sure ’nuff will when he finds out as how I done went and betrayed him. Pair of you fellers might want me to wake up shovelin’ coal in the Devil’s f-favorite furnace, but I know for sure Ax would send me there and not even bat an eye.”
“Well, trust me when I tell you that I’m not gonna kill you today. And I won’t let Boz kill you, either. Or Glorious Johnson, yonder. You cough up the information I need, and we’ll leave you a pistol with one pristine, brain-ready bullet in it. Then we’ll hit the trail runnin’ and let you figure out how best to write the end of your own sorry story. Ax Webb don’t need to have any hand in that.”
“Awww, sweet, merciful Jaysus,” Cutner moaned. “Why’ve I always been so put-upon? Go to my grave not bein’ able to understand why I’ve had to deal with meddlin’, badge-totin’ assholes like you three bastards all my natural l-life, Dodge. Sweet glorious God, save me from lawmen.”
“Sweet dancin’ Christ,” Boz mumbled. “Ain’t nothin’ about your life’s been natural, Eagle. Been rapin’ and killin’ folks all over Texas, Oklahoma, Arizona, and New Mexico for years. ’Bout time the law caught up with you and put a stop to all the mayhem you’re responsible for.”
“Besides, Ax Webb is responsible for the deaths of a boatload of people out on the Devils River,” I said. “You’re gonna tell us where he went. One way or the other.”
Cutner crawfished to the stone house’s back wall. He left a trail of blood in the dirt as he elbowed his way to a sitting position. Groaned like a dying calf, then said, “Don’t know nothing ’bout no killin’s out on Devils River. Didn’t have nothin’ to do with any killin’s done there.”
’Course, he was right about that. Said, “We know you weren’t there when Senator Webb and his family were murdered. Otherwise you’d already be dead.”
“Wish I wuz already dead, by God,” Cutner said, then stared at a bloody hand as though it didn’t belong on the end of his own arm. “What you sons a bitches done to me’s worse’n gettin’ kilt.”
“Keep jerkin’ us around, and you’re gonna be dead and right soon. Can assure that eventuality quicker’n double-geared lightnin’,” Boz snorted. “Send you to Satan myself. Keep on talkin’ and not sayin’ anything useful and I can guarantee it won’t take much for me to grant your wish and put a bullet in your brain pan, then ride on out of here.”
The message of real, impending death must’ve finally bored its way into Cutner’s worthless brain. The man damn near shouted when he said, “Uvalde. Webb said as how he ’uz goin’ back to Uvalde
“What in the blue-eyed hell would he wanna go and do that for?” Boz snapped.
Cutner groaned again. Sounded right pitiful when he whined, “Gimme some kinda rag so’s I can wipe away some of this blood, Dodge. Swear I’ll tell you boys whatever you wanna know. Just help me out some, fellers. Please.”
I turned and hooked a thumb at Glo. He nodded, ripped a square of rag off whatever he’d been using on Clem. I strolled to Cutner’s side and dropped it over the man’s oozing crotch.
“Thank God,” the outlaw wheezed. “ ’Pears as how I’ve just ’bout finally stopped bleedin’, but this’ll sure ’nuff help.”
He mopped at his damaged goods for almost a minute before Boz got tired of waiting. “That’s enough. Get to talking, you scurvy dog. We’ve wasted all the time we’re going to on you.”
Cutner rolled his head from side to side. Looked to me like he might puke again. But he surprised me. Suddenly, inexplicably, the man got control of himself. In a stronger voice he said, “Ax went back to his brother’s house. Said he was pretty sure the man had a safe full of money there. Said he musta just missed it the first time he searched the place.”
Boz nodded and mumbled to himself, “Makes sense to me.”
Cutner swatted at flies buzzing around his crotch. “Ole Ax is obsessed,” he said. “Wanted that brother of his dead. Wanted all the man’s money. And by God he’s intent on having both of ’em.”
“Safe fulla money, huh?” Boz said.
“Yeah. Swear that’s all I know, fellers. Swear it.” He cried and whimpered some more before adding, “Don’t know nothin’ else. If you’re gonna kill me, might as well get at it right now. Gonna leave me here to bleed out, best head east and burn leather for Uvalde. Bet everything I ever had, that’s where Ax Webb is right this minute.”
