Yancey somersaulted through the open doorway of Kate’s room and was in time to see Cherokee Morgan, her face white with fury, plunging a long knife down towards Kate’s face. The Governor’s daughter managed to wrench her head aside and the blade ripped into the pillow. Cherokee cursed as she ripped the knife out of the pillow then snapped three fast shots at Yancey from a small handgun.
The Enforcer felt the burn of lead across his shoulder, then saw Cherokee fling herself bodily at Kate, the knife plunging straight for her heart. Yancey had the butt of the rifle braced against the floor as he fired, levered and fired again, in the fastest movements he had ever made. Both bullets hit Cherokee and lifted her body across Kate’s legs. Yancey felt the blood drain from his face as he thought he saw the hilt of the knife protruding from Kate’s stomach. Sick, he lunged upright and ran for the bed, heaving Cherokee’s body away.
He felt his legs turn weak. The knife was sticking out of the mattress between Kate’s arm and her body: it had come so close to striking home that it had cut through the cloth of her blouse.
She stared up at Yancey in horror as he wrenched the knife out of the mattress and started sawing through the ropes that bound her wrists and ankles ...
Cato was standing guard in the doorway.
“I reckon that’s all there was, Yance,” he said. “Might be one more outside. Lost count dodgin’ around the grounds tryin’ to keep ahead of ’em when they were searchin’ for me. Saw Kinnane ride out. Where was he headed?”
Yancey held the trembling Kate close to him as he looked at Cato.
“Bighorn. And I think Chisholm’s his man.”
Kate stiffened. “You—you left Chisholm guarding my father?”
“Had no choice, Kate.”
She grabbed at his arm. “I heard Kinnane and Cherokee talking. Walt Chisholm’s her boyfriend. They were saying that he was getting jealous of someone called Latigo Webb.”
“Which would explain why he put you on to Latigo, Yance,” Cato broke in. “Used you to get rid of him, but likely didn’t expect him to live long enough to talk.”
Yancey stifled a curse. “I need some boots and my guns. Johnny, you take care of Kate. This is my chore. I left Chisholm behind, and gave him a clear go at the Governor, which was what they were workin’ towards all along, I guess. I’ve got to get back to Bighorn.”
Yancey pushed Kate from him and lunged out the doorway. Kate put the back of her hand to her mouth and Cato frowned.
They both felt it could already be too late to save Dukes.
~*~
The two Rangers edged together at the foot of the steps, their rifles held at the ready as they watched Kinnane ride slowly across the yard. Behind them, the porch door opened but they didn’t look around.
“Know that hombre?” asked Walt Chisholm, squinting.
“I do,” said one Ranger. “Senator Jonas Kinnane.”
“A senator?” echoed Chisholm. “Guess it’s all right for him to ride in, eh?”
“Bannerman said let no one in,” the second Ranger said grimly, without looking around. “Especially senators.”
Chisholm whistled softly. “Well, now, I guess you fellers better do just what Bannerman said then.”
“We aim to, Chisholm,” the man said. “But shouldn’t you be with the Governor?”
“Guess you’re right.”
“Well, you better ...”
There were three fast shots, and both Rangers went down, thrashing.
Walt Chisholm ejected the spent shells from his Colt and replaced them with live cartridges as Dr. Boles appeared in the doorway.
“What’s wrong?” he demanded.
Chisholm casually turned and slammed him across the head with the flat of his gun. Boles grunted and fell in a crumpled heap.
Senator Kinnane dismounted and walked slowly onto the porch.
“Good work, Chis. Anyone else inside with Dukes?”
“He’s all yours,” Chisholm said with a grin. “Cherokee all right?”
“Safe and sound. Sends her love.”
Chisholm smiled and accompanied the senator down the hall to Dukes’ room.
The Governor frowned as Kinnane and Chisholm came through the doorway.
“What was the shooting?” he asked.
“Rangers,” Chisholm told him flatly. “I killed ’em.”
Dukes stiffened as Kinnane reached into his pocket and produced a document.
“Chisholm works for me, Governor. Has done for quite a spell,” he said with a smile. “This is your resignation. I’d be obliged if you’d sign.”
“Go to hell!” rasped Dukes.
Kinnane’s smile broadened. “In that case ...”
He stopped abruptly as Dukes’ thin chest started to heave and his eyes bulged as he tried to speak.
Kinnane frowned. He knew Dukes was dangerously close to having a heart attack.
“Take it easy,” he said apprehensively as he backed away from the bed. He stood beside Chisholm for a few minutes, then muttered: “I suppose you took care of Cato?”
Chisholm frowned. “Cato? He was with Bannerman.”
The senator paled then hurried to the bed and slapped Dukes across the face. “Come on, you old bastard. Sign the damn papers.”
Chisholm stepped forward.
“You mean you didn’t take care of Cato? Hell, you should’ve ...”
