Chapter 1

She squinted her eyes against the bright desert sun. “Damn buzzards,” she said looking up at three of them that were flying overhead. She surveyed the valley that lay before her until her eyes fell on the cause of the buzzards descent. Off in the distance, she could see some sort of dead animal. She looked from the carcass to the buzzards, and shook her head. She hated buzzards. They were awful creatures. And they always seemed to follow death.

She turned her back to the valley and the buzzards, and focused on the task at hand...finding the Carson brothers. She looked at the deserted road in front of her. She had seen this road before. Maybe not this exact road, but a million of them just like it all over the West. They were all nameless, meaningless roads. They led into towns and then right back out the other side. They were all the same for Cody. Just another road.

Except for this road that stood before her now. This particular road may have seen the likes of them no good, dirty scoundrels Matt and Billy Carson. At this point in time, all Cody cared about was finding them. “They can’t hide forever,” she said absent-mindedly rubbing her horse’s mane. A flicker of darkness crossed her blazing blue eyes. “I’ll find them,” she said, a twisted grin shining through her dirt-streaked face. “And when I do, they will wish they were never born”.

“Arrrfff”.

Cody turned her attention to the dog at her feet. “Tanka. Lay down” she said, her hands coming to rest on the gunbelt slung low on her hips. “I am not in the mood to play.” Tanka let out a small whimper as she laid down at Cody’s feet, resting her head on her paws. The hard look lifted off of Cody’s face as she watched her loyal companion of seven years pout. She smiled as she shook her head. “This dog is more spoiled than a child,” she thought to herself as she bent down to rub Tanka’s back. The dog let out a familiar groan of pleasure as Cody continued to rub her fingers through Tanka’s long gray coat. Cody smiled lovingly at the dog, momentarily forgetting everything around her.

Tanka rolled over on her back, gazing loyally at Cody as she did. Cody could take the hint. Tanka wanted her tummy rubbed. “And what Tanka wants, Tanka gets” Cody said to no one in particular. She knew she was an old softy when it came to that dog. She continued rubbing her belly when Tanka flinched. Cody looked down at her hand, only to see that long ago scar on Tanka’s tummy. Memories rushed her mind like water about to break a damn, flooding her thoughts with images of what seemed like another life.

“Damn that Matt Carson” her mind screamed as she continued to rub the dog’s tummy, careful of the scar that still bothered the dog 4 years later. Tanka shifted her gaze to Cody as if hearing the young woman’s vengeance. “Don’t you worry girl,” Cody said, the hard look creeping back in to her features, “we’ll make them pay.”

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Vin stared up at the afternoon sun. “Lord, it’s hot,” he said as he leaned his head back against the wall of the jail and closed his eyes. He could feel the sweat rolling down the center of his back. “Too hot for this,” he said as he stood up and pulled off his trademark buckskin jacket. He opened the jail door and threw it on the desk before returning back to his seat.

Wiping his hand across his forehead, he looked out into the street of the quiet town of Four Corners. The sun was beating down on the residents of the small Arizona town. Vin watched as a haggard women pulled along her screaming child. She looked hot, tired and frustrated. Vin smiled and shook his head as he leaned back into the chair. “Some people weren’t meant for kids.”

Vin closed his eyes again and sighed. He was bored. “Sitting in front of a building ain’t no way to spend a day,” he thought to himself. But he had nothing else to do. The town had been unusually quiet for several weeks. Not many new people coming into town; no disturbances out of the ordinary. Not much for seven lawmen to do and they were all getting edgy.

“Hey Vin. Whatcha doin’?”

Vin knew that voice like he knew the back of his hand. “What’s it look like kid, nothin’. Same as you,” Vin said as he opened his eyes to see the young sheriff standing in front of him.

JD smiled. “I can see that. You want to go fishin’ or something? I got to do somethin’ or I’ll go crazy. ‘Sides it’s so hot, I think a swim would hit the spot.”

Vin listened to what the kid had to say. ‘A swim did sound like a right good idea,’ he thought to himself. ‘This heat is almost unbearable.’ As he was contemplating the offer, Vin noticed two riders as they came in the far side of town.

The two men stopped their tired horses in front of the saloon. Dismounting quickly, the men stood talking as they surveyed the town. Vin looked the men over. Both appeared to be in their late twenties. One was a tall, stocky man with dark hair; the other an average sized blonde man. Both looked hardened by time with many visible scars. Vin watched as several exchanges were passed before the men headed into the saloon.

The blonde disappeared into the saloon quickly while the older one stopped and took one more look around the town. Just as he was about to head into the saloon, his eyes fell upon Vin. For a moment, their gazes locked. Vin could see that there was nothing good that lied behind the man’s eyes, nothing but trouble.

“Vin? Are you listening to me?”

Vin pulled himself away from the man and turned back to JD. “What did you say kid?”

JD looked over at the man as he disappeared into the saloon. “You think there’s gonna be trouble?” JD said as he rested his hand on his gun. A smile spread across the eager sheriff’s face as he looked from the saloon to Vin.

Vin looked back at the saloon. The two men looked as if they were running from or heading to somewhere in a hurry. They looked like they had rode hard and their horses were tired. That could mean trouble. “Don’t know JD, but we better keep a watch on them fellas.”

“Okay,” JD said, youthful exuberance nipping at his every word. “I’m gonna go find Buck. Tell him what’s goin’ on.” With that said, JD took off like a greased pig. Vin laughed to himself. There was even a bounce in the kid’s step. Shaking his head, he stood up and stretched his long arms over his head. He needed to find Chris and the others. If trouble broke out, he had a feeling that they all may be needed.

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Vin and Chris sat quietly at their usual table near the back. Vin was nursing his beer as he and Chris quietly discussed the new arrivals in town. “Where did they get off to?” Chris said as he threw back a shot of whiskey.

“Inez said that they ordered a couple of drinks. While they was drinking them, she overheard them saying they was heading over to the hotel. ‘Pears they are staying for the night at least,” Vin said as he watched his friend. “She said they was pretty rowdy when they was in here. I reckon they will be trying to raise some hell later on.”

