Shoot him

[Gothmaster]

(Need a female to join me in this thread, PM me if interrested.)

Washita, New Mexico 1882

Clete Argo was awoken by the shooting coming from the street. It was three shots in total. He quickly dressed and took his holster holding his Colt Peacemaker from the nightstand. He attached his deputy marshall star on his chest before he rushed towards the door.

He left the hotel where he was staying while he visited the town just in time to see three men jump up on their horses outside the bank. To exit the town the fastest they had to ride past Clete and so they did. Two of them made it. The third robber tried and failed. Clete raised his gun and aimed at the robber and shot him twice in the chest. The man fell of he horse with a cry and lay still on the dusty ground.

"Damn it is Clete!" He heard one rider scream to the other.

"Just kill him." Came the response.

The two riders aimed their guns at the deputy and tried to shoot him as they passed him. Clete threw himself down on the ground and shot four times after the fleing bandits. None of them fell of the horses and he was not sure if he hit any of them.

Clete lay on his back and easied his breathing and felt the adrenalin rush that came alongside a shooting. He sat up slowly and noticed the crowd that had gathered outside the bank.

"They killed poor Will." The voice of Giles, the saloon owner acclaimed.

Clete stood up and walked over to the crowd. "Move away peaple." He said as he walked through them to get inside the bank. Will Carlson, the banker lay dead right inside the entrance. His shirt red with blood and his unseing eyes met Clete's.

"It was Jack Barclay and Jethro Stern who did this." Jacob Mackie told him and wiped blood from his eyes. "The bastards his me in the head as well, but they shot Will out of spite."

"Who shot Will?" Clete asked the second banker.

"I think it was Stern. He seemed to be the one in command. It was he who hit me to."

"Get the doctor to look at you." Clete said and walked out the building.

He walked over to the man he had shot. He was dead and had no money on him. Nothing was found in his saddlebags as well. The man was unknown to Clete and he did not feel any guilt that he had to shoot him.

Jack Barclay on the other hand he felt the grief of dealing with. Clete had done everything he could to help the younger man. He even introduced Jack to Lorna McKenzie. Now Jack and Lorna was married. What grieved Clete the worst was that he now had to chase down Jack and bring him back dead or alive.

Two hours later

Clete sneaked over the rock as he heard the two men talk.

"Give me my share now. I should not had done as you told me. I can never go back." He heard Jack say to his companion.

"Quit whining and get moving or i will shoot you and you get nothing out of this." Clete heard the menace coming from Stern.

He had never liked the man and the feeling was mutual. Clete had seen the interrest Stern held for Lorna and did not like it one bit. He had thought Jack to be a good man for her and that was a regret he would have for the rest of his life. Even after he understood that Jack had beaten her up once he spoke to the younger man and it stopped. After that he thought everything was alright. But obviously he was wrong.

Clete covered the men with his Winchester rifle.

"Drop your weapons or i will kill you where you stand." He shouted down to them. Then all hell broke loose. Both Jethro Stern and Jack Barclay drew their guns and opened fire. Clete got of two shots before he had to take cover. One of the shots took Jack in the shoulder and the man fell backwards.

Clete looked over the rock as he heard hoof beats getting further away. Stern rode away and Clete could do nothing asbout it. He had not killed Jack and if he tried to go after the other man the risk of getting shot in the back was overwhelming.

"I surrender." He heard Jack cry below him. Clete slowly climbed down to join his former friend on even ground.

As he reaches even ground he stares into the barrells of a shotgun. Clete curses over his own stupidity as he meets Jack's eyes over the weapon. Jack's expression tells Clete that he have only a few seconds to live.

"No need to get killed over this Jack. We can both survive and get back. I know it was not you that killed Will. It was Stern." Clete saw that Jack did not feel very convinced and that it was easier to just kill Clete than go back.

"I will kill you. You must be glad now Clete. Now you get Lorna all by yourself. Just like you always wanted." Clete saw the madness in Jack's eyes.

Clete saw the moment to act just as Jack looked away for just a second. Clete jumped forward grabbing the shotgun barrell with his hands and turned it aside. The momentum made the two men fall to the ground.

Clete felt it was a battle he was about to loose and when he was about to loose the grip of the shotgun he instead let go and rolled to the side drawing his Colt. He fired once and saw the red spot on Jacks shirt right before the younger man lay still.

