STRAIGHT DOWN TO BUSINESS
Strawberry, West Elizabeth
Sleeping on the ground was old news and so was waking up with his hand gripping on the revolver as well. He was a wanted man after all, nights were no longer a peaceful luxury he could ever afford again. The mere fact that he even awoke at all and not hogtied to a tree or in the back of a horse was a routine blessing every morning for the young cowboy.
Getting to his feet he surveyed the area before fully relaxing.
The fire had gone out overnight not that it mattered much they would be gone from this town by nightfall. Those two were likely already investigating on their own around the small town below him. Maybe they would find something meaningful to lead them closer to their marked spot, if it truly existed.
He wondered if he should go down the cliff and meet with his brothers. Word couldn't have spread that far could it? Then again he had been followed all the way to Blackwater, so much for covering his tracks. Lyle had already laughed at him for his terrible lack of survival skills. Lemy had always been more of a wild gunslinger than a hunter-gatherer, his skills were with firearms and explosives.
"Hey bro, did you sleep well?"
Glancing behind him, Bobby walked up to the small campsite, wearing the same clothes only this time he had a brown and white Mexican poncho covering up his entire torso. Flipping it over the shoulder, Bobby squatted next to Lemy and warmed up his hands to the small fire that Lemy had restarted. The weather up here was vastly different from Armadillo down south. Winter was only three months away, so the drop in temperature was already prominent in the region; the thermometer in the Bed and Breakfast registered the current weather at 56 Fahrenheit. Not exactly the scorching heat of the desert back home at all.
"I'm used to it. How's everything down there? Where's the pretty boy at?" Lemy took a sip from his brewing coffee as he sat down to the ground.
"Checking out the local general store. Making a list of the stuff we'll need for the rest of the ride." Bobby said.
"How thoughtful of him." Lemy mused.
"Anyhow I was going to check out the post office by the entrance of town, but needed to see if you were okay first." Bobby got back up to his feet and walked towards the edge of the cliff where he could see the entire town down below, " Maybe dad left or received some letters during his stay here."
"Smart thinking, while you at it mind mailing this piece of paper for me?" Lemy retrieved a sealed envelope from his satchel as Bobby walked back to him.
"What's this?" Bobby asked.
"A letter what else?" Lemy raised an eyebrow, confused by the question.
"Who's it for?" Bobby iterated.
"Some people that I know up north. Just that, nothing more." Lemy looked away in all directions hesitantly.
"What's her name?" Bobby smiled.
"Will you just mail it for me damn it!" Lemy angrily shoved Bobby who laughed at his brother's display of embarrassment.
It felt great to be hanging out with his brothers. So many years apart they were starting to feel like strangers rather than family. Shame that it took their father dying for them to come together one last time, so now they had to take advantage of this blessed opportunity and use all the available time at their disposal.
"Last night, Lyle ran into some trouble. A girl was kidnapped from her stagecoach and he happened to spot their campsite." Bobby suddenly spoke.
"No shit?" Lemy asked, surprised.
"Guess that's why he disappeared on us last night. Brought her to town, she was a wreck." Bobby said.
"I reckon he took care of those kidnappers too?" Lemy wondered, but by the tone, Bobby knew what he truly meant.
"I suppose…"
"Lyle has always been a straight shooter. No matter how hard he tries to be indifferent to the people around him. That kid has his mother's heart." Lemy explained with a rare smile meant for Lyle of all people.
Soon Bobby had to head back down to town and do his investigation. Lemy pointed out a wooden staircase built against the side cliff that will lead him down much quicker to the post office.
Reaching the bottom he looked around for Lyle, but soon figured he was still at the general store. Entering the post office he looked around for some service. A lady was sorting through some mail by the desks and a man in a brown shirt and white suspenders stood behind a window booth at the far end of the room.
"Can I help you sir?"
"Yeah, I was wondering if there was some mail left behind here or that may have arrived for a person called Lincoln Loud?" Bobby approached the booth window. "Also I would like to mail out this letter please."
"Loud you say? Did this fellar happen to have white hair by any chance?" The clerk asked.