Chris stared at the empty whiskey glass in his hand. “I suspect you’re right,” he said, turning the glass over in his hands. “I’ll get JD to watch the hotel. You keep watch round here. I’m gonna warn Mary to stay in tonight. I got a feeling there could be trouble.”

Chapter 2

It was late afternoon when Cody rode into Four Corners. People were bustling around town, heading one place or another. No one seemed to notice her ride in. That was fine with Cody. The less attention, the better.

Cody hitched her horse up in front of the saloon, still unsure of whether she wanted to stay in Four Corners for the night. There was still a lot of daylight left and she wanted to cover as much ground as possible. “Don’t want them boys getting away from me again,” she thought as she wiped the sweat from her brow. But she needed water for her canteen. As if able to read her thoughts, Tanka nudged the blonde gunslingers hand. “I know girl. You want some too,” she said as she patted the dog’s head.

Cody looked around at the quiet dusty town that lay before her. ‘I wonder if those Carson brothers have been through this way,’ she thought to herself as she scanned the businesses along the main street. At the far end of the town was a small General Store. “By my calculations,” she mumbled as she stared at the small store, almost willing it to devulge any information that it might have held. “Them boys should be almost out of money. Might have tried to sell something.”

Deciding that she had to start somewhere, Cody resolved to have a look around the town. “Who knows,” she said to herself as she wiped the sweat off of her brow with the back of her hand. “Might even be my lucky day.”

Cody fiddled with her saddle back, trying to look busy. She had learned long ago that looking busy allowed her to keep her head down low so she could take in the area without being noticed. That was something that a female bounty hunter needed, anonymity As she surveyed the townsfolk, she didn’t see anyone out of the ordinary, except......

Cody stopped. She turned her attention to the building across the street. The sign in front read Clarion. Standing in front of the building was a gunmen, dressed in black from head to toe. He had blond hair that hung in his eyes, and a stern expression on his face. He wore a gunbelt hung low, and a long duster. From under her hat, she looked back around at the people in town. Most looked like simple farmers or shopkeepers. She looked back at him, intrigued by how out of place he looked.

He stood on the boardwalk, hands resting on his gunbelt, talking with a pretty blond woman. The woman wore a fancy blue dress, and had papers in her arms. Cody regarded her with little concern. “Just another woman trying to get a husband” she thought to herself with disgust.

Cody quickly lost interest in the lone gunman and was about to turn her attention elsewhere when two more gentleman joined the man in black and his woman. She eyed them carefully. One of the men was dressed very fancy with a ruffled shirt and a brilliant green coat. He was good looking in a refined way, but there was something about the way he watched the people passing around him that she didn’t like. He looked like a fake, trying to be something he wasn’t.

The other gentleman was a young black man. He was handsome with a friendly face. She watched the way he tipped his hat to the blond woman, smiling as he greeted her. Cody looked him over carefully. “Nice looking,” she thought to herself as she took in the strong frame of the man. What impressed Cody most about the black man was his collection of the throwing knives that he had strapped to his back. Cody had eyes like a hawk and from where she stood, she could see that he had a fine collection of knives. There were three on his back strap, one on his leg and a small one on his gunbelt. She was impressed. She had a fondness for knives.

Cody watched as the three men left the woman and made their way toward her. Immediately she dropped her head and hunched her shoulders, almost drowning herself in the gray duster that she wore. The man in black and the ruffled shirt fellow walked on the opposite side of her horse and didn’t seem to notice her at all. The black fellow, however, walked right past her. He stopped in front of Tanka and bent down to her.

“Hey there fella” he said as he rubbed Tanka’s head.

“HER name is Tanka.” Cody said gruffly, not looking at the man. Keeping her shoulders up and her hat down low, Cody kept her attention on her saddle bag.

“Oh, I’m sorry. Never can tell,” he said. Cody could see out of the corner of her eye that he was trying to get a look at her. From the puzzled look on his face, she imagined he meant that for her too, and not just the dog. Sensing that Cody was not going to say anymore, the black man turned and went into the saloon.

Cody let go of the breath she had been holding. She was relieved to have him leave. She wanted to maintain her low profile, but sometimes she couldn’t control her actions. She felt like dynamite, waiting to explode.

“Hmmm” she said as she thought of the men she had just seen. Completely out of place. Now, she was intrigued.

Chapter 3

“Ezra, I don’t know how ya did it, but ya cheated” said Buck as he threw his cards into the center of the table. He turned his attention to Josiah who threw his cards in the center also. “You would think that we’d have learned by now”.

“That’s right Buck. You think we would have,” Josiah said as he patted the man on the back. He stood up from his chair, stretching his long legs. He had been sitting there, losing to Ezra for two hours. “I’m heading back to the church. Got some work to do. Anybody want to help?” Josiah asked, not really expecting anyone to take him up on his offer.

“Sure, Josiah. I’ll help ya” said Nathan. He was restless and wanted something to keep his hands busy. He had been sitting with Vin and Chris talking about the Judge’s arrival.

“Nathan, we need ya....” Chris started to say.

“Hey, you can’t bring that dog in here,” the bartender shouted through the saloon.

Chris looked past Nathan to see a young woman standing in the center of the saloon. A medium-sized dog, possibly Shepard-wolf mix, followed close at her heels. The woman had been heading for the bar when the bartender spoke. Chris watched as she stood regarding the bartender with questioning eyes. The dog stopped right beside her.

“Hey” Nathan said recognizing the dog. He sat back down, and turned to Chris. “I seen that dog out front bout two hours ago. I didn’t realize the owner was a woman.”

“And what a woman she is” said Buck as he eyed the pretty blond. Vin regarded the woman with interest. She had long blond hair, tied together in a braid that lay down the center of her back. She wore a black flat-brimmed hat that was pulled down low, shielding her eyes and identity from the world. Her face was tan and smooth, but she wore a hard look. She was probably late twenties.

Vin has seen many women in his time, but there was something about her that struck him as different. Maybe it was her clothes. Most women were not known to sport the kind of attire that she had on. She wore black trousers that fit her hips and thighs snugly, a tight white long sleeved shirt and a form-fitting brown leather vest that accentuated a rather generous bosom. Her boots made her look tall, probably 5’6”, but her build reminded people that she was a woman.

