by Bobbi Smith
Sam still looked doubtful. "I guess I have to trust your judgment."
"You won't be sorry. We're going to find out who El Diablo is and bring him and his gang down. Did you have any luck recovering the money from the robbery?"
"No. We tracked the one who got away for about five miles, but then lost his trail. He made off with over five hundred dollars."
Jack shook his head in disgust. "All right. I'm going to check in at the hotel and get some rest. You need any more help tonight?"
"No. I'm working the office here, and I got another deputy keeping an eye on things around town."
They both looked up as a young blond woman entered the office. Jack thought her lovely.
"Who is she?" Jack asked, mesmerized by the petite, slender beauty.
"Elizabeth Harris, the wounded banker's wife," Sam told him as he hurried out to speak to her.
"Elizabeth, has there been a change with Jonathan?" the sheriff asked earnestly.
"Oh, Sam, there you are." She sighed in relief at the sight of him. "It's just all so terrible. The doctor says there's nothing more we can do but wait and pray."
"I'm sorry."
"So am I, Sam. That's why I just had to come down here. I couldn't stand seeing my poor husband lying there, so helpless... so close to death, while these vermin who pass as men go on as if nothing's happened, locked here in your jail." She wiped a tear from her eye. "I came down here to see the monsters who did this to my Jonathan."
"I understand how you're feeling, but I don't think it's a good idea for you to see them. These men... well, they aren't fit to be around a lady like you."
"I want to see them pay for what they've done."
"So do we," Jack put in, and when she looked over at him, he introduced himself. "Mrs. Harris, I'm Jack Logan."
"Ranger Logan has been sent down here to help me."
"You're a Ranger?" she asked, turning to Jack, her dark-eyed gaze widening with respect. "Thank heaven you've come. Poor Sam here has just been overburdened by all that's gone on. I'm Elizabeth Harris. My husband is the banker who was shot in the robbery."
"I'm going to do everything I can to bring the El Diablo gang to justice."
"Bless you. It's been such a terrible time for me since the robbery-not knowing if my husband is going to live or die."
Jack found that she stirred a protectiveness within him. She was such a delicate young woman to have to face such tragedy and hardship alone. He wanted to shield her from pain and hurt. "I'm sorry this had to happen, ma'am."
Sam spoke up, too, as he put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I promise you, Elizabeth, these men aren't going anywhere as long as I have a breath in my body."
"Thank you. .both of you. I've felt so alone this last week. So helpless. There's so little I can do to help right now. I know it was foolish for me to come down here, but I thought if I just saw them, I could somehow understand why." She managed a pained smile at the two lawmen. "I only wish I could turn back the clock to that fateful day ...but even as wonderful as you Rangers are, I don't think you're capable of that, are you, Ranger Logan?"
Jack shook his head. "No, ma'am. I wish I could."
"So do I," she said in a weary, strained voice. "Good-bye."
Jack watched her go. He said good-bye to Sam, who'd been watching her, too, then headed for the hotel. In that moment, all he wanted to do was bring down El Diablo and erase the sadness from Elizabeth Harris's eyes.
Somehow, Deputy Davis was managing to stay awake as he prowled the streets of Del Fuego, keeping watch. It wasn't easy staying alert. The night was proving to be exceptionally dark and quiet. Even the saloons were more subdued than usual. Things were so peaceful and so calm that sometime long after midnight, his weariness caught up with him. He sat down to rest at the rear of one of the general stores. He figured it wouldn't hurt if he dozed for a minute. The decision was a fatal one. The member of El Diablo's gang who'd been trailing him for some time struck quickly and silently.
The guard disposed of, the outlaw rejoined four others from the gang, and they closed in on the jail.
Sam Gregory was growing restless. He was very sleepy, but knew he couldn't afford to rest. His relief wasn't due to show up until near six A.M., and he had to stay alert. The judge wasn't due back in town for another two weeks, and Sam was pretty certain that the next 14 days were going to be some of the longest of his life.
