by Chloe Garner
“Extortion, then?” Merv asked.
“Sale,” Sarah answered. “Two things changed hands, and it were me that kept the money side of it.”
He pursed his lips for a long moment.
“We need to get in to town,” he said. “Send Doc back this way, go watch the train for anyone else the likes of which we shouldn’t’a missed, yesterday.”
She nodded as he put his hand on her shoulder.
“You done good with Gun. Knew you were a patcher, but I ain’t seen the likes of that work in a long time.”
Sarah gave him a dry smile.
“Practice.”
He nodded.
“Stuff got bad, down in Lawrence, didn’t it?”
“Real bad,” she answered.
He shook his head then went back to the table to get his hat.
“Gun,” he said. “You did good.”
“Thanks, Pa,” Gun answered. Merv took Mary’s hand and squeezed it, and Sarah looked out the broken glass of the window once more. There would be repairs, from here, and work to get the yard cleared, but the damage would be temporary.
Sarah would leave. Was lookin’ like it wouldn’t be on today’s train, but tomorrow’s. Go up-line a ways, find a place to hunker, hope for the best.
Jimmy wouldn’t be able to find her, were he even alive anymore, but she weren’t gonna put the Orbs at risk no more.
Good families like that didn’t deserve the chaos that chased around the Lawsons.
Merv came back past her with his hat, and Sarah glanced back at the family again, nodding once, then following Merv around the house where some of the livestock were congregating once more, hoping for breakfast. The dogs raced along Sarah’s ankles, yawlping happily, and she pulled the last bits of jerky out of her pockets to feed ‘em, kneeling when she was sure Merv was more taken with saddling a horse.
“Good place, you got here,” she said to the dogs. “Good family. Gonna be a good life, for a coupla dogs like you. I ain’t suited for it, though. Gotta git while I can. You treat ‘em right, like they treat you, right?”
She mussed their sleek hair, then stood, going to tack her own horse.
“They like you,” Merv observed. “All of ‘em like you. Says a lot about a person.”
“Says more about how dumb they are,” Sarah answered, looking back at the dogs. They rode back into town at a long canter, easy enough for the horses, and a fast ride. Stopped at the medical practice in town and sent the burly man off with his buckboard full of supplies toward the house. Sarah gave him a quick rundown of what she’d done for the young man, and the doc had nodded.
“Sounds like you had the right person there, when it happened,” he said to Merv, and Merv nodded. “You gonna tell the sheriff?”
“Workin’ up to it,” Merv said. “Gotta get accounts settled first.”
The doctor gave Merv a knowing nod and set off, Sarah and Merv going the other way.
“Sheriff?” she asked.
“We got law here,” Merv answered. “Mostly only intervenes with someone asks or when somethin’ goes mighty wrong, but he’s a good man, willin’ to try to uphold justice.”
“Law is a hard place for a good man to be,” Sarah said. “Ain’t enough to do to make everythin’ right, a place like this.”
“Certainly don’t want bad men doin’ it,” Merv said, and Sarah looked at him. He nodded. “I see.”
They were still early for the train, so they went to the general store and Merv leaned against the counter, setting an order into motion to replace or repair the damage out at the house. Man actually had glass on hand, and it sounded like the Orbs would sleep that night without a draft. Sarah was impressed.
She bought another stash of gremlin, just to vex the man, then went and stood outside, watchin’ the people go by.
She knew that it were likely just one of these who’d given the Orbs’ location to the men who had come the night before, and she knew just as well she’d do better by the Orbs to keep out of sight, but it weren’t her nature. She wanted ‘em to see that she was still alive, that weren’t nothing wrong with her or Merv bad enough to keep ‘em out of the general store. She knew, a town like this, everyone knew a lot more than they let on, to a stranger like her, but that the also knew Merv’d find out who gave him up, and for how much money, and he’d light into ‘em, like they deserved.
