Send Angel! (A Frank Angel Western #2) (10 page)

The sun was a red glow behind
the far sierras and the dark fingers of night were streaking the
sky before they reached the Fort. There was no perimeter guard; the
Indians were currently quiescent, and so only a nominal sentry
watch was kept. In its position on the fork of the trails, the Fort
was by necessity a stopping place for travelers and traders moving
between Tucson and Baranquilla, or on to Daranga and the New Mexico
border. The party rode diagonally across the parade ground, pulling
to a halt outside the Commanding Officer
’s quarters. The sentry outside
snapped to attention and called out, ‘Lieutenant Ellis, at the
double!’

The young adjutant came tumbling out of the
doorway of the orderly room - stopping mouth agape when his eyes
fell upon Angel.

‘
You!’
he said, disbelief in his voice. ‘How the - what the hell are you
doing here? You were—’ He snapped his mouth shut like a purse and
rounded on the young sentry.

‘
Over
to the guardhouse and fetch Sergeant Battle and two men. On the
double!’

The young soldier dashed away and Ellis
wheeled to face the party.

‘
Now,’
he said with grim satisfaction in his voice. ‘Angel, who are these
men?’

‘
The
sheriff of Daranga, a prisoner and escort,’ Angel said softly.
‘Maybe we’d better see the colonel.’

‘
It’s
the inside of the guardhouse you’ll be seeing, mister,’ Ellis
said.

‘
Thompson first,’ Angel insisted gently. ‘Fun
later.’

‘
See
here, sojer boy,’ Austin said pettishly. ‘We been ridin’ all day
an’ we’re tuckered out. Ain’t you got no respect for the law o’
this County?’

‘
Not
much,’ Ellis said, ‘if what I’ve heard about it is true. Who’s your
prisoner?’

‘
Feller called Larkin,’ Metter said. ‘Killed George Perry in
Daranga.’

‘
Why
are you bringing him here?’ Ellis asked. ‘He’s not our
problem.’

‘
If
explaining it to you would do, we wouldn’t be asking for the
colonel,’ Angel said. He swung down from the horse, and as he did
so the clatter of footsteps announced the arrival of the guard
detail. They came to a halt on the sharp command of the big
sergeant with them, who regarded Angel with surprise and a sort of
pleasure.

‘
Well,
well, what have we here?’ he wondered aloud.

‘
Sergeant, place this man under arrest!’ snapped
Ellis.

‘
What
is all this?’ shouted the bewildered Austin. ‘I demand to see the
colonel.’

‘
Aye,
that you will, boy, just as soon as we’ve taken care of this one,’
grinned the sergeant, flexing his ham like hands.

‘
Sarge, I hate to do this to you when you’re having so much
fun,’ Angel said. He stepped in front of Lieutenant
Ellis.

‘
In
the name of the President of the United States,’ he said
quietly.

Ellis took a step backwards.
His was not the only open mouth: the others gaped at Angel, who had
produced from a pocket inside his belt a leather wallet which held
a gleaming badge. The flaring light of the lanterns on the porch
picked out clearly the screaming eagle, the circular seal, the
words
Department of Justice, United States of America.

‘
What
- what’s this?’ managed Ellis.

‘
It’s
called clout, soldier,’ Angel said coldly. ‘It means if you don’t
get out of my way you’re going to be the sorriest lieutenant in the
history of the US Army.’

‘
Department of Justice?’ muttered Metter behind Angel. ‘I’ll
be damned.’

‘
Didn’t want to show you my hand till I had to,’ Angel said
without turning. ‘This seemed like as good a time as
any.’

He saw Larkin looking at him
with a new expression and could almost read the thoughts which must
be going through the gunman
’s mind. To be put under citizen’s arrest was one
thing. To be in the hands of the top government law enforcement
agency was entirely another. Larkin was weighing chances and not
liking the results. Angel smiled grimly.

