Thirteenth Bullet

Chapter 1 "Two shadows be movin' on the roof. Across the street. The fine store that be Doc Williams's." Texas Ranger "Old Thunder" Kileen growled the alert without looking away from the shuttered window in the small Bennett jail. "Unless it be the wee people comin' to call, I'd say we got us some Silver Mallow boys."The huge lawman could only see through a narrow crack, but it was enough. His nephew, Texas Ranger Time Carlow, looked up from the desk where he was shoving new cartridges into the sawed-off Winchester carbine he carried like a handgun."You stay here, Thunder, and cover me. I'll go get them." Carlow stood and spun the lever into readiness. Long black hair paraded across his shoulders. A tailored mustache and brooding eyebrows reinforced his combative appearance."No, let me be pickin' the devils off right from here, me son," Kileen said, tapping the shutters three times for luck. The window closure offered a small gun slot for that purpose. The superstitious Ranger usually told anyone who would listen that such knocking got the attention of spirits living in the wood, so they could honor his wishes. He didn't give the reasoning now; Carlow would've been annoyed, having heard it often."They'll stay down after the first shot, Thunder. Shannon and Noah will be comin' back from patrol soon. They'd be sitting ducks." Carlow moved to the jail door and opened it slightly. "If we can capture them, we might learn something, too."Outside, a bleak November sky was unable to stop the relentless cold shadows that were seizing the winter-nipped prairie or keep the tense border town from hiding within them. A ribbon of dust shot through the opening and spun erratically across the planked floor, pushed there by a dying red sun. Time Carlow pointed his weapon at the tiny dust whirl. "If you're from Silver Mallow's gang, you're in trouble. Bang."His chuckle was met by a grunt from Kileen. "'Tis a warnin', it is, from the wee people for ye to stay put," the big Irishman said, without turning away from the shuttered window."Which side are the 'wee people' on, Thunder?"Carlow's confident manner belied what they faced. If the notorious Silver Mallow and his band of outlaws attacked the town of Bennett, it would be tonight. If they came, it would be nearly thirty heavily armed bandits against four Rangers. Bennett's sheriff and his deputies left soon after the Rangers brought in the eight Mallow gang prisoners. The sheriff cited pressing family concerns a day's ride away. His two part-time deputies refused to stay in the jail with the Rangers and were last seen drinking, playing cards, and enjoying the lilac-sweetened girls in the rooms at the Corao.It didn't matter. Kileen and Carlow had prepared themselves for the challenge from their position in the city sheriff's adobe-and-timbered office and jail, while the other two Rangers patrolled the town. Once a hardware store, the stand-alone building sat more or less in the center of the primary retail street, augmented by a heavy door and shuttered windows. As dusk seeped into the room, a weary candle was the only thing they could find to enhance the solitary oil lamp. The candle's uneven flame was an indication of its short life.For the first time, Carlow was glad the jail was gray; the outlaws on the roof wouldn't be able to detect the door opening so he could study the store and what he had to do. He could see them now, too. Or at least two shapes trying to stay low and out of sight but not quite accomplishing the feat. Unasked questions rushed into Carlow's mind as he gauged the distance between the doors of the jail and the Williams Drugstore: Were the two alone? Or just two of an entire gang coming? Could he make it without them seeing him? Or shooting him?Yesterday's arrest was a first. No one had been able to catch any of the Mallow gang doing anything before; no county or city peace officer wanted to try. Acting on aSmith, Cotton is the author of 'Thirteenth Bullet', published 2004 under ISBN 9780743475686 and ISBN 0743475682.