Warren sighed with obvious relief. “I’m glad of that. I just pulled the trigger and reloaded.” He stared down at the bloody corpse. “I know he was a bad man, but it’s a tragedy for a man to wind up like this.”
“He chose his way, Mr. Warren.”
“I know, but I can’t help feeling sorry for him. If things had been different, he might have had a better life.”
“He would have killed your two daughters and thought nothing about it.”
Warren looked up abruptly. “I guess he got what he deserved.”
“He would have been hanged along with Rufo Aznar if we’d taken him alive. But the bad thing about all this is that the big fish got away.”
“You mean LeBeau?”
“Yes.” Heck shook his head, an angry expression on his sunburned features. “I’d rather we got LeBeau and the rest had lived. He’s the kingpin, and he’ll get another bunch of outlaws, and we’ll have it all to do again.”
“What about my daughters?”
“Well, Waco told me they were kept in a cabin not too far from here.” Heck’s mouth drew into an angry line, and he continued, “Waco had his horse, and he’s on his way there now. I hope they’re all right. Waco said they left that woman that hangs out with the gang to guard them.” Heck suddenly called to one of his men and walked away, and Frank came at once to stand before Warren. His face was strained, and he said, “I’m glad that’s over. Did you hit any of them?”
“Marshal Thomas said I didn’t, not a killing wound anyway. How about you?”
Morgan’s mouth became a tight line, and he said, “I killed the one they call Al Munro. He was LeBeau’s right-hand man. I shot and hit him right in the heart.”
“I know you feel bad about that.”
“Not as bad as if he’d hurt Marianne or Sabrina.”
“Well, we’ve got to go to them as soon as Heck’s men locate the horses.”
“Charles, I’ve got to tell you something.”
“What is it, Frank?”
“I’m going to marry Marianne.” Morgan took a deep breath then said, “I’ve loved her for a long time, but she wanted another kind of man. She’s going to have a hard time getting over this, and I’m going to be right with her.”
Warren said, “Why, Frank, Caroline and I have wished for a long time that you and Marianne would make a match of it. We’d be proud to have you in the family.”
Even as he spoke, a rider emerged from the timber leading three mounts. “There’s our horses,” Heck said. “Mount up and we’ll go to your girls. Waco told me how to get there. The place ain’t far, but LeBeau is a wolf. He got beat, and he’ll try to get even.”
The three mounted, and Heck led them out at a driving run. It was all Charles Warren could do to stay in the saddle, but he could only pray that his girls were all right.
“Somebody’s coming in. It must be over,” Sabrina said.
“I hope Waco’s all right and the rest of the men, too,” Marianne said.
Sabrina called out, “Waco, is that you?” There was no answer and finally the door itself swung open, but instead of Waco, Trey LeBeau stepped inside. His face was red, and he was furious. “Well, you two pulled a fast one.”
“What are you talking about?” Sabrina gasped.
“That train was packed full of lawmen. They got all of us except me, so that leaves me with you.”
“Just let us go, LeBeau,” Marianne said. “You can’t take us with you.”
“I can do it all right. Waco Smith will be here soon if I know him. You stand inside there. You make a funny move I’ll kill you.”
The two women moved back and watched as LeBeau loaded his six-shooter. He put it in his holster but stood behind the open door looking out.
Callie said, “We can ride away from this, Trey. Leave these women alone.”
“Not likely. We’re leavin’, you and me, but not until after I kill Waco Smith.”
At that moment Sabrina Warren knew how much Waco meant to her. She had not recognized it until now, and she was convinced that LeBeau would shoot him down without warning. She knew it would be a dark hour for her.
“There he comes. You women get over there!”
“Let me go out and talk to him,” Callie said.
“Nothin’ doin’. You’re all soft on him. I knew it all the time. He won’t get you now. We’ll get out of here and start a new life.” LeBeau suddenly turned and said, “There he is.” He watched as Waco pulled up and stepped off his horse twenty feet from the cabin door. He raised his revolver.
