by Lilah Rivers
They could have been sent by Josh Callahan to punish me for not going along with his scheme, to intimidate me into complying. Or it could be that they’re sent by homesteaders or local ranchers acting on their own. I doubt old Barton Callahan would sanction such a thing, or the Archer man, Elroy.
“I … I haven’t gotten much money,” Parker said, reaching into his pocket. “A few dollars, but you can have it.” Without a word, they stepped to within arm’s reach. “I … I have a watch you can sell, it might be worth a few dollars.”
Decker would send men of this sort without a doubt. But … why? I’m still of value to him, aren’t I? Perhaps he and my good friend Otis Remington have conspired to cut me out of the loop. Well, it won’t be long before Otis is fed to the dogs as well.
Parker pulled out his watch and gold chain and held it out to the man closest to him. The man glanced at the others and they back at him before he reached out and took the watch. He brought it in close and took a closer look before nodding and pocketing the watch and chain.
“All right then,” Parker said, “fair enough, well done.” Parker tried to take a step but the men in front of them didn’t budge. He tried to turn but the men behind him gave him no room.
It was all over for Parker Bristol.
“Please, gentlemen,” he said in a quivering voice, “I beg you … I don’t know what this is about!”
Bang! Bang!
The five men all looked over at once, Otis Remington marching toward them, a six-gun in each hand. He’d shot two into the air, but he lowered the gun to match the other, pointed at Parker and the four men around him. “Stand down, you thugs!”
At first they just stood there, swapping uncertain expressions as Otis approached. “What’re you doin’ here with this man!” He fired once again in the air, re-aiming it at the thugs. “Answer me!”
“Just takin’ a walk, mister.”
Another said, “Don’t you run the saloon?”
“That’s right, and the thugs your boss sent to take care of me weren’t any better at it than you dummies are. Go back and tell him so … or do I have to do to you what me an’ my boys did to the others?”
He fired into the air again, and the men stepped away, eyes shifting from each other to Parker and back to Otis. They stepped back slowly, turning to cast mean glares at Parker and Otis. “See you ‘round, land man.”
“We’ll come by the saloon sometime,” another said, “have a nice drink.”
“You’re welcome any time.” Otis sneered as the men collected into a single group of four and walked back toward the thoroughfare.
Otis walked up to Parker, looking him over. “You all right, Parker?”
Parker nodded. “Thanks to you.”
“Hey, we have to stick together, now more than ever.”
Parker tried to catch his breath. “You really got hit too?”
“Four of ‘em, just like you. But I let ‘em live, don’t worry.” They both looked around the quiet street. “I’d say things have changed for us here, Parker.”
“Any idea who sent ‘em? The locals, maybe?”
“I didn’t recognize any of ‘em from my saloon, not one outta six. That tells me they ain’t from around here.”
Parker shrugged as he thought it through. “Could be brought in from other ranches, different counties. Make us think Decker’s behind it.”
“Or it could be Decker. I’d bet the farm that boy took his offer up to Decker, now the big man’s cleaning house.”
Parker thought it through. “You think he and Decker together are cutting us out?”
“Or Decker’s making a unilateral move, wipe the slate clean. He could have other men ready to put into your position and mine, Parker. The West is crawling with such men … and they do crawl.”
A knowing silence surrounded the two men.
“Well,” Parker asked, “what do we do? Could cut our losses and high-tail it. I was thinking about a fresh start anyway.”
“Not me,” Otis said. “I built up a good place with a good clientele.”
“You were ready to cut loose of it before, Otis.”
“Because of the money Decker was promising us! I can build a new saloon if I need to, Parker, probably won’t even have to do that! But that brash young fella may have been right about Decker’s plans to clean house. You and I’d be the first ones t’go. But like I said, all I got in the world is that saloon, and waking up under the trees has lost its appeal for me. I’m gonna stand my ground, come hell or high water.”
Parker looked around, reasoning things out. Leaving wouldn’t necessarily solve the problem or preserve Parker’s life, and he wasn’t looking forward to a future of constantly having to look over his shoulder.
Decker had to go, and Otis seemed to know it as well as he did. So when Otis said, “Suppose we should go see the kid,” Parker wasn’t surprised.
