“I’m hearing talk, and you should know.”
“What kind of talk?”
Boom looped his horse’s reins on the hitching post. “That Pedro’s dead…and you did it.”
Jake inhaled but it was more like a hiss. “Why are they sayin’ that?”
Boom stilled. “So it’s true? Pedro’s dead?”
Although not entirely certain he should trust the burly Russian, Jake decided he didn’t have much of a choice. “I did find his body, but it disappeared when I went back to retrieve it the next day.” He could feel the man’s shock and his wariness. “Boom, I didn’t kill him. If I had to guess, James Winston was behind it, even if he wasn’t the one to pull the trigger. Nine Toes is inside.” Jake nodded toward the cabin behind him. “He was with Pedro and got himself shot in the process. He can vouch for me.” At least he hoped. The wounded prospector had yet to awaken this morning.
Boom adjusted his hat and nodded. “I believe you. It’s just that things have been gettin’ a damn sight hairy back in these mountains. Lots of rumors flying about. For some reason, the deputy marshal was gonna head back here to investigate, but Lannigan stopped him.”
Although Jake was glad for it, he knew Lannigan wouldn’t try to protect The Jackal. “Why?”
Boom shrugged. “Maybe he doesn’t want a lot of nosy lawmen back here poking around.”
Boom had likely hit the nail on the head. If Jake was a gambling man—and despite his propensity to live a carefree life, he really wasn’t—he’d bet money that Lannigan was somehow mixed up in all of this.
“So there’s something else,” Boom added. “That mysterious prospector—Charlie—apparently has let it be known he’s out to kill you.”
Jake raised an eyebrow. “Vengeance for Pedro?”
“Seems to be. That surly Mexican had more love than we thought.”
“Where is this Charlie?”
“Maybe the next valley over. He’s slippery as the devil, and I haven’t been able to get a good lead on him.”
Molly came around the cabin, Robert limping beside her.
When Boom saw Robert, he lifted him in a boisterous hug. “I was worried about you, Robbie. It’s good to see you.”
Robert laughed as the big Russian released him. “Same here, Boom.”
“Why are you limping?”
“It’s nothing. Really.”
Boom noticed Molly and tipped his hat. “It’s always a pleasure, Miss Simms.”
A warm smile enveloped Molly’s face. “It’s good to see you too, Boris.”
Jake noticed the slight blush that crept upon Boom’s face. He couldn’t in good conscience let the man suffer.
“Boom,” Jake cut in, “I ought to let you know that Miss Simms and I are engaged.”
Surprise registered, then Boom’s face split into a grin. “That’s a huge relief.” He looked at Molly. “I plum forgot that I wanted to court you, and I’ve recently got myself a real nice gal. She’s a laundress at the Orleans Club. I’m glad you didn’t wait around for me. Jake’s a handsome enough fella. I hope you’ll be very happy together.”
The surprise on Molly’s face was hard to miss as Boom’s lengthy reply tumbled out, but she recovered quickly. “Perhaps it wasn’t meant to be, Boris. I hope you and your lady will be very happy together.”
Robert turned to Jake. “You mean I could’ve had Boom as my brother-in-law instead of you?”
“Watch your tone, Simms,” Jake said. “As it stands now, I’m about to become related to a Lannigan because of you.”
Boom frowned as he looked back and forth between the two. “I don’t understand.”
“Robert and Bridget are also engaged,” Molly explained.
“Well, I suppose that’s not a surprise,” Boom huffed. “They’ve certainly made no secret of their affections, but I don’t think James Winston is gonna be too happy.”
“Why do you say that?” Bridget asked, stepping onto the porch, Pearl and Ivan following behind her.
Boom addressed Bridget. “My lady gal said that Winston gave your pappy an ultimatum. You’d be his wife, or else he’d walk.”
“Walk?” Bridget asked, clearly confused.
“He’s gonna quit working for your father,” Robert said.
Bridget frowned. “Why would that matter?”
