Brother's Keeper (11 page)

“Did you see what he did to that last fella?” asked Andy, never taking his eyes off Jess.
“Yeah, I sure did. I guess I can’t blame him, but it ain’t something I could’ve done.”
“I don’t think I could’ve either,” said Andy. “That boy’s gettin’ hard as nails. One thing is for sure, ain’t no one in this town gonna mess with that boy now, after what he did today. Well, I guess we might as well start cleanin’ up the mess.” Tony nodded and they both started to strip the men of their valuables. The Undertaker showed up with his usual smile and loaded the bodies on a wagon, never saying a word.
As Jess walked over to check on Jim and Sara, he wasn’t thinking about the dead men lying in the street. That was over with and there was no reason in his mind to waste any more time thinking about it. Besides, his thoughts were somewhere else. His thoughts were on his brother—and how he was going to find him.

ESS FINALLY GOT A FULL NIGHT
of sleep. With a little prodding, he had agreed to stay at Jim and Sara’s. He slept in the same room he had

stayed in the night his family was murdered. When he awoke, he dressed and washed his face out of the same bowl of water he had used on that fateful night when his family was murdered. When he looked at himself in the mirror, which was something he didn’t care to do very often, he noticed how much older he looked. It was then that he realized how much older he actually felt. He wondered about his brother and whether or not he looked a lot like him. He wondered what his brother was doing right now. Where did he live and what kind of life did he have. Too many questions and not enough answers, he thought to himself.

He strapped on his gun belt, checked his pistol, and made it down the stairs. He could smell the food all the way down. Jim was sitting at the table feeding his face and Sara was busy at the stove as usual. “Well,” Jess said as he pulled out a chair and sat down, “I see that bullet in the leg didn’t slow down your appetite any.”

“Hell no, a man’s got to eat, especially when he’s trying to heal up. Dig in, Jess, you got to be hungry after yesterday.”