Suddenly Callie ran past him. She moved across the yard, calling, “LeBeau’s inside, Waco! He’s going to kill you!”
Waco stopped and put one bullet through the open door. He could see the shape of LeBeau. No sooner did he fire than LeBeau returned the fire, and he felt it rake his ribs. Not a bad wound. He knew he was a dead target there, for LeBeau was in the shadows of the house and he was afraid to fire for hitting Marianne or Sabrina.
Suddenly Callie put herself against him, and even as she did, Waco felt her body shudder as a bullet struck her. “Callie!” he cried and lowered her to the ground. He saw LeBeau come running out of the cabin, firing as he came. He had time to lift his gun and fired one shot. It caught LeBeau in the chest. It stopped him, and LeBeau stared down at the blood that stained the front of his shirt. He looked up and tried to speak but couldn’t. He tried to lift his gun, but it was suddenly too heavy. It dropped from his fingers, and suddenly he collapsed and fell to the dust.
“Are you all right, Callie?” He knew this was a foolish question. He could feel the blood on his hand where he was holding it behind her back. He was aware of the two women who had come out of the cabin, but he leaned forward, for Callie was trying to speak. “What did you say, Callie? I didn’t hear you.” He put his ear down to her lips and felt her hand on his face. Her voice was feeble, and suddenly she whispered, “We won’t be going on that trip, will we, Waco?”
As Waco held her, she died in his arms. When her body went limp, emptiness and despair filled his heart.
CHAPTER 23
As soon as he pulled up his horse, Charles Warren saw the lifeless body of LeBeau and Waco sitting on the ground, holding a woman in his arms. Then he saw Marianne and Sabrina, and crying their names, he fell out of his saddle and ran to where they stood. As he caught Marianne in his arms, she cried out, “Dad! You came for us!”
“Of course I did!” Warren tried to speak, but his throat was tight and he felt tears running down his cheeks. He held her close and felt her body trembling, but she was safe! “Are you all right, daughter?” he whispered.
“I—I’m fine now.”
Warren turned to embrace Sabrina. “You did it, Sabrina!” Warren said. “I’m so proud of you!”
“It wasn’t me, Dad. It was Waco.”
“But you found him and you stayed with him. What happened?”
Sabrina did not speak at once but finally said, “Waco planned the whole thing, Dad. I once thought he was pretty dense, but he’s smart! He had to convince LeBeau and all the other outlaws that he had a plan to make them all rich. Some of them wanted to shoot us, LeBeau for one, but he just sold them all on his scheme.”
“Were you afraid?”
“I was scared to death, but Waco had told me what to do. He told them I was the key to getting the information about the gold and the train it would come on. Dad, he never showed anything like fear. He has more nerve than any man I’ve ever seen!”
“How did he treat you?”
Sabrina smiled. “Like dirt. He had to convince them that I was the key to the whole thing, and he treated me terribly. Once he slapped me after asking me if he could for the act, and it helped convince LeBeau.”
Warren studied Waco and saw that his features were twisted with grief. He hesitated then asked, “Were they lovers—Waco and that woman?”
“Once they were, a long time ago.”
“Looks like he never got over her.”
“He did, but he had to use her to get Marianne and me away.”
“Use her how?”
Sabrina hesitated then said, “It’s complicated, Dad.”
“He looks like he’s grieving. Doesn’t that mean he still loves her?”
Sabrina shook her head. “He used her to keep LeBeau and the others fooled. But he told me that he felt nothing for her any longer, that he had never really loved her. But he never told her that.”
Warren shook his head. “I don’t understand why he’s so shook up over her death if he didn’t love her.”
Sabrina knew that it would be impossible to convey to her father all that had gone on with Callie, but she had to try. “She saved his life,” she said simply.
“How did she do that?”
“When LeBeau came back, he told us he was going to kill Waco. He meant it, too. You could see it in his eyes.”
“What about the woman? What’s her name?”
“Her name is Calandra Montevado, but everyone called her Callie.”
“If she was in love with Waco, wouldn’t LeBeau have known it?”
