Chapter Seven – Meet the Carpenters
Deke's tired, battered body wanted nothing more than to remain safely snuggled in the warm, billowy comfort of Aggie's bed, but his mind was alert and he knew work dictated he rise from his rest and put their plan in motion. His ribs objected, as any movement caused intense shooting pains to course through his chest making even the simple act of breathing a formidable task, but he was no stranger to pain so with sheer grit he rose from the bed.
He had two more days before Scott could reappear in town, after having taken the outlaw Jake's body back to Austin and returning. He needed to gather as much information as he could in those two days and determine their best course of retribution on these nasty vampires.
Aggie brought him some coffee and he grabbed his bottle of whiskey and poured an ample supply in it to give him the fortitude he needed to face this day. Aggie smiled sweetly at him and he considered how fortunate his dad would be to have a woman such as her.
Too bad he wouldn't be able to settle down with her. He wondered if she realized that as much as Jake loved her, he was a hunter and the saddle was his home and there was no room for a permanent lady in his life. Deke considered how much he would like his dad to once again have that which had eluded him these last twenty years: a home and a life other than his vengeance. How he would truly be happy for his dad to have a woman like Aggie to love him and keep his bed warm on cold, lonely nights.
He bid Aggie good-bye and went down the stairs to find the saloon empty except for a few of the working girls quietly having their morning coffee and gossiping about the absence of good men in this town. Their eyes followed him as he descended the stairs, but they didn't make any effort to gain his attention or ply their charms, since it was apparent to all Aggie had already stolen his heart and had full access to his available cash.
Damn, why did she always rope in the good men? First Jake and now Deke, even though he was the one to kill her first love. Guess that girl is more hardened than any of them ever imagined, but her obviously fake innocent act sure could get the men to gravitate toward her.
Deke wandered on over to the jail to consult with the sheriff about having a face to face with old man Carpenter. He would only work for a man he had met and could judge the mettle of himself. Deke Taylor was no mere lackey; he demanded respect from all, including the men he worked with.
"Well actually Deke, I was gonna come talk to you about that. Mr. Carpenter was hoping you would come out to the ranch and meet with him over supper tonight. He also likes to get acquainted with his associates." The sheriff responded.
"Sounds good." Deke smiled, knowing full well how intently Carpenter planned on checking him out.
He returned to the saloon to await his supper date with Carpenter. This would give him more time to rest his weary body and get to know this sweet girl Aggie who had won his dad's heart. He returned to Aggie's room and rested on her bed as she quietly told him her life story and how she had fallen for his dad. She had led a hard life and now she hoped for a new life with Jake. He didn't have the heart to tell her the simple truth; her dreams were not going to come true anytime soon. Best to just let her dream, after all, it was Jake's place to shatter her hopes, not his.
After a few hours resting, they went downstairs to the saloon and spent the early afternoon drinking beer and scouting out the rest of the townsfolk. Aggie sat with him at a table and filled him in on the notable persons of the town. She only knew of a handful of townsfolk who weren't in Carpenter's pocket, and most of those were too scared of him and his associates to ever stand up against him.
It appeared Deke and his family would be fighting this battle on their own. That was usually the case, but it always paid to be prepared and know your players. The worst scenario that could ever play out would be to depend on locals who didn't have the backbone to stand up in their own defense. Jake had found that out the hard way. If only he had confided in Aggie before he trusted in the townsfolk, he never would have made that date with the hangman.
Toward sunset Deke left Aggie and rode out to the Carpenter spread, arriving at their home just as the dinner bell was chiming for the ranch hands down at the bunkhouse. He counted fourteen cowboys that rode in to take their supper.
He strode up to the main house but before he could knock on the door it was opened by a strikingly beautiful, young, raven-haired woman. She offered a vibrant smile and reached out to grab his arm and escort him inside, announcing she was Lila Carpenter, daughter and social butterfly of the Carpenter patriarch.
The Carpenter house was the stateliest of homes in Valentine or the surrounding area with an old-world charm that could only be bought with the money of the rich. It was the largest house in the area and was extravagantly appointed with elegant furniture and gilded paintings of Carpenter and his family lining the interior walls.
While the home looked perfect, it felt sterile. There was no humanity present in this house, no soul. It looked like a home anyone would lust after, but Deke found it disturbingly empty and cold. Even Lila's attempt at warmth fell short and Deke found her to also be an empty shell, devoid of any real emotion or essence.
"Well, Mr. Deke Taylor I presume?" A tall, lean, grey-haired gentleman entered the room with his hand outstretched.
Deke reached out and shook the man's hand, a cold, bony hand with a firm grip that sent a cold chill down Deke's neck. All his hunter instincts told him this was the hand of evil. He put on his actor's face and warmly greeted his host.
"Yep, glad to meet you, Mr. Carpenter?"
"Yes, and I presume you have met my lovely daughter Lila?" The elegant gentleman inquired.
"Lila greeted me as I arrived. Lovely home you have here."
"Can I offer you a drink? I have the best bourbon from Europe. You must try it."
"Yeah, that would be great. So how long has your family been in this area?" Deke asked.
"We founded this area over fifty years ago. Built a nice little town, wouldn't you agree?"
"Sure is. I can see why you're so proud of it."
Carpenter handed Deke a hand-cut crystal tumbler with the expensive bourbon in it as he led his guest into the dining hall.
An extravagant table lay before them with the best crystal and dinnerware money could buy. Carpenter sat down at the head of the table and motioned for Deke to take the seat to his left with Lila next to him. One other place setting was on Carpenter's right and it didn't take long for its occupant to become known.
A large imposing man entered from the opposite side from where Deke entered and stood next to Carpenter dwarfing him next to his robust form.
"Deke, I'd like to introduce my foreman, Rance Mobley. Rance is my right-hand man, couldn't run this ranch without him. I'm sorry you won't be able to meet my son Luther. He's gone on business, won't be back for another month." Carpenter explained.
After a few minutes of small talk and sparring dialog designed to quickly ascertain the character of their guest, Carpenter motioned for the feast to begin. Deke had never seen as much food as the Carpenter's presented to their guest in course after course. The odd part was the Carpenters and Rance barely ate anything, instead picking at their food and moving it around on their plates until the server came and removed it. Deke observed the only course they actually ate was the extremely raw steak that filled their plates.
"So Deke why did you become a Texas Ranger and how long you been one?" Rance asked.
"Been with the Rangers coming up on two years now, and I guess you could say I joined cause I like the power. Nothin' beats being the man in charge, wouldn't you agree Mr. Carpenter?"
"Absolutely, a man after my own heart! Small men are content to just exist; it takes a real man to demand what he wants out of life." Carpenter agreed.
"I'll drink to that." Deke raised his bourbon glass up in a salute to Mr. Carpenter.
"You're a formidable man Deke. I think you'll fit in with my outfit just right."
"Well, Mr. Carpenter, I'm thinkin' you've got a mighty fine setup here. Glad to join in with you. I think we're gonna be great pardners." Deke responded.
Carpenter motioned to his servant to refill all the bourbon glasses and when his glass was full held it out in a toast.
"Here's to a very profitable business partnership."
Deke raised up his glass and smiled broadly, content he had secured his rightful place in Carpenter's inner circle.
"Why don't you go ahead and spend the night here with us? Rance can show you around in the morning, make sure you know how the operation runs." Carpenter decreed.
Deke truly had no desire to spend the night in this empty, sinister house surrounded by evil, but his job dictated he do precisely that.
"Thanks for the hospitality." Deke responded with a forced smile.
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