thing.
“Who is this guy?” the guard asked. “Can you take him?”
“I guess I’ll have to see.”
“If you agree,” the man said, “he’ll step out and I can gun him.”
“No,” Shaye said, “if I agree, then I’ll face him—one on one. If he beats me, you’ll be on your own—unless you want to leave now.”
The guard considered the offer.
“You’ll have to put your gun down,” Shaye added. “If I agree, this is not a good situation for you. If you want to leave, I’ll understand.”
“Is it just you and me?” the guard asked.
“The sheriff is around back,” Shaye said, “and there’s three more deputies outside.”
The guard started to sweat and for a moment Shaye thought he’d take him up on his offer.
“Okay,” the man said, “I—I’ll stay.”
“Good man.”
“Shaye! What’s your answer?” Delay shouted.
“You step out, Vic,” Shaye said. “We’ll do it.”
Shaye didn’t know what he’d do if Delay told him to come back there, instead. If he agreed, there’d be two other guns back there and he couldn’t depend on them to play fair. But he figured Jeb would send Delay out, so he could start on the vault.
“Okay,” Delay said. “I’m comin’ out. I’m gonna take you at your word, Shaye.”
“I give you my word.”
Shaye holstered his gun, motioned the guard to move out from behind the tellers’ cages, and then followed. There was room for all of them back there, but he wanted more.
Then, as an afterthought, Shaye turned to the people against the wall and said, “Everybody out—now!”
They didn’t wait to be told twice. The employees and the only customer ran for the door, shocked into movement despite the fear that had them frozen in place.
Samms and Leslie began to slowly walk up the street in the direction of the bank. Across from them Thomas and James kept pace. All four knew that the minute one of them stepped into the street it would be time for guns.
“What are we doin’?” James asked.
“We’ll just follow them,” Thomas said. “Just keep up with them and see what they’re gonna do.”
“What if they try to go into the bank?” James asked.
“That’s when we’ll stop them.”
So they all kept moving—until they were within sight of the bank. Thomas and James could see the bank from their side of the street. Samms and Leslie could not. And the guard on the roof couldn’t see the outlaws, just the lawmen, but still had no reason to think anything was amiss.
And then all of them saw people running from the bank.
76
Shaye heard the shots from outside just as Vic Delay stepped out from the vault area. He was still partially hidden by the tellers’ cages.
“Tell the guard to put his rifle down,” Delay said.
“Do it,” Shaye said.
The guard set his rifle down on a nearby desk.
Delay came out from behind the cages, his gun in his holster.
“Sounds like some excitement outside,” he said. “Your sons?”
“Probably taking care of the rest of your gang.”
“Or bein’ taken care of,” Delay said. “Wanna check?”
“I’ll check,” Shaye said, “after we’re done here.”
Delay was trying to distract Shaye from the task at hand, gain a little edge.
“Come on, Vic,” Shaye said. “You’re the one with the big rep as a killer. Let’s see if you deserve it.”
“I deserve it,” Delay said and drew…
Outside, as soon as the people ran into the street, Samms and Leslie reacted by drawing their guns.
“What the hell—” Leslie said.
When they drew their weapons, Thomas and James stepped into the street and produced theirs. They thought the two outlaws were going to shoot at the fleeing people.
“Hold it!” Thomas shouted.
The two men turned to face them and the four guns began to blaze. Having learned a valuable lesson once before, James moved before he fired. He stepped left, dropped to a knee, and fired two shots at Leslie. Both struck home, putting the man on his back in the street. On his back Leslie pulled the trigger of his gun twice, firing harmless into the dirt.
Thomas drew easily, standing fast, and put a bullet in the chest of Bill Samms. The outlaw pulled the trigger of his own gun once, but he was dead before the bullet struck a building across the street.
At the sound of the shots, Jeb Collier turned and shot Lou Tanner in the head. One less person to share with.
“Wha—” Belinda snapped, not believing her eyes.
The bank manager turned from his task of filling a money bag and Jeb shot him as well, grabbing the bag of money.
“Jeb—” Belinda said.
He turned to her and said, “This is for not tellin’ me about my boy.”
“No!” she screamed. Belinda put her hands up, but they were no match for the two bullets he fired. One went through her palm and into her chest, the other hit her in the abdomen.
Jeb ran for the bank manager’s office.
Inside the bank Shaye drew his gun very deliberately. In his haste to beat him to the punch, Vic Delay’s first shot went wide. Shaye, slower but more accurate, shot the killer in the chest.
At that moment he heard the shots from the vault area and the girl’s scream.
“Come on!” he said to the guard.
Behind the bank Ben Collier heard the shots from inside. He ran to the window and at that moment Riley Cotton stepped into the open with his shotgun.
“Right there!” he said.
Ben turned, saw the sheriff, and went for his gun. Cotton triggered both barrels and Ben was flung away from the window, landing in a bloody mess several feet away. The horses, spooked by the shooting, ran right over the body in their haste to get away.
Jeb Collier entered the bank manager’s office carrying one bag of cash in his left hand and his gun in his right. He saw Ben looking in the window, but before he could say a word his brother disappeared in a red mist. Jeb figured his only chance was to get out, so he ran and leaped head first out the window.
Cotton lowered his now-empty shotgun and started walking toward the body, but before he took two steps, a man came flying out the window. He rolled, came up on one knee, and pointed his gun at Cotton, who figured he was dead. In that split second he thought of his wife, then dropped the shotgun and grabbed for his pistol, even though he knew it was too late.
Shaye came through the door in time to see Jeb dive out the window. He ran to it, saw Jeb on one knee pointing his gun, and fired twice. Both bullets struck the bank robber. His blood sprayed the cash bag, which fell to the ground a second before he did. It spilled its contents and Jeb fell onto a blanket of cash.
Shaye stuck his head out the window, looked both ways, and saw Cotton to his right.
“You okay?” he asked.
“Thanks to you. Inside?”