Kinnane cut him short. “Never mind about what I should’ve done. As long as this old fool signs ... Hey! What’s wrong with him?”
Dukes’ head was lolling on his neck and his mouth was slack and drooling.
“Judas! Looks like he’s had another attack,” Chisholm said.
Kinnane felt the Governor’s pulse.
“He’s mighty weak. Go revive that stinking sawbones and get him in here. I want Dukes alive long enough to get his signature on that paper. Move!”
Chisholm ran from the room ...
~*~
Dr. Boles worked on Dukes for the best part of an hour; massaging his chest and applying heat.
Kinnane paced up and down the room while Chisholm stood smoking by the window, not really interested in the fact that Dukes had recovered enough to sit up and take notice.
Suddenly Chisholm stiffened as he saw a rider coming full tilt across the yard.
“Bannerman,” he breathed.
Kinnane snapped his head around and pulled out his Colt.
“Go take care of him, Chis,” he snapped, then pointed the gun at the Governor. “For the last time, Dukes—sign that document. Now!”
Boles stepped back at Kinnane’s gesture as Chisholm hurried from the room. Dukes began massaging his shoulder, as he looked helplessly at Boles.
“Get me—a—pen,” he rasped.
Kinnane smiled triumphantly as the old doctor went to a desk drawer and began looking for a pen ...
Yancey quit saddle before the horse had stopped running. His long legs carried him swiftly towards the house but he propped as the door opened and Walt Chisholm stepped out, flexing his right hand above his gun butt.
Chisholm smiled. “I should’ve nailed you a long time ago.”
Yancey paused and steadied himself.
“Any time you’re ready, friend.”
Chisholm’s right hand dipped and jarred into line with his Colt blazing. Yancey had drawn and fired, but his shot had gone wide. He spun as the lead from Chisholm’s gun struck him.
Chisholm smiled and lifted his smoking gun to fire the killing shot. But he was too slow. Yancey angled his Colt and fired.
Walt Chisholm looked surprised as the lead took him in the chest, slamming him back against the wall. Yancey brought up the Colt and shot him through the heart. The man’s long body jerked and his legs shot out from under him. He sat down with a thump, his eyes glazing rapidly as he drooped to his side and lay still.
Yancey bared his teeth and made a mighty effort to move forward. As he did so, there came a single shot from inside the house.
&nbs
p; It acted as a stimulant and he staggered up the porch steps, stumbled over Chisholm’s body and down the passage to the Governor’s room. He wrenched open the door and stood staring around him in amazement.
Boles was standing nervously by the desk and Senator Kinnane was sitting in a chair, his eyes open and a flower of blood on the front of his shirt.
Governor Dukes was propped up in bed, his thin hands holding a Derringer .44. He smiled at Yancey.
“Told you I wasn’t helpless,” he rasped. “Are you all right?”
Yancey stepped into the room, holding his hand against his side.
“I’m fine. Cato ought to be here soon with Kate.”
Then his legs gave way and he collapsed on the floor at Dr. Boles’ feet.
BANNERMAN 10: SHADOW MESA
By Kirk Hamilton
First Published by The Cleveland Publishing Pty Ltd
Copyright © Cleveland Publishing Co. Pty Ltd, New South Wales, Australia
First Smashwords Edition: September 2017
Names, characters and incidents in this book are fictional, and any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons living or dead is purely coincidental.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information or storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the author, except where permitted by law.
This is a Piccadilly Publishing Book
Series Editor: Ben Bridges
Text © Piccadilly Publishing
Published by Arrangement with The Cleveland Publishing Pty Ltd.
About the Author
Keith Hetherington
aka Kirk Hamilton, Brett Waring and Hank J. Kirby
Australian writer Keith has worked as television scriptwriter on such Australian TV shows as Homicide, Matlock Police, Division 4, Solo One, The Box, The Spoiler and Chopper Squad.
“I always liked writing little vignettes, trying to describe the ‘action’ sequences I saw in a film or the Saturday Afternoon Serial at local cinemas,” remembers Keith Hetherington, better-known to Piccadilly Publishing readers as ‘Hank J. Kirby’, author of the Bronco Madigan series.
Keith went on to pen hundreds of westerns (the figure varies between 600 and 1000) under the names ‘Kirk Hamilton’ (including the legendary Bannerman the Enforcer series) and Clay Nash as ‘Brett Waring’. Keith also worked as a journalist for the Queensland Health Education Council, writing weekly articles for newspapers on health subjects and radio plays dramatizing same.
More on Keith Hetherington
The Bannerman Series by Kirk Hamilton
The Enforcer
Ride the Lawless Land
Guns of Texas
A Gun for the Governor
Rogue Gun
Trail Wolves
Dead Shot
A Man Called Sundance
Mad Dog Hallam
Shadow Mesa
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