Ralph Compton Sixguns and Double Eagles (10 page)

“I suppose we are too,” Louise said. “The hotel has a dining room. Will you join us there for supper?”

“We'll be there,” said Wes.

When Louise had gone, Empty stood glaring at the closed door. He didn't like Louise any more than he liked Monique. El Lobo laughed.

“Empty,” Wes said, “lie down.”

An hour before Wes and El Lobo were to join Louise and Monique for supper, Wes led Empty downstairs to the kitchen, where he had arranged for the dog to be fed. Shortly after he had taken Empty back to the room, Louise again knocked on the door.

“I reckon we're ready,” Wes said.

Following El Lobo into the hall, he turned to lock the door, only to find himself looking into the disapproving eyes of Empty. He sighed, and turning the key in the lock, started down the hall toward the stairs. Wes and El Lobo paused at the entrance to the hotel dining room, allowing Louise and Monique to go ahead. It was still early evening, and none of the few patrons already there aroused any suspicion. Wes and El Lobo took their places across the table from Monique and Louise. There was little conversation during the meal, but all too soon it was over, and it was Louise who broke the silence.

“Both of you have been so kind to us, it's time we did something nice in return.”

“You don't owe us anything,” said Wes.

“Oh, but we do,” Monique said. “Each of us took a room for tonight, just to show our appreciation for your kindness. You,” she said, her eyes on El Lobo, “will come to my room at eight o‘clock. I'll be waiting for you.”

“You have the same invitation, Wes,” said Louise. “You won't disappoint us, will you?”

El Lobo tensed as though about to spring to his feet and run for his life, but Wes dug an elbow into him and spoke for them both.

“I reckon we'll be there.”

They all returned to the second floor, and not until Wes and El Lobo were in their room did El Lobo say what he thought.

“
Amigo
, this be hell. I no like.”

“Neither do I,” said Wes, “but we're just playing a part long enough to spring a trap. All you have to do is keep Monique off that bed and keep her quiet. How you manage it is entirely up to you. We have two hours to get what sleep we can. If we have visitors, they may not arrive until late.”

Wes looked at his watch, and at five minutes before eight blew out the lamp. Following El Lobo into the hall, Wes left their door unlocked, should they have to enter quickly. While Wes knocked on one door, El Lobo knocked on the other. When a voice bid them enter, they did so. Wes found Louise stretched out on the bed wearing only a smile, and the lamp had been turned down low. Wes closed the door, went to the bedside table, and blew out the lamp.

“Why did you do that?” Louise demanded. “Don't you like what you see?”

“Get off the bed,” said Wes.

“Why? You're supposed to join me.”

“Damn it,” Wes snapped, “get off the bed.”

She got up, and Wes dragged off the coverlet, spreading it in a comer to the right of the door.

“We're going to spend some time over there,” said Wes.

“On the floor?”

“On the floor,” Wes said, “and don't ask me why. You'll know soon enough.”

In Monique's room, El Lobo had gotten only as far as blowing out the lamp.

“Off bed,” he demanded.

“No,” said Monique. “You get on the bed. Don't you know what to do with a naked woman?”

El Lobo seized the foot of the coverlet and dragged it off the bed, bringing Monique with it. She cried out when her behind and her head struck the floor. El Lobo rolled her off the coverlet, and folding it, spread it in the comer to the right of the door.

“There,” said El Lobo.

“No,” Monique snapped, throwing herself back on the bed.

El Lobo seized her by the arm and with her free hand she slapped him. Doubling his fist, El Lobo hit her just behind her left ear. Quickly he bound her hands and feet with the leather thongs Wes had provided and sat her down on the coverlet, her back to the wall. On second thought, before she regained consciousness, he gagged her with one of her silk stockings.

“One way or the other,” Wes told Louise, “you're going to sit with me on that coverlet. I'll tie you hand and foot, if you won't have it any other way.”

“I'll do it your way,” said Louise coldly. “Do you want me naked, or am I allowed to dress myself?”

