Sheriff McMahon – Part Three

The sheriff woke, feeling anxious. His dreams had been unsettling; dreams of bloodshed and violence. He shook his head to clear the morning cobwebs, and thought of the previous night's occurrences. Try as he might, he could not rid his mind of the mysterious woman he had met in The Fortuna. She was so beautiful, and yet seemed so dangerous to him; dangerous because she was distracting him from more pressing problems. There was also the problem of the two warring hunters to contend with; he felt confident that his plan to keep them both in Deadwood while he searched for the vicious and deadly Undertaker, would succeed but he still felt the anxiety of them running the town while he was gone.

He washed and shaved quickly, and stepped outside to complete his morning round of the main street; time to assess the damage of the previous night's frivolities. Of course, frivolities in this town usually consisted of windows being smashed, and fights breaking out in the street. Usually the street was awash with activity, people bustling about, completing their daily chores, shopping for their daily needs, and the heavy drinkers were generally already in the saloons. However, on this morning, the town seemed subdued, as if a dark cloud had settled on the minds of everyone who lived in Deadwood, obliterating the atmosphere, making the town dull and dismal. Shane looked about him, and dismissed it as his imagination, brought on by his own bad mood. But he couldn't help notice that the people trudged rather than walked, that instead of greeting each other in the street, they would just nod stiffly, and continue on their way.

The sheriff walked into the jailhouse to find his deputy waiting for him. Michaels was, for once, actually doing some work, reading through the various wanted reports and telegrams that had come in that morning.

"Anything new?" asked Shane, not really thinking about his question. His mind was on the actress who had appeared out of nowhere and taken down one of the most feared hunters in Deadwood with one swift knee.

"Oh, just the usual. Bank robber up in Arizona said to be heading this way. Nothing exciting." The deputy looked up at his sheriff. He couldn't help but feel there was something different about his demeanour; he had noticed it last night, and that same far away look was still in his eyes.

"He's still bothering you, isn't he,"

"What?" asked Shane, startled out of his reverie. "Who?"

"The Undertaker. Calloway." Michaels answered. "When are we leaving?"

" Tomorrow…we'll go tomorrow night."

"Tomorrow? Why not tonight?"

"I have other things to do." Answered Shane, although he was screaming at himself inside. Tomorrow could be too late, but your willing to risk it just so you can see some woman you don't even know?

"Like what? By tomorrow the guy could be here, he could have disappeared, hell, he could have passed us right by! What is wrong with you?" Shawn asked indignantly.

"Look, I said we are going tomorrow, and that is the end of it, ok?" Shane shouted at his deputy.

"Fine. But let me say this now Shane. I don't know what's come over you, but you have been walking around in a daze. And if this is your decision, then that's fine by be, but I hope to god it is a decision made with a clear mind, because this guy is a killer. And if there is something bothering you or distracting you then may god help you, because the only way we'll be able to get this guy is if you have a clear head. You understand me?" Shawn had stood up as he was talking, and walked towards the door. Shane sat in shock; it was the longest speech he had ever heard from his usually docile deputy.

"Whatever it is that's bothering you, sort it out, because we need you, Shane." And with that, Michaels left.

He's right, thought Shane. I am distracted. Distracted by a woman who I've just met, and I don't even know her name. However, the realisation of this was not enough to deter him from the idea of going to see her show; he needed to see her again.

The day passed without further event, a fact that annoyed the Sheriff, as he would have welcomed any distraction at that point, just to take his mind of her. He went outside the small office for fresh air, but the wind was up and had unsettled the dust and muck from the street. The air was thick and hot and stifling. Stepping on to the wooden siding, Shane surveyed the street. Still too quiet for his tastes.

It's as if they know he's coming, he thought to himself.

"And everyone's keeping well away from the storm about to come."

"They say talking to yourself is the first sign of madness," a soft voice whispered near him.

He jumped, and whirled around. There stood before him, was the beautiful actress he had not been able to stop thinking about all day long. Speechless he stood staring at her. She smiled slowly.

"I've come to reclaim my gun."

"What? What gun?" he asked, still hardly believing she was there.

"The gun you took from me last night, I would like it back. A girl has to protect herself, you know."

