Christie And The Hellcat Part 15

"Me?"

"The girls were mighty upset about it. Red Mary especially. They knew when she was bedding them it was you she was thinking of."

Christie let out a strangled gasp. Zee had been doing that and thinking of her while she did it? She felt quite faint.

"Brodie told us you already had a beau, though." Angie looked at her. "That correct?"

She nodded.

"When the deputy sees something she wants," continued Angie, "she pursues it relentlessly and takes it. That's her nature. That's what made the h.e.l.lcat so daunting." She regarded Christie thoughtfully. "She wanted you. Do you really think a little thing like your having a beau already stopped her?"

Christie wasn't sure what Angie was getting at. "I don't"

"No." Angie puffed her pipe. "She stopped herself. She wanted you, but she considered what was best for you and let you go.

Remarkable given her track record, don't you think?"

"Truly?"

"That's what I meant by special. Of course Brodie wants to bed you. You're a pretty girl, and the deputy's quite the one for the pretty girls." She smiled. "But she wants more than that." Her glance was stern. "Understand me?"

The lump in Christie's throat made it hard to speak so she nodded.

"If you don't want that too," Angie waved her pipe for emphasis, "then admit it now and leave. Go to the hotelthey have plenty of rooms." Christie opened her mouth to speak but Angie continued, "But don't lead Brodie on, then turn around and say it was all a big 94 mistake. That would surely break her heart."

"I won't," managed Christie.

"Good. 'Cause the deputy may have a steel sh.e.l.l, but her heart is pure mola.s.ses." Angie gave her a conspiratorial wink. "Don't tell her I told you that, by the way." Her pipe finished, she got to her feet, stretched, and smiled at Christie. "I'm glad we had this little chat."

She crossed to the door and opened it.

"So am I," said Christie, meaning it. "So am I."

Chapter 19.

Though John Cody had accepted Zee as one of his gang, his men were much less welcoming. She could understand that; they had one more person to split the loot with, after all.

It wasn't all animosity though. She declined the beer the fat man in the black shirt offered her and for the umpteenth time turned down his leering invitation to "have a little fun." Spence was the gang leader's brother (there were four Cody brothers in all) and his attentions were growing tiresome, but she didn't want to offend anyone before she had to. She was relieved when he at last took the hint and disappeared with one of the wh.o.r.es instead.

The condition of the two women, Josie and Lola, appalled Zee, though she was at pains not to show it. Their cowed demeanor, the cuts and bruises on their faces, and the rips in their thin dresses showed they had been used frequently and brutally. And it wasn't over yet.

They had finished with the cooking and taken portions of lumpy stew out to the five lookouts, and now were performing their other duty. Every so often, one of the gang would grab one of the women by the arm, and take her off into one of the disused chapels that adjoined the main body of the church. Animal-like grunting noises would drift back to those by the fire. Not much later, the man would return, a satisfied grin on his face, and the bedraggled wh.o.r.e would slump back in her seat . . . until the next member of the gang felt the urge.

Zee turned her eyes back to the fire. She would have to rescue the wh.o.r.es too.

Tucson Pete had noticed the direction of Zee's gaze. "Don't remember you being so slow to sample the merchandise." Crooked 96 teeth gleamed in the firelight.

She returned his grin. "You know me, Pete. I like to take my time, do a good job." She glanced at the men around her. "Wouldn't want to hold up the others none."

That brought a sn.i.g.g.e.r from him, but she knew she couldn't put off going with a wh.o.r.e for much longer.

I need to talk to one of them anyway. Warn them to be ready.

She got to her feet and stretched. "Think I'll go get me a piece,"

she said to the world in general, and since Josie was currently "entertaining" she approached the little Mexican.

"Lola, ain't it? C'mon with me, darlin'." She reached down and took the other woman's arm. "You and me gonna have us a good time."

The wh.o.r.e stared up at her, her brown eyes very wide. Her reluctance to go with Zee was obvious to everyone and brought laughter and comment.

"Ain't never been with a woman before," called Pete, as she pulled Lola gently but firmly to her feet. "Reckon you'll be teaching her some new tricks."

Zee grinned at him and urged Lola away from the fire. "Better wish me luck, then, boys," she called back. "Got me a reputation to live up to, after all."

As they walked toward the chapel where Lola had been "working"

on and off all night, Zee picked up a spare lantern. She could feel the tension radiating from the Mexican woman. "Don't be frightened,"

she whispered. "I'm not gonna hurt you."

Lola showed no sign she had heard. Once inside the ruined chapelstars were visible through the huge holes in the roofshe led Zee toward the stained mattress that someone had thrown on the floor. Zee regarded it with distaste, then released her grip on the wh.o.r.e and put down the lantern.

Lola rubbed her arm and looked dully at her. She began to unb.u.t.ton her dress.

"No." Zee put out a hand. "Just sit. I want to talk."

Lola gave her an uncomprehending look, then sighed. "Si. Talk first." She sat cross-legged on the mattress. Zee joined her there, adopting the same pose.

"Talk only," emphasized Zee.

"You not want me?"

97.

"No."

Lola's face was easy to read. Confusion was followed by outrage.

"I not good enough for you?"

