Storm in the Saddle (An Ash Colter Western)

by Ben Bridges

  Suddenly I grew aware of the people around me. Already I was back in town, with Sheriff Carr, Deputy Jeffers and a crowd of other townspeople shoving past me, flocking up to the ruined house to help the wounded and gauge the true extent of the damage.

  ‘Ashley?’

  Startled, I looked around. Jane was standing outside the hotel, her father beside her, their faces still white with the shock of what had happened. Suddenly I felt stronger for seeing the girl, stronger and more optimistic for the uncertain future.

  ‘Ashley?’ Her blind, anxious eyes were searching the darkness, her neat fingers knitting worriedly together just below her breasts. ‘Are you all right?’

  I said tiredly, ‘Yes, Jane. I’m all right.’

  ‘Is it...over now?’

  ‘I don’t know. Maybe, if whoever takes over has the good sense to learn from this, see just how futile it all was.’ I sighed. ‘The newspapers will report what happened. The Marshal’s office in Helena will send someone in to make sure that Carr keeps order until things quieten down again.’ I swallowed softly. ‘There’ll be questions asked, answers given. And then, if we’re lucky, someone somewhere will make some sense out of it all and see to it that it never happens again.’

  ‘You?’ she asked.

  I shrugged. ‘Maybe. Who knows?’ I looked a question at her father, and he nodded a gentle yes.

  With his permission, I went gratefully towards her, climbed the steps and reached for her, and as she came into my arms I realized that this was indeed the end...but only the end of the beginning.

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  WESTERNS (Writing as ‘Ben Bridges’):

  APACHERIA SERIES:

  Apacheria

  Lockwood’s Law

  ASH COLTER SERIES:

  Gunsmoke Legend

  Ride the High Lines

  Storm in the Saddle

  HELLER SERIES

  Heller

  Heller in the Rockies

  JIM ALLISON SERIES:

  Rattler Creek

  Blood Canyon

  Thunder Gorge

  JUDGE AND DURY SERIES:

  Hang ‘em All

  Riding for Justice

  Law of the Gun

  Trial by Fire

  Barbed Wire Noose

  Judgment Day

  O’BRIEN SERIES:

  The Silver Trail

  Hard as Nails

  Mexico Breakout

  Hangman’s Noose

  The Deadly Dollars

  Squaw Man

  North of the Border

  Shoot to Kill

  Hell for Leather

  Marked for Death

  Gunsmoke is Gray

  Cold Steel

  Mean as Hell

  Draw Down the Lightning

  THE WILDE BOYS SERIES:

  The Wilde Boys

  Wilde Fire

  Wilde’s Law

  Aces Wilde

  STAND-ALONE WESTERNS:

  Ride for the Rio!

  Back With a Vengeance

  Blaze of Glory

  Tanner’s Guns

  Coffin Creek

  The Spurlock Gun

  All Guns Blazing

  Cannon for Hire

  Montana Gunsmoke

  Starpacker

  Cougar Valley

  SHORT STORIES:

  Three for the Trail

  HORROR (Writing as David Whitehead):

  The Fluttering

  Scare Tactics

  Hell on Earth

  SCIENCE-FICTION (Writing with Alfred Wallon):

  Earth-Shattering

  THRILLERS (Writing with Steve Hayes):

  House of the Dead

  Vampire Wars

  Women Kill Me

  Another Dame, Another Dollar

  The Doomsday Conspiracy

  The Trail to Death Mountain

  Under the Knife

  Night of the Demons

  Blackout!

  SHERLOCK HOLMES (writing with Steve Hayes):

  Sherlock Holmes and the Queen of Diamonds

  Sherlock Holmes and the Knave of Hearts

  Sherlock Holmes and the King of Clubs

  ROMANCES (as ‘Janet Whitehead’):

  Yours for Eternity

  Patterns in the Snow

  Far Eastern Promise

  A Time to Run

  Winterhaven

  Hold Me Forever

  Yesterday’s Child

  Light of My Life

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  By the same author