5
INNER STRENGTH
A story from Kung-Fu, the original series.
Neil Davies 2006
The storm showed no signs of abating as huge knuckle sized hailstones battered the timber shell of the barn, keeping those inside prisoners. For some this was totally frustrating, for others a god send and for one it held no significance at all as he was beyond such things.
Wrists chafed raw by manacles Brad Lomax was enjoying himself and he was especially enjoying the irritation of his captor, the lawman paced back and forth grinding his teeth and cursing the elements but Brad was very happy to be in the barn, it was infinitely preferable to the hard labour camp at Three Pines where he would be spending the next ten years off his life. Miss Lou Anne Kelsey was another reason for his good humour, she'd been making eyes at him for the past hour and he could tell she was intrigued, fascinated and maybe a lot more about this wild desperado.
Perhaps thought Brad I'm the first real man she's ever met, after all they're a feeble lot back in Chicago.
"For heaven sake Sheriff," Lou complained and Dan Barrett came to a swift halt by some horse brasses.
"Oh I'm sorry Miss," He stood there with one hand on his gun and threw brad a vile look. "It's just that the longer we're holed up here the more chance there is that this man's friends will catch up to us."
Eyes wide with scepticism the heiress made a depreciative sound in the back of her throat.
"Surely they like us will be taking shelter from this foul weather, and in any case how will they know where to find him?"
Dan kept his eyes fixed on the prisoner and it was clear he wanted to do a lot more than just cuff him.
"The Lomax gang have a reputation that extends right across the territories Miss Kelsey, they can't afford to lose it by seeing their leader end up behind bars. They might be thieving, murdering scum but they're also good trackers."
Brad acknowledged the compliment with a little nod, "I trained them all my good self." He said with wry amusement enjoying the way Barrett tensed up even more and the coy smile he received from the lady. "I was taught by a Peyote chieftain, I'm half Peyote myself you see so it's in the blood."
This wasn't actually true but it served to add a degree of glamour and mystery to an otherwise coarse and violent background.
"Are you really, how interesting?" Lou flushed.
"Oh indeed," Brad went on warming to his fictional background. "My father was a full-blood Indian brave and my mother was of Spanish blood."
"That'll do mister," Barrett had clearly heard enough.
"Oh don't be so churlish Sheriff," Lou objected. "This is most interesting and it helps to pass the time."
"Maybe it does Miss Kelsey but it bares no resemblance to the truth, if his pa was Indian and his ma was Spanish how come he has the name of Lomax?"
But Brad had an answer for this as he did for most of the fables he told, "I was adopted as an orphan aged six by a decent Christian family in Dakota."
Barrett could only snort with derision but Miss Kelsey beamed, she was clearly a woman who liked happy endings.
"Which is why to this day," the convict remarked. "I can quote the good book when the mood takes me."
"The good book," Dan snapped. "Didn't stop you from robbing those stagecoaches and killing four men. Miss Kelsey don't fall for his silver tongue, this man is a murdering back-shooter."
Paling under her make-up Lou formed a small O with her mouth and sat back on the hay she was using for a seat. But in her eyes there was a gleam of deeper excitement and interest. Yes indeed thought the prisoner, she fancies me and is more impressed by my colourful background than the righteous indignation of this stiff-necked lawman.
"I'm an innocent man Miss Kelsey," he said. "There's no proof linking me to any killings and he knows it. But I've no wish to bore you with the failings of the law, you look none too comfortable on that hay would you like to join me on this bench?"
Adding a cunning grin to this suggestion brad actually sidled up along the bench to make some space.
"I'm perfectly fine where I am thank you," Lou replied but she was obviously lying.
"As you wish my good lady. Hey Sheriff where is our yellow friend, don't you think you should find out I mean it's awfully anti-social of him not to sit with us."
Much as he hated taking suggestions from scum like Lomax, Dan had been thinking the same thing himself and headed off towards one of the small side pens where he had seen the china man heading a while ago. Pausing he looked back to say, "Don't go near the prisoner Miss, and don't believe any of his frontier fairy stories either."
With harsh laughter in his ears Dan entered the pen to find it gloomier than the main barn, but then there was no oil lamp to cast back the shadows. He couldn't see any sign of their fourth member at all, a tall distinctive looking man in a wind brimmed hat and bare feet. He wasn't fully Chinese there was white blood in there somewhere, but there were other odd things about the man, even so there was nowhere for him to hide so where was he?
Dan was about to call out when some instinct made him look up, there was Caine sat cross legged on a high beam and perfectly balanced on next to nothing with his eyes crossed, hands resting on his knees and back perfectly straight. Just how the blazes he'd gotten up there Dan had no idea, anymore than he knew why the man would bother yet he seemed so tranquil, so at peace that Dan could only envy him.
"What are you doing?" He asked.
The eyes drifted slowly open and in them lay a child-like innocence, a calmness of spirit that few men understood.
"I am preparing," came the answer.
"For what?"
"The storm."
"It's already here Caine." Dan snorted.
