Zooey Pinkerton- a Daughter's Right Page 5

  “Yes Miss, you will be.”

  Jack's men let out another holler and Eddy smiled. “Going to be one hell of party tonight, Miss Sarah. Yes sir, one hell of a party.”

  Sarah forced another smile. The door opened and a group of scantily clad women hustled into the room. Each woman was overdone, over painted, and seemingly drunk. Sarah sniffed in disgust. She never put herself in the same class as these women. “Why are they here?”

  “Why do you think?” Eddy said as a dark grin spread across his lips. “Why do you think you are here?”

  “I'm here with Jack and I'm sure he’ll make sure all those other men know it.” Sarah's stomach suddenly felt very ill. She had never considered the possibility that Jack had brought her here to be part of the evening's entertainment.

  “Perhaps,” Eddy whispered above her head, just low enough for her to hear. “But, perhaps not.” Sarah shivered and backed up against the bar.

  “Now there’s my girl!”

  Sarah looked above the crowd to see Jack striding purposely toward her. She breathed a sigh of relief. “Jack!”

  Jack Duncan picked her up and twirled her around until Sarah felt dizzy. “Oh Jack, now stop!” She squealed as the older man placed her gently on the floor. He reached his hand down to touch the top of her exposed cleavage. For the first time in many years, Sarah blushed.

  “Gotta love a woman with colour in her cheeks,” he said quietly. Jack grabbed her hand and hurried her to the front of the room. “Gentlemen. You will see that old Tom here has provided some lovely company for you all to share tonight. Be gentle with the ladies and I'm sure they will serve you all well.” Jack reached down and made a show of patting Sarah's delicate hand. “This fine lady, however, is in my company. So see to it you all remember your manners!”

  Nobody seemed to notice as Tom backed himself into the corner of the room. “I will be your undoing, old man. This distraction will be your downfall.”

  “Well aren’t you a big one? Need some company, sweetie?”

  Tom looked down to see a buxom, dark haired woman with black eyes staring up at him. She was a few years older than the others and Tom could tell by the scars on her neck and the one on her cheek that she had been mishandled a number of times. He was tempted to drag her into the next room. Then he surprised himself and shook his head. “There will be kinder men here than me, wench. Get away from me. I'm in no mood.” She disappeared into the crowd of men and left Tom alone and brooding.

  Twelve

  Zooey had spent the better part of an hour tossing and turning. Despite the warmth of the house and the bath she had revelled in only a short time before, she could not relax. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Tom Brennan's face. I can't just lay here and not know what is going on! Frustrated, she finally tore the bed sheets off her body and scrambled to find something to wear. Zooey threw on her jeans and an old, patched shirt she had found in the bedroom closet. The sleeves were too long, so Zooey rolled them up before pulling on her boots. She hooked her coat over one arm and headed downstairs and out to the stable. “I know Josh will be mad at me, Gypsy, but I need to be there when he gets Tom Brennan.”

  As if in agreement, the chocolate mare pawed the ground with one hoof.

  The sky was clear and the stars lit the road into town, so Zooey had no problem getting there. Upon arriving, she found the streets empty. Even the saloon was quiet. She stopped in front of Charlie's to see if he knew where Josh and his men had gone.

  Charlie was surprised when he saw the dishevelled young woman walk through the saloon doors. “What in God's name are you doing here at this hour?”

  “I'm looking for Josh. Do you know where he went?”

  Charlie's eyes looked everywhere but at Zooey. He nervously drummed his fingers against the top of the bar.

  “Okay, Charlie. What's up? Where is everyone?”

  “Don’t know,” he answered. “Listen Zooey, you best head back to wherever you came from and let Joshua sort all this out.”

  “I can't, Charlie. I owe Pops justice. I need to look Brennan in the eye before Josh takes him into custody.”

  Charlie looked at the determined young woman in front of him. Guilt and frustration burned deep in is chest. “Zooey, do you have a weapon with you?”

  “Just my pistol. Why?”

  “Damn it! The Sheriff will have my hide and Jack....well...damn it!”

