Blood for a Broken Promise (Preview)

Prologue

Helen Drake and her father, Oscar, a Pinkerton Policeman well known for his stamina and endurance of hardships, rode slowly into the sleepy town of Tombstone, Arizona. The soft clip-clop of their horses’ hooves echoed off the buildings on either side of the road. They passed a corral where other horses moved to the fence, watching as the two rode past.

“Seems like a nice place to meet up with the marshals,” Helen said softly. “I like it.”

Her father nodded, scanning the horses as they passed. “Nice place to live and raise a family, as long as ya don’t get caught up in the gambling.”

Helen turned her blue eyes to him, raising her eyebrows. “I don’t see why gambling would be a problem,” she responded. “The marshals are regularly involved in it. And they’re the law in these parts.”

“Well.” He drew out the single word, lifting one shoulder in a half-shrug, “Virgil and Wyatt are known to take lots of money in those games. They’re good at both jobs. Law enforcement and gambling.”

Helen moved her eyes to the wooden sidewalk to her left, scanning the pedestrians. The boots of the men and the softer shoes of the ladies made no sound as they strode along. The only sounds made came from the children. Some were chasing each other, happy smiles on their faces as they circled the long skirts of their mothers, reaching out to grab at the other children but missing by just an inch or two every time. This drew humorous outrage from the chaser and laughter from the child being chased.

Their antics brought a smile to her face. “I’m glad they decided to meet us here,” she went on. “I’ve never been to Tombstone before. I reckon 1880 is gonna be a year – the year we make our money. The Earps are offerin’ a lot for the capture of The Raven. We might not have to work anymore after this capture. The bounty is the highest we’ve ever worked for.”

“You’re right,” her father replied, “but do you really want to give up bounty hunting? I thought you loved this life.”

“I do.” Helen returned her eyes to his face, noticing his skin looked more tan than ever and he had a few new wrinkles in the corners of his eyes. She had her mother’s blue eyes while his were green mixed with a good amount of blue. They both had strawberry blonde hair, though she kept hers in a loose braid that went almost to her waist, while his covered his head in waves. He wore a light tan colored cowboy hat with a brown band around it to protect his scalp from the sun. Helen wore no such hat. Her scalp would sometimes burn if she didn’t wear a bonnet, a headdress she detested but forced herself to wear on occasion.

This was one of those occasions. Their trip from Phoenix had taken several days and that kind of exposure to the Arizona sun was perfect for burning her light Irish, freckle covered skin.

“I do love this life,” she said, “but it’s not all I want to do. I may be thirty-one, but I think I’d make a fine wife and mother.”

Her father returned her gaze, and she could tell by the look on his face, he was going to say something humorous.

“You sure you haven’t passed your prime for having children?”

She stuck her tongue out at him slightly. “No, Pa, I haven’t. If God wants me to have my own, He will make it happen. If not, I reckon there’s lots of kids in orphanages that would like to have parents and a fam-”

Her words were cut off by a sharp whistle that rang through the air. Both her and her father averted their eyes to where the sound had come from. A man with a handlebar mustache and a white hat was waving at them from the porch of the Sagebrush Inn up ahead on their left.

Helen lifted her hand in greeting, while her father did the same.

“Which one is that?” she asked, studying the well-dressed lawman.

“Wyatt,” her father replied. “He’s known to be real smart and friendly so show him some respect.”

Helen was slightly offended that her father would suggest she would be anything other than friendly to the marshal.

“How else would I be?” she asked, putting a bit of her outrage in her voice.

“I’m just tellin’ you what I know about the man, Helen. Simmer down.”

Helen huffed softly but put a smile on her face as they got closer to the Inn. They dismounted, tying the reins around the hitching rail that ran along the front of the building.

“Howdy,” Wyatt said, gesturing for them to follow him. “Come on inside. Virgil and Morgan are waitin’ for ya.”

