Simon Hawke - The Six Gun Solution

“Thanks, mister.”

“Where you from, cowboy?” the gambler asked.

“Oh, all over,” Delaney replied, “guess I’m what you’d call a drifter. I never seem to stay in any one place too long. What about yourself?”

“Boston,” said the gambler.

“Boston? Is that right?”

“Ever been there’?”

“Yeah, back in another life.” said Finn. He smiled. The gambler seemed to hesitate a fraction of a second before he smiled back. “Got some of the finest food around in Boston. The old Oyster House by Faneuil Hall.”

“I know it well. What brings you to Tombstone?”

“The wind, my friend, the wind.” Delaney said. “I just follow where it blows me.”

“You seem to have a touch of the romantic in your soul,” said Stone. “That would be the Irish in you. A land of poets and dreamers.”

“Aye, that it is.” said Delaney. He grinned. “It’s lucky for me I ran into you tonight. Mr. Stone. My roll was gettin’ mighty thin. I’m much obliged to you.”

“Well, you can’t win them all.” said Stone. “And call me Ben.”

“My friends call me Finn.”

“It’s a pleasure, Finn. Jenny! Bring us a bottle, will you, dear?”

“Well, now. I said drinks were on me,” said Finn.

“Very well, I won’t argue. Feel free to pay.”

Finn chuckled and stared appreciatively as Jenny brought a bottle of whiskey over to their table.

“Thank you, darling,” Stone said.

She smiled. “Anytime, Ben.”

They both watched as she moved off.

“Pretty girl.” said Finn.

“That she is,” Stone agreed. “But if you’ve got any ideas along that line. I’d advise you to forget them. Time was, not too long ago, she’d have been happy to accommodate you, but not since the Montana Kid arrived in town. Now she’s got eyes only for him. A big, husky fellow like yourself might not be deterred by that, but I’d think twice if I were you. The Kid’s one hell of a fast gun.”

“Is he, now?”

“Killed two men right here in this saloon. And they knew their business, too. He’s young, but don’t let that fool you. The Kid is deadly.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Delaney said. “Sounds like this town can get a mite rough for a man.”

“Well, it isn’t Boston, that’s for sure.” Stone replied. “You get many killings here?”

“More than our share.”

Finn fought back the temptation to ask about the dead Observers. He didn’t want to ask too many questions. He was aware of Stone’s light gray eyes watching him carefully, not smiling when his mouth smiled. Neither one of us an too sure about each other, are we? He thought. He had a feeling about Stone and he was pretty sure that Stone had the same feeling about him. Not quite a certainty, but close enough for government work, as they said. They were both gambling men and Finn would have bet Stone was a pro. Stone would probably have made the same bet, too. There were all sorts of telltale little things that ordinary people would have missed, things that, to a pro. couldn’t really be disguised. Body attitude and language. A sense of fine control. Alert and watchful eyes, eyes that picked up much more than most people’s did. But mostly, it was a feeling like two predators sensing each other. It was possible that Stone was simply the same breed of man. Capable, crafty, dangerous. Delaney knew he could be wrong. But he didn’t think he was.

“Seems like a man could do all right for himself in a town like this,” said Finn.

“Well, I guess it would all depend on what he had in mind.” Stone replied. Finn shrugged. “I’m in no hurry. I think I’ll just sort of stick around and get the feel of things before I make any decisions. Find out who’s who around here, what sort of opportunities there are.”

“There anything special that you had in mind?” asked Stone.

“I said, let go of me!”

Stone turned around. “Oh-oh. Looks like trouble.”

A cowboy sitting at a table had Jenny by the arm and was refusing to let go. She struggled, but he was much stronger and held on firmly.

“Come on. Now, honey, don’t be like that! You weren’t too good for me last week!”

“That was last week!” Jenny said. “Things are different now. I don’t do that anymore. Now let me go!”

“The Kid’s not going to like that,” Stone said.

“He around?”

“No, he went out on that posse with the Earps. And Frank Leslie rode out with the sheriff when they went back out after they brought in their prisoner.”

“I said, let me go!”

The man pulled her down on his lap, laughing. “Playin’ hard to get, eh?

Well. I know what you like!” Jenny struggled as the man started roughly fondling her breast. The other men at the table were laughing and egging their companion on.

“Excuse me,” Finn said, pushing back his chair. He went over to their table. Jenny was making angry, whimpering sounds as the man forced his kisses on her. “I think I heard the lady ask to be let go,” said Finn.

The man stopped kissing Jenny and stared up at Finn belligerently, though he still held onto her tightly.

“What the hell business is it of yours?”

“I just don’t like seeing women bullied, that’s all.” Finn said.

“Is that so? Well now, just what do you intend to do about it?”

“How about if I break your knees” asked Finn, with a smile.

“Hey, now! I don’t want any trouble in here!” the barman shouted.

“You stay out of this, Lem! It ain’t none of your concern!” shouted the cowboy.

Lem didn’t seem inclined to make it his concern. The cowboy let Jenny go and stood up. He was a beefy man, as big as Finn, though heavier and not as muscular.

“Mister, you just bought into a pack of trouble.”

Delaney hit him in the face with a quick, sharp blow and the man dropped like a felled tree. His three friends were on their feet in an instant. One of them swung at Finn. Delaney caught his fist in his left hand, then brought his right hand up to cover it, gave a quick, sharp twist and the man howled as his wrist bone snapped like a twig. The other man had picked up a chair and was bringing it down hard. Delaney swung the man with the broken wrist around and made him take the blow. The chair broke over the man’s head and Delaney released him as he went down. The third man was reaching into the pocket of his coat. Delaney snatched up a half empty whiskey bottle from the table and smashed it into the man’s face. Whiskey, broken glass, blood and a few teeth spattered on the table as the man went down.

The man who’d swung the chair came up with a bowie knife he had in his boot. Delaney just looked at him and grinned. The man with the knife found the grin highly disconcerting. The knife made sweeping arcs in front of him as he bent over in a crouch. Cards, glasses and coins rained to the floor as Delaney picked up the table and ran it at him.

“Jesus…!” yelled the man with the knife as the table struck him and he was propelled back against the wall, struck it hard and remained there, pinned by the table. The knife fell to the floor. Delaney dropped the table on the man’s feet.

“Yowww.”

And then Delaney struck him once and knocked him out.

“Great day in the morning!” someone said.

A few people applauded and whooped. Delaney turned and gave them a small bow.

“I’d like to thank you, mister.”

Finn turned to see Jenny standing behind him.

“My pleasure, Ma’am.”

“Can I buy you a drink?”

“I’d be delighted.”

He glanced at Stone, who was watching him thoughtfully. Stone gave a slight smile, inclined his head and raised his glass to him.

“My name is Jennifer,” the girl said. ‘Jennifer Reilly. What’s yours?”