Gunslinger's Moon (10 page)

Quietly Jed uttered, “Ride off slowly, Obadiah. Keep your eyes peeled in front of you.”

The reply was the thud from the horse’s hooves. Jed kept his eyes and gun trained on the small werewolf. He could tell it was the pack leader. Unusual, for size meant power. The thought did cross his mind to try taking them all out. However, there were more of them then he had silver bullets. He couldn’t survive if they attacked. Jed did have one chance. The bestial minds were faced with their biggest fear. It was like fire to a normal wolf. No name for the terrible weapon. Just the innate fear of its pain.

An unspoken agreement passed between Jed and the werewolf. Between man and beast. The gunslinger hawked and spat a massive glob of mucus on the ground. Then he turned around and trotted after his partner. Obadiah heard him coming and pulled back, waiting for him to catch up.

“Make sure you keep watch,” Jed reminded again. The blocky revolver still in his hands.

“What’s the plan now?”

“They will be back. I reckon they will be coming after us.”

“Tonight?”

“No, not tonight.”

The horses plodded along drained. Obadiah patted his horse and fondly said, “I think I will call him Indomitable.”

Jed snorted, “What?”

“It means invincible,” Obadiah said proudly.

“I know what it means. Just reckoning how you know that. Besides you haven’t seen indomitable until you have faced a troll.” Then Jed coughed again. The same barking sound trying to clear his lungs.

“Are you okay?” Obadiah asked worriedly. “You have been coughing a lot lately.”

Jed wiped his mouth with his sleeve. “Peachey.”

“You could have killed us with that coughing. I think you need to get a doctor to look at it,” suggested Obadiah.

“It was only some dust,” Jed lied as he rubbed his chest. There was a tight pain under it.

“That was a wet cough, Jed. My uncle had something like that once. He stayed to long out in the snow one winter. His coughing was like that. Then he died two weeks later.”

Jed swiveled in his seat, raising eyebrows. “Are you lecturing me?” He chuckled. “Don’t worry Obadiah I already had a mother, you don’t need to fill in.”

His young apprentice abruptly changed the subject. Eagerly wanting to chat, his nerves frayed. “You should name your horse.”

Jed almost threw his hands up. “If you really think it needs a name I’ll give it one. How about Boy.” He patted Boy on the neck.

“That is not a name,” Obadiah protested.

Jed smiled, “To late. I like the sound of it.”

From the side of his eye he caught a glimpse of Obadiah. His hands were shaking badly. Probably from the adrenaline. The gunslinger could remember when he had the shakes.

“You did good kid.”

Obadiah looked over. “Really?”

“I even think you managed to hit something.”

In the darkness Obadiah sat taller.

At last the town came into view. Their horses had been walking for the last couple of hours and the gunslinger was worried that they would drop any moment. Even so called ‘Indomitable’. They approached the saloon when a figure on the roof called out a warning.

“Stop or I’ll shoot.” The voice yelled.

“Ross quit you’re hollering and get down here,” Jed hollered back.

Dismounting at the dark saloon, Boy seemed to sigh with relief. Patting its neck, dampened Jed’s hand. The chestnut was covered in a thick sheen of sweat. Ross came outside. “You get them?” the deputy asked.

“No.” Obadiah responded. “There was more than two. We had to retreat.”

Ross snorted, “Shame you didn’t stay and fight.”

“Where is Carter,” Jed asked wearily, wishing he could deal with anyone else.

“He is on top of the office, looking the other side of town.” Ross paused. “I have to keep watch?”

Jed smiled. The night was not over yet, but he took comfort in the discomfort of the deputy. “Obadiah set up a watch with Ross. I don’t fully know if they will come or not. Unlikely but possible.”

He swung back on the horse. Boy neighed in protest. Bringing his heels back, the horse wearily moved out. Jed went alone to the sheriff. Carter was vigilant, calling out to Jed before the gunslinger had spotted him. A Winchester was trained on him while he identified himself.

“Come on up,” Carter called.

Jed complied, though climbing up was the last thing he wanted to do. Inside was a ladder to the roof. The lawman was still attentive, his back faced Jed. He leaned on the border at the edge of the roof. Despite his horse doing most of the work, Jed found himself unreasonably tired.

