Thu Apr 15, 2004 4:06 pm by H.Q. Victor
Chips replied and was off. “Stinger, we need to get a closer look at the stables, Do you have your horse close by?” “Yes, what do I need it for?” Stinger inquired. “Simple, give me your star and muss your hair a bit” Bargib said. “What on earth for” Stinger, clearly puzzled asked. “You have to look like a trail hand coming to town. You take your horse to the livery and board him. As you leave casually look around and report what you see back” Bargib explained.
By the time Chips had reached the undertakers office, all the lights were off. So he headed back to the Livery stables. Meanwhile, Bargib was getting worried when Stinger didn’t come back. He drew his gun and moved into the shadows closer to the door. (Click) the sound of the hammer being pulled back. “That’s far enough”, a voice acme from behind him. “Now, inside” it added. As the door opened, the other man inside said, “what do you got there, Thomas?” “Someone who was a little too nosey” came the reply. When they moved into the light of a couple of lanterns, they got a better look. “Well, looky here what we done got” spoke the man called Thomas, “we got ourselves the sheriff, to go with the deputy.” Bargib looked over to where the man indicated. Stinger was tied and gaged in a stall.
After getting Bargib tied up as well, the men went back to what they were doing, when there was a (snap). The sound of a twig braking under foot. Thomas pointed to the other man and waved him into the shadows of the loft. The door slowly opened. Silent foot steps as the visitor moved on into the stables. The moment he saw Bargib and Stinger, he felt the barrel of a gun in his back. “Thomas, it looks like no end to our good luck.” the mystery man said. Chips knew there was nothing he could do except to surrender. Unless Boscoe or Mustang happened by, they were in a real pickle now.
Chapter 3
The Forum was getting lively now. Dr.’s Esq and Taw were trading friendly insults, with Wolfy interjecting his spam every so often. Sir Specter came in the door, got a beer and headed for the nearest table. Sir Specter was working on a new play and had been looking for people for parts in it. “Well” he thought, “the night is still young.”
“Look pSYCHO” supersnipa said, “Stormtrooper and I have been wiring each other on some ideas to try. For a new wagon design we want to build.” “And” pSYCHO replied, looking up from the holster he had been working on. “Well, we know how you like working with weapons, but after storms little run in, we wantah stick to buggies and wagons”. Supersnipa said, looking over at Stormtrooper. “Man, I had to lay low for a long time after that pistol we made kept miss firing and the town wanted their money back or our heads” Stormtrooper added. “Alright, I’ll see if I can get Firewing to work with me then” pSYCHO said, a hint of frustration in his voice.
Back at the Forum, a music topic was in debate, with Dr. Taw saying Bach was a better composer than Brahms. But that drew a heated debate with Dr. Esq and Gromit joining in. After Jagged jumped to Esq’s side, Taw started to feel overwhelmed until Indy joined his side.
Bargib’s wrists were getting a little sore as he tried to get loose. “Stop trying to get free” Thomas said. Both he and the other man had their hands on the hay bale looking at a map. (Click-click) The sound of a round being chambered in a rifle followed by the voice saying, “Hold it boys, mind if I play too.” Thomas looked up at a rifle barrel pointing at him from the shadows. The other man gave a short laugh, “It’s two against one, your out numbered” he said derisively. (Click-click) came from up in the hay loft. Thomas looked up and saw a rifle pointing at him. “Well, that’s not quite accurate” the second voice said.
Thomas edged his hand toward his gun when (Ka-pow) the bullet shattered the grip of his gun, making Thomas jump. “The next one goes between your eyes” the first voice said moving into the light. “Now, slowly, drop your gun belts”. Bargib looked at the man thinking he had seen him before. Thomas dropped his belt, but the unknown man went for his gun, pulling it an firing it quickly. Both of the men with rifles took him down with one shot each. Thomas reached for his gun now. “Watch out” Bargib called out. The first rifleman turned and fired, dropping Thomas.
After making sure both were dead, the first man went to cut Bargib loose. “You all right Bargib” the stranger asked. Bargib turned in the light and got a better look. “Well I’ll be danged, Fear Factor, its you!” Bargib exclaimed, “I thought you moved back east”. After loosening Stinger and Chips, Fear Factor set hi rifle down and sat back on some hay bales. “I told you I would visit from time to time” FF said. “Who’s the other one with you, Mustang? Boscoe?” Bargib asked.
“Come on down, it’s ok” Fear Factor said. Foot steps echoed on the ladder and the man turned into the light. Both Chips and Bargib said at the same time, “Locutus!!. “It’s good to see you both again”, Locutus said. Bargib asked, “What’s going on here you two”.
About an hour later- “That’s about the size of it. I followed them to their camp before running into Fear Factor and talking him into helping me” Locutus explained. “But who are they”, Chips asked. “Their a part of a gang that calls themselves, “The Outcasts”, he replied.
The bell over the jail door jingled when Boscoe came in. Locutus and Bargib were in a discussion with a U.S. Marshal about the gang activity. Chips came out of the back. “Hey Boscoe, Fear factor gone?” he asked. “Yea, dropped him at the stage coach stop and he will catch a train tomorrow.”
The town had heard about what happened at the livery stables. It worried some, but, others felt safe. Mustang decided to stay in town for a few days, staying with Stinger. They would rotate watches for any other visitors. Wolfy and Eh_Steve still had school, so they would be in town as well and could spy on what was going on. The thoughts in their head, the fun they could have.
Indy headed over to the jail, hoping to get the story for the paper, so folks had the truth and not to gossip on something that wasn’t true. His instincts said there was more to this than meets the eye.
Firewing rode into town and headed over to the Forum. He had got pSYCHO’s wire and wanted to find him. He passed Arcon and Aod on the way and heard them grumbling. “Arcon, not that I don’t appreciate what the deputies did, why did they leave the mess for us to clean up. Yeas the livery is ours, but not the mess” Aod said, shaking his head. “Give up Aod, we better get to it. Orillion said he would be over in a bit to get the bodies.” Arcon replied.
Sir Specter was back in the book store. Business never was very busy, but he was able to make a living. He also agreed to write a column for Indy and the paper. He just didn’t know what he would write about yet.
To be continued.
Edited by - Finalday on 4/16/2004 3:48:03 AM
