Nueces Justice

by Greathouse, Mark

  While Stills and two deputies stood guard, the butcher examined Perez’ injuries. “Qué lástima!” he said to Perez in a low voice. Indeed, their seriousness was a pity. However, what he’d actually commented upon was that the wounds had not been mortal. The butcher had been a victim of the Caballeros Negros a couple of years ago. Perez’s gang had beaten his wife and left her an invalid. She eventually passed away, leaving his three children motherless. The butcher would as soon have killed Perez right then and there.

  He managed to get the arrow out of Perez by clipping one end and pulling it through. The untreated wound had begun to fester a bit, so he had to cut the infection out. He took perverse pleasure in causing Perez additional torment. The pain and loss of blood were terrible.

  Then he had to deal with Perez’s other problem. One of the guards held Perez down. The outlaw was already weak from the operation he’d endured to remove the arrow, so he put up almost no resistance. They cut off Perez’ pants, revealing the full extent of damage to his privates. The butcher gagged uncharacteristically. The sight was not a very pleasant one.

  “Trataré de salvar to pene.” Perez squirmed with the news of even the possibility of losing his penis. The butcher would do his best to save it, though he couldn’t guarantee its functionality.

  The specter of taking revenge on both the Texas Ranger and the Laredo whore were ever stronger. In combination, those memories were working to keep him alive. If he could get his hands on the Comanche chief, it would be the proverbial icing on his cake. His wounds might have killed men of weaker physical constitution. For a one-eyed, nearly-toothless bandit with a cut-up shoulder and no testicles, he was surprisingly durable. Ironically, his living through this nightmare could translate into yet fulfilling his dream of revenge.

  He wasn’t fully out of the woods just yet. In addition to his wounds, there was the inconvenient matter of being in jail and awaiting trial and probable execution. If he’d been jailed at the eastern end of the Nueces Strip, they’d likely just skip the trial portion. But, here in Laredo, there were enough folks of Mexican heritage that he had at least a possibility of getting a hearing. It might not be a fair one, but it’d be a hearing nonetheless.

  ***

  Three Toes reached his people at last. Long Feathers welcomed him enthusiastically. He’d found some difficulty in dealing with the problems of leading. He was very happy to get Three Toes’ wives off his back. They had been complaining ever since Three Toes left on his vision quest.

  “My brother, welcome home. We have your teepee waiting.”

  Three Toes was tired. He gifted the horses in his string to Long Feathers and suggested they hold a council campfire that evening. He had much to share and wanted to learn about the soldiers and the reservation.

  He dismounted and walked his pony toward his teepee. As he looked around, it occurred to him that his people did not look healthy. It was as though they weren’t eating properly. Perhaps it was more than that.

  His wives were either going to be angry or horny, or both. He was almost relieved to see that two were pregnant. He wanted to sleep, but that option was clearly not in his immediate future. He did his best with his wives before finding his way to a pile of buffalo robes in the teepee. He fell sound asleep.

  He awoke in time for the council fire. Both he and Long Feathers were of a mind to leave Camp Cooper. The U.S. government was showing signs of not living up to its part of the treaty. Of course, that further incentivized the Comanche to periodically leave the reservation to hunt and deliver various forms of mayhem. The younger warriors were anxious for adventure, while the older men were tired of the white man’s duplicity. There would be much discussion at the council.

  Of great concern was the lack of a sufficient food supply as promised by the Indian agent. The warriors told of a man that occasionally arrived with wagons, but was seen taking buffalo hides while leaving very few foodstuffs behind. They felt that something wasn’t right, but didn’t fully understand what was happening. They sensed that they were being cheated. So long as warriors could get out and hunt, it was unlikely they’d starve, but neither would they eat well. Three Toes began to think more seriously about leaving.

  He was conflicted over what the Great Spirit would have him do. He had developed a kinship with Ghost-Who-Rides, yet was uncertain whether his vision quest had been fulfilled. He found himself still searching for answers. The world seemed to be moving ever faster and the fate of the Comanche ever more inevitable.

  ***

  The colonel made slow progress from San Antonio. He got ever more adept at mounting and dismounting without damaging his wounded arm as occasions necessitated. He even could start a fire one-handed.

