Sheriff Of RedRock
A/N: I promise all of my faithful readers that I have not forgotten this story. I have had several hiccups in life, but I am back. I'm sorry about the delay.
Chapter 11
July 4, 1886, RedRock Valley, Northern California
It was early morning, and Lisbon was already up. The sun was starting to rise, and she was busy preparing herself for the celebrations. As she wrestled herself into the dress, a timid knock on the door caught her attention. She slid her arms through the sleeves and pulled the tight bodice up into place. "Who is it?"
"Grace."
Lisbon pulled the door back, and let the attractive redhead into the tiny room. Grace was already ready for the day, in a stunning black gown she had bought in San Francisco. Lisbon smiled. "You got here just in time. I can't reach to lace this deathtrap up at the back."
Grace laughed and headed round behind Lisbon. She threaded the black satin ribbon and began to pull it tight. Lisbon took a breath, and Grace laughed again. "I will leave it a little bit loose so that you can breathe, Teresa. No sense in having the sheriff passing out due to a tight dress."
Grace was soon finished, and she started on Lisbon's hair. Twenty minutes later, they were done, and Lisbon looked at herself in the small mirror Jane had attached to the wall. She looked presentable, and so she decided it was time. She slid her guns into their pockets, and turned to leave with Grace.
Jane hadn't opened the store yet, and so Lisbon and Grace could go into the store without people wondering why they were there. Jane was waiting for Lisbon, and he smiled when he saw her. "Sheriff," he said. "I think it's time we were out there."
Jane and Lisbon headed towards the door, and Grace followed. Rigsby was waiting outside the door, and he smiled when he saw Grace. They disappeared, and Jane hooked his arm through Lisbon's. "Mr Jane," said Lisbon. "Shall we?"
Both of them laughed, and they entered the celebrations together.
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There were stalls lining the street, and out into the vacant field on the outskirts of the town. There were people everywhere, and children ran amongst the crowd. Women gossiped over stalls of fine thread and beads, and men streamed in and out of Bertram's. "Mr Jane," asked Lisbon. Why don't you have your store open today? You could make a lot of money."
Jane looked around. "Ms Teresa, what you see here is people who want to see a show and who want to shop at stalls, not at a general store you can get everywhere."
Lisbon nodded, deep in thought, and surveyed the crowd. She could see Cho standing in one area, keeping an eye on the crowd. She looked at him, and kept walking. The day progressed, and Jane and Lisbon got into the spirit of the celebration. Lisbon kept an eye out for any suspicious characters, and met up with Rigsby at lunchtime. "Anything?"
Rigsby shook his head. "Nothing, Sheriff. Not a sign of them."
Grace was with them, and she nodded in agreement. Lisbon thought for a second, and nodded. "If I was them, I would attack closer to sunset."
They all nodded in agreement, and then dispersed amongst the crowded people. The events proceeded with a live performance with stuntmen on horses. The crowds gathered to watch, and Lisbon wound her way with Jane to the front of the crowd. Few people had even recognised her as the sheriff, and she preferred it that way. The show commenced, and the people laughed and cheered with every amazing move the men pulled. The show was about an hour long, and Lisbon kept track of the time on Jane's pocket watch. She handed it back to him, and then jumped at a loud noise.
XxxxxxxxxxxX
A stuntman had just landed safely back on his horse when the pain came. His shoulder burned, and he placed his hand over it in horror. His hand came away red, and he toppled off of the horse sideways. As he hit the dirt, he vaguely heard women screaming. Then everything faded to black.
Lisbon stiffened as the man fell, blood pouring from his shoulder. Several women screamed, and people tried to run. A figure on a black horse rode into the middle of the circle, brandishing two pistols. Lisbon recognised him, and her blood boiled in anger. It was none other than Red John.
He was standing up on his stirrups, pointing his guns at the crowd. The people tried to run, but couldn't because there were other riders on horses blocking their paths. The crowd was trapped.
Red John fired off a shot into the air to silence the crowd. "RedRock," he yelled. "I need your deputies and their sheriff to step forward now."
Lisbon stood still, hiding behind Jane. She wanted to keep a low profile until the last possible moment. Neither Cho nor Rigsby responded, and Red John directed his horse around the edge of the crowd. There was a murmur amongst the crowd as nobody stepped forward. Cho stood back, but people knew who he was, and made a path to him as Red John approached. Red John looked down at him. "Deputy number one."
Cho stepped forward into the circle. Red John was joined by Dr Volker, who looked at Cho. "Where is the sheriff?"
