A Gideon Johann Boxed Set Book 1 - 4 (A Gideon Johann Western 0)

by Duane Boehm

  “One’s behind the overturned table and the other one is on the other side of the bar next to you. He’s crouched down in the corner with Mary as a shield,” Finnie answered back.

  Gideon dropped the shotgun and headed towards the table, shooting into it as he walked. On the third shot, a scream rang out from behind it. The gunman stood up and came charging towards Gideon. Finnie’s shotgun roared and Gideon fired two more shots before the man dropped at Gideon’s feet.

  Gideon called out to the man hiding behind the bar. “You’re the only one left. Give yourself up and live for another day.”

  “I don’t think so. If you want to see this pretty little thing serve you another beer then you best do what I say. I want to see the one at the top of the stairs throw that scattergun and his pistol down the stairs as well as my partner’s rifle. Right now,” the gunman said.

  “Do it, Finnie,” Gideon said.

  Finnie tossed the three guns down the steps. The gunman hollered, “Okay, Sheriff, I want to hear that pistol of yours hit the floor.”

  Gideon used his left hand to pull the extra revolver from his belt and tossed it. He had already cocked his Colt after firing his last shot into the gunman at his feet. Raising the gun towards the bar from where the voice came, he waited. “Just don’t hurt Mary and you can get the hell out of here,” he yelled.

  The man stood up with an arm around Mary’s neck and his gun pointed at her head. Gideon did not pause to think or aim, but fired his last shot at the gunman’s head with a reflex as assured as taking a breath. Mary let out an ear–piercing scream as blood spattered on her face and the man dropped away from her. She ran out from behind the bar as Finnie bolted down the steps to meet her.

  Finnie pulled a handkerchief from his back pocket and began wiping her face as he held her. She cried hysterically, unable to talk while he tried to comfort her. Holding her in his arms, he wanted to protect her forever and realized that he loved her. A sense of relief began to settle over him to the point that his legs felt weak.

  Gideon walked over and patted Mary on the back. “I’m sorry, Mary. I didn’t see any way around shooting him. He could have killed any of us and I thought that killing him was our last hope for all of us getting out alive. I knew that I wouldn’t miss.”

  “I know,” she managed to stammer. “I’m just glad the son of a bitch is dead. I’m going to have to rebuild this place if you don’t quit shooting it up.” She laughed before burying her head against Finnie and crying some more.

  “Finnie, I don’t know what I would do without you. I’m sure glad that the fates threw us back together,” Gideon said as he looked around the room at the carnage.

  Finnie glanced up at him and said, “It’s right handy to have the luck of the Irish by your side. That’s for sure.”

  Chapter 21

  Telling Abby about the shootout at the Last Chance proved a mistake. As Gideon broke the news to her, he realized that her isolation would have allowed him to avoid the subject. She more than likely would’ve never heard a word about it until after the birth of the baby. The news badly upset her. Joann’s outburst of tears further agitated the situation. Two distraught women at the same time was just about more than Gideon could handle and had him thinking that gunfights were easier to deal with than women.

  By the following morning, both of the women were in much better spirits, but far from being their normal selves. Abby was not thrilled that Gideon planned to stay in town late to go to the bank to search for the ledger. After the shootout, Gideon had asked Doc to arrange for a visit to the bank with Mr. Fredrick.

  Not wishing to spend the whole day in town, Gideon rode to see Ethan. He found him sitting on the porch smoking his pipe. Walking up onto the porch, Gideon noticed that Ethan still showed signs that he had not fully recovered from his gunshot. He was still dark under the eyes and had not regained the weight that he had lost.

  “Looks like you’re hard at it,” Gideon said.

  “I’m sitting here waiting for an excuse not to get started,” Ethan said.

  “How are you feeling?” Gideon asked.

  “I still tire out at the drop of a hat and get short of breath. It’s getting old, I tell you,” Ethan answered.

  “It’s just going to take some time. Most men die from a shot to the lung. You’ll get there. Just don’t get discouraged,” Gideon said.

  “Tell me what you’ve been up to lately,” Ethan said.

