Chapter 23
Clayton Voss was beside her.
Judge Mercer too.
Matilda felt cold spread through her.
Abigail smiled.
“Thank you for finding it.”
Jedodiah stepped in front of Matilda.
Voss raised a g/u/n.
“Drop the rifles.”
Nobody moved.
Mercer shouted, “Do it!”
Hollis slowly lowered his rifle.
The miners followed.
Jedodiah remained still.
A second man aimed at Matilda.
Jedodiah dropped his weapon.
Abigail descended.
Snow crunched beneath her boots.
She stopped before Matilda.
“All this trouble.”
Her gaze moved toward the chest.
“Because your mother couldn't accept the world as it is.”
Matilda looked at her.
“And what is the world?”
Abigail smiled.
“The strong take.”
“No.”
Matilda shook her head.
“The cruel take.”
The smile vanished.
“You think kindness makes you powerful?”
“No.”
“What does?”
Matilda glanced at the men around Abigail.
“People deciding they're done being afraid of you.”
Abigail laughed.
“Look around.”
Matilda did.
Six armed men.
Judge Mercer.
Clayton Voss.
Then Matilda looked beyond them.
Between the trees.
Movement.
Dozens of shapes.
Miners.
Townspeople.
Women from Leadville.
Shopkeepers.
Stable hands.
The man from the boarding house who had apologized.
They emerged silently.
More and more.
Abigail's men turned.
“What is this?” Mercer snapped.
Sheriff Hollis smiled.
“I sent word before we left.”
Abigail went pale.
“You fool.”
“No.”
Hollis looked around.
“I finally stopped being one.”
Nearly seventy townspeople surrounded the clearing.
Some carried tools.
Some carried rifles.
Some carried nothing.
But there were too many.
Voss shouted, “This is private property!”
A farmer called back, “Actually, seems like it's hers.”
Laughter rippled through the crowd.
Abigail looked at Matilda.
“You planned this?”
Matilda shook her head.
“No.”
Then she looked at the people.
“They came themselves.”
That frightened Abigail more.
Mercer suddenly grabbed the ledger.
Jedodiah moved.
Voss fired.
The g/u/nshot cracked through the trees.
Matilda screamed.
Jedodiah staggered.
For one terrible second, nobody moved.
Then he dropped to one knee.
Bl/o/od spread across his upper arm.
Matilda rushed toward him.
“Jed!”
His eyes flickered toward her.
“I'm fine.”
“You've been sh/o/t!”
“Still fine.”
The crowd surged.
Hollis seized Voss.
Two miners grabbed Mercer.
Abigail turned and ran.
Matilda saw her disappear toward the creek.
“Stay with him,” Elias said.
Matilda looked at Jedodiah.
Then at Abigail.
Jedodiah gritted his teeth.
“Go.”
“I can't leave you.”
“You can.”
“No.”
“Matilda.”
She looked at him.
His pale blue eyes held hers.
“Finish it.”
Matilda ran.
Abigail was surprisingly fast.