Sam got up from his desk and made his way to the little room in the back just to keep moving. It was there that they were waiting for him, having forced the window and climbed in from the back alley.
"What the...!" Sam stared at the three men who stood in the shadows of the room with their guns trained on him.
"You look surprised, Sheriff." They were smiling at his look of shock. "You should have been expecting us."
"You know why we're here, so let's go."
"This is crazy. I've got a man out there watching-"
"You had a man," the outlaw interrupted. "He won't be helping you anymore." He gave Sam a hard push toward the jail cells. "Unbuckle your gunbelt and leave it on your desk."
"You won't get away with this."
"We already have."
Carson and Jones had heard the sound of their friends' voices and were standing up, ready and waiting to be freed.
"It took you long enough, Sully. Where the hell have you been? Drinking and whoring and having a good time, while we been rotting away in this damned jail?" Carson asked when he saw his friend.
"We were waiting till the time was right. The boss said this was the night to do it. And, as usual, the boss was right."
"Unlock the door, Sheriff, and don't try anything," the man called Sully ordered.
Sam was helpless and knew it. Silently he cursed his vulnerability and wished he'd had more deputies working with him. He hoped they were lying about Deputy Davis, for the man had a wife and kids. With great regret, the sheriff unlocked the door and stood back to let the outlaws go free.
"Let's get out of here," Carson declared, starting for the door.
"I'm ready!" Jones paused to look back at Majors.
"You coming?"
Luke couldn't believe what was happening. If he stayed, even though he was innocent, the town already had him convicted of the robbery and the shooting. If he went with the gang, he'd have the chance to find out about El Diablo and fulfill his deal with Jack, but he'd look guiltier than ever. Luke made a snap decision.
"I'm with you."
The three men raced toward the sheriff's desk, where they knew their guns were locked up. They broke open the drawer that held them and strapped on their gunbelts.
"Who the hell is he?" Sully demanded, angry that Carson and Jones were bringing someone else along.
"He's Luke Majors, the gunfighter."
"I don't know if the boss is going to like us bringing along a stranger or not."
"His reputation speaks for him."
Sully was not happy, but he relented. "All right. Get going. I'll take care of the sheriff." He was ready to shoot Sam in cold blood.
"No, let me!" Luke said in a determined voice. Acting quickly, he drew his own gun and stepped between the two men. "You go on. I'll catch up. It's payback time for me."
Sully and the others looked at him and then shrugged. "Just make it fast. We got horses waiting."
Luke motioned Sam back into the cell, and when he did, he leaned close. "Tell Jack I'll contact him as soon as I can."
He hit the sheriff then with the butt of the gun, knocking him unconscious. He had to make this look good in case any of the gang came back to check on him. Luke locked the cell door and then raced from the jail to join the others. They were already mounted up and ready to ride.
"Let's go," Luke urged as he swung up on the horse they'd just stolen for him.
"Did you take care of the sheriff?" Sully asked as he held his mount tightly in rein. He didn't want the lawman coming after them, and he was ready to go back in and finish
the job if he had to.
"Don't worry, he won't be causing us any more trouble." Luke's answer was terse. "Now let's ride before somebody sees us."
"I knew you belonged with us," Jones said with satisfaction.
"Let's get outta here."
More than an hour later, an elusive, dark-clad figure moved furtively through the alley. The intruder quietly entered the jail to see if the break had been successful. In the jail cell, the sheriff was just beginning to stir.
"Damn..." The muttered curse reflected the intruder's fury.
"Thank God you're here!" Sam gasped, struggling to rise at the sound of the voice. His head throbbed from the blow he'd received, and he was weak and dizzy. "I need help! They killed Davis and broke the bank robbers out! You have to call the other deputies and Logan! We gotta go after them!" He groaned as pain shot through him with every movement.
The intruder hurried out to the office to pick up the sheriffs gun from where it lay on his desk, then returned. "I'm not calling anybody for help."
"What?" Sam was confused.
"And neither are you-ever again."
El Diablo shot him point-blank and left him lying dead on the floor.
