Title: COWBOR SOCKS IT TO 'EM
Author: Brokeback Mountain
Pairing: Jack and Ennis
Rating: R
Warnings: None
Disclaimer: These characters belong to Annie Proulx; not me.
Summary: Ennis foils a bank robbery.
COWBOY SOCKS IT TO 'EM
Ennis had made the long drive to Casper before but this time it was
to see Jenny graduate from nursing school. He stayed at his sister's
house, sleeping on their couch for three nights and was anxious to
get back on the road and headed for home. He had already gassed up
the truck and had one last errand to do before leaving. Sister
needed a ride to the bank to make her deposit and her car was in the
shop, her husband off to work in his. He was going to wait in the
truck but it was a hot June morning and they were still in the middle
of a discussion about a reunion get-together they were planning with
their brother and his family, Junior and Kurt. The whole family
together for the first time. He was even half-way excited about it.
Hadn't seen his brother in years and he had three kids now. It was
going be interesting. There was a line at the teller's, as usual for a Monday
morning, and they were standing there chatting when their entire
world tilted.
First, loud angry voices, then a crash as a chair was tipped over and
a bushy haired man grabbed the man, sitting behind a desk, by the
throat and another man started shooting a gun off into the ceiling. A
third man was shouting for everyone to get on the floor. People
started screaming, scattering, a baby was crying, More shots to the
ceiling and everyone was still and quiet.
"Now that's more like it." The big guy with all the hair
snarled. "Won't be but just a few minutes folks and our business
will be settled and we'll be on our way." He drug the poor bank
manager back towards the vault and nodded to his cohorts.
The skinny one with the red hair stood by the door, twisted the
deadbolt, gun pointing nervously around the room. The other skinny
one, an older version of the younger red head leapt over the counter,
produced a large cloth bag and began emptying the cash drawers.
Ennis laid flat on the tile floor, in front of his sister who was
beginning to whimper. He was quietly trying to shush her, moving
closer to her to protect and try calm her.
"He's moving, Eddie. He's moving" The young one by the door started
waving the gun towards Ennis. The older brother stuck his head over
the counter, "Who is?"
"The cowboy there; he's gonna try something! Jesus, lets get out of
Here!" He was pacing back and forth in front of the door.
"Take it easy now, Arnie." He jumped back over the counter knotting
the top of the half-full sack. "What's on your mind, Cowboy? You
want some of this?" He knelt down and waved his gun in Ennis's face.
"No sir. I surely do not. I was just tryin to comfort this lady
here." He kept his hands flat on the floor in front of him and made
no quick moves.
"We gotta get out of here. C'mon. We got enough." Arnie was
shaking like a kid about to pee his pants.
"Hold on now. We're almost finished." He was looking back for the
third man when he came running out of the back, cloth bag in one
hand, gun in the other.
"Let's go!
"That one's trying something, Neddy!" Arnie pointed at Ennis.
"That so?" Bushy haired Ned bent down and placed the barrel of his
gun against Ennis's forehead. "Got something on your mind? You some
kind of hero or somethin?"
"No sir; just anxious to get out of here," he held his position.
"Well now. That sounds like a good idea to me. Why don't you just
come along with us then." He pulled Ennis up to his feet.
"Ain't no need for that." Ennis said and kept his gaze down, didn't
make eye contact.
"You want out of here? So do we; let's go." The guy named Ned
stuck the gun against Ennis's ribs and walked him out.
They could hear the sirens as soon as they got out the door. They
hurried to their car and Ned pushed Ennis into the driver's
seat, "You drive!"
"Hell, I don't know this town. I'll get us lost." he protested.
The two brothers got into the back seat while Ned held the gun on
Ennis and climbed into the front passenger seat. Two patrol cars
roared up, someone came running out of the bank yelling and pointing
at them. Ned put the gun at Ennis's temple and said "Drive!"
Ennis keyed the ignition and screeched the car out into traffic and headed out. "Look. I'm
serious here. I'm just visitin this town. That was my sister back
there. I don't know where anythin is 'round here."
"Just shut up and drive then. I'll tell you where. Keep goin North,
towards the highway."
Another police car pulled out of a side street in front of them and
Ennis had to swerve to miss it.
"Faster. Faster!" Ned was yelling at him, swivel-necking around,
trying to spot the three cop cars that were now following them,
lights and sirens blaring.
They flew through traffic, blasting through traffic lights, swerving
around slower vehicles. Two more cop cars ahead.
"Fuck!" Ennis spit out between clenched teeth.
"Keep going, Keep going" Ned leaned out the window and started
shooting. The two in back were screaming and shooting as well.
Ennis yanked the steering wheel to one side, throwing the car into a
spin. There was a gigantic thud as the car crashed up over a
sidewalk and into the corner of a building.
