Standoff in Santa Fe (7 page)

Killin' Jim Miller walked into the saloon a short time later to a smattering of applause. Clint didn't know if he was being applauded for killing two men, or for not being in jail.

Whatever the case, he found himself a spot at the already crowded bar and ordered a beer.

Right behind him came Sheriff Burle. He stood inside the batwings, observing the room. When he saw Clint, he walked over.

“Have a beer with us?” Clint asked. “We're waiting for the wake to begin.”

“Don't mind if I do,” Burle said, “if the rest of your friends don't mind.”

“Hell,” Heck Thomas said, “belly on up to the bar.”

Burle moved up, stood between Clint and Bat, and Clint bought him a beer.

“What'd you get out of Miller?” Bat asked.

“The two men decided to try their luck with him, as he said,” Burle said. “He had no choice.”

“Any witnesses speak up?” Clint asked.

“Nope,” Burle said. “I had to depend on the word of the only living witness or participant.”

“Jim Miller,” Luke Short said.

“Right.”

“You call on any of those deputies yet?” Clint asked.

“Well,” Burle said, “that's kind of why I'm here to talk to you boys.”

“Count me out,” Luke Short said. “Last time I wore a badge, I got into a lot of trouble.”

“My deputies are young,” Burle said, “and inexperienced.”

“They've got to learn sometime,” Bat said. “I'm out.”

Burle looked at Clint and Heck Thomas.

“All I need is one man to wear a badge and work with them,” Burle said. “Show 'em the ropes.”

“I'm a rancher now,” Heck said. “Just here for a wake.”

Burle looked at Clint, who was saved when the batwings swung inward and Bass Reeves walked in, his deputy marshal's badge very prominently displayed on his chest.

“Just in time,” Clint said as the big black lawman approached them.

“For what?” Reeves asked.

“Well,” Clint said, waving the bartender over, “let's start with a beer.”

Moments later, Bass Reeves told Sheriff Burle, “Sure, I'll help out. No problem.”

“That's great to hear,” Burle said.

“On one condition.”

“What's that?” Burle said.

Reeves slapped Clint on the back and said, “Clint, here, has to agree also.”

“Now wait—” Clint said.

“Sounds fair to me,” Heck Thomas said.

“Me, too,” Bat said.

“I'll drink to that,” Luke said.

Reeves raised his eyebrows at Clint.

“Yeah, okay,” Clint said.

“Okay,” Burle said. “Come on over to the office. I'll introduce you to the other deputies, and give you each a local badge.”

“We'll wait here,” Bat said with a smile, “hold your places.”

“Thanks,” Clint said.

Reeves slapped Clint on the back again, and they followed Sheriff Burle out the door.

*   *   *

“What's the big idea?” Clint asked Reeves along the way.

“Come on,” Reeves said, “we work good together. Besides, you kinda hung me out to dry on this one, didn't ya?”

Clint hesitated, then said “Yes, well, maybe I did.”

“There ya go,” Reeves said. “Besides, all we gotta do is back the sheriff up in case of trouble.”

“Like with Miller today.”

“What happened with Miller?”

Clint told Reeves about the encounter Jim Miller had with two locals in the street.

“You think they pushed him, like he said?” the black marshal asked.

“I guess I don't have any reason to doubt him,” Clint said. “After all, I caught three locals eyeing Bat Masterson, figuring to try to rob him.”

“I guess the temptation to get a reputation is too big for some people to handle.”

“As evidenced by their deaths,” Clint said.

They reached the sheriff's office and Burle stopped at the door.

“As I said, my deputies are young,” he said to them. “And inexperienced.”

“Why not hire more experienced men?” Reeves asked.

“I had two experienced deputies,” Burle said, “but they were both killed earlier this year. I have two . . . boys waiting inside.”

“Well,” Reeves said, “let's have at them, then.”

The two young deputies were impressed to meet not only Bass Reeves, well known as a deputy marshal in the court of the Hanging Judge, but the Gunsmith, as well.

“That's Thad,” Burle said, “Thad Burnett, and Billy Cunningham.”

Both deputies nodded.

“Boys, Marshal Reeves and Mr. Adams have agreed to help us keep the peace, as long as we have so many visitors in town for the wake.”

“That's great,” Deputy Cunningham said.

Burle went to his desk, opened a drawer, and took out two badges. He handed one each to Clint and Reeves.

“I propose you each work in tandem with my deputies,” he said. “They can learn a lot from each of you. Just making rounds together.”

“Sounds good,” Clint said.

“I'll put this in my pocket,” Reeves said. “No point in wearing two badges.”

Clint hesitated, then pinned the badge on.

“Clint, you can team with Thad,” Burle said. “He'll show you his rounds.”

“Fine.”

“Deputy Reeves?”

“Me and Billy, right?” Reeves slapped Billy on the back. Clint knew how hard that big hand could hit, even in camaraderie.

The four deputies left the sheriff's office.

