They jerked him forward. 'Come along, here, or we'll handcuff your hands behind you and drag you by your bootstraps.'
They had gone about ten yards deep into the alley. Longarm could see the light at the other end and, in that light, he could see a figure approaching. He jerked backward, forcing the men to stop. The figure was coming closer and closer. Now the two deputies seemed content to just hold him in place. As the figure approached, it turned into a man, and in a few more steps, it turned into Morton Colton.
Longarm said, 'I'll be a son of a bitch. So this is what you two boys are up to.'
The deputy holding his left hand suddenly curled his arm around Longarm's neck, jerking his chin back. He said, 'Shut your mouth, mister. You're fixing to get yours right now.'
Longarm was forced to look over his cheekbones at Colton as he came forward. He could see that the man was working a pair of heavy leather gloves onto his fists. Longarm didn't think he'd have to guess what was fixing to happen to him.
Colton stopped some three or four yards away. Even in the gloom of the alley, Longarm could see the glitter of hatred in the man's eyes. Colton reached up and swept off his planter's hat and threw it to the ground. He said, smacking one fist into the palm of the other, 'Now, Mr. Long, you're going to get yours. I warned you that you were making a big mistake. You didn't understand then. Now, I'm going to beat you to a bloody pulp, you son of a bitch.'
Longarm said, 'Takes two to hold me and you to hit me? You're some man, Colton.'
Colton said, 'Talk all you want, big shot. You're fixing to get your face caved in and then, when you're down, I'm going to kick the living shit out of you.'
As Colton started forward, Longarm suddenly flung his weight hard against the man at his left. He felt the man give slightly, felt the hold around his neck loosen. As they swayed to the left, he used that momentum to pull the man on his right with them. Then, with a sudden shift of his weight, Longarm cocked his right arm and swung his body hard to the right, driving his elbow into the deputy's stomach. He felt his elbow go deep into the man's midriff, heard the swoosh of breath as it left the man, felt the solid contact as he shoved all of his weight into the blow. The man released Longarm's right arm and staggered backward. Out of the corner of his eye, Longarm could see him bent over. He didn't pause.
In an instant, he had pivoted back toward his left, bringing up his big right hand, making it into a fist, letting his body turn, throwing all his weight now back to his left. The deputy that he had shoved against was now standing there with a surprised look on his face. Longarm hit him flush in the mouth, driving his fist through the man's face, feeling a bone crunch. He hit the man as hard as he could. The deputy dropped almost as if he had been hit by a bullet. In another instant, Longarm was coming back to his right. He knew there would be trouble in that direction. As he turned, he went down to his right knee. The deputy he'd struck in the stomach was now some three or four yards back. He was drawing his gun. Longarm hesitated. He didn't want to have to kill the man. He was, after all, wearing a badge.
It had to be a split-second decision. Longarm did not believe the deputy was going to draw the gun just to arrest him again. He felt sure the man was going to fire. All that flashed through his mind in that flicker of an instant it took to assess the situation. The deputy's gun was almost clear of the leather when Longarm drew. He fired once, the bullet striking the deputy high in the middle of his chest. He went staggering backward and slammed into the wall of a building, the gun falling from his lifeless hand. He slid slowly down to a sitting position and then toppled over.
Longarm was already swinging around, looking for Colton. He saw the man backing away. Ten yards now separated them. He said, 'Colton, you son of a bitch, halt!'
But Colton was starting into a back-pedaling run. Longarm cocked his revolver, aiming carefully, the fury rising in his brain like whiskey fumes. He was about to fire when a voice behind him yelled.
'Mr. Long! Mr. Long! Stop! Hold it!'
Longarm knew it could not possibly be the deputy he had hit in the face, and he didn't have any idea who it could be. He swiveled his head around in a quick move. It was Frank Carson. Longarm said, 'What the hell?'
Carson came running up, touching his shoulder. He said, 'Mr. Long, you've got to get out of here! You just killed that deputy.'
Longarm sighted back down the alley. 'Yeah, but I'm going to kill this fucking Colton before I do.'
It was going to be a hard shot. Colton was fast disappearing into the gloom of the alley. Longarm was about to squeeze off a shot when Frank Carson shook him by the shoulder. He said, 'No! Let him go! You're in enough trouble as it is. I've got to get you the hell out of here.'
Longarm rose from his knee, holstering his revolver as he did. He said, 'What do you mean, you've got to get me out of here? All I was doing was defending my life.'
Carson pointed at the deputy dead against the wall. He said, 'You just killed a law officer.'
Longarm said, 'Law officer my ass. That son of a bitch was doing Colton's dirty work for him. Besides that, he drew on me first. I let him get halfway out of the holster before I drew.'
Carson said, 'I know. I saw it, but that don't change anything. I've still got to get you out of here.' Longarm stared at him, his mind working.
CHAPTER 4
Longarm stared at the tall man for a long moment. He said, 'Why do you have to get me out of here?'
'Because you're a dead man if I don't.'
Longarm looked at him closely. 'What the hell do you care?'
Carson shrugged. He said, 'I don't know. Maybe it's just because I don't like Colton and his bunch. Is that reason enough for you?'
Longarm said, 'I tell you, I was in the right. Colton was fixing to-'
Carson interrupted him. He said, 'I know what was fixing to happen. I saw all of it. I saw them take you off the sidewalk and into the alley. I just got here too late to keep you from killing that deputy. I was planning on stopping it myself, but I was across the street. It happened too fast.'
