Chapter 8

“I should have figured that. Fiona will you go get him for me, please?”

“Yes, Mick.”

“And the six men?” I asked the bartender.

“The man in charge was Cole Wilson. The man you knocked out was Jeremy Sidel. He owns the Sidel Copper mine.”

“Is he the type to come after me after I knocked him out?”

“I don’t think so. He’s a loud mouth but I’ve never heard of him backing up his talk or having any of his people back him up. But I’ve never seen anyone take his measure like you did either.”

“OK. What about the other four men?”

“What the hell do you want?” Arly Conroy shouted as he stomped in the back door, still pulling his pants tight.

“Hello, Arly.”

“Hello, my ass! What do you want?”

“Arly, I’d like to know the names of the men who sent you to interrupt MY wedding night. I know about Wilson and Sidel what I need to know is who the other four are and whether I will have a problem if I go after them. I am going after Wilson. Will the others back him?”

Arly looked a bit taken aback. He looked around the saloon before answering me.

“There was Valenzuela of the Twin Roses ranch. He’ll back Wilson. Jones Highkamp, he owns Hard Scrabble Mine. He’ll back Wilson to a point. He doesn’t like violence and mostly thinks Wilson goes too far. Brian O’Brian owns O’Brian Mining. He supplies the mines with their equipment. He’ll go with what he sees is the winning side. And then there is Hugh Klineside from S & S Ranch. He hates Wilson but his outfit is small and if he doesn’t back Wilson, Wilson will overrun his place in a fight.”

“So I have to get rid of Wilson and Valenzuela but first I need to see where the others stand. Thanks Arly,” I paused and offered him a hand. “Are you going to marry Betty?”

“What? Hell I don’t know.”

“Well, thanks for the information. I need to talk to Highkamp and O’Brian. Then Klineside to let him know what’s going to happen to Wilson and Valenzuela.”

“What’s going to happen to Wilson and Valenzuela?”

“I’m going to kill them.”

Arly froze in place.

“You’re going to kill them?”

“They stole my property. Hell! They stole my horse! They threatened me and my wife. I’m not going to put up with any of that.”

“Any way they can get right with you?” Arly asked.

“I suppose if I get my stallion and my rig back and they don’t come after Fiona and me. But how will I trust them to do that?”

“Mick losing those men will cause a real problem in these parts. They support a lot of folks around here.”

“They do, or their businesses do?” I asked.

“Well their mines and ranches do.”

“Right but those won’t close if the owners go down.”

“I suppose,” Arly admitted.

“Look, I didn’t start any of this. I didn’t make Bear draw on me. I didn’t force his girl to take a shot at Fiona. I didn’t make his gang come into town and kill George. I didn’t force Wilson to steal my outfit and keep me in town. And Fiona and I aren’t the ones who refused us service at breakfast. They want to start a fight then I’ll give them a fight.”

Fiona and Betty came in as I was talking to Arly. Fiona had her arm around the sportin girl and Betty looked scared.

“Mick, Betty just told me that she’s been told to keep Arly busy so he doesn’t help you.”

“But I hadn’t asked Arly for any help,” I said.

“But he’s been telling everyone that he would have your back if you needed,” she explained.

I looked at Arly and then at Betty. Arly looked like he’d been stabbed in the heart. I assumed that he had feelings for Betty. I looked at Betty and she broke down crying and ran to Arly and wrapped him in her arms.

“Arly, it’s true. Listen to me, I always liked you, but since we’ve been together and talking I’ve come to love you. Please don’t hate me.”

Arly stood there. It looked like he didn’t know what to say or do. Betty was holding onto him for dear life and crying into the big man’s shoulder. Finally Arly looked at me and said, “What should I do?”

“Don’t ask me. I’m not going to ask you to back me up...”

“Because I’m going to do that!” Fiona said quickly.

“No you are not!” I insisted.

“Mick Llewellyn, I’m your wife AND your partner. They threatened me and my baby. If you think that I’m not going to take that personally, then maybe I married the wrong man.”

I looked at her for what seemed like a long time before I just closed my eyes and nodded my understanding.

“I’m going with you too,” Arly said firmly. “I do love Betty and maybe I’ll marry her but I don’t want to live in a town like this one could become again.”

He pushed Betty out to his arm’s length and looked her over.

“Betty, I’m going with Mick because it’s the right thing to do. I’ve done too much wrong in this town. If I’m going to become the man you’ve talked about this needs to be done. You stay here in town. If I don’t come back remember me as the man who became what you wanted. I love you.”

Arly looked at me and it was as if he’d grown another three inches. He stood up straight and pulled his shoulders back. Betty backed away from him seeing, with pride, the man Arly Conroy now was.

“Mick, I left my outfit in the barn. I’ll be right back.”

“Arly?” Betty asked, “Can I come with you?”

“Yes, please do.”

Arly and Betty headed for the back door and sometime before they got there Betty had Arly’s hand in hers.

