the notion of getting a bullet in his back didn't sit well.




"What did you want here? " Harley demanded.




Cole nodded toward the four men. "It's a personal matter." The


tallest of the gang stood up first. "We don't know you, mister. "


"You will by the time I'm finished with you, " he promised. "Now, all


of you get up, and take it slow and easy. I'm taking you boys to


jail.




" "You've got no right to arrest us, " a man with a puckered scar


across his cheek protested. "We haven't done anything wrong." Cole's


attention stayed on the man with the knife. "Is your name Robertson?




" The question got a swift reaction. Robertson's eyes bulged. "What


of it? " Cole didn't explain. "Which one of you is Bell? " "None of


us go by that name, " Robertson said.




"Never heard of him, " one of the others said.




"What's this all about, Marshal? " Robertson asked, his voice reeking


congeniality. "Like my friend told you, we haven't done anything


wrong."




"I'm not arresting you, " Cole said. "At least not yet.




We're going to go on over to the jail. There's a lady waiting there to


have a look at you." The men's demeanor rapidly changed, and they


suddenly turned into a pack of cornered jackals.




"I don't know what you're talking about, " one of the others


protested.




Robertson glanced at the man on his left. "We can take him."




"You're welcome to try, " Cole said, and finally let some of his fury


explode.




"Damn, but I want you to try." Scar Face snickered. "Four against


one? You must think you're fast, Marshal." Cole shrugged. "Why don't


you find out? I'll get every one of you, and I won't make you kneel


down first." Scar Face twitched, and Robertson paled.




"We can take you, " Robertson said, his eyes narrowing as he studied


his adversary. "You think you're as fast as lightning? " Cole


smiled.




"Nah, " he drawled out, deliberately baiting them. "Folks say I'm all


thunder." With a tilt of his head, he added, "He's lightning. "


Daniel was standing inside the back door. The men whirled around and


then turned back to Cole. They were trapped, and they knew it.




"You've got five seconds to put your guns on the table, " Daniel


said.




Robertson was the first to go for his gun. Shouting, "Now, " he swung


left and dropped. Cole shot him in the chest just as his hand reached


his holster. The other three had also gone for their guns. Daniel


shot two dead and left the last man for Cole, who put a bullet through


his throat.




Cole was putting his gun away when he and Daniel saw the bartender


raise his shotgun. They fired simultaneously and watched without


expression as Harley fell across the counter. His shotgun crashed to


the floor.




Cole hadn't killed Robertson. He was sprawled on the floor, his back


against the wall, whimpering in pain. Blood trickled down from the


wound in his chest.




Daniel squatted beside him. "Tell me the name of the man in charge. "


He put the barrel of his gun to Robertson's temple. "If you want to


die quick, give me the name. Otherwise you're going to die real


slow.




" He started counting.




Cole rushed across the room. "Don't do it, Daniel. He isn't worth


it.




" Daniel didn't hear him. "Give me the name." Robertson started


crying. "I'm hurt. I'm hurt bad, " he sobbed. "You've got to get the


doc to fix me up." Cole ignored his whining. The hate in Daniel's


eyes scared the hell out of him, and he knew he had to figure out some


way to make him let go of his rage before it was too late.




"Put the gun away, " Cole said softly. "Jessica saw him. She can


point him out to us." Daniel's eyes were glazed with anguish as he


glanced up at Cole. Then he shook his head and pressed the gun against


Robertson's temple.




"No, she only saw his eyes and heard his voice. Without a name . .




.




" Cole put his hand on Daniel's shoulder. "We'll get him, " he


promised.




"Don't do it this way. You have to keep him alive."




"No."




"Yes, " Cole argued. "Don't do it this way. I can't let you kill


him.




" "Then walk away, " Daniel demanded.




Cole reached down and pushed the gun away from Robertson. "We're in


this together, " he said. "We will get him . . . We'll get all of


them." Daniel suddenly came to his senses. With a shudder, he jerked


back and stood. "Bring Jessica in here." Cole shook his head. "I


don't want her to see this mess. There's blood everywhere."




