Dark Territory

by Terrence McCauley

  “Life’s not fair, Charlie. Now, you get copies of all the papers from the territory, don’t you?”

  Harrington waggled his hand back and forth. “With varying degrees of regularity, but yes, we do. Why?”

  “You remember the train robberies we’ve been having in the area?”

  “Not technically in the area as far as the Record is concerned, but farther down the line. We have run stories from other publications about them, but Mr. Van Dorn doesn’t want us featuring it.”

  Mackey caught that. “You mean he told you personally to not run a story?”

  “Well, not exactly personally,” Harrington admitted, “but through his manager Mr. Grant. A most excellent man, wouldn’t you say?”

  “Quit trying to sound cultured, Charlie. I knew you when you lived above the North End Livery.”

  Harrington frowned. “You have a vicious memory, Aaron Mackey. Worse than your father’s, and that’s saying something.”

  “Quit showering me with compliments and let me see a copy of each edition of the Record that covers the robberies.”

  “I can have them brought over to you by the end of the day.”

  Mackey stood up and went to the door. “You can have one of your people show me now or I tear the place apart looking for them. I’ll make sure to make a mess when I do.”

  Harrington scrambled out from behind his desk faster than Mackey thought such a round man could. “Jesus, Aaron. Why do you have to be so flinty all the time? A little humor wouldn’t kill you, you know?”

  “Don’t be so sure.”

  Harrington opened the door and called one of his clerks into his office and told him the sheriff’s request.

  “And be quick about it,” Harrington called after him as he ran off to accomplish his task. To the sheriff, he said, “Happy now?”

  “No. It’s been a long day. I’ll make a deal with you. If you send one of your people by my office around four, I’ll let you read the report so you can have it for your morning edition. That’s whether or not you drop off the editions before then. Happy?”

  Harrington softened. “Good God. That’s as close to an apology as I’ve ever gotten from you. That wasn’t so hard, now was it?”

  Mackey eased past his belly on his way out. “Speak for yourself.”

  Chapter 6

  Seeing as how the Record building was halfway between the jail and Katie’s Place, Mackey decided to split the difference and have lunch with Katherine. Her hotel smelled a lot better than the jail, anyway.

  He found Joshua Sandborne cleaning glasses in the hotel bar. Like many people in and around town, he had suffered at the hands of Darabont when the raiders burned down the JT Ranch, along with all of the mining and logging camps. Mackey, Billy, and the small posse they had cobbled together to chase Darabont had found Sandborne wandering along the trail, half dead once Darabont’s men got through with him.

  The young man had proven to be tougher than he looked. He recovered from his injuries and proved himself admirably when they finally caught Darabont and his men. He and most of the women they had rescued found a home at Katie’s Place. The women who could work chose to do so as cooks, bookkeepers, and as maids upstairs.

  With his job at the JT Ranch gone, Sandborne filled Old Wilkes’s spot as bartender, bouncer, handyman, and pretty much anything else Katherine needed him to be.

  “Afternoon, sheriff,” Sandborne greeted Mackey when he saw his reflection in the mirror above the bar. “What brings you around so early?”

  Mackey could not help but like the young man’s enthusiasm. He was only twenty, or so Sandborne claimed, but he had already seen so much of life. A few of the patrons mistook his youth for weakness and found there was more to this thin young man than they first believed.

  “Was hoping to join Miss Katherine for lunch. She around?”

  “She’s in the back, looking over things like she always does this time of day.” He set the clean glass among the others and leaned across the bar. “I heard about what happened earlier today down by the jail. You know, if you ever need an extra deputy, I’d be honored to fill in.”

  Mackey was fond of Sandborne, too fond to get him involved in gunplay. “I’ll keep it in mind. In the meantime, I need you to watch over things here and help Miss Katherine whenever you can.”

  Sandborne assured him he would as Mackey walked into the dining room. He found Katherine visiting each of her guests as they enjoyed lunch. The hotel had a reputation for offering the best food in town and was as popular a destination for locals as it was for travelers.

  Despite a life spent facing Apache and Comanche; bandits and bad men, ranchers and drovers, Mackey always felt just a bit nervous whenever he saw her.

  Mrs. Katherine Campbell was tall for a woman, though not as tall as him and Billy. She was thin, but not as scrawny as his wife, Mary, had been or hefty as some of Sam Warren’s whores at the Tin Horn Saloon. Her hair was light brown, which suited her fair complexion. Lately, a streak of gray had appeared in the middle of her hair, hastened, no doubt, by her experiences as a captive of Darabont. She had not fretted about the gray and neither did Mackey.

  Her high cheekbones and bright blue eyes gave her a strong, yet friendly countenance. Peaceful, Mackey thought, though far from innocent. She came from a good Boston bloodline and could trace her heritage as far back as the Mayflower.

  Their affair had begun in Boston, back when she had been the young wife of a much older major, and Mackey was a lieutenant awaiting his promotion to captaincy. They only had the pleasure of one summer together before his reassignment to the Arizona Territory came through, but those precious weeks had formed the foundation of a love that had lasted ever since.