“Dress yourself,” Wes said, “as long as you do it in the dark. Since we have company coming, you'll want to look your best.”

Wes heard a rustling as she dressed, and he was ready when she made a break for the door. He caught her by the arm and spun her around, raising his knee to block hers as she went for his groin. She swung her fist and bloodied his nose before he got hold of her hands.

“Now,” said Wes though gritted teeth, “do you sit, or do I knock you senseless, bind and gag you?”

“I'll sit,” she snapped.

He led her to the coverlet he'd spread on the floor and she sat down, her back to the wall. Wes sat between her and the door, a cocked Colt in his hand. After a long silence, she spoke.

“What are we waiting for?”

“I think you know,” said Wes, “but you don't know it all. When it's over, you'll be almighty glad you weren't in that bed.”

El Lobo continued having trouble with Monique. Although bound and gagged, she had slammed her head against the wall and her bound feet against the floor, making a furious noise behind her gag. On impulse, El Lobo removed the gag, getting his hand over her mouth before she could scream.

“I turn you loose, you be quiet?”

He moved his hand just enough for her to speak, and to his surprise she did.

“I ... I'll be quiet. Please untie me. My hands and feet feel dead.”

Quickly he cut her bonds, prepared for a new outburst, but it didn't come. Instead, she began wringing her hands and rubbing her ankles. Getting to his feet, El Lobo went to a chair where she had left her clothes, and brought them to her. Without a word, she began getting dressed, and only when she had finished did she speak.

“If it's not asking too much, tell me why you're doing this?”

“You wait, you see,” said El Lobo as he drew and cocked one of his Colts.

 

 

It was past midnight when two men entered the lobby of the hotel. Each wore a long coat and their hats were tilted low, shadowing their faces. Slumped in a chair behind the desk, the hotel clerk snored noisily. Avoiding the bell that would awaken the clerk, one of the men turned back a page or two of the hotel register until he found what he sought. The two of them ascended the stairs, and reaching the second floor, made their way to the far end of the hall. Finding the door to the rear stairs bolted, they released the dead bolt. Then they quietly retraced their steps along the hall. Each took his position outside a door, and from beneath long coats, each removed and cocked a double-barrel shotgun. Timing their move, each slowly turned the knob of a door.

As the doors eased open, Wes and El Lobo waited. They wouldn't have a clear shot until the bushwhackers opened the door far enough to make their move. Both shotguns roared at the same instant, double loads of buckshot slamming into the empty beds. Before the sound of the blasts had died away, there was the rolling thunder of Colts, followed by groans of anguish from the hall. In almost the same breath, Monique and Louise screamed.

“Damn it,” said Wes, “cut it out. We're in enough trouble already.”

As though of one mind, Wes and El Lobo crept along the wall toward the partially open door until they could see into the hall without endangering themselves. They were greeted by two dead men and the thump of boots as somebody came up the stairs. Doors opened and just as quickly closed, as the curious realized the men lying in the hall were dead. Blood stained the gray carpet a dirty brown. Discovery being imminent, El Lobo and Wes each lighted a lamp. As they looked in horror upon the buckshot-riddled beds, understanding struck Monique and Louise almost simultaneously. Monique wept.

“Dear God,” Louise cried, “they ... they...”

“Would have murdered you along with me,” Wes finished.

Timidly, the desk clerk peered in through the door.

“You might as well fetch the law,” said Wes.

“Yes, sir,” the young man said, eager to depart the grisly scene.

El Lobo and Monique joined Wes and Louise, and the four of them sat down on the edge of the mutilated bed. The women looked at one another with terror-stricken eyes.

“What are we going to do?” Monique sobbed.

“You're going to keep your mouth shut,” said Wes. “If you say anything, tell the law only that El Lobo and me fired in self-defense, and only after those dead
hombres
fired first. You never saw them before in your lives.”

“But it's the truth,” Louise cried. “They did fire first, and we don't know them.”

