Ben and I looked at each other. “It might just work,” he said. “The hardest part is you getting to the side of the building unseen.”
Allie’s plan was that she would be Kelly Kramer. She’d have to walk to the door with her head down so that Tolliver wouldn’t recognize her. “Or maybe I can use an umbrella.”
Before she made her fateful walk to the schoolhouse, I was going to try to get to the building, sneak underneath, find that trap door in the floor, and get inside that way. I took a gander at the edifice, and the part of my blood that wasn’t ice became ice. That building was barely 2 feet off the ground…
And I’m terribly claustrophobic.
But I wasn’t about to tell anybody that.
And I’d do anything for Kelly Atkins. Even fight spiders, which I was sure would be under that building in abundance.
I hate spiders, too. But then, who doesn’t?
Allie would give me 20 minutes to get under the building and into the storeroom. Then, Ben would call out that Kelly Kramer had arrived and they would negotiate for the rest of the hostages. However that came out—and it didn’t really matter—Allie would walk up to the building. I’d keep an eye and ear out, and when she made an appearance, so would I. We’d go from there.
“Is your ankle up to it?” I asked Allie. She still limped when she walked.
“Yeah, it’s ok. I’ll try to minimize the limp as much as possible, but it’s not terribly important. Tolliver thinks I’m dead and won’t suspect anything just because I’m limping.”
I looked at my pocket watch. It was just after 5 o’clock. It had started misting again and the dark gray clouds were awfully low in the sky. “Well, there’s no time like the present,” I said. “Let’s do it.”
“Watch out for that fellow in the trees,” Ben said.
“He’d better watch out for me,” I replied. I looked at Allie. “Give me 20 minutes. When I hear Ben start hollering at Tolliver, I’ll know you’re about to come.”
“Good luck,” she said.
“Thanks.” And I left the building.
I was going to circle around to get into the forest, so I went north a little ways before I crossed the street. I kept in the shadows as much as possible as I hustled down the boardwalk towards the point where I’d cross back over. I wanted to be out of sight of the school building. Turley the deputy had told me that the man guarding the horses was about 20 yards inside the forest and not far from the road, so I shouldn’t have any trouble avoiding him. I wasn’t Allie Summer in the forest, but I was better than most.
I crossed the street about 150 yards up from the school building and then started strolling back in that direction. If the outlaw with the horses was looking at the road and saw me, I didn’t want him to see anything suspicious—like me running or creeping. So I ambled by, though I was walking a little faster than normal, and I had my head down and my hands in my pockets. Like somebody trying to get somewhere to get out of the foul, cold weather. When I got to within five yards of the edge of the forest, I quickly ducked in amongst the trees and, as silently as possible, made my way toward the spot where I would try to cross the school yard.
I was crouched low and moved from cover to cover. I never saw the man guarding the horses, though I did hear one of animals nicker. It’s possible, given the wind, that he might have smelled me, but he didn’t throw a fit, so I wasn’t concerned. I got where I wanted to be undetected.
I paused at the edge of the forest and surveyed the scene. The mayor had said that the trap door was probably 10 feet from the east end of the building—the back—and maybe only 5 or 6 feet from this side. I was coming from the short side, but I’d still have to search a bit. On my back. With the floor of that blasted building probably just two inches above my nose. With spiders crawling all over me….
Why couldn’t I be Kelly Kramer and let Allie do this?
The first thing to do, however, was get to the building. From where I was at, I couldn’t see the man behind the schoolhouse, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t show up. I could see a big fellow inside the building who was standing next to the windows on this side. He wasn’t looking out, at the moment, and from what I could tell was a little bored with the whole thing. I’d just have to trust to luck that neither man saw me.
I did have one advantage over the fellow inside. There were lights on in the schoolroom and it was darker outside, so he wouldn’t be able to see as clearly. But movement is easier to spot than something still, and I didn’t aim to go slowly. I intended a quick dash; I felt I had to get there as speedily as possible.
I saw the man glance out the window and then look back towards the front of the room. I was about to take off, when the sorry miscreant behind the building came around the corner. He walked up to the window where the big guy was standing. He reached up and tapped on it.
“Hey, Hank, you got the makin’s?” He wanted a cigarette.
