Standing with his back to them, the mask was pulled over his head. Curly dark hair appeared and then he turned.
Neither Jim nor Arte could contain the looks of surprise that crossed their faces. It was not a man. It was, in fact, a woman with short-cropped hair. She bowed.
"Ariel Clatterbuck, at your service," she said looking at them. Then she frowned. "I expected surprise from you, Mr. West, but Joe, you have known all along what my secret was," she approached Arte warily, peering at him through narrowed eyes. Reaching out quickly, she clawed at Arte's face, ripping through the putty mask that covered his own features, and shrieked with rage. Ariel flung herself at Arte and pulled the rest of the mask off revealing his face and the three gashes on his cheek.
"No, it can't be. You're supposed to be dead!" she exclaimed angrily. She turned and hurled herself at Jim. "You said you killed him," she accused angrily, flailing her fists against his chest, "and all he has is some scratches!"
Otis stepped forward and took his mother by the shoulders, "Mother, Belial did that," he stated.
"What do you mean?" Ariel asked him in surprise.
"Belial scratched the old man last night, just like that," Otis continued.
"This is too much!" she screamed. "Otis, get Belial ready," she ordered and Otis ran to comply.
"I don't like the sound of that, Jim," Arte said to his partner.
"Neither do I," Jim agreed.
"So let's leave," Arte urged.
"Right behind you," Jim answered and grabbed Ariel by the wrist and pulled her along with them as they fled the underground hideout.
"Let go of me," Ariel shrieked and struggled to break free. But Jim's grip was vice-like and she was forced to go along, back through the passageway and up the stairs.
When they were outside, she screamed at them. "You fools! Belial will kill you! He'll hunt you down and tear you to shreds!"
"Yeah? Well you'll be right there with us," Jim informed her.
They heard a snarling growl and turned toward the fallen tree. Belial stood atop it blocking their path to the boat.
Jim was seeing the huge beast for the first time and was truly shocked by it's size.
"Get them, Belial," Ariel shouted, "Kill, Belial, kill!" she ordered.
Belial leaped forward. Jim jumped left toward Artemus and Belial missed him. Ariel did not fare as well. Belial closed his large mouth on her throat and cut off her scream with one bite, tearing her throat out.
"Run," Jim said to Arte and they took off as fast as they could, climbing over branches and pulling their feet out of sucking soil. Behind them they heard Otis scream.
"No, Belial, not mother!" followed by a mournful cry. "Mother," Otis yelled with a heart wrenching sob over the loss of his mother.
The agents tried to move faster but were hindered by the wet quagmire of the bayou. They heard the large beast as it gained on them with every step. They could hear it grunting as it came closer and closer.
"Time to stand and fight," Jim said to Arte.
Arte looked skeptical but turned in unison with Jim facing the hurtling beast for the second time.
Belial swung his head back and forth looking first at Jim then at Arte trying to decide which to take first. The one smelled of his tormentor and of the blood he'd already tasted, the other was fresh meat.
They drew their guns and began firing at the quickly approaching beast. As Arte had discovered the night before, the bullets had no effect on Belial.
Arte's gun was empty. Belial was headed straight for him. He threw his pistol, hitting Belial in the eye. The animal yelped and reared for a second. Arte took that second to throw himself on the ground, curling onto his side, bringing his arms up protecting his head and neck. Belial's teeth sank into his exposed side, crunching ribs. Arte screamed.
Jim leapt onto Belial's back drawing his knife from the side of his boot and plunged it into the beast's eye. Belial howled in pain and anger, releasing his grip on Artemus. He began to try to shake Jim off his back, and tried unsuccessfully to claw at him with its short forelegs.
Jim buried the knife into the side of Belial's neck and began to cut. It was like sawing through leather with a butter knife, but he kept see sawing the knife back and forth until finally a geyser of blood shot from it's severed jugular.
Wild, Belial spun around in circles, bathing everything within 10 feet with its blood. Finally weakened, Belial lay down and began to whimper like a puppy. Otis ran up and flung himself down next to his dying pet.
Jim climbed off Belial's back and rushed to Arte, turning him onto his back Arte struggled against Jim thinking it was Belial again. He was in shock and would have struggled against anything that touched him at that moment.
"Arte, it's me," Jim said loudly, restraining Arte's arms. "Calm down," he said more softly, "Calm down," now in normal tones.
Arte stopped struggling. Breathing hard, he stared at Jim as if he didn't know him. Slowly his eyes registered recognition.
"Jim," he said softly. Then he looked around wildly.
"Belial's dead, Arte," Jim reassured him quickly. "It's over."
"Dead?" Arte repeated, "Thank goodness," he mumbled.
Jim helped him up. "Can you stand? I've got to get Otis," Jim asked concerned. He'd never seen his partner truly frightened.
"Yeah, go ahead," Arte answered, wavering unsteadily but holding his own.
"Otis," Jim said to the weeping simple-minded man, "Come with me."
Otis looked up at Jim, a great sorrow in his eyes. "Belial wasn't bad, you know. Mother let Reds and Joe mistreat him. They made him bad. But he loved me. He always did what I told him to do. He was a good boy," Otis rambled as Jim got him to his feet. Jim did not cuff the poor simple man.
"Will you come with me peacefully?" Jim asked him.
"I have nowhere else to go," Otis answered. "I'm hungry," he added softly.
