Gold Dust Widow: The Story of an Outlaw's Revenge

Chapter 30: Jasper

I knew the moment Ares caught her scent. He raced off like a bullet, nose to the ground. I followed quickly behind, searching the horizon as I went.

We'd made our way slowly around the outskirts of Baxton, to avoid being seen, and now that Clara's tracks were visible, we were racing towards her.

Straight back towards Baxton.

The smoke had filled the clouds, a heavy weight that seemed to hang from heavens, casting the small town in early darkness.

Rolling hills basked in the faint rays of sunshine, from the top, I could see the river snaking through the landscape, grey and heavy with ash. Though I wasn't close enough, I felt like I could smell the town, the decaying bodies of those who'd fallen the night before.

As we drew closer, I could tell there was a commotion in Baxton. Minutes before the town had been silent, suddenly the sounds of horses neighing, their thundering hooves exploded at the same time.

I urgently called Ares to a halt, and the obedient dog stopped in his tracks, looking back up at me with his big brown eyes.

A heavy dust cloud was amassing from the corral outside of town. The horses were restless, stomping, neighing and pushing against each other trying to get out. Something was bothering them, riling them up.

Men ran from the town centre towards the corral, but they wouldn't make it in time.

I watched as a single rider, waving his hat in the air, whooped and raced across the plains towards the corral.

A single shot rang out through the morning air and the young man, racing towards the corral, whooped again. Another shot and the corral gate swung wide open.

It was the straw that broke the camels back, the horses crashed out of the corral, and the young boy whooping, herded the horses towards town expertly.

I swore. I knew exactly what was happening. She was attacking. She'd completely ignored me and she was going after Rhett Mealy and his men.

And I was certain she was largely outnumbered.

"Bloody reckless woman," I growled. I should have known she'd turn around.

The men in town, who were shouting and running towards the corral, were quickly backtracking. They threw themselves out of the way at the last minute. The horses thundered through the city centre, neighing, crashing into the boardwalks, creating a thick dust cloud. The young man behind whooped and snapped a whip behind them, keeping his head low.

While they raced through town causing havoc, shots began to ring out. Men standing on the boardwalks out of the way of the horses were suddenly dropping to their knees, headshots, all of them.

I knew it was her. It had to be her.

I wasn't thinking as I kicked the stallion forward, Ares lurched with us as we raced down the hill towards town.

The horses had made their way through the town streets, thundering onto the plains. But the young man was whooping and guiding them back in a wide circle. Meanwhile, the men in town were scrambling. The sharpshooter was relentless, shot after shot the men dropped.

Orders were being shouted, and men's voices yelled as they ran back and forth from the saloon to the mercantile. They started shooting back, aiming for the top of the church tower. The white wood was showered with bullets and I felt my breath catch, the blood ran cold.

I could feel the sharp wind, the heat of the stallion galloping below me, but my entire body was focused on the church steeple, my heart seemed to stop beating. And I pushed the stallion faster.