05 Ironhorse (5 page)

Emma looked at me.

“These men have broken the law,” Virgil said. “Going against the law is the same as going against me and Everett. We don’t take kindly to notions like that. Understand?”

Abigail dipped her head slightly.

“Also,” Virgil said, “I don’t like them. None of them. Neither does Everett.”

12

VIRGIL TIPPED HIS
head for me to move toward the door. I followed him out to the platform. We stood just outside the doorway, where we could talk out of earshot of the others.

“What do you allow, Everett?”

“They’re rough company.”

“They are.”

“We’ve shot ’em up pretty good, though,” I said.

“We have.”

“Got more to go.”

“We do,” Virgil said.

“The hand that made it out the back will be spreading the gospel of what went down.”

Virgil shook his head a bit as he looked back into the coach.

“Most assuredly he will,” Virgil said.

“They’ll be buzzing ’round like wasps,” I said.

“Yep,” Virgil said. “Chewing on their next move.”

“What do you figure that’ll be?”

“Shot up like they are,” Virgil said, “I’d imagine they’re more than interested how they’re gonna get off this train.”

“They might jump.”

“Don’t think so,” Virgil said, shaking his head. “Not in the dark with no horses.”

“They’re well aware the train didn’t stop for their horses.”

“That they are.”

“They’re none too happy about that,” I said.

“Nope,” Virgil said. “Don’t expect they are.”

“What do you think the riders will do?”

Virgil shook his head a bit.

“Hard to say.”

“Don’t think they’d stay where they were going to meet up.”

“No, don’t think they would.”

“You shooting that getaway rider might have got the other two riders running the opposite direction.”

“Might,” Virgil said. “Or keep on riding north to the next water drop?”

I pulled out my watch.

“That’d be about an hour twenty from now,” I said. “Standley Station.”

We thought about that for a moment.

“One thing for certain Vince and them know and don’t like,” I said.

“That you and me are on board?”

“That, and the fact they lost control of the engine,” I said.

“That’s right.”

“What do you think their move would be if this train don’t stop at the next water drop?”

“They got two choices,” Virgil said. “Come at us, or wait till the engine runs dry and the train stops.”

“This train passes the next drop,” I said, “they’ll come at us.”

“More than likely,” Virgil said. “Vince has got bargaining chips, too.”

“The governor.”

“Yep,” Virgil said. “And his wife.”

“We could stop at Standley Station and play it out there,” I said.

Virgil thought about that, then shook his head.

“Better off with them sequestered on this train,” Virgil said.

“’Spect that’s right.”

“Is,” Virgil said.

“Don’t want them spread out,” I said, “holding the governor and his wife as hostage.”

“No, we don’t.”

I stepped on the grab-iron ladder toward the edge of the coach. I took a few steps up and edged up just a little, looking back over the top of the train. It was dark, but there was enough light to see there was nobody coming at us. I dropped back to the platform.

“Keep lookout for me,” I said. “I’ll make sure the engineer keeps us on the move, get my eight-gauge while I’m at it.”

Virgil nodded and climbed the ladder, looking back over the coach with his Colt at ready. I climbed the ladder on the tender and made a fast trip to the engine cabin.

13

VIRGIL CAME DOWN
from the coach ladder when I returned with my eight-gauge. The train was now in a full crescent bend, moving slowly upgrade. The cars were stretched out behind us, trailing off to the left in a semicircle, and the lighted windows of the cars shined brightly in the dark night. We could see all the way back to the caboose.

“There’s more to this,” Virgil said.

“What are you thinking?”

“Don’t know exactly,” Virgil said, shaking his head slowly, “but this ain’t Vince, Dean, and the others’ territory.”

“No, it’s not.”

Virgil looked at the cars circled behind us.

“Think Dean’s lying?” I said.

“Yep.”

“’Bout what?”

“Don’t know,” Virgil said. “It’s all he knows how to do.”

“Reckon it’s hard for him not to.”

“Been doing it so long,” Virgil said, “he’s grown particular to it.”

“He’s not very good at it.”

“No,” Virgil said. “He ain’t.”

I looked to Dean, and thought about what Virgil was saying.