"Damn you Jack. This was nothing i wanted. Damn you." Clete hang his head as he looked down on his now dead friend.

 

[icu1978]

Lorna sat at the kitchen table watching the door. she knew that jack had gone out again and he almost always came home stinking of rot gut and meaner than a rattler when he went out lately. she was still nursing sore ribs from last night when he had come home angry that she hadn't had his supper ready for him.

touching her left eye she could tell that the swelling was going down. it had been swollen since last night. looking around her sparce home she took a deep breath and winced. getting up from her hard seat she walked slowly to the small pantry and pulled out an apple. taking a small bite she looked out the window . she couldn't help but wonder if Clete would come by tonight. he had been stoping by lately to make sure Jack was being have. which he usually wasn't.

thinking of Clete made her heart thump hard in her chest. she had loved him for so long but he was one of those men that just didn't want a wife. when he intorduced her to Jack it was in the hopes that she marry him and settle down. but she couldn't blame Clete for the way things had changed between her and her husband. when they had first married he was the kindest man so sweet and gentle. it was only over the last few weeks that Jack had begun to change.

walking to the fire place she sat infront of it's warmth. letting the heat penetrate her chilled body. taking another small bite of apple she layed her head back and closed her eyes listening for the sounds of jack coming home. hoping against hope he would come home sober tonight.

 

[Gothmaster]

Clete returned to the town rather late in the evening. He was exhausted, both physically and mentally. He dreaded that he had to tell what had happened to Lorna. It was at times like this he wished he never let his boss at Big H ranch convinced him to become a deputy marshall. It was good for business John Drennan had told him. If Big H ran into trouble with the law a deputy on their side would not hurt he said. As foreman on the ranch Clete went along with the idea. It seemed like the smart thing to do at the time.

Clete was met by Giles Wilbert as he dismounted from his horse.

"I see that you got one of them." The fat saloon owner said. "Which one is it?"

"Jack Barclay. I had to shoot him." Clete answered calmly.

"Of course you did Argo. You had no thought of his wife did you?" Giles frowned. "Or maybe it was just what you thought of. Now that you killed her man you could take his place?"

Clete turned towards the larger man with an angry stare. "Don't spread such things around. Mrs Barclay will have it difficult as it is. If you say that to anyone else i will kill you."

Clete turned on his heels and started to walk towards Lorna's house with the last words to Giles. "Get someone to take care of the body will you."

A few minutes later he stood outside Lorna's door with his stetson in his hands. taking a deep breath he knocks on the door.

 

[icu1978]

Lorna heard someone outside the house . getting up to look out the window she seen that is was Clete standing out there. as she moved toward the door in her slow state she heard him softly knocking on the wooden door. not sure if she should let him in or not becuase of what happened the last time she had done such a thing with out jack home he had become possesed with anger. deciding it was better to save her own hide than Clete's feelings she opened the door and instead of inviting him in she steped out on the small porch.

seeing him there with his hat in his hands and looking as if the wieght of the world rested on his shoulders Lorna gave him a smile. she was always happy to see him. she just wished she could invite himto the house. where they could sit and visit.sadly she knew that was out of the question.

" good evening Clete all is well i hope?"

 

[Gothmaster]

Clete felt sweat break out on his forehead as he heard her question. He was a renowned gunfighter and this woman made him nervous. If the situation was different he would have laughed.

"Evening Lorna." He looked around to see if they where alone. after he was sure none was aroud he turned to her again. "I have some bad news." He sighed and decided it was best to just get it out. "Jack is dead. Shot after he and Stern robbed the bank."

Clete fumbled his stetson between his fingers. "It was me who shot him in self defence." Clete cleared his throat. "I wan't you to know how sorry i am." Damn this situation he cursed inwardly. Why was he the only law the city had now that Marshall Blake was away. That was the only reason Clete had stayed in town instead of out on the ranch.

 

[icu1978]

lorna felt as if cold hands had just siezed ahold of her heart and where squizing the life from her. jack had been one mean son of a gun lately but even though her love for him had wavered lately she still she cared for him. leaning back she grabed the handle of the door and swung it open. " come in clete" when he had steped through the door way she shut it silently behind him. she was functioning on pure instict her mind so filled with questions.

how,why and when. she thought that she was saying these things but all that was coming out where bone shaking sobs. looking at clete with tears in her bruised eyes and shakingher head.
taking a breath she walked over and sat at the table.

