The Reinvention Of Rudd Carter. A Western Action Adventure Novel (19 page)

“I’m all right,” he answered, meeting Ben’s eyes with a steady gaze. “I apologize for my little outburst a few moments ago. I had to deal with Villa in El Paso back in nineteen eleven. To me he was just a psychotic bandit who became a revolutionary because it gave him a legitimate excuse to do what he likes to do most, which is brutally murder people. War gives crazies the excuse to do unthinkable things.” Feigning a smile, he said, “Ben, please don’t concern yourself with how I personally feel about Pancho Villa. I didn’t like him in nineteen eleven, but I did my job like the professional I am. I assure you that I will do a professional job regardless of who the next Presidente of Baja Del Norte, or Mexico for that matter, might be.”

He got up from his chair, moved around the table to where Ben was sitting, and offered his hand. Ben rose from his seat and grasped his hand in a warm handshake. Rudd gazed deeply into his eyes.
You are one devious, ambitious, son of a bitch.

A few days later, Rudd stopped at the police station for an update from Fuentes.

“There have been no more murders, and actually, it’s been pretty quiet so far this week.” Fuentes stood to greet him. “So what are you doing about this monster?”

“Don’t worry, my friend,” Rudd said. “Justice will be done. Things are already in motion. I know you can’t see it yet, but you’ll know when it happens.”

“When?” Ernie asked anxiously.

“Soon. Just days away now. Be patient. I give you my word.”

A couple of nights later, Rudd stepped into the cantina and found the German standing at the bar having a beer with the boys. He went over to him and slapped him on the back. “Let me buy you a beer. You know, in two weeks this will all be over, and we may never see each other again.”

Günter turned toward Rudd, looking him in the eyes. “Why do you say that, Englisher?”

Rudd glanced down at the floor, hesitated, then slowly eyed him from his boots to his head. “You never know, I could get shot. You could get shot. We could decide that being constables in a dirty little Mexican town is not for us and take off for other parts.”

“You know me pretty well.” Günter laughed. “The day that we get paid I’ll be gone. There are other cities and other girls I’d like to know.”

Rudd grinned.
I’ll bet there are, if we let you leave here, my friend
.

He clinked his beer against Günter’s. “Here’s to knowing you.”

The German didn’t leave the bar at nine o’clock that evening, as per his usual routine. He stayed, drank, and talked to the boys until eleven, at which time he bid everyone goodnight and climbed the stairs to the hotel above.

Watching Günter ascend the stairs, Rudd asked Len, “Has our German friend been staying late in the bar most of the evenings for the past week or so?”

“His routine tonight has been pretty much his habit,” Len said. “He used to leave every night at nine on the button, but not this last week. He just goes upstairs.”

Rudd shifted close to Len and lowered his voice. “I’d appreciate it if you’d keep an eye on him. If there are any changes in his routine in the evenings, I’d like to know.”

Several nights later, Rudd escorted Kathryn to work at El Coyote and went into the bar to be met by Len.

“You asked me to keep you informed about any changes in Günter’s routine.”

“Yes, I did.”

“Well, for the last three nights he’s been saying goodnight and climbing the stairs at nine o’clock. Not eleven.”

Rudd thought for a second. “Is there another way out onto the street without coming through the bar from upstairs?”

“Yes, on the other side of the building in the rear.”

“So, someone could come and go without being noticed anytime they chose?”

“Yes. Why?”

“No reason. I’m just curious. Thanks. Keep me posted if anything changes.”

The next morning Rudd paid Fuentes another visit at the police station and informed him of Günter’s change in his comings and goings. “I think he’s out there in the evenings looking for another victim. Can you get the word out to the neighborhoods to keep their kids in after dark? If we can keep him from killing another child for a few more days, he’ll be out on the ranch with the rest of the men until the battle.”

“I’ll do what I can,” answered Fuentes. “We’ll get the word out that there is a killer on the loose. It might save a life or two.”

Rudd gave an agreeing nod. “Would it be possible to put four men patrolling in pairs out in those neighborhoods, at around say eight-thirty, to make sure the kids are off the street and safely indoors? If our man becomes aware that the streets are being patrolled at night, he might not want to chance getting caught. It will be only a few days more until he’ll be safely tucked away at the ranch. What do you think? Can you spare four men for three or four days?”

