Lightning Wolves

by David Lee Summers

“I’ll make sure to suggest it to him.”

  Luther’s eyelids fluttered closed, but she was pleased to see he just slept. The guard held out her hand. “Time to go.”

  Fatemeh nodded and followed the guard and the soldiers back to her room.

  <<>>

  Masuda Hoshi listened as Professor Maravilla told about Bresnahan and Gird’s bank robbery in Tucson followed by their getaway. The professor had not been in his bedroll when Hoshi and the Shieffelins awoke. Hoshi decided to follow the Javelina’s trail while the Shieffelins waited for Maravilla. The samurai turned around when the Javelina’s trail disappeared at the railroad tracks. He returned to the camp soon after Maravilla. Al handed each of them a cup of coffee and asked where the professor had been. “Conferring with my… associate who has been watching Bresnahan and Gird.”

  “He must be a fast rider to get between Tucson and here in the time Hoshi was away,” remarked Ed.

  The professor sipped his coffee. Hoshi had seen no riders. Instead, he suspected the “demons” Billy and Luther discussed before he left Las Cruces, but remained silent on the matter. Throughout the narrative, it struck Hoshi that Maravilla seemed more concerned about what would become of the Javelina than the fate of people harmed or killed in Tucson.

  “The Javelina dropped into a hole, but it would seem that Gird was able to make a path back up to level ground.” Maravilla sounded almost giddy. “If we can disable the two men, we can drive it back.”

  “And return the money those scoundrels stole.” Ed stroked his long beard.

  Maravilla nodded. “Yes, yes,” he said, almost as an afterthought.

  Hoshi looked up at the sky. The sun approached the horizon. “We should set out right away, then.”

  “What?” Al’s eyebrows came together. “It’d be near midnight by the time we reached the Whetstones.”

  “That would be perfect,” said Hoshi. “If what the professor has told us is accurate...”

  “It is, you can rest assured,” interjected Maravilla.

  “...then they will be tired. One will probably be on watch while the other sleeps. I can disable the watchman while one of you captures the sleeper in his bedroll.”

  “And we just drive the Javelina out of its burrow.” Maravilla had a gleam in his eye.

  “Yes...” Hoshi narrowed his gaze and studied the professor a moment before turning his attention to the Shieffelin brothers. “Let’s have some dinner, then set out.”

  The Shieffelins agreed. Ed rustled up a quick rabbit stew, which included vegetables they had picked up when they were last in Tucson. Hoshi helped Al and Maravilla prepare the horses for the journey. By the time they finished, the stew was ready and the sun was setting. Hoshi found the rabbit tough and gamy for his taste. Nevertheless, he enjoyed the full meal after his sojourn through the desert. He longed for a cup of tea, but he contented himself with water from the San Pedro. He then asked to borrow the darkest clothes he could from the men. He rolled up a pair of Professor Maravilla’s trousers and one of Al’s jackets and strapped them to his saddle.

  After cleaning up from the meal, they set out. The moon provided some light, but still, they took the ride slow. There was no need to tire out the horses on this journey. They forded the river near the southern rim of the Whetstone Mountains and rode high. As they drew near the place where the ground had collapsed under the Javelina, Maravilla withdrew a small telescope and scanned the area. Not seeing them, they rode forward a few hundred yards and looked again. This time, Maravilla passed the telescope to Hoshi.

  Hoshi saw the broken Earth. Within the depression, moonlight glinted off black, glistening metal. The warrior nodded, then passed the telescope to Ed. He climbed off the horse and held out his thumb to gauge the distance, then retrieved the dark clothes he had borrowed. “Give me half an hour,” he said. “I will disable the guard first, then the sleeping man if I can.” He looked at the Shieffelins “I suggest you two follow. If I haven’t disabled the sleeping man, he’ll be your responsibility.”

  Hoshi removed his robe, then slipped on the black trousers and the dark jacket as he continued speaking. “After the men are disabled, you will drive the Javelina out of the hole. Then we’ll confer to figure out the best way to return what they’ve stolen.”

  “Sounds like a good plan to me,” said Ed.

  “I can see why Colonel Johnson put you in charge of tracking down that lightning gun,” said Al.