Her father shook Wyatt’s hand. When he turned to Helen, he took her hand but held it still, bowing slightly from the waist instead, smiling at her. She didn’t mind that he didn’t shake her hand and felt a bit flattered by his bow.

A few minutes later, they were seated at a table, looking at the Earp brothers, listening to the assignment they were being handed.

“The Raven is a sneaky man,” Virgil said, running one finger around the rim of his beer mug. His voice was deep and gravelly. He sounded powerful to Helen, which made her respect for him grow. “I’m thinkin’ you two are perfect for the job, though. You’ve got the skills needed for it. The instincts. The intelligence.” Virgil turned his eyes to focus on her father. Pride filled her chest when he said, “We’ve heard some stories about you, Oscar. And if those stories are true, you’re probably one of the only people who can find out who this man is and bring him to justice. Dead or alive. You on board for this?”

“Of course,” her father replied, confidently. “My daughter and I are excellent trackers. And we don’t give up till we’ve got our man.”

Virgil smiled, along with both his brothers, who were sitting back, rarely speaking and letting Virgil have the floor. “That’s just what we’ve heard. It’s gonna be quite an adventure for ya both. And your wallets will be full when you bring The Raven to us.”

“Dead or alive,” Helen repeated.

All eyes moved to her. “That’s right, Miss,” the marshal stated. “Dead or alive. It’s good to have you both on board.”

“It’s good to be on board,” her father said, sitting forward to shake the hands of the three Earp brothers, accepting the adventurous job they were about to embark on.

Chapter One

Andrew Fredericks checked his watch, pulling it from the upper pocket in his vest and pressing on the button so the lid flipped open. Five minutes. Not much time to get that boulder on the train tracks.

Frustration filled his chest, making him frown deeply. He moved his eyes back to the men, who were urging their horses along, while other men were behind the huge boulder, pressing into it with their shoulders and hands. They were grunting and moaning as they worked, sweat dripping from under their hats, making their faces and necks shiny.

“This ain’t gonna work,” he mumbled to himself.

In his experience, the train coming, which had two cars stuffed with bank money, and three passenger cars with wealthy folks, was headed to Arizona and California. That meant a big payday for Andrew and his men. He was discouraged by his partner, Thaddeus Blackwood’s plan. It didn’t seem efficient to him. They were at the opening of a valley flanked by two mesas that were so high, it was impossible to see the tops. They needed to get the boulder in place so the train would have to slow down and would derail once it slammed into the boulder.

Unfortunately, those horses and the strength of the men pushing was not enough to move a rock that big. It was just too heavy.

“Come on!” Thad yelled from behind the men. “Put your backs into it. Let’s go! We’re runnin’ out of time! Go! Go!”

Andrew sighed, shaking his head.

Thad’s British accent was lost when he was yelling like that. When he was upset, the accent nearly disappeared. Normally, his origin was clear by the words he used and how he phrased his speech. He wasn’t usually a man to lose his temper. His face was rarely as red as it was in that moment.

“Thad!” Andrew called out, waving one hand so his partner would ride over to him. Thad’s head snapped in his direction. The frown on his face was as deep as Andrew’s.

“Let’s get it goin’, boys!” he said. He turned his horse to ride over to Andrew. He’d gotten only a few feet before a loud snapping sound filled the air. One of the ropes had split, springing back and slapping against the men pushing the boulder. One of them fell backwards, yelling in pain. He scrambled to his feet, his eyes on the torn sleeve on his left arm, wide with disbelief. His skin was bright red from rope burn. Moments later, his face was as red as the mark.

“You have got be kidding me!” Thad yelled, having spun around to see what made the sound. “This is ridiculous! Are you telling me this boulder is too heavy for three horses pulling and four men pushing?”

“Yellin’ at the men ain’t gonna make this happen, Thad,” Andrew stated firmly. “We need a new plan.”

