Chapter 28
"What?" Charlotte stuttered as she closed her eyes, feeling fear crawl into her chest. "How on earth did he find me?" she asked herself in a whisper.
"I don't know," Louise replied with a clear voice, irritated by the lies her friend had told her. The fool had led Wicks here, and now Lou was in the middle of a situation she hadn't asked for. "One thing is clear. He's after you for some reason. What is it, Charlotte?"
The woman took her time to answer and after a beat she said, "I … I stole his money."
"Oh God," the girl let out in a scolding tone.
"Louise, I only got what rightly belongs to me," Charlotte defended herself, frustration obvious in her voice. "You know, he took from us more than money through all these years."
"He was asking after you at Tompkins," Lou explained, somehow feeling a bit calmer now. "It's a question of time before he finds … us." The last word came out of her mouth in a shaky whisper. She felt like screaming at the top of her voice as all her perspectives crumbled down before her very eyes. She had a life in Rock Creek, and even though she had been out of that world for a long time now, there was no say what that monster of a man could come up with as soon as he learned that she was around.
"Louise, I just can't go back. I couldn't live like that anymore. You know what he is like," Charlotte begged almost in tears. "I helped you before, now you gotta help me."
Lou nodded even though she had no idea how they would get away from this crazy situation. Tompkins had surely blabbered that he knew Charlotte was in Rock Creek, and if Lou didn't know any better, he must have mentioned her as well. "I guess we'll have to leave town… at least temporarily," she uttered as her heart ached at the prospect. She had been on the go for the last few years, and now that she had finally settled down in a nice place, she felt forced to let everything go down the drain and start anew.
"I'm sorry, Louise," Charlotte remarked sincerely, guessing where her friend's thoughts were heading.
"Me too," Lou let out bitterly and turning round she shuffled toward the corner of the alley. Craning her head out, she saw Wicks plodding towards the hotel. Her hand squeezed the wooden boards on the wall tightly, leaving her knuckles white as her eyes followed his figure. Charlotte reached behind her and they both kept staring at the man till he disappeared into the hotel.
"He'll think I am that stupid as to leave the money in my room," Charlotte began after a while. "He won't find a single cent."
At her comment Louise swirled around to face her and placing her hands on her hips in a cocky posture she asked, "Where is it, Charlotte?" The woman lowered her eyes and fumbled to find the words to say as she realized that she had spoken without thinking and had tripped it up with Louise again. "Charlotte!" Lou urged her in an angered voice, running out of the little patience she had.
The older woman lifted her eyes back to the girl and replied softly, "In your rooms." At Lou's shocked expression she hurried to explain herself. "I hid it behind your wardrobe. I swear I never meant to bring you trouble. Never thought he'd find me."
"Just great!" Louise exclaimed sarcastically, throwing her arms to the sky. "Wonderful! You didn't just tell me a bunch of lies but you also had to drag me into your own puddle of mud as well?" Charlotte didn't try to retort and letting out a grumble, Louise made an effort to get a grip of herself. "We'd better get a move on before it's too late and he leaves the hotel," the girl muttered in a very grave voice and checking that it was safe for them to leave their hideout, Lou motioned for Charlotte to follow her.
They started at a quick pace, which sped up as they went past the hotel. Lou led the way towards the stables where she would retrieve Lightning and hire a horse for Charlotte. It was the best chance for them to get away; a buckboard would slow them down too much, and they needed to leave as fast as possible. Lou wasn't sure how well Charlotte could manage on a horse, but it was the only way to get out of Rock Creek without drawing too much attention to them. Louise didn't even have a clue where they could go, but for the moment the most urgent matter was to disappear from town. Maybe they could stay somewhere near Rock Creek, and then she could return a few days later when Wicks would probably have left.
At the quick pace Lou was walking, the material of her dress got tangled between her legs, so she had to hitch up the skirt, having to slow her movements. With a grimace she thought that she'd have to ride in this attire, but there was no time to go to her rooms and get changed. All her things were there, and it wasn't until this moment that it dawned on her that she didn't have any money on her, just a few coins. How on earth were they going to survive out there without money? This whole situation was simply crazy and feeling completely powerless, Louise sensed irritation soar inside her.