  Zooey walked close to the bar and looked Charlie right in the eyes. She knew he was hiding something - and she was going to find out what it was. “Who is Jack?”

  “I'm sure you’ll find out soon enough. Joshua will be better for it if you’re there when he finds out, anyway. There is a big meeting going on out at the ranch with Tom Brennan and his boss. It's dangerous, Zooey, but I have a feeling Joshua might need you.”

  “I appreciate the information Charlie. I figured they would be out there. But why would Josh need me?”

  “A friend in need Zooey...a friend in need.”

  Confused, Zooey rechecked her pistol. “Thanks again Charlie.”

  “Don't thank me, Zooey. Please don't thank me.”

  Zooey wrinkled her nose and nodded as she walked back out the open door. “I'm not sure what is going on tonight, Gypsy, but I don't think I'll like it when I find out.”

  Thirteen

  Joshua and a dozen of his deputies dismounted their horses and tied them a quarter of a mile away from the Pinkerton Ranch. He waved them over to where he stood. “Everyone have a weapon?”

  The men nodded in silence. “Simple surveillance for now. We have no clue how many men are at the ranch or if they have scouts along the road. If their boss is there, we won’t now how well armed he is. If he's as smart as we think he is, he probably won't go far without security.”

  “Sheriff?”

  “Yes, Franklin?”

  “Are we taking Brennan alive?”

  Joshua looked down at his boots for a moment before looking back up at his deputies. “There is a bounty on Brennan's head, so technically, it's dead or alive. If possible, I prefer him alive. The boss is to be taken alive at all costs. We need to get as much information as we can from them both. Franklin, take two deputies with you to scout ahead. The rest of you keep quiet and follow me. Stay safe!” Joshua knew he had good men around him, but even he didn't know what they would be facing once they got to the ranch. He said a silent prayer and led his group though a narrow, winding dirt path. It ended at the back of the stables.

  “Don't go spooking the horses. Looks like they don’t have much security out this way.” He motioned to two of the men to go ahead. “See if you can get a visual on how many men are standing guard.”

  The sound of music and debauchery could be heard through the open windows of the ranch house. Joshua shook his head. “Sounds under control, for now.” A brief flash amongst the trees caught Joshua's attention. He crouched low in the shadows and motioned for the men behind him to do the same.

  “Sheriff?”

  Joshua breathed a sigh of relief when he heard Franklin's voice. “Any news, Franklin?”

  The deputies came out from their hiding places and crouched next to Joshua. “From what we can see, there are two armed men out front, and one at each entrance and exit. The rest of the fools sound like they are living it up inside. I'm assuming Brennan and the boss are inside as well.”

  “So that means at least five armed men are visible. Notice any scouts along the way?”

  Franklin shook his head. “None that we could see, but that doesn't mean that they aren’t there.”

  “True enough,” Joshua agreed. “But, we can't wait out here all night. The sun will be up in another hour or so. We have to do this now or risk the men escaping. The odds may not be in our favour once those men know we’re here. I'd understand if there was anyone who wanted to high tail it out of here. Brennan is not a forgiving man.”

  Silence was all the acknowledgement that Joshua needed. His men were behind him, even if it m
eant endangering their lives. This was not just for Zooey Pinkerton. Every man there had known someone whose life had been affected by one of these outlaws. It was time to take their town and their county back from the lawbreakers.

  Joshua stood up and gathered his men around him in a semi circle. “Franklin, take five men with you and handle the guards at the entrance and the exits. Do what you need to do to ensure they’re quiet. The rest of you will come with me. We'll scout the path leading up to the house, then make our presence known. We have to take these animals down once and for all.”

  “Agreed, let's go men!” Franklin took off into the darkness, with his men silently shadowing his every move.

  Joshua moved stealthily down the trail, checking every nook and cranny along the way. So far, there didn’t seem to be any scouts. “Cocky bastards really thought I'd stay away tonight. That will be their downfall.”

  “It's the price of arrogance and too much power,” a young deputy replied. “Too much power corrupts the mind and the soul.”

