MacCallister Kingdom Come (23 page)

“Who is the proprietor of this establishment?” Wang asked, speaking in Chinese as he stepped into the laundry situated at the outer edge of town.

“I am Kai Mot,” an older man said.

Wang wrapped his left hand around his fist, keeping his elbows straight, and made a slight dip of his head. “I am Wang Chow.”

Upon seeing the martial arts greeting, Kai Mot's eyes grew wider, and the expression on his face stiffened. “You are a martial arts priest?”

“There are people who would pay a great deal of money to have that information,” Wang said. “I have placed my life in your hands.”

Kai Mot put his hands together in the position of praying and made a more profound dip of his head than had Wang.

“I am honored by your trust, and you need have no fear of betrayal.”

“I thank you for your kindness.”

“Why have you come to my humble establishment?”

“I have heard that this is a town of thieves, vandals, and murderers. Is this true?”

Kai Mot nodded. “Yes, it is called, by the round-eyes, an outlaw town.”

“And is there an evil man here, named Jaco?”

“Yes. He is the leader, and he is most evil.”

“Thank you for the information.”

“Pardon me for asking such an injudicious question,
Ji si
, but why have you come to such a place?” Kai Mot asked.

“Recently, Jaco and the evil men who ride with him captured two young American boys. Do you know of this?”

“Yes, I have seen them in the saloon.”

That surprised Wang. “You are allowed in the saloon?”

“Not as a customer. I wash the towels and the aprons and the clothes of the
ch
ngjì
who entertain the men. I go and I leave, but I am never noticed.”

“That is good. Have the young Americans been mistreated?”

“They are kept tied, but I have not seen scars or bruises. They were being kept downstairs, but I believe now they are in the room of one of the
ch
ngjì.
But I have not seen them there, so I do not know which room.”

“If you have not seen them, how do you know they are in such a room?”

Kai Mot shrugged. “The
ch
ngjì
talk as if I am not there. I have heard them say this.”

“When do you go to gather the laundry?”

“Every evening at six o'clock”.

Finally, Wang asked what he'd come there for. “I ask that you allow me to go tonight.”

“Are you going to attempt to rescue the
hái zi qì de rén
?”

“Yes.”

Surprised, Kai Mot asked, “Why would you risk your life for American boys?”

“It is a debt of honor,” Wang said.

“Yes. I can understand honor.”

“Where will I find the articles that are to be brought back to the laundry?”

“In a basket behind the stove.”

“I will gather them for you, and have a look around.”

Just before six o'clock that evening, Wang pushed through the swinging batwing doors. He made himself “invisible” by keeping his head slightly bowed as if he were unworthy of looking anyone in the face or of being seen. He moved through the saloon, giving everyone plenty of space and heading for the stove which sat in the back corner of the room, cold and empty on the warm night.

He removed all of the laundry, then began carefully folding each piece one at a time before putting it back into the basket. Well aware there were no more than one or two people who even realized that he was there, he was able to fold and watch for several minutes without arousing anyone's suspicion or their notice.

He saw one rather dark-complexioned man sitting at a table with another man whose skin was white as chalk—the albino he had heard mentioned—and a third man. Wang believed, from the authoritative way the dark man was presenting himself, the man doing all the talking must be Jaco.

Wang listened in on the conversation.

“I think we ought to take the boys with us on our next raid,” Jaco was saying.

“What for? They'd just get in the way,” the third man replied.

“Think about it, Mattoon. A couple kids tied to their horses, riding right smack-dab in the middle of our group? Hell, nobody would want to take a chance on shootin' at us, for fear that they might hit one of the kids.”

“Yeah,” Mattoon said. “Yeah, I hadn't thought about that.”

Sitting with two men at another table closer to Wang than Jaco, the albino, and the man named Mattoon was one of the bar girls. As Wang studied her, he saw that she, too, was listening to Jaco's words and found them disturbing.

“Did you two hear what Jaco just said?” the girl asked, validating, though no validation was actually needed, that Wang had correctly identified Jaco.

“What did he say?” one of the men asked.

“He just said he's planning on taking those two little boys with him on the next raid to keep people from shooting at you. Do you think he would really do that?”

“He might,” spoke the man in the blue shirt.

“Oh, surely not! That would be awful!”

“What's so awful about it? If it'll keep people from shooting at us, I think it would be a pretty good idea.”

“Yeah, I do, too,” agreed the man wearing a black hat.

“Then you are as awful as he is.”

The two men laughed.

