Jose Solo And The Coronado Mercenary Guild

Chapter Three : Dishonor Before Death

                                                                  The Next Day

Jose Awakened And Got Dressed Before Going Into The Kitchen, Pouring A Cup Of Coffee, And Going Outside. He Sat Down On A Chair On The Porch As He Looked At The Terrain. 

The Ex-Army Man Stared At The Sky For Hours Before Arthur Came Outside And Said "I'll Be Back." Jose Said "Where You Going?" Arthur Said "I Need A Few Things From The Store, Wanna Come?" 

The Young Survivor Said "Sure." Before He And Arthur Mounted Their Horses And Rode To Tumbleweed. During The Ride, Jose Said "You Settle Back In Okay?" 

Arthur Said "Yeah...I Just Wish My Father Wasn't Such A-" Jose Said "Asshole?" He Hesitantly Said "Yeah..." Jose Said "I Know...He Shouldn't Treat You Like That, It's Shit Parenting." 

The Young Bounty Hunter Said "Sometimes, I Wish I Could Just Go Somewhere Else...Somewhere Away From Him." Jose Said "Well, Keep Bounty Hunting, Save Up Money...And Get You And Your Mother On A Boat. I Hear Tahiti's Nice." 

As Arthur Said "What About You?" Jose Said "I Can Handle Your Father, I Can't Leave Until I've Learned What Really Happened That Day." 

Half An Hour Later, Jose And Arthur Arrived In Tumbleweed Before They Dismounted And Walked Into The General Store. 

Arthur Ordered A Few Things And Left To Pack It On His Horse While Jose Stayed Behind To Speak With The Store Owner. Jose Said "So, Do You Know Elmer?" 

The Store Owner Said "Old Elmer? Yeah, I Know Him, Not The Nicest Feller...But He's Not All Bad." Jose Said "Did He Ever Come In Here?" The Store Owner Said "He Used To, But Last Few Years It's Just Been His Wife." 

Jose Said "Did He Ever Talk About His Hunting Trips?" As The Store Owner Said "Yeah, He Used To Go Hunting All The Time...But He Stopped After His Son By Marriage Got Killed. Why Do You Ask?" 

The Ex-Army Man Said "It Was My Father Who Got Killed On That Trip. I Need To Know, Do You Think He's Capable Of Killing People?" 

The Store Owner Said "He Used To Come In The Saloon All The Time. Always Found Himself In Fights, But No One Was Ever Hurt Too Badly. Would Be Worth Asking Around There." 

Jose Said "Okay, Thank You." Before He Walked Out Of The Saloon As Arthur Said "We Ready?" Before He Said "No, But Go On Ahead, I'll Catch Up With You Later. I Got Some Business In The Saloon." 

The Young Bounty Hunter Said "Don't Start Any Fights." Jose Said "I Never Do." As Arthur Rode Off, Jose Walked Over To The Saloon. 

The Ex-Army Man Walked Over And Leaned On The Bar As The Bartender Said "You Again, You Find That Boy?" Jose Said "Yeah, I Found Him. You Know Elmer Williams?" 

The Bartender Spat And Said "Yeah, Bastard Was A Bully, Every Day He'd Come In Here And Get Angry, If He Wasn't Moaning And Complaining About Something. Luckily, No One Ever Died But...The Fights Were Brutal." 

The Ex-Army Man Said "Do You Think He's Capable Of Murder?" The Bartender Said "It's Definitely Possible. He Got Into Fights Here Damn Near Every Day, Why?" 

Jose Said "I Have Reason To Believe He Killed My Father And Made It Look Like An Accident." The Bartender Said "Well, If It Helps, There Was Someone Else Out There That Day That Will Know More About What Happened. Feller Called Krane, Old Norwegian Bastard Who Hunted With Elmer Before They Fell Out. Cabin Out By The San Luis River's Where You'll Find Him." 

After Ordering A Whiskey, Jose Said "Krane...Okay...Thanks." Jose Left The Saloon And Mounted His Horse Before Heading For His Rendezvous. 

As Jose Arrived At The Cabin, He Dismounted His Horse And Approached The Cabin As An Elder Man Came Out And Said "Who Are You?! What You Do Here?" 

He Said "I'm Sorry To Disturb You, Sir...I Came Here To Talk About Elmer." As Krane Said "You Tell That Son Of Bitch I Don't Want Speak To Him." 

The Ex-Army Man Said "Sir Please, I'm Here To Find Out If He Killed My Father, I Heard You Were There That Day." Krane Put His Shotgun Down And Said "Yeah...I Was There." 

Inside The Cabin, Jose Sat Down As Krane Said "I Knew Your Father And Elmer Not Get Along...By Time I Get There...Your Father Already Dead...But There...No Boar, Or If Boar, It Ran Off Before I...Arrived." 

Jose Said "So Elmer Probably Killed My Father And Made Up The Whole Boar Story, Or...He Tried To Get The Boar And My Father Ended Up In His Crossfire." 

Krane Said "Either Way, Elmer's Bullets Kill Your Father." Jose Said "Okay...You Were The Only One Besides Him Out There?" Before Krane Said "Ja." 

The Ex-Army Man Said "Okay...My Father Was A Terrific Hunter...He Wouldn't Have Gotten In Elmer's Crossfire...Unless Elmer Was Trying To Kill Him. So...Elmer Killed My Father And Covered It Up. Goddammit, I Knew It...I Knew It...I'm Gonna Fucking Kill That Bastard."

                                                             Some Time Later

Jose Returned Home And Dismounted His Horse Before Walking Inside. He Looked Around, The House Was Empty, He Then Searched The Kitchen Where He Saw A Bloody Hand Print And Some Gunshots On The Wall. 

The Ex-Army Man Heard Footsteps Behind Him And Ducked And Rolled As He Dodged Elmer's Knife. Jose Said "What Did You Do!" 

Elmer Said "You Turned Family Against Me!" Jose Said "You Did That Yourself!" Elmer Said "I'll Kill Ya!" Jose Shot The Knife Out Of Elmer's Hand And Shot Him In The Side As Elmer Collapsed To His Knees.

The Elderly Man Said "You...Goddamn Bastard, You Should Never Have Come Back Here! Things Were...Fucking Dandy Until You Showed Up...Started Bossin' Me Around Like You...Got Any Fuckin' Right!"

Jose Said "Where's Arthur? Where Is He!!" As Elmer Said "He's With His Mother." In Shock, Jose Said "Goddamn You!" Before He Shot Elmer In The Head Three Times As Tears Poured Down His Face.

Three Days Later, Jose Looked At Both Graves And Said "Martha, Arthur...I'm So Sorry. I Was Too Late...And Now Your Dead. I...I Should Never Have Come Back." 

The Ex-Army Man Walked Away From The Sad Site Before He Set Fire To The House And Rode Away...