“I’ve got the men, but I don’t think I’ve got the budget for that kind of overtime.”

“I understand. Let me put in a call to Ben and see if we can work the overtime expense into the military budget. If he doesn’t go for it, I’ll pay for it out of my side of the budget. I feel responsible. I brought this maniac to town and helped create this problem for you. Go ahead and put your men out there and give me a bill for the overtime. If he were to kill one more child, as I said, I’ll execute him myself.”

Fuentes said, “The patrols will start tonight.”

Rudd picked up the phone and rang Ben’s office. When Ben’s voice came on the line, he briefly explained what he needed, and Ben agreed to give him whatever amount of money was required.

“Ben’s going to pay for the cost of having your patrols out at night,” he told Ernie. “Let me suggest something else. If you’ll arrange to have flyers posted all over town, warning people to get their kids off the street by sundown, I’ll share the cost with you.”

Some of the tension left Ernie’s face. “You really are sincere about protecting the children, aren’t you? I think putting out flyers is a great idea. I might not have to come to you to share the expense of the printing, but it’s nice to know that I can if I need to.”

Rudd started to leave, then hesitated and turned back to Fuentes. “Have you heard yet who the Presidente of the new Baja Del Norte is going to be?”

“No, I haven’t. Ben and his partners have never brought the subject up. Do you know?”

“Ben told me yesterday. It’s going to be Pancho Villa. Can you believe it?”

“Pancho Villa. You can’t be serious. Pancho Villa!” Fuentes shook his head in disbelief, rose to his feet and walked around to the front of his desk. “This is not about Mexicali anymore; it never has been. This is about pushing Obregon out and taking over Mexico with Villa as El Presidente. Ben will be the real power behind the scenes. This is why regular Mexican army staff officers planned this battle you’re about to fight.”

“As I pointed out to Ben last year,” Rudd interrupted, “I will be firing the first shots of the next phase of the Mexican Revolution.”

“All that bullshit about creating an entertainment Mecca here in Baja Del Norte, was a bunch of lies,” Fuentes said. He laughed loudly and slammed his hand down on his desk. “Goddamn, Ben is good. Nobody plays poker as well as him. He is one devious son-of-a-bitch. But he knows the game better than anyone.”

Rudd nodded. “Well, I don’t have to tell you that this is pretty tough country down here. A man like Ben knows the game better than anyone or he wouldn’t be around for very long. I imagine he’s a lot rougher than he looks. He plays that southern gentleman role very well, but he can be a real bastard if he thinks it will get him what he wants.”

Fuentes agreed. “You’d never know to look at him that he killed a man in a knife fight across the border a few years back. A drunk made the mistake of pulling a knife on him during a bar room brawl. There isn’t anyone around who handles a knife better than Ben. It was called self-defense because there was a room full of witnesses. People do not mess with Ben Mosier down here. Everyone gives him a wide berth.”

“He wears his disguise very well. In your experience with him, have you ever known him to go back on his word?” asked Rudd.

“No.” Fuentes shook his head. “Sometimes the deal isn’t quite as clean as he makes it appear at first. But he always fulfills his end of the bargain. He values his reputation—the reputation that his word is as good as a signed, secured contract. He prizes loyalty above all else. For instance, the job I have done for him as the chief law enforcement officer of Mexicali could become a similar position in Mexico City for me if all goes well with your desert revolt. He’s very ambitious and always thinks big. Ben would rule the world if he could. Don’t be surprised how this Pancho Villa thing turns out. The problem is, down here everybody plays for keeps. Just look at the history of the Mexican Revolution. It’s littered with the bodies of well meaning as well as ambitious men.”

“Let’s not forget the thousands of young men and boys from the farms, ranches and villages who have been torn away from their families at the point of a gun and sent out to die for these misguided idealists and ambitious men.” With the flush of anger creeping up his neck, Rudd continued. “And the result—after thousands of people have died and suffered—is that at the end of each stage of the revolution, the corruption and graft is seized by a new group of greedy, ambitious bastards.” He shook his head slowly, narrowing his gaze on Fuentes. And in a few days I’m going to be one of the perpetrators of this process… I just realized that I have a lot of soul searching to do.” He did an about face and started for the door. “Let me know if you need anything.”

