The RECKONING: A Jess Williams Western by Robert J. Thomas, Jill B. Thomas, Barb Gunia, Dave Hile Page B

had a local artist in town draw up some wanted posters and I showed them to the couple that was robbed and they were able to identify all three of them. I need you to look at them to see if they are the same three men you met on the road that day.” Jess took the drawings from the sheriff and looked at them, the look on his face hardening as he did. It was the same three men.
                  “The youngest one,” the sheriff continued as Jess looked over the drawings, “is Randy Hastings. He’s the one with the missing boot heel. He carries two six-guns with pearl handles. The other one is Blake Taggert. He’s the one with the bushy beard unless he’s shaved it off by now, but I doubt it. He carries a left-handed six-shooter. The oldest one is Frank Beard. He always wears a yellow bandana. He carries a six-shooter, but his specialty is a double barreled shotgun. Hear tell, he’s killed several men with it.”
                  Jess looked up at the sheriff with a blank hard look. “These are the three men I met on the road, Sheriff. I’m sure of it. The drawings are a good likeness, that’s for sure. Can I keep these?”
                  “Of course,” replied Diggs. “Jess, is there anything else I can do for you right now? Can we help with some of the work here? Running a ranch is a lot of responsibility for a young man.”
                  “Thanks, Sheriff,” he replied flatly, “but I can take care of the ranch and myself just fine.”
                  “All right, then. You take care, Jess,” the sheriff said as he and his three deputies started to turn their horses around. Just then Jess stopped the sheriff and asked him the one question the sheriff hoped he would never ask, and yet somehow he knew that he would.
                  “Sheriff; you said they bragged about raping some women; meaning more than one. Does that mean they raped my little sister Samantha?” he asked solemnly.
                  Sheriff Diggs’ eyes fell to the ground. He didn’t want to answer the question, but there was no way he could avoid it. He knew that in his heart. Jess deserved to know the truth no matter how terrible. The sheriff was a man who always figured the truth was the best way out of a bad situation. His eyes slowly raised from the ground and he looked Jess straight in the eyes and told Jess the cold terrible truth.
                  “Yes. I had hoped not to have to tell you about it,” he replied sympathetically. “But the truth is those bastards did rape Samantha. I’m sorry to have to tell you that.”
                  Jess’s eyes glazed over and darkness seemed to emanate from the back of them and the sheriff had seen the look that he had in his eyes all too often lately. He knew the look; rage, revenge, love, hate, all wrapped up in one look. He saw it in these eyes of a boy not yet fifteen. He knew what Jess had on his mind and he knew there was nothing that he or anyone else for that matter could do to change it. Jess never changed his look or never lost his lock on the sheriff’s eyes.
                  “Thanks for your honesty, Sheriff,” he replied sharply.
                  “You’re welcome. I only wish I could have done more,” replied the sheriff sadly.
                  “That’s okay, you’re a good man, Sheriff, and I figure I owe you one,” he replied. “I know you’ve done your best. I’ll take care of it from here.” The sheriff didn’t have to try to figure out what that meant.
                  Sheriff Diggs and his men turned their horses and headed back down the ranch road out to the main trail leading into Black Creek. As they did, the other three men with the sheriff tipped their hats at Jess as if to say they understood what he was going through. Jess simply nodded back. As the men rode away, one of them looked over at the