  “Thank you,” said Hoshi. “Now, let’s see if his faith is justified.” The warrior bowed, then crept off into the night. The clothes he wore were a little bigger than he’d liked. They rustled more than he wanted, but he hoped the two men were tired or drunk enough they wouldn’t hear him approach. Or, if they did, they would mistake the soft rustlings for the sound of some wild animal.

  Hoshi reached the hole’s edge without incident. A man he didn’t recognize sat atop the Javelina. He watched as the man’s jaw dropped onto his chest and stayed that way for a few minutes until he came awake with a start and looked around. Studying the area, Hoshi saw a campfire’s remains. From the bones nearby, he guessed the men had also had rabbit for supper.

  The warrior looked up at the stars and the moon. The Shieffelins would be following him by now. He took another look around. The second person was nowhere to be seen. Either he slept in the cave’s shadows or in the Javelina itself.

  Hoshi waited until the man atop the Javelina dozed off again, then jumped down into the pit. He made a soft thud as he landed, but quickly fell back into the shadows. Gird came awake again and looked around. His eyes passed over Hoshi, then moved on without stopping. A moment later, his chin dropped back on his chest.

  Hoshi took that moment to rush from the shadows to the rungs that climbed the machine’s flank. Gird woke and gave a startled gasp as he looked up. Before he could bring his gun to bear, Hoshi threw a punch from his waist and knocked the lawyer out cold.

  Looking around, he saw Ed and Al picking their way down the rocks into the cave. “Where’s the other one?” called Al.

  A shot rang out from the cave’s shadows. Al fell backward, a red wound blossoming in his gut. He writhed on the ground as his brother rushed to his side. Curly Bill emerged from the shadows. “I suggest you get your brother to a doctor real soon.”

  Hoshi drew his revolver and aimed at Curly Bill. “William Bresnahan, you are under arrest. Drop your gun.”

  “You drop your gun!” The voice came from the pit’s rim. Hoshi chanced a brief sideways glance. Two men led Professor Maravilla at gunpoint. One of them was Phineas Clanton. Hoshi didn’t recognize the other, but he looked like a brother.

  “Let Professor Maravilla help Ed Shieffelin get his brother to a horse, then I will drop my gun,” called Hoshi.

  The two Clantons looked at each other. After a moment, the younger one called out. “All right, but no funny business.” He shoved Maravilla forward. The professor climbed down into the cave and lay down his tailcoat. The two men then lifted Al onto the coat and used it as a makeshift stretcher to carry him from the cave.

  Two more men showed up on the rim and took in the scene. They appeared to be brothers—although not Clanton brothers—and they were armed. Hoshi let his own revolver fall to his feet where it landed with a clang.

  “Tom! Frank! About time you boys showed up,” called the younger Clanton.

  “All right Chinaman,” called one of the new arrivals. “Seems to me you got a choice. You can either follow your friends like a cowardly dog or stand there and let us aerate you.”

  Hoshi took a moment to evaluate the situation. Four men had the high ground. There was one man below. One was unconscious but stirring. To stay and try to fight was suicide. Better to retreat and fight another day. He climbed down from the Javelina and scrambled up the rocks after the Shieffelins and Maravilla. The derisive laughter from the Clantons and their friends rang in his ears.

  <<>>

  Larissa watched as Harris and Lorenzo pedaled unsteadily a
round the parade ground, attempting to get the hang of the bicycles. She remembered her first time on a bicycle, the type with a large wheel in front, belonging to a man who had hired her to collect a bounty. Part of her price had been to have him show her how to ride the novel contraption. She never really mastered it, but she was good enough that it didn’t take long to master the safety bicycles which were lower to the ground and more easily balanced.

  She waved at the two men and had them bring their bikes back toward the workshop. The fort’s blacksmith would be there soon to help her mount the engines and lightning guns. It was strange for her to work with a team. She was used to working alone and on her own schedule. Being on a team helped her stay focused. She wondered if that was a problem with Professor Maravilla. He had grown too accustomed to doing things at his own pace, starting and stopping, trying different things, different combinations until he found the right solution.

  As Harris and Lorenzo pedaled up, Larissa noticed Colonel Johnson approaching. He held a paper in one hand and a flat box under his arm. He tipped his hat, then held out the paper he carried. It was a telegram reporting that men in an armored war machine had robbed a bank and that the sheriff had been killed by a gun that fired lightning bolts. She handed the telegram to Sergeant Harris, who read it, then handed it to Sergeant Lorenzo.

