Gold, Guns and Death in the West - A Wild West Story

CHAPTER 4 - The Relentless

"Your gun doesn't work, rest of your boys aren't really for it. I suggest you get the hell out and have a good evening." Eugene grabbed his gun, holding it by the barrel. The boy prepared to shoot him should he try and use the gun as a bludgeon. But he just turned to walk away. Calmly pushing past the bar's doors, followed by his entire gang.

"Really showed that dirt sniffer his place." The girl's father praised. "I really like you, kid."

"No problem, I'm finished working for these fools anyways." Replied the boy.

"Where are you going?" The barista asked, both curious and a little worried.

"Back to Sweetwater. After that, back to here with more firepower." He assured the both of them. "The both of you should try and get out of here."

As he left the bar, he turned back towards the two of them.

"Madam, sir." He said.

Leaving the saloon, he lit himself a cigarette. The moon was full, the town was quiet as usual. He made his way through the town. Towards the stable, where he had stored Charger earlier in the afternoon. Looking around and seeing nobody, he pushed open the doors. Hay covered the ground, the stench of horse waste was thick in the air. Nature was completely silent, which was weird. As it was common for critters to be out and about during. Especially during the nighttime.

As he waded his way past droppings, he came upon the dead body of his horse. Charger was lying on his side, a knife was stuck into his neck. The blood that had accumulated into a pool around the poor animal was fresh.
A horrified gasp escaped him as he knelt next to his horse, a loyal animal which had been raised by his dad before he died and passed down to him.

"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..." He said, caressing his fallen steed's mane. Before faintly hearing footsteps rapidly approaching him from behind. But before he could act, he felt the butt of a rifle smacking into his head hard. Knocking him out.

"Hey, cocky. Wake up!" The boy jolted awake from a slap to the cheek. He was somewhere secluded, a building he didn't recognize. Tied to a chair and at the mercy of Thomas.

"Look at you, not so confident in yourself anymore huh?" He asked, laughing a little. "Eugene was pretty tired after all those drinks, so he's asleep or something. But that means, I get to do whatever I want with you."

"You killed Charger." The boy angrily growled at his captor, standing as tall and defiant as he could being tied up in a chair.

"Listen, partner. If you hadn't blabbered out that you were gonna go crying to the law or somethin' than you probably wouldn't even be in this situation in the first place." Thomas walked over to a crate, which was topped with various tools. Ranging from dental equipment to construction items.

"A damn shame he and the others ain't here to see you scream." Tom said, turning his back towards him to select his preferred method of torture.

"Real proud of forcing innocent people to mine your precious little rocks for yourself at gunpoint, aren't you?" The bounty hunter angrily shot back.

"It's an eat others or be eaten scenario. You should know, you're a bounty hunter after all." He said, turning around with a wrench in hand. "Perhaps you have a few loose screws."

He brought the tool down onto the boy's leg. A painful scream filled the empty room, all the while Thomas grinned with sadistic satisfaction.

"There's a lot more hurt where that came from, kid." He chuckles. "Eugene's gonna drag your battered corpse around the town every Friday afternoon till you're just skull and bones."

The boy tried to pull himself free of the bonds, or at the very least find a weak spot he could try and cut himself from. But there was no such thing.

"Wanna know somethin' else buddy? Once I'm done with you, we're gonna scalp that little bitch at the bar." Said Thomas. To which the boy suddenly stared at him with intense fury and hatred.

"If you touch one hair on her head." He growled.

"There's the soft spot." The sadistic gang member smirked.

Suddenly, from out of nowhere. Thomas' expression grew blank as he was knocked to the ground, behind him stood the barmaid with a hammer in hand. She had a worried look about her, quickly she grabbed a pair of garden shears off of the table and used them to cut the ropes binding the boy onto the chair.

"Thank you." He said, "I really mean it."

"No biggie, bounty hunter." She said, removing Thomas' pistol from his holster, along with his rifle.

"D'you know where they put my gun?" The boy asked, walking with a little bit of a limp.

The girl held up another belt and holster. Luckily, the bullets hadn't been removed. The custom-made revolver was still held in its rightful place.

"I was able to find it as I snuck in, come one we gotta get out of here." Urged the girl.

The both of them escaped what was revealed to be the town's bank. The boy had been placed in one of the vaults. It had been left open by the overconfident Thomas, sure that no one would notice as usual.

"How'd you know I needed help?" The boy whispered.

"The sheriff wouldn't have left you off the hook that easily. His goons were just waiting for the right moment." She said. "After we closed up the saloon, I watched you from afar. You went into the stable only to be dragged out unconscious by that suck-up Thomas, and the mute, Grayson. Thought you needed a hand."

"What about your dad, isn't he in danger?" Asked the boy once more. The two were eventually able to return to the stable unseen, as the rest of Edwards gang was fast asleep in the hotel.

"He allowed me too, after all you're the best chance this town's got." She said. "Besides, he's always wanted to badmouth Sheriff T. Edwards without a care in the world. The only thing holding him back was me."

As the two entered the stable, the boy sighted the corpse of his dead horse once more. Sighing somberly, he went to retrieve the knife from his pet's neck. Closing Charger's eyes for him, he gently rubbed his horse's head.

"Was he your horse?" Asked the girl. The boy nodded in response.

"I'd understand hiding him, but killing him?..." He said.

"Edward's goons are as brutal as they are ruthless." The girl replied. "We'll take Eustice."

"Is she your horse?" Asked the bounty hunter.

"Eustice is a guy's name." The girl replied saddling up on the horse, the boy hopped on behind her.

"Sounded like a girl's name." The boy said.

As the pair made their way out of the stable, an angry voice could be heard coming from the direction of the bank.

"Eugene! The kid and the girl are escaping! They're getting away!" Shouted an angry Thomas, who had his hand on a wound on his head. Sounds of commotion could be heard coming from the hotel. The boy swore below his breath as he pulled out his guns.

From one of the doors on the hotel's second floors, Eugene and Grayson busted out from separate rooms. Followed by Hugh from within one of the first floor rooms. All were brandishing pistols, the cracks of gunfire sounded out as the boy and girl were able to run off on Eustice. The bounty hunter felt his left shoulder exploding in pain as he ironically felt relief, seeing the view of Little Valley slowly shrinking. Shooting off a few bullets in response.

"Fuck!" Eugene shouted in pure rage. Frustratingly throwing his new gun down onto the boards of the balcony. His attention was then turned to his dawdling men.

"Get them! Bring them back and once you do, we'll skin then alive!" He pointed to the duo, who were slowly disappearing into the horizon. Grayson, Hugh, Thomas and the recently arrived Mike sprinted towards a locked stable, where their personal horses were stored and cared for.