Trail of the Hanged Man (14 page)

Lawless turned and faced him.

It took a few moments but finally his cousin reached the floor of the gully and came toward him.

‘Before we do this,’ Lawless said as Will got close, ‘I want to
know something.’

‘Make it short.’

‘Why didn’t the
rurales
finish the job? Why am I standing here wearing this souvenir?’ He unbuttoned his shirt to show the rope scar.

Will grinned, showing broken, snuff-stained teeth. ‘Mean you ain’t figured that out yet?’ Even as he spoke the fingers on his right hand flexed and he went for his gun.

Lawless did the same.

Two explosions, so close it was impossible to know who fired first.

But Lawless knew.

He knew even as Will’s bullet punched him in the chest, knocking him back, his legs now buckling so that he fell to his knees.

Will holstered his iron and hunkered down in front of him.

Lawless looked at him through a red haze. His Colt slipped from his numb fingers … and fell to the ground.

‘Why, Cousin,’ Will said, ‘I do believe I’ve done you in.’

Then, when Lawless didn’t answer, ‘It was the rope, Ben. It broke while you was hanging there.’

There was a dull roaring in Lawless’s ears. He saw Will’s lips moving in front of his face yet couldn’t hear what he was saying.

‘… and ’cause it was a brand new rope, never been used afore, the officer, being a fine Catholic and a right religious fella, figured it was an act of God … that the Good Lord was telling him he shouldn’t hang you. So he up’n let you go.…’

Lawless never heard him. He fell forward on to his face, dead before he hit the sand.

Will straightened up and spat on Lawless. ‘That’s for Pa,’ he said, adding, ‘Hope you rot in Hell.’

‘Will.…’

Will Lawless spun around and saw Latigo standing before him.

‘Try me,’ the little gunman said.

‘I got no quarrel with you, Lefty.’

‘I’m going to kill you just the same.’

Knowing he meant it, Will reached for his gun.

The weapon never cleared leather.

Latigo’s bullet tore through his chest, ripping a hole in his heart.

Will staggered, eyes saucers, crumpled, and fell lifelessly on his back.

Gabriel, after making sure Lawless was dead, joined Latigo. Together they faced the dozen or so renegades, most of them hardened, low-life border trash, descending from the rocks.

Gabriel spoke softly, barely moving his lips. ‘First time I ever known you to kill someone for free.’

‘Don’t get used to it,’ Latigo said.

‘Wasn’t figuring to. I mean how many miracles you get to see in your life?’

‘’Sides,’ said Latigo, ‘it wasn’t exactly free. Will’s worth five thousand dollars in New Mexico, dead or alive. If I’ve a mind to, I’ll take his body back and collect it.’

‘The reward,’ Gabriel said. ‘I’d forgotten all about that. Well, least now you’ve restored my faith in human nature.’

The renegades had reached the floor of the gully.

Gabriel and Latigo tensed, ready to shoot it out.

But the renegades had had enough. They continued on up the gully, soon disappearing around a bend where their horses awaited them.

Gabriel and Latigo waited until they heard them ride away before they returned to Lawless.

‘If you was Ben,’ Gabriel said, ‘on which side of the border would you want to be buried?’

‘Side I was born on,’ Latigo said.

Together they lifted the corpse and carried it to Lawless’ horse. There, they wrapped their dead friend in his bedroll, gently draped the body over the saddle and roped it tight.

‘Sad day,’ Gabriel said.

‘They’re all sad and getting sadder,’ Latigo said, adding, ‘You riding north with me?’

‘Not unless you’re anxious to see me hang.’

Latigo grinned. ‘If I see Cally, want me to tell her where you are?’

‘She already knows. But in case she’s forgotten where I’m going to hole up, it’s just south of—’

Latigo cut him off. ‘Don’t tell me, Gabe. That way I won’t ever be tempted to hunt you down for the reward.’

Gabriel chuckled. ‘Lefty,’ he said, ‘if I didn’t know better, I’d say you was getting soft.’

Gun for Revenge

Packing Iron

A Coffin for Santa Rosa