Chapter Sixteen

Shoot Out at the River Bend

Max spent the first day scouting Cahill and Jeffers little hidey-hole. He wasn't expecting a couple of drunken vaqueros sleeping the day away. He had almost convinced himself that his instincts were off and he had the wrong location when he saw a wagon role up and a decidedly heavy, oblong box being unloaded.

Max waited. He wanted Jeffers and Cahill -- not just their pitiful excuses for guards. The night of the dance they had rode in to town to make sure Max remembered what happened when he didn't tow the line. Hoyt had them spooked. They added a new threat by commenting on how much Jordan looked like her mother. He had the blood of his wife on his hands. Max wasn't going to sit still any longer and wait for the blood of his daughter's to join it. He told himself he'd wait as long as it took.

It was midday, the second day, when he recognized Jeffers riding in like a bat out of hell. Max's Spanish was rusty, but he could tell something was wrong. Jeffers ordered the cache to be loaded on a flatbed and everything packed for travel as soon as possible. Max couldn't wait for the others. Somehow he didn't think they were a problem anymore.

Three against one. He didn't like the odds, but he didn't have a choice.This needed to end...now. His plan was simple. He just rode straight in.

Woody stopped his posse about a mile from the river bend. They were a motley crew of ranchers, farmers, and businessmen. Jeffery Brandau looked like he was going to be sick from riding. Even young Ben mounted up -- despite the fact that Woody ordered him to stay back. Ben just argued back that he was a farmer...not a deputy and rode on ahead. Woody swore to himself he'd stick to the young man like glue. At least there were a few men he knew could handle themselves...even if they were knuckleheads.

"Matt. You and McCoy ride ahead and see what we're looking at."

Danny double checked the twin long barreled Colts he had strapped to his thighs. "No heroics McCoy. Just take a head count and report back," Woody firmly instructed.

With a jaunty salute, Danny followed Matt around the bend.

Jeffers squinted in the late afternoon sun when he saw flash come around the ridge. It took a second to recognize the rider.

"Cavanaugh," he yelled out, almost welcoming. "Your hands where I can see them..."

Max held the reins of his horse loosely and let the animal meander into camp at its own pace. It gave time for the two bumbling fools of Jeffers' guard to fumble for their long irons. Max knew he was fast enough to take them out...but Jeffers was too nervous. Too nervous to be certain he could get a shot out first.

"Carl. I was hoping to find Cahill out here. I came to talk some business with you..."

Matt pulled up at the same rise Max had hid out on for two days. He waved for Danny to take cover. They couldn't make out what was going on but there was no mistaking Jeffers skinny frame...along with Max Cavanaugh. This changed things. He spun his finger around in the air to tell Danny that they had what they came for. The two men backed out the way they came...

Max dismounted with his hands out to his side. "Where's Cahill?"

"Kevin...had an unfortunate mishap...along with your daughter, I'm sorry to say."

Max's blood ran cold with the mention of Jordan's name. He jumped the lanky man. Jeffers yelled for his minions to keep their distance. Max may have ten inches and two stones on him, but Carl had the trump card. "The marshal we asked you to take care of is responsible. He saw a golden opportunity and wants to take over. He killed both Malden and Cahill to eliminate the overhead. Jordan was just collateral damage to him...You have to believe me. Max, we worked together for years. I had your back and you had mine when the territory wasn't as domesticated as it is now. "

Max's grip on Jeffers's shirt wavered. "I don't believe you."

"Believe this." Jeffers gingerly reached in his breast pocket and produced Jordan's locket. "I took it off her dead body. I know what it meant to her...what it meant to her mother. I couldn't see that Yankee taking it as a prize."

Max let him go and grabbed the locket out of his hand. Jeffers visibly relaxed. Like a dog to a bitch in heat, Max was always so easily played.

"Max...Max," he sing-songed. "You and me. We can make this blue-boy pay for his sins. Then we can ride out...Partners. We can move the operation west... Closer to the railroad. Think about it Max. Revenge and a fresh start. Away from Tyler … away from the ghosts of the past..."

Max felt like he had just been swept up in one of the tornados that always threaten the eastern plains in the Spring. Unannounced and deadly, they swooped down out of nowhere to wreak havoc...just like the marshal did the second he rode into town. What did he really know about Hoyt? Papers could be forged, he knew. He had made mistakes in his life. Mistakes he regretted. The only goodness he had left in his life was now dead. He held the proof in his hand. Death would be the only way Jordan would let her mother's locket go.

Woody pushed Ben down behind him while he wordlessly directed the rest of his men to take positions along the ridge. "I want you so damn close to the ground you can count every grain of sand under your nose," Woody hissed in Ben's ear. "If you as much as breathe...I'll God damn shoot you myself."

Satisfied the boy was as protected as possible, Woody turned his attention to the scene playing out before him. He could believe his eyes. It was obvious Tallulah was right. He recognized Jeffers by his emancipated form. Matt counted two guards, which Woody verified. Then there was Max. Woody didn't want to believe it when Danny McCoy told him that Max was there. He wanted to be wrong about the man...for Jordan's sake. The men were busily loading the back of a flatbed wagon with the cache of arms. There was no reason to rush in until they were all visible. Woody held up his hand to tell the men to stand-by until all four men were out in the open...then it would be easy to take them out. Woody had set out to take Jeffers and his men out. Max's presence put a crimp in his plan. There was no way he could kill Jordan's father.

