Bodie 5

by Neil Hunter

  The appearance of the rider aroused Jody Butler’s attention. He’d fallen into a sullen mood of silence right from the moment they had ridden away from the line shack and the past couple of days had gone by with hardly a word from him. Now he raised his head and watched the lone rider pick his way down the long slope.

  “Boy, I wouldn’t get too excited,” Bodie said. “Whoever he is he ain’t about to do me any harm.”

  In a way Bodie was wrong. The rider turned out to be Amos Skellhorn. He rode in with both hands empty and in plain sight.

  “Bodie, you are a hard man to track,” he said.

  “That’s the idea,” Bodie told him. “And you’re a long way from home, Skellhorn. There must be a good reason why.”

  Amos Skellhorn nodded. “Yeah. But I ain’t so sure about it being good.” He threw a grim look at Jody Butler.

  There was something in Skellhorn’s manner that alerted Bodie, and he wasn’t too surprised by Skellhorn’s next words.

  “Bodie, you’ve got to take Jody back to Elkhorn!”

  Jody Butler gave a low chuckle.

  “Shut your mouth, boy,” Bodie warned. “Skellhorn, there’s need of a reason why.”

  “Is Fran’s life reason enough?”

  “Butler got her?”

  Skellhorn nodded. “He’s holding her. And the only way to get her back is to hand Jody over to the Major.”

  “I said you wouldn’t get me off this mountain,” Jody crowed.

  Bodie swung round on him. “Boy, I won’t tell you a second time. And who said things have changed?”

  “Don’t bluff me, Bodie,” Jody sneered. “You can’t.”

  Bodie hit him full in the mouth, his bunched fist smashing Jody’s lips back against his teeth in a splatter of red. Jody gasped and rolled back out of his saddle. His hands were tied so he couldn’t break his fall. He hit the ground hard and lay still.

  “Never known anybody with so damn much to say!”

  “Bodie!” Skellhorn begged.

  “Ease off,” Bodie said. “What’s Butler’s deal?”

  “Jody back alive, then he lets Fran go.”

  “That ain’t all…is it?”

  “No.”

  “I didn’t figure Butler to let you off so easy.”

  “He wants my signature on the sale of my spread.”

  “Now there’s a son of a bitch who likes to twist the knife.” Bodie glanced curiously at Skellhorn. “So?”

  Skellhorn shrugged. “I can always find more land,” he said.

  Bodie sighed. “Seems I could have saved myself a lot of trouble. Chasin’ all over these damn mountains after that little pissant - and now I have to give him back!”

  Skellhorn’s tension drained away. “Bodie, I was startin’ to believe I’d have to fight you for him!”

  Bodied unshaven face creased into a wry grin. “And you would have done too.”

  Skellhorn helped Bodie haul the unconscious Jody back on his horse. As they began the long ride back to Elkhorn, Skellhorn said: “I don’t trust him, Bodie.”

  “Man would have to be a damn fool if he did.”

  “Butler’s a vindictive man. He can’t stand his authority being challenged in any way. Hell, Bodie, you’ve done nothing but walk over him since you arrived. He won’t let you ride out once he’s got you in Elkhorn.” Skellhorn put a hand on Bodie’s arm. “Let me take Jody in alone. Ain’t no call you gettin’ hurt on my account.”

  Bodie shook his head. “Doesn’t work that way,” he said. “Day I let another man shoulder my risk is the day they can bury me. I had to go back anyhow. Seems I forgot about picking up Lee Haddon. Memory must be slipping.”

  Amos Skellhorn didn’t push the matter. He couldn’t quite make up his mind about Bodie. Of one thing he was sure - there was a reason why Bodie was going back to Elkhorn, and it sure as hell had nothing to do with memory - or the lack of it.

  They rode through the night, resting for a couple of hours just before dawn. After a quick cup of hot, strong coffee they moved on. The spreading light from the rising sun followed them across the green mountain slopes as they trailed in towards Elkhorn.

  Mid-morning placed them in sight of the town, and Bodie brought them to a halt.

  “Why we stoppin’?” Jody Butler asked. His lips were still badly swollen from Bodie’s punch and his speech was muffled.

