CHAPTER SIXTEEN

   In the hotel, Nix pulled Kersey into a backroom and pushed him up against the wall. “The stranger that came into town, he have a room here?”

   “Which one? There were a few strangers,” Kersey said.

   “The one with the busted up ear.”

   Kersey said, “Yeah.” He wasn’t afraid of Nix. The guy was an overgrown bully who loved throwing his muscle around. The only thing remotely scary about him was the fact that he worked for William Lyons.

   “We’re going to wait here and when he comes in, you’re going tell us, know what I’m saying?”

   “Yes.”

   Nix let go of him and walked out of the room. Ryan giggled and Chaps wore a giant smile.

   Chaps said, “I thought you said William told you to wait for him.”

   “We’re just going to fool with him a bit,” Nix said. He saw Chaps taking out a cigarette. “Put that shit away. You know I can’t stand the smell.”

   Chaps smiled wider, kept the cigarette in his mouth for a few seconds, and then took it out. “Sorry.”

   They walked outside and leaned up against the building. A herd of cattle silently grazed nearby. Ryan said, “You think those are Black Boned Keith’s animals?”

   “Must be. Herds don’t usually come through Screwhorse,” Nix said.

   “Something’s wrong with them cows, you ever notice that?”

   Chaps smiled wildly. “They look fine to me. Fine enough to eat, I’d say. I haven’t had meat in a while.”

   Nix shrugged. “So we’ll get a steak later.”

   Chaps walked away towards the herd. “I don’t want steak.”

   “What the hell you doing?” Ryan said, watching Chaps as he walked up to the nearest cow, got down on his knees and slid underneath.

   Nix squinted. “Shit. What in God’s name?”

   There he was, a skinny little man lying underneath a huge cow, chomping on the beast’s belly. He took mouthful after mouthful of raw beef, tentacles, and milk-filled udders while he giggled. The animal he chewed on did nothing but make low groaning sounds. It didn’t seem too bothered.

   While chowing down, Chaps was back to thinking about his French horn. As he took a particularly thin tentacle into his mouth, he imagined it was the mouthpiece of his horn. He blew into it but there was no sound. Goddamnit, he thought, why did I have to lose that horn?

   Chaps sucked on another tentacle. He hoped Nix was watching and that he was impressed with his sucking skills. Ever since he started working with the guy, he had been attracted to his bravado as well as his muscles. Though Chaps would never consider himself one of those strange men who liked to poke other men in the ass, he could not resist that primal attraction to Nix and he found himself wanting to do just about anything to earn the man’s affection and approval.

   Ryan said, “Chaps, get your skinny ass over here!” He was getting nauseous watching. There was white, green, and black goop all over Chaps’ face.

   Nix put his hands on his hips. “Jesus Christ, this is just disgusting.”

   Chaps stopped. He stood up, let out a thunderous burp, and walked back to Nix and Ryan.

   Nix punched him in chest. “What in the hell was that?”

   “Just wanted to try something new is all,” Chaps said. He smiled and rubbed the spot that had been punched. “We all got to try something new sometime or else life gets a little boring.”

   Nix said, “If you weren’t so good with a whip, I’d kick your ass. Now let’s go back inside. I have an idea.”

* * *

   Calamaro reached the hotel. Before he walked in, he lit a cigarette. As he looked through the window of the hotel, he noticed that Kersey was staring at him. The man looked nervous.

   Letting the cigarette hang out of his mouth, Calamaro widened his eyes at Kersey who then nodded his head slightly. It was a nearly undetectable signal but a signal nonetheless. Calamaro walked down the alley next to the hotel and around the back to his wooden donkey.

   He put his hand on it and said, “How you holding up, Sartana?”

   With a slight push of a button, a small compartment opened up in the donkey’s back leg. Calamaro took something out and slipped into his jacket pocket. Then he pushed the compartment back, listening for the click to make sure it was locked, and walked into the back door of the hotel.

