William Krueger - Heaven's keep

Adelle said, “Ben, this man hasn’t hurt us in any way, and all he wants is to find his wife.”

“Lame’s been good to us,” Iron said.

“He’s the cause of this man’s sorrow, Ben,” Adelle said. “At least give him the chance to find his wife.”

“Lame’ll probably kill him anyway,” the kid said.

“Nick,” his grandmother snapped at him.

Iron squeezed his eyes closed in pain and finally gave in. “It’s supposed to be near Heaven’s Keep, but nobody except Lame knows where,” he said. “His uncle built it. Hunted and trapped out of it. Hid it somewhere nobody could stumble across it. There’s a trailhead not far from here. Lame always takes it. But God alone knows where he goes.”

Cork walked to the door and looked toward Heaven’s Keep, which he could no longer see because it had become shrouded in clouds spilling in from the west.

“I’ll need a horse,” he said.

Nick and Parmer accompanied him to the barn. Inside the doorway, the kid stopped and stared, horrified, at the hanging man.

“I’d cut him down,” Cork said, “but he needs to be left like that for the police.”

After that the kid did his best to avoid looking. He chose a dapple gray named Aggie. Next to Dominion, this was the best horse on the ranch, Nick said. While the kid saddled him, Cork and Parmer went to the ranch house to collect supplies.

“Look, I understand where you’re coming from, Cork. But you can’t go alone.”

“I’m not putting anyone else in jeopardy, Hugh.”

“You know anything about horses, Cork?”

“No.”

“I can’t turn you loose in those mountains trusting your fate to an animal you don’t understand.”

“I don’t figure I’ll need my horse for long, one way or the other.”

Into a canvas sack he’d brought from the barn, Cork had thrown a can of baked beans, a couple of cans of tuna fish, a can of peaches, a jar half full of peanut butter, most of a jar of strawberry jam, and a box of saltines. He opened a drawer and found a can opener, a spoon, and a sharp knife, all of which he threw into the sack.

Parmer grabbed him roughly. “Look at me. What the kid said is true. Nightwind’ll probably kill you. If you’re alone. Two of us stand a better chance.”

“This is way more than what you signed on for.”

“Hell, it’s been way more from the beginning. I’m not going to let you cut me loose at this point no matter what. We do this together.”

“I’m wasting time here, Hugh.”

“Then just say yes, damn it.”

Cork thought it over quickly, under the press of time, and gave in. “All right.”

Parmer smiled. “Let’s get cracking.”

They left the kitchen and headed toward a room Cork had seen in his earlier reconnoitering. In Nightwind’s study, he found what he was looking for, a gun case containing some fine-looking armaments. The case was locked. Cork smashed the glass, reached inside, and pulled out a Savage 110. He looked at Parmer and waited for the man to comment on the firearm in his hands.

Parmer simply nodded and said, “Nice piece.” He reached into the case and chose a Weatherby. “Wonder where he keeps the cartridges.”

“In the equipment shed,” Nick said from the doorway. “He has scopes there, too.”

“My horse is ready, Nick?”

“Yes.”

“Mind getting us those cartridges and scopes?”

“Okay. Lame’s got sleeping bags, too. I’ll bring those.” He saw the rifle in Parmer’s hands. “I’ll saddle Hornet for you. A good horse, trust me.”

Cork went to the closet in the front entryway. He grabbed a fleece-lined jean jacket that was hanging there. Parmer took a leather jacket, also lined with fleece. Cork slid a Stetson from the closet shelf and tried it on. Too big for him, but it fit Parmer nicely. There was a gray stocking cap hanging on a peg, and Cork took that instead.

Nick brought them the cartridge boxes and the sleeping bags, and they returned to the barn for the horses. Parmer saddled his own mount, speaking quietly to the animal as he worked. The kid went into the tack room and brought out scabbards for the rifles. Cork was walking his horse out of the barn when Kosmo showed up.

The sheriff came with two deputies. No Voice followed in his Blazer, accompanied by two of his own officers. They arrived in a cloud of dust and drew up in front of the barn. The officers got out, weapons drawn. Cork walked out to meet them.

“Where’s Nightwind?” Kosmo asked.

“Gone into the mountains.”

Cork related the salient details of the story the Arapaho had told him, then he handed the lawman Nightwind’s note.

Kosmo read it and looked into the barn behind Cork, where Nick and Parmer were readying the second mount. “You’re going after him?”

“Hugh and me.”

“What’s the unfinished business he mentions?”

“I don’t know,” Cork said.

“You go up there and he’ll kill you both.”

“He’s the only one who knows the truth about my wife, so it’s a chance I’m willing to take. There’s something you ought to see.” Cork jerked his head for Kosmo to follow.

“Wait here,” the sheriff said to his deputies. Inside, when he caught sight of the body strung from the rafter, Kosmo stopped as if he’d walked into a wall. “Jesus Christ. Who is it?”

“Gully. Mike’s in the stall over there. They came looking for Nightwind.”

No Voice joined them. When he saw Nightwind’s handiwork, he whistled. “Like a goddamn slaughtered cow. Who is it?”

“One of the guys shot Ellyn Grant,” Kosmo said.

“Where’s the other one?” No Voice asked.

The sheriff nodded toward the body in the stall.

No Voice couldn’t take his eyes off the bloody spectacle hung from the beam. “Lame did this out of pure meanness?”

“I got no idea what’s in his head,” Kosmo said. “Where’s your granddad, Nick?”

“At our cabin,” the kid replied. “Those men hurt him, but he’ll be all right.”

“EMTs are on their way from Hot Springs. Be here pretty soon.” Kosmo turned to Cork. “You really intend to go after Nightwind? Just you and Parmer?”

“I don’t have much choice, Sheriff. I hope you’re not thinking of trying to stop me.”

“Hold off for a while,” Kosmo said. “In three hours I could have a dozen men mounted to go with you.”

Cork shook his head. “You see those clouds. It’ll be raining pretty soon down here. That means snow in the mountains. By the time you get it all together, his trail’ll be covered. We head off now, we have a chance.”

Kosmo threw a stern look at Parmer. “You understand what you’re walking into? You could well end up just like that man there.”

Parmer said, “I understand.”

The sheriff shoved his big hands into the back pockets of his jeans and studied the mountains through the doorway of the barn. “Christ, I don’t like this.”

“I’m not exactly doing cartwheels, Sheriff,” Cork said. “But if there’s a chance of getting my wife back, I’ll do whatever I have to.”

Kosmo looked at the butchered man for half a minute, and in the quiet as he considered, the only sounds were the snorts of the horses and the ripples of their flanks as they shook off the flies.

“It’s still a free country, O’Connor, and I don’t suppose I’ve got any legal way to keep you from going. But let me give you a few things that’ll help.”

Outside, he took two ballistic vests from the trunk of his cruiser and gave one to each of them.

“Got these babies through a special Homeland Security grant. They provide Level Three protection. They’ll stop anything up to a. 308 caliber, full metal jacket round. Unless Nightwind has armor-piercing ammo, you’re covered.”