HELL HATH NO FURY (A Jess Williams western novel) by Robert J. Thomas Read Free Book Online Page B

now. I say we start tomorrow out on the trail,” said Jess.
                  “But you said we’d start today,” continued Annie, an insistent tone in her voice.
                  Sheriff Davies finished his drink and put his hand on Jess’ shoulder. “Mr. Williams, I don’t think your real problem is all the gunslingers looking to take you down. I think your real problem is standing right next to you and I wish you all the luck in the world,” smiled Sheriff Davies, as he walked out of the saloon.
                  “And just what does that mean,” replied Annie, but the sheriff didn’t answer, he simply waved his right hand in the air as he walked out of the saloon.
                  “What did he mean by that comment?” Annie asked as she turned back to Jess.
                  “Why can’t you just leave things alone for once?” asked Jess.
                  “Because I usually like answers to my questions,” replied Annie.
                  Jess didn’t respond, he simply poured himself another drink and slowly sipped it. Annie finally stopped talking and stood next to Jess and had a drink with him. They stood there in total silence for an hour and then Jess sent Annie down to the hotel to get two rooms. Jess was finishing up his last drink when the barkeep walked over to him.
                  “Good luck with that one, Mr. Williams.”
                  “Thanks. I think I’m going to need it,” replied Jess, as he headed out of the saloon and straight for the hotel for a good night’s rest.
                  In the morning, they went to a small café and had breakfast and Jess sent Annie to retrieve their horses while he went to the telegraph office to check on any messages that Jim Smythe back in Black Creek might have forwarded him. Jess had asked him to forward any messages that were wired to him in Black Creek, to the dozen or so larger towns that Jess usually found himself in at one time or another and Wichita was one of the towns on the list. The telegraph operator looked through a dozen or so messages and he found one with Jess’ name on it.
                  “It looks like you do have one message, Mr. Williams,” said the operator, handing it to Jess.
                  Jess read the message and his smile quickly turned to a look that scared the man who handed him the message. The message was from the barkeep, Joshuha, in Clarence, Kansas. The message read: ‘To Jess Williams, Sorry to inform you that Ingrid Marsh was beaten, raped and killed by two men by the names of Cliff Hunt and Darrel Clemmon. They killed Sheriff Saunders too.’ Jess threw a five dollar gold piece on the counter and the telegraph operator took it, but he still didn’t smile because of the look on Jess’ face. Jess headed straight for the livery and Annie could see a definite difference in his demeanor.
                  “What happened?” Annie asked, as Jess climbed into the saddle.
                  “I just found out that the same two men you’re looking for raped and killed the one woman in my life that was a close friend, so it seems like the two men you are looking for just went to the top of my list for killing,” said Jess, as he nudged Gray out of town and straight for Clarence, Kansas.
     
    XXX
     
                  It took three days to get to Clarence. Each night when they stopped and made camp, Jess would work with Annie on her pistol skills. They really didn’t talk very much since Annie could actually feel the change in his demeanor after he heard about the rape and killing of his good friend, Ingrid Marsh. Annie was curious about his relationship with Ingrid and on the third night, after they quit shooting practice, her curiosity got the best of her.
                  “So, how’s my shooting doing?” Annie