Many many thanks to Kiss316 for beta reading this. She is awesome.
Warning: Swearing.
Phenomenal One
His patience finally gone AJ turned and looked Mayor Daniel Bryan dead in the eye. "On whether you allow me to finish my business," he said flatly. Then he turned his back and stalked away.
Putting nosy mayors out of his mind, AJ set out in the direction the Wolf had gone. The morning sun blazed down in the clearest of blue skies. There wasn't a cloud in sight and it promised to be unbearable soon. But AJ wanted to get this business over and done with. He had vengeance to pursue.
"You called unwanted attention to yourself by stepping in," the Saint rebuked, strolling through the street beside him. He didn't seem to notice the heat despite being dressed in a heavy black coat and hat.
Still annoyed, AJ just shrugged. He had his reasons for doing what he did. He scanned the area for the Wolf but didn't see it.
"Why did you do it?" the Saint pressed.
Glaring at the Saint, AJ didn't answer. He didn't want to have a conversation in the middle of the dusty street, surrounded by people. They would think he was as crazy as Cactus Jack. He kept walking.
"You don't have to talk," the Saint told him. "I can hear your thoughts."
"For fuck sake," AJ muttered to himself out loud. Luckily no one seemed to notice. 'Why the hell didn't you tell me earlier?' he thought very loudly.
"You don't need to shout," the spirit sounded almost peevish.
AJ rolled his eyes. I did it because I hate to see big guys picking on smaller guys just because they're smaller.' A terrible memory, long buried, of when he was a soldier in the War inadvertently bubbled to the surface of his thoughts. The naked branches above him were black slashes against the gray January sky. It was cold. AJ immediately buried the memory again but the Saint had seen enough to shut up. They walked past the jail and the butcher shop. AJ kept his hat pulled down in case someone recognized him, as unlikely as that was. Bullet Club had worn bandanas over the lower half of their faces every time they pulled a heist. And AJ's hair was getting considerably longer, disguising him even further. 'So what the hell is a Wolf?' AJ asked, getting back to the object of his hunt.
"A Wolf is exactly what you think it is," the Saint told him.
'It looks human,' AJ said, striving to be patient. It seemed everything in the world was conspiring to aggravate him today.
"You'll have to ask him about that," the Saint shrugged, supremely unconcerned.
Even as little as several hours ago, AJ found the Saint to be intimidating. Well, he was over that. He wondered if Randy felt the same way. Then finally, seeing the tall, long-haired man walking in front of him, AJ sped up. "Hey, wait up!" he called out.
The man either didn't hear or was ignoring him. He kept walking, crossing the street and heading to the edge of town. Dodging around a horse-drawn wagon loaded with fresh-cut pine logs, AJ broke into a jog, coming alongside the Wolf. "Wait," he said again. "I need to talk to you."
The Wolf still didn't look at him as they strode past the Mercantile. Up close, AJ could see there was indeed something different about him, despite looking human. There was a sharpness to his features, a loose easiness to his gait. Yet there was also a wariness about him.
"Why are you following me?" the man asked. Even his voice was similar to a growl.
"I know this is going to sound weird, but I need your help to find someone." AJ smiled his winningest smile as he brushed his hair behind his ear. It was damp from sweat.
"Fuck off," the Wolf responded promptly and walked faster.
Damn, it was too hot for this. AJ had to jog to keep up with the Wolf's long legs. "Believe me, I wouldn't bother you if it wasn't important," he told the taller man.
The Wolf ignored him.
"Do you want to make a lot of money?" AJ asked, trying a different tactic.
The Wolf stopped abruptly and glared at him. AJ skidded to a halt. He had to crane his neck to look into the Wolf's narrowed yellow eyes. There was something in the Wolf's expression that set AJ's hackles up. He saw contempt there, and viciousness. "How much?" the Wolf asked.
AJ knew where Bullet Club had hidden a large stash up in the mountains. "A lot," he said and in a low voice reeled off a number that widened the Wolf's eyes. "And its gold." He saw genuine interest now.
