Carlos lit a candle and set it on the washstand. The light gave enough illumination that Peyton made out the shape of a narrow bed against a wall.
Carlos bent over the bed and whispered, “Mac? Mac, wake up. Help is here.”
Mac groaned but didn’t move.
Peyton approached, cursing under his breath when he caught sight of the young man’s bruised and discolored face. One eye was swollen closed. He’d taken quite a beating.
“Come on, Josiah. We’re getting you out of here.” He slid his arm under his brother-in-law’s shoulders.
Hearing his name must have ignited a spurt of energy. “Who … you?”
“A Pinkerton agent hired by your sister to get you out of here. Can you stand?”
“Don’ know.” Josiah strained to rise but his knees gave way.
Peyton caught him and Jeff moved to his other side. They followed Carlos out of the room and down the stairs. They’d almost reached the bottom step when they heard a voice that could only be the blond bully Oslo.
Josiah opened his mouth and Peyton clamped his hand across Josiah’s face. He leaned in until his lips were half an inch from Josiah’s ear. “We’re getting you to safety where Judith and Abigail and Yolanda are waiting. Don’t make a sound.”
Josiah stared at him a second from his one good eye then tried to help support himself.
A large man’s shadow fell across the path they would have taken to the door. “You check on the one who’s shy of brains?”
Carlos answered. “I just worked on him. He’s out cold now. I’ll go over him again in a little while. Now I’m on my way to the outhouse.”
“No, give him until the card game is over to come around and then I’ll work on him. He’s gonna tell me where that deed is or I’ll finish him tonight. I’m not a nanny to be watching over someone who’s too stubborn to know when he’s a goner.”
Carlos shook his head. “He’s a goner all right and I reckon he knows it.”
“I’m going back to the card game. You tell me if he wakes up” Oslo’s shadow faded.
Peyton released his breath. That was way too close. Neither he nor Jeff moved until Carlos motioned for them to follow him.
They crept the rest of the way downstairs. Laughter and conversation came from nearby. He had to keep Josiah quiet.
Peyton and Jeff eased him forward. Passing through the shaft of light to reach the door was the next possible hazard.
Then, Josiah dragged his feet. Peyton shifted his shoulder under Josiah’s armpit and lifted. Jeff did the same. “Put one of your feet on mine and the other on Jeff’s,” he whispered. “We’ll walk you through the light.”
The injured man did as requested. As rapidly as they could, he and Jeff crossed the beam of light and went through the doorway. Once they were outside, Carlos followed.
Sarge and Ozzie were waiting for them. They passed the outhouse and hurried to the gate.
Sarge bent down and pulled Josiah onto his back piggyback style. In a gruff whisper, he said, “This will be faster. Hold on, Mac. We need to get to those trees.”
Josiah’s said, “Tryin’. Thanks.”
They’d barely made it to the stand of trees when there was a shout from the hacienda.
Ozzie brought a horse for Josiah and Sarge hoisted him into the saddle. Peyton mounted his horse and took hold of Josiah’s reins. “Can you sit in the saddle? It’s an hour’s ride.”
“Give it a try. If I fall off, tie me on. Anything to get away from those devils.”
They rode as fast as Peyton believed Josiah could endure. Pursuit would be swift behind them. They had to do something about the four they’d left tied. They were definitely gunmen and Peyton had to ensure the men stayed out of commission.
When they reached the four bound criminals, Peyton leaped from his horse and went to the men. They were still securely held. Ozzie brought their horses while Jeff and Carlos gathered up the equipment and Sarge tied the first man to a horse. Within minutes, all four men were bound to their saddles and the group was on the way to Los Perdidos.
Peyton kept watch on Josiah. Jeff watched behind them. Sarge, Carlos, and Ozzie led the spare horses on either side of the four polecats. They made a crowd and no longer tried to keep silent. He hoped they would reach safety before the men chasing them could arrive.
When they reached town, Peyton nodded to Carlos. “Take Josiah to his mother and sister. I’ll be there as soon as I arrest the sheriff and put these four in jail with him.”
Oscar was so angry he appeared about to explode. Getting him off his horse and into the marshal’s office took two of them.
As they came in, the marshal jumped up. “What’s going on here?”
Peyton had his revolver in his hand. “We’ve brought in four prisoners for your jail, Marshal Cain.”
“Now see here, you said you were passing through. You let these men go and just get on your way or you’ll be the one in a cell.”
“You’re under arrest, too, Marshal. Drop your gun and open a cell.”
The marshal’s mouth gaped. “You? Who do you think you are trying to arrest me in my own town?”
Jeff pointed his revolver at the marshal, too. “Put down your gun or I’ll shoot you where you stand. I hate crooked lawmen worse than any other criminal.”
Peyton showed his badge. “I’m a Pinkerton agent. Sheriff Lopez has given me authority to arrest you and hold you for trial.”
He was stretching the truth but he hoped it came to pass. He had the authority to make arrests without a sheriff’s say-so. He figured saying the county sheriff approved