It was then that she realized that Charlotte wasn't following her. Lou stopped dead and turned round, finding her friend unmoving in the middle of the street. "Charlotte?" she called as she slowly started towards her.
"I can't do this, Louise" the woman replied. "I don't want to run away and keep hiding like a criminal all my life." Before Lou could do anything, Charlotte swirled around and started running backwards.
"Charlotte, no!" Lou cried as she started off after her friend.
In that moment Wicks was coming out of the hotel, and when looking up and down the street, he instantly spotted the woman running wildly towards him. He went down the few steps from the walkway to the main street and stood there while sending a dark glance at Charlotte who slowly stopped her movements. The man, though, hadn't noticed the girl who followed Charlotte a few meters behind her as his whole attention was focused on the older woman. "Finally you came to your senses," Wicks said with a self-satisfied smirk.
Charlotte didn't utter a single word, and instead in a flash she pulled a small derringer out of her reticule and shot at the man. As soon as Wicks realized what was happening, he automatically drew his own gun and fired. "Dirty bitch!" he cursed loudly as he brought his hand to cover his upper arm which had been grazed by the woman's bullet.
"Charlotte!" Lou cried as she saw her friend heavily collapse onto the ground. "No!" she kept repeating as she dropped onto her knees by the lady's side. To her horror Louise saw a big hole in Charlotte's lower abdomen, blood seeping through it. Lou's eyes traveled from her stomach to her face, and she instantly knew that there was nothing to be done. Charlotte was gone, gone forever.
With a shaky sigh she looked up from her friend's inert figure and her eyes fell on the man responsible for her death. She glared at him with full disdain, and for a few moments the man returned the look impassively and as he finally recognized Louise, Wicks let out a devious sneer. Then he simply reholstered his gun and turning on his heels, he walked away without apparent remorse or even looking back. Louise remained in the same spot, unable to move, as her eyes filled with tears. "Oh Charlotte!" she let out in a broken voice, feeling completely lonely even though all the people who were around the place started to approach and gathered around her and the woman on the ground.
A couple of hours later Lou stood in front of the marshal's office, her right side leaned against a wooden pillar and her eyes focused on the people walking past before her but actually not seeing. Despite being a mild evening, a biting cold permeated through her whole body, and she folded her arms over her tightly to try and retain some warmth. Instantly she noticed somebody placing a heavy warm coat over her shoulders and without turning around she knew it was Kid's doing.
The hours after Charlotte had died had passed in a blur. The marshal and Kid had appeared at the scene minutes later, and then Lou had been led to the small office which housed the local jail. There she had to answer a few questions, too many in her opinion, that the marshal had about the circumstances that had led to Charlotte's death. Her answers had been mostly monosyllables and had tried to avoid giving many details about Charlotte's relationship with Wicks. No one could do anything for the woman anymore, and her past life was nobody's concern. Lou could tell that the marshal had seen through her resistance to talk about the man, but he didn't push her, thus respecting her moment of bereavement.
It was while Louise stoically suffered this ordeal that Travis McKay had barged into the small office, nervously demanding explanations about what had happened. To Lou's relief, the marshal had taken control of the situation and answered Mr. McKay's questions calmly. After Teaspoon's interrogation was finally over, Louise had stepped out of the office onto the walkway, eager to breathe some fresh air, and she had stood there since then. During all this time Kid had followed her like a shadow, never uttering a single word, thus giving her the space she needed. Lou was thankful for that much consideration and understanding because she didn't have the energy for anything right now.
"The marshal says that he's not going to hunt down her murderer," Travis said in an irritated voice as he padded out onto the walkway. "It's simply outrageous."
Lou didn't even try to turn round to him, and Kid, who was leaned against the office façade behind her, said, "I'm deeply sorry for what has happened to Miss Rowen, but I'm afraid we don't have a murder in this case. Several witnesses have stated that Miss Rowen shot first. It was simply self-defense."
Though irritated by his comment, Louise knew that Kid was right; she herself had seen what had taken place. She only wished Charlotte had had better aim, and Wicks would be the one to lie dead now instead of the woman. In that case, Charlotte would now be locked behind bars about to face a death sentence. Either way, it seemed that everything had concocted against her. Despite the life she had led, Charlotte was an excellent person and more than deserved to have been awarded some happiness. Thinking that a creep like Wicks was the reason why all her possibilities have been ruined filled Louise with sheer frustration and indignation. Charlotte's ways might not be … weren't definitely the most suitable ones, but her death was just so unfair.
