by David Archer
“Well, now, I’m not quite sure if that is good or bad. Did you tell them the truth about me?”
She shook her head. “No. I thought that it would be best not to.”
The last of the summer passed by all too quickly. The months had gone by uneventfully and now the boys were back in school. True to her word, Gabriella never mentioned the incidents that Chance had related to her, not even to Tommy and Andy, and not once did she call him by his real name. She felt youthful and alive again, always happy and smiling. Her actions proved to everyone just how much she was in love with this man who had come to her at a time when she was constantly depressed and had made her feel that life was still worth living. Now her life was in full bloom, for she had everything that a woman would possibly want: a man who loved her dearly, two wonderful children, and a place to call her own.
It was a cool day in October. Numerous clouds studded the skies and a light breeze was blowing the fallen leaves all over the countryside. The harvesting was over. The freezer was fully stocked and the basement was filled with firewood. They were just about to settle down and take it easy for the duration of the upcoming winter months. They had sold a large number of cattle and Gabriella was more than satisfied with this year’s income. Now the only thing left to do was to bring in the rest of the hay and even that would be finished within a couple of days.
Gabriela and Chance were in the barn unloading a wagon of hay, which they had just brought in. Although the barn doors were closed to keep out the wind and the chill, Chance caught the sound of a car coming up the long driveway.
“We’ve got company,” announced Chance.
“I wonder who would be calling on us at this time of the day?”
“I don’t know. Let’s go and see.”
Slowly and silently, Chance pushed one of the big doors open a crack. Even though he felt safe here in this part of the country, he did not let down his guard for even a moment whenever anyone came to the house. The threat of the cartel was still hanging over their heads, and he knew it.
Gabriella was right by his side when he peered through the opening. She had become accustomed to his suspicious habits. She thought that they were silly and unnecessary, yet she always went along with him. Even now she was laughing to herself, thinking how funny he looked spying on whoever was out there. Her own opinion was that it was one of their neighbors who had come over to ask for some help, but with the sudden change of expression on Chance’s face, she knew that she was wrong. Still, she felt that he had nothing to worry about. After all, no one around here knew who he was or what he had done.
Chance watched as a light blue, four-door Chevy sedan pulled to a halt directly in front of the kitchen door. Four Hispanic men stepped out of the vehicle, each dressed in a dark business suit. Two of the men walked up to the door and knocked.
A strange feeling came over Chance and the feeling wasn’t one of relief. It was like an ESP warning that trouble was near at hand. He felt a cold chill running up and down his spine and there was a noticeable increase in his adrenaline flow.
“I’ll go see what they want,” said Gabriela.
“No,” answered Chance forcefully as he pulled her back just as she was ready to open the door. “I smell trouble and it’s just what we were hoping would not happen.”
“You mean they’re…”
“I don’t know for sure, but I’ll lay you odds that they probably are. They’re not here for fun and games, so find yourself a safe place to hide until this is over.”
It was a command, not a request, but he didn’t wait around to see if she had obeyed or not. He rushed down the stairs and into the tack room. As fast as he could, he emptied the contents of the utility box on the floor and grasped the lock he had secured it with.
“Well, damn it all,” he swore.
“What is it?”
“The keys are in the house,” he answered as he grabbed for the knife that was strapped to his right leg. “What the hell are you doing here? I told you to hide before those guys come in here. Now get going!” he hissed at her.
She didn’t move. Instead, she watched as he used his knife to dig out the hasp and open the hidden compartment. Her eyes bulged in amazement at the sight of pistols and ammunition. She stood there puzzled, not knowing what to think about this turn of events.
“Where did all that come from?” she asked as he removed the Maxim automatics and shoved them into his waistband.
“I was a hired killer, remember? I haven’t got time to fill you in now. That is, if we want to stay alive.” He made sure that the weapons were loaded before he filled his pockets with several of the extra magazines. Then he headed back toward the front of the barn, where he could get a better look at what the visitors were doing.
They were still on the front porch. Chance jogged to the back steps of the house, then slipped into the back door.
Gabriella was so stunned at what she had just witnessed that she didn’t know what to do. The man she loved was ready to kill another human being again. She didn’t understand it at all. He didn’t even know if those men belonged to the cartel or not, but then again, why else would they be there? If Chance was right, he would be out there fighting for both their lives against four trained gunmen.
“Thank God the kids aren’t here,” she said.
Abruptly she made up her mind. After all, up until now Chance had never let her down, so why should she think that this time was any different? She reached down and grabbed the last two guns, the little twenty-two caliber, silenced automatics, along with a handful of loaded magazines. She had never fired a handgun before, but she decided now was as good a time as any to learn. She followed his footsteps, running quickly and quietly across the yard and up the back steps. She had just opened the back door and stepped into the kitchen when she heard Chance open the front door.
“Hold it right there. What do you want?” she heard Chance ask as she let the door close gently behind her.
“Mr. Chance Davidson?”
“Who’s asking?”
“We’d like to ask you a few questions, if you don’t mind.”
