by Bobbi Smith
A cry of alarm was already sounding in the streets, and people were running for the sheriff. Two more robbers had been standing guard outside, and they charged inside, shouting at their partner to hurry.
The teller was still stuffing money in the bag when the robber impatiently snatched it away from him. He ran for the door with Luke chasing him. Luke would have fired at the men and taken some of them down, but there were too many people around. He didn't have a clear shot.
The three robbers emerged from the bank, guns drawn and ready for trouble. The one with the money vaulted onto his horse and galloped away, leaving the other two to follow.
The sheriff appeared out of nowhere with two deputies, their guns blazing. When one robber was wounded, the two gang members backed toward the bank, seeking protection inside as the sheriff closed in. Another deputy had forced his way into the back entrance of the bank. He'd seen Harris lying wounded and bleeding on the floor and was coming up behind Luke, gun drawn, ready to kill.
"Drop your gun, Majors!" the deputy ordered.
Luke was shocked. He'd been concentrating on getting the second outlaw, who was retreating toward them, as the sheriff closed in on him from the front.
"There's the man you want, Deputy." Luke tried to explain as he turned slowly toward the lawman. "I was only trying to help."
The deputy's gun was pointed unerringly at the center of Luke's chest. "Save your lies, Majors. We know all about you. We've been watching you for weeks now, expecting you to pull something like this."
"You're wrong. I was only here trying to get a loan...."
"Shut up and put your gun down. Now!"
"Jonathan's been shot!" the teller shouted as he rushed over to where Harris was lying on the floor beside his desk. "Majors was the one who did it! He's one of them!"
Luke couldn't believe what was happening. He had never considered robbing a bank, even in his wildest days. He had only drawn his gun to help, and now they were accusing him of being a part of the gang.
"Deputy, I didn't shoot Harris. I can explain," Luke said, trying again to reason with the lawman as he lowered his gun.
"Shut up! You're going to jail for a real long time, if they don't hang you first. Now drop that gun real easy like and step away from it!"
Luke did as he was told, hoping to get a chance to tell someone who would listen what had really happened.
The two robbers, realizing they were trapped between the sheriff in the street and the deputy behind them in the bank, laid down their own guns and put their hands up.
As the deputy forced Luke to move outside, Sheriff Sam Gregory smiled thinly. "Well, well, well, if it isn't Luke Majors. We've been aching to get our hands on you. Looks like keeping an eye on you was a smart thing to do. Thought you could just come in here and steal from us, did you?"
"Sheriff, Jonathan Harris has been shot," the deputy advised him.
"Is he dead?"
"No, he's still breathing."
"Then somebody send for the doc, quick, and let me know how he is right away." He turned back toward the prisoners. "Now, you three, keep your hands up. Let's go. I got a nice jail cell just waiting for you."
Luke attempted to tell him what had happened in the bank. "Sheriff, I was trying to explain to your deputy that I only drew my gun because I was trying to-"
"Tell it to the judge and jury, Majors. Right now you're going to jail."
"But, Sheriff, I was only there to get a loan!" Luke was furious.
The sheriff found humor in his statement. "So were these other two, Majors. We'll have the trial just as soon as we can put it together, and you can explain all you want to then. For now, you're all under arrest for bank robbery!"
"Dear God! What happened?" a beautiful woman cried out to the sheriff as she came running down the street, her face white with terror.
"Elizabeth..." The sheriff looked worried.
"I thought I heard gunfire, Sam. What happened? Where's my Jonathan? Is everyone all right?"
"Jonathan's inside. They've already sent for the doctor," he told her.
"Oh my God!" Elizabeth Harris ran inside the bank, not waiting to hear more.
Luke was filled with rage as he was marched off to jail. He had come to town only to take out a loan! Not to rob the damned bank! Now no one would listen to him. They had him all but convicted, not only of bank robbing, but shooting the bank officer as well. He only hoped that when Harris recovered, he would tell them all the truth. Until then he was going to be forced to bide his time-under arrest and in jail for a crime he didn't commit.
