HELL HATH NO FURY (A Jess Williams western novel) (5 page)

             
“That’s it? Just nice?” retorted Annie.

             
“What else am I supposed to say? I said they look nice.”

             
“Boy have you got a lot to learn about a woman,” replied Annie.

             
“Apparently so,” replied Jess, as he nudged Gray into a walk heading out of town, Lovett’s horse following behind Jess’ packhorse, Sharps. Jess tied Lovett’s horse to Sharps with an extra-long rope since he knew the stench of the corpse would get worse by the hour.

             
They rode all day and finally made camp by a river and some big boulders for a little cover. Jess tied Lovett’s horse with the corpse to a tree about two hundred feet away because of the smell. Annie went about collecting some firewood, started a fire and made some coffee. Jess took his Winchester and walked into a clump of trees when Annie heard two shots. Jess came out of the trees holding two fat rabbits in his hands. He cleaned them up and Annie went to frying them in a skillet along with some potatoes and carrots. She fixed Jess his meal and handed it to him. Jess took a bite out of the rabbit and it was cooked to perfection.

             
“Annie, you sure know how to cook a rabbit right, this is delicious,” said Jess.

             
“I learned to cook when I was young. My mother taught me how to cook and bake. My father used to raise rabbits on our ranch so we ate rabbit quite a lot.”

             
“Well, I think you should do all the cooking from now on while we’re together,” said Jess.

             
“That’s just fine with me.”

             
“What, no argument this time?”

             
“Don’t you start with me,” retorted Annie. “Besides, you’re paying for my way so the least I can do is cook, especially since I’m a much better cook than you,” she said, getting a dig in.

             
Jess shut up, partially because he learned quickly that there was no sense in arguing with her, but mostly because he had a mouthful of rabbit he was working on. After supper, Annie went to the river to clean the pans and cups and Jess went to the clump of trees and began his ritual of shooting practice. Annie came back to the campfire and made another pot of coffee. She watched Jess go through his ritual of using every weapon he had and she was quite amazed at his expertise. Jess came back to the campfire after cleaning and putting all his weapons in their proper places and poured himself a cup of coffee.

             
“I have to say, Jess, you are mighty fast with that pistol of yours,” said Annie, pouring herself another cup of coffee.

             
“Yeah, that’s from years of practice and of course, this pistol is quite a bit different than any other pistol. I haven’t found one like it anywhere,” replied Jess.

             
“Do you think you could teach me to shoot that fast?” Annie asked.

             
“No, there is no way you could learn to shoot that fast unless you had this gun or one exactly like it, but I can help you to shoot better.”

             
“Would you?” Annie asked.

             
“Sure, we can start tomorrow after we get into Wichita. I can help a little with your hand speed, but the most important thing you need to learn about gun fighting is that shooting straight and true is much more important than how fast you draw. That first shot counts the most and if you hit what you’re aiming at on the first shot, it usually means the difference between life and death. I’ve heard of gun fights where both men emptied their six-shooters and neither one of them were hit with a single bullet. Most men just start firing off rounds as quick as they can, but they usually miss with their first two or three shots. My good friend John Bodine is not as fast as some of the men he has faced, but he shoots straight and true and that’s why he’s still alive today.”

             
“I’m going to hold you to that,” said Annie.

             
“Like I said, we’ll start tomorrow after we get to Wichita and turn that corpse in for the bounty,” replied Jess. “Let’s turn in for the night.” Annie put two more pieces of wood on the fire and they both fell fast asleep.

XXX

              In the morning they ate and headed straight for Wichita, Kansas. They arrived late in the afternoon. Jess took Lovett’s body, which was still strapped over his horse, to Sheriff Davies office to file a claim for the bounty and Annie took care of their horses. Sheriff Davies saw Jess walking Lovett’s horse with his body strapped over it to his office and he met Jess out on the wooden boardwalk.

             
“I see you’ve been busy as always,” said Sheriff Davies.

             
“You know me, Sheriff, I don’t waste any time. This here corpse is the body of Darin Lovett and I’d like to put in a claim for the bounty on his head,” said Jess.

             
“Alright, but I have to warn you that there is a man here in town that’s been asking about you. He usually hangs around at the saloon across the street. I checked on him and he ain’t got any bounty on his head so I figure he’s looking to up his reputation with a gun,” replied Sheriff Davies. I suppose that’s where you’re heading next, huh?”

             
“You’re getting to know me all too well,” replied Jess.

             
“Yeah, and I don’t rightly know whether I like that or not, I guess time will tell,” replied Sheriff Davies, taking the reins of Lovett’s horse. Annie was walking across the street toward Jess. He met her in the middle of the street.

             
“Annie, I have to go into that saloon there and I want you to promise me that you won’t come in there until my business is over with,” said Jess.

             
“Why not?”

             
“Because there may be a man in there that’s been asking about me and that means either he still thinks the blood bounty is on my head or he is just looking to outdraw me to further his reputation. Either way, I don’t need the extra distraction of worrying about you or having you yelling in my ear while I’m in the middle of another gun fight.”

             
“I’m not a distraction,” insisted Annie.

