Gold, Guns and Death in the West - A Wild West Story

CHAPTER 4 - The Relentless

As night fell and the workers in the mines were called back to the barracks, the town of Littley Valley was as quiet as it was in the day. More creepily so, as the dead of night left the entire establishment feeling empty. Nothing to say for itself other than the chirp of crickets or the soft voice of the passing breeze. In the bar, the Edwards gang all enjoyed a drink at their table. The boy was far across from them, hat on the table with a candle and a glass of root beer.

"Looks like they're all pre-occupied there." The girl said, pulling up a vacant chair to sit opposite of him.

"You don't look like you work in the mines." He replied in a quiet tone, curiosity also could be heard. The girl simply took the boy's glass and sipped a little bit of his drink.

"Convenience, my dad's pretty old. Once he's... passed, I'll be running the bar. It's the place they always go to after their work is done." She informed him. The boy nodded in response.

"This is a very nice place." He complimented, "Shame it's smack in the middle of this hellhole."

The girl seemingly agreed with him. Picking his hat up and examining it, before handing it back to him.

"It was never always like this." She began, before the boy noticed Eugene approaching them, he looked at the bartender and placed his finger up to silence her.

"What are you two talking about over here?" He asked.

"Nothing." The girl said. Reaching for the boy's drink, before Eugene pulled up a chair and sat at their table. He grabbed the boy's glass, the barmaid didn't dare to try and go for it. Gulping it all down in one go, he glared at the boy.

"Look at you. Come into my town like you own the place. I don't take any shit from young hotshots like you. I kill those who cross me!" He yelled, pulling out his pistol. Pointing it directly towards the boy's face. He was drunk, clearly.

"You know how much I hate cleaning this place." The girl's father came out from behind the back room. "Put that thing away, you're only embarrassing yourself."

"And you, old man! I'm sick and tired of you and your wiseass." He turned to point the gun towards the defenceless man. His trigger finger was twitching with excitement.

"That's enough!" The girl yelled. The poor old man's eyes grew in fear as Eugene's furious eyes gazed towards his daughter.

"You..." He finally looked at her, keeping his revolver trained towards her father. "You just can't seem to accept the fact that I'm the reality around here now. You think this is your little safespace? One day I'm going to-"

He was cut off. A loud ear splitting gunshot ruptured the tense atmosphere of the saloon. All four of Eugene's gang members drew their weapons towards the boy. Whom was holding a smoking pistol, nobody had noticed him pull it out.

Eugene's surprised eyes first glanced towards the bounty hunter, his drawn gun, then to his own hand. Empty of the pistol which was once firmly clasped.

"People like you... don't know when to shut your damn mouth and stop trying to impress everyone." The boy said. Eugene's fury slowly returned, replacing his shock. "I believe I'm a patient person, but I think I'm starting to have my limits. Please take your mindless cronies and leave this bar."

Eugene turned his head towards his pistol, it's barrel was dented and on the ground. He scoffed in frustration as he bent over to pick it up.

"Get out before you embarrass yourself further. We've got quite the three weeks ahead of us." The boy smirked a little, quite confidently.

"Come on Gene, let's get out of here. Before things get worse, this little shit ain't worth it." Mike said. Holstering his weapon. Slowly, the rest of Eugene's gang holstered their guns.