HELL HATH NO FURY (A Jess Williams western novel) (4 page)

             
“Why can’t I go to the saloon with you? Maybe one of the two men I’m looking for might be in there,” replied Annie.

             
“Alright, you can go with me, but you can’t go into the saloon because most of the barkeeps will just throw you out on your ass,” replied Jess.

             
“You just let him try and see what happens,” retorted Annie.

             
Jess could see by the look in her eyes that he wasn’t going to change her mind. She was about as stubborn as Jess was, which didn’t make for a good pair. “Okay, but don’t say I didn’t warn you,” replied Jess.

CHAPTER FOUR

              Jess and Annie found Dead Man’s Saloon. When they got to the swinging doors, Jess looked in and saw a dozen or so men, all drinking or playing cards. What he saw at the bar though, really caught his interest. It looked like Darin Lovett, but he couldn’t be sure yet. He backed away from the swinging door before Lovett could spot him. He turned to Annie.

             
“Annie, peek inside and see if you spot any of the two men you are looking for,” said Jess.

             
She did exactly what Jess was afraid she would do. She pushed the swinging doors open and brazenly walked straight into the saloon.

             
“Damn it Annie,” said Jess.

             
Annie stopped two feet inside the doorway and looked around. She didn’t see the two men she was looking for, but Darin Lovett noticed her and he became interested right away.

             
“I’m looking for two men that go by the name of Cliff Hunt and Darrel Clemmon,” announced Annie in a loud voice. “Has anyone seen either of the two?”

             
The only person in the saloon that spoke up was the barkeep, Hurley Peters. “Woman, you get your ass out of my saloon and I mean now!”

             
“You don’t tell me what to do! I’ll go anywhere I please,” retorted Annie.

             
“I’m only going to tell you one more time to get the hell out!” hollered Peters.

             
“Do you know why my last name in McCracken?” Annie asked the barkeep.

             
“Not really, but why?” asked the barkeep in a real sarcastic tone of voice.

             
“Because if you don’t shut that pie hole of yours, I’ll come over there and be crackin’ you on that thick skull you call a brain,” retorted Annie.

             
Darin Lovett had been looking over Annie and he liked what he saw. The fact that she was wearing what looked like a pretty fancy six-shooter interested him even more. “Hey barkeep, let her in” said Lovett. “I’d like to get to know that one a little better, if you get my drift. Hurley didn’t like it, but he was not about to defy Darin Lovett because he knew what would happen if he did.

             
Annie glared at Darin Lovett. “What makes you think that you’re going to get anything from me, Mister?”

             
“Because I’m Darin Lovett and I usually get or take whatever I want,” replied Lovett, a devious look on his face. Annie recognized the name as the man who Jess was hunting so she decided to shut up and she walked up to the bar. She ordered a whiskey and the barkeep tried to refuse to serve her, but Lovett told him to go ahead and serve her. Several of the local men walked out, not wanting anything to do with a woman in the saloon, especially one that looked like a gunslinger. Jess decided he’d better get in there before Annie got herself shot or beaten and thrown out of the place.

             
Lovett’s attention quickly turned from Annie to Jess as soon as he walked in. He recognized Jess right off and his whole demeanor changed in an instant. He carefully watched Jess as he walked up to the bar, placing himself between Annie and Lovett on purpose. He looked at the whiskey that the barkeep had given Annie and it was rotgut whiskey.

             
“Barkeep,” said Jess. “Throw that crap on the floor and get a good bottle of Whiskey and pour her and me both a glass of it.”

             
“You got enough money for the good stuff?” asked Hurley.

             
Jess threw a twenty dollar gold piece on the bar. “Will that cover it?” asked Jess, a little perturbed by the barkeep’s attitude.

             
“I guess so,” replied Hurley. “Are you sure you want to waste good whiskey on a woman though?”

             
Jess shot him a glare that actually made him take a step back away from the bar. He went in back and retrieved the one bottle of good whiskey he kept on hand. He came back out and poured two glasses of the good whiskey and left the bottle on the bar.

             
Lovett looked down at Jess. “Hey, if you’re going to waste that good stuff on a woman, why don’t you let the barkeep serve me a glass of it—on you of course?” asked Lovett.

             
Jess looked at Lovett for a moment. “Alright, since it will be your last drink, it might as well be a good one,” replied Jess, as he slid the bottle down the bar toward Lovett. Lovett didn’t rattle easy, even though he knew he was facing the man who had killed more men than most.

             
“Thanks, Mister,” replied Lovett, as he threw the rotgut whiskey out of his glass and refilled it with the good whiskey. “So, why do you think that this will be my last drink?”

             
“Because after you finish it, I’m planning on putting a bullet in you for all of your offenses that you’ve committed so far along with the ones you got away with that no one knows about,” replied Jess, saying it as if it was simply a normal conversation. The truth was, it was normal—for Jess.

             
Lovett took a long pull from the glass and it was much better than the rotgut he was used to. “Man, this is mighty fine whiskey. Do you think I could have one more before I have to kill you, Mr. Williams?”

             
Jess smiled and cocked his head a little. “I guess a man who is facing certain death could be allowed to have two drinks, so go ahead and refill your glass and enjoy it,” replied Jess.

