by Ralph Cotton
’’I am going to kill Quinn Madsen," Paco said with quiet resolve.
’’That’s twice you’ve said it tonight, my friend," Shaw said quietly.
Paco flared. ’’What? Do you think I am all talk? That I won’t kill this pig?"
’’No, I believe you’ll kill him if that’s what you make up your mind to do," said Shaw. ’’But right now, I still don’t think you’ve made up your mind to do it."
Paco raised a finger toward him and wagged it. ’’Do not think that you know my mind so well, mi amigo. Because you do not know what it is I am thinking."
’’Not word for word, I don’t," Shaw said. ’’But I know it’s got something to do with what you are going to do after you kill him. I’m betting you’re wondering where you are going to make the kind of money you make riding with Madsen and these border raiders."
Paco stood in silence. Finally he said, ’’All right, maybe that is true. But now that the husband is here, there is nothing more holding the woman and the girl to Madsen. Perhaps I will wait and watch for the right opportunity, then kill him when the time comes."
’’Did you get some horses lined up for the three of them to leave on?" Shaw asked.
’’Yes," said Paco, ’’I took the horses of Bo Phelps, Cero Stewart and Tommy Layton, the three men you killed. So no one will notice them missing right away."
’’Good thinking," said Shaw.
’’They are hidden in the stable behind the church, only now they will only need two, eh?" Paco said with regret.
’’Yes, I’m afraid so," said Shaw with a sigh.
As they stood in the dark, the old priest slipped his bald head out the door and said in a lowered voice, ’’Nito is dead, may his soul rest in peace." He made the sign of the cross on his chest. Behind him came the sound of quiet weeping. ’’Please take them both away from Zarco. I will see to it Nito is buried properly."
’’Gracias, Padre, for all your help," said Shaw. He turned, facing Paco, saying, ’’Let’s go get their horses for them while Madsen’s asleep. They can slip out of here and get a lot of ground behind them before sunup."
’’Sí," said Paco, ’’let’s go."
Chapter 15
Quinn Madsen awakened slowly, feeling a wetness all around him—down his side, on his chest, his hair, his face. ’’Son of a bitch," he growled, raising the empty tequila bottle. ’’It’s all over everything." He looked through the darkness toward the other room. ’’Ramona! Get in here! Clean this mess up, pronto!" he barked.
But when he heard the woman reply she was not in the other room at all, but rather standing beside the bed, unseen in the darkness until she raised the flame on an oil lantern and held it above her head. ’’Oh, there you are," Madsen said. ’’I’m all wet. Help me out here. I’ve spilled my tequila." He let out a short, gruff laugh.
’’Here," Ramona said in a tense, quiet tone, ’’this will dry you off." She raised the lantern higher, then hurled it down, crashing it onto his bare chest. ’’Quemadura para, you pig from hell!" she hissed.
The fresh kerosene she had poured all over him ignited in a whooshing gust of flame, so quickly that she had to leap back to keep from catching herself on fire. She felt the heat singe her brows before she turned with deliberation and walked out the door.
Madsen’s gut-ripping screams resounded throughout the town and out across the sand flats.
’’What the hades was that?" Paco said, startled by the sudden terrible sound. He and Shaw had just stepped around the side of the church, having brought the three horses back with them from the stable. The old priest and Francisca stood staring stunned toward the Gomezes’ small adobe, seeing Ramona walking briskly back toward them across the street. Behind her a ball of fire careened around madly inside the otherwise dark house.
’’Uh-oh," said Shaw, also looking toward the sound of the scream, immediately realizing what had happened. ’’Get them out of here!" he said to Paco, handing him the reins to one of the horses they’d brought from the stable. ’’She lit him up." The two saw the screaming ball of flame bounce out onto the dirt and run zigzagging like some misguided comet.
Paco winced at the sight, but he got busy. As the woman walked across the street, she looked at the priest trancelike and said, ’’Forgive me, Padre, for I have—"
’’Not tonight," said Paco, cutting her off, grabbing her by the arm and shoving her to the waiting horses. ’’You, get mounted," he said to Francisca, who had stood staring in stunned disbelief, as if frozen in place. Paco shook her by her forearm, saying, ’’Hey! Let’s go, little one! You must both get out of here, pronto!"