“I'll see you at the Crystal later,” Clint said to Reeves, who nodded and followed his young deputy on his rounds.

“Well, Thad,” Clint said. “Lead the way.”

“Yes, sir.”

As they walked, Thad asked, “Is there likely to be a lot of trouble, Mr. Adams?”

“Call me Clint,” Clint said, “and with the personalities we have in town, and the lack of judgment your locals have already shown, I'm sure of it.”

“We've heard that John Wesley Hardin and Clay Alison are in town, as well as Killin' Jim Miller,” Thad said. “Are they likely to start killin'?”

“Not for no reason,” Clint said. “But it's likely that someone will try to push them. And that could even happen with men like Bat Masterson and Heck Thomas.”

“But they've been lawmen themselves,” Thad said.

“That doesn't mean they can't be pushed,” Clint said. “And when it comes to getting shot, nobody just stands by and lets it happen.”

“Not even you?”

“Especially not me.”

*   *   *

Craddock picked out a likely-looking saloon girl and accompanied her up to her room.

Bat Masterson, Luke Short, and Heck Thomas watched him go up.

“I guess he really isn't interested in the wake,” Heck said.

“He's probably been on the trail for a long time,” Bat said. “We all know what that's like.”

“Yeah,” Heck said, “a beer, a poke, and then a steak.”

“Not necessarily in that order,” Luke said, and they laughed.

The three friends turned and faced the bar.

“What do you think?” Bat asked.

“About what?” Heck asked.

“Horn.”

“Is he a killer?” Luke asked.

“Tom will kill if he feels it's necessary,” Heck said. “How is that any different from the rest of us?”

*   *   *

Craddock followed the girl into her room.

“What's your pleasure, cowboy?” she asked. She turned to face him with her hands on her hips. She was medium height, slender, but with large breasts, which Craddock liked. She looked to be about twenty-five.

“I'm not a cowboy,” he said. “Take off your dress.”

“No, you ain't,” she said. “I heard some talk about you downstairs.” She reached behind her to undo her dress.

“Did you?” he said. “What did they say?”

“That you hunt men,” she said, letting her dress drop to the floor with a whisper of the fabric on her skin. “That you kill them.” She stepped out of the dress and kicked it away. She was naked, her dark brown nipples already puckering.

He knew the talk of killing was getting her excited. He walked past her, took off his gun belt, and hung it on the bedpost, then undid his belt and the buttons of his trousers.

“I kill them when they make me,” he said. “When they leave me no choice. Now come over here.”

She walked over to him. He could smell her skin, and the wetness between her legs. His own excitement was building.

“Take them down,” he said.

She got down on her knees, tugged on his trousers until they and his underwear were around his ankles. His hardening cock sprang out at her, almost hitting her in the nose.

“Suck it,” he said.

She smiled at him, wrapped one hand around his cock, and said, “You don't leave me much choice, do you?”

“No,” he said, “I don't.”

“So the Crystal Queen is part of your rounds?” Clint asked Thad.

“Yessir.”

“How come I haven't seen you in there today, or yesterday?” Clint asked.

“Um . . .” “Did the sheriff tell you not to go in?”

“No, sir.”

“Then what? Were you nervous about going in?”

“Yessir.”

“All right, then,” Clint said. “Why don't we go inside together?”

“You and me?”

“That's right.”

“Well . . . yessir.”

“Good man,” Clint said, slapping the young deputy on the back.

They went through the batwing doors, into the Crystal Queen.

Bat saw Clint in the mirror, then turned and shielded his eyes.

“The badge, the badge,” he said. “It's too bright.”

In point of fact, the badge was sort of tarnished.

“Very funny,” Clint said. “This is Deputy Burnett. Thad, this is Luke Short, that's Heck Thomas, and the funny man is Bat Masterson.”

“Wow,” Thad said. “It's an honor to meet you all.” But at the time his eyes were searching the crowd.

“Lookin' for the bad men?” Bat asked.

Thad blushed, looked down, and said, “Well . . .”

“Hardin is halfway down the bar, Clay Allison is all the way at the end,” Luke said.

“Where's Craddock?' Clint asked.

“Went upstairs with a girl,” Heck said.

“Has Conlon been out?”

“Haven't seen him,” Bat said.

“We're getting on toward dusk,” Clint said. “He better get this thing started soon or he's going to have a revolt on his hands.”

“He's sellin' a lot of whiskey,” Heck said.

“Which could be good,” Bat said, “or bad.”

“For her,” Luke said.

*   *   *

Upstairs, the girl, whose name was Delilah, was avidly sucking on what she was thinking of as a killer's cock.

Craddock growled as she gobbled his cock, which, despite its size, she was able to take all the way in. She wet it thoroughly, let it pop from her mouth, then took it in again. Then Craddock got into it, moving his hips, and she simply kept her mouth open and let him fuck it, in and out, in and out . . .

Finally, she cradled his balls in her hand, at the same time teasing his anus with one finger. He reached down and pushed her away.

