Resolution by Parker Robert B

Author:Parker, Robert B. [Parker, Robert B.]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Virgil Cole & Everett Hitch
Published: 2011-06-04T00:25:41+00:00

56.

The squads drifted into town over the next few days, set up tents, and dug latrines out back of the hotel. A lot of them appeared to be ex-soldiers. No one was in uniform. But there was a military tone to things, and everyone wore badges that said Lujack Detective.

'Heard about Lujack,' Frank Rose was saying. 'Offered me a job once.'

'Think he remembers'' I said.

'Hell no,' Rose said. 'I never talked with him. His bitch buddy does most of the early hiring work.'

'Swann''

'Yep. And Lujack makes the final call.'

'And you didn't get that far'' I said.

'Did,' Rose said. 'But I didn't like Swann. So I never showed up for Lujack.'

'How's he work'' Virgil said.

'Pretends he's still a major,' Rose said. 'Runs things like a military unit. Chain of command, all that shit.'

'Ah, yes,' I said. 'One of the many reasons I left.'

'Got a lot of bad, mean people working for him,' Rose said. 'And he keeps them in line.'

'They good'' Virgil said.

'Yeah,' Rose said. 'Lujack don't hire no virgins. They know what they're doing and they're willin' to do it.'

'Puts them ahead of the collection of gasbags,' I said, 'that Wolfson brought in before.'

'The way it works,' Rose said, 'you hire Lujack. Lujack hires everybody else.'

'And pays them,' Virgil said.

'Yep. You pay Lujack,' Rose said. 'Lujack pays them.'

'So their loyalty is always to Lujack,' I said.

'Yep.'

'Look at the Winchesters,' I said.

'What about them.'

There were three pyramid-shaped clusters of rifles.

'They've stacked arms for each squad,' I said.

'One stack per squad,' Rose said.

We all looked at the rifles. We all smiled.

'See that fella there,' Cato said, 'with the big yella mustache' And the black handle Colt'

Saw him kill three men in Ellsworth. They had words in the street.'

Cato gestured as if shooting.

'Bang, bang, bang,' he said. 'One bullet each.'

And made a falling gesture with both hands.

'Hope the words mattered,' Rose said.

'Don't matter much anymore,' Cato said.

It might have been the most I'd heard him talk since he'd arrived.

'Figure they'll get through setting up today'' I said.

'Sure,' Rose said. 'Hell, they're almost there now.'

'So you think Wolfson'll fire us tonight'' I said.

Rose shrugged.

"If he brings them all in for a meetin',' Virgil said. 'You'll know.'

57.

Wolfson had his meeting. He sat at a back table in the Blackfoot, with Swann on one side of him and Lujack on the other. The three squads stood against the wall on either side of the room.

'Boys,' Wolfson said to the four of us standing in front of the table. 'We're gonna have to make a change.'

None of us spoke.

'You boys done a fine job keepin' the peace here in Resolution, ' Wolfson said. 'But we all knew it was only temporary, and, well, now we got what you might call permanent cadre here, and there just ain't no need for you fellas.'

'Don't fuck with it, Wolfson,' Virgil said. 'Just fire us.'

'Well, I wouldn't want you to think of it as getting fired,' Wolfson said. 'I like you boys. It's just that you, ah, served your term, you know''

Cato Tillson looked slowly around the room, snorted silently to himself, and walked out.

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