Authors: R.J McCabe
Bill laughed. ‘No, he’s not sayin' much.’
Gina smiled. ‘Really though, why are you keepin' that thing anywhere near you, it’s dead as a doornail’
‘Gina, I agree with that diagnosis’ replied Bill.
‘Die nose what?’ said Ken
‘To be honest,’ said Bill looking at the animal. ‘I don't rightly know why I have him in there. Im waitin' for someone to come and have a look at him to see what the hell was wrong with it.’
‘Well, that explains why you still have it but it doesn't explain why you have it locked in a cell does it?’ Gina’s eyebrows raised as she asked the question.
Bill noticed how cute it made her look. He paused before answering.‘Well, I don't want anyone getting too curious and tryin' to put their hands on it. I'm not sure what kind of disease that thing had but it didn't look right to me with it’s lumps and bumps all over the place.’
Gina nodded seemingly satisfied with this explanation, Bill however was not, he felt this wasn’t the only reason he had locked the beast away.
‘Have you seen anythin' of Blackwater and his men?’ asked Bill.
Gina thought for a second. ‘Well, as far as I know they are still in the saloon they have been comin' over to our place two at a time, the girls are pretty much tired out.’
‘But they are behavin' themselves?’ It was Bill’s turn to raise his eyebrows.
‘Yes, Sheriff, it has to be said they have been true gentlemen.’
Bill nodded.‘Good, that’s one less thing to worry about.’
There came the sound of footsteps on the boards outside before Trent, the Apache who worked for Blackwater, came into the office. He was a big man at around six feet three inches and broad with it. His long black hair was tied back in a pony tail and his face looked like it was carved from stone.
‘Sheriff?’ the big man said looking down at Bill.
‘Indeed I am, how can I help?’
‘Mr. Blackwater needs to speak with you.’ Trent’s expression not changing, his tone was serious.
‘Didn't Jack think to come over here and see me himself?’ the sheriff asked.
The man didn't reply, he tilted his head slightly and eyed the sheriff, Trent was not a man for games.
‘Well,’ continued Bill realising he was not going to get a reply from the big man.
‘I guess I better go see what he wants,’ and with that began to rise from his chair. It was at that second that he heard a growl and thought for a moment that it come from the big Apache. Bill looked at him but the man was already turning away, as was Gina and they were looking towards the cell.
‘What the fuck?’ said Ken already on his feet also looking towards the cell, his eyes wide.
Bill walked around from behind his desk, as the two people standing in front of him were obscuring his view. He looked into the cell, to see the body of the big cat was rocking slightly, making strange sounds. It looked as though it was waking up, twitching here and there. Then it’s eyes opened and the pupils were pure white. Drool began to leak from the side of its mouth onto the floor. Bill looked outside on to the street, no longer was the sun setting but dusk was giving way to the night sky and it was as if the creature was reacting to the change.
‘I thought you said that thing was dead sheriff?’ Gina said with a slight tremble in her voice.
‘Believe me, it was dead alright,
’
replied Bill.
‘How the hell can this be Bill?’ Shouted Ken. ‘That thing was stone cold dead last night when we put it in there and stiff as a vicar in a whorehouse.’
Bill didn't answer, he had no answer, he only stared at the beast which was seemingly coming back to life, getting up onto its paws, shoulders hunched, breathing laboured and then, in a split second, it was trying to get at them, its mouth snapping, teeth bared.
Bill, Gina and Trent all moved back as the beast hit the bars. Bill took out his revolver and placed the other hand across Gina’s stomach ushering her backwards, she moved back and Bill fired three shots through the bars into the beast. Blood, fur and skin flew out of the creature and it slammed into the wall at the back of the cell but in a second it was back at the bars spitting and biting.
Bill was about to fire again when Trent put his hand on top of the Bill’s gun and slowly pushed it downwards and at the same time, with his other hand, he was taking out his own pistol. The big Apache’s expression gave almost nothing away but then Bill noticed concern in the man’s eyes. The man pointed his gun so the end of the barrel was just an inch from the beast’s rabid, biting face and then he put a bullet straight into the beast’s skull. The big cat flew backwards once again, but this time it did not return to the bars, instead it lay still.
‘Damn, I think that did it,’ said Ken still standing behind his desk.
‘No,
’
said the man. ‘Must finish it. Give me the keys,’ he said not looking away from the creature.
Bill took the keys from his desk draw and placed them in the big hand of the Apache. Trent unlocked the cell door and slowly approached the mountain lion. He placed his gun back in his holster and then reached around to his back and produced a knife, the biggest knife Bill had ever seen. He knelt down by the creature and with both hands raised the blade above his head and waited.
For a moment the room was in complete silence. Bill, Ken and Gina tensely watched and waited in anticipation for the Apaches next move. The beast twitched and then suddenly lifted its whole head off the floor but before the beast could try and stand, Trent bought the knife down in an arc, slicing cleanly through the creatures neck. Its head fell to the floor, followed by the body a second later. Blood jetted out from the stump of a neck and finally it was still.
