Georgetown.
This morning I walked into town and noticed the chief and another man running into town. I noticed them in front of my office and talked to Twist about it. The chief looked at us and asked, “These good men want to know where bank is,” he grinned.
I heard his comment and shook my head, walking on without a word. I went to sit up on my balcony and watched the people walking down the street. I went down to the office, still feeling lost after last night’s events. I went to the Pinkerton’s office and worked on paperwork, since it was the only thing I knew for sure.
A few hours later I was sitting in the saloon with a bottle of whiskey when Adder walked in. “Howdy stranger. I got your wire.”
I looked at him with sad, exhausted eyes. “I… I sent you a wire?” i asked, not remembering since the emotions from last night had clouded everything.
“Aye,” he nodded. “Possible Wild Bunch sighting?”
“Right, that…” I nodded, remembering the least of my worries as I tried to gather myself in front of my oldest friend in the world, knowing he could see my hurt and pain.
“We can mark that one up as confirmed now though. Just seen the rat bastards down the road.”
“You got time to join me for a drink before you go off conquering the world? I sure could use a friend..”
“This picture is the wrong way round.... What’s got you drinking so early?” he scratched his head.
“You may want to sit,” I looked at him.
“Sure,” he nodded. “But if those boys saw me come in, you better be ready to move fast.”
“They’re the least of my worries right now,” I sighed and cried, leaning my head in my arms against the table. “Oh Adder, it’s all messed up!”
“There’s more of them than there is of me, so I’d pay some mind to them,” Adder warned and looked at me. “So what’s up?”
“There’s a war going on, Taurus. "My interaction with the Natives is done. And... Kale’s back. And Chet’s never here… And now you’re here when I need you,” I choked.
Adder chuckled when Kale’s name was mentioned. “Man makes more comebacks than Lazarus.”
“There was aa huge shootout in town. But the outlaws who we caught were the same ones who’d attacked the village in Wyoming,” I looked at him.
“You know I have a vendetta against those sons-of-bitches in the street. I couldn’t resist it,” he shrugged.
“The natives wanted them for their own justice and Sam didn’t really like the chief threatening him. They started another gunfight… Then…”
“Buu? Or a different psycho?”
“A man and a woman. Rogue and... something. But then…”
“That Chief wants war. Doesn’t care what it starts over. Doesn’t care how many of his own die either.”
I reached for the whiskey and took another sip. “He blew up the damn office with dynamite while I was still inside. And he knew full well I was in there. And this is AFTER he and the war chief PROMISED to leave me out of it”
“Son of a bitch!” Adder exclaimed. “And what has local law done?”
“Well they were sniping them from the roof... I say they, but I mean Duke and Kale... Kale’s a gunslinger now apparently. But then when the dynamite went off the outlaws escaped. Haven’t seen them since. Sam was shooting from on the streets.”
“I meant what have they done about the chief?”
I shrugged and said, “I saw the chief with a couple from that gang you keep telling me about.. They were asking where the bank was. I recognized Suicide Season from Colorado Springs. Thought it was strange they were in kahootz though.”
“Shit sticks to shit really well,” he shook his head.
“I don’t know what to do anymore, Taurus. Chet’s never here... Duke’s only on at night and then he’s all alone cause we’ve got no damn deputies… I’m a sitting duck again. All I can do is work this 5000 L case and hope to keep my nose out of the rest of it. It’s not my fight. Not anymore. Maybe it never was.”
“Well... I had a note from a Mr David J Cook, looking for work as a lawman. You might wanna contact him.”
“Oh did you?”
“Aye, I did. Never seen him in town before, so I don’t know where he lives. You feel like taking a walk?” Adder looked at the doors.
“You want to go out there and see where they are, don’t you?” I asked, knowing he was distracted.
“Maybe I should.”
“No. What I want, is to go out there and put bullets in their brains,” he chuckled.
Sugar walked into the saloon then and said, “Got some banditos coming in for drinks.. be on yer guard.”