“I think he knew, and it gave him one more reason for killing Waco. I think he planned all the time to kill him.”
“But how did she die, Sabrina?”
“When Waco rode up, LeBeau stayed inside, but he had his gun out. We all saw he meant to shoot him down. Callie ran outside, and she was calling out, ‘LeBeau’s inside, Waco! He’s going to kill you!’ Then she got in front of Waco, and when LeBeau fired, his bullet hit Callie in the back. Waco caught her, and when LeBeau ran out the door firing, Waco got off one shot, but it killed LeBeau.” Warren turned to stare at the big man holding the dead woman. “So she saved his life and lost her own doing it. She must have loved him greatly.”
“Yes, I think she did.” Sabrina nodded. “I ran out to where she was lying in Waco’s arms, dying, and I heard her say, ‘We’ll never make that trip now, will we?’”
“Which trip did she mean?”
“She had begged Waco to run away with her. She said she was tired of the life she’s been living.”
“I see. So that is what’s bothering him.”
“Yes. He promised her they’d have a life together, but he never meant to do it. And that’s why he’s sitting there in the dirt holding her. He knows he can never make it up to her.”
“Maybe he’ll get over it. Most men do.”
“I don’t know, Dad. He’s a rough man, but he feels things more deeply than you can guess. He may not be able to put her death behind him.” She turned her face away from him, but not before he saw the stricken look on her face.
“I can’t tell you how I feel, Marianne,” Frank said. He had come to stand beside her while Warren spoke to Sabrina. “I don’t think I’ve had a full night’s sleep since you were kidnapped.”
“I wasn’t kidnapped, Frank,” Marianne said in a spare tone, devoid of feeling. “I ran away with an evil man, and all the time all of you were telling me how foolish I was.”
Morgan shook his head. “You were inexperienced, Marianne, and thought you were in love. We all behave foolishly over love.” He waited for her to speak, but she said nothing. It was this silence that troubled him, that and the deadness he seemed to see in her eyes. He desperately wanted to take the pain away from her, but he was wise enough to know that only time and true, godly love would make a difference to this woman he loved so greatly. He looked toward Waco, wondering at how he held to the dead woman, and then he noticed how Sabrina was standing a few feet away, her eyes fixed on him. “Sabrina looks terrible,” he said. “Why do you suppose that is? She didn’t know that woman all that well, did she?”
“She’s not grieving for Callie,” Marianne said. “She sees what’s happening to Waco.”
“What do you mean?”
“She’s fallen in love with Waco.”
“No! That can’t be so.”
“Why not? He’s a strong man.”
“But they’re not alike, Marianne, not in the least.”
“I think they may be more alike than you think. She had no use for him when they first met, but they went through some hard times, and that changed Sabrina.”
“They come from different worlds,” Morgan said, shaking his head. “And it looks to me like he cares for that woman. Look how he’s holding her.”
“She died for him, Frank,” Marianne whispered. “When someone dies for you, I don’t think you can ever walk away from that unscathed.”
“It’s all over, Marianne.”
“No, it will never be over.”
Frank said, “Time will help,” but she looked at him with tears in her eyes. He said softly, “You’ve got a whole life ahead of you, Marianne, and I intend to be in it.”
Waco had once been struck a violent blow in the stomach that had taken away his breath and rendered him unable to speak or move. Now as he sat holding the dear body of Callie, he was unable to think or to speak. He was aware of people moving and speaking, but none of it made any sense to him. All he could do was try to think of how he had failed Callie, and a sense of deep hopelessness cloaked him, profound and frightening.
He heard his name spoken and looked up to see Heck Thomas standing over him. “What did you say, Heck?” he asked, his voice thready and uncertain.
“We’ve got to get back to the train, Waco.” Heck squatted on his heels and stared into Waco’s eyes. “It’s time to get away from here.”
Waco turned his head and saw that they had tied LeBeau’s body facedown on his horse. “You’re not tying Callie on a horse like that,” he said flatly.