“Aw, Ricky, you know I don’t smoke. Hang on just a minute, I’ll see if Ed’s got some.”
So I crouched there, totally frustrated and totally agitated while “Ricky” stood under the window waiting for “Hank” to see if “Ed” had the “makin’s.” I don’t smoke and think it’s a nasty habit. I hoped the fellow dropped dead of whatever disease you get from tobacco.
It took Hank at least two hours—at least it seemed that way—but he finally came back to the window and tossed something to Ricky. The latter expressed his gratitude and disappeared back around the corner of the building. Hank took up his lazy stance next to the window, watching something inside.
And then he did something interesting. He moved away from the window and farther into the school building…
Kelly hadn’t moved since she had been rudely introduced to one corner of the school room. But she was watching, wondering what she could do. And there didn’t appear to be anything she could do. She had started to stand up one time, but Trent had told her to sit down and not move.
“Can’t I at least get a drink of water?” she asked.
“No,” Trent said. “You don’t need any.”
“What about these children?” Mrs. Whitby chimed in. “They need water. Don’t be such a barbarian, Mr. Tolliver. You have what you want. At least let us have some comfort.”
Trent gave her an annoyed look. “Hank, get ‘em some water. Maybe that will shut them up for awhile.”
Hank nodded, and moved away from the window…
Time was wasting. It was now or never.
Bent over, I made the 30 yard sprint to the side of the building. I took a deep breath when I reached it; if anybody saw me, they were taking their sweet time about raising a hue and cry. Two seconds later I was under the building, scooting as quickly as I could to get every part of my body out of sight. I made it.
“You ain’t got but one cup over here,” Hank said as he stood by the water bucket that the school used to refresh the children each day. “I bet them kids slobber in it all the time. You ain’t gonna catch me drinkin’ out of it.”
“Please just bring us some water,” Mrs. Whitby said. “We’ll do the rest.”
Hank took the cup to the teacher. The children all drank and Mrs. Whitby looked at Kelly. “Would you like some, dear?”
Kelly nodded. “Yes, I would, thank you.”
“Well, maybe this nice man”—meaning Hank—“will bring you some. The cup is empty now.” She handed it back to Hank. “Please get some water for Miss Atkins.”
“The boss said no water fer her,” Hank replied.
“Can’t you think for yourself? Wouldn’t it be a nice thing for you to do, bring her some water?”
Hank looked at Trent, a befuddled expression on his face. Trent, still annoyed, motioned with his head. “Get her some water. It will probably be the last drink she ever has.”
Kelly watched…looking for an opening. Any opening.
But the only opening she got was the top of the cup of water.
It was dark under the building, of course, thought not wet, and the floor wasn’t two inches above my nose, it was only one inch. I’m being a bit facetious, but when you’re claustrophobic, that’s what it seems like. I felt a rising panic, then closed my eyes and took a deep breath. For Kelly, Rob…That helped.
I was going to have to strike a match to see anything and hope that didn’t attract Ricky’s attention. I rolled to my right side, at least as far as the floorboard would allow me, and lit a match.
The first thing I saw was an ugly green spider, the size of a grizzly bear, crawling up my arm.
I immediately dropped the match and slapped the spider away. I hit him, but I didn’t know where he was. I thought I’d hurry in case I made him mad and he came back…
I lit another match and looked around. About three feet to my right I saw four boards in a square design, with two crisscrossed between them. That had to be the door I was looking for. So I doused the match and wiggled in that direction.
I didn’t need to light another match because I knew where the door was now and could feel the boards. The biggest concern I had—actually, Ben had expressed it—was that there was a piano or something heavier on top of the door. If I couldn’t lift that door…
I didn’t know where it opened, either; I knew it would go up, away from me, but which of the four corners? My assumption was the one to the north, nearest the entry door of the room. So I gently pushed on that edge and, indeed, felt a little give.
I pushed a little harder…and a bomb went off.
Well, not really, but there was indeed something sitting on top of the trap door. It wasn’t heavy, but it fell over. It sounded like a bucket with maybe a mop inside. All I know was it made a racket louder than a banshee screeching, so I quickly lowered the floorboard and scooted out from under the opening…
“What was that?” Trent Tolliver said. Then he motioned with head towards the storeroom. “There’s somebody in there, Hank. Go see who it is.”
