One by one, they were called and took the oath to tell nothing but the truth, so help them God.

  When court was adjourned for lunch, Alyssa hurried back to the telegraph office.

  "Did you get an answer from Denver yet?" she asked Jonas Howard, the telegraph operator.

  "No, ma'am. Not a word." At her look of disappointment, he quickly went on, "But if anything comes in this afternoon, I'll bring it to you over at the courthouse."

  "That would be wonderful. Thank you."

  As she returned to the proceedings, she couldn't help wondering what was taking the Pinkerton office so long to respond to her query. If Slade Braxton was an agent, wouldn't they want to save him from hanging? And if he wasn't, wouldn't they want to notify her of that, too?

  The thought that Slade was nothing more than a liar and a killer seared her soul as she listened to the rest of the day's testimony. Judging from the remarks she overheard from those attending the trial, there seemed little doubt in anyone's mind that Slade was her father's murderer. The following day, Les Anderson would be testifying. He was the witness who'd sworn under oath that Slade was the man. But if Slade was an amoral killer, why had he been so insistent that the outlaws not gun down the sheriff during the jailbreak?

  Alyssa had no answer, and so she waited-for news from Denver and for the final jury verdict.

  It was sundown when Ken rode into Green River. He was hot, tired and exhausted, but he didn't care. The good news was he'd made it. He reined in before the hotel and, after checking in and washing up a bit, he went looking for the nearest saloon. He knew it would be the best place to learn the latest information on what was happening with the trial.

  "Give me a beer," he ordered.

  The barkeep quickly set the glass before him. Ken paid him and took a deep drink of the brew.

  "You staying in town long?" the bartender asked, trying to make conversation. It had been a slow night for business, and he was glad to see a new face.

  "For a few days," Ken answered.

  "Where are you from?"

  "Denver, originally, but now I move around a lot. What's going on in Green River? Anything exciting?"

  The bartender was wiping down the bar as he replied, "Last couple of days have been the most excitement we've had in years. We're holding a trial for some of the Dakota Kid's gang."

  "The Dakota Kid? Is he still alive?"

  "Hell, yes, and causing trouble every chance he gets. He set a fire last night, and while we were fighting to put it out, he tried to break his boys out of jail."

  "Did he get away with it?" Ken stiffened, fearing Slade was gone.

  "No. Someone saw them and yelled a warning. There was a shoot-out. Two guards were killed. The Kid escaped and so did one of his men. But Red Parsons was gunned down and we've still got the three prisoners we had originally. They never made it out of the jail."

  Ken nodded. "You were lucky."

  "I'll say. The Kid probably would just as soon have shot everybody in town. The sheriff was lucky, too. They just locked him up in a cell while they were trying to make the escape. It's pretty frightening. No one knows when-or if-the Kid will try again, but we d
on't put anything past him."

  "You've had some excitement, all right, but that kind of excitement you don't need."

  "The deputies who were killed were good men. The town's going to miss them. The trial started up today, so maybe we'll see justice done real soon. It shouldn't take long. There weren't that many witnesses who needed to testify."

  "So, you think there'll be a hanging?"

  "Oh, yeah-especially after the fire. People are out for blood now. Not that they weren't before, what with Judge Mason getting shot down in cold blood and all in Black Springs, but now they've killed some of our own."

  Ken downed the rest of his beer. He'd learned all he needed to know. "Thanks for the beer."

  "There's more where that came from. Come on back whenever you're thirsty."

  Ken left the saloon and went back to his room. He had no time to waste. He'd already missed one day of the trial, and he could just imagine Slade's mood. Ken would have smiled at the thought, had the situation not been so serious. He knew what he had to do, and he would do it-now. After getting his saddlebags, he headed for the jail.

  Pete Riley was standing guard at the sheriff's office, and he eyed the stranger approaching suspiciously. The man was wearing a side arm, so Riley leveled his rifle at him.

  "What are you doing here?"

  "My name's Ken Richards, and I've come to speak with Sheriff Jones."

  "What about?"

  "That's between me and the sheriff," Ken answered tightly. "If you'd like, I'll leave my gun with you."

  "All right, and what's in your saddlebags?"

  "You can look through them, too, if you'd like. I heard from the barkeep about your trouble last night."

  "Maybe the barkeep talks too much," Riley said tersely as he took Ken's weapon and sifted through the papers he was carrying. "Go on in."

  He opened the door for him.

  "Sheriff, there's someone here who wants to see you," Riley announced.

  He went back to standing guard, keeping careful watch. He had no intention of ending up dead like his two friends.

  Steve Jones looked up at the tall man who came to stand before his desk. "What can I do for you, stranger?"

  Ken glanced toward the cell area and saw that the door was closed. Satisfied that they were talking in private, he explained, "My name is Ken Richards. I'm a Pinkerton supervisor out of the Denver office. Slade Braxton is one of our operatives who's been working undercover with the Dakota Kid's gang for months now."

  Jones was stunned. "No."

  Ken had expected just such resistance. He produced all the necessary identification papers to convince the shocked lawman of the truth.

  Jones studied them, reading each document carefully, recognizing the signature of the territorial governor vouching for Braxton's true identity as an operative. He shook his head in disbelief.

  "But there are witnesses who saw him rob the bank and kill John Mason in Black Springs. Les Anderson is due to testify tomorrow that he saw Braxton shoot him down."

  "The man is lying... or should I say, mistaken. Our agency went to great lengths to create the myth of Slade Braxton's deadly reputation. Slade does know how to handle himself and a gun, but I can tell you right now, there is no way Slade Braxton shot anyone down in cold blood."

  "Wait a minute-" Jones was troubled by this newly revealed information. He got up and called for Riley. "I want you to go find Rob Emerson. I need to see him-now."

