by Steve Hayes
‘You must sleep heavy.’
‘Normally I would’ve heard them,’ Reece said, ashamed. ‘But after you left I drank more than I should’ve, and—’ He left the rest unsaid.
‘Any idea what Utley intends on doin’ with them?’
‘No. I doubt if he’ll harm them – even Remus can’t be that crazy. He knows he’d have everyone in the territory down on him. But other than that, I’ve no idea. I do know this, though,’ Reece said grimly. ‘This is the last time that bastard’s ever going to make me sweat. Once Ingrid and Raven are safe, I’m going to wipe him and his ugly brood out, once for all!’
Finished dressing, Gabriel grabbed his hat and followed Reece and Latigo down the stairs. Outside the hotel Sheriff Vogel, his deputies and some thirty armed riders waited.
One of them held the reins belonging to a big rangy buckskin. ‘The hostler couldn’t get your horse out of the stall,’ he explained to Gabriel. ‘Says the ornery devil tried to bite him every time he got close.’
‘Sounds ’bout right,’ said Gabriel. ‘Got a mean streak in him wider’n the Red River.’ Climbing into the saddle, he spurred the buckskin into a gallop and rode after Reece, Latigo and the others.
Ten minutes of hard riding brought the posse to the mouth of Rockfall Pass – a narrow, steep-walled gap in the hills that had earned its name twenty years earlier when an earthquake caused a rock slide that buried a group of miners on their way to Placerville.
Reece gathered everyone around him and spoke to the sheriff. ‘I want this done legally. Swear everyone in. That way, no one can ever accuse us of vigilantism.’
‘You heard Mr Blackwood, boys. Now raise your right hand an’ swear to uphold the law, so help you God.’
Everyone but Gabriel and Latigo obeyed. Sheriff Vogel knew better than to press them. ‘It’s done, Mr Blackwood.’
Satisfied, Reece faced the men. ‘Okay, now listen up. There’re lots of women and children in there. I don’t want any of them harmed. That clear?’
‘Them’s Utley women, boss,’ a rider grumbled. ‘They ain’t gonna just stand there while we gun down their men.’
‘That’s different. If any of them shoot at you, shoot back. You two,’ Reece added to Gabriel and Latigo, ‘stick with me. Remus is most likely holding Ingrid and Raven hostage in his cabin. While the men keep Utley’s boys pinned down, it’s up to us to get them out of there.’
‘This Utley,’ Gabriel said, ‘he some kinda fool?’
‘Far from it. He’s cunning as a snake.’
‘Then he’ll be expectin’ us. We go bustin’ in there an’ he’ll cut us down long before we can get to the women.’
‘Not if we strike now. If he’s expecting us at all, it won’t be till daylight. There’re hundreds of places to hide in the pass and the canyon and the Utleys know every one of them. Remus won’t think anyone would dare attack him in the dark.’
‘An’ if you’re wrong?’
‘Then we’ll force his hand and shoot it out. I’d take these men against a bunch of Utley trash any day.’
‘Not arguin’ that.’
‘Then what’s eating you?’
‘I’m worried about Ingrid an’ Raven. You willin’ to risk their lives on a hunch? If Utley’s the kind of filth you been paintin’ him, an’ he knows a rope’s waitin’ for him, what’s to stop him from shootin’ both of them just out of spite?’
Reece realized Gabriel was right. ‘You have a better idea?’
‘I ride in alone. Utley doesn’t know me, but his boy, Mitch, does. Maybe he’ll remember I cut him loose an’ saved him some roughing up by the sheriff. If he does, could be I can persuade him to make his old man listen to reason.’
‘And if you can’t?’
‘You’ll have a gun on the inside and I’ll be usin’ it to protect Ingrid and Raven when you come bustin’ in.’
Reece Blackwood mulled over Gabriel’s offer then took out his fob watch and checked the time. ‘Sunup’s in two hours. Another fifteen minutes for the sun to climb high enough to clear the ridgeline and bring daylight to the canyon. That’s how long you’ve got to talk Remus into letting the women go.’
‘Hold it,’ Sheriff Vogel said. ‘Puttin’ a lotta trust in this stranger, aren’t you, Mr Blackwood?’
‘Meaning?’
‘What if Utley hired him to come here? The ol’ man’s been threatenin’ to bring in outside guns for weeks now. Mebbe he’s one of ’em.’
