Texas Iron

“I’ll tell you what,” John Burkett said. “I’ll make it easy for you. You kill for money, right?”

“Sometimes.”

“I have some money,” Burkett said. “I’ll pay you to kill Evan McCall.”

“What?”

“How much do you want?” Burkett asked. “A hundred? Two hundred? No, a man like you would charge more than that, wouldn’t he? What’s my father paying you for Sam McCall?”

“That’s between him and me.”

“All right,” John Burkett said, “A thousand. I’ll pay you a thousand dollars to kill Evan McCall.”

Coffin studied the young man for a few moments and then said, “Pay me up front and you have a deal.”

Burkett smiled and stood up.

“I’ll go to the bank right now.”

“I’ll be waiting right here.”

John Burkett left the saloon, happy as a kid on Christmas morning.

Sam reined in his horse, and Jubal looked at him eagerly.

“Is it near here?”

“I think so,” Sam said. “Come on, it can’t be much farther.” Jubal hoped not. Sweat was running down his back, and his shirt was sticking to him.

“I hope there’s water near this cat’s lair,” he said, half to himself.

When John Burkett returned to the saloon he was happy to find Coffin still sitting there. It looked like he was even working on the same beer.

Burkett approached the table and dropped a white envelope down on it. Some of the other men in the place looked over curiously, but when they saw that whatever was taking place was happening at Coffin’s table they quickly averted their eyes.

“There’s your money,” Burkett said. “Do it…now.”

“Sam McCall’s out of town.”

“Evan McCall is over at Dude Miller’s store, mooning over Miller’s daughter.”

“She’s pretty enough to moon over,” Coffin said. “Tell me, what will you do if Evan McCall kills me?”

“That can’t happen,” John Burkett said, and then stared at Coffin and asked, “Can it?”

Coffin laughed softly and said, “Not hardly.”

“When Sam McCall comes back to town and hears that you killed his brother, he’ll come looking for you for sure.”

Coffin picked up the money, stood up and stuffed the envelope into his shirt.

“I won’t be hard to find.”

“Just a few minutes more, Evan,” Serena said, apologetically. “I’m just helping Pa with his inventory.”

“Take your time, Serena,” Evan said. “I’m not in a hurry.”

Evan was looking over some of the items on Dude Miller’s shelves when Coffin entered.

“There you are,” Coffin said.

“You looking for me?”

“I’m looking for a McCall,” Coffin said, “and I guess you’re it”

“I’m…what?”

“I’ve decided to kill a McCall today,” Coffin said, just as Serena came through the storeroom door.

“Are you crazy?” Serena asked him.

Coffin turned to her and touched his hat.

“No, ma’am,” Coffin said, “I’m just doing what has to be done.” Coffin looked at Evan and said, “I’ll be waiting for you outside, McCall.”

“And if I don’t come out?”

“If you don’t come out,” Coffin said, “I’ll come in here and get you. If I do that, the place might get damaged. Heck, the little lady might even get hurt.”

With that Coffin turned and walked outside. Evan took out his gun, checked the loads, and slid it back into the holster. He eased it in and out a few times, just to be sure it wouldn’t stick.

“My God,” Serena said, “you’re not going to do it, are you?”

“Do what?” Dude Miller asked, entering the room.

“What’s going on?”

“Coffin has called Evan out,” Serena said. She looked at Evan and said, “Isn’t that what they say, he ‘called you out—?”

“I suppose so.”

“And he’s going,” Serena said to her father.

“Dude,” Evan said, “keep her inside.”

“Evan—”

“Just keep her inside. All right?”

Dude Miller nodded and said, “All right.”

Evan eased his gun in and out of his holster one more time and then walked to the door. His heart was beating so hard it sounded like thunder in his ears.

“There it is!” Sam said. “That’s the cat’s lair.”

“Are you sure that’s it?” Jubal asked.

“Yep,” Sam said, “I recognize the rock formation.”

They both stared at the formation of rocks that amounted to a small hill. Halfway up there was a wide crack between two rocks.

“That’s where it was,” Sam said, pointing. “Halfway up.

See it?”

“I see it.”

Sam dismounted and started walking toward it.

“Sam!” Jubal called.

“What?”

“What if there’s a cat in there?”

Sam stopped short and turned to face his brother.

“You’re gettin’ smart in your old age, little brother.”

The townspeople already knew that something was happening. Coffin was standing in the street, waiting, and that was a sure tip-off. They didn’t know who he was waiting for, but they were lining up to watch.

Evan McCall stepped out of the store onto the boardwalk and looked at Coffin. The way the town was built, neither man would have the sun directly in his eyes when they were facing each other.

Small consolation, Evan thought. This is crazy. I can’t outdraw him. He was convinced his only chance was to draw sure and easy and make his first shot count. He knew that Coffin would get off the first shot, he just had to hope that it wouldn’t be a fatal one. He needed time to get off one shot.

It was his only chance.

Sam and Jubal gathered up as much brush as they could find, and then they climbed the rocks together. Jubal held the brush while Sam lit it, and when it was flaring well he tossed it into the lair, and they scrambled back down to the ground.

Sam grabbed his rifle from his saddle and they settled down to watch. If there was a big cat in there the smoke would drive him out eventually.

“This is the way Pa did it,” Sam said, holding the rifle in both hands. When the cat came out he’d come out fast, and Sam was going to have to be just a fraction of a second faster.

Evan walked out into the street and faced Coffin. Dude and Serena Miller moved to the window to look out.

“I thought he was gonna kill Sam McCall,” somebody said.

“When McCall finds out about this,” someone else said, “he’s gonna have to.”