“More than I thought,” Jed said drumming his fingers on the hardened adobe.

“I figured as much.” Carter admitted. “Gut feeling.” His voice was gruff and strained. Red eyes showed the strain and anxiety in the sheriff. An invisible weight burdened his shoulders. Pulling out a time piece he tried to check the time. It was too dark for the hands to show. The sun was not far off in coming though.

“Gather everyone of importance tomorrow. We need to have a meeting.” Jed waited for the sheriff to nod. “They won’t attack tonight. Probably. Wake me if you see anything.”

He climbed down the stairs. Conveniently there was an open bed. Something the full rooms in the saloon did not have. It would be an uncomfortable night for both Ross and Obadiah. The burden of the underlings, Jed thought with a smile.

Chapter 9

“Good morning Jed.”

Lazily, the gunslinger opened his eyes. It was bright and momentarily he couldn’t see. The large windows flooded the sheriff’s office with light. Gradually Beth came into focus. Her bright green eyes greeted him. It was a pleasant face to see first thing.

Jed rubbed his eyes. “Good morning.”

Beth sat down at a nearby chair. “Sheriff Carter left earlier to collect Douglas. It appears there is to be a meeting.”

Jed stood up clumsily. While usually he did not drink coffee he searched for a cup of it. He was exhausted. A bone deep fatigue that clouded his mind. Morning had come to swift. He stretched his arm. It was stiff and sore.

“How is your arm?” Beth asked.

“Hurts,” Jed responded.

“I meant your other one. The bloody one.” She informed him.

He looked at the left arm. It was the second time a werewolf cut him on that arm. “Hurts worse.” Moving around other empty mugs and papers he reached the depressing conclusion that there was not any. He wondered if Ms. Jan had served breakfast. “What time is it?”

“Nine O’clock. You missed breakfast I believe. However, there is food at my house. You can eat and wait while Sheriff Carter grabs Douglas. I took the liberty of sending my butler Henry to invite Obadiah.”

“It would be my pleasure. I just need a second.” The morning habit took over. Jed checked his Colt Peacemaker. He was surprised it was loaded already. He did not remember doing that last night. Next he withdrew the silver bullets from the Kruger. Beth caught sight of the silver tips.

“Are those silver?” She asked curiously. “May I see?”

Jed tossed one and she caught it deftly. She held it in the light. “Amazing. It’s beautiful.”

Jed agreed. Silver bullets had a special craftsmanship to them that other bullets lacked. It stemmed from the rarity of those who could make them. The best had art carved in the casing. Jed’s were of the best, ornate lines rolled around the diameter. Many found the idea of carving bullets to be ridiculous. When some bullets went unused for months or years and usually specifically made for a gun, a certain pride becomes involved. Jed always viewed them as works of art. His were made from a silversmith, whose main work involved decorative silverware.

Beth handed the bullet back and Jed placed his five bullets in the case. For the last one Jed flicked the spent casing away. Jed reloaded swiftly and left, eager for some food. Once his eyes acclimated to the light, he saw it was not as bright as yesterday. Several white clouds hung in the night and to the right, almost out of sight was a dark horizon. Oddly, Beth still opened an umbrella. The dried garden in the front of Beth’s house was not dead anymore. Plants he did not recognize were flowering. Already their bright petals blossomed. Jed wondered what type of fertile soil lay under the dirt.

Obadiah was already eating inside. Dark rings dwelled under his eyes too. He was in the process of chewing through a strip of bacon when he saw Jed. “Decided to wait for me, eh?” Jed joked.

Flustered Obadiah swallowed. It was a verifiable feast for the weary gunslinger. An abundance of foods he had not seen for weeks lay on the table. Among the bacon was biscuits and flapjacks. Jed took healthy portions of each as well as a strong cup of black coffee. The food was delicious and the bacon made Jed cringe at the thought of eating beans again. He had missed bacon. Growing up there had always been plenty of eggs, grits, and even fruit. Once he reached the west it could be weeks between a decent meal.

Beth said, “Nadi would you mind checking Jed’s arm. We wouldn’t want it to be infected.” Nadi knelt by his arm and her stern eyes examined it through the torn shirt. “Where did you get the bacon,” Jed asked Beth.