"Oh…oh of course. Your gun." Shane raced inside, retrieved the item in question, and ran back out again. He handed over the firearm, suppressing a shiver as their fingers touched for the briefest of seconds. "Sorry." He said, feeling stupid.

"What for?"

"Erm…well for not giving it back to you last night."

"I thought it was customary for the sheriff to keep hold of all firearms as he saw fit?"

"Well…yes, but…" he stumbled over his words, feeling his cheeks redden. Why the hell was he acting like an idiot?

"Will you be coming to see the show tonight?"

"Of course. I wouldn't miss it for the world." Shane smiled at her, pleased he had managed to get out at least one full sentence without sounding like an imbecile.

"Well, at least we'll have someone in the audience then. We were a little worried about the attendance." She returned his smile, and he actually felt his knees weaken. Oh good god…

"Oh…I shouldn't worry…I'm sure everyone will be there…" he replied, a little unsteadily. They would be mad to miss it, he thought.

"But I look forward to seeing you the most. Good day, sheriff." She turned away, and made her way down the street. He stared after her, and then smacked himself on the head. Once again, he hadn't found out her name. Dammit.

Well, if he had been uncertain before, he was damned certain now. He had to go to the show tonight; a whole league of lunatics on the run wouldn't have been enough to keep him away.

* * *

Later that evening, Joanna Ashton sat in her hotel room, thinking of her two meetings with the sheriff. Couldn't stop thinking about him, in fact. She wondered if he thought about her – if she had known that he had also spent the whole day thinking about her, perhaps she wouldn't have felt as nervous as she did. Why did she tell him about the show? She was terrified of performing in front of him…what if she forgot her lines? What if she tripped? He'd be watching the whole time, and she would never be able to face him again.

She couldn't get him out of her mind. There had been something intense about him, something deep and brooding. He was definitely too young for the responsibility that he held; she knew the type of person that roamed this town - after all, her brother was one of them - and knew how hard even one of them could be to handle, never mind a whole town full of bounty hunters. But she had a feeling that was not why he had been so depressed last night; there was something else he was worried about.

She shook her head, as if shaking the thoughts of him from her mind, and stood up. Taking a deep breath, she opened the door of her hotel room, and stepped in to the dingy hallway. The Merchant was not exactly what you'd call classy; but compared to the rest of the hotels in town, it could almost be classed as hospitable. At least it was clean, and serves their purposes. The stage was big enough for their show, and the seating area held a fair capacity. But Joanna couldn't help feeling a little nervous; although their show had been received well in town's worse than this, it wasn't the same as most travelling shows were these days; no dancing girls, no pleasant love songs, and fancy dance routines. She still wasn't sure if Shakespeare and duelling violins would go down well here. Still, there was nothing she could do about that now. Heading down to the small area at the side of the stage, behind a makeshift curtain, she met up with her fellow performers. She peeked around the curtain, and saw a fair sized audience had built up; but no sign of her sheriff.

"Nervous?" as soft voice near her ear asked. She smiled as she recognised the voice of her co-thespian and mentor.

"As ever. Marshall, you did put the boards up, right? I want these people to know exactly what kind of a show we have."

Marshall Hampton had known Joanna for a long time, and recognised the anxiety in her voice. Pushing his ever unruly curly hair from his eyes, he replied, "Jo, don't worry so much. Nobody could ever fail to love you. You make the best Ophelia in America."

She smiled up at him. He was her best friend in the world, and he never failed to make her feel better when she needed it. "Well, it's only because I have the best Hamlet in the world. But let's face it, our audience is not exactly the most cultured of people."

"Well then, it shall be our job to bring culture to them, my dear," he replied in his well-spoken manner. The drum roll began, and the hotel manager addressed the crowd, introducing them. She wanted to check the crowd again, see if he was here, but there was no time. The show had begun.

* * *

Shane walked towards the Merchant's show room as slowly as possible, not wanting to look too eager. He almost overdid it, as he heard the manager of the Merchant announce the beginning of the show while he was still in the hotel lobby. He quickened his step, and walked into the large room, taking a seat at the back just as the actress was entering the stage with a tall good-looking man at her side, linked arm in arm. Shane felt a small twinge of jealousy. Both were dressed in fairly elaborate costumes from another time, and Shane thought that she looked even more beautiful than she had the night before.