“I suppose it’s just a matter about how much he’s lying about,” I said. “And about what.”

“That’s right.”

“What do you speculate?” I said. “You think they are down here for something else?”

“They knew the governor was on board,” Virgil said.

“Think they targeted the governor?”

“They’re after something else.”

“Vince and the bunch are a back-shooting bunch,” I said, “capable of doing bad things, but I wouldn’t figure they’d have the smarts for doing an ambitious job that requires too much thinking.”

“Me neither.”

Virgil looked at Dean standing facing the door at the other end of the coach.

“Me neither,” Virgil said again and reentered the coach.

He walked halfway down the aisle and stopped.

“Dean?” Virgil said.

“What?” Dean said.

“What are you boys doing down this far?” Virgil said.

“What do you mean?” Dean asked.

“Next time you answer with a question,” Virgil said, “me or Everett will throw you off this train. Turn around.”

Dean turned and faced Virgil.

“I will ask you a few questions,” Virgil said, “and you’re gonna answer me straight.”

“Wha—” Dean stopped, afraid he was about to ask a question.

“You boys are outside of your whereabouts,” Virgil said. “How come this train, this far?”

“I told you.”

“What else ain’t you telling me?”

“Nothing.”

“Don’t get sidetracked with your lies, Dean.”

Dean shook his head. “I ain’t lying.”

“This was not Vince’s idea,” Virgil said. “Coming down this far and robbing this train, was it?”

14

DEAN LOOKED AT
Virgil with a blank look on his face. His knees worked toward each other like he needed to pee. Dean’s face was wet with sweat.

“Was it?” Virgil said.

Dean slowly shook his head.

“Whose idea was it?”

“I don’t rightly know.”

“What do you mean you don’t rightly know?”

“Vince tol’ us, but I ain’t sure who tol’ Vince.”

“No.”

“No? I mean, I swear! I don’t know! We was in Wichita Falls, we just moved a bunch of cattle for a cow-calf outfit there. Vince’s horse came up lame, and he peeled off ’fore the rest of us. He said he met a fellow playing Seven-Up at the Bluebell Pool Palace. A Yankee. It was the Yankee’s plan.”

“You’re lying to me, Dean.”

“No!”

Virgil took a few steps toward Dean and stopped.

“I ain’t lying! It’s the truth!”

“A Yankee?” Virgil said.

“Yes!”

“What’s his name?”

“That I don’t know! Vince was the one who met him. Vince said this Yankee knew about trains. About this train, I swear . . . the rest of us was just doing what Vince tol’ us to do.”

“What did Vince tell you to do?”

“To ride down to Paris. Board a long train with a bunch of cars. This train! He said ’cause of the land run happening in the Indian Territory that there would be a lot of people on the train going that direction with money and we’d make a lot of money.”

“What else?”

“That was it,” Dean said. “I swear.”

“What does this Yankee look like?”

“Don’t know. Never saw him.”

“You don’t know his name? You never saw him?”

The Adam’s apple in Dean’s skinny neck moved up, then dropped down.

“That’s right.”

Virgil walked a few more steps closer to Dean and stopped.

“You did not come down here to rob wallets and watches,” Virgil said.

Dean backed up a bit, hitting the door. He was dripping with sweat. Drops were falling from the tip of his nose.

“Did you, Dean?”

Dean blinked hard a few times and shook his head.

“No.”

“Go on,” Virgil said.

Dean took a deep breath.

“Well, we was getting the money, everybody’s money, like I tol’ you,” Dean said. “But . . . um, there’s supposed to be some loot on board.”

“Loot?” Virgil said.

Dean nodded.

“A bunch of loot,” Dean said.

“How do you know this?” Virgil asked.

“That’s what the Yankee tol’ Vince,” Dean said. “Vince tol’ us there was a lot of money being carried on this train.”

“What else do you know, Dean?” Virgil said.

“Honest to God, nothing!” Dean said.

“Don’t go using words like
honest
and
God.
They don’t sit well by you,” Virgil said. “Makes me think you are lying to me, Dean.”

“I ain’t lying,” Dean said. “All I know is Vince said we was gonna rob a train carrying a bunch of loot, that’s all I know. That’s what the Yankee told him, and Vince said when we all got off back there where we was supposed to get off that we was going to divvy up! That’s all I know!”