  “These men have proven they have no soul,” replied Joshua.

  Once he was sure there were no men waiting out in the trees that surrounded the ranch, Joshua slowly took off to the main road leading to the property. It was eerily quiet, except for the odd holler of a drunken man or a high-pitched squeal from one of the prostitutes inside.

  Joshua squinted his eyes and caught sight of Franklin waving his arm at the front door. “Good man,” he whispered. After directing two of his own men to assist at the side and back entrances, Joshua moved across the gravel road as silently as he could. Then a snapping sound behind him froze his blood.

  As if in slow motion, Joshua sped around and drew his rifle, watching as a black figure on a horse loomed out of the shadows. “Halt! I'm the Sheriff and I have a weapon pointed directly at you!”

  “Josh? Thank goodness it's you!”

  “Zooey? What the hell....get off that horse and get over here as quietly as you can.”

  Joshua watched in amazement as Zooey dismounted. She walked Gypsy to where he stood, rifle at the ready.

  “I could have killed you! Are you crazy? What are you doing out here? I told you to wait at the house.”

  Zooey huffed, but stood her ground. “No, I'm not crazy. I couldn't sleep and I have every right to be here. I need to face the man who killed my father. Besides, Charlie said you may need me.”

  Joshua looked down at Zooey, dressed in his old patched up shirt, and wrapped up in a coat that was too big for her. She looked like a little girl playing cowboy. On another day, he would find it charming. Tonight, he knew the fire of revenge burned deep in her heart.

  “You have every right to be angry, but this is not a safe place for you.”

  “Why? Because I'm a woman? I grew up in this place and learned from my Pops and some of the greatest cowboys and wranglers around. I can handle myself!”

  Joshua sighed heavily. “It's not that you can't take care of yourself, Zooey. I can't take the chance that you’ll get hurt, or worse, killed out here. You'd be no better off than your father.”

  “This is my ranch, Joshua. Pops had no sons and I'll be damned if these outlaws take my birthright from me.”

  In silence, Joshua tethered Gypsy to a tree and walked Zooey over to Franklin. “Do you still have that spare rifle?”

  “Always,” answered Franklin as he unhitched it from a strap across his back.

  “Take this, Zooey, and stay behind me at all times. Do you understand?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good. We still have the element of surprise. Franklin, go around back and tell the men to get ready. In exactly five minutes we’ll head inside. Hopefully the men are too drunk to react and we can take Brennan and his boss as quietly as possible.”

  “What's happened to all of Pop's men?”

  Joshua shrugged his shoulders. “My best bet is that they left or went over to the dark side. They had their lives and families to think about.”

  “So much for loyalty,” Zooey said. “Pops took care of those men and they left him here to die, alone.” She wiped a tear away from her cheek and held the rifle tight in her hands. “Let's get this over with.”

  Fourteen

  Amongst all the drunken revellers, Tom Brennan stood alone, watching. He had only allowed himself two fingers of whiskey. Not enough to get drunk on but enough to fire the hate in his belly toward Jack Duncan and Sarah Sweet.

  “Bloody woman. I should have snapped your neck when I had the chance.” Tom grumbled while he paced back and forth in front of the parlour door. It was almost time to check on the men standing guard. So far, everything was quiet, but something was gnawing at him; something felt out of sorts.

  “Tom, old boy! Relax. You look like a panther just waiting to strike. Look around you man! There are plenty of things to enjoy tonight.”

  Tom watched in disgust as Jack kissed the side of Sarah's neck and wrapped his hands around her tiny waist.

  Jack laughed as Tom stormed out of the parlour and headed for the front door.

  “The poor man is always so riled up. Such a shame, isn’t it my dear?” Jack asked while nibbling on Sarah's exposed neck and tender flesh. She moaned and nodded in agreement. At the moment, she didn’t have a care in the world.

  Meanwhile, Tom's well-worn cowboy boots pounded against the floor as he stomped his way to the front door. The hall was empty, as most of the bedrooms were taken up by men and women in various states of undress. He stood for a moment and looked around him. The ranch house was extensive and well set up. Tom knew if he had a chance, he could take it over and make a killing on those horses.