The scene began, and the Sheriff watched with growing wonder as Ophelia professed her undying love to Hamlet, only to have it thrown back in her face. Both were powerful actors, and Shane was not the only member of the usually rowdy audience stunned in to silence. Her passion for the role was intense, and everyone present felt it radiating from the actress, as she poured her heart and soul into her performance. Shane managed to tear his eyes away from her to look for a sign or poster that may have her name on it, and in doing so, noticed a certain bald bounty hunter leaning casually against the wall, a small smile on his face, as he too watched entranced. Shane looked at him, barely believing he was here. Shane knew a lot about Steve Austin, but as far as he knew, the hunter's tastes in entertainment ran to beer and beating up people. He didn't even bother with the local whorehouses, never mind the theatre. And yet, there he was, watching engrossed.

Shane looked back to the stage, unable to keep his gaze away from her any longer; he'd have to find out her name after the show. The scene ended moments later, and as the two actors bowed to the audience, they received a standing ovation. Shane stood with the rest, clapping until his hands hurt. He stared at the now breathless but beaming actress, and for the briefest of seconds he thought that their eyes met, but then she turned away, and left the stage. As the show continued with a pair of violin players, Shane left his seat and wandered over to where his friend was stood.

"Damn good show, huh?" Shane asked with a grin. The hunter jumped in surprise, and a pained expression came over his face when he saw Shane's smile.

"I didn't know you liked the theatre, Steve. You should've told me, we could make it a regular thing."

"Shut up, McMahon. What the hell are you doing here anyway?"

Shane fumbled for a reply; there was no way he was going to admit to Austin that he had come here just to see a woman.

"Well, I happen to like Shakespeare. What's your excuse?" Shane watched the hunter carefully, and saw him hesitate before answering.

"I came to see…well, someone in the show." Austin replied, slowly. Shane stared at the hunter, a growing suspicion welling up inside of him. He really didn't want to know who, but found himself asking anyway.

"Who…who exactly did you come to see?" the sheriff asked quietly, already knowing what the answer would be. The look on Austin's face as he had watched the opening scene had said it all, but Shane had been so engrossed himself he hadn't interpreted it as such.

Austin hesitated again, and reluctantly turned around, revealing a poster behind him that declared the Hampton Theatre Company was coming to Deadwood. Underneath the main title was a cast list, and sure enough, Austin pointed to the name next to Ophelia…Joanna Ashton. So that's what her name is…not that it matters anymore.

"You…you know her well?" he asked his friend.

"You could say that," Austin replied, staring at the stage, the same small smile on his face. Shane felt as if he had been gutted. He tried to tell himself that it meant absolutely nothing, but couldn't help but realise the truth - not only was she obviously taken, but by his best friend. He raised a hand to his forehead, a headache on its way. He realised Austin was talking to him.

"She was great wasn't she? I love watching her on the stage; she never fails to amaze me." The hunter said, a proud smile on his face. Shane mumbled a reply, suddenly hating his friend of more than ten years. He was so envious of the hunter; the thought of them together almost made him feel ill.

"Shane? Shane are you all right? You don't look too good," Austin said, breaking into his thoughts again.

"Yeah. Yeah Steve, I'm fine." Shane replied, looking up at the hunter with burning eyes. If he couldn't have her himself, then he would make sure Austin wouldn't have her that night. "Look, we're going out to get that guy tonight, so do you think you could drag your ass away from here long enough to look after the town?"

"Tonight?"

"Yeah tonight. Sorry if I upset your plans and all."

"Shane are you sure you're ok? Don't take this the wrong way, but I don't think you're up to facing this guy tonight. Maybe you should wait until morning."

Shane's anger and indignation had almost reached boiling point. "Steve, I'm going out there, tonight, with or without your co-operation. So get used to the idea."

Austin looked at his younger friend for a few moments before replying. "Alright Shane, if that's what you want. But I'm coming with you."

"The hell you are!"

"I'm not taking no for an answer, McMahon. I know I said I'd stay, but you need me. You need me with you."

"The hell I do! Austin, I need you to stay here, keep an eye on this rabble…" Shane tailed off as he realised what he was saying. If Austin stayed in town, he'd be here with Joanna. But if he came with me…

"Shane, I'm coming with you whether you like it or not."