’’That goes for you too, Paco," Shaw said as Madsen’s men ran from the cantina toward the burning adobe. The entire earth and plank structure now stood broiling in licking flames. ’’You’ve got to get them both out of here and to safety."
Paco didn’t argue. He leaped into the saddle of the horse Nito had ridden. Looking down at Shaw, he said, ’’What about you? What will happen to you?"
’’Nothing," said Shaw. ’’They have no idea what happened here. I can handle any questions they ask."
’’But if you are wrong they will—" Paco tried to say more, but Shaw cut him short, reaching out and slapping his horse soundly on its rump.
’’Hyiii! Get out of here," Shaw said to both the horse and its rider.
Paco and the mother and daughter raced away around the corner of the church. As they disappeared from sight, outside the burning adobe, the large ball of fire screamed, bounced, rolled, raced and flew from one point to another, still screaming wildly until it finally straightened and ran, falling and rolling and blazing its way out onto the sand flats.
’’What was that, a devil? Some sound kind of banshee ?" Drop the Dog Jones asked, staring after the long streak of fire. In its wake lay bits of burning dried brush that it had plowed its way through and left aflame.
’’It wasn’t nothing human, that’s for sure!" Lying Earl replied. ’’I saw its eyes! It was some terrible thing, some fiend right out of the pits of hell!"
’’It was human!" shouted Roscoe Turner. ’’It was Quinn Madsen, you damned fools. That’s the Gomez woman’s adobe. Her and her kid probably burned up too."
Out on the flats the fiery tail streaked and licked back and forth until it finally disappeared from sight, its screams having already ceased. On the dirt street the smell of roasting flesh and burned hair lingered heavy in the air.
Villagers had ventured forth out of the darkness and began running back and forth from the well carrying buckets of water to douse on structures standing near the Gomezes’ home, seeing the futility of trying to save the burning earth and plank adobe. Through the villagers’ midst, Shaw walked up to Roscoe Turner and the others, looked at the raging fire and said, ’’Those poor bastards never had a chance."
’’What poor bastards?" Turner spun toward him. ’’Who are you talking about? Was somebody else in there besides Madsen, the Gomez woman and the nit?"
Shaw shrugged as if he had no interest. ’’I walked by the open door a while ago. Madsen and Paco Ruiz were sitting at the table drinking. The woman and girl were in there too. Madsen waved me over, but I didn’t go." He shook his head. ’’Looks like I made the right decision."
Turner studied his eyes in the flickering firelight, not knowing what to say.
’’Huh," said Lying Earl, ’’I don’t believe that. Shaw’s been missing all day. I heard Madsen ask Paco about him earlier."
Shaw gave him a flat, hard stare. ’’And what did Paco tell him . . . ?" he asked.
Lying Earl’s face made a strange grimace. ’’He said you was asleep. That’s what."
Turner and the others gave Lying Earl a confused look.
’’So what are you saying?" Shaw asked. ’’That I’m lying, that Paco was lying?"
’’I don’t know," said Lying Earl, ’’but there’s something suspicious about this."
’’Shut the hell up
, Lying Earl," said Turner, trying to get a grip on things, being Madsen’s second in charge. He turned to Shaw and asked, ’’Where have you been all day? I heard Paco say that you was with a woman, that dope-snorting whore who lives behind the cantina." He stared at Shaw closely.
’’No," Shaw said, on the chance that Turner was only baiting him. ’’I’ve had a belly sickness from too much mescal. I spent most of the day searching for a fresh spot in the sand out back of the stables. That’s why I didn’t have a drink with Paco and Madsen."
Turner nodded with a trace of a wry grin. ’’God help you, I’ve had that mescal sickness myself."
’’Hold on, Roscoe," Drop the Dog said to Turner, seeing Turner was believing what Shaw had to say. ’’I have never seen Paco and Madsen drink together."
’’That’s right," Lying Earl cut in. ’’I happen to know that Madsen would never drink with a Mex."
’’Oh?" Turner and the men looked at him.
Lying Earl’s eyes darted back and forth. ’’No, he wouldn’t," he added quickly as if the thought had just struck him. ’’All the years I’ve known him, he always said it was bad luck drinking with a Mex."
