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Slayers: A Spaghetti Western
Act 5
The train engineer couldn't possibly be expected to stand up to the dangerous, rough and rugged men on horseback with all their guns pointed at him, so he dutifully applied the brakes and stopped the train about a quarter of a mile away from the huge pile of wood that blocked the tracks.
"I tried to stop when they uncoupled the train, but they're crazy! They threatened to shoot me!" the engineer yelled nervously when the train came to rest with a loud hiss of steam. He adjusted and readjusted his cap and his jacket, clearly shaking in terror. He was no threat.
Quickly surrounding the engine and the lone passenger car, the ruffians sent the kid of the group up to keep an eye on the engineer, while the others checked out the car. If their tip was correct, they should just shoot up the entire car and be done with it, but they didn't want to kill the only guy who could identify the correct bodies.
"What is going on here?" a high, lilting southern voice issued from one of the windows. "Why are we stopped?"
A beautiful woman popped her blonde head out the window and looked around in curiosity. The neck of her dress was open, and she leaned over to allow the men a great view of her bosom. Surprisingly, upon seeing that the car was surrounded by armed bandits, rather than faint or scream, she smiled and waved to them.
"Hi y'all! Hey, Miss Martina! Guess what?" she yelled back into the car. A woman with wavy green hair looked out a window and smiled as well. She was wearing a low-cut bodice that displayed almost as much as her blonde friend.
"Why, Filia," she said in a giggling voice. "There are several handsome-looking gents out here. Do you think they'd like to come along, girls?"
Squeals of delight flooded from the car, and the men looked back and forth amongst themselves. Maybe they got the wrong car. What if the people they were looking for were in the cars that were left back along the line? Well, they still had enough time to have some fun while they sent some men to check. Question was, who would want to play with some pretty things and who would want to get shot up?
It wasn't a difficult decision, after all. Aside from the one in the front engine, all fifteen men crammed themselves up the steps of the car and filed in, one after the other. Hoots and whistles of approval were the only sounds for several moments, and then there was silence while they were apparently having fun. The engineer fiddled with the neck of his jacket and rubbed at the stubble on his cheeks. The lone outlaw tore his gaze from the engineer to crane his neck to see if he could somehow get in on the action. Poor kid.
Several more minutes passed, and then a shrill whistle cut through the silence. The engineer grinned at the man, shaking his head.
"Sorry about this," he muttered. He quickly reached out, snatching the gun right out of the kid's hands, and then hit him over the head with it, all in one fluid motion. The bandit fell to the floor, and the engineer pulled the kid's belt off and hog-tied him with it.
Zangulus tore off the engineer's jacket and hat, and stepped off the engine gratefully. He was glad he had his hair back in a loose ponytail. It was so damned hot in there! Waiting for the others, he fished in his pocket and pulled out a cigarette that he had rolled earlier on the train. He stuck it in his mouth and lit it, taking a nice, long drag. Damn. Maybe he was getting too old for this. He should probably just find a nice girl and settle down somewhere.
Before long, Gourry, in a very poorly fitting dress, jumped down from the back of the car and spat before trudging up to where Zangulus was waiting. He was in an obvious rush to get away from the next person who got off the train: Lina.
"Aw, come on, Gourry! It's not that bad!" she tried to say with a straight face as she followed him. She was failing badly.
"Forget it, Lina," he yelled, pulling the pink dress over his head and tossing it behind him. Without her trademark duster and vest, and actually wearing a skirt, Lina was quite pretty, with those large ruby eyes and her long flowing red hair. She easily caught the discarded dress and kept laughing at her friend's discomfort. Clad in his long johns and trousers, Gourry pushed past Zangulus and rounded the front of the train, Lina close on his heels.
"That's the last time I EVER dress up like a woman again!" he ranted, still on his pointless journey circling the train. He wiped his mouth on his sleeve.
"Oh, Miss Lina's right. It wasn't that bad, Gourry," Xelloss piped in from the steps of the car. He actually fit into one of Filia's red dresses, and had yet to remove his costume, hiding his face demurely behind an open fan.
"You weren't the one kissed by a guy!"
"Huh. You've got a point." Xelloss closed the fan and returned to the car to change back into his normal clothes, all the while grinning at Gourry's misfortune.
"Gourry!" Lina said, finally catching up to him. She dashed in front of him and placed both her hands on his chest to stop him. "Come on. What else could we do? At least this time, I didn't have to derail the train."
"Thank goodness for small favors," Filia's exclaimed, her voice drifting from the window above them.
"How're you doing in there, Filia?" Lina called up to her.
"These guys aren't going anywhere, Miss Lina. Miss Martina and I have just tied up the last one," was the answer back.
"See Gourry?" Lina soothed, trying to hide her smirk. "No one got hurt, and now we can find out more information from these guys. Your sacrifice won't go unacknowledged, so buck up and take it like a man!"
"Take it like a man?" He considered her words with a dubious expression. As she opened her mouth to answer, his hands closed around her arms, and he pulled her to him. "Like this, Lina?" he murmured before pressing his lips gently, but firmly, to hers.