Hank wasn’t terribly bright, as we’ve seen, but he was far from a coward. He drew his gun and, standing to the side of the door, he turned the doorknob and pushed it open. He went in low.
There were no windows in the storeroom, so the only light that filtered in was from the classroom. Hank could see well enough to see a bucket lying on its side with a mop sticking out from it. But he also saw something else. Two beady eyes staring at him.
“Ugg, I hate rats,” Hank said, and fired his gun. A short squeak and…one dead rat.
“What are you shooting at?” Trent asked.
“It was just a rat,” Hank said, as he turned and closed the door. “Big as a mountain lion.”
“You didn’t see anything else?”
“Naw, there weren’t nobody in there. Ain’t hardly nothing in the room no ways…”
I heard the shot, of course, and grimaced. I didn’t know what was going on. I heard nothing else, but waited a few moments longer. Then I did indeed hear something…
“Tolliver! What was that shooting?” Ben Baker called out, fearful that Rob Conners had been discovered.
“Nothing to get your dander up, Marshal. Just killing a rat.”
Ben sighed, and hoped that the “rat” wasn’t Conners….
I waited a good two minutes before I moved again. I was almost positive now that there was nobody in the room. Wood is an excellent conductor of sound, but if someone was being completely still, I wouldn’t hear them, of course. But I had to hurry because Allie would be coming soon. In fact, just as I wiggled back towards the trap door….
“Tolliver. Kelly Kramer is here now. Send out the rest of the hostages and we’ll make the exchange!” That was Ben Baker, of course.
“It’s about time she arrived,” Trent said to Terrell. He had a bit of a concerned look on his face.
“You think they’re trying to pull something?” Terrell asked him.
“I don’t know what it would be. All it would do is get these kids killed.” He then yelled to Ben. “She’s cutting it awfully close, Marshal. Where has she been?”
“She works at the Gold Dust Café,” Ben shouted back. “They’ve been closed the last two days putting a new stove in. She was visiting some friends out in the valley and just got back about an hour ago. She didn’t know anything about it.”
“Sounds reasonable,” Terrell said.
“Yeah, well, we’ll see,” Trent replied. Then he called out to Ben again. “I’m not sending these kids out until she’s in here, Marshal. No trade this time. I’ll let them go when she gets here.”
Ben looked at Allie, who had changed into a dress and was wearing a wide-brimmed bonnet to cover her face. “I don’t like that,” Ben said. “I want those children out of there.”
“That would be nice, Ben, but I suspect his nerves are starting to get frayed with all of this waiting. It would probably be better not to argue with him.”
Ben nodded. “All right. Do you have everything you need?”
Allie had on a jacket, so she was able to wear her shoulder holster. There was a derringer up her left sleeve and her throwing knife up the right one. She had another knife and gun taped to her bloomers. Her razor-necklace was in place as was her bracelet garrote. “I think I’m all set.”
“Do you know what you’re going to do when you get in there?”
“Not yet. Until I see how things are situated, I won’t know exactly what we can do. I hope Rob’s in place.”
“He’ll be there,” Ben said. “Have you ever known him when he wasn’t?”
Allie hadn’t known Rob very long, of course, but she figured she knew him well enough that Ben’s confidence was justified. “I’m ready,” she said.
“All right, Tolliver,” Ben yelled. “We’ll play it your way. But I want those children out of there pronto.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Trent yelled back. “Just get the Kramer woman here.”
Ben and Allie were standing at the gate. He nodded at her, said, “Good luck,” and opened the gate. Allie smiled and winked at him, and walked into the schoolyard grounds…
“Here she comes,” Terrell said. He was standing beside the door. “She’s wearing a bonnet and has her head down. Looks like she’s trying to avoid the mud.”
“Women,” Trent snorted. “She’s about to die and all she’s worried about is her shoes.”