             
“Listen, I don’t care what you believe, but you are going to let me go into that saloon and you’re going to stay outside until it’s over. If you don’t, our deal is over with and I mean it,” said Jess, in a tone of voice that Annie was not used to, but she knew that he meant what he said and she knew that she needed his help.

             
“Okay, I’ll agree to stay outside, but after, you have to agree to let me look inside to see if either of the two men I’m looking for is in there,” insisted Annie.

             
“Agreed,” replied Jess, somewhat surprised that Annie didn’t keep arguing with him. He looked at her as if he was waiting for some kind of smart response from her and she could see that he was stalling.

             
“Well, go on and get in there,” said Annie.

             
“What, no more argument? No more smart comments?”

             
“Don’t start with me. I agreed to listen to you so get your ass in there. Just don’t forget that you promised to let me check inside when you’re done,” insisted Annie.

             
Jess looked at her in a funny way and then turned around and walked over to the saloon. Before he got there, he looked back to see if she was following, but she was still standing in the middle of the street and she shot him a glare. Jess simply shook his head and walked into the saloon and found Walter Hayes behind the bar. Walter smiled at him and grabbed a glass and wiped it off and poured Jess some good whiskey.

             
“Nice to see you back, Mr. Williams. I saw you over at the sheriff’s office so I suppose he told you about the man who has been asking for you,” said Hayes.

             
“Yes he did, is he in here now?” asked Jess, looking around the room and spotted a man at the same time that Walter pointed him out. The man was dressed very nicely in all black and he was sitting at a table in the corner and drinking what looked like some very expensive whiskey. Jess walked over to his table and as he did, the man slowly lifted his head and looked at Jess.

             
“I heard you’ve been looking for me,” said Jess.

             
“Mr. Williams, please have a seat and join me for a drink,” said the man.

             
Jess, never one to be careless leaned over to see if the man’s hammer strap was off, but it wasn’t and the man had both of his hands on the table so he figured it was safe.

             
Harney Wales knew exactly what Jess was doing and he would’ve done the same if he was in the same position. “Just make sure you keep both hands above the table like me, Mr. Williams,” Wales said in a very polite and calm voice.

             
“It seems you know my name, but I don’t know yours,” said Jess, sitting down as Wales poured Jess a shot of fine whiskey after Jess downed the one he got from the barkeep.

             
“My name is Harney Wales and I’m pleased to meet you, Mr. Williams. I’ve read all about you and I’ve been waiting a long time to finally meet with you.”

             
“Well, Mr. Wales, if you are here on the matter of the blood bounty on my head, you’d be well informed to know that it has been canceled.”

             
“I heard all about that, but I’m a rich man and wouldn’t be here for the money anyway,” replied Wales.

             
“I guess that leaves only one other thing, I suppose you’re here for the reputation that you would gain from taking me down.”

             
“Now that’s what I call an understanding between two reasonable men,” replied Wales, calmly and still with a polite tone in his voice.

             
“Well, I know from experience that I’m not going to talk you out of this, so pour me another shot of that fine whiskey and then we can get on with our business,” replied Jess.

             
Harney Wales smiled a wide smile. “Finally, someone who understands the dance of death and respects it for what it really is.”

             
“I have to tell you though, it’s not my first time,” replied Jess.

             
“I know. I heard about you taking down some of the best gunslingers around these here parts. I heard all about that Manny Welch thing you were involved in. Is it really true that he sent ten men to ambush you in a hotel at night and you killed every one of them?”

             
“Actually, it was more than that, but I did have some help,” said Jess.

             
“Let’s finish up with one more drink and then get to it,” said Wales, as he poured two more glasses of whiskey. Wales topped off their glasses and they both sat there in silence drinking and looking into each other eyes. They finally finished and Wales looked at Jess.

             
“I guess it’s time, Mr. Williams.”

             
“Okay, if you insist,” said Jess, standing up. They both moved about ten feet apart and they both remove their hammer straps. Wales was admiring Jess’ pistol.

             
“So, that is the famous and very unusual pistol and holster I’ve heard so much about,” said Wales.

             
“It sure is and it has served me well,” replied Jess.

             
“Well, if I get lucky, I guess I’ll get to keep it for myself,” said Wales.

             
“Yeah, but that just ain’t going to happen,” replied Jess.

             
“I heard you were quite the cocky fellow in the midst of a gun fight.”

             
“It just seems to come natural anymore,” replied Jess. “I guess the talking is over so go ahead, I always give the other man the first move.”

             
Harney Wales wasn’t rattled or scared. He had stared into the face of death over a dozen times in his lifetime, but he had never faced what he was facing now, Jess Williams and the pistol of death. Wales smiled and went for his gun, which he actually got out of his holster, but not far enough to level it with Jess before two slugs from Jess’ pistol slammed into Wales’s chest, one of the slugs tearing straight through his heart. Wales fell back onto the table and knocked the good bottle of whiskey off the table, breaking it when it hit the floor.

CHAPTER SIX

              “Damn, that sure was a waste,” said Jess, as he reloaded his two spent cartridges in his pistol.

             
Hayes, who had watched the dance of death from behind the bar, looked over at Jess. “Yeah, I have to agree with you because he seemed like such a right nice fellow,” replied Hayes.