Vin eyed the gunbelt that hung low on her hips. She had a knife sticking out of the back of it as well as another tied to her left leg. He had seen women gunfighters before, but they usually cracked under the least amount of pressure. Something about her told Vin that she wasn’t so easily dealt with. Maybe it was the way she stared down the bartender with guarded eyes when he told her to take the dog out. Or maybe it was the way she never even bothered to look around the room to see who was in the saloon. Either she didn’t care, which made her dangerous, or she didn’t want to know, which made her stupid. Either way he knew that he had better keep a close eye on her.

Cody never took her eyes off the bartender. She raised her arm behind her and with a flick of her wrist, sent the dog back outside. The dog laid down by the batwing doors, her body on the boardwalk but her head stuck inside just enough to keep a watchful eye on her master.

Once the dog was gone, the woman continued up to the bar and ordered whiskey. Vin felt someone nudge him. He turned to see Chris with the same questioning expression. “What do ya make of her?” he said glancing from Vin back to the woman.

“Not quite sure” was all Vin had to say. Cody took the shot of whiskey that was placed before her. She brought the glass to her lips and threw the shot back in one smooth motion. Vin could tell that it was nothing new to her. As she swallowed the whiskey, her facial expression never changed. She just swallowed it.

She returned her gaze back to the bar. “She seems to have a lot on her mind” Vin said to no one in particular. It seemed to Vin like she must have heard him because she looked up suddenly, staring into the mirror that hung on the wall behind the bar. In the mirror, she surveyed the room, resting her cold blue eyes on him.

Something about her gaze made Vin feel uncomfortable. He smiled slightly and tipped his hat, to which she made no movement at all. She instead shifted her attention to his friends surrounding him. She eyed them carefully, one by one before returning her gaze to Vin and then she dropped her eyes back to the bar.

Vin was surprised by her lack of emotion. He watched as she ordered another drink. This time she didn’t drink it right away.

“Well hot damn. She is one purty woman,” Buck said as he got up from his chair. He took off his hat and laid it on the table. “Watch and learn boys.”

“No Buck. Don’t.” Vin said just as Buck was turning around. Everyone turned to him.

“And why not?” Buck asked sarcastically, seeming disturbed that Vin would even question his ability to romance a woman.

“Suit yourself” Vin shrugged. He didn’t know why Buck shouldn’t talk to her. He just got the feeling that she was not someone who would be interested in being sweet talked at the moment.

Chapter 4

“Good afternoon Miss.....” Buck said as he slid up right beside her at the bar. Cody turned to look at the brave soul who was talking to her. Before her stood a tall dark-haired man with roguish charm. He had crinkles around his eyes from the brilliant smile that he wore and a dark mustache. She looked him up and down, noticing his gunbelt as she did. “No knives, too bad” she thought as she turned back to the bar without saying a word. She didn’t feel in a talkative mood.

Buck decided that a different approach was in order. “Excuse me miss. I’m sure sorry to bug ya, but you are the purtiest lady I have ever seen around these parts. The name’s Buck Wilmington,” he said as he extended his hand to her. “And you are.....”

“Not interested,” she said flatly, never taking her eyes off the bar. She could hear Mr. Wilmington’s friends laughing to each other in the background.

“Well now, I can respect that,” said Buck, even more determined to get the wild filly’s attention. “Do you mind if I just stand here and drink my beer then?” he asked, offering her his best smile.

She could see him out of the corner of her eye, standing there with an idiot grin on his face. “Suit yourself,” she shrugged, considering the matter closed. She drew the shot she had in her hand to her lips. She downed it in one fluid motion, slamming the empty glass down on the bar as she did. That one had a little bit more of a kick, causing her to suck air in hard to keep the liquor from burning her throat.

Buck took this as a prime opportunity to show his hospitality. As she waved her hand to get the bartenders attention, Buck grabbed a hold of it. “Allow me,” he said as he threw a coin on the bar. Cody stared at the large, callused hand as it wrapped itself around hers. Looking from her hand to Buck, she pulled away from his grasp as if she had just been burned by fire. She looked at him, her eyes seeming to question his sanity. Yet Buck never faltered.

“Thanks,” she said coldly, returning her eyes to the bar.

Buck hadn’t gotten the reaction he had hoped for, but at least she hadn’t thrown it in his face so he was hopeful. He stood quietly for a few minutes, trying to think of a new tactic. He looked in the mirror behind the bar and found that they had a captive audience.

“Third times a charm,” he told himself as he prepared to dazzle her. She looked tough, but Buck knew that what all women really wanted was to be treated with care. He turned his full attention to her. “You know you have such beautiful....eyes” he said as he leaned forward, as much as the bar would allow him to. But with her hat so low, Buck was unable to take in the full beauty of the mysterious woman that had peaked his interest. Intrigued by the shroud of mystery that surrounded the stranger, Buck smiled. “Um....may I?” Buck said as he reached over to lift her hat.

As he was just about to touch the brim of Cody’s hat, she grabbed him by the wrist and whipped him around to the other side of her, his back colliding with the bar. In the same fluid motion that she pulled him, she drew her knife from the back of her gunbelt. With the back of the blade against her arm, she held the point to Buck’s throat, never saying a word.

Chris and the others were astounded by her quickness. She had Buck over on his back and an eleven inch blade to his throat in a matter of seconds. The men stood abruptly, knocking over chairs as they drew their weapons. They cocked their pistols, and pointed them at the back of the blonde’s head.

Tanka had sensed the danger to her master and came running into the bar. She stood at the woman’s feet facing the gunmen, her teeth bared. She barked several times then proceeded to growl in a vicious fashion.

Cody heard the click of the pistols as they were cocked. She looked at the gunmen out of the corner of her eye, noting that she had 5 pistols and a rifle pointed at her. She returned her gaze to the man she held in front of her. She could see the surprise in his eyes and even sensed the slightest bit of fear, but not much. She had just caught him off guard. Knowing that she had made her point, she raised her hands up a little and slowly put the knife back into its sheath.

