?No, sir, I?d have to admit that I am not.?
?So you want us to pass this declaration of emergency and in effect write you a blank check to do as you wish in our community, is that it?? Bright asked.
?That is exactly what I?m asking, sir.?
?And our alternative?? Jones asked.
Longarm shrugged. ?You go your way and I go mine, gentlemen. I worry about finding Jessie and Paul Markham, while you and Charlie here hunt for the White Hoods and the missing money.?
All three supervisors glanced toward their thoroughly cowed young deputy. Charlie Frye wasn?t even old enough to shave on a regular basis, but he was all the local law that was left in Thunderbird Canyon now. Not that Markham and Mayes would have been any better, really, but Longarm refrained from saying so.
Hightower harrumphed and straightened his tie. He leaned forward and rapped his knuckles on the table. ?Gen tlemen, I call this emergency meeting of the Board of Supervisors to order. Do I hear a motion for approval of a Declaration of Emergency??
?And a request for assistance from the United States Government,? Longarm added.
?Yes, uh, and that too.?
?So moved, ? Jones said.
?Second,? Bright added.
?Roll call vote, Mr. Secretary.?
Bright was acting as secretary, Hightower apparently as president
?Bright. Aye. Jones??
?Aye.?
?Hightower??
?Aye.?
?The motion is carried, Mr. President.?
?So ordered, Mr. Secretary.?
?Thank you, gentlemen.? Longarm stood. Lordy, but he was tired. But there was no help for that. Like the old saying went, he could catch up on his sleep next winter. Right now there was work to do.
Chapter Twenty-Five
At 3:45 A.M. the three men representing the security forces of the three Thunderbird Canyon mines arrived. There was Phil Neal from the Huckman, Dan Sawyer for the Tyler, and a badly shaken Arnold Batson for the Arrabie. Batson?s boss Jack Thomas had died in the explosion, and his second-in-command had not yet had time to get used to the idea that he was now in charge of things for the Arrabie. All three men had had to be pulled away from the rescue efforts still going on at the bank site.
?Thanks for coming, boys,? Longarm told them.
?You better have a damn good reason for bringing us here,? Neal said. ?There?s a chance somebody could still be alive under that shit.?
?Of course there might be,? Longarm said evenly, not believing it for a moment. ?But you men being there won?t make the difference. I need you here.?
?You need? Who gives a fat crap what you need, mister??
?It?s Marshal, not mister, and as of thirty-five minutes ago, Mr. Neal, you care what I want. The county supervi sors have declared a state of emergency, and as of now I?m in charge of this canyon and everything that happens in it. More particularly, I?m in charge of everything that goes out of it.?
?You don?t mind if we check up on what you say, do you?? Sawyer asked.
?Of course not.? Longarm produced the signed proclamation Hightower had given him, and let each of the three inspect the document.
?All right,? Sawyer said. Neal frowned but voiced no objection. Batson acted like he was in too much shock to care about much of anything else for the time being.
?I?m going to need your help,? Longarm said.
?Rounding up the White Hoods?? Sawyer asked hopefully, and for the first time Batson?s expression indicated some degree of interest in the conversation.
?If this involves throwing down on those fuckers,? Batson said, ?You can count on me and my crowd for anything we can do to help.?
?And ours,? Sawyer said.
Longarm looked at Neal and received a quick nod of agreement.
?I was hoping you?d feel that way about it.?
?We do,? Sawyer assured him. ?Aside from the money part of it, those were some pretty good boys who died in that explosion. We want those sons of bitches.?
?So do I,? Longarm told them. ?I also want the former sheriff and the madam known as Jessie.?
That brought a spurt of questions from the security men, none of whom had heard about the sheriff?s arrest. Longarm had to explain it to them.