Allie was doing exactly what Terrell thought she was doing—trying to avoid the mud, but she was doing it because it gave her an excuse to keep her head down and face hidden. I imagine one of them will be behind me after I enter so I’m going to have to get into the room and get against a wall…Allie had never been in the schoolroom before, but the mayor had given her the layout. It wasn’t complicated. Keep my head down until I get into position…go left because Rob will come in from the opposite side…the .36 in my right hand, the derringer in my left…we can’t start shooting, though, until the time is right…Allie remembered Denver and the element of surprise…it might work here, too…Rob can get two of them and I’ll get the other two…or three…one of them is out back…he won’t be a problem…
She walked up the steps…
“She’s here,” Terrell said, a bit superfluously, as Allie entered the foyer. To her surprise, he backed into the room, walking in front of her. He had a gun on her, though.
When Allie reached the room proper, she took a step left to put a wall behind her. She still hadn’t raised her head, but she could see enough to know that there was one man at each of the doors in the front of the room and Trent Tolliver was standing against a window, right next to Kelly Atkins, who was sitting on the floor. Terrell was in the middle of the aisle, about halfway to the front of the room.
“Well, now we have everybody we want,” Trent said. “Did you get your pretty little shoes dirty?” he asked Allie sarcastically.
“No, not a splotch,” she said, and lifted her head. The .36 was immediately in her right hand and the derringer in her left.
The reaction was electrifying. Terrell’s eyes almost came out of his head. Trent was staggered. “You!” he said, almost choking.
“Yeah, me,” Allie said with a smile. “And him, too.” She motioned with her head to the storeroom door where Rob Conners made an appearance…
Kelly was just as shocked to see Allie as anybody. She stared at her, hopes immediately rising. But when Allie motioned to the front of the room…
“Rob!” Kelly cried out, jumping to her feet.
I had had to lift that trap door verrrrry carefully to avoid making any more noise. I figured that big fellow was standing awfully close to the door so he’d probably hear any sound. It made just a very slight squeak as I pushed it back far enough for me to enter. And just as noiselessly, I climbed into the room. It was extremely dark, but I could make out some shadows and did my utmost to avoid them. I knew where the door was and that was all that mattered. I got to it and risked opening it, just a crack. I saw Kelly and my heart squeezed, but I couldn’t do anything yet. I pushed the door closed, listening closely for Allie’s entrance. When I heard what I needed to hear, I opened the door and stepped into the room.
Kelly Atkins’ heart went through the roof. She was staring at a ghost, an apparition, something that couldn’t be true, something she would never have imagined in her wildest dreams. Rob Conners was dead, but now… he’s alive! Oh, he’s alive! How? Oh, Rob…you’re alive, alive, alive!...Tears of joy came to her eyes.
But not for long…
Trent Tolliver didn’t get to be what he was—the most dangerous outlaw in the territory—by being slow-witted. He was, indeed, shocked to see Allie Summer. He didn’t know the man who entered from the storeroom, but when Kelly Atkins cried out “Rob!”, Trent didn’t need to make two guesses. And he didn’t stop to wonder how Allie Summer and Rob Conners could be alive. His first, main, yea, his only thought was how he could stay alive. And he did that by immediately grabbing Kelly, yanking her in front of him, and ramming a gun against her throat...
…and he moved a split-second before I did. Allie and I had to get coordinated on who was going to shoot whom. We looked at each other briefly and nodded. I’d take Hank and Trent, she’d take the other two.
But before either she or I could fire, Trent had Kelly by the throat…
“I presume you’re Rob Conners,” he said. With my gun, I motioned for Hank to move away from me. He had his hands up and out to his side, indicating he wasn’t going to go for his gun. Yet. He was still dangerous, though. That was obvious enough. Allie had the other two covered.
“Yes, I’m Rob Conners,” I said. “And I presume that you are the piece of human garbage named Trent Tolliver. You must have a death wish, buster, because if you don’t get that gun out of Kelly’s throat, I’ll fill you with so many bullets, I’ll be able to start my own lead mine.”
Trent sneered. He wasn’t intimidated in the least. “I don’t know how you two survived. And at the moment, I don’t care. But I’m not taking this gun away from this woman’s throat until I’m far, far out of town. And if you pull that trigger, Conners, I pull this one. Is my life worth hers to you?”
No, it wasn’t, not by a long shot—no pun intended. I looked at Kelly. She was grimacing, looking at me, pleading with me. But there wasn’t anything I could do. I could have shot Tolliver, of course. He was close enough and I’m good enough that I could have put a bullet right between his eyes. But the chances were very, very good that he’d live long enough to fire his own gun. Or that by sheer involuntary reaction, his finger would squeeze the trigger and end the life of the woman I loved. Julie…Robin… There was no decision to make.
