Bullets and Bones Read online

  Bullets and Bones

  Desa Kincaid Book 2

  R. S. Penney

  Contents

  Prologue

  Part I

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Part II

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Epilogue

  Afterword

  Copyright (C) 2020 R.S. Penney

  Layout design and Copyright (C) 2020 by Next Chapter

  Published 2020 by Beyond Time – A Next Chapter Imprint

  Edited by Jourdan Vian

  Cover art by Cover Mint

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the author’s permission.

  Prologue

  Wind swept through the narrow canyon with a howl like a banshee, a sound made only more terrifying by the moonless, night sky overhead. There were a few stars twinkling faintly, but otherwise not a speck of light to be had. Well, except for Sal’s lantern.

  The small lamp cast an orange glow on the canyon walls, walls that stood so close together he could barely stretch his arms out to the sides. Night in the desert was cold, and that relentless wind only worsened matters.

  Sal scrambled over the rocky ground, panting with exhaustion. The lantern swung like a pendulum on its metal ring, the flames dancing and nearly winking out more than once. He tripped on a rock.

  Falling onto his knees deliberately, Sal held hard to the lantern. He managed to keep his grip on it, though the hot glass smacked against his cheek and burned him.

  Wincing, he hissed air through his teeth and then shook his head. “Keep going,” he whispered to himself. “Get up!”

  And then he was on his feet again.

  He ran as if Death itself chased him. His actual pursuer was much, much worse. He jumped over a rock, landing in a crouch, then forced himself to rise again and darted through the canyon like a madman.

  A shadow leaped across the canyon above him.

  Craning his neck when he noticed the flicker of motion, Sal squinted at it. “No,” he breathed. “No, she can’t be this close.”

  The ground beneath his feet had a slight upward tilt. Rocks crunched under his shoes as he sprinted up the tiny hill. He had to reach the end of the canyon before his pursuer caught up to him. Except she had already caught up to him. Perhaps he should turn back? No, that would put him back inside the network of caves where she had found him in the first place. He didn’t want to die in there.

  A few minutes later, he emerged from the canyon onto hard-packed, sun-beaten clay only to find the shadow waiting for him. A hooded figure that stood with a knife clutched in one hand. “Did you really think you could outrun a bounty hunter?”

  Sal shut his eyes, tears leaking from them, streaming over his cheeks. “Please,” he whimpered. “Whatever they’re paying you, I’ll double it.”

  “With what money?”

  “I…I have gold.”

  The shadow strode forward, chuckling softly. “A little-known but easily-deduced fact about bounty hunters,” she said. “We can’t be bought. Because, you see, if I were to break the contract that set me after you simply because you offered more money – and I have serious doubts that you could make good on that promise – well, my reputation would be worthless. In fact, such a betrayal would impugn the dignity of all bounty hunters, and thus my brothers and sisters would have no choice but to hunt me down to clear their good names.”

  Snot dripped from Sal’s nose. His tears flowed freely, and his body trembled. “Please,” he mumbled, his voice cracking. “Please, I beg you not to do this.”

  “They all do in the end.”

  Sal turned and tried to run.

  A coin landed at his feet, and then he was pulled down to his knees, anchored to the ground by a force that he could not explain. His arms and legs felt so heavy. The lantern fell from his grip, glass shattering on impact. The flame was helpless before the wind’s terrible onslaught.

  The hooded figure held up her hand, and the ring around her finger began to glow, providing more light than ten lanterns could. Sal could see her as clearly as he would if the blazing sun hung overhead. Her footsteps were so light he could barely hear them. Somehow, she seemed to be unaffected by whatever held Sal pinned to the earth.

  With her free hand, she pulled back her hood to expose a pale face framed by curly, brown hair. Her large, dark eyes gave her a girlish quality. “You ran,” she said. “I hate it when they run. So, I’m going to have to make this as painful as possible.”

  “No!”

  She brandished the knife, its blade reflecting the light from her ring. “You have the honour of dying by the hand of Azra Vanya. Take comfort in that.”

  Part I

  1

  Aladar was a city of shining light, a place of electric lamps and horseless carriages, a beacon of civilization. But its prison cells were the same as every other one Desa Kincaid had seen across the face of this continent. Three stone walls and a set of bars that cut her off from the cellblock. The only window was about the size of her palm and also blocked off by bars.

  Desa sat on a bench with her elbows on her thighs, covering her mouth with both hands. “Well,” she said. “This is quite the predicament.”

  “That’s all you have to say?”

  “Need I say anything more?”

  Miri stood with her back turned, one hand braced against the wall. The woman hung her head in frustration. “I don’t know,” she muttered. “Perhaps you could offer some suggestions as to how we get out of here.”

