They’d spotted his muzzle flash.
Soon, they’d be coming around the other side of the barn, trying to get at him from behind.
But for now, most of them were still out there in the open, firing in all directions.
Meanwhile, the cattle, wild with fear, pressed into each other, pushing into the gate, bawling with terror, wanting to run, desperate to escape…
That’s it!Will thought.
Shoving the Spencer into its boot, he leapt atop Clyde and charged to the gate.
Teal’s men opened up on him.
A bullet seared across his back, laying him open in a line of hot fire as if he’d taken a lash from a bullwhip.
Ignoring the pain, he leaned down and threw the latch.
An instant later, the gate banged open, and a river of terrified cattle rushed forward—and straight toward Teal and his men.
Swinging the stubby ten-gauge into his right hand, Will peeled back the hammers and charged forward, flanking the stampeding herd, bellowing at them with rage and the wild, savage humor that came to him only in moments like this. For the love of killing was upon Will Bentley now, the love of killing and the euphoric triumph of extricating himself from an unwinnable and unjust situation; and now, shouting and laughing, his voice lost in the pounding of hooves and the gunshots and screams of the men still standing in the way of one hundred and fifty charging cattle, he joined the back of the stampede, hurtling forward with the gigantic bovines as they bowled over men and horses and trampled them underfoot.
In among the enemies, Will spotted a raider at the edge, dodging the herd. The man smiled with relief—then his eyes and mouth went wide when he saw Will and the huge bores of the shotgun charging at him.
Will pulled a trigger.
The man’s face disappeared in a hail of buckshot.
Will spotted another raider, gave him the second barrel, and hurried to reload the ten-gauge.
But another raider appeared, spotted Will, and started to bring his gun around.
Before Will could respond, Clyde charged forward, slammed into the raider’s horse, and bowled over the man and his mount.
The raider scrambled up, gun in hand, and started swinging it toward Will again.
Grabbing the shotgun with his left, Will quick drew the Colt with his right and shot the raider before the man could even line up his sights.
Then Will holstered the Colt, reloaded the messenger gun, and wove amidst the destruction, firing his shotgun; breaking it open, and reloading with deft skill; slashing back and forth and firing again and again, killing a raider every time he pulled a trigger.
When the cattle ran off into the darkness, Will wheeled and raced back through the destruction. Here and there, dismounted raiders staggered to their feet… only to be blasted into oblivion by a very angry Texan with a shotgun.
The last of them screamed and started running off in the same direction the cattle had gone.
Will ran him down, dropped him with a load of buckshot to the back, and then spotted movement farther out there in the darkness.
A familiar figure atop a big black stallion leapt the creek, fleeing onto Will’s family farm.
Sully…
Will charged after him.
CHAPTER 46
Maggie fired the shot that started everything.
The night erupted in gunfire.
Terrified, she fired again.