‘
Bastard,’ Larkin muttered. ‘You bastard.’

‘
Not
true, actually,’ Angel grinned easily. ‘But I know how you feel.’
He turned again to face Ellis, who stood rooted on the spot as if
paralyzed.

‘
Now,
Lieutenant: do we do it easy ... or the other way?’

Ellis nodded dumbly. He turned
to go inside, then remembered himself.
‘At ease, Sergeant,’ he said. Then he
almost ran into the colonel’s office. Within moments Thompson’s
bulky frame loomed in the lamplit doorway. He peered at Angel as
though he had seen a ghost.

‘
What’s going on?’ he snapped.

‘
I
think we better talk inside,’ Angel said. Thompson nodded
wordlessly and led the way in. He took his seat behind the
desk.

‘
You’re with the Department of Justice?’ he asked weakly.
‘You . . . you should have told me that. It’s unforgivable.
I—’

‘
Colonel,’ said Angel. ‘We’ve had a hard day. All I want you
to do is place this man’ - he gestured at Larkin - ‘under close
arrest. I believe he is responsible for at least two murders in
this area, possibly others. I know he gunned down George Perry in
Daranga. If you want me to swear charges to that effect so that you
have something in writing, we can do that.’

‘
Yes -
ah - well, I’m sure there is no need for that, Mr. Angel,’ Thompson
said, his voice still wavering. Angel caught the whiff of cheap
whiskey on the man’s breath. The revelation of Angel’s identity had
taken all the wind out of the soldier.

Thompson looked up at Ellis. His eyes held
an almost pleading look. Ellis stared at the wall.

‘
Now
see here, Colonel,’ Austin said, wheedlingly, ‘this yere ain’t none
o’ my doin’s. This feller just plain took over. I never knowed who
he was nor nothin’.’

Thompson waved him
silent.
‘Perhaps you can give me some account of yourself, Mr.
Angel,’ he said. ‘How can I assist you?’

‘
All
in good time,’ Angel said. ‘Right now, I want this’ - he gestured
at Larkin, who answered the movement with a sneer - ‘in your
guardhouse. I want a twenty-four hour guard put on him until I give
you instructions to the contrary.’

‘
Instructions, sir?’ snapped Thompson indignantly. ‘On this
post, I give the instructions.’

‘
We
could telegraph Washington, if you prefer,’ Angel suggested.
Thompson let out his breath in a long sigh. He seemed to actually
deflate before their eyes.

‘
No
need of that,’ he said, windily. ‘As long as you can prove you’re
who you say you are.’

Angel produced an oilskin pouch
and from it unfolded a document which he spread out on the
soldier
’s
desk.

‘
That
tells you I am acting on direct instructions from the Attorney
General of the United States,’ he said. ‘I can take any action to
maintain law and order, civil or military, that I see fit. That
means I can hold special sessions of court, empanel juries,
subpoena witnesses, and even hold a General Court Martial. If I
have to,’ he finished quietly. ‘It is your sworn duty to assist and
protect me in so doing.’

Thompson sighed again, as
though a forlorn hope had just flown. He had not missed
Angel
’s
reference to a Court Martial, as Angel had intended that he should
not Thompson nodded.

‘
What
else do you want me to do?’

‘
I
want your permission to talk to some of the men here,’ Angel told
him, ‘in particular, Sergeant Battle. There are some questions I’d
like to ask him.’

Ellis
’s head came up. ‘What sort of
questions?’ he asked.

‘
Personal ones,’ Angel replied uncommunicatively. ‘Do I have
your permission?’ He said it like a man who knows what the answer
will be. The colonel hesitated only a second, and then nodded
wearily.

‘
I can
hardly prevent you,’ he said.

Angel stood up, addressing himself to
Metter.

‘
Can
you see that our little friend is tucked away safe?’ he
asked.

Metter nodded, grinning.
‘Bet your ass,’ he
said.