Lina's eyes opened wide in shock when Gourry kissed her, but before she could figure out whether or not to be angry or relieved, he pulled away from her. Blinking a couple of times in surprise, she merely turned away and walked off, as if nothing happened.
"Maybe you needed to kiss her harder," Zangulus muttered, and Gourry glanced back at his rival, who had followed them and witnessed the whole thing.
"Maybe I should have," Gourry thought aloud, watching Lina toss the dress onto the train before rounding up several horses. He had fully expected to be punched or even shot for kissing her, but her non-reaction was worse than either of those outcomes.
"Come on. You can think on it later." Nodding his head, he followed Zangulus into the train car to put their regular clothes back on.
After questioning several of their captives, Lina was satisfied with her next course of action. Apparently, Amelia and Zelgadiss were in more trouble than they thought. The Tatums were under orders to bring them alive to The Big S Ranch on the other side of the Great Salt Lake, but for what reason, they had no idea. There was nothing out there but desert. Also, they had been under orders to kill Lina and her friends, and that, more than anything, made her want a piece of this Rezo person.
Lina began yelling orders when everyone assembled outside, including the engineer, who had hidden beneath one of the seats during the failed attack. Filia, Martina, and Xelloss were surreptitiously watching Lina and Gourry with expectation. Apparently, Gourry's kiss had not gone unnoticed.
"We're going after Rezo," she declared to the group. "His first mistake was messing with my friends. His last mistake was messing with me."
She stepped over to Xelloss and Filia. "You two are going to stay with the train. Help the engineer get the cars back on the train, and then see these crooks to the proper authority in the next town."
Xelloss whined, "You brought me in on this thing to fight, Miss Lina, not to baby-sit some washed-up group of outlaws."
She rounded on him quicker than he was ready for, and she squeezed him in a tight headlock. "Xelloss, you're the one who pulled the pin on the stupid cars. You're the one who needs to fix it! Now go with the damn train before I decide to shoot you!"
When she let him go, Filia placed a hand on his to keep him out of more trouble with their friend. He sniffed in indignation. "Well, I'd rather stay comfortable on the train than get all sore and dirty riding across the country to find one person anyway."
"Martina, you go on the train with them as well."
"Wh…"
"And don't you dare ask 'why!' I'm in a mood to shoot something right now. Just give me a reason!"
Zangulus wisely stepped forward to speak to Martina quietly, hoping to convince her to get on the train and remain safe, especially from Lina. Martina was all ears for his deep voice and kind words, and she allowed him to lead her away, which left Lina and Gourry. The hotheaded young bounty hunter regarded him blankly for a moment, before ordering both him and Zangulus to ride out with her within the hour. She was gone before anyone could say anything else.
******************************
She hated these borrowed horses. Of course, it wasn't their fault that they had villains for owners. She just couldn't wait for the train to come back with her own palomino Dragon, so these guys would just have to do. Damn.
She hated this journey. After days of riding and tracking, they still hadn't found any sign of their friends or the people after them. She had expected to find a straggler out here, or maybe even Zel or Amelia, but they hadn't seen anyone. Damn.
She hated the company. Zangulus was a welcome addition, but unwelcome in his silence. The damned man only conversed with Gourry, and since Lina wasn't talking to the taller man, that left her by herself the majority of the time. Used to talking constantly and having people listen, she was hardly enjoying the quiet time. Damn.
She hated thinking about things she had no business thinking about. Of course, the kiss was all she could think about, aside from getting to their destination on time. Why the hell did he have to pick now, of all times, to go and destroy the delicate balance that they shared? She didn't have time for this, and neither did he. They couldn't think of themselves when their friends needed them to concentrate and think of a way to get them all out of this mess. Damn!
Lina just needed to forget that it happened so they could figure out how to take out Rezo and the Tatums, rescue Amelia and Zelgadiss, and go home. But the problem was that she couldn't forget it, and it would creep up on her when she would least expect it. Like in brushing down her horse, she would think about what it would be like to brush the tangles out of his long hair. Or when she unfurled her bedroll, she would wonder if he would place his next to hers.
Why had he waited so long? And why did it take being kissed by a man for him to kiss her??? Did he just want to exert his manhood by kissing the first available woman? Or had he used that as the opportunity he needed? Damn him for confusing her even more!
Gourry rode several feet behind Lina, always watching her for signs of her disposition. It was something he was good at, always observing her moods and judging by the way she held herself or the way she talked whether or not it was safe to approach a particular subject. Now, though, he was having a difficult time figuring her out. Since he kissed her, she was a blank slate. When she looked at him, it was with no emotion. She hadn't addressed him directly, either. For the first time in years, he couldn't read Lina.
He wondered why he had never been able to work up the courage to kiss her before. Perhaps he was afraid that she would shoot him for trying, but apparently that wasn't the case. In fact, she was doing a pretty good job of avoiding him. Did that mean that she didn't want to have anything to do with him? On the ride, he would sometimes catch her looking at him, but rather than react, she would simply turn away without a change in expression.
