Page 57 of New Storm Rising
Once again, a gunshot rang through the air.
Nope. No imagination.
I met his eyes, my own full of determination. “Shall we go?”
He grabbed my hand. “We shall.”
Ten minutes later, we arrived at the entrance to the mine. Or whatusedto be the entrance to the mine. Now, it looked more like the favourite meeting place for mobs in town. Almost a hundred people were gathered around the house and hut, waving guns and pitchforks.
“Interesting question…” I enquired, leaning towards Mr Ambrose, “Who the heck has pitchforks in a place where there isn’t a single bale of hay?”
“A philosophical problem that can be discussed later,” he told me. “Stay behind me.”
“Ooh.” I nodded, and smiled like the dutiful wife I was. “I see. Gender-bender doggy style.”
Amy was truly an amazing source for saucy comebacks.
“Mrs Ambrose?”
“Yes, Dicky Darling?”
“Be silent andkeep your head down!”
“Yes, Darling.”
The two of us approached the mob—and the sheriff, who just so happened to be present as well. Had he come to restore order and make certain the unruly crowd dispersed?
Ha! Yeah, right.
“Rikkard Ambrose!” Henchman at his back, Gallagher stepped towards us. “You are suspected of aiding and abetting a prison escape.”
“Indeed?” Mr Ambrose’s eyes narrowed infinitesimally. “On what grounds?”
In a flash, the sheriff’s revolver was out. With abam, dust spewed up as a bullet slammed into the dirt.
“Onthesegrounds. And if you don’t cooperate, I’ll put you six feet under them!”
There was a pause, then…
Mr Ambrose smiled.
Oh boy. Gallagher was a dead man.
“How can I possibly dispute such a logical argument?” Stepping forward, he gestured. “Please follow me.”
“Oh, no need for that.” Smirking, Gallagher moved towards a certain shed.
I stiffened as the significance of that sank in. They knew! They knew where the entrance of the mine was hidden. And that part of the mine was directly connected to the main one up on the mountain. If they managed to get in, they’d find—
Creak…
The sound of old hinges tore me from my thoughts. Crap! Gallagher was already inside! Cursing, I rushed after both the sheriff and Mr Rikkard Ambrose, who had already followed the lawman into the shed. What the hell were we going to do now?
Shoving my way through the crowd that was milling around the hut, I rushed inside and slid down the ladder, not bothering to use the rungs. Down in the tunnel, darkness awaited me. Only far ahead could I make out a flicker of light.
Crap, crap, crap!
Seems like the sheriff was already busy at work. And, knowing Mr Ambrose, those workers I’d freed yesterday were already busy at work somewhere ahead.