“Turn around, put your nose to that door.”

Dean just looked at Virgil.

“Now,” Virgil said.

15

DEAN WAS FACING
the door again. Virgil walked back up the aisle to where I stood by Emma and Abigail. They were seated in the front row. Lightning lit up the interior of the car as Virgil turned to face them.

“Do you know if your father was carrying a large amount of money?” Virgil asked.

Emma looked to Abigail. Abigail shook her head.

“Not that we are aware of,” Emma said. “No.”

“Where were you and your parents traveling?” I said.

“We are headed to our grandmother’s home,” Emma said. “In Kansas, near Wichita. Father, Mr. Lassiter, and Mr. Hobbs were going elsewhere on business.”

“Who are Mr. Lassiter and Mr. Hobbs,” Virgil asked.

“Friends of our father,” Emma said.

“You know where they were headed?” I said.

“No, I’m not sure, business meetings with businesspeople,” Emma said.

“I know this is not easy for you,” Virgil said, “but try and tell Everett and me what led up to you being in this predicament.”

Emma looked to her sister and then to Virgil.

“Well . . . I was sitting in a chair at the front of the carriage across from our berth, reading. Abby was sleeping. You were asleep, weren’t you, dear?”

“Yes,” Abigail said.

“And the others?” Virgil said.

“Father, Mr. Lassiter, and Mr. Hobbs were playing cards on the center table,” Emma said, “and Mother was in her berth.”

“Go on,” Virgil said.

“The conductor walked in from the rear of the carriage. He was talking to the Pinkerton man. The conductor’s back was to me. I think the conductor was telling a joke or something, because they were laughing. Then a hard-looking man stepped through the door, behind the Pinkerton man. He had a big knife. The Pinkerton man was stabbed.”

“What about the other Pinkerton guard?” I said.

“He rushed to his partner’s aid and then the conductor shot him,” Emma said. “He just shot him. . . . It was loud.”

“What about your father?” Virgil said, “and the other two?”

“The conductor told them to keep their hands up,” Emma said.

“The conductor?” I said.

Emma shook her head.

“I have to say, I don’t think he was the conductor,” Emma said. “He was wearing a conductor’s cap, but . . . I don’t know, he and the man with the knife threw the Pinkerton men from the train. It all happened so fast.”

Emma stopped talking. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she started to cry. Abigail grabbed her hand. They both were crying.

“Okay,” Virgil said. “Okay . . .”

Emma stiffened up, determined to continue. “The man with the knife pulled Mother out of her berth. He was mean and rough with her. He put the knife to her throat.”

Abigail spoke up: “The conductor, or whoever he is, told Father to get his luggage down.”

“Then there were gunshots,” Emma said.

“That’s right,” Abigail said.

“There was gunfire coming from the car behind us,” Emma said, “and then a big Irishman came running through the rear door.”

“He was followed by two other men,” Abigail said.

“The Irishman told the conductor there were lawmen on board,” Emma said, “and they’d shot two of their men.”

“Then what,” Virgil said.

“The conductor told him to go back and kill them,” Emma said. “Kill the lawmen.”

Lightning cracked loudly. Abigail jumped. Emma grabbed my hand. Bright light briefly flooded the coach.

Virgil looked to the ceiling. He called to Ness and the dandy as he pointed up.

“You hear something?”

Ness looked to the dandy; the dandy shook his head. Ness looked back to Virgil and shook his head.

16

I STEPPED OUT
onto the platform to have a look back on top of the coach to make sure there was nobody trying to crawl their way forward. I climbed the ladder and peeked over the top, looking back behind us. It was dark, and the only thing I could see was the light coming from the interior of the cars shining on the trees passing by. I felt a drop of water on my face, followed shortly by another drop and another. A distant flash of lightning briefly illuminated the whole of everything for me, the train, the trees. There was nobody, at least for the moment, on his way to ambush us. The sprinkling continued as I came down the ladder and reentered the coach.

Emma was talking but stopped when Virgil looked at me.

“Nothing,” I said. “Rain coming though.”