by Steve Hayes
‘How come you were holed up so long?’ Lawless asked Gabriel.
‘Posse was hunting me for robbing a cantina.’
‘A cantina? Jesus, you must’ve been pretty desperate.’
‘I was drunk as a skunk is what I was. Anyways, the posse wasn’t after me for the money – hell, I only got seven dollars. It was on account of I accidentally shot the ear off the Mex who owned the place and the sheriff, damn his hide, was sweet on his daughter.’ He paused as the others started laughing, then added, ‘As if that weren’t enough incentive, happens there was also a reward out for me … and the mayor was looking to get himself re-elected. I tell you, for a spell there it seemed like all of New Mexico was beating the bushes for Mesquite Jennings.’
His companions doubled over with laughter.
They rode on around a bend. Ahead the gully widened and the rock-covered banks got steeper. Shortly, they passed a boulder shaped like a tombstone. Immediately Will, who was riding alongside Lawless, made sure no one was watching him. Then he gently tapped his horse with his spurs. The sorrel quickened its pace and moved a length ahead.
Not conscious of the fact that he was now riding alone, Lawless looked back at Gabriel and shook his head disparagingly. ‘Mesquite Jennings,’ he said. ‘By God, I almost busted a gut laughing when I heard that’s what you’d named yourself.’
‘What’s wrong with Mesquite Jennings?’ Gabriel said.
‘What’s right with it, you mean.’
‘Cally liked it.’
‘You were bedding her, for Chris’sake, what the hell did you expect her to say?’
Gabriel looked hurt. ‘Well, it was good enough for some dime novel writer to dream up.’
‘What’s that prove?’ said Latigo.
‘Could you write a book?’
‘Never tried. I’ll tell you this, though: if I ever did write one, I sure as sweet Texas wouldn’t name my hero after a goddamn bush!’
Lawless started laughing again.
‘Mesquite ain’t a bush,’ said Gabriel, ‘it’s a tree—’
A sudden volley of shots poured from the rocks on both sides of them. Will’s horse screamed, staggered and went down, pitching him over its head.
Bullets whined all around them.
Lawless, Gabriel and Latigo jumped from their mounts and dived behind the nearest rocks.
The shooting continued, heavier now.
Pinned down, the three could only get off occasional shots.
‘Stadtlander?’ Lawless said to Gabriel.
‘I doubt it. We had strict orders never to cross over.’
‘Well, it can’t be a posse,’ Latigo said. ‘Not unless someone tipped off the sheriff ’bout busting you out.’
‘Even if they did,’ Lawless said, ‘they wouldn’t know where we were headed. We didn’t know ourselves till after we crossed the border.’
Bullets steadily chipped at the rocks, ricocheting dangerously close.
‘Who then?’ said Gabriel.
Will came scrambling up, Winchester in hand. ‘Goddamn bandidos! The wash is crawling with ’em.’
‘Bandidos – with repeating rifles?’
‘Why not? Enough pesos will buy you anything.’
‘How many, y’think?’
‘More’n we can handle,’ said Gabriel.
‘Not if we could get to our rifles.’
‘First we got to get to our horses.’
They looked at each other, knowing whoever went was risking his life.
‘I’ll go,’ said Will. ‘Cover me.’ He was gone, disappearing into the darkness before they could stop him.
The three exchanged surprised looks then straightened up and emptied their Colts into the enemy. It was still too dark to see if there were any hits. But a few painful cries followed by a body tumbling into the wash told them not every shot had missed.
‘What do you make of it?’ Lawless said as they ducked down and began reloading.
‘Of what?’ Latigo said.
‘Will taking off like that. I mean when’s the last time that bastard ever volunteered to get shot?’
‘’Cept he’s not getting shot,’ Gabriel said. ‘And he ain’t going for our horses either. See?’ He pointed to a shadowy figure scrambling up the rocks on the opposite bank of the gully. ‘Son of a buck’s heading right for where most of the shooting’s coming from.’
The three looked at each other, puzzled. Then it hit Lawless.
‘That mercenary sonofabitch! He sold us out.’
‘How you figure that?’ Latigo said.
