Forged Steele, Andrew Scorah [love story books to read .txt] 📗

square was a contraption that looked like a crucifix attached to a carriage, the head of the cross was held down by tightly wound rope secured to a pegged wheel.
A low murmur came from the crowd, which was silenced by the Fort doors opening, two men in black dragged out a badly beaten youth of about fifteen years. Dragging him down the hill by his arms, they attached him to the cross. He was moaning softly and briefly struggled against his captors.
Chihiro looked back to the Forts entrance, a man of about fifty years emerged, standing at five foot eight, he was not a very imposing figure but something about his posture spoke of power and inner strength. His grey hair was combed back over his head and a neat grey goatee decorated his chin. He walked with a silver-topped Cain in his right hand and something about the way he carried his left arm seemed odd.
So this is Jubal Kane, thought Chihiro.
He was flanked by a huge bear of a man, dressed in black with a red sash around his waist and a Cavalry saber sheathed at his hip. They walked down to a platform that was placed to one side of the carriage. Kane climbed onto it and the big man stayed at the side.
Chihiro pushed through the crowd so he could hear what the man would say.
Kane looked around the gathered throng as if he was looking at each person individually; some shrank back from his gaze.
"Am I not the father of the feast?" he called out, his voice held a lilt from the southern states, saying ah instead of I
"As the Lord our god is my witness, I have given this town life," he leaned forward as if to emphasize his point, “Through my various enterprises I have put food on your tables and money in your pockets."
People in the crowd bowed their heads, not daring to catch any ones eye.
"For the love of money is the root of all evil, it is through this craving some have wandered away," Kane paused for effect, his eyes blazed with righteous indignation, “And pierced them selves with many pangs-Timothy 6-10."
He pointed a finger at the boy on the contraption.
"Brother James is guilty of taking a horse from his neighbor and then trying to sell it on."
A man stepped out from the crowd and said, “He didn't steal it I gave it to him in lieu of payment," one of the black clad gunmen stepped forward and drove the butt of his rifle into the man's stomach.
"Brother Isaiah, this was not cleared with my house so it was an act of evil; I will bring down the house of Sodom one brick at a time!"
With a flick of his wrist, he signaled the men by the carriage who activated the contraption. The cross sprang forward and the youth was catapulted through the air, he flew over the heads of the crowd and smashed into the Fort wall where a grid of sharp spikes had been erected. His body hung there, pierced and bleeding.
A chorus of oohs flew round the assembled people, Kane turned back to them.
"Be sure my anger is righteous and vengeance is swift, obey the law and you shall all be swimming in God's light." With that, he climbed down from the platform and returned to the fort.
Chihiro had all the information he needed, Kane was a religious madman who held all the people in thrall with the bible and a gun. A most dangerous adversary. He watched as the large man stopped by the spikes and licked blood from the end of one before looking back at the crowd, with a wave he disappeared inside.
The crowd was starting to disperse, Chihiro turned away and spied Steele riding towards him.
"I see you have seen one of Jubal's shows," he said as he dismounted.
"Indeed, tell me more of this Jubal Kane."
"I will in the Saloon, consigning my wife to the grave has given me a terrible thirst." Steele nodded to a nearby saloon. They walked over and Steele secured his Horse to the hitching rail.
They found a table in a dark corner of the dimly lit room, it was sparsely occupied, just a couple of cowboys at the bar. Chihiro made sure he was seated where he could see the doorway. Steele purchased a bottle of whiskey and placed it alongside two glasses on the table. He took the proffered glass from Steele and took a sip, the fiery liquid slipped down his throat, it was not Saki but nice all the same.
"So, tell me all you know of this madman."
Steele explained how Jubal had come to town some five years hence, no one knew where from but he had the mannerisms of a firebrand preacher. The town fathers had taken to him and the ideas he brought forth, so much so they more or less handed over the running of the town to him. Indeed the town did begin to prosper, with the arrival of his black cowboys, crime with in the town boundaries dropped to zero, all the Faro games and other gambling emporiums were thrown out and made illegal. Word soon spread of this crime free town and people came to Blaine to settle and the town grew, Kane was very happy to loan money out to help the new residents but the interest rate was high and late payments punished with attacks on person and property. But there was a price for this growth, Kane ruled with an iron fist, he installed one of his own as Sheriff and he him self was the town Judge, there was only one punishment for even the slightest infringement was death. If any of the town residents tried to leave the black cowboys killed them on the trail, fear ruled this town.
Chihiro listened to all this in silence, letting all the information sink in.
