What puzzled him most was the fact that Magnus wasn’t making any attempts to hide his camp at all. It was as though he were using Elizabeth as bait. But why? He turned again to Elias, his eyes narrowing, glinting in the dusky light—the sun was going down fast. Maybe then he could make his move. “You said Magnus had papers?”
Elias nodded, shifting only the briefest glance toward Cutter, noticing that the hands that only moments before had held the carbine steady were now wavering. “That’s right.”
Cutter shook his head again distractedly. And then his eyes focused once more. “What sort of papers?”
Elias’ gaze narrowed, and he suppressed a cough. Instinct told him that Cutter wasn’t about to admit weakness to anybody, not even himself. “A letter from General Sully,” he said, clearing his throat. “Accusing you of desertion... offering leniency in return for cooperation.”
“What kind of cooperation?”
“Didn’t say.”
“Bastard was bluffing.”
Elias shifted a glance toward Elizabeth and Katie. “Didn’t appear as though he was bluffing to me.” Then back to Cutter. “That’s a mighty serious allegation, McKenzie.”
Cutter knew it wasn’t possible. He wasn’t U.S. military, just under contract, and his contract hadn’t been renewed, at that. “The dispatch actually charged me with desertion? To the letter?”
Elias returned his scrutiny to his granddaughter, and then trained his carbine on Lieutenant Magnus Sulzberger. “Well, no... not precisely. There were three lines—read something like... in reference to absenteeism without leave... will consider leniency in exchange for—” his glance returned briefly to Cutter, and he cleared his throat “—assistance, I believe.”
Cutter nodded, satisfied. “Like I said, the bastard was bluffing.”
“Don’t make sense. Why would he do that?”
“Desperate men do desperate things,” Cutter answered, shaking his head briskly, blinking again to ward away the haze shutting down like a veil over his eyes. “Sully’s career might hinge on his next campaign. Reckon he thought it’d make me mad enough to come lookin’ for him. And he was right. I’m sure he figured getting me there was half the battle, ‘cause then he could bend my ear, bribe me, whatever. Y’ see, he needs something from me I won’t give up.”
“What’s that?”
“My nose.”
Elias gave him a skeptical look, and then nodded, his voice rising slightly with the question. “He wants you to scout? Seems a lot of trouble to go through just to get you to scout. Why didn’t he just ask?”
“He did,” Cutter replied coldly, focusing his sight over the barrel of his carbine.
“And?”
“I told him to go hang himself.” His eyes narrowed. “Don’t ever aim to be a part of another Sand Creek!” The ensuing silence was thick. “You wouldn’t happen to know how Sully knew where to find me?” he asked suddenly.
The silence thickened.
“I do,” Elias answered at last.
Cutter gave him a brief glance. “Yeah?”
Elias drew his brows together. “I had every right to use my connections to check you out, McKenzie, and that’s precisely what I did—as soon as I heard from your sister that you and Elizabeth were on your way. You’da done the same thing!”
“Yeah,” Cutter relented after a moment, giving Elias another quick glance. “Reckon so.” He turned his attention back to the small group in the distance. With the fading light, his targets were becoming too indistinct. And damn him, if he didn’t feel like he was on fire.
He couldn’t believe a small cut would take him down. Hell, he had scars from bigger wounds that hadn’t bothered him half as much. Sweat beaded on his lip. “What I can’t figure is what role Sulzberger has in all of this,” he mused aloud. “Unless...”
“Unless what?”
“Unless he’s got his own plans—’less he aims to use that letter of Sully’s to his benefit.”
Elias’ brows rose. “How’s that?”
Cutter’s eyes sought Elias’ again in the growing darkness. Red-rimmed, they glittered like black glass with the last light of day. “To grease that bullet he’d like to put in my back,” he replied without emotion. “That’s why.” There was silence a moment, and then he added, “Elias... I want you to ride back into Fulton City. Bring the law back with you.”
“What in damnation are you talking about, McKenzie” he whispered furiously. “I’m an old man, sure enough, but not so useless I can’t help out here! My granddaughter needs me!”
