Belle Gone Bad (21 page)

M
ercy positioned his chair so he could get a better view of the dance hall and keep his back to the wall. He kept his hand near his Colt. Desperado had two red-bandannas positioned on the dais behind them, but so many people in one room made a confrontation particularly dangerous. He didn't want to see innocents get hurt or used as tools.

Bloody Ballard stopped at the base of the dais. He kept Diana in front of him and a gunslinger on each side.

“Diana, how are you?” Mercy leaned forward as he checked her over from head to toe. She looked tired and bedraggled, but alive and well. He felt a great sense of relief that he'd found her in time.

“I'm okay,” she said in a flat voice, raising her chin.

“Please come here. You can have my chair.”

“No.” Ballard tightened his grip on her arm. “She stays with me.”

Diana winced, obviously in pain.

“You can't hold her against her will.” Mercy wanted to shoot the smirk off the man's face. If he'd never understood the charm of a Colt .44 before, he did now. Still, he had to be cautious. Too much was at stake to fly off the handle.

“Desperado, you've got something I want,” Ballard said.

“What's that?”

“The bounty hunter.”

“You want to trade her for the lady with you?”

“No. They're both mine.”

“Not damn likely.” Belle stood up, kicking back her chair.

Ballard's gunslingers went for their six-shooters.

“Hold up,” Ballard said. “Let the little lady have her say.”

“Are you the low-down, lily-livered bushwhacker who rides a pacer?”

“I ride a pacer. As far as the other, I'm a professional.”

“I tracked that pacer here.”

“I see you made it through the storm.”

She inhaled sharply. “You meant for me to follow you here?”

“That or die on the way.”

Mercy gripped the arm of his chair to keep from going for his six-gun. The man was lower than a snake.

“But why?” Belle asked.

“Nothing personal. You're a loose end that needs snipping.”

“You ought to be careful what you say,” Mercy said. “She's got friends.”

“Why?” Belle asked again, her voice tight with anger.

Ballard cocked his head as he looked at her with scorn. “You never figured it out about Hackett, did you?”

Mercy glanced at Belle. He didn't want to see her hurt, but she was in denial about her most perfect of men. Nobody was that good all the time. He'd suspected something wasn't right all along, but nothing this big. The truth was going to come out now because Ballard looked set to gloat and wound. He was a mean, petty man who obviously fed on the pain of others.

“Hackett was the best,” Belle said quietly and confidently.

“I agree,” Ballard said. “But greed can ruin the best of men.”

“Greed?”

Mercy watched Belle and Ballard focus on each other as if there were no other people in the dance hall. But he had her back, along with Desperado and Adella, who looked on high alert.

“Damn shame I had to shut his mouth,” Ballard said. “And Tex's. And now yours. Crying shame.”

Belle put her hands flat on the table and leaned forward. “So, you admit you bushwhacked Hackett and Tex?”

“Thought I'd get you, too, but you were never where you were supposed to be.” Ballard shook his head. “Hackett thought he could play both sides against the middle.”

“He was smart.”

“Too smart for his own good.” Ballard chuckled. “It's hard to believe, but you fell for Hackett's story hook, line, and sinker. Texas Ranger woos the lovely lady so he can get in close to her father, a big, bad Texas bounty hunter. Your skills were just gravy. What a gold mine of facts and figures, dates and places.”

Belle sat down hard without saying a word.

Mercy glanced over at her in concern, but she simply leaned back in her chair and smiled cold enough to freeze hell.

“Hackett had his charms.” Belle flicked a hand as if to rid herself of an annoying gnat. “Let me get this straight. You lured me here to finish the kill, even though I never knew anything about Hackett's double life?”

“No point taking chances on what he might've let slip,” Ballard agreed.

“That's a lot of trouble for one little lady.”

“You have the devil's own way of staying alive.” Ballard rubbed his shirt over his heart. “But we know why, don't we?”

“And you don't value your life much, do you?”

“I'm protected.” Ballard grinned. “Crawdaddy sends his greetings.”

“Oh, no! Hackett worked for him?” Belle glanced at Mercy, giving him a look that meant they were in even bigger trouble.

Mercy nodded to let her know he was ready if push came to shove.

“I heard Crawdaddy was dead up at the Indian Mounds,” Desperado said. “That left his outlaw empire up for grabs. Are you figuring to take it over?”

“Nope. Nobody can fill that man's shoes,” Ballard said. “And it'd take a lot more than a couple of trigger-happy heroes to lay low a man like Crawdaddy.”