"Ye-yeah!" Bobby was hit with surprise, "That's him... he's my... business partner. Haven't heard from him in a while, last letter he sent he was staying in a lodge here in town."
"I see." The man gave Bobby a certain look, not fully accepting of his story, but not fully invested in inquiring further, "That will be $1 for the letter sir, as for the other let me check."
Bobby paid the amount and waited for the clerk to check through the cabinets in search of anything that his father had left or received.
"You know that Lincoln, he sure was not one to easily forget. All serious and what not, kinda paranoid too. Constantly looking over his shoulder and his right hand always resting on his gun, ready to whip it out and shoot someone dead at a moment's notice." The man began to casually speak of Lincoln as if he was a longtime pal, Bobby said nothing, but did pay attention to the man.
"By the way the name is Hector Barlow and this has been my proud job for many a year." The clerk finally introduced himself as he continued searching for any envelopes meant or directed to Lincoln Loud.
"Bobby." The Hispanic looked around, the lady had already left now leaving just them two alone.
Noticing that the woman had left, Hector stopped fiddling with the many envelopes in hand and looked Bobby in the eyes. Bobby raised an eyebrow in confusion as he waited for any mail regarding his father's plans.
"I've been working this post here for sometime as I already said and that means meeting and conversing with many walks of life as are the requirements, so I was wondering if perhaps you may be curious about making some easy money?" Hector smiled at the young man, a smile that only a snake oil salesman could muster.
"...what are you talking about?" Bobby asked, confused.
"An associate of Mr. Loud has to be well aware of the man's shady activities. If that's the case you yourself are such an individual of that caliber as well." Hector explained as if giving a classroom lesson.
'The fuck is going on right now?' Bobby wondered as the man politely smiled at him earning him an even more bewildered look at the shift change in conversation. Is this guy offering him a job under the table? Is that what was currently happening?
"Are you offering a job under the table? Is that what is happening right now?" Bobby's thoughts turned to actual words as he spoke them out loud.
"Now sir, it's just a simple suggestion now." Hector raised his hands innocently, trying to look the part, "If it's not a job you're searching for then maybe some information is also offered at my services. After all I am, but a just member of a union of disgruntled workers in search of better income in these hard economic times."
Bobby thought long and hard before giving his answer to the man. They were short on cash and on the run. They had no idea where to proceed forward after Strawberry and anything, literally anything could help them at this point. If they had to get their hands dirty to locate the fabled gold their father died for then so be it, they already caused a ruckus in Blackwater anyhow and not to mention that Lyle and Lemy already lived the lives of outlaws. Maybe it was his turn to contribute in such ways. May his mother forgive him for partaking in illegal activities.
"Before I even ask, are there any envelopes for Lincoln Loud behind you or not?" Bobby leaned forward on the window booth doing his best to look intimidating.
"The last letter he sent was four days ago to Blackwater. Other than that not much else, but he did say that he was on a time constraint." Hector informed him.
"Meaning?"
"Meaning that Mr. Loud had to leave in a hurry, whatever wrongdoing he may have committed one may wonder, but he had mailed out various letters during his stay here, all to different cities in America. Some to Chicago others to New York He was expecting, but then again he took off without warning. A letter from that distance would take a week at best to arrive here." Hector said.
"So what you're saying is that I have no other choice but to hang around until something comes up?" Bobby asked.
"I'm afraid so?" Hector answered.
The others were not going to like this he thought as he worked out the timeframe of mail travel in his mind.
"Fuck it, what's that proportion you have for me friend? Guess I'll need to earn some cash until the next letter shows up." Bobby sighed.
Down the street ahead at the general store Lyle had just finished completing his shopping list.
"Come again soon!" The voice of the owner shouted out as the hunter exited the store with his bag of freshly bought essentials.
"Sure, whatever." Lyle muttered back.