“I mind, all right. I’m too busy to spend my time gabbing with people I don’t know.”
“It won’t take long, only a minute or two. Do you mind if we come in?”
“Yes. You can ask your questions from there.”
“Please, Mr. Davidson, it will only take a minute.”
“Well, you’re using up your time pretty fast, and since when does it take four people to ask a few lousy questions?”
It seemed that this man who was doing all the talking was the leader of the bunch. The other three had stopped behind him and watched.
“We were in Clarksville on business when we heard about you living out here. I don’t really need to explain to you what we want, do I, Mr. Reddick?”
“Reddick? Who the hell is Reddick?”
“Chance Reddick,” The man said. “And it is you.”
“Sorry, you’ve got the wrong guy.”
The man smiled. “Perhaps,” he said. “But we would need to see proof of that, I am afraid.”
“Sorry about your luck. I told you I ain’t the guy you’re looking for, so get back in your car and leave.”
“I’m afraid I must insist on proof. Perhaps Mrs. Vasquez might possibly be able to help us?”
“I wouldn’t know.”
“May we talk to her?”
“She’s not here.”
“Well, then, can you tell us where we might find her? We’d like to get our business over with today so that we don’t have to make an extra trip back from our home.”
“She left while I was out working in the fields. She didn’t tell me where she was going.”
“I see. Well, perhaps we do have the wrong man.” He turned and collected the others with a glance, and they started back toward their car.
Chance watched as the men stepped back into the car. His eyes never left the vehicle as they turned around an
d headed toward the road.
“You see, you got all uptight over nothing,” remarked Gabriella.
“Nothing, hell,” he said. “They aren’t going far. They’ll be back before you know it. Now will you please go and hide somewhere safe until I tell you that you can come out? When the shooting starts, I don’t want you getting in the way of a stray bullet.”
“But it’s four against one. I can help you.”
“Have you ever fired one of those things before?”
“Well, no, but there’s always a first time.”
“Okay, but not here and now. Now take those guns with you and hide. When they come and if they happen to find you, I suggest that you shoot to kill, ’cause I guarantee you they won’t leave any survivors.”
The look on her face told him that she was starting to believe him. “Do you really think they’re with the cartel?”
“I don’t think. I know. One of those guys was standing in Baldizon’s front yard the first time I ever went there. He sent them, you can count on it.”
The car was about to turn onto the road, so Chance took the Winchester out of the gun cabinet and went outside to continue his vigil. He stood for several minutes viewing the area alongside the road to make sure that they had really gone. He had just turned to go back into the barn when suddenly the sound of a roaring engine pierced the silence. Spinning around, he saw the same sedan flying back up the driveway. He raced back into the house. On his way, he caught a glimpse of a figure running across the the backyard toward the barn.
“For God’s sake, hide,” he yelled to Gabriella, as he grabbed up the rifle. “They’re all around us, and if I have to start worrying about whether you’re okay or not, I’ll sure as hell get killed.”
The Chevy slid to a stop, and all four men piled out of it. Two of them ran around the car, so that it was positioned between them in the house. The man who had spoken before shouted out.
“You’re outnumbered, Reddick, so why don’t you give it up? We don’t intend to get ourselves killed, so if we have to, we’ll burn you out.”
At that moment, a bullet struck the windshield of the sedan, even though they hadn’t heard a shot. Spinning around, Chance saw Gabriella firing one of the little Rugers. He was almost glad that she had not obeyed him. He could use all the help he could get, but he just didn’t want to see her get hurt. Turning around, he concentrated on his end. The rifle butt was resting against his shoulder as he waited for the first sign of movement.
There was a distinct difference in the sound of the shots that were being fired into the barn and those that were being fired from within. Hearing the exchange of gunfire, the two men at the front made their move. They rushed the front door.
Ignoring the scoped sight on the rifle, Chance triggered two shots in rapid succession at the nearest man. The hombre fell almost instantly as the three powerful slugs smashed through his chest. Chance didn’t let up for even one second. Immediately he turned the smoking barrel toward his next enemy.
The other man froze in his tracks. He just couldn’t understand how this could be happening. If Reddick was busy defending the front, then who was at the back? Overcome with fear that he might be the next target, he dived for cover. He tried desperately to get behind the car before whoever it was decided to take a shot at him. He didn’t make it.
The first ball of lead cut through his spine. The rest were irrelevant because the man was already dead. He fell forward and landed on his own gun, which discharged and sent another slug tearing into his flesh.
With these two men out of the way, Chance raced out the back and into the barn, to help Gabriella. Now that the odds were down to two to one, what he really wanted was for her to get out of the line of fire. These were expert gunmen, and with Gabriella’s greenhorn experience in such matters, she didn’t stand a chance. As for himself, he felt that he had at least an even chance of coming out of this mess with a whole skin. So far he had always managed to come out on top, but now he had a woman to worry about too, and that seemed to only decrease his odds. He just had to get her out of the way and into safety.
“Thanks for the help, Gabriella.”
