Lone Ranger Chapter 23

23.

It was dusk when they reached a small settlement. They took shelter there for the night. Lance had stepped out of the comfort of the cantina to clear his head. The wine there was potent yet sweet. He looked at the surrounding. They had ridden in that late afternoon to the run-down structure that resembled a hacienda. The walls that once fortified the place were rubbles in many places but its main arch still stands true as its entrance. There were three mud-walled huts beside the cantina. The well stood solitary in the yard and the whitewashed structure with the cross that bears its shadow over the structure. The double wooden doors were partially open and on its step sat the young parishioner with the stick to draw on the ground.

Lance turned back to the warm cantina and took his walk passed the empty tables. He approached the bar counter and placed his cup. The one tending behind the counter was a man with a wider girth covered by the loose tunic that falls to his knees. He had on the loose pants with the straw sandals. It was a simple garb for the bartender but his real task was more appealing.

“Gringo, the wine when over consumed will drive you to the Devil’s side.” The bartender advised him.

“Yes, it will get me closer to the Devil and with that, I will kill him then,” Lance replied with contempt. “If only the wine you poured me had done so but it only gave me a full bladder.”

“It’s a necessity of the body to clean the impurities from the body. We are alike the wine. We traversed the land to clean the impurities.” The bartender replied. “The burial patch behind the church is our pool of impurities.”

“Well said, Manuela.” Mr. Smith beamed his approval from the far corner of the counter with the raising of his cup with the wine. “God bless you.”

“I wondered why Pinkerton considered that he will be the one that could stop this demon.” Manuela glared at Lance. “The first one had died when he was more powerful.”

Lance was to reply when he heard the warning. It was the sentry the far wall. Manuela motioned to Lance to be seated at the table by the window. Mr. Smith joined him there. The place was Mr. Smith's destination and he told Lance that this place may help him in the quest and till then he was only kept in the dark. Since he arrived, he was fed and given many passages of the Book to keep his boredom away.

The rider was alone and approached the cantina. The rider stepped in and then removed the coat before looking at Lance.

“Your wait is over. I am Father Darius or to those at DC, here I am Father Marcus Lamiere. I am the leader of the Occult Section here.” The man who spoke was dressed in the habit of the faith and carried a heavy pouch. He was followed in by two others who were more like his guards. They were dressed in dark clothes and their holsters hung low on the gun belt. Lance knew those well; paid gunfighters.

“We have a little time. The demon had called on his armies to assemble at the land. Thousands will join there and then they will begin their march to DC.” Father Lamiere explained in his hurried manner. He led them to the rear of the cantina and approached the fireplace. It was moved by the servant there and revealed the entrance to the lower level.

“Wait here, my sons.” Father Lamiere told his guards. “The two of you followed me.”

Father Lamiere then turned to look at Lance.

“They are brothers in blood and in faith. We lived in dangerous times and when I cannot kill, they may.” Father Lamiere introduced the brothers. “They are named Remus and Romulus.”

Lance and Mr. Smith took to the flight of stairs and then arrived at the lower level. The walls on the way down were dark and damp but it was lighted well by the torches that were on the walls. It was on the way down when Lance saw there were writings on the walls. He leaned over to read it and saw it was words from the scriptures. They were words of protection. The walk was short and then they chanced on the sentry there. He was a humpback but the double-barrel gun he held was hard to ignore.

“Glad to have you back, Father Lamiere.”

“And I am glad to see you, my son.” Father Lamiere patted the other on the forehead. He then proceeded past the sentry and then the scene before they changed. The place was huge and wide as if it covered the whole hacienda and beyond. The place was lighted by the torches placed high above the walls and the supporting timbers. It lighted up the place which showed the group of people performing different tasks. There were crates and in them were guns and more gunpowder. There were those who were loading the bullets with the silver dust that was smelted to become bullet casings in the nearby pots.

“The men are preparing for the war. Only silver will kill those demons.” Father Lamiere explained while they took on the path passed those working assemblies. “You need to see this for the lambs will soon be the lions.”

It was then Lance saw the deadly cannons. They were lined there as if for inspection. That was not all he saw. He stared in disbelief at the battlewagon. It was a wagon to be pulled by two horses but the unique part of the wagon was its sides were covered with the iron sheet with gaps in between. Lance counted two gaps opened like a cross design and the gun barrels protrude from it.

“We have the Gatling there, two per side and the gunners are protected.” Father Lamiere continued on.  “At the rear are the riflemen. We have ten of these wagons to bring to battle.”

Lance laid his left hand on the iron sheet and tried to imagine the damage it will do. He had seen the ferocity of the gun on the wave of attacking warriors. The Red Coats have used a similar formation with their line of rifles but that was a dozen when he was only one to stop a dozen.

Father Lamiere interrupted his thoughts when they approached the large desk there. On it was a small box.

“I cannot have you go to battle without a gun. Your guns are missing but I held the ones once held by the Lone Ranger. He was your brother.” Father Lamiere handed over the box. “The Lone Ranger guns were not the same as the others. It was made with care by me. I scribbled on it the words of the Archangel Michael.”

“Revelation 12.7; And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon fought and his angels.” Father Lamiere spoke the words of Archangel Michael. “Your brother had perished and you will take his place but to win, you need his guns.”

Lance opened the box and removed the gun belt. It was indeed Lambert’s belt. He had seen the belt on Lambert before. It was given by their father. He saw the bullets on the belt. He counted twenty of them and smiled. They were marked by Lambert’s.

“Make each one count.” Lance recalled his brother’s words. 

“Before we move into battle I want you to meet the allied of ours.” Father Lamiere motioned to Lance. The allies of the Occult Section stood at the far end of the table. There were five of them with one lady standing in the center. The lady dressed in the off-shoulder white blouse and colorful wide skirt. She was in her mid-forties with the few strands of gray hair.

“The ones you may know as wanderers of the land. I knew here as Lady Quita of the Grey Wolves.”  Tonto was with them,