“We’re tryin’, boss!” one of the men called back to them. “This rock is just too heavy! If the horses ain’t good enough, you know we ain’t gonna fare much better with just our own strength!”

Andrew could tell Thad was unhappy with the man who talked back to him. He slid off his horse and stomped over to them, shoving the man who’d spoken out of the way and slamming his own body into the boulder, grunting and groaning as he pushed the rock.

He was barely making any difference at all. Andrew watched, shaking his head. Did he really think he was stronger than the men he’d put on that task? The one he’d pushed away was Daniel, a man so large he had trouble finding clothes that fit and was a proficient sewer as a result. He made and repaired his own clothes. He was well over six feet, towering over Andrew, who was six feet, two inches tall. His shoulders were broad and his muscles showed through the white shirt that was soaked with sweat. Daniel was bigger than Thad, too.

“It ain’t gonna move much further, boss!” Another man spoke up, but to Andrew instead of Thad.

“We don’t have time to wait,” Andrew responded. “Thad, get back on your horse. Boys, you do the same, get your horses and come with me. I’ve got something else in mind.”

Andrew was sure he heard the train in the distance, the rumbling of wheels on the track, the hum of the engine, the hiss of steam coming from the chute. He looked down at the watch he still held in his hand. Two short minutes. They would have to hurry. They had no choice.

He lifted his hand in the air as the men who’d been trying to push the boulder ran to their horses nearby. They mounted at the same time as Thad and turned their horses to follow Andrew. Thad came up beside him, giving him an odd stare.

“What are you doing?” he asked. “I thought this was the plan you wanted to use.”

“I’ve got a better one, I think. Let’s go into the valley. I think we can get on the train an easier way.”

“By running up alongside it and jumping off our horses onto one of the vestibules?” his partner asked, curiously.

Andrew was a bit surprised that the man had even thought of it. Partner or not, Andrew was superior to Thad in almost every way. He was smarter, more capable, more intelligent, sneakier… But Thad had a lot of passion for the train robbing business. He loved frightening the travelers. He took so much joy out of that aspect; it sometimes made Andrew uncomfortable.

He’d been thinking about changing his lifestyle recently. For months, in fact. He’d even mentioned it to Thad a few times. But his partner nearly always dismissed what he said, telling him it was just the jitters.

Andrew never got the jitters. He wasn’t afraid to rob banks, trains or coaches. He wasn’t afraid to go into any town and show his face knowing he was on a wanted poster somewhere, maybe not where he was at the time but probably somewhere nearby. He’d even talked his way out of a capture by concocting an accent similar to Thad’s. People were gullible. It was only a matter of being confident in what you said and never showing fear.

Thad wasn’t happy about this change of plan. He could tell the moment his partner got to him, his brown and gray handlebar mustache twitching with frustration. His brown eyes were sharp and angry. It didn’t bother Andrew. They were friends and partners. He was sure Thad would get over his ire once the job was truly underway.

“Follow me, boys,” Andrew said, gesturing with two fingers, turning his horse and kicking him into a gallop so they could go straight into the valley between the two earth walls.

“What are you doing?” Thad called from directly behind him. “We gonna get trapped in here with that train. These horses can’t fit between the mesas and the train itself. We’ll be smashed.”

“There’s an alcove up ahead,” Andrew called over his shoulder. “We’ll stash the horses there and jump on the train ourselves. We send one man to the engine to get rid of the engineer and stop the train. Easy as pie.”

Thad’s silence weighed heavier than any words his partner could have said.

Chapter Two

“How far in we goin’, boss?”

One of the men called out the words, alerting Andrew to the fact that the train was closing in on them. He concentrated on getting to the alcove. He and Thad were the only ones he cared about. The rest of the men could fend for themselves. They weren’t children who needed to be led by the hand.

“See that alcove right ahead?” he yelled back over his shoulder. “That’s where we’re goin’. We need to get there fast!”