             
Annie looked at Jess like he was plumb loco, but Jess was not taking his eyes off Lovett and he kept his body in front of Annie to keep her protected. “Are you loco?” asked Annie.

             
“What do you mean?” asked Jess, not turning around to look at her.

             
“You’re going to get into a gunfight with that man and you’re willing to pay for his drinks?” asked Annie.

             
“Well, I’m a really nice man and quite generous too,” replied Jess.

             
“Well, I think you should give me your money and let me spend it a little more wisely for you,” retorted Annie.

             
“I suppose telling you to shut up won’t do me much good, would it,” replied Jess, a frustrated tone in his voice.

             
“If you did, I’d slap you a good one,” retorted Annie.

             
“Seems like you got a real mouthy woman there with you,” said Lovett. “I can think of a much better use for her.”

             
“Yeah, like that would ever happen, Mister!” retorted Annie.

             
Jess thought about sticking some cotton in his ears at this point, but he was getting ready to get involved in a gunfight at the moment. He just shook his head. Lovett finally finished up with his second drink and went to reach for the bottle.

             
“I wouldn’t do that,” said Jess, staring down at him.

             
“Yeah, and what are you going to do about it?” replied Lovett.

             
“Like I said, I’m going to put a bullet in you and collect the bounty money on your head,” replied Jess. “Now, if you won’t grab that gun of yours, I’ll just plug you anyway. Take your pick because I don’t really care either way.”

             
“You know what, Mr. Williams? When our little dance is over with, I’m going to show that woman of yours to a real good time and I’m guessing she ain’t going to like it much either,” replied Lovett.

             
“I guess if I’m dead, it won’t matter much,” replied Jess.

             
“He’s not getting anything from me,” exclaimed Annie.

             
“Annie, would you just keep your mouth shut?” asked Jess.

             
“Don’t tell me what to do!” exclaimed Annie.

             
Just as Annie said that Lovett went for his gun, figuring Jess would be distracted by her yelling in his ear right behind him. It was in fact distracting to Jess, but not enough to slow him down. Lovett felt the slug from Jess’ pistol tear through his chest before he even got his gun all the way out of his holster. Lovett stumbled back and fell against the wall, slowly slid down and then he fell over. His head hit the bar, holding him up a little, but he was dead. Jess replaced the spent cartridge as he turned to Annie who was finally silent and with a look of amazement on her face.

             
“What?” asked Jess. “I told you from the start I was going after him for the bounty on his head.”

             
“It seems you left out the little part about just killing the man instead of trying to take him into custody,” replied Annie. “And, I never saw any man draw a pistol that fast before. I mean, I didn’t even see you draw it out of your holster. How did you get to be that fast with a six-shooter?”

             
“A lot of practice and, of course, this ain’t your ordinary pistol. And if you’ve been reading about me in those dime novels, you’d know that I never bring them in alive—ever,” replied Jess.

             
“And what about what you said to him about me?” asked Annie.

             
“What are you talking about?”

             
“That thing you said about if you got shot dead, it wouldn’t matter much about what he was thinking about doing to me?”

             
“Oh that. I knew there was no chance he could beat me. Besides, you were quite a distraction yelling in my ears when I’m was facing off with a gunslinger so I didn’t really think about it much, I just said it,” replied Jess.

             
“Well, I didn’t like it anyway,” retorted Annie, as she started to turn around to leave the saloon and head back over to the hotel.

             
“Well, you are a distraction like I said,” replied Jess.

             
“I heard that,” retorted Annie, not even turning around.

             
Jess watched her as she walked out and she was in fact a real distraction to him. He turned to the barkeep and told him to pour him another shot of the good stuff. Jess enjoyed a few more drinks and sent for the undertaker to come and get the body and hold it for him so that he could strap him over his horse and take him to the nearest town where he could make a claim for the bounty. After that, he walked over to the hotel and unlocked his room and went to bed, but not before thinking about Annie who was in the room next to his.

CHAPTER FIVE

              In the morning, Jess and Annie went back to the café where they had eaten the day before and they both had a big breakfast. Jess paid the livery worker to tie Lovett’s lifeless corpse onto Lovett’s horse real tight for the ride to Wichita, to see Sheriff Davies and file a claim for the bounty on Lovett’s head. Before they left Buckley, Jess stopped at a general store and bought up some more supplies for their trip. While they were in the store, Jess noticed Annie looking at a new pair of pants and when she noticed that Jess was watching her, she looked up and smiled at Jess and he knew what it meant.

             
“Go ahead and get them if you want. Pick out a new top and a new hat too since that one you’re wearing looks pretty ragged,” said Jess.

             
“Why, thank you, Jess. It’s about time you started spending some of your money on something worthwhile for a change,” replied Annie.

             
“Don’t make me change my mind about it,” retorted Jess.

             
Annie went about picking out an entirely new outfit and she changed in the back room of the store. Jess was outside now packing his supplies in his oversized saddlebags when Annie walked out of the general store, all gussied up and sporting her new outfit and new hat. She spun around in a circle and did a little curtsy to show off her new duds.

             
“Well, what do you think?” asked Annie.

             
“They look quite nice,” replied Jess, as he climbed up in the saddle, his right hand on his pistol to hold it in good.