?Showdown in Durango? by Derek Adams

Author:Derek Adams
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: General Fiction
Publisher: Extasy Books
Published: 2013-08-30T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Five

The next morning I arose early and crept outside to build a fire and start cooking breakfast for Wade, Pete and Deke. Wade tended to wake up ornery after a night of heavy drinking and I wanted to avoid him and his fists as much as possible. I knew that he would mellow out after he had some grub in his belly. Besides, he wasn’t as likely to strike me in front of the others.

“Johnny, I need to talk to you.” He had just finished a plate of eggs, bacon, and grits and he appeared to be in a better mood than the previous night.

“Sure, Wade. Just let me get this mess all cleaned up.” I gestured at the skillet and the dirty plates beside the embers of the dying fire.

“Them galoots can get off their lazy asses and do it.” He gestured at Pete and Deke. Pete looked ready to object, but Wade silenced him with a meaningful glare. Pete nudged Deke in the ribs and the pair of them started to stir.

“Come on over here.” Wade put a hand on the back of my neck and walked me off to the side. It seemed like a friendly enough gesture, but I knew better than to trust it any further than the next bottle of whiskey. “I need you to do something for me.”

“What, exactly?”

“I was talking to a man down in Aztec last week and he let slip there’s a big gold shipment scheduled to come through Durango. I’m right anxious to get my hands on some of that sweet, shiny gold and I need your help to do it.”

“You’re gonna steal the gold right there in Durango?”

“That’s where the gold is gonna be, so that’s just about the size of it.”

“I don’t want to have any part of stealing anything.” His grip on my neck tightened.

“I ain’t asking you to steal anything. I need you to go into town and do some scouting for me. That ain’t stealing, is it?”

“No, Wade, I don’t guess it is.” His arm slipped around my shoulders and he pulled me in close to his side. He looked over to where Pete and Deke were scouring tin plates with sand and then bent his head and began to whisper in my ear. The more he said, the more my heart began to feel like a lead weight in my chest. I was to go into town to the Wells Fargo office and check on the layout of the place. Wade wanted to know everything—the placement of the doors and windows, what other businesses opened onto the alley behind the office, whether any of the buildings across the street had a second story.

“Hell, Johnny, I might even let you go your own way afterwards.” He looked at me hungrily. “I’d sure hate to lose you, though. You are sure as hell one fine looking young fellow.” He looked over his shoulder at the others, then grabbed my wrist and pulled my hand into his crotch.

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