Slocum and the Thunderbird (17 page)

“We're miles south of that canyon,” Erika said. “I saw a map of the entire area Mackenzie uses. He's got his projects up north and built this road south to Upton.”

“That's where he swaps the gold for supplies?”

“A train that comes through every week or so. We might catch it,” she said hopefully.

“I don't have two nickels to rub together.”

“Me neither,” she said, scowling. “You say Watson is on foot? And you know where he's headed?”

Slocum smiled. He liked the way Erika thought.

Two days later Slocum still hadn't found Watson's trail, but he and Erika had made good progress finding their own way through the winding canyons of this stretch of Badlands. The colorful rock turned vivid reds and yellows in the sunsets and sunrises, making the ride pleasant.

Riding with Erika made it doubly so. They had finally reached the point of exhaustion and stopped for the night. Slocum stretched and fumbled to pull his blanket up over his shoulder. It had been a chilly night and the morning carried an icy stab to it that promised winter approaching fast. He groped for the blanket but failed to find it.

What his fingers did touch caused him to roll over. A broad smile came to his lips. Erika had stolen his blanket and had pulled it around her naked shoulders. The dawn light turned her breasts alabaster even as the cold turned her nipples into taut little pink buttons. He had reached out for the blanket and found the thatch between her legs.

“That wasn't an accident, was it?” he asked.

“Took me a while to position myself so you'd touch me there if you hunted for the blanket,” she said. She clamped her thighs together and trapped his hand.

He moved it up across satiny skin and found the moist spot at the juncture.

“I'm ready for you, John. Been ready for a long time. I wondered if you were going to sleep away the entire day.”

“Got a good reason now to get up.”

She reached out and pressed her palm into his crotch.

“Yeah, you have.” She squeezed down, then moved to pop the buttons on his fly and release the pillar of lust she had built.

The instant it emerged into the cool morning air, she dived down on it, engulfing it with her mouth. She sucked and licked and caused him to arch his back. He wanted to slam himself upward as hard as he could, but her fingers toying with his balls and her tongue stroking along the underside of his manhood controlled him fully. She began bobbing up and down, keeping a powerful suction applied to his length.

Slocum sank back to the floor of the cave where they'd spent the night. The first night had been frantic for them, sure that Mackenzie's men were on their trail. He had spotted spoor from several riders who had passed only a few hours earlier. Pushing their horses to the limit, they had been physically spent.

That had been followed by another day of wandering through the canyons, worrying that they were going to be seen or get so lost they would die in the rocky wasteland. But the previous night had brought some relief. Slocum recognized terrain farther along the canyon and knew by midday they would reach the ghost town where he had sent the Watsons.

Knowing the destination let them both relax. And enjoy the scenery some more.

Slocum ran his hands over Erika's back, pulling the blanket up over her bare ass. He cupped those curvy buttocks and squeezed down every time she sank another inch down his shaft. When he worked his way around a bit farther, he stroked over her moist nether lips and finally ran a finger into her hot interior. Her gasp at the intrusion gave them both a surge of desire.

Slocum fought to keep from spewing forth as her lips worked on the sides of his column and her tongue wiggled against the sensitive underside. Then she let him pop out and licked her lips. She looked him squarely in the eye.

Words weren't necessary. He gripped her firm rear and pulled her around so she straddled his waist, legs spread and her crotch directly over the tip that had been in her mouth.

“Ride 'em, cowgirl,” he said as she lowered herself and took him fully within her clutching tunnel.

“Oh, yeah,” she said softly. Closing her eyes, she began rising off the throbbing rod within her. When only the plum tip remained within her, she paused, then lowered herself again to take him completely.

Slocum reached up and cupped her breasts. The warm white globes flowed pliantly under his grip. He caught at the cold-hardened nipples and tweaked. The blood pulsing into them made the points even harder. From them he stroked down into the valley between her tits, circled around them, and slowly moved back up her body to stroke her cheek.

She turned her head, caught his finger in her lips, and gave it the same treatment she had performed lower on his body. All the while her restless hips moved up, down, in a slow rotary motion that stirred him about within her like a spoon in a bowl.