Andrew reached it first, as he’d thought he would and immediately dismounted. He ran to the train tracks, knelt on one knee and rested his hand over the steel tracks. It sent a jolt through his arm, making him jerk his head to the side and focus hard on the opening of the valley. The humming was steady. He could feel beats as the track seemed to throb under his hand. It wasn’t an audible sound but one he felt through his skin. It made chills run down the back of his spine.

“Hurry up!” he barked at the men, who were almost to the alcove. It was a larger space than Andrew originally thought. It opened on one side, exposing a group of trees that led to the rest of the land on the other side of the mesa. If they needed to retreat, at least they had somewhere to go.

The last man reached the alcove. They rode toward the trees and dismounted, choosing an area that would be safer for their horses while the men took over the train. Andrew watched them with trepidation until Wally, one of his friends in the gang, grabbed the reins of his horse, glanced back at Andrew, who nodded, and took both their horses into the woods to find them a safe place to wait.

The train was only a minute or two away. They’d given themselves just a few extra minutes by abandoning the boulder idea and instead coming into the valley. The men took places around the alcove, most of them pressing against the wall, looking desperate and nervous. No matter how many times they did this exact thing, his men seemed to be afraid of the job they were about to do. It made him wonder why they stuck with it, putting their lives in danger each and every time.

Andrew himself didn’t care if he lived or died. He had no one who loved him anyway. No one to go home to at the end of a hard day and talk to. No one to tell him it would be a better day the next day. Just stick it out, he told himself then and frequently in the past. This time could be the last time. It will be the last time, if it’s successful.

He’d already made up his mind.

He’d had the sense his partnership with Thad was about to end. Thad knew it, too, and that’s why he was so easily irritated. They’d been partners for several years, their own men joining together to form a larger gang, which always resulted in a larger loot being recovered with every robbery.

It also meant that he and Thad had to come up with the plans together because neither was willing to take a back seat to the other. At first, they’d easily been able to compromise. But for the last six months at least, something had changed.

It could have been Andrew whose behavior began to waver from their normal relationship. He was no longer happy about the money he was taking. He was growing more and more disillusioned. He wanted to go straight. He wanted a life completely different from the one he’d created for himself. He wanted a wife, children, a regular job, a home in the same city or town and no traveling except for a vacation.

Thad seemed perfectly content with the way things were. He’d grown up in Sussex, England, to rich parents who died and left him with a mountain of debt and just enough money to cover their expenses and pay off their debtors. He’d been used to living in the lap of luxury. The lack of funds had spiraled him into the life of crime he now lived. There was never enough to satisfy Thad. He always wanted more. More, more, more!

Andrew didn’t want to take chances with his life anymore. He’d come close to death too many times. If he didn’t stop leading this life, he would absolutely die because of it. Much too young, they’d say at his funeral. If only he hadn’t chosen the life of a criminal, he’d still be with us. Women would weep at his funeral, women who wanted to give him that chance of a new life. He’d rejected them all.

Now that he wanted a life filled with family and peace and love… those women were nowhere to be found. And even if he spoke with one of those ladies, they’d never believe him now. They knew he was a deceptive person.

Andrew had come to a point in his life when he wanted to live. And the more trains he robbed, the more gunfights he was involved in… the more the chance of losing his life became.

Flashes of past robberies flooded his mind as he waited for the train.

“We should just give this one up,” he heard Thad but didn’t automatically give the man any attention. “There will be other trains we can rob. What’s so special about this one? Lots of trains carry money from banks and have wealthy travelers. This one isn’t special. Why are you so determined?”

Finally, Andrew turned his head to look at his partner. “Thad, if you don’t want to participate, just don’t. I can do it on my own! Your plan failed, sorry to say, but that doesn’t mean we should just give up. I don’t give up. You know that about me by now.”

Thad snorted, accompanied by a curled lip of disgust.