’’I expect this didn’t do much to change his mind," said Shaw, giving a nod toward the burning adobe and the trail of smoldering brush and weeds in Madsen’s wake.
The men all nodded as if in agreement. Shaw looked at Lying Earl, then Turner. ’’I don’t see what my whereabouts have to do with any of this, do you?"
’’No, I don’t," said Turner, still having a problem with it, but not even knowing what to ask. Madsen was dead, Deacon Lucas and some more of his men were on their way. He was in charge until Lucas got here, maybe even afterward, depending on how Lucas felt about it. He didn’t want trouble with Fast Larry Shaw, especially over something like this. Still, he felt he needed to make a show of some sort. ’’Did you ever let Quinn know if you was going to ride with us?" he asked in a firm tone.
’’Not yet, I hadn’t," said Shaw.
’’Understand me, Shaw," said Turner. ’’If you’re with us, you’re welcome here. But if you’re not with us, I believe it’s time you rolled your blanket and go."
’’You’re running me out of Zarco?" Shaw asked bluntly.
The men standing near Turner stepped away a few feet, their hands near their guns, their expressions tense in the flickering firelight. Turner cut a quick glance at them. ’’Stand easy, all of yas." Then he said to Shaw, ’’I’m not running you nowhere. I’m no fool, Shaw. I’ve seen how fast you are. But this is our bunch, this is our town—leastwise until we’re through with it. If you’re not a part of us, what is your business here?"
’’Same as before," said Shaw. ’’I came to water my horse and get supplies. Madsen asked the Mexican to show me around some, see if I wanted to join you men."
’’You’ve had time to decide, Shaw," said Turner. ’’So, what’s it going to be?"
’’Madsen gave me until this Deacon Lucas Leeman fellow gets here," Shaw said.
Turner considered it. Not wanting to look weak in front of the men, he said, ’’Well, as you can see, Quinn Madsen has no more say. He’s dead, so’s the Mexican. You’ve worn out your welcome."
Shaw looked all around, and nodded, not wanting any of them to see that leaving was exactly what he’d had in mind after setting the Gomezes free. ’’All right," he said grudgingly, as if having to give it some careful consideration, ’’come morning I’m in the saddle and gone. Does that clear with you?"
Turner hid the flood of relief he felt at hearing Shaw’s words. ’’Yep, come morning, be out of here," he said in a rigid voice. He felt even more relieved when Shaw nodded, turned and walked away. To the rest of the men, Turner said, ’’All right, a few of yas get mounted. We’re riding out and finding where Madsen landed. The poor sumbitch." He shook his head with a grim expression.
Deacon Lucas Leeman, Charlie Bone and Blackie Waite had been riding along a high ridge trail when they heard the faint distant screams reach out across the flats from the direction of Zarco. ’’Hot damn," said Bone, ’’sounds like somebody’s night’s been ruined."
’’I’d say he must’ve sat down on a barrel cactus," Blackie Waite mused.
The three veered their horses off the trail and sat looking out across the flats at the fiery ball as it made its way out of Zarco and eventually burned itself out in the purple night. ’’I bet ole Quinn has been up to some mischief," said Lucas Leeman with a grim smile.
’’Maybe he got tired of that woman of his and this is his way of tying a can to her tail," Waite remarked.
’’Whatever it was, it’s all over now," said Leeman. He turned his horse back to the rocky trail and nudged it forward at a walk. ’’Speaking of women, I’ve got myself a little gift waiting for me in Zarco."
Waite and Bone gave each other a knowing look as they turned their horses behind him. Bone grinned and said, ’’I was wondering how much longer you was going to let Madsen put you off over taking that young woman home and showing her what a man wants."
Leeman replied, ’’Whatever wondering you’ve done, you can put it to rest now, Charlie. I’ve waited as long as I’m going to. Either Madsen offers her as a token of friendship, or I’ll take her."
’’What if he’s saving her for himself?" Waite asked, nudging his horse along behind him.
’’Then he’s about to come face-to-face with bitter disappointment," said Leeman. He paused, then said, ’’He knows I’m going to take her. I made my intentions boldy known to him before we rode out of Zarco. He’s just had to find himself a way to make it look like it was him offering her, instead of me taking her from him."