Not used to taking command of a situation when Lina was around, Gourry finally figured that he needed to do so in this. He kicked his horse forward until he was shoulder to shoulder with her.
"Lina."
She kept staring at the horizon.
"Lina, are you mad at me?"
She refused to look at him. They rode on in silence. Zangulus, having seen Gourry finally get the nerve to talk with her, had ridden on ahead, leaving them alone. Gourry cleared his throat, and then plunged ahead.
"Well, I don't care if you hate me now. I'm glad I finally kissed you. My only regret is that I didn't do it sooner. If we're through after this, I understand, but I want you to know that I meant that kiss, even without all that other stuff."
At her continued silence, he figured that he might as well tell her everything.
"Some people have asked me why I've stayed with you for so long, especially with your temper." Her eyebrow twitched, and Gourry pressed forward, hoping to elicit more of a reaction, either positive or negative. "I've told them that it's because I'm your bodyguard, but I can't remember a time when you've needed one. You're the bravest, smartest, prettiest woman I know, and even though your chest is small, you're perfect for me."
Lina pulled her horse to a stop, and Gourry brought his mount around to face her. Her face was shadowed by her bangs, and he edged forward until he was beside her again. Reaching out a hesitant hand, he pushed aside her hair, but she quickly latched onto his wrist and yanked his hand away.
Smack! Her free hand cracked him across the face, leaving an angry red mark on his cheek.
"That's for saying that my chest is small!" She was glaring at him, her eyes alight with her inner fire.
Smack!
"And that's for not doing anything about it sooner!"
Gourry blinked. At least she didn't shoot him. Her face was a mix of anger and frustration. Tears were welling up in the corners of Lina's eyes, and he couldn't quite figure out why she was crying. Lina hardly ever cried, in all the time he had known her, and it actually frightened him that she was doing so now.
"Lina, why are you crying?" he asked, ignoring the potential danger of the comment.
She wiped at her eyes furiously with her sleeve. "I'm not crying, you moron!"
He reached over and pulled her hands away from her face. With surprising tenderness for someone so large, he wiped at the tear tracks on her face. "Am I making you cry?"
"Don't be stupid," she whispered, not realizing that she was leaning into his hand. Gourry leaned forward, and he saw that the fire was still in her eyes, but it wasn't anger anymore. He knew what it was. This time, when he kissed her, Lina responded, and he knew that there would be no way he could express the happiness he felt at that moment.
Lina didn't hate this journey anymore.
She couldn't believe that he called her perfect. Aside from that one comment about her chest, but even that didn't bother her as much as it should have. She knew she was brave and smart and pretty, having described herself as the "beautiful bounty-hunting genius" on many occasions, but to have someone… to have Gourry say it was more than she had hoped for. She pulled away reluctantly, but her hand lingered on his face when she did. She could see the unabashed adoration in his face.
"My loyal, courageous, gentle Gourry." His smile brightened her heart, and she felt as if she could lose herself in his blue gaze…
"Hey, lovebirds!" Zangulus yelled, snapping them back to reality. They pulled away from each other, and Lina was sure her face was bright red with embarrassment. Gourry, however, just looked at his rival with curiosity.
"It looks like there's a group of settlers in trouble over the next rise. There're a couple of covered wagons being set upon by a few men on horseback."
Gourry and Zangulus looked expectantly to Lina, clearly awaiting her decision. Good. The delicate balance, although slightly altered, had been restored. Grinning widely, Lina checked that her guns were loaded and ready to go. Mirroring her smile, the two men did the same, and then kicked their horses forward, following their intrepid leader into battle.
As Lina and the men crested the rise, the scene before them did not look good. It appeared that the covered wagons were badly outnumbered as eight men rode in circles around the camp, shooting every now and again at the two stationary wagons. From this distance, it looked like two men and a woman were desperately trying to hold them off, but were failing.
Kicking her horse faster, Lina charged down the slope, Gourry and Zangulus close on her heels. Before their prey could react, Lina rode straight into the fray, shooting at the bandits and hitting one square in the chest. Gourry picked one off before he could fire upon her, and Zangulus was able to take out the one targeting his rival.
Three down, five to go. Should be easy enough, Lina figured as she aimed and took out another one. Four more to go.
Fire unexpectedly erupted in her side, and she fell backwards off her horse, landing on the ground with a dull thud. She coughed, trying to catch the breath that had rushed out of her body. Flashes of light appeared in the corners of her vision, and she blinked several times to try to clear her head. Looking around, she saw the woman aiming a rifle at her.
"We're on your side!" she yelled, trying to scramble to her feet. Her hand pressed on her side, and she felt blood running down her back as well. The bullet must have passed clean through.
"We're here to save you!" she tried again, biting out the words through the pain, but the woman kept her gun trained on Lina's head. Her gaze finally focused, and she realized that the woman was not a woman at all. A greasy-looking man in a loose dress and bonnet grinned, a toothless and heartless smile, and Lina suddenly realized her mistake. This wasn't a robbery. It was an ambush.
