Ahiga let out a breath that sounded like something close to a growl. “You and I are straw men, Adams. I have felt like one for some time and now I see you are the same.”
“Straw men?”
“We are not told what we need to know, so we may be kept weak. That way, when the fight comes, we are easily knocked down by whoever comes along.”
“Straw men,” Clint said. “Something set up just so it can burn.”
“Some among us have known that Tolfox holds secret council with the soldiers, but others don’t want to believe it. And even if they do believe, there is nothing for them to do about it. Nowhere for them to go. We are a mixed tribe because we are all hunted by the soldiers or cast out by our own. There is nothing left for us.”
Clint placed his hand on the Navajo’s shoulder. Although the Indian warrior tensed at that, he didn’t pull away. “Whatever trouble your tribe is in, it will only get worse if you just keep following Tolfox. He’ll lie to you and use you all up until he gets you all killed.”
“For some warriors, that is the only place for our path to lead.”
“Well, it doesn’t have to be that way. Are you truly telling me you and your men would die for Tolfox?”
Ahiga didn’t say anything, but the dark shadow that fell over his face said more than enough.
“Of course you wouldn’t,” Clint said. “Just like there’s no way in hell I’d die for Farelli.”
“But it seems that he wanted it to be that way.”
“Yeah,” Clint said as that truth settled in like a stone at the bottom of his stomach. “But just because we’ve been used as straw men doesn’t mean we have to give up and burn. Farelli is already resigned to sitting with his feet up in this pile of firewood he calls a fort and knows that he’s finished if any real officers find out what he’s doing. All we need to do is get some proof.”
“When you told me you wanted to get away and meet with Farelli, you said you would lead him back to us.”
“And I did,” Clint said. “I told him I’d take him to your camp. Is everyone ready to move?”
“We have already moved. All that is left are the crippled wagons.” With a foul look on his face, Ahiga added, “Sleeping there was like sleeping in a white man’s trash heap.”
“Well, there probably won’t be much left. Did you make the arrangements we agreed upon?”
Ahiga grinned. “And one of my scouts has found someone who could be an ace in the hole.”
After hearing who Ahiga had found, Clint was the one grinning. “Good,” he said. “Now we can see who the straw men really are.”
THIRTY-FOUR
After arranging another meeting along with some individual tasks, Clint strolled back toward the fort and Ahiga slipped away to blend in with the shadows. The Navajo moved like a large cat, keeping his head down and his arms stretched in front of him to avoid being surprised by a rock or bush.
Catching the eye of a guard near the front gate, Clint tossed the soldier a wave and kept walking. He had a lie on the tip of his tongue and ready to fly, but didn’t even need it. The soldier returned Clint’s wave with a nod and went back to what ever dream had been occupying his attention. Clint had heard soldiers talk about having the military in their blood, but hadn’t thought much about that for himself. Perhaps he did have some military blood, because Clint still wanted to whip those lazy soldiers into shape even though he didn’t have an official rank of his own.
The saloon was almost as busy as a proper gambling hall in a good-sized town. It seemed more soldiers were in there than at their posts or doing any real work. Then again, with a commanding officer like Farelli, it was a wonder that any work in Fort Winstead got done at all. Clint was looking around at the various faces inside the saloon when he felt a tug on his sleeve.
“You Clint Adams?” the bartender asked as he leaned back behind the bar.
Straightening the sleeve the barkeep had pulled, Clint replied, “I am.”
“One of the officers wants to have a word with ya.”
“Farelli?”
“Nah,” the bartender replied with a shake of his head. “Some other one.”
“Who?”
The bartender shrugged his shoulders angrily and turned to get back to his conversation with a drunken private. This time, he was the one who was interrupted by a tug on his sleeve. When he turned around, he saw Clint staring back at him.
“Where’s this officer at?” Clint asked.
“Outside and to the right.”
Rather than impose upon the bartender any further, Clint stepped outside and turned right. There wasn’t much to see there, other than a few hitching posts and a small house that was maintained enough to look distinctly out of place within the walls of Fort Winstead. But what jumped out at him more than the house was the horse tied to the post outside that house. It was a white mustang with brown spots.
Clint knocked on the door, which was enough to push it open an inch or two.
“Come on in,” a bespectacled clerk in a tidy blue uniform replied. He held the door open and then pushed it shut once Clint was inside.
“Is this where the visiting officers are allowed to stay?” Clint asked.
“Yes. Are you one of Colonel Farelli’s guests?”
Unable to help himself, Clint replied, “Why, yes. Do I get a room for the night?”
“Just go right up those stairs. Only one other room’s occupied, so you can take your pick from the rest. There’s blankets and sheets available, so let me know if you need anything else.”
Clint might have heard those words, but he was already at the top of the stairs when the clerk finished his sentence. The slender young man with the spectacles must have been used to being treated that way, so he merely shouted the remainder of his instructions up the stairs and then went back to what ever he’d been doing before. In fact, Clint thought his rude manner might have helped put him over as an officer. At least the clerk didn’t seem at all interested in following him up the stairs.
