Elmore Leonard - Escape from Five Shadows

Renda waited. His thumbs were hooked in his belt and he stared at Bowen, studying his face and waiting for Bowen’s eyes to drop or look away. But Bowen continued to return his stare and finally Renda said, “Was it worth it?”

Bowen didn’t answer. Then, he tried to turn his head and bring up his shoulder, seeing Renda suddenly shift his weight, but he was not quick enough and Renda’s fist slashed backhanded across his face.

Renda’s arm dropped slowly. “I asked you a question.”

Bowen nodded then. “It was worth it.”

“Why?”

“I learned something.”

“You’re going to learn more before we’re through.”

Bowen said nothing.

“Like your friend Pryde,” Renda said. “He learned his before he got off the road.”

Bowen shook his head. “He wasn’t in on it.”

“That’s why he went for Brazil.”

Now Bowen hesitated. “Ike did that?”

“He tried. He got a Winchester over the head.”

“If Brazil hit Ike,” Bowen said quietly, “then he rode up to the wagon to do it. Taking it out on Ike because I-”

“Listen! I’m not discussing this with you…I’m telling you!”

“And I’m telling you Ike wasn’t in on it!”

Renda’s fists came up together, up under Bowen’s jaw, and as his head snapped back Renda’s right hand fell away then swung viciously against Bowen’s face. Bowen went down. He rolled to his side painfully, his head resting on the ground.

“Pick him up,” Renda said.

Salvaje stooped and slid his hands beneath Bowen’s shoulders. Lifting him, he said. “This one fights well…when he has his hands.”

Renda looked at the Mimbre sergeant. “Careful now.”

“I say what I know,” Salvaje answered. “He fought well and deserves better than this.”

Renda nodded slowly, thoughtfully, before saying, “I’ll tell you something now. You went out of here with twelve horses. You came back with ten. Worry about where you’re going to find two horses and I’ll worry about this one.”

Salvaje shook his head. “You supply horses. We bring back escaped men.”

“I think you’d do better,” Renda said, “if you’d never learned to talk English.” His tone changed suddenly and he pointed a finger at Salvaje. “You’re going to find two horses to replace what you lost, or you’re going to find yourself back at San Carlos! You savvy that, Mister Indian?”

Salvaje did not answer, but his eyes remained on Renda.

“Now get out of the way,” Renda told him. He waited for Salvaje to move, then stepped up to Bowen, rubbing his fist into the palm of his left hand. Suddenly then, he cocked the fist. Bowen started to roll away from it, but as he did Renda’s left hand lashed against his jaw.

Lizann watched Bowen as he tried to rise, as he fell back again and rolled to his stomach. She looked at Renda then to see what he would do.

Renda’s glance went to Salvaje. “Pick him up.”

With the Mimbre’s help, Bowen came to his feet. He stood swaying, as if ready to fall, his head hanging forward, but as Renda swung at him again he rolled with the fist, and suddenly threw himself at Renda, lowering his head to drive against him. Renda went back a half step. He pushed Bowen away from him and moved in with his fists before Bowen could lower his head again. He hit him with both hands-short body jabs that kept Bowen backing away, trying to twist with the jabs, then a hard solid left hand to Bowen’s stomach and as he started to fold forward Renda’s right hand hammered against his jaw and he went down.

Renda stood over him, his thick chest rising and falling as he breathed. He backed away then and said, “Pick him up.”

“Don’t you think,” Lizann said mildly, “he’s had enough?”

Renda looked at her. “Do I tell you how to take care of Willis?”

“You’d like to be able to,” Lizann said.

Renda glanced at her leaning against the ramada post. She always seemed to be lounging, watching something going on, but never taking part herself. He turned to Salvaje again. “I said pick him up.”

Bowen was again lifted to his feet, but this time staggered and almost went down before Renda could reach him. Renda’s hand caught the front of his shirt. He held Bowen momentarily, then dropped his hand as he shifted his weight and he hit Bowen in the face as hard as he could swing his fist.

He stepped back then, his eyes raising from Bowen to Salvaje. “Throw him in with Pryde. They’ll think about it over bread and water for a while.” He paused. “Say twenty days. That’s a good round number.”

Lizann watched Renda hand Salvaje a key; then Salvaje made a sign and two of his Mimbres lifted Bowen to his feet. He stood between them, his shoulders raised awkwardly by the support of their hands under his arms. His legs moved as they led him away, following Salvaje, but his head hung heavily, chin against chest, and Lizann realized that he was barely conscious.

Her eyes followed as they took him across the compound to the convicts’ barracks, then along the wind-scarred adobe front of it, past five doors to the sixth one, the punishment cell.

She was thinking of her husband, comparing him to this man Bowen, and wondering if he could have taken half the beating Bowen did.

No, Bowen was a different breed-a man who would undoubtedly again try to escape, even if failure meant another beating and a longer period in the punishment cell. A man, Lizann reflected, who would go to any extreme to escape. Any extreme.

She saw Salvaje open the heavy door, the two Mimbres move inside with Bowen, then reappear, one carrying the length of rope that had fastened Bowen’s hands, then Salvaje padlock the door again, and she continued to think of Bowen, though no longer comparing him to her husband.

Pryde sat against one wall, his legs straight out in front of him. Fifteen feet away, Bowen lay on his side, his face resting on the hard-packed dirt floor. Above him was the outline of a window. It had been bricked in, all of it except a narrow space where the top row of bricks would have gone. This opening ventilated the six-by-

fifteen-foot cell, and now it framed a thin line of outside light, a faint ray that penetrated the dimness of the room to show Pryde’s face in a pale streak against the wall.

He waited until Bowen stirred. Then he said, “Corey-” his voice clear in the stillness though it was barely above a whisper.

Bowen raised his head. “Ike…is that you?” His face was numb and swollen tight and as he spoke he could not feel his lips move.

“It’s me,” Pryde said.

Bowen came up on his elbow. “Ike, I’m sorry.” His eyes narrowed as if to see through the dimness. “Ike, did you go after Brazil?”

Pryde’s head nodded.

“Why’d you do it?”

“I don’t know, I saw him trying to bring up that Winchester and I went for him…got him off the horse and hit him once, but that’s all.”

“I’m obliged to you, Ike.”

Pryde said nothing.

“And he gave it back to you over the head.”

Pryde’s eyes moved. “He gave me more than that. When we got back here, Renda said, ‘Learn him a lesson,’ and Brazil went and got a pick handle to do it with.”

Bowen crawled over to him. “You hurt bad?”

“I don’t know. I can’t move my back.”

“Your arms are swollen.”

“I think I’m swollen about all over.” He said then, still calmly, “Listen…you got to know something.”

“We have a long time to talk,” Bowen said. “Go to sleep now.”

“Listen to me!” Pryde’s voice rose. But he relaxed again as he said, “After Renda emptied his shotgun, he ran back to where we were. Brazil fired then, but it was too late. I was on the ground and my head buzzed like hell. That’s why I’m not sure of the exact words…though the meaning was plain enough.”