TIME: IMMEMORIAL

9.4 Lone Gun (2007)

MORNING AFTER THE NIGHT BEFORE (Part Four)

78 hours later.

For a moment Time had no idea where he was but then with the cold dawn light, came recollection - the good and the bad.

He rose and stood naked, looking out the half shuttered window, at the emerging sun.

A new day. A better one. Men would die today and he would have a hand in that.

Behind him, a slight shuffling noise and a yawn. The redhead was opening her eyes and taking all of him in. She sat up in bed, bare breasted. Hell, what was she ... thirty three maybe. Younger than his daughter would have been ... if she'dve lived. A pang ... Thirteen god damn years now and five since ...

'I've lived too long,' he muttered as the feeling washed over him in waves. All his family gone and so many friends ... Mitch. He couldn't process it, not yet. The latest loss was too fresh.

The girl was saying something. He turned towards her and asked her to repeat her words.

There was concern in her eyes and she was pointing.

He glanced down and saw the seepage from underneath the bandage wrapped around his abdomen.

'Your wound, it's re-opened.' Darlene stated the obvious.

He shrugged. 'I heal slow these days ... but still faster than most.'

She let the sheets slip to reveal her pale nudity. 'Let me fix that for you.'

He nodded, not really caring but moments later the feel of her soft white flesh against his hard sun bronzed body, garnered a different reaction. Animal instincts overwhelmed him again, as they did last night when they had taken comfort from each other in their mutual grief.

He pulled her into him and crushed his lips against hers and then they fell on the bed together, still entwined. For the next few hours, the only sounds they made were inarticulate ones, though she had briefly mentioned his wound.

'Let it bleed,' he had growled. 'I don't mind if you don't.'

But after their passion had been spent, she had once again insisted on wrapping a fresh bandage around his waist, having first taken the bottle of Templeton from the night stand to apply after she'd washed it. Then he had taken the bottle from her and poured a long slug down his throat, before offering it back.

Now she was tying the bandage more securely at the back and he felt her move her hands, tracing across his scars. 'Your body, its like a canvass. All these tattoos and the scars ... so many.'

Her hands were around his stomach now and her soft red hair brushed the small of his back, her cheek against his skin. He felt wetness as she began to sob. 'I'm sorry about your friend,' she said at last. 'Mitch was a good man. He didn't deserve ... and Michelle ... oh god, if what Longtree said was true ...'

Time placed a large brown hand over her smaller one. 'If Mitch's girl is still alive, I'll find her and bring her back.'

'I'll help you any way I can FT.'

He turned. 'I'll do it for them and for anyone left in this hell hole that still has an ounce of morality.'

'But what can you do against ... those things!?' she shuddered.

Time pulled on his jeans and motioned to the closet. 'Darlene, fetch me my bag wouldya?'

Nodding the redheaded girl obliged and he took a few moments to further appreciate the curves of  her body.

'Your shotgun and them other weapons you got at Mitch's.'

He nodded. 'They ain't important right now - they'll kill the town elders, the mayor, the sheriff and all their hired guns. That ain't what concerns me. See them boxes of ammo?'

She nodded. 

'Long time back I started preparing ... fer certain situations. Got me silver bullets'll kill a werewolf stone dead an a few other unnatural critters besides, but them red shells for the shotgun ... that's somethin' real special.'

'They look ordinary.'

'They were. But over the years I built up a few contacts, just in case the situation warranted ... special measures. Back in the service I knew a Major called Dakor. Worked for a ... specialized unit. Showed me a few tricks. These though ... before I left New York I visited a fella name a Strange. We'd met a few times over the years as we're sorta ... opposite ends a the same ... fraternity. Anyway, the doc tricked up the shells an they will literally send anything ... out of this world, back ta hell. Trouble is ...'

'What?'

'Mitch started ta tell me the origins of this here freak show, when the deputies burst in, but I didn't get the full picture. He said you were one a the good ones Darlene and that Michelle toldja a bit about what she discovered.'

Darlene's face grew angry. 'She was my friend FT. An though I knew there was something off about Ratbend, I didn't believe any of it, but now I seen it with my own eyes. I'll tell you anything you wanna know, but you gotta promise me you'll kill every last sunnava bitch.'

Time nodded. 'Already made that promise darlin. All I need is more info an then I aim ta get ta work. But you cn tell me in your car - those bastards'll think ta look for me here soon enough. So grab anything ya need honey an lets get moving.'

Darlene began dressing straight away. 'Ok and maybe you can tell me something in return.'

'Sure.'

'I'm curious about all them tattoos. USMC is obvious enough but what's up with the small angel wings on your shoulder blades an that funny writing an ... that one.' She pointed at his chest.

Time reached for his t-shirt. 'The writings Japanese. Spent some time out east an I mixed with some unsavory types. The angel wings ... well that's ta remember an old buddy from the old old days. He ain't dead, far as I know.'

'And the heart with the name? Emmy?'

He instinctively brushed his fingertips against the area over his heart. 'I was married once. She's gone now ... five years back.'

Darlene's eyes brimmed with empathy. 'I understand. Now what was it you wanted to know about?' she asked as they exited the apartment and went down the outside stairs.

Time slung his bag in the back seat of Darlene's car and waited until she got into the passenger seat.

'I need ta know how it all started. Tell me about... the cowboy.'

Continued.