Knights of the Golden Circle

Part 5: More Death

"Uh, where am I?" Jim Hendricks stirred.

"You are in your tent," Caine replied. "You were injured. You have been unconscious since yesterday."

"Oh, now I remember. Has McConnell's body been taken care of?"

"Yes."

"It's a shame. He was a good foreman. Gruff at times but good with everyone, though a little harder on the Chinese. Though once you earned his respect, he could have been your best pal. I'll have to inform Wilkes when he returns, though I don't care much for him. Acts like he owns the place. Treats the workers badly as well. Don't give them their usual break."

Caine cocked his head to one side and listening, "Why do you not hire someone else?"

"Could, but owner's a fool. Needed every man he could get at the time. Railroad wasn't supposed to put a line here for another five years. Negotiated a deal. Wilkes was part of that deal. Been putting a lot of money into the project."

"You are the owner," Caine stated.

"How did you . . ."

Caine gave the man a shrug. "What a man does not say is often just as important as what he does."

"Don't know why the railroad isn't responding to our needs. That was part of the deal. May have to talk with them myself."

An older Chinese worker entered the tent and bowed to the Shaolin. He then knelt beside Hendricks' cot.

"What is it Wu Yen?"

"Mr. Wilkes has returned."

"Send him to me," Henricks tried to sit up, though weak from his injuries.

Caine helped to support him by sitting behind his back when Wilkes entered the tent cabin. Caine observed the man was large and stocky. He had blond hair that was almost white and a straggly beard that suggested his hair had been darker before the sun bleached the color. His eyes were a steel gray and hard like flint. The man had an air about him of an aristocrat but arrogant, not genteel. Caine's eyes moved along the man then settled on one spot.

"You wanted to see me boss," the last word was spoken with an undertone of disdain, as if saying he should have been the one in charge. "Who's this?"

Hendricks ignored the second question and answered the first. "We were raided, again. Six men were killed this time. Did you get a response from the head office?"

"Nope, silence as usual. What happened to you?"

"Got caught in an ambush yesterday. That's not important. The fact that we lost six men this time is."

Another Chinese worker came in. "I checked in on the prisoners this morning. They were sleeping."

"Prisoners?" Hendricks questioned. "Had something happened last night that I'm not aware of?"

"We were attacked again last night. There were six on horseback, all dressed in robes and hoods. This man tried to stop them." The man pointed toward Caine.

"One man took care of six men?" Wilkes replied.

"Actually, he took three men prisoners. The other three got away."

"Good for him," though the words were less than sincere.

"Also, McConnell was killed. We were returning with more supplies when we were attacked. See what you can do. You're going to have to act as foreman until I can hire another man."

"What about that guy. What work is he going to do?" Wilkes pointed to Caine.

"This is Caine, going to assist me in the investigation to stop these raids."

Caine and Wilkes locked eyes for just a moment. It was a silent challenge between the two.

"You said there wasn't any response from the head office."

"Nope, and there isn't going to be. Sheriff told me that the lines were cut yesterday. Had to ride all the way to Stratton to use their telegraph. Waited around for a reply but didn't get any."

Hendricks gave a sigh of frustration. "Get the men together and start spreading more gravel. Got to start laying more track by tomorrow. And make sure you give the men their usual breaks. It's hot out there today and we don't want anyone collapsing from the heat. They work hard and they deserve to be treated fairly. That's all Wilkes."

Caine watched Wilkes exit from the cabin then spoke to Hendricks. "That man is one of the raiders."

"Are you sure?"

"I recognize his boots," Caine stated.

"You saw them in the dark?"

"They were unusual."

"You're right about that. They're also expensive. Wilkes can't afford boots like that on the salary I'm paying him. I wonder where he's getting the money from."

"He is not what he seems."

"Keep an eye on him will you. And check on the prisoners. The sooner we get them out of camp and into a jail cell, the better."

"I will do what I can."

As Caine left Hendricks in the care of another, he decided it was best to watch the 'new foreman' by helping to spread gravel. While he kept busy, he could make his observations without being intrusive. Untrue to his word, Wilkes worked the men past their meal break. When it looked as if Wilkes was going to work the men until sundown, one of the women approached Wilkes carrying a very large ladle. It was the same woman whom Caine spoke with twice.

"The men must eat," she stated. "You stop now."

"Get out of here. Don't tell me my job."

"You work them too hard. They need to eat," the woman persisted.

"I said get out of here," Wilkes pulled his hand back to strike the woman across the face.

Caine was suddenly there, grabbing the man's arm and staring the man down. "The woman is correct. The men must eat. You made a promise to Mr. Hendricks."

"Mr. Hendricks ain't here. Get back to work."

Caine let his shovel drop to the ground then walked off toward the kitchen tents and tables. Others started to follow.

"Hey, get back to work, we're supposed to get this gravel laid."

Caine continued to ignore Wilkes. He quickly spun around as he felt the man's presence trying to grab him by the shoulder.

"So, you think you can take me?"

Caine relaxed and turned his back once more. "I do not wish to fight you."

"You may not, but you're going to get one."

Caine swiftly responded as Wilkes tried to grab him in a bear hug by spinning and hitting the man in the head with a high crescent kick, then landing into a horse stance. He circled Wilkes waiting for him to get up from the ground, but the man just lay there stunned from the blow.

"We will continue our work after we have eaten," one of the workers stated to Wilkes as he lay on the ground. He then followed the Shaolin.

Kwai Chang Caine gathered three meals and took them to the prisoners.

"They are still asleep. I just checked."

Puzzled why three men would still be asleep in the middle of the day, he walked over to where the prisoners were being housed and entered the cabin. All three men lay on the ground as if in sleep, but something else caught Caine's eye. He put the large tray of food down and crouched beside one of the men. The man was cold. He then moved to the other two and checked them as well. He turned all three of the men over and discovered a foamy substance around each of their mouths. Their faces were frozen in time, showing they did not die pleasantly.

Leaving the tray of food, Caine headed to Hendricks cabin. Another of Hendricks' men, a civil engineer by the name of Greyson was there.

"The prisoners are dead."

"What? How? No one's been in or out except to bring food. I thought they were only sleeping."

"What kind of poison would cause white foam from the mouth?" Caine asked.

"Cyanide. It's used for killing rats."

"Then they committed suicide. Why would they do such a thing?"

"To keep something secret," Hendricks replied. "Their identities. Search the bodies for any clues, then bury them away from the rest of the graves. Leave the graves unmarked."

Caine exit the cabin to assist with the burials and turned to see Wilkes watching him. He knew the man was a member of the Knights of the Golden Circle but proving it would not be easy. Caine sensed the man's rage and humiliation. It was only a matter of time when another confrontation would eventually take place.

Continues with Part 6