Unexpected (32 page)

***

Cogan awoke before sunrise.  He looked down at his wife who was sleeping sound across his chest.  She was completely nude and he enjoyed the feel of her soft skin against his. It had been a long time since he felt so content.

He was honest with her about his past loves.  He’d never married because tragedy had always interfered. This time it wouldn’t happen.  He would make sure of it. 

He looked down at her. Josephine was stunning, and even more so after a night of lovemaking. Her hair was tousled and her cheeks were still flushed.  She was also sleeping sound.  So much so, that he was able to slip out from under her.  He had heard Ryker pacing outside the bunkhouse five minutes prior and the man knew he could hear him.  He waited out of respect.  He and Thomas had given the newlyweds the bunkhouse and managed in the house in the living room.  Cogan had kept Josie up until the early hours of the morning making love to her.  There’s nothing short of dynamite that would wake the woman now.

He dressed quietly and after an adoring look over her thoroughly satiated body, left the bunkhouse. 

Ryker already had the horses saddled and recalling that Butch called a meeting in the courthouse at daylight, expected to be there for it.

“If she wakes, she’ll follow.” Ryker mounted his horse.

“She won’t wake for a while.” Cogan didn’t elaborate on why.

Ryker cleared his throat and didn’t ask him to.
He felt himself blushing.

***

The courthouse was packed with the townsfolk.  The judge sat behind his bench and Butch stood in front.  He’d been talking for a good twenty minutes now about how he had evidence that Cogan Reid was a vicious murderer and in league with the Hamiltons to destroy the town.  That it was Ryker Hamilton that killed Deak and his man Clancy.  He said he had witnesses.

Gus stood at the back of the room and exchanged glances with Merle and Bill.  It seemed some of the town’s people
were actually believing this bullshit.  He could hear the whispers of the crowd from where he stood.  He’d had enough.

“Since when are the
Hamiltons under scrutiny?” He moved his eyes over the crowd as they turned in their seats.  “Mrs. Matheson, didn’t Josie come and look after your husband when he was dying?”

“She did.  She stayed with us for three days even though she had her own responsibilities.” The older woman said.

“Mr Booth, didn’t Ryker give you a milk cow when yours died, and you had four young ‘uns at home?”

The middle aged man nodded. “That he did.  He wouldn’t take payment either.”

“What are you getting at Gus?  Things have changed since those times.  No one knows what goes on out there anymore.  The devil has moved into that place.”

“What place?  You burned their house down several days ago.”

Mumbles started in the crowd.

“You can’t prove that!” He shook a finger in Gus’s direction. “I have witnesses that will tell you I was out of town that night.”

“You can pay a dishonest man any wage Butch and he’ll agree to anything!”

“
Is that right?  How much are they paying you to defend them here?”

More mumbles from the crowd and Gus could sense their mistrust. 
His confidence began to fail and he wondered if his plan was going to work. He addressed the crowd next. “It’s true I’m a bad sheriff.  I’m not very good with a gun, and I’m even worse with protecting you all.  I know one thing though. I’m a man of faith and so are the Hamiltons. They’ve helped people out here as much as the Russells have.”

“Cogan Reid is a murderer!”
Butch yelled at him.

“No more than you!”
Gus countered.

The crowd erupted in debate and the judge started banging his gavel.

“You are a rapist and a thief Butch,” Bill said suddenly out of the blue.  It was loud enough that the crowd heard him.  They became suddenly silent.

Bill was not an outspoken man.  He was a quiet man full of humility and had been around for a long time.  Even if the crowd was tainted against the
Hamiltons, they trusted Bill.

“Say that again,” Butch warned
as his eyes went over the crowd. “Anyone, say that again.”

“I wired the marshal Butch.  He’ll be here tomorrow.  Then you can explain how Josephine Hamilton ended up tied up in your mine shack, scared half to death and why it was Cogan Reid and Ryker Hamilton that had to rescue her.” 
Gus faced the crowd again. “I was a coward against this man.” He pointed a finger at him.  “But I’m not going to do that anymore.  I took this position because I felt I could help you people, but you need to help too.  You can’t expect one or two men to protect you and stand by while innocent people are murdered.”

The sound of the revolver
being shot echoed in the courthouse.   A woman screamed as Gus toppled forward.  He was dead before he hit the ground.

The crowd was too scared to move.

“I warned him.  I warned all of you.  You seem to forget, I own this town.  I own all of you. So, is there anyone else—Bill?” He pointed the gun at Bill’s his chest.

Bill shook his head
, his eyes wide with fear.

“Good.  Now here’s how this is going to seem to the marshal.” He addressed the crowd moving his gun back and forth over them. “Cogan Reid has turned against this town and when the sheriff went out to confront him, he shot him.”  He scrutinized the looks of fear in the people.
“Honestly, you should thank me.  I’m doing you a favor.  That man is not what he seems.”

“Is that right?”

The sound of a rifle cocking made him turn around to come face to face with Ryker and Cogan.  Ryker had his aimed on the judge who was reaching under the bench.

“Not now,
your Honor.  You’re just going to sit there while some real justice is served.”

They came in through the back. Due to the fact that Butch had no men, he had no one to guard the courthouse and became too arrogant to think that someone would dare come in and challenge him.

Butch laughed looking back and forth between the two.  He released his gun and dropped it to the floor. “You can’t kill me Cogan.  Not in front of all these witnesses.”

“What witnesses?”
A sly smile slid across his face.

Butch gave him a puzzled look.  Then he heard it.  It the metallic sound of a multitude of guns cocking followed by the creak of people standing, shifting weight on the planked floor and the scuff of boots.

