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Lincoln fast-crawled to the best cover he could find of a rounded boulder. It was only two feet high, but a depression to one side let him hug the ground with some feeling of security. By the gutted fire, Caldwell followed Lincoln’s lead in seeking cover behind a boulder.
This one was large enough to let him hunker down and raise his head over the top. With the last flames from the fire spluttering out, the darkness deepened so Lincoln could only make out the outlines of the numerous forms that were scurrying into cover.
While they were taking up positions Lincoln noted that they were lying down on both sides of their camp and beyond the fire. They had made camp on a high point so when the shooters went to ground farther down the slope, they disappeared from view.
This suggested they were leaving the route down to the plains open, but as that might be a trap, Lincoln resolved to follow Joshua in that direction only as a last resort. Lincoln caught Caldwell’s attention with a wave and then using hand gestures they agreed where most of the newcomers were.
They agreed that at least a dozen raiders were out there. Worse, neither man was sure of anyone’s exact location. Long moments passed quietly. Lincoln reckoned that with the element of surprise lost, the people were either waiting for them to make a mistake by moving or waiting for the cover of darkness.
The latter was approaching fast so Lincoln searched for the next nearest cover. He figured that if he could reach a different position unseen, when the assault came he could spring a surprise on them.
Accordingly, he noted that they’d left Wilson beside a mound that protected him from the prevailing wind that whipped up from the plains. Lincoln lowered his head and with his body pressed to the ground, he snaked out of the depression.
At first he moved slowly so that if he was spotted he could hurry back to his former position, but he covered two body lengths without reprisals. As he reckoned it was already dark enough to mask his movements, he sped up.
Caldwell ignored his action and he even turned to Lincoln’s former position several times to support the subterfuge. Lincoln kept his head down and only raised his head to check on his progress.
With every passing moment the darkness deepened so now Wilson’s form wasn’t visible and the mound was only discernable as a lighter patch of earth five body lengths ahead. Lincoln had become used to the quiet so when a gun report sounded, he couldn’t help but flinch.
All was still until Caldwell raised himself and fired over his covering boulder before dropping down. A moment later a rapid volley of shots ripped into the boulder, forcing him to stay down while other shots whistled into the earth a few yards ahead of Lincoln.
Lincoln grunted in irritation as it looked as if his movements had been tracked so he abandoned his stealthy approach. He got up on his haunches and with his head down, he sprinted for the mound.
He covered half the distance before gunfire tore out making him thrust his head down even farther. The action unbalanced him and he fell forward, forcing him to put out a hand to stop himself from falling over before stumbling on.
With scrambling, frantic paces he ran into the mound shoulder first where he steadied himself. Two quick shots rang out, but Lincoln couldn’t tell what their target had been so he turned to Wilson.
A sudden wind made the fire splutter into life and blood glistened, making him wince. Wilson’s chest had been holed repeatedly, suggesting the previous gunfire had all been aimed at him.
Figuring that meant his current position wasn’t as secure as he’d hoped, Lincoln scrambled around the side of the mound. Two gunshots hurried him on his way and ensured he kept his head down when he reached the other side.
Here, even the weak firelight didn’t reach so he cautiously snaked his body higher and raised his head over the top. Caldwell was kneeling down with his body hunched up close to his covering boulder and his cautious movements to either side showed he had yet to pick out a target.
Lincoln, too, failed to locate anyone and several minutes passed without incident, making Lincoln unsure what the attackers’ plan was. Bearing in mind these were probably the people who had killed the other prospectors and they’d just killed Wilson, Lincoln decided to test the theory that this might be a private feud and that he and Caldwell weren’t their targets.
“What do you people want?” he called.
Long moments passed and then someone spoke up from the darkness.
“That depends on who you are.”
The demand had come from a boulder ten yards beyond Caldwell, and something about the tone of voice surprised Lincoln.
“I’m U.S. Marshal Lincoln Hawk and the other man is Sheriff Caldwell from Russell Creek.”
“In that case if you want to live, throw down your guns and surrender.”
The second statement had again been delivered in a harsh manner, but the tone was lighter than he’d expect so he turned to Caldwell, who had furrowed his brow.
“The speaker sounded young,” Caldwell said, his voice low and just carrying to Lincoln.
“I don’t reckon so,” Lincoln said. “It sounded like a woman to me.”
“You’re wrong,” Caldwell mouthed, although his frown acknowledged that he had doubts.
“We’re lawmen,” Lincoln shouted. “We don’t take orders from killers.”
A rapid volley of shots hammered out, coming from all directions and giving Lincoln no choice but to keep his head down behind the mound. After the first few gunshots he noted that the firing was aimed around his position with no shot hitting the ground within three feet of him, so he raised his head.
“We can see you clearly and every one of those bullets could have hit you,” the voice from the hidden leader bellowed. “Throw down your guns or the next volley will do just that.”
This time Lincoln was sure that the speaker was a woman. Although he didn’t doubt that the attackers had a clear view of him, he couldn’t see them. With a sigh, he stood up and stepped out from behind the mound.
He held his hands wide apart as he caught Caldwell’s eye. With a resigned nod Caldwell followed Lincoln’s lead. They both dropped their guns, but neither man moved away from their weapons as they waited for the attackers’ next move.
Muttering sounded in the darkness and then footfalls pattered as someone hurried closer. The fire hadn’t died out completely and in the light of the few flames, a woman approached.
