Vengeance Creek: The Sons of Daniel Shaye

21

Rather than fire off his six shots as quickly as possible, Shaye tried to place the shots to give his son the maximum amount of cover. As James began his dash across the street, the two shooters stood up and prepared to fire. Shaye ignored the pain in his hip—while his leg was numb, the hip seemed to pulse with fire—and fired two deliberate shots. He saw one man jerk back as if hit, and the other duck back down. Having located them, he placed his next four shots very carefully, but one of the men was still able to get off a couple of shots at James, which missed.

As Shaye watched, James disappeared into the alley.

When Thomas heard the shots, he had no way of knowing who was shooting. However, he decided to add to the confusion and possibly make a move at the same time. He’d already decided that he could make a run for an alley that ran alongside the bank building, but with no one to lay down cover for him, he knew he would have to do it himself.

He was still trying to decide when more shots came. Impetuously, he stood up and began firing and running at the same time.

Cardwell checked one alley while Jacks checked the other.

“No horses,” Cardwell said.

“Same here,” Jacks said. “That goddamn Davis!”

They were each carrying two bags of money. From the front of the bank they heard the sound of shots.

“Look,” Cardwell said, “we can work our way down the street behind some more of these buildings, maybe even come out on a side street.”

“Might as well,” Jacks said. “There’s nothin’ more for us to do here. But when I see Davis, I’m gonna kill him.”

“Not if I kill him first.”

James stopped in the alley long enough to check himself for bullet holes. When he found none, he continued down the alley with his gun drawn. He inched his way around to the back of the building, being careful in case the bank robbers decided to come out the back door. When he was sure it was safe, he made his way to the door, tried the knob and found it unlocked. He was about to open it when someone came out of the alley on the other side of the building. He turned, gun at the ready….

Thomas also made his way carefully down his alley, watching the mouth of it behind him, in case the shooters decided to follow him. Reaching the end of the alley, he peered around and saw his brother at the back door. He stepped out of hiding, and James turned quickly toward him, pointing his gun.

“Whoa, James! It’s me.”

James lowered his gun. “Thomas, you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Thomas said. “You?”

“Okay, but Pa’s hit.”

“How bad?”

“Don’t know,” James said. “He took a bullet in the hip. He’s says it kept going, though.”

“Well, let’s get inside, then, and see what’s goin’ on so we can get him to a doctor. Did you know about this door?”

“Yeah, I did.”

“I didn’t,” Thomas said. “Thought I’d take a chance, though. Is it unlocked?”

“Yes.”

“We better go in before we get company back here.”

“I was about to.”

“After you, little brother,” Thomas invited. “Just be ready for trouble.”

Out front, Shaye reloaded and continued to fire. He didn’t want the robbers trying to follow James down the alley. He didn’t hear any shooting, though, other than his and their return fire. He hoped that Thomas had acquitted himself well.

He also hoped his boys could get him out of his present predicament, before he bled to death.

James opened the door and stepped in, with Thomas close behind him. He watched for danger inside the bank while Thomas guarded against danger from behind.

“The office is empty,” James said. “Come on.”

He moved forward and immediately saw the two bodies lying just inside and outside the doorway.

“Oh no!” he exclaimed.

“What is it?” Thomas asked. He had paused to close the door and wedge a chair beneath the doorknob.

“Oh God, no,” James said.

“James?”

Thomas joined his brother and saw the bodies.

“Who—”

“The man looked like Mr. Baxter, the manager,” James said.

Thomas hesitated, then asked, “And the woman?”

“That,” James said, “is Nancy Timmerman.”

Thomas was afraid of that.