The Temptress (18 page)

“Information.”

“That comes high.”

“I've already paid,” Tynan said. “Have you ever heard of a man named Beynard Dysan?”

The gambling man choked on his whiskey. When he'd cleared his throat, he looked at Tynan. “Stay away from him. He's bad, real bad.”

“He has something that belongs to me and I mean to have it back. Where can I find him?”

“Let him have it. Whatever it is, it isn't worth it. I all you had to lose to him was your life, you'd be all right, but that man can take more than your life. Stay away from him.”

Tynan didn't say a word for a moment. “Are you going to answer me or pretend to be my mother?”

“It's been real nice knowing you, Tynan. I'll send flowers to your grave. I don't know much about him at all except what I've heard in whispers. He has a place up north of here. There's a town up there called Sequona, if anybody knows anything about him, someone there will. And you might ask a few questions about him on the way, but you risk a bullet in your head—probably in the back of your head. This man likes to stay private. He doesn't like anybody looking into his business.”

The man finished his drink. “What's he got of yours?”

“Del Mathison's daughter.”

The man gave a low whistle. “Mathison's power against Dysan's. That may be a war to end all wars. Tynan, watch your back. Dysan has his hand in everything and he hires people to kill whoever interferes with what he wants. You ought to let Mathison get his own daughter back.”

“He's hired me. Thanks a lot, Frank. Consider your debt to me cleared.” With that, Ty turned and left the tent, Asher taking a last swallow of his beer and following him.

Tynan paused a moment outside the tent, not looking at Asher. “You heard what Frank said and you can back out now. If you don't lose your life in this you may not be the same afterward.”

“And lose out on Mathison's daughter?” Asher said just before a bullet went whizzing past Tynan's head. Ty fell to the mud, his arm coming out and pulling Asher down with him. Asher, not being prepared for the movement, hit the mud face down. He came up spitting. Another bullet came at them and his face went down again. Behind them was the sound of tables being overturned and men shouting as the two bullets had come into the tent.

Asher looked at Tynan, at the man's clean face as he held it above the mud and at the pistol in his hand. Behind them came a voice.

“I'd be willing to bet it's Dysan.”

Asher turned to see the gambler, Frank, crouched in the tent opening, a gun in his hand.

“Hang on and I'll see if I can help.”

A minute later, Asher could hear the man shout, “They just brought in a load of whores across the street. All of them virgins.”

Tynan shouted at Asher to roll out of the way and Ash was glad he did because within seconds, a stampede of men came charging out of the tent. “Now!” Asher heard Tynan shout and Ash, fighting against the resistance of the mud, moved to the back of the tent. He was a little confused as to what he was to do next when Tynan appeared with the horses. “Let's ride,” was all Ty said before mounting and leaving the muddy town and what sounded to be a riot behind them.

Tynan led them north, riding so hard that the drying mud began to flake off and fly about them. Toward afternoon, he pulled into the trees, onto a path that Asher didn't see until they were on it, and led them up a hill. It began to rain and both men pulled their hats low over their faces.

It was almost dark when Tynan stopped and dismounted. “There's a cave of sorts over there. We'll spend the night in it,” he shouted over the rain.

A few minutes later, they had a tiny fire going, beans and coffee boiling and their clothes were almost dry on their bodies.

“You think we'll be able to find her?” Ash asked, poking at the fire with a stick.

“I plan to,” Tynan said. He was leaning back against his saddle, his hat over his face.

“If Dysan just wants money then he surely won't hurt Chris, will he?”

“Or Pilar.”

“Oh yes,” Ash said. “I remember seeing her in the kitchen. She cleans, doesn't she?”

Tynan pushed his hat back and after one look at the back of Asher's head, took the beans from the fire and began dividing them onto plates.

Ash took the plates and a cup of coffee from Ty. “I guess you have a plan in mind, don't you? I mean, you
do
have a way to rescue Chris. Her father will be furious if you let anything happen to her.”

“And you'll lose her money,” Tynan said.

“Chris is a very attractive young lady, perhaps a bit headstrong at times, but attractive nonetheless. And I really don't see what's wrong in my taking over the management of her father's estates. He doesn't have a son and Chris obviously isn't interested in finding someone to take over.” He gave Tynan a sharp look. “You aren't thinking of marrying her yourself, are you? Mathison's money would be quite a—”

“We'll get along a lot better if you keep your opinions to yourself. Now, put out that fire and get some sleep. We ride in the morning.”

It wasn't morning—far from it—when Tynan woke Asher by putting his hand over his mouth. There was warning in Ty's eyes as he motioned for Asher to follow him out of the shallow cave. They carried their saddles and packs and led the horses, as quietly as possible, down the hill. It was still drizzling rain.

“What time is it?” Asher asked, yawning.

“Our last day on earth if we don't get out of here. There was someone outside the cave.”

“I didn't hear anyone.”

“All right, then you stay but I'm leaving.”

Asher took one look about the dark forest, then mounted his horse and followed Tynan.

They rode all day and into the following night, with Asher half asleep in the saddle. When at last Tynan did stop, Asher didn't even recognize the stable for what it was.

“Unsaddle your horse,” Ty ordered. “Or do you plan to stand there all night?”

Slowly, Asher obeyed him, shoveling hay and oats into the stall with the horse, then blindly following Ty out into the night and up the stairs at the back of a house. He didn't even ask any questions when Ty levered himself onto the roof, then, crouching low, ran across the roof and jumped onto the next roof. Asher was glad it was dark so he couldn't see how far it was to the ground. After they'd crossed three roofs, Tynan withdrew a key, opened a trapdoor and went down what was obviously an attic stairs. Once inside the building, he silently walked down a long corridor and opened the third door on the left.