No one heard the shot, and no one saw El Diablo leave the jail. The outlaw disappeared into the streets of Del Fuego.
Jack was roused at dawn by fierce pounding on his door.
"Logan! Get up now! This is Deputy Halloway!"
Jack bolted from bed, pausing only long enough to pull on his pants before he threw wide the door. "What happened?"
Halloway rushed inside and closed the door. "There was a jailbreak last night. The sheriff's dead... so's Davis."
"The prisoners are gone? Even Majors?"
"They're gone! All of them! And to think, Majors wanted us to believe he was innocent!" He spat the words with hatred. "If he was so damned innocent, why did he run?"
Jack started throwing on the rest of his clothes as they talked. "I don't know. You got any idea what time it happened?"
"No. The sheriff's been dead a while. Shot down while he was already locked up in the cell. It was probably Majors who killed him!"
"What if he didn't?" Jack challenged.
"If he didn't, and if he wasn't part of the gang like he kept saying, why did he go with them?"
Jack cursed under his breath as he strapped on his gun. He knew exactly why Luke had gone with them-the money.
Jack had never planned for Luke to get this involved. He'd thought it would be simple for him to pick up the information they needed and feed it to him. But suddenly there was nothing simple about the setup. Luke had ridden out with the gang. Jack knew he had to find a way to help Luke, but right now he wasn't sure how.
"There's a crowd gathering over at the office," Halloway told him. "The mayor and all the deputies are there. We gotta hurry."
"Let's go." Jack grabbed his hat and started from the room.
A short time later, the Ranger stood alone in the jail cell staring down at the bloodstained floor. Sheriff Gregory had been a good, decent man, and Jack mourned his passing. He made a silent vow to personally see the sheriff's killer pay.
Sarah Gregory had gotten word of her husband's death. She came running into the jail, her expression desperate, tears streaming down her face. "Where is he? Where's the Ranger?" she demanded.
"He's there, Sarah." Fred Halloway motioned toward the cell.
"You're the Ranger my husband told me was here to help him?" she asked coldly as she confronted Jack.
"Yes, ma'am. I'm Jack Logan."
"Well, you didn't help him very much, did you? My husband is dead!" she accused hysterically.
"I'm sorry, Mrs. Gregory."
"Sorry? You think being sorry matters? That gang has cut a swath of death and destruction through this town. My husband is dead, Jonathan Harris is just as good as dead, and yet these murderers are free to kill and rob again!"
"We're going to get them, ma'am. I promise you that."
"How? When? I want to know how many innocent people are going to die before you do something, Ranger Logan!"
"I say we put a bounty out on Majors!" Halloway spoke up. "Dead or alive!"
"Yeah!" the deputy named Stevens agreed. "It had to be Majors who pulled the trigger."
"We all know he's the one who shot Harris and no doubt my husband, too! I want to see him pay! Pay with his life!" Sarah Gregory said.
A rumble of agreement went through the rest of those gathered there.
"The Rangers will catch them, ma'am. The gang will be brought to justice," Jack replied.
"If you couldn't help keep them in jail, how are you going to see that justice is done? We need the bounty!" she insisted.
"I'll put up the money," Mayor Atkins offered. "A thousand dollars for Majors. Five hundred a head for the other two. We want them dead or alive, but preferably dead for Luke Majors."
"Thank you," Sarah Gregory said softly, then left the office, heartbroken over her loss.
Jack knew a deep and real fear for his friend's safety as he listened to what transpired next. The deputies were rabid in their desire to see Luke dead. Jack alone knew that Luke was innocent, yet he couldn't openly defend him. With Gregory dead, he didn't know who to trust, and he couldn't risk revealing Luke's cover. The responsibility of keeping Luke safe was his and his alone. He had to make sure nothing happened to Luke at the hands of the outlaws or at the hands of these wellmeaning lawmen and the bounty hunters they sent out. Jack knew he needed help, and he needed it fast.
"Deputy Halloway, the sheriff's job is yours-if you'll have it," the major was saying. "I need someone to take control, and you worked with Sam the longest."