  It was that love that had brought her to Dover Station, in an effort to rekindle their romance following the death of her husband. It was an unrequited romance as Mackey was already married at that time. It was that love that haunted Mackey when Darabont had taken her and he cursed himself for being too selfish to send her back to her family in Boston.

  She was made for carriage rides around Boston Common and hosting parties in her family’s town home on Beacon Hill. She had no business being in the harsh Montana wilderness, yet here she was, and he was the reason why. He begged her to return to Boston after he had brought her back from Darabont and his men. Yet, despite all she had endured, she refused to let him take away the life she had chosen for herself. Her life with Aaron Mackey.

  She saw him when she looked up as she moved between tables and acquired that special look she reserved only for him. A softening of her face and a certain smile he never saw until they were alone.

  A smile that warmed him in a way nothing else ever had and served to drive all thoughts of dead men and Grant’s ambitions for the town from his mind.

  She inclined her head just enough to signal him to join her in the back room that served as her office. He took off his hat and naturally complied, acknowledging the few greetings he received from the various patrons as he passed their tables.

  She joined him in the office a few moments later, quickly closing the door behind her as she rushed into his arms. Her kiss was as tender, yet as intense as their first kiss back in Boston all those years ago. A lifetime ago, really, back when they had each lived different lives.

  She broke off the kiss first as she always did, burying her head in his chest as she hugged him tightly. “Sheriff Mackey. How you make me forget myself.”

  He smiled as he laid his chin atop her head, breathing in the fragrance of her hair. She claimed it was only rose water, but rose water had never had such a calming effect on him before.

  He began to feel sleepy as she slowly began to rub his back. “And you, Mrs. Campbell, are pretty distracting in your own right.”

  She was quiet for a moment. “I heard about what happened today. At Tent City and at the new building they’re putting up.”

  He hoped she hadn’t heard yet, but news spread quickly in Dover Station. “
How many men did they tell you I killed? Number seems to be somewhere between four and one.”

  “Oh, I didn’t care about that,” she said, “just that you were okay. I know you don’t take killing lightly.”

  He caressed her hair. “I know, but it had to be done. For the record, I only killed one man, a Bollard twin. The other bled out from a knife wound to the belly. He shotgunned the man who stabbed him. Billy killed the man at the construction site, not me. Funny, I used to be the one doing all the killing. Must be getting soft in my old age.”

  She lifted her head from his chest as she pulled his hips closer to her. “Funny. You don’t feel soft to me.”

  He felt himself blush. He had never known what blushing was until she came into his life. “That’s your fault.”

  She laughed and slapped him on the rump. “Good. I’m glad.” She began to mindlessly straighten his collar, though it did not need straightening. “I had a visitor today.”

  In all his life, he had never known anyone else who could say so much simply by changing the tone of their voice. That was why he knew something was bothering her. “Who was it?”

  “James Grant stopped by to see me.” She must have felt a change in him, for she quickly added, “Now, don’t get upset. It was a social call. We met in the parlor before God and everyone.”

  Mackey had heard rumors from Pappy that Grant had designs on Katherine. And although the sheriff and the widow were not officially a proper couple, their relationship was an open, scandalous secret. Aaron was still technically married to Mary, although she had chosen to abandon him following the siege. She didn’t believe his intentions in tracking down Darabont and his captives had been entirely pure. She knew Katherine had been one of the hostages and knew, deep down, it was the main reason why he rode after them. It had not been the entire reason, but enough to cause Mary to leave. She had been naïve about many things, but his feelings for Katherine had never been one of them.

  Mackey tried to keep the anger out of his voice. “What did Grant want?”

  “Just the usual proposition,” she said. “He offered to buy the hotel from me again.”

  Mackey knew the Dover Station Company had made many generous offers to buy the hotel in the past six months, but Katherine had turned Grant down each time. “And what did you say?”

  “What I always say. That it’s not for sale at the moment, but he would be the first person I contacted if I decided to change my mind. Only this time, he made an interesting request. He asked if I would consider changing the name of the hotel to The Campbell House. He said “Katie’s Place” was a bit too informal and failed to reflect the standards of a town on the rise.” She laughed to herself. “I have to admit he has a point. I kind of like the sound of it.”

  Mackey knew that was part of Grant’s charm. He was never totally wrong and had a way of making his ideas seem like your own. “What did you say?”

  “I told him I’d think about it, but agreed the idea had merit.” That laugh again. “You know, sometimes I think he likes to visit me just for the conversation. I don’t think too many people stand up to him.”

  He kissed her forehead. “I think he’s got more on his mind than conversation.”

  She pressed against him again. “Reminds me of someone else I know.”

  They kissed again, longer this time, before she gently stopped. “Personally, I think Mackey Manor has a much nicer sound to it.”

  “Sounds like a jail,” the sheriff said, “though the idea of you being Mrs. Mackey makes anything sound a hell of a lot nicer.”

  He felt her body stiffen as she looked away, and he immediately regretted forgetting himself. “I’m sorry, Kate. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

  “You didn’t upset me. It’s just that I won’t do that to you.” She gently took his face in her hands. “You were already married to one impossible woman. I won’t let you get tied down to another.”

