Relentless

5

They tied the deputy to the steam radiator in the corner of the living room. Baraclough said, “Come on,” and took Walker outside with him: they left the Major and Hanratty standing guard over the woman and the deputy. Baraclough led the way up the hill.

Before they reached the crest Baraclough sent his call out ahead: “Gentle down, Eddie, it’s Baraclough.”

Burt was waiting with an expression of mild impatience on his brutal broad face. “What took so long?”

“We had to get the jump on a hick cop.” Baraclough made gestures. “All right, everybody load up. Let’s see if we can cart all this stuff down there in one trip.”

The money sacks seemed to have gained weight in the interval. Walker staggered under two of them and they paused every few yards on the way down.

“Dump it here, it’ll be all right.”

They left it piled in a heap in the middle of the yard and went into the house.

The Major had found the rancher’s arsenal. There was an array of hunting rifles laid out on the coffee table. Two of them were ’scope-sighted. 30–06’s. “Pick yourselves a weapon.” There was a pile of ammunition boxes.

Walker said, “What are we planning to do, stand off a siege?”

“Hardly.”

The woman sat in the chair with her legs crossed and her eyes heavy-lidded. “I don’t suppose it matters but those rifles cost us a lot of money.”

Baraclough said, “In this land of Western hospitality, what’s yours is mine.”

The Major said, “Now who’s had experience with horses?”

Walker turned, looked up from the rifle collection. “I’ve had a little. Grew up on a farm.”

“Fine. Pick us out six mounts and saddle them up. If you can find a couple of pack saddles put them on two more.”

“Six?”

“Just do it,” the Major said. “Steve, you might go on out to the garage and see what you can pick up on the police radio. Sergeant, go upstairs and see what you can find for us in the closets by way of coats and hats and overshoes.”

Walker started for the door but then he hesitated. “Look, why can’t we use the police car?”

“Because every road within fifty miles of here is blocked off.”

“They’d let a police car through.”

“With five of us in it? Forget it. You’d better get moving, Captain. Take Hanratty with you and show him what to do with the saddles-we’ve got to keep moving. They’ll be closing in on this place by morning.”

“But what happens to these two?” The cop and the woman.

“Just saddle the horses, Captain.”

“In a minute, maybe. First I want to know your plan. Maybe the rest of us won’t like it. We’ve got a say in this.”

“Captain, I’m trying to get all of you out of this fix with whole skins and you stand there arguing with me.”

“All I want is a simple answer.”

“You’ll get it in due course.” Hargit’s hard eyes penetrated him. “We agreed from the beginning this was a strictly military operation. Now I’m in command of this party and I don’t put decisions to a vote. If you keep arguing with me I’ll assume it’s because you want to find out how much of a beating you can take-I’m sure Sergeant Burt will be happy to accommodate you.”

Walker’s toes curled inside his boots. He went outside.