Looking around to make sure no one would overhear the conversation, the Wolf asked, "And you want me to find someone?" He was suspicious. There had to be a catch.
"Yes." Yeah, this Wolf was no ordinary guy and as such, AJ deliberately projected every ounce of authority he had learned during the War and while leading Bullet Club. He asked, "What's your name?"
"I'm called Baron Corbin." The Wolf answered, unconsciously responding to AJ. He considered AJ's proposal. "Must be a pretty important person. Who is it?"
"I don't know." Seeing Baron's glare, he hurried on. "Actually it's a something. It's a Skinwalker. It can look like anyone."
"A Skinwalker?" Baron's eyebrows rose.
"You know what it is?" AJ asked hopefully. This might go better than he expected.
"Yeah, and I know you don't fuck with them," Baron replied bluntly. "I'm not taking on a Skinwalker, no matter how much you offer." He turned to go but AJ stopped him.
"You don't have to engage it. I just need you to find it and tell me where it is. That's all." AJ assured him.
The Wolf thought it over. AJ had offered a lot of money. Greed clashed with self-preservation. "Why me?" he wanted to know.
"Well, I was told you could find this Skinwalker. After all, you are a Wolf," AJ said with a shrug but the Wolf grabbed AJ by the front of his shirt and slammed his back into the side of the cabin they were standing next to. AJ winced as his wounds complained, but he shoved that thought to the back of his mind as Baron leaned down and growled right in his face.
"How did you know?" he demanded, furious.
Eyes wide, AJ started to stammer an answer. He had no idea how to tell Baron that it was the Saint of Killers standing nearby, looking as concerned as a chunk of granite, who had told him. But then Baron's nostrils flared and a look of uncertainty replaced the suspicion. He released AJ, stepping back a pace. "What are you?" he asked in a low voice. The sun was turning the street into an oven.
Not entirely sure what Baron was talking about, AJ just grinned sunnily, but his blue eyes were hard. "I'm the guy who needs your special talents. So you'll find the Skinwalker for me?"
The Wolf glanced around. He contemplated the offer and made his decision. "Pay me upfront," he said.
"Half now, half when you find it," AJ countered. "No offense, but there is no way I'm going to pay that much and have you bail on me."
Baron made a face like he was sucking on a lemon, but he could see AJ's point. "Okay."
"Good! When do we get started?" AJ asked, anxious to be done with this.
Despite his status as Lone, the Wolf felt a primitive response to AJ. This was a natural pack leader. But not his, so Baron was able to deny him. "We do not do anything. I'll let you know when I find it. Get me the money, and I'll start looking." He turned and walked away, ducking into an alley, effectively disappearing.
Well, it could have gone better but he'd take what he could get at this point. AJ released a breath. The sun illuminated the street and buildings in harsh relief. Dust from the parched streets stirred up from the pedestrians hung in the still air. Leaves hung limp from the few scattered trees. He adjusted his hat and wished for something cold to drink. But that wasn't happening in the near future so he put it out of his mind.
"Do you have the money?" the Saint asked.
'Yep. Just need a horse.' Luckily, Enzo and Big Cass owed him and he headed over to the livery.
Enzo's remuda had a surprisingly good selection with several horses that AJ approved of. He eventually decided on a sturdy buckskin mustang. The blond man had generously offered him the palomino but as tempting as it was, AJ turned it down. He didn't need a memorable horse right then. He also purchased a saddle at a greatly reduced price. While Big Cass fitted shoes to his new mount, AJ returned to the hotel to retrieve his saddlebags, rifle, ammunition and bedroll. He had taken a look at Cactus Jack's revolver. It was so old it was starting to rust. He could tell be the looks of it, it had rarely (if at all) been cleaned. The damned thing probably wouldn't even fire. He tossed it on the dresser with a disgusted sigh. It was a useless hunk of metal as it was, and AJ didn't have the time to clean it. The location of the gold was pretty far from town and he knew it would take him at least the rest of the day to get there, let alone retrieve the gold and return to town. He left the revolver in his room. The rifle would have to do.