   Kersey was standing in the hallway, worry still apparent on his wrinkled face. He gave a tiny gesture towards the stairs. Calamaro nodded and proceeded to go in that direction, the cigarette still hanging out of his mouth. He slowly opened the door to his room. He said, “Should have told me you were dropping by, I’d have brought whiskey.”

   Nix was lying on the bed while Chaps stood on the right side of it. From behind the door, Ryan jumped out and took Calamaro’s gun from its holster. He threw the pistol onto the bed next to Nix.

   “Well, you wouldn’t have time to drink it, know what I’m saying?” Nix said, sitting up on the bed. His shirt sleeves were rolled up to reveal his bulging muscles.

   “Not sure I do. I thought we settled this already. A guy can get the wrong idea if three men show up in his bedroom. You boys want me to take my pants off?” Calamaro smirked.

   Ryan laughed but stopped when Nix looked his way.

   “Look, asshole, I’m going to let one of my boys here have at you for a while. Teach you a lesson. Then I’m going to do what I do best.” Nix tapped Ryan and pointed at Calamaro. “Go get him.”

   Ryan rushed forward like an angry child would. Calamaro could see that the guy had no real fighting experience. It took only one uppercut to send Ryan to the floor. He didn’t stay down but instead grabbed for Calamaro’s feet and was met with a kick to the jaw.

   Calamaro pulled him by the shirt and stood him up on wobbly legs. “He had at me. Now what?”

   Nix shook his head. “Lucky shot, motherfucker.”

   “Even so. He’s finished. Are you?”

   “Not by a mile,” Nix said, reaching for his gun. Calamaro pulled Ryan close to him while reaching into his pocket, pulling out a half stick of dynamite. He bent down and stuck it into Ryan’s left boot.

   “Fuck you doing?” Ryan said. He pounded his fists on Calamaro’s back. Nix had his gun pulled and was aiming it at Ryan’s back. Chaps had his whip out but he just held it there like a limp dick.

   Nix said, “Let him go, you sonovabitch.”

   “Anything you say,” Calamaro said. He sent a fist into Ryan’s gut that made him double over. Then he took the cigarette out of his mouth, lit the fuse on the dynamite and pushed Ryan all the way to the window. Nix rolled off the bed and was trying to aim his gun but stopped as he watched Calamaro push Ryan forward. Glass shattered and the man went flying.

   Nix’s mouth opened in shock. He stood up and looked out the window. Ryan was lying on the ground below. Then there was an explosion. Ryan’s legs disappeared in a mess of smoke, flesh, and bone.

   From behind him Calamaro said, “Reach for the ceiling.” Nix felt the barrel of a gun in his back. He turned his head to look at Chaps and saw that he was on the floor, bloody.

   “Okay, asshole, you win. We’re going.” He turned slowly towards the door.

   “That’s right. You’re going,” Calamaro said. “But not through the door.”

   “What? You must be fucking kidding me.”

   Calamaro pushed the gun into his back hard. “That’s right. Jump. I’ll send your other boy after you.”

   “There’s no way in hell.” Nix was getting cocky but it ended as soon as the pistol slammed into the back of his head. “Okay, okay.”

   “Go ahead. Fly like an angel. You can try to land on your friend down there, maybe cushion your fall.”

   Nix climbed halfway out the window and saw Ryan moving. The stumps that had been his legs were smoking but he was definitely still alive and conscious. In fact, he was screaming for his mother. Nix yelled down at him. “Watch out!”

   He jumped out of the window and landed right next to Ryan. Nix felt a bone break but wasn’t sure if it was his arm or leg. Then he felt the pain in his knee. From above he heard a yelp and as soon as he looked up, Chaps landed on him ass first.

   Calamaro stuck his head out of the window, the cigarette back in his mouth.

   All three men on the ground looked up at him as he spoke.

   “Feel free to drop by anytime, boys. I’ll be waiting.”