With a deep sigh she turned round to the two men behind her for the first time and muttered, "I'd better go now." She saw Kid nod and removing the coat from her shoulders, she extended the garment to him. Their eyes met briefly but she quickly looked away and turned to leave.
"Lou…" the Southerner called and Louise stopped in mid-stride and stood facing him.
"Not now, Kid," she said in a tired voice and looking intently in his eyes, she forced a brief smile onto her mouth. She dared to stretch her arm towards him and rub her hand over his upper arm comfortingly. "Thank you," Louise whispered and continued her way towards her lodgings, feeling the need to have some time on her own.
When she reached her room, she dropped heavily onto her bed; her body physically ached feeling the weight of the day's events. Resting her elbows on her thighs, she buried her face on her hands. A myriad of sensations and feelings coursed all over her, and she had the urge to scream at the top of her voice till she couldn't articulate a single sound. With a sigh she lifted her gaze and for a few minutes her eyes aimlessly traveled around her small room.
After a while, her attention was drawn to her lonely wardrobe at the wall opposite her. She remembered what Charlotte had told her about hiding the money in her wardrobe. With a resolute air she walked towards the wardrobe, opened its doors and started rummaging inside, opening and closing drawers raucously. When her search proved barren, she jumped on a chair to look on the top, and afterwards went down on her knees to check under it. For a moment she stood deep in thought and after a beat she set about pushing the wardrobe forwards with all her might.
When it finally moved a few inches, the clack of an object crashing against the floor resounded in the room and Louise bent down to pick up what looked like a little wooden box. Sitting back on her bed, she released the box clasp and opened it on her lap. The inside revealed a thick bunch of banknotes and with trembling hands she collected them and held them before her eyes. Louise stared at them blankly. Fury started bubbling inside her, feeling this dirty heap of paper money was the reason why Charlotte was dead.
"Damn it!" she cried loudly and in her rage she hurled the money out of her grasp, which wound up scattered all over the floor. Louise remained still for a few minutes watching the money spread before her eyes, and then she jumped to her feet as if scalded and started plucking the dozens of banknotes in handfuls and shoving them into the stove firebox in a frenzy. She didn't stop till the very last one of the notes was inside, and then she crouched before the stove and lit the wood logs inside. She fell to her knees heavily and tears started flowing down her face as she dejectedly watched the bills smoldering and finally turning to nothing but ashes. Louise remained in the same position unmoving for long minutes and when the fire eventually died out, she scrambled to her feet and staggered towards the bed which she threw herself onto and burying her head on the quilt she burst into muffled sobs.
Everything was dark and the only sounds disturbing the night were the crickets chirping, and the wind blowing outside. Inside the room the faint light of the moon filtered through the curtainless window, leaving the place in shadows. Deep intakes of air resounded, which clearly showed that somebody was in the middle of a deep slumber. Louise had fallen asleep at some point during her bitter crying, and now laid peacefully sleeping, still clad in her dress and on top of the bedding. Her lack of proper rest lately had finally taken its toll and despite the day's tragic events, her body had collapsed to sleep.
In her deep slumber she never heard the door slowly open, steps reverberating in the room and only when a hand came to cover her mouth, she woke suddenly. Her eyes shot open with a mixture of disbelief and horror as she stared at the face hovering over hers. "Hello, Louise. It's been so, so long," Wicks let out deviously and watching her expression of panic, he started sneering loudly.
The wind howled timidly all over the town, shaking bushes and trees, hoisting a fine layer of dust and grass above the ground, and flapping the laundry the local ladies had hung to dry. A door rattled noisily nearby, but a sleepy Teaspoon fought the urge to leave his cozy chair and close the disturbing door. He was on night duty, but fortunately there had been no trouble in sight so far, which the marshal was glad about, especially after the day's happenings.
It was one of those days on which Teaspoon asked himself why he had decided to do this job. That woman dying had left him with an uneasy sensation; he kind of shared that man's, Mr. McKay's, perspective about the whole matter. A man who shot a woman dead unscrupulously shouldn't be allowed to get away with that so easily, but this case was straightforward. The woman had fired first and there was nothing the law could do about it. Yet, Teaspoon suspected that there was more to this matter than met the eye. That girl, Louise, knew more than she had let on, but the marshal hadn't wanted to insist, seeing how understandably upset she had been. Despite everything, Teaspoon intended to find the man called Wicks and have a few words with him.
