Bounty Hunter Clay Barton - A Heart in Payback

By John J. Law

Bounty Hunter Clay Barton has been shot and is dying, but is rescued by Hiram Shakleton and his daughter Annabelle.
Later Barton learns they've been kidnapped by the Broson Boys.
Now, it is Barton's turn to rescue them.

• Language: English
• Publisher: J.C. Hulsey Books
• Release date: Dec 8, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223777915

Book preview

Act 1: Clay Barton

At the Pearly Gates

My momma always wanted me to be a teacher. Or a doctor. Or a preacher. Or anything in between. I forget. All I remember was that she definitely didn't want me to pick up a gun. Ever.

Well, I did her one better. Not only did I end up picking a gun (a lot), I ended up being a bounty hunter. So a gun an' me, well let's just say we go together like a hand an' glove. If she was still with us, I don't think my momma would have approved of my choice of lifestyle. Bless her soul, I don’t think she would have approved at all. The thought that she may be turning in her grave now that I'm a bounty hunter does make me feel quite uncomfortable at times.

And speaking of uncomfortable, I was feeling much worse than uncomfortable at that moment. I was pretty much at death's door.

I had taken a pretty nasty shot to my body. I was bleeding badly, and drifting in and out of consciousness. I was slumped on my horse's back like a sack of potatoes, and I could just imagine how heavy I must have been. Poor animal, but what could I do? Lead poisoning can do that to a man. Just one of the many hazards of my work.

The poor horse kept running, even as I lay on his back. It kept running and running for Lord knows how long. I didn't have any idea at all, as I was barely alive. All I knew was that, that animal was running, and it wasn't stopping for anything. A very loyal and efficient horse indeed.

At this point, I was getting pretty delirious. I was starting to see some pretty disturbing stuff. Yeah, I was really close to meeting my demise now.

Clay? What have you gotten into this time, son?

I raised my head up, and I saw momma looking down at me from the sky. She was up there, clear as day, and she was smiling at me. It was Ma, just as I had always remembered her. She had a youthful face, whose beauty never really dimmed through the years. Her wide eyes were big and strong, but also kind. She wore the nicest dress I had ever seen her in, and she seemed to be standing in some really bright place. The light was so bright from where she was, but I could still see her real clear. 

Ma was so beautiful and radiant up there, but I could see that my current condition concerned her very much. She sounded more disappointed than worried. It was the same tone of voice she had when I came home smelly and dirty after playing in the mud. 

Ma? You're there?

"Of course, I'm up here at them pearly gates! Where else would I be? You didn't expect to see me