He felt sweat beginning to bead on her cheeks and body as her arousal grew. Her hips flew like a shuttlecock now, creating a friction between them that threatened to burn Slocum to a nub. He wanted more and told her.

Erika's body went berserk with desire. She ground her crotch down into his, tightened her strong inner muscles, and only then did she rise slowly. Once at the apex, she slammed back in with a wet sucking sound that caused them both to gasp in reaction. A few times moving up and down like this finally robbed her of her control. She began a movement so strong and quick that neither of them could hold back any longer.

Slocum felt the burning hot sensation deep in his balls. As the woman moved all around him, the heat rose. He fought to keep from spending himself. He wanted this to last forever. But her body was too insistent and her movements too fast for that. He jetted out his load into her as she let out her own loud animal howl of release.

They continued to grind together for another few seconds and then she sank down, her breasts pressing into Slocum's chest. She twisted about and finally straightened her legs so she lay completely atop him. Her weight pressing along the entire length of his body caused vague stirrings again, but he was too tuckered out to have it amount to anything. For the moment.

“I think I'll rescue you again,” he said.

“And I'll have to save your worthless hide, too,” she shot back.

“Worthless? You didn't think so a second ago.”

“That was then,” Erika said. “Now? Nothing but a limp worm.” She reached down between them and grabbed at his once tumescent organ and gave it a squeeze. “Oh my, there's something going on again. I have misjudged you, John.”

She began stroking up and down but only tiny twinges rewarded her effort. He had been through too much to respond again this quickly.

“Later,” she whispered.

“Count on it,” Slocum said.

“Oh, I will.” Erika snuggled down, then said, “Do we have to go after Watson and the gold?”

“It's not just the gold,” Slocum said. “Alicia Watson claimed to know where my friend is.”

“Rawlins,” she said in a tired voice. “I'm beginning to think you like him more than you do me.”

Slocum was loath to tell Erika more. Rawhide had been a friend as they rode the range, but it rankled how he had stolen the loot from the bank robbery. He wanted to have it out with the man if he had reached Wilson's Creek. From everything Slocum had seen where the firefight had been in the canyon, Rawlins had gone with Mackenzie's gang to the town. Answers to important questions lay there—or could be answered by Alicia.

“You can stay here while I go after the Watsons.”

“Not if it means you're going to get back Mackenzie's gold dust. I heard how much got sent to Overton. It can keep us both in luxury for quite a while.” She pushed herself up so she could look down at him. “That is, if you're planning on sharing.”

“I owe you more than a roll in the hay,” he said. “Whatever I get back, half is yours.”

“Deal,” Erika said. “I've been used and abused by Mackenzie and a dozen men before him. You're not like them, John Slocum. And if you are, I swear I'll track you down to the ends of the earth and cut off, oh, I don't know.” She squeezed down hard on his crotch. “But I'm sure I'll think of something.”

“Still got a use for them.”

“If that usage includes me, we have a deal.”

He kissed her to seal the promise, then eased her off so he could get dressed. The dawn had changed to midmorning now, but he wasn't in much of a hurry. The ghost town where he had directed Alicia and her mother lay only a short ride away.

“We just ride up and you ask your questions at the point of a six-gun?” Erika asked.

“Something like that,” he answered. He had put himself into danger enough by sneaking around. The direct approach worked best, and he intended to find what he needed from Alicia—and ask about the gold dust Linc Watson had carried off.

That bothered him. The man hadn't been in the best of shape working in the mine. After dunking in the pond of noxious sludge, he had ended up almost blind and debilitated. Still, a man's lust for gold produced powerful results.

After he and Erika emerged from the tangle of canyons, and had ridden a ways into the afternoon, Slocum drew rein and pointed to the tight knot of ramshackle buildings.

“There's the ghost town.”

“Hard to call it a ghost town with that many people in it,” she said.

Slocum squinted in the bright sun and finally saw what she already had. Five horses were tethered near a trough. The gleam of light off the water in the trough showed someone had fetched water for the thirsty horses.

“They're saddled. Those aren't Sioux ponies,” he said.

“Mackenzie's men?”

