Swift Creek (The Drifter Book 1)

by Thomas Hall

  Kade settled into one of the seats that had fallen into a good position. He wondered what he was still doing there.

  He had failed to rescue Annie and had come up against Travis’ real soldiers. Men who were capable of shooting in a straight line and hitting him if he stood still for long enough. They weren’t messing around.

  If he went back, then it could mean his death. By rights he should be half way to the next town, but he wasn’t. He was sitting in an abandoned train carriage less than a mile away from the edge of Swift Creek. And he was thinking about going back.

  All those men dead, was that for nothing?

  He’d shaken up the town. If he left it now, then he was sure that Travis would come down on the innocent people who lived there even harder. He would come down on Madeline even harder.

  Madeline.

  Who was he kidding?

  She was the reason that he hadn’t high tailed it out of there. She was the reason why he could still see buildings in the distance.

  If he left now, then he would never see her again.

  But if he went back then what did he have to look forward to other than death?

  It seemed that there was no way to defeat Travis, and trying was only likely to get more people hurt.

  Kade leaned back in the train seat and felt it shift beneath him. It had come loose from its fixings but it settled down a few moments later. He stared at the top of the carriage where there was another door leading outside.

  The darkness crept in and he felt exhaustion come over him. He had been on the move since before dawn and the gunfight had taken it out of him.

  Soon he felt as if he might be able to sleep and didn’t try to fight it. Things might look better in the morning.

  Kade was woken by the sound of Heck snorting outside the carriage. It was morning and the warmth of the day had turned the train carriage into an oven. Sun streamed in through the dirty windows and he felt as if he was cooking.

  He rubbed his face and felt a days’ worth of stubble under his rough hands.

  The answer had come to him in his sleep and he knew what he needed to do.

  Kade pulled himself up to the door. Heck was waiting for him outside.

  “Trouble?” he said.

  The horse made no reply and he looked around for himself. There was no sign of anyone there and he let his hand relax away from his revolver.

  “Hope you got some rest,” Kade said. He climbed onto Heck and took a moment to get comfortable in the saddle. He felt sore from the riding yesterday but he couldn’t afford to wait. “We’re heading back to town.”

  His plan, such as it was, meant finding Madeline and convincing her to leave with him. He had enough coin to buy her and her sister a horse each and enough food to get them to the next town. The one part of his plan he hadn’t figured out was getting Annie away from Travis.

  CHAPTER 11

  THERE WAS NO ONE ON THE EASTERN SIDE of town. Kade kept close to the buildings, scouting around for signs of trouble, but didn’t see any.

  Heck was quiet but he tried not to read too much into that. She might have had her horse senses, but she was still an animal. She didn’t have any insight into the complicated interplay of human conflict.

  A shape appeared at the end of the street and he brought Heck up short. He stared at the shape until it became a figure, until it was someone looking at him.

  Kade jumped down and patted Heck on the side. “Wait here,” he said.

  She snorted in response and he walked away.

  Usually he wouldn’t have drawn his gun, but Travis’ men were good. If he didn’t have a gun in his hand, then he wouldn’t stand a chance.

  He got closer to the figure and the light did strange things. At first he thought the shape was moving, but the closer he got the more he could see: It wasn’t one person it was four. They were clutching each other’s shoulders as if they were building a human fence to keep him away.

  Kade stopped and rubbed his eyes.

  “Who are you?” he called out.

  “You need to leave,” one of them said. It might have been any of the four. “You’re not welcome here.”

  “Says who?” Kade shouted back. He stepped closer so that he could see the faces of the men.

  “Go back now. We don’t want you here.”

  “I’m not looking for trouble,” Kade said.

  “Then leave.”

  “Can’t do that.”

  “You’ve got no business here.”

  “Matter of opinion.”

  The men said nothing.

  “Don’t want to have to shoot you,” Kade said. He spun the revolver on his finger and then mimed shooting each of the four in the head. “So let me pass.”

  The men didn’t flinch.

  “I’m coming through whether you like it or not.”

  He felt something nudge him from behind and then heard the soft whinny of Heck.

  “I’m getting on my horse and we’re coming through,” Kade said. He didn’t think the men were armed, but he decided it was best to keep everything above board. “You’ll need to get out of our way.”

  The men looked at one another and then back at Kade. They didn’t move.

  “I warned you,” he said and started to ride.

  They built up a head of steam as they charged towards the men.

  Kade thought they would move when they saw the horse racing towards them. He wasn’t sure whether it was a credit to their loyalty or a sign of their stupidity, that they didn’t.

  When she was a step away Heck leaped into the air. She flew over the interlocked arms of two of the men and landed several feet behind them. Kade didn’t slow her down. They galloped the rest of the way into town.

  Something had changed.

  It seemed impossible that he had been away for less than twenty-four hours. It might have been a different town.

  The streets were quiet and there were shutters across the windows.

