by Tabor Evans
"There!" screamed one of the riders. "Get him!"
Longarm managed to snap off one shot before the hailstorm of bullets came his way. He back-pedaled desperately, trying to outrun the rounds kicking up dust spouts inches in front of his toes. He lost his balance in his haste, and sprawled backward to land flat on his back, the wind knocked out of him, his Colt a yard out of reach.
The trio of riders cantered toward him. They turned their guns on a water trough just beside Longarm, laughing as their rounds send gouts of water into the air, turning the trough itself into a leaking sieve.
"That's what we're going to do to you, lawman," one of the men laughed. "Join the others," he told his two companions. "This part of town will burn good. Those poor bastards in the Cattlemen's building are fried crisp by now. They were afraid to come out, I guess."
The two riders turned their horses and rode away toward Canvas Town. The remaining man angled his weapon down toward Longarm.
The tall deputy fumbled for the derringer behind his gunbelt buckle, knowing, even as he did so, that his last-ditch attempt to save himself was useless. He shimmied back, desperate to put even another inch between himself and that deadly gun.
Laughing, the rider began to fire. He stitched the rounds into the dirt between Longarm's widespread legs, inching the barrel of the gun up so that it would eventually be centered on Longarm's crotch.
Longarm waited for the hot bite of lead to smash into his groin and then dance its way up his gut, chest, and head, to split him cleanly up the middle, just like a melon.
Chapter 14
"There!" Jessie cried, pointing over the heads of the crowd, toward the window.
Longarm had been shouting something, but Ki didn't bother to listen. He'd known that the only chance he had to get Jessie out of the hail of bullets was to perform the leaping part of a mae-tobi-geri, a flying, front foot-strike. Normally he would have kicked out twice at an opponent at the apex of his six-foot leap, but this time he stretched and arched his back like a pole-vaulter, gaining precious inches of elevation. As he locked his arms around Jessie, he jackknifed his legs toward the far side of the platform. It was that power-snap wrung out of his thighs, knees, and calves that gave him the momentum to clear the platform's breadth, while his stomach and back muscles strained to lift her off her feet.
He'd landed hard on the wooden floor, taking the jarring impact of their combined weight along his spine. Jessie did not touch the floor until he set her down lightly. Tomorrow his flesh would be a mass of bruises, but bruises always healed. The throbbing pain in his shoulders and lower back he ignored. Pain was all in the mind…
The fire was licking up the walls and blackening the ceiling. The smoke was so thick that he could not see the far side of the hall. He saw Longarm dash through the door, drawing the awesome firepower of the rider along with him.
Jessie was coughing and rubbing at her eyes. "We've got to get these people out," she managed to say.
"You go out the back way," Ki ordered. "I will see to it that they follow. If they go out the front, they will be exposed to that gun."
"I'll help you," Jessie said.
"No!" Ki shouted. He leaped to his feet. Gathering a handful of the back of her tweed jacket, he lifted her up as if she were a kitten being hauled into the air by the scruff of its neck.
"Bully!" she pouted.
"Will you please go!"
"Longarm is out there by himself, Ki. You've got to…"
He nodded distractedly and propelled her on her way with a hard shove against the small of her back. When he saw that she was safely through the door that led to the back hallway of the building, and the rear door, he turned to ponder the situation in the crowded meeting room.
Several of the men, huddled beneath their benches, made a break for the front door. They ignored Ki's shouts, but he was able to cut them off. The first man, fear-crazed, tried to swing at Ki, who deflected the fellow's clumsy uppercut with a circular block and, as lightly as possible, drove his fist into the man's solar plexus.
The rancher collapsed back into the path of the other two men. As they hauled their friend to his feet, Ki said, "You will be shot if you go this way. Go out the back. It is safe!"
They nodded vaguely, and headed back the way Jessie had gone. Others, seeing what Ki had done, and hearing his explanation, turned toward the back door as well. A few stubborn souls still tried for the front door, but Ki stopped them by quickly whip-snapping burning pieces of furniture into the doorway, effectively sealing it off so that now there was no front door. Spreading the fire was of no concern to Ki. The flames had penetrated the walls, and had grown to claim the roof timbers. The building could not be saved.
