The Last Harvest

Chapter 5

CHAPTER FIVE

The morning came with the sound of horse hooves as a gang of five men rode into town. The mayor had hired them to take out the gunslinger so he could have better access to Margot. Margot quickly made her way out of her shop and out onto the porch. She was not afraid to face them. Her patients were running thin with the mayor. She wanted to mount up a horse and ride to his large home and put a bullet in him, but her morals stopped her.

"I see you took the blood money to come in to scare these folks!" She hisses as she grasps her blue skirt to avoid the mud.

"It could have been avoided, Mrs. Morgan." The leader of the gang spoke up from his horse. He smiled as his men ran up and down the small streets of the block they were on.

"This whole city and you so happen just to come to my side huh? So subtle your boss is." She grits her teeth. Emma ran out trying to bring Margot back in before she got hurt.

"I can see why the mayor likes you." He looked her up and down. The man's eyes disgusted her. Her eyes then shot to the deputy that stood on the post beside her.

"I suppose you are on the payroll as well? Allowing those criminals to tear up this block of the city?" She scolded the man. The deputy just spits his dip on the ground. Suddenly gunshots rang down the street in an alley.

"Harold that you?" The man leader called out to one of his men. Jean stepped out from the alleyway holding his trusty Repeater rifle. The gun was a deadly weapon, but in Cajun's hands, it was a precision killing machine.

"My boots barely had time to hit the floor before you decided to roll in." Jean stood with the rifle on his hip pointing upward. The leader turned his horse to face the Cajun.

"And who are you that I should care about?!" He cursed. One of the gang members that was beside the leader turned his horse around and began to ride away. The gang leader yelled at his man.

"Where are you going!?"

"That is the cajun!" He screamed in fear. The few remaining towns folk took cover inside. Margot continued to stand her ground in front of her store.

"I have a real bad feeling that something bad is about to happen..." Emma backs up into the store.

"The Cajun?" The leader was confused

"I suggest you run along and ride out of here now.. before you upset me..you hear? Go on now."

"There are four of us.."

"Three.." Jean corrected him before he could finish. The leader shook his head and whistled. A man stepped out from the top balcony across from Jean. Jean was quicker and shot the man point blank from fifty yards. The man fell from the balcony. The other gang member came riding up from the other side of the street and Jean shot him as well. While Jean shot them, the leader tried to pull to shoot Jean. However, Margot quickly grabbed the deputy's gun and shot the leader's shoulder. He let out a scream. The deputy was shocked at what she did but quickly reached for his gun. He had to peel it from her hand. Jean swung his rifle to focus on the leader.

"Get on now. Go tell your mayor I'm coming to pe-lay that tail." The cowardly leader held his shoulder and kicked his horse's side. The horse took off out of town. Jean lowered his rifle as he approached Margot.

"You alright, cher?" He asked with a bit of worry in his voice. Margot cursed in French at the deputy before turning to go inside her business. Jean followed her inside and watched her pace in anger. Jean stood by the window and kept his eyes on the street.

"Mais las...seems that lit a fire under them." he chuckled as he glanced back at Margot.

"This has to end soon." She spoke in anger as her voice crackled. Her hand went to her forehead and Emma took her by the hand.

"Sit Margot."

"By the way, nice shot Mrs. Morgan." Jean complimented.

"I missed it. I was aiming for his ridiculous face." Margot confesses as she sits down to try and calm down.

"We have to figure something out, Mr. Louis. I and Mrs. Morgan can't live like this anymore." Emma spoke up.

"I know. Believe me, after today and those cooyons..it is time we bring the fight to Mayor Travis. Jean walked towards Margot and knelt in front of her. Emma went to get her some water, leaving the two alone.

"I promise you, madam..." his voice was low as he spoke softly to her. He could tell her nerves were over the edge. He often suffered from extreme episodes of PTSD. The nightmares, the shaking hands, and fear. This was due to the horrors of war and the guilt he felt. No one should have to go through what he went through and no one should have to go through what Margot was facing. It was terrifying to have a man pursue you in such a way. She had a tough exterior and hid her pain well, but the worry and hurt in her eyes gave it away. He slowly reached to place a hand on her. She was trembling but stopped when he touched her. He kept eye contact with her even though hers were spaced out. She was having an episode he was all too familiar with.

"Hey...It is ok. I am here. Focus on my voice...hey.." he moved his head a bit so he was directly in front of her. Margot shed a single tear and Jean sat his rifle on the ground. His thumb caught the tear before it fell from her ivory face.

"It will get better.."

"Will it?" She protests. Jean tilted his head. Margot wanted to just give up and give in. Others were suffering for her.

"We are just born to die... why make these people suffer in between." Margot took a deep breath.

"Don't give in to this tyrant Mrs. Morgan. Men like him think they can have whatever they want. You stay strong and stand up for your morals." He tried to comfort her.

"It is gonna take a miracle to take a man like him down."

"Well, My momma always taught me to pray when your back is against the wall.." Jean smiled up at her. Margot could not help but give him a faint smile. She leaned into his touch, closing her eyes. His rough but warm hands smell like gunpowder and smoke, but they gave her a sense of safety. Emma came back and handed Margot a glass of water. Margot lifted her head and hands to accept the water. Jean then slowly took his rifle from the ground and stood up. He watched her drink the water a moment before turning to Emma.

"Who all in this town is not under the mayor's thumb?" He asked.

"Not many, but there are a few," Emma replied.

"Round them up." Jean then turned to exit her store