A loud bang startled the marshal, making him open his eyes groggily. He just couldn't ignore the darn door any longer, and with a grunt he removed his feet from atop his desk and stood up. Teaspoon shuffled towards the door and almost jumped in fright as a figure suddenly appeared from the dark in front of the glass door. "Dang it, Kid, you scared me to death!" the marshal exclaimed irritated as he opened the door wide to let the rider in. He closed it again, placing a chair against it to prevent any further disturbance caused by the wind.
"Sorry, Teaspoon," the Southerner muttered as they shambled inside. "I couldn't sleep, so I thought of keeping you company," he explained as he took a seat across from the marshal.
"Much appreciated, son," Teaspoon replied with a crooked smile. "But tell me, Kid, what is it that head of yours was broodin' over to keep you awake? Problems of the heart?"
The Southerner made a bitter gesture. "Not really. One can hardly have those kinds of problems when there's nothing going on."
The marshal let out a chuckle, suspecting that he had just hit the target in his assumptions, and said, "Miss Louise is bein' a bit hard on you, uh?"
"I just don't understand her, Teaspoon," the Southerner complained in a grave voice. "She completely baffles me and leaves me in a stew."
"Son, that's a common occurrence when we lose our hearts to someone of the so-called fairer sex."
"Things have changed between us," Kid explained. "She looks troubled for some reason."
"Well, son, it's understandable to be upset when she's lost a dear friend."
"Teaspoon, it was before that," the Southerner replied. "She kind of changed since that woman, Charlotte, showed up in Rock Creek. She hardly talks to me."
The marshal listened to his rider, understanding how absolutely heavy going love could be, especially for someone as young as Kid was. "All I can tell you, son, is that if you care for her and she cares for you, you'll eventually work out whatever is now in your way. Maybe Louise needs some breathin' space for a while and will come round when she's ready."
Kid let out a sigh, mulling over Teaspoon's words thoughtfully. "I hope you're right. I want the old Lou back. I miss her."
The marshal smiled candidly at the boy's comment. He really hoped that Kid could finally find the peace he needed. The rider hadn't been himself since the problems with Doritha had begun, and the situation didn't look any brighter with Louise. Love could sometimes be such a terrible disease which had caused havoc among his riders on more than one occasion. Hopefully, Kid would sort out his issues with his girl and things would go back to the right trail.
Wicks had knocked Lou off the bed and had her now pinned down against the wall, his gun shoved tightly against her neck. Louise felt as if she were in the middle of one of her nightmares, but unfortunately the man threatening her wasn't a vision but very real, as real as the gun painfully pressed against her skin. She tried to get a grip of herself and prayed that he couldn't see the fear emanating through her. This man had terrorized her when she was a young girl, but now she couldn't let herself be intimidated or coerced anymore. She owed herself and Charlotte that much.
"What do you want?" she asked in a steadier tone than she felt.
"Your friend Charlotte stole my money, and I came to retrieve it."
Louise thought of those banknotes reduced to ashes in her stove. The knowledge gave her some strange sense of power and felt she could use his ignorance to her own advantage. "You touch me, and I swear I'll kill you."
"Really?" Wicks let out, amused that the tiny woman before him would actually believe that she was a threat to him.
"You can kill me right now because you ain't gonna get your damned money," she barked, strangely feeling confident all of a sudden. Her eyes shone in the semi-darkness of the room as they sent daggers to the man threatening her existence. He had to believe her bluff so that her plans would work out.
Wicks pulled the hammer of the gun, its metallic click resounding loud and clear. "Is that so?" he muttered as he brought his face closer to her. Louise felt her stomach churn in disgust and fought the urge to spit in his face. "Where's my money, Louise?"
The girl kept quiet for a while, and in a conscious effort she feigned to be affected by his threats. "I… I … don't know where Charlotte kept that money."
"It ain't among her things," Wicks replied, relieved that Louise was starting to talk. "Where is it, Louise?" he repeated again.
