Hunted [The Flash Gold Chronicles] (12 page)

“You sank it,” Cedar said. “She went
downriver in the rapids. I got her with my sword through the net,
but it wasn’t a mortal blow. I don’t know if we’ve seen the last of
her or not.”

“The last of her for today, I hope.”

Kali let herself slump against Cedar for
support and warmth. Now that she was no longer thrashing to escape
the current, shivers coursed through her body. Though May lacked
the harsh bite of a Yukon winter, it held no warmth either, and a
cold breeze needled her through sodden clothing.

Cedar released her. “We better fetch our gear
and get out of the area before those prospectors come looking for
us.”

“Agreed.” Kali jumped up and down. Her teeth
chattered.

“Did you bring a change of clothing?” Cedar
asked. “Or only tools?”

“Of course I brought clothing, and don’t you
pick on me about how I packed. Not when you brought a rock.”

“A lodestone.” He grinned. “And it came in
handy, didn’t it?”

She tamped down her own grin and sniffed.
“Moderately, I suppose.”

“You’re still a hard lady to please, I
see.”

“Yes. Yes, I am.”

Kali lined the crosshairs up with the
man-shaped target tacked to the wall of her workshop. This was
going to make a mess. She ought to test the device outside, but she
did not want to explain it to passersby. More people were streaming
into Dawson every day, and it was hard to walk out the door without
tripping over someone.

Her finger found the trigger, and she tapped
it. The weapon responded perfectly. A chunk of potato shot from the
broad wooden barrel, sailing across the workshop until it thudded
into the neck of her target.

“Spud to the jugular.” Kali lowered the
weapon. “Embarrassing way to go.”

Her front door creaked open, and Cedar ducked
inside. Milos, she reminded herself, determined to start calling
him by his real name.

Clean-shaven and dressed in a nice
button-down shirt, he strolled toward her. He gave the SAB a pat on
the way by—it had taken her an entire day to fix it up so she could
bring it home—and halted when he spotted the potato launcher.

“You made one?” A grin split his face as he
reached out to touch it. “I didn’t truly expect you to... Can I try
it?”

“Of course. You didn’t think I’d make
something so silly for myself, did you?” Kali put it in his hands
and grabbed the other half of her potato. “It’s like an old muzzle
loader. You stuff your ammo in through the barrel. It’s bladed so
it’ll shave your spud down if it’s too big. Then you need to crank
that lever a few times. It pumps air into the large-volume chamber
where it builds up pressure. When you pull the trigger, that
controls the dump valve and...” A concerned furrow creased Cedar’s
brow so she stopped the explanation, pumped the lever, and pointed.
“Just pull the trigger.”

“I may not be bright enough for this one,” he
said dryly.

“No, no, you knew about the lodestone, and
you set a still to blow up in about thirty seconds. I don’t even
know how you did that. You’re smart.”

His eyebrows flew up. “Did you just
compliment me?”

“Er, maybe.”

“Huh.”

Cedar pointed the spud gun, but did not fire
right away. He met her eyes. “I just saw Bosomhall limping up the
street, his arm in a sling.”

“Oh,” Kali said, not certain how she
felt.

She had wondered if he made it out alive. On
the one hand, she did not hate anyone enough to wish death on a
person. On the other hand...it would have been better for her if
Sebastian had never returned from the wilderness. Before, greed had
motivated him to strike at her. Now, revenge might add
extra...color to his plans for her.

“I thought you should know,” Cedar said.

“Yes, thank you.” Kali pushed aside her
worries for another time. “Are you going to try that thing, or
not?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

He lifted it, aimed, and fired. The potato
chunk soared across the workshop and took the target in the eye. It
was amazing that someone so tall, muscular, and battle-hardened
could grin like a school boy, but he managed it.

“Accurate, good velocity, nice.” He lowered
the gun, and his grin softened to something warm and intimate.

She blushed, remembering their kiss, and
stuffed her hands in her overall pockets while studying the floor.
“So, uhm, sorry you didn’t get any closer to finding Cudgel.
Blazes, we didn’t even get to collect a bounty on anyone up
there.”

“Yes, I wanted to talk to you about that.
First, I need to apologize for getting you involved in that mess. I
didn’t realize just how despicable Bosomhall was. You never would
have walked into his trap if it hadn’t been my idea to use him and
his claim. Second...” Cedar drew a purse from within his duster,
counted out a stack of Morgan silver dollars, and set them on her
workbench.

Kali scratched her head. “You’re not trying
to pay me for the spud launcher, are you?”

“No, that’s your fifty percent from
Koothrapai.”

“You don’t have to do that.” She eyed the
stack, thought of the parts she could buy with it, and her fingers
twitched toward it. She forced those fingers back into her pocket.
“You were right,” she made herself say. “I didn’t do anything, so
it’s not fitting I get a cut.”

“No, you were right. We have a deal.
Fifty-fifty on everything. And anyway...” He was the one to stick
his hands in his pockets now. “I didn’t get in this for the money.
My reasons for hesitating to give you your share earlier
were...personal.”

“Oh?” What was he about? Kali tried to read
his face, but he was studying the floorboards.

“I was concerned that you’d get your airship
put together and leave the Yukon forever.”

“That
is
my plan,” she said.

“Without me,” Cedar added.

Kali blinked. “Oh. I didn’t realize that was
a concern of yours.”

“I can’t leave without getting Cudgel, and if
Wilder spoke the truth, he’s either in Dawson or on his way. Thanks
to the gold, I reckon half the world will be up here before long.
He’s not going to miss out on it.”

“Uh huh. So, what you’re really saying is
you’d miss me if I left.”

He looked up from the floor. “That’s what I’m
saying. Did you think I’d let someone I wasn’t partial to curl up
in my Euklisia Rug?”

“I’ve known men who would curl up with just
about any woman.”

“But
not
in their expensive,
mail-ordered-from-
Wales
Euklisia Rug.”

“So, I’m special?”

“Oh, I think you know that.” Cedar tapped the
barrel of the potato launcher.

“Well, yes, but not everyone appreciates
it.”

“I do. And I’d be honored if you’d accompany
me to the dancing hall tonight.”

Kali bit her lip to keep from grinning like a
fool. Then a realization struck. “I don’t have a dress!” Sebastian
had given her a couple—he’d said it was embarrassing to be seen in
public with her when she was wearing her greasy work clothes, the
ass—but she hadn’t bothered to hunt for them after her home in
Moose Hollow had been burglarized.

Cedar nodded to the stack of silver coins.
“Perhaps you could purchase a suitable garment with your
earnings.”

“You want me to buy a
dress
with my
airship money?”

“It was just a thought.”

She considered him for a moment, then plucked
at her grime-streaked overalls. “Would you dance with me if I wore
this?”

“Of course.” His blue eyes crinkled. “Though
now that most of the snow has melted, nudity is an option too.”

“I’ll buy a dress.”

“If you insist.”

THE END

Thank you for sharing this adventure with
Kali, Cedar, and myself. If you’d like to see more “Flash Gold”
stories, please consider leaving a review online or telling a
fantasy-loving friend about these ebooks. Those little things help
an author a great deal!

You can also stop by my site and
sign up
for the newsletter
. About once a month, I give out ebook
coupons or run a contest with book giveaways. And, of course,
you’ll be the first to know when I release a new story.

Happy reading!

~Lindsay

NOVELS:

The Emperor’s Edge

Dark Currents

Encrypted

SHORT STORIES AND NOVELLAS:

Flash Gold

The Goblin Brothers Adventures

Ice Cracker II (and other short stories)