Where the Bullets Fly by Terrence McCauley

Author:Terrence McCauley
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Kensington
Published: 2018-07-08T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 19

Back at the jailhouse, Mackey brought Taylor’s men inside along with Billy and Underhill. The first thing he did was unlock the Boudreauxs from their cell.

He knew he had to get men with rifles in place at both ends of town, but first he had to figure out what he had. In Spanish, he asked the two Mexicans, “You just saw your boss gunned down on the road. You still up for this?”

Both said they were.

“Either of you boys handy with a rifle?”

Both nodded again, with Solomon adding, “We have brought our own.”

“Glad to hear it,” Mackey said. “I need one of you take up position near the livery at this end of Front Street. I need the other one to go to the other end of town and takes up position on the top floor of Katie’s Place in the room facing west. That’ll give us a good vantage point if these bastards decide to ride into town from either end. We’ll get more men into position as we get organized, but for now, you boys are it. I’ll send one of the Boudreaux boys with each of you, too. I’ll send Billy with you to square it away with Old Wilkes.”

“Wilkes is dead,” Billy reminded him, “but I’ll talk to whoever’s running the place. Make sure they keep quiet.”

With everything that had just happened, Mackey had forgotten about poor Old Wilkes dying last night. His death should have been the worst event of the past year. Unfortunately, it he’d already damned near forgotten it.

To Billy, he said, “After you get Solomon and one of the Boudreauxs in position, get the mayor, Doc Ridley, and Pappy in here, but do it quietly. The town’s probably already buzzing from the gunshots they’ve heard. If word gets out about this too soon, we’ll have a goddamned panic on our hands. Darabont would like nothing better than to get people running out of here so he can set to killing. We’ll fill them in on everything once they get here.”

Billy, the two vaqueros, and the Boudreauxs got going, leaving Brahm, the German, and Underhill in the jailhouse with Mackey. The sheriff asked the German, “You any good with a rifle?”

The German teetered a thick hand back and forth. “Better with a pistol and a knife.” He balled his hand into a fist the size of a small ham. “Even better with my fists.”

“Let’s hope you don’t have to prove it before all of this is done. For now, I need you to mount up and keep an eye on the street for me. Warn anyone you see on the street to get back inside. Don’t let anyone leave town. Drag them off their horse if you have to. Nothing gets out. Wagons, riders, no one.” He dug an old badge out of his drawer, blew the dust off it and tossed it to him. “Pin this on. If anyone gives you any trouble, tell them to come talk to me.”

The German left, leaving Underhill and Mackey alone in the jail.

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