‘That’s nonsense. He came to see my stepsister.’
‘Mebbe. An’ mebbe that was just his cover.’
Silence.
The men looked suspiciously at Gabriel, who made no attempt to deny the accusation.
‘It would explain why he cut Mitch loose an’ why he’s so all-fired on goin’ in there alone. Hell, he’s probably just itchin’ to warn Remus we’re comin’ in.’
Angry, the men started muttering in agreement.
And still Gabriel said nothing.
‘At least deny it,’ Reece said to him.
‘Why should he?’ Latigo put in. ‘He knows it ain’t true.’ He turned to the sheriff beside him. ‘An’ he knows you got pig slop for brains.’
Sheriff Vogel reddened angrily. ‘An’ you got a big mouth, Shorty—’ He broke off, alarmed, as he felt something pressing against his chin – and realized it was one of Latigo’s ivory-handled, nickel-plated guns.
Gabriel, accustomed as he was to gunmen with quick reflexes, had never seen anyone draw so fast.
‘Easy,’ he said softly. ‘Caution’s the way.’
Latigo showed no sign of hearing him. Rage narrowed his eyes into twin yellow slits.
‘Let it go, Rawlins,’ Reece pleaded. ‘One shot could mean the end for my stepister and niece.’
For another second Latigo seemed on the verge of shooting the sheriff. Then he smiled, boyishly, and returned the gun to its holster – only slightly slower than he’d drawn it.
‘You’re a lucky fella, Sheriff. But if you wanna enjoy your rockin’-chair days, don’t ever call me that again.’ He turned his horse away and Sheriff Vogel sagged with relief.
‘Go ahead,’ Reece told Gabriel. ‘But remember: in two hours we’re coming in.’
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
As Gabriel rode into the eerie shadows of Rockfall Pass he kept his hands away from his guns. Nor did he attempt to watch for lookouts hiding in the steep, rocky slopes on both sides of him. There was no point. The trail was hard and stony and he knew if anyone was there they could hear the stallion coming.
Now and then he heard loose stones falling as someone moved above him; and once, when the moon poked through the clouds, he glimpsed the silhouette of a man with a rifle leaping from rock to rock as he descended the slope.
So, Gabriel thought, they don’t plan on shooting me yet.
After a mile or so the pass widened and became a bowl-shaped canyon sheltered by towering red cliffs. In the moonlight the cliffs looked silver; but in sunlight they glowed like the fires of hell prompting the Mexicans who originally discovered the area to call it: El Cañon del Diablo.
Gabriel slowed the buckskin to a walk and entered the canyon. To his right a creek snaked out of the rocks in front of a collection of rundown shacks, barns and corrals. On the slopes above the shacks were the entrances to numerous abandoned mines – and out of every mine poked at least one rifle, sometimes three or four.
Gabriel kept both hands on the reins so no one could misinterpret his intentions and guided his horse toward the largest of the shacks.
As he drew near two men emerged. Gabriel recognized one as Mitch, the young man he’d rescued from the sheriff. The other he hadn’t seen before – but he knew from now on he’d never forget him.
Bald, red-bearded and ferocious-looking in an undershirt and pants he was easily the largest man Gabriel had ever seen. He towered over his son, who Gabriel remembered was about six feet, and his girth was larger around than a whiskey barrel. He was so large in fa
ct that as Gabriel reined up in front of the shack he saw that the door had been specially widened in order for the man to squeeze through.
‘Is it him?’ the huge man asked Mitch.
‘Yep.’
‘Sure now?’
‘Yeah, Pa. He’s ridin’ a different horse but it’s him all right.’ Mitch looked up at Gabriel. ‘You got sand comin’ in here alone, mister. If I hadn’ta recognized you in the pass you’d be crow meat by now.’
‘So that was you with the rifle.’
‘You seen me?’ Mitch said, surprised.
‘Judas,’ the huge man said, cuffing him. ‘I taught you better’n that.’
‘He’s lyin’, Pa,’ Mitch said, sulking.
‘No, son. I saw you all right,’ Gabriel said. ‘Once. When the moon was right.’ He turned to the huge man. ‘You must be Remus Utley?’
‘What of it, mister?’
‘Expected you to have horns.’
Remus cocked his massive head and squinted at Gabriel as if sizing him up.
