“You go on ahead,” Bodie said, waving him on. “I’ll catch up with you later.”
Jesmond laughed and then moved back down the slope to take Bodie’s free arm. With him helping Bodie they made steady progress and after another five minutes of fast walking they reached the outlying trees.
Bodie stopped to lean back against a tree where he faced Endsville while Jesmond turned in the other direction. They were fifty yards to the right of the place where they had stopped earlier and fifty yards in the other direction was a clearing.
The others had spoken about finding an area where people had camped out and although this could be the first place where someone might search for them, Jesmond directed Bodie to turn that way.
“With luck we might find something to help us over there,” he said.
Bodie eyed the clearing without enthusiasm. “Unless someone’s left guns, horses, a bottle of whiskey and something to get this band off my neck, there’s no point in looking.”
Jesmond shrugged and set off for the clearing anyhow. Bodie grumbled to himself, but he pushed away from the tree before the chain drew taut, and joined him. Bodie’s assessment turned out to be correct as, aside from a circle of blackened stones around a dead fire, whoever had made the camp had left nothing of use. Jesmond still headed to the fire and while he kneeled down to sort through the stones, Bodie stayed standing.
“What do you think of that?” Bodie said, pointing to the edge of the clearing.
In the poor light Jesmond couldn’t work out what had interested Bodie until he noticed a small ditch that encircled the camp. It was only a foot deep and they must have walked over it without noticing it to reach the central fire, so Jesmond shrugged.
“The ground within the circle has been flattened, so perhaps someone uses this camp often and they were just marking out the area.”
“Perhaps they did, and I hope they stayed up here and fared better than Marcel did.”
Jesmond nodded so Bodie tugged on the chain encouraging him to leave, but Jesmond had now found a stone that had a sharp ridge. The stone fitted his hand and when he raised it, Bodie got his meaning and splayed several links out on a flat rock.
Bodie stood over Jesmond and trapped the chain underfoot to draw it taut. Then Jesmond slammed the stone down on a link, receiving a clanging sound. With more hope than he perhaps ought to have, Jesmond examined the link, but he hadn’t damaged it.
Even after he had worked on the chain for another five minutes, the only result was a bruised knuckle. After another five minutes of hammering, with no change, the stone cracked in two.
“I reckon we need to accept that we’ll be enjoying each other’s company for a while,” Jesmond said with a sigh. “I didn’t achieve nothing.”
“Except you might have done,” Bodie said cautiously. “All that noise has caught someone’s attention.”
Jesmond got up quickly and turned toward Endsville, but Bodie was pointing at the trees. The gloom now ensured that nothing was visible beyond the closest trees, but after a few moments something moved. Bodie and Jesmond backed away, and they had reached the ditch when a familiar voice spoke up from the darkness.
“Is that you, Bodie?” Cresswell called.
“Of course it’s me,” Bodie snapped. “Come out into the open where we can see you.”
Cresswell then shuffled out of the trees and into the clearing. He was hunched over.
“I was worried Wickham had followed me up here,” he said.
“I reckon he’s stayed in town, but how did you get away from him?”
“Wickham tied me up behind the bar, but I managed to knock over a bottle and smash it. Then I used the broken glass to cut through the rope.” Cresswell slapped his holster. “And I got my gun back.”
Bodie snorted. “Then you decided to plan your brave rescue attempt from up here.”
“I was working out how to rescue you, but it seems you’ve saved me the trouble.”
“The only thing that you were planning to rescue was the payroll. . . .” Bodie trailed off.
Bodie’s narrow-eyed expression seemingly acknowledged that he’d decided not to mention that Hoyt had burned half of the money, which probably proved it was fake.
Cresswell licked his lips. “I reckon I put as much thought into rescuing you as you did into rescuing me.”
Bodie snorted a laugh. “You could be right, but the only thing that matters now is what we do next.”