‘
What
is this man’s name?’ Thompson asked, pointing at Larkin. Angel told
him.

Thompson got to his feet and walked across
the room to face the gunman.

‘
Where
are you from, Larkin?’ he said.

‘
Any
place but here,’ replied Larkin sullenly.

“
You
will answer my question,’ snapped Thompson.

‘
Go to
hell, you puffed-up bluebelly!’ grated Larkin. ‘I don’t have to
tell you one solitary damned thing!’

For a moment, the watchers
thought that Thompson might strike the man. His face went purple
with suppressed rage, and Lieutenant Ellis took a step forward,
laying a hand on Thompson
’s arm. Thompson shook it off, spit forming at the
corners of his mouth. He struggled with himself for a moment, then
frowned as though remembering where he was.

‘
Take
him away,’ he said, disgust in his voice. ‘Lock him up, Mr.
Ellis.’

‘
Sir,’
Ellis acknowledged.

‘
Twenty-four hour guard. Day and night, watch him,’ snarled
Thompson. ‘If he tries to escape, you will instruct the guard to
shoot to kill!’

Larkin looked up quickly at the
words, but said nothing. His eyes met Angel
’s.

‘
You
wouldn’t have set this up, would you?’ he asked quietly.

‘
No
chance,’ Angel told him, shaking his head. ‘I want you to sing, not
croak.’

‘
Don’t
hang by your toes waitin’,’ Larkin said with a lopsided
grin.

Ellis
hustled the gunfighter out of the
room, and they heard him summoning the guard outside. The tramp of
feet died away across the parade ground. Thompson went back to his
chair, slumping in it like a man exhausted. He gazed emptily at the
wall for a moment, and then pulled himself together.

‘
I’m
sorry, gentlemen,’ he said hastily. ‘A long day. May I offer you a
drink?’

Angel and Metter shook their heads, but
Austin agreed noisily and Thompson poured two hefty measures of
whiskey into two tin cups. He drank his greedily, then refilled the
cup, setting it to the side of his desk. His eyes kept wandering
towards it as he spoke.

‘
Perhaps you can explain all this to me, Mr. Angel,’ he
said, struggling for some remnants of his dignity. His voice became
pompous. He put on a ragged air of command which was almost
pathetic.

‘
It’s
simple enough,’ Angel began. ‘The Department had several men
looking into allegations of misuse of Government property and
funds, on the Indian reservation and - elsewhere. There were also
indications that a political group were creating a monopoly by
coercion and price fixing. Nothing specific: but we were looking
into it.’

‘
What
happened?’ Thompson asked. He looked very pale. He licked his lips
and reached out for the cup, withdrawing his hand without picking
it up.

‘
Somebody got wind of the investigation,’ Angel continued.
‘Three men we had out here were assassinated. One was knifed in an
alley in Tucson. A second one was killed in what appeared to be a
street brawl. A third was found dead in the desert; looked like
some drunk ‘Pache buck had killed him. Could have been pure
coincidence, but we didn’t think so. And whoever arranged the
killings made a serious mistake, because they drew attention to
what had previously been unsubstantiated reports.’

‘
Then
how does Larkin fit in to all this - you sayin’ he’s the one killed
those men?’ Metter asked.

‘
Could
be,’ Angel agreed. ‘He’s a killer-for-hire, and those men were
pros. They wouldn’t have been taken by amateurs.’

‘
It
sounds somewhat far-fetched, if you care for my opinion,’ Thompson
said pompously. He reached for the tin cup and this time gulped
greedily. ‘What on earth could be the basis for a conspiracy on
that scale?’

‘
Money,’ replied Angel succinctly. ‘The high country
ranchers have been systematically forced to subsistence level by
having their cattle stolen, by having local markets closed to them,
by paying monopoly prices for goods and services. Their men have
been strong-armed - some have even been run off. Smaller ranchers
have been closed out. And every time, Birch and Reynolds have
bought up the land.’