  Gideon told him about the shootout and the reaction that he received at home before changing the subject to the baby. “Can you believe that I’m going to have a baby? It just doesn’t seem possible. I’m not sure that I’ve ever held one,” he said.

  “You’ll be fine – probably a lot better at it than if you were younger. Age does wonders for one’s patience. You are going to love every minute of it. I sure did,” Ethan said.

  “I just can’t imagine what it will be like. Babies are so darn helpless. It’s a lot of responsibility,” Gideon said.

  “Do you want a boy or a girl?” Ethan asked.

  “I kind of hoped for a boy since I already have plenty of girls around, but it doesn’t matter much. It’ll all be new either way,” Gideon said.

  Out of the blue, Ethan said, “I’m thinking about giving up the preaching. I just don’t know anymore. Look at all that’s happened. You end up here near dead, Benjamin is kidnapped, you were shot again, and I almost died because some cowboy wanted my horse. I just don’t know anymore.”

  Gideon glanced up at Ethan, surprised by his remarks. Ethan was not one to say such things and it conflicted with Gideon’s view of him as a mighty oak that no winds could bend. “Ethan, my life would’ve never turned around if I had not ended up here near dead and we all have lived through the misfortunes. It’s just life. Life in the west is hard, but it is who we are. It’s probably hard everywhere for that matter. It’s what makes the good taste a little sweeter. You’re just down because you’re not back to your old self yet. You’ll get there. Look how long it took me to recover and I didn’t have any injuries as bad as yours. You are the last person in the world that I need to hear has doubts. It’s not you.”

  “I suppose, but I still don’t know why it has to be this hard. I feel old and tired right now,” Ethan said.

  Sarah walked out onto the porch. “Hello, Gideon. How’s Abby?”

  Gideon again explained the events of the day before and Abby’s condition. He could see that the news also unsettled Sarah and he wondered if he should have just said that Abby felt fine and left it at that. Dealing with another upset woman was the last thing that he wanted. Ethan had already disturbed him enough for one day.

  Sarah stepped off the porch. “I’m going to have Zack hitch the wagon and take me to see Abby. Sounds like she could use some cheering up.”

  “There is work to do around here. Can’t you drive yourself?” Ethan said.

  “Well if there is, you sure wouldn’t know it by watching you sit on that swing,” Sarah said as she headed to the barn.

  Ethan looked at Gideon and said, “I don’t think that we trained our wives properly and it’s sure too late to start now.”

  “I don’t think our wives are trainable and we probably wouldn’t want it that way either. I’d rather train a goat than Sarah or Abby,” Gideon said.

  Ethan laughed. “At least with a goat you could roast it if it failed at training.”

  A few minutes later, Zack quickly hitched a horse to the buckboard wagon. As Sarah and Zack rode past the cabin, she waved mischievously at Ethan and Gideon while Zack drove the wagon looking as solemn as an undertaker.

  As they rode to see Abby, Zack said, “Sarah, I know what you are trying to do and I don’t think it’s going to work. Joann wants a lot bigger gun than I’ll ever be. I know my station in life and I accept it. She’s too much of a brat for me anyway. I could never handle her.”

  “She may want somebody different than you and if that is the case there is not much you can do ab
out that, but don’t sell yourself short. You are cut from the same cloth as Gideon and Ethan and I see a lot of both of them in you. It’s not where you start in life, but where you finish. And I’d bet on you finishing on top. You’re right, that girl is a handful, but so were Abby and I, and we turned out just fine. Girls with a lot of spirit are more fun anyway,” Sarah said and elbowed Zack in the ribs.

  Zack, unsure how to interpret Sarah’s last statement, had no intention of asking for fear that she would tell him exactly what she meant. His mom had died when he was very young and he had spent very little time around women, but he felt certain that Sarah, Abby, and Joann were not typical. They were much more opinionated and fiery than most ladies. He still wasn’t convinced that that was a good thing, but Gideon and Ethan sure seemed to think so and he had to admit that things were seldom dull when they were around.

