High Gun at Surlock (2006) (11 page)

Vince whispered to Phoenix, trying not to move his lips.

‘What now?’

‘The gun isn’t cocked,’ Phoenix replied softly.

Vince realized he was correct. The derringer pointed at Jessie had to have the hammer pulled back before it would fire. Again, speaking quietly and barely moving his lips:

‘I don’t have a shot.’

Phoenix smiled to cover his response.

‘I’ll take him.’

‘What are you two whispering about?’ Huxton wondered aloud. ‘You can’t think you can take the five of us? Not with me holding a gun to this woman’s head!’

Jessie’s eyes were wide with fright, but there was a grim determination on her face. She was ready for whatever happened. Vince flicked a sidelong glance at Phoenix. The man gave a minute nod, showing he was ready.

‘The way this is going to happen,’ Vince told the men in the room, ‘Phoenix and I are going to take all of you into custody. Those of you who choose to fight will die on the spot. We won’t try to wound anyone. If any of you draw against us, you’ll be killed.’

Huxton laughed at his threat.

‘I’m the one holding the gun. Are you blind or just plain stupid?’

‘Skinny and Mugs,’ Vince ignored Huxton, ‘you two are charged with the murder of Mrs Glenn and for vandalism and arson of the Yates wagons and supplies.’ He swung his attention to the Monger brothers. ‘And you two are under arrest for robbery of the Yates stage … several different robberies, in fact.’ Then he looked over at Huxton. ‘Lastly, Charles Huxton, you are under the arrest for giving the orders for all crimes committed by these men and Strap Adere, including the murder of Mrs Glenn. I’m also adding the crime of kidnapping.’

He took a breath and surveyed the face of each man, trying to get a read on their probable response. ‘Which of you wish to surrender peacefully?’ he asked.

The gunmen exchanged looks, but no one spoke up.

‘It’s settled then,’ Vince replied evenly. ‘Unbuckle your gun belts or die where you stand!’

Huxton started to laugh, but Phoenix’s gun appeared as if by magic. From its muzzle it barked fire and lead hit the man in his gun-side elbow. He howled in shock and pain as the gun flew from his hand. He staggered backward a step, grasping his injured arm.

Vince matched Phoenix’s speed, drawing his own gun.

Mugs tried to pull his pistol, but Vince put a round squarely into his chest.

Skinny started to grab for his gun, but immediately
stopped in mid-motion. The Monger brothers were stunned, unable and unwilling to make a move. Staring down the muzzle of Phoenix’s gun, they both knew it would have been suicide for them to try and fight.

Huxton’s head twisted back and forth, his teeth gnashed in pain and rage.

‘Get them!’ he cried. ‘What are you waiting for?’

Pete Monger pulled a face.

‘Me and Abe are only looking at a couple years for them stage robberies. That sure ain’t worth dying for.’

Skinny carefully unbuckled his belt and let it drop.

‘I can tell the judge whatever he needs to hear,’ he said quickly. ‘Hux done give the orders. I only done what he told me to.’

The four men were stripped of weapons, then Vince removed the rope from Jessie’s hands. She came out of her chair, pulled the gag from her mouth and put a hot glare on Vince.

‘What’s the idea?’ she scathed him with a harsh tone of voice. ‘You let Phoenix be the one to shoot Huxton! What kind of a man lets another man save the woman he loves!’

‘He had the better angle,’ Vince countered. ‘I might have hit you!’

‘Oh, sure.’ She was sarcastic. ‘You can hit two
beer-mugs
from thirty feet away, but you can’t stop a man from shooting your fiancée with a peashooter!’

‘Phoenix’s aim was perfect!’ Vince persevered. ‘He was on the right side to take the shot. I wasn’t!’

‘But you couldn’t know he was good enough to
make the shot!’ she continued to argue. ‘He has the big reputation, but you didn’t know how good he was.’

Before Vince could reply again, Phoenix spoke up.

‘I’ve heard you two kids argue before,’ he said. ‘I’m going to take these tough guys to jail … or maybe I should say the judge’s tack-shed. I’ll see that Huxton is patched up.’

‘Thanks, Phoenix,’ Vince said.

‘Abe and Pete, you two bring along the body of Mugs. That’ll keep your hands busy.’

Within a few seconds Vince was alone with Jessie. She was still simmering about the rescue.

‘So?’ Jessie said, moving over to stand toe-to-toe with him. ‘What do you have to say for yourself?’

‘I’m glad you weren’t hurt,’ he said gently, sincerely. ‘If anything had happened to you, I’d have spent the rest of my life tending the flowers on your grave.’

Jessie paused. ‘And why would you do that?’

‘You know why.’

‘Tell me,’ she said. ‘I want to hear you say it.’

Vince took a deep breath, let it out slowly and looked right into her eyes.

‘I might not be a poet, Jessie, but I swear I’ve loved you since the moment I first set eyes on you. I love you now and I’ll love you to my dying day. In all of the world, you’re the only thing I want out of life.’

Jessie smiled at him at last.

‘Maybe you should have written your own material, instead of trying to quote Tennyson.’

‘I didn’t want to sound like some sappy kid.’

Jessie slipped her arms around him and looked up into his eyes.

‘Sometimes sounding like a sappy kid is OK.’

Vince lowered his head and kissed her gently on the lips. When he rose back up she was smiling at him.

‘You have to ask Mike for my hand.’

‘Mike knows I’m the right man for you, Jessie. We’ll ask for his blessing, but I don’t need his
permission
to love you.’

Jessie giggled. ‘I think we can definitely toss out Tennyson. You’re going to do just fine on your own, Vince Templeton.’ With a subtle wink: ‘Yes, you’ll do just fine.’

Yancy’s Luck

Battle at Lost Mesa

A Man Called Sundown

The Shadow Killers

Spencer’s Law

The Guns at Three Forks

The Last Revenge