“Your problem Butch, is that you underestimate the will of good people to fight to keep what is theirs.  Tyranny never wins.”  He nodded to Ryker and they backed out the door they came in.

Butch watched them leave with a sinking feeling. He slowly turned around.  Bill was standing in the aisle with his gun drawn. 
Butch’s eyes went over the rest of the crowd.  Every man and woman that could hold a gun, had one.

“You shouldn’t have killed Gus you son of a bitch.” 
Bill fired first.

The sound of gunshots echoed outside the building where Cogan and Ryker were sheathing their rifles.
  Gus had done what he’d said he’d do.  He went to everyone the night before and gave them a way out.  A way to be rid of Butch for good.  It was his suggestion to confront him at the meeting.  To make it look as though Butch had the upper hand until Ryker and Cogan arrived as reinforcements. It was Gus’s way of atonement, for abandoning Josephine. Cogan and Ryker were to come in late and sneak through the back. He knew there would be some show of force but they didn’t expect Butch to kill someone. No one expected that. So, everything went as planned, except for poor Gus. 

“Josephine will be very upset about Gus,” Ryker said.

“Yes, she will.  Let me tell her.” 

Ryker nodded and mounted his bay.
  It was times like this he was glad that he relinquished responsibility of his sister.  Cogan would take good care of her and comfort her properly when she grieved.

Cogan wished he’d gotten there sooner.  He honestly didn’t think Butch would have killed anyone in that situation.  Yet, he’d known evil men before. He should have anticipated something.

“Don’t feel as if it’s your fault.  Gus died a hero.” Ryker saw it weigh heavily on his brother in law.  “You can’t save everyone Cogan.”

“I suppose.”

“No one can blame you for this Cogan.  The people took justice into their own hands.  They’re free now.  If it hadn’t been for you, he’d have the land, and Josephine.  Most likely I’d be dead.”

Yes, Ryker put things into perspective very well, but he couldn’t help the weight on his conscience. You couldn’t see it in the way he acted.  He sat tall in the saddle,
shoulders square with an impenetrable expression, but Ryker had gotten to know him, and knew it bothered him.

***

It was two days before the marshal showed up to the ranch.  Cogan, Ryker, and even Thomas were busy constructing the frame of the new house.

With Cogan’s unnatural strength, they cut their construction time in half.  It was a Godsend of a day.  The sun was shining and both Cogan and Ryker had discarded their shirts hours ago under
the hot sun.  They worked mostly in silence, and for someone who didn’t know them, would think they’d been friends for years.

Cogan, as usual, heard the approaching rider first.  He stood straight and brushed the perspiration from his brow.  “Ryker, we got company.”  He stepped down out of the frame of the house to greet the incoming rider.  Ryker joined him a minute later.

The marshal rode in the yard and surveyed the surroundings with intelligent eyes before he spoke.  “I’m Marshal LeRoy.”  His eyes went to the big man.  “Cogan Reid, I assume.”

It wasn’t a question but Cogan nodded.

“It seems Butch McAllister is missing.”

“It seems so.
We’ve heard.”

“
I’ve spoken to everyone in town. The judge doesn’t say much of anything, but he says you’re responsible.  The six hundred townsfolk say something different.  They say you weren’t anywhere near town when he went missing.”  The marshal did his best to withhold the amusement in his tone and his expression.

“Is that right?”

The marshal finally smirked at Cogan’s challenging demeanor and dismounted.

Once he stood on the ground,
Ryker could see that the man was probably only an inch or two shorter than Cogan himself.  His shoulders are also just about the same breadth. “Are you arresting Cogan marshal?” Ryker asked.

He flicked a glance to the other man.
“No.  I have no reason to.  I just wanted to see the stranger the townsfolk have deemed their protector.”  He walked up to him and stared at the necklace Cogan wore, then held out his hand. “They lied through their teeth about you.”

“Is that right?”
Cogan tilted his head in curiosity before he took the offered hand. The marshal didn’t seem the least bit concerned over the missing mayor or the people’s deception. It had him stumped. Then when he touched the other man, he smiled wide at the familiar feeling that went through him.

The marshal returned it.
“I’ve heard of you, a long time ago. My father used to tell me stories about you. I wasn’t sure if it was you until I saw the cross of the protector knights. I’ve always wanted to meet the last Templar.”

“It’s been a long time since I’ve been called that.”
  Cogan was a humble man, and was taken aback by the reverence he placed on him.

“Yes, well you are a legend among our kind. How long has it been since you’ve met another?

“Fifty years I think.”

“Maybe twenty for me.
We need to stick together Cogan.  There’s not many of us left.”

“I’ll be damned,” Ryker stepped up beside him and shook his hand next.
“A month ago, I would have never guessed I’d meet even one of you.  Now I’m standing next to two.”

“
He knows?”  the marshal asked.

“He does.”

“I should.  He married my sister,” Ryker added with humor. “I wouldn’t let anyone ordinary marry her. They couldn’t handle her.”

He laughed. “
Congratulations.”

“Thanks.”

“Any of Cogan’s kind is welcome at our home anytime.”

“I’ll remember that and I’ll take you up on it.
  I’ll be through here more often with the railroad coming here.”

“Are you going to continue to look for Butch?”

He shook his head.  “He’s long gone.  I don’t know what you or the people did with him, but he’s known to us.” His attention went directly to Cogan. “You tell them to bury that body deep though Cogan, or someone else will investigate.  I trust the word of a Knight Templar over any other.  If you tell me that this man had to die, I’ll believe you.”

Cogan didn’t even deny the marshal’s beliefs about what happened to Butch.
“He took my girl.  He’s killed innocent people, and—” He pointed to the scar around Ryker’s neck, “—he’s responsible for that.  Sometimes the best justice, is old justice.”