  Sarah and Zack kept the conversations about the ranch and Benjamin for the rest of the trip and never mentioned Joann again. Riding up to the Johann place, they found Joann sitting in the yard with a washtub scrubbing clothes. Sarah climbed down from the wagon and met Joann, giving her a big hug. Despite what the girl put Zack through, Sarah couldn’t help but love her. The two spent a few minutes catching up on their lives before Sarah retreated into the cabin to see Abby.

  Zack remained sitting on the wagon seat as Joann returned to scrubbing.

  Joann called out, “What’s the matter? Are you afraid I might bite?”

  “No, I just have never seen you work. I kind of enjoy the view,” Zack said.

  “I know how to scrub clothes just fine and I know how to shoot a gun better than most men. You best not forget it,” Joann said testily.

  “If my memory serves me well, you missed Ted McClean and he rode straight at you,” Zack said in reference to the time that the outlaw had ridden towards Joann and Winnie with intentions of raping her. Her shot had missed him, but startled his horse, allowing the girls to escape.

  “Well, I wouldn’t miss somebody as big as you. That head of yours would be like aiming at a big old pumpkin,” Joann retorted.

  Zack grinned at her. “I remember when you didn’t mind kissing this big old pumpkin head.”

  “There’s no law that says you have to marry the first pumpkin that you kiss,” Joann said.

  “Marry? Who said anything about marriage? I just liked kissing you. I wouldn’t marry an ill–tempered thing like you. Your offspring will probably be so mean that Gideon will have to arrest his own grandchildren,” Zack said.

  “Shame on you. That is a terrible thing to say,” Joann said.

  “I’m just getting you back for calling me pumpkin head. I didn’t mean it,” Zack said.

  “Can’t we just be friends? I really like you and we are going to be crossing paths too much to always be feuding. We were just kids last fall and now we’re adults. Let’s act like it,” Joann said.

  Zack climbed down from the wagon and walked over to her. “I suppose so. I still think you’re a brat, but I like you anyway,” he said.

  ∞

  After leaving Ethan, Gideon rode to town and anxiously waited for the day to end so that he could look inside the bank for evidence. If he failed at the bank, he had considered arresting Cal Simpson for concealing the murder of Minnie Ware in the hopes that the bar owner might finally talk if facing prison time. Gideon felt certain that someone would come to kill Cal and he planned to be ready for him.

  Henry Starks walked into the jail late in the afternoon and sat down across from Gideon. He was dressed as usual, looking as if he were ready for a dance and smelled of hair tonic from a fresh barbering.

  “I just heard about the shootout. Thank goodness you survived,” Starks said.

  “It wasn’t any fun. That’s for sure,” Gideon said.

  “Have you decided if you’re interested in the U.S. Marshal job?” Starks asked.

  “I would be interested,” Gideon said.

  “Excellent. That’s what I wanted to hear. I’ll start making inquiries,” Henry said.

  “I’m much obliged,” Gideon said.

  “It’s for the town as much as you. We’ll all prosper. Any luck on solving Druthers’ murder?” Starks said.

  “No, I haven’t a clue,” Gideon said.

  “You be careful. I have to get home. Good talking to you,” Starks said and left.

  Gideon, accompanied by Doc and Finnie, had a supper of steak and potatoes at the hotel. The hotel owner, Mr. Thomas, came over to apologize for complaining about Finnie shooting up the place and gave the three men their meals on the house, which put the doctor in a fine mood. Doc challenged Finnie to checkers and the two men headed back to the jail after finishing the meal while Gideon walked across the street and entered the Last Chance.

  Mary brought him a beer and sat down beside him. He looked her in the eyes and asked, “Are you upset with me about yesterday?”

  “No, not at all. Everything turned out just fine. If you would’ve missed and hit me, well then I would have been riled up,” Mary said with a laugh.

  “Me too, but I knew before he even stood up that I wasn’t going to miss. Sometimes you just know,” he said.

  “Somebodies going to kill you if you don’t get this figured out,” she said.