Sarah liked knowin’ that, just standin’ there, smokin’ gremlin, she was givin’ someone notice about the hell ‘bout to rain down on ‘em from the direction of Merv Orb.
Merv came back out, carryin’ nothin’, and she raised an eyebrow at him.
“Drop enough cash, Old Benson’ll pack it up and deliver it for you.”
She nodded.
“Get what you need,” she said. “I’m coverin’ all of it.”
“Damn straight,” Merv said in a friendly sort of way. She smiled, following him back to the horses and settin’ off for the train.
This was the worst part of Sarah’s day, most days.
They were past three weeks, now, and every mornin’, she came, hopin’ to see Jimmy get off, knowin’ today weren’t any more likely than yesterday or the day before. Still possible they’d killed him right off, also possible she’d had men searching for her upline the whole time who had no clue whether Jimmy were alive or dead, back in Intec. True enough, they likely wouldn’t have come, if they knew Jimmy were dead, but out here, that kind of knowledge weren’t for granted.
Today, she was watchin’ for more of the scoundrels who might go after the Orbs, and she was angry. Instead of sittin’ across the street on a bench, she sat horseback at the end of the platform as the train pulled in. She looked at Merv as both of ‘em struggled to keep their horses steady.
“You should go,” she said. “Tend to your family. No reason you need to tie yourself to me like this.”
“Sarah Todd, I’d sit next to you in the face of just about anything,” he answered. It was the wrong answer, but she’d spent enough time around the man to know when he weren’t to be argued with. She gave him a dark look, and he smiled in response, settling as the train doors opened and tipping his head back to look at the passengers.
She’d gotten a fine look at the dead men, and Sarah felt like she had a better handle on the nature of men that might get off the train with an agenda against her, but the flood of people comin’ off of the train were a challenge to track, in the best of times. Today weren’t the best of times.
She sat with the rifle pitched against her thigh, anyway, lips pursed as men made their way down the stairs next to her. The horse under her shifted, and she shifted with it, scanning faces as they were close, watching for weapons that didn’t match, attitudes that slipped.
To her everlasting shame, Merv were the one to see it first.
“Well, damn,” he said, pulling Sarah out of her intense scan of details and making her see the broader picture.
A stone in a river.
Any other day of any other week, Sarah would have picked it out at any distance, the way the crowd spilled around him, the dust and the mayhem disturbed by that one point of clean, taut black.
“Jimmy,” she whispered, sliding off of the horse and bullying her way up the stairs, through the crowd and the rush, to where he stood with his hands folded in front of him.
She stopped.
Looked from eye to eye, reading. Felt very exposed, very raw, too readable, too vulnerable.
With a smooth, unrushed motion, he put his hand behind her neck and pulled her against him, free hand tucking in against her waist and then along the small of her back, inside the duster. His mouth was against hers, and three weeks’ worth of misgiving at leaving him alone on the platform at Intec evaporated.
He held her tight for another moment, the only clue she had that he’d been as worried for her as she’d been for him, then he let her go and they walked the length of the platform, standing against the rail as Jimmy took Elsewhere in.
“Jim
my,” Merv finally said when Jimmy’s attention made its way down.
“Merv,” Jimmy answered. “How bad has it been?”
“Gun got hit last night,” Merv said. “Sarah did him right, and Doc’s down that way now.”
Jimmy nodded, turning his face to look at Sarah.
“You get them all?”
“No telling if they were holding people back to report, but everyone who showed up at the house is dead. You have a plan?”
“No,” he said. “But I have enough to start one.”
“Well,” Merv said. “Come on home, then. Mary’ll want to see you, and you can tell us all about Rhoda and Lawrence.”
Jimmy nodded, turning away and starting down the stairs with Sarah behind him.
They stopped next to Sarah’s horse and Jimmy looked at her playfully.
“Rhoda rode in front of me,” he said.
“Sidesaddle,” she answered darkly.