“But you know who sent them,” said Wes, “and you knew why they were coming.”

“Honest to God,” Monique said, “we didn't realize what we were getting into. We ...”

“You didn't know they intended to kill you along with us,” said Wes.

“No,” Louise said, “but it ... seemed like a way out for us, to a better life. Now that it's too late, we know better. What's going to become of us?”

“You have nothing to fear from us,” said Wes, “and if you keep your silence, there'll be no trouble with the law. We know who put you up to this, and we'll be going after them.”

“Oh, Lord,” Monique cried, “they'll be coming after us.”

“Not likely,” said Wes, “if they can't find you. Besides, you carried out your end of the deal. It's not your fault El Lobo and me outgunned their bushwhackers. They might suspect you double-crossed them and warned us. You'd better not return to New Orleans.”

“We can never go back there,” Louise said, “but where
can
we go?”

“Take a steamboat to Omaha,” said Wes, “and from there, take the Union Pacific on to California.”

There was the sound of boots on the stairs and voices in the hall. The desk clerk had arrived with the law. Deputy Sheriff Kilmer was a big man with blue eyes and gray hair. After studying the dead bodies in the hall, he paused in the doorway, his eyes on Wes, El Lobo, and the two women.

“Anybody got anything to say that might shed some light on this?” Kilmer asked.

“Nothing you can't figure out for yourself,” said Wes. “They fired at us and we fired back. We're claiming self-defense.”

“I won't argue with that,” Kilmer said, “nor will the judge. Not many survive a double blast from a shotgun. How come it was that none of you were in bed at the time?”

“Bed too soft,” said El Lobo.

“I see,” Kilmer said, his eyes on the coverlet spread in the corner. “I reckon I'll take a look in the other room.”

He was gone only a few minutes and nobody said anything in his absence. While he was gone, the desk clerk came in, obviously worried.

“I hope you won't fault the hotel for this,” the young man said. “Being on duty, I will be held responsible if there's trouble.”

“We won't make any claims against you or the hotel,” Wes said. “You were in no way at fault. Sorry about your beds.”

Deputy Sheriff Kilmer returned and spoke to the desk clerk.

“I suggest you assign other rooms to whoever is paying for these. The four of you,” he said, speaking to Wes, El Lobo, and the women, will have to go before the judge in the morning. Testimony from the ladies will be necessary to back your claim of self-defense. I must warn any of you against leaving before this is resolved. I will meet all of you in the lobby at nine o‘clock to escort you to the court. Do you understand the importance of this appearance?“

“We do,” Wes said, “and we'll be ready.”

“Ladies,” said the desk clerk, “come with me, and I'll assign you other rooms.”

“One room, please,” Monique said. “After what's happened, we're afraid to be alone.”

Obviously they hadn't been alone at the time of the shooting, and the desk clerk raised his eyebrows. Deputy Sheriff Kilmer said nothing, but left the room and started down the hall. The two dead men must be removed.

“Louise, Monique,” said Wes, “we'll join you for breakfast. Come on,
amigo,
and let's get what sleep we can.”

Wes and El Lobo entered their room and Wes locked the door. El Lobo sighed with relief, and Empty growled in a strange manner.

“Oh, shut up,” Wes said. “You were right. You don't have to rub it in.”

The hotel's dining room opened at six o‘clock in the morning, and Wes took Empty there to be fed before the cooks got too busy. At seven, Wes and El Lobo joined Louise and Monique for breakfast. After the violence of the night before, the women were in a somber mood, and there was little conversation during the meal. When they were finished, there was an hour's wait before their meeting with Deputy Sheriff Kilmer.

“We've decided to take your advice and go on to California,” Louise said.

“Then you should leave as soon as possible,” said Wes, “before word of last night's failed ambush gets back to certain people. Let them think you're going on to Boulder, as planned. It could buy you some time.”

“You saved our lives,” Monique said, “after we tried to get you killed. There's no way we can ever repay you.”