Billionaire Flawed 1(72)

“Weather,” Joshua Dansby echoed.

“Yes, sir.”

Joshua Dansby sighed and fixed his hat once again atop his head.

“Is there something I can do for you?”

Mr. Dansby draped off his suit coat and handed it through the station house window toward a surprised Mr. Stanfield.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Dansby, I don’t know what you mean--”

“Just hold on to it for a while,” Joshua made haste down the outpost steps, calling out with a waved hand. “I’ll be back in a bit. Get ahold of the Sheriff.” And to himself, he said in a low, hushed tone, “I’ve got a bad feeling.”

A stunned Mr. Stanfield merely stuttered a “Y-y-yes, sir.” before Joshua Dansby had fled from the site.

He approached the buggy he arrived in, with his horse, Kan, enjoying the overgrown yellow-green grasses nearby. Joshua untied the reins and slung himself atop his horse.

Leaving the buggy behind, the broad shouldered man took off into the distance. The clouds seemed to be gathering faster, and darker, and Joshua Dansby continued headlong beside the tracks, Eastward.



This is impossible, Cora thought to herself as she ducked breathlessly into her coach cabin.

A scream and some shouts filled the passenger car in front of her. There weren’t many in her own car, but she could hear murmurs and worried rustling in the cabins beside her. They heard it too.

She had read of stories of bandits and seen news clippings of railway robbers, but nowhere had she accounted for the possibility of it ever really happening. And especially not to her.

The Lil’ Miss had come to a complete standstill about three and a half miles out from the post. A pretty daring proximity to town for a band of robbers in the Western territory.

There were more shouts and rustling coming from the cabin before her. Probably looting the passengers. If they were like any of the smart bands of thieves she read about in books, no doubt some were going through the cargo hold at the tail-end of the train, mounting what they could onto their getaway buggies. The others were slowly making their way through the cabins, scaring the passengers into giving up their on-hand possessions.

Cora smirked. Good thing I’ve got nothing worth stealing.

It wasn’t the best thing to necessarily be proud of.

The footsteps and sounds came closer. Cora had to think fast.

She quickly checked that her boots were laced tightly, and with an air of rather unlady-like behavior, brought her dress into a knotted tie at her waist.

I can’t very well make a getaway with this cumbersome number, she smiled to herself. She had to admit. The thrill of the adventure was quite a rush.

Much better than sewing hat boxes, she thought to herself.

Baring open the cabin window, Cora peeked out, and up toward the roof.

Looks like rain.

A light breeze wafted its way past, lifting at some stray strands that became untucked from her braided hair. For a moment, she thought she heard the sound of horse hooves in the distance, but she brushed off the idea as her imagination once again getting carried away. In the city, there were so many sounds and sights that rarely did anything jump out in particular. Everything melded together after a while. But out in the country, with such vast expanses of quiet, each noise was something new to her, and entirely unfamiliar.

There was a slight rim siding below the window of the car. If she could scale along the rim as a step, perhaps she would be able to get down and…

What then? Cora could at least hide until the bandits passed, maybe summoned for help somehow. They weren’t to be too far from their destination anyway…

She could work out the details later. For now, the thrill awaited.

Cora propped herself, though rather clumsily, at the sill, and over, her hands keeping at the window sill, and using her feet to prop against the outside wall of the car as she slowly felt for the rim below her. When her boot’s toe caught on, she heaved a sigh.

But then the unthinkable began to happen. A loud wheezing sounded from far ahead the train, as if the brakes…

“Oh no,” Cora mumbled.

The train began to move. Had the robbers decided on a faster getaway? And were they taking everyone along with them?

As Cora began to feel a sudden panic, the sound of horse hooves once again broke up her thoughts. It really was the sound of hooves. They were gaining closer, against the train as it began to gain speed. It was near.

“Oof!” Cora felt a sudden wrench at her waist, a strong arm draping across and lurching her off the side of the train car. She soon found herself draped across a galloping horse like a sack of flour. Her sides buffeted against the saddle uncomfortably.

“It’s alright, ma’am, I’ve got you.”

The smooth, deep sound of a man’s voice made Cora instantly grow hot in the face.