“Tanka down,” she said, still void of emotion. The dog stopped immediately and sat down by the bar, watching the men. Cody pulled back from Buck allowing him to stand up straight. Disgusted with his treatment, he straighten his jacket before pushing past her. His shoulder hit hers and it was all she could do to keep standing. She allowed herself to move back one step, but used every ounce of her energy to ensure that she took no more than one. She had stood her ground. “Hopefully, it would be enough to keep these men out of my way,” she thought to herself.

Cody heard the clicks of the pistols as they were uncocked. She picked up her whiskey, keeping her back to the men and downed her drink. She wasn’t about to let good whiskey go to waste. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see that the gunmen were preoccupied with Buck. She took that opportunity to slip out of the saloon unnoticed. Tanka was close at her heels.

Once out of the saloon, Cody quickly headed down the boardwalk, ducking into the first alleyway she came to. It wasn’t until then that she let out the breath that she had been holding. “Damn it Cody,” she mumbled to herself. She had wanted to keep a low profile and that certainly didn’t help. Cody held her hand out. It was shaking.

“He just had to be with them gunmen,” she grumbled. There was something about them that she didn’t like. They were out of place. “Why were there so many of them in this little piss ant of a town,” she thought as she paced back and forth. That wasn’t the only thing that bothered her either. It was something else; something she couldn’t quite put her finger on. The man in the buck skin coat was so familiar to her, yet she knew she had never met him.

“But it wasn’t my fault,” she told herself, trying to reason it away. “He started it by bothering me.” She had been direct in telling Buck that she wasn’t interested, but that wasn’t good enough for him. “And then, to top it off, he tried to touch me,” she said aloud as if the thought would put her mind at ease.

“Damn it,” she said again as she wrung her hands, still pacing back and forth. Her weaker side was beginning to take over, worry crossing her face. Then she heard that familiar cold voice in her mind.

“Stop it Cody,” it demanded. Cody’s pacing abruptly stopped. “Now focus.” What did she care about those gunmen for anyway. Her only goal was to collect the bounty on the Carson brothers, dead or alive.

“And dead would suit me just fine,” she said as her stronger side regained control, that hard look again overtaking her features. Her blue eyes narrowed to a squint. She would just have to do her best to avoid the gunmen. She would find out what she needed to know, and then get out of town. At least that was the way she had planned it to go.

Chapter 5

Cody made her way to the General Store, careful to avoid any of the gunmen. As she entered the store, Tanka strolled in behind her.

“Hey, you can’t.......” the storekeeper started to say as his gaze connected with Cody’s. A look of surprise crossed his face as he realized that the gunmen that stood before him was a woman. Cody stood by the door waiting to see what the shopkeeper would decide, her hands rested on her gunbelt. The shopkeeper looked her up and down until his eyes met back with hers.

“Oh....um....Afternoon Miss. Just keep the dog by the door” he said smiling, his eyes darting from her face to her bosom. Cody had to use every ounce of her control to keep from shooting him where he stood.

But then Cody had gotten used to that kind of behavior from men. Men were not used to seeing a woman bounty hunter. They didn’t seem to know how to deal with her. She fought like a man, but still looked very much like a woman. Many times she had used it to her advantage. When men see a pretty face, they were willing to tell a person just about anything. “Yeah, being a woman bounty hunter certainly had its advantages,” Cody thought as she began to peruse the store.

The store contained all the usual things, fabrics, flour, other supplies, but nothing that indicated to Cody that the Carson brothers had been there. “Damn,” she said as she turned to leave the store. She started thinking about the next closest town when something caught her eye.

Near the far wall of the store was a display rack set on a waist high counter. Cody turned toward it, almost certain that she knew what it was that she had seen. As she drew closer to the stand, her blood began to boil. There among several cheap pieces of jewelry was her jade necklace.

Images filled her mind of fire and shouting, whips and the butt of a gun......She closed her eyes, and with them, her mind to the events of that long ago night. Turning her attention back to the display stand, she motioned for the shopkeeper to come over.

“Yes Ma’am. Did you find something of interest to you?”

“This pendant. Tell me how you acquired it,” she said, trying to keep her best smile on her face when it was hate that burned her heart.

“A young gentleman brought that in this morning asking if I wanted to buy it. Well, as you can see, it is a fine piece of jewelry, hand carved out of.....” he said, putting his best sales pitch forward.

“Yeah I know, out of jade. What did this man look like?” she asked, trying to focus on her breathing. She had to remain calm.

“Oh, he was about 6’2”, rather solid in build, short brown hair, a mustache...” he said looking at the ceiling as if it held the answers to her questions. “He had a blond fellow with him”

Cody’s heart raced. It was them. Trying to stay calm, “do you know if they are still in town? We are old friends and I would love to spend some time with them,” Cody said offering her best smile. “In hell” she added in her mind.

“Why, I do believe that I did see that blond fella earlier this afternoon. I think they are staying over at the hotel” he said as he leaned across the counter, taking the opportunity to look down Cody’s blouse. Cody cleared her throat and the shopkeeper immediately drew his attention back to Cody’s face. “Did you want to purchase the pendant?”

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The pendant had been a gift to Cody from her sister in what seemed like another life. It was a black leather string that held a small jade star. Cody had never seen anything so beautiful as that pendant. Her sister had given it to her for her 15th birthday, telling her that she would either be a sheriff or an outlaw when she grew up. Either way that symbol of the star would forever be part of her life. Four years ago, Matt Carson had ripped it off her neck, and she hadn’t seen it since.

Cody stood on the boardwalk, tying the necklace back in place. “It’s time to pay the piper,” she said as she surveyed the street in front of her. Cody turned toward the hotel. As she stepped off the boardwalk, she saw Buck heading directly toward her. ‘Now is not the time to have to deal with him,’ she thought to herself. She had to get to the hotel.

She turned and ducked into the alley that ran along the Mercantile. Thinking quickly, Cody decided that the best way to get to the hotel would be to follow around the outskirts of town and hit the hotel from the back. That way she could avoid the gunmen and still surprise Matt and Billy. She looked over her shoulder to see if the gunmen were coming when she ran right into the back of a man. She took a step back.

“Excuse me,” she said as she started to tip her hat.

