Everett Brooks and the Dodge City Renegade: Part 3
Big trouble in River City.
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5
In the land of Gods and Monsters
I was an angel living in the garden of evil
Screwed up, scared, doing anything that I needed
Shining like a fiery beacon
Gods and Monsters, Lana Del Rey
“What time you got?”
Duncan MacTavish pulled out his pocket watch, flicked it open, and glanced at the ornate face of the timekeeping instrument. “It’s 3:05, gentlemen.”
“Train should be here in about five minutes or so,” mused Everett Brooks. “Pete, you see any one-eyed men? Or Comanche?”
Pistol Pete Crosby, observing the platform through his spyglass from their hotel room that overlooked the train depot, shook his head. “Not a damn…wait a minute…there! On the far side.”
Everett took the eyepiece from his companion and peered through. Sure enough, half hidden behind the ticketing office, stood a Comanche warrior clad in fringed buffalo leather; armed with a tomahawk, revolver, and scalping knife.
“Think that’s him?” Pete inquired.
“Has to be. It’s just too bad we don’t got Jake here to say for sure.”
“Here comes the train,” Duncan observed, pointing to a telltale puff of smoke in the distance. The trio watched intently as the train pulled into the station with a strident whistle, and the Indian stepped fully into view. Passengers of all types began to disembark: well dressed gentlemen and ladies, rugged cowhands, and more than a few enterprising fair belles. It wasn’t long before eight men in black coats and black hats stepped out onto the platform.
“That’s them, alright,” Everett remarked as the Comanche approached the group.
“So…what’s the play?” Pete asked.
“We can’t very well gun them down in the streets,” Duncan opined. “I’m friendly with the sheriff here, but he won’t take kindly to us starting a bloodbath in his town.”
“No,” Everett agreed. “Can’t do that. We’ll let them ride out, then we’ll track them. Should lead us right to Caroline and that one-eyed son of a bitch.”
At that very moment, the Indian brave just happened to look right at them as he lead the Regulators away from the train depot to the stables. They saw him stiffen abruptly, gesticulate wildly in their direction, and let out a bloodcurdling war cry. The gunmen leveled their rifles in unison and unloaded on the hotel window.
Bystanders and passersby screamed in alarm and ran away in terror as gunshots boomed in rapid succession. Bullets whizzed by all around the trio, shredding their room to pieces. Not ones to shy away from a fight, Pete and Everett brandished their own rifles. Several of the Regulators were felled by the return fire, while the rest beat a hasty retreat towards the nearest horses they could get their hands on.
Satisfied upon seeing three of their adversaries face down in the dirt, Pete and Everett turned to find Duncan writhing on the floor and clutching at a bloody hole in his hip.
“I’ve had worse,” the Scotsman rasped through gritted teeth as he saw their looks of concern.
“Maybe, but we best get you fixed up. Pete, grab his other arm and let’s get him to the doctor.”
“Three years ago,” Randall Gibson began, “not long after you showed up and took Moxie’s by storm, my cavalry unit at Fort Dodge got a tip from them Skinner boys-they’re the ones the darkie sheriff killed back at your cabin-that the Midnight Riders were hiding out near Dodge City. At the time, they were the most wanted outfit on the frontier, and you best believe that the United States Cavalry was after them something fierce. So, Red Knife and I were given a score of troopers to hunt them down and bring ‘em in; dead or alive.”
Randall paused, staring into the fire with a haunted look in his one remaining eye. After a moment of uneasy silence, the cavalryman resumed his story.
“Well, we found them, alright, but they were ready for us. Must’ve had a lookout. Their camp was in a thicket, and, when we got there, it looked like they’d left in a hurry. Only they hadn’t left; they was hiding out in the bushes. We charged in there like a bunch of damn fools, all jubilant and overzealous. They fired on us from all around, cut us to bits.” Randall’s somber gaze shifted from the fire to Caroline.
“I’ll tell you somethin’ about that man of yours: he fights like the damn Devil. He came up out of that thicket, Army Colts blazing and bullets flying every which way, and shot my horse out from under me. I was pinned to the ground. When he stood over me, and I saw the rage burnin’ in his eyes, I knew then and there I was about to die. Then, all of a sudden, Red Knife showed up outta nowhere and started wrestling with Everett Brooks just as his gun went off. Flames from the barrel burned out my eye, while Red Knife took a bullet in the gut for his troubles. When it was over, they left us all for dead.”
“But you and Red Knife survived?”
“Only ones that did.”
“I remember you disappeared for awhile, and then showed back up at Moxie’s with that patch on your eye. She told me to take extra special care of you.”
“You always were good at that,” Randall chuckled, then leered at her. “Sure I can’t interest you in a tumble? It’ll be just like old times.”
Caroline’s gaze hardened momentarily before a sly looked creeped across her face. She inched closer to Randall, provocatively running her fingers along his thigh towards his belt. She leaned in and whispered seductively in his ear.
“I didn’t mean what I said before. You know: about faking it and all? Truth is, I always enjoyed being with you. And, seeing as how it’s been so damn long, and it’s just the two of us here, might as well make the most of it.” She made a show of fumbling at his belt buckle with one hand, while the other slowly and cautiously unholstered the pistol on his hip. Randall, anxious with lust and desire for the beguiling woman, jammed his mouth roughly against hers.
Caroline thrust the barrel of the gun into Randall’s stomach and pulled the trigger. Inside the confined space of the dugout, the sound was thunderous. Caroline grimaced as a fountain of blood erupted all over her. Randall pitched backwards, involuntarily kicking her through the door and out into the chilly night. Caroline’s head connected soundly with a rock as she sprawled to the ground, and she descended into darkness.
Afterword: To enhance the impact of this story, listen to the song below after you read.
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Yay, he's back! Good thing there's two! Keep em coming!
Brilliant! Good cliffhangers, pulpy fight scenes. Caroline and Randall was great too.