“Because Winston has something that Lannigan wants,” Jake murmured.
Robert pinned a hard gaze on Jake. “You think he found the Bluebird?”
“It’s possible,” Jake hedged. He had already found it. Maybe. So Winston had to be bluffing.
Molly watched him but said nothing about the claims he’d recently staked.
“I’m going to the Chigger Lode,” Robert stated.
Bridget glared at him. “You can’t go anywhere with your injured leg.”
“I’m fine.”
Ivan moved from the porch. “What’s this Chigger you’re talking about?”
Jake exchanged a glance with Robert. The cat was out of the bag. There was no going back now.
Robert sighed. “I found it a few weeks back. I think it might be the Bluebird.”
Boom whistled while Ivan chuckled.
Nine Toes suddenly appeared at the front door, obviously having heard the conversation. He leaned heavily against the door frame. “I want in, too.”
Shit. Robert had just revealed what could potentially be the richest claim Creede had ever known, but could they have any more fingers in the honey pot?
“It’s about time you woke up,” Jake said to Nine Toes. “Why were there two bags of ore samples in that tunnel you were hiding in?”
Nine Toes shifted from foot to foot, his brow furrowed with unease. “I didn’t know about that.”
“Quit lying.”
“Fine. Pedro left them there for Charlie. I went to the tunnel to hide after those men started shooting at Pedro, and I…and I thought to take the samples to town.”
“Where did Pedro get them?”
An earnest expression crossed Nine Toe’s face. “I honestly don’t know.”
“Then why were you gonna get them assayed?” Ivan asked. “If there was anything of value, you still wouldn’t know where the claim was.”
“Yeah, but I could’ve held the knowledge over Charlie’s head.”
“Do you have any idea where this Charlie is?” Jake asked.
Nine Toes’ shoulders sagged. “I can’t say I do.”
Jake wasn’t so sure about that but decided to let it drop. He looked at Molly. “You and Bridget need to get back to town.”
“Why?” she demanded.
“Because it’s not safe out here.”
“Jake is right,” Robert said. “We’ll return in a few days.”
Before Molly could argue, he pulled her aside and said quietly into her ear, “I need you to get to the mining district recorder and file two claims for me.” He produced a piece of paper he’d kept tucked inside his shirt and slipped it to her. “This contains a map of the claims along with a geographic description of each. It’s enough for the filing.”
While he knew it was inevitable that prospectors would flood the Chigger valley once word got out, he hadn’t expected that day to be today. Still, there’d be plenty to go around, and he may as well share it with men who deserved it—except Nine Toes. He’d attacked Pearl, and Jake suspected he may have even killed Pedro. But Jake would let him think he was included, for now. The prospector’s ragged appearance showed him to still be weak from his injury, and Jake preferred the enemy you could see opposed to the one you couldn’t.
Jake just had to hope that he’d staked the Bluebird lode in the right spots. Wouldn’t it be ironic if Nine Toes ended up with the apex to the whole damn thing? If the man was in cahoots with Winston, that would stink even more. Jake needed to make sure that didn’t happen.
Molly raised her chin to look Jake in the eye. “So you’re trusting me with your claims?”
“Did you think I wouldn’t?”
/> “I won’t lie. It crossed my mind.”
Jake shifted his stance to shield her from everyone’s view. “I can’t tell you who’s name to file the claim under. I’ll leave that up to you.” But he hoped that she understood what was at stake.
Her eyes gleamed with anticipation.
A wide grin spread across his face. “I’d tell you I love you, but that seems premature, and I doubt you’d fall for it.”
“Love isn’t a requirement for marriage.”
“No, but I’ll have yours before this life is up.”
“You’re very confident about certain things.”
He gave a slight shake of his head. “You’re wrong. It’s not confidence. I recognize magic when I see it.”
A laugh escaped her. That’s when he knew she was the one. He’d suspected before, perhaps wished a tad more than was reasonable. But now he knew.