“I know that voice,” the man said in a slow, slurred drawl. Cody’s heart froze as Matt Carson turned to face her. “Well, hello there angel. See ya caught up to us again. This is getting to be a habit with you” he said, an evil grin spreading across his face. “You know, we are just gonna have to put an end to this once and for all.”

Chapter 6

“Damn it Vin. You saw what she did. Can’t we arrest her or something?” Buck said, his ego badly bruised.

Vin walked along the boardwalk beside him, shaking his head. “I warned ya,” he said, laughing at his partner’s obvious shame.

“Hey, there she is. Let’s just talk to her. See what she’s doing here,” Buck said, desperate to regain some of his dignity back. Vin could tell that Buck would do it whether he agreed or not. He turned his attention to the woman in front of them. She was tying something around her neck when she noticed them coming. Like a women with something to hide, she turned and dart down the alley.

“Why is she running from us?” he thought to himself. “All right Buck. Let’s just talk to her”. They headed toward the alley after her. Just then, they heard a dog barking frantically.

The two lawmen looked at each other with puzzled looks. “That sounds like that woman’s dog. Somethin’ ain’t right. The last time that dog barked like that was when we had our guns on the woman,” Vin said as he considered the matter. Realizing his own words, he started running toward the alley with Buck close behind him. They turned the corner just in time to see a large man kick the girl in the back of the head. “That’s the guy from this morning,” Vin thought to himself. Drawing his mare’s leg, he motioned to Buck that he was going in.

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Cody couldn’t believe her luck. There he was, Matt Carson, standing in front of her. She heard Tanka barking wildly beside her, knowing that the dog knew who he was too.

“Shut up you mutt” Matt yelled as he turned his attention to the dog. Cody could see that he was going to kick her like he had done once before. Cody knew that she would rather die than let him do it again. She pulled her pistol out with the speed of a rattle snake attack and hit him in his temple. He dropped to the ground on his knees like a sack of potatoes, screaming out in pain. For good measure, she kicked him in the mouth as hard as she could. She saw the blood fly from his lips as he fell forward into the dirt. A tooth lay on the ground next to his head.

She stood before the fallen man, staring at him with disgust. Just as she was about to kick him again just for the pure pleasure of it, Cody felt the wooden plank collide with her ribs. White pain flashed through her head as she dropped to her knees. She heard the clack of her ribs more than she felt it. She tried to steady herself, but was thrust forward to the ground by the heal of a boot connecting with her spine.

“You Bitch,” she heard from behind her. “I should have killed you when I had the chance.” She heard the click of a gun being cocked.

She couldn’t believe that she had allowed herself to get in this situation. The pain from her ribs was so intense that it threatened her mind. She felt waves of nausea and dizziness racking her body. Her vision blurred as she felt herself being pulled up to her knees by her braid. She felt the pistol on the back of her scalp and somewhere in the distance she could hear Tanka barking.

“It’s okay girl,” she said and then everything went black.

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Vin saw the second man pull his gun on Cody. “Aw hell” he said, looking at Buck. “He means to kill her”.

Vin advanced on the man, placing the barrel of his rifle at the base of the man’s neck. “I reckon you better drop that,” he said as he cocked his gun. Buck was behind him, removing the other gun from the man’s belt. He then turned to the downed man and removed his gun too.

Tanka stood over Cody, barking feverishly. She bared her teeth and growled, looking from man to man. She walked over in front of Cody, and licked her face. She could sense the danger and wanted Cody up and out of there.

“Vin, what happened?” JD asked as he came around the corner, alarmed by the persistent bark of a dog. He saw Vin with his rifle drawn on the man from the saloon.

Vin glanced over his shoulder. “JD, go get Nathan and hurry. Buck, I think we should be getting these men to the jail.” Turning his attention to the man in front of him, “What’s your name?”

The man, still holding his hands up, looked at Vin over his shoulder. “Are you law?” he asked, disgust permeating his voice. Vin never answered.

Buck headed for the downed woman to check her injuries. He was stopped abruptly by the dog they had seen with her before. The dog stood protectively over the woman’s body, and Vin couldn’t help but admire the dog’s loyalty. Buck put both of his hands out in front of him so that the dog could see that he meant no harm.

The dog watched Buck carefully as he inched his way closer to Cody. Deciding that he was no immediate threat, Tanka moved from her guarded stance and stood very close to Cody’s side.

Vin watched as Buck checked the girl for a pulse. Once he had found it, he looked up at Vin and smiled. “It’s weak, but it’s there.”

“Hell, that bitch just won’t die,” laughed the man in front of Vin as he too watched Buck. Infuriated by the man’s callous attitude, Vin hit the man in the back of the head with the butt of his rifle, crumbling him to the ground like a house of cards. He didn’t know what existed between the woman and the two men, but two against one was never a fair fight.

Chris came running around the corner, his weapon drawn. He too had heard the dog from the Clarion where he had been talking with Mary. “What the hell happened here?” he said as he saw Vin and Buck standing over the bodies of two men and the woman from the saloon.

Tanka saw Chris holding his weapon and resumed her guarded stance over Cody’s motionless body. She began barking again, her teeth bared.

“Chris, put your gun away. The dog thinks you mean to harm her,” Vin said as he checked the pulse of the man she had taken down. Vin rolled the guy over to make sure it was the man from that morning and saw all the blood in his mouth. “No love loss here,” he thought to himself as he looked over at the blonde who still hadn’t moved.

“What happened?” Vin heard Nathan’s voice and looked up as him, JD, Ezra and Josiah came running down the alley. JD had his gun drawn. Vin immediately turned to the dog.

Tanka was watching the approaching men with great interest. She looked from Josiah to JD, who was putting his gun away. Then the dog did something that amazed them all. She ran up to Nathan, meeting him half way up the alley, and followed along side him back over to Cody. It was as if she knew that he was the one who would be able to help her master.

Nathan rushed to the woman’s side as the dog stood close by. Vin could hear the dog whimpering softly as she bent down to lick Cody’s face. Nathan checked several spots on the woman’s body before he looked up at the dog. The dog watched him closely. “Don’t worry girl,” Nathan said as he reached up and ruffled the dog’s fur. “She’s gonna be all right.”