One Week Before The Battle

The last week before the battle, Rudd and Kathryn spent their mornings discussing how they visualized their lives in the coming years.

He told Kathryn about his misgivings with the job he was contracted to do for Ben and his syndicate. They came up with a plan that each felt would ensure their future together.

Having lived together for nearly a year, they both knew that the love between them was for life. For that love, each spent the remaining days of their stay in Mexicali making sure that the vision they shared would become a reality.

On July 15, Rudd met with Ben, Crawford and Hoff at El Coyote to discuss the last minute details before loading the equipment and departing for the battle area.

When Rudd entered El Coyote, Ben and his two business partners were seated at the rear of the gaming area. Crawford and Hoff each sat with a cup of coffee. Ben was puffing and chewing on his cigar with his legs crossed. His ten gallon gray Stetson rested on his knee.

Rudd took a seat and smiled cordially at the three men. “Gentlemen,” he said, and waited for someone to speak.

Ben puffed on his cigar until the ash became an inch and a half long. He flicked it off and onto the floor with a cackle. “Well, boys, I guess this is it for our little gatherings, until after the twentieth. Are you all set, Rudd?”

“We’re just about there, Ben.” He signaled for Len to come to the table and continued. “I need to request one more thing. Along with the flat cars, I need two box cars, to carry horses.”

“Horses? How many horses?” asked Ben.

“Twenty. The Federales are going to bring their own horses. They think they’re going to conduct a major assault on Mexicali, so they’re going to have a lot of horses. In reality, about fifteen minutes after this fight begins there are going to be hysterical Mexican soldiers and horses running all over the desert. We’re going to need our own mounts in order to round everybody up and get them on the train headed back to where they came from.”

Ben laughed his “heh-heh” nasal cackle and said to Crawford and Hoff, “Do you see why I left all the military planning up to this man?” Turning to Rudd, he said, “You’ll get your two box cars.” He glanced back at the two other men. “You don’t have a problem with that, do you, gentlemen?”

Both men shook their heads.

Ben continued. “In fact, we’re going to have three box cars out there for you. Just in case—you never know. By the day after tomorrow, you might want to take a few more ponies along. Of course, you’re going to need a lot of hay to feed all those animals, so we’ll be sure to fill that third car half full of hay. All right, anything else?”

Len approached the table to take Rudd’s order of coffee. The four men sat in silence until the quiet became obvious. Rudd eyed Ben thoughtfully for a moment. “So after the battle is a decisive victory for our side, what happens next?”

Taking a long drag on his cigar, Ben slowly exhaled, and looked up at the twirling ceiling fans as if he were listening to them. “The next day we reconnect the telephone and telegraph service to Mexicali and announce to the rest of the country that Baja Del Norte has seceded from Mexico.” He locked eyes with Rudd. “And is under the leadership of General Francisco Villa.”

“What if President Obregon decides to send five thousand troops against us to hold on to Baja. Then what?” Rudd asked soberly. “We have fifty of the best professional soldiers in the world and a garrison of five hundred untested, inexperienced Mexican soldiers to fight them with.”

“I understand your concern,” Ben said, displaying a poker face. “But our sources in Mexico, including General Ortega, are convinced that within a week of the announcement of Pancho Villa becoming President of Baja Del Norte, we will have ten thousand recruits to follow Villa. President Obregon and his staff have always been concerned that if Pancho came back onto the political stage, his popularity would sweep him into the Presidency.”

“Only after a few thousand more people die for the never ending, on-going, Mexican revolution,” Rudd said sardonically. “This is a revolution where everyone has his hand out for a piece of the action.”

The three men fell silent. Ben looked as if he were going to rebut, but was waved off by Rudd. “Don’t worry for a moment about me doing my job in a professional manner. This defeat for the Mexicans will be so humiliating that no one on their side will ever admit that there was a battle. I promise you that.”

At that moment, Len brought Rudd a cup of coffee.