  “I know. I didn’t think that they would try a second time, but I was wrong and I should have never waited to search the bank until after Joann got here. That was another mistake. Somebody is very determined to keep this quiet, but I hope to get it figured out tonight,” Gideon said.

  “I wish that you would. Every day I think about those poor girls over at the Lucky Horse,” Mary said.

  “Me too. Let’s hope we can help them soon,” he said.

  “Since you’re blaming yourself for your mistakes, let’s not forget that you’re the cause of my romance with Finnie. What am I supposed to do with that little Irishman?” she said.

  Gideon chuckled. “Don’t blame me for that. I would’ve never seen that one coming in a million years. I don’t think me having a baby on the way is even as surprising as you two,” he said before taking a sip of beer.

  “You are the one that dragged him over here and got me to hire him. You should have known that I’d fall for that charm,” Mary said.

  “I didn’t even know that he had a way with the ladies. We didn’t see many of them in the war,” Gideon said.

  “Gideon, I’m head over heels in love with him. I can’t believe I let myself do that. I need a man about as much as I need that hole that I thought you were going to put in my head yesterday. He better give up the whiskey for me or you might be arresting me for murder,” she said.

  “You two will have to figure that out for yourselves. I know that he wants to give the bottle up, but he’s not there yet. He needs a real job. No man can take pride in himself when he doesn’t have a job that suits his calling,” he said.

  “I know. I guess time will tell. You’d think I’d have my fill of men by now anyway,” Mary said and let out a little sigh.

  Doc and Finnie soon joined them at the table. The four of them drank beer and told stories. Finnie, limiting himself to one beer, commandeered most of the conversation. He kept the others in laughter with a seemingly endless barrage of antidotes from his life. Gideon kept vigil with his pocket watch, excusing himself a little before eight o’clock.

  Mounting Buck, Gideon rode to the edge of town before he took the last side street. He rode two blocks, and then turned back towards town. Tying the horse on a hitching post, he quickly walked to the bank and slipped in unnoticed. Mr. Fredrick jumped up from his desk and rushed to the door, locking it, and checking twice before satisfied of their security.

  The oil lamp was turned down so low that Gideon could barely make out the features of the place. “How are we supposed to see?” he asked.

  “We can turn the lamp up back in the room with the vault,” Mr. Fredrick said as he picked up the lamp and scurried to the back room.

  The banker turned
the wick up on the lamp before deftly working the combination and turning the handle to open the vault. The vault’s size surprised Gideon. Looking at the bags of coins, he realized the thrill that Jesse James must have experienced in his life of crime. A stack of ledgers sat on the right–side shelf.

  “You can look around all you want, but I don’t think you’re going to find anything. I’ve gone through every one of those ledgers, page by page, and it’s all bank accounts. I even looked for anything that looked out of place and couldn’t find it,” Mr. Fredrick said.

  Gideon gazed inside the vault and realized that there was no place in it to conceal anything. “If you are sure that those ledgers are legitimate, then there is nothing else to see here. Go ahead and close it. There has to be evidence somewhere or they wouldn’t keep trying to kill me and scare you. Can I look in your desk?” he said.

  “Help yourself, but I’ve gone through it too,” Mr. Fredrick answered.

  Gideon carried the lamp into the banker’s office and sat it on the desk. He pulled open the deepest drawer, finding it filled with files. Leafing through them, he came to a gap in the hanging folders and noticed that the bottom of the drawer barely sat below the files even though the drawer looked much deeper. In a rush of excitement, Gideon ripped the folders out of the drawer and dropped them haphazardly onto the floor. At the rear of the drawer bottom was a small hole. Sticking his finger in it, he pulled up a fake bottom and found a ledger.

  He plopped the ledger onto the desk as Mr. Fredrick joined him and looked over his shoulder. Upon opening it, he found a tab that said Lucky Horse and turned to it. There were journal entries for the purchase of the saloon, payments to Cal Simpson, and the purchase of the girls among others transactions.

  “We got it. I should be able to find out all the names now. With your permission, I’m going to take this home and study it,” Gideon said excitedly.

  “By all means. I’m glad that I could do my part,” Mr. Fredrick said.