Chapter 5
“How, how did he find time to do this?” He said aloud. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. He just got out of bed. How was he able to move the body so quickly? He was confused, enraged and began to pace up and down the hallway. Eileen was still in shock. He began pacing faster. He knew that he did this. Eileen also knew he was innocent. She knew he went to that room by himself. He wasn’t one for bringing in female company to her establishment which was something she had respected.
“I’m going to have to report this. This is bad for business.” Eileen said. The stranger groaned. He could go to jail for a murder he didn’t even commit. He shouted. Eileen looked at him. She knew he was upset. She tried to calm him down but he was livid.
“No. The man’s a scoundrel. No good, worthy, lowlife bastard who would use murder and lies to get what he wanted. Someone has to end this.”
He then walked out of the hallway and out of The Tavern. Eileen tried to call him back but he refused to listen to her requests. He got onto his horse and began riding off. He decided to head for Jeanie’s farm. He needed to see her. He approached the farm and saw her hanging her clothes on the line. She looked across and saw him. There was blood on his face and shirt. She immediately ran over.
“What happened to you?” She could tell that he was upset. They want inside. She began cleaning him up.
“No, it’s ok. I can do it. You don’t have to.”
“Talk to me, what’s going on.” He sighed and told her everything. He recalled the following night. The Brute’s bad behaviour, the dead body and the rage he felt.
“Wow. I am so sorry.” She didn’t know what else to say. She looked at him. He had calmed down but could still see the anger in his eyes.
“You should come to church with me. Something good can come out of this. We just have to…”
“No. I just…I just can’t.”
She looked at him. “I KNOW THAT LOOK! Don’t tell me that you are going to do what I think you are going to do.”
He remained quiet.
“You CANNOT do this. You know I can’t let you.” He was still quiet.
She laughed. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “I am a Christian. I cannot agree to you murdering someone. It’s wrong. It’s morally wrong. God did not want us to murder our brothers and sisters. We must save them. We must help them.”
He scoffed, “Even someone like that? God doesn’t care about…”
She slammed on the table, “God cares about all of his creations. All of them! How dare YOU talk to me like that?! How dare you talk about HIM like that?!”
“Look, I am sorry. I didn’t mean to…”
“Get off my farm! Go!”
“Wait, I am sorry. I didn’t mean to…I’m really sorry…I”
“Please leave!”
He immediately left the house. He got onto his horse and left the farm. Jeanie watched him go. She then began to cry as he rode back into town. It then dawned on her that it might be the last time she ever saw him.
He finally got back into town. He made his way into one of the more popular bars. He saw The Brute at the table. He approached the table and began throwing punches. When he thought The Brute had enough, he stopped. The Brute tasted blood and wiped it from his mouth. He laughed. The stranger then walked out of the bar and never looked back.
The Brute was appalled. “You’re gonna pay for that, cowboy. Believe me.”
Chapter 6
He tried to lay low. He knew they would come after him. He didn’t stick to the plan. He let the anger get the better of him.
Maybe I should have gone to church
He was in his room. He was plotting his next move now that he had messed up his own plan. He knew he would kill him. He then decided to head out to the bar. When he came outside, he saw The Brute and a group of well-armed men outside. He also saw someone he didn’t expect to see.
“Jeanie? Jeanie!” he tried to walk up to her but was stopped by two of the gentlemen.
“Let her go!”
The Brute shock his head.
“No, I don’t think I will. I think I might…actually have fun with this one.” The Brute walked up to her and began to touch her face. She flinched.
“You are not going to get away with this,” he said.
“Oh…but I am. Boys, take her into his room. I will be there shortly.” The boys dragged Jeanie into the room.
“Jeanie! Jeanie, I am going to get you out of this.”
They started to drag her body into the room when they were stopped by the cocking of a gun. The owner held a revolver in her hand. She meant business. The men stopped in the tracks. They tried to drag Jeanie’s body. She was still trying to break free.
“Not. One Move.” She aimed the gun at one of the men who held Jeanie. They kept moving. The gun then went off. One of the men let go of Jeanie. She then aimed at the other captor. Jeanie ran free and left the Tavern.
“Oh…A woman who is a good shoot. I am impressed.”
“You’re impressed that I can shoot, great! I’d be more impressed if you could shut up.”
The two men lay wounded. The bar still had five more.
“You come into my place of business and decide to bring this drama here. You’re lucky to still be alive. “She aimed the gun at him.
“Woah! Little lady! No need for the hostilities.”
She laughed. “Oh really? So I don’t look familiar?”
“Ma’am, besides you being the best owner of this establishment, I don’t reckon seeing your face anywhere.”
“Oh? Really? Well, let me help you remember. It was fifteen years ago. You had just came into town. You rode on your high horse and came straight here. My dad owned this place. It was the talk of the town. He brought me to work. He didn’t want to but he did. Back then it was a classy establishment. There weren’t drunks or strippers coming in. It was a place where family and friends came to have a good time. Then you came and that was it. The Tavern, its’ reputation was soiled. You started to bring your bad behaviour and your whores and thugs to this place and it was never the same. The Tavern never recovered and slowly my dad lost the business. Then, you begged him to sell the place to you and he refused. And then one night, we found him dead. We never found the murderer but we always knew. We ALWAYS knew who did it. And fifteen years later, you ask me the same questions that you kept asking my father. You killed him. So, I’d think my life was in danger since I now own here. So, I went out and got a gun. I learned how to shoot and got better and I did. Now, I’m not gonna kill ya if you and your men get out now but if you stay any longer, I might leave you and the rest of ya men with some mighty painful parting gifts.”