A young woman turned over in the bed and looked up sleepily. “Alice, this is Asher and he needs a place to sleep.”

The woman pulled the covers back then turned over on her side and went back to sleep. Tynan pushed Asher into the room and shut the door behind him. Two doors down, Ty opened another door.

Red was just getting out of bed, pulling a robe around her. “I thought I heard someone.”

“Why is it so quiet?” Ty asked, pouring himself a whiskey.

“Four men rode in and shot the place up. I closed it down after that. Ty, they were lookin' for you.”

He downed the whiskey in one gulp. “They've been on my trail for two days. You have anything to eat?”

Red opened a cabinet and withdrew bread and cheese. “I thought you'd come here, but you can't stay.” She sat down on the sofa. “Oh, Ty, what have you done now? I thought you'd go straight for a while.”

“They're not after me, except to keep me from finding Chris,” he said, mouth full.

“Chris!” Red's head came up. “That two-timing little liar? I trusted her and she went off and left you to rot in jail when you were innocent.”

“Yeah, well, that's true love for you. Whatever she's done, it's my responsibility to get her back to her father.”

“At the risk of your own life?”

Ty just kept eating and didn't answer her. “You have an extra bed somewhere? I put Prescott in with Alice,” he said after a while.

“You can have my bed,” Red said heavily. “I've had all the sleep I'm gonna get tonight. Who do you want? Leora and you seemed to hit it off last time.”

“Just sleep,” Ty said, refilling his glass with whiskey. “No women.”

He wasn't aware of the way Red just stood there opening and closing her mouth. “All right,” she said after a moment. “Just give me your clothes and I'll have 'em washed.”

She stood by silently while he undressed down to his underwear and watched as he slipped into bed. She sat by him, smoothing his hair back while he fell asleep, and when he was asleep, she kissed his forehead and tiptoed from the room.

• • •

“Tynan!” Red called urgently as she ran into the bedroom. “They've come for you.”

Ty threw back the covers and put his feet on the floor. “Where the hell are my pants?”

“Wet. You've only been asleep three hours, but you've got to get out of here. There're half a dozen men downstairs askin' about you.”

Tynan ran his hand through his hair. “Three whole hours, huh? Dysan doesn't leave any stone unturned.”

“Dysan?”
Red said. “You're after Beynard Dysan?”

“I don't need mothering now but I do need a pair of pants. Get me something to wear.”

“I ought to refuse. I ought to get the sheriff to lock you up and save you from yourself.”

Before Ty could speak, a woman barged into the room. “He's dead,” she said with disgust in her voice. “I told you he couldn't take all three of us at once.” She stopped talking, her eyes widening. “Why, Tynan, I didn't know you were here.”

“And he isn't gonna be for long,” Red said, pushing the woman out the door and closing it. “Now everyone'll know you're here and—” Her eyes brightened. “Sit there. Don't move. I have an idea.” She left the room immediately while Ty began to search for something to wear.

Minutes later, Red returned with a pile of white leather and fringe over her arm. “That man that just died was from a wild west show and he won't be needin' this anymore.” She held up the gaudiest, flashiest garment anyone had ever seen: white leather with three foot beaded fringe hanging from shoulder to wrist. There were also matching pants with silver medallions down the legs and a hat with a band of fake diamonds as big as pennies.

Tynan barely looked at the outfit. “If you don't get me some pants I'm—”

“Here!” Red said, tossing him the leather pants.

“Not on your life,” Ty answered, letting them fall where they landed. “I need—”

“Wait a minute, Ty. There are six of them and one of you, and they have this place surrounded. Rachel said she saw a rifle on a roof so maybe there's more than six of them. You walk out of here and they'll never give you a chance. But they're expectin' what they know you look like. They ain't expectin' some fat, drunken ol' snake oil dealer.”

Tynan sat down on the bed. “I won't wear that.”

“You'd rather die than wear this?” Red gasped.

“With my boots on and my own pants on. What if I was to get buried in that?”

Red rolled her eyes toward the ceiling. “Of all the fool things I ever heard, that's the worst. Look, Ty honey, how are you gonna save that girl if you're dead? And that's what you'll be if you walk out of here wearin' your own clothes. With this on, you can walk right out the front door. Ever'body will be so blinded by the diamonds and silver they'll never even look at your face. And you ain't even seen all of it yet, there's white boots and silver guns with white handles and even silver bullets. It's a real wingdinger of an outfit.”

Ty sat on the bed, his jaw rigid.

“You get yourself killed out there and I'll see to it that you're buried in this,” Red said.

Ty shook his head. “I hope Mathison appreciates what I've gone through to get him his daughter back.”

“Come on, let's get busy. We gotta pad you to make this fit.”

An hour later, Tynan stood surrounded by giggling females. Asher, smoking a one-inch diameter cigar, sat in a chair with Alice on his lap.

“It suits you, Tynan,” Asher said. “It really suits you.”

Red put her hand over Tynan's, which was on his gun handle, as she checked his hair which was whitened with talcum powder.

The women had sewn pillows in the long johns of the dead showman so that Ty could fill out the voluminous suit. He now had a belly that hung over his silver buckled belt, and they'd adjusted the pants so they hung down low, the crotch half way to his knees.

“Too bad to cover that up,” Leora said, running her hand over his buttocks.

“Now,” Red said, “you look ready, but you gotta get in the mood. That man come in here with pistols blazin'. You gotta go out the same way.”