‘The governor has too much on his plate to worry about the complaints of a few prisoners or contract workers. We need to maintain our profits. It cost a lot of money to keep enough guards and enforcers to do the job.’
‘You’re still doing pretty good,’ Parker said. ‘Another year or two and you’ll have enough to retire in high style.’
Gaskell snorted. ‘A man can never have too much money. By the time the ore runs out, I expect to have enough put away to never work again. I will hire a housekeeper and cook for the mansion I’ll have built, a groom to tend to my horses, and a half-dozen women who will serve the rest of my needs.’
‘I’m ten years older than you, Ward,’ Parker said. ‘I’d be happy to have enough money to hire a live-in housekeeper or even marry a dutiful wife. When you sell out and I get my ten-percent, I won’t have to look very far for a willing woman.’
‘It’s late. Put those two new arrivals off until tomorrow. Make an excuse that I’m tied up with work, but will see them at two in the afternoon.’
‘Whatever you say, Ward.’
‘In the meantime, let Decker have a look-see at the quick-gun stranger. I don’t intend to give up those two kids. They are both good workers and we have a valid contract for their service.’
‘I’ll pass the word to Decker and inform Mackavoy and the gunman about the appointment tomorrow. They are over with Drummer now, so he will probably find out a few other details and report to you.’
Gaskell gave a nod of approval. Then, as Parker left the office, he rotated about to the large window in the second story room. Within his view was the compound, the main street, and he could even see the constant rise of dust up the mountainside from the mine opening. He enjoyed the idea of being lord and master over his own private world. This was his empire and he controlled all of those within his personal domain. Paradise was like no other business in the country, housing over one hundred workers and running like an ordinary township.
‘I have worked too hard,’ he vowed aloud, ‘to allow anyone to mess with my setup!’
Nessy was snuggled in her bed and Wanetta had turned in for the night. Jared had gone to visit his Uncle Temple – no doubt so he and Tish could compare notes and inform every Valeron who resided at any of the three main houses about the unexpected arrival of a nanny. Finally alone with Mikki, Cliff and his new employee sat down in the family room together.
‘Guess we were never actually introduced,’ Cliff began. ‘My name is Cliff Mason. Wanetta’s sister-in-law is Faye Valeron; she’s married to Udal, one of the three brothers who run this ranch. Faye’s maiden name was Mason; she’s my mother’s sister. I came to work for the family after I left home and kind of ended up adopting Nessy.’ He took a moment to give her the short version of how he met the orphaned waif and took her under his care. Then he asked about her situation.
‘I am also something of an orphan,’ Mikki told him. ‘My father died while working on the railroad. My mother never recovered from the loss and she passed away the following year. I didn’t have anyone, so I was taken in by a man to look after his bed-ridden mother. The woman had a lot of money, but was dying of cancer. Her son lived with her, but he was just waiting for her to die so he could get his hands on her money. He is an evil man and was a horrible son. Once the woman died, her son found a couple who needed a child-tender for their four younger children. The eldest boy was my age, but he worked with his parents – they ran a store in town. Anyway, the other three children became my responsibility for ten-to-twelve hours a day, except on Sundays. Ever since I was eleven years old, my life was tending to the house I lived in and helping raise those three children.’
‘I’m surprised that didn’t sour you on the idea of ever having kids or being around them,’ Cliff interjected.
‘Yes, well, it’s something I know how to do. My schooling was quite limited, but I was educated enough so I could teach the younger boys to read, write and do their numbers.’
Cliff gave the girl a once-over peruse. Her features were actually more attractive than she presented. Hair pulled tightly back, not allowing for bangs to decorate her forehead or the hair to flatter her features, and quite pale from mostly being indoors. The fact she hadn’t smiled once also detracted from her looks.
‘You seem quite young to be out on your own.’
‘I’m twenty.’
Cliff smiled. ‘Yes, and I’m your long lost uncle.’
The girl frowned. ‘I don’t believe you.’
He chuckled. ‘That makes us even.’