" what about stern...is he dead too?" it was an odd thing to ask or to even think about. but for some reason she had to know. stern was the one that had led her husband down this path so it made since that in her mind he was the one that killed jack. as sure as if he held a gun to jacks head.

as clete sat at the table with her they both sliped into silence. and that was answer enough for her. stern was still out there her husband was dead and poor clete felt responcible for the whole thing she could tell by the way he sat at her table with down cast eyes.

 

[Gothmaster]

Even as he heard the question about Jethro Stern Clete understood that she knew he was still out there, but he answered her anyway.

"I missed him." He sighs as he follows her inside and sat down at the table. He was so very tired. This whole mess had just about ruined his day and now also Lorna's. Damn you Jack. How could you leave this woman and do what you did? What a selfish bastard you are. The anger started to build in him as he kept thinking of his former friend and protege.

He looked up at Lorna across the table trying to read her expression. If she hated him now he could not really blame her. He did not see what choice he had or how he could have done differently. It was just as he said, self defence. If Jack had aimed a Colt at him he may have aimed just to disarm but when someone hold a shothun at you. Close enough to take you apart. You just act instinctive. There had been no time to think about it, just react.

"Whatever you need at whatever time i will try to help you through this." Clete felt a little foolish at his offer. It was he who shot her husband afterall.

 

[icu1978]

Lorna looked up at Clete. puting her small hand over his larger one she looked at him." Clete your such a dear friend to me" taking a deep breath she shook her head. " im not sure what im to do now... you know the town folk never much cared for me or jack to begin with." getting up and walked to the window. she pulled back the thin material over the window and looked out the glass she could see the people milling about in front of the bar down the road.

taking a deep breath and wincing from the pain in her side lorna leaned her head against the cool glass. " do you spose anyone would hire me Clete.... i gotta bury my husband and make my own way now... i gotta havea job." turning she looked into his eyes." a good job Clete now like the one i was offered at the bar."

She knew that anything she would do would be hindered by her sore body. still suffering the latest beating from jack there was no way anyone would hire her now. she would have to wait awhile and let her body heal. maybe her soul needed a little healing as well. going to the table she slumped down in the chair across from Clete. putting her face in her hands she began to weap.
her slinder shoulders shaking slightly. Lorna was never one to cry so it was shocking toherself that this was the fifth time tears had fallen from her eyes in as many days. but this time was differant some how.

 

[Gothmaster]

Clete felt helpless against her tears. He did not have the right to comfort her. That right was reserved for her husband but now he was dead by Clete's hands. Clete also knew that the good peaple of Washita would speculate in the interrest he was showing towards the grieving widow. They would not care that it was Clete that introduced Jack to Lorna. He had no interrest in breaking up a marriage. Least of all Lorna's marriage.

"If you like i can talk to peaple. The store may hire you as a clerk." He smiles sadly. "Or maybe you can work as a seamstress." He don't mention the saloon. Gilbert Wilbert was a spiteful man and Clete never approved of the saloon owners interrest towards Lorna. He had almost needed to threaten the older man before he gave up his chase. Jack was a better man for her. That was how Clete had reasoned back then anyway. How wrong he had been. A mistake he had to live with the rest of his life.

"I will help you with everything you need Lorna." It was afterall i who shot your husband. The thought kept running through his mind as he felt her tears touching his heart.

 

[icu1978]

lorna could feel the tears hot and wet sliding down her pale cheeks and she so desperately wanted to be held."If you like i can talk to peaple. The store may hire you as a clerk." He smiles sadly. "Or maybe you can work as a seamstress." she shook her head. " yes one of them may. "I will help you with everything you need Lorna." lorna looked into clete's eyes licking her she tasted the salty wetness of her tears... " i need to be held clete...just for awhile." she felt lost at sea. being twisted and turned and pulled under in the raging dark waters.

moving foward she wraped her arms around clete's waste and lay her head on his chest. she could hear his heart thump thump thumping under her ear. when he slowly lifted his arms to curcle her small form she took a breath and closed her eyes.