‘You just jawin’ or you got somethin’ worthwhile to spit out?’
‘I talk better when I’m afoot.’
Remus groped under his enormous belly and brought out a pistol that looked tiny in his meaty fist. Gabriel guessed it must have been stuck in the man’s shabby brown pants and wondered if he should risk going for his gun.
‘Slide down,’ Remus said, his voice a low rumble. Then as Gabriel slowly dismounted: ‘Give me your word you ain’t here to shoot us an’ you can keep your iron.’
‘You got it.’
‘Pa,’ Mitch exclaimed as his father tucked his pistol away, ‘how you know you can trust him?’
Remus Utley grinned at Gabriel, showing rotted teeth. ‘Make your play.’
Gabriel’s right hand moved with blurring speed. One instant it was empty, the next it was aiming his Colt at Remus. Then, even as Mitch gaped, the gun was back in its holster.
Remus cuffed his son on the head. ‘Now do you get it?’
Mitch backed away, grumbling: ‘Pa, I told you not to keep on hittin’ me like that.’
‘Look into a man’s eyes,’ Remus said. ‘If you don’t see fear where there should be fear, it’s ’cause he’s holdin’ all the aces. Now, speak your piece,’ he told Gabriel.
‘The woman an’ girl … I’ve come for them.’
‘Then you’ve come for nothin’.’
‘This ain’t their fight.’
‘They’re Reece Blackwood’s kin, ain’t they?’
‘So it is payback?’
‘Do unto others….’
‘Now who’s doin’ the jawin’?’
‘You’re wastin’ your breath,’ began Mitch.
‘Shut up, boy.’ Remus wiped his nose on his sweat-stained undershirt and glared at Gabriel. ‘You’re right. Using a woman and a girl as payback is a foul thing to do. Makes me sick to think I stooped that low. But I got no choice. Mr High an’ Mighty Blackwood made sure of that … him an’ his dirty lies. Made me out to be the devil incarnate. Got folks hatin’ us so bad we daren’t go to town for supplies or to even take our young’uns in to get proper schoolin’. An’ when we tried to board a train for Placerville, to buy food there, the sheriff and his gunmen threatened to rape our women if they ever saw ’em again. Lord knows, I tried to reason with Blackwood but all he can see is railroad money—’
‘Railroad money?’
‘Southern Pacific wants to build a spur that’d link up to Carson City. Said layin’ track through the pass and Diablo Canyon ’stead of blasting through the mountains would save millions. Offered Blackwood a fortune if he’d make us leave.’
Suddenly it all made sense to Gabriel. Reece was motivated by greed; he was looking to line his pockets, not help the citizens of Old Calico.
Gabriel thought a moment and then had an idea. ‘What if the SP agreed to pay you instead of Blackwood – would you’n your people move out then?’
‘Why would they wanna do a fool thing like that?’
‘’Cause you threaten to dynamite the pass if they don’t. Wouldn’t take much – few sticks planted in the right places an’ there’d be a landslide that’d take ’em months to blast through. Once you tell ’em that, they’ll beg you to take their money.’
He expected Remus to jump at the offer. Instead, the huge man laughed in his face. ‘You must think I’m a damn’ fool, mister.’
‘Pa’s right,’ Mitch said. ‘Railroads don’t pay folks like us to do anythin’. They don’t have to. They know they can run roughshod over us an’ we can’t do nothin’ about it.’
Gabriel ignored him. ‘You didn’t answer my question,’ he said to Remus.
‘It ain’t worth answerin’. Now, hit that saddle an’ ride outta here.
‘Not till I see the woman and girl,’ Gabriel said.
Remus hesitated, saw something in the gunfighter’s ice-blue eyes that changed his mind, and turned to his son.
‘Bring ’em out, boy.’
Gabriel waited until Mitch hurried into the shack then said quietly: ‘For a while there, Utley, you had me fooled.’
‘Keep talkin’.’
‘You’re no better’n Blackwood.’
‘Watch your mouth, mister.’
‘This hate you got for him – it’s not about bein’ forced off your land or protectin’ your people or gettin’ proper schoolin’ for your young’uns—’
‘No? Then what is it about?’
‘Windmills,’ said Gabriel.
Remus scowled, confused. ‘Windmills?’
