Detective Tumbler and the Man in Brown (Detective Tumbler Trilogy Book 2)

  “Union soldiers, they’re looking for all four of you.”

  “The Caroline I know would’ve sent them looking in the opposite direction with smiles on their faces on account of your elaborate fictional story and feminine charms.”

  “You’ve been away too long Hank, your face is the same but those eyes, I can tell you witnessed terrible things, what the hell happened out there?”

  “I saw so many men lose limbs; you’d think a hacksaw was as commonplace as whiskey in a drunkard’s hands. I saw too many people die, Finn was the one that hit me the hardest but I remember them all. I came by to check on you and the boys, I suggest you leave town as soon as you can, get Slim to tend to the land, in time then you and the boys return.”

  “And what about Jeremiah?”

  “I think it’s best if the boys and I steer clear of town until trouble passes on. Now, you boys come down and say hey to Hank, leave those peashooters you have up there!” Hank yells out, his voice booms down the hall, the boys slip out from under the bed and run down the stairs.

  “I can tell by the sound, that bag is full of guns,” Caroline says.

  “You’re damn right it is, where were they headed?”

  “They didn’t tell me but Jack don’t have no family to speak of, my guess is they was headed to your place or to Ernest’s. What do you mean to do Hank?”

  “They have Betty, I mean to get her back or get her to safety.”

  “Do you plan on killing them all yourself?”

  “You boys been gnawin’ on chaw?” Hank says as he looks down at all three of them.

  “No, sir,” the oldest son responds.

  “Dad said it’s a nasty habit,” the middle son replies.

  “I spit far enough without it,” the youngest son remarks.

  “What the hell they got in their teeth?’ Hank asks.

  “Boys, go brush your teeth. I swear the three of you mean to drive me to drink.”

  “I don’t know how you do it, Caroline.”

  “They’re cute as can be but the three of them are like three cuckoo clocks, they just keep chatterin’ and getting into trouble. Whatever they find, they put in their mouths, is that normal for boys? They find a dead critter; you can be damn sure one of them will try to bring it in the house. If they don’t find trouble, trouble finds them. They’ll be heartbreakers one day but the three of them, well it’s like all civility has been drained out of them. We raised ‘em proper, I know they’re still awfully young, but they have no considerations for cleanliness, you give ‘em a bath and they’re dirty in an hour. They’re little hell raisers, been that way since they could talk.”

  “They take after Jeremiah.”

  “You didn’t answer my question, Hank. What are you planning on doing?”

  “I plan on getting Betty to safety just like I’ll see you off, make sure they don’t touch my house, Ma would be beyond upset given it’s all that’s left of Pa.”

  “And then you’re just going to disappear with the boys?”

  “Yes, ma’am, I don’t intend to get into a firefight in the middle of my hometown. Don’t worry none; Jeremiah will be safe with me. Do you have someplace to go?”

  “I can go to my sister’s house with the boys.”

  “I’ll help you get packed up,” Hank tells her and he helps the boys pack too, he thumbs through their penny books about outlaws, he smiles and puts them in their trunk. “Your momma let you read this nonsense?”

  “Why, that ain’t nonsense sir,” the oldest son responds.

  “They are true tales, why it says so right at the beginning, genuine,” the middle son replies.

  “We all gonna be outlaws when we are grown,” the youngest one adds.

  “When that day comes, you look up old Hank; I’ll show you a thing or two, assuming I still have my health.” The youngest boy reaches up and tries to grab Hank’s pistol. “Boy, what are you doing? You can’t go grabbing a man’s guns like that, these ain’t no toys.” The boys backs up, his eyes tear up. “There ain’t no reason to be upset little man; I didn’t mean to scare you. Here, let me show you a trick, put your bear on that chair over there.” The boy takes his stuffed bear over to the chair, then he goes back to his brothers. “Now the three of you blink on the count of three, just blink once quickly.” Hank counts to three and they blink, when they open their eyes Hank has both pistols drawn noiselessly, aimed at the bear.

  “Damn, I told you he was fast,” the oldest boy says.

  “Where’d you learn to draw like that?” the middle son asks.

  “Daddy don’t draw that fast,” the middle son says.

