Chapter 14

Jimmy moved his head and felt a spasm run down his neck. He rolled onto his side. He reached up to rub his neck when he heard the clatter of a chain. He felt the weight of it straining against his wrist. He sat up. He was chained to a rock. He let his eyes adjust. He knew this place. He was near the entrance to the old mine shaft. He could hear the water flowing down the side of the entrance into the pool below. He pulled the chains. They were so heavy that he could barely lift them. The sunlight filtered in through the mouth of the cave. He saw someone walking inside. He could not make out who it was with the bright light behind them.

"Glad to see you are up. Now we can get to the bottom of this."

"Raven?"

"Of course. I need for this to end and you, sir, are the end I have so desperately searched for."

"What are you talking about?"

"I know what you are, Jimmy. I know what you have done. Cold blooded murderer. A monster. Taking pride in ripping the hearts out of the innocent. It is time for it to stop."

"No, no, no. That's not right! I didn't do that! It was not me!"

"Oh, Jimmy, I don't know how I let you slip by me. But now that you are here, I need to see it for myself."

"See what?"

"Change."

"I can't!"

"Sure, you can. Let me persuade you."

"Stop, please. I didn't kill those people. I will admit that something is going on with me, but I don't know what it is. Please, you have to believe me. I didn't do this."

"You have suspicions of what you are, don't you? You just can't face the facts. You must be unable to remember after it is done." She said thinking.

"Look, I was fine until I was attacked. I swear this ain't me. I didn't do anything. I am not that thing!"

"Let's prove it then."

Jimmy shook his head as Raven pulled her blade.

Buck rode as fast as he could to the northern falls and river. It was the only place that he could think of that would put off enough mist. It was a sign. It had to be. He urged his horse faster.

Carson and Teaspoon sat around finalizing their plan for that night. Kid, Lou, and Cody looked on while listening.

"So, who wants to be the bait?" Carson asked.

"I'll do it." Cody interjected.

"You sure?" Teaspoon asked.

"Yeah, I am. I got away before. I know what to look for."

"Then that is settled. Now Kid and Lou will pair off. Teaspoon and I will pair off. Just as he starts toying with Cody there, we jump in. Distract it while someone comes up behind with the syringe."

"Seems too easy. I ain't sure." Teaspoon said worriedly.

"As long as we all are there, we can help each other get away if it goes awry. It's settled then. Cody will camp a few miles out of town. We wait." Carson said anxiously.

"What about Buck? Where is he anyway? And Jimmy ain't made it back in." Kid said.

"Seems your Mr. Hickok there has fled." Carson said pointedly.

"Carson, I'm warning ya." Teaspoon said.

"Use your head, Teaspoon. He can't be placed at the times of the attacks. He is always conveniently alone at those times. He acted out of sorts at the last attack. And now he has run? I know you love him like a son, but you need to look at the facts."

"The facts are that he is my boy and he ain't capable of this. He is confused and hurting. He needs this time and it ain't got nothing to do with these murders."

Carson shook his head then changed the subject.

Buck rode up and climbed down off his horse. He knelt down and scanned the area for tracks. He finally saw what he was looking for. He saw they led up to the old cave entrance to the mine shaft. He tied his horse to a tree and started making his way up. He heard Raven's voice as he closed in. He ran the rest of the way into the cave.

"Raven! Stop!" Buck yelled.

Raven closed her eyes in annoyance but turned around. Buck saw Jimmy look up at him.

"What are you doing?"

"Buck, once I prove it is him, then I can end this. It will be over. He is the one."

"That's Jimmy!"

"Was Jimmy."

"Buck, tell her. Help me." Jimmy said from where he knelt on the ground.

"Raven, please." Buck said stepping closer.

"I can't trust you. Stay where you are, or I finish him right now." She said raising her sword.

"He didn't do this. There was another last night."

She stopped and seemed to think. Buck took that moment to knock the sword away. She yelled out and slapped him. Buck rubbed his face but looked at her pleadingly.

"Raven, it is not him."

"Look at him! How can it not be?! Look!"

Buck watched as Raven walked over and stepped on his hand. Jimmy grunted as she pointed to his fingernails. She pulled his sleeve up. Buck could see the purple veins. He stood stunned. He was unsure of what was happening, but he knew that Jimmy had not killed anyone.

"Buck, I don't know what's happening to me. I was going to tell Teaspoon when she got me. I swear. I don't understand but it didn't happen until I was attacked. It's me, Buck. I swear it."

"Raven, you have to stop this. I believe him. He is my brother."

"How can you do this? You are siding with this beast! Look at what he is! He will turn on you. He will kill everyone he comes into contact with."

"I have to trust him. He is not what you say."

Raven laughed. Buck saw her move. She was too quick. She pulled his knife and turned. Buck yelled as she threw it like a dagger right into Jimmy's chest. He looked her confused as he stumbled to his knees. Buck knocked her out the way and ran to his side. He eased him down onto the ground.

"Jimmy?! It's ok. Just hold on." Buck said as he removed his knife.

Jimmy gasped while looking at Buck as he jerked his bandanna out his pocket to press on the wound. Buck watched Jimmy try to breathe. He saw the blood running from the sides of his mouth. The gurgling sound made Buck sick to his stomach. He held Jimmy's head until the breathing stopped. He eased his head down and charged at Raven.

"Stop! Before you ramble on about how I killed him, just give him time."

"What the hell are you talking about?! You just killed my friend!"

"He is one of them. He will be fine."

Buck stood in anger until he heard Jimmy take a breath behind him. He spun around. Jimmy was breathing. He wasn't awake but he was breathing. Buck stooped over him in disbelief. He saw the fingernails. He saw his mouth open. He saw the fangs. Raven was right. He was one of them. He watched the blood stop flowing. Jimmy opened his eyes. Buck turned back to Raven.

"He still did not do any of this." Buck stated.

"He is one of them."

"The gash on his hand must have been a bite. That would explain how it passes along. This just happened to him so he could not have murdered all those people."

"You seem to think that he will be able to think for himself once it fully takes him over. I think you are being naïve. He will turn into a murdering beast just like the rest. He will stop at nothing."

"I think you don't know as much as you claim to. I think you….."

"I can't believe this. You are trying to make him out to be human. You are only thinking of the good in him, but we all know, men have some form of evil inside waiting to get out. I can't let him go."

"I can help him, Raven. He will be fine. He can help stop this."

"Buck?" Jimmy pushed out.

Buck knelt back down beside him.

"Jimmy, you ok?"

"She killed me. How am I? I don't understand."

Buck went to answer when he saw light flash from over his shoulder. He saw Raven lift her sword. She was focused on Jimmy. He kicked out, knocking her away. Jimmy got to his feet fighting the heavy chains as Buck turned to face Raven. She went to lift her sword again when Buck saw a large rock. He threw it and hit his target. Raven dropped the sword and fell in a heap. He went to find a way to remove the chains.