‘Pride. Provin’ a point. Slayin’ dragons—’ Gabriel broke off as Mitch reappeared with Ingrid and Raven.
Both looked happily astonished to see him. Raven gave a little gasp of joy and ran and hugged him.
‘I knew you’d come for us,’ she said. ‘I just knew it!’
Gabriel fondly tousled her hair and smiled at Ingrid.
‘You all right?’
‘Fine,’ she said. She stepped into his extended arm and let him hold her.
‘Time’s up,’ Remus told Gabriel. ‘You’ve seen ’em. Now get on your horse an’ go tell Blackwood to ride on in. I’m waitin’ for him.’ He turned to Mitch. ‘Take ’em inside, boy.’
Gabriel’s gun leaped into his hand and pointed at Remus.
The huge man didn’t flinch. Instead he whistled and instantly a dozen men with rifles jumped up from behind the rocks around them.
‘Your call,’ he told Gabriel.
‘You’n your boy’ll die before I do.’
‘So will they,’ Remus said, meaning Ingrid and Raven.
Gabriel played his last ace. ‘I’m stayin’ here with ’em.’
‘Not till you hand over your iron.’
Gabriel spun the Colt on his trigger finger and handed it, butt first, to Utley.
Remus tossed the gun to Mitch. ‘Take ’em inside an’ make sure they don’t go nowhere.’
‘But Pa, I wanna fight with you.’
Remus cuffed him. ‘Do as I say, boy.’
Mitch glared sullenly at him. ‘What if you don’t win, Pa? What if Blackwood kills you ’stead of the other way ’round?’
‘Day that happens,’ Remus said, ‘you’re gonna have to learn to make decisions on your own. Now get inside!’
He waited until Mitch led Gabriel and the women into the shack; then he told his men to mount up. As they ran to the corral, he signaled to the others hiding in the mine entrances and yelled for them to come on down!
The hate that had been burning in his belly for years was finally about to be satisfied.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Dawn was slowly yellowing the gray, overcast sky.
Sheriff Vogel ground out his smoke, got to his feet, stretched the stiffness from his muscles and told the men resting around him to saddle up.
He then joined Reece Blackwood, who stood by himself, staring at the narrow entrance to Rockfall Pass.
‘Sun’s clear of the hills.’<
br />
Reece nodded and wadded fresh gum into his mouth.
‘You still of a mind to ride in?’
‘I say anything to make you think differently?’
‘Just wanted to make sure,’ Sheriff Vogel said. ‘This ain’t gonna be no picnic, you know.’
‘Nothing I’ve ever wanted was,’ Reece replied. The two men walked to their horses. ‘Folks say I’m lucky; that I only trip over four-leaf clovers and prosperity lands in my lap. They couldn’t be farther from the truth. I’ve had to sell my soul to the devil many times.’
‘I don’t doubt that,’ Sheriff Vogel said. There was a sting to his voice that made Reece look sharply at him.
‘You don’t think much of me, do you, Sheriff?’
The big lawman spat tobacco juice between his horse’s hoofs. ‘Life ain’t a popularity contest, Mr Blackwood. But so long as you keep on payin’ me, I reckon you’re the nicest fella I know.’
Reece chuckled despite himself. ‘Well, at least you’re honest, Sheriff. I’ll give you that.’ He looked about him. ‘Where’s Latigo?’
The sheriff searched the faces of the riders gathered before him. ‘Any of you seen Rawlins?’
The men stood up in their stirrups and looked around.
‘Ain’t here,’ one rider said.
‘What do you mean, he’s not here?’ Reece rode into the pack of riders, his horse shouldering their mounts aside. ‘Where the hell is he then?’
The riders looked at each other and shrugged.
‘Must’ve ridden off while we were restin’,’ Sheriff Vogel said. He shook his head in disgust. ‘Never did trust that little sawed-off runt.’
Reece saw a growing uneasiness in the eyes of several of the riders and knew he had to rally them or call off the fight.
‘Good riddance to him,’ he said. ‘Means the rest of you get to divvy up the thousand dollars I promised him. C’mon, Sheriff,’ he added, before the men could get over their surprise, ‘let’s ride.’ He spurred his horse forward, the sheriff and his deputies following.
Gabriel sat smoking in an old rocker. Through half-shut eyes he studied Ingrid and Raven, who lay on the bed opposite him.