The sound of rapid gunfire filled the air as the side of the covered wagon was suddenly shredded, and the muzzle of a Gatling gun was pushed forward, issuing a lethal barrage of bullets into the skirmish. Lina's eyes sought out her friends, and she felt as if time slowed while she watched them fall victim to the evil thing. Zangulus was spun around when he was hit, but her blood went cold at the sight of Gourry's horse collapsing beneath him under the onslaught of gunfire.
Not caring anymore about what happened to her, she turned her back on the man with the rifle and ran towards the spot where Gourry fell, heedless of the fact that she was running into the line of the Gatling's fire. Two distinct shots rang out, and she felt a bullet whiz by her head, but her only thought was that she had to get to Gourry. Lina fell, her arm stretched towards the blonde hair spilling out from behind the fallen horse. The last thing she remembered when she hit the ground was the sound of Gourry calling her name in the midst of continued gunfire.
*************************
Zelgadiss never thought he would be glad to see another Tatum, but this one, riding into the camp, held vital information about someone important to him. If what the men in the camp were saying were true, then Amelia would be arriving soon, though not the way he would ever want. She had been captured as well.
He had been so stupid to think that she would be safer on the train without him. They had gone to the station together, but while the train was easing into Evanston, he gave her the sorry excuse that he had to make sure the horses got loaded on the train correctly and that he would join her inside. Of course, he had no intention of getting on the thing himself, and when he watched the train leave from the edge of town, he hoped that she would forgive him for deceiving her.
Only after those dim-witted men caught up to him a couple of days later did he discover that the train had been hijacked and that Amelia would be joining them shortly. He had spent the next days berating himself for being an idiot and a conniving jackass for doing what he promised Amelia he would never do: he left her. He would be lucky if she even wanted to have anything to do with him if they survived this.
"Jed!" the man yelled as he rode up, and an older, grizzled man stepped forward. He was probably the leader of this particular group, since he was the one who kept all the others in line. He had also ordered the men not to harm Zelgadiss, for which he was grateful.
"What is it, Gordon?" he asked in a gravely voice. He lit up a cigar and squinted up at the boy.
"The girl's gone." Jed's eyes flicked to Zelgadiss and back to Gordon, but Zel's attention was riveted to what the kid was saying. "Billy and the boys caught her before she got on the train, but I just heard that they're locked up back in town for kidnapping her, and no one knows where she is."
Jed threw his barely used cigar to the ground in disgust. "The deal was for both of them. If you don't find her, we won't get paid! Damn! What about them others? Did Emmett and the boys get to take care of them?"
Gordon looked even more nervous. "Uh, that's the problem, Jed. Emmett's group hit the train, but they all got caught 'cept Carl and a couple of guys. They're laying an ambush for her with the wagons."
"The wagons? We need to deliver those things to the Big S Ranch along with this guy here. Why'd they need to use those guns?"
"He needed it to deal with the group that's following him. He said it was the Bandit Killer: Lina Inverse!"
The old man appeared green at the thought of going up against someone as crazy as the Bandit Killer. The Tatums hadn't survived as long as they did by getting on the wrong side of the dangerous bounty hunters, much less with one as infamous as she was. Next to him, Zelgadiss chuckled.
"I can't believe that you didn't know whom you were dealing with here," he laughed, his wry sense of humor rising up to bait his captors. "Didn't you guys look into who you were fighting before you picked up your guns? You targeted Amelia Seyruun, the Bandit Killer's best friend."
"B… best friend?"
"Best friend and business partner. And knowing Lina, which I do very well, she doesn't take too well to people keeping her from her money. I hope for your sake that she doesn't catch up to you."
Jed was visibly shaking now, but his resolve did now waver. "Let's ride out, boys! We've got to get this guy to Rezo as soon as we can…"
"Rezo???" Zelgadiss almost yelled. His whole demeanor changed, his eyes betraying a sudden anger. The smirk suddenly disappeared from his face. "You're bringing me to Rezo?"
"Yeah, boy. He's paying us all three thousand dollars to bring you and the Seyruun girl, and to get rid of Inverse and her posse. After this, I think we'll just have to ask for more. Gordon, take a couple of men and go back to find the girl. Let's just hope that Carl and the others can take out Inverse with those Gatlings. And as for you, Greywords, we'll see what Rezo has in mind for you. Okay, everyone! Move 'em out!"
Zel rolled everything that he had just learned over in his head. They were taking him to the Big S Ranch where Rezo was waiting for him. It was good luck for him that he was caught, then. He could have ended up in San Francisco, searching for a man who was no longer there, but now, he was well on his way to getting his revenge. Lina and the others prevented a train hijacking, and were probably riding after them right now, but they were also riding into an ambush. If only there were a way he could warn them.
And Amelia… No one seemed to know where she was, and out of everything that was happening, both good and bad, that was the one thing he could not accept. He was so close to his goal now that he could almost see Rezo before his very eyes, but the closer he got, the more his thoughts were on his love, somewhere out there, all alone.
***************************
"Miss Lina."