Chapter 45
Josh glanced at his father Barton, who was shocked that Parker and Otis had come to visit them. But Barton read Josh’s stern expression, wordlessly telling his father to play along. So Barton kept quiet for the most part, looking on as Josh handled the two men like the new head of the family.
“And you bring this to me,” Josh said, “despite suspicions that I may yet be involved in the attack myself, in league with Decker.”
Otis and Parker exchanged a guilty glance, and then nodded. Josh went on, “I’m glad you took the chance. Decker refused my offer, just as we discussed he might.”
Barton looked like he was about speak up at this information, new to him. But he did not, and Josh was more than glad; he was free to go on saving the family. He was fast emerging as the only hope of doing that, even skeptical Barton seemed to be realizing.
“And now he’s come after you,” Josh said, “just as I said he would.”
“Decker,” Barton said, shaking his head, “I tried my best with the man, but he’s not to be trusted!”
“We don’t have to trust him,” Josh said. “Bristol, you’re his man in the land office. And you’ve been burying the homesteaders’ claims in favor of Decker and the ranchers?”
Parker sighed and had to nod. “He’ll have first dibs on the land once I can legitimately refute the homesteaders’ claims on that land, yes.”
Barton asked, “What’s the hold up on that?”
“Decker,” was Parker’s simple answer.
Josh and Barton shared a glance before Josh asked Bristol, “Can you challenge his claims on his own land? Man like that probably cheated the rules at every turn.”
Parker rubbed his chin, staring off as he hummed to himself. “Could be a question of eminent domain, under the right circumstances.”
“What circumstances?”
“Military necessity, I think … I’m not really sure, to tell you the truth.”
“Find out,” Josh said, turning to Otis. “Remington, we need to sooth tensions between the ranchers and the homesteaders. What can you do there?”
Otis looked around and shrugged. “Well, soothing tensions is basically my business.”
“Spread it around then, among your staff and clientele, you know how people talk. Nothing brings people together like a common enemy, especially wealthy outsiders like Decker.”
Otis cracked a humble smile. “Kid, I don’t wanna start a riot!”
“That’s right, you don’t, but it’ll make it all the easier for me to be able to when … and if … it becomes necessary.”
Barton said, “I should ride out to Archer’s place, tell him, make sure his family’s safe, let him know what we’re doing.”
Josh flashed on the sad news about Bella’s true romance and her untrustworthiness. If she was a spy or a plant, Josh had reasoned, she’d been sent by her father or Decker or perhaps both.
“I dunno, Pop. I don’t think we can trust the Archers.”
“Elroy Archer’s a good man, a good friend, Josh. I won’t betray him.”
“But … would he betra
y us?”
“To Decker? I hardly think. In any case, we’ll have to take that chance.”
Josh knew he had no choice but to go along with the plan. “I’ll go,” he said. “It could be dangerous, and you’re too important to the negotiations.”
“No, Josh,” Barton said, “it’s my responsibility. You stay here or go with Bristol, whichever you think is best.” After a tender silence, Barton added, “I trust you entirely.”
Josh tried to smile, but he felt like vomiting. He had no way of knowing what the disposition of the Archers was regarding him and his so-called romance with Bella. If they were all in on it, and it seemed certain to Josh, then the father Elroy would have little reason to mention it to Barton and every reason to keep it secret. But he may not know that Father doesn’t know, he may mention it as a matter of known fact. If Father finds out about that, he won’t trust me very much longer.
Josh silently repeated, Not trust me? He could disown me! I’d lose his love and respect forever, live the rest of my life in scorn and shame and perhaps rightfully so. What kind of life will that be for me and Bella and our new family? No, I deserve better, and so does Pop. So does Bella, and so do our children, whenever they are born.
But there was nothing Josh could do about it but let his father go and live in the terrible suspense of not knowing, of imagining the worst and waiting for it to be confirmed. And Josh had other conflicts on his mind as well, ones which were going to lead to wholesale slaughter if he didn’t play things precisely right. Judging by what was likely to happen with his father in the coming hours, Josh guessed his odds of getting everything precisely right were slim to none, if it wasn’t already too late.
Chapter 46
Barton rode up to the Archer homestead slowly and with his hands empty so there could be no misunderstanding. The two men had a friendship and a mutual respect, but the times were threatening to change all that forever.
