An Ill Wind
Author
James P Hanley
Author Bio
Jim Hanley has had over 80 short stories published in a variety of online and print publications. He has written 2 Western novels published by 5 Prince Publishing. Jim is currently completing a mystery novel.
Description
In this sequel to The Calling, Sheriff Luke Atwell and his deputies face individual and collective challenges from outlaws, gunfighters, renegade Indians, card sharps, and a thieving medicine show in a Kansas town in the 1870’s. The personal lives of the lawmen also change and nature takes its destructive toll on the town and its residents. When a black neighbor’s family is attacked and the oldest son killed, the sheriff gets the help of federal law enforcement and they chase a band of marauding ex-Confederates out to undo the changes resulting from the Civil War
Book excerpt
Sheriff Atwell and his deputy Jesse were walking together and saw the assistant, Tess, from Peggy’s store, arguing with a gruff looking man. He towered over her by nearly half a foot but she seemed undeterred. The shouting elevated and Tess shoved the man who had gotten closer in an attempt at intimidation. The angry man pushed back and Tess stumbled backward and fell. Jesse ran toward them but was a considerable distance away. The attacker reached for his gun and Jesse saw the woman, while still on the ground, reach under the edge of her skirt and tug at the top of her boots. In a second, a gun appeared in her hand. Jesse called out to the two, drawing his own weapon. The man saw him charging and froze. Within a few moments he shoved his weapon in his holster and backed away from Tess until he was a few yards away when he turned and ran, kicking up dust as his boots pounded the dry, dirt street. Jesse put his Colt away and reached down to pull Tess to her feet. Not realizing how light she was, Jesse tugged hard and she fell against him. For a minute the deputy held her, unmoving until she looked down at the ground toward the gun that had fallen from her grip when Jesse pulled her. Atwell approached and observed the direction of Tess’s stare and before the two of them separated, he reached down and picked up the small, light gun. The handle of polished bone had lettering on one side, a single but significant word: Pinkerton. She reached out her hand as a request for return, but Atwell stuck the gun in his belt.
“We’ve got some things to clear up,” Atwell said.
“Not here,” Tess said softly.
The three walked to the jailhouse, Jesse alongside Tess, whispering questions. She smiled at him, not answering. Once inside, they all sat in the wood chairs.
“Why do you have a gun with Pinkerton written across it?” Atwell asked.
Tess swiveled to look at both men as if determining how to respond and the likely reaction from the two lawmen. She answered firmly, “I’m a Pinkerton agent. A few weeks ago, a band of thieves held up and robbed a train. There was payroll for a mining company and it was being guarded by one of our agents killed during the holdup. The agency vowed revenge and caught up with the band of men in Texas. Most of the bandits were killed in a shootout but two got away. One of those men was the shooter. We knew it would be much harder to track down two men than the group of ten that attacked the train, but we got a tip they were heading this way, so they sent me to find out. I believe the man I was fighting with was one of the gang.”