“Well. I guess the bartender was right,” I quietly declared.

“How so?” Fiona asked.

“It would appear that we started a trend amongst the sportin girls.”

“No, I don’t think the others will follow along. Betty was here for similar reasons to me. The rest of the girls are just looking for cock wherever and whenever they can get it. Betty and I have been looking for our white knights.”

We sat and talked about how I could find the men I needed to see. Klineside and O’Brian were the first because they were apparently involved by pressure from Wilson. I hoped that if I gave them a good choice they would chose to go against Wilson. The ones that might be hard to turn were Sidel and O’Brian. Sidel because I knocked him out and O’Brian because he seemed like the type to go along to get along.

Arly and Betty returned. Arly had his gun and a rifle as well as his saddlebags. Betty had a big cloth bag slung over her shoulder. They came to our table and sat down.

“OK, Mick. I’ve got all I need. What’s the plan?”

“First will be talking to Klineside, Highkamp and O’Brian. What are the chances that they will be close to town?”

“Well,” Arly began, “O’Brian’s business is here in town and Highkamp and Sidel spend time here and at their mines, but mostly here. So I would go see O’Brian first and impress him with the fact that he’s going to be on the losing side of things. Then see if Sidel or Highkamp are in town.

“Klineside’s place is about a half days ride out of town. I’d go there in the morning. By tomorrow night you could have the four on your side. Then it will be a matter of dealing with Wilson and Valenzuela and their hands. Together they can put thirty to thirty-five men in the field.”

“OK. Let’s go see Mr. Brian O’Brian.”

The three of us walked out of the saloon and Arly led us to the office of Brian O’Brian. We walked in and stood three abreast in front of the offices clerk.

“I’m here to see O’Brian,” I announced.

“May I ask who’s calling?”

“The Phlox Kid.”

“A moment please.”

I turned to Arly and said, “Do you need to go around back in case he runs?”

“He’s not the type to run,” was the reply from the big man.

“No I’m not,” a larger man said from the open office door. “Come on in.”

The clerk came out and took his seat and we followed O’Brian into his office. There were two chairs placed in front of his desk and another two against the wall on either side of the front door. To the right, behind O’Brian’s desk was a door going outside.

He took his seat behind the desk and placed both hand on the desktop.

“Please have a seat.”

“No, thank you,” I said. “We’re here to let you know that I’m...”

“We!” Fiona said firmly. I smiled at her and nodded.

“We are going after Wilson and Venezuela. Our rig has been stolen and he threatened my wife and I. I intend to kill them and anyone else who stands in my way and then go home.”

“And why are you telling me this?” O’Brian said, sounding more calm that I’d have thought him to be.

“Because I’ve been told that you have a tendency of standing on what you think will be the winning side. I’m here to tell you that I’m the winning side so choose your side now so I can kill you and move on or not.”

That got his attention, so I continued.

“O’Brian, I’ll not go back home with the idea that you and Wilson will be coming after Fiona and me. So I’d just as soon kill you now and be done with it before I move on.”

Brian O’Brian sat there in silence, his face getting a little bit pale. He moved his hand slowly from the desktop to the handkerchief in his suit pocket and pulled it out before wiping his brow.

“Mr. Llewellyn, I have to try to placate both side in order to stay in business. I do not agree with what Wilson does. I did not agree with his plan to steal your equipment and I did not agree with his idea to use Bear Nilsson and his gang to act as his enforcers thereby keeping his hands clean.”

“What?”

“You didn’t already know? Wilson brought Nilsson in and gave him the money to gather his men. Then he set them loose on the ranches, mines and towns in the region. If you crossed Wilson in some way, Nilsson’s gang paid you or yours a visit.”

“And you stood by and let him,” Fiona accused.

“Yes. I have a business that keeps all the mines going and he threatened all of it if I didn’t go along. I had to supply his mines with the digging and hauling equipment for free. I saw what Nilsson did to the wives of men who stood up to him.”

“Are you going to come to his aid in any way?” I asked.

“Not unless it looks like you are going to lose. He has to know I’m on his side in a fight or he will have his men come after me, my family, and my men.”

“If you help him, I’ll just come after you.”

“Fair enough. If I have to step in on his side, it will be at the very last minute and only if you are definitely going to lose. I have no choice.”

“Neither do I,” I said just before I drew my pistol and shot him in the shoulder. “Now you can’t help him and he knows you put up a fight.”

Just then his clerk ran in the room with a small pistol and Fiona lifted her gun and said, “He’s going to be alright but only if you get the Doc over here now. Move!”

The clerk looked at O’Brian, who nodded at him.

The three of us turned and left the office of Brian O’Brian and headed to the office of Jones Highkamp.

“Did you have to shoot him, Mick?” Arly asked.

“Yes. If not Wilson might have killed him for helping us. Besides, he needed to be punished for helping Wilson in the first place.”

The office of the Hard Scrabble Mine was a few doors down from O’Brian’s place and the single gunshot had brought people out of their shops and offices. Arly pointed out the building we were looking for and we walked in.