Shane stared furiously, his thoughts fighting each other. His pride didn't want Austin with him; but the thought of Austin with Joanna was enough to override that.

"Alright Steve. Fine. But when we get out there, you listen to me, do what I tell you to, got it?" The hunter nodded his reply, and Shane knew full well that it meant nothing; Austin took orders from nobody. Still, he would be helpful; Austin wasn't the best hunter in the world for no reason.

"Meet me behind The Fortuna at midnight. And bring a torch." Shane said, before turning on his heel, and storming out of the room.

* * *

Shawn Michaels sat at the bar of The Fortuna in much the same position as his sheriff had the night before. He sat with his head in his hands, worrying. He thought about how strange Shane had acted the night before when he came in from the bar, and this morning's little episode. He wanted to put it down to the stress of having that lunatic, The Undertaker, just outside of town, waiting for the right time to ride in with his destruction, but the deputy's heart told him that it was something else that had brought upon this sudden change to his sheriff.

Like the sheriff the night before, the deputy's thought's were broken into; however, whereas the sheriff had found himself confronting a beautiful woman, Shawn instead felt a heavy hand on his shoulder, and a deep and decidedly masculine voice drawled into his thoughts.

"Well, deputy, it looks like you are not your usual cheery self tonight.." Micheals looked up at Johnson's careful grin, careful so as not to reopen his split lip, and groaned.

"Go away you crazy goddamn hunter. I'm not in the mood."

"I can see that. Mind if I join you?" The hunter sat down without waiting for a reply.

"So the question remains…what is wrong with Deadwoods finest?"

"Nothing. Don't you have someone else to annoy?"

The hunter ignored the question. "Sure there is, something's bothering you. Wait …let me guess: women trouble, right?" Micheals glared at the hunter, almost about to scream, when something sparked in his mind. A woman? Could that be what's wrong with Shane?

"Well? Shawn, are you listening to me?" the hunter asked, puzzled at the strange look on the deputy's face.

"Dwayne have you noticed how strange Shane has been today?"

"No, I havn't seen him. Why?"

"Never mind." Shawn mused – perhaps it was a woman, but Shane had been fine, if a little tense yesterday…whatever had happened to him, falling in love or not, it had happened after Shawn had left the bar last night.

"Maybe he's just worried about Calloway." Shawn said out loud, before realising his mistake.

"Calloway? As in Mark Calloway?" The hunter asked, eyes wide.

Oooops. Shit.

"No…erm…a different Calloway. Definitely not Mark." Shawn said hastily.

"Bullshit, Micheals! This guy, The Undertaker – He's Calloway, isn't he? Son of a bitch."

"Dwayne, wait a minute. You promised."

"Ah, to hell with that. I'm going to get that bastard this time, and I'll be damned if I don't." The hunter was flushed with excitement, and Shawn tried desperately to talk him out of it.

"Look, you're going to get the reward money whether you catch him or Shane does, why put yourself in danger?"

"I don't give a damn about that! It's not the money Shawn, it's the principle. To hell with this town, to hell with Austin, and to hell with you. I'm outta here. I got me a dead man to catch." The hunter was up out of his chair, and practically sprinting across the saloon before Shawn had time to react.

Shane is going to kill me. With that thought in mind, Shawn wondered what the hell he was going to do. Should he go with Johnson? The thought of the two of them against The Undertaker didn't exactly fill him with pleasure. Johnson was a wild card, team work was not in his repertoire. He imagined the "dead man" bearing down on him, gun in one hand, and knife in the other. So vivid was the image that when he felt a hand on his shoulder, the deputy squawked and jumped so high, he literally left his seat. He turned to see the one person, other than Calloway, that he really didn't want to bump into tonight.

"We're leaving. Now." Shane said.

"What?!? Now? You said tomorrow!" Michaels said, terrified. He must know about Johnson, Michaels thought irrationally. Aw shit.

"I changed my mind. You were right, we need to get him now, tomorrow could be too late. Let's go." Michaels sighed, relieved. He didn't know. Then he realised that he could be walking into his doom, and tensed up. Also, there was the point that Johnson would also be out their roaming the hills…he thought about telling Shane, but saw the feverish look in his eyes and thought better of it.

Shawn set his features in a frown. "Alright, sheriff. Let's go."