"On my word," Woody whispered to Seeley. "Take out the one on the left. McCoy, you got the one on the right...I want Jeffers. Max comes back alive."

Matt raised his revolver to take his shot when the sun reflected off the steel shaft. It was just enough to make one of Jeffers' men take notice.

"FEDERALES!"

Matt didn't have a choice but to fire. The man was dead before he hit the ground, but his compadre was able to fire off a shot before Matt could take cover. The wire operator was grazed.Woody pulled Seeley down and shoved him over to Ben. "Stay down!"

The three left quickly barricaded themselves in the shack. With unlimited ammunition at their disposal Woody could see this turning out to be a bloody siege with his rag tag posse taking the brunt. "Damn, damnit, damn..." he muttered.

"Cover me," Danny said with an arrogant smile. Before Woody could stop the card playing cowboy, Danny had scrambled down the hill. Either the man was certifiable or he had some training. Woody and the others showered the cabin with a volley of fire leaving Woody briefly wondering if he ever was on the opposite side of the battlefield of the crazy rancher.

Once Danny was safely in position on the blindside of the cabin, Woody yelled out. "Carl Jeffers! This is United States Marshal Woodrow Hoyt! You are wanted for kidnapping, attempted murder, racketeering...murder. We have you surrounded! Come out with your hands in the air!"

Carl's answer was a hail of gunfire towards the rise.

"We have witnesses Jeffers! If you surrender I'll make sure you get a fair trial."

"You said he wasn't legit..." Max hissed from inside the cabin.

"It's a trick Max. He wants us out in the open so he can kill us. Like he did your Jordan." Carl bit back.

When it became apparent Carl wasn't going to budge Woody played his own trump card. "Max! Max Cavanaugh! Don't do this to Jordan! She needs you!"

"She's dead!" Max yelled back. "You killed her."

"No. She's not. Cahill and Jeffers took her. They tried to lynch her out by the old sulfur mines...She fine, Max. Garret is with her. She's fine!"

Max left his spot near the window and cornered Jeffers on the back wall of the shack. "You said he killed her."

"Kill him!" Jeffers yelled to his man, but before the man could lift his gun, Danny lined up a shot from the broken window and put a .22 caliber bullet in the Mexican's chest.

Max, using the same gun he had used to 'watch Carl's back' a lifetime ago, pressed the barrel in Carl's gut and pulled the trigger. He dropped his weapon the second the door flew open and Woody pushed his way inside.

"I came here to end it," Max said slowly turning around with his hands in the air. "My business and my land were one thing...but then you came and they began to threaten Jordan. I came here with the sole purpose to kill them. Then Jeffers told me Jordan was dead. He gave me her locket and said you killed her when you killed Malden and Cahill..."

Woody leaned over to pick up Max's gun and said, "Malden was dead by the time we figured out Jordan was missing. Your daughter put up a hell of a fight. She kept herself alive for over a day giving us time to find her. I only had two shots. I needed one to cut the rope. Jeffers got lucky. I wasn't lying, Max. She needs you. She's scared and she hurt...but she's alive."

"Let me see her and I'll go peacefully."

Woody smiled at Danny. "It'll be dark soon. McCoy, do me a fair and go tell Ben he can stop counting grains of sand and have him come down here and drive this wagon into town...oh ...and thanks. It was a bone head move...but it worked."

"That's high praise...from a Yank," Danny said with a cocky grin.

Once Danny was gone Woody handed Max back his gun. "All I saw here today was a father that was concerned about his daughter's safety. Go to her Max. She's at Garret's..."

Max turned to leave but stopped long enough to fish Jordan's locket out of his pocket. "I told Jordan to trust you. I should have taken my own advice." He slipped the necklace in Woody's hand. "I'm trusting you with my daughter's heart, Hoyt. Don't hurt her."

Woody's fingers wrapped around the shiny pendent and he swore he could feel her warmth in the metal. He watched as Max rode out with a few of the riders anxious to get back to town and tiredly pulled himself up on his own mount. All that was left to escort the arms back into town and wait until the Army came to collect them. A few days of paperwork and tying up a few loose ends, and his job here would be done. Any other case would have him itching to pack his bags. He slipped Jordan's necklace securely in his shirt pocket and pulled out a thin cigar. The slow pace of the flatbed would give him time to think.

Woody had just finishing lighting his smoke as Matt rode up to his side. "I just wanted to thank you for letting my ride on this." The statement came out of Matt's mouth so quick and so softly that Woody would have missed it completely if he hadn't been looking a the man.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. I'm not saying it twice," Matt grumbled.

Woody arched his eyebrow. Even though Matt's shirtsleeve was covered with blood, it looked like his injury was superficial at worst. His gratitude was confusing.

Matt pulled the stained shirtsleeve out and said, "I figure this will give me an edge over copper bathtubs and stories about the opera ...at least for a few days."

"Glad I could help..."

Matt harrumphed and rode ahead hoping to get back to town before Jeffery had a chance to recover from his ride and corner Lily for himself.

"Man, this has got to be the most exciting day of my life...outside of marrying Lori and having the twins, of course. And to think, you get to do things like this every day!"

Woody rested his forearm on his saddle horn and snorted, brushing away the budding hero-worship. Watch men die was never exciting. "Your life is ten times more exciting than mine is, Ben."

"Sir? It's not very exciting just watching my crops grow."

Woody chuckled then. "I guess it depends on which side of the fence you're watching those crops grow."