Slocum hated to admit it, but Erika's guess fit all the questions.

“I'll sneak on into town when the sun sets and—”

“That's a lawman,” she said unexpectedly. “See the badge?”

Slocum shielded his eyes a bit more and saw the man who had drawn her attention. His stomach knotted. He recognized the man's uneven gait.

“That's Marshal Hillstrom from the next town over. Halliday.”

“You don't sound like you're on speaking terms with him.”

“There was a little disturbance in Halliday.”

“With you and Rawhide Rawlins?”

“And another cowboy name of Lee Dupree.”

“So this lawman's as likely to fill you full of holes as Mackenzie?”

“Don't know if he'd shoot first and think about arresting me later, but I'm not taking the chance.” Slocum rubbed his stubbled chin as he thought. “You head back toward the mountains and find a place to camp. I'll join you when I can.”

“Why don't I backtrack the way we just rode? That'll avoid Wilson's Creek and take me toward Overton. Catching the train there looks to be a good idea if this part of the Dakotas is overrun with lawmen wanting your hide, not to mention Mackenzie and his gang.”

She hastily leaned over and gave him a kiss, looked at him strangely, then wheeled about and headed along their back trail. Slocum glanced over his shoulder and saw she had done the same. He watched as she dropped down into a ravine and disappeared from sight. Considering what lay ahead of him, this might be the last time he ever saw her.

He dismounted and walked his horse closer to the deserted town, biding his time until sunset. Instead of thinking about all he had to find out and overcome, Slocum's thoughts turned more to Erika. Even if he failed to find any of the gold dust or loot from the Halliday bank, sharing a trail—and a bedroll—with her wouldn't be a bad thing. Nothing about her had warned him she sought only money.

When the sun dipped low behind the mountains, turning them into blazing ochre and subdued browns, he went straight for the old general store where the horses were tethered. They nickered as he approached, giving him a chance to see what response that caused. A deputy came from inside, a rifle in the crook of his arm. He gentled the horses but paid no attention to what might have upset them.

Slocum worked his way to the rear of the store. Wall planks had rotted out, making it dangerous for him to move. He had to be certain no one inside happened to be looking in his direction as he passed from one solid area in the wall to another.

Alicia's voice caused him to squat down and peer through a knothole. He recoiled when he heard the marshal's voice, too. They were talking in low tones, and from what he could tell, they said things that would upset Alicia's ma and maybe send her pa out hunting for a shotgun. He saw hardly more than dark outlines moving, shadows cast on the far wall by a kerosene lamp set on the floor near the door. This was a back room for the general store, but it had been stripped bare, leaving only broken shelves and litter on the floor.

“There's a house on the edge of Halliday where you can be real comfortable,” Hillstrom said.

“How far is it from your house?”

“Next door, my little darling. We can see each other all night long and nobody's close enough to know or care.”

“My parents would object.”

“There's a nice place for them on the other side of town. With your ma the way she is, Linc's not going to head back East like he's been wanting to do.”

“Let them go, Hill,” Alicia said in a voice laden with longing and not a small bit of lust. “I'm old enough to be on my own—with you.”

Slocum edged around and saw them kissing. He had to find out if Alicia had lied to him about seeing Rawhide back in Mackenzie's hideout. If this went much farther, he might have to wait all night long. Then luck came to his side of the table again.

Alicia hastily pushed the marshal away and whispered, “My pa! That's him thrashing about. He's awake.”

“After all he's been through, it'll take a couple weeks to get his strength back.” The marshal kissed her again. Alicia was willing, but the sounds from the main room in the store caused them to break off again.

“You see to him. I'll wait here. For you,” Alicia said coyly. She unbuttoned her blouse halfway down to reveal those perfect breasts Slocum remembered from the time they'd spent back in the cave.

“I'll make it fast.”

“No need to hurry. I don't like it when a man hurries,” she said.

“I'll be sure he and your ma are both sound asleep.”

The marshal ducked out of the room, giving Slocum his chance—his only chance. He ran his fingers around the board and yanked hard. The creaking and snapping as nails tore out of the rotting wood came louder than he had hoped. Tossing aside the board, he squeezed through into the back room.