"She has to look at them, just to make certain." Gus came charging


into the saloon but staggered to a quick stop when he saw the marshals'


guns pointed at him.




"It's just me, " he stammered.




Cole and Daniel holstered their guns. "You gave me a start, drawing on


me like that, " Gus said.




He strutted across the room, looking as pleased as could be. "I did


all right, didn't I? " he asked, craving a compliment.




"Yeah, you did just fine, " Cole said.




"I was worried Harley wouldn't believe me, but he fell right into my


hands, and then those four went running out of here. Did you follow


them to the cavern? " "Yes, " Cole answered.




"I'm real good at lying, " Gus said. "But I got to ask you just one


question before I leave you to your jobs. I was wondering . . . are


there really two women here? " "Yes, there are."




"Are they fresh whores? " Neither marshal liked the question. Gus


hurriedly put his hand up in conciliation. "I don't mean no disrespect


if they ain't."




"You're the one who came up with that lie, not us, " Cole reminded


him.




"It was a good lie, wasn't it? Where do you have them hidden? " "The


safest place in town, " Cole answered.




"Gus, go get help for me, " Robertson cried out. "I'm hurting bad. "


"I ain't gonna help you. I know you did something bad to Flo, cause I


seen you riding out of town with her. She was a sweet old gal and I


know you hurt her." Gus realized a golden opportunity was slipping by


and ran to the bar to grab two bottles of whiskey. Three sounded


better to him, and he snatched up another one. He rounded the corner


of the bar with his booty clutched to his chest, stopped to spit on


Harley's head, then hurried to the door, his fervent hope to get away


before the marshals noticed his thievery.




Daniel and Cole searched through the dead men's pockets, looking for


identification, while Robertson continued to blubber like a baby. The


noise was distracting. Frustrated at not being able to find anything,


Cole grabbed Robertson and demanded that he tell his friends' names.




"I'm not telling you anything, " Robertson answered in a near shout.




"The boss will kill me."




"I'll kill you if you don't, " Daniel threatened.




Cole spied Gus still hovering in the doorway. "Is there something you


wanted? " "Did you find any money in their pockets? I could sure use


some extra, I know you already gave me three dollars, but I hate to see


good money buried with them."




"You can take the whiskey, Gus, " Daniel called out. "But that's


all."




"Marshal? " "What now? " Cole asked.




"I sure would like to get a look at them women. Could you maybe tell


me what cavern they're in? " "They aren't in a cavern, " Daniel


said.




"They're in jail." Gus grimaced. "Never mind, then. I ain't going


over there." Daniel left Cole to watch over Robertson while he went to


get Jessica.




The sheriff was waiting outside the front door, and Daniel asked him to


find a doctor for Robertson.




"Are you sure you want to save him? " the sheriff asked.




"No, but get the doctor anyway." Jessica and Grace were sitting at the


desk, but both jumped up as soon as they saw Daniel. Grace was so


overwhelmed at the sight of him alive and well she threw herself into


his arms.




Shocked by how much he needed to hold her, he hugged her tight.




"We heard the shots, but we didn't know . . . Oh, Daniel, I'm so happy


you weren't hurt. ""Is Cole . . . ? " Jessica began.




"He's fine." She was so relieved she had to sit again. Daniel


continued to hold Grace until she calmed down and stopped shaking.




Then he realized she wasn't shaking, he was. It had been a close call,


and he wantedţno, he needed to tell her what had happened and how he


had almost crossed the line between the law and a personal vendetta.




Grace would understand the torment he was going through.




"Did you get all of them, Daniel? " Jessica asked.




"No. There's still one unaccounted for. You're going to have to look


at the men. Three are dead." He added the warning so she could


prepare herself for what she was going to see. "I hate to ask, but I


have to know if they were hired thugs or part of the gang."




"I understand."




"I'm going with you, " Grace told Jessica, ignoring the fact that


Daniel was shaking his head at her.




"I would rather you waited here." She patted his chest. "I know you