The men were all shocked. Never had a woman talked to them like that. They never saw a woman in power. They took the wounded and immediately headed out with the exception of the stranger.
“Well, well, well, I’m quite impressed by ya.”
Eileen smiled and laughed, “Yea, I learned to shoot at a young age. Even my brother was intimidated. He died. He tried to go up against The Brute and failed.”
“Look, if I get into a duel with him, I will win. No doubt about that. Ma’am, as much as I would love to stay and chat with you, I have to check on Jeanie. Lovely talking to you, don’t kill me now.”
“Haha, I won’t” She replied.
He tipped the hat and headed out of The Tavern. He hoped on the horse and headed to Jeanie’s farm. He saw Jeanie. She was weeping.
He dismounted and ran towards her, “Jeanie. Jeanie, I am so sorry. I didn’t mean to drag you into this.”
She brushed off his arm, “I am fine. It’s ok. Please leave, you are trespassing.”
“Jeanie, I…”
“Please leave.” She then headed inside the house and locked the door. The stranger got up on the house and rode back into town. Chaos was present. The Brute and his thugs were looking for him.
“Where is he?!” The Brute was furious. He the saw him and looked at him dead in the eyes.
“You….” He snarled.
“Yes, me.” He replied.
“I challenge you to a duel at noon. Two weeks from now. Show up and we can decide who is really running this town.” He then left in a fury. He knew this was going to happen. The stranger just expected that he would be the one initiating it, not The Brute. He headed back into The Tavern. Eileen was watching him with concern.
“I just overheard. You prepared for this showdown?”
“I think I will be just fine,” He took the guns out of his holster and began twirling them. He aimed the guns and imitated the sounds of the firing. He then put them back and pushed his hat slightly upwards.
“I will be ok,”
She smiled at him, “Ok, then see ya, cowboy and you better win, cus if you don’t, then I’m gonna hurt ya.”
Chapter 7
It was a week before the showdown. Normally, he was a man who didn’t panic. But, there was a lot to lose if he didn’t win; his life being the primary concern…and Jeanie. He planned to make it up to her if he won. He’d be a good man. He would go to church with her and be the man that she deserved. He would do right by her. He paced up and down the bar. Eileen watched him.
“Something bothering you?”
He looked up, “Not really.” She leaned her head to one side. She knew he was lying.
“Ok, I am worried about the showdown.”
“So why don’t you practice?”
He stopped. She was right. He should practice. She led him to the back of The Tavern. A shooting range had been set up. Bottles were all arranged in one pile. The guns were loaded. The stranger practiced his aim and managed to knock down four of the five bottles. Eileen came back and replaced the broken bottles. He then kept practicing.
When it was almost sundown, he headed back inside. He was hungry and ordered some food. The Tavern was awfully quiet. Business had been slow since The Brute last entered the building. Persons feared for their lives. They didn’t want to enter an establishment that could threaten their safety. Eileen kept wiping the glasses and clearing the counter. The stranger could tell that she was worried.
“Hey, everything will be ok.” He told her.
“You’re the last person to be telling me that. By the way, you need to maintain eye contact before you shoot.”
“Thank you,” he said.
Eileen kept cleaning. The stranger had a lot on his mind. He couldn’t stop thinking about the possibility of death, the possibility of never making amends and the possibility of never seeing Jeanie again. He continued to eat his food and took a sip of Brandy. He just wished had more time. He finished his meal. Eileen looked at him.
“Have you ever taken another man’s life or will this be your first time?”
“I…don’t want to talk about it.” He then left and headed inside. She shrugged and continued cleaning up the bar.
He lay in bed and tried to calm down. He tried to sleep. But the events of the past kept playing in his head. He tossed and turned. All of his actions, all the crimes were done to protect himself. He did it to save his town and now, he would have to do the same here. He was considered both a hero and a criminal where he was from. He just didn’t want to be that guy. He wanted to be average. He didn’t want to be the outlaw with morals. He wished he could talk to Jeanie. He could have some mental clarity and be able to sleep at night. He lay wide awake and mulled over everything. He wasn’t sure if he could take another man’s life. Not this time. Not in this town.
Chapter 8
It was the day before the showdown. He was ready. He didn’t have a choice but to be prepared. He kept shooting out in the back and prepared his guns. He also spent some time helping around The Tavern and riding on his horse. He headed to Jeanie’s church and saw her walking out. He looked at her from a distance. She saw him and continued walking out. He sighed and turned around. This was perhaps the last day he had alive and the one person, whom he thought he was worth being alive for, ignored him. He just wished there was a way to talk to her. He made his way back to The Tavern. Thirty minutes later, Jeanie entered The Tavern. The stranger looked at her walking. She seemed angry.
“Stop following me!” She looked directly at him. “I see you all the time and I wish you would just stop!”
He held her hand. “Tomorrow is the day.”
She removed her hand. “I know what tomorrow is.”
He smiled at her weakly, “I am sorry. I miss you Jeanie. If things were different, I’d stop all this and be with you. But I have to fix this problem.”
“You are not God! Please stop! You are going to take another’s man life!”
“But who will fix this, Jeanie?! Who!”
“GOD CAN DO ALL THINGS!”
“WHERE WAS GOD IN THE LAST TOWN THAT I HAD TO FIX!”
She looked at him “Look we all have a past, ok? But it’s time to ask for forgiveness and move on.”
He sat there in silence. He sighed. “Look, I miss you too but it can’t be like this. I’m sorry I even came here.” She got up and left The Tavern.
“Good luck tomorrow.”