Undead at Sundown (12 page)

     ‘That may be Ken but I really think this is somethin' for the townsfolk to be concerned about. What if the Apaches decide to ride up to town? Somethin' brutal has gone down here and I'm sure the folks in Sundown don’t want the same kind of treatment.’

   
 
Ken looked at Bill with a slight look of pity. ‘If you tell the townsfolk about this then people will panic and the town will be all but dead within a week but they damn sure ain’t gonna ride over to no Apache camp, they will just take their families and run.’

   
 
Bill didn't reply straight away, he took a few moments to mull over what Ken had said. ‘You’re probably right Ken. Lets head back, I need to think on this and decide what to do next.’

   
 
The two men headed quietly out of the camp, both in their own train of thought but it wasn’t long before a sound caught Bills attention and he stopped the horse and turned in the direction he thought it had come from but he saw nothing.

   
 
‘What is it Bill?’ asked Ken, his horse now also at a standstill.

     Bill didn't answer straight away instead he scanned the surrounding area, his blue eyes squinting as if trying to catch the slightest movement.

   
 
‘Did you hear that?’ he asked finally.

     Ken shook his head, ‘Can’t say I did. What you hear?’

Bill shrugged, ‘Must have been a critter,’ and slowly the horses trotted on. Then, just seconds later, another sound came, a low throaty sound, dry and raspy.

   
 
‘There, you hear that?’ Bill’s eyes were now wide and searching.

   
 
‘You know what Sheriff, I think I did hear somethin' that time. Where’s it comin' from?'

   
 
‘I’m not sure’ Bill replied. ‘But somewhere close. Keep the horses still.’ The two men sat in silence, straining to hear the sound again, but it didn't come.

   
 
‘Somethin' sure don't feel right here Deputy, you feel it?’

     ‘I sure do Sheriff, right down in my gut and this time I can’t blame it on the beans as I've been off them for over a week now. They were givin' me all kinds of murder.’ Ken rubbed his stomach as he spoke.

     Then, just to the right of the men, a figure came stumbling out of the bushes, it was trying to cry out but it came out as a hoarse screech, the throat sounded void of any moisture.

     The figure was covered in blood and dust as it staggered out in front of the horses. Bills horse reared up and Bill fought to keep control of the reigns. The figure stood in front of them waving an arm and making noises, the face was caked in sand which was mixed in with blood to create and dusty gooey mask.

     Bill took out his gun and pointed it directly at the shambling creature in front of them and the thing reacted by holding his hands up in a 'please don’t' gesture. It dropped to its knees as if begging, though whether it was begging for its life or for help the men couldn’t tell.

     Ken jumped down from his horse and slowly approached the kneeling man. ‘Whats your name stranger?’ he asked.

     The man made a croaky sound but the words were unrecognisable. The sandy figure then flopped onto its side.

   
 
‘Throw me some water Bill,’ called Ken.

     Bill took the canteen from the side of his horse and threw it over to Ken who caught it before walking over to the prone body and putting the canteen to the sand-mans mouth. The man drank, making gasping noises as he did so.

   
 
‘Who are you son, what happened to you?’ Ken asked.

     The man tried to speak but the only thing clear were his eyes, staring wide up at Ken, and Ken fancied that maybe he knew those eyes. The eyes then closed and then the sandy man was still.

   
 
‘He dead?’ Bill asked.

Ken checked the man’s pulse, ‘Nah, he's still with us, just about.’ Ken tipped the water from the canteen onto the man’s face and began clearing the sand and blood away. Suddenly he stopped and stared down at the face before looking up. ‘Holy shit Bill.’

'What is it Ken, you know him?’

Ken nodded slowly
.
‘I believe I do, this is Joel fuckin' Blackwater.’

     ‘Well, at least he doesn't look too dangerous.’ Bill said, a hint of a smile on his lips.

     Bill then jumped down from his horse and walked over to Ken and the still Blackwater. ‘If this Jack Blackwater is as powerful as you seem to think he is then maybe we better try and save the man’s life. If he recovers he might be able to tell us where all those folks have gone to. Help me get him on the back of my horse.’

   
 
The two men lifted Joel and lay him on the rear of Bill’s horse, Wrath. Once the man was secured they set off back towards Sundown.

15

Bill and Ken arrived back in town and rode over to the sheriff’s house.

   
 
‘Whose the best doctor in this place?’ asked Bill.

   
 
‘Our best doctor is our only doctor. His name is John Clutterbuck and he's good at what he does, if a little blind nowadays.’

     ‘Blind? Well, I suppose he’s gonna have to do. Go fetch him please Ken and get word out to Joel’s father what’s happened and that his son is here.’

Ken’s expression darkened. ‘You do know that if I put word out then it means that Blackwater will be comin' here?’

     ‘You told me that this one was worse than his father and his father’s men, and he doesn't seem to be givin' us too much trouble does he Deputy?’

     ‘I know that but,’

     ‘Ken please, just send word and let me worry about the rest. I’m sheriff here now and I'll deal with Jack Blackwater if and when he arrives here okay?’

     ‘What ever you say Sheriff, but don’t say I didn't warn ya!’  Ken then left the house.

     Bill lay Joel on his bed. Joel was murmuring, not making any sense and his eyes were barely open. Bill went and got a cup of water and came back, he then lifted Joel’s head and tried to pour some into his pale dry lips. Joel took a little and then lay his head back down onto the bed. Then suddenly, Joel’s eyes opened wide. Bill thought the look on his face was one of fear. Joel reached up and grabbed Bill’s shirt.