“Guess they’re gonna come to you,” I looked at him and he chuckled.
“Are they the same ones I just saw down the road?”
“Most likely,” I nodded.
Adder checked his pistols and I thought to myself how much I really didn’t want to deal with outlaws after last night. Adder said he was going to be hanging the outlaws next time they came into Colorado.
“I can’t.. I think I need to go home,” I said then.
“Aye, you get some rest,” Adder nodded to me.
I put a hand on his shoulder and looked at him. “We’ll talk later?”
“Aye,” he nodded.
I looked over at Sugar and said, “If you see Chet or Duke… Tell ’em I’m looking for ’em?”
“Okay, I will,” Sugar nodded.
“Thanks, Sugar,” I said and paid for my whiskey before heading home. I hesitated and walked into the church instead, crying and trying to pray.
A few hours later I walked into the saloon and saw Chet sitting with Chas. As I walked in I heard her say, “Arrest Chief Standing Bear? Why?”
They greeted me and I went to hug Chet tightly as he said, “Howdy darling. Glad to see you’re good.”
“Don’t know how you define ‘good’, but seeing you helps.” I sat down with a heavy sigh.
“Chief standing bear is wanted for attempted murder of Trin here,” Chet said in response to the question. “And I intend to have him brought in.”
“Good luck with that,” I nodded to him. “Was one hell of a night.”
“Only heard about it. But It sounds like quite the ruckus,” Chas nodded.
“Well don’t you worry none,” Chet said. “He gonna be arrested n stand trial n if found guilty swing by his neck.”
“Typical argument over who gets to administer justice,” I shook my head.
“What happened anyway?” Mel asked, looking over at me as she and Vic walked in.
“We had a couple outlaws they wanted because apparently they’d attacked some people in the cherokee village… So the natives wanted to administrate their own justice but Duke said they would give them to them the next day…”
“I see. Would that be the one who came in an’ checked his guns or the one that brought a horse into a saloon?” Chas asked.
“So anyway the chief started threatening Sam and then they started shooting… So the gunfight started... second one in the night… So then I’m inside with Duke and Kale... and all of a sudden this dynamite goes off. I saw Chief Standing Bear outside the window... He knew full well I was in there.”
Suddenly Buu pulled out his gun and fired into the air, making me jump. I watched Buu and Kale and backed up, not wanting to watch any more gunfights.
“Miss Trin… A man was looking for you,” Mel said then.
“Was he?”
“Oh…” Mel looked at Kale and pointed at him. I looked over at him and wondered if things would be settled down now.
“Next one to draw a gun in here is spending the night in jail or under ground,” Chet threatened and I swallowed hard.
“Oh I’ll be seeing you later...But not here in this bar,” Kale said to Harley.
“Shut up, marshal,” Harley shrugged at Chet.
“You were looking for me?” I asked Kale.
Harley pointed at Kale and said, “No one threatens me boy, outside now...or are ya yellow?”
I swallowed hard, thinking I had seen this scene before. Kale smirked and just gestured towards the door. Chet walked over and glared at Harley. “Perhaps you didn’t understand me the first time, boy. I said we are having a celebration. Now why don’t you leave before you get hurt?”
Harley and Kale walked out and Harley laughed. “I’ll kill you afterwards, marshal.”
“Let them go, Chet. They have to duke this out. Kale has a score to settle,” I said.
“No, that boy being taught a lesson,” Chet said and went outside.
“Chet!” I called and swore under my breath, watching from the door as Harley and Kale started to shoot each other. I kicked the door in frustration and watched as Harley shot down Kale and Chet in the street. I walked outside to see if they were still okay. “Chet, you okay?”
“Yer little marshal friend had that coming,” Harley glared at me.
“You didn’t have to shoot them both down,” I looked at him.
“He didn’t have to get involved in our fight, yet he did. And look what happened to him.”
“It’s his job,” I said.
“He needs a new job,” Harley laughed.
“Yer under arrest for attempted murder of a us marshal,” Chet glared at him from the ground.