Halloway was taken aback by the offer. "Well ... yes...but-"
"This isn't a happy time for any of us. The town needs you."
"I'd be honored to follow in Sam's footsteps," he replied humbly.
There was an awkward moment as they quietly mourned Sam's passing. Then Halloway pulled himself together and prepared to lead his men in a posse to see if they could pick up a trail. He knew it would be tough since the gang had such a head start, but they had to do something.
"Logan, are you riding with us?" Halloway asked.
"I'm with you," Jack said.
"We'll ride out in half an hour, men. Meet here."
The men who'd gathered in the jail dispersed to get their horses.
Jack headed for the stable to get his own mount, but on the way he stopped at the telegraph office to send a wire to a bounty hunter he'd heard a lot about. Talk had it that one Cody Jameson out of San Antonio was good at bringing men in alive, and that was just who he wanted looking for Luke.
The wire was simple and straightforward: Have a job I think will interest you. Concerns the El Diablo gang. Contact me privately in Del Fuego at the Homestead Hotel within seven days if interested. Signed, Jack Logan.
His mood was grim as he went to the stable and saddled up to join the posse. The trail would be cold, but there might be some clue along the way that would help them. His worst fear was that the posse might accidentally stumble across the gang. If that happened, the posse would either end up dead or Luke would end up on the wrong end of a rope. Jack had to make certain that neither one happened.
The posse returned four days later, frustrated, tired, and dirty. It had been a very long four days. They had lost the trail about 20 miles west of town and had spent the rest of the time combing the countryside in a fruitless search.
Jack was relieved that things had turned out that way. He wanted Luke to come to him with El Diablo's identity. He believed that once the people of Del Fuego found out what he'd been doing, they would be more receptive to him.
Once the posse was disbanded, Jack headed to the hotel to see if there were any messages for him. It frustrated him to learn that there weren't, and, more tense than ever, he went straight to the Garden of Eden Saloon. He got a bottle of whiskey and a glass from the barkeep and settled in at a table in the
back of the saloon. He wasn't sure what he was going to do if Cody Jameson didn't show up to take the job. He had a lot of thinkingand drinking-to do.
The stagecoach rumbled into Del Fuego late that same night. After it rolled to a stop before the stage office, the driver jumped down to open the door for the passengers. A wizened, harmless looking old Indian climbed down, followed by a well-dressed, pretty young woman. The man riding shotgun dropped the lady's trunk down to the waiting stage line employee, who toted the trunk to the hotel for her. No one noticed as the Indian slipped off down the street.
"Good evening. I need to register, please," Cody said as she came to stand at the desk.
"Evening, ma'am," the clerk greeted her as he put the ledger before her on the counter. "Will you be staying with us long, Miss.. .Jameson?"
"For at least a day or two. I'm not quite sure yet."
The clerk handed her the key to her room and quickly told her how to reach it.
"Thank you. By the way, is there a Mr. Logan staying here?"
"Yes, ma'am. Ranger Logan's in room 203, but he's not up there right now."
The news that he was a Ranger surprised her. She wondered why a Ranger wanted to hire a bounty hunter. "When he comes in, would you please give him my room number and tell him that Cody Jameson is waiting to hear from him?"
"I sure will, but it might be late."
"That doesn't matter. I'll be up."
Cody retired to her room to await Jack Logan's arrival.
Jack was feeling little pain when he finally left the saloon and headed back to the hotel. Despite all the liquor he'd consumed, though, he still couldn't stop worrying about Luke. As he crossed the small hotel lobby, the clerk caught sight of him.
"Mr. Logan? I have a message for you."
Jack glanced at him quickly, his senses suddenly sobering.
"Cody Jameson has arrived in town and is waiting for you right now in room 211."
"Jameson's here?"
"Yes, sir. Came in on the late stage."
Jack nodded and made his way toward 211. His worries about Luke did not lessen as he headed to his rendezvous with the bounty hunter. He reached 211 and knocked.
"Can I help you?" Cody asked as she opened the door to find herself face-to-face with a tall, darkhaired, very handsome man.