Just like any other house its size, this one had a narrow hallway at the top of the stairs, which led to several narrow doorways. All but one of those doors were halfway open, so Clint went straight to the one that was closed and tried the handle. After opening that door just enough to make his presence known, Clint leaned toward it and whispered, “It’s Clint. Don’t shoot.”
“Well, come in, then,” Abigail replied.
Clint stepped inside and found himself in a small yet tidy bedroom. Most of the space was taken up by the bed, itself, and Abigail was taking up a good amount of the space beneath the blankets. She lay on her side, using one hand to prop up her head. With her other hand, she pulled the blankets off to reveal that she wasn’t wearing a stitch of clothes.
“You owe me big, Adams,” she said. “Time for me to collect.”
THIRTY-FIVE
“Looks like you’ve already washed up,” Clint said as he unbuttoned his shirt and let his eyes wander along the smooth contours of Abigail’s body.
“Just get those clothes off and come here,” she demanded.
Clint smiled and hurried to undress, but stopped just short of removing his jeans. “You said I owe you. What did you find out?”
“The colonel’s planning on riding out to hang a whole bunch of Injuns.”
“He’s going, himself?”
Still holding the blanket up, she nodded. Abigail’s hair fell in a loose tousle over her face and her legs shifted beneath her body. Just keeping that blanket and her head propped up was enough to put the taut lines of her muscles on display. “He’s leading some sort of charge and he’s mighty proud of it. I know he’s telling the truth because he’s hiring on anyone he can to ride ahead and clear a path for him.”
“Is he more interested in guns or scouts?”
“He’s not interested in doing anything until an hour before sunrise, so get over here before I kick you out of my damn room.”
The moment Clint got close enough for
her to reach him, Abigail grabbed him by the waistband of his jeans and pulled him to the bed. Clint slapped her hand away so he could get undressed the rest of the way, which seemed to stoke the fire that was already burning within Abigail. By the time Clint was out of his clothes, she was on her knees and at the edge of the mattress.
Abigail wrapped one arm around the back of Clint’s neck so she could pull him close and kiss him fiercely on the lips. Her other hand slid down between his legs, where she began stroking his cock until it was good and hard.
Pulling his head back just enough to break the kiss, Clint returned the favor by grabbing a handful of hair at the back of her head so he could hold her still as he kissed her again. Abigail loved his rough manner every bit as much as he thought she would. Her lips parted and she slipped her tongue into Clint’s mouth. She pressed her naked body against him and trembled as soon as his rigid penis brushed against the lips of her pussy.
She was dripping wet between her legs. With her hand still on him, she guided Clint to her warm opening and let out a moan the instant he began to slip into her. With Abigail on her knees upon the edge of the bed and Clint standing on the floor next to the bed, he couldn’t enter her more than an inch or so. Abigail spread her legs apart as much as she could, while reaching around to grab Clint’s hip and pull him closer.
Clint placed his hands upon her backside and ran the other hand up along her breasts. She had a strong, muscular body, and responded with a louder groan when Clint’s fingers found her nipples. Clint rolled the sensitive flesh of her nipple between thumb and forefinger, ending with a little pinch to make Abigail pull in a quick, excited breath.
“Oh, Lord, you make me crazy.” She sighed as she backed away so she could lie down upon the bed and open her legs for him.
Clint didn’t waste any time in climbing onto the bed, but Abigail was too anxious to wait for even a second. Her hands were drifting over her own body. With one hand she played with the nipple Clint had been teasing and she rubbed the other hand over her glistening clitoris.
As soon as Clint lowered himself on top of her, he felt Abigail’s legs wrap around him and lock in tight. She wrapped her arms around him as well, shifting her hips until she felt his cock slide to where it needed to be.
“That’s it.” She sighed as Clint pushed all the way into her. “Just like that.”
Once Clint started pumping in and out of her, he could feel Abigail squirming in time to his rhythm. Her strong hips thrust back and forth, urging him to slam harder and harder into her. Soon, Clint grabbed hold of one of Abigail’s hands and tightened his grip as he needed to hold on to something to keep from being tossed out of the bed. His other hand slid down and around to cup her firm backside as he continued to drive into her like a piston.
Suddenly, Abigail pressed her face against Clint’s shoulder and hung on with both arms wrapped around him. She writhed and pumped herself along his cock until a powerful orgasm shook her from head to toe. When it subsided, she leaned back and stretched both arms out to spread her hair out behind her head. Looking up at Clint, she said, “I’ve been waiting for that since the last time.”
“Well,” Clint said as he straightened up so he was kneeling between her legs, “it’s not over yet.”
Her eyes widened expectantly and an excited smile appeared on her face as Clint cupped her backside in both hands so he could position her just right and lift her a little ways up off the bed. As soon as she felt Clint’s hard column of flesh once more against the soft lips of her pussy, Abigail propped herself up for him and waited to feel him impale her.
Clint’s erection parted her smooth skin and slipped back into the warmth of her body. Still kneeling so his back was straight and she was lying flat upon the bed, Clint grabbed on to her hips and held her up as he slowly moved in and out of her. Abigail stretched languidly along the bed as Clint’s thrusts became more and more powerful. Soon, he was rocking her with enough force to inch her toward the other edge of the mattress.