  A middle-aged woman in a long dress saw Kade approaching and scooped her young son out of the garden. She held him close and stared at Kade for a moment before disappearing back into her house.

  People were frightened.

  He saw them seeing him and not wanting to have anything to do with what he brought.

  It was understandable, but it didn’t make him feel any better about what he was planning to do. What if Madeline felt the same way? What if she didn’t want anything to do with him now and he had come back for nothing?

  Kade kept his eyes open but there was no sign of trouble. People hid from him and he pretended not to see it. They weren’t the people he had come here to find; they were strangers to him and would likely remain so.

  He reached the windmill and climbed down.

  “You wait here,” he said. “Try not to get into any trouble.”

  She neighed and shook her head. He laughed, but it was a nervous sort of laugh.

  He took a deep breath, cleared his throat and knocked on the door.

  The sound was hollow, as if the building behind it was empty. He waited but no one answered.

  Kade tried again, but he already knew it was pointless. If anyone was in there then they would have heard him the first time. If they weren’t answering the door now it was because they didn’t want to speak to him. No amount of knocking would change that.

  “Wait here,” he said to Heck as she came towards him.

  He turned away from the house and walked to the mill next door. He knocked but there was no need to wait for an answer, the door swung open as soon as he touched it.

  Kade turned back to Heck. “Could be a trap?” he said.

  The horse had nothing to add.

  While it was true, it might be a trap, it also might not be. He knew that he was going to find out and didn’t waste time justifying it to himself. Any reason he came up with would be far from the truth. The only reason to go down there was her.

  The stairs were dark. The lights that had illuminated it on
his last visit were out and he didn’t stop to re-light them. He took the steps slowly, listened for other people, but heard nothing.

  At the bottom, he stopped again. The door was ajar. If it was a trap then he still had time to leave.

  Kade stepped into the room which had once been the groups communication centre. He could see the large computer against the wall, but the lights were off and no one was home.

  Chairs were lying on their sides and there were pieces of cable hanging out of the machine. There was no one there, but there had been, and there had been a struggle.

  It didn’t look good.

  He checked the back room, but it was empty.

  Kade returned to the stairs and ran back up them. Heck was standing in the doorway; she looked worried.

  “What is it girl?” he said. “Has something happened?”

  She didn’t answer.

  He climbed into the saddle and they left the Mill. It was good to put it behind him, but it didn’t get him any closer to finding out what had happened. He wondered about Madeline. He wouldn’t be able to rest until he found her.

  CHAPTER 12

  HE RODE THROUGH SWIFT CREEK, NO LONGER CARING what people were saying about him. There were few people on the streets to gossip behind his back anyway. He saw ragged curtains twitching in windows as people who were too scared to come out watched him.

  Kade reached the tavern and climbed off Heck. There was no music playing inside and he couldn’t hear anyone singing. The place was eerily quiet.

  He checked his guns as he walked to the door.

  Before he could get inside the doors swung open and a man appeared from the darkness. He looked about seven foot tall. His arms were as thick as Kade’s legs.

  Kade stopped.

  “You’re not welcome here,” the man said.

  “Says who?” Kade replied.

  The man crossed his arms. He wasn’t intimidated by the gunslinger. Kade needed to find a different approach.

  “I’m looking for Madeline,” he said. “Is she here?”

  The man shook his head. “I don’t know who you’re talking about.”

  “Madeline,” Kade repeated. “She works here. The woman with the scarred face.”

  He saw a flicker of recognition in the man’s expression, but then he shook his head. “There’s no one here by that name.”

  “Please,” Kade said. “It’s important.”

  The door opened and three more men appeared behind him.

  “What’s going on?”

  The tall man shook his head. “I’ve got this,” he said. “The Drifter is drifting away.”

  Kade looked at the new arrivals. They were carrying guns and they looked like they knew how to use them. There was no cover outside the tavern, if it became a shooting match then he didn’t stand a chance.

  “Aren’t you?” the big man said.

  Kade found himself nodding. “Sure,” he said. “I’m on my way.”

  He climbed back onto Heck and the men watched him go. He thought about trying to break in, through the kitchen or another door, but for some reason he believed the man. Madeline wasn’t inside.

  They wandered through the town. Kade wasn’t sure where he wanted to go, he was racking his brain trying to work out where else he might find Madeline.

  The truth was, he didn’t know much about her. Or what she did when she wasn’t serving at the tavern, or planning revolutions at the windmill. She might be visiting friends or walking in the fields. Or any one of a dozen activities it was possible to pursue in Swift Creek.

  Kade didn’t know where she was, but there were people who might.

  He pulled on Heck’s reigns and turned her away from their current route. “This way girl,” he said.

  He reached the alleyways near the brothel and casino and stopped. There was no sign of the gunfight that had taken place there a little over twenty-four hours earlier. Judging by the music, business was booming

  They stopped when they reached the end of the street.

  He climbed off Heck and patted her side.

