Blood of Eagles Read Online Free Page B

cough of a bull elk. “How?” he demanded.
    â€œApparently the man impersonating the real Pasco was a former employee of his agency, from St. Louis. They may all have been former employees. I don’t know. But we’re fairly sure of the ringleader. His real name is Asa Parker. He was dismissed by the security company four years ago, and there are warrants out for him in at least seven states, from Missouri to Ohio.”
    â€œNine thousand dollars!” Horner muttered. “And I suppose that explains why Brockman had to concludethe deal on site, instead of here in Denver?”
    â€œExactly.” Wylie nodded. “Pasco ... or rather, the fake Pasco—Asa Parker—set it all up. As I said, it was a trap from the very beginning.”
    â€œThis Asa Parker ... you say he’s a wanted man, though he was at one time an employee of a respectedarmed escort service. What’s he wanted for?”
    Wylie leaned forward to thumb through some of the files in the open valise. He removed a document and squinted through his glasses. “He was dismissed for misconduct, it says. That could mean anything from petty theft to raping a client’s wife. Usually it means embezzlement. Since then, though, he’s gone renegade. He’s implicated in half a dozen murders, some of them quite brutal. Then there’s fraud, forgery... Mr. Parker is a busy man. And this wasn’t his first impersonation. He’s been several different people at various times.”
    Wylie paused, reading through the list of charges while Horner waited impatiently.
    â€œThis is odd.” Wylie looked up. “In some of these cases, involving railroads, the investigating officers concluded that Asa Parker and his gang were workingwith—or for—someone else. An inside man, so to speak, calling the shots. But there isn’t a clue who that might have been.”
    â€œGet on with it,” Horner growled.
    Wylie returned to his list. “There are several robberieslisted here,” he said, “the first with one accomplice,the latest with five. That was in Wyoming, just last year. Another railroad job, where Parker and his thugs robbed a courier for the Union Pacific. Very similar to what happened here. Parker and his gang dropped out of sight just after that.”
    â€œWell, we know where they went, don’t we?” Hornerglared at the valise as though it were full of snakes. “They came here and wound up working for us. You’ve gone to the authorities with this, I assume”.
    â€œOf course I have, sir. Local, state, and federal. They’ll do what they can to apprehend the culprits. I’ve also taken the liberty of sending for a ... well, a gentleman who might be a lot more effective. He’s a known tracker and a highly competent expeditor.”
    â€œYou’ve hired a gunman?”
    â€œNot just a gunman, sir. Far more than that. I haven’t exactly hired him, but I’ve sent out messages to various places where he might receive them. I issued a general notice to every Western Union of fice, marshal’s office, and army post in the territories.I expect he’ll show up.”
    â€œYou notified army posts?”
    â€œHe was recently employed by the army, as a scout in the Apache campaigns down in Arizona. He’s no longer there, but I have word that he might be on his way back to Colorado. He’s from here, originally. His home is west of Snow Mountain Pass. Place called Valley.”
    â€œWill he take this job for us?”
    â€œI made a good offer, sir. He’s a free agent, though. He goes where he pleases. We’ll know when we hear from him, I suppose.”
    â€œVery well,” Horner said. “Keep me posted, Wylie. By the way, who is this man you’ve sent for? Do I know him?”
    â€œI’m sure you’ve heard of him, sir. Everyone has, I guess. His father was quite a legend in these parts some years back,