That had taken more than he had wanted to. He had to be conservative since they were all low on cash, only the bare minimums he could afford. Going up to his horse he placed the bag behind the saddle and tied it perfectly to avoid it falling off on the road. He would leave it with Lemy and hope that the moron wouldn't eat it all in a single day. Bobby was over at the postal office getting some intel for them, hopefully something came up soon he hated being around people for long periods of time.
"Hey! Lyle!" A feminine voice yelled out his name.
Turning around Lyle saw her standing by the porch of the only luxurious lodge in this small resort town. There she stood with a bright smile and elegant dress, a complete exchange from the previous night when he first met and saved her. A burgundy dress with black outlines and a silver buckle black belt around her waist was her morning gown and she looked majestic in it. Her raven black hair neatly combed and washed with the same headband over her head. No make-up on her to fabricate false charms, she was a natural born beauty and Lyle really liked that very much about his taste in females.
With a ping of excitement in his heart he steadily approached her on foot, well aware that his legs were misbehaving on his own by forcing him to walk at a strong pace or else have his muscles collapse under him. A face full of mud is not what he wants to look like in front of her.
"Morning miss, glad to see you strong and shining. Last night was a bad misfortune for you." Lyle greeted her.
"Oh...yes, it truly was." Gloom frowned as she remembered the entire ordeal, but quickly smiled at him, "Then you came and I felt fear no more. You became my shining light that horrid night and brought me to safety...I could never repay you, ever for such pure kindness."
Lyle blushed at her words, never having been called a hero by anyone in a longtime, "Erhh...what kind of person would see your predicament and walk away? I've been living off in these wild lands for my entire life and learned that humans are dangerous animals. I didn't have to think twice, I would not allow them to hurt you any further."
Gloom smiled lovingly at his kind words, even if Lyle was off-putting, judgmental and a bit of an asshat at times he genuinely had his heart in the right place. And by the looks of it his natural charm was having a clear effect on the young girl before him.
"Have you already had breakfast Lyle?" Gloom asked.
"Yeah. Home cooked pancakes, haven't had those in ages." Lyle responded, but he was picking up the hints, "But I will be starting here for some time with my brothers. Perhaps the whole day maybe."
"Oh, is that the boy we met last night? Your brother?" Gloom asked again.
"That was him. We're in search of something involving our...father. But we can talk more about it during lunch if you desire?" Lyle smiled back, this time getting Gloom to blush back.
"I would love that very much." She agreed.
Lemy crouched around by the creek collecting water into his canteen. Gulping some fresh water into his dry throat refreshed him greatly. Walking over to Slayer he put his canteen away and surveyed the clear skies above. This was a pretty country, very different from the Rockies and the desolated plains of Wyoming and Nebraska. Regardless they all had that one thing in common and it was the freedom of society. The west was dying so it has been said, but nature can never die and neither can the human will and desire to pursue the dream of unlimited freedom.
'May this gold bring a new change to our meager lives.' Lemy wishfully hoped. It would be quite the tragedy if there was nothing of value to greet them at the end of this long journey they have chosen to embark on. For all their sakes, Lincoln's treasure had to be found, no matter the circumstances or possible tribulations ahead of them.
Riding Slayer down a patch of trees Lemy got greeted with the least expected encounter for that early morning day.
"Hold it right there boy! No sudden movements!" Two men showed up behind the trees both wielding rifles which were directly aimed at the young outlaw's face.
"...Fuck." Lemy muttered.
"Get off that horse and do it gently, no stupid tricks ya hear." The first man spoke up, both of them had their faces covered up with bandanas, but the other thing that Lemy noticed was their apparel. Fur garments on each, mainly their coats and while Lemy was no hunter like his brother Lyle he could at least recognize the animal that the pelts belonged to.
"Easy now fellars, no need to waste bullets, heard that the price has gone up on rifle ammunition as of recently." Lemy got off Slayer and held his hands up to his chest as he carefully walked away from his horse to be in open view of the two ambushers.
"The fuck you take us for? If we need bullets we take them, fuck the need to purchase!" The other man chuckled, he had a unique English accent, "We ain't some pansy city folk out and about shopping out of boredom now mate. We take what we please and right now whatever it is you gots we want."