  “You practice enough; your reflexes will do it for you. One day you’ll be able to outdraw your old man, though I wouldn’t advise doing that, your Pa is not a man to be trifled with.”

  “Pa’s slow as molasses,” the oldest son says.

  “He moves like a big old bear,” the middle son replies.

  “Sometimes he smells like one too,” the youngest son adds.

  “You know you boys ain’t never seen or smelled no bear,” Hank replies.

  “We did too, he smelled like shit,” the older son says.

  “I growled at him,” the middle son adds.

  “I was hoping he would take me away and raise my as a cub,” the youngest one explains.

  “You boys stay away from bears. Your Pa’s gonna be gone for awhile, but you love your momma and you treat her well, one day we’ll all be together again. Your Pa will be safe with me but, your Ma; well it is up to you boys to make sure she’s all right. That’s what being a man is about, you protect those who are close to you, you need to look after each other as well. You boys remember my brother, Finn?”

  “Yes, I remember him,” the oldest boy responds.

  “He gave us our slingshots,” the middle son replies.

  “We kill critters with them,” the youngest son says.

  “Finn didn’t make it back from the war. But I promise, I won’t lose anyone else.” Once the boys are packed up, Hank takes their trunk downstairs with the three of them following closely behind him, admiring his pistols. Hank loads Caroline’s trunk up onto the carriage as well. “Let’s head over to Slim’s and talk to him about tending to the land,” Hank says. He heads to the neighboring farm with Caroline and the boys, Hank knocks on the door.

  “Why, Hank Wright, I was wonderin’ when you would make it back,” Slim says. He is a wiry man in his forties, his hair is gray around his temples, his hands are rough and calloused.

  “Caroline and the boys are going to leave town for awhile.”

  “On account of those soldiers in town?”

  “You are correct; I’ll be leaving as well. Caroline, you want to take it from here?”

  “Yes, sir, the boys and I will be back more than likely in a few months but Jeremiah will be gone too. I would like to ask you to watch our land in our absence, make sure the farm doesn’t go into disrepair,” Caroline explains.

  “I’ll tend to the crops and the livestock, no problem. My boys and I can handle the extra work.”

  “I’ll send you money each month while they’re gone,” Hank says.

  “Hank Wright, we are not paupers, I can send money,” Caroline responds.

  “I created this problem and I’ll be the one to solve it. In exchange, I ask you for one favor, Slim.”

  “Whatever you need, Hank.”

  “When they come and they ask about any of us, you tell them you haven’t seen us.”

  “I’ve lied to them all ready; I intend to lie to them through the duration of their stay.”

  “Slim, you’ve always been a good man,” Hank says.

  “I’m sorry about Finn and I’m sorry about what happened in the war.”

  “Finn’s in my heart and the war, well, we did what we could.”

  “I take it you wouldn’t surrender and that’s why they’re here for you?”

  “You would be right. Jeremiah, Jack, and Ernest went with
me.”

  “I would expect them to; I would have done the same thing. I couldn’t fight on account of my leg and my eyesight but if a man starts backing down, it’s a precipitous slide. You did the right thing. I’m sure the whole town feels the same way, we protect ours here.”

  “I appreciate that, I’ll send you money once I get settled,” Hanks says, he shakes Slim’s hand, he walks Caroline and the boys back to the carriage; he kisses her on the cheek.

  “Tell Jeremiah I love him. You keep him out of trouble.”

  “I’ll pass along the message, but Caroline, trouble tends to find us wherever we go.”

  “You keep him an honest man, though.”

  “I’ll do my best. Boys, remember what I told you, Hank loves you. Find me when you’re grown.”

  “We will, we’ll be seven feet tall,” the oldest one says.

  “We’ll be the quickest draws in the county,” the middle son says.

  “If we ain’t in jail, we’ll find you,” the youngest one says.

  “Thank you, Hank. And remember, none of this is your fault, it’s theirs,” Caroline says.

  “It means a lot that you would say that. I’ll have Jeremiah write you once we get settled and I’ll send Slim money until you return.”