“You’re welcome. How come you’re not at the door?”
“I’ve already taken care of those two. You’ve been a lot of help so far, but if you really want to help me now, you’ll do like I told you and hide.” He threw down the empty rifle and took hold of one of the silenced Maxim automatics as he tried once more to convince her to stay out of the gunfight.
Gabriella stared at him, again not sure whether she should obey him or not. After all, when those men had attacked the house, she had made it possible for him to concentrate on the danger that was nearest at hand. Certainly there was something she could still do to help.
Meanwhile, Chance had sighted one of the bastards. He carefully aimed along the sights of the automatic each time before he squeezed the trigger, yet none of his bullets found their mark.
“Damn it. Where the hell is that other son of a bitch?” he asked himself.
“I don’t know,” answered Gabriella. “He was with the other guy just a minute ago.”
“God! The back door,” shouted Chance.
He was in the process of getting to his feet when a gunshot echoed within the walls of the barn. He felt a sharp, burning pain wrench through his body. He collapsed and fell to the floor.
TWENTY-SEVEN
Chance no longer had to worry about where the other man was. He was standing next to the tractor. An ugly forty-five automatic was clutched in both his hands as he prepared to put an end to the fugitive’s life.
It was lucky for Chance that he had stood up when he did; otherwise he would have been dead. The slug had entered his left thigh, and even that seemed to be an act of God because as he fell, the second shot tugged at his clothing, searing his right arm as it sped to the place where he had just been standing. He landed within a foot of Gabriella and he swore to himself at her stubbornness in refusing to cooperate with him. Now her stubbornness would most likely get both of them killed unless he could divert his enemy’s fire away from her.
He propelled himself with all the force he could muster and rolled on the floor to his right away from Gabriella. Two slugs gouged into the floor only inches away, sending wood chips flying into his face. By the end of the third roll his arms were stretched out in front of him. He pointed the barrel of his weapon at his foe and was ready to squeeze the trigger when a loud click replaced the sound of the expected thundering explosion.
“Hold it!” shouted Chance as he remained where he was, not daring to move in case this hombre tried to reach for another gun.
The man froze for a moment as he stared at the cold, unemotional eyes of the man whom he had tried to kill. From what he had heard about Reddick’s killing of Molina, he knew that he was as good as dead. But certainly there must be some way out of this mess. If only he could stall until his companion arrived.
“All right, you win,” he yelled as he raised his arms. “Don’t shoot. I give up.” Slowly Chance struggled to his feet, never once averting his eyes or the pistol from his foe. If this bastard had something up his sleeve then he’d be ready for it. No sooner had he thought this when the gunman made a break for the door. Chance fired his weapon twice in rapid succession and watched as the second slug tore into the man’s belly.
Cautiously, he limped over to the sprawled-out figure. Gabriella came out of her daze and ran over to help Chance just as another burst of gunfire erupted from outside. The bullets ripped through the thin, wooden wall, searching for a target. Chance dropped to the floor and began crawling. All his concentration at the moment was centered on the man who now lay only twenty feet away from him. He hadn’t even realized that Gabriella was on her way over to help him.
“Ah-h-h-h-h! ”
Chance’s heart stopped. He froze for a split second before he turned around to see what had happened. Gabriella’s piercing scream of pain almost shattered his nerves. His
eyes showed all the fear that he felt at the thought that Gabriella may have been mortally wounded.
He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw her lying on the floor clutching her left arm.
“Are you okay?”
“Yes, it just nicked my arm. I’ll be all right. I should have listened to you. Go on and do what you have to. I’ll be all right.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yes, I’m sure.”
He crawled the rest of the way to the doorway, picking up the fallen pistol on his way.
“Help me, please,” moaned the wounded hombre .
The heavy slug had entered into the abdomen. The dying man had both his hands pressed over the hole in his stomach, trying unsuccessfully to stop the heavy discharge of blood.
“Please,” he moaned again.
“There’s nothing I can do. You’re dying,” answered Chance.
“No,” came a feeble shout.
“Okay. I’ll help you, but first you’ll have to answer a few questions. First, how did you find out that I was here?”
“The… the… doctor.”
“Dr. Naples?”
“Si .”
“But he didn’t know who I was.”
“No, but from the… the description we… we gave him, he told us… that… that you were the… guy… we… were looking… for.”
“Did you kill him?”
“Lawrence did… not… me.”
“And his wife?”
“She… wasn’t… home.”
That was the end of it. The young man’s head rolled to one side and he was dead. His hands slipped lifelessly from his stomach to rest on the floor.
“Damn it, go hide,” he shouted at Gabriella, who had watched the exchange. “Don’t forget you’ve got two kids to take care of, and I won’t be responsible if you get yourself killed.”
He didn’t really mean what he had said, but he decided that it was the only way to get her out of the way. Since he had stopped to extract some information from the dying man, he had lost track of where the last killer was. More than likely he was already making his way toward the barn if he wasn’t already inside. But then again, if the fellow thought that all his friends were dead, he might try and get away without completing his mission.