She shied away from consciousness, not wanting to face the reality of those final memories before she blacked out. No, she couldn't face a reality where she had just discovered something wonderful, only to have it snuffed out before her very eyes. A time would come for a reckoning, but it wouldn't be now. Not here, where she was safe in the darkness of…
"Miss Lina."
…in the darkness…
"Miss Lina."
…in the darkness of annoyance!
"What the hell do you want???" she yelled, latching onto the fingers that had been prodding her shoulder and frustrating her into wakefulness. Her hand instinctively went to her gun, but thankfully for the person who had been bothering her, it wasn't there. Opening her eyes, Lina groaned at the sight of the man who had awaken her.
"Xelloss."
"I'm glad to see you in the land of the living, Miss Lina," he said, delicately prying his fingers from her death-grip. "You looked pretty bad for a while, there, but I was finally able to get the bleeding stopped. I'm pretty sure the bullet missed any of your organs, but I'm not Filia, so I can't be certain. You really shouldn't move around too much for several days…"
Her mouth felt like she had eaten cotton, and to her relief, Xelloss offered her a sip of water from his canteen. She sputtered as she fought to swallow the cool liquid, but he stopped her before she could make herself sick. Turning her head and focusing on her surroundings, she saw, with surprise, that it was nighttime and that she was lying down next to a fire. The flames illuminated the two shot-up wagons and several horses nearby as well. They were still in the camp?
"How long have I been out?" she croaked out.
"A day and a half. Gourry was worried…"
"Gourry? Where is he? Is he alive? Is he okay?"
Xelloss opened his violet eyes to regard her with amusement. "Yes, Miss Lina. He's doing just fine. He twisted his leg under that horse, but aside from a limp, he's virtually unscathed. Zangulus, as well. He got hit in the shoulder, but nothing too bothersome for him. You were injured the worst. I'd say it was lucky that the man used a rifle and not a shotgun, or you would most likely be dead right now, having been shot at such close range."
Apparently, she didn't seem to care about her own condition.
"Where's Gourry?" she asked again.
"He's on watch. I don't think these Tatum friends of yours will take too kindly to the fact that they just lost their pretty guns."
Her eyes roved the camp, and she noticed that the two wagons had several holes in the intact side of the canvas covering, and for the first time since she had awoken, it occurred to her that a lot of action must have ensued after she passed out. Leave it to Xelloss to ride in to their rescue and kill all the bad guys in one fell swoop.
"What happened?" was her inevitable question.
"I did just as you asked, and got the train all nice and fixed. After it was ready to go, I rode out after you, though the girls were none too thrilled at the thought of being left out, especially Filia. I was able to convince her, in the end," he said with a smirk. Lina rolled her eyes. She didn't even want to imagine how he convinced her. To this day, she could never understand how that woman could stand him.
"Thanks for bailing us out of a tight pinch, Xelloss. I knew I could count on you."
"That's what I'm here for, Miss Lina. Of course, taking out nine heavily armed men, both on horseback and with a couple of Gatling guns, as well as making sure you didn't die, is a little bit more than I expected on this trip. I take it if we all survive this, that I'll be appropriately compensated?"
"You want the Gatling, don't you?" She smirked, and at that sight, Xelloss inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. Lina just wasn't Lina unless she was one step ahead of him and ready to make him aware of that fact.
"Well, I figured you might have already got your eye set on it, but there are two after all…"
"Deal. It's the least I can do, right?"
He shook hands with her with a smile. "Good. Now, I say, we get these wagons hitched up at first light, and bring them right back home…"
"What are you talking about? We're still going after Zel and Amelia and Rezo. Nothing's changed. If I can't ride, then I'll stay in the wagon. Come on, what's riding into danger against a few dozen armed men, for such a talented and dangerous gunslinger like you, Mister Metallium?" Lina teased, and she knew she hit a chord. Challenge Xelloss on his gun handling, and he's a big pushover.
"Okay, Miss Lina. We'll do it your way, but I'm telling Gourry about this, and I'm not too sure he'll enjoy letting you out of his sight after coming so close to losing you."
She groaned. That was the last thing she needed on this journey. She was the invincible Lina Inverse, bandit killer and bounty-hunting genius extraordinaire! She didn't need to be coddled like some kind of infant. She would feel much better when she'd finally get a chance to shoot some bad guys.
Xelloss slipped away, unnoticed, to retrieve Gourry. The man approached Lina, who was staring blankly at the fire. She had not heard him approach. He sat down behind her, and placed his hand gently on her forehead. She was shivering and had a fever, but he knew that she wouldn't let something like that keep her from her objective.
"We'll leave in the morning, Lina," he whispered, and she murmured his name in response to his words. "And we'll continue on the way we were going, 'cause that's the way we need to go to catch up to Zel and Amelia, right?"
She turned her head to look at him, and he almost changed his mind about what they were going to do. Her face was pale, and she did not look like herself at all. But her eyes still held the spark that spoke more than words, and he smiled, despite his worry.
"That's one of the many things I love about you, Gourry," she mumbled as she closed her eyes with a smile. She was asleep in moments. Gourry merely smiled back, content to keep watch over the brave young woman with the unquenchable spirit that he loved so much. He gazed up into the night sky and wondered what the future held for them, if it held anything at all.