  “You’re a good man, Hank. Remember that,” Caroline says, and they are off, the boys wave from the carriage, Hank holds his hand up and watches until their carriage is no longer visible. Hank checks his bundle of guns and slings them across his back and puts his black handkerchief on, he heads through the town walking through back alleyways and shadows between houses, careful to look out for Union soldiers, Hank sees townsfolk walking towards the East side of town, Hank begins walking in that direction sticking to back alleys and shadows, he sees the platoon of soldiers up ahead in front of Ernest’s house and then his heart drops, he sees Betty standing beneath a tree that they have tied a noose to. He watches the townsfolk gather around, one of the soldiers steps forward and addresses the crowd.

  “I trust all of you know this woman, Betty Gobbins. She distracted us while her cowardly husband fled. What kind of man leaves his wife behind and only cares about his own self-preservation? She had failed to offer us any pertinent information which is why she is in her current predicament. Now we mean to find Henry Wright and we’re willing to make a deal. If any of you know his whereabouts, you tell us and this woman who tried to deceive us, will not hang. But, if none of you are willing to be truthful with us, she will die and anyone else who tries to help them escape will meet the same fate. We will hunt him down like a dog; John Dolon, Jeremiah Wilkins, and Ernest Dobbins will be brought to justice but they shall only get imprisonment unless if they resist, but Henry Wright is simply too dangerous to live.” Hank thinks about opening fire but she is being watched closely and he knows that townsfolk will die, he considers stepping forward and revealing himself but he knows they will still hunt the boys down. He begins walking through the alleys and shadows until he arrives close to his home, he sees two soldiers standing by the front door. Hank makes his way undetected around to the back of the house, he goes into his shed quietly and pulls out his small axe, then he takes out his hunting knife with his left hand, he keeps along the side of the house, he waits until one of the soldiers looks away, he grabs the closest one and with his hand across the man’s mouth, and sticks the knife up through his back right into his heart, he lays the body down, the other soldier turns as Hank throws the axe and catches him in the chest, the soldier is knocked back, Hank climbs up on the roof and opens his blanket of armaments, he takes out his Carcano rifle, he looks through the scope and sees the soldiers, Betty is still beneath the tree. Hank holds his breath as he aims his sights on the soldier who is still speaking and, like he’s done countless times before, he fires a shot, it rings out across the town, the bullet kills the soldier instantly, hits him in the heart, the soldiers begin looking around frantically, Hank calmly fires shot after shot, pausing to reload and then firing again and again, soldiers drop dead until he’s lost count of how many he’s killed, some of their heads pop in a vibrant red mist, the townsfolk begin to scatter; one of the soldiers points in the direction of the house, Hank begins killing the soldiers around Betty, holding his breath each time before he fires a shot, he misses once and one of the soldiers puts Betty on a horse, another walks the horse to the noose, he kills the man that put her on the horse, but another is on horseback and slips the noose on behind her, if he takes the shot, he will kill Betty, the soldier is using her as a shield, once her neck is in the noose, Hank aims at the man’s horse and shoots it in the head, the horse tumbles over but the soldier slaps the horse that Betty is on before Hank can shoot him, Betty drops, the rope holds, Hank sees the soldiers approaching the house.

  “God damn you all,” he says, one of them is holding a lantern, Hank draws his pistols and unloads on them, he kills three of them but the lantern is thrown against the house and it begins to catch fire, Hank bundles his guns again and tosses them over the side of the roof, he hops down and feels his ankle give a bit, he slings the guns onto his back and kills the other two soldiers, a shot rings out and he is on his back, his face feels like it’s on fire, he tastes his own blood and spits out half of his teeth, he rolls away from the burning house. He knows that the bullet hit him in the jaw, he doesn’t realize the extent of the damage, he just feels the worst physical pain he’s ever felt in his life.

  “I got him,” one of the soldiers says, Hank looks up at the stars, he looks over at the house now burning steadily, he closes his eyes, he knows he failed. “I think he’s dead,” the soldier says as he approaches, “I shot him in the face, damn good shot it was too, from a distance.”