“He's most likely holed up in his mansion in Fort Smith.” Belle glanced at Mercy. “He's a Sun Rattler, too. If ever a Rattler gave a bad name to Indian mysticism, it's him. He may think he's untouchable, but he's not.”

“Crawdaddy's got nothing more than a bad case of rattlesnake fever. He'll lick it. What'll make him feel real fine is to know Texas Belle Thompson is kicking up daisies and not telling nothin' she knows.”

“In the end, Crawdaddy can't win,” Belle said in a firm voice.

Mercy realized that Rattlers were like Spiritualists in that they didn't all live up to the best tenets of their beliefs. But Crawdaddy went way beyond that. He'd lost his moral compass, so he was as dangerous as a cornered bear. Belle must stay strong. Ballard was trying to weaken her so he could more easily accomplish his goal without shooting up the dance hall. Mercy hoped she understood not to fall for those tactics.

“Crawdaddy plays the long game,” Ballard said. “He'll win.”

“Sun Rattlers will seek justice,” Belle replied. “Even one as powerful as Crawdaddy will eventually fall.”

“Let Belle live. You can tell she didn't know about Hackett,” Diana said. “You've got me. I'm the one he wants.”

Mercy felt shocked that Diana could be caught up in Crawdaddy's dangerous web, too. “What's Crawdaddy got to do with you?”

“I ran away from him,” Diana said in a toneless voice. “I've been hiding out in the Bend.”

“If you don't want to be with him, you're not going back.” Mercy glanced at Desperado and Adella to back him up. “We can't let her go.”

“Folks come here for sanctuary,” Desperado said in a powerful voice. “If she asks for it, she's got it.”

“That's right.” Adella held out a hand toward Diana. “Please do not fear a single soul, not while you are in Wildcat Falls.”

“Diana may stay here. Crawdaddy is a generous man,” Ballard said. “But Desperado, Adella, and Mercy, get the hell out. In the name of Crawdaddy, I'm taking over this town.”

Desperado stood up and leaned forward, a menacing hulk. “Enough of your games. You and your men may leave, but the women stay here. If I ever see you in Wildcat Falls again, I'll plug you full of lead.”

Ballard gave a flick of his wrist, threw Diana to the floor, slapped leather, and fired. Desperado crumpled to the floor and lay still. Ballard's gunslingers drew their Colts with blinding speed and shot the two red-bandannas on the dais. They each got off a shot, but slumped to the floor.

Mercy jerked Belle under the table, knowing she couldn't get to her six-shooter. He knocked the table over so they could get behind the thick wood as he heard the dance hall erupt in chaos, screaming, fighting, and shooting.

He glanced at Belle. She crawled to Desperado, pulled a handkerchief out of her reticule, and tied it around his upper arm to stop the blood flow.

“I'm just winged.” Desperado pushed her hands away. “Where's Adella?”

“If you want your sister to live, you play by my rules,” Ballard called over the din of the dance hall.

“Hell!” Desperado clutched his Colt and stood up.

“Put your weapon on the floor and slide it over here,” Ballard commanded. “Adella is mine to do with as I please.”

Desperado set his .45 on the floor and slid it outward.

Mercy glanced around the edge of the table. Ballard had his six-gun pointed at Adella's temple while one of his gunmen had Diana in his grip with a revolver pointed at her head. Mercy snagged Belle's hand. He didn't know how he was going to protect her, but somehow he must find a way.

“Desperado, your men are outgunned and outnumbered. I've been moving gunslingers in here for a week. They'll soon be in control,” Ballard said.

“I wondered why we had so many visitors.” Desperado spoke in a low, controlled voice that promised retribution. “I appear to have been derelict in my duty.”

“Mercy, slide your six-gun out here. Then bring Belle to me,” Ballard ordered.

Mercy set down his Colt .44 and followed Ballard's instructions. He pressed a soft kiss to Belle's lips. “We'll get out of this alive.”

She stroked his face. “Is that a fact?”

“Yes. I promised you a wedding, didn't I?”

“I don't remember saying yes.”

“You said it in a thousand ways.”

She smiled. “Let's teach this bushwhacker a lesson.”

He stood up, held out his hand, and lifted her to her feet. Holding hands, they stepped off the dais.

“That's sweet,” Ballard said. “Better say good-bye now.”

Mercy ignored Ballard's taunt as he looked for his six-shooter, but one of Ballard's gunslingers had already picked it up and tucked it in the waistband of his trousers. The other gunman had done the same with Desperado's .45. Somehow, Mercy had to find another means of defense.

“Outside!” Ballard ordered.

