“Yes, you did, boy.”
“But I done good, didn’t I, Ben?”
“You done good, son.”
“It don’t hurt none, Ben. I’m just cold.”
The boy closed his eyes and died.
Chapter 25
Ben covered the boy with his jacket. He stood up, looking down at the boy he had grown to love in just a short time. Waves of emotions splashed over him.
Ben took several deep breaths, calming himself. He turned to Captain Nolan. “Wrap the boy carefully, Captain. Assign a burial detail. There is a Bible in my truck. Have someone get it for me.” His words were tiny bits of chipped ice flying from his inner soul, steaming the air.
“Yes, sir. What name goes on the marker?”
“Jordy Raines. Age ten.”
“Yes, sir.”
Ben looked toward the knot of Rebels gathered around a small crumbling building. They had captured Cowboy Vic.
No one spoke; no one made any attempt to stop Ben as he walked to the house, got his Thompson, and walked down to the building. He stopped in front of Cowboy Vic.
“Got the little son of a bitch, didn’t I?” Cowboy Vic yelled. “Just like Jake and Texas Red tole me to do.” Slobber ran in ropy rivers from both sides of his mouth. “I knowed what they was up to all the time, Raines. Kill the kid, says they. Be shore to kill the kid travelin’ with Raines. Well, I done “er.” He laughed in Ben’s face.
Ben resisted an almost-overpowering urge to smash the butt of the Thompson into the man’s face. He turned his head and looked at the head-frame of the structure that supported the old cable system that operated the cages into the mines.
“Hang him from that!” Ben said, pointing. “Now!”
Ben read a passage from the Bible, and then remembered a passage from Pilgrim’s Way. He thought it appropriate.
“Our roll of honor is long, but it holds no nobler figure. He will stand to those of us who are left as an incarnation of the spirit of the land he loved. He loved his youth, and his youth has become eternal.”
Ben sat alone for a time on the stone fence around the house. He watched as Colonel Gray’s company of Gray’s Scouts pulled in. But he did not leave his place on the fence.
Captain Nolan brought the colonel up to date.
“Filthy swine,” Dan Gray said. “To cold-bloodedly kill a child.” His eyes found the dangling figure of Cowboy Vic. “Is that the bugger?”
“Yes, sir.”
“The general will be wanting revenge,” Dan said.
“And I don’t blame him. I have to find out what’s going on.”
Dan walked to Ben’s side.
“General.”
“Dan. How’s it going?”
“Very well, sir. Do I stand the men down for a rest?”
“Yes. Tell them to pitch their tents and relax. We’ll be here for a couple of days.”
Dan knew what was next, but he had to ask. “And then, sir?”’
“We are going on a search-and-destroy mission, Dan. We are going to deal with the enemy with extreme prejudice.”
“We track down the warlords and outlaws and kill all the fuckers.”
“Precisely.”
Whom unmerciful Disaster Followed fast and followed faster.
Chapter 26
“Your plan ain’t workin’ for shit!” Jake told Texas Red. He had shaken him out of a deep sleep and jerked him out of the blankets.
“Huh?” Red asked, rubbing sleep from his eyes.
“All them damned Rebels is still in the town. Scouts report they’re eating and sleeping and resting. They’re checking equipment and getting ready to move out.”
“Well, goddamn! That’s what we wanted, wasn’t it?”
“Raines is leading them. Two squads of Rebs pulled out yesterday with the kids. They’re headin’ back east. Boy, we got big troubles.”
“Maybe,” Red said, pulling on his boots. “What about Cowboy Vic?”
Jake snorted derisively. “Raines hung the bastard from a tower. He’s still hangin’ there.”
“Way I see this thing, Jake, we ain’t got but one option left us.”
“Oh? And what’s that?”’
Texas Red met the man’s hard look. “Run!”
Ben lingered for a moment in the cold dawn, his eyes on the cross above Jordy’s grave. “There is nothing left to say, Jordy. Nothing at all.”
He turned away from the grave.
“Colonel Gray?”’
“Sir!”
“Are your forward teams in position?”’
“Yes, sir. Ten miles out and holding.”
“Radio contact with the team holding east with the kids?”’
“Yes, sir. Making good progress and reporting no trouble.”
Ben nodded. He removed his beret and ran his fingers through graying hair. He looked at the beret and smiled. He walked to the grave of Jordy and hung the beret on the cross. “You were a good soldier, son. I never served with any better.”
Rani stood and watched Ben, tears running down her cheeks.
Colonel Dan Gray cleared his throat and wiped his eyes. “Damn dust,” he said.
Ben broke the sad spell.
“Move out!”
“Dan says Ben is calm,” Ike said to Cecil. “To use his words, “Too damn calm.””
“You’ve known Ben as long as I have, Ike. You know that when Ben gets this way he’s killing mad. This campaign will be a scorched-earth policy. He’ll kill anybody who gives any type of aid to those outlaws.”
“Not only that,” Tina said, walking up. “Dad will burn the damned towns down. You remember how he was up in Missouri.”
“Only too well,” Ike said.
Cecil turned to the young woman manning the radio. “And what was Ben’s last transmission, again?”
“He said, when I gave him your message to please return to Base Camp One, quoting George Bernard Shaw, “Not bloody likely!””
Tina summed up the feelings of them all. “Oh, shit! Dad is really pissed!”
“Scouts report a little town just up ahead has given sanctuary to some outlaws, General,” Dan called in on the CB. “It’s some sort of hippie place. To use a very outdated word.”
“You’re certain the … hippies gave them sanctuary voluntarily?”’
“Yes, sir. With open arms.”
“Any kids involved?” Ben asked.
“Therein lies the rub, sir.”
“Shit!” Ben said. “All right, Dan. Surround the town and we’ll play it by ear.”