“I’m waiting until it gets fully dark. Then I’m heading back down there to get the money. If you want to rescue the others while I do that, I won’t stop you.”
“We’re too late to help them. Flynn and Yardleigh are already dead.”
Cresswell frowned, seemingly more concerned by this revelation than Jesmond had expected.
“Then while we’re down there, we’ll make Wickham and the rest pay for that.”
When Bodie grunted that he agreed, Cresswell moved on to the edge of the slope to face the town. Jesmond considered arguing that they should forget about revenge and head away from Endsville, but Bodie gingerly lowered himself to the ground to lie on his back proving he was in no state to move far. With Cresswell keeping watch, Jesmond took the opportunity to join Bodie in resting up.
“Do you reckon we can trust Cresswell?” he asked when it was fully dark, keeping his voice low.
“No, but I trust him enough to shoot in the right direction,” Bodie said.
“I agree, until he finds out about the money.”
“You could be right, but I reckon that whatever happens down there, we’ll have parted company before he finds out that it’s worthless.”
Jesmond nodded and then, with their conversation making Cresswell head toward them, they both got up and joined him. It was a moonless night, so the route down into Endsville wasn’t visible. In the town the saloon was the only building that was lit up, an observation that made Jesmond recall something he’d put from his mind after their frantic escape.
“It looks like Wickham’s catering for his visitor,” he said, making Bodie nod, confirming he’d forgotten about the arrival of a newcomer, too.
“It sounded like just the one man rode into town.”
Cresswell shrugged. “I didn’t see nobody arrive.”
“Presumably because you were too busy planning how to rescue us,” Bodie said.
Cresswell muttered something under his breath, and then started making his way down the hill.
“Stay behind me and follow my lead,” he called over his shoulder.
“You don’t give the orders here,” Bodie shouted after him. “Come back and shoot through this chain.”
“That’ll make a lot of noise and I don’t want to alert the people down there.”
Cresswell continued walking, his form quickly disappearing from sight in the poor light. Bodie set his feet wide apart making Jesmond think he would try to resolve their disagreement now, but when Cresswell didn’t return, with an angry snarl he set off after him.
By the time Cresswell appeared again, they were halfway back down the hill and he was showing no sign of slowing down. So both men concentrated on keeping their footing in the dark and they said nothing more until they reached the town sign.
At the opposite end of town a horse was now standing at the hitching rail while long rectangles of light stretched across the ground in front of the saloon windows and doors. The stable and adjoining smithy was in darkness, as were the other buildings.
“So what’s your plan, Cresswell?” Bodie asked.
“It depends on where the money is,” Cresswell said. “Where was it when you last saw it?”
“Wickham dropped one of the bags in the stable while he was holding us prisoner, but I doubt it’s still there now.” Bodie sneered. “Either way, I’m right that the money is all you care about. You’re not—”
“Quit with the complaints. You’d have argued with me no matter what I said.”
“You’re right about that, but we�
�ll have one chance to surprise them and we have one gun between us.”
“I’m not handing over this gun to a man who can barely stand. Now stay quiet and we’ll all get what we want.”
Cresswell then moved on toward the saloon side of the main drag. With no choice, Jesmond and Bodie followed him on a route that stayed close to the derelict buildings. Only the saloon appeared occupied and when they reached the corner of the building, low chatter was coming from within.
Cresswell moved on to the corner of the nearest window and then jerked back. He frowned at them before beckoning them to join him. They moved on cautiously and Bodie reached the window first.
He murmured something under his breath and then stood aside to let Jesmond come forward. At first Jesmond wasn’t concerned, as Wickham and Rosemarie were standing at the bar while Hoyt was leaning on the wall at the side of the saloon room.
This meant that all of their tormentors had been accounted for, but then he winced. Marshal Trent Dobson was drinking whiskey at the bar.
Chapter Eleven
“THIS LOOKS BAD,” JESMOND said when the group had retreated from the saloon to stand outside the next building.