They rode on through the grainy moonlit night, down from the hills and across the sand flats. Near dawn they stopped less than a mile from Zarco and looked all around. Waite sniffed the air and said, ’’What’s that smell?"
’’Smells like somebody overroasted a goat," said Bone, fanning his hat in front of his face.
’’Yeah, and forgot to skin it first," Waite added, with a sour expression.
Suddenly a voice called out to them from a few yards across the flats. ’’Deacon, is that you?" asked Filo Hewes, from the cover of a sandy rise.
’’Who’s asking?" Deacon replied, he and his two riding companions spreading out, their hands on their guns.
’’It’s me, Filo," said Hewes.
’’And me, Sandy Kerns," said another voice, from a few yards away. ’’Hold your fire, we’re coming out."
’’Come on out, then," said Leeman. He gave the other two a look. They all three kept their hands resting on their weapons.
’’Damn, Deacon, I’m glad that’s you boys," said Hewes as the two walked in from the darkness.
’’Just who were you boys expecting it to be, Filo?" Leeman asked, looking the thin Kansan outlaw up and down. Beside Hewes, Sandy Kerns walked in closer, a Winchester rifle hanging from his hand.
’’This has been one of the strangest damn nights I ever seen," Hewes said, stopping and shaking his head. ’’We saw a firelight flare up, out yonder in the hills—one of yas lighting yourself a smoke, no doubt," he said, gesturing in the purple dark toward the hills they’d ridden down from. ’’So Turner left a couple of us out here, to see who come riding in. Lucky for all of us it’s you."
’’We didn’t light any smokes," Leeman said. ’’We’ve all three got better sense, out in the dark like that." He glanced back toward the hills. ’’How long ago was this you seen it?"
’’Must’ve been three hours," said Hewes, looking to Kerns for support.
’’Yeah," said Kerns, ’’we all saw it clearly."
’’We were already halfway across these flats by then," said Leeman. He stopped, then said, ’’Wait a minute. What do you mean, Turner left you out here? What were you doing out here to begin with?" Without giving either of them time to answer, he went on to ask, ’’Why is Turner giving the orders? Where the hell is Madsen?"
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br /> ’’That’s Quinn Madsen you’re smelling," said Hewes. ’’He’s dead."
’’What? Madsen’s dead?" Leeman looked back and forth between the two men.
’’Yep, burned all to hell," said Kerns. ’’The Gomez adobe burned up, killed Madsen, Paco and the woman and her girl. Turner and some of the boys roped Madsen’s burned carcass and dragged it to town. It looked like they’d jerked up a tree stump and pulled it along behind them."
’’Ah, hell," Leeman said with a tone of remorse, not seeming to hear about dragging Madsen’s body back to town. ’’I wanted that little girl so bad."
’’Not now you wouldn’t," said Hewes, ’’ ’less you wanted to keep her in a snuff box."
’’You think that’s funny, you son of a bitch?" Leeman shouted, his Colt coming up, cocked and ready to fire.
’’No, I surely don’t, Deacon!" Hewes said quickly. ’’I never meant to say it. I don’t know what come over me! I must’ve lost my mind!"
’’Deacon," Bone said quietly, ’’don’t shoot him out here before daylight. We’ve got them lawdogs on our tails, don’t forget."
Leeman cooled down, uncocked his Colt and held it loosely in his gloved hand. ’’Don’t you say another word to me about nothing, Hewes," he warned. To Kerns he said, ’’I expect Turner is somewhere in hog heaven, being left in charge?"
’’Well, I haven’t paid close attention, but I ’spect he rightly is," said Kerns, picking his words carefully after seeing what almost happened to Hewes.
’’Well, amigos, that’s all about to change real quick-like," said Leeman. He gave a grin. ’’I was only a hair away from taking this bunch over. Now is as good a time as any."
’’There’s been a gunman name of Lawrence Shaw ride into Zarco, Deacon," said Kerns. ’’I thought you ought to know."
’’Fast Larry Shaw?" said Leeman with surprise.
’’Yep, that’s him," said Kerns.