When the deputy had locked them up and gone, and they were alone, the two outlaws stared at Luke with open interest.
"So, you're the famous Luke Majors," the outlaw named Carson said matter-of-facty. "I heard a lot about you."
Luke shot him a look of disgust.
"So you were at the bank trying to get a loan, eh?" Jones, the robber who'd been wounded, said, grinning wickedly at Luke's folly.
"Hell, you shoulda taken out a loan our way. If you had, we'd be far away from here right now countin' our money, instead of sitting here." Carson's expression was ugly. If Majors hadn't been in the bank, they would have been out of there free and clear.
"I may be many things, but I am not a thief."
Carson shrugged indifferently at the news. "It don't matter that you weren't with us to start. All that matters is that they thought you were."
Luke hated what Carson was saying because he knew it was true. He'd seen the banker's reaction to him. And the people around town had shunned him once they'd learned about his reputation. With little money and only Jessy to vouch for him, things did not look good. Silently, Luke wondered what perverse twist of fate had led him to this end. Somehow he had to get word to Jessy to wire Jack in Waco. Jack was probably the only one who could get him out of this one.
Jack was in Waco the day after the robbery when his captain, Steve Laughlin, called him in for a meeting.
"I've just gotten word from Del Fuego that three members of the El Diablo gang were caught during a bank robbery there. The banker was shot and almost killed. The sheriff's worried about possible trouble, and he wants extra help. I'm sending you down to give him a hand."
"The El Diablo gang." Jack was surprised that any of the gang had been arrested. "They're fast and mean and deadly. Something must have gone wrong for them to have been caught. I wonder what happened?"
"You can find that out when you get there. I want you to give the sheriff whatever help he needs, but I also want you to see what you can find out about El Diablo himself. See what these men have to say; see what you can get out of them. The gang's been terrorizing that area for some time, and I have orders from the top to stop them by any means possible-as fast as possible. Use your discretion."
"Yes, sir."
Jack made the trip to Del Fuego in record time. He was trail-weary, dirty, and hot when he arrived, but he didn't bother to stop at the hotel. He went straight to the jail.
"What can I do for you?" Sam Gregory asked cautiously from where he was sitting behind his desk as Jack entered the office. His instincts were telling him this tall stranger was dangerous. His hand hovered near the gun he kept in his top desk drawer.
"I'm Ranger Jack Logan. Capt. Laughlin sent me."
At his words, Sam's mood immediately brightened. He quickly rose to shake hands with Jack. "Thanks for coming. It's been tense around here since we arrested the three of them, I can tell you that."
"Everything's been quiet so far?"
"So far, but you know how the El Diablo gang works. That bunch is bloodthirsty. They'd just as soon kill you as look at you. I've got extra deputies on duty, keeping watch."
"I've heard a lot about this gang, and I've seen the aftermath of their handiwork. It isn't pretty. Capt. Laughlin told me that a banker was shot. Is the man dead?"
"No. He's still hanging on, but the doctor doesn't know if he's going to recover or not. He's still unconscious."
J
ack nodded. "What about the three you arrested? Are they talking yet?"
"No. They're as closemouthed as they come, except for the one man. He's a notorious gunfighter, and we knew he was going to be trouble the minute he came to town."
Jack went suddenly quiet. "What gunfighter?"
"Majors. Surely you've heard of him-Luke Majors."
Jack's smile was tight as he stared at the sheriff, his gaze hard and cold. "I've heard of him."
"Majors keeps trying to tell us that he had nothing to do with it, but he's the one who shot Harris."
Jack couldn't believe what he was hearing. Luke involved in a bank robbery? It didn't make sense. "Majors shot Harris? Are you sure?" he asked, revealing nothing of his friendship with Luke.
"There's a witness who says he did it. It doesn't get much more sure than that."