“At least the marshal’s come on his own, and we might even get an ally,” Bodie said.
“We can’t side with Marshal Dobson. He’ll be set against us just as much as Wickham and the others are.”
“I never said we should side with him. Once he knows what’s been happening in Endsville, he’ll turn on Wickham and we’ll take on whoever survives what happens next.”
Jesmond smiled. “I like that way of thinking.”
“That’s why I’m in charge.”
Bodie turned to Cresswell, who had been quiet since they’d reached the saloon.
“You can be in charge if you want it that badly,” Cresswell said. He waited until Bodie nodded. “That doesn’t mean you’re getting the gun.”
“If you follow my instructions, you might not even have to use it.”
“So what’s your plan?”
“You’ll make a noise and lure one of them outside. When we’ve overcome that person, we’ll see what develops and it should favor us because we’re on the outside and they won’t be sure what they’re up against out here.”
Bodie backed away a pace from Jesmond and swirled their chain showing how they could overcome someone relatively quietly.
“I reckon that’ll work, unless Hoyt is the one who comes outside.”
Bodie winced. “We’ll just have to make sure it’s not him.”
Then, with nobody offering any amendments to the plan, Bodie and Jesmond moved on to the saloon. Cresswell stayed back to root around outside the derelict building until he located a rotted plank of wood.
At the window, Bodie took the lead in monitoring the activities inside while Jesmond stood at his shoulder. Cresswell stood close by ready to dash the plank against the hitching rail on Bodie’s order.
Bodie heeded Cresswell’s comment and waited for Wickham or Rosemarie to stray close to the door. Unfortunately, these people stayed by the bar talking with Dobson while Hoyt stood against the wall between the bar and the door.
Even given Hoyt’s apparent lack of interest in proceedings, he would surely be the first to investigate any noise, so Bodie turned away from the window and frowned suggesting he was minded to rethink his plan. But then Wickham came out from behind the bar and headed for the table nearest the door where several glasses were still on the table.
Bodie raised a hand to Cresswell and just as Wickham reached for the glasses, he lowered his hand. Cresswell smashed the plank against the rail producing a satisfying thud that made Wickham still his hand.
Cresswell dashed the plank against the wood a second time, and when he hit the rail a third time Bodie waved at him to desist. With a shrug Cresswell tossed the plank aside while Bodie sneered at him.
Cresswell ought to have made a noise that sounded innocent so Wickham would investigate without undue concern, but before Bodie could remonstrate with him, Wickham headed to the door. Cresswell scurried into the shadows while Jesmond and Bodie moved away from the window and stood with their backs against the wall beside the door.
They stood slightly apart with a loop of chain clutched in both hands. Taking account of Bodie’s injury, Jesmond stood nearest to the door so he could take the lead. When Wickham came outside, he stopped for a moment and then shrugged and took a pace forward, moving him out of the rectangle of light shining through the door. That was far enough for Jesmond to make his move and he hurried forward with the chain raised high.
“Over here!” Cresswell called from behind them making Wickham turn to Jesmond.
If the call had been intended to distract Wickham, it had the opposite effect. Wickham raised an arm while stepping backward quickly. Jesmond had planned to wrap a coil of chain around Wickham’s neck and then drag him aside, but when he dashed the coil down, it whistled uselessly through the air and slammed into the ground.
Jesmond lunged forward for a second attempt, but the band around his neck cut into the skin and then dragged his head back sharply. He could only waft the coil before him and he missed Wickham by several feet.
He backed away and turned wondering why Bodie hadn’t joined him in attacking Wickham only to find to his horror that Cresswell had advanced on Bodie. Now he held a gun on him.
“What are you doing, Cresswell?” he said.
“I’m showing you who’s in charge here,” Cresswell said with a grin as he pressed the barrel into Bodie’s uninjured side.
Wickham chuckled behind Jesmond while people bustled in the saloon.
