“Hastings?”
“Yes, they’re brothers,” Annie said.
“Oh, if they are who I think they are, they would also recognize me.”
“And he’ll have Moss with him, for sure,” Peggy said. “So that’s at least nine, ten counting Ackerman. And I expect he may pick up a few more from town. He’s got the whole town under his thumb.”
“Annie, would you bring me a piece of paper and a pencil?” Falcon asked.
“Yes.”
Annie brought the paper and pencil, and Falcon sat down at the table to write a note.
Ackerman.
I have killed two of your men. You will find them in the middle of the street in front of Annie’s Café. Now I’m coming to kill you and your entire army.
Falcon MacCallister.
Falcon folded the note over and handed it to Peggy.
“Give me time to get these two bodies out of here, then give this note to Ackerman if you would, please.”
“All right,” Peggy said.
Morgan and Matthew rushed in then, with pistols drawn.
“Oh!” Peggy gasped.
Annie put her hand out to touch Peggy. “Don’t worry,” she said. “They are his brothers.”
“Ackerman’s men?” Morgan said, seeing the two bodies lying on the floor.
“Yes, but they were a couple of men I had run across before, so they recognized me. Show my brothers the note, Miss,” Falcon said.
Peggy handed the note over to Morgan, who read it, chuckled, then handed it to Matthew.
“You don’t think you might have discussed this with Matthew and me before you decided to take on his entire army?”
“Do you see any other way of handling it?” Falcon asked.
“No.” Morgan smiled. “I guess that was discussion, huh?”
“I guess it was. Help me drag these two carcasses out into the street,” Falcon said. He looked over at Peggy. “What’s your name?”
“Peg . . . ,” she started to say, then she smiled. “My real name is Agnes Bennett. But everyone here calls me Peggy.”
“All right, Miss Bennett, if you would please, deliver that note to Ackerman.”
“Hello, my dear,” Ackerman said when Peggy approached him. “I suppose you know what is going on here.”
“You are looking for the woman that I took supper to last night.”
“Yes. You don’t have any news of her for me, do you?”
“No,” Peggy said. “But some man gave me this note to give to you.”
“Really?” Ackerman smiled. “Maybe he has found her and wants a reward. Well, let’s just see what . . .” Ackerman had been unfolding the note as he spoke, now he read the message. “What?” he said. He glared at her. “What is this?”
“Like I said, Major, this note was just given to me.”
“He says he killed two of my men.”
“Yes, he killed Fong and Hood.”
“How do you know who he killed?”
“Because I saw him do it. I was in Annie’s Café when Fong and Hood came in to look for Mary Kate. When Mr. MacCallister came in, they recognized him and they tried to kill him. But he killed them instead.”
“How do you know the girl’s name is Mary Kate?” Ackerman asked, his eyes narrowed.
“She told me her name when I took her supper to her.”
“Well, now I know what happened to her, at least. MacCallister has her.” He looked at the note. “And he’s going to kill me and my entire army, is he? We’ll just see about that. Moss?” he called.
Moss, who was across the street at the time, came over in response to the call. “What do you want?”
“Two of your citizens were just killed by the same man who broke the girl out of your jail. I want you to get up a posse and go get him. But don’t kill him unless you have to. I’ll be needing him to tell us what he did with the girl.”
“What makes you think I’ll need a posse?” Moss asked.
“The man’s name is Falcon MacCallister. Have you ever heard of him?”
“Yeah, I’ve heard of him,” Moss said. “I ain’t never seen him, but I’ve heard of him.”
“You’ll know him if you see him. He’s a big, mean-looking son of a bitch. He’s also very good with a gun. I think you should take at least four men with you.”
“I’ll get some of your men to go with me,” Moss suggested.
“No. Get them from town. Tell them I’ll give them fifty dollars apiece to go with you.”
“What about me?” Moss asked.
“Bring him back to me, and I’ll give you a hundred dollars.”
“What if I have to kill him?”