Now that there was someone telling them what to do, the ranchers and cowboys filed out of the building, with few of them panicking.
Ki waited until the last of them were out of the room, then dived through one of the wide-open windows, the glass of which had been shattered away by the gunfire. He saw one of the riders mow down the deputies and Farley, and saw Longarm take advantage of the riders' distraction by rushing toward them.
It was a valiant attempt on Longarm's part, but a man can often be both brave and foolish at the same time. Longarm managed to squeeze off only one ineffective shot before he was swept off his feet by the return barrage of gunfire.
The three riders toyed with the marshal by shooting up a watering trough just beside him, and then two rode away, leaving one to finish the job. Ki saw Longarm kick his heels into the dust, trying for purchase to push himself away from the bullets rushing toward him between his legs.
For one moment Ki thought, let him die, there will be no danger of his stealing away Jessie…
The thought flickered through his mind even as his right hand automatically plucked the shuriken throwing blade from its sheath and hurled it at the rider's back.
His throw had been hurried, without proper time to aim. The blade missed the man's heart, burying itself high in the rider's left shoulder. Still, the shock and pain of feeling himself stabbed, forced the rider to take his hands from his weapon, so that it stopped firing. The gun did not fall to the ground. It looked to Ki as if it was hooked over the man's shoulders…
Ki reached for another shuriken, but before he could send it flying, the rider wheeled his horse hard around, and rode off in a flat-out run, squealing ail the while like a scalded pig.
"You all right?" Ki asked when he reached Longarm.
"You saved my life," Longarm said as he got to his feet. "Another second, and…"
"I have merely repaid my debt of honor to you," Ki admonished, looking away. "Earlier this evening I got you into danger by sending you to Canvas Town. Now I have gotten you out of danger.'*
"Damn, old son," Longarm said dryly. "For a minute there, I thought it was because you liked me. I didn't know you were playing bank teller with that honor of yours."
Ki merely shrugged. "Let us see to Marshal Farley," he said. Longarm retrieved his Colt and followed Ki, muttering oaths beneath his breath.
Farley's two deputies were stone dead, but the town marshal had gotten off lucky. Only one of the .25-caliber rounds had hit him. He had a broken rib or two, but the round had been deflected outward so that the wound was clean. Doc Brown would have an easy time of it patching him up.
Ki helped Farley hobble along with them while Longarm gave him a clean handkerchief to press against his wound. They wanted to take the marshal directly to the doctor, but Farley would have none of that, not until he knew that everyone who had been in the Cattlemen's building was safe.
Now that the gunmen were gone, citizens were coming up for air. Bucket brigades were hastily organized — not to save the Cattlemen's building, for, as Ki had surmised, it was a lost cause. The bucket brigade worked hard just to keep the flames from spreading to the other nearby structures.
The men who had been at the meeting were sitting huddled behind the now-smoldering ruins of what had been their town's pride and joy.
Their eyes were red from smoke, and they were tired, but unharmed. Farley's quick check showed that three men had lost their lives: his two deputies and one of the governor's Texas Rangers.
One other of Farley's deputies came running up, braking to a startled halt as he surveyed the destruction. "Jesus," he gasped. "Marshal Farley, you've been wounded!"
"I'm all right, Harry," Farley grumbled. "What's your report?"
"The rest of the town is all right," Harry muttered. "They kept their attack confined to Main Street and Canvas Town. Canvas Town has been torn up just about as bad as this. A few boys were hurt, but nobody's dead. Just about everybody, drunk or sober, had the presence of mind to hug the ground."
"Makes sense," Longarm observed.
"What does?" Farley asked sharply.
"The way they handled it," Longarm replied. "Some of them terrorize the cattlemen who do the hiring, and some scare the bejesus out of the boys who need the jobs. Reckon you'll find that a goodly number of those cowboys-for-hire are going to seek out healthier regions to make their living."
"The tactic of intimidation," Ki said quietly.