Arching his back as he settled into a good rhythm, Clint knew he’d hit a good spot when he felt Abigail’s entire body start to shake. He watched her face as she turned her head to one side and bucked her hips while grabbing on to the blankets. When her orgasm came, it made her pull in a breath and become perfectly quiet for a few seconds. In that time, Clint felt her pussy tighten around his cock in a way that pushed him even closer to his own edge.
She went over that edge first, but Clint was right behind her.
THIRTY-SIX
Clint was able to get a little rest before he had to leave Abigail’s room. When he crept down the stairs, hoping not to see anyone along the way, he felt like a boy sneaking away from home to go into town. Since the clerk in the officer’s guest quarters didn’t seem to know what was going on beyond his own desk, Clint didn’t take too many extra precautions. As it was, Clint was able to get outside and to Eclipse without drawing much attention.
Abigail had been right in her assessment that any soldier worth his salt had been recruited for Colonel Farelli’s special assignment. That meant only the lazy, drunk, and worthless soldiers were left behind to guard the fort. And that, in turn, meant Clint could come and go however he pleased.
Once he’d walked Eclipse through the front gates, Clint snapped the reins and built up speed until the Darley Arabian was at a full gallop. The sky was still dark, but he could taste the approaching dawn in the back of his throat. There was a crispness in the air and a subtle glow at the edge of the eastern horizon. It would be dawn soon, so Clint knew Farelli and his men would be out in force before too much longer.
The last time he’d met with Ahiga, Clint made an arrangement with the big Navajo that involved a certain number of Indians staying behind while the rest of the tribe moved on to a safer place. That small group of warriors wasn’t far from the fort, but they’d picked a spot that was supposed to grant them the advantage over any of the soldiers. Clint figured Ahiga knew what he was doing, but even he didn’t expect to be taken by surprise as easily as this.
Before he had a chance to hear the sound of approaching horses or see a hint of movement, Clint was surrounded on three sides by Indians. The man directly in front of him was Ahiga, himself.
“Where are the rest of you?” Clint asked as he struggled to rein Eclipse to a stop.
Remaining perfectly still even though the Darley Arabian stallion was charging straight toward him, Ahiga watched with mild interest until Eclipse slowed to a halt. “The rest of the tribe is safe,” Ahiga said.
“What about these two?” Clint asked as he shot a quick glance to each of the other Indians.
“They can be trusted.”
“Where’s Tolfox?”
“He thinks he is guarding the rest of the tribe by watching us from afar. I know exactly where he is and where he will be looking, so I know he won’t be able to see us now.”
Clint had his doubts about that one, but he let them go since it didn’t really matter if Tolfox knew he was there or not. “You think he’ll do anything once the rest of the tribe has their backs to him?” he asked.
Ahiga shook his head. “Since his own people are among the tribe, I think he will do his best to protect them.”
“Has he ever done anything to make you think he might hurt your people?” Clint asked.
Ahiga considered that for a moment and replied, “He cannot be trusted, but I have told some of those that are close to Mingan about what we are doing here. If Tolfox or any of those other Crow step out of line, they will be stricken down.”
“All right, then. When I left the fort, Farelli and his men were still there,” Clint reported. “We should have just enough time to make our preparations. We just need to make sure everyone’s in the right place at the right time. How’s our ace in the hole doing?”
Clint had only seen Ahiga smile a couple times and it was never a pretty sight. This time was no exception. “He is feeling better. It shouldn’t take long to bring him all the way a
round to our way of thinking.”
“Well, just keep him safe and make sure he’s where he needs to be when the time comes.”
It only took another minute or so for Clint and Ahiga to outline what they had in mind to the other two Navajo. Once that was done, Clint pointed Eclipse back toward the fort and raced away. The Navajo went in the other direction and disappeared almost as quickly as they’d appeared.
Clint tapped his heels against Eclipse’s sides and gave the reins a snap every couple of seconds. The Darley Arabian responded perfectly and didn’t let up on his pace until they were almost through the front gates of Fort Winstead. As Clint drew closer, he could see a large group of horse men emerging from the fort. Colonel Farelli led that group as if he were at the head of a parade.
“Adams!” Farelli hollered.
Clint steered toward the group as Eclipse caught his breath. “Just out for a morning ride. What’s the occasion?”
“We’re out for a ride, ourselves. I know you already told me about that Indian camp, but it would do us a lot more good if you could take us there yourself.”
“I hear there’s a salary being offered to any civilians that accept this ride of yours.”
Farelli nodded and grinned like he was still the belle of the ball. “Of course. And seeing as how you made this possible, I’ll tack on an extra fee if you come along for the whole ride.”
“I suppose I could see my way clear considering there’s an extra fee involved.”
“Good,” Farelli said. Turning his eyes to the trail leading away from the fort, he drew his saber and pointed down the road. “Onward!”
A few soldiers moved with genuine steam in their step, but most of the others simply rode behind the colonel as if they were still rubbing the sleep from their eyes. Clint waited for a good portion of the group to file past him before finding the rider he was after and falling into step alongside the other horse.
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