They were all stunned for a moment; then the clamor began once
again. Police cars, screeching up to them, Cops yelling,
moaning from the back seat. Ned struggling to upright himself,
picked his gun up off the floor and began firing it out the window
Ennis was on the floor, trying to stay out of way of the bullets
exploding from every direction.
There it was right in front of him; primary target. The low blow,
he'd been taught as a kid to deliver. He balled up his fist, pulled
back his arm as far as he could from his cramped position then let
old Ned have it, right in the balls.
He let out a scream and dropped his gun out the window. The
shooting stopped. Soon there were officers screaming at him from
every window. He kept his hands high and didn't move, that was the
first time he had noticed it; the blood on his hand and arm. He was
being pulled out of the car and could hear voices from very far away
talking, "That the driver?"
"Yeah"
"He's the hostage. Take good care of him, ya hear."
It was some time later he awoke. His sister sitting by the bed,
holding his hand.
"Hey there. You finally decided to wake up?" She asked.
"What the hell..." He raised his hand to his forehead and noticed
the tubing dangling from the needle in the back of his hand.
"Shit!" That just about covered his feelings on the matter.
He tried to moved but discovered he hurt all over.
"Don't try to get up now." She warned him. "You're gonna be just
fine. Doc says you took a bullet in the shoulder, just beneath the
collar bone. You're all patched up and will be fine in a few days."
The next few hours were a blur. Jenny running in crying her eyes
out, cops all over the place asking questions, taking down notes. By
evening, Junior and Kurt came in. His brother called from Sage and
they talked for a time.
And then it was all over. Everyone was gone from his room and he was
left alone to sleep. He did sleep a lot the next day and gratefully
took the pain pills they offered him. He was sitting on the edge of
the bed, waiting for the nurse to come in and take the needle out of
his hand when the phone rang.
"Hello?" he said into it.
"Hey, Cowboy. What the fuck you doin, playin cops and robbers
without me there to watch your back?" Jack was teasing, but he was
frightened and angry as well. It all came across.
"I wasn't my idea, Bud. It just happened." He assured him.
"You could have been killed." The quiet voice was all fear now.
"Yeah. But I wasn't. Still goin fishin next month, aren't we?"
"Uh huh. Maybe I can get your autograph then?" Jack teased.
"Huh?"
"You're a celebrity now; pictures of you on the TV, in the papers."
"What the hell you talkin 'bout?" He had no idea.
"Seems like this Ned Bodine you sucker-punched in the balls been
robbin banks for years with his two cousins. No one's been able to
catch them. Hear you're gettin a big reward." Jack really was proud
of him; though still worried.
"Shit! A reward? For real? How much? Hope it's enough to get some
new tires for my truck."
Jack chuckled into the phone. "I'd say a bit more than that." He'd
let it go for now and let Ennis discover for himself just what the
reward was for taking down three men off the "Most Wanted" list.
The nurse came in the room then and started removing the syringe from
his hand.
"Be headin home soon as they get this needle out of me."
"Good. You be careful on the road now. See you in three weeks."
"See you."
Junior and Jenny breezed into the room just then and dropped the
newspaper on the bed beside him. There was his picture on the front
page, being hauled out of the wreckage of the car. Headline read in
big bold print COWBOY SOCKS IT TO 'EM.
His mouth fell open and he visibly gasped. He picked it up with his
left hand, right arm in a sling. There it was, for the whole world
to see. Wyoming Cowboy takes down armed robbers with a single
punch! He felt dizzy. This must be some kind of dream.
"Your famous, Daddy." Junior proclaimed.
"We're so proud of you!" Jenny was hugging on him.
"This is sh...a...crap. C'mon. Let's get out of here." He picked up
his jacket and headed for the door. Jenny grabbed up the newspaper
and took it with them.
Walking out of the hospital they were met by half a dozen people with
cameras and microphones, snapping photos and asking questions.
Ennis put his head down and hurried the girls along, out to their
car. Jenny was driving and Junior was in the back seat babbling
about the mayor wanting to meet him and the reward that was coming
and how proud everyone was.
When they got to the house, he went inside just long enough to kiss
his sister goodbye, grabbed his pack and made a dash for his truck;
all three women following behind, begging him not to leave yet, eat
first, rest first, etc.
In minutes he was on the highway heading home.
He arrived home at dinner time and was more tired than he could ever
remember being. He opened a can of beans, heated them up and ate
them out of the pan. A can of peaches for dessert and he was ready
for bed. He lay down, trying to get situated. This bed wasn't
nearly as comfortable as the one in the hospital but it was his and
he was home and that was a comfort in itself.
That was the first time he let himself go back over what had
happened. It all happened so fast yet it seemed like hours that they
had laid there on that tile floor waiting for whatever was going to
happen. He hadn't even felt it when he'd been shot. Must have been
the adrenalin. Didn't matter; it was all over now. There was talk
of a trial and he was expected to come back to Casper for that which
he agreed to. He would have agreed to anything just to get out of
there.
