The next morning, the hotel was empty, other then those few men playing cards at the table. I brought out some Eil's for them at no cost, and set to work cleaning the counter. When I was finished with the galsses, I went back in the kitchen, to pull the freashly backed Eli's from the oven. I set some aside for Mr. Hofman, like I promiced. As I cut the cookies, I heard the door swing open out front, and about four men walk into the hotel.
"I'll be out in a minute!" I called. And scooped the cookies from the tray into a jar. I wiped my hands off from the cocolate and walked outside. There were three men I didn't recognize, sitting a table in a shadowed corner. The forth man was at the bar, his head down. "What can I get for ya?" I asked, setting the towel down.
"heard there's some good grub here." He said. His voice was young… easy but firm and hard.
"Sure." I said, "We got the best cookies here in all of New Mexico." I said. "Baked em myself."
"Did ya now." He said. from his voice… from the way he spoke… a feeling started in my stomach. I didn't know what it was.
"They're twenty cents." I said, "Anything else?"
'Whisky." He said, "Four." I hesitated, and pulled out four cups and filled them to the top. The young man took the cups and brought them over to the table. He came back, and I guessed he wanted the cookies. I went in the back, and fetched eight cookies. I gave them to the boy, and he paid up without looking up. They sat in the corner for a long time, whispering, drinking. They like the cookies that's for sure. They kept buying them. But they only ate a few. Saving them up I guessed. The forth came up again to the bar.
"More Eli's?" I asked, 'Or refills?" I said it almost snoddy. And I guessed the kid sensed the anger in my voice and looked up. I gasped. I was starring into light blue piercing eyes. The boy. The boy I had seen in the jail house. The boy that had killed the sheriff, was starring back at me. I knew he recognized me, cause there was a flicker in his eyes.
"Both." He said. I slowly gave him the cookies, and gave him a bottle to refill their glasses. The boy nodded and took em back to the table. I hesitated, and slowly washed the glasses, my eyes glancing over at them. On the side of my eye, I saw them look at me… and my heart skipped a beat. What were they going to do now? I was in deep trouble. Where they here to kill the sheriff? No. I wouldn't let them. The sheriff was a close friend. I wouldn't let them close. My eyes wondered to the men's holsters. They had a pistol each, but the boy had two. Cross draw. What was I going to do? Lou was in the back, playing pocker, and Aunt May was at home, taking the day off. I was here alone. The two men playing cards glanced at me, then at the men. They noticed I was nervous and knew something was up. I caught their gaze, erdging them to come over. They set down their cards, and came to the bar with their cups. One leaned over, as I filled their cups.
"What's up?" he asked in a low voice.
"Those men… they're murders." I whispered back. He pulled back, and took his drink. He finished it off, set his glass down, and walked solemnly out the door, his friend close behind. They were going to get the sheriff. I took a deep breath to try to calm myself. But I felt a fear grip my heart, as they all stood up, looking at me. I tried not to panic… and suddenly… I wasn't. Like the fear had just dropped. I knew what I had to do. Keep them here till the sheriff arrived. I went back to the kitchen, and I heard them follow me. I shut the kitchen door, knowing it wouldn't do much. But then I reached up over the cabinets, and pulled my old rifle down. I loaded it quickly, my fingers suddenly as slick as butter over silk. I wasn't shaking, or scared. I was calm and ready. The door opened, and I cocked the rifle.
"Don't move a finger you slimy pieces of hog turds." I said coldly. The man stopped, surprised a girl my age had them at the other end of a rifle. I looked them over… only three… and the boy was missing. I cursed under my breath as I remembered the back door. There was suddenly a small sound, and the wind around me shifted. There was a click of a gun, and I felt something hard agansit my back.
"That's not very nice." The boy said behind me. "Drop the gun hot shot." I did so, very slowly. One of the men came up and took it from the ground. It was a dark skinned, dark haired indain. As I said it, something in my mind told me Mexican Indian. "Where'd those men go?"
"What men?" I said. The boy laughed.
"You got a slick tongue for being on the wrong side of a gun." He said. I frowned, and spun around, smacking the gun from his hand. I grabbed his arm and twisted it, coming behind me. With my other hand, I grabbed his gun and cocked it, pointing the barrel at his head. Everyone froze as I held the boy by the throat from behind, a pistol to his head. Even I was surprised I had done that… yet I felt no fear in me. Something that I should have felt.
"Now who's on the wrong side of the gun?" I snapped in his ear. The boy hesitated.
"You are." He said. Three more gun cocked, and the men at the door, had their barrels aimed at me. I grinded my teeth. Great. I relocked the gun, and let go of the boy. He took the gun from my hand with a smile. "Thanks." He said. I glared at me. And he just smiled back, quicker then the eye could blink, his gun was twirled around, cocked and aimed at me. I frowned and put my hands up, surrendering. I hated that… but I had nothing on me. No guns… nothing. There was a cold knock at the back door, and the sheriff called quietly. The boy jerked his head at the men. They quickly grabbed my and dragged me out into the hotel… and up the stairs. We were heading down the hall, when I saw my room. There was only one man holding me on my right side… as was my door. Without thinking twice, I gripped the mans arm, jumped up and kicked the wall on my left, sending us both flying through my door and into my room. I rolled over, reaching for his gun, but there was a gunshot… and I jerked back. The boy grabbed my shirt and pulled me to my feet.
"Pull another stunt like that again and I'll strangle you." He said, his voice cold. My eyes flared and I spat in his face. He threw me against the wall. The other men piled into my room, and the kid shut the door behind them, his pistol in his hand.
"Out here." One man said. He was looking out the window. My window lead to the back of town… and not two far was the stables… and my guess their horses. One opened the window, and leaned out. When no one was looking, my hand snaked under the mattress and my fingers curled around my pistol. In a flash, I snapped it out, aimed and fired. The window shattered, and all the men ducked. I fired again, this time knocking the man's gun away from his hand. I fired again, splitting another man's holster off, and another shot took care of the third. They all froze. It was the boy who spoke first.
"You only got one shot left. And there's four of us." He said. I rolled my eyes. And before anyone could blink, I aimed up, and fired my last shot. The light in the ceiling shattered, and it went black. I grabbed the bag of my money and At the same time, I moved with sped people whished to have. I flew out the door and into the hallway. I tried to go down the hall, by I was suddenly smashed into the wall. The boy picked me up and shoved me back into the room. This time they held me at gunpoint. They headed out the window, with me in the middle. In no time, we were in the stables. I quickly saddled my horse, and they tied it to their own. I got on, still at gunpoint, and we all raced out without another word.