“A local butcher finally received some stock. I was supposed to have steak, but his cows did not arrive.”

“It’s delicious, thank you.”

“Come I will put something on.” Nadi said abruptly dragging the hungry gunslinger away from the table.

Sluggishly, he followed her. She led him upstairs to a study. What had been a study. It was now converted to a kind of laboratory. Jars hung on the shelves, filled with strange plants. Bottles labeled beer were filled with stuff Jed truly doubted was alcoholic. An oak desk covered in a witch doctor’s equipment served as the workbench. Diced plants and roots were mixed together in a cast iron pot. The aroma of the room was bitter and harsh despite the open window to freshen it. Strangely the odor was familiar.

“Take off your shirt.” Nadi said as she rummaged through the shelf.

Unbuttoning his vest first he pulled the shirt off. Nadi saw the scars covering his body. Dozens littered his arms, chest, and torso. Many were simple jagged claws like the new one on his arm.

Nadi clicked her tongue. “You like to live in danger.”

“It does seem to find me.”

“Either you are lucky or you are skilled to survive such wounds.” She did not sound like she believed the latter.

“I try my best,” he said with a tight smile.

Dipping her hand in a jar she withdrew a brownish green paste. She spread the thick muck over his arms. Immediately it cooled his wounds and eased the pain. Sighing in relief he felt strength enter his limb. Lathered thinly on his arms it soon absorbed into his skin. She lightly placed some of it on his chest and shoulder, the spot of his previous wounds.

“Your stuff worked last night, I suppose. They didn’t smell us.”

Her unyielding face nodded impassively, a mute remark that her alchemy should not have been questioned.

A rap on the door and Obadiah entered. “Carter is here,” he informed, noisily chewing a piece of bacon.

Jed and nodded and placed his clothes on again. “Thank you, Nadi.”

The witch doctor said nothing and left the room. Jed followed stretching his arms. Between the food and medicine he felt good as new. He coughed again before the feeling could last long.

The living room was the meeting place. Carter was sitting down on a rough looking armchair, his deputy standing behind. Almost exactly in the same position was Douglas and Jonathon Reed. Douglas was angry, it emanated from his expression and posture. Anger and disappointment. The frowned face and the wrinkles made him appear like a bulldog.

The mayor and coal owner spoke first. “I believe you said you this under control, Mr. Ethan.” His temperament was spot on.

“I did.” Jed defended himself saying, “Until I discovered there was at least eight more mutts.”

Carter was the only one to visibly pale. Beth took the news calmly while her partner Douglas merely seemed put off. “Are you asking for men?” Douglas delicately asked.

“In a way.”

“If your apprentice is not up to the task then I could send some people from my mine to help you hunt them. Though I do not like leaving my property undefended.”

“I ain’t the problem,” Obadiah declared. His face scarlet from fury.

Jed stepped forward. “We won’t have to do any hunting. They will be attacking us.”

“Why did they not attack last night if that is their plan?” Jonathon questioned.

“They did not want to reveal themselves fully.” The gunslinger answered.

With a tight voice Douglas enquired, “Then what makes you so sure they will attack tonight.”

Jed took a deep breath. “Last night,” he began, “we surprised them by finding their lair. A werewolf is a half breed between man and wolf. We scared the wolf part last night.”

Douglas interrupted, “How?”

“Silver bullets. Anyways, they are running short of options. For instance they cannot hide back in their cave because we know about it. We could send a couple of guys with guns and kill them if they stay. Next there is not many places to hide. Eventually they will return to town for food and supplies. They cannot do it during the full moon cycle because they would have to transform and we could watch anyone who tried to leave beforehand nightfall. Now they cannot live for two more days without any supplies. They are still men. The heat will kill them. Basically, their only choice is to attack us at night.”

“Why don’t they just leave the town for good?” Ross asked.

“And go where,” Jed said harshly, not because it was a bad question, because Ross had to question him. “Hickory is conveniently located between nowhere and hell. Without any supplies they would die before reaching another town. I have seen similar situations before. They won’t run, even if it gets dangerous for them to stay. They’ll think this town belongs to them. No matter what.”

The other members of the meeting grew quiet. Beth was the first one to speak. “So we stand guard tonight and tomorrow night. If anyone tries to enter town we stop them. Douglas, we can recruit some of our miners to stand guard.”