Mikki sighed and admitted, ‘I turned seventeen last winter.’
‘And I turned twenty-three last month,’ he reciprocated. Then growing serious. ‘A girl out on her own at seventeen? What does your adopted father have to say about that?’
‘As I told you, the woman died the second year I was with them, and her son never bothered to adopt me,’ she replied. ‘In fact, he mostly wanted me to do all of the cooking and look after him besides tending kids most days. My Sundays were not a day of rest: it was a day of cleaning and laundry and sometimes entertaining him and his friends too.’
‘So you ran away,’ he deduced.
The girl lowered her head shamefully. ‘The two older children I tended are capable of looking after the youngest of the family, and I wanted more out of life than being a personal slave to a man I despised. I put away a few cents each time I was given money to buy groceries. It took me almost a year to accumulate enough for a train ticket.’
‘Won’t someone be fearful you were kidnapped or something?’ Cliff asked.
‘I left the family and my slave-master notes and asked that they never look for me. I don’t think they will.’
‘Why the town of Valeron?’
‘It was as far away as I could get. The town sheriff actually had to beg a ride for me from a man who was coming here to pick up some lumber. He said you had a sawmill or something like that.’
‘Yes, cousin Troy oversees the processing of trees and keeping our lumberyard in town supplied. Some of the builders who need a large amount of wood make the trip out here and pick up what they need up at the mill. They get a discount for buying that way,’ he explained.
Mikki moistened her lips with her tongue in an apprehensive gesture. ‘Knowing my situation and my age, are you still willing to hire me?’
‘Nessy seems quite taken with you.’ He avoided a direct reply.
‘She is a very sweet little girl.’
‘I am sometimes gone for several days at a time,’ Cliff informed her. ‘I try to be home most nights, and the Valerons only do the needed chores on Sundays. I’m usually home on Sunday, so you would have that day to yourself.’
‘That’s more than acceptable to me,’ Mikki said, unable to conceal her keenness. ‘I’ve never had an actual day off before.’
‘Room and board is included, here in the main house,’ he continued. ‘As for payment, I have no idea how much a nanny earns.’
She shrugged. ‘As I said, room and board is all I ever got.’
Cliff did some figuring in his head. ‘I’m paying more to Tish and Darcy than I can afford at the moment, so what do you say to ten dollars a month?’
The girl’s eyes widened and her entire face lit up. ‘Oh, that would be wonderful! I was mostly hoping for a place to stay!’
Cliff realized he could have offered her less, but seeing her unbridled joy, he felt he had been more than fair. He went on with the expected duties.
‘My three Valeron aunts are in charge of education. Right now, they are tutoring a handful of our hired people’s children, along with cousin Martin’s oldest child and cousin Lana’s two kids. They are mostly younger than Nessy, but my daughter was an Indian hostage for a time. She had to relearn the English language. All of the kids here get along well together.’
‘I’ll see to it that she keeps up with her lessons.’
‘You couldn’t have brought much with you in that one little suitcase. Would yo
u like to make a trip into town tomorrow? You could pick up whatever you need. Working for us, the storekeepers will allow you credit until payday. Locke pays everyone on the first of the month, so that’s when I will have the money to pay you.’ He chuckled. ‘I’ve been pretty much broke since I brought Nessy home.
‘Good thing you have a house for her.’
‘I’ll get my own one day, but there’s security for her here with Locke and Wanetta. Plus, they have the extra room, what with most of their kids being married or living on their own.’
‘All but Jared?’
‘Yeah, I doubt he will ever get a place of his own. Jared lives the life of a hunter and spends a lot of his time away from home. He’s happiest out in the hills, sleeping on the ground, surrounded by the wilds of the mountains or forests.’
Mikki put a hand up to cover her mouth, as she could not prevent a yawn.
‘Yeah, me too,’ Cliff said. ‘I imagine it’s been a longer day for you than me. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask at any time. I’m still rather new at being a father, so anything to do with Nessy or your own situation, you only have to speak up.’
