The Devil's Staircase

by Randy D. Smith

  The men, all Hispanic, were trail worn, heavily armed and coarse. Ransom studied each. Garcia stood at Valverde’s left but the rest were unknown. Ransom had always planned on Rafael being the man who represented the kidnappers. With Valverde leading them he had no sure way of knowing which was Rafael. The descriptions of the outlaw had always been poor; a dark man of average height and age, barrel-chested, heavily bearded, and hard-eyed. The description fit thousands of men of Mexican descent and of the men before him, several fit the profile. He had to figure some way of singling him out.

  "That’s far enough," Ransom ordered when they were within thirty yards. "Are you doing the talking or is Rafael?"

  The men halted, Valverde smiled coldly. "Your business is with me, Diablo."

  "So Rafael is nothing more than a lap dog, as usual," Ransom said.

  The man at Valverde’s immediate right stepped forward. He fit the description perfectly. "You have come a long way to find me. I would not want to disappoint you."

  Ransom studied him coldly especially the large knife in his belt just showing from beneath his poncho. He wondered if it was the knife that he had used on Beth. His fist tightened, his palms turned clammy, there was a tightening in his stomach.

  Rafael smiled. "So finally we meet, Diablo."

  "Yes, we have much to settle."

  "Your business is with me, Diablo," Valverde said, annoyed that his master plan and moment of discovery was being overshadowed by Ransom’s feud with Rafael.

  "Where is Sonia?" Dona Elaina asked calmly.

  "She is in Mexico City. I imagine she is shopping at the dressmakers or taking a siesta in her room. Where ever she is, she does not miss you."

  "It was all a plan to draw me out of Texas," she said.

  "And get the money. A half a million pesos is a lot of money. Donde?"

  "In my money belt. I had it converted to American paper dollars years ago."

  "Give it to me and I will let you live."

  "And if I don’t."

  "Then you will die with the others."

  Ransom was overwhelmed. Was she running a bluff? Did she have so much money when she had claimed earlier of only having a few thousand dollars? Why was she saying paper money when her belt showed signs of heavy coinage? He wondered if she was going to kill him herself with the same trick she had used on Ortiz. Was she planning on shooting it out with only five men against his dozen? What about their plan? Did she even care if she lived or died at this point?

  "You may release Turrubiates," Valverde said.

  Realizing that Valverde was talking to him, Ransom blinked and shook his head. "No, I’m afraid Turrubiates stays with us. He was to lead us to the girl. There is no Turrubiates if there is no girl."

  "This is a dead man talking to me," Rafael growled.

  Ransom smiled grimly. "Oh hell. We’re all dead men in the end. Now is as good a time as any."

  She unbuckled the money belt under her poncho and threw it to the ground in front of Valverde. The heavy belt clanked as it landed.

  "What is this?" Valverde asked. "You said you converted it to paper."

  "I did. I gave that money back to the peons Santa Anna stole it from. This is the money from the rancho and the cattle. That is all there is."

  Valverde grimaced. "You stupid cow. You gave a half a million pesos in gold to peons. Why would anyone be so stupid?"

  "Because I wanted nothing to do with Santa Anna and I wanted to ruin you. I wanted you to rot in your prison cell for losing the gold. I know what you did to your own people for supporting the Tejanos. Not only Anglos but also our people surrendered at Goliad and fought at the Alamo. What about the hundreds of innocents you executed whether they supported the Tejanos or not? If I gave it away there was no way you could ever be free of the responsibility no matter what you did to me and no way Santa Anna would ever have it back."

  Valverde took a step toward the belt. "Then why are you giving it to me now?"

  "I brought it to get Sonia. Now, it doesn’t matter."

  "How much?"

  "Five thousand dollars."

  "You gave away twenty thousand dollars worth of gold and sold the rancho for only five thousand? What kind of fool makes such decisions?"

  "There is no money in Texas. Five thousand dollars is a fortune there. I was lucky to find someone who was willing to pay that much in American gold."

  "And you sold everything for Sonia. You fool! She was not stolen. She ran away from you. She could not stand you. She only wanted to be with me when I sent word to her that I had been freed by the new regime. You were nothing to her. Just another servant."