"Are you Allen Jones?" a man asked as AJ was exiting the hotel, rifle in one hand and his saddlebags slung over his shoulder. The man had been climbing up the wooden stairs to the covered veranda in the front of the hotel just as AJ was coming down.
AJ immediately noticed the brightly polished star pinned to the man's hand-tooled leather vest. His shirt was the finest cloth and there was barely any dust on his boots. His guns were pearl-handled. He was very clean and his hands had no callouses. Even his hair was neatly brushed. "For fuck sake," AJ muttered to himself as he rolled his eyes. He didn't need this. The Saint looked annoyed as well.
"I'm Sheriff Mizanin." The man had a perfect white smile and perfect hair. Just standing next to him made AJ feel like a two-bit cowpoke from the sticks. And that irritated AJ more.
"Is there something I can help you with, Sheriff?" AJ asked impatiently, easily sliding around the Sheriff, not stopping to chat. He had someplace to be and not even the sheriff was going to stop him.
Mizanin chased after AJ, trying to get in front of him to stop him to talk. He succeeded and AJ halted and fixed the Sheriff with a stony stare. Mizanin glared back even as smiled, fuming that AJ was effectively brushing him off, making him feel irrelevant despite his station. He tried not to show it but AJ wasn't fooled. "I was just wondering what your plans were, Mr. Jones. Trouble seems to follow you and I don't like that in my town."
And AJ wasn't scared by some showman who was more interested in his hair than doing his job. "The trouble was here long before I got here and had to deal with it, which I believe is your job. Now, my plans are my business, which you are keeping me from, Sheriff." AJ was in no way going to kowtow to this man. He tried to step around him but the Sheriff stepped in his way. He sighed loudly. He really didn't have time for this.
"So you're leaving town?" the Sheriff quizzed, seeing the saddlebags and the rifle in AJ's hands.
"For the moment," AJ told him. "Why, are you going to try to stop me?" He got right up into Mizanin's face. To his credit, the sheriff quite didn't back down.
"No. I'm just interested if you'll be coming back," the Sheriff asked him, trying to play it cool. Mizanin's hand was near his sidearm. "Like I said, trouble seems to follow you. I don't want it to follow you back here."
Maybe it was the blatant way Mizanin tried to intimidate AJ, or maybe Mizanin had such a punchable face. Whatever the reason, AJ was hot and annoyed and he just wanted to piss the guy off. "Fuck, yes I'll be back," AJ snapped. "I love this town so much I'm thinking of setting up shop here. Is there anything else you wanted to know, Sheriff?" he asked with exaggerated sarcasm. He really didn't like Bannack, but he could tell Mizanin wanted him gone.
People were stopping to watch the confrontation and Mizanin knew this was not the time or place to have this particular confrontation. He wasn't going to admit that he was looking for an excuse to get rid of AJ. "No, you're free to go, but just so we're clear, I have my eye on you," Mizanin warned. AJ didn't even care enough to react; he just resumed his trek to the livery, leaving the Sheriff in the dust.
Sheriff Mike Mizanin glared after Allen Jones, the talk of the town. He'd had to spend all morning listening to people burbling about how Allen Jones had run off both Dudleys and Cactus Jack. And Daniel Bryan hadn't even tried to hide his smug satisfaction when Daniel had described how easily Allen had dealt with Cactus Jack. A real hero indeed. Well, Allen had better watch out, because the Sheriff was keeping a close eye on him. And if Allen stepped one foot out of line, well the Sheriff was the Authority in these parts. He caressed the butt of his gun.
After collecting his horse from Big Cass, instead of getting on the gelding and riding away, AJ chose to lead it east, out of town. He wanted to take his time and make sure no one was following him. With both the Dudley boys out there, and Cactus Jack still in the area, AJ wasn't taking any chances on being ambushed. He walked in the heat, past craggy hills covered in brown grass and rocky ravines. His single canteen was full but he wasn't worried, he'd been in the area before and knew where the springs were.