“You said yourself you want to quit. Now you’re telling me you don’t want to?” Thad shook his head. Andrew sensed how frustrated his partner was. “You’re all over the place, friend. You need to make up your mind.”

Andrew shook his head, narrowing his eyes. “You know I don’t quit when we’re on a job. This train has more gold and riches on it than most. You know that, too. So why would I want to turn back now?”

“We could just stay in this alcove and let it pass!” Thad retorted, hotly. “You can chase after it if you want, take a few of the men with you and jump on the caboose and then make your way through the cars to where the passengers are. Rob them and go up to the engineer and put a bullet in his head. That will stop the train for sure.”

Andrew was disgusted by that completely flawed plan. “You tellin’ me you want me to shoot the engineer and derail the train while me and the men are on it? Then you and the rest of the men can jump on the train and get all the loot. That what you’re tellin’ me right now?”

“That isn’t what I said,” Thad responded, curtly.

“Yes, it is!” Andrew shot back. “That’s exactly what you said!”

“Well, t’isn’t what I meant!” Thad’s annoyance was unmistakable. Andrew finally stood up, moving to the wall where many of the men were already standing, their guns ready, their eyes on him and his partner as they bickered like an old married couple. That thought made Andrew powerfully sick to his stomach. He didn’t want to argue with Thad. It had been happening way too frequently lately.

Chapter Three

“Here it comes!” one of the men barked out the words, bringing Andrew from his thoughts and alerting both him and Thad to the smoke rising up into the sky as the train came closer. Andrew’s heart slammed in his chest as he waited, crouched and ready to jump on the first car that seemed accessible to him.

“I’ll get on first, Thad, you second, then the rest of you follow!” Andrew yelled at them. The rumbling and hissing sounds of the train bounced off the earth walls that flanked it as it plunged into the valley.

The engine car sped past at a tremendous speed, blowing Thad’s hat nearly off his head. He raised one hand and slapped it back on, like several others in the gang standing close to the tracks.

Andrew watched as it passed them. At one point, his eyes connected with the engineer as the man passed by. How much had he seen, Andrew had to wonder? Was it a coincidence that he’d locked eyes with Andrew, or had he seen them well before they moved into the mesa?

There was no way to tell.

One thing was certain, though. The train whistle that blew was so loud, the men slapped their hands over their ears.

“Come on, come on!” Andrew shouted, preparing to jump on the train. Now that the train whistle had blown, he felt like someone had surely heard it in every passenger car. But would it mean anything to them? Would they assume they were in danger just because of a train whistle? And what could they do about that anyway? They had no escape, though. They were on a fast-moving train, and it was about to be invaded.

Andrew didn’t let more than the engine car pass before he began running alongside it, his legs pumping hard. He was surprised and a bit impressed by his speed. He heard the men yelling behind him as they came along. His partner was right behind him. They would all leap onto the train, latching onto whatever part they could and hope for the best.

Andrew allowed two cars to pass before he saw what looked like a ladder attached to the outside wall. It wasn’t a passenger car but that was fine. He could reach the vestibule and get into the car where the money was being stored in metal boxes. He pictured it in his mind to give himself some motivation. As the first vestibule between the cars went by, he was somewhat surprised to see a man with a black Wells Fargo vest and hat lean out and stare at them with a face of stone.

He grabbed the ladder and was instantly whipped to the side so his legs flapped behind him before he could maneuver them onto the ladder. The Wells Fargo man pulled a gun and held onto a metal railing, swinging violently as he fired at Andrew and the rest of the men. Andrew looked behind him, noticing several of their men had stayed on their horses and were galloping fast along with the train. Bullets whizzed past him, but he paid it no mind. He had to get to the vestibule behind him and steady himself to fire back at the Wells Fargo man.