  Ransom turned to her. She looked like she had been slapped. Her eyes were filling with tears. Hatred etched across her face.

  "Who is the fool? Do you really believe that you will live to spend that gold?"

  Valverde laughed. "Are you going to kill me?"

  "No," Ransom said. "Tad Cole in going to kill you. He has a rifle trained on you right now. No matter what else happens, he is to kill the man she throws the money belt to if the girl doesn’t show or there’s no signal from us."

  Valverde’s eyes drifted nervously across the canyon walls.

  "You won’t see him. But he’s out there and his rifle is trained on you right now."

  "And what is the signal?"

  "Dona Elaina picks up the money belt and leaves. When she’s safely gone, the rifleman goes as well."

  "He is bluffing," Rafael growled softly.

  "I don’t bluff," Ransom said. "You ought to know my reputation by now."

  "Turrubiates, what do you know of this?" Valverde asked.

  Turrubiates nodded grimly. "It is possible. An American was with them in Santa Fe. I was told that he quit. It is possible that he could be out there. This one is clever enough to do that."

  "Then we are at a stand off and Turrubiates will die for his stupidity. I will not give up the gold and you will not get Sonia. Many will die here this day," Valverde said.

  "We knew that when we rode in," Ransom said. "Each of us has our own reasons for being here and it ain’t to save our skins. Why are your people here?"

  "For the money," Rafael said. "It is not as much as we planned but it will do. I am afraid it is the end of our partnership Colonel Valverde." He lifted his pistol and fired at Ransom before diving to the ground.

  The bullet grazed across Ransom’s neck and spun him around before he could get his revolver clear. Cole fired from his position in the rocks and sent a ball into Valverde’s chest. Valverde lifted his pistols and fired at Dona Elaina. Dona Elaina fired her own at the same instant. His bullets ripped into her chest, hers into his jaw. Segundo and the vaqueros fired randomly as Rafael’s men opened fire. The clearing became a choking maze of gunpowder and bullets.

  Ransom rolled to his side drawing his Colt and dropped two shooters that he could see. He could not make out Rafael in the smoke. Segundo helped him to his feet. As Ransom stood a bullet ripped into Segundo’s chest, killing him instantly. Another round tore into Ransom’s shoulder. Ransom turned to see all of the vaqueros down as well as Dona Elaina. Another ball stuck him in the calf of his leg and he made for the stream, emptying his Colts. Seconds later he disappeared beneath the water and allowed the current to carry him down stream.

  As the smoke cleared, Rafael walked toward Turrubiates who was crouched against a boulder, his hands still tied. Turrubiates rose and made his way uncomfortably to Francisco Valverde. Valverde was on his back against the canyon wall holding his mouth and jaw in place. Rafael picked up an unfired pistol and stepped to Valverde. Valverde cut his eyes to Rafael in fear.

  Rafael raised the pistol. "Take heart Colonel. At least in your condition you cannot beg for mercy. You will die without begging. It is a fitting end for so noble a patron." He fired into Valverde’s forehead.

  He turned toward Turrubiates who returned an equally fearful gaze.

  "Do not worry. I am not going to kill you," Rafael said as he dr
ew his knife and cut Turrubiates’ bonds. "Get the money belt. See how seriously Garcia and Madron are wounded. I will see to the woman and finish off her men."

  He rolled her over and gazed into her lifeless eyes. "You were quite the woman. I have seldom seen a woman go down like a man in a gun fight and you stood your ground like an hombre."

  Turrubiates carried the money belt toward Rafael and opened a pocket. "There are only pesos in it. I doubt that there is more than three or four hundred pesos in the entire belt."

  "And the men?"

  "Garcia and Madron are not seriously wounded. The others are dead."

  Rafael studied his dead and wounded men scattered through the clearing and then Dona Elaina and her four dead vaqueros. "She would not have come up here without the money. It has to be somewhere. She would have paid to save the girl. I will search her. Search the vaqueros."