"I see." Jack spoke tersely. "I want to talk to all three of the men, but I want to do it individually. You got a place around here I can do that?"
"Sure. There's a sleeping room in back." He nodded in the direction of a small room off the opposite side of the office.
"Thanks. I'll use it."
Sam was relieved to have him there. "Which one do you want to see first? I got Majors, one named Carson, and another one who was winged in the arm, named Jones. The doc took a look at him, and he's gonna be fine."
"Bring me Majors first." Jack disappeared into the small room that contained only a cot, one small table, and a straight-backed chair.
The sheriff hurried to get the dangerous and deadly Majors. He carried his gun at the ready. He would not be caught unprepared. If these three tried anything, he was going to shoot first and ask questions later.
"Let's go, Majors," he ordered.
Luke was stretched out on one of the bunks, his eyes closed. At the sound of the lawman's voice, he was instantly concerned. "Where are we going?"
"That's none of your damned business. Now just come on out of there, nice and easy." The sheriff stepped back a little to give him room to leave the cell. He kept the gun trained on Luke and an eye on the other two.
Luke had no more love for his companions than did the sheriff, and he kept an eye on them, too, as he passed through the cell door. He waited as the sheriff slammed and locked it behind him.
"All right, let's go." Sam gestured him on again, and Luke moved forward into the main office.
"Where to now, Sheriff?"
"Back there, in that room. There's someone there needing to talk to you. The Rangers have been sent in to bring down the El Diablo gang, and they're starting with you."
Luke did not for one minute allow himself to hope that Jack would be there. He prayed only that the Ranger might know Jack and be able to relay a message to him. Jessy had sent a wire to Jack shortly after the robbery, when he'd come into town to see Luke, but there was no telling if it had even reached Jack. Luke took a deep breath, ready to plead his case to someone who might not be as closed-minded as the townspeople. He stepped through the door and Sam shut it behind him.
"I'm Luke Majors," he said to the man standing with his back to him.
"What the hell are you doing in here?" Jack demanded in a low voice as he turned on him.
"Jack! Thank God it's you!" Luke could not believe his good fortune. "Did you get the wire I had Jessy send you?"
"No. What wire? I'm here because my captain sent me. I didn't even know you were involved until a few minutes ago. What the hell is going on? They're damn well ready to hang you around here."
"It's all a terrible misunderstanding, but no one will listen to me. Until Harris recovers enough to talk, no one's gonna believe a word I say."
"Tell me what happened. I want the truth."
Luke glared at him. "I don't lie."
Jack met his steady regard. Neither man flinched as they acknowledged that truth about each other.
"What happened, Luke?"
For the first time since the robbery, Luke knew he had someone who would believe his version of what had happened in the bank that day. He began with the unexpected news that he had owed back taxes on the Trinity and then went on to tell Jack all of what happened at the bank. "When the man drew his gun and started shooting, I drew mine. I wanted to help the bank, not rob it. Harris went down with Carson's first shot. I got off one round and was chasing them from the bank with my gun drawn. I couldn't fire because there were too many people around. I guess it must have looked to the tellers like I was running with them, instead of going after them. When the deputy came in the back door, all he knew was that I was standing there with my gun in hand, and one of the tellers was yelling that I had shot Harris."
Jack muttered a curse under his breath as he wondered how to get Luke out of this one. "So Harris is the only one who can corroborate your story."
Luke nodded. "And he hasn't regained consciousness yet. Of course, as scared as he was of me before the robbery, he just might go along with their version to get rid of me. The man was positively terrified sitting across the desk from me, not to mention the fact that he had just turned down my request for a loan."
An idea began to form in Jack's mind. "What about the other two in back? Have they said anything or done anything that might help us track down El Diablo?"
"They haven't said much. They keep telling me I ought to join up with them since the law already thinks I'm one of them." He sounded disgusted. "They're convinced that I'm going to hang right along with them, and the way things are going, I'm beginning to believe they're right."
Jack smiled. "How much do you owe in taxes?"
