Tom thrust himself up from the bushes, brandishing the shotgun.
“Nobody move,” he yelled.
“Sonofabitch,” Matt muttered, cocking his guns.
Then everything happened all at once.
Part Five
1886, Las Cruces, New Mexico
“Now you fellas there stay right where you’re at,” Tom said, covering the seated natives with his shotgun. “You,” he gestured toward the hechicero with the gun barrel, “send one of these guys to go get your money. All of it. And if you say any magic words, I’m gonna show you what I have up my sleeve.”
“No words,” the hechicero whispered, taking a step towards Tom.
Juan twitched alongside Matt, beneath the cover of the tall, dry grass outside the ritual circle, ready to take advantage of the distraction when Tom started shooting. Tom didn’t shoot though. The only motion was a large bead of sweat trickling down the outlaw’s brow. He didn’t even blink when it rolled into his eye.
“More magic,” Juan gasped.
“Just wait,” Matt whispered. “This isn’t our chance.”
The hechicero motioned toward the men nearest Tom, and they rushed forward, plucked the shotgun from his stiff, motionless hands dragged the outlaw into the center of the circle. The wizard rose to his feet and pulled a leather skin from his belt.
“I know you can hear me,” the hechicero said. “There is no rescue for you. Your friends are tied up in my tents. You are in my power. And now,” he pulled a stopper from the skin and tipped the container into Tom’s mouth, “You are my creature.”
One of the natives pried the outlaw’s mouth open and tilted his head back, and the wizard dumped the contents of the skin down his throat. Thick, dark red liquid spilled across his cheeks and spattered on the ground as he swallowed reflexively. The masked man threw the empty skin into the fire, and his men released their grip on Tom. The outlaw swayed in the breeze and shuddered. His eyes rolled back into his head and he screamed once before falling to his knees.
“Now?” Juan asked.
“Not yet.”
The drummers resumed their rhythmic beat and the rest of the celebrants began to chant as Tom twitched and rolled on the ground. The hechicero raised his hands to the sky and cried out in a strange tongue. Tom staggered to his feet and stood beside the masked priest, staring blankly at the cheering crowd around him.
“Now!” Matt yelled, rising onto one knee and firing at the hechicero ’s head. Tom’s swaying form intercepted the bullet and it caught him in the shoulder, driving him backwards into the wizard. Two men leapt to their feet and threw knives in response. Matt dove out of the way just in time.
Juan swore in Spanish as a blade gouged a chunk from his forearm and plunged into the ground beside him. He rolled to the side and fired twice. One man went down with a bullet in his throat, and Juan scrambled for the discarded shotgun while Matt took the other attacker down.
Matt ran back to the campsite with Juan at his side, both firing over their shoulders into the group of men that pursued them, waving axes and whirling slings over their heads. When the gunmen gained enough ground, they turned around and began firing in earnest. The attackers, ten in all, fell without laying a hand on Matt or Juan. As they reloaded their guns, Matt saw the hechicero stooped over the colonel and his son again. What was left of Tom shambled towards them.
“I’ll take care of Tom,” Juan said, holding the shotgun out to Matt. “You still have rounds for this?”
“A couple,” he said, grasping the weapon. “Ought to make short work of that wizard, if I can surprise him.”
“It looks like he’s distracted,” Juan said. “Take your time. I’m not going to make any noise until you’re out of sight.” The Mexican doctor pulled a long bayonet from his boot and ran towards the undead outlaw.
Matt cut off to the side and threw himself into the tall grass.
* * * *
Juan reached Tom faster than he
“Nobody move,” he yelled.
“Sonofabitch,” Matt muttered, cocking his guns.
Then everything happened all at once.
Part Five
1886, Las Cruces, New Mexico
“Now you fellas there stay right where you’re at,” Tom said, covering the seated natives with his shotgun. “You,” he gestured toward the hechicero with the gun barrel, “send one of these guys to go get your money. All of it. And if you say any magic words, I’m gonna show you what I have up my sleeve.”
“No words,” the hechicero whispered, taking a step towards Tom.
Juan twitched alongside Matt, beneath the cover of the tall, dry grass outside the ritual circle, ready to take advantage of the distraction when Tom started shooting. Tom didn’t shoot though. The only motion was a large bead of sweat trickling down the outlaw’s brow. He didn’t even blink when it rolled into his eye.
“More magic,” Juan gasped.
“Just wait,” Matt whispered. “This isn’t our chance.”
The hechicero motioned toward the men nearest Tom, and they rushed forward, plucked the shotgun from his stiff, motionless hands dragged the outlaw into the center of the circle. The wizard rose to his feet and pulled a leather skin from his belt.
“I know you can hear me,” the hechicero said. “There is no rescue for you. Your friends are tied up in my tents. You are in my power. And now,” he pulled a stopper from the skin and tipped the container into Tom’s mouth, “You are my creature.”
One of the natives pried the outlaw’s mouth open and tilted his head back, and the wizard dumped the contents of the skin down his throat. Thick, dark red liquid spilled across his cheeks and spattered on the ground as he swallowed reflexively. The masked man threw the empty skin into the fire, and his men released their grip on Tom. The outlaw swayed in the breeze and shuddered. His eyes rolled back into his head and he screamed once before falling to his knees.
“Now?” Juan asked.
“Not yet.”
The drummers resumed their rhythmic beat and the rest of the celebrants began to chant as Tom twitched and rolled on the ground. The hechicero raised his hands to the sky and cried out in a strange tongue. Tom staggered to his feet and stood beside the masked priest, staring blankly at the cheering crowd around him.
“Now!” Matt yelled, rising onto one knee and firing at the hechicero ’s head. Tom’s swaying form intercepted the bullet and it caught him in the shoulder, driving him backwards into the wizard. Two men leapt to their feet and threw knives in response. Matt dove out of the way just in time.
Juan swore in Spanish as a blade gouged a chunk from his forearm and plunged into the ground beside him. He rolled to the side and fired twice. One man went down with a bullet in his throat, and Juan scrambled for the discarded shotgun while Matt took the other attacker down.
Matt ran back to the campsite with Juan at his side, both firing over their shoulders into the group of men that pursued them, waving axes and whirling slings over their heads. When the gunmen gained enough ground, they turned around and began firing in earnest. The attackers, ten in all, fell without laying a hand on Matt or Juan. As they reloaded their guns, Matt saw the hechicero stooped over the colonel and his son again. What was left of Tom shambled towards them.
“I’ll take care of Tom,” Juan said, holding the shotgun out to Matt. “You still have rounds for this?”
“A couple,” he said, grasping the weapon. “Ought to make short work of that wizard, if I can surprise him.”
“It looks like he’s distracted,” Juan said. “Take your time. I’m not going to make any noise until you’re out of sight.” The Mexican doctor pulled a long bayonet from his boot and ran towards the undead outlaw.
Matt cut off to the side and threw himself into the tall grass.
* * * *
Juan reached Tom faster than he
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