J is for Jack

My theme for A- Z is the year my book takes place, 1881. I'll be posting about people, places, and random facts about the year as it relates - however distantly - to my book, West of Paradise.

Jack McCabe is our hero although admittedly he doesn't act like it at first, as illustrated in this excerpt where he has mistaken Katherine for Alanna...

     “Sorry, sweetheart,” Jack said with a nasty grin, “But you are a wanted woman. You might have thought you’d gotten away but you left me alive and I gave a pretty good description of you as you can see.”

     “But...but this isn’t me,” Katherine whispered.

     “Yeah, right.” He snatched the poster out of her hands and stuffed it into his pocket, “Now get dressed.”

     “No, please,” Katherine said, her tone turning desperate, “You’ve got to believe me. There’s been a mistake. I swear this is not me. I never killed anyone and I certainly never robbed a bank or a train or anything else. See? It says Alanna McLeod. My name is Katherine.”

     “You think calling yourself by a different name changes who you are?” He shook his head with a snort of laughter, “Get dressed.”

     “I will not!”

     Jack raised the gun, and Katherine flinched automatically.

     “Either get dressed or say your prayers. Unless of course you want to travel in your nightdress. In which case I can’t vouch for your safety. After all, you never know who we might meet along the way.”

     “Please,” Katherine said, her voice becoming a low, frightened whisper.

     “Get dressed,” Jack repeated, his eyes as cold as winter.

***