Righting Wrongs

This story was written as part of an author challenge. There had to be three songs that accompanied and fit the story. Mine were: El Paso by the Grateful Dead, Theme From an Imaginary Western by Leslie West and Blaze of Glory by John BonJovi. This story is exactly 1000 words, which was insanely difficult.

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Righting Wrongs

I felt eyes on me and my hand moved towards my belt of its own accord. Sitting on a pair of kings, you expect some staring but this wasn't someone wondering if I was running a bluff. Placing my cards on the table, I looked up.

Coyote Will looked down at me, a frown on his weather-beaten face. "Have time to talk?"

I nodded. "Almost done here."

"I'll grab a table. Whiskey?"

"That works."

Picking up a third king I went all in. Scooping up my money, I made my apologies and headed to Will's table. I hadn't seen him since I left El Paso.

Throwing back the whiskey, I spoke. "What'cha doing way up here?"

"Couldn't stay in El Paso."

"Things take a turn after I left?"

Felina was my girl and she worked at Rosa's Cantina. I'd gone in there to see her pushing away from some fella. You work in a cantina, you have to deal with some drunks. I didn't get ornery until he continued. She slapped him and when he raised his hand to punch her, I shot him. Twice.

I always had a hot temper and a quick hand, a combination that left me without Felina or El Paso. Chances were good that they'd string me up, so I left. Travelling from town to town, working as a hired gun, falling asleep to memories of hair as black as midnight and eyes the color of emeralds.

"That dude you shot? That was Bud Oaksley, kid brother of Tommy Oaksley."

"And?"

Oaksley was an outlaw whose neck was itching for a stretching.

"He found out what happened to his brother. When he couldn't find you, he found Felina."

The urge to punch or shoot someone or something was strong.

"Tell me."

"It ain't pretty. He scarred her up and put her to work at The Silver Load."

"She... She's..."

"Yeah. He has her keepin' company while he takes her money till her 'debt' is paid off. Her face all cut up like that, it's gonna take a damn long time afore she's done."

"How's that get you up here in this rat-hole?"

His voice got dark.

"Oaksley killed my cousin when he tried to back him off Felina."

"And you just ran?"

"Yeah. I ran. Straight to the capital. Now I'm goin' back with one of these." He pulled back his coat showing me a lawman's badge. "Gonna be all legal like. Heard you were up around these parts and thought you might want to come along."

I nodded.

"We leavin' at dawn?"

"Sounds about right."

With four horses, it took us near two weeks to get to El Paso. We spent the nights going over what-ifs and whens. Will using a stick to draw buildings in the dirt and us going over everything we could. He was a crackshot, so we'd get him some elevation as quickly as possible.

We had a few things in our favor and a lot against us. The people in the town knew us and most would be disposed to lend a hand, if possible. Both of us were as familiar with El Paso as we were with the back of our hand. Best of all, El Paso wasn't some two-horse town where we could get picked off like targets in a turkey shoot.

Stopping as we approached the valley, we took our time looking down at the town. It was a beautiful sight that I hadn't expected to ever see again. Sighing, I spurred on my horse and down we rode.

Hitching the horses outside Rosa's Cantina we walked in. No-one seemed to recognize me until I spoke to the barkeep.

"Whiskey, the bottle. And a glass."

Heading to the door, I spoke over my shoulder. "Tell Oaksley I'm back. I'm waiting on him."

Sitting in front of Rosa's, I sipped my whiskey. Will went out the back, up a block, climbing to a balcony near the roof.

It wasn't five minutes before Oaksley and four others walked down the street. Standing, I stretched and stepped out to meet them.

"You're a brave man, Lance. Stupid, but brave. What you did to my brother? Gonna have to kill you for that. Then I'll end your woman."

I heard a rifle and a grunt from behind me, followed quickly by another. Will taking care of cowards creeping up on me. Oaksley and his men broke, diving for cover. I shot two before they made it. Two were behind a wagon and Oaksley had a stack of barrels in front of him. Leaning against a post holding up Rosa's awning, I waited for my chance.

"Brought friends, Lance?"

"Yeah, a few."

He laughed. "Don't think so."

One of the two behind the wagon stuck his head out trying to get a bead on me. Will put a bullet in his neck. Two left.

Shooting twice, I ran down the sidewalk towards the wagon. Someone in Rosa's shot me in the back. I couldn't move, but Will was within sight. He was wrestling on the balcony with another of Oaksley's men.

Oaksley ran towards me, the other guy joining him.

"Guess this is the end of the line, Lance."

It was damned hard to speak.

"Got an envelope stuffed with cash. Pocket in my coat. For Felina. Take it and let her go."

"Now, why would I go and do that? Say hello to my brother in the next life."

A shot rang out and he fell to his knees. Another followed and his partner's head erupted as a bullet exited his forehead. Felina stood behind them with a gun in her shaking hands.

She was beautiful, the scars meaningless.

"Envelope in coat. For you."

I heard Will's voice. Guess he'd killed the guy.

Felina's tears fell on my cheeks as she knelt beside me. My vision grew dark.

"Always loved you. I'm so sorry."

"Shhh, mi amor."

Her face was the last thing I'd see in this world. I smiled.

*****

My thinks go out to the A-Frame Adjusters and to Brad, Jerry, Vik, Racing, MAS, Timothy, MrZ, Leon, Phillip, Laurence, Adam, Ken, Mark, Nora, Cheryl, Kerry, RP, Baron, Zachary, Alex, Mike, and Charles.