“I’ll still give you a hundred dollars. I just need him to be out of my way, right now.”
Moss smiled, took his pistol from his holster, checked the loads, then put it back.
“All right,” he said. “I’ll take care of MacCallister for you.”
Peggy watched as Moss went around recruiting his posse.
“Burke, Pell, Hanlon, Bivens, with me,” Moss called.
Moss and the four men he recruited started down the street, Moss in the middle, and two men to each side of him. The rest of the town, having heard what was going on, watched as well.
“Hey, who’s them two lyin’ dead in the street up there?”
“What Moss said was they was Fong and Hood.”
“Who?”
“Fong and Hood. You know, them two that swept out down at the Bloody Bucket. They hadn’t been here too long.”
“What happened to ’em?”
“Moss said MacCallister kilt ’em. That’s why Major Ackerman is givin’ fifty dollars to them that’s goin’ down to take care of him.”
“Hell, I’d almost give fifty dollars myself to see MacCallister killed,” one man said.
“Yeah, I’ve heard of the son of a bitch,” another said. He laughed. “Once we kill him, it would put Purgatory on the map. If we wanted to be on the map.”
A few others laughed as well, as they took up positions on either side of the road to watch Falcon MacCallister get killed.
“MacCallister!” Moss called. “MacCallister! I’m callin’ you out! Come out in the street, you yellow-bellied bastard!”
Ahead, Falcon, Morgan, and Matthew came out of Annie’s Café, then walked out into the middle of the street. They spread out to face the five men who were coming toward them.
“There . . . there are three of you,” Moss said. “Which one of you is MacCallister.”
“We’re all MacCallisters,” Falcon said.
“Kill ’em!” Moss shouted, and he and the others fired. Street With No Name echoed with the sound of gunfire. In all, ten shots were fired. Five of the bullets missed, five of the bullets found their targets. When the gun smoke rolled away, Moss and all four of his posse lay dead in the street. Falcon and his two brothers were still standing, unscratched.
“Bugler! Sound ‘Recall’!” Ackerman shouted, his voice on the edge of panic.
Ackerman blew the bugle and, within a minute the Raiders began returning.
As Ackerman’s men were regrouping at the barracks, Falcon, Morgan, and Matthew were dragging the bodies of Moss and his deputies into the center of the street. Now they were all lined up, side by side, seven bodies in a row.
It was so evident that a gun battle was about to take place and those who had gathered to watch Moss and the deputies were now off the street. Most of them were gathered in the Bloody Bucket Saloon, and they were having a discussion as to what their course of action should be.
“Hell, I say we do nothin’, a man named Cassidy said. “Ackerman has been cock of the walk around here, this is his problem, let him handle it.”
“What if the MacCallisters win? What will happen to Purgatory?” another asked.
“Nothin’ will happen to Purgatory. The way I understand it, they just want the girl back, is all.”
“Where is she?”
“Hell, if I know�
��d that, I would ’a already collected my two hunnert dollars.”
“Anyway there’s only three of the MacCallisters. Ackerman has what? Ten men?”
“Ten, countin’ him.”
“Twelve,” one of the other men said.
“Twelve?”
“I seen Baddy Thomas and Angus Bligh goin’ over to join up with Ackerman.”
“Thornton and Givens went over there, too.”
“That makes fourteen of ’em. Fourteen against three. I’d say the shootin’ is more ’n likely goin’ to be over pretty damn quick.”
“I want a sharpshooter with a rifle posted in the loft of the livery,” Ackerman said.
“Hell, Major, they’s fourteen of us and only three of them,” Givens said. “What do we need all that for? Let’s just go down there and shoot the bastards and get it over with.”
“Nevertheless, I want you to do what I said. I want one man on the balcony of the whorehouse, and another on the roof of the barracks. We don’t have time to dig rifle pits, but Casey, I want you to get some men behind the water trough.”
Bligh laughed. “What’s all the fuss, about, Major? You act like we was about to get attacked by an army, or somethin’. Sharpshooters, rifle pits. You sure you don’t have a couple of cannons hid out somewhere?”