'I k..k..killed hi..hi…him, but h..h..he wasn’t….Dead.’ Joel muttered from those almost white lips.

     Bill just stared at his eyes for a moment, trying to think what he could possibly mean.

   
 
‘Who did this to you?’ Bill asked, Joel’s eyes still wide and staring.

   
 
‘I….K,killed……h,him. He came…,b,back.’ The words were slower this time and clearer.

   
 
‘Who did you kill?’ Bill asked.

   
 
‘He’s……come…back.’ Joel said, his eyes had grown so wide they looked as though they might just burst from his head.

     He then began to shake uncontrollably before passing out. Bill he called his name, softly shaking Joel as he lay, eyes now closed. Bill then checked for a pulse but there was nothing, Joel was dead.

     What had he been talking about? Bill should have just put the rambling down to the fact Joel had been in a really bad way and was most likely dehydrated, however there was just a feeling in his gut telling him something was very wrong about this whole situation and that same question came coming back to Bill. What the hell had happened in that camp?

The door opened and Ken walked in followed by a bespectacled man carrying a case.

   
 
‘Bill, this is Dr. Clutterbuck and he’s gonna save Joel's life ain’t ya Doc?’

     ‘Well, I can certainly try. Hello their Sheriff I've heard a lot about you, now let me take a look at young Mr Blackwater here.’

     ‘You wont be able to help him Doc.’ Bill said.

   
 
‘Hey, hold on a second Bill.’ Ken said, holding up a hand as he spoke.’ The doc here is blind as a bat but, he is still capable of…’

     ‘He’s dead!’ Bill interrupted. ‘The doc cant help him because he's dead!’

     ‘What? He’s dead? What you mean he’s dead? He wasn’t dead just.’ Ken had panic in his voice.

   
 
‘No, he wasn’t but then he died, so now he’s dead.’ Bill said flatly.

   
 
‘Are you sure he's dead sheriff?’ asked Dr. Clutterbuck.

   
 
‘Well, he sure ain’t alive anymore, so I guess there’s nothin' else for him to be.’ Bills tone still flat, tired.
     ‘Bill, I've just sent message out to Blackwater that he's son is here and we are taking care of him,’ said Ken, fidgeting and looking anxious.

   
 
‘At the time you sent the message it was most likely all true but now it ain’t.’ Bill replied looking at Joel’s still body.

   
 
‘You shouldn't be jokin'’ Ken’s voice sounded anxious. If he wants to, Jack has the ability and the manpower to take this town apart. Shit Bill, this is a mess!’

     ‘You’re tellin' me. Doc, can you look him over and let me know what happened to him’ asked Bill.

   
 
‘Sure, give me a little space to work and I'll try my best.' Clutterbuck said rolling up his sleeves.

   
 
‘Thanks, Ken come on let’s leave him to take a look at poor Joel here.’

     ‘Sure thing Bill,’ The two men left the room, Ken closed the door behind him.

   
 
‘Damn Bill, I really wish I knew what the fuck was going on here. Its like a small ball of shit that keeps on rollin, gatherin' more shit as it goes. I'm dreadin' to think how big the shit ball is gonna get.’

     ‘Your mind works a little different from mine but I get what you mean Ken. I was expectin' an easy ride down here after the last place I had to clean up and to be honest, I was kind of lookin' forward to it but so far I've gotten my nose smashed, disappearin' folk and now I've got some big shot headin' down here to find out his son is dead on my bed and we just happened to be the men that found him and I haven't been here two fuckin' days!’     

   
 
Ken rubbed his chin and thought on it for a moment. ‘Well, things do seem to be gettin' a little weird but I'm sure it will have some sort of rational explanation, I mean people don't just up and vanish and if you ask me, those Apaches have got some part to play in all o’ this. Once we can start puttin' the pieces together, things will seem clearer and hopefully that ball of shit will come to a standstill. Hell, it might defy gravity and start rollin' back up the fuckin' hill so we only end up with a little ball of shit, just a tiny little crap ball, so tiny, quite cute as it goes.’ Ken made a shape as if imagining the ball between his index finger and thumb.

   
 
‘Maybe,’ Bill replied with a shake of the head. ‘If any of those people are still alive then we need to get them back as soon as possible, but like you said I don't suppose the people here are gonna wanna go chargin' into an Apache camp. A lot of lives could be lost, and needlessly if it turns out they aren't playin' any part in it. I need to think.’

     ‘Thinkin' is good.’ Ken replied, ‘Too many folks don't do enough thinkin' and do too much shootin'. Thinkin' is good.’

   
 
Bill walked out on to the porch and sat down. He looked out towards the town and did what he said he was going to do, he thought.

      Roughly half an hour later Dr. Clutterbuck emerged from the bedroom with a grim look on his face. He walked onto the porch and Bill stood as the doctor emerged from the front door of the house.

   
 
‘Well, Sheriff, he's dead, died from blood loss is my guess, from the wounds he had.’
     ‘Had he been shot?’ Bill asked.

   
 
‘No, he looks to have been stabbed twice, once in the chest and once in the back.’

     ‘Jeez,’ said Ken. ‘Folks will say he had it comin' mind, some of the things I've heard he's done.’

     ‘Don’t you think that’s kind of strange Doc, a stab wound in the back and the front of his body?’ Bill asked his face in serious law man mode now.

   
 
‘Maybe?’ A squinting Clutterbuck replied. ‘In my experience it would either indicate a struggle during the wounds bein' inflicted or more than one attacker.’