"Two hundred fifty dollars. Why?"
"How would you like a job? Working for me? I have orders to bring down El Diablo any way I can. You're my in. I want you to stay in the cell with them. Listen to what they have to say, act interested in joining up with them. See what you can find out about the leader, El Diablo. We know next to nothing about him personally. Anything you can find out will help. This gang is one of the most bloodthirsty riding the range. This town should be thanking you, instead of threatening you. If you hadn't been there to interrupt things, everyone in the bank probably would have been killed. These men are wild and deadly, and I want them ...I want El Diablo." Jack's eyes were ablaze with fierce emotion.
"I came to Del Fuego to get away from killing."
"All I want you to do is get as much information out of them as you can while you're locked up with them. Will you do it? I'll pay your taxes plus a hundred dollars for your time. Do we have a deal?"
Luke was trapped. "If I don't?"
"I'll still get you out of here, but you won't have the money."
Luke tried to rationalize what Jack wanted him to do. He told himself that he'd be helping the law, and the townspeople would appreciate him for it later. But he hated being in jail. He hated the loss of his freedom. He hated most of all the company of men like Carson and Jones.
"Well? Will you do it?" Jack pressed. "I need you to find out as much as you can about the location of their hideouts. They must have more than one. And find out about El Diablo himself. Who is he? If we learn that, we can shut them down. Three hundred fifty dollars, Luke."
Luke wanted to refuse, to walk out of the jail that minute and never look back. But he still wouldn't have the money. "All right. I'll do my best."
They shook hands.
"Are you going to tell the sheriff the truth?" Luke asked.
"I'll tell him everything, so he'll know what we're doing. There's talk that there might be trouble, so take care. There are extra men on guard, but you can't be too careful."
Luke nodded. "How do I get in touch with you if I learn something?"
"I'll be working with the sheriff here in town. You'll be seeing me."
Luke was returned to the cell, and the sheriff took Jones away for Jack to question.
"What's going on?" Carson asked.
"They've brought in the Rangers. That's who's talking to Jones now."
Carson frowned. "What did he want t
o know?"
"He kept questioning me about El Diablo. I told him I didn't know anything, but like everyone else, he wouldn't believe me."
The outlaw's smile was tight. "He won't get anything out of me or Jones either. We ain't fools. You don't tell what you know about El Diablo and live."
"El Diablo must be one helluva leader."
"Let's just put it this way: as long as you do what is asked of you and mind your own business, El Diablo takes care of you. You don't ever want to cross the boss, though. Two men thought they could get away with it once."
"What happened?"
"They tried to run off with some money from a robbery. We found their bodies about a week later," Carson told him. "Once you join with El Diablo, you stay."
Sam came for Carson then, bringing back Jones.
Jack questioned the second outlaw at length, too, but with no success. When they were locked up again, Jack took the sheriff into the back room with him so they could speak privately, without being interrupted or overheard. He quickly told him the truth about Luke.
"You're wrong! Everybody knows Majors was one of them!" Sam protested. "The man's a killer! There were witnesses!"
"I'm telling you, Sheriff, sometimes witnesses are wrong. I've known Luke Majors for years. He is not a bank robber. Hasn't he lived here in your community for quite a while now? He never gave you any trouble before, did he?"
"Well, no," Sam admitted grudgingly.
"I believe Luke's story about what happened, and I've convinced him to help us. That's why I didn't order you to free him right away."
"Majors is going to be working with us?" Sam was incredulous. "But the man-"
"The man is my friend. He may be a fast gun, but he is no bank robber. He came here to Del Fuego to settle down."
"We don't want his kind in our town."
Jack was growing furious, but he understood the sheriff's reluctance to believe him. "Majors's very presence at the bank saved lives. He interrupted the gang. If he hadn't been there, who knows how many might have been killed? You should be thanking the man, instead of keeping him locked up. Didn't you listen to anything he said?"
"I heard his lies."
"He wasn't lying."