Uncoiling his legs the China man dropped languidly to the ground landing perfectly. "I did not mean the weather," he said and Dan nodded with understanding. The Lomax gang he thought, they're coming after all.
"This is the only gun I've got," the sheriff admitted knowing that one gun was no match for four. "Unless you've got one."
"I have no need of one," he was told. "My inner strength will protect me as yours will you."
Not understanding Dan shook his head, this strange half-breed was deluding himself if he believed good thoughts would keep these killers at bay.
"We should get back into the main barn," he said but Caine remained where he was.
"Altogether we are easy targets," he said.
Having no wish to argue the lawman adjusted his hat, it was time he got back to the prisoner and the woman. "Look after yourself Caine."
"You also." Came the reply.
Lomax was no longer tied up or sat down or unarmed, he was stood beside Miss Kelsey with a tiny woman's pistol in his right hand. The barn door now lay open and four dripping, wet figures stood there wrapped in oil skins each held a gun and from their eyes blazed a murderous intent Dan had seen too many times before. He knew men like this, understood them and feared them. They were the reason he'd put on a badge and tried to make a difference, but he knew in that moment that his mission was over and it had failed.
"Well now," Brad mocked. "This is a reversal of fortunes, wouldn't you say Sheriff? Here I am free of my bonds with my lads behind me and a pretty woman on my arm, and what have you got – not very much it seems not even your yellow friend for company, run off has he, who could blame him? Maybe you should have gone with him."
"Miss Kelsey, what the hell are you playing at?" Dan asked dry mouthed, his chest tight with terror and limbs shaking.
"Just helping a real man," the woman from back east responded haughtily and Lomax chuckled at this. Dan felt sick and despondent, how could a well-bred, well-educated woman make such a stupid error of judgement?
"You've killed us," he said.
"No Dan old boy, she's killed you." Lomax responded taking aim with the small gun then he seemed to reconsider. "Boys go and see if the China man has departed, we don't want any wagging tongues."
Nodding the quartet of killers moved towards the pens.
"He's gone," Dan called out but Lomax wasn't impressed by this tactic, it was one he'd used too often himself.
"You'll understand if we don't take your word for that."
Glaring at the convicted thug with disgust Dan sighed, "You'll never get away with murdering me Brad, this time you'll hang."
Only if they catch me said the smirk, and I intend to make damn sure they never do that.
Rufus sniffed the air like a coyote. He was a natural born hunter of men who had done it for the army now he did it for profit. Waving the others to spread out he moved dead ahead, his colt thrust forwards loaded with six chances to kill not that he had ever needed six.
Then the gun was gone smacked from his grip by a bare foot that bent his wrist right back painfully, before he could make sense of this the edge of a hand caught him in the throat chopping his windpipe and cutting off all oxygen to his brain, he knew no more.
Angus turned alerted by the noise his gun rising, the heel of a foot slammed into his liver with paralysing force sending him crashing back into old timber that crunched and snapped easily under his bulk.
Tom swung his rifle in an arc but the ghostly figure was too fast, hands grabbed rifle and man and Tom flipped over through the air coming to land on hard stone that drove the wind and the senses from him.
Mac had the chance to cock his gun before a back fist smashed home onto his nose, an elbow caved in his chest and a foot swept the legs from under him, as he landed a palm heel slammed home against his jaw with concussive force.
"Where the hell are they?" Brad grunted as time past and his men didn't report in, it shouldn't be taking them this long to deal with one lousy vagrant, unarmed from the look of him. Sweat beading his unshaven face Brad moved around Kelsey to glare at Dan.
"Call Caine in here Sheriff," the small gun came up under Dan's chin. "Tell him he either appears or I'll blow your head off."
"You're going to do that anyway Lomax."
Thinking about this the outlaw went back to Kelsey and aimed his gun at her, causing her cheeks to blanche and eyes to widen in disbelief. "I'm sorry love," he said. "But needs must, and I don't really need you anymore do I?"
Shock vied with disgust and betrayal on the woman's face. Serves you right Dan mused, still feeling sorry for her. He said,
"Caine, come through here or Miss Kelsey will be shot."
With a sneer Lomax waited, itching to kill someone, anyone. How can I help Caine, Dan thought how can I find my own inner strength and turn this around?
But the oriental did not appear - there was no sign of him and not a single sound. Brad became edgy once more grabbing Kelsey by the hair to yank her head back. "He'd better make an appearance Sheriff or I'm going to make two dead bodies out here starting with the lady."
It was at that moment that Kelsey lashed out with a stinging backhand blow catching Brad across the neck and knocking him off balance the gun swung wide and with a piercing crack discharged its one bullet into the ceiling. Dan lunged forward putting a left into the villain's gut and a right onto his chin. Pole axed Lomax dropped in a heap and lay there helpless, the sneer gone from his coarse features.
Kelsey was in Dan's arms a moment later grateful, shuddering and feminine grateful for his courage as he was for her admiration had he really just overcome one of the worst desperadoes in the county?
Caine watched them from his unseen vantage point, a smile on his lips. There was nothing else for him to do, for the lesson of inner strength had been well and truly mastered.