Archer stepped out of the house as Barton rode up. The two men shared a nod, and Barton climbed down off his horse.
“Elroy.”
“Barton.”
“What brings you, good news?”
“I suppose that depends on how you look at it.” Having peaked Elroy’s curiosity, Barton went on, “Josh has managed to turn the land man Bristol, and the saloon owner.”
“Otis Remington?”
“Himself,” Barton said. “Seems Decker’s coming after his two allies. Bristol’s going to finalize the homesteaders’ claims on the commons and look into challenging Decker’s own claims. He’s got Remington spreading the word among the locals that it’s Decker been up to all the ruckus, and that he’s on the way out. I’ll spread word among the ranchers if you’ll do the same among the homesteaders.”
“Of course,” Elroy was quick to say, “if it’s not too late. They’re spoiling for a fight.”
Barton nodded, eyes finding the ground. “Local ranchers too. But if there’s even a chance, we should take it.”
Elroy glanced around. “My neighbors are getting … suspicious of me. One more caution and they may raise an angry fist.”
“Mine are of the same disposition. Even so.” The two men shared a nod and a resolved sigh. Barton asked, “What about your women?”
“I’m sending them into town, later today if possible. I’d arranged to have them there by now but Remington and Bristol interrupted my schedule.”
“I see. You’ve got them at the Barnock Central?” Elroy nodded, and Bristol went on, “My Helen refuses to leave, so I can only hope the fighting doesn’t make it all the way back here.” Elroy nodded too, both men living with the sad certainty that they were going to have to kill each other, their sons fighting to the death, within just a day or two.
Elroy said, “So … do you want to come clean?”
“Come clean? About what? I’ve never lied to you about anything, you should know that.”
Elroy said, “You don’t know then.”
“Know what?” After a suspenseful second, Barton said, “Maybe it’s time you came clean with me!”
“All right, well, and I just learned this myself, Barton, but ... it turns out there was something of a romance blossoming between my Josh and your Bella.”
“A … a what?”
“I know; I was shocked when I found out too, just a day or so ago.”
“A … what are you talking about, Elroy?”
“It seems they met weeks ago, at the creek near the commons. They struck each other’s fancy, Barton.”
“Their … their fancy?”
“Oh come on, Barton, we’re not so old that we’ve forgotten the ways of the heart, are we?” In the pause Barton took to consider, Elroy went on, “Now my Bella had a suitor, Turner Moss, you may know him.”
“Of the general store, his father just passed.”
“Yes, well, the boy had proposed to Bella on the very day he died, and she never had a chance to formally refuse his proposal. It was a delicate time, but the Moss lad misunderstood, and there wasn’t time to clear it up before your son Josh apparently heard and saw the wrong thing at the wrong time.”
Barton shrugged. “He’s made no mention of it to me.”
“My daughter’s heartbroken about it. She said she left word with your boy Hugh to help explain things, but she’s heard nothing from him. She assumes the worst.”
Barton rubbed his chin and shook his head, staring into his imagination to picture it. “Bella and Josh … and you … you approve?”
“Not at first, but … they’ve been trying to correct things between the ranchers and the homesteaders. We had the same goal, Barton, and the same idea, turning the land man and the saloon owner. They managed to do it!”
Barton tried to process this new information, emotion interfering with his reasoning. “All the danger they’ve put us in. If this got out among the locals, they’d string us all up, you realize that?”
“They’re ready to do that anyway if they don’t kill each other first. Besides, when did you ever take a position just because it was the popular position?”
“Never! Popular or not, a man does what’s right, always.”
“And what’s not right about our kids getting together? Your Josh is a good man, worthy, Bella says she sees incredible cleverness in him. He’s certainly courageous, forward-thinking …”
“And your Bella is a lovely person, inside and out. I’d have no objection at all to the union on the face of it, but ... now? It’s terribly risky, Elroy.”
“It is, Barton, yes, but they could wind up saving us all. And even if not, even if we all must meet again at the Feet of the Lord, at least we’ll know we did the right thing, stood by our kids, supported love and not hate.”
Barton couldn’t disagree, and as always he was impressed with his friend’s eloquence. “You make good sense as always, Elroy. When I see Josh, I’ll tell him. Once all this is over, we’ll make sure things between them are straightened out.”