“Very well, I suppose there is no choice, even if production will slow.” Douglas was hardly enthusiastic about it.

Jed faced the sheriff. “Carter we’ll need you to let everyone know the situation. Tell them to stay indoors today and don’t go alone. We also need to drag everyone from the gold mine.” While the sheriff did not mind taking orders, Deputy Ross folded his arms. Jed continued, “I propose we set men up on top of the saloon, the sheriff’s office, and the bank. Carter you should speak to the bank guards also. Those three sides on watch should cover the town fine. Any attacks on one side can be reinforced by the other ones. Now I have some ideas about the mining camp.”

Douglas interrupted, “Reed will handle the defense of my camp.” Jed did not argue the point. Douglas stood. “If we are finished here, then I must see to my mine.”

Obadiah whispered to Jed as the door closed behind Douglas. “The mayor sure cares about his town.” The gunslinger grunted in agreement.

Sheriff Carter slapped his hands together. “I reckon we’ll get started on informing the public. Come one, Ross.”

Jed sat back down at the table, resuming breakfast. He thanked Beth again when he finished and moved out.

On the road to the mines, Jed passed by many of the returning gold miners, many looks were thrown to the gunslinger. Looks of disgust and frustration. Whenever problems struck a town it was the fault of the gunslinger. No matter that the gunslinger would solve the problem. Or that it existed before he came. Exposing an evil that existed before he arrived was hardly his fault. Of course until it was solved, they would blame him. It did not affect him unduly much though. The monetary gains in payment compensated it.

He wanted to scope out the land around the mining camp in case it was attacked. Any attacks here would be hard to reinforce. A good three miles separated the camp from town. The terrain around the camp was flat except to the north and east, where it began to rise at the gold and coal mines creating a loop. Watchers at the top of the saloons at the camp had the highest vantage point, easily seeing over the hundreds of tents. At the moment one man stood on each roof armed with a Winchester. Jed moved on, deciding to look at the mine itself.                            

Jed rode atop a long slope on the west side of the mine. Below and to the east he could see the coal mine and the dark building supervising everything. Further past Jed made out men walking to their individual mines. Douglas’ office and apparent living quarters had three guards around. Four. One was sitting on some rocks near a shaft. The gunslinger shook his head. As if werewolves would be interested in the mine. At the opposite end, barely visible, was Hick’s house and the old codger was likely sitting out front. Flicking his reins, Jed headed on over, going over the mine shafts and onto the sloping rocky hills. Hicks hadn’t change so much as his position since Jed last saw him. Steadily he rocked on his chair. Hard eyes were on the alert, perhaps anticipating something to go wrong.

“Did you hear about the danger?” Jed probed, curious if anyone had bothered to let this lonely man know.

Hicks smacked his lips. “About the werewolves? Yeah, I heard. One of the boys told me. The sheriff sent everyone home.”

“It’s not safe for you to be here alone.”

A dry chuckled escaped Hick’s weathered lips. “I ain’t alone boy. I got ol’ Betsy here.” He patted the doubled shotgun cradled in his arms. A single blast seemed plenty to knock the old man ten feet back. “You might want to talk to those bucks over there.”

Jed glanced back to the guards at the coal mine. “They’re about as stubborn as you are. At least there is more than one of them.”

Another chuckle as dry as the dirt. “Don’t worry about me son. Any mutt trying to take my gold will get a pot of lead, by God.”

Fighting a lost cause, Jed gave up. Seeing as much as he wanted, the gunslinger dragged the reins and plodded onward back to town, where Sheriff Carter had announced the potential disaster to the town. The gunslinger avoided the moments of disbelief and anger, though certain unkind looks were thrown his way. A line extended outside at the local gun store. No one was willing to be unarmed tonight.

Carter had summoned the bank guards and any volunteers willing to stand picket. Inside the saloon, a meeting was held. Deputy Ross leaned by the door frame, his usual scorn showing upon his face. Pushing through the bright red doors, Jed felt the coolness of shade abate his burning skin.

Over a dozen people had shown up. Besides them, the building was empty, cleared out for this meeting. The town had not liked it, but the sheriff was respected and they grudgingly kept away.