It was a rather quiet night in Dodge. Quiet in the sense that there were no gun shots being fired- at least for the time being. Matt hoped that as the evening wore on it would be much the same. He and Newly were on patrol and all seemed well.
Douglas Banks stood haphazardly in the entrance of the Bull's Head Saloon when his eye met someone he knew. "Hello! I haven't see you in town for a while." He peered into the dankness.
"Oh? I was came in this morning. You must have missed me." The shadowed figured voice spoke.
Banks smiled. "Guess I mustta ..."
"I could use your help on a fence I'm mending..." The figure didn't move from the shadow.
"Oh. That so?" Banks said as he stepped down off the boardwalk toward the figure.
"Um-hum..." The shadow moved and motioned for Banks to follow. With a heavy sigh he did just that. "Why you playing this game?" He whispered.
"Game? It's not a game. I do need help with the fence..." The figure moved deeper into the alleyway and then stopped. "Its just that I can't pay you right away..."
"Huh?" Banks said as he stood before the shadow person.
"No I can't pay you right now..."
"Then why do I want to help?" Banks rubbed his forehead.
"Because you're my friend..."
"Na...If I don't get paid fer work...Na, just forget it..." He turned to leave.
"You can't go yet. I'm not finished talking to you." The calloused hand gripped the walnut knife handle and held it tight. Banks walk toward the shadowed figure. "Yeah. I think we're finished." He said and turned.
In a flash the blade lit up from the full moon then long blade swept up and then swiftly down into Banks' mid upper back. A slight gasp escaped his lips before he fell dead to the ground.
With someone else coming through the alley, the shadowed figure tried to remove the knife but it was stuck in bone. Instead they ran into the cloak of darkness.
Within a moment, Newly stood over the dead man. His heart beating hard as he reached down and felt how warm the body still was. His eyes searched the darkness, and then he realized he had to contact the Marshal.
