My Brother's Keeper

Part 3 Chapter 1 – Tell Me Again

Bullets flew at them from all directions; the gunfire was so loud they could barely hear each other talk.

"Tell me again how we got into this mess," Bart pleaded.

"Darned if I know," his brother answered. "I'm more concerned with how we're gonna get out. You got any ideas?"

A short laugh followed as Bart ducked further down under the window frame. "Let me think about that."

"Don't think too long," Bret answered. "Somebody out there's liable to get lucky and hit one of us."

Forty-eight hours ago they'd ridden into the modest town of Black Rock, New Mexico to play some poker. It'd been about three months since they'd seen each other and they were looking forward to spending a little quality 'Maverick' time together before one went east and the other went west. They had no idea how difficult that would turn out to be.

They met up in Gracefield and rode on into Black Rock with the idea of a few sociable poker games, some good meals, and fine cigars. Bret had an 'acquaintance' in Black Rock named Cherie Almadin who had a younger sister, Lil, and with any luck there might be a little friendly recreation in store for them. They had no clue what kind of trouble they were riding into.

Little Bend, Texas had been left behind after five years spent fighting a war they didn't believe in and Indians that wanted to be left alone. They'd been all over the country since that time, sometimes together, sometimes apart, but always mindful of where the other one was. Bret was headed for St. Louis and a big poker game; Bart for San Francisco at the invitation of a friend. A few days of peace, quiet, and brotherly camaraderie was just what was needed.

They checked into the 'Black Rock Arms' hotel and went to dinner after baths, shaves and a change of clothes. An hour later they were down the street with Cherie and Lil, who both worked at the Silver Spur Saloon, enjoying the girls company and a good smoke. Bart was keeping the ladies entertained with one of his stories about him and Bret as children when his brother stepped out back for a few minutes. No sooner was Bret out the rear door than three men came in and sauntered up to the bar. One was blonde and trail dusty and he grabbed Cherie's arm as he walked by the table and pulled her over to the bar with him.

"Hey, Luke, let go," she hissed at him, but he refused to turn her loose. Bart got up and went over to the cowhand and took his hand off Cherie's arm

"The lady told you to let go," Bart stated quietly.

The blonde gunman laughed and grabbed Cherie again. "Ain't no lady within thirty miles a here, tin horn. Get lost. This here's my property."

"I am not your property, you dirty, drunk – "

"Now Cherie, baby, that's no way to act," Luke laughed. "Tell the tin horn to go away."

Bart pushed Luke off of Cherie. "I think you're the one that needs to go away, friend." He stepped in front of Cherie so that he was between her and Luke. The second cowboy walked up behind Cherie and silently pulled her out of the way so that Bart was caught between the two men.

"Go away, tin horn," the second cowboy ordered, and when Bart didn't move, he drew his gun and hit the gambler across the back of the head. Cherie screamed and Bart went down in a heap just as Bret came in the back door.

The third cowboy pulled his gun and aimed it at the older brother. "Hold it right there, mister. This is a private quarrel."

Cherie bent down to minister to the fallen man and Luke planted a well-worn boot right in Bart's chest. The second cowboy jerked Cherie away while Luke dug through Bart's coat and found his wallet and rifled through the cash, then whistled. "Whoa, ya got one here that's loaded," and proceeded to remove the money and toss the wallet back on the unconscious man.

Lil jumped up from the table and tried to knock the gun from the third cowboy's hands, but all she got for her effort was a pistol butt in the face that slammed her halfway across the room into Bret's arms. "Don't try somethin' stupid like that again, Lil," Luke told her. "Sammy, get his wallet, too," and unholstered his gun to point it at Bret. Bart, meanwhile, stirred on the floor and moaned and Luke kicked him again, this time with enough force that Bart let out an 'oof' sound and then lay still.

Sammy relieved Bret of his wallet and smiled as he removed the money. "This one's pretty well fixed, too." Just then the bartender went for the rifle he kept under the bar and without batting an eye Luke turned and shot him. He grabbed Cherie by the arm and dragged her in close.

"You gotta behave better than this, baby," he growled in her ear, "or people get hurt." He aimed the pistol at Bart and shot as Cherie jerked away from him. The shot missed and went into the floor, and the girl ran for her life. He let her get half way out the batwing doors before he fired, hitting her in the shoulder. She fell and Bret jumped for the gun in Sammy's hand, wrestling it away from him and connecting with a right hook just as Luke and the second man ran out. He scrambled to the door, but the two men had jumped on their horses and were already halfway down the street.

Cherie was screaming and crying and Bret turned and told Lil "Go get the doctor," as he checked the bullet wound. It wasn't life threatening, but he stayed with her until her sister returned with the doctor, then hurried over to Bart, who'd remained still and silent. Bret turned his brother over gently but Bart was still unconscious and his breathing seemed labored. How many times had his ribs been broken? Had that happened this time? For what, because some drunken cowboy thought that a woman was his property? Cherie was hurt, Bart was unconscious, and the bartender was dead. And both the Mavericks were out a lot of money. "Bart, can you hear me? Come on, son, this wasn't supposed to happen. I was only gone a couple minutes. Wake up, would ya?"

A low moan was followed by an "oooooooooooooh" and then a mumbled, "Whose horse is on my chest?"

Those were the best sounds Bret could have heard. "Sorry, no horse. Are the ribs broken again?"

"Don't think so." Bart's eyes opened partially and he looked up at his brother. "What happened?"

"Before or after you went down?" Bret glanced over at Cherie, who was on her feet and on her way out the door with her sister, probably headed for the doctor's office. The doctor, who resembled a man they'd met in New Orleans, came over to see how Bart was.

"Shot anywhere?" he asked, and Bret shook his head. "Can you get him up? My office is three doors down. Bring him down there. Name's Snyder."

"Thanks, Doc," Bret called after Doctor Snyder. Then he looked back down at his brother. "Now, I can't tell you everything that happened, but our not-so-friendly cowboy Luke used your chest for a place to plant his boot. How's it feel?"

"Horse is still there. Help me up?"

Bret got under his brother's arms and helped pull him to his feet. Bart settled his hand on his chest and let out an "Ouch!" Bret draped Bart's left arm over his own shoulders and helped his brother stumble out the doors and down to the doctor's office. Maybe there they could get some answers from Cherie and Lil.

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