Read The Lingering (Book 2): Rangers for Free Online

advanced a great deal. Luckily for him, Rangers’ carried nothing but the best in the way of fire power.
    He pulled his Colt revolver and prepared to open fire. He just needed to wait for the last of the men below to fire their antiquated muskets, then he would let loose with his six-shooter. One last shot sounded from below, and Callum felt something bite at his calf. He ignored the pain and continued to barrel down the path. He watched as the first man finished reloading, and then raised his musket to fire again. It was time. Callum centered his revolver on the man’s head, and pulled the trigger. A second later, the musket wielding animal’s head exploded, drenching the man beside him in blood.
    Now La Roux and Anderson were firing as well, and another two of the five men dropped. Now only two of the murdering filth remained. Realizing their death was imminent, one swept the baby up into his arms, and the other pulled the woman up by her hair. Both now used their hostages as a shield.
    Each held a large knife to their human shield’s throat, and both men grinned as if they had just saved their skin. The tiny baby, which was still covered in its dead mother’s blood, began to scream with a new vigor. Its face turned blue as it vocalized its terror and discomfort. The bastard holding it shook the child angrily, and its head snapped back and forth. Callum skidded to a stop as the baby fell silent; he gestured for the other Rangers to do the same. If the child was harmed, then he would make sure its captor would suffer before dying.
    “Now I think it’s time for you good old boys to put down those guns!” the man hiding behind the woman yelled. “Throw them there guns on the ground and then step on back.”
    Callum, La Roux and Anderson complied.
    “Good. Now what do you fellas want?”
    Callum could not believe his ears. What did they want? He looked back at La Roux, and the big man nodded for him to continue.
    Callum raised his hands over his head and stared into the woman’s impassive face. He saw someone who accepted pain, and expected little else. He focused his mind on what had to be done, and then said, “We’re Rangers out of Fort Miles. We were patrolling these here mountains when we found a dead woman. It appears somebody—or more likely, multiple somebodies—raped and then murdered her. I don’t suppose you folks know anything about it?”
    The man looked at his companion and smiled broadly, revealing a set of almost completely black teeth. He then looked back to Callum. “What we do with our property ain’t no concern of yours, so get!”
    Callum felt rage threatening to overwhelm him, but he bottled it up. He needed to stay in control. “Afraid we can’t do that … get I mean. You see, we’re going to kill you.”
    The man holding the woman shifted slightly, and Callum made the most of it. With rattlesnake like speed, he whipped his tomahawk out and launched it at the man’s head. Knowing that his aim was true, Callum did not wait to see the results of his handy work. Instead, he bolted for the man holding the baby.
    La Roux read the situation perfectly, and he snatched up his revolver and put a bullet through the baby holder’s knee. Even before the piece of shit collapsed to the ground, Callum had already swept the baby from his arms. Screaming and writhing with pain, the man crashed to the dirt and looked up at the Ranger with complete surprise. Clearly, the fool had never anticipated things ending so badly for him. With babe in arms, Callum stood over him and placed a boot on his throat.
    “Anderson, check on the woman,” La Roux bellowed as he holstered his gun. Anderson complied.
    Whimpering slightly, the woman still stood as if she still had a blade held to her throat. Anderson picked up a dirty blanket that lay near her feet, and covered her with it. This seemed to bring her out of herself, and she collapsed into his arms, sobbing.
    La Roux moved to Callum’s side then bent. The