  Riley hurried off.

  "Mr. Richards, why don't you have a seat for a moment. I just sent one of my men to find the sheriff from Black Springs. I want him in on this."

  Ken did as he'd suggested, and they waited in tense silence. Rob came rushing to the office within ten minutes.

  "I appreciate your coming so quickly," Jones told him. "Mr. Richards here has some very interesting information to share with us."

  "Richards?" The name sounded vaguely familiar to Rob. Hoping the papers Jones handed him would jog his memory, he began reading. He was in shock when he looked back up at Ken. "It was true."

  "You knew?"

  "Braxton tried to tell me back in Black Springs, but-"

  "But his cover was so good you didn't believe him," Ken finished for him.

  "Exactly. All the posters say he's wanted for murder in Colorado and Texas," Rob said, defending his decision to ignore Slade's claims.

  Ken smiled tightly. "We do a good job when we send our men undercover. We take no chances with their lives and carefully document everything. Obviously, all of Slade's hard work and ours was convincing. I'm just glad I got here in time. If you still have any doubts, I'm sure a wire to the territorial governor will put your minds at ease."

  "It's all right. You won't have to do that," Rob said, turning to Jones. "We can trust him."

  "You're sure?"

  "There was a time during the break-out attempt when Braxton could have killed me and didn't. I had just crashed through the door, and I'd accidentally dropped my gun. Braxton was standing over me. He could have shot me dead, but instead he fired into the wall above my head. I should have realized the truth then."

  "Everything was happening so fast, you couldn't have known," Jones reassured him.

  "There was a lot of shooting going on. I thought maybe he'd been distracted by the other deputies rushing in. But now, I know why-he deliberately missed."

  "Slade's one of our best agents. He's a good man. That's why I'm certain he's not the man who killed Judge Mason. Your witness is mistaken on that account."

  "How do you want to handle this?" Jones asked. "Should I talk to Judge Banks and make arrangements to let him go?"

  "No. I have an idea I'd like to share with you. Since the Kid is still on the run, our job's not finished."

  "Do you want to fake an escape and let him get away?" Jones suggested.

  "No. You're sure they're going to be convicted, aren't you? And the trial's almost over?"

  "Yes," both men answered.

  "Then I want you to go through with the executions. I want you to hang Slade with the other two outlaws."

  The following morning found guards posted outside the courthouse once again. Judge Banks and Sheriff Jones had no intention of letting anything going wrong.

  Slade was tense as he was led into court with Nash and Johnson. He knew the trial would end today, and the verdict was not going to be in his favor. There was a hunger for blood in the people of this town, and the blood they wanted was his.

  He remembered how one of the deputies had taunted them to start counting what was left of their lives in days, but now he knew it was down to hours.

  Slade had seen no sign of Ken, and it was obvious that no one had wired the Denver office. He was, as far as anyone in Green River was concerned, a wanted man, and it looked as though he was going to hang for terrible deeds he hadn't done.

  The murmur of voices grew louder as they were ushered inside, and Slade let his gaze sweep the room. He saw Alyssa sitting in the same place she had occupied yesterday. The proud way she held herself touched him. He could imagine the turmoil she was feeling, sitting through the trial. It couldn't be easy for her. He wanted the chance to talk to her again, to let her know he was not a killer, but he would never have another opportunity. He was going to hang, and he would go to his death with her believing that he'd murdered her father.

  His mood was dark. His hopes destroyed. His life was over.

  And then he noticed the man sitting next to Alyssa.

  Slade's spirits soared!

  Ken was there!

  It took all of Slade's considerable willpower not to reveal his relief. Instead, he scowled blackly at the people who were staring at him as he was led to his seat in the front of the courtroom.

  Alyssa had taken the same seat as she had the day before, but today a strange man sat down near her. She had never seen him before and wondered who he was. He appeared to be a gentleman, for he was wearing a suit and was well groomed. He seemed very interested in all that was
going on.

  Alyssa was distracted from her curiosity about the stranger as Slade was brought into court. She battled with herself not to look his way, but once he'd passed by, she let her gaze linger on him as he walked up the aisle under armed guard.

  Judge Banks brought the court to order, and the first witness of the day was called. The judge kept things moving along at a deliberate pace. He wanted the trial over as soon as possible.

  The court was dismissed at noon for the midday break. Alyssa had intended to speak with the stranger beside her, but he rose and left the building quickly before she had the chance.

  She left the courthouse and was making her way to the hotel restaurant when she heard someone call her name. She turned to see her sister and her mother hurrying toward her. Alyssa was overjoyed.

  "You came!" she said as she was swept into her mother's warm embrace.

  "We couldn't let you go through this all alone," Loretta told her as she hugged her close. "How are you?"

  "I'm fine. When did you get here?"

  "We came in on the stage about an hour ago. We've already checked into the hotel and just started looking for you. How's the trial going?"

  "The judge dismissed everyone for lunch. Testimony should resume at about two o'clock."

  "We may as well have something to eat, then," Loretta said. "And you can tell us everything that's happened so far."

  They went on to the restaurant and ordered a light meal. As they began to eat, Emily brought up the news they'd heard about her trip to Green River with Rob.

  "Deputy Clemans told us about the trouble you had and how Deputy Ursino was wounded."

  "I'm so thankful you weren't injured by those terrible men," her mother put in. She had been horrified when the deputy had described the thwarted escape attempt and how Rob's timely arrival had saved the day. "Thank heaven Rob showed up when he did."

  "I'll say, and there was even more excitement after Clemans and Ursino left to go back to Black Springs."

  "There was?" Loretta looked worried. "What happened?"