Holiday Advent Story 9

BANG

The gunshot rocked the small town of Schultz Valley that cold Christmas morning. The townsfolk had stopped moving as the sheriffs body fell to the ground.

“I swear,” yelled Mad Dog Pritchett, “if any more of you four flushing farmers moves another step I’ll put a hole in ya.” Mad Dog waved his custom colt around to emphasize the point. “All I want is you to point me towards your bank manager and we’ll be about our business.”

This display was viewed by a pair of siblings seated on a balcony of the local hotel.

“He certainly has a flair for the dramatic,” said Linus.

“A bit over wrought for my taste,” said Luce.

“I feel we should do something,” said Linus. “After all we did come here to rob the bank as well.”

“We were first,” said Luce drinking from her coffee.

Linus cut into his steak and eggs as the commotion went on. “The bank manager doesn’t seem to be coming forward.”

“Nope,” said Luce. “You reckon it’s loyalty that no one is outing him?”

“I told you last night,” said Linus. “He’s visiting his sister at her ranch. He won’t be back till tomorrow.”

“That’s right,” said Luce.

Another gunshot cut through the air. The siblings looked down to see Mad Dog standing over a young man gripping his knee. “I told you all,” screamed Mad Dog. “You bring me the manager or it’s gonna get five shades of ugly.”

“But we told you he’s not here,” said a woman in the crowd.

“Do I look stupid to you?” asked Mad Dog.

Luce took a drink of her coffee. “It’s like he’s purposely trying to be stupid.”

“He’s certainly not listening to anyone,” said Linus. “This is why you recon a town before riding in and robbing it.”

“His men aint to bright either,” said Luce.

“It’s what you attract when you have a name like Mad Dog.”

“Maybe,” said Luce. “Just, there are eight of them. You’d think one of them would have the brains to fan out, climb to a higher vantage, or draw a weapon. They’re just standing clumped up laughing. You ever heard of this fella?”

“A little,” said Linus. “The name is very appropriate. He rushes in, doesn’t plan well, and tends to let his temper get the best of him. He gets big paydays by being brash but ends up on the wrong side of just as many slaughters for the same reason.”

“He gives us proper villains a bad name.”

“Amen to that.”

Linus and Luce clicked their coffee cups together.

“Aw hell,” said Luce. “Why’d he have to go and do that for?”

Linus looked down on the town center. Mad Dog had just kicked a small child over and was threatening him with his pistol.

“Damnit,” said Linus. He took one last bite of steak then stood up reaching for his gun belt.

“To think,” said Luce reaching for her rifle. “We was gonna hit that bank tomorrow.”

“What difference a day makes,” said Linus. “But like or mama used to say. You don’t hurt kids. Shoot the men, beat the women, kill the occasional horse, but never hurt the children.”

“How you want to do this?” asked Luce.

“Excuse me,” yelled Linus. “Would you mind not pointing your gun at that child; it’s ruining my breakfast?”

“So,” said Luce. “We’re just jumping right in.”

Mad Dog turned to the siblings. “Who in the high haunting hell are you?”

“You have a magnificent way of cursing,” called Luce.

Tipping his hat. “I’m Linus and this is my sister Luce.”

The gang laughed. One of the men yelled out, “Howdy loose. Let’s be friends.”

Luce pulled her rifle up, shot the man through the chest, and one hand spin cocked it before anyone had a chance to react. “Luce, it’s short for Lucy. Anyone else have a joke they want to tell.”

The gang quickly began to move apart drawing weapons and aiming for the balcony.

“You accuse me of just jumping in,” said Linus as he sprung over the balcony and landed on the back of a horse saddled outside the hotel. The horse reared and Linus rolled off its back flipping over and landing on his feet near the townsfolk. He stood drew his pistol and fired two quick shots dropping one of Mad Dogs men.

As the man fell Linus turned to the townsfolk. “Run damn it.”

The townsfolk did as told and took off for the nearest shelter. Linus ran in the opposite direction trying to draw fire from the gang. He almost made it to cover when a bullet tore through his leg.

Luce stayed on the balcony using her rifle to cover Linus. She noticed one of Mad Dog’s men climbing the awning of the saloon, took aim, and shot him. The screamed once and fell backwards to the ground.

The railing in front of her took several hits. One bullet hit its mark tearing into her side. Luce grunted in pain.

Linus ducked down behind a water trough and shot at some men hiding behind hay bales on a wagon. Watching his shot do little more than dust up some hay Linus changed his target and aimed for the ground just behind the horse hooked to the wagon. On the second shot the horse spooked and bolted down the street. The two men panicked as their cover ran away from them giving Linus all the time he needed to drop them both.

Luce heard men bursting into the hotel through the door beneath her. “You think they’d be quiet about sneaking up on me.” She moved away from the balcony and back into the room. Walking across to the door to the hall Luce pulled it open just in time to see three men coming up the stairs. She emptied her rifle down the stairs killing the first two.

As the third drew a bead and fired he was caught under the bodies of his falling friends. His shot went wide and slammed into Luce’s shoulder.

She fell backwards against the wall, drew her pistol, and fired. Her shot tore through the man’s throat. Luce then moved to the door and the street while reloading her rifle.

Men had started to move in on Linus, surrounding his position. He rose to kneeling and fired a few more shots causing them to hunker down for fear of being shot.

“Linus,” yelled Luce. “I’m coming.” She jogged across the street using the rifle to keep men pinned down. Linus ducked down under the trough as Luce launched herself over top of it and into cover.

“We maybe should have thought about this a bit more before committing,” said Luce.

Linus rose and fired three quick shots. “We have had better ideas.”

 A man coming around the corner walked into a shot from Luce’s rifle. “Weren’t we just laughing at Mad Dog for not having a plan?”

“That sounds like us.” Linus rose and shot again. He ducked back down and opened the cylinder on his revolver and began to reload. “After this I’m empty.”

Luce pulled her pistol and handed it to Linus. “Take this. I got a full load in the rifle.”

“You rancid sacks of donkey crap. I swear I’m gonna see you both dead,” yelled Mad Dog.

“He does have a style about him,” said Luce.

“I’ll admit to that,” said Linus. “How many men do you think he has left?”

“He had eight when this started,” said Luce. “How many you killed so far?”

“Two maybe three. You?”

“Three maybe four.”

“Show off,” said Linus.

“Think we can take the rest?’ asked Luce.

“Sure,” said Linus. “Besides if we don’t this is just the kind of last stand that people will remember forever.”

“Think we’ll get a statue?” asked Luce.

“Sure.”

“I hope they give me a proper hat,” said Luce. “Can’t abide people remembering me in bad hat.”

“On three,” asked Linus.

Luce got her rifle ready. “Yeah.”

“One,” said Linus holding a pistol in each hand.

“Two,” said Luce cracking her fingers to limber them.

“Three,” they both said as they rose up and rounded the water trough firing into Mad Dog and his men.

Bullets tore through the air in both directions. Mad Dog was the first to fall. One of his men followed shortly behind him. Linus stumbled as bullets ripped into his body. Luce staggered to one side as a shot hit her the gut. Linus went down emptying his gun taking a few men with him. Luce fell firing her last shot into the head of Mad Dog’s last man.

The town fell silent.

If you ever happen to find yourself in the town of Shultz Valley then I suggest you find your way to the town center where you may find the statue of a pair of siblings who saved the town one Christmas morning, so many years ago. Both of them in proper hats.

end
Linus and Lucy