  “I got arrangements to make,” the man hunter said, climbing out of his saddle. He made sure Jody’s hands were still securely tied and with extra lengths of rope Bodie lashed Jody’s feet in the stirrups.

  “What’s goin’ on, Bodie?” There was a slight, but rising, panic in Jody’s tone.

  “Boy, don’t be so all fired anxious. Bide your time.”

  Satisfied that Jody was secure Bodie mounted up again. He turned to Amos Skellhorn.

  “Be obliged if I could borrow that scattergun,” he said.

  Skellhorn handed the shotgun over. Bodie checked it, finding both barrels loaded. “Thanks.”

  Jody’s face had turned a sickly white. He glanced at the shotgun, then up at Bodie. “What you aimin’ to do with that thing?”

  “There you go again, boy. That curiosity of yours is going to get you into trouble any minute now.”

  Bodie swung the shotgun round and jammed the twin muzzles up under Jody’s chin, the cold steel sinking into the soft flesh, forcing Jody’s head up. There was a hard sound as Bodie eased both hammers back to full cock.

  “Got the idea now, boy?”

  Sweat beaded on Jody’s face, trickling down his flesh in glistening globules.

  “Nothing to say now? Ain’t you the contrary one? Mind, it’s the advisable thing to do, boy. Say the wrong thing and I’m liable to let you have both barrels. And that wouldn’t be healthy - apart from giving you a permanent cure for headaches!”

  Bodie urged his horse forward, keeping Jody’s alongside, while Amos Skellhorn fell in at the rear. They angled down a slight bank and came on to the regular trail that brought them in through the outskirts of Elkhorn.

  There were a lot of interested spectators who stood and watched the silent trio riding in. Bodie scanned the staring faces, wondering who amongst them might work for Howard Butler. His interest was created not out of fear but out of a knowledge that an itchy trigger finger belonging to a man anxious to earn Butler’s bounty money could upset the whole damn apple cart. But it was a risk he had to take. He was here, in Elkhorn, deep in Butler’s territory and when a man was as committed to an action as Bodie was, then there was no turning back,

  As Bodie neared the jail he saw an armed man lounging on the boardwalk. The man spotted the approaching riders, stepped forward to get a closer look, then turned and vanished inside the jail. He reappeared after a minute, followed by a half dozen other men. Bodie recognized Frank Lowery and Lee Haddon among them.

  “Looks like a reception party,” Bodie said, glancing at Jody. “That’s real nice of your daddy, boy!”

  Jody kept his mouth shut tight. He was terrified of making any movement which might trigger off the shotgun jammed painfully into the soft flesh of his chin.

  A dark suited figure moved to the edge of the boardwalk, hands resting casually on his hips.

  “The Major,” Amos Skellhorn said.

  “So you’re Bodie!” Butler said. There was a grudging respect in his voice, a cursory trace of admiration for Bodie’s professionalism, if not for the end result of his ability. “You’ve caused me a great deal of inconvenience.”

  “Still intend to keep it up,” Bodie said. “I hear they still call you Major - do I say hello or salute you?”

  A shadow of a smile etched itself across Butler’s face. “Humor as well?”

  “Hell, yes. It writes and reads too, and it learned a long time ago not to be fooled by horseshit passing itself off as something special.”

  Butler’s face paled slightly. “All right, Bodie, let’s get down to the matter in hand. We all know what we’re here for. You want th
e girl - I want my son.”

  “For a smart feller, Butler, you don’t seem to be getting much out of this deal. This little pissant ain’t worth the flea off a dog’s back.” Bodie gave the shotgun a slight thrust, ripping a ragged moan from Jody’s swollen lips. “You certain you want him back?”

  “For a smart man yourself, Bodie, you don’t seem to appreciate the difficult position you are in.” Butler glanced at the men behind him. “One nod from me and you’re dead.”

  “So is he,” Bodie pointed out” “You know damn well I’ll pull both these triggers even if you cut me in half.”

  There was a long silence as each side weighed up the position.

  “So now we’ve threatened each other and called each other nasty names how about dealing, Butler?” Bodie flexed the arm holding the shotgun. “The longer you drag this on the stiffer my arm’s going to get…”

  “For God’s sake…” Jody blurted out, ignoring for a moment the threat of the shotgun. “He’ll kill me…I know him and he’ll do it!”