  He raised her poncho and searched through her clothing. A small purse tied to her waist held a few hundred American dollars. Otherwise there was nothing.

  He turned to Turrubiates, who shook his head as he searched the body of Segundo. "They left two below to watch the horses. The gold must be with them."

  "And then there is the shooter in the rocks," Turrubiates said.

  "I doubt that he knows anything."

  "There is Diablo. He followed the current down the valley."

  Rafael smiled and gazed down the stream. "Yes, there is Diablo. I know he took two hits, maybe more. He is wounded but you can be sure that he is still dangerous. I can never return to Texas until he is dead."

  "Perhaps he will die in the water."

  "Perhaps. I want to see his body. I want to know that he is dead. I do not want my head decorating the same tree as my compadres."

  Chapter 17

  Ransom fought to remain conscious as he allowed the waters to carry him down the valley. The current was colder, deeper and stronger than he imagined. He lost his revolvers as he fought to push himself away from rocks and brush. He drifted into a whirlpool and struggled next to a boulder to be able to keep his head above water. The current was too strong and he felt himself being sucked in as he lost his strength. A hand grabbed him by his shirt and lifted him to the rocks above.

  Tad Cole smiled as he leaned Ransom against a boulder. "I’m lucky I was able to get down here before you went much further. There’s a jam just below and I doubt you would have gotten through it."

  Ransom grimaced. "More likely I’d a drowned in this pool. You’re a sight for sore eyes just now."

  Tad nodded. "Glad I could help. How bad are you shot?"

  "I took one in the neck, another in my shoulder and a third in the calf of my leg."

  "I can see the neck wound. You were grazed but it don’t look serious. Let me see about the others." He tore away Ransom’s shirt. "You got a hole in your shoulder, that’s for sure and it didn’t come out the other side. I guess I’m going to have to do a little carving on you."

  "What about my leg?"

  "Same thing. It’s in there but I don’t know where. You want me to carve on you now or later."

  Ransom nodded. "Carve away. You got to patch me up as good as can be done right now. They’ll be coming down that trail for Torres and the boy."

  "They won’t be coming too quick. There was only one left standing that I saw when it was over."

  "Which one?"

  "The one on the leader’s right. He was wearing a red and blue stripped poncho."

  "Rafael. Wouldn’t you know? I lost track of him during the gunfight. I couldn’t see shit in all that gun smoke. Why didn’t you take a crack at him?"

  "I was more concerned with fishing you out of that river. You didn’t look too good when you fell in. Hell, there wasn’t anything I could do for the others."

  "You sure she was dead?"

  "The man in front shot her at point blank range with both pistols. But it looked like she gave him one in the mouth for his trouble. Who was he?"

  "Her husband."

  "Weren’t a marriage made in heaven, I take it."

  Ransom smiled. "You can say that."

  Tad drew his knife and spat on the blade. "This is going to hurt. I’m going to have to core that shoulder like an apple."

  "Yeah. You did good. I didn’t know that you would be able to keep up with us."

  "I’ll never try a stunt like that again. I damn near didn’t make it. She had already thrown down the money belt when I got in place."

  "That close?"

  "Shit, I like to tore myself up crossing the ridge into position. Your idea wasn’t so good. Another three minutes and I’d a missed the whole thing." He pushed back on Ransom’s shoulder and dug the knife in.

  Ransom stiffened and gritted his teeth. "Oh, God, that hurts like hell."

  "Up against the bone. Maybe I can flip in out with the tip of my blade. There, it’s out." He placed the ball in Ransom’s hand. "That’s a fair hunk of lead."

  Ransom examined it and shook his head. "Big bore carbine. Get to the leg. We got to move."

  "Your shoulder is bleeding pretty good."

  "Worry about that later. Dig that lead out."

  Tad removed his boot and examined the wound. "Well, get on your stomach. It looks like I’ll need to come in from behind."

  Ransom crawled to the ground and stretched out.

  Tad examined the leg. "You’re lucky here. It’s up against the skin on the other side. I can slit the skin and take it out."

  "Do it."

