by Neil Hunter
When Frank McCord of the Justice Department is kidnapped, the Attorney General calls on the one man who stands a hope in hell of finding him -- the Department’s toughest operative, Jason Brand.
But from the moment he accepts the assignment, Brand becomes a target for the men who are determined to stop him finding McCord. What they don’t understand is that McCord is not just his boss - he’s also a friend, and that makes all the difference.
Nothing less than a well-aimed bullet will stop him from saving McCord. But even when Brand does track him down, his troubles are far from over. With a violent bunch after him, and a seriously injured McCord on his hands, Brand has to outrun a relentless pursuit.
No matter how ruthless the gang is, or how big the stakes, there’s one thing the bad guys fail to appreciate ... and that is Jason Brand’s skill with a vengeance gun.
JASON BRAND 12
VENGEANCE GUN
By Neil Hunter
Copyright © 2018 by Neil Hunter
First Edition: June 2018
Names, characters and incidents in this book are fictional, and any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons living or dead is purely coincidental. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information or storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the author, except where permitted by law.
This is a Piccadilly Publishing Book *~* Text © Piccadilly Publishing
Series Editor: Ben Bridges
Published by Arrangement with the Author.
Prologue
New York City
The man known as Don Luchino Trattori stepped back from the window of his study, a frown creasing his broad face. Rain streamed down the glass panes, dropping from a leaden, heavy-clouded sky. The downpour and the gloom matched his somber mood. Trattori had a great deal on his mind. Uppermost was the loss of the diamond cache he had been expecting from Texas.
He had been anticipating success with the gaining of the large collection of priceless stones. He had plans to expand his enterprises into the western states, mainly California and Nevada, where there were limitless opportunities. His earlier excursion in Arizona with the High Grade copper mine, had been thwarted and he had lost heavily there. Despite a further attempt to recoup his hold over the enterprise he had finally decided to cut his losses and move on with other schemes.
The disruption of the High Grade business, which had been taken over by the woman who took control on the death of her brother. He had been trying to have her killed so he could control the High Grade mine. He had been in league with a woman named Beth Arling, a successful madam and saloon owner, when a man named Bodie had confronted them. He had wounded Beth Arling. Angela Crown’s brother had died as well. Sided by Bodie, Angela Crown proved to be too much of a problem, so Trattori backed off. Other considerations took the place of the High Grade mine.
Trattori had a personal score to be settled with the man who had been instrumental in wrecking his deal in Arizona.
Bodie.
It had taken Trattori time to track down the man hunter and when he did he assigned the man called Silva to go after the man.
Silva was Trattori’s assassin. A man who had few equals. Silva had worked for him a long time and was considered to be one of the best. A craftsman who had even built his own handgun. Unfortunately it had not saved him from Bodie. They two had clashed in the Pullman car carrying Bodie and a girl called Eden Chantry back to her father, Major Owen Chantry at Fort Huachuca. She had been kidnapped by a half-breed called Coyote. Bodie had taken her from Coyote. After a long pursuit by Coyote and his men Bodie had killed the outlaw. Taking a train that would return them to Fort Huachuca Bodie had been confronted by Silva and despite being shot the man hunter had killed Silva.
It became a matter of honor for Trattori to have Bodie tracked down and killed. His death hurt Trattori. Whatever else he might be Luchino Trattori respected tradition and it was in that spirit he was honor bound to have the killer paid in kind.
Trattori’s second in command, a young man called Fabio, had been given the task of finding Bodie and ordering his death. During his search Fabio had come across written reports from High Grade, especially details of Bodie’s clash with Beth Arling. Arling was ambitious and enterprising. She had bought an ailing saloon in High Grade, allied herself to Raymond Crown, and worked to profit from his desire to take over the High grade copper mine. Her association with Raymond Crown had ended in gunfire, him dead and she wounded by Bodie. Soon after she had left High Grade, selling the saloon and moving further west.
Fabio’s people had heard about Arling and her story, and though he was primarily seeking information on the man who had interfered with the diamond delivery, he realized she had a connection to the man called Bodie.
Beth Arling admitted she wanted a chance to get even with Bodie and Fabio’s offer to assist in her latest acquisition, a saloon-gambling house in Nevada, gained her interest and cooperation. It was a twofold gesture. Trattori was looking to expand. Nevada was growing and buying into Arling’s enterprise was an easy way in. The plus side was both Arling and Trattori had a mutual desire to deal with Bodie. Pooling their knowledge and resources would, hopefully, increase their efforts.
Fabio had Arling brought to the east coast to discuss the future venture. As well as being beautiful the young woman was sharp and it did not take her long to understand Trattori’s desires. She got the story from Trattori. His anger at the way in which he had lost his diamond cache was still growing. Luchino Trattori was a proud man. A vengeful man. Retribution against anyone who slighted him was a tradition that went back a long way. An insult had to be put right. Weakness was not something he could allow to go unpunished. It was a mark against him. Something his rivals would seize on and use to ridicule him and that was something Trattori would not allow.