I turned to Boz. “If Axel didn’t find whatever it is he’s looking for the first time he searched the place, it’ll likely take him a spell this time for sure. Bet he’ll still be digging around inside the senator’s house a week from now. Means he’ll likely have to tear the place down to the foundation ’fore he finds anything.”
“Guess there’s no real hurry then, is there,” Boz said.
“Not for you and Glo,” I said.
Boz strolled over so he could stand next to me. He turned his back on Cutner and went to whispering. “What the hell’s that mean, Lucius?”
“I want you and Glo to take the girl back to the ranch. See to it she’s cared for. Figure the ordeal should be a lot easier on her if she’s back there. I’ll deal with her sorrier’n hell uncle.”
Boz twisted his neck back and forth. I could hear the bones grind and pop against each other. “We’ve been through somethin’ of a shit storm with this ’un, Lucius. I figured on seein’ it right up to the gruesome end—whatever that might turn out to be. Cain’t say as how I’m all that happy with your plan.”
I placed a hand on my friend’s shoulder. “You’ve gotta get Clementine out of here and back to the ranch, Boz. Doubt Glo can do the job alone. Might turn out a full-time nursin’ task ’fore she’s able to get up and get around again. Not sure any of us should take on such a chore single-handed. Figured as how you wouldn’t mind goin’ on back with him. Girl’s life might depend on it. ’Tween the two of you, I have no doubt Clem’ll be seen to with all proper diligence.”
“And Ax Webb? What’re you gonna do about him, Lucius?”
“Don’t you worry bout that skunk, ole friend. I’ll take care of Axel Webb myself.”
About then, I heard Glo say, “Mistuh Dodge. Mistuh Dodge. Gots to get over here. Little girl done woke up.”
With Boz hot on my heels, I hoofed it to a spot beside the filthy bed. I took Clem’s tiny hand in mine. The beaten girl’s eyes were so swollen, I bent as close as I could in the hope she might be able to see me. Near to whispering when I said, “Clem. Can you hear me, Clem? It’s Ranger Dodge. Come on, darlin’, say something for me.”
A single, crystalline tear rolled from the corner of one blackened eye and streamed down the side of her bruised, encrusted cheek like a miniature salty creek. Her voice sounded like a rat-tailed file going through petrified oak when she said, “Ranger Dodge?”
Tell you true, friends, at that unexpected moment, my heart soared. Never figured to get such a response from anyone as badly beaten as she appeared. “Yes, child. It’s Ranger Dodge. I’m right here with Boz and Glo. We came for you, darlin’. Came as fast as we could. You’re gonna be okay. We’ll see to it.”
She twisted atop the sorry pile of raggedy, blood-spattered bedding. “Sorry I ran away. S-should’ve waited. But I was so angry. So angry. Made a terrible, terrible mistake. All my fault. Hope you can forgive me.”
I bent over and placed as tender a kiss as I could manage on her blood-smeared brow—perhaps the only undamaged spot on her entire body. Leaned back and whispered, “Oh, none of this is your fault, darlin’, none of it. Whole of this tragedy falls on the head of a single man, and I’m gonna make it right. Just like I swore to you I would out by Devils River. Gonna make it right.”
Not sure the terribly damaged child heard anything I said after I planted that kiss on her forehead. When I’d wiped away a tear of my own and checked once more, she looked to have lost consciousness again.
I placed her limp hand on the bed. “Glo, I want you to carry Clem outside. Take her up on the hill where we left the horses. Got one more thing I’ve gotta do. Then we can all be on our way.”
Glo nodded. He lifted Clem from the bed as if she didn’t weigh any more than a bag of feathers. Boz and I watched as they disappeared through the door.
I glanced over at Boz. He forced a tight, crooked smile, then said, “Misjudged you, Dodge. Sounds to me like you’ve got somethin’ special in mind for the phantom-like Mr. Webb.”
Came near whispering again when I said, “Yes. Something special. Something very special.” I bumped him on the arm with my fist and added, “Gimme ole Mad Dog’s pistol.”
On my way to the sorry pile of human flesh propped against the back wall, I shucked all the shells from his big Smith & Wesson. I squatted in front of the man and made a show of shoving one bullet back into the empty
