Doc got his small gun closed and latched, pulling back the hammer just as the second man reached the barrel and saw him. “Bad day.”
The man screamed and fired a wild round as he tried to bring his gun up. Doc felt tearing pain hit his leg before he fired twice in quick succession. Panting in discomfort as the other man collapsed on the far side of the barrel, Doc looked down and saw blood flowing from his leg.
“Someone get the sheriff!” a voice cried from the alley’s entrance.
Grimacing, Doc pulled out the vial he’d picked up that morning and drank it. The pain in his leg ebbed, but it began to itch furiously. Using healing hands, he touched his leg and the sensation vanished. Knowing Grange would be coming, he slipped the handkerchief from his pocket and wrapped it around what had been the wound.
Leaning against the wall, he emptied out the derringer and put it back into his vest. He breathed slowly as he waited, but it wasn’t long before Grange and the deputies arrived.
“Close off the alley! Look for signs of what happened!” Grange barked in command.
“By the barrel, Sheriff,” Doc said.
“Come out with your hands visible,” Grange growled.
“Easy for you to say. You weren’t shot in the leg,” Doc said as he put both hands on the barrel and pulled himself up as if his leg was not fully healed. “Afternoon.”
“Holyday!” Grange spat. “Two more dead, is it?”
“I was being robbed,” Doc retorted.
“Only one gun,” one of the deputies pointed out.
“Two men with a single gun, but both of them are shot,” Grange said, an evil smile touching his lips. “Hard to talk your way out of this one.”
Doc motioned to the man further away. “He was robbing me. He was by the barrel, making me count out the coin. When he focused on the money, I drew and shot him twice. Ducking behind the barrel to reload, his accomplice came to check on him and picked up the gun. We exchanged shots, he winged my leg, and I got him.”
The deputies had been sniffing around the alley, and one of them checked Doc’s leg. “Bloody, but not bleeding now.”
“Vial,” Doc said, pointing to the empty bottle next to his boot.
The deputy picked it up and sniffed it. “Henrick’s stuff. Healing.”
Grange glowered at the deputy, who shifted back a few feet. His tail went down and he softly whimpered.
“That’s what happened,” Doc said to pull Grange’s hard glare off the deputy. He began putting his money back in his coin purse. “They caught me coming out of the courthouse.”
“Why rob you?” Grange asked pointedly. “How would they know you had coin?”
“The first guy I ran into at the livery a month ago,” Doc said. “He was trying to sell back a colic and was threatening the clerk. The marshal intervened and I gave him a verbal recounting of what had transpired. He took offense and apparently, held a grudge.”
“Spot, go check with the livery about the incident,” Grange said.
The deputy near Doc took off running, and Doc kept his face blank at hearing the bestial’s name.
“Can I go now, Sheriff?” Doc asked. “I’d like to get my leg seen to.”
“Fido, make sure he makes it wherever he’s going, and keep an eye on him. Until we hear from the livery, he’s a suspect.”
“Yes, sir,” the second deputy replied.
Doc pocketed his purse. “I’ll be going slow,” he told Fido as he began to walk away from Grange, making sure his pace was slow and slightly limping.
Away from the alley, Doc exhaled. “He can be quite abrasive, can’t he?”
Fido didn’t reply, but Doc got the feeling the deputy was looking over his shoulder.
“A question, if you don’t mind? How did you and your brother come to work for him?”
Fido stayed silent for a moment and Doc thought he wasn’t going to answer, but he did start speaking after a while, “No one else would hire us, and we can track better than anyone else in town.”
“Are you under contract?”
“No, but we owe him,” Fido replied.
“I understand the sentiment,” Doc said softly. “How long are you going to work for him? Until you’ve paid enough?”
Fido didn’t reply.
“Something to consider: good men are hard to find, and the Lily needs good men. If you and your brother want a new job, with better pay and a boss who treats you like they do everyone they deal with, there are jobs open for you. You’ve been fair and always stick to the truth, which I think is the best trait someone can have. The choice is yours.”
Fido didn’t say anything, but Doc thought he could hear the gears turning in the bestial’s head.
“Grange hates you,” Fido said softly.
“I called him deputy that first day,” Doc admitted. “I had no idea he was the sheriff. He took offense to it.”
Fido covered a laugh with a cough. “He would. You implied he was like us.”
“I would never do that,” Doc said. He let the statement sit there before he followed up with, “After all, you’ve been decent to me, and I’d hate to insult a good man.”
Fido nearly stumbled, but managed to keep walking. “We aren’t men.”
“With that voice, you surely aren’t a woman,” Doc said casually, “so, you’re a man, even if you aren’t human.”
Fido sniffed loudly. “Neither are you.”
