Cassidy, who was more of a gentleman than Jayce, helped Tilly rise.He bent over her hand and raised it to his lips.Tilly rolled her eyes at Jayce over his head.
“Give the lovely Miss Malika my regards,” Cassidy said.“Her brother and I are good friends.He’ll be as pleased as I am to hear how much she’s enjoying her adventure while he’s been away.”
Chapter Nineteen
Jayce
Adam and theMexicans returned to camp without Dave.
“We tracked the scientist to his camp.He’s pretty spooked.Dave has gone to the ranch to send for reinforcements,” Adam told Jayce.“They’ll take care of that problem while we get the bank robbery out of the way.Bob can fill in for Dave.”
Bob—known asBetofor the time being—was no happier than his companions about Adam using nitroglycerin on the safe.
“Are you sure you know what you’re doing?”he said to Adam.“Because I don’t think you know what you’re doing.”
“Of course I know what I’m doing,” Adam said.“Don’t worry about it.”
Cassidy, who’d taken the second shift on night watch, roused everyone at first light.He had Adam’s horse saddled for him, and Adam rode off.The one Mexican acting as lookout—because Beto, the other lookout, was now filling in for Joachim—disappeared next.
Cassidy, Sundance, Beto, and the third Mexican saddled their horses while giving Adam a five-minute head start, then they rode toward town.Cassidy rode Side-eye, and he was, indeed, a good horseman, because Side-eye obeyed him.
The town was silent and dark.The Mexican in charge of the getaway held the horses a few buildings away from the bank, as a precaution.They wouldn’t have much room for error once Adam blew the safe, because no matter how careful he was, the sound of the explosion was going to carry.
Jayce roughly knew what would happen next.
The townspeople had caught wind of the robbery and were lying in wait.Andy Danvers, as sheriff, was in charge, so chances were good that things would go wrong.
Sundance was the one who’d be blamed.Malika had come right out and told Cassidy that she knew of the robbery, so there was no doubt that he was the leak.Cassidy would shoot him as soon as the townspeople appeared.Cassidy would then make off with the money, with Adam to help guide him out of the mountains.At that point the adventure was over.Cassidy would spend the night at the ranch, then Jayce’s dad would drive him to Butte in the morning.
That was the plan.
Adam ran out of the bank, his hands over his ears.Jayce backed up a few paces, because Adam running couldn’t be good.
The explosion that followed blew the front off the bank.
A loud buzzing noise blocked all other sounds from Jayce’s ears.Chunks of building and earth pattered like raindrops on and around him, and he covered his head with his arms.
The buzzing noise faded.The dust and debris in the air thinned, and he uncovered his head.He pondered the spot where the front of the bank used to be and wondered if Adam survived the blast.If he had, it likely wouldn’t be for long, because the Mexicans were going to be angry.They were proud of that floor.
The townspeople spilled into the street, looking stunned rather than bent on revenge.Andy had his gun out but didn’t seem to know where to point it.Jayce spotted Malika, who held a frypan in both hands, as if ready to swing it as soon as she found a target.God help the target.
The saloon and the jail were still standing, although leaning a little away from the bank, as if distancing themselves from the drama.
The drama continued.Before the dust fully settled, the night exploded again, this time, with a skyful of flaming arrows.They shot upward, arced, then descended, and hit the saloon roof.The roof caught fire.The eardrum piercing tongue ululations of war whoops rent the air, and a dozen horses and riders broke from the shadows.
The Mexicans were most definitely angry.Dave and his reinforcements were supposed to be relocating the research scientist, not burning the town to the ground.
The townspeople who’d gathered to fight off the bank robbers seemed uncertain as to what to do about an unforeseen Indian raid.Their pitchforks and frypans weren’t going to be of much use.They scattered.
Wasn’t this going well.
Jayce braced himself for the paintball.Cassidy was supposed to shoot him in the back.Once he got that out of the way, he’d join the fire brigade and help put out the fires.
Cassidy, however, had disappeared in the chaos.
Could nothing go right?Jayce looked around, trying to find him, trying not to get trampled by Mexicans on horseback who’d returned to their roots.
Jayce spotted Cassidy.
