The dark man spat on the ground as the knot of riders broke away from the grassy road and bore down on him. The cavalry men waited until the last moment before pulling their horses up hard, the dust swelling in the air as they encircled the black-garbed loner. The tallest officer, a hirsute specimen with lilly-white eyes, edged his horse forward a pace, his saber clattering. He shoved his wide-brimmed horse hat back with a calloused thumb, clucking his tongue in mock disappointment.
"You are not where you are supposed to be, little miracle-worker."
"There has been a change of plans, Ford."
"Oh? Kinda like what happened with the Cherokee?" The cavalry officer wore an expression of exasperated contempt. "Way I see it, what you finely characterize as a 'change of plans,' I tend to call a 'fuck-up of biblical proportion.'"
"They are moonbeasts, Ford, they go where they will and they move in packs. That town has more werewolves in it than you would believe. They left Nacogdoches before I could really get my hooks into them, and the head of that Indian Bureau-"
"Get to the point." Ford drawled, staring up at the sky.
"My point is, I was not able to prevent them from racing off and meeting with the Comanche." Jose Miracle spoke slowly and clearly, as if he were speaking to a particularly dense child that did not know any better. "They were moving fast, aided by some form of spirit-magic-"
"Save me the damnded excuses, sorcerer, or I'll make your tongue into soup!" The military commander's voice had become a raw snarl. "Why are you here? To ask for mercy?"
There was the frustrated clicking sound as his mount started grinding its teeth.
"I could not catch them, Ford, but maybe you and your cavalry can. Those werewolves must have made it to District 6 by now and at least spoken with the Comanche; our original timetable is shot to hell, yes, but perhaps you can salvage this."
Ford was silent for a few moments as a slow, wicked smile crept into his features. "Now you are talking sense." With screamed command and a sudden fluid twist of the reigns, the large man turned his horse around. The dark man ducked in front of the officer, blocking his way.
"Wait! Are you not taking me with you? How will you-"
"Hell no, I'm not taking you anywhere. You foul up everything you touch, Mexican; now git outta my way afore I run you down."
Ford savagely spurred his beast on, leading his posse west. Jose Miracle watched them go before turning away toward the road and the east.
Home 