"Of course you are. But I don't want to. You don't want to." Zee shrugged. "Simple as that."

"Si. Simple." Calculation was creeping into Lola's gaze and Zee hoped she hadn't misjudged her. If Lola were to tell anyone else . . .

"Here's the deal," she said. "I need the others to think I'm bedding you."

Lola c.o.c.ked her head to one side. "What you do meantime? Steal loot maybe? Want all for yourself?"

"I'm not going anywhere, Lola. It's just too soon to make my move. Hogan and Younger could get hurt."

"They the men you came with?"

Zee nodded. "This badge," she pulled out the tin star she had pocketed earlier, "is real. I'm deputy for Cochise County."

Lola's eyes widened, then the calculation returned. "What about me?"

"How would you like to work in a properly run brothel?" asked Zee. "Where you don't have to bed anyone who hurts you."

A wistful look crossed the wh.o.r.e's face. "You not joking? This could happen? For Josie too?"

Zee nodded. "When this is over, I'll take you and Josie to meet Madam Angie. She'll give you a chance if I ask her to."

"You can promise this?"

Zee traced a cross over her heart with her forefinger. "And hope to die." She hoped she could keep her promise.

The silence stretched. "All right," said Lola at last.

Zee nodded. "All right then," she said. "But first we have to make this look good." She gestured at the mattress and gave Lola a wry grin. "My women always scream."

That got her an interested look. "Always?"

"Yeah . . . Think you can pretend?"

For the first time Lola smiled. "Si, Senorita. I pretend all the time."

Zee laughed.

Fifteen noisy (and at times hilarious) minutes later, Zee and Lola emerged from the ruined chapel and rejoined the rest of the gang. The glances that met them were envious. Lola went to sit with Josie while 98 Zee resumed her own place by the fire.

"Sounds like you had a good time." Tucson Pete spat tobacco juice into the flames.

Spence Cody frowned at Lola, who was murmuring to her friend.

"Better not have ruined her for the rest of us, h.e.l.lcat. Takes a while to break in a new wh.o.r.e."

Zee shrugged. "Don't usually get complaints." Aware of John Cody's gaze on her, she gave it a few minutes before yawning. "I'm beat. Think I'm gonna turn in."

Cody snorted. "Takes me that way too." He took out his pocket watch and squinted at it, then stood up and beckoned to Josie.

"Gonna take my little bed warmer here," he gave her b.u.t.tock a squeeze, "and get me some shut eye.

"George, Happy, Frank," he continued. "Relieve the boys guarding the wagon." The three men groaned but got to their feet. "Bud and Walter, you take over out front." He urged Josie toward the other chapel. "See you in the morning, boys."

"'Night, boss," came the chorus.

The shift change and Cody's departure seemed to be the signal for a general preparation for bed. Zee commandeered a spot near the fire, stretched out, and pretended to sleep for a while.

Her thoughts turned to Christie, as they had all day, and she wondered how the innocent young woman was faring. She hoped she hadn't changed her mind about waiting for her, or been picked on.

Some of the wh.o.r.es could get a bit out of hand, and catfights were common. Nothing Zee could do about it now, though. And Angie would look out for Christie . . .

She pushed such thoughts away and concentrated on her surroundings. Though her eyes were closed, she was aware of every sound, every movement in the high ceilinged room and beyond. In the distance was the pacing of the lookouts, the occasional faint s.n.a.t.c.h of their conversation, the restless movements and nickers of the horses in the corral. Nearer, in the chapel, Cody's grunts as he took Josie had long ago changed to snores. The wh.o.r.e was almost certainly still in there with him.

Zee turned her attention to her immediate surroundings. In the corner, the man guarding the prisoners was sleeping heavilya combination of too much beer and a belief that trussed men posed no threat. Fred was asleep, but an alert silence radiated from Hogan.

99.

Around the fire near her, the relieved lookouts were asleep, tired by their long watch. Zee slit her eyes and let her pupils adjust to the dim light, then flexed her hands and reached for her boot. Now or never.

Knife in one hand, she came to her feet. She closed the gap between herself and the nearest sleeper. A hilt to the temple put him out for the count. Then she gave the same medicine to the two men near him. Her next target came groggily awake as she approached, sensing her presence or perhaps hearing the m.u.f.fled thuds, but before he could raise the alarm she clapped a gloved hand over his mouth and knocked him out. The fifth man was still dreaming when she rendered him unconscious. Then she turned and headed toward the corner and the sleeping guard, who received the same treatment.

Now that she could do so at her leisure, she checked the ident.i.ties of the unconscious men and frowned. Spence Cody was missing, so was Tucson Pete. Lola had disappeared too. Together or separate?

Using the latrine or fornicating?

"Nice going, Brodie," murmured Hogan, as she crouched beside him and sliced through his bonds.

Fred stirred and opened his eyes. Before he could speak, Zee clapped a gloved hand over his mouth. "One word from you," she hissed, "and you're dead. Got that?"

His eyes bulged as he saw the razor sharp knife she was holding.

He nodded and she released him.

Hogan had found his gun belt and was strapping it on. Zee handed him the knife.

"Think you can take out the lookouts with this?" He nodded.