“Rhoda did what?” Merv asked, but Sarah and Jimmy had locked gaze and Merv wasn’t a part of this for now.
“You thought you could kill her,” Jimmy said, blinking, still amused. Sarah tried to clamp down whatever he was seeing her face, but felt like she’d lost her grip.
He was alive.
She’d never doubted, but at the same time, she’d stopped believing, too.
She shook her head, trying to find her senses.
What was happening to her?
“That horse isn’t built for both you and me,” she said. “Whether or not you’d throw Rhoda up there with you, it’s not happening.”
He smiled, shaking his head.
“I missed you. All that time, I thought I’d be fine…”
There was a thoughtful look, a cloud that drifted across his face, then he shook his head.
“It’s a long walk, I recall.”
Merv snapped.
“Benson’s got a load of goods headed to the house. If we catch him ‘fore it leaves, someone…”
He sensed the trap to that one in time, and it was once more between Jimmy and Sarah.
“No,” she said. “This is my horse, Lawson. You can ride with the domestics.”
“Could make him,” he said very softly, tipping the top of his head.
“Don’t even think about it, Lawson,” Merv said. “You always known I’d beat you down, you gave me reason.”
Jimmy smiled like he’d won a prize, then dropped his head.
“I’ll ride with the groceries,” he said. “Let’s move.”
--------
One more seat at the table.
Jimmy didn’t tell as many stories as perhaps the Orbs had hoped, but he was the type of audience that inspired the younger generation to outdo themselves, attempting to top each other’s stories. Gun was in good spirits, on a substantial painkiller from the doctor, and with limitations on movement for the next few days, but allowed to eat with the family.
Jimmy sat with his knee pressed against Sarah’s the entire meal and she watched as the Orbs welcomed him in such fashion she hadn’t even seen from his own family.
The meal was celebratory, as if Sarah hadn’t invited the danger that they’d faced simply by coming, and they sat up late, smoking on the porch and watching the stars come out. No one said it, but Sarah, Jimmy, and Merv were all watching the horizon for any sign of horses.
“What are you going to do with the coach?” Jimmy asked, letting his hand fall onto the arm of his rocking chair.
“Firewood?” Merv asked, and Jimmy grinned, reaching up to take the cigarette out of his mouth and once more letting his arm drop.
“I’d use it,” he said. “Just every now and again, to remind whoever it is in town that turned you over that they did it and that you know they’re out there.”
“They ain’t gonna last that long,” Merv said. “Won’t take me long to figure out who it is, and they’re gonna regret it for the rest of a short life.”
Sarah nodded.
Life was rough at the edges, even the nicer ones.
Life was rough everywhere.
“So, Sarah kept a tight lip ‘bout what’s goin’ on in Intec,” Merv said. “You gonna shed light, or are we hayseeds below your plans?”
“Just no reason to tell you,” Jimmy said. “All danger, no gains.”
Sarah took a drag of her cigarette and nodded at the darkness. She wanted the isolation of the bedroom to sit on the bed and ask him what he’d been doing, but for now, she was patient.
“Could say you owe it to me,” Merv said.
“But you wouldn’t,” Jimmy said. “Not when it might endanger your family.”
“Already done that,” Merv said, and Jimmy put his cigarette to his lips, the end of it glowing red for a moment, then he sighed.
“All right, Merv,” he said. “If you choose it, I will tell you.”
“I want to know. I want to know what you’ve got my daughter tangled up in,” Merv said, and Jimmy nodded.
“I don’t actually know for certain,” Jimmy started. “But it’s about mining claims.”
“This would be the claims that brought in the mountain of money up in Rhoda’s locking chest?”
Jimmy’s head ticked toward Sarah.
“They saw it when they went to get my patching kit,” she said, and he leaned his head back.
“I see.”
“Well?” Merv pressed.
“Yes, they are related,” Jimmy said.
“Thought Lawrence was worse washed up than us,” Merv said. “Heard a rumor you’d hit absenta again, but… Not claims like that kinda money.”