Lemy looked at them both with narrow eyes, he couldn't fault them. He too had robbed bystanders in the past, but regardless he sure as hell wasn't going to allow it to happen to him as well.
"That's some fancy coats you fellers have on, grey wolves I reckon. I do know of a group that proudly wears these outfits as a badge of honor." Lemy said as he continued to stall them with conversation.
"You got a good pair of eyes there boy. Folk should now better than to dare challenge The Wolves or else have your beheaded body found hanging from a pine tree by the locals." The first man manically chuckled.
"No...I wouldn't like that at all." Lemy sighed before lookin back up between them and nodding.
The first man saw this and quickly turned around aiming his rifle at the trees behind, "Who the fuck is there?"
His companion made the error of taking his eyes off of Lemy and looking around too. The perfect opening the eldest of the Louds was looking for. As quick as he could, Lemy reached for his revolvers and aimed at the two robbers. Pulling the triggers on both guns, Lemy opened fire on them both without mercy. The man with the English accent got two bullets in the chest and one in the forehead while his partner got his ear shot off and right shoulder penetrated. Both dropped to the ground; one dead and the other in immense pain.
"For members of the Wolfman's gang you two are a pair of idiots." Lemy put away one revolver and kept the other aimed at his would-be mugger who painfully grunted on the floor, "Guess the standards of recruitment have gone down the shitter if you two morons got so easily tricked."
"Fuck you, shithead. You can't hide from a predator and the others will learn of this!" He spat out.
Lemy stared at him in doubt, "The dead don't speak my friend."
He shot him square in the head, leaving a large hole covered in mushy meat and blood as it all flowed out. Someone must have heard the gunshots, even if he was at a fair distance from town these roads were always occupied by travelers and stagecoaches he had to make himself scarce. But first, he never wasted a good kill like this and began to search their bodies for any valuables.
Not much on them, just some coins, a pack of cigarettes and a shiny silver ring on one of them. He could sell that easily to the right person. Their gun belts and weapons could be of use, both personally and monetarily as well. Getting all the stuff he needed he placed both rifles and belts on Slayer and quickly rode away from the crime scene.
He wondered what the others were up to in town.
"Crap, I really hope those two dead idiots were the only ones or else things just got even more complicated for us. Got to get back and warn Bobby and Lyle about these thugs roaming about." Lemy spoke as he galloped back to his campsite.
"Fuck…" A realization hit Lemy square in the face as his face hardened at the thought. He needed to get to the others immediately and share this new theory that just manifested itself to him.
Back in town the other Loud brothers met up by the first bridge in the front entrance of the town. Bobby had been leaning against the log rail of the bridge admiring the small waterfall in the center of town.
'That's a nice little attraction for this small place.' Bobby thought. After leaving the post office he walked over to clear his thoughts and understand just what the hell he had just gotten himself involved in, hopefully the others would be okay with this spur of the moment plans.
"Hey." Lyle approached him from the left side of the bridge, he appeared to be in a good mood which was rare for the blond man.
"All good? Anything at the post office that is worth sharing?" He asked him.
"Not much." Bobby confessed as he spit out the toothpick he had been chewing on, "Dad mailed out multiple envelopes the past week, but if we are expecting something back it may take a few days until the stagecoach arrives with fresh new mail."
"I see, so no other choice but to hang around this place for a bit longer." Bobby couldn't see him, but Lyle had a small smile on him as his thoughts lingered to a certain someone also staying in town.
"I did find something for us to do in the meantime however." Bobby stated.
"That so?" Lyle looked over at his younger brother with curiosity.
"Are you and Lemy down to commit a few well earning jobs... strictly under the table that is, and totally not legit in the eyes of the local law?" Both brothers eyed each other with silence. Bobby kept a straight face while internally hoping that he hadn't done wrong by offering their services without consenting with his brothers first. Lyle on his part simply raised an eyebrow before shrugging and looking at the lovely waterfall ahead.
"What kind of jobs are we talking about now, little brother?"
A/N : I'm a slowpoke. What about you cowpoke?