During the long discussions Arling had with Trattori a connection was made between the man called Bodie and the lawman, Alvin LeRoy. Arling maintained a line of informants who regularly fed her with information. Only recently she had learned that LeRoy and Bodie had met during an incident that involved them both. Arling had learned of their association. It interested Trattori. Now he had a link between the two and as he realized Beth Arling had knowledge of Bodie and LeRoy he saw a possible opportunity to settle his grievance with them both.
Using his own considerable lines of communication Trattori tasked Fabio to follow through investigations of US Marshal Alvin LeRoy. As usual the man came back with useful information on the lawman.
LeRoy emerged as a highly dedicated individual who had a reputation for doggedness when it came to following through with his assignments. He would handle them thoroughly, yet he would be the first to admit to any mistakes he made. His tenacious streak came through as he tracked his quarry and he had no problems delivering hard justice to lawbreakers. Few who braced him lived to tell the tale. The men he went against were hard and violent. With little regard for human life. Bred on the frontier they took what they wanted and gave little in return. Their world was wild and often brutal and it took men like LeRoy to stand against that.
The more he learned about the man the more respect Trattori had. He saw a dedicated lawman who believed in what he stood for. Such a man would make a formidable opponent. LeRoy would not be swayed from his path. Nor would he be intimidated or bought. Such a man, Trattori realized, would fight to the last.
Fabio came to Trattori’s office, a buff colored paper in his hand.
‘This has come from our informant in Texas. He has received information from a source in Fort Bellman. It is where LeRoy is being treated for his wounds. It is going around th
e fort that there are many dead at Buckman’s Folly. The Army sent soldiers to bury them. It would appear there were no survivors except for this man LeRoy.’
‘The diamonds?’
Fabio shook his head. ‘No mention. If the Army found them they are not disclosing anything. But I will continue to search for information.’
Surprisingly Trattori showed little reaction. He leaned back in his ornate chair letting go a deep sigh. His hands, spread out across his desk, flexed briefly.
‘All that effort,’ he said. ‘Having these diamonds taken from Mexico and passed to that priest, Tamber. Hiring the man Reno and his people. And then to lose them before Dietrich could take possession. All wasted because of that dammed lawman LeRoy…’
After Fabio had left Trattori and Arling continued their discussion.
‘How was it that a priest became involved?’ Arling said.
‘He had little choice,’ Trattori said. ‘He used his position to allow him unnatural practices with his younger brethren. When his secret became known to one of my people it was an easy thing to persuade him to help collect the diamonds after they were brought over the border from Mexico. Tamber concealed the cache in his wagon and transport them across Texas to a rendezvous with Jack Reno. After dealing with the occupants of the wagon train Reno was to deliver the diamonds to my emissary. It went well until this cursed lawman showed up.’
‘I have heard of this man LeRoy. A resourceful US Marshal.’
‘His association with Bodie puts him at the top of the list.’
‘Where are the diamonds from?’
‘Gathered by various methods from a number of sources,’ Trattori said. ‘In Mexico there are still collections of them from the days of the Aztecs, who used them for decorations of their costumes and in trade. My agents sought out these collections and collected them for me.’
‘I take it by illegal means?’
‘Let us say there are ways around many problems.’
Arling smiled. She understood Trattori. Liked his thinking. The way he took a direct approach.
‘The diamonds were brought to the border and passed to Tamber to be carried along with his religious goods.’
‘Who would suspect a man of the church. Even one of dubious practices.’
‘Tamber had been lucky. His transgressions were hushed up and his gratitude came in the form of transporting something for me.’
‘Very enterprising. ‘
‘Now I must consider how to complete my plans now the diamonds have been lost. They would have made things much easier to achieve but there are other ways to achieve my goals. I believe you, Miss Arling, can figure in them an enterprising young woman as yourself could fare well as my contact in the west. Between us we could bring about my plans.’
‘All I need is some financial incentive to help me get started.’
‘Of course. You will be well compensated for your efforts. As we seem to have a mutual concern in the form of this man, Bodie, if we work together it will be easier to track him down and arrange for retribution.’
It was a short time later that Beth Arling started her return journey to the other side of the continent, as a partner in Trattori’s plans and considerably richer than she had been on her arrival.
She was shocked soon after to learn that Luchino Trattori had been killed during a confrontation with Marshal Alvin LeRoy. The Don’s criminal organization had been torn apart by the law and his influence wiped away.
She experienced anger and disappointment initially, but being who she was Arling could not forget the fortune in diamonds.
She determined she was not going to sit back and let the apparent loss of the cache of diamonds be an end to the story. She used her connections, spending money to pay for information and the result was that the cache of diamonds had been recovered from the fire at Buckman’s Folly by the Army and initially taken to Fort Bellman. From Fort Bellman the diamonds were sent back East, into the care of the Justice Department where a decision was discussed as to what was to be done with them.