  A smile grew on Desa’s face, and she shook her head slowly. “After all our adventures,” she said, “you still have so little faith. By the way, I’ll need your belt.”

  Spinning around to face her with a scowl that could ignite dry kindling, Miri took one step forward. “Sweet Mercy!” she growled. “What in the name of all that’s holy are you gonna do with my belt?”

  “Just trust me.”

  Grumbling to herself, Miri undid her belt and yanked it free of the loops. “Here!” she said, thrusting the thing at Desa. “Anything else?”

  “Yes,” Desa replied. “I need you to distract the guard.”

  “And how exactly am I to do that?”

  Tilting her head back to study the other woman, Desa blinked a few times. “You have a quick wit,” she said. “I’m sure you’ll think of something.”

  Miri sighed and stalked off toward the bars, grabbing one in each hand. “Hello!” she called out to the guards at the end of the cellblock. “Might I have some water, please? You see, I was traveling for several days in the desert, and I…”

  Desa closed her eyes.

  Miri could handle
the guards. The woman was a fast talker. Now, hopefully, those louts out there would focus on the loud-mouthed woman and not on the one sitting quietly. Centring her emotions, Desa reached out to the Ether.

  It came reluctantly – her mind was frantic after Adele’s betrayal – but years of training helped to put the anger aside. She focused, and the world broke apart into a sea of particles, all swirling and dancing around her. Only a few moments. That was all she needed

  Desa began a Field Binding, building a lattice of energy in the molecules of Miri’s belt buckle and in one of the bars of their cell door. She was vaguely aware of a human-shaped collection of molecules stepping into view. The guard began chastising Miri.

  He wasn’t focused on Desa; she could tell. Now, if Miri could just keep him busy a few moments longer. The lattice grew as she Infused the metal with a connection to the Ether. Only a few moments more. She had to make sure her Infusions could release enough energy.

  “But you see,” Miri went on. “Dehydration leaves one vulnerable to all sorts of nasty pathogens. Pathogens that you lot might contract now that we're staying under your roof and all. So, in the interest of continued health – mine and yours – I highly recommend that you get me some water.”

  The guard rapped on the bars with his truncheon. “You’ll get your water when we decide to feed you,” he said. “Now, sit quiet and respectable like your friend there.”

  Desa had to suppress a smile.

  The Infusion was complete.

  She opened her eyes, clouds of molecules snapping together into solid objects. She saw the man on the other side of the cell door. He was a rough-looking fellow with tanned skin and a stubbly beard. “Both of you, stay quiet and still,” he said. “I’ll suffer no more trouble from either of you.”

  Sitting primly with hands folded on her lap, Desa smiled and shook her head. “Perish the thought,” she murmured. “Thank you, sir, for your kind indulgence of my friend’s difficulties.”

  With a grunt, the man turned on his heel and walked away.

  “Are you ready?” Desa asked Miri.

  The woman spun around, resting one hand on the bars and grimacing as if Desa had just spoken nonsense. “Ready for what?” she asked. “Whatever plan you’ve got, it better be a good one. They might show Marcus some respect, but Tommy…He’s an outsider.”

  Desa rose from her seat, stretching her arms above her head as she drew in a breath. “I suggest you move to the back of the cell,” she said. “And stay behind me.”

  Miri did as she was told, pacing to the small window in the back wall, turning around to stand under it with her arms folded. “Whatever you’re going to do…”

  Desa put herself in front of the other woman, lifting Miri’s belt as a shield. Then, with a thought, she triggered the Force-Sink in the buckle and the Force-Source in one of the cell door’s bars.

  An explosion of kinetic energy knocked the other bars off their mountings, energy that expanded into the cell and out into the cellblock, hurling bits of metal and debris. All of it came to an abrupt halt about two feet in front of Desa, bits of it hanging in the air.

  She heard the footsteps of guards running to check on the cacophony.

  Gritting her teeth, Desa seethed with anger. “Now it begins.”

  She ran out into the cellblock.

  One guard was coming toward her, his hand resting on a holstered pistol. He drew the weapon just as he got within arm’s reach of her.

  Desa swung the belt like a whip, its buckle lashing him across the cheek, stunning the man. He stumbled, clapping one hand over the wound.

  Spinning like a whirlwind, Desa lashed out again, the belt buckle striking the gun and tearing it out of his hand. The startled guard gasped as she came around to face him.

  A swift kick to his belly made him fold up on himself. Desa grabbed a fistful of his hair, yanked his head down and brought her knee up to smash his face. Down he went, crumpling to the floor in a heap.

  Three more guards appeared at the end of the cellblock.

  Falling over backwards, Desa rose into a handstand. She grabbed the fallen gun, flipped upright and pointed the weapon at her enemies. Drawing back the hammer with a click, she watched them hesitate.

