Chapter Thirty-Seven: Shooting A Dying Man is Murder?
"We need to go on out there and search for that survivor. We can't leave someone stranded out there in need of help." Frankie stated to the group gathered in the dining car. Everyone was there except for Catherine and Silas. They had not come out of their room, though Colt had not expected them to; not after the day they had just endured.
"Since when are you so concerned about others?" Katherine questioned. "I think that risking this group for a 'person' who may or may not even exist is a pointless risk."
"Are you calling me a liar?!" Frankie snapped and Colt let out a long exhale and pinched his nose between his fingers.
"I'm just saying that I don't want to risk anyone's life just because you might have seen a person hidden in a stage coach. Those coaches are surrounded by rabid and they've been torn apart. I'm sure any person you saw is already dead." Katherine argued.
"No they weren't." Frankie snapped, stepping forward and looking ready to fight. Colt was relieved when Comanche's arm wrapped around Frankie's waist, stopping the woman from advancing any further on Katherine. The last thing Colt wanted right now was a cat fight in the dining car when there were rabid surrounding the train, a possible survivor in the stagecoaches and a kiss still burning on Colt's lips.
"Well, Old Man," Colt began, his gaze going to Jedidiah. "What does that mind of yours have to say about this?"
"Are you truly interested in my thoughts on the matter or are you hoping to hear that I have seen these stagecoaches and know how this day will go?"
"You know I don't believe in your particular brand of crazy, Old Man. I was just asking for your opinion."
"Well sadly, my brand of crazy as you call it, has not told me anything about this current situation. I don't get to pick my visions or what I see and I have not seen this coaches. All I can offer to help your decision is this: if I were that lost person stranded in a stagecoach surrounded by rabid, I would hope that a train full of folks with a talent for killing rabid, would take pity on me and help me out of my sticky situation."
"This is ridiculous." Katherine exclaimed. "Look out there!" she added, pointing out the window at the rabid wandering between the stages and peering at the train, clearly interested in this new object and the scent of living blood inside of it. "There is no proof that there is anything alive out there!"
"My word is the proof." Frankie argued. "I know what I saw. There was a living person, a small person, looking out of one of those stages."
"A child?" Colt's head whipped around to see Charlotte and Silas entering the dining room. "Is there a child out there?" Charlotte asked again.
"There might be." Rachel spoke up.
"There is." Frankie amended sternly.
"We have to go help them." Charlotte insisted.
"I agree." Silas added and Colt could hear the hollow quality of the man's voice. Colt knew that well because it was a quality that had been in his own voice for a long while after losing his wife and daughter. A quality that had only begun to disappear since meeting Evangeline......
Colt's gaze went to her where she stood only a few feet to the side of him. Her kiss had shocked him and so had the feelings it had stirred within him. Not the lust, lust was a purely honest male reaction to the kiss of any beautiful woman... No, it was the tug in his chest that had surprised him. The click in his brain that had told him that moment was right. That it was meant to be. That they were meant to be.
Colt shook his head. He'd never had those feelings toward his own wife but he was sure as hell having them toward Evangeline. But now was not the time to dwell on them. There would be time enough for that later.
"I know you all probably think I'm a monster but we've all looked at that same stage coach that Frankie says she saw the person in and there is no person looking back at us now. I don' t want to risk one of our people just to save a person that we can no longer even see!" Katherine continued.
"Miss Kate," Ox spoke up quietly. "People are people and I don't reckon there are very many left so we gotta at least try to save the ones that are. I know if it was my sister—or you—stuck out there in that mess, I'd do just about anything to get you out and I'd hope that anybody else would do the same."
"I think we should at least take a look out there." Evangeline spoke up. "Could you imagine how afraid a child must be?"
"We aren't going to leave anyone out there." Colt assured everyone. "We're going to go check around, or at least I am. Any of you that want to come along can and anyone that isn't willing can sit up on the roof with rifles and provide cover."
"You will not be going alone" Comanche assured him and Frankie nodded in agreement.
"Ox, go to the storage car and fill a crate with weapons and then bring it back here. We aren't using guns unless we have no other choice. I'm not interested in wiping out all the rabid, I just want to check for survivors and then get back to safety as quickly as possible." Colt stated and Ox nodded before taking off toward the storage car.