  “Skellhorn, you ready to sign?” Butler asked.

  Amos Skellhorn climbed down off his horse and stepped to the boardwalk. “You damn well know I am.”

  Howard Butler took a folded document from his pocket. “I figured you’d see sense, Amos. Let’s go inside. You can put your name on this deed and I’ll give you your money and Fran.”

  They stepped inside the jail, leaving Bodie alone for the moment. He watched Frank Lowery edge forward.

  “You got away from me once, Bodie,” Lowery said. “You won’t do it a second time.”

  Bodie glanced down at him. “I wouldn’t have thought you’d got time to stand and talk, Lowery.”

  A frown creased Lowery’s face. “What do you mean?”

  “I figure you should be inside there with Butler. Must be at least five minutes since you licked his ass!”

  Lowery’s face darkened. He lunged forward, his hand snatching at the gun on his hip. He would have drawn if Lee Haddon hadn’t reached out and caught hold of his wrist, forcing the gun back into the holster.

  “You crazy son of a bitch!” Haddon rasped. “Hell, are you so dumb you can’t see when a man’s proddin’ you! Judas Priest, Frank, you want to end up gettin’ hung with one of your own ropes?”

  “I ain’t about to let no bastard talk to me the way he did!” Lowery yelled.

  “Here and now, you let him say just what he damn well pleases!” Haddon said. “Or do you want to be the one who tells the Major that Jody’s just had what brains he’s got blown the length of the street?”

  There was a murderous gleam in Bodie’s eyes as he watched Frank Lowery, a silent warning to the lawman that he was ready if any trouble started. Lowery allowed himself to be pushed back across the boardwalk until his shoulders were rubbing against the jail wall

  “Son of a bitch!” the Elkhorn lawman grumbled sourly,

  The jail door opened and Amos Skellhorn came out Close behind him was Fran. She looked tired, her shoulders hunched and her head down. Skellhorn said something to her and she glanced up. When her eyes caught Bodie’s she gave a quick smile and lifted a hand to brush at her loose hair,

  Howard Butler pushed his way to the front of the men Bunched on the boardwalk. He seemed pleased with himself, and for some reason that angered Bodie.

  “There’s the girl,” Butler said. “My part of the bargain, Bodie.”

  “Skellhorn, get Fran out of here!” Bodie said sharply.

  “Now hold on!” Lee Haddon swung round to face the man hunter, his gun halfway out of its holster.

  “Ease off, Haddon,” Bodie warned. “Take the advice you just gave Lowery!”

  Behind Bodie Amos Skellhorn was pulling Fran on to his horse. Skellhorn took up his reins and began to edge his horse away from the jail.

  “Bodie?” he said urgently. “Let’s get out of here!”

  “Take Fran and move out!” Bodie snapped without moving his eyes off the grouped men on the boardwalk. “Do it!”

  Howard Butler held himself from making any comment. He had seen the expression on Bodie’s face and there was no escaping from the solid fact of the shotgun pressed so tightly beneath Jody’s chin.

  “Bodie, we made a bargain,” he said after a while.

  Bodie could see Skellhorn’s horse moving further and further along the empty street. Fran kept looking back, her face pale, and while he’d still been able to read them her eyes had held a pleading look - as if she had been silently begging him to follow.

  “A bargain, Bodie,” Butler repeated.

  “The hell we did, Butler! You just gave an order and just naturally expected we’d all come running! You must figure I’m pretty dumb if you think I’m about to put away this shotgun and expect to ride out free and easy.”

  “Do you have any other choice?” Butler asked.

  “Damn right I do, mister! You might have this whole town jumping through hoops every time you whistle - but this is one dog that never did take to doing tricks. I’m going to give you a choice, Butler. You can choose whether or not your boy dies right here on this street, or leaves town with me and takes his chances back in Pine Ridge!”

  “You make a fool of me, Bodie, and I’ll track you to the front door of hell!” Butler screamed. He jabbed a finger at the man hunter. “You hear me, you bastard!”

  Bodie picked tip his reins. “Sure I hear you, Butler, and seein’ you all upset really makes my day. Now back off or I’ll put both loads through the boy’s head!”

