In The Beginning by Gail Daley (top 100 books of all time checklist .TXT) 📕

his rage at being called a coward, Sykes was in too much of a hurry and missed his first shot. His bullet whipped past Carlos's ear.

Carlos drew his own handgun and fired. Sykes' second bullet went into the dirt when Carlos' shot hit him dead in the heart.

Carlos removed the pistol from Sykes limp hand and picked up his rifle. He kicked Sykes with his boot to make sure he was dead. The outlaw rolled over and lay still.

Carlos' head came up as two more shots came from Red's position.

A tricorn broke from cover at a dead run, heading toward the road to town. Red and Carlos fired, and the mounted man jerked in the saddle, falling limply over his steed's neck. The Tricorn shied, and the man slipped off to the side, hitting the ground at an awkward angle.

That made six. Where was the seventh man? Although the adrenalin surge made him antsy, Carlos forced himself to remain still as he watched for movement in the area where the shots had come from.

Red called out, "This yahoo's dead boss. Did you get yours?"

Carlos stood up and walked toward Red's voice. "Yes, I got all three of mine. Durango?"

"Okay here boss. I reckon that accounts for all seven."

The three men walked back to the boulders where they had hidden the tricorns.

"I think we just took out the crew that's been doing the raiding," Carlos told his companions with satisfaction. "One of the men I killed was Ben Sykes and he takes orders from Franks."

Gathering the dead men's tricorns, they threw the bodies over the saddles and tied them in place. Red created a pack line by running a rope through each tricorns bridle, and the three men set off down the slope, trailed by eight laden tricorns.

The hacienda was in sight when Red Lightning spied a coiled sander and leaped up and sidewise to get away from it. The jump threw Carlos forward onto the tricorn's neck just as a shot rang out. The bullet burned Carlos across one shoulder. A second shot knocked his hat off and Red Lightning took off at a dead run.

"What the Hell—!" Durango yelled.

"They got the boss!" Red yelled back. "Run for the ranch!"

Red and Durango kicked their tricorns into a dead run, aiming for the wide-open doors in the outer wall. To move faster, Red dropped the pack train rope knowing those tricorns would follow where the others led.

When the three men thundered inside, Iris saw them from the house. Seeing Carlos slumping over Red Lightning's neck with blood pouring off his shoulder, her heart stopped for a second before she ran to him. "Carlos!" Iris screamed, "Oh, my God! You're bleeding," she gasped.

"Get the gates closed," Carlos said as he slid down from the animal into her arms.

He was too heavy for her and Iris folded with him on top of her. Clutching Carlos to her, she screamed," Macon! Get the gates closed! Hurry!"

Macon dropped his rake and ran for the gate. Yanking the tie back loose, he swung one side closed, just as the last of the tricorns carrying the dead men trotted into the outer patio area. Red already had the other door swinging closed to meet him.

Red swung the heavy bar down into the slots to lock the gate and the two men went to close the other gate.

The Most Dangerous Prey

BETHANY, GISELLE AND half the household ran out to the patio when they heard Iris scream.

"Stevens, Durango, take Carlos up to Iris's room and put him in her bed," Bethany ordered. "Margo go heat some water. Gran, can you treat his wounds?"

"Yes, I can stop the bleeding and bandage him," Giselle replied. "We still need the doctor to come out from town."

Bethany nodded. "Do what you can for him. We'll get the doctor." She turned to Red. "Red, we need to find this shooter and take him out. Did you see where he shot from?"

"He got the boss across the shoulder from the back. I'd say he was up in the trees on the south side, toward the front of the ranch house. Do you want me to hunt him?"

"Yes. I'm going to send a message to my husband. He and the others are in Ruby Canyon starting roundup, so you will have help soon."

"You want this backshooter able to talk?"

Her eyes hardened and her soft mouth flattened into an inflexible line. "I don't care. Use your best judgment. Do you have enough ammunition?"

"We used up most of what we had on them," Red replied, pointing to the milling tricorns carrying the dead bodies.

Bethany pulled out her keys, detached one and handed it to him. "Here, this is the key to the firearm storage room. Take what you need and draw fresh tricorns from the remuda. Good hunting."

He took the key and turned away. When he first came to the ranch, Red had thought himself more than half in love with Bethany, dreaming about soft grey eyes and a lush figure. When Alec arrived, Red had envied him his bride and his position as St. Vyr's son-in-law. Today he didn't. Red had watched Bethany's expression harden when she spoke of killing the sniper, but now he wasn't so sure about Alec's good fortune. It would take a tough man to be married to the woman who had just ordered him to hunt down a kill a man. Michael St. Vyr had obviously known what he was doing when chose McCaffey as his daughter's husband. Ruefully, Red realized he didn't want to take a woman like that to bed.

"Miss Bethany, what do we do with them?" It was Tim, an older man who helped Iris with the milking. He was pointing to the laden tricorns.

"Unload them and put the dead bodies in the cold cellar where Miss Iris cures her cheese. They need to be kept cold or they'll stink."

"But—"

"Yes, I know she won't like it and it's unsanitary, but it can't be helped for the moment.