“None of that!” he said. “Don't touch my asshole!”

“Hey,” she said, “whatever you want, sweetie. And you just tell me what you don't want.”

“I don't want anybody touchin' my bumhole. Got it?”

“I got it,” she said, getting to her feet warily. “Come on, get on the bed, honey. I'll make you feel real good.”

She reached down, helped him step out of his pants. She sat him on the bed and took off his boots and socks. When he was completely naked, she got him onto his back. His cock stuck straight up impressively.

“Oh yes,” she said, straddling him . . .

*   *   *

“Maybe you should go up and talk to Conlon again,” Bat said to Clint.

“Or the woman,” Luke said.

“Her name's Alicia,” Clint said.

“Oh,” Luke said, “excuse me.”

“Bat, I think you should go up,” Clint said. “I have to finish my rounds with young Thad here.”

“Huh?” Thad said. “Oh, uh, yeah, we do.”

“See?” Clint said.

“If I go up there,” Bat said, “I'll end up killin' the sonofabitch.” He looked at Luke Short.

“Don't look at me,” Short said, shaking his head. “I'm very happy to stand here and drink with my friends. Or find a poker game.”

Heck silently observed the conversation, keeping out of it while working on his beer. Like Luke Short, he was not becoming impatient with the situation.

“Come on, Thad,” Clint said. “We've got work to do.”

Clint left his friends to discuss the matter further, went out the batwing doors, pushing the young deputy ahead of him.

Craddock pinned the girl to the bed with his hands on her wrists, and his body on hers. She struggled, but only because she thought he wanted her to. She was still excited by being with a man who was known as a killer.

When his penis entered her vagina forcefully, her eyes went wide and she gasped. After that, he began to pound away at her, harder and harder. She knew she was going to be sore, was going to come away from this with bruises and welts, but she didn't care.

Craddock the killer had chosen her!

*   *   *

“Maybe,” Bat said to Luke Short and Heck Thomas, “we can sneak back there and get a look at the body.”

“To what end?” Luke asked.

“Well, once we're sure he's dead,” Bat said, “we can leave.”

“Without payin' our respects?” Heck asked.

“Come on,” Bat said, “when you think about it, how many of us do you think are actually here to do that? And what does it matter if we see him on our own, or with everyone else when the wake begins?”

“If it begins,” Luke said.

“What are you sayin'?” Heck asked.

“What if there's no body?” Luke asked.

“You mean he's not dead?” Heck asked.

“And never was,” Bat said. “You know, that's something Conlon would dream up to get himself some business.”

“Yeah, but then how does he explain it?” Heck asked.

“He just says he made a mistake,” Bat said.

“So you're sayin',” Heck went on, “that there is a body back there, but it's not—”

“Exactly,” Luke Short.

“Then he could just as well have said that Clint Adams, the Gunsmith, was dead, and everybody should come to his wake.”

“Except that when Clint heard that, he'd come, too,” Bat said.

“So you're sayin'—” Heck said.

“Yup,” Luke said.

“He could be in here right now,” Bat said.

They all turned to face the saloon and scan the crowd with their eyes.

“Well,” Bat said, “I guess we're gonna have to get a look at that body.”

He turned and waved the bartender over.

“'Nother one?” the man asked.

“Where's the body?”

“Huh?”

“The body for the wake,” Bat said. “Where's it bein' kept?”

“Um, well, the back room.”

“Is that the room where they're gonna show it?” Luke Short asked.

“No,” the bartender said. “They'll bring it from the storeroom in the back and put it back there in a room we use for private games.”

“Locks on the doors?” Heck asked.

“Yessir.”

“Both rooms?” Bat asked.

“Yessir.”

“Who's got the keys?”

“Just Mr. Conlon.”

“Nobody else?”

“No sir.”

“All right,” Bat said. “Bring three more beers.”

“Yessir.”

“So what do you wanna do?” Heck asked. “Break into the back room?”

“That's what I was thinkin',” Bat said. “What about you, Luke?”

“It's against the law,” Luke said.

“So?” Bat asked.

“We've got to remember who's wearin' a badge in this town now.”

“Right,” Bat said, “Clint and Reeves.”

“We'd have to figure out a way to handle that,” Luke said.

“We could let them in on our plan,” Bat said.

“Maybe,” Heck suggested, “before we do that, we should actually have a plan.”

“Good point,” Bat said. “Let's come up with one.”

“But what if Conlon is close to opening up the room for the wake?” Heck asked. “Maybe we should find out before we make a move.”

“And that would mean Bat going up to talk to him again,” Luke said.

“And that means one of you will have to come with me to keep me from killing him.”

“I guess that would be me,” Heck said.

“Be my guest,” Luke said. “I'll take a turn around the saloon, take a look at that back room. Maybe I can see a way to get in.”

“All right,” Bat said. “We'll meet you back here in twenty minutes.”

“Unless you kill Conlon,” Luke Short said. “In that case, I'll see you in jail.”