* * *

Austin waited for the sheriff and his deputy behind The Fortuna, just as he had been instructed to do. He never really had any intentions of letting his young friend go charging off into the wilderness without some backup. Sure, Shane had Michaels with him, but, when it came to a good old-fashioned fight…Austin grimaced at the thought. Michaels would be no good to either of them in this situation.

Suddenly, he tensed, hearing footsteps. The sheriff and his deputy rounded the corner both quietly leading their horses by the reins. He greeted the sheriff with a nod, and was shocked to see the look that Shane gave him – a look of undisguised pure hate. For the first time, he felt uneasy about this little adventure. There was something wrong with the sheriff, and he wanted to find out what the hell it was before they went anywhere. He was about to ask when Micheals spoke up.

"What the hell? Shane what is he doing here?"

"He," Shane practically spat the word out, "is coming with us. To help."

"What? Wait a minute…"

"No arguments Shawn. He's coming with us." Shane glared at Austin with malice, and Austin mentally recoiled. What the hell was going on here?

"Shane…" he began hesitantly. "I don't think-"

"I know what you're going to say Austin, so save it. I don't give a damn what you think. We're going to get him now. Together."

Michaels stood aside of the two old friends. The atmosphere between them was so thick, it was almost suffocating; but it was all of Shane's doing. The deputy could see the confusion written all over Austin's face, and he had to admit; he didn't have a damned clue as to what was going on here either. Yesterday, these two had been friends – something had happened since to change at least Shane's view on that friendship.

"Er…guy's I think, if we're going we should go now."

"Sure. Shall we?" Shane asked Austin pleasantly, as if suggesting a ride to the local beauty spot, rather than a manhunt.

Austin nodded, still unsure of what to do with this situation. He settled for going along with it until he knew exactly what the hell was wrong with his friend.

The three mounted up, and rode out of town without another word spoken between them, each lost in his own thoughts.

Shane thought about his words to Austin. He hated what he was doing, but he couldn't help it. Every time he looked at the hunter, he wanted to kill him, his envy was that strong. He glanced at him now, seeing that Austin also had a thoughtful look on his face as he rode along. He's probably thinking about her, he thought. And who wouldn't? He should be happy for his friend…but he couldn't find it in himself. He hated Austin, hated him for having what he couldn't have.

The sheriff tried to concentrate on the task ahead as they neared the foothills. This was going to be dangerous. He had been in a gunfight before, and it was never pretty. People got hurt; people got killed. And if Austin gets caught in the cross fire, well…. Shane hurriedly pushed the thought away, horrified with himself. What the hell was he thinking? He rode his horse on faster, hoping that the further away he got from her, the easier it would be to forget about her.

As he rode, Austin searched the dark horizon, and after what seemed like an age, found what he was looking for. A tiny light, barely visible to anyone without a hunter's eyes, flicked in the distance. A campfire, up in the hills. It had to be him, had to be.

He looked to his left; saw the deputy, quiet for the first time in his life. He had known Michaels a long time, almost as long as he had know Shane, and he had never seen the man look so troubled as he did now. Shawn was as laid back as they came; Austin had often joked that if the deputy were any more relaxed, he'd be dead. But now, even his expression was tense. He guessed it was the same reason he himself felt uneasy – Shane's strange mood. Well, he was determined to find out what the hell was going on with that before they got anywhere near their prey. He thought back to their conversation in the theatre hall, just after Joanna had left the stage. Shane had been fine with him then; had been teasing him about watching the show, in fact. Then, all of a sudden, he changed.

"No, not all of a sudden. Something happened." He muttered to himself, all the time keeping his eyes on the flickering light that was steadily growing larger as they neared. What the hell did I say to him that pissed him off so much? They had been talking…about the show…about Joanna…

"Aw shit." Of course. He had seen it happen before; Joanna was the kind of woman to entrance any man, however long they had know her. Hell, it could have only been one brief meeting between them.

That was it. It must be. As soon as I mentioned her Shane had started to act strange.

"Nothing like a woman to throw a man's mind off more important business."

The ground began to rise, and just as they were entering the foothills, Austin pulled up his horse, and dismounted. Shane and the deputy brought their own charges to a halt, and circled back to where Austin was standing, glaring up at the sheriff.