Cho looked back at him. "She left town."
Lisbon watched her deputy lie for her, and felt thankful. Cho was buying her valuable time, and she used it to make her way through the crowd. She could see that the entire gang was there, blocking the escape for anybody. Lisbon estimated that at least a thousand people had come, and all were trapped in the arena that had been set up outside the town. She spotted Marcus Pike, and moved on before he could see her. She also saw JJ LaRoche patrolling on his horse, and ducked to avoid the bandit's stare.
Back in the centre of the arena, Red John paced up and down the crowd on his horse. Cho stood in the middle, keeping an eye out for the sheriff. Red John spotted Grace and headed closer to her. "Ms Van Pelt," he said. "I heard good things about you from Walter Mashburn. He had a few things to say about you. Of course not as many as for the feisty sheriff you are supposed to have."
Red John noticed Rigsby's reaction, and laughed. "Deputy Rigsby, is it? I know you were trying to hide, but Walter told me a lot about you as well. Never quite liked you, you know."
Rigsby took one look at Grace, and headed out into the centre of the arena where Cho stood. Dr Volker watched the two men, and Red John came up to him. "Any sign of her?"
Dr Volker shook his head. "The best person to look would be Bob you know."
Red John nodded, and the two men separated. Dr Volker left, and Red John was joined by Bob Kirkland. Lisbon had rejoined Jane, and watched as Kirkland rode painfully around the arena. He rode right past her without even seeing her, and Lisbon sighed in relief. She made eye contact with Cho, who raised an eyebrow. She shook her head, and looked away. Now was not the time to react in any way. Red John stopped in the centre of the arena. "Sheriff," he called. "Your deputies need you. If you don't step forward now, one deputy gets shot."
Kirkland paced on the horse, and began to scan the crowd. His right arm hung awkwardly at his side, and was strapped securely to his side. A woman standing to the left of Jane suddenly recognised Lisbon. She tried not to react, but couldn't hide her reaction in time. Kirkland rode over to the woman. "Somethin' you want to tell us, Ms…?"
The woman shook her head. "Fischer. Kim Fischer."
Kirkland pulled out his gun in his free hand and brandished it wildly in front of Jane. "You sure, Ms Fischer? You looked about ready to faint there."
Ms Fischer shook her head, and looked away. Kirkland pointed the gun at her. Lisbon scowled and stepped forwards. "Kirkland, stop."
The crowd all looked in her direction, and Red John swung around to face her. "Number three," he murmured.
Lisbon kept her hands where they could see them, and began to walk to the centre of the arena. Jane grabbed her right wrist. "Teresa, don't."
Lisbon shook her head. "Mr Jane, this has always been, and always will be, the end of the road."
Jane refused to let her go. "Let me live it with you."
Lisbon put her left hand over his. "What is there to live, Mr Jane?"
Jane stepped forward, and looked down at her. "Teresa, there is always a moment in life to be lived. We have come so far; should we die today, I want to do it with you."
Lisbon smiled at him, and then turned away. Red John had watched the exchange with fascination. "Sheriff," he said, turning his horse to face her. "I knew you hadn't skipped town. Walter never pinned you as yellow. He did say you were a beautiful woman. He wasn't telling any lies. Seems almost a shame to kill you."
Lisbon pulled her arm free of Jane's grasp, and headed towards her deputies. Jane followed her, and Kirkland moved to stop him. Lisbon turned looked up at Kirkland with a look of mild disinterest on her face. Kirkland looked down into the face of the woman who had shot him, and he scowled at her. "Sheriff," he said. "I should shoot you where I stand. But my boss would finish your job."
Red John rode over to them. "Sheriff," he said, almost mockingly. "If you want this man to protect you," he gestured towards Jane, who raised an eyebrow, "who am I to stop you?"
Lisbon waved her hand at Jane. "Red John, I do not control this man, nor does he protect me. It is out of his own will that he followed me to his death."
Lisbon noted Red John looking Jane over. "A shopkeeper falls in love with the sheriff. What a fitting end to this story, Sheriff. A fitting end indeed." He laughed and rode back to where Cho and Rigsby stood.
Lisbon felt the crowd collectively react, and she ignored them. Red John was trying to throw her off, and she knew he had struck a nerve with both Jane and Lisbon. She looked across at Jane, and willed him to deny the bandit's words. Jane didn't react in any way, and Lisbon knew he had just sealed both of their fates.
A/N2: Thank you for reading. Please leave em a review and tell me what you think. Thank you.