**************************
After days of riding, Zelgadiss had to keep his cool as they rode up to the ramshackle town near the lake. It was amazing that anyone in his right mind would live out here given the conditions. Situated between a vast desert and a huge salt lake, the inhabitants still tried to scratch out a living from of the dirt and the rocks that surrounded the dilapidated buildings. The only fresh water in the area was closely guarded and regulated by the nearby Big S Ranch, whose only commodity seemed to be the life-giving liquid.
Zel had spent the last several days aching to just cut himself loose with his boot knife, as he had initially intended to do when he had first been captured, but when he discovered that the Tatums were actually working for Rezo, he decided to remain with them to discover as much as he could. There were no further reports of Amelia or Lina and the others, and to that, he wasn't sure if he should be relieved or worried.
"We'll wait there," Jed ordered, eyeing Zelgadiss. "Little Joe! You and Billy ride on up to the ranch and see if Rezo's there. If he is, tell him we'll meet him in the saloon."
Two men nodded and rode away. As if narrating to Zel, Jed continued to talk. "I don't know why he wants you so bad, but you're worth all that money to him alive. If it were up to me, I'd have killed you a long time ago for what you did to my boys."
Zel shot him a dark look. "Your boys killed an innocent family and kidnapped my friend. Then they beat her father and killed those deputies. What would you have done if you were in our places, Jed? You order your family out to do all these things, and you don't expect retaliation? What's three thousand dollars compared to all those lives that were lost? What was it all for?"
Jed turned in his saddle and backhanded Zel across his face, knocking him off his horse. As Zel coughed, trying to catch his breath, the old man glared down at him. "What do you know, sonny? Have you ever been pushed off your land and forced into a life less worthy of the people around you? I've done things that would make you squirm, but it's always been for my family, and you've just gone and taken so many of them away from me! I ought to kill you right now, but I'd lose out on that money and make their deaths meaningless."
"It's always for money, Jed," Zel spat dust and dirt from his mouth. "And you know nothing of the people whose lives you destroy. Yes, I do know what it's like to be pushed off my land, and I know what it's like to do things that I'm ashamed of, just so I can survive. If it was just about me, that's one thing, but it's not. You and Rezo, have destroyed too much. When it comes down to it, Jed, I'll kill you if I have to, with no regrets. I'm hoping you're a decent and a smart enough man to know when to stop the killing so more of your boys don't get killed before you do."
It was big talk, he knew, but he also knew that the old man was hurting. He knew without being told, that Jed was the head of the Tatum clan, and that he wanted the killing to stop. The man pulled his gun and pointed it at Zel's head, and for the briefest of moments, he wondered if he had been wrong about him. Then with a shake of the barrel, he motioned for Zel to get to his feet.
"You're walking the rest of the way into town, boy. Then we'll see if you still feel like flappin' your lips."
Zel glared back at him, but did as he requested. By the time they arrived at the edge of town, the sun was high above them signaling an approach to noontime. He was more tired than he wanted to admit, and he was grateful when Jed pushed him through the swinging doors and into the relatively cooler interior of the saloon. It was truly not what he had expected to see.
It was clean, bright, and well kept, nothing like the broken down facade outside. The bar on one side of the large room took up an entire wall, and the huge mirror hanging behind it had "Ruby Eye Saloon" etched into the glass. A large, curtained stage with several lanterns around its edge was against the back wall, and tables and chairs filled the floor space. But all this was not the amazing thing about it. The saloon was BUSY. Dozens of men and several women crowded into the place, playing cards, eating and drinking, laughing and carousing as if they hadn't a care in the world. A few looked up to regard the newcomers, but just as quickly, returned to what they were doing.
Zel was shoved from behind as Jed prodded him towards an empty table in the back, between the bar and the curtained-off stage. As they wove their way through the tables and the many people who pushed against him, a tall beautiful woman sauntered up and showed them to the table. She was dressed as many of the other women in the establishment, in a flashy black silk and lace dress that accentuated her ample bosom, and her long raven hair was piled up atop her head with several ringlets dangling down, framing her flawless face. She regarded them all coyly, but Zel got the distinct impression that she was really smirking behind the fan she kept opening and closing in front of her face.
"Y'all must be the boys that Rezo was waiting for. He told us to take good care of you and your guests." Her eyes searched the table as they sat down, landed on Zel and his bound hands, and then returned to Jed. "We were told that you would be having a young lady with you as well. Will she be joining you gents soon?"
Jed frowned, but tried to check his annoyance in the face of such a pretty woman. "Miss…"
"Lala."
"Miss Lala, she'll be coming later."
"Fair enough. Now what can I get you boys?"
"A bottle of whiskey and whatever you've got for lunch. For all my boys here." He indicated the dozen men who were sitting at the table and against the wall. He added with a grin, "And if you're free a little later, then we could do with some company as well."
"Ohohohohoho! You are such a tease, sir! I'll be back with your drinks. But watch out for our show later," she said, briefly catching Zel's eye as she looked back over her shoulder at Jed. "I think you'll like the new entertainment."
