The Five Dollar Mail Book 3: The Road Home

97: Strange Bedfellows

Cover painting by Angela Taratuta. Chapter artwork of Storm by Angela Taratuta. All graphics by me.

Book 1: The Green, Book 2: Lynch's Boys, Book 3: The Road Home, and the Riders & Kickers Anthology are available on Amazon under the name Regina Shelley. So if you hate waiting for chapter posts and/or want a more polished read, the finished product is available now.

"Jesse..." Storm pulled Yellow Sky back a bit, letting him fall back to the rear of their formation. The sun was going down, the deep blues and mauves of the sky streaked with sooty smears and shadows. He fell into step beside Comanche and took in the sight of his crewmate, clad in bloodied native dress, and flanked by a pair of fierce-eyed Lakota. He had to remind himself that yes, this was Jesse Joe Hanson, the Pony Express rider he shared quarters with, who liked peppermint candy and poker and getting into fistfights.

Jesse looked up, his gaze sharp and blue, clearly reading the look of amazed confusion that was surely on Storm's face. "I reckon I got some explaining to do, eh?"

Storm gave a snort, nodding. "You could say that, yeah. What the hell happened to you?" He was acutely aware of Eagle Bone and Still Water Woman, who were sizing him up, looking him over with unfriendly eyes. He was relieved that neither of them appeared to be reaching for weapons. Here you are, the half-breed Crow riding with a military attachment, the Voice of Caution whispered in his ear. Pretty safe bet that they despise you. You don't have a lot of allies here, Lights the Storm. Even Mr. Lynch had you by the throat not long ago.

"That trip we took to see what Lily's deed was about went bad," Jesse said. "Went real bad. Ain't nobody dead. But we got pretty tore up, and I ended up lost and almost dead of cold." He nodded towards his companions. "Their little sister, Runs Laughing, found me and they took care of me. Saved my life."

Storm took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. Jesse was damn lucky. But then, he always seems to be. I hope Fiona is as lucky. The thought of her threatened to crumple him and he swallowed it, willing it to stay quiet, knowing it could cripple him if he let it. He nodded at the dirty bandage peeking out from the blood-crusted collar of the buckskin shirt Jesse wore. "You alright now?"

"Yeah." He rubbed his shoulder where he'd been injured. "This happened during the raid. Tell me again why the hell we're riding with these sunsabitches."

"Because we're going to need them to get Fiona back. I don't care who I have to ride with at this point." He meant it. I'll ride alongside anything. Demons, skinwalkers. Monsters. Even Collins.

"They're the reason we have to go after her in the first place."

Storm sidled up closer and lowered his voice, nodding at Collins. "He's the reason we have to go after her." He switched to Lakota, eyeing the scowling brave and the woman. "Don't trust that one. Crazy and dangerous."

Eagle Bone's scowl deepened. "Why is he here, then?"

"I think because Scarcliff wants to keep an eye on him" Storm said. "You don't want him where you can't see him. He'll stick a knife in your back."

"Like a Crow dog," Eagle Bone smirked.

Storm kept his face passive. "So why didn't you head home before now?" he said in English, ignoring the insult. "Why are you still out here?"

Jesse's eyes went instantly to Still Water Woman's face, and lingered there as he spoke. "Railroad wants their land. They need someone who reads...and I owe them that, at least."

Storm narrowed his eyes, watching the look of adoration on his friend's face.The Lakota woman was beautiful, but that wasn't what crystallized in his mind as the significant detail. He saw her looking back at him, how the entire story unfolded clearly in her eyes. She loves him. And I see how he's looking at her. He nodded to himself, posing a question he knew was pointless even as he asked it. "Are you planning on coming back?"

Jesse jerked his gaze back around to Storm's face, almost startled. "Well...yeah," he said. "Eventually. When all this mess is over. I mean, I have to, right?"

No, Storm thought. You don't. And you probably won't.

"What happened to you, Storm?"

"Me?"

Jesse gestured at his throat. "Looks like somebody...you know."

Storm's eyes went wide, his hand going to his neck. Marde. Lynch. Instant heat flooded his face. "I...uh..." He sighed. "Lynch is not happy with me right now."

"The Old Man did that?" Jesse's eyes bugged. "What?"

"Ssssh!" Storm instantly glanced at Lynch's back, as the man rode silently ahead. "Keep your voice down! Yes, he did, I'm damn lucky that's all he did."

"The hell did you do?"

Storm paused. Probably not gonna get out of this one alive. He and I might die together today. He exhaled heavily, relinquishing his tight hold on his secret. "The one thing he told us he'd kill us if we did."

Jesse gave him a blank look, his brows furrowing across his peeling forehead. Storm saw the moment the thoughts in his head fell into place and shocked understanding settled across his features.

"Shit. Fire," Jesse breathed.  

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