‘I’d like to say how blessed I feel to be given this job, Mr Mason. I confess, it was more than a little frightening to set off on my own.’
‘Call me Cliff,’ he told her. ‘And I know what you mean. I ended up here after I left home because I didn’t want to take on the world all by myself. I’ve never regretted it.’ He skewed his expression. ‘Although the Valeron boys have sometimes used me for the butt of their jokes. They are a fun-loving bunch, but you won’t find finer or more decent people anywhere.’
‘I’m sure I’ll like everyone on the ranch.’
Cliff grinned. ‘And I can promise you, every single one of them will like you right back.’
The girl rewarded him with an actual smile as she rose to her feet. It prompted him to stand as well, and he took notice that she was much more attractive when she smiled.
‘Thank you . . . . Cliff,’ she murmured a bit hesitantly. ‘Goodnight.’
‘Yeah, goodnight to you, Mikki,’ he returned. ‘I hope you’ll be very happy with us.’
Chapter Three
The people in Paradise were not at all forthcoming about life within the secluded and controlled complex. Every question received a dubious or guarded reply. No one showed any outward hostility, but it was openly apparent the employees didn’t talk about management and the contract workers or convicts kept their heads lowered and mouths shut.
‘I don’t like this,’ Mackavoy said during their noon meal. ‘How busy could Gaskell be that he couldn’t speak to us? He’s the boss over everyone. Besides, from the men we’ve encountered, he has a dozen stooges to do his beckoning. Why the delay?’
‘Probably wants time to decide what he is willing to do,’ Wyatt replied.
Mackavoy frowned. ‘What he’s willing to do?’
‘I’ve dealt with powerful men before,’ Wyatt told him. ‘One thing stands out about them: they want control of everything and everyone.’
‘Yes, but I’m willing to pay him twice what he paid to buy the indentures.’
‘Consider his view of this situation,’ Wyatt explained. ‘He has four years left on each contract. That’s eight years of free labor between them. If he is forced to replace them, how does he determine their worth? Even a youngster would cost a couple dollars a week to house, clothe and feed. Multiply that by eight years and you’re talking a lot of money.’
‘Good Lord, Wyatt! You don’t think the man will ask for a payment like that? It would be close to a thousand dollars!’
Wyatt tipped his head to the side with uncertainty. ‘Like I said, you have to look at this from his perspective. The man is bound to view this by what the loss will cost him, not what should be a fair price to recover the kid’s contracts.’
‘I never considered…’ But Clevis halted his speech. The reason for the interruption was caused by the approach of a menacing-looking man. Wyatt revolved in his chair enough to appraise the fellow.
Average in height, the swagger denoted cockiness, along with a malevolent sneer on his face. Decked out in a immaculate black suit, expensive flat-crowned, wide-brimmed hat, highly polished boots and silver spurs, he wore two cutaway holsters for twin walnut-handled Colts. He stopped at their table, confronting Wyatt purposely.
Whenever he visited a hostile town, Wyatt was always careful to eat with his left hand, usually keeping his right hand resting on his thigh. He turned slightly further in the chair to face the newcomer squarely.
‘Name’s Syrus Decker,’ the gent announced importantly. ‘I’m Gaskell’s top Enforcer.’ He bore into Wyatt with a frosty gaze. ‘Olmstead and Coop told me that you pulled a gun on them when they questioned you.’
‘Only to prevent a misunderstanding or a fight,’ Wyatt said carefully. ‘We didn’t come here to make any trouble; we came to buy back the contracts for this man’s two kids.’
Decker regarded him with a twisted grin. ‘Wyatt, ain’t it? What’s the rest of your name?’
‘Is my name all that important? Our business is with Mr Gaskell.’
Decker did not even glance at Mackavoy. ‘I asked for your whole name, honcho.’ He smirked. ‘It’s so we can put it on your marker. I offer each man that much courtesy before I put him in the ground.’
Wyatt grinned. ‘Funny, you don’t strike me as being the benevolent sort who worries all that much about civility.’
‘Six markers in one tidy little row,’ Decker bragged. ‘Each and every one with their full name . . . and the date I put them in a box.’