Thad had stopped running and instead waited for one of the men on horseback. Andrew watched as he reached up and grabbed the outstretched arm of the rider, who swung Thad onto the horse behind him. To Andrew’s astonishment, Thad then shoved the original rider off. Andrew recognized him as Thomas Bowman. Thomas looked as shocked as Andrew felt as he plummeted to the ground, coming down hard, his head slamming to the side, his eyes closing in that moment. Andrew wondered if Thomas had died just then and wondered what would possess Thad to do such a thing, especially to one of their own hired guns.

With anxious eyes, Andrew turned to see Thad had his gun out and was miraculously dodging all the bullets from the Wells Fargo man. Andrew stretched his body, reaching for something else to grab onto so he could swing himself into the vestibule. He holstered his gun to make the move. He would never be able to hold on if one of his hands was already occupied.

Thad continued to shoot at the Wells Fargo man, who repeatedly pulled himself back, the bullets from Thad’s gun pinging off the edge of the metal train car or whipping past the edge to embed themselves in the back of the first train car behind the engine. Andrew could only hope Thad wasn’t aiming at the engineer. He didn’t know if the man was showing his face like he had that first time as the train went by. But if he did lean out the window again, Thad would likely shoot him or attempt to, anyway. And that might cause the train to derail because there were a lot of curves through that valley. The train needed to be at a certain speed to take those curves safely. If it derailed, the cars would leap off the tracks and slam directly into the earthen walls, which were layers upon layers of sandstone, shale and sedimentary rocks, killing anyone caught between the metal and the earth. The devastation that would follow would take out just about everyone else as well, their men and the passengers. That was the main reason he and Thad had the idea of making the train derail before it got into the valley.

Andrew stretched his arm, catching hold of one railing protruding from the outside wall. He ran his eyes down the side of the car and saw another bar like the one he had grabbed in a convenient spot for him to place one of his feet. He was glad the handles were there for him to grab onto.

His thoughts were fleeting, racing through his mind as fast as the train itself was traveling. Bullets whizzed past him in both directions, from the Wells Fargo man and from Thad. He was caught in the crossfire and expected any moment for one of those bullets to hit him.

He had no fear as he maneuvered toward the vestibule. His heart was pounding like mad but despite his racing thoughts, his brain was not in a panic. One moment he had his eyes on the Wells Fargo man, the next he would turn his head to see Thad racing along beside the train on that horse. His partner looked determined, his eyes narrow and focused.

His hand gripping the ladder slipped and his body whipped to the side, his feet sliding off at the same time. Andrew instantly grabbed the one single metal railing his other hand was holding onto, but he found it nearly impossible to get his feet settled on the railing below the one he was clutching now with both hands. The toes of his boots slid on the metal side of the train car. He wished the bottoms of his boots were sticky and though it was a humorous thought to think of sticking to the side of the car, he could only smirk.

He kicked at the side of the car until he got one boot on the lower bar. Then the other. His heart slowed down just a notch.

Both Thad and the Wells Fargo man stopped shooting almost at the same time. Andrew turned his eyes to the bank man first, but he had disappeared. When he looked behind him at Thad, he was surprised to see his partner had stayed almost right beside him. The horse he was riding was now frothing at the mouth. The animal wouldn’t be able to keep up that pace for much longer. Thad would have to dismount.

Thad’s narrow eyes were still focused on the vestibule where the Wells Fargo man would reappear when he’d reloaded. In the meantime, Thad had switched out his pistols for the rifle attached to the saddle. It wasn’t his own rifle. Would he be able to shoot with precision with that rifle?

Andrew was suddenly nervous, a new reason for that emotion creeping into his mind. Thad’s eyes moved from the vestibule where the bank man had yet to emerge to Andrew himself.

Andrew didn’t like the look on his partner’s face. Something was different. What had changed in his expression? Andrew didn’t like how it made him feel inside. His instincts were pinging off his nerves like firecrackers.

Thad lifted the rifle to his shoulder. But he wasn’t aiming at the bank man this time.

Now he was aiming at Andrew.