Blood-Lines

Chapter XVIII -- End Game

Summer, 1878 / Fort Danna, Wyoming

Colonel Alvin Bonnet was deep in thought while he read reports of the bank robbery in Goblin's Toe or he would have noticed his visitor as soon as he'd closed the door of his office.

As it was he'd just moved behind his desk when he heard a soft cough only to discover Abigail Dorchester while she leaned back against his bookcase as she gently chewed on a toothpick.

"Two things ..." he began with a sigh as he raised a hand for emphasis, "... if you are indeed here to kill me, then please do so before I have to deal with this ..." he held up the reports that he'd carried in his other hand.

"And the other?" she offered with clear amusement.

"You really should check that wardrobe, I keep hearing of this mysterious man who's one of the best killers up or down the Mississippi that's rumored to look a lot like you ... and we both know that you're far more man than most of the men that even I currently employ."

"I feel bad for the poor doctor that keeps hearing that about herself." she replied bemusedly, having shoved off the bookcase to take a seat in the high back chair nearby.

"Better?" she asked graciously, with a raised brow and both hands up at her sides in plain sight.

He seemed to relax as he set the reports aside. "You're joking about that doctor ... right?"

Abby sighed. "I've been retired for some time now as you well know, Colonel or may I call you Alvin. My friends call me Abby."

"Alright ... Abby, what brings you here today? I won't even bother to ask how you got past my guards but I've heard that you can be rather resourceful when you have to ... or needed to be, as the case may have been."

"You can leave the dust on that double barrel under the desk, it's no longer loaded ..." she mused coldly, "... I've just come from Goblin's Toe, where it seems the sheriff there has been awful busy with a bank robbery that has gone terribly wrong."

"Ah ... so you you know about that." he replied, as he indicated a folder on his desk. "Definitely awful business considering what happened to that Indian deputy of his."

"Running-Deer" she offered softly.

"Yes, I remember now. She was a good find for him and proved herself quite useful once she was there." They looked at each other across the desk. "Were you involved ... with the bank in any way?"

She smiled. "Poe and I were already over that, and for the record; no I was most assuredly not. I was just there to help out as best I could with the aftermath and everything else that came along with it."

"Does he know ... about you or just the ... doctor you."

"Both actually," she replied. "He seems ... nice enough and I felt it better to be truthful from the get-go rather than later."

"Were you involved?" she finally asked with a cool tone, as she gestured with her hands to indicate the room around them.

Bonnet smiled as he sat back in his chair. "With the robbery?" he mused openly, "Sadly no. Had we been it wouldn't have blown up as it did." he sighed as looked down at the desk. "Unfortunately however, one of our better agents was and lost his life in the process."

"Jacob Davies, the Pinkerton's man." she observed evenly.

"Yes, the Pinkerton's thing was a cover to get him close to what we were involved with."