at Gideon.
‘You can come in,’ he muttered. ‘He can’t.’
Hannah slammed her hands on her hips. ‘He can’t just hang around outside. And I intend to be here a while.’ She shrugged. ‘And he’s harmless. He’s a doctor. He doesn’t even pack a gun.’
From under his low hat, Armstrong glared at Gideon a while longer, appraising his apparent unarmed status.
Gideon forced his lips into his most benign smile.
Slowly, Armstrong and Strang nodded and with their suspicious glares burning into Gideon’s back,Gideon and Hannah rode into the fort.
Strang trotted after them. He beckoned them to the side of the gate and watched them dismount. He still frisked them both, taking longer with Hannah than with Gideon. With a few barked commands, he ordered Don Ritter to lead their horses to the stable, then ordered Armstrong to watch Gideon while he took Hannah to see Jack.
Hannah flashed Gideon a smile. Gideon tried to return one, but his face froze and he could only stare at her.
She turned, and he watched Strang lead her across the fort’s wide parade ground and into a substantial stone building to the side – the powder magazine.
Hannah strode into the magazine behind Strang, her skirts swinging, but she didn’t look Gideon’s way.
Gideon hung his head and glanced at Armstrong. As Armstrong just leaned against the gate, Gideon blew out his cheeks and held his hands behind his back. He couldn’t stop himself crossing his fingers.
Once she was inside the powder magazine, Hannah glanced around, blinking frequently as her eyes became accustomed to the gloom.
She appraised the stark, windowless building quickly. The blastproof walls were four feet thick. The door she stood before was the only entrance. Across the centre of the building was a wooden wall. The doorway to the second room opened on to the main storage area and, although she was sure that no powder would still be here, in the darkness a pile ofbags nestled against the back wall.
Hannah tore her gaze from her appraisal of the room and smiled at Jack who was sitting, leaning against the side wall. He looked at Hannah with his one eye, but it was blank and secretive.
‘What you doing here?’ he said, his voice flat.
Hannah set her hands on her hips and held a leg to the side, arching a trim calf.
‘That’s a mighty fine greeting for your favourite saloon-girl.’
‘That’s as maybe, but my question stands.’ Jack rolled to his feet and stalked a pace towards her. ‘What you doing here?’
Hannah grinned. ‘I came to see you.’
For long moments Jack glared at her, his single eye still cold. He glanced at Strang, who shrugged.
‘And how did you find me?’
‘She and this other man tracked us,’ Strang said. ‘If you believe her.’
Jack flashed Strang a harsh glare.
‘I’ll decide what I believe. Leave us.’ He glared at Strang until he sauntered from the room, then turned to Hannah. ‘Why are you really here?’
Hannah shrugged, then took a deep breath. ‘I had to know.’
‘Had to know what?’
‘You’re the only man who’s ever treated me right. I got to find out why that is.’
‘And if the answer means we can never amount to anything?’
‘I’ll leave and you’ll never see me again.’
Jack walked in a circle, throwing out his legs with a slight swagger as he paced. When he’d completed a full circle, he faced off to Hannah.
‘And who is the man with you?’
‘My brother, Gideon.’
Jack’s upper lip snarled. ‘And your brother just happened to ride with you when you discovered I have gold?’
‘It ain’t like that. He arrived just after you left Destitution. I’d been writing home, claiming I was fine and that I had regular work and money for lodgings .’ Hannah glanced away. ‘But when he discovered what I was doing, he told me to go home with him.’
‘You wouldn’t follow a man’s orders.’
‘I didn’t. I decided to go home with him. But before I left, I had to hear what you
‘You can come in,’ he muttered. ‘He can’t.’
Hannah slammed her hands on her hips. ‘He can’t just hang around outside. And I intend to be here a while.’ She shrugged. ‘And he’s harmless. He’s a doctor. He doesn’t even pack a gun.’
From under his low hat, Armstrong glared at Gideon a while longer, appraising his apparent unarmed status.
Gideon forced his lips into his most benign smile.
Slowly, Armstrong and Strang nodded and with their suspicious glares burning into Gideon’s back,Gideon and Hannah rode into the fort.
Strang trotted after them. He beckoned them to the side of the gate and watched them dismount. He still frisked them both, taking longer with Hannah than with Gideon. With a few barked commands, he ordered Don Ritter to lead their horses to the stable, then ordered Armstrong to watch Gideon while he took Hannah to see Jack.
Hannah flashed Gideon a smile. Gideon tried to return one, but his face froze and he could only stare at her.
She turned, and he watched Strang lead her across the fort’s wide parade ground and into a substantial stone building to the side – the powder magazine.
Hannah strode into the magazine behind Strang, her skirts swinging, but she didn’t look Gideon’s way.
Gideon hung his head and glanced at Armstrong. As Armstrong just leaned against the gate, Gideon blew out his cheeks and held his hands behind his back. He couldn’t stop himself crossing his fingers.
Once she was inside the powder magazine, Hannah glanced around, blinking frequently as her eyes became accustomed to the gloom.
She appraised the stark, windowless building quickly. The blastproof walls were four feet thick. The door she stood before was the only entrance. Across the centre of the building was a wooden wall. The doorway to the second room opened on to the main storage area and, although she was sure that no powder would still be here, in the darkness a pile ofbags nestled against the back wall.
Hannah tore her gaze from her appraisal of the room and smiled at Jack who was sitting, leaning against the side wall. He looked at Hannah with his one eye, but it was blank and secretive.
‘What you doing here?’ he said, his voice flat.
Hannah set her hands on her hips and held a leg to the side, arching a trim calf.
‘That’s a mighty fine greeting for your favourite saloon-girl.’
‘That’s as maybe, but my question stands.’ Jack rolled to his feet and stalked a pace towards her. ‘What you doing here?’
Hannah grinned. ‘I came to see you.’
For long moments Jack glared at her, his single eye still cold. He glanced at Strang, who shrugged.
‘And how did you find me?’
‘She and this other man tracked us,’ Strang said. ‘If you believe her.’
Jack flashed Strang a harsh glare.
‘I’ll decide what I believe. Leave us.’ He glared at Strang until he sauntered from the room, then turned to Hannah. ‘Why are you really here?’
Hannah shrugged, then took a deep breath. ‘I had to know.’
‘Had to know what?’
‘You’re the only man who’s ever treated me right. I got to find out why that is.’
‘And if the answer means we can never amount to anything?’
‘I’ll leave and you’ll never see me again.’
Jack walked in a circle, throwing out his legs with a slight swagger as he paced. When he’d completed a full circle, he faced off to Hannah.
‘And who is the man with you?’
‘My brother, Gideon.’
Jack’s upper lip snarled. ‘And your brother just happened to ride with you when you discovered I have gold?’
‘It ain’t like that. He arrived just after you left Destitution. I’d been writing home, claiming I was fine and that I had regular work and money for lodgings .’ Hannah glanced away. ‘But when he discovered what I was doing, he told me to go home with him.’
‘You wouldn’t follow a man’s orders.’
‘I didn’t. I decided to go home with him. But before I left, I had to hear what you
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