  “I give Andrew some credit for running a tight ship around here. Shame about his gambling problems, though. If he'd been smart, we could have worked together and taken old Jack for all of it,” Tom said aloud.

  “But you made damn sure Andrew Pinkerton wouldn’t work for anything or anyone again, didn't you, Tom?” Joshua said.

  Both Joshua and Franklin stood in the doorway with their weapons trained on Tom's chest and head. It was satisfying for the Sheriff to see the look of confusion flash across Tom's face. Josh stepped aside and allowed Zooey to walk around him, her borrowed rifle aimed well.

  “Nice to see you again, little one,” Tom grinned. “So, I see my gut was right about it being too quiet out here tonight. We are surrounded I assume, Sheriff?”

  Joshua nodded.

  “Not so smart after all, are you, Mr. Brennan?”

  Tom stared down at Zooey. Instead of being intimidated, she stared right back at him with her head high and her shoulders back.

  “I underestimated you when we first met. Your father certainly raised his girl to act more like a man then most of the idiots here.”

  “Flattery will get you nowhere sir. You still murdered my father.”

  “That I did child, but it was business. You must understand it was nothing personal.”

  “How about Marta?” Zooey asked while angrily shaking the gun in his direction. “Was that personal?”

  A deep sigh escaped the big outlaws curled lips and he nodded. “It wasn’t personal for me. Now, I can't say that of my men. I would have preferred to keep the old woman busy in the kitchen, but when you have men who have not seen hide nor hair of a woman for months...well you must understand that things can happen.”

  “You disgust me,” Zooey spat.

  “Alright Zooey, you've had your say, now let us do our job.”

  Just as Zooey shifted to allow the Sheriff a closer view of Tom, the man lunged forward with a pistol in hand.

  Shots rang out and Tom and Zooey hit the floor simultaneously.

  “Zooey!” Joshua shouted as he turned to grab her as she fell. The rifle dropped from her hands and she crumbled into Joshua's arms. Franklin trained his rifle on Tom who was still unmoving on the floor, a pool of blood spreading beneath his left side.

  “He’s been shot, Sheriff. I doubt the tough bugger is dead though. May have
knocked him silly.”

  “Keep an eye on him, Franklin,” Joshua said as he cradled Zooey to his chest. He checked for a wound and he found that Zooey had been shot in the arm. The bullet had gone clean through, from one side to the other. “You've been shot, but it's not bad. The wound is clean.”

  Zooey moaned as she came too. “Is he dead?”

  “No,” Joshua said. “But you got him pretty good.”

  As Zooey tried to sit, a half dozen of Joshua’s men came in through the back and side door. “Round up whoever you can find and make sure their weapons are confiscated. And find the boss! He's got to be here somewhere!” Joshua shouted while tearing the bottom of Zooey's shirt. He hastily tied up her wounded arm. “You'll be okay, Zooey. I promise.”

  ”I’ve been waiting for you, Joshua,” a rough voice broke in. Joshua looked up to see a tall, older man dressed all in black. At the same moment, the woman standing next to him let out a scream.

  “Tommy! What did you do to Tommy?”

  “Shut up!” Jack shouted as he slapped Sarah across the cheek. “Ungrateful whore! I bring you here with me and you scream about a man who would beat you to death?”

  Stunned, Sarah grabbed her cheek and ran back into the parlour, leaving the men behind.

  Jack focused his attention back on the Sheriff. “What?” Jack raised his hands in an innocent gesture. “Not happy to see your old Pa, Joshua?”

  The air was thick with tension as Joshua got his feet and faced the man.

  “Josh?” Everything finally made sense to Zooey. “This man is your father?”

  Joshua took a deep breath and looked Jack straight in the eyes. “This man may look like my father, but he’s not. My father is dead to me.”

  “And here I thought we would have a sweet reunion, son. Pity about your mother, though. She was a lovely woman. She just couldn’t keep that mouth of hers shut.”