Vin watched the dog’s tail immediately begin to wag. She walked over to Nathan and licked his face. Nathan laughed, petting the animal on her back. “All right now,” he said as he pulled his head back from the onset of the dog’s tongue. “You’re welcome.” Vin looked over at Chris to see the identical look of shock and dismay at the dog’s behavior. They both laughed and shook their heads.

Nathan turned his attention to the gunmen who had gathered around him. He could see the questions on their faces. “I used to have a dog like this years ago.” Changing the subject quickly, “we do need to get her back to my clinic. Her ribs are broke and looks like she has a concussion.”

Everyone’s attention shifted as one to the downed men began to stir. “All right. You and Vin get her back to your room. The rest of us will see that these fellas get acquainted with the jail” Chris said as he looked at each person, making sure everyone knew what they were to do.

Chapter 7

Cody tried to open her eyes, but they felt as if they had been glued shut. Her head hurt her terribly and her throat was very dry. When she was finally able to open her eyes, she realized that she was staring at a ceiling. She tried to think, but her mind felt as if it were moving with the speed of molasses being poured from a jug.

The last thing she remembered was seeing that gunmen walking toward her She remembered turning the corner and then.........”Matt,” she said aloud as she tried to sit up.

Pain shot through her body, causing her to scream. Her vision blurred. She immediately drew her hands to her ribs. That was when she realized the presence of someone else in the room.

“Don’t try and move miss. You broke them ribs. Three of ‘um. You got hit in your head pretty hard too. I bet it’s causing you some double vision right now, ain’t it?” the voice said as it grew closer to her. Cody instinctively went for her gun which was no longer there.

Cody’s eyes darted around the darkened room. She could feel someone there, but couldn’t see him. Just then, a door in front of her was opened, allowing lamplight to flood the room.

“I heard a scream. She okay?” a man said as he entered the room, a lantern in his hand. Cody tried to look at the man, but the light sent daggers through her skull. She drew her hands up to shield her eyes, her teeth clinched tightly together as she tried to fight off the pain.

“Vin, put that light high up on that shelf so it’s softer. She got kicked hard. Her eyes are still adjusting.” This time she recognized the voice. It was the black man she had seen when she first came into town. He had been talking to her about.......

“Tanka. Where is Tanka?” she said in a panic. She remembered that Matt had been about to kick her when Cody had hit him. “I swear to God above I will kill him if he hurt her,” she said to herself as she frantically scanned the room.

“It’s okay miss. Calm down,” the black man said as he sat down at the foot of her bed. She tried to draw away, but her ribs screamed out in protest. He stood up quickly. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean you no harm. Your dog is downstairs. We wanted to get her some food, but she won’t eat much. Miss, you mind if I ask what happened to your back? Looks like you were whipped.”

Cody pretended not to hear the question. It was something she wasn’t going to get into right now, especially not with strangers. Her vision was beginning to clear up. She could see the kind face of the black man looking down at her from where he stood. His face held a questioning expression. She looked over at the other man who had brought the lantern in. He stood over by the wall, a pitcher of water in his hand. She recognized him from the saloon.

Cody looked around the room. It was small, furnished only with a bed and two chairs. On the far wall were two book shelves lined with various books. There was also a small table near the only window in the room that held a plethora of items such as small bottles, bandages, and medical instruments.

“You a doctor?” she finally asked, the pain in her side constant. He head ached something awful, and she was so thirsty. Her eyes returned to the man holding the pitcher of water. She licked her dry lips that felt like the desert floor.

“Why, no ma’am,” he said, smiling to himself. “But I am ‘bout close as this town has ever had.” Nathan noticed her eyeing the water pitcher. “Vin, why don’t you pour Miss.....” he said, waiting for an answer.

“Dalton, Cody Dalton,” she said as she watched Vin pouring a glass of water. She felt like she hadn’t had anything to drink in months.

“Thank you,” he said smiling at her. “Pour Miss Dalton some water. I’m Nathan Jackson and this here’s Vin Tanner. Miss Dalton, you were.....” he began but stopped when she put up her hand.

“Just Cody,” she said reaching for the glass. Her lips were so dry. Vin put the glass in her hand, and immediately she drew it to her lips, drinking greedily.

“Cody, don’t drink it so fast” Nathan said as he sat down beside her. He reached for the glass, but it was too late. She began choking and coughing, spitting water out of her mouth as she did.

Nathan had a cloth in his hand that he used to begin wiping the water off of her chin. Vin sat down in the chair on the other side of the bed, concern covering his face.

Her coughing caused tremendous pain in her side. She tried to stop because the pain was so intense she feared she would black out. Just when she thought she had the coughing under control, she felt the first wave of nausea hit her. “Aw God,” she heard herself say.

Vin must have recognized that she was going to be sick because he grabbed the bucket Nathan kept close and sat down on the bed beside her. She rolled over, her head hanging over the bucket. Vin brushed back her loose hair so that she wouldn’t get any water on it.

She threw up twice, both times only water. But the pain was just too much for her. She passed out with her head still in the bucket. Vin sat the bucket on the floor and lowered Cody slowly back to the pillow. Sweat was pouring from her face. Nathan took the cloth he had in his hand and dipped it in the water. Placing it on her forehead, he turned to Vin. “At least now we have a name.”

Chapter 8

“Chris. Get in here. I think they’re awake” JD said as he stood up from the desk he had been sitting at. He watched as the dark haired one put his hand up to his mouth, moaning as he seemed to be trying to figure out what had happened. “Man, she really got him good” JD thought as Chris came in to the small jail.

Walking over to the cell doors, Chris regarded the men with disgust. He had no idea what had happened between Cody and these men, but he didn’t care. He had no sympathy for men who had to gang up on a woman.

“That bitch knocked out my tooth” said Matt as he tried to sit up. His head swimmed as he swung his legs over the side of the cot. Matt realized that he was not alone. “Who the hell are you?” he asked, looking from Chris to JD. He looked around the jail. He saw his brother in the next cell, but no Cody. “And where the hell is Cody?”

“Looks like we got ourselves some famous outlaws here JD” Chris said sarcastically, pointing to the Wanted poster on the jail wall. “Tell me Matt. Why would an outlaw such as yourself need to beat up on a woman for?” Chris glared at the man with disgust. He had blood caked to his lips, creating an illusion that he was wearing red lipstick.