  “Apparently Middleton is dead,” said the colonel, “and your Japanese farmer has failed to recover the lightning gun.”

  Lorenzo swallowed. “Yes, sir.”

  The colonel’s gaze drifted to Harris, then to Larissa. “What do you make of this giant war machine the telegram describes?”

  Larissa shook her head. “It sounds almost like a locomotive that doesn’t need rails. I’ve never...” Then she put her hand to her mouth and looked at Harris. “What if this Curly Bill Bresnahan somehow stole Professor Maravilla’s mining machine?”

  “Could that thing travel that far?” Harris’s brow creased.

  “If it had enough coal and water,” said Larissa.

  “I’m going to be in a lot of hot water with Washington real soon now.” The colonel squeezed the box he carried, putting dents in it. He looked at Lorenzo again. “The train from San Antonio is here and I’ve asked them to wait. I want you on it. Get that lightning gun back. Do you understand?”

  Lorenzo saluted. “Yes, sir.”

  “Sir,” interjected Larissa. “I suggest we all go. We can take the lightning wolves with us and finish them en route to Tucson. If Curly Bill Bresnahan has stolen the Javelina, we’ll need help going after him. This would be a chance to test out the lightning wolves in actual combat.”

  Colonel Johnson shook his head. “You’re just barely learning how to use them and I don’t need them shot to pieces.”

  “The plans are here, Colonel Johnson. Even if these particular machines are lost, you can build more,” said Larissa.

  “I respectfully suggest she’s right,” said Harris. “We can go and evaluate the tactical situation. If we don’t need the lightning wolves, we won’t use them, but if I were going, I’d like to have the best possible weapons along with us.”

  “This is not a democracy,” growled Johnson through clenched teeth. He looked down at the machines. “Still, you make some sense.” After a moment, he pointed at Lorenzo and Harris with the box he held. “I want you on that train to Tucson within the hour. Take the lightning wolves with you.”

  The two soldiers saluted and left to gather supplies. Larissa looked at the colonel. “What about me?”

  “You’ll stay here and keep working on the lightning wolves we do have.” The colonel turned to leave.

  Larissa folded her arms. “As you say, this is not a democracy. What’s more, I’m not a soldier under your command. If you don’t let me go with them, I’ll resign and go anyway.”

  Colonel Johnson stopped in his tracks. “I could have you thrown in the stockade.”

  Larissa inclined her head. “You could, but you wouldn’t get any more work done on the lightning wolves. If I go, not only will you get the first few finished, I could see how they work in combat and make modifications before they’re sent against the Russians.”

  The colonel looked down at the ground. After a moment he turned around. “Very well. Pack up what you need. Be on that train before it leaves.”

  “Yes, sir!” She turned to leave.

  “I almost forgot. This is for you.” Johnson held out the box he’d been carrying and handed it to her. She opened it up. Inside was a flat cap, resembling the ones sea captains wore. She removed her goggles from the coachman’s hat and placed them on the flat cap, then set it on her head.

  “Thank you, sir.”

  “Go prove to me your lightning wolves can take down big game.”

  “Yes, sir.” She saluted, then returned to the workshop to pack the tools she’d need for the journey.

  <<>>

  Hoshi looked over at Al Shieffelin. His face was flushed and sweat beaded on his brow despite the cool desert air. Looking around, he spotted a large, flat rock illuminated by the morning sun. “We need to get the bullet out or else Al won’t make it to Tucson,” said the samurai.

  Ed glanced over, his face drawn with worry. “I don’t know nothin’ about field surgery. I’m afraid I’d hurt him more than he already is.”

  “I fear I am not well versed in the healing arts, but perhaps there are ways I can help,” said Maravilla.

  “Thank you.” Hoshi dismounted. “Fortunately, I have performed field surgery.” He pointed to the flat rock as he dismounted. “Make him as comfortable as you can.”

  While Ed and Maravilla lay Al on the rock, Hoshi gathered wood and started a fire. Al thrashed about on the rock and muttered incoherent syllables. Maravilla also muttered to himself. A moment later, he reached out and touched Al’s forehead. The miner calmed and his muscles relaxed. Hoshi narrowed his gaze—some innate ability of Maravilla or the demons?