As they walked forward, Mercy glanced around, hoping for a reprieve of some type. The place was in chaos, but at least the battle hadn't been lost yet. The ladies in pinafores had joined the fray, swelling the ranks of the red-bandannas to even the odds. The ladies welded pieces of furniture, whiskey bottles, and fists with outraged fury while the red-bandannas fought Ballard's gunslingers to turn the tide.

At the front of the dance hall, Desperado pushed open the batwing doors and stalked outside. Mercy and Belle stopped beside him, making room for the others to join them on the boardwalk near a hitching post with a line of horses.

Mercy looked for anything he could use as a weapon, but he saw nothing. A long rope and black whip were wrapped around the end of the hitching post, but they were no help.

“I've got no beef with Adella, Desperado, or Mercy,” Ballard said. “You three can ride out of here tonight, but don't come back. Wildcat Falls now belongs to Crawdaddy.”

“You're a fool if you think you can take over my town and my people,” Desperado growled.

Mercy stepped up beside him. “And you're a damn fool if you think I'd ride out of here and leave Diana in your clutches.”

Belle moved up between the two men. “And that makes Bloody Ballard a double damn fool, 'cause he's about to meet his maker.”

B
elle didn't know if she could back up her big words. Ballard had gotten the drop on them. They were disarmed and the dance hall was still a melee of fisticuffs and shoot-outs. The rest of the town was busy with revelers, so nothing would seem unusual about the noise in the dance hall. No help could be expected, but as long as they were alive, there was hope.

She still had her Colt .44 in her reticule hanging from the drawstring on her left wrist. Ballard knew nothing about it, so she had an edge. Still, she didn't know how she could get it out before being cut down or endangering Adella and Diana by using it. But she had to try.

Ballard backed out into the street, dragging Adella with him. One gunslinger followed him with Diana. The other guarded them.

“Mercy, you and Desperado each pick a horse. Any horse. And get one for Adella,” Ballard said. “I want you out of Wildcat Falls.”

Belle glanced at Mercy. He raised an eyebrow, shaking his head. And she realized Ballard had no intention of letting a single one of them ride out of town alive. The horses were a ruse. She wondered if Ballard had said something similar to gain Hackett's trust before he'd shot her fiancé in the back. Later, Ballard had probably used the same ploy on Tex.

Desperado edged over to the end of the hitching post and stepped down to the ground beside it. While he had everyone's attention, Belle eased open the top of her reticule. She looked at the outlaws. Ballard stood with Adella across from Desperado. The lone gunman came next. Diana looked ready to bolt from the other gunslinger, but he still held her at gunpoint.

Belle felt something brush against her ankle. She jerked and glanced down. The gray tabby cat from the dance hall looked up and cocked her head. Belle felt her Soleil Wheel give a warning response, so she slowly eased her hand into her reticule and grasped her six-shooter.

The cat sauntered across the boardwalk and leaped on top of the hitching post near Desperado. She threw back her head and yowled at the top of her lungs with her back arched and her fur standing on end to make her appear twice her normal size.

The horses jerked back at the sudden noise. Some broke free and ran in all directions as the cat continued to scream. With the outlaws shocked and distracted, Desperado jerked the whip off the hitching post, unfurled it, and snapped the tip of the braided leather toward Adella. She stood steady as the whip jerked the six-shooter out of Ballard's hand. The bushwhacker threw Adella aside and scrambled for his Colt.

Belle also took advantage of the distraction. She quickly eased out her Colt .44 and shot at the gunslinger holding Diana. But she missed his hand and hit his shoulder. He quickly recovered and kept his Colt aimed at Diana's head.

Mercy jerked the six-gun away from her, took aim, and put a bullet through the man's hand. As Diana scrambled away, the Colt fell to the ground and the outlaw went after it. Mercy pushed the six-shooter back into Belle's hand as he dove for the outlaw's Colt. They fought over it, rolling back and forth, each trying to gain control.

Desperado used his whip on the third outlaw, knocking the weapon out of his hand and whipping it away as the outlaw tried to retrieve it.

Belle helped Adella and Diana up on the boardwalk, positioned them behind her, and guarded them with her Colt .44.

While Mercy and Desperado focused on the other two outlaws, Ballard recovered his six-gun. Belle saw him take aim at her. She quickly shot from her hip, with no time to take careful aim. She hit him in the chest as she felt his bullet sting her shoulder. She ran over to him, knelt down, and put a hand to his chest. He was dead. She sat back on her heels. After so long and so much anguish, she'd gotten justice for her father and fiancé. But Ballard had gotten revenge, because he'd destroyed Belle's love and admiration for Hackett with the brutal truth.

