Lying in bed I kept thinking about the man I killed that day at the dusty empty bar in a small town called Brushwood and why I had to do it. I folded on a straight flush and got called out. I had the flush. The dead man accused me of folding to help a loser win.
“I should kill you where you sit ya cheat’n dog!”
He yelled pointing his six-shooter at me; I thought it strange that he only had five bullets chambered. I was calm and straight faced when I asked him if he knew he was on the empty chamber. He laughed in a low raspy voice
“ Ya think yer funny don’t cha? CLICK!
Of course he didn’t listen. Drunken fool. He realized I had been right and if one of my two shots hadn’t made a mess of his face he would have known my guns were trained on him from under the flimsy wood table we were playing at. Two guns, two bullets, two shots 4 holes…one dead man.
Four heads counting mine watched as the dead man limply fell to the floor; with a slick wet thud his thoughts hit the ground. Turns out deadman was someone’s father no surprise. The problem was his son Jack McGee was the foulest dirt dwelling human scum the world had known and anyone who came to know the man would tell ya they would rather fall ear deep in bullshit than breathe the air he polluted, and According to the stories that ran through Brushwood he had the looks to match. I remember talking to Ruby at the horse stall some hours before the shooting; She recalled an encounter she once had with Mankiller and told me that in July he came to her stall looking to steal a horse. When Ruby told him he would have to pay he drew his gun and said “ Well little missy, I don’t have any money, but I can pay you some other way.” Ruby said that if she ever wanted to know what the devil looked like she found out that day he wore dusty black clothes that were full of holes, all of his teeth were yellow, rotten and ready to fall out, and He stood hunched like buzzard. He was grim to make it worse he hadn’t shaved that weathered scared up face in years. The hair stood on my neck just listening to her talk about him. Ruby looked at her feet and stopped to let out a weep can’t say I blamed her. What ever he did must have been something bad and I wouldn’t have her relive it for me. I was a stranger back then and she realized it. Before she got to deep in to her tail she went quiet after a few moments of silence. she told me the towns people called him Man Killer and for good reason. In the last year Man Killer stopped seventeen hearts with his guns.
Another story I heard came from the dead man himself. Before we had it out, and I knew Mankiller was his son he told me he knew Man killer well. He spoke enthusiastically about the people he did in and how he did it. Turn out Mankiller doesn’t just play with guns. He fights like a dog using anything within arms reach to end someone. The dead man recalled a dispute at the motel involving a woman named Sarah during dinner. Mankiller wanted to have her for the night and her husband told him to leave the dead man couldn’t remember in great detail but went on to say that Sara’s husband left on the gravediggers cart with wooden spoons sticking out of both his ears. I would say I’m scared but that was be a lie I knew Man killer would be after me.
So there I was lying in bed thinking about a dead man and his devil boy while counting flies and listening to the town.
“CID WEST! You killed my PAW now im call’n you out. Ya got the count of five ta show yerself else I’m come’n after ya!”
“Damn it! Its to early”
I shot out of bed and pressed my back to the wall near the window frame.
“Mankiller I presume?”
“One an only boy now put your head out so I can see me a dead man!”
Dead man? Surly he is not talking about me.
“ I’m not the dead man jack”
POW!! The sound echoed like thunder in a canyon.
“ I aint gonna say it again coward! If I have to the next shot won’t miss”
“How will you hit me? You don’t even know where I am”
I almost chuckled but the cool sweat on my neck reminded me of my current situation. That being I have no idea how many guns he has. If he has one he only has five shots left two guns eleven shots assuming all chambers were loaded. I reached for my holster on the table next to the bed and quietly put it on. The two guns were almost heavy resting from my hips. Two guns twelve shots.
“Oh but I know exactly where you are first floor third room from the stairs. Wonder’n how I know? Ruby told me. She’s right here why don’t cha say hello darlin”
Heh try the forth room. Ruby, I love you girl
“Cid I am so sorry he was going to kill my daughter!!”
“ I’m the coward?! You are holding a woman hostage!”