He wanted like hell to kiss her, but they had too large of an audience. He settled with leaning closer. “I’m calling the first claim the Molly Rose.”
She held her ground. “And the second?”
“I think you know.”
Her expression became serious. “You’d better be careful out there.”
“Or what?”
“Or I’ll be one very rich woman.”
Chapter Twenty
Molly guided Cinnamon into Upper Creede as Bridget brought her mount abreast, the town cast in shadow in the late afternoon. Pearl had opted to remain at her cabin.
“Will you return home?” Molly asked.
Bridget paused before answering. “I don’t know.” Worry lines took root on her forehead beneath the brim of her hat.
Without warning, a train of over fifty burros overtook them, all laden with heavy sacks of ore, and Molly and Bridget barely got their horses out of the way as the mass of animals headed straight for the train depot, several men on horseback keeping pace and hollering.
Molly considered how much work went in to extracting silver from the veins in the surrounding mountains. She needed to file two claims for Jake. With the day winding down, she had little time to waste before the claims office closed. Added to that, she didn’t know where the office was located in the first place.
Taking a deep breath, Molly made a decision. “Bridget, I need your help with something.”
* * *
Riding hard, Jake and the others made it to the same spot where he’d camped with Molly days before at the base of the steep entrance to the valley that protected the Chigger Lode. He noticed quickly that the journey had taken a toll on Robert and Nine Toes, both men still recovering from their injuries.
“We’ll make camp here,” Jake said.
“Are we close?” Boom asked.
Jake nodded but offered nothing more, and thankfully, Robert kept the location of the vein to himself. No reason to have any of them sneaking off before the others could get there as well.
With darkness soon to be upon them, they made camp, but Jake’s whole body prickled with awareness. They were being watched. He pulled his rifle from the scabbard and stepped away from the fire to better scan the tree line beyond. Ivan and Boom joined him, weapons drawn.
Jake nodded at both men then quietly slipped away, blending into the terrain. The camp and animals were a beacon to whoever was out there. No reason to be a sitting duck.
He paused and listened, something he’d learned in Morocco. Quieting the mind, as well as the body, he’d honed the ability to access another sense beyond the five used every day.
When the figure rounded on him, he had the rifle at the ready so fast the man jumped back.
“Don’t shoot, Jake.” Boom’s voice filled the darkness from beyond. “They won’t hurt us.”
Two Ute Indians stood before them.
Jake slowly lowered his rifle as Boom materialized from the darkness. Both Indians looked young, with longs braids draped down each shoulder.
“I know ’em.” Boom acknowledged the Indian standing opposite Jake with a nod. “That one’s Coho, and this one is called Antelope.”
Ivan caught up to them. “I’ve seen these boys as well.”
“You two are a little far from home, aren’t you?” Jake asked. The Southern Ute Reservation was over a hundred miles away.
“We have permission,” Antelope said and produced a piece of paper from a leather pouch. Coho did the same.
In the dark, Jake held the passes close to read them. They were written by the agent who ran the reservation.
Antelope’s said, “This Indian is all right.”
Coho’s said, “This is a damned son of a bitch. Look out for him.”
Jake considered Coho, who offered a wide grin, then returned the papers to the men.
“We’re hunting deer,” Antelope said.
“How’s it been?” Jake asked.
“Good enough. We’re almost ready to return home. We’ve been smoking the meat on the other side of that rise.”
“You boys best come with us,” Ivan said. “There’s been shenanigans back here, and we’d like to pick your brain.”
The Utes stared back, clearly perplexed.
“I’ve got whiskey,” Boom cut in. “Come on back to our campfire and sit for a bit.”
Clarity registered on their faces, and they agreed with a smile. They retrieved their horses and trailed Jake and the others.
When Nine Toes saw them approach from where he sat by the fire, he sputtered, “What the hell?”
Robert glanced up from his reclined position where he rested his leg.
“Why are they here?” Nine Toes demanded.
Antelope and Coho stopped abruptly, disgust registering on their faces.