“She ain’t as innocent as you think” Matt said smiling as he spit a mouth full of blood on the floor. He stood up, stretching his stiff joints as he did. Walking over to the bars of the cell, he watched Chris with curious eyes. “Besides, she’s the one following us.” Matt looked over at his brother who was snoring lightly.

“And just what did you do to get on her bad side?” Chris asked, trying to read the man’s face. Matt immediately turned his attention back to Chris.

“Why?” he asked, regarding Chris curiously. He knew Cody well enough by now to know that there was no way in hell she would confide in anyone, especially not a lawman. “What did she tell you?” he said, a smile crossing his face.

Chris stood watching Matt with contempt. ‘Damn’ he thought as he watched the man’s face. ‘He knows she won’t talk.’

Matt laughed at the lawman. “Didn’t think so. She’s hellfire, law dawg. But I will tell you what. I’ll make a deal with ya. If you and your little friend there let me and my brother go right now, when my gang gets here, we won’t bother anybody. We will just leave,” he said, watching Chris’s face closely. For good measure, he added, “I’ll even let you keep the girl.”

Chris couldn’t believe what he just heard. To top it off, Chris could tell that he was serious. “And if we don’t?”

“Well then law dawg, when my gang gets here, they will break us out. And when they do, we will kill all y’all, plain and simple. It’s your choice.”

Chris and JD broke out laughing, looking at each other and them back at him. Chris, who had been leaning against JD’s desk while Matt had made his proposal, started slowly walking back over to the bars of the cell.

“Ya hear that JD. He will even let us keep the girl.” Chris stopped right in front of Matt and turned to face him. His smile changed to hate as he grabbed Matt by the front of his shirt. He pulled him forward hard against the bars.

“You listen to me you piece of shit. You are gonna sit in this cell and rot.” Chris shouted, rage consuming him. “Maybe you will make it the 28 days until Judge Travis comes back to town, or maybe, I will take you out back and shoot you myself. And if your little friends do show up, well then, they can sit in this cell and rot right along with you. But don’t you ever threaten me, and don’t you ever mention the girl again. You got that!” With all his strength, Chris pushed Matt back across the cell. Matt’s legs hit the edge of the cot, causing him to tumble backwards into the wall.

With that said, Chris turned to leave. He wanted to see how Cody was doing. JD was right behind him, locking the door as they left.

Matt sat on the cot stunned. He hadn’t expected that kind of reaction. He watched as Chris and JD left. Slowly, he got back up, rubbing the sore spot on his leg where he had hit the cot. He walked back over to the bars, grasping them tightly as his anger consumed him. His knuckles turned white.

“Well, well law dawg, seems you’ve grown a might bit fond of our dear Cody” he said, venom seeping through his clenched teeth. “We’ll just have to see about that.”

Chapter 9

Vin traced the outlines of Cody’s face in his mind. ‘Now, why would such a purty woman want to track down the scum of the earth,’ Vin thought to himself as he shifted his gaze to the open window. He could only see a small portion of the summer sky, but that small portion held nearly a million stars.

Sighing, Vin rubbed his hands over his tired eyes. It had been a long hot day and he was finally beginning to feel the full effects of the heat.

A soft moan brought Vin back to his present situation, guarding Cody. He moved closer to the bed as the blonde woman moved her head slightly to one side. A fine layer of sweat damped her pale forehead. Vin dipped a small cloth into the near-by water basin and gently laid the damped rag on her head.

Almost immediately Cody’s moans dissipated as she fell back into her quiet rest. Blonde curls spilled out all around the young woman’s head, framing it as if a heavenly glow. In her current state, the young woman looked peaceful. A strong contrast to the hardened bounty hunter that they had been introduced to before.

Vin reached forward, wanting nothing more than to caress the milky smooth skin of the sleeping woman. As he neared Cody’s cheek, the door to the small room opened. Vin draw his hand back, pink burning his cheeks as his hand headed for his gun.

“It’s just me,” Chris said, a hand held out before him. “I just came to see how she is doing.”

Vin smiled at the black clad leader. Despite Cody’s efforts to end Buck’s life, the seven men had taken a protective stance around the lone bounty hunter. Vin believed that it stemmed from their respect for women, and the dislike for men that choose to beat up on them. Although, he was sure that Cody didn’t lack the ability to defend herself in most situations.

“She’s doing better, I think. ‘Least that’s what Nathan says. She came around once already, but she passed back out,” Vin said as he looked from his friend to Cody.

“Good,” Chris said as he kneeled down. “That Matt Carson is an arrogant son of a bitch. He says that his men are on their way so we need to be ready. Make sure that if you leave, there is someone else to stay with her.” Chris motioned to Cody as he stood up.

“Will do,” Vin said as he turned his attention back to the sleeping woman.

Chris stood to leave, but stopped. “How’s that dog of hers?”

As if summoned by the mere mention, Tanka left her corner that she taken up residence in and moved beside Vin. She whimpered softly as she looked from Cody back to the two men that stood before her. She then laid her head in Vin’s lap.

Surprised by the gesture, Vin held his hands up in the air. Looking from Chris to Tanka, he gently laid his hand on the dog’s head, stroking the soft gray fur. “It’ll be all right girl. Don’t you worry.” Turning his attention back to the blonde beauty, “at least I think so.”

Chapter 10

Cody felt hot. She couldn’t ever remember being so hot before. She felt like her skin was baking, yet she was shivering. “I have to get these covers off me,” she thought as she slowly opened her eyes. Her vision was murky, but slowly she was able to focus.

The room was dimly lit, mostly by the moonlight that was seeping in from the window. She could see that there was a lantern still high on the shelf. Slowly, she scanned the room. If she moved too fast, her vision would swim so she moved carefully.

“You thirsty?”

Startled, she quickly turned to her right to where the voice had come from. A wave of nausea hit her and she had to lay her head back. She could sense the figure move to her side. Slowly, she turned to see Vin sitting beside her.

