Poverty Hill
Copyright© 2026 by Asa Strong
Chapter 6
I must have slept like a log, cause damn if I weren’t woke up by someone poundin’ on the door.
“Hold your britches. I’ll be there in a second.”
I glanced at the clock and it was 8:34 in the morning. I must a been really beat to sleep this late.
I managed to pull on my jeans and answered the door.
Surprise! Surprise! If’n it weren’t that gal deputy looking like someone rained all over her parade.
“What the hell you want?” I asked.
With a sneer on her face, she answered, “Evidently what I want doesn’t matter. I’ve been ordered to baby sit you while you check out the place that guy was killed.”
I nodded my head and let her in. After she entered, I turned and said, “Well you don’t seem too pleased with the idea.”
“You got that. If I had my way, you’d have your ass in the slammer.”
I laughed, “Yea, no doubt. But we have to go back into town anyway. I need a copy of the authorization from the judge.”
“Nope, I’ve got it here.” She said and then reached into her jacket and handed me a piece of paper.
I read it to make sure everything was OK. It seemed to meet my requirements, so I folded it back up.
“Let me get dressed. I’ll be out in a few minutes.”
I quickly got dressed and also pulled out a couple of changes of clothing to take with me. I rolled them up and then headed back out to the kitchen, where I found Lisa sitting at the table.
My head was finally startin’ to clear from waking up so suddenly and I noticed how she was dressed. She had on a pair of short jackboots, cotton pants, her deputy shirt and a light jacket and no hat.
“Judas Priest woman, we get caught in a storm and you’ll freeze to death.”
She looked up at me, “I’m fine. It’s not that cold out this morning.”
“Yeah,” I answered, “not here, but wait until we get back in them mountains and the sun goes down. You’ll be singing a whole different song then.”
“Listen,” she spat out, “I can take care of myself. I don’t need some damn cowboy tellin’ me what to do.”
I shook my head. Why the hell do people have to be so dumb?
“Well, then I guess you’re going out there by yourself. I sure as hell don’t need to be bringing back your dead body.”
She stood up and started to puff up, and turned red in the face.
I held up my hand, and then said, “I’m not gonna argue with you. I’ve lived here all my life and know what to expect out there. You don’t have a clue and I’ll be damned if I’ll be a party to what will happen. You either get it through your thick skull to listen to me or this whole damn thing is off. I ain’t too happy with the whole thing to start with.”
“You just don’t like taking orders from a woman!” She hollered.
I shook my head, “Nope, that ain’t it. I’ll listen to anyone that makes sense. You don’t know what you’re doing and I don’t want any part of this mess. Now, you either listen to what I have to say or go explain to the sheriff why we ain’t a goin’ out there.”
“Yeah, I’ll bet. You men probably cooked this all up to make me look bad!” She retorted.
I obviously weren’t gettin’ through to this gal. I sat down at the table, wishing I had a cup of coffee.
“Look,” I said, in a quite voice, “I’ve seen enough people die from being ignorant. I don’t need another ‘n. We’re pro’lly gonna be out there two maybe three days. At night it will get down to about ten degrees; might even snow. This has nothing to do with you being a woman and everything to do with keeping us both alive.”
She looked at me for a moment. I could see her face soften a bit and then she sat down, opposite of me.
“What do I have to do?”
Finally, I thought. Maybe there was some hope here in this situation.
“First thing, you need warmer clothing, a heaver jacket, and a hat that covers your ears. Those boots you’ve got on have to go. You have a pair of high-heeled cowboy boots and heavy socks? If so, I’d put ‘em on and wear ‘em.”
She looked at me, “Is it really going to be that cold?”
“Could be worse, could have a big snow storm as well. This time of year you never know.”
“OK,” she said, “I’ll take your word. But if you screw me over on this I’ll make you’re life miserable!”
I laughed, “Lisa, you’d have to stand in a long line if’n you want to do that.”
She stood up, “I’m going to go back and change. Oh, the sheriff said you could use one of our weapons if you wanted.”
“I’ll pass on the guns, I’ve got my own. You head back and change. Also, if’n you don’t have a hitch on whatever you’re drivin’, pick up one of the sheriff’s broncos with a hitch on it. We’ll need to pull two trailers. Also, bring a couple extra sets of clothes. It’s not hard to get wet out there, and runnin’ around in wet duds can be a might uncomfortable.”
I thought she was gonna to say somethin’ else, but she just nodded her head and walked out the door.
I grabbed my clothes and headed out to the barn to get things ready.
By the time Santos returned, I’d loaded Dumb Ass and Legs into the double horse trailer and Li’l Lady in the single trailer. I’d also packed up all the supplies and had just finished packin’ the vittles.
She had brought one of the Bronco’s and I had her pull up to the single trailer and hitched it up.
In another fifteen minutes, we had everythin’ packed and I only had to grab my weapons.
I made a pot of coffee after Lisa had left and we went back to the house trailer for a cup and me to get my weapons.
I sat Lisa at the table and I went into my bedroom to get my guns. I uncased my Winchester, .243 rifle and grabbed two boxes of shells from the top shelf. After putting on a shoulder holster for the pistol I grabbed the pistol case off the closet shelf and returned to the kitchen.
Lisa looked at me as I entered, but didn’t say anything.
I hadn’t had any need for a pistol since I was in the army, and wanted to make sure everything was still in working order. I opened the hard case and pulled the weapon from the foam inset.
“That is one ugly gun!” Lisa said.
I laughed, she was right, but it also was one of the best as well.
“Yeah, it do look ugly, but I’ll tell yah, it hit’s what I aim at.”
I dropped the clip and checked the chamber to make sure it was empty and then handed it to Lisa.
“This feels nice, what kind of gun is it?”
“That lady is a SIG-Sauer P226 in nine millimeter.”
“And that is supposed to mean something?” She asked.
“Well, there are some that would say it’s ‘bout the best combat automatic pistol you can get. An’ I’d be one of ‘em too.”
While she handled the weapon, I loaded two clips. When she returned my weapon I jacked in a clip and ratcheted a shell into the chamber.”
“You going to carry that with a shell in the chamber?” She asked.
I looked at her, “If’n I need this thing, I don’t want to be messin’ with havin’ to load up first.” I said, pushin’ the decocking lever on the weapon. When the hammer had lowered into the safe position, I put it in my shoulder holster.
Next I turned my attention to the rifle. As I was loading the stubby Winchester super short mag’s Lisa looked at me and asked.
“That’s a strange looking cartridge.”
I chuckled. This weren’t the first time I’d heard that.
“They’re a hunnert grain magnums. They shoot a long way. But more important, I can hit what I aim at.”
She had a doubtful look on her face, but didn’t say anythin’.
After I hunted up the scabbard for the rifle and checked to make sure I didn’t miss anythin’, then we headed out.
I had to keep it purty slow driving towards where I’d found the dead guy. Lisa was followin’ me, an’ for sure she had never pulled a trailer before. Last thing I needed was for her to run off into a ditch.
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