Manko. The man was simply too big. And so far no one had gone fortheir guns, which was good, since the Fixx boys weren’t wearing any. And no one else joined in, which left the fight three-on-three.
Manko threw a vicious punch at Roper, which he ducked. Missing threw the big man off balance, and Roper took the opportunity to kick one leg out from under him. The big man went down hard. Roper looked over at the Fixx brothers, and they were handling their opposition pretty easily. He saw them each land several punches, and their opponents went down.
Roper turned just as Manko came to his feet and charged him. He sidestepped the man, putting both hands out to push him as he went by, so that he went into the bar headfirst with considerable force.
Suddenly, it got quiet.
Stan and Larry Fixx came over to stand by Roper, who was looking down at Manko. The man’s head had cracked the wood of the bar, and he was lying there, stunned. They could all have stomped him if they’d wanted to. Instead, Roper turned to the brothers.
“You guys got here just at the right time,” he said. “Saved my bacon.”
“What was that all about?” Stan asked.
“I don’t kn—” Roper started, but looking past the brothers, he saw one of the fallen men get to his knee and draw his gun. Roper pushed Stan Fixx out of the way, drew his gun, and fired. The bullet hit the other man in the shoulder, and he dropped his gun.
“No guns!” Roper yelled. “This was just a brawl. No need for guns.”
Manko rolled over, blinked, then waved an arm and shouted, “No guns!”
The second fallen man took his hand away from his gun. The first man was clutching his wounded shoulder.
Roper holstered his gun, then reached down and helped Manko to his feet.
“I think,” he said, “we should all have a beer before the sheriff gets here. We’re going to have a lot of explaining to do.”
“Step right up, boys,” the bartender said, putting beers on the bar. “On the house!”
22
Sheriff Reynolds arrived moments later, had a free beer, then marched all the combatants over to the jail for a conversation. He put them all in cells, except for the one who had been shot—he went to the doctor’s office—and then took them out one at a time to question them.
He was talking to Manko, which left Roper alone in the cell blocks with Larry and Stan Fixx, and the third man in Manko’s group.
Roper was in one cell with the Fixxes, while the other man was in the next cell. Roper went to the bars that separated them.
“Hey.”
“Yeah?” the man asked. He was lying on the bunk with one arm across his eyes.
“What’s your name?”
“Riggs.”
“Riggs,” Roper said, “what was that all about?”
“Hell if I know.”
“Well, what did Manko tell you?” Roper asked. “Hell, I don’t know any of you.”
Riggs dropped his arm from his face and looked at Roper.
“Friend,” Riggs said, “all I know is Manko said Miss Nancy told him to rough you up. He offered us fifty dollars each to help him.”
“That was it?”
“That’s all I know.”
“Was he told to kill me?”
“If he was, he didn’t tell us.”
“Your buddy went for his gun.”
“Dolan’s an idiot,” Riggs said. “That was his own idea.”
“I see.”
“You coulda killed ’im,” Riggs said. “Why didn’t you?”
“What makes you think I wasn’t trying?”
“The way you handled that gun,” Riggs said. “You were three feet away. You coulda killed him.”
“I’m not lookin’ to kill anybody,” Roper said in Andy Blake’s voice. “I just wanna be left alone.”
The sheriff came in with Manko, then put him in with Riggs. The big man wasn’t breathing real well through his mashed nose.
“I need a docta,” he said mushily.
“Yeah, yeah,” Reynolds said, “after he gets that bullet outta your friend’s shoulder.”
“Blake,” he said, “you’re next.”
Reynolds opened the door and Roper walked out, waited while the sheriff locked it
Manko threw a vicious punch at Roper, which he ducked. Missing threw the big man off balance, and Roper took the opportunity to kick one leg out from under him. The big man went down hard. Roper looked over at the Fixx brothers, and they were handling their opposition pretty easily. He saw them each land several punches, and their opponents went down.
Roper turned just as Manko came to his feet and charged him. He sidestepped the man, putting both hands out to push him as he went by, so that he went into the bar headfirst with considerable force.
Suddenly, it got quiet.
Stan and Larry Fixx came over to stand by Roper, who was looking down at Manko. The man’s head had cracked the wood of the bar, and he was lying there, stunned. They could all have stomped him if they’d wanted to. Instead, Roper turned to the brothers.
“You guys got here just at the right time,” he said. “Saved my bacon.”
“What was that all about?” Stan asked.
“I don’t kn—” Roper started, but looking past the brothers, he saw one of the fallen men get to his knee and draw his gun. Roper pushed Stan Fixx out of the way, drew his gun, and fired. The bullet hit the other man in the shoulder, and he dropped his gun.
“No guns!” Roper yelled. “This was just a brawl. No need for guns.”
Manko rolled over, blinked, then waved an arm and shouted, “No guns!”
The second fallen man took his hand away from his gun. The first man was clutching his wounded shoulder.
Roper holstered his gun, then reached down and helped Manko to his feet.
“I think,” he said, “we should all have a beer before the sheriff gets here. We’re going to have a lot of explaining to do.”
“Step right up, boys,” the bartender said, putting beers on the bar. “On the house!”
22
Sheriff Reynolds arrived moments later, had a free beer, then marched all the combatants over to the jail for a conversation. He put them all in cells, except for the one who had been shot—he went to the doctor’s office—and then took them out one at a time to question them.
He was talking to Manko, which left Roper alone in the cell blocks with Larry and Stan Fixx, and the third man in Manko’s group.
Roper was in one cell with the Fixxes, while the other man was in the next cell. Roper went to the bars that separated them.
“Hey.”
“Yeah?” the man asked. He was lying on the bunk with one arm across his eyes.
“What’s your name?”
“Riggs.”
“Riggs,” Roper said, “what was that all about?”
“Hell if I know.”
“Well, what did Manko tell you?” Roper asked. “Hell, I don’t know any of you.”
Riggs dropped his arm from his face and looked at Roper.
“Friend,” Riggs said, “all I know is Manko said Miss Nancy told him to rough you up. He offered us fifty dollars each to help him.”
“That was it?”
“That’s all I know.”
“Was he told to kill me?”
“If he was, he didn’t tell us.”
“Your buddy went for his gun.”
“Dolan’s an idiot,” Riggs said. “That was his own idea.”
“I see.”
“You coulda killed ’im,” Riggs said. “Why didn’t you?”
“What makes you think I wasn’t trying?”
“The way you handled that gun,” Riggs said. “You were three feet away. You coulda killed him.”
“I’m not lookin’ to kill anybody,” Roper said in Andy Blake’s voice. “I just wanna be left alone.”
The sheriff came in with Manko, then put him in with Riggs. The big man wasn’t breathing real well through his mashed nose.
“I need a docta,” he said mushily.
“Yeah, yeah,” Reynolds said, “after he gets that bullet outta your friend’s shoulder.”
“Blake,” he said, “you’re next.”
Reynolds opened the door and Roper walked out, waited while the sheriff locked it
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