She heard a shot, then another. She froze, fearing that Mercy or one of the others had been hurt by the outlaws. She glanced over.

Mercy stood up, a smoking gun in his hand. Desperado did the same. Diana ran over and embraced Mercy while Adella hugged Desperado.

Belle rose, knowing she still had a job to complete. She knelt beside each outlaw and made sure he was dead and could no longer cause harm. She put her .44 back in her reticule. She'd clean it later like the professional her father had taught her to be.

Somehow she'd thought she'd feel elation. Instead, she felt pain and emptiness. She glanced down at her shoulder. Ballard had nicked her with a bullet. Blood darkened the ripped sleeve of her gown. She'd need a bandage later when there was time.

She glanced up. All was quiet inside the dance hall, so the outlaws must have been subdued by Desperado's red-bandannas. Diana was crying against Mercy's chest. Desperado was stroking Adella's hair, murmuring to her. Belle had been on her own a long time, but she'd never felt so alone till now. She felt a rub against her ankle. She glanced down. The tabby cat looked up at her and blinked wise eyes.

“You and me, kitty. We make quite a team.”

“That's Vespera, the evening star,” Desperado said, looking over Adella's head. “She watches over the place. And it looks like she believes she's found a kindred spirit in you.”

“I guess Ballard should have asked her permission before he decided to make a mess of Vespera's dance hall.”

Desperado chuckled. “It's always wise to ask a cat's permission first.”

Adella raised her head, glanced at Belle, and then at Mercy. “Diana, please come over and officially meet my dear brother.”

Diana gave Mercy a hug, then walked over to Belle and hugged her, too. “Thank you. If there's ever anything I can do for you, please let me know.” She glanced back at Mercy. “And take good care of him. He deserves it.”

As Diana walked away, Belle felt Mercy's arm slide around her waist. He pressed a warm kiss to her forehead.

“You scared the hell out of me, waving that six-shooter around like you knew what you were doing,” he said, obviously trying to make light of their harrowing experience.

She chuckled. “Me? That cat and I are missing a life, so go easy on us. And next time, bring your own Colt to the party.”

He laughed as he hugged her closer, and then he looked concerned. “You're hurt.”

“Just a scratch. I'll heal.” She touched his lips with a fingertip. “Later, I'll let you bandage me.” She glanced over at Adella and Desperado as Diana joined them.

“Thank you,” Diana said. “I regret all the trouble. I'll leave as soon as possible.”

Desperado raised her hand and kissed the back of her knuckles. “Do you seek sanctuary in Wildcat Falls?”

“Is that truly possible?”

“Yes.”

She hesitated. “I doubt I'm free of trouble.”

“No matter.”

“Then I ask for sanctuary.”

“You may stay as long as you like.”

Adella clapped her hands. “A lovely lady like you will enhance my equally lovely Adella's Delights.”

“Thank you,” Diana said again. “Home and work. I'm doubly blessed.”

Belle felt a sense of relief that everything had turned out all right and everyone was safe.

Suddenly the batwing doors crashed open and folks spilled outside into the night.

“We won!” a dancer called as she came out the doors, leading a gunman tied up in her white pinafore.

She was quickly followed by the red-bandannas hauling out a few outlaws by their heels. Most of the gunmen were tied up in pinafores and led out by the dancers in their colorful, crumpled finery.

“What will you do with the outlaws?” Belle asked.

“They'll be freed. They've learned their lesson,” Desperado said. “Maybe Lady Gone Bad will even write a ballad about us. Something like . . . gunslingers rode into Wildcat Falls intent on taking over, but dance hall darlings wrapped the outlaws in pinafores and sent them back down the mountain.”

Adella smiled in delight. “I simply cannot wait to hear Lady sing the Ballad of Wildcat Falls.”

“But we aren't waiting around,” Mercy murmured, clasping Belle's hand.

“What do you mean?”

“For one thing, I want to take care of your wound.”

“Oh, Mercy,” Adella said. “At the hotel I left a particular box for you that I believe will be quite to your liking. Be sure and take time to peruse the note inside.”

“No need to stay,” Desperado added. “We'll take care of this.”

“Are you sure you don't want us to help clean up?” Belle asked.

Adella laughed and pointed at the pinafored outlaws. “There is our lovely cleaning gang.”

“Come on.” Mercy tugged at her hand.

“Thank you, everyone,” Belle said. “Against all odds, we achieved justice.” She noticed Vespera watching her from the boardwalk. “That is, with the help of a very brave tabby cat.”

And Vespera slipped back inside the dance hall, tail held high.