“You been sleeping quite a bit. I reckon’ it will take a while ‘fore the dizziness passes,” he said as he began to pour a glass of water. Cody was already licking her lips in anticipation

“How long have I been out?” Cody asked as she brought her hand to her aching head. Cody had just barely gotten the words out of her mouth when she saw a blur of movement out of the corner of her left eye. Before Cody could turn to see what it was, she felt the wet sandpaper tongue lapping at her face.

Vin watched as the dog lavished her master with kisses. ”She’s been real sad since you been out. She ain’t ate or drank much for the last three days......But she looks happy now.” Tanka was wagging her tail at a frenzied speed.

Cody drew her hands up to the dog and began rubbing her head and ears. “Tanka sweetheart. I’m all right now. Have they been treating you good?” Cody asked the dog as she let Tanka continue to lick her face.

Vin watched Cody and Tanka with great interest. As if in answer to Cody’s question, Tanka stopped her licking and barked once. It seemed to Vin as if she actually understood Cody and was answering her question. Cody actually laughed and continued to rub her head and back.

The person in front of Vin seemed a completely different person than the one that they had been introduced to in the saloon with Buck. She seemed caring and loving. She was even smiling.

Tanka pulled away from Cody as if to answer her question further. Cody watched as Tanka walked around to the other side of the bed to where Vin stood. She nudged his loose hand with her head. Cody realized that she was trying to get Vin to pet her.

Cody was stunned. She looked from Tanka to Vin. “She has never let anyone get too close to her. Certainly never approaching a stranger on her own.”

Vin laughed. Cody couldn’t help but notice the soft look that crossed the man face when he smiled. He had a sparkle to his smile, his eyes a strikingly light blue. “Believe me. She still don’t ‘cept for me and Nathan for some reason. JD tried everything to get her to go with him to get some food and she ignored him like he weren’t even there. Poor JD, he didn’t know what to do. But she will go to Nathan.” Vin said as he started to hand her the glass of water. He stopped. He looked at the position that she was lying in. He knew she would never be able to drink without drowning herself.

He set the glass back down and gestured to the pillow behind her. Cody understood what he was thinking since the thought had crossed her mind as well. She tried to raise herself the best she could, but her ribs still hurt terribly. Vin lowered himself close to her, considering the best way to help her up without hurting her more. He wrapped his arms around her upper body, pressing his chest against hers. With his head next to hers, his face was practically buried in the mass of blond curls that hung louse around Cody’s face. He inhaled deep, loving the scent of her hair. It smelled of wind, soft and alluring.

Cody tried to look off to one side so that her face would not be so close to his. Cody felt her muscle tense. She had not been that close to a man for a long time, especially one as strikingly handsome as Vin. She allowed him to help her up, enjoying the smell of his manhood. It was the earth and the sun and leather and gunpowder all rolled into one.

Satisfied with her position, Vin pulled away from her slowly and smiled. “That better?”

Cody felt her weak stomach flutter from his smile, so strong and sexy. She looked into his eyes, blue as the deep sea and smiled weakly, “yes, thank you.” Cody felt warmth from the stranger, strong as fire. She wanted to touch his face, feel his arms around her, taste his lips......’Get a grip Cody’ she heard that cold dark voice in her head say. ‘You can’t trust him. You know that.’

Bringing herself back to her senses, she took the glass and drank slowly. Although she tried to be careful, she still spilt almost half the glass down her chin and onto her chest. She brought her hand up to try and catch it. Vin grabbed a cloth and handed it to her.

Cody looked down and realized that she was wearing some kind of sleeping gown. “Where are my clothes?” she asked as she eyed Vin carefully. “And where is the doc?”

“Your clothes are over there with your gun and knives. You have some nice knives” he said as he pointed to the far corner of the room. He watched her with caring eyes. It made her nervous. “And Nathan went with Chris to handle some business.”

She could see the concern on his face and she couldn’t help wonder why he even cared. “So why are you here then?”

“I stayed in case you woke up. You ain’t gonna be able to move around too well. And plus them fellas.....um....Carson’s, I think. They said some others may be coming so...” he tried to finish, but she interrupted him.

There was a click of realization in Cody’s mind.....the Carson brothers. “Where are them bastards?” she said through clenched teeth. Vin could see her features change. They became dark and guarded again.

“We got them over at the jail. We’re keeping them till the judge comes back to town. How are you feeling? You hungry?” he said, wanting to change the subject. Tanka had made herself comfortable at the foot of Cody’s bed. “I’ll get Mary to bring ya some food.” He was heading for the door when she stopped him.

“Can I ask you a question?” she said very calmly. Vin turned to face her. The pure calculation in her gaze caused him to shifted his stance.

“I reckon’,” he said, curious as to what she was gonna ask.

“Why is it that you all are so concerned for my health and safety after what I did to your friend at the saloon?” She decided the best way to bring it up was to get to the point. Cody had never been one to beat around the bush.

Vin smiled slightly and shook his head. He had his hands resting on his gunbelt, his hat pulled low. He considered the question carefully. He could understand her apprehension. It wasn’t often that a woman tries to slit a man’s throat and then is rescued by his friends. “Well ma’am, I reckon’ we don’t much like seeing two men beating up a woman, regardless of who she is or what she has done. ‘Sides, the only thing hurt on Buck was his ego,” he said smiling shyly.

He watched to see if she would accept that as his answer. He noticed that with the dim light of the room and the way that her wavy blonde locks framed her face, she almost angelic. She was beautiful when she let her guard down. ‘You could almost forget how deadly she is’ he thought to himself.

Cody searched the face of the man before her for truth. Something about him told her that she could believe him. He had a genuine smile and brilliant eyes. His face was strong, but his eyes were soft. “Maybe in another life” she thought as she admired his sheer presence.

Vin smiled so suddenly that it caught her off guard. He had a gorgeous smile. “Do you want me to get you something to eat?” he asked, motioning to the half open door.

Cody couldn’t help but return the smile. “Yes, please” she said in a grateful tone. She was starving. “Vin” she called as he was pulling the door shut. He stopped and stuck his head back through the door. “Thank you” she said as she fidgeted her hands. “For everything”.

Their eyes fixed on one another. Vin could see how hard it was for Cody to admit that she needed help. And it was even harder for her to accept it when it was offered. “You’re welcome.”