‘Anyone of consequence?’
He frowned. ‘Consequence? What’s that mean?’
‘I get around quite a bit,’ Wyatt told him. ‘If you have faced and defeated a renowned gunman, I would likely know his name.’
Decker shrugged indifferently. ‘I don’t much care about reputations. Them what’s dead ain’t likely to care if anyone’s heard of them or not.’
Wyatt eased his right foot forward to straighten his right leg. It allowed the gun to be withdrawn quicker. To cover the movement, he also leaned back in the chair, also making for easier access to his weapon.
‘I’m not looking for a fight, Decker,’ he again told the man. ‘However, I should give you fair warning. My name is Wyatt Valeron’ – he let the name sink in – ‘and if you draw down on me, I’ll be forced to kill you.’
Decker paused, a minute flash of recognition flickering in his eyes. He recovered his sneer immediately. ‘Wyatt Valeron – the man who took the Waco Kid a year or two back.’
‘You don’t have to prove to me that you’re a tough man with a gun,’ Wyatt told him. ‘We’re here peacefully, looking to buy back the contract of a couple children. It’s like I told you, we aren’t looking for any trouble.’
Decker mulled over his options, but knew the advantage was his. He was standing upright, feet spread wide for balance. The notion of killing a man with Wyatt’s reputation frittered through his brain and caused a tremor of excitement. It would mean his worth would increase; he could demand more money.
Wyatt read the conclusion and was ready. As Decker grabbed for his guns, Wyatt was also in motion.
Two shots rang out, spitting fire, lead and death!
Decker remained on his feet, but his victorious smirk had distorted into a mask of shock and surprise. He managed to glower downward at his guns… twin benign weapons that had barely cleared leather. Then his eyes rolled upwards and he pitched over onto his back, landing hard enough that the dust rose around him and settled lightly on his lifeless body.
Wyatt rose slowly to his feet and muttered regretfully to Mackavoy. ‘Now we’re in it.’
Locke looked up from his desk, located in one corner of the family room, as a familiar form came through the doorway to the kitchen.
‘Tish?’ he said, not hiding his curiosity. ‘I thought you went into town to see about the job you wer
e promised?’
‘It can wait,’ she said firmly, holding a note in her hand as she strode over to him smartly. ‘Skip saw me ride into town and rushed over to give this to me. His runner was out delivering some mail, but he knew you’d want to see this immediately.’
Locke didn’t question her further, but took the offered sheet of paper and quickly scanned the message. He uttered a groan at the news.
‘Well, this is new – Wyatt needing our help! The man’s been taming towns, mining camps and ending range wars for the last five years, but now he’s in trouble for trying to help some immigrant.’
‘Says they intend to hang him!’ Tish cried, unable to hold back her fear. ‘We can’t let that happen!’
Locke was already rising to his feet and reaching for his hat. ‘I’ll ride into town and have Skip send a message to the governor. Soon as I contact him, I’ll have Brett send off a wire to get some additional support.’
‘What can I do?’
‘Tish,’ he replied to her, ‘send someone to round up Jared. He is lending Troy a hand with some deliveries, so he should be at the sawmill.’
‘I’ll go myself!’ Tish volunteered, spinning about to hurry and obey his order.
‘And tell Cliff to saddle me a horse,’ Locke called to her back. ‘He’s at the barn.’
Cliff had been supervising and helping to stain the massive building. Wyoming wind and harsh weather combined to ruin untreated lumber. As such, the Valerons kept a good coat of paint or stain on all of the wooden structures.
By the time Locke changed into his riding gear and told Wanetta where he was going, Cliff had two horses ready to ride.
‘I’m going with you,’ he said, not waiting for Locke to give his approval. ‘I owe Wyatt more than I can ever repay. No way I’m going to sit this out.’
Locke didn’t argue, but climbed aboard his favorite riding horse. Once they were pounding leather out of the yard, he cocked his head to speak to him.
Valerons--Beyond the Law! Page 3