Arling had learned that the man looking after the diamonds and who knew their location was Frank McCord.
Beth Arling had been nurturing a relationship with Ty Hawkins, since she had used her contacts to establish Hawkins as one of the men working for McCord.
Hawkins reputation had been sullied due to an ongoing gambling addiction that had wiped him out financially. In an attempt to regain some of his losses Hawkins had resorted to blackmail and corruption. Not very successfully. His activities had come to McCord’s attention and after some heated confrontation Hawkins had been dismissed from the department. Bitter at losing his coveted position Hawkins had jumped at the chance to get back at McCord after Arling had approached him with an offer. An opportunity to take his revenge against McCord and earn himself a generous payout when the diamonds were taken.
Ty Hawkins saw his chance. A way to restore himself financially and also to satisfy his need to hit back at his dismissal. When McCord was away from The Farm, Hawkins used his knowledge of the place to stage a break-in. He searched McCord’s office and though he did discover the letter from the Attorney General instructing McCord to handle the diamonds, there was no indication where the cache had been placed. The location was kept by McCord alone. Though it went part way to confirming the existence of the diamonds there was still a need to find out where they were.
It was Hawkins himself who came up with the idea of kidnapping McCord as he was traveling out of the city, on his way to dine with friends. He knew McCord had a standing invitation and used the same route every time.
With an out-of-town deserted house rented for the occasion, and Arling having hired a number of men to provide security, the event was staged. McCord was removed from his carriage, mounted on a horse after being bound and taken to the rendezvous.
That proved to be the easiest part to achieve.
It was after that when matters became harder to control and the expectations of the affair running smoothly evaporated...
Frank McCord felt the carriage jerk to a stop. Heard the shrill protest from one of the horses as they were abruptly halted. The muffled curse from the driver, followed by a solid thump of sound that cut off the man’s words. A single gunshot. McCord leaned across to open the carriage door. It swung wide before he could touch it. Out of the gloom a handgun was thrust into view. Behind it a man, roughly dressed and wearing a scarf over the lower part of his face.
‘Out,’ the man said. ‘And don’t be askin’ no damn fool questions. Just do it.’
A gun in the face told McCord it would be a wise thing to obey. So he did as he was ordered, stepping out of the carriage and stood waiting for the next instruction. Out the corner of his eye he saw the slumped shape of the driver, half-hanging from the box seat.
The man with the gun gave a harsh chuckle.
‘Now he didn’t move quick enough. Mistake he won’t make again. You go figure that.’
McCord saw two more men as they emerged from the shadows. One led four horses. The third man stepped forward. In his gloved hands he held a thin, coiled rope. McCord noted that both these men were masked just like the one with the gun.
‘Hands out.’
McCord’s hands were tied at the wrists. A cloth hood was produced. McCord glanced around.
‘No use looking for help,’ the gunman said. ‘Ain’t coming and you won’t be making that dinner date. Now put that hood on and help get him on that horse.’
When they had McCord in the saddle his tied hands were secured to the pommel.
‘You just set easy, McCord, ’cause we got a way to go.’
Moments later the horses were in motion, McCord being led by one of the men. They cut off away from the road, across softer ground. McCord felt low tree branches brush against him. Disturbed birds flew from the foliage, voicing their annoyance. The passing of the horses was muffled by the way underfoot.
Department of Justice. Pennsylvania Avenue. Washington.
Office of the Attorney General.
The man himself, face stern, sat facing Brand across his desk. Behind him the window looked out on the street. It happened to be a hot day. Dust stirred up by passing traffic hung in the air.
‘Sit down, Mr. Brand,’ the man said.
This was McCord’s boss. The man who oversaw the nation’s law establishment. The word started and ended with him. Frank McCord, for all his freedom running his department, deferred to the Attorney General.
‘Frank McCord, your superior and my friend has been kidnapped. Taken by force from what we have learned by unknown men. He was on his way to a social evening with personal friends. His carriage was stopped, his driver killed and McCord spirited away.’
Brand kept his expression impassive.
Inside he was angry. Dismayed that the one man he admired more than any other appeared to be in some kind of danger. If it hadn’t been for McCord he would have still been drifting around the country, working for bounty, with little else to shape his life. McCord had offered him the chance to make a difference. To put on a badge again and stand tall. Brand would have been the first to admit that Frank McCord was a tough son of a bitch. He asked a lot from his people, but he stood by them and backed them all the way down the line. The life he had offered Brand was by no means simple. It pushed his people into extreme situations and they needed all their survival skills to stay alive. Times were when Brand called McCord all the names under the sun. On the other hand he understood the pressure McCord was under. The man answered to the President of the United States and also the Attorney General. Yet he weathered the pressure because it was simply what the job demanded.
Right now it appeared it was down to Brand to do whatever he could to find out what had happened to McCord.
‘Frank McCord seems to have a great deal of faith in you, Mr. Brand. I’ve had good reports on you.’
‘That’s a surprise.’