“What did you do, Nine Toes?” Ivan asked.
“I don’t get along with these two.” The injured prospector set his jaw in a rigid line. “They set about haunting me.”
Jake glanced back at the two Utes, both sporting youthful faces. “Yep, they sure are scary lookin’.”
“That one,” Antelope narrowed his gaze upon Nine Toes, “is a dishonorable man.”
Jake didn’t doubt it.
“He stole meat from us,” Antelope continued, “and sold it to other prospectors.”
Boom loomed over Nine Toes. “What’s wrong with you?”
“Nobody can prove I did that,” Nine Toes said in defense.
“So it’s true?” Jake asked.
“I’m not sharing a fire with them,” the old prospector groused.
“Then you best scoot away into the dark,” Jake replied. “They’ll be staying for now.”
Nine Toes looked away, nursing a pout, and hugged himself as if the gesture made him smaller.
“I’ll put your ponies with the others,” Jake offered and took the reins from the Ute men, who still appeared annoyed by Nine Toes’ presence.
Jake led the animals to a patch of grass where the other horses were hobbled. As Jake picketed the ponies, he noticed markings on one of the saddles, etched just below the horn. He squinted in the dark and leaned closer to read the word on the well-used and worn leather—BLUEBIRD.
As he returned to the group now sharing Boom’s bottle of whiskey, he asked, “Why is ‘bluebird’ written on one of the saddles?”
Ivan and Boom became quiet while Nine Toes stopped mid-swig with the bottle of liquor in his hand. All of them, along with Robert, stared at Jake.
Coho and Antelope, sitting side-by-side, glanced at the group crowding the campfire. The flames crackled, illuminating the dark sheen of their hair and smooth facial features.
“There is a legend among our people,” Coho replied, his demeanor subdued.
Although Jake had heard bits and pieces from others, he’d never heard it from a Ute. “Will you tell us?”
Jake sat opposite the two Indians, settling between Robert and Nine Toes. He took the whiskey from the prospector, wiped the mouth of the bottle on his shirt then took a swallow. Damn, it was strong. Jake looked at Boom as he suppressed the u
rge to cough. Since when did the burly Russian get the good stuff and share it to boot?
Coho nodded. “Back when we freely roamed the mountains, a band camped in a valley surrounded by high granite walls. They sought protection from a group of Apache. To their surprise, they found a small encampment already present, but they did not believe it was their enemy the Apache. There were supplies and a horse and a mule but no sign of the man or men it belonged to.
“For three days, the warriors in the band kept watch for these others, but they never came. Then a man tumbled from a high ledge above, and it was he who owned the horse and the mule. He had been frightened of the Ute men and afraid they would kill him, so he had stayed hidden. But then he fell, and they discovered him. The man offered all of his supplies in exchange for his life. The Ute warriors were ready to kill him, but they decided not to.
“They let him keep the mule, but the rest they took, and they sent him away. That saddle was his. They called him Bluebird because of it. He said that it was the name of his horse.”
“Do you know where this was?” Robert asked.
“There is one who still lives on the reservation who remembers. He is the one who gave me the saddle. There are not many valleys with high walls on every side, so it should not be hard to find.”
They happened to be camped right beside one. Jake’s pulse kicked up a notch. This tale only further confirmed that he’d found the mythical Bluebird lode. But one thing nagged him. “Were there women and children in the Ute band?”
“Yes, I believe so,” Coho answered.
“If the valley was so inaccessible, how did they gain entry?”
“There was a hidden path, or so the elder told me.”
Interesting. Such a pathway could prove useful in extracting the ore. Jake handed the whiskey to Robert, and from the speculation in his friend’s eyes, knew he was thinking the same thing.
“Have you come across anyone transporting a dead body?” Jake asked.
Antelope nodded. “Yesterday. They said he died suddenly, and they were taking him back to town.”
“Did you know the dead man?”
Coho shook his head. “He was covered. We could not see him.”
The Bluebird Page 19
