Longarm and "Kid" Bodie (9781101622001) by Tabor Evans Page A

custody. You weren’t trying to take him out of town, were you?”
    â€œAs a matter of fact,” Longarm admitted, “that’s exactly what I intend to do.”
    â€œNot a chance.”
    â€œThe train is pulling out soon and we need to buy Bodie a ticket.”
    â€œI guess you don’t hear very well,” the deputy said. “I don’t want any trouble with you . . . but that’s your choice. We have our orders and the kid is coming with us.”
    â€œI have to take him to Virginia City.”
    The two big deputies exchanged glances, and a message seemed to pass unspoken between them, because they both reached for their guns.
    Longarm saw the moves coming and drove a fist into the bigger man’s nose, breaking it with a sickening crunching sound. The deputy staggered, and Longarm slammed a hand down on the second deputy’s forearm so hard that the man’s Colt went flying. Before he could recover, Longarm drove a vicious left hook into his solar plexus and the deputy dropped to his knees, gasping for breath, face contorted with pain.
    Longarm collected their pistols and said, “You men mean well and I’m sorry that I had to hurt you, but when you went for your guns, you gave me no choice.”
    The larger one, whose nose had just been broken, had his face cupped in his hands. Blood was dripping through his fingers and he just shook his head.
    â€œWe’re going to buy this boy a ticket, board the train with his dog, and be on our way. And you boys are going to watch us pull out of the station. If you do what I tell you, I’ll toss your pistols out the window at the far end of the loading platform. If you don’t do what I say, you’ll have to go back to your office unarmed.”
    â€œWhat the hell are we going to tell Sheriff Miller!” the man on his knees cried.
    â€œTell him that some men jumped you from behind and you put up one hell of a hard fight.”
    â€œClyde won’t believe that!”
    â€œThen think of something better,” Longarm told the deputy. “It’s not my problem. Bodie, let’s get that ticket and board the train before all the good seats are taken.”
    Bodie was grinning. “You sure hit ’em fast and hard!”
    â€œSometimes there’s no other way to keep a man from getting himself killed,” Longarm said as they walked away.
    As they were boarding, the conductor held up his hand and said, “You aren’t planning on taking that dog on the train, are you?”
    â€œI’m afraid we are,” Longarm replied.
    â€œI can’t let you do that.”
    â€œYou have no choice,” Longarm said, showing the man his badge. “This is official business.”
    The conductor shrugged. “All right. But if it bites a passenger, it’ll be your problem and not mine.”
    â€œFair enough.”
    â€œAnd if it shits on the train, I’m not cleaning it up.”
    â€œWe’ll take care of that.”
    â€œThen welcome aboard!”
    Ten minutes later Longarm waved good-bye to the pair of deputies and then pitched their guns out the window and watched the pistols bounce across the loading platform. He saw the pair hurry over and snatch up their weapons.
    â€œYou think they’ll come after us?” Bodie asked.
    â€œNope. And I bet they’ll come up with one hell of a good story to explain that broken nose,” Longarm said.
    â€œI sure would like to learn how to fight like you,” Bodie told him.
    â€œWell,” Longarm replied, “you might just see a lot more fighting before this whole mess is over.”
    Bodie glanced sideways at Longarm and grinned.

Chapter 11
    Longarm and Bodie settled into their seats, with Homer lying in the aisle and blocking it completely.
    â€œThat dog is going to have to move,” the conductor said. “We’ve got to keep the aisles clear for people to pass through the