"Maybe," she started softly in a hesitant voice, "she left it in the place she rented in town." She paused momentarily and with a pounding heart she prayed that her next move would work for her. "I can take you there tomorrow."
Wicks smirked darkly. "Good try, Louise. It offends me deeply your thinking that I'm that stupid," he said as Lou's face fell, realizing that he hadn't bought any of her lies. "You're taking me there right now, understood?" he continued in a sharp voice.
Lou's heart skipped a beat as it struck her that she had misunderstood him at first. He really believed that the money was in that empty store, which worked perfectly for her plans. The important bit was to get away from her rooms, and once outside she'd have to improvise the second part of her plan. She needed to make a bold escape because she dreaded what Wicks would do to her when he discovered that there was no money in that store or anywhere else. Of course, she didn't plan to be around long enough to find out.
Wicks grabbed her by the front of her blouse and pushed her out the door roughly. The strong shoves he kept giving her on her back made her almost plummet down the stairs more than once. "You'd better pray we find my money," he announced as they reached the street, "otherwise, I'll have to make of you what your dear Charlotte stole."
At his words a blind fury swept through her and stopping short she slowly turned her head to him and with glaring eyes she blurted out, "Go to hell!"
Before he could react, Louise shot off, and to her horror she noticed him following her hot on the heels. Her heart pounded wildly as she strained to push herself faster. He was too dangerously close, and her fears got confirmed as his arm stretched, giving her a strong push. Louise let out a throaty brief scream as her body rolled down onto the ground. In a flash Wicks got a grip of the material of her blouse and forced her up to her feet. With another strong shove he thrust her body against a wooden post, hitting her head against it several times. Drawing his gun again, Wicks shoved it into her chest threateningly.
"Louise, that's not the way to treat an old friend like myself," he said with clear sarcasm after tutting mockingly. "After all, we became very close, remember?"
The images popped into her mind suffocatingly following his remark and for a moment, she felt powerless and drained, but the bitterness breaking her inside turned into sheer rage in a matter of seconds. Her body reacted as if her every limb had life of their own, and without even being aware of her own movements, her right leg darted against him, her knee hitting him squarely in his most tender parts. The gun dropped out of his hand as he released his grip, and Wicks doubled in pain. Yet, he recovered quickly and punched Lou strong in the face, catching her unaware.
The girl collapsed onto the ground and Wicks didn't waste his time and started kicking her hard on wherever spot his foot touched her. "Damned bitch!" he cried loudly, not caring who might hear him while Lou yelled in pain. In an attempt to escape his powerful kicks Louise rolled over the dirty ground and it was then that her hand happened to touch his forgotten gun.
She grabbed it instantly and lifting her arm over her dejected body she cried loudly "Don't move!" Wicks stopped his "ministrations" at once as Lou rose to her feet aiming the gun at him. "And now go down onto the ground!" she cried loudly.
"Wh…what?" Wicks stuttered, utterly bewildered at the turn of events.
"To the ground!" she repeated in the same tone and as he stood unmoving, she fired the gun, the bullet whizzing past dangerously close to his arm. "Now!"
With a pale and frightened face, the man went down on his knees while his eyes never left the gun, constantly aimed in his direction. "Lower," Louise ordered in a grave voice. Wicks hesitated again, and as Lou made her point pulling the gun hammer, he slid down on all fours. "Lower. I want you to lie on your stomach!" she ordered again.
"This is crazy!" Wicks cried loudly, and the answer to his protests was another bullet dangerously flying above his head.
"I said down!" she repeated, and the man finally brought his whole body down onto the ground. Louise walked a few steps closer, and when her feet almost touched his pathetic form, she pushed her right foot on his back, forcing him against the ground closer. "You know, that is how a snake like you should be, licking the dirt, like a vile worm!" She moved her foot over his head and pushed it forcefully against the dusty ground. "Scum like you shouldn't be allowed to walk freely among decent people," she continued in the same tone. Louise realized that their loud voices and shots have drawn the attention of a few people who intently watched the exchange from a few balconies or the walkway.
Not caring about anything around her, Louise pulled the gun hammer once again and pressed it against the nape of his head. She felt she was completely out of control, but she just couldn't stop. "I should finish what Charlotte started this morning. It would even be a good, healthy action to get rid of vermin like you!" she proclaimed clearly.