“Never said I was,” Doc replied. “I just let people assume what they will.”
“We haven’t told him,” Fido said after a moment. “You’ve been kind to us, even when we treat you like a criminal.”
“Well, I have been in a number of questionable situations,” Doc admitted.
“Innocent every time,” Fido said.
“I have Luck on my side,” Doc chuckled.
“You smell different when you say that,” Fido sniffed deeply. “Clean, crisp, nice.”
“A lady should be that, and Luck is a lady,” Doc replied as they reached the Lily. “I won’t be leaving the building unless someone comes for me.”
Fido nodded. “I will sit inside and make sure you don’t leave. Grange’s orders.”
“If I do need to leave, I’ll come find you,” Doc said. “Until then,” he entered the building, “I’m part owner, so your food and drink are on me.”
Fido’s lips pursed. “Bribe?”
“Nope, but you’re on guard duty, and a guard that’s hungry or thirsty is not as attentive. If it makes you feel better, you can pay for your own, though.”
“Doc?” Fiala asked as she traded her dealer’s spot with Lotus.
“I ran into some trouble on the way back,” Doc said lightly. “The deputy here is to make sure Grange knows where I am.” He went to the bar, where Cassia was switching out with Jasmine. “Cassia, the deputy can have drinks and food on me if he wants, or he can pay for himself. Either way, make sure he’s well cared for, please.”
“Sure, Doc,” Cassia said, looking at Fido. “What can I get you?”
“I’ll be in the dining room conducting business,” Doc told Fido, who was standing there, looking uncertain. “Will you let me know when Grange decides to stop this, please?”
Fido nodded slowly before turning back to Cassia. “Tea?”
“Of course, Deputy.”
Fiala followed Doc into the back, her eyes locked on the bloody pants and handkerchief on his calf. “Doc? What happened?”
“I’ll tell you once we’re sitting down,” Doc said.
“I’d like to hear it, as well,” Lia said, coming out of her room.
“Right this way, then,” Doc said, opening the private dining room. “And don’t worry— I’m not injured anymore.”
Fiala swallowed. “Which means you were. Again.”
“Yeah. It could’ve been bad, but Luck was with me.”
~*~*~
“Odd that he’d try to do something now,” Lia said once Doc finished telling his story.
“Probably ran out of money,” Doc said. “Rumor of the mine has to have been spreading by now, too.”
“Maybe,” Lia said. “What of the dwarves? Have they come to a decision?”
“Not that I know of, but Sonya ran into me at Henrick’s.”
“She came by and talked with me,” Fiala said.
Before she could elaborate, there was a knock on the door before Posy stuck her head in. “Dinner?”
“Please,” Doc said.
“Three, Posy,” Lia added.
“Three,” Posy nodded, leaving to go tell her mother.
“What about Sonya?” Doc asked.
“We talked, and will talk again,” Fiala said with a smile. “She sounded quite determined when we spoke earlier.”
“As stubborn as me,” Doc said.
“Having a dwarf beside you might make speaking with the other clans easier,” Lia said. “The same could be said for having an elf beside you to speak with the tribes.”
“Hmm, that’s true. I’m only a partial member of the clan here,” Doc said. “I’d have to marry into the clan to be fully accepted. Not sure how that would work as a shaman.”
“You do know that the tribes used to have shamans, as well?” Lia asked.
“I came to understand that with Rosa,” Doc nodded. “It was your shamans who helped bottle the nectar.”
“That was a minor part of what they did,” Lia said. “A shaman visiting the tribes would be big news to all the tribes. However, with you being as human-looking as you are, it would be tough to sell them on that unless you had a known and trusted elf beside you.”
Doc looked thoughtful. “Jesamin might be good for that... but that would leave the mine without their scout. That isn’t a good idea, after all.”
“Jesamin would be acceptable, at least to the closest tribes,” Lia said, “but as you said, that would leave the mine more vulnerable.”
“Ayla wouldn’t work because she’s a half-elf?” Doc asked, even though he knew the answer.
“Neither she nor Heather would work,” Lia said. “As much as I love my musician, she would not fare well outside this town.”
“A bridge to cross at a later date, though being viewed as a shaman for both the elves and dwarves does sound like it would help a great deal.”
Another knock on the door announced Posy and Daf with dinner, which stopped their conversation.
Chapter Fourteen
The next morning, Doc was finishing breakfast when a knock on his door got his attention. “Yeah?”
“Excuse me, Doc?” Otto asked, opening it and coming inside. “The elders would like to speak with you.”
“Figured they would once things settled down for them,” Doc said. “I just finished, so we can go.” He leaned over and kissed Fiala’s cheek. “See you later.”