  Hoshi thrust his Kozuka knife into the fire to sterilize the blade, then removed it from the fire. He handed it to Ed, while waiting for it to cool, then pulled the shirt, sticky with blood away from the wound so he had a better view. Whatever Maravilla had done seemed effective since he only flinched a little. He went to his saddlebags and retrieved a pair of wooden hashi sticks. “Do you have whisky?”

  Ed glanced at his horse. “Yeah, in the right saddlebag.”

  Hoshi retrieved a flask, poured a little over the hashi sticks, then knelt down beside Al and took the knife back from Ed. He glanced up at Maravilla. “How sedated is he?”

  “He does not sleep, but his nerves are quiet. You should be able to proceed,” said the professor.

  Hoshi cut into the wound with the Kozuka knife. Al let out a piercing scream, but fell quiet as he passed out. Ed looked frantically from Maravilla to Hoshi. The samurai reached up and checked Al’s pulse. “He’s all right, just sleeping.”

  Ed nodded, but still looked between the two, unconvinced.

  Hoshi opened the wound with the hashi sticks. The bullet was down a little over an inch, near a glistening piece of intestine. Ed’s eyes went wide and he ran off a few yards and vomited near a cholla. Flipping the hashi sticks around, Hoshi reached in and extracted the bullet.

  He stood and tore strips from his robe, then rinsed the wound as best he could with the whisky. Ed retuned as he and Maravilla applied the dressing. Hoshi handed the whisky bottle to Ed, who downed the remainder.

  Al’s pulse still seemed good as they lifted him onto a horse. As they rode into Tucson, Hoshi looked over at Maravilla. “Do demons now possess him?”

  Maravilla’s mouth twitched up into a grin even as his brow furrowed. “No… no demons possess him.” He didn’t explain further and Hoshi decided not to press with Ed in earshot.

  That afternoon, they arrived in Tucson, which looked like a war zone. They received directions to the nearest doctor and before long, Hoshi, Maravilla, and Ed stood in a semi-circle, watching as Doc Ellison examined Al’s wound. After a
moment, the doctor looked up and removed the pince nez spectacles he wore. “You did a fine job of field surgery, Mr. Hoshi. There’s nothing left for me to do but stitch the wound and treat his fever.”

  “It would be more appropriate to address me as Mr. Masuda,” said Hoshi.

  The doc shrugged as he turned around and retrieved fresh bandages from a wooden shelf.

  “There’s not much more for you gents to do,” said the doctor. “If you want to find a hotel room, you can let me know where you’re staying and I’ll send word if his condition changes.

  “Yes, I think we’ll do that,” said Ed.

  The three left the doctor’s office and blinked at the bright daylight. Down the street, a gaping hole indicated the bank Curly Bill and Richard Gird had robbed. Rubble still littered the streets where the Javelina had backed out.

  Maravilla pointed out that they were next door to a saloon. The sign in the window advertised a free lunch. “I don’t know about you gentlemen, but I would think better after I’ve had a good meal.”

  Hoshi gave a sharp nod. Ed sighed and glanced worriedly at the doctor’s office, but acquiesced. Inside the saloon, the three found a table. The barkeep approached and they each ordered a shot of whisky and the lunch special. The whisky showed up soon after. Ed downed his. Maravilla passed his glass over to the miner. Hoshi took a sip off the top of the shot glass.

  “So, what do we do now?” asked Ed.

  “A posse will certainly ride out at some point,” said Hoshi. “We should warn them what they’re up against.”

  “Now that the Clantons have reunited with Brocius and Gird,” said Maravilla, “it will take more than a posse to stop them.”

  Ed reached out and took Hoshi’s shot glass and downed it. The barkeep arrived a moment later with plates of food. He topped up their shot glasses, then left them alone. “So, what do you propose we do?” asked Ed.

  “I believe my friend Geronimo would serve as a powerful ally in this affair,” said Maravilla.

  Ed’s eyes widened. “Geronimo’s a friend a’ yours?” asked the miner.

  “He would not appreciate having the Javelina on Apache land and he has warriors that could assist us.” Maravilla took a tentative sip of his whisky before Ed snatched it. “Besides, I promised I would return and tell him who set the clockwork skeleton on the camel’s back.”