The Night Of The Howling Owl
Chapter Four
Edison and his men were having a hard time with the storm, trying to protect themselves from the elements.
Two of his men wanted to head back home, Edison wanted no part of it, at this point. Pointing his rifle at the two men before firing at the both to kill him and injuring the other in his shoulder.
The rest of his men, went back to stayed covered under the trees until the storm started to subsided.
Edison wasn't in any mood to be playing around with anyone at this time of the night, let alone the thunder storm.
It was some time later when the rain and the lightening finally ended having left everyone soaked to the bones, but everyone had a job to be done.
West and the posse were able to gather up the horses without losing a one having to been in the area, along with grazing. Once everyone were ready and settled in, they started to look for Gordon and Scarpella.
It was the same for Edison and his men.
/
Wimona was receiving a telegraph message from her source in Washington, D.C., she was not happy with the news at all, having to find out Anthony Scarpella having to be a traitor to the United States government.
She had received a report stating Scarpella once serving in the secret secret years ago during a mission involving Artemus Gordon.
But back then, he went under the name Gordon Thompson, along with having been shot by Gordon to have his faced damaged, until he was able to have plastic surgery done, he had made a statement to the authorities, he wanted to get his revenge against Gordon.
And why he now had requested Artemus Gordon to get back at him for what he had done to him years ago.
She had to do something. She asked the engineer of the train to head for the town of Centerville of possible, she had to explain all of the details to him to understand as to why.
He understood, since it involved Artemus Gordon and Jim West.
Everyone was ordered back onto the train to be heading for the town of Centerville. Since she wasn't able to leave in her condition, she has asked several of the workers on the train to look for Gordon and West, and give them the desperate message about the traitor.
Once arriving sometime later. Both men having to be a butler and number two conductor, were to head out on two of the horses that were in the main cargo hold, were taken out to be used for the travel.
/
Edison and his men were getting closer to Gordon and Scarpella. They had sent a scout up ahead. Gordon and Scarpella were now resting once again with one of the lanterns, since the ground was still soaked from the rain earlier.
"How far away are they Johan?" Edison asked his scout he sent to check up on them.
"Two hundred yards from here sir."
"Lets go everyone, check your rifles for your ammo." He checked his own rifle to check the barrel of his weapon.
They start to move, when they see both Artemus Gordon and Anthony sitting.
When Gordon got up from the log he was sitting on. "Hold it right there Gordon, and don't move, you to Scarpella, finally!, it's been a long few days trying to catch up with everyone." He tells the both men looking on.
"Edison, you know, I had a job that needed to be with me getting my revenge against Artemus Gordon, just taking your journal, only made it more interesting into."
Gordon speaks up. "I don't understand what is going on Scarpella, "Revenge" against me for what?"
"Oh!, like you don't know Gordon, my real name is Gordon Thompson, and no I didn't die on your account, inside I was scared for the rest of my life." Taking the fake skin on the right side of his face, to have everyone cringe at the sight of his skin being marred.
"Why now Gordon after all this time?" He asked while several rifles were on him and Scarpella.
"It took me all this time for me to finally catch up to you, otherwise I will have my revenge never the less, Edison, I suggest you kill me after your done with Gordon."
"But before I kill the both of you, I want that journal back, you took from my tent inside the camp."
/
On the outskirts...
Jim West and the posse from Centerville arrived at the area.
The Marshall had sent a scout up ahead to check it out. He was just now coming back.
"What's going on Johan?" The Marshall asked his deputy trying to catch his breath from the sprint.
"Gordon and Scarpella are two hundred tears away, along with Edison and five of his men having rifles on the two, I heard Scarpella say something about having revenge that Artemus Gordon, for something that had happened many years ago."
"West, do you happened to know what he's talking about in the first place?" He asked with a serious tone.
"I have no idea what he's talking about, and besides Artie and have not been together on a great many missions during the past 15 years as agents."
"We need to get closer and see what we can do with cutting down the numbers, West, how good of a shot are you?"
"The best going, I was number two out of 100 of the agents involved on the shooting range."
"Who is number one?" He queries tersely. "We need to cut down those men, before we can even attempt to get to Gordon and the other man, West, you will take out Edison, while myself and the other man will take the rest out on my order, understand everyone?"
"Yes sir." In unison everyone agreed, along with Johan. While everyone were ready walking very quietly through the trees. It was at this moment, when a Owl started to howl through the trees, they were able to see it perched on one of the branches.
When they made it. Edison and his men were hollering at each other for some odd reason. Saying something not finding the journal on Scarpella or even Artemus Gordon.
When the Marshall gave the order, he raised his arm to alert them. "FIRE"...
Edison and all five of his men were hit in various areas of their bodies. Edison was hit in the head by James West to kill him outright, while the rest of his men, who were left alive gave up themselves to the marshall and the secret service agent West.
While Artemus Gordon was grateful for the rescue by his long time partner/friend. As for Scarpella, he gave himself up as well with saying the journal was left at Centerville, inside the Marshall's office with all of those books he has collecting dust in his office.
"It will be their gentlemen, I have nothing more to say on the subject or anything else for that matter, my life is over with."
/
The next day after traveling to get back to town. The authorities were informed of the total situation with the journal, proving about the transactions for the slave trading by telegraph messaging.
President Grant and the Secretary of State was most pleased with the total outcome of the mission, even though Corporal Donald Edison was killed, along with three of his men, while two others were recovering from gun shot wounds to the right leg and shoulder.
They had found the journal, where it was supposed to be for where Scarpella reported.
It was up to James West and Artemus Gordon to bring the journal to the president of the United States. But this time on the train instead of traveling by horse back.
When Wimona had heard what had happened, she was glad everything had worked out for the best. At least this time Jim and Artie were not hurt in the process, even though it had come close to that point.
/
"Jim darling, I must tell you, your friend Artemus was a lucky man once again to survive this mission, it's just too bad we had found out about Scarpella's real name, until after I had received that dispatch from my source in Washington, D.C.." She says while placing a gentle caress onto his forehead and chest.
"Before I forget, Gordon Thompson was found hanged in his jail cell in Centerville a few days later, he uses one of the white sheets of his bed to kill himself the cowardly way out."
"It's too bad, by the way when do we arrive in Washington, D.C. to turn in the journal?"
"Two days, it will give Artermus to rest for the next two days after all that had happened the past four days, along with catching a slight cold from the storm." They chuckled before getting under the blankets.
