by JR Roberts
Sure enough, Hall was good enough at his job to have gotten behind Clint to follow him this far. He seemed more than a little surprised when Clint said, “You don’t seem to pay much attention when I talk to you, Jarred. I believe I mentioned something about not following me.”
Chapter Eleven
Hall froze in his tracks. He’d been surprised by Clint’s sudden move and his hand had reflexively gone for the Remington pistol kept in the cross-draw holster slung between his hip and belly. He was able to set aside some of his pride as well by conceding what a bad idea it would have been to clear leather. It seemed he knew his prey well enough to be certain he couldn’t win in a straight contest of speed with a shooting iron.
“All right,” Hall said calmly. “Now what?”
“Now,” Clint replied, “you tell me what the hell you’re doing.”
“I’m hoping like hell you don’t have business with Andy Bennelli.”
“What if I do?”
“Then we’ve got ourselves a problem,” Hall said evenly. “But I don’t think that’s the case. Not this time, anyway.”
“Why are you here, Jarred? I know you’re not hunting me.”
“Yeah?”
“That’s right,” Clint said as he moved his hand well away from the gun at his side. “If you were, you wouldn’t have been so surprised to see me back in that cathouse. Besides, I don’t have a price on my head.”
Jarred moved his hand away from his gun also. The smile that drifted onto his face was genuine enough when he said, “And I shouldn’t have been surprised in the slightest to find Clint Adams in the midst of so many ladies.”
“I don’t pay for a woman’s company,” Clint reminded him.
“And I’m also sure you just left all those beautiful little doves alone so you could conduct yourself like a gentleman.”
“I wouldn’t go that far. How about you buy me a drink? I believe you owe me a few from the last time we met.”
The grin that crept onto Hall’s face twisted the scars on his skin into a mess of different shapes. “You talking about Carson City? That was just a whole lot of fuss over nothing, as I recall.”
“You fired a few shots at me,” Clint said.
“It was a misunderstanding! Kind of like what we have here.”
“Which is why you owe me the drinks.”
“Then you’re remembering wrong, Adams. I believe you owe me a whole bottle but I’ll settle for a drink of whiskey.”
“Fair enough. I know just the place.”
Chapter Twelve
The place Clint chose was a saloon that had caught his eye when he’d first ridden through town. It was located on the periphery of a busier district, affording a good view of that part of town without being enveloped by it. If there was any trouble on its way, he would most likely see it from there before it got to him. Also, there was a stack of empty beer kegs outside the saloon’s front door. Any place that sold that much beer couldn’t be all bad.
As soon as they’d found a place to sit and had some drinks in front of them, both men were in better spirits. “So,” Clint said, “what brings you to this lovely town?”
“There’s been several groups of horse thieves causing a stir through the entire state. I don’t have to tell you how well that goes over in Texas.”
“I think most Texans would rather lose a blood relative than a good horse.”
Raising his glass, Hall said, “There’s always more family. Good horses are damn rare.”
Clint couldn’t help but laugh at that. “Spoken like a man from a big family.”
“Too big. Some of the ranchers, oil barons and other assorted rich folk around here must have had some of their stock thinned out because they pooled some resources and put a collective reward out for horse thieves.”
“Collective?”
Hall grinned like a preacher discussing his favorite hymn. “Open season on all horse thieves. They’re not picky about any in particular and they’ll pay top dollar for any that are brought in. These men are serious, Clint. They want a clean sweep through all of Texas and they’re not picky about who comes to collect.”
“Sounds like things could get awfully sticky.”
“Only if you’ve stolen a horse. So far, the contracts have all been paid and there has been plenty of thieves to go around. Once the selection starts to thin out, there’s bound to be some disputes but I plan on moving on before that happens.”
Clint nodded. “One thing I can vouch for is the abundance of horse thieves around here.”
After thinking about that for a moment, Hall drew in a sharp breath. “Not that Darley Arabian!”
Clint nodded again.
“That explains why you’re wound so tight,” Hall said. “When did he go missing?”
“A day ago. I was jumped while I was sleeping out on the trail. Three of them tried to get the jump on me but didn’t get close enough to do any damage. I brought them down and that’s when I saw Eclipse was already gone. Sneaky bastard came in and took him right out from under my nose.”
Now it was Hall’s turn to nod.
“Why are you looking so smug?” Clint asked.
“Because this sounds familiar.”
“You’ve heard of other horses getting stolen this way?”
“Most definitely,” the bounty hunter replied. “There’s a small group of men that have been pulling that trick. Sending in a few decoys while the main man slithers in and out with the prize.”
“If these men were decoys, they were pretty damn committed to their boss.”
“That’s the thing. They don’t know they’re decoys.” Leaning forward, Hall propped his elbows on the table and lowered his voice a bit. “There’s been a call for more than just bounty hunters lately. Someone’s been hiring outlaws and turning them loose to raise hell. And not just in Texas either but in Arizona and Utah as well.”
“Why?”
