My name? My name doesn't matter, if it did I would tell you.
Please, please wait! Don't leave yet, I need to tell you something important! Don't leave! Someone has to know, a young life is at risk to hang if I don't confess my story now!
Thank you for staying. Promise me you will get this to a judge, a newspaper, anyone important as…as soon as I finish. I can't destroy another innocent life.
Don't worry about this. It's only a flesh wound nothing serious.
Are you ready? You should write this down.
Ch. 1
The rain fell to the ground as if God had opened a hole and decided to drain all of heaven on the earth. Honestly, it was the perfect time to carry out our plan; cattle rustling, but not just from any poor rancher. We went for the best, the king of the San Joaquin Valley, Murdoch Lancer.
Upon a cold soaked stone I lay, awaiting the passing midnight hour. Rain found its way passed my slicker and into my once warm clothes. I shivered, more from excitement rather than cold for in just a few minutes, we were about to take one thousand head of cattle! How grand it sounded when a ranch hand of the Lancers called upon me to serve as their protector. For anyone who knew of my reputation would say I was faster than the so called gun hand Johnny Madrid. There was a rumor he was residing in this part of the land, laying low, but that didn't faze me; well not at the moment anyway.
I lit a match and looked at my pocket watch, the rain drops sliding down the front did not mask the hands which lay upon the hour of midnight. Grabbing my Winchester rifle and placing it into the crook of my shoulder, I waited. It echoed across the land; gunshots, yelling, and the frantic cries of cattle. So much that the president of Mexico could have heard it, such wonderful sounds of the night. As I listened to our progress, the low rumble of hooves could be heard resounding from the Lancer main house. The silhouettes of horses were outlined in the dark amongst the black scenery. It's not hard to guess how big a man is on the back of such a beast, just aim a little higher than you would and bam, you got him dead to rights in the darkest conditions.
The animal reared as the bullet crashed into the man's chest jolting him backwards. Fire exploded from seven directions as revolvers and pistol were torn from their holsters. A loud voice boomed directing men to take cover. As they took up defensive positions another man screamed from a bullet piercing the flesh of left breast. Again, the weapons spit fire into the rain toward the direction of stone where a flash of light was seen. A young man split from the rest, he raced up the side of the cliff careful not to make a sound. Slowly he advanced upon the sharpshooter listening and watching for his movement.
I was no fool to fire from just one place, moving around and keeping the enemy on its' toes would be the best option in this terrain. I pressed my luck, though, and fired two shot from this hidden position. The scream from my latest victim assured me I had found my mark. Carefully I slid, on my stomach, from this position and slowly headed back the clearing. Although painfully difficult in the rain, I managed to stay mostly quite. The animal I had left hours prior remained standing beside an old, moss covered tree. Hesitation was never in my nature, but something warned me not to go at first. My foot hit the grass and into the clearing I stepped. So peaceful everything was, you could hear the rain hitting leaves from every direction. Lightening raced across the sky, the beauty stunned me. I followed its' run down toward the hill where it struck.
The sound made the horse side step, it was use to gunshots so it did not shy too much. Bright red blood spilled upon the wet grass, mixing as the rain steadily fell. My back sponged up the ground instantly. I looked at the hole just below my rib cage, singe marks still smoking showed that a .30 caliber entered my body. The sound of feet hitting wet leaves came close to wear I lay, but already I had painfully rolled on my stomach and begun crawling to my horse.
"Hold it mister." A calm voice followed by the click of a pistol said. "Hold it or I will shoot."
I could not contain the laugh that swelled up in me. "You…you done already shot me, what's the point of giving me a warning now?!"
He stepped closer, I pulled the Winchester closer to me.
"Let go of the rifle or you will find another bullet lodged in you." The calm voice seemed to hold steady. I lay on my stomach, a slight dizzy spell had begun. My horse stood so close, if only he would step to his left a little I could use the stirrup to pull myself.
"Well if you are all fired up in putting another into, go right ahead. You don't scare me.."
"Lancer, Johnny Lancer."
"I been shot by a Lancer. Well that's embarrassing." He grabbed the back of my slicker and pulled me up to where my stomach was now pinned against my saddle. I slid the Winchester in the scabbard to show that I accepted defeat, for now. The weakness in my body consumed what strength I had left. I turned my head slightly to catch a glimpse of this new Lancer, rumors of him had resonated across California. Again the lightening flashed, my eyes widened.
"Madrid?"
It came as a whisper for my body gave up.