The Devils Backbone

Comes A Knocking

Chyna and Cotton waited outside on the road, however it seemed Cap and Jim were still in the saloon. "I'm gettin tired Chyna" Cotton said with a small quiet yawn.

"I know jus wait a while longer, in theys aint out soon you can go on in a get em" Chyna said. She would have sent him in right then. But she didn't want to risk Jim and the others keeping him there and leaving her alone in the dark.

Looking around she could see not a soul was out. Just the crickets and some frogs singing in the distance. A few bats and owls would join in.

After fifteen minutes Chyna sighed and looked at the Saloon door. "Ok Cotton you can-"

A soft faint cry touched Chyna's ears. It was a woman and she sounded desperate.

"Did you hear that?" Chyna asked looking about. "Hear what Chyna?" Cotton asked sleepily.

"No! Oh plese lord!" The cry as distant and faint as a breeze.

"Cotton go inside" Chyna said sternly. Cotton did as he was told still confused but too tired to care.

Chyna peered through the night as the faint screams continued. Her eyes cast up to a glow in one of the Rooms the whores in the Saloon used.

"There" Chyna thought heart racing. "I have got to tell somebody" she muttered. Racing around the back of the Saloon she hoped to find a back door.

"Jesus" she gasped finding aback door didn't exsist on this place.  Running back around she went to the horse pitch and grabbed some rope. She tied it to old worn horse shoe. "Lets hope this works" she muttered.

Standing below the window Chyna tried to toss the horseshoe up into the window. But it was higher than it looked. "Shoot" Chyna hissed at herself in frustration. "Come on jus one more time" she throught gritting her teath together.

Swinging hard Chyna let the horseshoe fly. With a sharp crash the window glass shattered. Chyna tugged on the rope to make sure it was secure.

She could heart the womans screams of protest clearer now faded between a mans loud husky grunting.

Taking in a deep breath Chyna started to climb.

Inside the man was far to busy to notice the slinder dark fingers that had grasped the windowsill.  The woman under him sporting fine long dark curls no longer screaming but sobbing as blood lined the white sheets. She pushed against the man clothed in all black but he would not remove himself from her.

"Get off the young miss you dirty ol coot!" Chyna yelled. "I paid for her services, now get out niger before i tell folk you snuck in!" The man barked.

"I already did the job - he wanted more an wouldn't leave! Oh god it-it hurts! H-help" the woman sobbed. The man hauled off and smacked the girl.

Chyna saw red, and from the back of her mind rushed forth every terrible memory of Tolbert and his brothers. What they did to her deep in the barn and the woods when no one could hear or see. That red turned in to a bright white hot light and clouded the world around her, Chyna lunged.

Down stairs Cap and the others could hear hollering up the steps. "Get this  niger of me! Get her off me!"

Cap shot up from his eat as Luella came running down the steps. Her dress torn and stained red. Make-up smudged and hair a mess she collapes against the wall as she pointed up the stairs. "He'll kill her!" Luella sobbed.

Cap was gone before she could finish.

The man in black knocked the horseshoe he had been beaten with out of Chyna's hand. It fell out the window with a cloud chatter as the rope followed after it.

His nose was bloody, hands bruised and his crown was bleeding heavily.   Chyna gasped for air as he had his hands clamped around her neck. The man had her backed to the shatted window leaning her back slowly.

Feeling the broken glass seep painfully into her skin Chyna glanced down. Had he pushed her over snd out the fall would not kill her. But she would likely be left cripple.

Chyna looked up into his eyes their a feirce glare she stopped trying to pry away his hands and instead grasped his ears pulling as if to tear them off. The man cried out and brought his knee to Chyna's gut.

In the sounds of struggle and a pounding on her heart Chyna could hear the sound of a gun hammer cock back. The sharp tin like click of the metal.

The man stopped for a moment as if frozen. The room had filled with an arctic chill of a northern wind.  A silence so heavy it was nearly crushing.

She heard him before she saw him. With a voice as void of emotion as anyone could ever fathom Cap's voice echoed "you got bout 3 seconds to let her go and skin out".

The man said nothing and moved not an inch. Chyna wheezed as she tried to suck in air.  Over the man's shoulder she could see Cap, but her vision was blurring.

"I won't say it again" Cap lulled in monotoned venom. He shot a round up at the celling. It seemed to jolt the man awake. "I'll remember you tar bitch" the man hissed softly. With those words he shoved Chyna to the side and scrambled out the window. He landed with a cry and a thud.

Cap ran to the window and peered out. In the dark of night a shadow hobbled away limping on each leg staggering away.

He took aim at it, closing his bad eye. He had the perfect shot.

Yet Chyna's gasping called him back. He pacified his gun and dropped to her side. Touching her face gingerly he ran a finger over her busted lip.

"Chyna whats goin on how are you in here? What happened?" Cap asked. Chyna's throat was sore and her words were hoarse . "i heard....someone who sounded a lot like me" she said before a black shroud took over her.

Chyna slumped over into Caps arms and rested against his chest.

Jim, Luella and a few of the other girls rushed in. "Is she ok?" Luella asked voice trembling. Cap nodded stifly "but i think we better find the doctor you need to be looked at. Both of you" Cap said.

Author's Note:

I apologize for this chapter being short. However in light of what happen in it i don't want to overwhelm anyone who might have been triggered.