“I look forward to it,” Fiala smiled. “We might have a guest for dinner.”
“Okay,” Doc nodded and scooped up his hat on the way out.
Otto blinked at Doc, but didn’t say anything until they were outside. “Didn’t expect to see you with a gun on your hip.”
“Almost got killed again yesterday,” Doc said matter-of-factly. “I don’t care for guns, but I’d rather have it and not need it than repeat what happened.”
“What happened?” Otto asked.
Doc explained as they walked through town. While they traveled, Doc noticed one of the deputies trailing them. “Looks like Grange just wants an excuse,” Doc sighed.
“Huh?”
“One of his deputies is following us a half street back. No, don’t look,” Doc said. “It’ll just make it worse.”
“But why is he wanting you followed?” Otto asked.
“That’s another story,” Doc snorted. “Long story short, I called him a deputy on my first day in town. He’s held a grudge ever since.”
“He looks down on the bestials,” Otto said slowly. “Pity. He’s a good man, otherwise.”
“I’m not so sure about that,” Doc said softly. “He lets known killers off with flimsy excuses, but grills a man who defends himself?”
Otto fell silent, having no reply to that.
~*~*~
Doc gave the two elders a smile. “Good morning, elders.”
“Good morning to you, Doc,” Becker replied. “Thank you for coming.”
“I said I would when you needed me. What can I do for the clan?”
“We have a few questions, Doc,” Koch said, clearly uncomfortable with the informality Doc wanted. “If you don’t mind?”
“I’ll answer what I can.”
“The mine is being aided by Jesamin, an elven huntress of local fame. How did this come to be?”
“Rangvald hired her,” Doc replied. “She’s proven a valuable asset, from what I’ve seen and heard.”
“You’re in business with Lillianna Treeheart. Does it end at the Lily?”
Doc raised an eyebrow. “Why?”
“We’d like to know how deep your ties are with the remnants of the tribe in the area.”
“Lia and I have a business relationship revolving around the Lily, but it might expand from there. I hope to help everyone in the town who wants to be free of the Darkness pervading the area.”
“Darkness?” Becker asked, clearly wanting to move away from the other topics.
“I know the elves have songs about it, but I’m not sure what the dwarves know,” Doc said. “Luck showed me the Darkness that encroaches on planets, slowly killing them until they fall completely. I’m fairly certain that the church of Apoc is the rot here.”
Koch jerked in his seat. “You plan to take on the church?”
“It’ll happen, but I won’t be the one who goes to them. They’ll come for me— of that, I’m almost certain. The Lily is a house of worship, and I’m healing people.”
“If they truly wish to fight you, you have little chance without aid,” Becker said.
“That’s probably true,” Doc agreed. “Did you have a proposal?”
Koch looked uncertain. “We thought about seeing if you’d join the clan fully and pick up the mantle of shaman, but if you’re going to draw the ire of the entire church…”
“It changes nothing,” Becker said firmly. “Even if he wasn’t considering it, you know as well as I do that if he continues to grow, the church will have no other option.”
Koch turned to her, his voice deepening into Dwarvish, “That’s not the point. Looking for a fight will always get you one.”
Becker replied just as firmly, “Not preparing for one means you are shortsighted and stupid.”
“Elders,” Doc said, speaking Dwarvish, “as I said, I won’t be the one starting it, though I’ll damned well be finishing it. It’ll be bad, difficult, and bloody, but the goddess knows that once I start, I don’t stop.”
All three dwarves in the room, Otto included, looked at Doc with wide eyes. “You speak our language?” Koch finally asked.
“Why wouldn’t I? I’m part dwarven,” Doc said.
“Because you aren’t from this world,” Becker said slowly.
“A fair point, but yes, I can understand and speak the human, dwarven, and elven languages,” Doc explained. “Gifts from Luck.”
“Ah... we apologize for speaking it as we did,” Koch said, looking a bit embarrassed.
“What happened to the last elder?” Doc asked. “Did he get removed?”
“He stepped down and denounced us for leading the clan into folly,” Becker said. “Only a small group of the clan is waiting to see what comes of this plan. The majority of the clan sides with us.”
“Who is taking up the third spot?” Doc asked. “From what I’ve heard, any elder council needs three.”
“We’ve asked Greta Redblade to fill the spot,” Becker said.
Doc’s forehead creased and he glanced at Otto, who was beaming. “Your wife? I never did ask your family name.”
“Redblade, which gave me no end of trouble when I started out as a ba
rber,” Otto said. “She is going through the rite to sit with them today. She’ll join them fully tomorrow.”
“Congratulations,” Doc said. “That’s big news, from what I gather.”
Cashing In (Luck's Voice Book 2) Page 11