  “Shoot him again for good measure,” one of the other soldiers says. Hank opens his eyes and draws his pistols, he begins firing on the soldiers but they fire their guns too, he feels his nerves popping but he shoots until his guns are empty, he hears more soldiers approaching, he can’t breathe right, he sees the blood pooling up by his chest, he tries to reload his guns but his hands are shaking, he tries to holler out but all that comes forth is a guttural wail. As the next wave approaches, Hank aims at the first one and fires a shot, the soldier doubles over.

  “He shot me in the balls,” the soldier cries out.

  “You wanted Hank, now you come and get him” he says, but his words are slurred and the pain in what’s left of his jaw surges up to his brain. The soldiers stop and aim while Hank unloads his pistols again but they are too numerous, he doesn’t realize that he is seeing double, Hank hears the shots ring out behind him and he hears the voices of Jack, Jeremiah, and Ernest. Some of the soldiers’ shots hit the ground, some fly past Hank, two more hit him as he falls back again, he is unconscious. When he awakes, he sees Jeremiah’s face. “What happened?” Hank asks.

  “Don’t talk, Hank, we gotta get you to a doctor. Just be still, they shot you to hell, don’t move,” Jeremiah tells him.

  “I told you boys not to come,” Hank says. “Where’s Ma?” he asks but his words are garbled.

  “The soldiers are all dead, Hank.”

  “We need to get Betty, I couldn’t save her,” Hank says. Jack looks at Hank and vomits, he wipes his tears away.

  “If it’s that bad, just put me down,” Hank tells Jeremiah but his words are barely intelligible. Ernest stares at the ground, he can’t look anymore.

  “We gotta get you to a doctor and fast,” Jeremiah says.

  “Man ain’t made to endure that kind of punishment,” Jack says before he looks away. And then Hank does what no one expected, he gets up, he feels the pain like hot irons stuck in him, he knows part of his jaw is gone but he walks, he looks at the house completely ablaze.

  “Get me a horse,” he tells Jeremiah.

  “Boys, help me get him on a horse,” Jack says as he recognizes the last word. They get him onto a horse, he rides it slumped in the saddle, he sees the blood fall onto it, he leads them to where Betty is hanging. Jer
emiah and Ernest cut her down; they look at all the dead soldiers that Hank killed.

  “We need to bury her. Where’s Ma?” Hank asks.

  “Ma’s safe,” Jack says, Jeremiah mounts his horse and goes to get Doctor Stiles. Hank is disoriented and tries to ride back to Pillaker’s woods, Jack stops him.

  “If you go to those woods, you will bleed out,” Jack says.

  “It’s all right,” Hanks says. Jeremiah returns on his horse and leads Hank’s horse to the doctor’s house.

  “I’ve got a tent set up in the back,” the doctor says. Hank gets off the horse and lies on the table, the pain courses through him. “I would give him whiskey but that’s gonna burn goin’ in,” the doctor says, he sterilizes his instruments. “Now Hank, you’re gonna hate me but we’re gonna have to strap you in.”

  “Is he gonna die, Doc?” Jeremiah asks.

  “I don’t know, son. But with the pain he’s gonna feel, he’s gonna wish that he did.” Hanks feels every incision, and every needle that goes in him, the doctor couldn’t even given him a wooden rod or spoon to bit down on, Hank hollers out at various points, eventually he passes out. When he wakes up, it’s the next day; he is naked with his body heavily bandaged along with the lower part of his face. The pain is so intense his vision blurs, synapses fire, he looks around the tent, he hears Ma outside crying. He gets up from the table and takes a labored step out of the tent.

  “No, no, no,” the doctor says, you can’t be up and around yet.

  “My boy, look what they did to him,” his mother says.

  “Doc, we’re going to have to get him out of town soon. He killed a whole platoon of Yankee soldiers. They will come back to hang him.”

  “There’s a doctor in Springfield that’s a friend of mine, Doc Lewis, I don’t suggest moving him but if you have to, you can take him there,” Doctor Stiles says.

  “We’ll load the wagon up, we’ll get Hank on a gurney,” Jeremiah says.

  “We’ll all go to Springfield together, when he recovers, if he recovers, then we decide what to do,” Jack says.

  “Doc, is he going to be able to talk normally again?” Ernest asks.