“Maybe I’ll finish you off and make it murder?” Harley laughed.
“As I said in the saloon its either jail or ground for next one to draw a gun looks like you chose both,” Chet clutched his side.
“I choose my freedom.”
“You gave up your freedom few minutes ago.”
“That guy picked a fight with me. You’ll notice I’m better at picking them than he is,” Harley pointed to Kale.
“Eh... you’re just more primed for ’em. Pickin’ the fight is the easy part with you around, Mister,” Chas put in.
Harley shrugged and started to walk off as he said, “Get that marshal to a clinic.”
Kale got to his knee, drawing his second revolver, and then Harley shot back at him to put him down on the ground again. I knew I couldn’t do anything to stop more tension.
“I said yer under arrest. You deaf?” Chet asked.
I backed up into the saloon again and Mel asked, “What happened outside?”
“The boys are going at it,” I sighed.
“Bunch of kids with guns,” Chas rolled her eyes.
When I saw Harley walk away I went over to Kale since Chet had already made it to the clinic. “Kale… are you okay?” I asked, but he didn’t answer. I leaned down and looked at him. “Let me take off your jacket and use it to hold over the wound.” He looked at me and forced himself to his knees, holstering his guns and not talking. “Kale… Talk to me,” I tried again.
“I’m fine,” he looked at me. “He missed anything important.” I nodded and reached for his hand but he spit on the ground and jerked my hand away. “I don’t need your help.”
“Look Kale… I’m sorry… I…” I backed up with a sigh.
“He just got me in my ribs,” Kale looked at me as he limped a bit. He walked away and I watched Duke walk over. I thought he had great timing and sighed, just watching the two of them talk. Kale asked Duke to help him light his cigarette and I looked between them both.
“I’ll be in my office,” I said and went to my office, frustrated. It seemed like no one needed me for anything and everyone would just work out their issues with violence anyway.
I walked over to the train station seeing Duke talking with a woman and saw the woman from the gunfight last night and stopped in my tracks. I looked at Duke and waited.
“It’s okay Trin,” he insisted.
“Some funky looking man bent over ..looking like he was sick or soemthing,” the woman said and I eyed the wolf.
“She was shot by an even more dangerous group,” Duke said. “Buu is back.”
“Aye well it was that bent over looking guy that got me good... and took me down and freed his pals.”
“No shit, sherlock. He just shot down Chet and Kale,” I looked at Duke.
“But honest, Sheriff, we did nothing wrong. We were sitting in our camp relaxing from the night before,” the woman said.
“Chet too?” Duke asked and I nodded.
TJ walked over and said, “Well well… If it ain’t the tramp and her mutt.”
“Oh no, not you again…” she put her hands on her guns.
“Tj heard ya were involved in a shoot out,” Duke said to him.
I walked back to the saloon, not feeling like hearing their side of the story. I looked over when the doors opened and exhaled seeing Anna. “Hello Trin, kinda slow in here today isn’t it?”
“Anything but. Glad to finally have the quiet.” I smiled, knowing this would be one positive thing from the last couple of days. “I have something to give you.” I noticed TJ coming into the saloon and nodded in his direction.
“Hey Trin ya see any docs around?” TJ asked.
I shook my head and said, “Don’t even know if this town has any docs these days.”
“Have you seen my husband this afternoon? I have been busy trying to find my way around town,” Anna said.
“No, I haven’t seen John at all today, though I did speak with him yesterday.”
“Well hell, how am I gonna get healed?” TJ asked.
“Shoulda thought of that before getting yourself shot,” I snapped at him.
“Don’t talk to me in that tone woman. I’ll shoot your ass. Injured or not.”
“Sure, ’cause the only way to settle anytihng is with a bulet around here.”
“Yup,” he said and walked out.
“Anna... I have some good news for you,” I tried to focus on the case in front of me.
“I could surely use some good news, been such a long time since I really had any good news. I can hardly wait,” she took a deep breath.
