Chapter Four
Mort stopped quickly to tell Deputy Lane where he was riding off to and told him to send out a rider as soon as possible to find Jess and him if there were any updates on Slim. After borrowing a horse from the livery, Jess mounted up with a boost from Mort. "You sure you're up for riding?" Mort asked, as he watched Jess struggle to pull his injured leg up and over the horse.
"No," Jess said honestly. "But I've got to do this." Mort nodded, knowing there was nothing he could do or say to change Jess' mind. Together, they rode for the ranch, urging their horses faster than normal in an effort to beat the setting sun. Mort had an alternative reason for wanting to get to the ranch as fast as possible; he didn't know how much longer Jess could hold out. Between the lingering effects of the alcohol still coursing through his body, coupled with the loss of blood and the pain from his bullet wound, Mort wasn't sure how Jess was even still conscious. He knew he was likely currently running purely on adrenaline, but that wouldn't hold out forever. At the very least, Mort wanted to get Jess back to his home at the ranch before the younger man succumbed to the sleep he so very desperately needed.
Once Mort and Jess had reached the hill that led down to the Sherman Ranch, Mort called up to have them stop. Jess startled awake, and Mort realized that he had been sleeping in the saddle. The younger man blinked furiously to wake himself back up fully before he lifted his head and looked at the hill in front of them. "Almost there," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.
"I don't think we should just go riding right in like this," Mort replied, his voice also low. "If we ride up that hill, we'll be too much of a target."
"You think we should go in on foot?" Jess asked, and Mort nodded.
"You up to it?" Mort asked, skeptically glancing down at Jess' injured leg.
"I'm fine," Jess said, and as if to show he meant it he swung his leg over his horse and hopped down. He landed mostly on his left leg, but his right leg came down to touch the ground and he nearly buckled from the pain. He gripped onto his horses' mane to steady himself and hid a grimace from Mort's eyes, but the sheriff caught the gasp of pain the younger man let out. Still, he knew he couldn't leave Jess behind or convince him to sit this one out.
"Let's tie up the horses over there," Mort said, motioning towards a group of trees that stood a few yards back and were well hidden in the dark of night that had finally fallen over the town. The two men walked their horses over to the trees, then stood a few minutes while they checked over their guns and tightened the bandage that was wrapped around Jess' leg. "It's bleeding again Jess," Mort said, and Jess shook his head.
"Doesn't matter. Let's get this over with and then you can bandage it better."
Mort sighed and reached out a hand to Jess' arm, steadying the younger man as they made their way up and over the hill and down the long lane that stretched towards the Sherman Ranch. Jess spotted the shallow grave that he had begun to dig, along with the discarded shovel that was just a few feet away. Slowly, both he and Mort made their way over to the shovel. Mort bent down and studied the small amount of blood that remained on the shovel. "Looks like you got him a bit," Mort said, a small smile on his face.
"Just a little," Jess said. Jess looked out towards the house. "This is where I shot him," he said. Jess pointed towards the ranch house. "He was standing over there. I know I hit him, but I'm not sure how bad. Once Mose showed up, I just wanted to get Slim to the doc."
"Well, let's go check it out," Mort said as he rose back to his feet. Together, the two men crept closer to the house, making sure to hide in the shadows as much as possible. All the lights appeared to be off in the home and there didn't look to be anyone around. However, Jess still had his gun out and in his hands, ready for the slight chance that the man he shot was still lurking around. Mort kept one hand on the butt of his gun, but he kept it holstered. His concentration was primarily on keeping the limping man next to him on two feet.
It didn't take long for the two men to find the blood stains that marred the otherwise bright green grass. In the dark, it looked like a large puddle of mud, but both men instantly knew it for what it was. "Looks like you hit him pretty bad, Jess," Mort said, kneeling back down to study the blood. "I don't think he would've gotten far, injured like this."
"That's what I'm worried about," Jess said softly, his senses on high alert as he swiveled to check for any threats around them. Mort stood back up and drew his gun as well now.
"You think he's in the house?" Mort asked, and Jess nodded once.
"He couldn't have run. Probably couldn't ride, injured like that. He would've had to get somewhere fast to stop the bleeding. Either the house or the barn."
"House is closer," Mort said. "Let's check that first." Jess started to walk forward, but he was pulled back by a strong hand on his shoulder. "I'm going first," Mort said, and Jess decided to let Mort win this battle. The two men crept up to the porch and then stood at the front door, one on each side. They looked at each other and Mort nodded. Jess reached forward and slid open the door, just enough to allow Mort to slip inside, his gun drawn out in front of him. Jess followed closely after.
Both men stood in the dark front room. It took a few precious seconds for their eyes to adjust to the darkness, but when they did, they could clearly see the path that the injured man had taken through the home. Blood stains were visible on the walls, the furniture, and the floor. It looked as if the man had stumbled into the home and dragged himself along, gripping onto the furniture and the walls to steady himself as he made his way through the small living room and over to the dining table, which was still set with Jess and Slim's uneaten lunch.
Mort and Jess made their way through the home, quietly following the trail of blood that marked the injured mans path. The blood disappeared behind the doorframe of the bedroom. Jess and Mort exchanged a glance and Mort took a step forward, silently informing Jess that there would be no argument about who was going to enter first. Jess followed silently behind, his eyes trained on his friend. He watched as Mort turned the corner into the bedroom, his breath held in anticipation of a fight.
Mort lowered the gun and slipped it into the holster at his side. "Well. He's not going to be much of a threat to anyone like this," Mort said, motioning towards the bed, which was just out of Jess' sight. Jess holstered his own gun and stepped forward to see what Mort saw, but before he could make it to the bedroom, there was a shadow that moved out of the kitchen. Jess felt a sharp blow to the back of his head and then the whole room was tilting, and he was crashing face first into the ground.