Hell Dragon

Outlaw Angus Morton and his gang have made a crucial mistake: they upped their crimes from robbing stagecoaches near El Paso to murdering a railroad agent and burning down a way station. Detective Calvin Carter and his partner are tasked with bringing Morton to justice.

One way or another.

When Carter arrives at Morton’s last known location, he finds the town on edge. The bandit has the citizens terrified, wondering where next he’ll strike. Even stranger are the rumors of a fire-breathing creature capable of utter destruction, a monster which could lay waste to the city.

As a former actor, Carter knows a tall-tale when he hears one. But he also knows a few things are not make believe:

Witnesses to the most recent attack turning up murdered.

Carter himself is attacked.

And the deep, metallic churning sound of an infernal machine approaching…

Genre: western; action/adventure

Series: Calvin Carter #2

Available in:

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Excerpt:

“I might have an idea about that,” Carter said. He was about to continue but a low sound traveled over the countryside and burrowed in his ears. At one point, it wasn’t there. The next moment, it was all he could hear.

 “What’s that?” Aurora asked. Her head was cocked to one side, her hair curled around an ear to hear better.

 “Not sure. Train? Is there one due tonight?”

 “Don’t think so. I don’t have all the schedules memorized, but we don’t typically get a train coming from New Mexico at night.”

 The sound grew louder, the deep rumble vibrating the air. From their position on the flat area near the burned out husk of the way station, Carter pinpointed the sound as coming from around the rock outcropping. He waited, fully expecting to see the illumination of the headlamp on the tracks. Right then, the only light on the tracks came from the stars.

 A chuff of steam escaped from a smoke stack. The billowed cloud rose over the outcropping but the machine that emitted it still remained out of sight. The sound of machinery grew increasingly close and loud.

 But not loud enough to mask the rataplan of horse hooves. Carter turned his attention away from the outcropping and up to the rise. The line of ground was a shade darker than the night sky. At the moment, nothing was visible atop the rise, but he knew the sounds of hoof beats likely weren’t a good thing, especially since they came from the direction opposite the town.

 “Put out your lamp,” he muttered. Aurora didn’t immediately comply. She appeared stunned and scared, rooted to the ground. In response, Carter reached out and snatched the lantern from her grasp and flung it on the ground. The small amount of light they had was extinguished.

 “Hey,” Aurora said. “That was my…”

 She never completed her sentence. From over the rise came horsemen, silhouetted against the night sky. Starlight glinted off metal components of the bridles and riders. A lead man raised his hand above his head as he brought his mount to a halt. The other riders—Carter estimated them to number seven total—all complied. Aurora’s hand shot out and grasped Carter’s arm.

 “Damn,” Carter muttered. He shoved his hand into his jacket and pulled out his Colt. Six bullets and seven riders. Those weren’t good odds. Out of his peripheral vision, he calculated the distance to his horse and Aurora’s horse. The roan had meandered over to her horse so at least they were close. But the thirty yards or so between where the humans stood and where the horses grazed might be too much distance if the bandits caught sight of them.

 But it was the only option.

 “Listen,” Carter said, having to raise his voice a bit to be heard over the low rumble of the approaching machine, “we’re gonna have to make a run for the horses.”

 “Then what?”

 “Ride like hell.”