Hall shrugged. “I don’t give a damn. When some rich man decides to put a price on that information, then I’ll look into why. Until then, I’ll keep doing what I do best and stashing my money away. So as far as your problem is concerned, I take it you tracked your horse here?”
“Yeah,” Clint said. “I’ve heard he’s supposed to be sold to some outlaw piece of trash named Andy Bennelli.”
“That’s no surprise. Bennelli buys and sells plenty of stolen animals in these parts. If he doesn’t make the deal, he probably arranged it. Where’d you come by that information?”
“From one of the men who raided my camp. One of the decoys you mentioned.”
“And you got him to talk?” Hall mused. “Good work. Did he tell you much before you killed him?”
“I didn’t kill him.”
“Then you handed him over to the law.” Shaking his head, the bounty hunter added, “Probably didn’t even ask about a reward, either. Bloody amateurs running around ruining things for us professionals.”
Since Hall was obviously trying to get under Clint’s skin by calling him an amateur, Clint didn’t react to the slight. Instead, he took some pleasure in saying, “He’s still with me. Now that I know about the reward straight from a professional of your caliber, maybe I will turn him in. Thanks for parting with that information, by the way.”
Hall glanced to his left and right. “I don’t see anyone with you. Didn’t see anyone with you back at the cathouse, either.”
“He’s been wrapped up good and tight ever since I found him at my camp. I brought him along in case there were any other questions I needed answered.”
“Clint Adams taking prisoners?”
“He’s tied to a chair in my hotel room,” Clint chuckled. “Not exactly what I’d call a prisoner.”
“Did he happen to tell you who managed to steal your horse?”
“He did.”
Hall chuckled and took another drink. “Cagey as always, Adams. What’s the matter? You don’t trust me?”
“Occupational hazard.”
“What occupation are you in these days?”
“My occupation doesn’t hold the hazard of being seen as untrustworthy,” Clint said. “Yours does.”
“That’s some mighty righteous talk coming from a man like you,” Hall said.
“And just what the hell does that mean?”
“It means when I wanted to track you down, all I had to do was listen for the sound of a woman’s grunting and groaning. And even when I’m not looking for you, there you are … dipping your wick like always.”
Clint drank his beer and replied, “Don’t be jealous just because some men can get the job done where a lady is concerned. What the hell were you doing in that cathouse anyway? Since you’re obviously so pious, I would’ve thought you wouldn’t want to go anywhere near those wicked women.”
“I was told that one of the men high up on that collective list I mentioned would be in this vicinity.”
“And?”
“He wasn’t.”
Clint’s mug was empty, so he swirled some of the remaining suds at the bottom. “You think he spotted you?”
“I doubt it.”
“All right then,” Clint said. “I’ll stop being cagey. Victor Howlett.”
Hall furrowed his brow. “What’s that name mean to you?”
“That’s the man who stole Eclipse. That’s the man I’ve been tracking and something tells me you’ve got a connection to him as well.”
“You could always read a man like a book. If I recall, that made you a real devil at the poker table.”
“Devil enough to clean you out,” Clint said.
“Fair enough. So did you happen to find Howlett?”
“Why do you ask? Looking to snag him for yourself?”
“Would it matter if I was?” Hall asked. “After all, you’re interested more in justice than any sort of reward. Am I right?”
“Funny how when you say the word justice, it rings as true as an atheist quoting the Bible.”
Rather than debate on just how close to the mark Clint’s barbed comments might have hit, Hall said, “My point is that if I was looking to get him for myself, we both know I could find him no matter who else was looking or trying to protect him. If I wasn’t before, then I sure as hell am now. You may not be a bounty hunter but you’ve got to have a notion of how much someone would be willing to pay to catch a thief good enough to get one over on someone like you.”
“Enough with the flattery,” Clint groaned. “It doesn’t suit you. Why don’t we just strike a bargain? Since we’re both after the same people, let’s work together. I get Eclipse and you get to take these fools off my hands when we’re through.”
“Halfway partners! Reminds me of Carson City.”
“Christ almighty, let’s hope not.”
Chapter Thirteen
Clint strode into the stable, feeling every second of the last twenty-four hours weighing on his back. He’d had worse days, but it had almost been that long since he’d gotten a chance to get more than a few winks of sleep. Once he reminded himself of what he was after, he woke up quicker than if a bucket of cold water had been thrown into his face.
“You find my watch?” the stableman asked.
Reaching into his pocket, Clint removed the timepiece he’d acquired from Liza and held it in front of him. “It’s right here. What’s the matter, Harry? You look surprised to see me again.”
“It’s just … uhh … give it here!”
Clint pulled the watch away half a second before it was snatched from him. “Not so fast. We had a deal, remember? Tell me where to find Andy Bennelli.”
“Give me the watch first.”
“Fine.” Clint handed it to the stableman. “Now, where do I find Bennelli?”
“Up yer ass!” Harry replied through a leering smile.
