Manuel half-turned toward Longarm and Coffin and indicated them with a curt wave of his uninjured arm. “These two men attacked us in the cantina. Higgins must have recognized one or both of them from Del Rio, because he went for his gun first. That one killed him.” Manuel nodded toward Longarm. “The bastards broke my arm with a bullet too. They killed everyone except for Grady and myself.”
“It was a close one, Deke,” put in Grady, clearly eager to mollify the lantern-jawed man. “They never would have got any of us if they hadn’t taken us by surprise.”
“They wouldn’t have taken you by surprise if you weren’t idiots,” said Deke with a disdainful curl of his upper lip. “None of you could wait to take your share of the loot and spend it on tequila and cards and whores.”
“We fought valiantly,” Manuel protested. “I have the wounded arm to prove it.”
Deke’s hand made a small, seemingly involuntary movement toward the gun holstered on his hip. “I ought to shoot you both right now.”
Manuel flinched slightly, and Grady looked about ready to shit in his pants, thought Longarm.
Deke took a deep breath to bring his anger under control, and jerked a thumb at Scott. “What about this hombre? Who’s he?”
“He gave us a hand-“ Grady began.
Manuel interrupted him. “He rode in with the two lawmen, but he did not take part in the fight. When it was over, he drew his guns and disarmed them, keeping them from killing Grady and me in cold blood.”
Coffin exploded. “We ain’t murderers like you, greaser! We don’t shoot men down like dogs—even when they deserve it!”
Deke silenced Coffin with a short wave of his hand. “Shut up.” He looked at Scott. “Seems like you’ve got some explaining to do.”
“Name’s Walt Scott,” the drifter said easily. “I’ve heard of your bunch, and it sounds like the kind of organization I’d like to hook up with. I hear tell you come up with some pretty good money.”
“We get our share of loot,” said Deke. “But we’re not running a haven for gunfighters. Why should we take you in?”
Scott gestured with his guns at Longarm and Coffin. “I brought you a couple of lawmen to do with as you will.”Deke laughed harshly. “What are a pair of badge-toters worth?”
“You tell me. Anyway, Long and Coffin here are pretty smart fellas ... most of the time. If I hadn’t come along, they might’ve found this hideout and given you some real trouble, Deke. They’re looking for a girl, a Senorita Guiterrez they say you kidnapped back in Del Rio.”
Longarm had remained silent as long as he could. “Where is she?” he
asked sharply. “If you’ve hurt her-“
Deke jerked his gun out suddenly and stepped forward, making Manuel
and Grady jump back in fright. Instead of threatening the outlaws,
however, Deke brought the barrel of the revolver up and eared back its
hammer as he lined the muzzle on Longarm’s face. “Start threatening me,
you son of a bitch,” Deke grated, “and I’ll blow your brains out right here
and now-“
“Deke! Put that gun down.”
The imperiously voiced command made Longarm’s breath catch in his throat. Even though the muzzle of Deke’s gun bore an uncanny resemblance to a cannon at this range, Longarm was able to tear his gaze away from it and look toward the door that led into the other room.
Sonia stood there, dressed in a low-cut gown the color of burnished copper, just like her hair. She held a glass of wine in one hand, a small pistol in the other. The glitter of mocking laughter danced in her dark eyes.
“This bastard was shootin’ his mouth off,” Deke began without looking back at her.
“I know Senor Long quite well,” said Sonia, “and I am certain that his words were prompted only by concern for me. Misplaced, perhaps, but still concern.”
“What the hell?” exclaimed Coffin.
Longarm wasn’t as puzzled as the big Ranger was. The realization of what was really going on hit him like a fist in the gut, making a sour taste rise in his mouth. “El Aguila didn’t kidnap you at all, did he, Sonia?” he said tautly. “It was all just an act. You came willingly.”
She smiled at him. “You are a shrewd man, Custis.”
“No, I’m a damned fool. Here I thought you were in danger from El Aguila, when all along you were working with him.”
“Not exactly.” Sonia took a sip of her wine. “You see, Custis, there is no El Aguila.”
Chapter 13
“Or rather, there is,” she went on, “but he has nothing to do with us.”
Coffin shook his head. “I ain’t understandin’ this at all.”
Longarm was. He said slowly, “You just used the name so that everybody would be more afraid of the gang. El Aguila’s reputation carries some weight in the border country, doesn’t it?”
“He is well known to be a fierce outlaw,” Sonia said with a shrug that made her breasts bob slightly, intriguingly. Even under these circumstances, Longarm couldn’t completely ignore the lush appeal of her body. “As you say, my men simply used his name.”
“I thought it was sort of funny that a fella who’d always been known as a lone wolf would suddenly throw in with a bunch of owlhoots,” said Coffin, scowling darkly. “I should’a knowed El Aguila wouldn’t be runnin’ with a gang of no-accounts like this.”
Deke started to step forward again, his lips pulling back from his teeth in a grimace of hate, but Sonia stopped him with a look. “Say what you will, Senor Coffin,” she told the big Ranger, “but you and Senor Long are still our prisoners.”
She was right about that, thought Longarm. It didn’t matter whether El Aguila was here or not. He and Coffin were still in deadly danger.
“Nobody’s answered my question,” Walt Scott put in. “Do I get to join up or not?”
“Senor ... Scott, was it?” Sonia took another sip of her wine and sidled closer. Her gaze raked blatantly over Scott’s tall, rangy figure. He wasn’t a handsome man; his features were too rugged and powerful for that. But what Sonia saw seemed to meet with her approval. She reached out with the hand holding the wine glass and brushed a finger across the sleeve of Scott’s shirt. He met her bold stare impassively.
“I think there may be a place for you in our organization, Senor Scott,” Sonia went on after a moment. “You seem to me to be a resourceful man. Such a man could rise to a position of power.”
Longarm glanced toward Deke. As he suspected, the second in command didn’t look at all happy about the way Sonia was practically drooling over Scott. Deke’s face was flushed with jealousy and anger. Longarm wondered just how many men Sonia thought she could keep under control with her sexual powers.
Sonia said to Scott, “Our leader will be here soon, and he will make the final decision regarding your presence in our stronghold. But for now ... welcome, Senor Scott. I hope your stay is a pleasant one. I will do everything in my power to make it so.”
“We’d better get these two locked up,” Deke said sharply, gesturing with his gun toward Longarm and Coffin.
Reluctantly, Sonia took her attention away from Scott and turned toward the captive lawmen. “Yes, you are right, Deke. Make certain they are secure. Senor Long, I fear, could cause us a great deal of trouble, given the opportunity.”
“What about me?” protested Coffin, sounding offended. “I’m dangerous too, damn it.”
“Shut your mouth,” Deke growled. He jabbed the air with the gun.
“Get moving, both of you.”
He indicated that they should leave the room by the same door through which he and Sonia had entered. Coffin went first, followed by Longarm, and as he walked out of the room, Longarm cast a final glance at Sonia. Her eyes met his for an instant, and he thought he saw something like regret there.