"It'll be harder for you ranchers to run your roundup without your free-lance drovers, right?" Longarm called out.
The men nodded, grumbling dejectedly. "It might just be damned near impossible," one of them offered harshly.
"Come on, now!" Longarm argued. "That's not Texas talk!" He looked around. They needed Jessie to inspire them. But where was she?
"Maybe we do need the army, or at least the Texas Rangers," another man said.
"Well now, the Rangers are an ungodly distance from Sarah," Longarm shouted. "Except for the two left who belong to the governor, and they've got to stick with him." He pulled out his wallet to show them all his badge. "But I'm federal, boys. Working out of Denver. We'll catch those bastards, that I promise!"
The men all looked up, clearly heartened by the fact that there was somebody to stand between them and the horror they'd just experienced.
"Longarm, I thought you wanted to remain undercover," Farley whispered.
Longarm shrugged. "Those two who braced me in Canvas Town knew I was a federal marshal. So did those riders just now. It seems the only folks who didn't know have been the good ones." He gave Farley a hard look. "I sort of thought it was you who spilled the beans."
"No way," said Farley indignantly.
Ki stepped between them. "I found out it was Higgins," he said. "He figured it out the day you rode with us to the Circle-Star. He saw the U.S. brand on your horse."
"I see." Longarm smiled at Farley. "I owe you an apology."
"Forget it," Farley laughed, with no real humor. "I've got bigger things to worry about, like putting my town back together."
"It was brave of you to rush those riders," Longarm added.
"Bullshit, sonny," Farley spat back disgustedly. "It was plain stupid. The lives of those two men who got killed following my orders will be my sorrow to bear for a long, long time." He looked expectantly at Longarm. "Well, you're the ranking law. I don't know how to handle this Should we form up a posse, or what?"
Just then the governor approached, followed by his two remaining Ranger bodyguards, who still had their guns drawn. "Terrible thing, terrible!" the politician muttered. "I hope no one besides my man was hurt."
"Two of mine, as well," Farley replied. "You can put your shooters away, boys," he told the Rangers. "Party's over."
"Where is Jessie?" Ki asked.
"She came our way," one of the Rangers said. "We had her horse with ours, and the governor's buggy. She took it and rode like the devil. Where, I can't say."
"I bet I know," Longarm said.
"She's trailing those riders, of course," Ki agreed. "We must get after her!"
"A posse it is, then," Farley said.
"No!" Longarm cut him off. "You boys all have horses?" he asked the ranchers.
"Ours were all in the stable," one of them shrugged. "If they're all right…"
"They are," Farley interjected. "We were by the hotel, and the stables are near there. Your animals weren't touched."
"Then you men guard your herds," Longarm said. "I can travel faster on my own." He paused. "Except that my horse was tied outside the saloon," he added.
"If it was that chestnut gelding with the McClellan saddle, you're out of luck," Farley said. "He was shot dead by those bastards, along with all the other mounts tied up along that stretch."
Ki swore softly. "My horse as well, then."
"Hell, boys, take two of ours," one of the ranchers said. Two drovers hurried off to retrieve Longarm's and Ki's gear in order to saddle up two other horses.
"How are you two going to face down all those men?" Farley demanded. "My deputy here just told me half a dozen men shot up Canvas Town. That makes at least nine of them, and all armed with those" — he looked helplessly about him — "whatever they are…" he trailed off.
"Coffee grinders," Ki said softly.
"Huh?" Farley looked confused.
"It does not matter at the moment," Ki continued. "We must either stop Jessie or rescue her if she has been captured. It they have her, a show of force would be useless. One or two men. who are clever, would be much more effective in safely freeing her." Ki looked at Longarm. "And saving Jessie is our first concern. Agreed?"
"Me and you." Longarm nodded. "Agreed."
As they started off, Longarm told the governor, "You'd better telegraph the army, after all. They can get here sooner than the Rangers."
The governor looked doubtful. "That would mean martial law, after all. I've made campaign promises…"
"You've got no choice," Longarm said impatiently. "Farley here doesn't have the manpower. The ranchers have to keep their cowboys watching over the herds in case those riders try to butcher the cattle with those" — he looked at Ki — "coffee grinders."