‘Who told us he knew of a hideout near Las Palomas?’
‘Will.’
‘Who said this gully led to a shortcut through the hills?’
‘I see what you mean.’
‘Damn his lying hide,’ said Gabriel. ‘We get out of here alive, I’ll make sure he never back-stabs us again.’
It was growing light. A pale mauve wash began spreading across the gray sky as dawn broke beyond the mountains in the east.
They could now see across the gully. Peering between the rocks they caught a glimpse of Will Lawless. Almost to the top of the opposite bank, he ducked behind a rocky overhang and joined a group of his men who were hiding there. The incessant rifle fire that had kept Lawless, Latigo and Gabriel pinned down abruptly ceased. They leaned back against the rocks and began reloading.
‘How much you figure Stadtlander’s paying Will to kill both of us?’ Gabriel asked Lawless.
‘As much as it takes.’
‘So it ain’t going to end here, no matter what?’
‘No matter what.’
Gabriel shook his head in disgust. ‘All these years I thought I knew that old man. He took me in, treated me fair, made me ramrod – even favored me over his own boy most of the time. Now he wants to kill me ’cause he lost one lousy hand at poker.’
‘You can’t put a price on pride, Gabe. We made a fool out of him and he’s a mighty proud and vengeful man.’
‘Whatever he’s paying,’ Latigo put in, ‘you can bet your last dollar that he’d double it to get you back alive.’
‘That’ll never happen,’ Gabriel said. ‘I’ve seen some of his hangings. He don’t use a knot to break your neck. Lets a fella just hang there, kicking and fighting for air, until he’s dead. It ain’t pretty.’
Lawless wasn’t listening. ‘You know what I can’t figure out? If Will planned this, why’d they shoot his horse?’
‘Ever knowed a greaser who was a good shot?’ Gabriel said.
‘They’re not Mex. They’re Will’s men. I’d bet on it.’
‘That’d explain the Winchesters,’ Latigo said.
‘Yeah, but not why they shot his horse.’
‘You ask me,’ Gabriel said, ‘there’s nothing to figure out. It was just a lousy shot.’
‘Mean they were aiming at one of us?’
‘Not us – you,’ said Latigo.
‘You were riding right behind him,’ Gabriel reminded. ‘And it’s no secret he’s never forgiven you for shooting his old man.’
‘I had no choice,’ Lawless said. ‘Uncle Jesse was raging drunk and came at me with a scattergun. Will knows that. He was there, beside the cotton gin when it happened.’
There was a burst of rifle fire. Bullets ricocheted off the rocks around them, forcing them to hit the ground. When the shooting ceased, they heard Will call out, ‘Lefty? Lefty, you hear me?’
‘I hear you,’ Latigo said.
‘I ain’t looking to kill you. You want to leave, get on your horse and ride out.’
‘And if I don’t?’
‘We’ll bury you feet up, same as Gabe and Ben.’
‘I need to think on it,’ Latigo said.
‘Don’t trust him,’ Lawless said. ‘You step out there and he’ll gun you down just for the fun of it.’
‘Tell me something I don’t know,’ Latigo said.
‘This is your last chance, Lefty,’ Will shouted after a long silence.<
br />
Latigo ignored him.
Colts fully loaded now, the three prepared to shoot it out.
‘Something else that doesn’t make sense,’ Lawless said. ‘If Will wants me dead so badly, why didn’t he tell Stadtlander that you two were breaking me out? Then the sheriff and his deputies could’ve been waiting for us the moment we walked out of the jail. That way, Will would not have only gotten his blood money, but in a day or two, he’d have a front-row seat at my hanging.’
‘He already tried that once,’ Gabriel said without thinking. ‘And look where it got him—’
‘Shut up,’ Latigo hissed.
But it was too late.
‘What’re you saying?’ Lawless demanded. Then, when they didn’t answer, ‘Did Will have something to do with this?’ He indicated the rope scar around his neck.
‘Forget it,’ Latigo said. ‘That’s yesterday’s news.’
‘You sons of bitches,’ Lawless said. ‘How long you known?’