“Believe me, if I had them I would use them,” Ackerman replied. “And as far as you’re concerned, the MacCallisters are an army. A three-man army.”
“Shit. They ain’t no different from anyone else. We got ’em so bad outnumbered, I don’t know why we don’t just face up to ’em. And anyway, when it comes right down to it, I’d be willin’ to bet that they put their pants on one leg at a time, just like ever’one else.” Bligh laughed at his comment.
“How do you know that, Bligh?” Ackerman replied. “Have you ever seen any of them put their pants on?”
“Well, no, but . . .”
“I didn’t think so. Falcon MacCallister isn’t like everybody else, and though I don’t know his brothers, I doubt that they are like anyone else, either.”
“Major, you ain’t a’feared of MacCallister, are you?”
“Fear doesn’t enter into it. I am an army officer and, in making plans for any battle, the first dictum is to do whatever it takes to make certain that you have an overwhelming advantage. That is what I am doing. Now, get to your assignments, all of you.”
“All right, you heard what the major said,” Casey called out. “Jones, you’re the best marksman with a rifle we’ve got, you get up into the loft of the livery. Jerrod, you get out onto the whorehouse balcony, and Smith, you get on the roof of the barracks. Waters, you ’n Baker get to either end of the water trough over there on the other side of the street. Hastings, you two get behind the water trough on this side. Now all of you, get.”
“What about me ’n Thomas, ’n Thornton, ’n Givins?” Bligh asked.
“Well you was talkin’ so all-fired brave, I figure maybe you can just sort of take a stroll down the middle of the street toward ’em. There’s four of you, and only three of them. You should make out all right.”
“What? Wait a minute! What about you ’n the major, ’n him?” Bligh asked. He pointed to Powell.
“Don’t worry, we’ll be right behind you,” Casey said. “And Powell is the bugler. He stays with the major and Jones.”
“Little brother, I don’t know about you,” Morgan said, “but I’m not all that sold on the idea of just walking down all bunched up in the middle of the street. I think we need to find a better way to approach them.”
“I think you’re right. Morgan, you get over there to the right side and stay close to the buildings as you move down the street. Matthew, you stay on this side and do the same thing. But . . . keep an eye on the buildings you are following, make certain nobody shoots you from inside.”
“Great, one more thing to worry about,” Morgan said with a smile.
“Where are you going to be, Falcon?” Matthew asked.
“I’m going right down the middle of the street. And I’m counting on you two to keep me covered.”
“We’ll do it.”
“Are you both ready?” Falcon asked.
Both of his brothers nodded.
“All right. Give me a wave as soon as you are both in position, then I’ll start down the street. You two keep up with me.”
Morgan and Matthew hurried into position, then, after a wave from each of them, Falcon started forward.
Morgan saw somebody kneeling in the open window of the loft over the livery. Whoever it was had a rifle in his hand. Morgan whistled and when Falcon looked toward him, Morgan pointed to the open loft window. Falcon looked around just as someone was raising a rifle to his shoulder. Falcon fired first, and the man dropped his rifle, grabbed his stomach, then fell forward, flipping over onto his back before he hit the ground.
The next person to shoot was Dale Hastings. He got a shot off before Falcon or Matthew, who was on his same side, saw him. The bullet fried the air by Falcon’s ear, but Falcon didn’t return fire. He didn’t have to shoot back because Matthew took Dale Hastings out with one shot.
“You son of a bitch! You kilt my brother!” Travis Hastings yelled, and in his anger he stood and fired at Matthew. Matthew managed to duck into the doorway of the building he was by, and Travis missed. Matthew wasn’t in position to return fire, but Falcon was, and he shot Travis, who tumbled forward into the watering trough, where he lay with his face down in the water.