"Why would they want to do that?" the governor asked.
"To prevent the cattle from going to market, and in that way bankrupt the cattlemen," Ki said. "If tonight's attempt at terrorizing the ranchers fails, the next step may be simply to destroy the cattle."
"With those weapons, nine men could do it easy," Longarm muttered. "And I've got a nasty feeling there are more than nine."
"This is foolishness!" the governor exclaimed. "I suppose you believe that poppycock about Europeans trying to take over the cattle industry. That Jessie has some fool notion, and you boys believe her!"
'It is the truth," Ki said. "Earlier this evening I encountered one of the foreign men Jessie spoke of."
"Probably a businessman." the governor grumbled.
"This man and I struggled," Ki pressed on. "He was no businessman, but a professional killer. From him I obtained proof, which I turned over to Jessie."
"What kind of proof?" the governor asked cunningly.
"This I do not know," Ki admitted. "But the items had great significance to Jessie."
"There you arc, men," the governor called out. "I wanted to look out for her because of my friendship with her daddy. But she's going too far…"
"Longarm, we are wasting time," Ki said disgustedly.
"Don't you use that tone of voice with me. boy," the governor warned.
"All of you!" Ki shouted, addressing the ranchers. "You know what you owe the Starbuck family." He turned to point at the governor. "You owe this man nothing!" Turning back, he shouted, "Will you stand by your debts of honor to Alex Starbuck, for what he has done for you in the past, and Jessie Starbuck, for what she has given you this night?"
As the ranchers nodded and called out their agreement, the governor told his two Rangers. "Arrest that slant-eyed bastard."
What happened next was too fast for even Longarm to see. One moment the two Rangers were bracketing Ki, and the next they were on the ground, one clutching at his throat and coughing, the other on his knees, his forehead pressed against the dirt, his arms wrapped around his rib cage. Ki had only seemed to flex his muscles; the hand movemen
ts had been just a blur…
The governor stood quietly as Ki plucked the Ranger's pistols from their holsters and tossed them away. The politician opened his mouth to say something, but then thought better of it.
"If you do not send for the army, as Longarm asks, I will come back and kill you," Ki said calmly. "You might surround yourself with guards. It will not help. At night, just before you drop off to sleep, you will hear a sound. You will open your eyes to see me standing over you." Ki smiled. "Do you understand, Governor?"
The Governor looked at Farley, who seemed suddenly occupied with his gunshot wound. He glanced at his two Ranger bodyguards. One seemed to have slipped into unconsciousness. The other tried to get to his feet, but then collapsed with a long, low moan of pain.
Licking his dry lips, the governor mumbled, "Why, yes, I understand."
"Longarm?" Ki walked away.
"Right. Farley, if he doesn't call in the army, you do it. We'll leave a trail a blind man could follow."
He followed Ki around to the front of the burned-out building, where their two horses were standing ready. Longarm checked his rifle to make sure it was in working order, and was about to mount up when Ki stopped him.
"I must return to the Circle-Star to get what I need to battle these men effectively. For me to come with you now would be a waste. I have only a few throwing blades."
"What about that?" Longarm asked, pointing at Ki's gunbelt.
The samurai only shook his head. "I will be several hours behind you. Save her if you can, but if you get into trouble, know that I will save you both." He offered a sardonic grin. "This time, I will be your ace-in-the-hole."
"Mine or Jessie's?" Longarm asked sarcastically.
Ki turned away in pain and consternation.
"You love her. Admit it!" Longarm demanded. He grabbed Ki's arm and spun him around. "You love her," he repeated softly. "And you know that I do as well. Admit it."
"My friend," Ki began plaintively, "that my jealousy is so apparent is my shame, but know that I blame you for nothing. It is not a matter of my admitting what is true, but of living the life I have been given. Your love for her steals nothing from me. I cannot be robbed of what I can never have. Longarm, save her if possible. In exchange I will rescue you both, even if it costs me my life."