I drew my pistol as soon as I walked in and pointed it at Jones Highkamp. I remembered his face from the meeting. He backed up and sat in a chair.

“I just shot Brian O’Brian. You’re next before I go after Wilson and his friends.”

“No! Don’t shoot!”

“Why not?” I demanded loudly. “I’m told that you back him up.”

“I have to. He’s threatened my wife and children if I don’t. He sent Nilsson’s men to my place and in front of me and my children, ripped off my wife’s clothes and did everything but rape her. She’s still afraid to walk outside alone.”

“I’m going to kill him like I killed Nilsson. Are you going to back him?”

“No. Do I need to send men with you?”

I stopped to think about that. I looked at Fiona and Arly.

“What do you to think?”

“More guns are not a bad idea. That is if we can trust them’” Arly said. “Jones, how many men do you have that might also be working for Wilson?”

Jones sat there and looked to the floor. When he raised his head he looked at us and said, “I don’t really know. I know a few are loyal to me but I’m sure that a few will change to Wilson’s side if pushed to it.”

I thought about it for a few seconds and then looked Highkamp in the eyes.

“Pick out a few men you know you can trust to work for you. I’ll swing by to gather them before we ride out to Klineside’s place in the morning. We’ll ride from there to Wilson’s.”

“Wilson knows you’re coming. He’s got Valenzuela’s men at his place and told me to send mine as well. If I send the men who will fight with him he won’t know that some are riding with you.”

“So he’s asked for your men to bolster his and Valenzuela’s. Good. Have your men at the livery in the morning. Now I’m going to see Sidel.”

“Don’t,” Jones said quickly.

“Why not?”

“He’s sworn to kill you on sight for hitting him. You cut open his head pretty bad.”

“He insulted Fiona. He’s lucky to be alive.”

“Mick? What did he say?” Fiona asked.

“When I told Wilson he was keeping me from my wedding night, Sidel said they knew I was fucking you, Red, just like he had and that, for you, our wedding night is just another night with just another cock.” So I split his head open with my Colt.”

“He said that?”

“Yes and that’s why I hit him.”

“Thank you, my man.”

“You’re more than welcome, my love.”

“Now, let’s go so I can split open the other side of his skull,” Fiona said looking at Jones with a smile.

He looked at her and then at me and Arly and said, “You’re really going to do this, aren’t you?”

“We are,” Fiona answered before I could speak. “And I’m going to nail their scalps over the saloon door.”

She turned to head for the door and Arly and I followed. I caught up with her and took her hand. She turned her face towards me and very seriously said, “I’m going to race you to see who kills him first.”

We walked several more doors down and stopped in front of the entrance to the office of the Sidel Copper Mine. The three of us drew our guns and I kicked the door open. We rushed in to find six men inside. All looked rough and I recognized Sidel.

“The first man that makes a move will get his boss and himself killed.”

While I spoke, Fiona walked to the man with the bandaged head. She tore off the bandage and before he could finish his scream of pain and shock she said, “So you told my husband that you had me, huh? So now have this!”

She brought her pistol down on the side of his head that didn’t already have a bloody gash and knocked him unconscious. He fell out of his chair and onto the floor, a pool of blood quickly forming around his head.

“That’s for insulting me, Jeremy Sidel. And this is for standing with Cole Wilson and Bear Nilsson and for the rape.”

Then she shot him in the head before putting her pistol back in its holster. She turned to me and reached for the knife I always carried. She drew it out and went to the dead man.

“How do I do this, Mick?!” She demanded loudly.

“Grab the hair, lift it and slide the knife underneath and along the skull bone. Quickly cut back as far as you want, then cut up to separate the scalp from the skin.”

She did like I’d told her and she lifted the bloody scalp and showed it to Sidel’s men.

“This is what’s coming for you if you ride to back Wilson and Valenzuela. We just found out that they and your boss were backing Nilsson and his men in their raids. If you work in the mine, keep working. If you are hired guns, get to shooting so I can get to scalping.”

She moved the scalp to the same hand that held the knife and then pulled her pistol. The three of us watched as the five men dropped their guns to the floor. The oldest of the men spoke up.

“We’re miners and want no part in this fight. That’s what we came to tell the boss. But now what do we do?”

“You go back to work,” I said. “If he had family, you tell them that you’ll run the mine and keep things going until a new owner comes along. Although this would seem to be a good chance for the miners to take ownership and send a share to the Sidel family.”

“Good idea,” the oldest miner said. “The clerks can do the business and we’ll do the mining. The Sidel men remaining are miners and not gunmen. You’ll have no troubles from us.”

“Thank you,” I said and the three of us left the office of the Sidel Copper Mine.

“Fiona,” I asked. “Are you OK?”

“Yes. Why?”

“Because your shaking.”

Fiona looked down at her hands. Both were shaking. The one holding the knife and scalp was shaking the most.