Dawn was slowly yellowing the gray, overcast sky.
Sheriff Vogel ground out his smoke, got to his feet, stretched the stiffness from his muscles and told the men resting around him to saddle up.
He then joined Reece Blackwood, who stood by himself, staring at the narrow entrance to Rockfall Pass.
‘Sun’s clear of the hills.’
Reece nodded and wadded fresh gum into his mouth.
‘You still of a mind to ride in?’
‘I say anything to make you think differently?’
‘Just wanted to make sure,’ Sheriff Vogel said. ‘This ain’t gonna be no picnic, you know.’
‘Nothing I’ve ever wanted was,’ Reece replied. The two men walked to their horses. ‘Folks say I’m lucky; that I only trip over four-leaf clovers and prosperity lands in my lap. They couldn’t be farther from the truth. I’ve had to sell my soul to the devil many times.’
‘I don’t doubt that,’ Sheriff Vogel said. There was a sting to his voice that made Reece look sharply at him.
‘You don’t think much of me, do you, Sheriff?’
The big lawman spat tobacco juice between his horse’s hoofs. ‘Life ain’t a popularity contest, Mr Blackwood. But so long as you keep on payin’ me, I reckon you’re the nicest fella I know.’
Reece chuckled despite himself. ‘Well, at least you’re honest, Sheriff. I’ll give you that.’ He looked about him. ‘Where’s Latigo?’
The sheriff searched the faces of the riders gathered before him. ‘Any of you seen Rawlins?’
The men stood up in their stirrups and looked around.
‘Ain’t here,’ one rider said.
‘What do you mean, he’s not here?’ Reece rode into the pack of riders, his horse shouldering their mounts aside. ‘Where the hell is he then?’
The riders looked at each other and shrugged.
‘Must’ve ridden off while we were restin’,’ Sheriff Vogel said. He shook his head in disgust. ‘Never did trust that little sawed-off runt.’
Reece saw a growing uneasiness in the eyes of several of the riders and knew he had to rally them or call off the fight.
‘Good riddance to him,’ he said. ‘Means the rest of you get to divvy up the thousand dollars I promised him. C’mon, Sheriff,’ he added, before the men could get over their surprise, ‘let’s ride.’ He spurred his horse forward, the sheriff and his deputies following.
Gabriel sat smoking in an old rocker. Through half-shut eyes he studied Ingrid and Raven, who lay on the bed opposite him.
‘She asleep?’ he whispered to Ingrid.
She nodded and gently kissed her daughter on the top of her raven-black head.
‘Just like she hasn’t a care in the world.’
‘That’s ’cause she trusts you.’
‘Trusts you, you mean.’ When he didn’t say anything, she added: ‘What’s going to happen to us, Gabe?’
‘We’re gonna be fine.’
‘Don’t patronize me. Tell me what you really think.’
Before he could answer gunfire broke out.
‘There’s your answer,’ he told her.
‘Oh-dear-God,’ she said softly.
‘Sounds like it’s comin’ from the pass,’ Gabriel said as the shooting increased. ‘From what I saw ridin’ in, the Utleys most likely got your stepbrother an’ his men pinned down.’ He saw her wince and wished he’d kept his mouth shut.
Raven now waked with a start. Hearing the steady crackle of rifle fire, she sat up and looked about her as if not sure where she was. ‘Momma – who’s shooting?’
‘It’s your Uncle Reece. He and the sheriff and some men are trying to get us out of here.’
‘Shouldn’t take ’em long,’ Gabriel lied.
The door swung open and Mitch stood looking at them, rifle in one hand, Gabriel’s Colt in the other.
‘I’m goin’ to help Pa,’ he told Gabriel.
‘He said for you to stay here.’
‘Don’t care what he said. I ain’t waitin’ no longer. Pa needs me even if he won’t admit it. Here,’ he tossed the Peacemaker to Gabriel. ‘Fend for yourself. I owe you that much.’ Turning, he ran out of the shack.
‘Too bad,’ Gabriel said as they heard Mitch ride off. ‘Boy had potential.’
‘Now what?’ Ingrid asked.
‘Got two options,’ Gabriel said. ‘Wait here till the fightin’ stops, which could be a spell, or try to make it over one of the cliffs behind us an’—’
Suddenly, the earth shook.
The ground under the shack heaved so violently, Gabriel, Ingrid and Raven were thrown to the floor.
Furniture overturned. Windows shattered. Pots and pans and dishes fell off hooks and shelves in the kitchen and rolled, clattering, everywhere.
Outside, there was a loud, wrenching, screeching sound as wood and nails were ripped apart. Moments later the porch collapsed.
The shaking seemed to last forever.
Still on the bedroom floor, Gabriel dragged Ingrid and Raven to the overturned bed, grabbed the mattress and pulled it over them. He felt them trembling and gently tried to calm their fears, assuring them that they were safe and that the quake wouldn’t last long.
And still the earth shook.
The three of them waited, eyes closed, teeth clinched, bodies tensed, jolted around like corks at sea.
Then, as suddenly as it started, the shaking stopped.
Everything was still. Silent.
It was, Gabriel thought, as if the earth was holding its breath.
‘Thank God,’ whispered Ingrid. ‘It’s over.’
Then the after-shock struck.
It lasted only a few seconds. But in that time the shack was torn loose from the ground. The walls split apart. The roof caved in. The shack collapsed like a house of cards.