"What about county law, the Marshals?" Chihiro asked.
"Kane pays them a hefty sum to stay away from the town," Steele said as he took a hefty slug of his whiskey, "We are so far off the beaten track they don't bother coming round anyway, even before Kane it was rare."
"Something must be done; do you have any friends in this town?"
"Isom Dart, he's a black smith, got a place just off Augusta Street."
"Let us pay Isom a visit."
The sound of the bat wing doors cracking against the saloon walls made them look up. Four of the black cowboys had entered the room, each carrying Billy clubs. The two cowboys at the bar quickly sidled out and the bar man disappeared through a door behind the bar.
Steele began to rise but Chihiro put a hand on his arm.
"It is time for my audition; you need to know I am capable of aiding you on the path you have set for yourself."
The men walked into the middle of the room.
"Steele!" one of the men called out, smacking the club into his palm, "Hope you got the message we left you, Jubal wants his payment."
Kane stood up and walked over to stand in front of them.
"Well looksee here what we got, a Chino man." The man who spoke was at least six foot tall with a hard face, a scar ran from the corner of his left eye into his bushy mustache.
"I'm Japanese you ignorant gaijin, do not step onto this path, leave now or join your ancestors."
The four men looked at each other and burst out laughing.
"This ones mine boys, stand back I gonna brain a chino man." He darted forward, swinging his club at Chihiro's head. He ducked under the swing, sliding to the left. His right hand shot up in a spear strike. Rock hard fingertips slammed in to the mans throat, blood spurted out of his mouth. Chihiro stamped on the cowboys right kneecap, and as he fell, he grabbed his head with both hands and twisted snapping the neck with the sound of a gun shot as his spine snapped. He was dead before he hit the floor.
The other three charged as one, Chihiro evaded their strikes and dispatched them, leaving three more dead bodies on the floor. He turned to a stunned looking Steele and said, “Did I pass the audition?"
"Damn, I ain’t ever seen any one fight like that." He stood up and slapped his thigh as he spoke.
"Come, let us go, we have sent a message."
They left the Saloon and a bemused Steele led him to Isom Dart's Blacksmith shop. Isom was a huge former slave with skin as dark as any Arizona night and muscles that would shame a bear.
"Adam, good to see you," his voice as deep as a gold mine. Isom was working at his anvil, slamming his hammer down onto a horseshoe. It was hot as the desert from the fire constantly burning in his Forge.
He dipped the shoe into a bucket of water causing it to steam as the metal cooled. Isom took it out and dropped it on to a bench along with the tongs holding it. He wiped his hands on a rag and leaned against the bench.
"What can Isom do for you today?"
"They killed Jenny, Isom." The Blacksmiths eyes grew hard.
"Bastard!" He said, “I am sorry Adam she was always nice to me, brought Isom a nice blueberry pie last she in town"
"Me an' my new friend here Chihiro are going after him."
"Thass bad juju Adam, Kane got five hundred men up and around his Fort."
"Make that five hundred minus four, Chihiro just killed four of them back at the Indian."
Isom whistled; he looked at Chihiro for the first time, "Hell to pay in town now, you've started a war."
Chihiro studied the Blacksmith; if they could get this man on their side, he would make one hell of an ally.
"You want Isom's help yes?"
Steele nodded, “You don't have to, but we sure could use the extra hand."
Chihiro stepped forward, "Jubal Kane is a bad man, and he has held this town for far too long."
Isom gripped their shoulders, “By the Lord and all his angels Isom is with you and may mercy fall on all their heads." He turned round and disappeared into the back and returned with a large box, placing it on the bench he opened it and removed what looked like a Winchester rifle, with a few modifications.
"Isom been working on this for a while now," he held it out to show them.
Steele took it and examined the rifle, "I can see it's a rifle but…"
"Isom been reading stories about Robin Hood, I made a rifle cross bow."
Steele handed the device to Chihiro, it was like a normal Winchester rifle but with two prods sticking out both side and a second rear, facing trigger had been added to fire the quarrels or bolts that were held in a loading box on the side.
"It still fires bullets but if you want a silent option, you have the crossbow," he said with a big grin.
Chihiro tested the pull on the trigger and the tightness of the string, this would be a very effective weapon if a little cumbersome, one of the teachings of Ninjutsu is to utilize what is useful and adapt to change; he had trained in the art of Kyu Jutsu, the art of the bow, this was something new to him. He smiled back at the big black man.
"You are very talented Isom, could I borrow this?"
"Of course, let Isom show you how to load it." He took the rifle and loaded the magazine with short bolts.
"These are made