  He slowly ran his hands along her arms. “You’re nothing like Mary. She made herself miserable and me along with it.”

  “And how could I offer you anything different? God, Aaron, I haven’t even been able to step out of my own hotel since you brought me back. I don’t even like going out on the boardwalk.” Her eyes began to water. “It’s been so long since everything happened. I should be getting better by now, but I’m not. I can’t.”

  He thumbed away the tears from her cheeks. “There was a time when you first came back where you wouldn’t leave your room. Then you weren’t able to come down the stairs. Now you’re able to glide around the dining room like a princess.”

  She rapped him on the chest. “I’m a Yankee, not a Brit. We left all those trappings behind, thank you very much.”

  He laughed. “Then how about gliding around like an angel?”

  “Now I know you’re lying.” She hugged him again, even tighter than before. “But I love you for saying so.”

  He felt her tension melt away into his body. It made him feel good to be able to do that for her. He protected a town, so he should be able to do the same for the woman he loved. “There’s no timetable for pain, Kate. The healing will take as long as it takes. And no matter how long it takes, I’ll be right here.”

  Her voice was soft when she asked, “What do you think ‘here’ will look like, Aaron? The town, I mean. I hear all sorts of things from my guests. Talk of plans Van Dorn and Grant have for the town. I don’t think anything will be the same anymore. And I don’t know what that means for you.”

  Mackey didn’t know, either. And at that exact moment, he didn’t care. “Whatever happens won’t matter. It’s you and me from now on. And there are plenty of other places we can live.”

  “If I can ever get up the strength to leave my own hotel.”

  “You will when you’re ready.”

  She hugged him tighter.

  As much as he did not want to think of the outside world, he decided now was the time to discuss Mr. Rice’s request. If he did not do it now, he might not mention it at all.

  “Mr. Rice has asked me to look into something for him personally. Might be gone for a week or so.”

  “Do you want to do it?”

  “Not particularly,” he admitted, “but he’s done a lot for this town, and he sounds like he needs me. I feel like I owe it to him to at least try. But I won’t go if you’re not up to it.”

  “Is it about the train robberies I’ve read about in the papers?”

  Mackey smiled. He should have known she would have read about them. “Yeah, it is. He wants me to look into it, but something tells me he doesn’t want Grant to know about it. He sent the telegram directly to me.”

  “Then he might not trust Grant any more than you do.”

  “That’s my impression, but I won’t know that until I talk to him personally. And I can’t ask him that over a telegram. Too many eyes could see it, including Grant’s.”

  Katherine placed her head on his chest and grew quiet, the way she always did when she thought. “Are you going to tell him your concerns about Grant?”

  “If he gives me the chance, sure. Why?”

  “Because if you’re going to do that, you have to do it the right way.”

  She never ceased to amaze him. He gently eased her away and asked, “How?”

  Katherine smiled. “Because you can’t tell a man like Rice anything straight on. He’s made his money shooting holes in ideas, then filling them in again his way. You can’t just tell him Grant’s acting on his own. You’ll be implying that Rice doesn’t know what’s going on in his own company, and he could get defensive. You have to lay out the facts and let Mr. Rice come to his own conclusions. Make it seem like it’s his idea. It’ll stick better.”

  Mackey was genuinely impressed. “I never thought of it that way.”

  “Of course, you didn’t. You’re used to just giving an order and expecting it to be followed. A woman can’t just bark at a man all the time, or she’s considered shrill and eventually gets ignored. Hin
ts and influence work better.”

  Mackey laughed, actually laughed, for the first time since he could remember. “How the hell did you get so smart?”

  “The benefit of years spent in polite society in Boston, of course.”

  He held her tighter. Her words made him feel better already. “And you’re sure you don’t mind me leaving town to help Mr. Rice?”

  “Nonsense,” she said. “I’ll be fine. I’ve got the girls here if I need anything. Jessica has become my right arm and Joshua is just like Wilkes except much younger. He has a way with handling the drunks, too, without them swinging or shooting.”

  “He’s happy to have the job,” Mackey said. “Smells a hell of a lot better in here than it does with cattle and horses.”

  “See? Nothing for you to worry about then.” She picked her head off his chest and looked at him. “You’re a lawman, Aaron. You’ve got a job to do, and I have no intention of changing that.”

  He had not heard her sound this strong in months. He decided she could stand a little teasing. “So I don’t have to worry about Mr. Grant moving in while I’m gone?”

  “Mr. Grant is many things, but he’s not you.” She looked into his eyes as she slowly moved her hands up and down his back. “I won’t change my mind, but you’ll have to make it up to me first.”

  He realized she was putting all of her weight against him, pushing him toward the back stairs leading up to their bedroom.

  And the thought of resisting never entered his mind.

  Chapter 7

  When he got back to the jail later that afternoon, he found Billy reading the editions of the Record that Harrington’s clerk had dropped off for him to read.

  Without looking up from the paper, Billy asked, “How was Miss Katherine?”

  “How did you know I was with her?”

  “Been around long enough to recognize that glow when I see it. Besides, when you’re not here and you’re not on patrol, you’re over there. Can’t say as I blame you. She getting better?”