  “Kill him and you’re a dead man, Bodie,” Lee Haddon said.

  “Either way I’m in for a hard time, so I might as well play my best card. Now back off!”

  Bodie touched his heels to his horse and it stepped away from the boardwalk. He pulled the reins of Jody’s mount, drawing it in close to his side, so that he had Jody between himself and the men on the boardwalk. As Bodie walked his horse along the street the bunch, led by Howard Butler and Haddon, began to follow along the boardwalk. The empty street suddenly looked a mile long and Bodie felt a cold sheen of sweat form on his face. If his scheme worked he decided he’d be happy to come out of it with his skin intact - if it didn’t he figured Howard Butler would want more than just his skin.

  Halfway along the street, and Bodie was almost ready to believe he might pull it off. There was still a way to go and it would be far from over even when he’d cleared town - but he figured there was a chance.

  That was until a gun went off somewhere behind him.

  The bullet ripped a bloody furrow across the top of Bodie’s left shoulder. His horse lunged forward, startled by the sound of the shot, and Bodie’s finger was jerked against the shotgun’s triggers.

  The weapon exploded with a solid blast of sound, both barrels firing together. The full charge of the twin loads ripped up through Jody Butler’s skull, tearing his flesh and bone to shreds and spraying blood and brains across the street. Bright spouts of blood jetted up from the lacerated stump where his head had been. Jody’s corpse rocked back in the saddle as his horse jerked aside, the reins slipping through Bodie’s fingers.

  There was a long moment of stunned silence, every figure on the street seeming to come to a dead stop. Bodie twisted round, his gaze raking the men on the boardwalk, and his right hand was already dragging his Colt from its holster.

  On the edge of the boardwalk, his face pale with shock at the result of his actions, stood Frank Lowery. His revolver was in his raised right hand, powder smoke still curling from the muzzle. His momentary shock, holding him rigid, delayed any further action he might have been contemplating.

  Bodie didn’t allow him any time to recover. He snapped the barrel of the Colt down at Lowery’s body and triggered off a shot. The bullet ripped into Lowery’s soft stomach, blasting a pulpy hole in the small of his back on its way out. Blood began to boil from the wound, staining the front of Lowery’s pants. He lurched back across the boardwalk, his mouth sagging in pained surprise. Bodie’s second shot
ripped through the left side of his face, baring white bone and glistening flesh and the third bullet caved in his nose before driving through his skull. Lowery flopped on to the dirty boardwalk, his loose body jerking about in his death throes, blood streaming from the gaping wounds in his flesh, spattering across the worn planks in bright runnels.

  The second he’d triggered the third shot. Bodie leaned forward over his horse’s neck and drove his heels in hard. The animal bolted across the street, dust spuming up behind him. Bodie knew that he had no more than seconds before every gun on that boardwalk opened up on him, and he wanted to have at least a small chance. He jammed his Colt back in its holster and yanked the Winchester from its scabbard - and that was the moment when the guns opened up. He felt the horse shudder, was aware of the solid thwack of bullets driving into its flesh. The animal screamed, twisted sideways and began to go down. Bodie kicked his feet from the stirrups and left the saddle in a frantic dive. He hit the street on his face, scrambling wildly to his feet, and, forgoing his dignity, ran for his life.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Bullets chewed ragged splinters from the veranda posts and the boardwalk itself as Bodie gained the scant protection of the covered way. He was far from any alley he might use and staying where he was could only get him killed. The only direction left open to him was forward - and that was the way Bodie went.

  His desperate lunge took him head first through the wide display window of a men’s outfitters. Bodie curled his body into a ball and went with his momentum. He scattered bolts of cloth and metal stands set out in the window, crashing through the flimsy partition blocking off the window from the main part of the store. Bodie grunted as he hit the floor beyond, uncurling his body and coming to his feet in a shower of broken glass.

  He found himself confronted, by the owner of the store; a balding, thin, small man who stared at Bodie in horror. His startled eyes bulged behind the thick lens of his steel-rimmed glasses and his naturally pale face turned a sickly white. The store owner found himself shocked into speechlessness and all he could do was to stare up at the towering figure of the grim-faced, battered and bloody man who had literally exploded into his life.