and for some reason I kept thinking about April. That made me irritable, and by dark I was restless and ready to move.
We climbed into the saddle and nudged our horses forward. We went about a mile, and we spotted the glow of a campfire in the distance.
“There they are,” I pointed.
Brian nodded, and we rode on.
We finally came to some trees that were scattered around an old lakebed. We dismounted and tied our horses in amongst the trees, and then we checked our weapons. We both had Colts, but Brian also carried his Henry rifle.
“You ready?” I asked softly.
Brian nodded, so we walked towards the camp.
“When the shooting starts, I’ll take Brock and you take Amos,” I said.
“You watch Brock,” Brian warned. “He’s really good with that Colt of his.”
“I’m good too,” I reminded, “but you’re just used to me.”
Chapter thirty-six
I could smell something cooking as we got closer, and I could also smell some coffee.
My gun hand hovered naturally over my Colt handle, and Brian carried his rifle in the crook of his arm. I heard a soft click as he pulled the hammer back.
I felt a coldness coming over me. I thought of the hotel we’d lost, and for some reason April and June’s face flashed before me. I was suddenly irritable, but I also felt a hard, lonely feeling in the pit of my stomach.
They heard us coming. They stood and backed into the darkness, and as they did I recognized Brock and Amos.
“It’s them,” I said softly, and Brian nodded.
“Who’s out there?” I heard Brock’s voice.
“Lee Mattingly and Brian Clark,” I replied curtly. “We’re coming in.”
I heard a low, amused chuckle.
“Come on in!”
They returned to the fire, and we walked up and stopped about thirty feet from them. Brock stood in front of me, and it was silent as everybody studied each other.
I took a quick look around their camp. They had two mules picketed beside their horses, and I also spotted four crates stacked on the ground.
I looked back at Brock, and a wolfish smile had appeared on his face.
“I’m not in the mood to wave at the angels tonight,” he said, and his voice was thick with sarcasm.
“I don’t mind that one bit,” I replied.
Brock snorted, and asked, “How’d you find us?”
“Miguel. He wants his mule back.”
Brock laughed at that, and I glanced at Amos.
His face was tight and drawn. There was also a prideful look in his expression, like he was itching to boast.
I decided to give him a chance.
“I take it you work for Ike,” I said in a flat voice.
“That’s right. I have been from the start,” he scoffed.
“And it was you two that robbed us,” I encouraged.
“That was the plan,” Amos said, and then he laughed.
“Who broke into the safe?” I prodded for more information.
“I did,” Amos boasted. “That’s why Ike hired me. There isn’t a safe invented that I can’t crack.”
“And it was also you that attacked me,” I said.
Amos nodded, and added, “I enjoyed that too.”
“I bet you did,” I forced a smile.
“Why are you here, Lee?” Brock spoke back up and changed the subject.
“I told you; Miguel wants his mule back. You boys stole him, so I’m taking you two back to town. You also just confessed to robbing our hotel.”
“And if we don’t go back?”
I smiled in response.
Brock grunted. He glanced at Amos and looked back at me.
“You’re good, but you ain’t as good as me,” he said.
“What’s in the crates?” I asked as I ignored his comment.
“Wouldn’t you like to know,” Brock sneered.
“As a matter of fact, I would.”
“There’s only one way you’re going to find that out.”
“All right then,” I nodded.
Brock was enjoying himself, and he took his time. I watched him closely as he faced up to me, and his eyes were hard.
“I’ve never liked you,” he said.
“Funny, I’ve never liked you .”
“Let’s see who’s the best,” Brock said, and he grabbed for his
We climbed into the saddle and nudged our horses forward. We went about a mile, and we spotted the glow of a campfire in the distance.
“There they are,” I pointed.
Brian nodded, and we rode on.
We finally came to some trees that were scattered around an old lakebed. We dismounted and tied our horses in amongst the trees, and then we checked our weapons. We both had Colts, but Brian also carried his Henry rifle.
“You ready?” I asked softly.
Brian nodded, so we walked towards the camp.
“When the shooting starts, I’ll take Brock and you take Amos,” I said.
“You watch Brock,” Brian warned. “He’s really good with that Colt of his.”
“I’m good too,” I reminded, “but you’re just used to me.”
Chapter thirty-six
I could smell something cooking as we got closer, and I could also smell some coffee.
My gun hand hovered naturally over my Colt handle, and Brian carried his rifle in the crook of his arm. I heard a soft click as he pulled the hammer back.
I felt a coldness coming over me. I thought of the hotel we’d lost, and for some reason April and June’s face flashed before me. I was suddenly irritable, but I also felt a hard, lonely feeling in the pit of my stomach.
They heard us coming. They stood and backed into the darkness, and as they did I recognized Brock and Amos.
“It’s them,” I said softly, and Brian nodded.
“Who’s out there?” I heard Brock’s voice.
“Lee Mattingly and Brian Clark,” I replied curtly. “We’re coming in.”
I heard a low, amused chuckle.
“Come on in!”
They returned to the fire, and we walked up and stopped about thirty feet from them. Brock stood in front of me, and it was silent as everybody studied each other.
I took a quick look around their camp. They had two mules picketed beside their horses, and I also spotted four crates stacked on the ground.
I looked back at Brock, and a wolfish smile had appeared on his face.
“I’m not in the mood to wave at the angels tonight,” he said, and his voice was thick with sarcasm.
“I don’t mind that one bit,” I replied.
Brock snorted, and asked, “How’d you find us?”
“Miguel. He wants his mule back.”
Brock laughed at that, and I glanced at Amos.
His face was tight and drawn. There was also a prideful look in his expression, like he was itching to boast.
I decided to give him a chance.
“I take it you work for Ike,” I said in a flat voice.
“That’s right. I have been from the start,” he scoffed.
“And it was you two that robbed us,” I encouraged.
“That was the plan,” Amos said, and then he laughed.
“Who broke into the safe?” I prodded for more information.
“I did,” Amos boasted. “That’s why Ike hired me. There isn’t a safe invented that I can’t crack.”
“And it was also you that attacked me,” I said.
Amos nodded, and added, “I enjoyed that too.”
“I bet you did,” I forced a smile.
“Why are you here, Lee?” Brock spoke back up and changed the subject.
“I told you; Miguel wants his mule back. You boys stole him, so I’m taking you two back to town. You also just confessed to robbing our hotel.”
“And if we don’t go back?”
I smiled in response.
Brock grunted. He glanced at Amos and looked back at me.
“You’re good, but you ain’t as good as me,” he said.
“What’s in the crates?” I asked as I ignored his comment.
“Wouldn’t you like to know,” Brock sneered.
“As a matter of fact, I would.”
“There’s only one way you’re going to find that out.”
“All right then,” I nodded.
Brock was enjoying himself, and he took his time. I watched him closely as he faced up to me, and his eyes were hard.
“I’ve never liked you,” he said.
“Funny, I’ve never liked you .”
“Let’s see who’s the best,” Brock said, and he grabbed for his
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