23
T
HE SNORTING OF KANE’S horse faded into silence while Molly was still crawling forward to get a better look. Not good. She wanted Kane where she could see him. She had finally traced down the infamous killer to this tiny ghost town on the edge of the Mexican border, and she was determined to have him this time. Her hat thumped against her back as she dug her gloves into the dirt and shinnied along under the house. She peered out into the street. She figured Kane was here to meet one of the many robbers he coordinated with along the border. If all went well today, Kane would never reach that meeting. There was a soft sound somewhere to her right. Someone was under the house with her. She twisted her head to one side but couldn’t see past a bricked support beam. She fumbled for her shotgun. She wanted Kane hung but, if she had to, she’d shoot him dead. “Molly?” a familiar voice hissed. “Vaquero?” Molly whispered, disbelieving. The scruffy, grinning face that appeared confirmed her worst suspicions.
It was that ding-dang, jackleg bounty hunter! This sidewinder had been sabotaging Molly’s attempts to catch Kane for weeks. Course, she had pushed Vaquero into a ravine, but she had a right to spoil his efforts. Kane belonged to her. “Well, well. Hello again, niña.” Molly bridled. She wasn’t a child. She was fifteen. She was old enough to sass this skunk good and proper. “Get out of here, or I’ll blast you out!” she snarled. Vaquero wriggled closer. “First one to grab Kane gets to claim him.” “He’s mine.” Molly gritted her teeth and finally blurted out the truth. “He killed my grandpa.” Vaquero’s eyes softened. “Now, why didn’t you tell me that when we first met? So, it’s revenge you seek?” “Revenge be hanged,” Molly snapped. “I want justice.” But more than that, she didn’t want some other girl to lose her grandpa. Kane brought misery everywhere he went. It had to stop. Something that might have been niceness crossed Vaquero’s face. “I’ll help you, and we split the reward. Agreed?” Molly grimaced. “Just stay out of my way!”