I kept my gun on him, though, while watching Hank from the corner of my eye. I had to trust that Allie had the other two treed, and that was about as well placed a trust as a man could have. “Give it up, Tolliver,” I said. “The game’s over. You’ll get a fair trial.” Before you get hanged…
But I wasn’t dealing with a puppy dog here. He was the best. “No, Conners, me and my men are walking out of here. You tell that Marshal we’re coming and to hold his fire. This lady is my trip out of town.”
“I’ll follow you, you know that, don’t you. And I’ll kill you if you hurt Kelly. That’s a promise, Tolliver. And I always keep my promises.” I wasn’t intimidated, either, I was just waiting for him to make a mistake.
But he didn’t make one. In fact, he strengthened his hand. “Hank, pick up one of those kids and put a gun to its back.” Hank always did what Trent told him to. The child, a little girl maybe five years old, squealed and struggled, but Hank gave her a short bop on the head and the girl fell silent.
Trent then said, “We’re leaving now, Conners. This woman and that kid are going with us. As soon as we’re on our way, I’ll let the kid go. The woman stays with us. She’s got to die. You do, too, and so does that Ranger over there. So we’ll be back.” Then, he got a wicked smile on his face. “But, I’ll tell you what I’ll do, hotshot. I know you’re going to trail me, so let’s see how good you are. I’ll give you five days. Tomorrow’s Friday. Then Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday. I’ll keep Kelly Atkins alive until noon on Tuesday. Then she dies.” He laughed, a mocking, insane laugh. “Unless you can find me and stop me. And good luck doing that.”
I looked at Kelly. She had her eyes closed. I glanced over at Allie. She had a gun in both hands, of course, covering Terrell and Ed Monger. She looked at me and slowly shook her head. I knew what that meant. There was nothing she could do, either, not with guns aimed at Kelly and that child.
“All right, Tolliver, I’ll play your game.” I used the first person singular because I didn’t want to imply that Allie would come with me. I knew she would, though, and he probably did, too. “And we’ll see who lives and who dies.” I smiled, but it wasn’t my glad-to-meet-you smile. I lifted my gun and stretched my arm out full length, the barrel pointed at Tolliver’s head, not a quiver of movement in my hand. I slowly cocked the .45. I think even Trent Tolliver was a little unnerved at that. My next words didn’t give him much inspiration, either, I’m sure. “I’ll find you, Tolliver. I’ll find you before Tuesday. And I’ll kill you. I won’t even waste time bringing you in for the rope you deserve. I’m just going to put you six feet under myself. And if you hurt so much as a hair of Kelly’s head…”
“Aw, Conners, you don’t scare me,” but his voice was a bit strained. Having the business end of a cannon pointed at your head can make anybody a little antsy. “Terrell, Ed, Hank, let’s go. Ed, get Ricky.”
“When will you release that child?” Mrs. Whitby spoke up, and in her sassiest voice. “I’ll come after you if you hurt that poor dear any worse that this bandit has already hurt her.” That threat might have unnerved Trent even more than mine.
“I told you I’ll let her go as soon as we get out of town.”
“I’ll see that he does,” Terrell said, looking at his brother. Trent gave him a rather nasty look.
“We’re leaving, Conners. Go tell the marshal.”
I looked at Kelly one last time. She was looking at me, imploring me with her eyes. I smiled at her, my most reassuring smile. “I’ll find you, Kelly. You can be sure of that.”
“Thank you, Rob,” she managed to say. “I’m so happy to see you…”
“Go, Conners,” Trent said. “I’m tired of this town. And tell the marshal we need a horse for this woman.”
There was nothing for it. While Allie kept the others covered, I walked slowly down the aisle, my gun still pointed at Trent Tolliver. I walked out of the building. Allie followed me; there was no reason for her to stay inside. Ben met us at the gate, a hard, but questioning, expression on his face.
“He’s got a gun at Kelly’s throat,” I said, without preamble, “and another at the back of one of the children. He wants a horse for Kelly. Says he’ll let the child go when he gets out of town.”
Ben pondered that a moment. “Do you see any way out of it?”