I reached into my pocket and pulled out the locket, fingering it reverently before asking, “Someone lose a locket?”
“Surely not, surely you are not going to tell me that you found Granny’s locket. Trin, could it be true? Really true? Is that it?” she gasped, holding her hand to her heart.
I smiled and opened up the locket, showing her the pictures inside. “You tell me,” I smiled.
She reached out to take the locket and then when she looked at the pictures she fell to her knees, sobbing. “It is a miracle, I never thought I would see this again. Where on earth did you find it?”
I smiled and leaned down to put a hand on her shoulder, steadying her. “Come, let’s sit at the table,” I said and we went to sit down.
“Ok, I think I can walk now,” she followed me.
“It’s a shock, I know,” I smiled.
“I haven’t seen this locket since I left for Virginia to go to school. I was almost 16 then. It was hanging around Granny’s neck and she kissed it as she waved goodbye to me.”
“I’m glad I was able to locate it,” I smiled.
“Oh Trin, how can I ever repay you? You have given me the most wonderful gift.”
“You know how you mentioned that the last time your cousin saw the locket was at a pawn shop in Colorado Springs?”
“Yes, I remember telling you that on our first meeting.”
“Well... I happen to have friends in Colorado Springs. I wandered down there to see if I could find someone to point me in the right direction.”
“So my cousin was right. She swore it was Granny’s locket, although I didn’t hold much stock in what she said she saw. She is pretty high strung, that one.”
“Well, my friend Mikk runs a little shop by the docks. I asked him if he’d seen anything like it and he pulled out the locket and sure enough…” I nodded. “He didn’t want anything for it. Said the man who sold it to him was drunk and had a hat on so he couldn’t see his face... Not a pleasant man apparently. I figured it sounded about right and asked to see the locket. Sure enough... the girl looked like she could’ve been you at that age and I knew I’d found the right one.”
“I can’t believe it. I am looking at it and I can’t believe it. Even with it in my hands, I find it hard to believe. After all this time, and I wonder how many hands it has been through.”
“I told Mikk that I would pay for it but he was insistent.”
“What a wonderful friend you have, he must owe you a favor. I will be most obliged to pay him something for his trouble. That is when I can get a job here.”
“How are you tonight Miss Anna? Miss Trin?” Sugar asked, coming into the saloon.
“Am survivin’. This meeting just made it a little better,” I nodded.
“Well, Trin here has given me the most wonderful news. She found my Granny’s locket that has been missing for the past 6 years,” Anna smiled at Sugar.
“Oh that is so wonderful!” Sugar put her hands to her face in shock.
“Isn’t it? I can’t believe we arrived into town just two days ago and this wonderful God fearing lady took my case and has already solved one big piece of the puzzle! You’re town is very lucky to have someone like her around.”
“Well that’s just be best news I’ve had!” Sugar grinned wide but I swallowed hard, knowing I hadn’t felt very lucky the last couple of days.
We had some whiskey to celebrate and I told them about the fight between Buu and Kale. I asked Anna if she’d ever considered being a doctor and we talked about how they were settling in. Anna thanked me deeply for the work I’d done and I was so grateful to see her happy. She asked if her cousin had responded to the telegram but I said she hadn’t.
I walked out of the saloon and saw Duke in the street. I followed him to the clinic where we found Karan and Middy working on Duke and Chet’s wounds. I asked if they were okay and thanked Duke for taking care of Chet. I squeezed Chet’s foot tenderly as all he talked about was having another bullet wound for his collection. The others kept giving him medical advice and I told him he was staying at my place tonight.
We talked while Chet rested on the bed and then I brought him home. Chet tried to drink whiskey against the doc’s orders and I took it away from him, leading him to the apartment. I lay beside him on the couch and sighed, “It’s nice to finally get some time with you… Just the two of us... no work..”
“Yes darling… and later I gonna arrest that Buu and that Chief and cut their ears off.”
“Shh… Don’t think about that now,” I put a finger to his lips and fell asleep against his chest, trying to calm my ever-anxious spirit.
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