“Your room,” Dean replied. “Reckon the guys who took you overlooked it.”
Ryan reloaded the Steyr from loose rounds inside his shirt. The blasterfire coming from outside continued unabated, letting him know the attackers weren’t going to give up easily. The thick walls of the hotel kept the bullets from coming through, but several of them punched through the windows, ravaging the decor.
“What the hell is going on?” Aunt Maim rolled into view, propelled by Jocelyn. Both of them only wore sleeping robes.
“Looks like mebbe you’re going to get your wish after all,” Ryan said. He fell into line beside the window and peered out.
More bullets crashed through the windows. Spinning shards of glass whipped through the air and rained over the furniture.
Jocelyn yanked Aunt Maim back, keeping her behind the heavy counter. The maid pulled a heavy double-barreled shotgun from behind the desk.
“The bastards are shooting up my hotel,” the woman shrilled. “That wasn’t supposed to happen!”
Ryan lifted the Steyr and put the crosshairs over a man taking cover at the corner of a building. He squeezed the trigger and watched the man’s head go to pieces. More men rode up on horses, muzzle-flashes flaming from their weapons.
“Where’s John?” Mildred asked as she reloaded. Her accuracy with the target pistol was telling, as with all of the companions. The sec force might have gathered dozens out in the street, but none of them appeared anxious to charge toward the hotel.
“At the gunsmith’s,” Ryan answered. “Getting the ammo we need. I figure the noise from this is going to draw him soon enough.” He sighted on one of the riders, then punched a heavy-caliber bullet through the man’s chest.
The corpse tumbled free of the saddle, and the horse bolted for cover.
Hooves crashed heavily against the boardwalk outside. Ryan looked frantically, knowing a rider had to have come up on the boardwalk from his blind side. Then he heard Doc’s Le Mat blaster cut loose in a full-throated roar. A heartbeat later a riderless horse galloped by his window within reaching distance. A dead man trailed along behind it, his foot caught in one of the stirrups.
“Hold up, everybody!” a man roared out in the street. “Just hold up and wait! Get that building surrounded and let’s hold them there until Kirkland gets here!”
The blasterfire ceased outside as the newly arrived riders spread out and took control of the sec men’s guns.
Ryan watched as the men moved with grim efficiency, cutting off their every chance of a bloodless escape. “Fireblast!” he snarled.
“I must apologize, my dear Ryan,” Doc said from across the hotel room. “I appear to have brought the proverbial hornet’s nest descending upon us like a judgment from a dark and dire god.”
“Not your fault, Doc.” Ryan reloaded the Steyr again, weighing the chances of moving during night as opposed to moving after daybreak. “At least you got Mildred back safe and sound.” He watched the street, seeing lanterns being spread among the men. They hustled in twos and threes, running like wolf packs.
Ryan sighted on one of the lanterns, led his target a little, then let out half a breath and held it. His finger tightened on the trigger until he felt the rifle recoil against his shoulder.
Across the street, the lantern exploded into pieces. Oil splashed over the man carrying it, then ignited as the flames caught. He screamed in pain as the fire burned deep, wreathing him.
Mildred’s pistol cracked, adding two more burning men to the pyre. Lanterns started going out all around the ville.
“Keep this floor covered,” Ryan told Jak, Mildred and Doc. “Jak, you take the rear of the hotel. Mildred, you and Doc spread out here. I’ll be back.”
Jak faded into the shadows, his pale body lighted for only a moment as he passed. Doc and Mildred took up windows on opposite sides of the hotel wall facing the street.
Ryan sprinted up the stairs. It was going to be harder than a blue freezie’s ass in January to hold the hotel. But it was also going to cost the sec men dearly if they tried to invade.