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Authors: Meggan Connors
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Indian.”
“She’s the daughter of the
man who made this town.” Luke ignored the taunt, but even to his own ears, his
voice was low-pitched and dangerous. “She grew up here. Went to school with
your son. You should care because she’s one of us . ”
“The shaman’s granddaughter?
No. I think it’s time she went back to her own kind.”
Anger wrapped an iron fist
around Luke’s heart and squeezed until his chest hurt. He stood and leaned over
the sheriff’s chair, then plucked the cigar from between his lips.
“Listen well. Jessica White
is under the protection of the United States Government. She is not to be
harmed or accosted or threatened. If one hair on her head is harmed, it will
fall on you. I will take pleasure in making your life difficult.” He threw the
sheriff’s cigar onto the floor and put it out beneath his boot. “Marshals will
swarm this town so fast it will make your head spin. Your house and your
property will be confiscated. You’ll be stripped of your office and put in
prison. Not your own prison, either. One of mine. A military prison. Let me
assure you, you will find the experience unpleasant. So don’t try my patience.
I never liked you much, anyway.”
The tip of Luke’s finger
pressed into the man’s chest. “And that’s just from me. Imagine what the shaman
will do. Without your posse behind you, do you think you could stand against
him? An entire regiment couldn’t. Mark my words. If anything happens to her, I
will find him myself and make sure he knows who’s responsible.”
The sheriff pushed his chair
back as far as the room would allow. “You son of a bitch!”
A mirthless laugh rumbled up
from Luke’s chest. He plucked his coat and his hat from a hook on the wall. As
he settled his hat low over his eyes, he turned back to the sheriff.
“Bitch? No. As you and your
boy used to remind me on a regular basis, I’m the son of a whore.” He opened
the door, and acrid wind swirled about his ankles, bringing with it the stench
of hell and the cold of snow. He tipped his hat to the sheriff. “Good day,
sheriff. I sure hope I don’t have a reason to come back and visit you any time
soon.”
He slammed the door behind
him.
Chapter Five
The wind bit at Luke’s face,
and the weight of dirty air settled heavily in his chest. The sky was always
worse in the winter, when the soot and sulfur would sink to the valley floor
and cling to the ridgelines. The clouds were thick and gray, blotting out any
sunlight that might have penetrated the layer of ash darkening the sky.
He scanned the streets for
any sign of Jessie, but didn’t see her. Not that he thought he would. After
what she had told him, and the sheriff confirmed, he didn’t think she’d spend
much time parading about the streets of Virginia City. She’d stay indoors, in
the dark and the quiet, where she could disappear.
Ore processors crashed
relentlessly, booming like several giant, asynchronous hearts. The vibrations
descended into his chest, his heart skipping several beats until his pulse
matched the rhythm of the crusher. It felt wrong.
Everything about this
place—about this mission—was wrong.
Luke coughed against the
smoke and ash clinging to the air. Crossing the muddy, rutted main street, he
stepped up onto the wooden boardwalk, under the eaves where he’d be protected
from the snow. A woman carrying a blanket met his eyes and gestured to the
alley behind him, her wordless offer half-hearted and weary.
He shook his head, and she
continued on her way. The prostitutes in this town had gotten younger in his
time away. He hadn’t recognized any of the girls who worked the street on his
way to visit the sheriff. At one time, he would have known every girl on every
corner, and, after his mother’s death when he was twelve, which ones would have
taken him in for a night or two.
Up ahead, a steam-powered
carriage sputtered. A few deputies blocked the boardwalk, so the gathering
crowd had
“She’s the daughter of the
man who made this town.” Luke ignored the taunt, but even to his own ears, his
voice was low-pitched and dangerous. “She grew up here. Went to school with
your son. You should care because she’s one of us . ”
“The shaman’s granddaughter?
No. I think it’s time she went back to her own kind.”
Anger wrapped an iron fist
around Luke’s heart and squeezed until his chest hurt. He stood and leaned over
the sheriff’s chair, then plucked the cigar from between his lips.
“Listen well. Jessica White
is under the protection of the United States Government. She is not to be
harmed or accosted or threatened. If one hair on her head is harmed, it will
fall on you. I will take pleasure in making your life difficult.” He threw the
sheriff’s cigar onto the floor and put it out beneath his boot. “Marshals will
swarm this town so fast it will make your head spin. Your house and your
property will be confiscated. You’ll be stripped of your office and put in
prison. Not your own prison, either. One of mine. A military prison. Let me
assure you, you will find the experience unpleasant. So don’t try my patience.
I never liked you much, anyway.”
The tip of Luke’s finger
pressed into the man’s chest. “And that’s just from me. Imagine what the shaman
will do. Without your posse behind you, do you think you could stand against
him? An entire regiment couldn’t. Mark my words. If anything happens to her, I
will find him myself and make sure he knows who’s responsible.”
The sheriff pushed his chair
back as far as the room would allow. “You son of a bitch!”
A mirthless laugh rumbled up
from Luke’s chest. He plucked his coat and his hat from a hook on the wall. As
he settled his hat low over his eyes, he turned back to the sheriff.
“Bitch? No. As you and your
boy used to remind me on a regular basis, I’m the son of a whore.” He opened
the door, and acrid wind swirled about his ankles, bringing with it the stench
of hell and the cold of snow. He tipped his hat to the sheriff. “Good day,
sheriff. I sure hope I don’t have a reason to come back and visit you any time
soon.”
He slammed the door behind
him.
Chapter Five
The wind bit at Luke’s face,
and the weight of dirty air settled heavily in his chest. The sky was always
worse in the winter, when the soot and sulfur would sink to the valley floor
and cling to the ridgelines. The clouds were thick and gray, blotting out any
sunlight that might have penetrated the layer of ash darkening the sky.
He scanned the streets for
any sign of Jessie, but didn’t see her. Not that he thought he would. After
what she had told him, and the sheriff confirmed, he didn’t think she’d spend
much time parading about the streets of Virginia City. She’d stay indoors, in
the dark and the quiet, where she could disappear.
Ore processors crashed
relentlessly, booming like several giant, asynchronous hearts. The vibrations
descended into his chest, his heart skipping several beats until his pulse
matched the rhythm of the crusher. It felt wrong.
Everything about this
place—about this mission—was wrong.
Luke coughed against the
smoke and ash clinging to the air. Crossing the muddy, rutted main street, he
stepped up onto the wooden boardwalk, under the eaves where he’d be protected
from the snow. A woman carrying a blanket met his eyes and gestured to the
alley behind him, her wordless offer half-hearted and weary.
He shook his head, and she
continued on her way. The prostitutes in this town had gotten younger in his
time away. He hadn’t recognized any of the girls who worked the street on his
way to visit the sheriff. At one time, he would have known every girl on every
corner, and, after his mother’s death when he was twelve, which ones would have
taken him in for a night or two.
Up ahead, a steam-powered
carriage sputtered. A few deputies blocked the boardwalk, so the gathering
crowd had
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