  The thoughts ruminating in his mind of recapturing Scarlett drove him beyond any pain from his wounds. He cursed the sheriff for being a just good enough marksman to inconvenience him. He’d spent far too much money and time to simply let her get away.

  His superior officer, General Truax, had demanded utmost secrecy in having assigned him to keep Scarlett in Austin. If his secret were to be revealed, he’d pay for the rest of his life with the very worst field assignments conceivable. He dared not fail.

  He finally wended his way along the Nueces River to the ferry, and thence to Nuecestown. He decided that, with Corpus Christi in his sights, it would do to get some rest as well as clean up for the final leg of his pursuit. With that in mind, he pulled up in front of Bernice and Agatha’s boarding house. He dismounted and knocked on their door.

  Bernice opened the door and peered out. “Can we help you?”

  “My name is Rucker, Colonel Horace Rucker, and I’m looking for a room for tonight. I’m on my way to Corpus Christi.”

  Bernice welcomed him in. “Have you eaten, sir?” She noted that, save for the broad-brimmed blue hat with gold braid band, he wore no military clothes.

  “I’d like to clean up and eat, ma’am.”

  “You can call me Bernice, Colonel Rucker. The stable boy will be coming by soon so, if you like, we can put up your horse for the night.” She gave the colonel another visual once-over. “There’s a water basin out back for washing.”

  “Thank you. I shouldn’t be long.” Little did he know that he’d be facing some of Bernice’s over-cooked roast. Once he had taken care of his horse, settled into his room, and washed up, he found his way to the dining room and felt he could at last relax. He was curious as to what she might know of goings-on in Corpus Christi.

  “So, Bernice, do you have any news from Corpus Christi?” He was necessarily taking his time eating, as the roast entailed extra chewing. “I understand Colonel Kinney returned from Austin.”

  “Why, yes, Colonel. I did hear about Colonel Kinney. You know, Corpus has endured quite a bit of crime lately, what with murders, rustling, and bank robbing.”

  “Is the sheriff bringing law and order back to the city?” he continued to question her.

  “Sheriff Whelan is a good man, though, between you and me, he does have a weakness for women.” Bernice wasn’t someone you’d want to share any secrets with and she was right forthcoming. “He did catch that whore from Laredo.”

  “What happened to the murderers and bank robbers?”

  “Well, we have a Texas Ranger that lives near here. Captain Dunn has got himself quite a reputation for bringing outlaws to justice on the Nueces Strip. Some call him Long Luke because of his height.”

  Bernice was turning out to be a veritable font of knowledge. “Where might I find Captain Dunn?”

  “He and his new bride have a small ranch a bit south of here. It’s likely as not along your way to Corpus. They named it Heaven’s Gate.”

  The colonel was finding that, while Bernice’s vegetables were wonderful, the meat continued to challenge him. His teeth weren’t in the greatest condition, so it was actually a tiring exercise.

  “Do you have particular business in the city, Colonel?” Bernice wouldn’t be the town gossip if she didn’t nose into
her guests’ business.

  Agatha strolled in. She’d been listening from the adjoining room. “Good evening, Colonel. I’m Bernice’s friend, Agatha. You can call me Aggie.”

  “Pleasure to meet you, Aggie.” He smiled patronizingly. He’d managed to avoid answering Bernice’s question about his business.

  Bernice wasn’t so easily put off. “What was that business, Colonel?”

  The colonel thought fast. “It’s U.S. Army business, ma’am. I’m not at liberty to discuss any specifics.” Technically, it was military business, just not what might normally be expected.

  “Well, Colonel, we hope you have a restful night. We have a quiet town here, so you shouldn’t be disturbed.” She turned to leave the room. “Will you be joining us for breakfast, Colonel Rucker?”

  Bernice was listening to her intuition. Something wasn’t quite right about this colonel. She wondered why he was not in uniform. She wished she could get word to Sheriff Whelan in Corpus Christi. She decided to ask Doc for advice. She put on her wrap and walked across the street.

  The colonel watched from his window. Gossipers concerned him. He shrugged. Not much he could do about it.