“Look, Belle, just because you're keepin' them two boys in your room, that don't mean you're their mama. Hell, you ain't even their big sister,” Blue Shirt said.

“Yeah, don't you go lettin' yourself start gettin' feelin's over them two boys, 'cause like as not they're both goin' to wind up dead.”

“Not if I can help it,” Belle muttered.

“Yeah? Well, more 'n likely if Jaco wants 'em dead, 'n you get in the way, you'll wind up dead, too.”

“Larry, Lenny,” Jaco called to over to Belle's table. “Let's go down to the café 'n get us somethin' for supper.”

“All right,” Blue Shirt replied.

Both men stood, then Black Hat leaned back down. “Look, I'm tellin' you for your own good, get them two boys out of your mind. They're both goin' to wind up dead, 'n you will, too, if you do somethin' crazy like try and protect 'em or somethin'.”

Jaco and several others left the saloon. Belle, wiping tears from her eyes, got up from the table and hurried up the stairs.

Wang picked up the basket and started toward the door, but he kept his eyes on the mirror behind the bar. He could see Belle's reflection, and which door she entered.

“Now, Sheriff, what can I do for you?” the warden asked when Jason, Duff, and Elmer were admitted to his office in the Texas State Prison.

“You have a prisoner here named Jim Morley. I would like you to release him to my custody,” Jason said.

“Jim Morley,” the warden said. “Let me see what I have on him.” Opening a drawer, he looked through the files, then pulled one out. “He was sentenced to ten years, but he has only served seven. Come back in three years.”

“I need him now.”

“What do you mean, you need him? Why do you need him?”

“I'm sure you've heard of A. M. Jaco and the Kingdom Come Gang,” Jason said.

“Yes, they've been raising hell down in the southwest part of the state.”

Jason gave a nod. “That's where I am. I believe Morley can help us put a stop to this gang.”

“What makes you think that?”

“Because I'm goin' to get 'im to come with me to join up with the gang,” Elmer said, speaking for the first time.”

“I can see why they might take someone like Morley. Why would they take you?” the warden asked.

“One of the gang members is my first cousin. He'll vouch for me.”

“I don't know,” the warden said. “It seems like a pretty far-fetched idea to me.”

“Warden, they have my son,” Jason said. “My son and another young boy. This is very personal. If you want me to, I'll petition the governor, but that would take time. Too much time, I'm afraid.”

“All right. I'll tell you what I'll do. I'll let you meet with Morley, talk to him for a while. If, after you have spoken with him, you still want to do this—and if Morley is agreeable to the terms—”

“We haven't discussed the terms, but if he agrees, I want the remainder of his sentence to be commuted.” Jason spoke with authority.

“That's three years!” the warden exclaimed.

“He could get killed doing what I have in mind. He needs some incentive.”

“All right,” the warden agreed. “Go into my library and wait. I'll have the prisoner brought to you.”

 

 

Elmer was standing in the corner behind one of the bookcases when, half an hour later, two armed guards brought the prisoner into the library. Morley was handcuffed.

“Take off the handcuffs,” Jason ordered.

“This is not a containment area,” one of the guards replied. “It is standard procedure to keep prisoners in wrist restraints when they aren't in a containment area. Besides, it's for your own safety.”

“I'm Sheriff Jason Bowles, and I will take personal responsibility for this man. Now, please, take off the restraints.”

“Yes, sir.” Complying with the request, the guard removed the handcuffs and stepped back.

“Have a chair,” Jason invited.

“What's all this about, Sheriff?” Morley asked as he sat down.

Elmer stepped out into the room then. “Hello, Morley. Do you remember me?”

Morley glanced over toward Elmer and immediately, the smile left his face. “Yeah, I remember you.” The tone of his voice was little more than a snarl. “You're the one who got me put into prison.”

“I'm also the one who is about to get you out of prison,” Elmer said, sitting down next to Jason.

The expression on Morley's face turned from hostile to curious. “How are you going to get me out?”

“By offering you a deal,” Elmer said.

“What kind of a deal?”

“Have you ever heard of a man named A. M. Jaco?”

“No, I can't say as I have. Who is he?”

“He is one of the most vicious criminals ever to come to Texas,” Jason answered. “He has taken over the town of Shumla and has turned it into an outlaw town. He has his own private army of at least twenty men, maybe more, and when they go out on a raid, they sweep through a town like a swarm of locusts, plundering, burning, and killing.”

“Especially killing,” Elmer added.

“What does all that have to do with this here deal you are offering me?” Morley asked.

Elmer grinned. “You and me are going to join his gang.”