“And yer hiding behind a wall makes us even if ya ask me”
Vest where’s my vest?! Not in the closet or the floor THERE, on the door handle! Like a godsend I can’t remember how many messes this thing has gotten me out of and it looks almost as new as it did when my late wife Arabella gave it to me six years ago. The fabric is still soft and the buttons yes those beautiful four buttons smooth and cold. They always calmed my mind when things got rough. When the numbers didn’t fit. Arabella said she made my vest this way because she knew that if I had something solid to touch when the numbers were wrong I would be ok. She was right.
“ No not even, If I had to guess I would say you are out there waiting with at least three other guns”
“ Nope just one is all I need!”
“Idiot I wasn’t talking about the gun you were holding but thanks for the help”
He went quiet. Ching…ching…ching…ching…ching. Spurs! Five steps. SHIT
I see you. ugly bastard
“So ya know I only got one piece. Wont do ya no good”
Even through the thin cover of the curtain he’s ugly.
“ Well Cid if ya wont come out to fight for your honor. Maybe you’ll come out ta fight for your lady’s life”
No boots. That’s why I didn’t hear her footsteps.
“Cid I gotta tell ya something. Now you don’t have to say anything just listen”
Oh Ruby what are you doing? Now is not the time to for a speech. not while the Devil has a gun to your head.
“I love you, and I have since the day I saw you at the horse stall. I never told you because you are a wonderful man and I am just a plain ol’ stall girl”
Ruby…. It’s going to be hard to see where I am shooting wit tears in my eyes.
“ I’m gonna be sick! I have had bout enough of you red time for a nap”
The sound of thunder tore through the air once more; through the window and curtain I watched ruby fall limp and slip from Mankiller’s arm. Every thing went slow she seemed to fall for days. Her fire red hair flowed calmly behind her head and her ice blue eyes watched me as she hit the ground. Her soft lips parted as if she were going to speak but her mouth never found the words. Then her eyes went off into the distance. Ruby loved me but I truly am a coward and because of me she died. It took me a few moments to come back to myself and se that man killer was standing with his side to the window of the room Ruby told him I was in.
“Ya hear that Cid? I shut yer bitch up, We is all better off fer that heh women shouldn’t be talk’n anyway. Ya in there Cid Don’t cha care?”
I have to get out through this window and behind him since his back is to me it should be simple. Easy now
“Ya are either to dumb to care boy or ya pissed yerself and are to afraid to come out”
CLICK!
“Neither Jack, and if we are comparing wits I would say I’m a far sight brighter and not a bit scared”
CLICK
“Now drop the piece”
“Heh…Imma kill ya boy”
“Put the gun down jack I don’t like the idea of killing you not even after you killed Ruby, but mark my words if you don’t drop that gun I will give you a whole new reason to were a hat ”
He only has one round left?!
“ You aren’t much for planning are you jack?
I swear Arabella I had him dead to rights if my guns were pressed to his back any harder he would have been breathing lead but the numbers got to me. He only took 5 steps ONLY five in my head I begged him to take one more step. I needed him to take that step. While I silently begged he got a foot up and stuck me in the leg with a spur. The surprise hurt more then the spur and it brought to my knee.
“ Yer not as tuff when yer face to face with a man are ya?”
“ It would seem not Jack.”
“ I gotta tell ya Cid I didn’t have ya figured for a runt.”
Bastard pushed me to my ass with his boot.
“Oops. got dirt on yer pretty vest.”
My vest! The buttons they feel so comfortable under my fingertips.
“What are you do’n?!”
There! There’s my chance.
“Let me show you something my father taught ME”
A square kick to the groin should do it
“AHHHHHHHHH! You son of a! ”
He’s coming down Cid draw you guns and fire before he recovers.
BOOM!
BOOM!
I got him Arabella. The first bullet hit his left shoulder and the spray was beautiful against the light of the sun. The second bullet hit him in the heart. The sun was so bright behind him I never got to see the look on his face to make sure I didn’t see I closed my eyes and listened him drop dead to the dirt. Baby, I never had to kill two men in two days, and doing it didn’t even effect me. What makes me crazy is Mankiller never took that last step. I can’t make that number right Arabella I just cant. I suppose that’s the last number that won’t fit my love. I brought your flask with whiskey and poison. Since you been gone nothing has been right in the world ,and no numbers have fit. I am a number that doesn’t fit. This drink if for you Arabella I’ll be with you soon.