"Quit stalling and get on your horse," the Saint growled, impatient. He too wanted to get this over with. So far, the others hadn't needed him, but the longer this dragged out, the better the chances were that Reigns or Ambrose would need the Colt Walkers. And that meant leaving AJ alone. He wasn't going to do that unless he had no choice.
"Hey, let me do this my way and we'll have a better chance of succeeding. I have to be sure I'm not being followed." He continued walking for a while, pausing every now and then to ensure there was no one behind him. Finally, as the sun blazed down from directly overhead, AJ was satisfied. He climbed into the saddle, gritting his teeth against the pressure on his bandages. The buckskin stood patiently while AJ adjusted his stirrups and got himself comfortable. It was going to be a several-hour ride to the mountains north of town, and AJ was still acutely feeling his injuries. He touched the horse's sides with his heels and the horse set out at an easy lope. He pointed the buckskin towards the highest peak in the mountain range in the distance, a rocky pyramid jutting high over the other mountains, patches of snow still clinging doggedly to its sheer cliffs. Bullet Club had a hideout in the trees below that mountain. It wasn't much, a single-room cabin and paddock. Only someone who had been there before knew where to find it. They didn't use it very much but they did stash most of their gold there, before Kenny had joined them. He glanced down at the rifle in the scabbard. With luck Bullet Club would be there and AJ could make their day miserable.
That thought kept AJ upright in the saddle.
Heat rippled the distant horizon and AJ could smell the sweat dripping off the buckskin. He reined it to a walk to let it catch its breath. At the rate he was going, it was going to well after sundown when he got to the hideout. But AJ had confidence he could find it in the dark if he needed to, if he was physically able to. So far his wounds weren't stopping him, and he was determined they wouldn't. His freedom depended on it. After a while he urged the horse back into a lope. The buckskin's breathing grew louder in the thin air as it climbed the high hills leading into the mountain range. The air cooled as they entered the trees, tall pines mixed with aspens and birch sheltering them from the sun's brutal rays. The fresh scent of pine filled the air as the gelding's hooves stirred up the fallen pine needles. Beams of sunlight slanted between the trunks from the west.
It was deep in the woods, near a swift-running stream that AJ picked up the trail he was looking for. It was little more than a deer trail, except at odd intervals, certain trees had a crudely carved bullet in their trunks. They made better time.
As the woods grew darker, the bare mountain peak loomed high over them, a giant orange pyramid still illuminated by the setting sun's rays. AJ reined the horse to a stop and listened. Except for the chatter of the stream, it was silent. There was no breath of wind to make the trees whisper. The horse shifted underneath him but AJ waited for a while longer. Finally satisfied, he touched the gelding's sides with his heels and they set out at a walk again. It had been habit to stop and listen for any sound that didn't belong. AJ didn't think Bullet Club would take refuge in this high, lonely place, but it didn't hurt to be cautious.
It was full dark when they reached the small cabin. Exhausted and aching, AJ dismounted, and it took several seconds of hanging onto the horse to get his feet securely under him. Cursing his wounds under his breath, he unsaddled the horse and let it wander in the tiny paddock. There was enough grass growing within to give the horse something to eat. He had watered the horse at the stream before going up to the cabin. Too tired and in pain to eat, he unrolled the bedroll and was asleep before his head touched the ground. The Saint lurked nearby not saying a word. He just watched AJ sleep and thought about his son and what he saw in AJ's memories. In the paddock, the horse raised its head at a soft noise nearby. It blew suspiciously through its nostrils, but the noise wasn't repeated and after a while it lowered its head to graze again.
In a nearby bush, the Wolf narrowed his eyes in annoyance. Normally he was much quieter, so much so leaves didn't stir at his passing. He had been spending too much time as a human, he decided. Being human dulled his senses. The Wolf eased himself down onto his belly and placed his muzzle on his forepaws, waiting for morning. He didn't intend to show himself to AJ. He was just going to wait and watch. His nostrils twitched as he smelled the faded scent of other humans who had visited the area a long time ago. He had followed the human Pack Leader, trying to figure out what it was about the man that unnerved him. AJ didn't smell quite right. To his Wolf senses, AJ smelled of the usual human scents: horses, sweat, fresh blood and leather. But underneath, he also faintly smelled of death, and something worse. The scent clung to AJ like lingering horror. It unnerved the Wolf and he almost turned AJ down. But the money was too good. Finding the Skinwalker would be a challenge but the Wolf had confidence in his senses. His ears twitched as he listened to bats overhead dining on insects. The stars wheeled silently through the night sky overhead.