She scurried toward Caldwell, making Caldwell twitch with surprise. She moved on to the fire and went to her knees to coax the flames back to life. As the light level improved, the rest of the attackers became visible.
They, too, were women They were edging closer, all armed and aiming guns at the two lawmen. When they formed an arc before them, the leader moved around to stand in front of Caldwell.
“What are you doing here?” Caldwell asked.
“I could ask you the same question,” the woman said with a small smile playing on her lips.
Caldwell shook his head and with him not saying any more, Lincoln spoke up.
“Do you know this woman?” he said.
Caldwell turned to him and raised an eyebrow, his delay in replying letting Lincoln accept that the explanation he was trying hard not to consider was in fact the truth.
“You came here to look for Salvadora Somoza, but it seems she found you,” Caldwell said, nodding at the leader. “Over there is Chastity, Joshua’s daughter.”
Lincoln turned to a young woman who raised a hand briefly.
“What about Mary?” Lincoln asked, his query making another woman nod.
Caldwell snorted a rueful laugh. “So it seems I was right, after all. The women didn’t need rescuing.”
“Except they did, and I was the woman to do it,” Salvadora said.
“Are you saying Domingo Villaruel kidnapped them and you took him on?”
Salvadora nodded. “I reckoned something was amiss when women from the Lucky Horseshoe saloon kept disappearing, but I wasn’t sure of the details until Aaron Knight told me what was in store for me. Before he could act, Buster McCloud came looking for Letisha and he shot up Aaron.”
Salvadora turned to the line of women, and another one nodded, confirming her identity.
“So you came here?” Lincoln asked.
“Aaron told me Domingo took the women to El Dorado so I staked out the place. I remembered who the feisty ones were, who might have the courage to fight back and, one memorable night, we did just that.”
“We chose our moment when Domingo wasn’t there,” Letisha said, stepping forward. “Now we’re taking down his empire one man at a time.”
“So you killed the dead prospectors we’ve come across?”
“Sure. We remembered the ones who deserved to die and we made them regret what they did to us.” Letisha sneered before softening her expression. “We’re not as cruel as the ones who paid for us even though they knew we were being held in El Dorado against our will. We’ve done no harm to those who did us no harm.”
Salvadora turned to Letisha, seemingly preparing to disagree with her. Although she said nothing, her narrowed eyes suggested that Letisha had referred to an old argument and that perhaps this group wasn’t as united as they had first appeared.
“So Wilson had to die?” Lincoln asked.
“He paid for his crime.”
“What about us?”
Letisha gestured at Salvadora, and their leader spoke up.
“It sounds as if you came here to help us,” she said. “We’re grateful for that. Once we’ve completed our mission, you can leave.”
“And that mission is to kill Domingo?”
“We fled El Dorado, but for the last week we’ve been working our way back. We’re now confident we can destroy that place and anyone who stands with Domingo.”
“From what I’ve heard about Domingo, that’s a noble aim.” Lincoln waited until Salvadora nodded and then took a pace to the side to stand over his gun. “But dealing with men like him is the duty of the law, not the people who reckon they’ve been wronged.”
Making his movements slowly Lincoln lowered his hand toward his gun. Nobody reacted so he bent down while still moving his hand. He was starting to think they’d let him take the weapon when Salvadora snapped up her gun arm.
She tore out a shot that sliced into the ground a foot from Lincoln’s questing fingers. Lincoln’s hand was six inches away from the gun and he’d back himself to reach it before she fired again, but most of the other women firmed their guns arms so he raised his hand.
“If the law had stepped in earlier, this situation would never have developed,” Salvadora said.
She cast Caldwell an accusing sneer, making the sheriff lower his head and then take a long step away from his own gun. With him effectively surrendering, Lincoln straightened up and moved backward.
Lincoln spread his hands. “We’re here now to end this situation.”
“By the time we’ve finished with Domingo, you won’t need to.” Salvadora pointed at the mound where Wilson’s body lay. “Go over there and keep quiet. If you try anything, lawmen or no lawmen, you’ll get what that man got.”
Lincoln opened his mouth to continue the argument, but Caldwell started slouching toward him so he did as he’d been told and moved over to the mound. Caldwell sat beside him and with their acquiescence, Salvadora organized her group.
She directed two women to move Wilson aside and then ordered two more to watch over them. Their guards stayed some distance away so Lincoln leaned toward Caldwell.
“What’s your suggestion?” he whispered.
Caldwell didn’t reply immediately, appearing lost in thought.
“About what?” he said, his tone distracted.
“About taking control before more blood is shed either by the prospectors or by these women?”
Caldwell sighed. “I don’t reckon we can, or should.”
“You’re not saying we should let Salvadora raid El Dorado, are you?”
“I’m saying she was right. I’m responsible for this situation. If I’d have stepped in earlier, these women wouldn’t have suffered.”
“You’re not to blame for something that happened this far away from Russell Creek.”
“Yet I am. I should have pieced this together. You worked it out, it seems Buster McCloud figured out what was happening and even my idiot deputy knew something was wrong.”
Lincoln wondered what he could say to make Caldwell stop feeling sorry for himself, but their conversation had made their guards edge forward, so he limited himself to patting Caldwell on the back.
“Buster and your deputy made mistakes, but in the end, they did what they thought was the right thing.”
Caldwell considered this, and then nodded.
“As must I,” he said.