Only 06 - Winter Fire

smaller shadow appeared beside Case. The hat and jacket belonged to Sarah. The rest, including the badly braided hair jammed beneath the hat, belonged to Ute.
    â€œWe’re here,” Case called. “Let the boy go.”
    Weapons lifted to cover the two people on the canyon rim.
    â€œWe’ve got men with rifles along the rim,” Case said. “You start shooting and there won’t be anyone left to bury the dead.”
    Kester melted back into the brush. So did another long, lean Culpepper.
    â€œThem Culpeppers is real coyotes,” Ute muttered.
    Moody’s men didn’t even notice that they were now alone, exposed to rifle fire. Their eyes saw only the saddlebags hanging over Case’s shoulders.
    â€œLower your rifles, boys,” Ab called. “Time enough to sort things out later.”
    A curt order from Moody sent the rifle barrels pointing slightly away from the east rim.
    â€œLet’s see that silver,” Ab yelled from the willows.
    â€œNot until I’m sure Conner is walking and talking,” Case said. “ Let him go .”
    After a few moments Conner stumbled forward out of the willows. He was moving his arms and legs as thoughthey were stiff. Loops of recently cut rope dangled from his ankles and wrists. His face was bruised. Yet with each step he took, strength visibly returned to him.
    â€œThere he be,” Ab called. “Show me that silver!”
    Case shrugged off the saddlebags that were slung over each shoulder. They hit the ground at his feet.
    The clang and clatter of silver bars knocking against one another went through the men gathered below like a swig of raw whiskey. If any man noticed that only one of the saddlebags gave off the sweet sound of metal wealth, he didn’t show it.
    â€œIt’s here,” Case called. “As soon as Conner walks out of the canyon, we’ll throw the saddlebags down to you.”
    Silence answered him.
    â€œHope Conner is looking for a hole,” Ute said calmly. “Sure as sin, it’ll be a turkey shoot.”
    Conner kept walking, ducking and weaving through the gathered raiders. The closest cover was thirty feet away, in the piles of rubble at the base of the east side of the canyon.
    â€œAin’t her,” Kester called to Ab.
    â€œWhat?” Ab demanded.
    â€œAin’t her.”
    â€œWhat are you yammering about?”
    â€œYou dumb egg-sucking son of a bitch,” Kester yelled distinctly. “It ain’t her up there!”
    The willows thrashed as Ab made his way closer to the edge of the thicket.
    Conner’s movements quickened.
    Rifle barrels gleamed and shifted like mercury in the shadows.
    â€œGonna get lively right soon,” Ute muttered.
    â€œWe have to give Conner every second we can.”
    â€œWhat if Ab has a spyglass?”
    â€œIt will give Morgan a dandy target.”
    Apparently Ab thought so, too. The willow thicketshifted again, but there was no flash of glass lens throwing back the light of the sun.
    â€œYou up there,” Ab yelled. “Take off your hat and let down your hair!”
    â€œOn three,” Case murmured.
    Slowly he lifted his hat.
    â€œShee-it!” Ab snarled.
    â€œOne,” Case said softly.
    â€œNot you!” Ab yelled.
    â€œTwo.”
    â€œThe other one!”
    â€œOver here,” Sarah yelled. “Is this what you’re looking for?”
    The raiders spun around and looked up toward the south wall of the canyon. Sarah’s hair burned like a second sunrise among the ancient ruins.
    But even more compelling were the polished reales pouring like a musical silver waterfall into the canyon from her upended saddlebags.
    Moody’s raiders ran toward the coins.
    Case and Ute hit the ground, grabbing for their rifles as they fell.
    Conner jumped the nearest raider, grabbed his six-gun, and started firing.
    The Culpeppers began shooting from cover.
    Rifle fire exploded from all directions in the canyon. The first to die were Moody’s men, shot in the back by Culpeppers before they even reached the dazzling waterfall of silver that had blinded them to danger.
    Bullets whined wildly off the east rim as Culpeppers turned their fire on Case and Ute. Chips of rock and grit stung both men while they snaked along on their bellies, trying to find both cover and a good place to fire back at the raiders.
    â€œDamn,” Ute said, spitting out rock dust. “Them boys is good