Birdsong woke AJ up. He sat up, disoriented for a moment, but recognized the cabin. He had been here before several time after he and the rest of Bullet Club had pulled high-stakes heists and needed to lay low for a while. He brushed his hair out of his face and glanced around. Something was different. It took him a couple of seconds to realize he was alone. The Saint wasn't there, lurking like usual.
"Hey?" he called out to the thin air. "You around?"
There was no answer. He climbed to his feet with a surge of hope. By the amount of light filtering through the windows, he could tell it was about an hour after dawn. He gathered his gear and wandered outside, enjoying the fresh air and the peace. Chewing on some jerky he had packed in his saddlebags, he led the horse to the stream to drink. Inhaling deeply, he contemplating his plans. With the Saint not hovering over him, there was nothing in his way from going after Bullet Club. Of course he'd go dig up the gold for the Wolf, and get that ball rolling. But after that, Bullet Club was his.
"Yeah, not until you kill the Skinwalker," the Saint said from right behind him.
"Son of a bitch!" AJ yelped, startling the horse with his shout. He spun around and glared at the Saint of Killers. "What the hell, man?"
The Saint just smirked. It was terrifying.
"Fuck," AJ muttered to himself. "Alright, let's get this over with."
The Saint only nodded in agreement. He had gone to visit Mark about Randy again. They were up north of Helena. Since John Cena was still the temporary Sheriff there, Randy was safe enough. John was still busy getting the town rebuilt; he wouldn't take the time to try to arrest Randy. In fact, there was a grudging respect between the two of them.
Nearby, the Wolf laid its ears back and tried not to whine. It couldn't see who AJ was talking to, but he could sense there was something there that hadn't been before. And it was terrifying.
After the buckskin had drunk its fill, AJ led it back to the cabin and saddled it again. The gold was hidden further up, not too far but it was a climb. He figured he would make it before noon. The trek was steep but luckily the gelding was sure-footed. The air was much cooler this high up. They came to an area where the trees could no longer grow and AJ dismounted, tying the reins to a bush and continued alone. There were some clouds high in the stratosphere, but nothing that would indicate any moisture in the future. From where he was, AJ could see an incredible view of the smaller mountains, giving way to the hills and valleys. And above all of that, the glorious heavens. He paused.
"Stop gawking," the Saint growled.
AJ rolled his eyes and headed up the slope, climbing past small patches of snow scattered over granite chunks. It took a while because the air was so thin and his lungs were still hurting where the one had been punctured. There was a small cave near the base of the final cliff that formed one side of the peak. It only went back several feet, but it was sheltered enough to protect the gold from the winter winds and avalanches. Getting on all fours, he crawled inside. Several bags of gold coins lay against the back wall, undisturbed from when the last time AJ was there. One of them was more than sufficient to pay Corbin. He grabbed it, and then grabbed another one just because and dragged them as he crawled backwards out of the cave with a grunt.
He carried the bags, extremely heavy for their size back down the slope. The horse didn't twitch as AJ secured them to the saddle. He led the horse back down the steep mountainside through the trees, careful of his footing. Small birds fluttered in the treetops, calling out to each other. His legs were aching from the strain by the time he got back to the cabin. He planned to grab a bite of food there, then head back to Bannack. Several yards away from the tiny building as he threaded his way through the trees, he stopped dead. There were two horses in the paddock. Horses he recognized. Swearing under his breath, he realized he had left his rifle in the cabin with his bedroll. A twig to his left and behind him snapped.
"Hold it right there," a familiar voice commanded. "Hands in the air."
Eyes closed, AJ raised his hands over his head. He couldn't believe it.
"Now turn around."
AJ slowly turned to face Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson.
TBC