Colt walked to the window facing the stage coaches and peered out. There were at least ten coaches, most were toppled over but a few still stood. Rabid were wandering aimlessly around; their shuffling footsteps carrying them in endless circles as they searched for food. There were too many and they were too spread out to get an accurate count.
"What's going on with you and Evangeline? Are you fighting?" Katherine asked as she walked over to him. Colt's eyes quickly went to Evangeline who was speaking softly with Charlotte and then he glared back at Katherine.
"The train is surrounded by rabid and we have a possible survivor out there in one of those stages and you want to stick your nose in my damn business now?"
Katherine shook her head at his harsh tone. "Nope, sure don't." she assured him and then walked quickly away. Colt sighed and looked back out the window. His eyes going to the stage that Frankie had assured him the person had been inside. Colt's eyes widened when he caught a flash of movement through the window. Shit.... There was somebody inside.
"I am coming with you as well." Silas stated, stepping up to Colt. Colt frowned.
"Are you sure? I don't need anyone distracted out there and getting hurt or causing anyone else to be harmed."
Silas nodded. "I am sure. I'm fit to fight and I need to do something. This sitting makes me feel useless."
Colt tipped his head in acknowledgement, understanding completely. "You're welcome to come then."
Ox returned moments later with a crate full of weapons. Comanche already had his knife and bow and seemed quite content with those. Frankie was testing the weight of the hatchet she kept on her hip in her hand and didn't seem interested in the crate either.
Colt had his knife but grabbed up a shovel, eager to have something to keep the rabid a little further away. Ox grabbed up the second shovel and Silas chose a pick ax while Jedidah picked up a heavy sledgehammer.
"Alright then. Everyone else on the roof with rifles but no gunshots unless you have to, we don't need to get these things riled up unless there's no other choice....." Colt's voice trailed off when Evangeline stooped, grabbed a wooden club from the box and then rose back to her tiny height.
"What in the hell are you doing?" Colt demanded.
"I'm going out too." Evangeline replied, meeting his gaze full force. Colt growled and turned to face her, fixing her with a glare as he towered over her much smaller frame.
"The hell you are. You'll keep your ass in this train."
Behind him Ox groaned. "That was the wrong thing to say and the wrong way to say it." He whispered.
Evangeline put her hand on her hip and waved the club, nearly hitting Colt in the nose, though he refused to step back. "I am a grown woman, Colt, and therefore I will do as I wish. Besides, I couldn't possibly let any harm come to my accomplice in crime. I need you to have my back."
Colt stared down at her and then let out a whoosh of air and a laugh as he shook his head. "Fine." He relented "But you better keep your grown woman, criminal ass right next to me."
***
Silas, Ox, Frankie, Comanche, Jedidiah, Colt and Evangeline stayed tight together per Colt's orders as they jumped from the train.
"Don't separate." Colt warned. "You get alone and you'll make an easy target."
"Okay, pa." Frankie replied with a grin. Comanche smiled down at his woman. She was perfect for him. They were each warriors.
The flesh eater's reaction to them was instant. Their moans grew louder and their arms reached out for them, their long-nailed fingers clawing the air, eager to sink into a fresh meal.
Comanche readied an arrow and sent it through the head of one flesh eater while Frankie swung her hatchet and sunk deep into the skull of another. Comanche found amusement in the fact that Colt and Ox seemed determined to keep Evangeline behind them and the tiny woman appeared more than a little angry by their actions. It was clear that she wanted in on the action.
Silas swung the pick axe in his hands and it sunk deep into a flesh eater's eye. Blood splattered across Silas's cheek, and suddenly Evangeline's face turned a slightly green shade and she no longer seemed so eager to get past her bodyguards.
"Frankie, Comanche you take the lead and let's head to that stage. I ain't worried about supplies, just people." Colt ordered.
Frankie nodded and Comanche followed her to the front of the group, though they stayed in a close group with at least one set of eyes pointed in every direction. Flesh eaters were still coming and when one got close enough, someone in the group would quickly dispatch them. Comanche glanced at the train to see Rachel, Charlotte and Katherine atop it with their rifles ready and he loosed another arrow when he realized that a flesh eater had been sneaking up behind Ox.