  ***

  The banging on the door of the sheriff’s office was loud enough to have awakened the dead. Whelan sat bolt upright. The banging continued. He looked out the window and saw a well-lathered horse tied to the hitching post. He cracked the door open. “Dan?” It was the stable boy from Nuecestown. “Come in. What the hell are you doing out here in the middle of the night?” He shut the door behind the boy and offered him a seat. Scarlett awakened and was listening intently.

  “Bernice sent me. She expects trouble.”

  “Don’t leave me curious, boy. What sort of trouble?”

  “Well, some U.S. Army colonel name of Rucker is spending the night at her boarding house. He said he’s got business in Corpus, and Bernice had a feeling he was up to no good.”

  Whelan wiped his brow with his bandana. He and Scarlett exchanged concerned expressions. “You’ve done real good, Dan. You can tell Bernice that she’s right about her suspicions.” He gave the boy a silver coin. “On your way back, would you please stop at Luke Dunn’s place and let him know about the colonel and that there may be trouble in Corpus Christi tomorrow.” Whelan wished there was an Army fort nearby. “Is this colonel traveling alone?”

  “Yes, sir, yes, he is. He is wearing some bandages. Bernice said he had been wounded.”

  The colonel was traveling alone. To come after Whelan without waiting for his wounds to heal spoke of some serious level of desperation. Something or someone was causing this behavior in the colonel. Whelan decided to visit Colonel Kinney first thing. If nothing else, he wanted greater security for Scarlett.

  ***

  The colonel finished breakfast and left Bernice’s boarding house. He was delayed just a bit, as he was told by the stable boy that his horse had a horseshoe problem and it would take a bit to replace it.

  Dan was under instructions from Luke to buy time.

  By the time the colonel was on the trail, it was nearly mid-morning. He was irritated at the delay, but no less determined. Bernice had given him directions to Luke’s place, but it wasn’t the most direct route. By the time he got to the ranch, it was late morning. As he approached, he noticed a young woman riding toward him to his left. He pulled up to the cabin and dismounted. Before he could head for the door, it opened and the imposing figure of Luke Dunn stepped toward him. “Welcome to Heaven’s Gate. Can we help you?”

  The colonel was momentarily taken aback by this larger-than-life lawman. “Yes, my name is Rucker, Colonel Horace Rucker, U.S. Army.”

  “Care for some coffee, Colonel?” About this time Elisa had ridden up and dismounted.

  The colonel couldn’t help but notice how downright beautiful the Texas Ranger’s wife was. “Mrs. Dunn, I’m Colonel Rucker. I’m on my way to Corpus Christi on military business. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

  “Please pay me no never mind, Colonel. I was out checking on some of our cattle.” She smiled friendly-like. She’d already been briefed by Luke as to the suspicious mission of this officer.

  Luke emerged with cups of coffee and thrust one at the colonel. “My, it looks as though you’ve run afoul of some gunplay, Colonel. Are you all right?”

  The colonel accepted the coffee. “Looks worse than it is, Captain Dunn.”

  “I need to head into Corpus myself, Colonel. Would you care for company?”

  “I appreciate your offer, Captain Dunn, but my business is of a nature that requires me to travel alone.”

  This was telling. Luke knew from what Dan had passed along from Whelan that the colonel was after the Laredo whore, Miss Scarlett. “Suit yourself, Colonel. We hope you have an uneventful journey.”

  The colonel quaffed the rest of the coffee and mounted up. “Thanks for your hospitality. You have a beautiful home here. It’s certainly not something you’d want to lose. Perhaps I’ll see you on my way back from Corpus.”

  Luke was surprised by the not-so-veiled threat. The colonel must be quite confident in whomever he was taking his orders from. He determined to wait a bit and then take the trail to Corpus Christi. Whelan might need help.

  The colonel had been visiting long enough to assess as to how much threat Luke might pose to his mission. He had a queasy feeling. He suspected the Ranger knew more about his trip to Corpus Christi than he was revealing.

  “Lisa, sweetheart. I’ve got a duty here.”

  Elisa understood but wasn’t happy about it. They’d had a couple of days of magical wedded bliss. The colonel had broken her idyll. “Be safe, Lucas.” She packed some jerky for the ride.

