Today, I'm sharing an excerpt from Outlaw Heroes. To get you up to speed, the story begins with twelve-year-old Will Long and his mother riding the AmTrak Train from their home in Fargo, ND to Spokane, WA to attend a party for Will's one-hundred-year-old great-grandmother who he's never met. The first night as they sleep on the train, Will wakes to find he is no longer on a modern train but instead he is on an old-fashioned one and it is being robbed by the famous outlaws Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid. Will rushes outside and finds a way to get the outlaws to let him help, then afterwards, tries to talk them into letting him ride with them. Here is what happens next...
Excerpt from Outlaw Heroes by Deanna Lynn Sletten
It took Will and the outlaws an hour to collect the money and to raid the mail car of a few packages containing jewelry. Butch told Kerrigan and Woodcock to get back on the train and take off. They didn't rob any of the trainmen or passengers, that wasn't their style.
"Well, kid, it was fun knowing you," Butch said, slapping Will on the back. "You're gonna make a fine outlaw someday." Sundance snorted from behind him.
"Wait a minute," Will protested. "You have to take me with you!"
The two outlaws had already turned to leave, but his words prompted Butch to turn back.
"I helped you rob the train," Will continued. "I'm a wanted outlaw now."
Butch rubbed his chin and pondered this. "Ya know, Sundance, the kid has a point. He was a great help."
Sundance stopped in his tracks and turned on his heel in one fluid motion. "No way, Butch. Absolutely not. He's just a kid."
"How old are you, kid?" Butch asked.
"Twelve."
Butch squinted and looked him over in the moonlight. "Where's your ma and pa?"
"My dad's dead, and my mom..." Will hesitated, remembering that he hadn't seen any sign of his mother on the train. "I don't know where my mom is," he finally answered.
Butch shook his head. "Your ma ran out on ya, huh? Poor kid."
"Butch, we have no time for this," Sundance protested irritably.
Butch ignored him. "Where were you headed, kid?"
"To Spokane
"Hundred-year-old grandma!" Butch bellowed in disbelief. "Did you hear that, Sundance? This kid's gonna live with a hundred-year-old lady!"
"I don't care who he lives with, as long as it's not me!" Sundance snarled. "Come on, Butch, let's get outta here."
"Please," Will pleaded. "Take me with you. You guys are my heroes. I know everything about you and your robberies. I promise I won't be any trouble at all."
Butch looked over his shoulder at Sundance with woeful eyes. "Sundance, we're his heroes."
"No, Butch."
"But the kid has nowhere else to go."
"No, Butch!"
"Aw, come on, have a heart. Living with an old lady? It makes me shudder just thinking about it."
Will knew by the tone of Butch's voice that he'd won him over. Butch smiled at him. "Come on, kid, you can ride with me."
Sundance stared hard at Butch, his lips tight. "Fine! But he's your problem, not mine. This kid gets killed, it's your fault." He turned and strode off angrily up the hill toward the horses.
Butch bent down toward Will. "Don't mind him; he's always grouchy during a job." He gave Will one of his mischievous winks and together they walked up the hill toward the others and the waiting horses.
***
Buy Outlaw Heroes on Kindle or in Paperback!
Enjoy the ride!
Deanna
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