Alabama Zack – Chapter X

"Alabama Zack" is a 40-chapter science fiction serial, published in the Scholar and Scribe community once a week on Wednesdays.

You can start the serial from the beginning by visiting the Curated Collection.

Alabama Zack, our hero and a war veteran, found himself standing on a train station platform in another time and dimension. At his feet lay a man in a brown suit. The man was dead, and Zack was arrested and jailed for murder.

Zack can not remember how he had arrived on that platform, let alone whether or not he had anything to do with the man's death.

In last week's chapter, the knowing doctor affirmed that he believes Zack's claim of innocence, but Cork McGraw, the town P.I. who is helping with the case, professed some doubts. Sitting on the boardwalk outside Cork's office, our hero has just noticed the town residents returning to their daily activities after hiding out when he first arrived, in cuffs and with the Realm's green tracking light hovering over his head.

The man who had just exited the saloon hitched his pants again. His plaid shirt was untucked on one side of the buttons, and he fumbled at tucking it in. He did this while watching the trio on the bench across from him. Then he gave a toothless grin, pointed a thumb and finger gun at Zack, and went back inside the saloon.

Cork and the doctor did not seem to notice; both men were lost in thought and silent for the moment. From the direction of the train station a buckboard clattered up the street. One motley-looking man sat holding the reins over two dappled greys, while another stood behind him gripping a shotgun. The man with the shotgun was looking at them, and Zack began to feel a little uneasy.

Suddenly the driver lifted the reins high and slapped them down hard on his team's withers. The buckboard jerked as the horses broke into a trot. The standing man swayed back, steadied himself, and then brought the shotgun to his shoulder. Zack reacted. He grabbed the bottom of the bench, pushed back with all his might, and flipped it neatly over. The three of them landed in a head-over-heals heap behind the bench, to the sound of a loud blast and buckshot biting into the seat. A second blast rang out; Cork righted himself and pulled a pistol from his waistband. When he kneeled up to return fire, the man with the shotgun hit the deck and the driver whipped the team to a gallop. Cork palmed the hammer back and fired three times.

Then they were out of range. It was over, though the silence rang with the recent gunshots.

The door cracked open behind them. “Mr. McGraw?” Matilda called. The men crawled inside and sprawled out in front of Matilda, who quickly shut the door.

“Who was that Cork?” the doctor asked.

“That was the Clayton outfit,” Cork said. He stood up and looked at Zack with newfound respect. “What did you do, stranger? The Claytons don't shoot at you for nothin'.”

Zack stared at the floorboards only inches from his face. He wished he knew.

Next week in our story

There was a knock at the door. Cork had put the pistol back in his waistband; now he pulled it out and pressed it against his side, so that it was hidden in the folds of his overcoat. He signaled for the doctor to go to the door. On the way, the doctor made final adjustments to his suit coat, hat and tie. Zack squared his shoulders beside Cork, so that the two of them stood abreast in front of Matilda.

Chapter XI (link to come)
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