  Tad cut the skin and lifted out the bullet with his fingers. "This ain’t nothing. But that shoulder is going to hurt like the devil for a while."

  "Go to tearing my shirt and make a bandage for both. We got to move. I’ll bet that damn Torres is coming up the canyon to see about her. If he heard shooting he’ll ignore what I told him because of her."

  Tad ripped the shirt into strips and bandaged Ransom’s leg wound. "Too bad about that woman. She was too good looking to come to an end like that."

  "She knew. Hell, I think she knew all along that Valverde was behind the whole thing. She wasn’t as surprised as I was when he showed. I think she had planned for it all along. Don’t wrap that too tight. I got to use that leg."

  "I suppose they got the money."

  "I don’t know if there was ever any money. That’s tight enough. I think she was running a bluff all along. Women."

  "You really think she would have come all this way without the money?"

  Ransom shook his head. "I don’t know. Right now I don’t know anything. If she was carrying the money, she had it hidden. But, hell, she didn’t have nothing to carry it in except her clothing."

  Tad wrapped a strip of cloth several times around Ransom’s underarm and shoulder and tied it off. "This is a pretty poor job. You’re bleeding through the bandage almost as fast as I can get it wrapped."

  "We’ll worry about it later. Right now we got to get back to the others."

  "My horse is about a mile back in those rocks. It will take me a while to climb up to him, I don’t know how I will get him down to you."

  "Get your horse and make for the camp. I’ll walk it down the canyon. Give me your pistols. I lost my Colts in the river."

  Tad handed him the pistols. "You got two shots. What the hell will you do with two shots?"

  Ransom came to his feet and took the pistols, jamming one in his belt. "It’s two more than I would have had. I got my knife."

  Tad shook his head. "Yeah, you look like you’re in good shape for a knife fight. What’ll I do with Torres and the boy?"

  "Get them the hell out of here. If I ain’t down by dark, head back for Santa Fe. Do the best you can. Don’t wait for me."

  "And what the hell do you think you can do?"

  "I’ll make out. Go."

  "All right, but I don’t like it. I can come back for you."

  "Go. I’ll make out."

  Tad reluctantly nodded and started up the canyon wall. Ransom watched him for a while then looked
up the trail for sign of Rafael. There was nothing. He started down the trail at a jog. He knew he had to travel fast before his leg tied up. He was dizzy and his leg ached but otherwise he felt he was in pretty good shape. He walked for nearly an hour before hearing horses coming down the trail. He hid in some rocks above the trail watching through a narrow slot between two boulders. If there was only one man, he planned to shoot it out with him. He would let them pass if there were more and hope for another chance.

  Rafael and Turrubiates led several mounts and two wounded men down the trail at a trot. One of the wounded men seemed to be hurting and was struggling to stay in the saddle. Rafael was watching the river and the trail for sign. Ransom figured he was looking for him.

  Rafael held up his mount and studied the trail. He started to turn in his saddle but hesitated and rode on. Jack knew that Rafael had his tracks and suspected he was near but had decided to ride on rather than attempt any action. He held Tad’s heavy North pistol steady and wondered if he could hit anything with it. With four men present, two shots available and his poor physical condition, it was a long shot at best to kill Rafael and survive. For the time being it was best to avoid a fight if he could. Besides, it figured that once Rafael was out of sight, he would either send a man or come back on his own to try to surprise him. He needed to save his shots and wait it out.

  Rafael rode a half-mile before the trail turned and he was out of sight. He turned his horse and studied the canyon. "Did you see him?" he asked Turrubiates.

  "No, was he back there?"

  "His tracks said he was but I didn’t feel like stopping if he had one of them Colts trained on me."

  Turrubiates studied the back trail. "You want me to go back for him?"

  Rafael thought for several moments. "No. He’s on foot and probably wounded. There is no way he can keep up with us. Going after Diablo in the rocks is like following a wounded Apache into the canyons, a good way to die. No, we will ride on. I will deal with Diablo another day."

  * * * *

  Paco Torres jumped to his feet when he saw Tad Cole riding hard toward him. He waved Earnesto toward him and grabbed his carbine.