Heck said softly, “We’ve got to get her into town, son.”
“Not like that.”
Waco glanced across at Sabrina, who had come to stand and watch. She stooped down and asked, “What do you want us to do, Waco?”
Her words seemed to confuse Waco, but then he said almost roughly, “Bring me my horse, Sabrina.”
At once Sabrina rose and walked quickly to the line of horses that were tied to a rail in front of the cabin. Quickly she loosed Captain’s reins and led him back to where Waco held the dead woman.
Waco looked for a long moment at Callie’s still face then carefully laid her down. He rose and stepped into the saddle, then said, “Hand her up to me, Heck.”
At once Heck bent and picked up the limp body of Callie and lifted her up. Waco took the body and placed her in front of him, and with his left arm, he held her close to his chest. He touched Captain with his heels, and the big stallion moved forward at a slow place. Waco did not look back nor did he speak.
As Waco rode away, Sabrina said, “Marshal, I know I should be rejoicing. My sister and I are both safe and LeBeau and his outlaws are gone—but I feel like crying.”
Heck turned and said softly, “Know what you mean, Miss Sabrina. I never saw a man take anything so hard. It’s like that bullet that killed that woman hit him right in the heart. I just don’t understand it. Waco is a pretty tough man, but this has brought him down. He must have loved her a lot.”
“No, he didn’t love her,” Sabrina whispered. She watched as Captain bore his burden out of the tree line then added, “He didn’t love her enough.” He’ll never forget her, she thought, not after this.
She turned quickly and went back to stand beside her family. They seemed mystified by what had happened, but no one questioned her.
“Well, we’ve got to get the bodies and the prisoners back to Fort Smith.” Heck walked to his horse, mounted, and moved forward slowly. The others all got into the saddle, and as they left the clearing, both Sabrina and Marianne turned and gave the cabin a last glance. Sabrina knew that this day would not be easily forgotten—if ever.
As the procession reached the train, Heck waited until Waco halted. Then when the big man simply sat there silently holding the limp form of Callie, he knew what he must do. He dismounted and said, “I’ll be right back, Waco.”
Heck moved quickly to th
e car that ordinarily would have carried mail and gold. He stepped inside and found three of his men sitting around laughing. Heck said roughly, “You fellows clear out.” His words were sharp, and the three left without waiting for any other word.
Heck had remembered that the car held a cot for the use of the mail clerk who traveled for the railroad. He found a clean blanket, laid it carefully over the cot, then moved to the sliding door and opened it. He saw Waco still holding the woman and called, “You can put her in here, son.”
He saw Waco move his shoulders and give him a strange look.
“Hand her up to me,” Heck said, and at this word, Waco spoke to the big stallion, who came to stand at the sliding door. “I can take her,” Heck said, and for a moment he thought that Waco would refuse, but then he nodded and lifted the lifeless woman. Heck took her and said, “Come on in, and I’ll put your horse in the cattle car with the other mounts.”
“All right, Heck.” Waco simply stood up in the stirrups, then with an agile move rose and, catching the side of the opening, lifted himself into the car.
“You can put her on that cot,” Heck said. When Waco lifted his arms and took the woman, he said, “I’ll take care of your horse, and then we’ll be on our way.”
“Thanks, Heck,” Waco said woodenly.
Heck left the car and shut the door. Taking Captain’s reins, he walked down the track and loaded the big stallion into the cattle car.
As soon as he closed the door, Sabrina came to ask, “Where did you put her, Marshal?”
“The railroad furnishes a cot for the man who handles the mail. I expect Waco will put her on there.”
“Did he say anything?”
“Not much. Reckon I’ll go back and see if everything is all right.”
He moved back, mounted the steps, and entered the mail car. He saw at once that Waco had laid the body of Callie on the cot, had folded her hands over her breast, and was smoothing her hair.
“This okay, Waco?”
“Sure.” Waco finished arranging Callie’s hair, then turned suddenly and asked, “Did you ever do a friend a bad turn, Heck?”
The Western Justice Trilogy Page 48