There was a momentary lull in the rush of rabid and Frankie led them to one of the few standing stage coaches. She knocked against the door. "Come on out now and we'll get ya somewhere safe."
"Go away!" a child's voice replied.
"Now dammit, get your ass to the window and we'll lift you out. The door is chained up, we got rabid trying to eat our assess off, the least you could is make this as easy as it can be." Frankie spat.
Comanche looked over her head and through the window to see an elbow and a knee sticking out from under the coach seat.
An elbow jabbed Comanche in the ribs and he moved aside as Evangeline came between he and Frankie. "The poor child is frightened, Frankie. The last thing it needs is you yelling and cursing at it." Evangeline stepped up to the window and Comanche saw her frown with frustration when she was too short to see inside.
Colt dropped to his knee and grunted as he held out his hands, cupping them together. Evangeline frowned at him and he shook his hands. "You seem to be in need of a boost."
A flesh eater approached, clawing at the air in front of Comanche and he pulled an arrow in his fist and slammed it through the drooling, snarling monster's mouth.
"We may want to hurry." Comanche urged, as he caught sight of another wave of rabid heading their way.
Evangeline quickly stepped up into Colt's hands and gripped the side of the stage as she peered into the window.
"Sweetheart, you can trust us. We're here to help you. Come on over here to me now and we'll take you inside the train. I'm sure you're hungry and we have lots of food inside."
"You do?" a small voice asked, and Comanche thought it sounded like a little girl.
"Yes we do, but you have to come on now before those monsters get us all."
Comanche loosed an arrow from his bow into an approaching flesh eater just as two skinny arms wrapped around Evangeline's neck and a dirty face surrounded by two brown braids popped up over the window.
"There was a child....." Ox whispered.
Frankie snorted. "I told you there was."
"Let's get her back to the train." Silas spoke up.
"Quickly." Colt agreed. Comanche saw the second wave of flesh eaters getting closer. Comanche helped hoist the child out of the window, though the girl clung to Evangeline.
They headed back toward the train, swinging their weapons at the moaning and jaw snapping attackers. Comanche felt a tug on his pants leg and looked down to see a flesh eater, or at least half of one, clawing at his buckskin trousers.
Evangeline let out a scream at the sight of the torn flesh eater and Comanche felt his own stomach turn at the sight of its entrails hanging out the end of its torso.
"Damn it." Frankie growled as she lifted her foot and then slammed her boot down hard on the flesh eaters head, crushing its skull and ending the attack on Comanche's leg. Frankie glared at Evangeline. "When something goes wrong you take care of it, not sit there and scream like a baby until someone else does."
"Back off, Frankie." Colt ordered as he swung his shovel, catching one flesh eater in the head before twisting and catching another flesh eater in the chest with the handle, knocking it back and causing it to trip over another dead flesh eater lying on the ground.
"HELP!" a voice called out and Comanche turned to see a man standing on top of another stage, kicking at a flesh eater trying to attack him.
"Shit." Colt stated blankly. Comanche glanced around and realized how desperate their situation was becoming. Too many flesh eaters stood between them and the train and there were more between them and this new man.
"Get your guns out!" Colt yelled. "I reckon there ain't no point trying to sneak now that we got the whole damn herd coming down on us!"
No one needed any more urging than that before shots filled the air. "Evangeline, Frankie, Silas, Ox, jedidah, get that girl onto that train. Comanche come with me and let's go help that man." Colt ordered and while Comanche could see the displeasure on both Frankie and Evangeline's faces at Colt's words, neither argued.
Comanche followed Colt and Colt shoved his long buck knife through the skull of the flesh eater trying to get the man on top of the stage. "Jump down." Comanche called to the man, who was quick to obey.
Rifle shots sounded and Colt shoved the man into Comanche's arms as two more flesh eaters approached. "Take him!" Colt shouted. Comanche didn't want to leave Colt but the man in his arms seemed weak and panicky and Comanche knew he had to get him to safety fast.
