From his side of the rocks, Virgil yelled to me.
"Come on out here,” he said. “We’ll talk to the girl.”
I went out, and we walked over to Billie.
“Hello, Mr. Cole,” Billie said.
Virgil tipped his hat.
“You take what I tell you back to Wolfson.”
“He tole me you should write it down,” Billie said.
“Ain’t got a pencil,” Virgil said. “I’ll tell you simple. You’ll remember.”
Billie nodded.
“Tomorrow morning. An hour after sunup,” Virgil said. “He brings Lujack and Swann with him. Nobody else. They ride up here, stop out of rifle range. I’ll see them and ride down.”
“That’s all?” Billie said.
“Say it back to me,” Virgil said.
Billie repeated what Virgil had said.
“You’ll remember it just that way,” Virgil said.
“Yessir.”
“Okay, Billie,” Virgil said. “Ride on down and tell him.”
“You’re gonna meet them three by yourself,” she said.
“I am,” Virgil said. “Now go tell him.”
“Yessir,” Billie said.
She dragged the horse’s head around and headed back down the hill. Virgil and I walked back in behind the rocks and sat down.
“You hear the plan?” I said to Cato and Rose.
“We could hear,” Rose said.
“Wanna explain it to me a little?” I said to Virgil.
“I’m gonna kill ’em,” he said.
“All three,” I said.
“Yep.”
“Alone,” I said.
“Yep.”
“Swann’s a pretty fair gun hand,” Rose said.
“So I hear,” Virgil said.
“Why not bring us with you?” I said.
“’Cause they won’t come,” Virgil said. “Or they’ll come with all their troops.”
“True,” I said.
“It’s our chance,” Virgil said, “to get them out in the open.”
“You think they’ll do it?” I said.
“They’ll do it, long as it’s three of them and just me,” Virgil said.
“They’ll have the rest of the outfit out of sight someplace, ” Rose said.
“Probably will,” Virgil said. “But the closest cover is a fair piece. I figure I kill them and head up the hill, I’ll be close enough for you to cover me before the rest can get there.”
“They’ll pull up,” Cato said, “first one we knock down.”
“And once they understand that it’s over, they won’t stick around,” Virgil said.
“No,” I said. “They won’t. They got no stake in this.”
“For crissake,” Rose said. “They won’t even be getting paid anymore.”
“Swann wouldn’t stick around,” Virgil said, “Wolfson and Lujack were dead. But I gotta kill him first so’s he won’t get that chance.”
“You pull this off,” I said, “and we got the town.”
“I don’t,” Virgil said, “and we’re no worse off than we were.”
“’Cept for you bein’ dead,” I said.
“’Cept for that,” Virgil said.