Ironhorse

96

Virgil set the plan. We walked through the backside of the last mining camp where we’d tied the horses and made it to the dead-end part of the road.

Virgil pointed down the road to the west with the Henry rifle as he spoke to Jimmy John.

“So, there are two camps ahead of us here, that correct?” Virgil asked. “Before we get to the camp with the hot telegraph?”

“That’s right,” Jimmy John said. “The connected camp is the third camp?”

“We’ll make our way there,” Virgil said. “Foggy as it is, there is no need to walk the woods. We’ll move on up the road, not in the middle but on the edge of the road, staying tight to the trees. When we get to the first camp we need to take it easy, make sure we don’t see nothing, no people, no horses, nothing out of the ordinary, before we move through to the next camp.”

“How are we going to address them?” Berkeley said. “Once we get there. We’re not going to just walk up and knock on the door, are we?”

“Before we get to the third camp, we’ll split up,” Virgil said.

“Two of us come in from the west side,” I said, “and two of us come in from this side?”

“That’s right,” Virgil said.

“Two of us go uphill, through the trees, cross over, then drop back to the road,” I said.

“Yes, good,” Berkeley said. “So there is no situation for them to escape.”

“We’ll have them covered that way,” I said. “Catch them coming and going?”

Virgil nodded. “Two on this side will wait. We plan it so there is plenty of time for the other two to get set on the other side.”

“Jimmy John and I are the most fleet,” I said. “Figure we should do the cross over and come in from the west, don’t you imagine?”

“I do,” Virgil said. “Berkeley, you and me will come to the office from this side.”

Berkeley nodded slowly.

“We’ll move on this way on the road here. Berkeley, you and me will walk up the right side. Everett, you and Jimmy John walk up the left. Go through the other two camps, be on the lookout. Make sure there is nothing that needs our attention. Long as everything is clear, we continue on. When we get close to the third camp, we’ll separate.”

“Giving Everett and Jimmy John time to get to the other side?” Berkeley said.

“Yep,” Virgil said.

“But how will we time this out?” Berkeley said. “We don’t want to show up at the office at different times, do we?”

Virgil pulled his pocket watch and tapped it. “Off a get-go time we’ll come at them from both sides,” he said. “Let’s set us a solid minute mark and check ’em after we get on a ways.”

Berkeley and I pulled our watches. Jimmy John did not.

Virgil looked to Jimmy John.

Jimmy John shook his head slightly.

“On Indian time, boss,” Jimmy John said.

Virgil nodded.

“Just make sure you and Everett stay together,” Virgil said.

Jimmy John nodded. Virgil popped open his watch cover.

Berkeley, Virgil, and I set our watches to the minute.

“So once we are set,” Berkeley said, “on each side of the office, what will we do on the minute, move in fast, move slow, what?”

“What we don’t want to do is cause a ruckus outside, so we don’t rush,” Virgil said. “What we want to do is straighten their ass out without commotion, a second at a time.”

“Fog can work for us,” I said.

“Can,” Virgil said, nodding.

“See them first,” I said. “We will be looking.”

“That’s right,” Virgil said, “and they won’t.”

Virgil showed the knife on his belt and pointed to the knife on Berkeley’s belt and Jimmy John’s.

“Under most circumstances, give a man the benefit of defense, an option,” Virgil said, “but these disregards called it. That is the temper of this situation, that simple. We move in on them. Hopefully come from behind if we can, get ’em like a coyote, before they know something life-ending has happened. Without negotiation, offer, or noise, that is what we will do.”

“What if we can’t?” Berkeley said. “What if the situation is they spot us?”

“We shoot ’em, move fast inside the office,” Virgil said. “Shoot whoever we have to inside, save the women, that sort of thing.”