‘’Bout a month after the hanging,’ Gabriel said.
‘We wanted to tell you,’ Latigo said, ‘but since you couldn’t remember nothing, what was the point?’
‘Tell me now,’ Lawless said grimly.
‘Will set you up,’ Latigo said. ‘He pistol-whipped two rurales to death then had one of his men tell their officer that Will Lawless was responsible and where they could find him. ’Course, he was leading them right to you. The rurales took the bait, mistook you for Will and.…’
Lawless didn’t hear any more. He didn’t even hear the bullets whining and ricocheting all around them. In his mind the impenetrable darkness that had always blocked his memory of those missing twelve hours now melted away; and just like that, clear as day, he saw himself struggling to escape from the men holding him … and behind them more angry faces, Mexican faces, rurales, their high-crown sombreros pushed back off their heads, watching him being hoisted on to his horse and then the noose dangling in front of him, a hand now looping it around his neck and then, behind him, the officer whipping his horse … the animal lunging forward and …
… the ungodly horror of the rope jerking tight … crushing against jugular … choking him … and … then …
… the picture he was visualizing faded.…
He tried desperately to get it back; to force his mind to show him what happened next, but it was useless. It was like staring into an empty black hole.
Now, as he crouched behind the rock, he saw Latigo and Gabriel returning the fire of their attackers.
‘Reloading,’ Gabriel sang out. He crouched down beside Lawless and began pulling cartridges from his gunbelt.
Lawless grabbed his arm. ‘Gabe, you got to tell me. What happened? Why aren’t I dead? How’d I get away?’
‘I don’t know, Ben. If I did, I’d surely tell you.’
‘What about Lefty?’
‘He don’t know either.’
Latigo fired his last round and ducked down beside them. Checking his gunbelt, he said, ‘One more load and I’m out.’
‘Two for me,’ said Gabriel.
Lawless knew then what he had to do.
‘Will!’ he shouted. ‘Will, this is Ben.’
‘What do you want?’
‘To talk.’
‘’Bout what?’
‘You’n me. Settling scores.’
No answer.
‘This is family doing. Between cousins. Why not end it that way?’
‘Keep talking.’
‘Tell your men to stop shooting. I’m coming out.’
‘Alone?’
‘Alone.’
‘You heard him,’ Will told his men. ‘Hold your fire.’
‘One last thing,’ Lawless said.’No matter who’s left standing, Gabe and Lefty get to ride out of here.’
Silence.
‘It’s almost light,’ Lawless continued. ‘You might get us all in the end but not before one of us finds a way to kill you.’
Will looked at the ever-lightening mottled sky and knew Lawless was right.
‘Deal,’ he said.
The gully became deadly quiet.
‘Are you loco?’ Gabriel hissed at Lawless. ‘You can’t go out there. Like you just told Lefty, the bastard’ll shoot you afore you cast a shadow.’
‘Then I’ll have to shoot him first.’
‘Even if you do,’ Latigo said, ‘his men will blow you to pieces.’
‘Eventually they will anyway.’ Lawless indicated his empty gunbelt. ‘All I got is what’s in the chamber,’ he spun the cylinder of his Colt.
‘Then we’ll all go together,’ Gabriel said.
‘Don’t include me,’ Latigo said. ‘There’s no profit in dying.’
Gabriel shot him a disgusted look then stood up.
‘Thanks,’ Lawless gripped his shoulder fondly, ‘but this is something I have to do alone.’
‘No profit in being noble either,’ Latigo said.
Lawless ignored him. ‘You can do me a favor, though,’ he said to Gabriel.
‘Name it.’
‘Afterward, if he’s still standing, I’ll die happy if you shoot him.’
‘Count on it,’ said Gabriel.
‘Watch the fingers on his gun-hand,’ Latigo told Lawless. ‘He flexes them just before he draws.’
Gabriel glanced at the coming dawn. ‘You’ll have to get close to see his fingers.’
‘I intend to,’ Lawless said. ‘After all the goddamn grief he’s caused me, I want to see his face as he dies.’ Pulling his black, flat-crowned hat firmly down on his head, he squeezed out between the rocks and walked toward the middle of the gully.
