Packing Iron (12 page)

As Gabriel rode into the eerie shadows of Rockfall Pass he kept his hands away from his guns. Nor did he attempt to watch for lookouts hiding in the steep, rocky slopes on both sides of him. There was no point. The trail was hard and stony and he knew if anyone was there they could hear the stallion coming.

Now and then he heard loose stones falling as someone moved above him; and once, when the moon poked through the clouds, he glimpsed the silhouette of a man with a rifle leaping from rock to rock as he descended the slope.

So, Gabriel thought, they don’t plan on shooting me yet.

After a mile or so the pass widened and became a
bowl-shaped
canyon sheltered by towering red cliffs. In the moonlight the cliffs looked silver; but in sunlight they glowed like the fires of hell prompting the Mexicans who originally discovered the area to call it:
El Cañon del Diablo
.

Gabriel slowed the buckskin to a walk and entered the canyon. To his right a creek snaked out of the rocks in front of a collection of rundown shacks, barns and corrals. On the slopes above the shacks were the entrances to numerous
abandoned mines – and out of every mine poked at least one rifle, sometimes three or four.

Gabriel kept both hands on the reins so no one could misinterpret his intentions and guided his horse toward the largest of the shacks.

As he drew near two men emerged. Gabriel recognized one as Mitch, the young man he’d rescued from the sheriff. The other he hadn’t seen before – but he knew from now on he’d never forget him.

Bald, red-bearded and ferocious-looking in an
undershirt
and pants he was easily the largest man Gabriel had ever seen. He towered over his son, who Gabriel
remembered
was about six feet, and his girth was larger around than a whiskey barrel. He was so large in fact that as Gabriel reined up in front of the shack he saw that the door had been specially widened in order for the man to squeeze through.

‘Is it him?’ the huge man asked Mitch.

‘Yep.’

‘Sure now?’

‘Yeah, Pa. He’s ridin’ a different horse but it’s him all right.’ Mitch looked up at Gabriel. ‘You got sand comin’ in here alone, mister. If I hadn’ta recognized you in the pass you’d be crow meat by now.’

‘So that was you with the rifle.’

‘You seen me?’ Mitch said, surprised.

‘Judas,’ the huge man said, cuffing him. ‘I taught you better’n that.’

‘He’s lyin’, Pa,’ Mitch said, sulking.

‘No, son. I saw you all right,’ Gabriel said. ‘Once. When the moon was right.’ He turned to the huge man. ‘You must be Remus Utley?’

‘What of it, mister?’

‘Expected you to have horns.’

Remus cocked his massive head and squinted at Gabriel as if sizing him up.

‘You just jawin’ or you got somethin’ worthwhile to spit out?’

‘I talk better when I’m afoot.’

Remus groped under his enormous belly and brought out a pistol that looked tiny in his meaty fist. Gabriel guessed it must have been stuck in the man’s shabby brown pants and wondered if he should risk going for his gun.

‘Slide down,’ Remus said, his voice a low rumble. Then as Gabriel slowly dismounted: ‘Give me your word you ain’t here to shoot us an’ you can keep your iron.’

‘You got it.’

‘Pa,’ Mitch exclaimed as his father tucked his pistol away, ‘how you know you can trust him?’

Remus Utley grinned at Gabriel, showing rotted teeth. ‘Make your play.’

Gabriel’s right hand moved with blurring speed. One instant it was empty, the next it was aiming his Colt at Remus. Then, even as Mitch gaped, the gun was back in its holster.

Remus cuffed his son on the head. ‘Now do you get it?’

Mitch backed away, grumbling: ‘Pa, I told you not to keep on hittin’ me like that.’

‘Look into a man’s eyes,’ Remus said. ‘If you don’t see fear where there should be fear, it’s ’cause he’s holdin’ all the aces. Now, speak your piece,’ he told Gabriel.

‘The woman an’ girl … I’ve come for them.’

‘Then you’ve come for nothin’.’

‘This ain’t their fight.’

‘They’re Reece Blackwood’s kin, ain’t they?’

‘So it is payback?’

‘Do unto others….’

‘Now who’s doin’ the jawin’?’

‘You’re wastin’ your breath,’ began Mitch.

‘Shut up, boy.’ Remus wiped his nose on his sweat-stained undershirt and glared at Gabriel. ‘You’re right. Using a woman and a girl as payback is a foul thing to do. Makes me sick to think I stooped that low. But I got no choice. Mr High an’ Mighty Blackwood made sure of that … him an’ his dirty lies. Made me out to be the devil incarnate. Got folks hatin’ us so bad we daren’t go to town for supplies or to even take our young’uns in to get proper schoolin’. An’ when we tried to board a train for Placerville, to buy food there, the sheriff and his gunmen threatened to rape our women if they ever saw ’em again. Lord knows, I tried to reason with Blackwood but all he can see is railroad money—’

‘Railroad money?’