“You’re not,” Jesmond said when the noise inside the saloon only made Cresswell smirk. “You did a deal with Wickham in return for your freedom.”
“Not with him I didn’t,” Cresswell said.
Cresswell gestured with his gun for them to head into the saloon, but neither man moved. Bodie muttered to himself, while Jesmond sneered at Cresswell until Wickham slammed a hand on his shoulder and pushed him toward the door.
With no choice Jesmond headed inside with Bodie walking behind him to find that Marshal Dobson along with Rosemarie and Hoyt were standing in the center of the saloon room. They were all facing the door and smiling removing all doubt that they had walked into a trap.
“So you did a deal with the marshal, Cresswell,” Bodie said when he joined Jesmond. “Which means you’re the one who sold us out, not Marcel.”
Cresswell moved around them to stand to their right while Wickham stood to their left. Both men leveled guns on them.
“Sure,” Cresswell said. “The fact that you didn’t figure that out only goes to prove what a poor leader you were.”
“I trusted you. That was my only mistake. I hope for your sake that the marshal turns a blind eye to all your past crimes.”
A momentary darkness clouded Cresswell’s features, confirming Bodie’s taunt was a good one before Bodie turned to Dobson, who stepped forward.
“I can put your mind at rest, Bodie,” Marshal Dobson said. “Your former colleague did everything I asked of him.”
“And what was that?”
Dobson moved on to the bar where he collected a glass and poured himself a whiskey. Then he leaned back against the bar to face them while swirling the liquor.
“Cresswell didn’t lie about his past. Six months ago I arrested him, but I figured I could get more use out of him if he led me to some bigger outlaws. So I offered him a deal. In return for his freedom, he had to get close to you and tell me about your plans, which he did.”
Bodie bunched a fist and then shook a coil of chain at the marshal.
“So you knew that we planned to raid the train?”
“I knew where, when and how. That meant the railroad knew, too, so they let your raid happen with minimal resistance.” Dobson took a sip of his whiskey, seemingly relishing his next comment. “After all, there was never any danger of you getting away with anything valuable
because the money you stole was counterfeit.”
Bodie took his time in replying, suggesting he was planning to reveal the only fact that might create chaos and give them a chance to escape. Jesmond tensed in anticipation of what might happen next.
“I’d found that out already, which means you don’t know as much as you think you do,” Bodie said. “You set up this situation to catch outlaws, but we’re not even the biggest criminals in this room.”
Dobson gulped down the last of his liquor and then reached back to place the glass on the bar. He walked slowly across the saloon room to stand before them.
“I know all about what goes on here,” he said.
Bodie’s mouth fell open and he blinked several times before he found his voice.
“So you know that Wickham and his brother and sister kill people?”
“I sure do. The final part of Cresswell’s mission was to make sure you decided to hole up in Endsville.”
“You’re a lawman.” Bodie waved a hand at Cresswell and then at the others. “I guess you could argue that using an outlaw to catch other outlaws provides some form of justice, but helping these murderous people sure doesn’t.”
Dobson shook his head and then walked over to Wickham. He patted his shoulder and repeated the action with Rosemarie, although he only nodded at Hoyt.
“I’ve caught more outlaws than I care to remember. Some I had to kill, some got sentenced, and some got lucky in court and walked free, but no matter what, none of them ever truly got the justice they deserved. They did terrible things and their suffering never matched the suffering of their victims.”
Bodie sneered. “That’s as maybe, but these people are killing because they enjoy it.”
Dobson shrugged. “I know. I first came across Endsville when I was pursuing an outlaw, but Wickham had gotten to him first. I figured that what he did to him was a whole lot more fitting than what a court would do. We did a deal. So now Wickham doesn’t harm any innocent people and he only takes care of the men I send his way.”
Wickham grunted in support of their deal while Rosemarie headed behind the bar and lowered herself to rummage around for something.
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