"Something on your mind, Steve?" Shane asked, menacingly.

"Could ask you the same thing, Shane. Get off your horse."

Shane complied, and stalked over to where the hunter stood. They were only a couple of hand spans apart when he stopped.

"What's the matter Steve? Ready to yellow out?"

"That's a hell of a thing for you to say to me, you son of a bitch."

"Oh really. Or is there something else back home you'd rather be getting back to. Is that what it is?"

"I knew it! I knew it was her! Oh she sure got you in a hurry, didn't she?" Steve said, furious and yet pleased he had finally got to the bottom of the mystery.

"Who her?" Michaels asked, confused.

Steve turned to look at the deputy, momentarily distracted. He had completely forgotten Michaels was there. Suddenly pain exploded in the side of his head, and he found himself lying on the ground, staring up at the stars. Shane stood over him, shaking his hand. The son of a bitch had hit him while he wasn't looking.

Shane looked down at his fallen foe, anger coursing through every pore. So Steve had finally realised what was eating him; good. It would make it much easier to hate him. Without warning, Steve was up off the ground and ploughed into Shane, knocking the wind out of him. Michaels watched the scene with growing horror, but unwilling to do anything to stop it. Steve knelt on the younger man's chest, pressing all his weight down in an attempt to stop Shane from fighting back, but still he squirmed, kicking his legs and flailing his arms at Austin's face and back.

"Now!" Austin shouted into Shane's face. "You tell me, you little shit, exactly what is going on with you and my sister?"

Shane's attempts to fight stopped instantly.

"What?" he squawked in a forced voice. With Austin's mass on top of him, he could hardly breathe, much less speak.

"You heard me. Joanna is my sister, you stupid shit." He relaxed some of the weight from Shane's chest.

"Your…your sister?" Shane asked in disbelief.

"That's right. You thought me and her were…together, right?" The hunter said, standing up.

Shane nodded, feeling foolish. Steve reached out his hand to the younger man, and after a moments hesitation, Shane took it and allowed Austin to pull him to his feet.

He stared at the older man, and instantly saw the similarities. They both had the same piercing blue eyes, the same determined mouth. In fact they were so alike, he was amazed he had never seen it before. The only difference was that these features made Joanna beautiful; they made Steve look tough.

Steve laughed at the disbelief on the younger man's face.

Shawn, who had watched and listened intently from the beginning, felt it was time someone explained exactly what the hell was going on.

"Who the hell is Joanna?" Shane had, until this point, managed to resist the overjoyed laughter that had been bubbling up inside him, but this was too much for him. He let out a huge guffaw, and doubled over, tears of laughter coursing down his face. He staggered towards Austin, who too was laughing.

"Hey," said the hunter through his laughter, " I don't know why your so happy…I didn't say I approved of you and my sister together," he continued, but his eyes said differently. He held out his hand to Shane, and the sheriff gladly accepted, pulling his friend over to embrace him. The held each other, still laughing.

Out of nowhere, a shot rang out. Shane felt the heavy punch of the bullet against his body, but felt no pain. In a grim moment of clarity, he looked in to the eyes of the man he still held. The hunter looked back at him, his icy blue eyes wide with shock.

"Shane?" he asked, his face a mask of pain.

Slowly, Austin began to fall, his eyes watching Shane's all the time, clinging on to the sheriff's shirt, bringing him down with him. Shane leaned over his friend, setting him down carefully on the dusty floor. Bringing his hands out from under his friend, he saw by the light of the stars that they were red with blood, Austin's blood.

"No…" he whispered hoarsely.

Shane looked up to see two figures silently leaving the shelter of the small grove of trees where they had been hiding.

Jesus…they were waiting for us. They knew we were coming.

They both had their guns already drawn; the fastest hands in the world wouldn't have been fast enough. He looked back at Austin, who was still conscious, but staring at the night sky, his hands a death grip on Shane's.

He looked back at the two silent figures, now stood before him like harbingers of death. The taller man was Calloway; there was no doubt of that. The coldness radiated from him like heat from a fire. The other was shorter, and older, and his eyes held a menacing quality that terrified Shane…but at the same time intrigued him. It was this one that spoke to him now, and his words shocked the sheriff of Deadwood even further.

"Shane…at last. I knew one day you would come back to me."

To Be Continued…