  “Might as well take a break,” he said. “We could be here a while.”

  There was no guarantee that Jareth would even be working. And if he was, it might not be possible to get him alone. It was a risk being there, but it was the last thing Kade could think to try. If Jareth couldn’t tell him where Madeline was, then he might have to leave without her.

  He sat with his back against the wall and watched without moving. The day passed. People arrived and people left, doing their dirty business without any sign that they were aware who they were hurting. The traffic going into the casino was lighter, but people stayed much longer.

  Kade watched them until his vision began to blur and he felt the effects of the last few days catching up with him. If he fell asleep in his enemy’s territory, then he might not wake up again. He needed to stay focused.

  He stood and paced. He turned away, he turned back. Eventually he gave up and fell against the wall again to wait.

  Jareth wasn’t alone. He left the casino long after dark, in the company of three other men. Kade watched them stand outside together. They lit cigarettes and laughed and he wondered if he’d made a mistake. He’d been unsure how trustworthy Jareth would turn out to be, perhaps he’d been right to doubt the man.

  One of the men with Jareth turned away from the group and walked towards the brothel. He was limping as if he’d been shot, and Kade wondered if it was an injury he had caused. Then the man disappeared into the sex den and was no longer his concern.

  He couldn’t risk approaching Jareth while the other two men were there. When they started walking away from the casino, Kade followed them. He kept his distance and moved quietly so that none of them realised he was there.

  The men spoke to each other as they walked. Their mumbling voices carried through the streets. He wasn’t interested in their conversation; it would only distract him from the task at hand.

  When they reached the tavern, one of them men left, leaving only Jareth and the other. It was less than ideal, especially if Jareth turned out to be untrustworthy. But if he was forced, Kade would approach them together.

  He didn’t know where Jareth lived, or anything about him. He knew that Madeline trusted him though.

  They stopped in the middle of a dark street. Kade edged closer so he could hear a little of what they were saying, but it was meaningless small talk. After a few moments, the other man put out his hand and Jareth shook it.

  Kade watched the nameless man walk into one of the abandoned buildings. Then he was gone and it was only the two of them on the dark street. Jareth started to walk, and Kade followed him.

  Jareth led him through the twisting streets and alleyways. Kade kept his hand near his gun, an unconscious decision which proved to himself that he didn’t trust the other man.

  Ten minutes later Jareth stopped.

  The street was narrow and dark. There was no sound and no suggestion that other people were there. Kade stood back and waited, no longer certain that he wanted to make contact.

  “You can come out,” Jareth said.

  Kade didn’t move.

  “We’re safe here, no one’s going to see you.”

  Kade still didn’t move.

  Jareth turned around so that he was looking at him. “You’re not as good at hiding as you think.”

  “How long have you known?” Kade said. He took a step towards Jareth and didn’t remove his hand from the revolver.

  “Long enough. Since the tavern. So, what are you doing here Drifter? There’s a bounty on your head.”

  “That doesn’t matter,” Kade said.

  “Because you’ll kill anyone that comes for you?” Jareth said.

  Kade shrugged. “Something like that,” he said. He tried to get a reading on Jareth but his tone was even and betrayed nothing of what he was thinking.

  “Are you going to tell me why you followed me halfway across Swift, or do I need to gues
s?”

  “Madeline,” Kade said.

  The pause was so brief, and the change of tone so subtle, that Kade wasn’t sure whether he imagined it or not. “What about her?”

  “I went to the mill, she’s not there. She’s not at the tavern either.”

  Jareth nodded.

  “Where is she?”

  “I can’t help you,” Jareth said.

  “Can’t or won’t?” Kade said.

  “Does it matter? You don’t want to see her, believe me.”

  “Why not?” Kade said.

  “Trust me.”

  “Not for a second.”

  Jareth sighed. He looked at his feet and then at Kade. “Are you sure you want to do this?”

  “I’m sure,” Kade said.

  “You won’t like it.”

  “Tell me where she is,” Kade said.

  Jareth shook his head. “I’ll show you. Follow me.”

  Kade followed Jareth to the end of the dark alley and back onto the main street. The route they had taken before had been so convoluted that he hadn’t been sure where he was. Now he saw that they were close to the tavern and the houses.

  No one was around. It was late and dark.

  Jareth didn’t speak to him. They didn’t even walk together. They stopped outside a terrace building. The door shining black in the moonlight.

  “This it?” Kade said.

  “You don’t have to go in,” Jareth said.

  Kade looked at him, began to argue his reason for doing so, then decided that it didn’t matter now. Madeline was inside.

  He reached for the door, pushed it open, and stepped in.

  The hallway smelled of death. Kade turned to look at Jareth for confirmation, but the other man made no reply.

  He started walking. His boots made a heavy clumping sound that echoed around the wooden walls and ceilings.

  The building was old, but well looked after. Every wooden surface was polished to a high shine. His heart was racing. He didn’t want to find Madeline here.