“No.” And Allie shook her head in agreement with my assessment.
“All right,” Ben said. “There’s a stable just up the street.” Turley was standing by and Ben motioned for him to go. Turley took off at a run.
“I’ll go with him,” Allie said, and headed for the stable, too. I thought that was a little peculiar—that she would want to go and help get Kelly a horse—but she left before I had to ask her about it.
Ben said to me, “I assume you’re going to follow Tolliver.”
“I’ll be in his back pocket.” I looked down the street towards Allie, but I couldn’t see her. “I assume she’ll want to go to.” Then, to Ben, “What about you?”
He nodded. “I’ll leave Turley here, rustle up some men, and we’ll go with you.” He hesitated, then said, “We’re going to have to wait until morning to leave.”
I glared at him. That didn’t make me happy. “Why?”
“It’s getting dark. We’ll never see his tracks.”
I made a frustrated sound and motion. “Ben—“ But I was interrupted.
“Conners!” That was Tolliver. “You got that horse yet?”
“On its way, Tolliver. It will be here in a minute.”
“We’re coming out now. I’ve still got a gun to Kelly Atkins throat and Hank is still holding the kid.”
Terrell came out first, gun in hand, pointing it, not at us, but back towards the schoolhouse. Trent then appeared, holding Kelly. Terrell had his gun aimed at Kelly, too. They had all angles covered. Ed Monger came from around the side of the building, saying, “I sent Ricky after Duck and the horses,” and he was commended by Trent for this foresight. Hank Frobisher was the last to come out of the building, hanging on to a squirming child. He was big, though, and that youngster wasn’t going anywhere. Ben and I and a few other men all had guns in our hands—Ben was holding a rifle—just waiting for a mistake.
It didn’t happen.
“The other children and the teacher are in the school,” Trent said. “They weren’t hurt.”
“They better not have been,” Ben answered.
Duck Soupe came out of the forest, leading six horses. Tolliver and his men didn’t immediately mount. “Let’s walk them out to the road,” Trent said.
“Hank, let the kid go,” Terrell said. “We don’t need her any more.” Again, Trent gave his brother a very perturbed look, but Hank was happy to turn the child loose.
“She bit me onct,” he said, as the little girl ran towards us, crying, and then out the gate to her mother and father. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Mrs. Whitby and the other children appear at the schoolhouse door, but I didn’t take my eyes off of Tolliver.
He slowly frog-marched Kelly beside the horses as his men walked towards the street. There was an opening between the end of the fence and the forest and that’s the avenue they took. When they reached the middle of the street, Turley and Allie appeared with another saddled horse, which the deputy led over to Tolliver.
“Nice horse,” he said. “She’ll have a comfortable ride”—meaning Kelly—“and then I’ll have an extra horse when it’s all over.”
“You can’t ride horses in hell, Tolliver” I said to him.
He laughed. “Mount up, men.” They did, he stayed on the ground, still holding a revolver to Kelly’s throat. My heart was absolutely in agony. So close…hang on, Kelly, I’m coming…
Kelly Atkins had kept her eyes on the man she now loved deeply, knowing there was nothing he could do. But I know he’ll come. I’ve got to try to escape, though. I’ll have a horse. If I can get a rifle…oh, Rob, I love you so. We’ll find a way, I know we will…
But, at the moment, there was no way…
When all his men were on their horses, Trent said, “Terrell, you and Ed keep your guns trained on this woman. If she so much as breathes backwards, shoot her.” Then he spoke to Kelly. “Get on the horse.”
She looked at me, one last time. I nodded. “I’ll find you, Kelly,” I repeated to her. “Try not to worry.”
She tried to smile, but it was hard. She got on the horse, two guns pointed at her.
Finally, Trent Tolliver mounted his ride. He looked at me and gave me a wicked grin. “The game is on, Conners. I’m sure you’ll bring that Indian with you, which will make it all the more fun. And easier for me. I won’t have to return and kill her, I’ll get you both at one time.” Then his face turned hard. “And there’ll be no mistakes this time. All three of you. For killing three Tollivers.”
He turned his horse, said, “Noon, Tuesday, Conners,” and headed out of town. His men surrounded Kelly. And followed their leader.
My heart followed him, too.
The rest of me would come very soon.