Chapter 12

Teaspoon and the others sat around the table for supper listening to Carson ramble on. He had cooked up this brilliant idea as he called it. Noah and Cody looked over at Teaspoon in disbelief.

"So that's why, we should set a trap. Catch him in the act. We lure him in and pounce." Carson finished.

"No." Teaspoon said.

"Teaspoon, this is the only way. You know it will work."

"No. I will not put any of my boys in danger."

"They won't be. We will set traps. We can catch him."

"And how are we gonna catch something that big?" Cody asked.

"Science is on our side."

"What?" Lou asked.

"Science."

"I don't follow." Said Noah.

"Called in a favor. Came today. I want to present to you, the answer to our problem." Carson said smiling as he laid a briefcase on the table.

Rachel leaned over as well as Jimmy. Carson flipped it open to show some sort of bottles.

"That is our answer." Jimmy said laughing.

"What the hell?" Teaspoon said getting closer.

Carson held one of them up.

"This my friends is a what they call a syringe. It is filled with enough medication to knock out an elephant."

"A what?" Lou asked.

"A large animal." Carson answered smiling proudly at his new toy.

"Still, too risky." Teaspoon said easing back.

"It is fool proof. We lure him in and just when he thinks that he has the upper hand, we jump. Inject this and lock him up. We will be hailed heroes."

Jimmy glanced nervously around the table. Carson noticed.

"Care to be the bait, Mr. Hickok?"

"What?"

"You seem a little uneasy. Feeling unsure? You scared of this for some reason? Maybe you can't be the bait? Guess that is still to be determined." Carson said holding the needle up.

"You keep accusing me of this! I have nothing to do with it! If I did, then how did it attack me?!" Jimmy yelled across the table glaring.

"Odd that you made it though. Wouldn't you say?"

"Carson, that's enough." Teaspoon said.

"How about you?!" Jimmy argued. "You came to town when all this started. If you even came to town. How do we know that you weren't already here?!"

"Trying to turn the blame, I see. Convenient."

Jimmy pushed away from the table. Buck watched him shake in anger. He started coughing.

"Jimmy?" Rachel asked standing.

Jimmy pushed outside. He fell down onto the porch. Teaspoon ran to his side.

"Son?"

"I'm ok. Just been feeling sick lately. I need a minute."

"Get some air then have Rachel take a look at that cut. Could be the start of an infection. I'm going to handle Carson."

Jimmy sat on the steps and took some deep breaths.

Carson soon left to go back to the hotel. Teaspoon had thought it wise for him to stay in town. Honestly, he didn't appreciate all the accusations being tossed Jimmy's way. Teaspoon sat in his room in the barn muddling over this plan that his friend had cooped up. By the time he had left, he had argued a pretty convincing spiel. He laid there on his back thinking that maybe this could work and end it all as sleep finally claimed him.

Raven sat in the pitch black of night as she watched the station yard and bunkhouse door. She could see where Carson was getting his suspicions. Jimmy could be the one right here under their noses. She had to see for herself first. She would catch him leaving. See where he went and what he did. If he was the creature, then she would kill him. Put an end to this nightmare. She turned back toward the bunkhouse as the clouds moved across the moon. She rested her hand on the blade of her sword as she waited. Soon the door slowly opened. It was time.