Morgan shot next, killing Waters. Baker got up then and started running back toward Baddy Thomas, Bligh, Thornton, and Givens, who, while they were in the middle of the street, had not advanced toward the MacCallisters. As Baker ran, he fired back at Falcon, and one lucky shot creased Falcon’s arm. Falcon returned fire, hitting Baker, who sprawled belly down in the street.
“Shoot him, shoot him, shoot him!” Bligh yelled, and all four started shooting. After a rapid exchange of fire, all four went down.
Falcon was trying to remember how many shots he had fired. He had reloaded after the encounter with Moss and his posse. But he had shot three rounds before these four had come after them. And he had fired two at these four. He only had one round left, and he had no idea how many bullets his brothers had, but he believed they had fired at least as many times as he had, and maybe more.
There were three men remaining, though Falcon recognized only Ackerman. Suddenly one of the three men started running away, and Ackerman turned toward him.
“Powell! Come back here, you cowardly son of a bitch!” Ackerman shouted, and he fired, hitting Powell in the back of the head. Powell went down.
“You shouldn’ of done that, Major. Now there’s just the two of us left.”
“Jerrod is on the balcony of the whorehouse, remember,” Ackerman said.
Up on the balcony of the House of Pleasure, the girls, frightened, had all gathered in the back room. Mary Kate, however, realizing that her personal fate depended on what happened here, couldn’t stay back there. She went into the hall, then moved quietly up to the alcove just before the balcony. When she looked out, she saw Jerrod taking a bead on Falcon. From here, he couldn’t miss!
Suddenly two shots rang out, and Jerrod fell back. Mary Kate saw that the two shots had come from either side of the street, one from her uncle Morgan, and the other from her uncle Matthew.
“Damn, they’ve kilt ’em all!” Casey shouted. Pulling his pistol, and with a loud shout, he started charging toward Falcon, shooting as he ran. Both Morgan and Matthew stepped out into the street to shoot at him, but in both cases, their hammers fell on empty chambers. Falcon shot Casey, the bullet hitting him in the middle of his forehead. He fell, and Falcon turned and pulled the trigger as he pointed his gun toward Ackerman. But like his two brothers, he was out of ammunition.
Ackerman pulled his pistol, and with a big smile aimed at Falcon. “How dare you come into my town after me,” he said. “And just so you know, when I find that little bitch, I
have no intention of ever taking her back to her father.” He pulled the hammer back. “So this is where the great Falcon MacCallister meets his . . .”
That was as far as he got. There was a rifle shot from the balcony of the House of Pleasure, and Ackerman went down. Looking up toward the sound of the shot, Falcon saw one of the whores holding a smoking rifle.
“Thanks!” Falcon shouted. Quickly, he began reloading, and he saw his brothers doing so as well.
“Uncle Falcon! It’s me!” Mary Kate shouted.
Falcon looked up again and saw the young woman, the one he thought was a whore, waving at him.
“I’m coming down!” she said.
By now Falcon’s two brothers had joined him, and the rest of the town were coming out of the buildings, moving slowly up Street With No Name, taking a count of the dead.
Mary Kate came running up to her uncles and hugged them all. “I knew you would come after me,” she said. “I knew you would. Even if you aren’t riding a white horse and wearing shining armor.”
“What?” Morgan said.
Falcon chuckled. “You wouldn’t understand.”
By now more than half the town was gathered in the area in front of the barracks and the House of Pleasure, and they were talking among themselves, pointing out the dead bodies that were strewn all up and down the street.
“Damn!” one of the men said. “Twenty-one! They’s twenty-one lyin’ dead in the street.”
“I ain’t never seen nothin’ like this in all my borned days,” another said.
“Who the hell are you people?” a third man asked.
“We aren’t the law, and we’ve got what we came after,” Morgan said, putting his arm around his niece. “We would just as soon be leaving now, unless you think there’s a need for some more killing.”
“You ain’t goin’ to have no trouble from me,” one of the men said.
“No, nor me, neither.”
“Good. If there’s no more trouble, we’ll just be going on our way,” Morgan said.
Defiance of Eagles Page 23
