Part six
"Have a seat." Cale's voice was colored with a trace of an order about it as he gestured to an empty chair at his table. "Get my friend a drink over here." He called to the obviously nervous bartender before turning back to Johnny. "What will you have? Whiskey, or whiskey? I'm afraid the beer ran out two weeks ago."
Johnny wasn't about to leave Los Almos, at least not until he had some answers. "Then I guess I'll have whiskey," He smirked while taking a seat on the offered chair.
"Good choice," Cale grinned at the younger man before giving the young gunfighter a closer look. "You've changed, Johnny. Can't put my finger on it, but there's something different about you."
"And you haven't, Cale," Johnny responded tersely. "You still can't get to the point without a gun in your hand. Why sheriff? Why Los Almos? And why the wanted posters?"
Cale laughed as he banged his hand on the table. "I take it back, Johnny. You haven't changed a lick. The first things you ask about are me, the town and then yourself. That damn conscience is going to be the death of you, yet."
"Any minute now I'm guessing," Johnny said bluntly as he nodded to the bartender as his whiskey was placed on the table.
"All in good time, Johnny." Cale answered cryptically.
A sudden commotion from outside the saloon had Johnny swiveling in his seat. His heart sank as he saw his father and brother pushed into the saloon at gunpoint.
"Bede, I found these two lurking around outside town."
Johnny managed to control his anger at being followed, but was barely to keep his concern for his family's lives from registering on his face as he turned his back on the newcomers.
Johnny's reaction to the strangers didn't go unnoticed by Cale, but as it had disappeared as quickly as it had appeared, the sheriff wasn't so sure what he'd seen. "Do you know these two, Madrid?"
Johnny took a second to debate the consequences of any action he would take before nodding, "Yeah, I know them."
Cale frowned as he waited impatiently for Johnny to explain how he came to know the two men, "Well?"
"The old man's Murdoch Lancer, and the other is his son." Johnny explained with casual indifference. "They've been chasing me since Morro Coyo, after that bounty you so kindly put on my head."
Cale scrutinized the two men more closely, and quickly came to the conclusion that the two strangers were no bounty hunters. Ignoring Johnny, he looked at the older man. "You don't look like any bounty hunters I've ever seen, more like ranchers to me."
"My father wasn't after the bounty, I was," Scott retorted angrily. "Madrid was trying to make time with my girl in Morro Coyo, so when I saw the wanted poster, I thought why not? I could get rid of Madrid and get some real money out of the deal."
"So, you, a four-legged meat herder, thought you could take Johnny Madrid?" Cale scoffed. "And even brought your Pa along to watch you do it?"
"I followed my son." Murdoch interrupted as he shot a look of disgust toward Johnny for affect. "I'd heard a lot of things about this Johnny Madrid and the kind of man he was. I couldn't be assured of a fair fight with a gunfighter of his reputation. I wasn't about to let my son face 'him' alone." It hurt Murdoch to talk about his son like he was some dirt to be cleaned off his boot, but he could see both he and his sons were now fighting for their lives.
"Did ya hear that, Johnny? The man talks about you're like you some back-shooting prairie dog."
"Can't help what the man believes," Johnny knew deep down his father was lying to protect them all, but hearing his father put voice to all the insecurities which he had about himself still hurt.
Not sure what to make of his two visitors, Cale picked up his whiskey and downed the contents of the glass. "Take them to the jail. I'll decide what to do with them later."
Johnny wanted to turn around and reassure Murdoch and Scott that he would get them out of this, but he knew couldn't afford to show Cade that he cared one way or the other. As his father and brother were led away, Johnny stared at the far wall of the saloon and tried to think of way out of the mess he had rode his family into all the while under Cale's steady gaze.
TBC
"Have a seat." Cale's voice was colored with a trace of an order about it as he gestured to an empty chair at his table. "Get my friend a drink over here." He called to the obviously nervous bartender before turning back to Johnny. "What will you have? Whiskey, or whiskey? I'm afraid the beer ran out two weeks ago."
Johnny wasn't about to leave Los Almos, at least not until he had some answers. "Then I guess I'll have whiskey," He smirked while taking a seat on the offered chair.
"Good choice," Cale grinned at the younger man before giving the young gunfighter a closer look. "You've changed, Johnny. Can't put my finger on it, but there's something different about you."
"And you haven't, Cale," Johnny responded tersely. "You still can't get to the point without a gun in your hand. Why sheriff? Why Los Almos? And why the wanted posters?"
Cale laughed as he banged his hand on the table. "I take it back, Johnny. You haven't changed a lick. The first things you ask about are me, the town and then yourself. That damn conscience is going to be the death of you, yet."
"Any minute now I'm guessing," Johnny said bluntly as he nodded to the bartender as his whiskey was placed on the table.
"All in good time, Johnny." Cale answered cryptically.
A sudden commotion from outside the saloon had Johnny swiveling in his seat. His heart sank as he saw his father and brother pushed into the saloon at gunpoint.
"Bede, I found these two lurking around outside town."
Johnny managed to control his anger at being followed, but was barely to keep his concern for his family's lives from registering on his face as he turned his back on the newcomers.
Johnny's reaction to the strangers didn't go unnoticed by Cale, but as it had disappeared as quickly as it had appeared, the sheriff wasn't so sure what he'd seen. "Do you know these two, Madrid?"
Johnny took a second to debate the consequences of any action he would take before nodding, "Yeah, I know them."
Cale frowned as he waited impatiently for Johnny to explain how he came to know the two men, "Well?"
"The old man's Murdoch Lancer, and the other is his son." Johnny explained with casual indifference. "They've been chasing me since Morro Coyo, after that bounty you so kindly put on my head."
Cale scrutinized the two men more closely, and quickly came to the conclusion that the two strangers were no bounty hunters. Ignoring Johnny, he looked at the older man. "You don't look like any bounty hunters I've ever seen, more like ranchers to me."
"My father wasn't after the bounty, I was," Scott retorted angrily. "Madrid was trying to make time with my girl in Morro Coyo, so when I saw the wanted poster, I thought why not? I could get rid of Madrid and get some real money out of the deal."
"So, you, a four-legged meat herder, thought you could take Johnny Madrid?" Cale scoffed. "And even brought your Pa along to watch you do it?"
"I followed my son." Murdoch interrupted as he shot a look of disgust toward Johnny for affect. "I'd heard a lot of things about this Johnny Madrid and the kind of man he was. I couldn't be assured of a fair fight with a gunfighter of his reputation. I wasn't about to let my son face 'him' alone." It hurt Murdoch to talk about his son like he was some dirt to be cleaned off his boot, but he could see both he and his sons were now fighting for their lives.
"Did ya hear that, Johnny? The man talks about you're like you some back-shooting prairie dog."
"Can't help what the man believes," Johnny knew deep down his father was lying to protect them all, but hearing his father put voice to all the insecurities which he had about himself still hurt.
Not sure what to make of his two visitors, Cale picked up his whiskey and downed the contents of the glass. "Take them to the jail. I'll decide what to do with them later."
Johnny wanted to turn around and reassure Murdoch and Scott that he would get them out of this, but he knew couldn't afford to show Cade that he cared one way or the other. As his father and brother were led away, Johnny stared at the far wall of the saloon and tried to think of way out of the mess he had rode his family into all the while under Cale's steady gaze.
TBC