  “Now,” Desa said. “You’re going to let us out of-”

  One of the guards surged forward.

  Dropping to one knee, Desa extended her arm with the gun pointed at him. She fired once, filling the cellblock with a thunderous roar. Her bullet pierced the man’s leg, and he fell flat on his face.

  The other two had their weapons up.

  Desa threw herself sideways, rolling into the open cell. She came up and backed away from the door, positioning herself beside Miri. “This is going to get ugly…”

  Miri had fists balled and teeth bared. There was fury in her eyes. “The next time I don’t have any faith in you,” she muttered, “feel free to give me a good slug in the gob.”

  “Noted.”

  Miri moved like a striking snake, pressing her back to the wall near the door. When the first guard appeared, thrusting his gun into the cell, she grabbed his outstretched arm with both hands and gave a twist. His weapon fell to the floor.

  Elbowing him in the face, Miri sent him careening into the wall on the other side of the cellblock. The final guard spun around the corner, lifting his weapon, firing blindly into the cell.

  One bullet whizzed past Desa’s ear, burrowing into the wall and sending bits of stone flying. Some of it grazed the back of her head.

  Miri brought her hand down on his wrist in a chopping motion. His fingers uncurled, and the pistol fell to land beside its twin. Miri was lightning quick. Her next chop hit his throat, producing a gurgling sound.

  Rounding on the man, she kicked him in the belly, then punched his face with one fist and then the other. Bloody and disoriented, he staggered. Miri seized two handfuls of his shirt and shoved him backwards.

  He fell on top of his partner.

  Dropping to a crouch, Miri picked up both pistols. She twirled one around her index finger, caught the grip and then pointed the smoking barrel up at the ceiling. “Yes, this will do.”

  “Let’s go.”

  Desa went out into the cellblock to find it blessedly free of guards. Well… free of guards that could pose a threat to her. One man was moaning on the floor, clutching his bleeding leg. Another was unconscious, sprawled out on his belly.

  As she strode through the corridor, Desa stooped to pick up the belt she had abandoned. She rose in one fluid motion and went to the door.

  “Tommy and Marcus? And that sheriff from Dry Gulch?”

  Closing her eyes, Desa took a moment to centre herself. She nodded slowly. “Grab the guard’s keys,” she muttered. “Kalia! Are you here?”

  “Back here!”

  The voice came from a cell at the far end of the block. Without hesitation, Desa turned and ran toward the sound. Miri tossed her the keys. Desa caught them without even looking and went to the door.

  She found the sheriff on the other side of the bars, staring at her with wide eyes. “What are we going to do?” Kalia asked.

  “We’re going to get out of here.”

  Shoving the key into the lock, Desa jiggled it a few times, and then the door slid open. Kalia stepped into the hallway, panting. The woman glanced this way and that as if she expected more guards to leap out from every shadow. Sweet Mercy, she might not be wrong.

  As they made their way out, Kalia retrieved the last fallen pistol. Now, they were all armed.

  Desa strode through the cellblock, flanked by both women. “All right,” she said with a curt nod. “If we're quick, we can escape without any more trouble.”

  “What about Tommy?” Miri demanded.

  “He’ll be in the men’s section,” Desa protested. “There’s no way we can get to him without running into more guards. And I’m out of Infusions. The best thing we can do is find someplace to hide while I create more.”

  Kalia went
into their open cell, stood on her toes and placed a copper penny between two of the window bars. She came out and then pressed her body to the cellblock wall. “Stand clear.”

  Desa was about to ask what the other woman was planning, but she felt a stirring in the Ether, and then the cell’s back wall exploded, chunks of stone and metal flying out in all directions. The coin had been a Force-Source! Now there was a big hole in the wall.

  Bent over with hands on her knees, Desa looked up at the woman with the gaping mouth. “You know…” she stammered. “You know how to…”

  Kalia shut her eyes and shook her head in dismay. “I told you,” she said. “The Aladri aren’t the only ones who know how to Field Bind.”

  “I regret my arrogance…”

  “Let’s go.”

  The hole in the wall led out to an alley between the police station and the next building over. Even in the shade, the afternoon was hot. A cloudless, blue sky loomed overhead.

  Desa fell back against the alley wall, shutting her eyes and formulating a plan. “They’ll be on us in a moment.” The guards had to have heard that commotion. “I need time to make new weapons.”

  Jerking her head toward the street, Miri grunted. “No sense in staying here,” she muttered. “Let’s find ourselves some privacy.”

  They ran out to the sidewalk, pausing there. Kalia stood slack-jawed, taking in the sight of a paved road and lampposts that stood two stories high. A car came rumbling towards them, honking its horn as if the driver saw that they might thoughtlessly step into the street. Kalia leaped back with a squeak.