‘Southern Pacific wants to build a spur that’d link up to Carson City. Said layin’ track through the pass and Diablo Canyon ’stead of blasting through the mountains would save millions. Offered Blackwood a fortune if he’d make us leave.’

Suddenly it all made sense to Gabriel. Reece was
motivated
by greed; he was looking to line his pockets, not help the citizens of Old Calico.

Gabriel thought a moment and then had an idea. ‘What if the SP agreed to pay you instead of Blackwood – would you’n your people move out then?’

‘Why would they wanna do a fool thing like that?’

‘’Cause you threaten to dynamite the pass if they don’t. Wouldn’t take much – few sticks planted in the right places an’ there’d be a landslide that’d take ’em months to blast through. Once you tell ’em that, they’ll beg you to take their money.’

He expected Remus to jump at the offer. Instead, the huge man laughed in his face. ‘You must think I’m a damn’ fool, mister.’

‘Pa’s right,’ Mitch said. ‘Railroads don’t pay folks like us to do anythin’. They don’t have to. They know they can run roughshod over us an’ we can’t do nothin’ about it.’

Gabriel ignored him. ‘You didn’t answer my question,’ he said to Remus.

‘It ain’t worth answerin’. Now, hit that saddle an’ ride outta here.

‘Not till I see the woman and girl,’ Gabriel said.

Remus hesitated, saw something in the gunfighter’s
ice-blue
eyes that changed his mind, and turned to his son.

‘Bring ’em out, boy.’

Gabriel waited until Mitch hurried into the shack then said quietly: ‘For a while there, Utley, you had me fooled.’

‘Keep talkin’.’

‘You’re no better’n Blackwood.’

‘Watch your mouth, mister.’

‘This hate you got for him – it’s not about bein’ forced off your land or protectin’ your people or gettin’ proper schoolin’ for your young’uns—’

‘No? Then what is it about?’

‘Windmills,’ said Gabriel.

Remus scowled, confused. ‘Windmills?’

‘Pride. Provin’ a point. Slayin’ dragons—’ Gabriel broke off as Mitch reappeared with Ingrid and Raven.

Both looked happily astonished to see him. Raven gave a little gasp of joy and ran and hugged him.

‘I knew you’d come for us,’ she said. ‘I just knew it!’

Gabriel fondly tousled her hair and smiled at Ingrid.

‘You all right?’

‘Fine,’ she said. She stepped into his extended arm and let him hold her.

‘Time’s up,’ Remus told Gabriel. ‘You’ve seen ’em. Now get on your horse an’ go tell Blackwood to ride on in. I’m waitin’ for him.’ He turned to Mitch. ‘Take ’em inside, boy.’

Gabriel’s gun leaped into his hand and pointed at Remus.

The huge man didn’t flinch. Instead he whistled and instantly a dozen men with rifles jumped up from behind the rocks around them.

‘Your call,’ he told Gabriel.

‘You’n your boy’ll die before I do.’

‘So will they,’ Remus said, meaning Ingrid and Raven.

Gabriel played his last ace. ‘I’m stayin’ here with ’em.’

‘Not till you hand over your iron.’

Gabriel spun the Colt on his trigger finger and handed it, butt first, to Utley.

Remus tossed the gun to Mitch. ‘Take ’em inside an’ make sure they don’t go nowhere.’

‘But Pa, I wanna fight with you.’

Remus cuffed him. ‘Do as I say, boy.’

Mitch glared sullenly at him. ‘What if you don’t win, Pa? What if Blackwood kills you ’stead of the other way ’round?’

‘Day that happens,’ Remus said, ‘you’re gonna have to learn to make decisions on your own. Now get inside!’

He waited until Mitch led Gabriel and the women into the shack; then he told his men to mount up. As they ran to the corral, he signaled to the others hiding in the mine entrances and yelled for them to come on down!

The hate that had been burning in his belly for years was finally about to be satisfied.

Dawn was slowly yellowing the gray, overcast sky.

Sheriff Vogel ground out his smoke, got to his feet, stretched the stiffness from his muscles and told the men resting around him to saddle up.

He then joined Reece Blackwood, who stood by himself, staring at the narrow entrance to Rockfall Pass.

‘Sun’s clear of the hills.’

Reece nodded and wadded fresh gum into his mouth.

‘You still of a mind to ride in?’

‘I say anything to make you think differently?’

‘Just wanted to make sure,’ Sheriff Vogel said. ‘This ain’t gonna be no picnic, you know.’

