Page 47 of Equalizer
“What is going on?” the coachman shouted, eyes wide and utterly pale. “Those cows are dead.”
“They certainly are now.” Calvin couldn’t spare the attention to comfort the terrified driver since the frightened horses had bolted and sent them careening down the street.
“We’re clear,” Owen shouted, leaning from the carriage window. “Nothing behind us.”
Calvin struggled to bring the team under control. The carriage slewed and skidded, with Calvin pulling with his full strength on the reins as the hired driver hung on, white-knuckled, with his eyes closed, praying under his breath.
When they finally came to a stop, the slaughterhouse was far behind them. None of the dead cows were in sight, and Calvin doubted that the necromancer had tried to follow.
“You’re insane!” the hired driver shouted, practically jumping from the drover’s seat. “Take the rig and team back yourself. I quit.” He ran off down the street.
Arabella and Owen climbed out. They sat in the middle of the street, but for the moment, neither traffic nor pedestrians posed a concern.
“I’ll calm the horses.” Arabella walked toward the panting team as she murmured a spell under her breath.
Owen remained silent, but his face was upturned, eyes closed, and Calvin guessed that his partner scanned the night around them for magic and malevolent ghosts.
“We’re clear,” Owen said when he finally looked at Calvin. “I’m not picking up on anything except some local spirits who aren’t particularly interested in us.”
Arabella stood next to the horses, lightly stroking the neck of the one closest to her. “They’re better now. And they know the way back to the stable. I put a light compulsion on them to go there when you’re done with them.”
“Thank you both,” Calvin said. “This is going to be hard to explain once we get there.”
Owen shrugged. “We tell them that we were chased by miscreants, and the driver ran away. I imagine they’ll be glad to get the horses and rig back safely. They’ll just have to get a new person to take us back to the train station.”
“Miscreant cows?” Calvin echoed, unable to avoid chuckling despite the situation.
“Clearly from the wrong side of the tracks.” Owen kept a straight face as the others laughed, releasing the tension from their near miss.
“First, let’s get you home.” Calvin turned to Arabella and gestured her to the carriage. “How are you holding up?”
She gave them a smile that was both sad and strong. “I’ll be fine. I’m made of stern stuff. How about both of you?”
“Getting chased by dead cows is a first, but we’re okay,” Owen replied, grateful they were all safe. “Do you need security at your house or a bodyguard?”
“Once I’m inside the wardings, I’ve got powerful magic and a revolver. No need to worry,” she replied confidently.
When they arrived outside Arabella’s house, Calvin repeated the offer, and she turned them down again. “Believe me, the wardings are as deadly as any marksman,” she told them. “I’ll be safe. You’re the ones who need to watch your backs.”
“Thank you for everything,” Owen said. “Be careful. The stakes are big enough that people are likely to play rough if they think someone is trying to shut them down.”
She gave a crafty smile. “Let them try.”
They waited to make sure she got inside safely, then let the horses take them to their stable. Calvin spun a tale of a close call with a robber and a cowardly driver. When the stable master realized that the only recompense they wanted was for someone to drive them home, he agreed immediately and called for a new coachman and fresh horses.
“What did you make of that?” Calvin asked as they headed back to the train station.
“I think we’re narrowing in on the how. What we need now is the who,” Owen replied. “And I’d like a better idea of whether Humphries has magic himself and how powerful his witch is before we go in guns blazing.”
“Agreed. This was going to be dangerous enough when we were just going after a mad scientist,” Calvin said. “The witchy part ups the stakes.”
They kept a lookout for anyone following them, but neither man spotted anything suspicious. Owen generously tipped the driver, and they headed into the Pullman car, where Winston greeted them with a letter in hand and a worried expression.
“I expected you earlier. Did you encounter difficulty?” Winston visually searched them for injuries.
“We’re safe, but we had an unplanned adventure,” Calvin replied. “We promise to tell you all about it. What’s that?” He nodded toward the letter.
“This just arrived by messenger. It’s addressed to Owen.”