His thoughts wandered to Jack then, as they usually did. Whenever
he was tired or hurting or angry or sad; happy or horny; his
thoughts always turned to Jack. Jack was his haven. Thinking about
Jack was the next best thing to having him in his arms; holding him
close. He laid thinking about Jack most of the night; dozing off now
and then only to awake with Jack on his mind again, smiling that
smile of his, reaching out to him, holding him.
The cool gray light of not-quite-dawn brought a knocking at his door.
"Shit!" he said aloud. "Better not be another one of them son-of-
bitchin reporters." He straightened the sling on his arm and made
his way to the door.
He pulled it opened and stared into blue eyes grinning at him.
"What the hell?" He grinned and pulled Jack inside by his jacket
front, slammed the door and dove into his arms. The kiss was sweeter
than he ever could remember getting, mouths clinging, repositioning
themselves then clinging again. Neither one wanting to break the
spell. That's what it was like for him, being with Jack. It was
like being under this spell of pleasure; the looks, the touches and
the mind-blowing sex. Always. He couldn't get enough of it.
"Thought I'd stop by for a cup of coffee; you always did make the
best coffee. Mine always tasted like mud."
"You came all this way for coffee?" He smiled at him and fumbled for
the coffee with his left hand. Jack came to him and helped. The
coffee was hot and tasted good. They sat at the small table and
stared at each other for several minutes before Jack finally broke
the silence.
"We gotta do some serious talkin now, Cowboy."
"We do for a fact." Ennis agreed.
"You realize what almost happened here?" Jack was dead serious. "I
almost lost you. Do you have any idea what that would do to me? Do
you?" he demanded an answer.
"Nope. No one can know that 'bout another." He had to hear what Jack
had to say before he said his piece.
Jack stood up and paced the floor. "Ennis...You're the only thing
that keeps me goin. The one bright spot in my otherwise shit that I
call my life! Without you...there'd be nothin, nothin at all."
He stood there hands on hips. Trying to get his feelings across to
Ennis, trying to find the right words to make him understand.
Ennis had heard enough. It was time he spoke up.
"I been doin a lot of thinkin these last few days. Layin on that
bank floor; in that crumpled up car; in the hospital bed. You were
right. My life could have ended at any point but it didn't. For
some reason, the Man upstairs decided to give me another chance to
get it right." He stopped for a breath and a sip of coffee. Jack sat
back down across from him, waiting for him to continue.
"I'm through pretending, Jack. I'm gonna be forty next birthday.
Figure my life's more' an half over and the only time I ever been
really happy was the few short weeks I spent with you over the
years. The rest of the time, I spent lying to myself, my family and
most of all to you. I am what I am and I ain't hidin or lyin 'bout
it no more. I ain't never gonna send you away again, in fact, I was
thinkin of beggin you to stay. I do need help 'round here, you
know; being all crippled and all." He smiled up at him, that little
almost-not-there smile.
Jack stared at him in disbelief. Had really heard those words or was
he dreaming. "You mean that?"
"I do, Bud. If you still wanna get us a place together, well I'm all
for it."
Jack jumped up from the table and went to grab him but stopped
himself. "Hell, I can't even grab you and sling you around like I
want! Ain't there no place that ain't bruised and scraped?" He was
breathless.
"Yeah, there's one place, but I don't think I'm up to that right
now." He grinned full-faced now, seeing Jack's pleasure multiply by
the minute, like he was about to explode.
Jack took his face in both hands and planted a long sweet kiss on his
lips. "You won't regret this, Ennis. I promise you that."
Ennis stood up and went eagerly into the waiting arms. They held on
tight. "My only regret is havin to almost die before my eyes was
opened. I gotta say this now before I lose my nerve. I love you
Jack Twist."
Jack held him back at arms length and stared at him. "I know. I've
always known you loved me. I just been waiting for you to realize
that." He folded him carefully back into his arms again.
"You love me to, you know." Ennis said muffled into Jack's shoulder.
"Uh huh. From day one. First time I saw you leaning up against old
man Aguirre's place. Knew right then and there you was the one."
"Well you coulda told me; saved us all a lot of sorrow!" He smiled
and nestled closer into Jack's arms.
"Don't matter now. We're together; ain't nothin gonna change that."
Jack nuzzled a kiss into Ennis's sideburns.
"Don't ever let go, Jack. Please, don't ever let go."
"That's a promise written in blood, Cowboy."
They were surprised in the coming weeks as they looked for a place of
their own, when they found out that the reward money was
considerable. There was a $100,000 reward from the federal
government, plus several of the banks that had been robbed had
rewards running from $25,000 to $50,000. The three bank-robbers
confessed and were all sentenced to life in prison, no trial was
needed.
With the reward money and the money that Jack had been saving, they
were able to find exactly the place they wanted. After some time
their three children, who were all grown now, were told of their
living arrangements. There were some tears and some hard times but
within a few years things had worked themselves out and the Twisted Del
Mar ranch prospered.
THE END