Bret paced in the hotel lobby. It was almost six o'clock, and since Peters hadn't told him to meet him anywhere in particular, he assumed that he—or someone, anyway—would be going there to get him. He wasn't disappointed; at 5:58, a man poked his head into the hotel and beckoned to him.
Bret immediately followed him out. "Is my brother all right?" he asked.
"I can't answer any questions," Dave told him. "Just follow me."
Bret obeyed, with a sigh.
Dave led Bret out of the town and over to a cluster of rocks where they couldn't be seen by anyone. He took out his gun and pointed it at Bret. "Your gun."
Bret didn't like that, but he knew that he had no choice. Reluctantly, he took it out and handed it over.
Dave took it. "Stay here," he said.
Bret obeyed, looking around and seeing nothing but the rocks, which Dave disappeared behind. "Peters?" he called.
"Right here, Maverick." Peters stepped out from Bret's right, and walked over to him.
"Where's my brother?" Bret said.
Peters gestured with his thumb over his shoulder. "Right over there, taking a nap."
Bret frowned. "You don't get a penny from me until I see him."
Peters shrugged. "Boys!" he called. "Bring 'im out."
Dave and Billy led a horse out from behind the rocks…and Bret's eyes widened in shock at the sight of Bart tied to its saddlehorn by his wrists, and he appeared to be unconscious, dangling at the horse's side.
"We had to slug 'im," said Peters. "We couldn't stand listening to his coughing anymore."
Bret's blood practically boiled at that.
Peters held out his hand. "My money, please."
Bret took it out of his jacket and slapped it against Peters' chest, before walking past him to get to Bart.
Peters quickly counted it, before frowning and counting it again. Turning, he drew his gun and fired it into the air.
Bret stopped walking.
"Where's the rest?" Peters demanded. "There's only seven thousand here!"
Bret turned. "My brother has a thousand of it in his pocket."
Dave and Billy frowned. "We didn't find any money on him," Billy said.
Peters pulled back the hammer on his gun and walked over. "You're lying. Where's the rest? I told you that you could have your brother back after you gave me eight thousand dollars!"
"It's pinned in the inside pocket of his jacket!" said Bret.
Peters walked past Bret, sticking the money into a pocket and holstering his gun as he headed over to the unconscious Bart and grabbed him, roughly looking for the money.
That was the last straw. Bret lunged forward and grabbed Peters, spinning him around and punching him. His fury made him realize too late that he should've grabbed Peters' gun first.
Peters didn't expect the attack, and fell back against the rocks. He pulled out his gun, but Bret lunged at him again and fought him for it.
Dave and Billy wisely took the opportunity to get the heck out of there.
Bret punched Peters again and almost wrenched the gun away from him, but Peters threw both of their bodies to the side, where they landed on the ground. They rolled a few times and Peters ended up on top and managed to get his finger on the trigger.
Bret saw in time and managed to push the gun upwards just as it fired. The bullet struck Peters, and he fell. The sound of the gunshot made the horse whinny and start galloping away…with Bart still tied to it.
Bret's relief turned into panic, and he jumped up from the ground and dashed towards it. He managed to grab the horse's reins and stop it before Bart got caught under its hooves. Quickly, he untied his brother's wrists and lowered him to the ground, holding him up in one arm and tapping the side of his face. He was dismayed to discover the increased fever. "Bart?" he said "Wake up!"
Bart gave no reaction.
Bret suddenly remembered the money. He gently sat Bart against a boulder rather than laying him on the wet ground, and headed over to Peters' body, opening his jacket and taking out the seven thousand dollars. He stuck it into his own pocket and stood, heading back over to his brother. He tried to wake Bart again without success, and finally sat beside him to wait for to him to wake up.
When Bart finally did, the first sound out of him was coughing, which Bret expected. Bart winced and groaned in between the coughs, raising a hand to his head. It was a long and painful coughing fit, which ended with "Ooooooh."
Bret waited it out, holding onto his brother lest he fall over.
Bart hung his throbbing head as he caught his breath. At the moment, he didn't even have enough energy to ask Bret what had happened.
"Are you all right?" Bret finally asked.
Bart finally raised his head and looked at his brother through half-closed eyes. "Never better," he hoarsely mumbled, sarcastically. He tried to take a deeper breath, and winced when it only served to make him wheeze. He winced again and closed his eyes when the pain suddenly flared in his head. "Ooooh," he groaned again.
Bret sighed. "Come on, let's get you outta here," he said, pulling his brother to his feet and helping him over to the horse. He helped Bart mount and took the reins, leading the horse back towards town. He looked over his shoulder to see that Bart had closed his eyes and hung his head again. "Don't fall off," he said.
"I won't," Bart mumbled, before he started coughing again. He coughed most of the way back, and when they reached the edge of town, they spotted a group of men watching them.
"What's this I hear about an abduction?" a man called out. It was the sheriff, finally returned.
Bret realized that the group was a posse…obviously about to search for them. "Everything's under control, I found him," he said, gesturing towards Bart with his thumb. "Gus Peters is dead, beyond the rocks."
Some of the men walked in that direction, and the sheriff frowned. "You're going to have to give me a statement."
Bart loudly sneezed before going into a coughing fit.
"I don't mean to be rude, Sheriff," Bret said. "But my brother is sick and Peters kidnapped him and held him for ransom. I have to get him back to the hotel…your statement will have to wait."
The sheriff took one look at Bart and didn't protest.
Bret led the horse back to the hotel, helped his brother dismount, and guided him inside.
The clerk looked up as they came in, and smiled brightly. "You got him back alive!" he exclaimed.
Bret smiled back. "Sure did…and I still have our money, too." He looked at Bart, whose eyes were half closed and he was practically swaying in Bret's arm. He steered him towards the stairs. "Can you fetch a doctor?" he asked the clerk.
"Of course," the clerk answered.
"I don't need one," Bart mumbled. He missed the first step and tripped up it.
"Sure you don't," Bret answered, tightening the grip around his brother's back.
It was a slow trip up the steps that had Bart coughing most of the way up. Once they finally reached their room and Bret laid him down on his bed, Bart was so relieved to feel the soft pillow under his head that he almost instantly dropped off to sleep. It wasn't until someone's finger literally opened his right eye that he woke up, and he was so startled at the sight of a stranger sitting on the side of the bed that he jumped.
"Sorry," said the doctor. "We thought you were unconscious."
Bart didn't answer, as he'd started coughing again.
The doctor watched him, frowning to hear the wheeze. "I don't need a stethoscope to hear that," he said.
Bret watched, with a sigh.
The doctor felt Bart's forehead and frowned. "You need to stay in bed for a week, young man," he said. "At least."
"Gladly," Bart said, eyes tiredly closed.
The doctor looked at Bret. "You mentioned taking a train out of here? That would be a good idea. This dampness isn't helping his lungs any."
Bart suddenly noticed the sound of falling rain again.
Bret nodded, before taking out his watch to check the time. "I don't think we'll make tonight's train…we'll have to leave tomorrow."
The doctor nodded back, looking at Bart, whose eyes were still closed. "He's in no shape to get up now anyway." He stood and picked up his bag. "He should be all right soon. If you need me again, don't hesitate to have someone fetch me."
Bret nodded again. "Thanks, doc."
The doctor smiled and left.
Bret sighed as he watched his brother, who appeared to have fallen asleep. He rested his chin in his hand with a sigh, desperately hoping that this night wouldn't turn out like the last one had…
TBC