"I promise you'll eat when we get where we're going, Otis," Jim assured him.
"Ok," Otis answered meekly and followed Jim.
Arte was leaning over a fallen tree retching. He wiped his mouth and stood as straight as his injured side would allow. "Jim, it's starting again," Arte said swaying.
"What is?" Jim asked holding onto his partner to keep him upright.
"Like last night. I got so sick before I made it back to the train. It's last night all over again," Arte answered.
"Alright, let's get going then," Jim said, supporting his friend and leading him toward the boat.
"This way is faster," Otis said pointing. Jim doubled back and followed Otis on a poorly marked trail that led them to the horses. It had taken less than five minutes, though, saving them nearly half an hour in the boat.
In the time it took to reach the train, Arte had to stop to retch two more times. By the time Jim had cleaned up the wounds on his side, Arte was feverish and delirious again.
From the doorway of Arte's room, Otis spoke to Jim. "It's part of what made Belial like he was. His bite is like poison. If it doesn't kill you, it only lasts a couple of days," he said simply.
"Well it didn't kill Arte last night, let's hope it doesn't kill him today," Jim answered.
"No one has ever been bitten twice," Otis replied.
"Otis, why don't you go into the galley and get yourself something to eat," Jim instructed. Otis left without another word. Jim had a thought and called him back. "Otis, wait," he said going to the door. "Is there an antidote to Belial's poison?" he asked.
"No," Otis answered, "It either kills you or it doesn't. It's not really poison, just some kind of sickness inside him. It also made his scat smell really bad," Otis whispered.
"I'm familiar with that fact," Jim answered running his hand through his hair. He was tired and frustrated. He wanted to devote his attention to Arte, but had Otis to contend with as well.
Jim could hear Reds and Joe hollering from the holding cell. His anger suddenly flared and he stalked to the car ahead.
"Shut up!" he yelled at them drawing his gun, "One more word out of either of you and I'll shoot you myself!"
"You won't do that. Your a federal agent," Reds answered saucily.
Jim shot at him, creasing his arm. "Care to try me again?" he asked menacingly. "Now shut up!"
He met Otis in the corridor carrying two plates of food.
"Who's that for?" Jim demanded, in a tone harsher than he'd intended.
"Reds and Joe. Mother would want me to see that they ate properly," Otis told him. "Is it alright?"
Jim forced himself under control. "Yes, Otis. It's all right. After they eat," Jim reached into Arte's room and came out with some bandages, "give them some water and these. Reds needs them."
Otis nodded and scurried off.
"I'm in a mad house," Jim muttered returning to his partner.
The effects of the bite were worse than the night before but by late that evening, Arte was finally sleeping soundly. Jim stood, stretched his aching muscles and went in search of Otis. He found him by the holding cell taunting the prisoners.
"No food for you tonight, Reds. Just like you starved my poor Belial," he chuckled softly.
"West, get this imbecile out of here," Joe growled.
"Oh, I don't know. He makes a pretty good guard in my opinion," Jim smiled pleasantly at them. "Stay here while I file a report, Otis, then we'll have dinner." Jim realized he hadn't eaten all day and his stomach protested.
He went to the parlor car and wired a report to Colonel Richmond giving details on where the hideout was and where they would find the stolen arms and supplies. He explained about Ariel Clatterbuck and Belial, and Otis and Reds and Joe. He asked for troops from the fort to come and pick them up from the train but requested leniency for Otis. He received a reply immediately. Fort troops would arrive in an hour for the prisoners. Jim went to the galley and prepared a light meal for him and Otis. The troops arrived just as they finished their supper.
"Do I have to go?" Otis asked a bit sadly.
"I'm afraid so, Otis, but you'll be alright," Jim promised him. He genuinely felt sorry for Otis. He was simple minded and easily led astray. Jim would be sure to emphasize that at the trial.
Finally everyone was out and Jim flopped exhausted on the sofa. The quiet was deafening, but he welcomed it. He sat a few minutes then cleaned up dinner and headed down the hall. He stopped at Arte's room entering quietly. He needn't have bothered. Arte was awake.
"I thought you'd sleep through the night," Jim said taking a seat in the chair.
"I intend to," Arte replied, "I just heard the prisoners being taken out."
"Yes, thank goodness. I've already filed the report so all that's left is for you to heal. How do you feel?" Jim asked.
"Nauseous," Arte made a sour face. "I remember where I heard the name Clatterbuck before," he told Jim.
"Where?" Jim sounded tired but interested.
"After the war, my first assignment before we were partnered. Denver Clatterbuck was a murderer. He killed a friend of then General Grant's, a senator from Louisiana, who sided with the north during the war. Clatterbuck was using an alias at the time. He called himself Victor Tremaine. It wasn't until after I had to shoot him that I found out his real name."
"His wife, Ariel, swore she'd avenge her husband's death. Otis was about 25 at the time. I didn't know his name, of course, but I saw him at the trial. He was holding a little black dog. Or at least I thought it was a dog. I guess it was Belial." Arte shuddered, "I think I'm going to have nightmares for a month," he said softly. Jim did not respond.
Arte looked over at his partner. Jim was slumped down in the comfortable chair, one leg slung over the arm, sound asleep. Arte chuckled, got slowly out of the bed and draped a blanket over his sleeping friend.
"I'll tell you all about it in the morning," he said turning down the lamp as Jim snored softly.