‘Nothing I’ve ever wanted was,’ Reece replied. The two men walked to their horses. ‘Folks say I’m lucky; that I only trip over four-leaf clovers and prosperity lands in my lap. They couldn’t be farther from the truth. I’ve had to sell my soul to the devil many times.’

‘I don’t doubt that,’ Sheriff Vogel said. There was a sting to his voice that made Reece look sharply at him.

‘You don’t think much of me, do you, Sheriff?’

The big lawman spat tobacco juice between his horse’s
hoofs. ‘Life ain’t a popularity contest, Mr Blackwood. But so long as you keep on payin’ me, I reckon you’re the nicest fella I know.’

Reece chuckled despite himself. ‘Well, at least you’re honest, Sheriff. I’ll give you that.’ He looked about him. ‘Where’s Latigo?’

The sheriff searched the faces of the riders gathered before him. ‘Any of you seen Rawlins?’

The men stood up in their stirrups and looked around.

‘Ain’t here,’ one rider said.

‘What do you mean, he’s not here?’ Reece rode into the pack of riders, his horse shouldering their mounts aside. ‘Where the hell is he then?’

The riders looked at each other and shrugged.

‘Must’ve ridden off while we were restin’,’ Sheriff Vogel said. He shook his head in disgust. ‘Never did trust that little sawed-off runt.’

Reece saw a growing uneasiness in the eyes of several of the riders and knew he had to rally them or call off the fight.

‘Good riddance to him,’ he said. ‘Means the rest of you get to divvy up the thousand dollars I promised him. C’mon, Sheriff,’ he added, before the men could get over their surprise, ‘let’s ride.’ He spurred his horse forward, the sheriff and his deputies following.

Gabriel sat smoking in an old rocker. Through half-shut eyes he studied Ingrid and Raven, who lay on the bed
opposite
him.

‘She asleep?’ he whispered to Ingrid.

She nodded and gently kissed her daughter on the top of her raven-black head.

‘Just like she hasn’t a care in the world.’

‘That’s ’cause she trusts you.’

‘Trusts
you
, you mean.’ When he didn’t say anything, she added: ‘What’s going to happen to us, Gabe?’

‘We’re gonna be fine.’

‘Don’t patronize me. Tell me what you really think.’

Before he could answer gunfire broke out.

‘There’s your answer,’ he told her.

‘Oh-dear-God,’ she said softly.

‘Sounds like it’s comin’ from the pass,’ Gabriel said as the shooting increased. ‘From what I saw ridin’ in, the Utleys most likely got your stepbrother an’ his men pinned down.’ He saw her wince and wished he’d kept his mouth shut.

Raven now waked with a start. Hearing the steady crackle of rifle fire, she sat up and looked about her as if not sure where she was. ‘Momma – who’s shooting?’

‘It’s your Uncle Reece. He and the sheriff and some men are trying to get us out of here.’

‘Shouldn’t take ’em long,’ Gabriel lied.

The door swung open and Mitch stood looking at them, rifle in one hand, Gabriel’s Colt in the other.

‘I’m goin’ to help Pa,’ he told Gabriel.

‘He said for you to stay here.’

‘Don’t care what he said. I ain’t waitin’ no longer. Pa needs me even if he won’t admit it. Here,’ he tossed the Peacemaker to Gabriel. ‘Fend for yourself. I owe you that much.’ Turning, he ran out of the shack.

‘Too bad,’ Gabriel said as they heard Mitch ride off. ‘Boy had potential.’

‘Now what?’ Ingrid asked.

‘Got two options,’ Gabriel said. ‘Wait here till the fightin’ stops, which could be a spell, or try to make it over one of the cliffs behind us an’—’

Suddenly, the earth shook.

The ground under the shack heaved so violently, Gabriel,
Ingrid and Raven were thrown to the floor.

Furniture overturned. Windows shattered. Pots and pans and dishes fell off hooks and shelves in the kitchen and rolled, clattering, everywhere.

Outside, there was a loud, wrenching, screeching sound as wood and nails were ripped apart. Moments later the porch collapsed.

The shaking seemed to last forever.

Still on the bedroom floor, Gabriel dragged Ingrid and Raven to the overturned bed, grabbed the mattress and pulled it over them. He felt them trembling and gently tried to calm their fears, assuring them that they were safe and that the quake wouldn’t last long.

And still the earth shook.

The three of them waited, eyes closed, teeth clinched, bodies tensed, jolted around like corks at sea.

Then, as suddenly as it started, the shaking stopped.

Everything was still. Silent.

It was, Gabriel thought, as if the earth was holding its breath.

‘Thank God,’ whispered Ingrid. ‘It’s over.’

Then the after-shock struck.

It lasted only a few seconds. But in that time the shack was torn loose from the ground. The walls split apart. The roof caved in. The shack collapsed like a house of cards.