While the men around him were grinning and whispering amongst themselves about the good-looking women, Zelgadiss was staring at Lala. There was something about her that seemed so familiar, but he couldn't place it. And it was unmistakable that she was giving him some kind of message about the show. He wondered if Lina had somehow made it to town before he had and was planning something.
"She's out of your league, kid," Jed said, nudging him in the shoulder. The old man reached over and unbound his hands so he could eat. "A woman like that has certain… expectations from a man. And besides, I don't think you'll be alive long to enjoy a woman's company anyway, so eat up. It might just be your last meal. By the way, if you were thinking about escaping, forget it. Rezo owns the Big S Ranch, and you can be sure most of the people in this place work for him. The ones that don't work for him wouldn't think of crossing him, either. We like this town. It's a nice little hideout for people like us: bandits, outlaws, and thieves. We don't bite the hand that hides us."
The men behind him suddenly sat up straighter as another of the young women backed carefully towards them, dragging behind her a rolling cart filled with plates, spoons, and three pots of food. Zelgadiss' mouth began to water at the smell, and he, too eyed the approaching woman. Glancing behind her every so often to make sure she didn't hit anyone, she finally arrived at the table after playfully batting away groping hands along the way. Still facing the cart, she carefully served up a plate of mashed potatoes, beef stew and a hunk of bread, and then she turned around to set it in front of Jed.
She was a beautiful young woman, made even more attractive with the eye and lip makeup that she wore. The top of her full chest was exposed, and she had the same black hair and blue eyes as the taller woman, her smile just as coy. She served each of the men in turn, flirting with each, and getting very friendly with a few of them. She even sat on one man's lap and toyed idly with his greasy hair before jumping up out of the way when he reached for her rear end. Men flipped her coins that she caught easily, and she blew them all a kiss, tucking the money safely away in the top of her pink dress.
"What's your name, pretty thing?" The man she was flirting with, Gus, if he could remember correctly, was pawing at her.
"It's Lulu!" she said brightly, twirling a lock of her raven hair around her finger.
"Lulu's a pretty name…" He pressed his lips against her neck, and Zel almost reached across the table to kill him.
Zelgadiss fought to contain at first his surprise and then his anger while he watched the young woman flit from one man to the next, enduring all the groping and the touching. The smile that was on her face was both playful and disgusted, and he wondered how she could possibly subject herself to such debasing behavior. Unfortunately, he knew the reason why, but that did not make it any better.
"And you, young man, are the last, but certainly not the least," she giggled, placing Zelgadiss' plate on the table and sitting in his lap as well. She placed one hand on his shoulder and slipped the other into his shirt, and Zel very nearly jumped out of his seat at her touch on his bare skin. Her chest heaved before his eyes as she laughed, and he tore his stare away from the enticing sight and tried to focus on keeping his face impassive. She whispered, barely enough for him to hear from her position, poised seductively on his lap, but his exceptional hearing picked it up easily, "Only eat the bread."
She hopped up, and flirting outrageously with one of the other men, she bade farewell to them all and swept her cart away. Again, Zel bravely suppressed the urge to scoop her up in his arms and make a run for the door, but there was a reason she was here, and if he blew her cover, then they would both die. Amelia was the last person he would ever expect to see in this place, and she was in a very dangerous position. He had hoped that she would be safe somewhere far away, but she had somehow turned up here.
"Hey, fellas. Looks like our buddy here took quite a fancy to the little lady over there," Jed joked, pointing out the fact that Zelgadiss was still staring in the direction that Amelia had gone. "If you thought the other one was out of your league, this one might be up to it. She seemed awful friendly with everyone here, didn't she boys?"
"I'm gonna see if she'd like to keep me company after dinner," Gus said with a grin. He began wolfing down his food, and the others soon followed suit, all but Jed. For some reason, the old man was content to drink his whiskey and let his boys eat. As directed, Zelgadiss picked at his bread, although his stomach was aching to eat the delicious-smelling, but surely toxic, food. Gus said something derogatory about Amelia, and Zel decided. When he began killing people, he was going to start with him.
As expected, when the men finished their food, they all began to make their way to the bar where Amelia had last been seen, until only Jed and Zelgadiss remained. Jed stood, indicating Zelgadiss to do the same, when Lala appeared on the stage next to them.
"Gentlemen," she said loudly, until the entire saloon slowly became silent, save for the clinking of poker chips and the tinkling of glasses. Jed returned to his seat, and Zel could do nothing but do the same. "And for your entertainment, the management is proud to present, all the way from San Francisco, the can-can girls!"
The curtains opened and Lala skipped back to join the two other women up on stage. All eyes were riveted to the three women, each one a vision of loveliness in this rough place. When the music started, they began dancing, slowly at first, showing only ankles and stocking clad calves. After a few minutes and several hoots and hollers, the girls began to lift their skirts and kick their legs higher, showing more and more leg, until finally, they were all kicking their feet up above their heads and showing off frilly panties, all with a shout of "Oh-la-la!" They continued the show, shaking their dresses, even lifting their skirts purposefully to show off as much as they could.