“As a matter-of-fact I am starved for sure. It sure smells good, Sara.”
“It’s always good. Now dig in because I’m making more eggs and bacon right now and I have more fresh biscuits in the oven.”
“You don’t have to tell me twice,” replied Jess, as he filled his plate. Jim and Jess ate without saying a word for about five minutes and Sara swore they sounded like two men eating their last meal before being hanged. Sara put some more food on the table and finally sat down to join them. She fixed herself a plate and after she took a bite or two, she turned to Jess. “Jess, maybe I shouldn’t ask but…doesn’t it bother you at all after killing those men yesterday; especially that last man? The man you shot while he was sitting in the street, unarmed and helpless?”
Jess put down his fork and picked up his coffee cup and took a long swallow before answering. “Sara, I don’t expect you to understand some of the things I do. I suppose I look at things in a different way than most folks. Maybe I never had enough upbringing to teach me what is supposed to be right from wrong and maybe that’s a good thing. Actually, if I had learned what most people think is right and wrong, I wouldn’t be here today. I’d be dead already. Think about it. It’s not like I came to town yesterday and shot a few of the townspeople for no reason. With the exception of Carter, the men I killed yesterday were all hired professional killers who kill innocent people for money and if someone won’t pay them to do it, they would do it just for the fun of it. I didn’t know any of those six men and yet they came into town yesterday to murder me, and I’m sure they wouldn’t have stopped there, men like that don’t. Once they start killing, they usually keep killing until they satisfy their twisted desire to see other people suffer. Men like that deserve to die. Those are the kind of men who murdered my family. There are a lot of them out there causing innocent people a lot of grief, and I plan to kill every damn one of them I can. I live by a few simple rules. If a man tries to kill me, I will brace him and I won’t stop until he is dead. I certainly won’t let a man who has tried to kill me for no good reason, get patched up and come at me again. That’s why I shot the man sitting in the street yesterday. He would have been hunting for me as soon as he was well enough to ride a horse. What sense would that make when it was him that tried to kill me for the money and simply because Carter told him to?”
“What if they had killed me?” continued Jess. “What if Carter decided to tell those men to come here and murder Jim and then rape, torture and kill you just for helping me? Picture that in your mind for a minute. And don’t tell me that it can’t happen because that is exactly what happened to my ma and little Samantha, and there was absolutely no reason for it. Think about the terror and the horror and the helplessness you would feel until they finally put a bullet in your head. Try to imagine the terror and horror my ma and little Samantha went through. That’s how you have to look at it. That’s how I look at it and when I do, I can justify my actions. That’s what I’m trying to prevent. Do you think they would have told Dick Carter no? They would simply do it, collect their blood money for a job well done and go over to the saloon and have a nice bottle of whiskey on the money they collected for killing and raping you. And they wouldn’t feel one bit of sorrow for it either. They’d laugh and joke about it until they were too drunk to stand up. Ask yourself, Sara, do you really want men like that walking the streets armed? The law can’t do anything about those type of men until they do something bad and even then, most of the time, nothing happens to them. Most of the time there is no law to turn to.”
“I had no beef with Deke Moore or any of those men. Hell, I had never seen him or any of them before yesterday. As for Carter, he deserved to die. I killed his son in a fair fight and for a good reason. Ray Diggs was a good man and a good sheriff. Red killed him for no reason. Carter would have kept trying to have me killed as long as he lived and I figured the only smart thing to do was to end that, right or wrong. So, to answer your question, I suppose I could feel bad about it if I thought about it long enough, or thought about it like most people. Actually, I probably did every one a favor by killing those men yesterday. I’m sure I saved some innocent lives that would have been taken by those men. They weren’t done killing and you can be sure of that. Those are the kind of men that I will kill, and I won’t stop killing them until I can’t find another one to put down. I won’t feel sorry for it either, even if you can’t bring yourself to understand it all.”
There was a long and awkward moment of silence at the table while Sara and Jim thought about everything that Jess had said. Jim understood it plainly and the truth was Jim agreed with what Jess had done, even though it somehow seemed wrong at the time it was happening. Sara was having a much harder time understanding how men could kill one another at all. She did, however, have to agree that it was better that Carter and his men died than to have Jess shot down dead in the middle of the street, and having Dick Carter running the town under his iron rule. She also took a moment to try to picture in her mind about what Jess said could have happened to her and Jim and it made her shudder to her inner core with fear. Sara put her hand out and touched Jess’s face and smiled at him. She gave him a look that told Jess that she was trying to understand it all.
“Well, no matter what, we love you and I’m glad you’re here with us today. I’ll just have to try to understand the rest of it. It may take some time, but I’ll try.”
“That’s all I ask for,” replied Jess.
Jim interjected with a big smile. “Okay, now let’s all dig in before this great food gets cold.” Jess agreed and dug in for seconds.
Andy was wiping down the bar when Tony walked in. Andy grabbed the pot of coffee from the iron stove and two cups and they sat down at a table. “You don’t make a half-bad cup of coffee, Andy.”
“It’s always good when it’s free.”
Tony took another sip. “You know, it does taste better now that you mentioned that. Andy, have you seen Newcomb or York anywhere yet today?”
“Nope, but I sure saw ‘em last night. It wasn’t long after Jess let them out of jail that I saw the two of ‘em high tailin’ it outta here. I guess they figured they was both plumb out of a job.”
“Lucky for them they left. I heard some of the men talk about getting a rope and giving them what they deserved.”
“I don’t think we’ll be seeing their sorry asses here in this town again,” said Andy.
Tony smiled. “I think you might be right about that. Of course, we don’t have a sheriff anymore. I was thinking about asking Jess if he wanted the job. I already talked to some of the other men in town and they said it was fine with them. What do you think, Andy?”
“Hell, I’d love to have him as our sheriff but I don’t think there’s a damn chance in hell that he’d take the job.”
“Why not? We could pay him good and maybe it’ll settle him down some. It might be good for him.”
Andy gave Tony one of his comical grins. “Hell, in case you haven’t picked up on it yet, that boy’s on a mission in life and the last thing he’s planning on doing is settlin’ down.”
“Well, I’m gonna to ask him anyway, just in case.”
“Good luck. If you’re successful with that, maybe you could talk to him about my LeAnn.”