A few seconds ticked by. In those moments, the only sounds within the stable were the rustling of hooves and Harry’s excited breathing. After a few more seconds passed, that breathing became a little less anxious.
Just then, a side door was knocked open by a short, dirty-faced man who’d used his forehead as a battering ram. Hall was behind him holding his Remington to the back of the smaller man’s head. Using the barrel of his pistol to move the other man along, Hall said, “I think that was supposed to be this one’s cue.”
“You didn’t look too good before, Harry,” Clint said. “Now it seems like you might get sick.”
“No,” Harry sputtered. “I don’t know who that is.”
“In that case, I guess I can go ahead and shoot him,” Hall said as he thumbed back the hammer of his Remington.
“God damn it, Harry!” the dirty-faced man said in a rush. “You said this’d be easy money!”
“What’s going on between you and Bennelli?” Clint asked. “You two blood related? Must be something pretty special for you to want to protect him like this.”
“I just … it’s just that I didn’t think you’d hold up your end,” Harry said.
“Right. Especially since you already hired some other men to go after that damn watch. All I’m looking for is a nod in the right direction. Point me toward Bennelli and we’re through.”
“There’s a dry goods store on the east end of town, right next to—”
“A hat shop?” Clint asked.
“Yeah! That’s the place! That’s where Bennelli does his business. Leastways, that’s where I send folks looking to buy or sell stolen horses. That’s all I know. I swear to Christ.”
Clint shook his head in disgust. He was about to walk away when he had to stop and ask, “Why was that such a chore?”
“Huh?”
“All this fussing about with a damn pocket watch, setting up this half-assed ambush, trying to talk tough. What the hell was the reason for any of it?”
Harry’s shoulders drooped and his head hung low. “This watch really did belong to my grandpappy,” he said.
Clint balled up his fist and was set to knock Harry onto his ass when he decided it wouldn’t be worth the ache he’d feel in his knuckles afterward. “Let’s go,” he snarled.
But Hall wasn’t quick to put an end to it so quickly. “Aren’t those horses yours?” he asked.
Clint glanced toward the stables and nodded. “They belonged to the men who attacked my camp, so I suppose they belong to me now.”
“Then why don’t we sell them to Bennelli?”
“You can get a good price,” Harry said out of reflex. “Especially if’n I put a good word in for you.”
“Just set it up,” Hall told the stableman. “And if you try to double cross us, this man here will pay the price first and you’ll pay soon after.”
The dirty-faced man was the first one on that list and he said, “I’ll go set up the deal.” Glaring at Harry, he added, “That prick wouldn’t give a damn if you shot me anyhow.”
“I’ll go with you,” Clint said. “Jarred, stay here and keep an eye on Harry.” When the stableman tried to assert himself, Clint put him in his place with a swift punch to the jaw. It wasn’t enough to knock the stableman out but it did a fine job of shutting Harry up for a spell.
Hall holstered his Remington and allowed his former hostage to walk toward the stable’s main door. “Don’t make me chase you!” he said. And, like a dog on a leash, the smaller man stayed put before getting too far away. “Why don’t the two of you put the reins on them horses.” Once Harry and the other man raced to do what they were told, Hall approached Clint.
“I can handle myself just fine,” Clint said as the bounty hunter walked up to him. “Someone should go with him just to make sure he doesn’t fly the coop.”
“I know,” Hall said. Once he was standing within arm’s reach of Clint, he lowered his voice a bit and asked, “You want me to go? You seem kinda flustered.”
“Damn right I’m flustered. Dealing with so many assholes in one day is wearing me down.”
Hall gave him a slap on the back. “I know just how you feel, Adams. Your problem
here is that you’re looking for too many answers.”
“They’re what I need if I’m going to find Eclipse before it’s too late.”
“I’m talking about that business with the watch. Sometimes, you just need to accept the fact that men like these two are idiots. They don’t always make sense and trying to figure out why they do what they do just complicates things. Let’s face facts,” Hall added. “If these morons had a brain in their heads, they’d be bankers or something.”
After taking hold of the reins to the three horses, Clint started walking toward the front door where the smaller man was waiting. “If I’m not back in half an hour,” he said while pointing at Harry, “kill him. Slowly.”
The command may have been a bluff but it was worth it to Clint just to see the color drain from Harry’s face.
Chapter Fourteen
When Clint and his new associate walked those three horses down the street, they got more than a few sideways glances. Obviously, the dirty-faced man was known in Parker and he wasn’t too happy about being seen under the thumb of someone else.
“What’s your name, anyway?” Clint asked.
“Ed.”
“Seems like you’ve got a lot of friends around here, Ed. You’re a lucky man.”
Looking at a pair of rough fellows wearing two guns apiece, Ed cringed as both of those men pointed and laughed at him. “Yeah. Real lucky.”
“What do they think is so funny?”
“I just struck out to work for myself three days ago. Told these assholes I wasn’t about to let anyone lead me around by the nose anymore.”
“That’s a real shame, Ed. Maybe you should get into another line of work. Like banking, perhaps.”