There was a long silence, and Merv twisted his head to look at Jimmy again.
“What kinda claims you sellin’ out there?” he asked. Jimmy shook his head.
“They know the gamble.”
“Didn’t reckon you for the minin’ scheme type,” Merv said.
“Isn’t a scheme,” Jimmy said. “If we’re gonna get Lawrence back on the map, we need flow, and to get flow, we need a lot of mines.”
“Once it’s gone, there ain’t more to be found,” Merv said. “The promises you been makin’ your investors, lookin’ at the revenue those promises are bringin’? You’re no better than a con man.”
Jimmy put the cigarette to his mouth quickly, then tossed it away.
“I’m sorry you feel that way.”
He stood and Sarah watched after his cigarette long enough to see it go out, then stubbed her own under her boot, standing to follow him into the house.
“We’ll be leaving tomorrow,” Jimmy said as he paused in the doorway.
“Be sure to put a flier up at the station,” Merv said without moving.
Sarah took the lead at the stairs, going up to Rhoda’s room and closing the door. Jimmy tapped a wall with a knuckle.
“Cozy,” he said, looking around as he took off his hat and hung it opposite Sarah’s on the back of the chair. “So this is Rhoda’s room?”
Sarah nodded, pushing her boots off with her toes and tossing her duster over the back of the chair between the hats.
“You think I should work harder to earn Merv’s good graces,” Jimmy said, sitting down on the bed to take his own shoes off.
“No, I see why you’d keep family business to yourself,” Sarah answered. “Particularly family business you’ve been keeping from family.”
He looked up at her, face clean, open, if placid.
“You like it here,” he said. “It suits you.”
“Lawrence suits me fine,” she said, and the corner of his mouth ticked up. He pulled his black jacket off and folded it in half to lay it over top of the chest, then tucked his feet up under his knees.
“This is the Lawrence you always wanted,” he said, turning his head toward the back of the house with a wistful smile. “Cows in the back yard, prosperity enough to go around, sit out on the porch at night and let the day fall off. It was never like this.”
“It was and it wasn’t,” Sarah said, stripping from the cl
othes she’d been wearing since the night before, laying in the sand out in front of the house. She reached under the bed, fetching a new linen shirt and loose pants, putting them on and sitting down on the bed opposite him.
“I don’t think you and I remember the same Lawrence,” he said, looking at her thoughtfully.
“Tell me about Intec,” she said, leaning against the headboard. He reclined across the bed, settling onto his elbow and stretching his legs across the bed, mouth changing to a sort of smug look that told her he’d been winning.
“I still don’t know who it is, but I do know where his money is coming from,” he said.
“Always a good start,” Sarah said. He nodded.
“I’ve got a place set up, in town,” he said. “Intec is big enough that if they don’t know where to look for you, they aren’t going to find you. They aren’t going to find us, there.”
“When are we going back to Lawrence?” Sarah asked. She thought of her cows up in the hills, of the homesteaders who still needed help with repairs from the last flood, of the workers living in flotsam at the end of Main Street and the claim owners expecting her to turn up with a list of temporary foremen.
“I know,” he said. “And I have someone who would send his son to Lawrence with letters, but we can’t use mail. They’ll intercept it, at least, and trace it back, at worst.”
“They’ve tried to kill us three times,” she said. “What have you done to make someone that angry?”
He shook his head.
“Five,” he said. “Unless you count the wedding.”
She stared at him, and he looked away, almost humored.
“Six.”
“Six times, Jimmy. They’ve paid people to come and die in front of your gun. That’s not cheap.”
He shook his head.
“None of this is cheap. I don’t even think they’re trying, yet.”
“This is all warmup?”
He shrugged.
“Why send six guys when you can afford forty?”
To hound him.
To keep him from making progress.
“They want to see the mines fail.”
“That was where I got, too,” he said.
“Then we need to get back to Lawrence. Make sure things are on track.”