‘Whenever you’re ready,’ he called out.
Loose stones and dirt came slithering down as Will Lawless slowly descended the opposite bank.
Lawless turned and faced him.
It took a few moments but finally his cousin reached the floor of the gully and came toward him.
‘Before we do this,’ Lawless said as Will got close, ‘I want to know something.’
‘Make it short.’
‘Why didn’t the rurales finish the job? Why am I standing here wearing this souvenir?’ He unbuttoned his shirt to show the rope scar.
Will grinned, showing broken, snuff-stained teeth. ‘Mean you ain’t figured that out yet?’ Even as he spoke the fingers on his right hand flexed and he went for his gun.
Lawless did the same.
Two explosions, so close it was impossible to know who fired first.
But Lawless knew.
He knew even as Will’s bullet punched him in the chest, knocking him back, his legs now buckling so that he fell to his knees.
Will holstered his iron and hunkered down in front of him.
Lawless looked at him through a red haze. His Colt slipped from his numb fingers … and fell to the ground.
‘Why, Cousin,’ Will said, ‘I do believe I’ve done you in.’
Then, when Lawless didn’t answer, ‘It was the rope, Ben. It broke while you was hanging there.’
There was a dull roaring in Lawless’s ears. He saw Will’s lips moving in front of his face yet couldn’t hear what he was saying.
‘… and ’cause it was a brand new rope, never been used afore, the officer, being a fine Catholic and a right religious fella, figured it was an act of God … that the Good Lord was telling him he shouldn’t hang you. So he up’n let you go.…’
Lawless never heard him. He fell forward on to his face, dead before he hit the sand.
Will straightened up and spat on Lawless. ‘That’s for Pa,’ he said, adding, ‘Hope you rot in Hell.’
‘Will.…’
Will Lawless spun around and saw Latigo standing before him.
‘Try me,’ the little gunman said.
‘I got no quarrel with you, Lefty.’
‘I’m going to kill you just the same.’
Knowing he meant it, Will reached for his gun.
The weapon never cleared leather.
>
Latigo’s bullet tore through his chest, ripping a hole in his heart.
Will staggered, eyes saucers, crumpled, and fell lifelessly on his back.
Gabriel, after making sure Lawless was dead, joined Latigo. Together they faced the dozen or so renegades, most of them hardened, low-life border trash, descending from the rocks.
Gabriel spoke softly, barely moving his lips. ‘First time I ever known you to kill someone for free.’
‘Don’t get used to it,’ Latigo said.
‘Wasn’t figuring to. I mean how many miracles you get to see in your life?’
‘’Sides,’ said Latigo, ‘it wasn’t exactly free. Will’s worth five thousand dollars in New Mexico, dead or alive. If I’ve a mind to, I’ll take his body back and collect it.’
‘The reward,’ Gabriel said. ‘I’d forgotten all about that. Well, least now you’ve restored my faith in human nature.’
The renegades had reached the floor of the gully.
Gabriel and Latigo tensed, ready to shoot it out.
But the renegades had had enough. They continued on up the gully, soon disappearing around a bend where their horses awaited them.
Gabriel and Latigo waited until they heard them ride away before they returned to Lawless.
‘If you was Ben,’ Gabriel said, ‘on which side of the border would you want to be buried?’
‘Side I was born on,’ Latigo said.
Together they lifted the corpse and carried it to Lawless’ horse. There, they wrapped their dead friend in his bedroll, gently draped the body over the saddle and roped it tight.
‘Sad day,’ Gabriel said.
‘They’re all sad and getting sadder,’ Latigo said, adding, ‘You riding north with me?’
‘Not unless you’re anxious to see me hang.’
Latigo grinned. ‘If I see Cally, want me to tell her where you are?’
‘She already knows. But in case she’s forgotten where I’m going to hole up, it’s just south of—’
Latigo cut him off. ‘Don’t tell me, Gabe. That way I won’t ever be tempted to hunt you down for the reward.’
Gabriel chuckled. ‘Lefty,’ he said, ‘if I didn’t know better, I’d say you was getting soft.’