"Go now!" Colt exclaimed as three more flesh eaters joined the first two. Comanche nodded and did as he was told as Colt fired off his last three shots. Comanche heard Evangeline scream Colt's name and turned to see the last remaining flesh eater take the other man down, though Colt had shoved the handle of the shovel between he and the flesh eater and its slobbering mouth and blood covered teeth were latched onto the splintery wood.
Comanche was fresh out of arrows and with no time to get more he knew he would be no help to Colt. The loud booming of Rachel's buffalo rifle echoed in the air and a bullet narrowly missed Colt's temple before slamming into the flesh eaters head.
Colt tossed the dead flesh eater to the side, jumped to his feet and raced toward the train, reloading his revolver as he did so.
He caught up to Comanche at the train doors as even more flesh eaters seemed to materialize in the distance. "It's another of those damned herds." Frankie grumbled.
Comanche was about to toss the man up into the train when Frankie stepped into his way. "He can't come in!" she stated.
"Why the hell not, Frankie? Let us in so we can shut the damn door before we get ate!" Colt exclaimed, glancing over his shoulder.
"You and Comanche are more than welcome, but not him. He's been bitten."
"What?" Evangeline appeared in the doorway, that girl still clinging to her skirts.
Colt grabbed the man who fought against him. "I'm fine!" the man insisted. Colt pulled the man's arm and Comanche saw the bite. A large chunk of missing flesh, yellowing and oozing blood.
"We can't just leave him out there to be eaten alive!" Evangeline countered.
"I'm fine!" the man said again. "I'll be alright."
Colt put his hand on the man's brow and winced. "Get on the train, Comanche." He ordered.
"What are you going to do?" Evangeline demanded but Colt put a hand on her shoulder and shoved her back into Ox's arms.
"On the train! These things are going to overrun us all if you don't just do as I say!" The man was struggling in Colt's arms, fighting for all he was worth, though it was clear he was weakened and he was beginning to shiver and convulse, a sure sign of the sickness raging in his blood.
Comanche jumped on the train but stayed in the door to help Colt when he finished with his task.
"What's your name?" Colt demanded of the sick and struggling man.
"What?" the man asked, his eyes becoming glossy.
"Your name! What is it?" Colt bellowed.
"Theodore."
Colt nodded. "Sorry, Theodore."
Colt placed his gun against Theodore's sweat slicked brow and the man's scream of terror was silenced by one quick gun shot. His neck snapped back and his blood splattered Colt's face.
Colt shot two close flesh eaters and then jumped onto the train, Comanche slammed the door closed behind him just as the women who had been on top of the train entered the dining car.
The child was clinging to Evangeline and wailing loudly. Colt stepped over but Evangeline shrank away from him. "You just killed a man..."
"He was already a dead man." Colt countered, swiping at the blood on his face to clean it but only succeeding in smearing it across his cheeks.
"But you... you shot him. He was begging you for his life and you just killed him with no hesitation. You don't even seem bothered by it..."
"I'm not. Those monsters killed my wife and child. As far as I'm concerned they're animals and he was becoming one." Colt stated coldly, his first time admitting in front of the entire group, what had happened to his family.
"I have to get her some food." Evangeline whispered and she turned away from Colt and led the sobbing child into the kitchen with Katherine, Charlotte and Rachel close behind her.
"She's not mad, Colt." Ox assured the other man. "That wasn't her mad voice."
"I'm going to the goddamn engine to get this hunk of fucking metal moving again." Colt snapped and he quickly strode through the kitchens, the sound of the door slamming echoing behind him.
"Well I believe that was Colt's mad voice." Frankie said with a shake of her head.
"I told Evangeline that Colt was a cold-blooded murderer but she didn't want to listen to me." Rachel sniffed.
"He shot a future rabid and as far as I'm concerned that's not murder." Silas countered.
Comanche walked over to Jedidiah who was staring out the window at the carnage they'd left behind. He put his hand on the man's shoulder and sighed.
"It would be wise to have a talk with your God about these visions of yours. Things might have gone a bit better if you'd seen this all coming."
"They went good. No one in our group was bitten and we saved a child." Jedidah countered.
The child let out another wailing scream that caused Comanche to wince. "I guess it all depends on your definition of good." Comanche amended as the train lurched forward and slowly continued them on their trek to the west.