  Luke gathered his pair of Walker Colts, the Colt rifle, and plenty of ammunition. The guns were always kept in top working order. He would be ready, come what may.

  He hugged and kissed Elisa, and was on his way. He was determined to keep sufficient distance behind the colonel to be out of sight. The wind was behind him, so he needed to be extra quiet.

  He’d gone about halfway to Corpus when his intuition kicked in. He turned west and made a wide circle to a bluff overlooking the road. Sure enough, the colonel had doubled back to see whether anyone was following him. He might have been focused on his mission and nursing wounds, but he wasn’t stupid.

  ***

  Whelan talked Colonel Kinney into letting him relocate Scarlett to the bank. It seemed ironic, but the bank had better security than the jail. Colonel Kinney had vaguely heard of Colonel Rucker in Austin social circles. He recalled that the colonel’s commanding officer was an up-and-coming brigadier general with considerable connections with the social and political circles of Washington, D.C.

  “Scarlett, that fool colonel from Austin is still on our trail. He sent his sons home, but he returned and spent last night in Nuecestown. He’s on his way. I sent a message to Captain Dunn, and he should be coming to help us. I’m moving you to the bank, as it’s safer.” He unlocked the cell door and placed the manacles on her wrists.

  Scarlett was suffering from something women referred to as morning sickness. She felt poorly enough that where she was jailed at that moment didn’t really matter.

  Whelan deposited her at the bank and then went back to the jail to await Colonel Rucker. He made sure his arsenal was ready in case he needed to resort to gunplay. There was a tinge of regret that he hadn’t aimed better when he’d met the colonel’s charge a few days back. It was concerning that Rucker was so dogged in his pursuit. He wondered what this brigadier general that Kinney mentioned must be like.

  ***

  Rucker felt confident that he wasn’t being followed. He had played that old tactic he’d learned from Whelan about doubling back, and he’d seen no sign of anyone tracking him. Of course, he wasn’t much of a tracker himself, so it was no surprise that he’d failed to see any trace of Luke.

  As he entered Corpus Christi around midday, he couldn’t help but notic
e that the streets weren’t especially busy. It gave him an eerie feeling. Was it a trap? Had someone been tipped off? He felt a twinge of paranoia.

  His first inclination was to stop at the sheriff’s office, but he decided that a visit with Colonel Kinney might be a better first action. He noted that the city was considerably smaller than Austin or San Antonio. It had a reputation as a thriving port, but was not exactly overflowing with people. The colonel finally pulled up in front of Kinney’s rather impressive house. He dismounted and surveyed the area. It was still eerily quiet. It was a bit warm and humid, but the citizens should be used to that.

  He was about to knock on the door when it was opened by a black woman. “Hello, may I help you?” It was Colonel Kinney’s housekeeper.

  “Yes, I’m Colonel Horace Rucker and I’d like to visit with Colonel Kinney if he’s available.”

  “One moment. Please come in.” She stepped aside and then disappeared up the hallway. She was back in a few moments. “The colonel will see you in a few moments. He’s finishing his meal. Please wait here in the library.” She escorted the colonel into the library and motioned to a chair near a large desk. Colonel Kinney was putting this interloper in his place.

  About twenty minutes later, Colonel Kinney stepped into the library. “Colonel Rucker, I presume. Pleasure to meet you, sir.”

  Colonel Rucker stood and accepted Kinney’s proffered handshake. “Thank you, Colonel Kinney. I’ve been looking forward to meeting the man that made Corpus Christi. I must say, it’s quieter than I expected.”

  “It’s a warm day, Colonel. How’s General Truax these days?”

  The colonel was only slightly alarmed that Kinney knew about his connection with the general. What else did he know? “He’s fine, sir. He’s soon to return to Washington to serve in the War Department.” He mustn’t be paranoid.

  Colonel Kinney could sense that the colonel coveted an opportunity to travel in the elite circles of the nation’s capital. “I’m sure he looks forward to that. I met him a couple of times in Austin.” Colonel Kinney could have added that Truax was a sycophantic snob. “So, Colonel, what is your business here in Corpus Christi?”