Now it was Tony’s turn to grin. “I may be good, but I ain’t a miracle worker.” Andy groaned. Tony got up and walked to the door and turned back around to Andy. “What’s the special for tonight?”
Andy cocked his head. “What do ya think?”
Tony just shook his head and walked out and headed to Smythe’s General Store where he knew Jess was. Sara welcomed him in and escorted him to the kitchen. Jim and Jess had finished with breakfast and were chatting and sipping hot coffee. They both greeted Tony and Sara fixed Tony a plate over his objections.
“Tony thanks for throwing in with me yesterday. I appreciate it.”
“Couldn’t do no less. It wouldn’t be right to let you take on all our problems by yourself. Jess, how would you like to be our new sheriff?”
Jess almost choked on his coffee. “Well, don’t you just get right to the point?”
Tony smiled. “I’ve already talked to several of the men and they agree. I know that you could have the job just for the asking. We can pay you well and it might be a good move for you.” Jess didn’t have to think long about it. “Tony, I appreciate the fact that you would offer me the job of sheriff and thankful that the town would have me, but my interests are elsewhere. I’m a bounty hunter now and there are a lot of bad men out there to hunt down.”
“I understand that, Jess,” replied Tony, “but some of them are bound to turn up here from time to time and when they do, I’d sure like to know that you were here to protect the town.”
“I understand that Tony, but I think after yesterday, this town can protect itself pretty good. And if anything did happen, you get in touch with me and I’ll be here as fast as a horse can carry me. You have my word on that. Besides, I have to find my brother now. I found out that he knows one of the men who murdered my family. I need to know why; and I need to know if my brother knew about any of it. I’ll be leaving soon to look for him.”
“Jess, you never told us anything about your brother knowing any of the men who murdered your family?” Sara interjected.
“Actually, we haven’t had much time to talk since I got to town.”
“Ain’t that the truth,” said Jim, shaking his head.
“When I was in Red Rock, Texas, Sheriff Clancy told me that when Taggert had left town before I got there, he left with a man by the name of Jim or Tim Sloan. I’m not positive that it was my brother but I’m guessing it probably was,” Jess said.
“So, where are you headed for?” asked Tony.
“I figure I’ll start out by heading back down to Red Rock. That’s where he was spotted last as far as I know. Maybe I’ll pick up some information or a lead on him from there.”
“Well, good luck, and if you change your mind, the job’s still open,” replied Tony, as he dug into the plate of food Sara had put in front of him.
“I see you changed your mind about eating,” Sara said with a smile.
“Well, I figured it was a good idea since I might miss supper tonight.”
“Why is that?” asked Sara. Tony looked over at Jim and Jim looked at Jess and they all laughed, which left Sara wondering what was so funny.
“I don’t think you’d want to know,” Tony said as he dug in again.
Sara now realized that this was one of those man discussions of which she would not get to share in and she simply gave up trying. “Jess,” said Sara, “are you sure you won’t stay for another day or so?”
“I’d love to, but I can’t. I have to find my brother and find out what he knows. Hopefully, from there, I can find out about my father. I need to know who they are and what kind of men they are, especially after hearing about my brother riding with Blake Taggert back in Red Rock.”
“If he’s anything like your real father, you might not like what you find,” Sara replied.
“I realize that but I need to find out, especially now that I found out that he might have had something to do with one of the men who murdered my family. I have to find out how he knew Blake Taggert and more importantly, if he knew about Taggert and what he had done.”
“I still wish you would stay, at least for a day.”
“I can’t, Sara. But I promise to visit with you and Jim as soon as I can, I promise.”
“Well, I guess that’s all I can hope for,” Sara said with a frown.
“I rounded up those supplies you asked for, Jess,” said Jim, changing the conversation.
“I’ll stop by and pack my saddlebags on my way out. What do I owe you?”
“Not a damn penny and don’t you argue with me on this one. You’ve already done enough for me and Sara, as well as the whole town. I threw in some extra ammo for you too.”
Jess could tell by the tone in Jim’s voice that there was no point in arguing with him. “All right, I’ll let you get away with it this time.” Jim let out a grunt and nodded.
Jess went over to the livery and saddled up Gray. He thanked Tony for everything and then he stopped by the saloon to say goodbye to Andy. Andy was busy wiping down some tables. “So, ya didn’t take the sheriff’s job, huh?” asked Andy.
“No, I appreciated the offer, but I have to find my brother.”
“You know, it’s gets mighty lonely out on the trail. You just might want some company.”
Jess knew exactly what Andy meant as he looked over at the swinging door to the kitchen. “Not a chance, Andy, not a chance.”
“Well ya can’t blame a man for tryin’.”
“Thanks for everything, Andy, and I’ll be back around before you know it.”
Jess was almost out the door when LeAnn came running out of the back. “Why, Jess Williams! Are you trying to run out without even saying goodbye to me or letting me thank you proper for everything you done for us?”
“I’m kind of in a hurry, LeAnn. You’re welcome and goodbye.” Jess said it as fast as he could and then he nearly ran down the steps and grabbed the reins of his horse. He could hear Andy laughing in the background and what sounded like LeAnn throwing another one of her tantrums. He walked Gray over to Jim’s and loaded everything he needed and hugged Sara and thanked Jim again and rode out, heading for Red Rock. He hoped he would find a lead on his brother there.
He had gotten a late start leaving Black Creek and he was in no real hurry so he didn’t make it that far south the first day. He stopped a little early and cooked up a rabbit he had shot along the trail. He fried up some pan bread and cooked some beans to go with it and it was quite good. He had several cups of coffee and turned in for the night.
He made better time on the second day. He found a nice spot to make camp on top of a small hill that had a rock ledge on one side. There was a small creek running at the bottom of the hill less than two hundred yards from where he made camp. The wind was blowing pretty strong and the ledge would protect him from the chill somewhat and contain a little more heat from the fire. The nights were getting quite cold this time of year. He had packed an extra blanket that Sara had given him and he sure was thankful for it. He wondered about maybe picking up a packhorse to carry more supplies since he would probably spend more of his time on the trail than in towns.
He had already eaten his meal and was finishing up the coffee that was left when, off in the distance; he could see the glow from another campfire. He stood up and tried to estimate the distance but that was hard to do at night. It was far enough away though that he didn’t figure for any trouble. Even though it was quite a distance to the other fire, it was a small one and Jess figured it was just another lone man on the trail. Jess was not one to take chances though so he looked around his area. He noticed that the ground was quite rocky and gravely coming up the small hill where he was camped. There was a lot of scrubbrush around the area.