“I assure you I’m quite profficient with this toy, Moran. Your guns, please.”
“Sure, honey, here.”
With that Moran took Decker’s gun from his belt and tossed it to the woman. Surprised, she made a move to catch it, and Moran took advantage of the moment. He took two quick steps and pushed Crystal into Anne Merritt. The derringer in Anne’s hand went off and Crystal cried out. She fell to the floor, clutching her stomach. Anne looked at Moran and saw that he had his gun pointed at her. She had not caught the other gun, and her derringer was pointing at the floor.
“Drop it,” Moran said.
She obeyed.
“She needs a doctor,” Anne said, squatting down by Crystal.
“A doctor can’t help her. She’s gutshot.”
Anne looked at the wound and saw that it was off to the right.
“She’s not,” she insisted. “A doctor can help her.”
“Get her one when I’m gone, then.”
Moran moved around behind the desk, opened a drawer and took out a sheaf of money. Seeing Anne watching him he smiled at her.
“We haven’t had time to put in a safe yet,” he said, tucking the money inside his shirt.
“Bastard!” Crystal said from the floor, her pain evident in her voice.
“It was nice while it lasted, ladies,” Moran said. He started for the office door, then stopped and turned back to them.
“Listen, Gloria—I mean, Anne. If I leave you here you’re not gonna try and track me down, are you?”
“You damn well better believe I am, Moran!”
Moran shook his head and said, “That’s too bad. You’re so pretty.”
He pointed his gun at her.
Chapter Forty-one
Outside Decker turned the knob of the back door slowly and found it locked. He moved back to the window and heard the shot. He saw Crystal fall and watched Moran move around behind the desk and take out some money.
He wasn’t going to leave the two women alive. He couldn’t, especially since the blonde had turned out to be a bounty hunter.
He hurried back to the door, Colt in hand, braced himself, and then kicked out at the door as hard as he could just above the doorknob.
As the door slammed open Moran turned and brought his gun to bear on it. Anne Merritt took the opportunity to leap from her crouch, banging into him and knocking him off balance.
Decker entered in a crouch and saw Moran staggering for his balance.
“Moran!” he shouted.
Moran braced himself against the wall with one hand and pointed his gun.
“Don’t!” Decker shouted, and fired.
His bullet struck Moran high on the right shoulder. Moran squeezed the trigger of his gun but his shot went wild as he was spun around to face the wall. He stuck there for a moment, then slid down the wall to the floor.
Anne Merritt hurried to him and pulled the gun free from his nerveless fingers.
“Are you all right?” Decker asked Anne.
“I’m fine, but they both need a doctor.”
Decker checked Crystal’s wound, then went over and looked at Moran’s. It was his opinion that they would both live.
“We’ll get them one.”
“Decker!” Moran said. His eyes were glazed, but he recognized Decker.
“That’s me.”
“You’re the…bounty hunter,” Moran said through clenched teeth.
“One of them, anyway,” Decker said, looking at Anne Merritt.
“Why…such a high price…for a few banks?” Moran asked.
“Because that bank manager you hit in Pemberton died, Moran. You’re wanted for murder.”
Moran closed his eyes.
Anne Merritt said to Decker, “Where’d you come from?”
“I just happened along.”
“I’m glad you did.”
“Me too.”
She looked him up and down and then said, “You could have dressed better, though.”
“Didn’t have time to change. Why don’t you go for the doctor while I wait with them,” he said. “Crystal’s in no condition to be moved.”
“All right. I’ll be right back.”
She moved to the back door and started out, but as she did there was a shot and a bullet dug into the door frame just above her head.
“What the—” Decker said.
From behind him he heard a low laugh, like a death rattle, and turned to look at Moran.
“My boys, Decker,” Moran said, gritting his teeth against the pain. “Now you’ve got to face my boys. You ain’t taking me nowhere!”
Chapter Forty-two
Anne Merritt fell into a crouch, Moran’s gun in her right hand. She peered outside and pulled her head back in when there was another shot.
“How many of them?” Decker asked.
“I can’t tell,” Anne said, “but he’s got three men.”
“Cover him,” Decker said. Anne turned and pointed her gun at Moran as Decker moved to the door. He chanced a look outside, and a bullet stuck the doorjamb, spraying his face with wood splinters.
“Can’t see how many of them there are,” he said, “but we’ll have to assume that all three are out there.”
“How did they know—”
“Who knows? One of them might have seen me in the back and went to get the others. When they heard the shots it wouldn’t be hard to figure out that something was wrong.”
“Maybe if we tell them who we are and that we’re taking Moran back—”
“We’re not lawmen, Anne—and Moran is the man who pays them. They’re not going to let us take him.”
“So what do we do?” she asked. “We’re pinned down and we don’t even have a sheriff to turn to.”
“We’ll just have to get out of this ourselves,” he said. He pointed to the office door and asked, “Where does that lead to?”
“The sitting room.”
“All right. Keep him covered and keep this door closed.” He slammed the door closed, and it was immediately peppered with bullets.
“Where are you going?”
“Through the building to the front. Maybe I can get out that way and get behind them.”
“Be careful,” she said. “You’re outnumbered three to one.”
“Don’t remind me.”