‘Oh my god,’ Gina said.
Trent rose to his feet looking down at the decapitated body and as he watched it began to jerk, before exploding into a pile of red mush. Trent turned towards the onlookers, his clothes splattered with red, his expression was grave.
‘We have big fucking problem’ was all he said.
19
Bill instructed Gina to go back to her place and told her he’d speak to her later, he also asked her not to say anything to anyone and she, in turn, gave him her word. That was good enough for him.
Bill, Ken and Trent walked back across to the saloon where Jack had been since he had arrived that morning. He smiled when the three men entered the room and Bill could see it was now Jack who was a little worse for wear but couldn't blame him given the news he had received.
‘Welcome back Sheriff,’ said Jack, his arms spread open in a gesture of greeting.
Bill tipped his hat on approach but the expression on the three mens faces was serious, something that Jack seemed to notice and his own expression came to match theirs.
‘Somethin' seems to be in the air around here,’ Jack said‘Just look at those miserable fuckin' faces.’
The three men reached the table on which Jack was seated. All three of them looked down at him. He looked at each of their faces in turn. It was Trent who spoke first.
‘Mr Blackwater, I think I know who killed Joel and it’s very, very bad.’
Jack eyed the Apache and then laughed. ‘Well, how bad can it be?’ he looked again at each of their faces, but no-one spoke.
‘Okay, okay, take a seat gentlemen.’ Jack looked towards the bar.
‘Monty, another bottle of whiskey over here please.’
‘Yes, Sir’ came the reply from the bar.
Bill removed his hat and turned towards Trent before speaking.
‘Trent, can you tell Jack what you told us?’
‘Oooh, this sounds mysterious, I like it’ said Jack, he clapped his hands together and rubbed his palms.
‘Mr Blackwater, I think it was Apaches that killed Joel but I think it was more than that, I believe it was the dark magic.’
Jack looked at Trent ‘Say what?’
‘Dark magic, very dark, like I have never seen but I've heard about it and this is the most powerful sort, the devils magic, is real bad Jack.’
Jack folded his arms across his chest before speaking. ‘Hmm, Now you know I'm a little freaked out by all the hoodoo magical shit you've spoken to the boys about in the past, but to try and tell me that it’s the cause of my sons death, well that is just a bit unbelievable.’
The big man let out a sigh. ‘There is ground not far from here, maybe half day’s ride and the ground is cursed.’
Jack’s eyes narrowed. ‘Is that so? Well, is there some sort of proof to that, or is it just another one of those Apache tales you like to tell, cause as entertainin' as they are, I can’t help think that most of em are mythical bullshit.’
Trent’s face was very stern‘The story of that land is well known amongst all of our kind. All Apache’s fear the ground.’
Monty placed the whiskey on the table and then fetched another three glasses. The three men watched as Jack opened the bottle and poured out four drinks. He knocked back a glass of whiskey before slamming the glass down onto the table.
‘Man that is real good stuff. Right then Trent, why don’t you tell me the story of that land and I'll see what I think of it.’
Trent picked up his drink and downed it, he made no expression afterwards, he simply placed the glass onto the table and began to speak.
‘The legend says that many years ago, an Apache by name of Jivana used dark magic to summon up a demon as he believed he would have control of the demon and would use it to rule, not only his tribe but all tribes. Once the demon appeared, it attacked Jivana and he became infected with a horrible disease. His life was gone but he walked, breathed, and fed on others. Those who he bit would turn same way, seeking to feed on the uninfected but also another hunger was within them to spread their affliction.
It was discovered that the only way to stop the dead from walking was to destroy the brain as even an arrow through the heart would not stop them. Once all the infected were killed the Apache’s turned on the demon. He was powerful and killed many before they managed to capture him. He was taken back to where he had come from, the devil ground and was beheaded and then burned, his ashes scattered over the ground. Since that time, men who talk to the spirits have said the same thing of that land, that if anyone who has been wronged is then buried there, then part of the demon will enter their corpse and raise that body back from the dead to spread its disease once again but also to take revenge on their killer.
After the demon was destroyed, spirit men from all tribes came together to place a spell on the ground. It is said that if ever an Apache is buried there, then he will not be able to inflict harm on his own people. We were never sure if that spell would work so none ever used it, until now.’
Blackwater sat for a few seconds once Trent had finished speaking and then faked a shiver down his spine. ‘Now that is some spooky shit right there but I believe it was a livin' man of flesh and bone that killed my boy and I intend to cause whoever it was a whole lot of sufferin'’
Bill cleared his throat and spoke up, ‘Jack, for what it’s worth, I am a man of facts, not rumours or legends but I feel there’s somethin' to what Trent here is sayin'’