"Lou!"
Out of the corner of her eye she got a glimpse of Kid running in her direction followed at close range by the marshal. It didn't surprise that her shouts had alerted the law and probably half the town. "Stay out of this, Kid!" she said, her eyes never leaving the body below her. She could feel him trembling through her foot, and his hair was drenched with sweat, which gave her great satisfaction.
"Please, Lou, don't do it," Kid begged as he sidled closer to her.
"He killed Charlotte," Lou stated without looking at him.
"I know," Kid whispered while he took a few steps closer to her. He shared an anxious look with Teaspoon and then he added. "He's not worth it, Lou. Come on, put the gun down. Please"
Louise turned her eyes to him for the first time and kept staring at him across the short distance keeping them apart. His eyes were desperately begging her to back out of this madness, and to his utter relief she lifted the gun from the man's head. "Damn it!" she let out as she hurled the six-shooter away from her hand. With a last look at the pathetic figure on the ground, she started shuffling towards where Kid stood. The rider didn't say anything and simply cast a smile at her.
There were murmurs around them as the people who had been watching the episode started talking in hushed tones. Kid was glad that Lou had finally come to her senses. He was curious about what had led to the scene which had received him and Teaspoon on the street. They had been quietly talking when the loud voices and shots had reached their ears. The marshal and Kid had instantly stormed out and never would the Southerner have guessed that Lou was in the middle of all that. Fortunately, the matter had ended without any regrets. She would have had to face a death sentence if she had carried out her intentions, which would have shattered the Southerner to pieces.
As luck would have it, unbeknown to the Southerner, whose attention was focused on Louise, Wicks stealthily crawled towards where the gun had dropped. He got hold of it and pushing himself up on his knees, he got ready to fire at the woman who had humiliated him so savagely.
"Kid!" Teaspoon called urgently when from his position he watched the man's movements, but he was too far to do anything. Hearing the warning, in a flash the rider pushed Lou out of the way, the bullet missing her by a few inches and drawing his own gun, he fired. The shot hit Wicks in the middle of his chest, and the man slumped to the ground. Teaspoon ran to the fallen man and kneeling before him, he said, "He's dead."
Lou stared at the inert figure with a neutral expression and after a beat she turned her eyes to Kid. The Southerner didn't say anything, and they kept looking at each other for a few minutes. Then Louise walked the few steps separating them, and to Kid's utter astonishment she threw her arms to his neck and hugged him tightly. Once over the initial surprise, Kid instantly wrapped his arms around her as well and kept her close.
Watching the moment between the pair, Teaspoon hurried to say, "I'll take care of him, Kid." Then he turned to the bunch of people whose curiosity had drawn them to the place. "Ladies and gentlemen, please, go back to your warm and cozy beds. There's nothin' else to see here." The crowd started to disperse, and Teaspoon went on his way to summon the undertaker who would surely not like being woken up in the middle of the night.
Kid and Lou remained in the middle of the street, still joined in a warm hug. After everything that had happened in the last days, it was the first time she felt this calm and safe. It was the end of a terrible nightmare, and as a natural reaction she had looked for the comfort only Kid could give her. The Southerner brushed his hand through her hair soothingly and suddenly noticed that her nape was strangely wet. Lifting his spread hand at his eye level, to his horror he saw his fingers dyed in red blood. "Lou, you're bleeding!"
Louise pulled away slightly and looking him in the eyes, she simply said, "I'm fine." The blood surely came from the blows that Wicks had 'kindly' delivered onto her head, but it was nothing too serious.
"You should see the doctor," Kid offered seriously.
"Maybe," she admitted, "but please, not tonight."
The Southerner nodded silently as he peered intently in her big eyes. His hand came to tuck a few wisps of her untamed hair behind her ear, strangely feeling joined to her in this intimate action. Her hair now reached a few inches above her shoulders, framing her pretty face in a perfect combination. Louise smiled faintly, and Kid dared to mutter a question, "Let me walk you back to your lodgings?" His heart jumped as Louise nodded her consent and trying his luck once again, he dared to pass his arm over her shoulders. Instead of roughly pushing him off as he expected, Lou brought her own arm around his back and rested her head on his chest while they started off towards her place, leaving behind the reminder of a completely surreal night.