men.”
“You better listen to the lady, mister,” the spokesman said.
“You haven’t answered my question,” Falcon said. “Suppose I choose not to give you any money. What do you do then?”
“Then we kill you,” the robber said as an evil smile spread across his face.
“You mean you will try,” Falcon replied.
“Are you crazy, mister? I have a knife in my hand,” the robber said.
“And I have a gun in mine,” Falcon said, raising his hand and showing the pistol.
“Ha! A dandy like you with a pistol?” the robber said. He laughed. “I doubt you could hit a bull in the ass with a bass fiddle.”
Falcon fired three quick shots, taking the earlobes off all three men. The men yelled out in pain, then slapped their hands to their mangled and bloody earlobes.
“I could have done worse,” Falcon said. “But I wanted to keep you healthy enough to move those wagons out of the way.”
“What makes you think we’re going to move those damn wagons for you?” one of the men asked.
“Because if you don’t move those ‘damn’ wagons”—Falcon emphasized the word “damn” to throw it back in the would-be robber’s face—“I will use the next shot the to take the rest of your ear off,” Falcon said. “And if that doesn’t convince you, I will kill you.”
Falcon cocked the pistol and pointed it at the spokesman’s chest. “And I really don’t want to do that, because then that would leave only two of you to do the work. Think about it. Wouldn’t it be easier for three of you to do it than it would be for two of you?”
“No, no, we’ll move the wagons,” the leader of the outlaws said, realizing not only that Falcon meant business, but that he was the one under the gun. “Come on, men, let’s get the wagons out of there so these folks can pass.”
As the three would-be robbers moved the wagons, the carriage driver spliced the cut line, then climbed back into the seat. Less than three minutes after they had been stopped, they were under way once more, en route to the office of the Secretary of War.
Once they arrived, Lorena asked Falcon to wait for a moment in the anteroom while she went in to see the secretary. A moment later, Secretary Taft himself came to greet him.
“Well, Mr. MacCallister, Lorena just told me what a hero you are.”
“Nothing heroic about it, Mr. Secretary,” Falcon replied. “A pistol against knives is just common sense.”
The secretary laughed out loud. “A pistol against knives is common sense,” he said. “Oh, my, that is a good one. Well, do come in, Mr. MacCallister. Or should I say Colonel MacCallister. I can guarantee you, your commission will be approved.”
“Thank you,” Falcon said.
When Falcon followed Secretary Taft into his office, he saw Lorena standing by the secretary’s desk, smiling at him.
“Miss Wood, if you don’t mind, would you act as a witness while I administer the oath?” Taft asked.
“I would be happy to,” Lorena replied.
“If you would please, Mr. MacCallister, raise your right hand.”
MacCallister responded as directed, then repeated the oath after the secretary.
“I, Falcon MacCallister having been appointed a reserve officer in the Army of the United States, in the grade of lieutenant colonel, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign or domestic, that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservations or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office upon which I am about to enter. So help me God.”
“Congratulations, Colonel,” Secretary Taft said, extending his hand.
“Thank you,” Falcon said.
“May I offer my own congratulations?” Lorena asked, extending her hand as well.
Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.
Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».
Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.
Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.