Every man in the saloon had their eyes glued to the show, and none of them noticed one young woman, who was serving the drinks, slowly make her way around the room, gently easing the guns from many of the men's holsters and depositing them into a sack, hidden in the folds of her skirt. Zel, although he had initially been entranced by the show as well, soon noticed what Amelia was doing, and she dropped the bag next to the bar beside him with a wink.
Amelia stepped past Zelgadiss to make the rounds again, and she wondered if this charade of theirs would work, even though she had spent days plotting and figuring out all the angles. It had been simple enough in her mind. Sneak in. Wait for Zelgadiss. Sneak out. Of course, there were a lot of variables she didn't take into account, but that hadn't stopped her so far. Her mind recalled the events of the past several days, and the difficulties that she had been able to overcome.
Back in Evanston, after she had been pulled away from the train station at gunpoint and tied up in the back of a wagon, she pulled out the boot knife that Lina had made her wear after her run-in with Connor. Biding her time so she could learn as much as she could, she silently cut her way free. While the three men were not paying attention, she snuck up on them and cracked one across the back of the head with a rather heavy wooden box, blinded one by throwing dirt in his face before hitting him in the face with a piece of wood, and then held the last one at gunpoint. Tying them up and carting them off to the town Sheriff had been the easy part.
She had taken one of their horses and ridden off after the train upon hearing about its loud and vivacious occupant. Miss Lina was so close; she could get help and find Zelgadiss. By the time she had caught up to it, though, she discovered from both Miss Filia and Miss Martina that not only was Rezo behind everything, but also that the group had a confrontation with more Tatums earlier that day, and everyone had left to find Rezo at the Big S Ranch. A couple of days later, the three women had formulated a weak plan that was solidified upon finding that Amelia's sister, Naga, and a couple of her girls from the saloon were at the Kelton station.
Apparently, their father had sent Naga a telegram to have Rezo picked up, and she discovered that he was leaving for Kelton that day. Without waiting for her baby sister to show up, Naga decided to try to get this bounty before Lina got to him. Then perhaps 'the Serpent' would be able to gain some notoriety, especially for nabbing the man who was her rival's target. Amelia shook her head at her sister's reasoning, but was grateful for her presence. Mimi's and Nene's company didn't hurt either, since they all were now dancing up a storm and keeping everyone's attention riveted to them. Now all she needed was for Filia and Martina to complete their jobs, and they could sneak Zelgadiss away.
As Zelgadiss' eyes followed Amelia's further progress, he was shocked to see Filia and Martina as well, in various parts of the saloon, all silently disarming as many men as possible. What in the world was going on? When did these two get involved, and where the hell did they come from?
"I've got to get back to work, silly!"
Zelgadiss didn't get another chance to wonder as his eyes were pulled back to Amelia who had been trying to get away from Gus, but this time, no amount of bantering got him to release her. She was doing a good job of keeping his hands tied up with her own, but as she scanned the room, looking for an excuse to get away, she suddenly froze. As quickly as her face betrayed her dread, she was smiling and sitting in his lap again, letting him whisper all sort of obscenities in her ear as she ducked her head against his.
Wondering what could have possibly scared her so much, Zelgadiss glanced towards the entrance, and his blood that had been boiling at Gus's treatment of Amelia immediately ran cold.
There he was, standing in the doorway.
Rezo.
To Be Concluded…
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A/N: Only one more chapter to go! This was originally the huge monster chapter that wrapped up the story, but I decided to cut it in half for FF.net. The inevitable meeting and conclusion will be posted next week, along with more notes and comments. Thank you to everyone who's reviewed!
Ishy-Chan (Thank you so much! While Westerns can sometimes be cliché, reveling in all the old standards is still very fun. I'm glad that you think I'm doing a good job of keeping the Slayers IC in their new surroundings! ^_^), Kaeru Shisho (*hugs* I just loved writing Xelloss and Filia. He's so doting and yet so dangerous. Zangy seems to know his rival very well, and he's smart enough to know when to lay aside his grudge and fight alongside him. I'm glad that you think I'm doing a good job. This story is so dear to my heart that I might just think about side stories… Hmm… ~_^ Thank you again!), Valk (Hey, there! I hope you're enjoying! Okay, I have to admit that Amelia being Zel's bride was a plot device, but in the story, since I was trying to portray the 'gentler' side of a fierce tribe, the Crow were only nice to Amelia because she was Zel's wife. Only Laughing Brook knew the truth, but she was more accepting of Amelia than the others would have been if she was just a friend), Ukchana (Thank you! Wow. I guess that awkward sentence needed help. Maybe I'll go back and fix it later, after this… and Lemonade… and Whaddya Mean… -_-; By the way, Xelloss was the figure that Gourry was watching, and as for the guy that Xel shot, only Filia – being a healer - had noticed that the suspicious man was shot. All the others were too intent on wanting to throttle Xelloss. So everyone found out when we did), jesphoenix05 (When you catch up, I'm glad that you enjoyed it! *hugs*)
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