Kenny "Kens" Blackthorne stepped out of the saloon, the night air cool against his face. The town of Silverton was quieter now, the earlier bustle of activity replaced by an eerie stillness. He made his way down the street, his boots crunching on the dirt road, heading for a nearby hotel.
The night was thick with the promise of violence, and Kens knew better than to ignore it.
The hotel was a modest two-story building with a sign hanging above the door that read "Silverton Inn." The wooden structure creaked under the weight of time, but it had a certain charm to it, a reminder of the old days when Silverton was a booming town. Kens walked up the steps, his spurs jingling softly, and pushed through the front door.
The lobby was dimly lit, the only light coming from a few oil lamps scattered around the room. The clerk at the front desk barely looked up as Kens approached. "Room for the night?" the clerk asked, his voice monotone.
Kens nodded, tossing a few coins onto the counter. The clerk slid a key across the desk without another word, and Kens took it, heading upstairs to his room.
Once inside, Kens locked the door behind him and tossed his coat onto the bed. The room was small, with just a bed, a dresser, and a small table by the window. He sat down at the table, his mind already working through the plan he needed to hatch. Victor "Viper" Navarro was no ordinary outlaw, and if the rumors were true, he was a Gunslinger-a dangerous one at that. Kens knew he'd have to be careful.
As he sat there, staring out the window at the quiet town below, a knock suddenly echoed through the room, sharp and insistent. Kens froze, his hand instinctively going to his gun. He rose from his seat, his movements slow and deliberate. With his Colt Peacemaker gripped firmly, he approached the door.
Another knock, this one more urgent.
Kens narrowed his eyes, peering through the small crack as he slowly opened the door. But there was no one there. The hallway was empty, the flickering light from the oil lamp casting long shadows on the walls.Just as Kens began to relax, the door was violently kicked in, the force sending him sprawling to the ground. He rolled quickly, his reflexes saving him as bullets whizzed past where his head had been moments earlier. Two men, both clad in dust-covered coats and wide-brimmed hats, barged into the room, their guns blazing.
Kens kicked over the table, using it as cover. Wood splintered as bullets tore through it, but it held for the moment. He crouched low, his heart pounding in his chest, and shouted over the gunfire, "Who the hell are you?"
One of the men laughed, the sound harsh and cruel. "You the one who killed Sammy Graves?"Kens gritted his teeth, ducking as another bullet whizzed past his ear. "What's it to you? Was he your boss or something?"
"Hell no!" the man spat. "He was holdin' Red Rock for our boss. And no one messes with our boss' property without payin' for it."
Kens sighed, already tired of the conversation. His cold, calculating mind worked quickly, assessing his situation.There were two of them, both decent shots, but not good enough. They were spraying bullets wildly, relying on sheer firepower rather than precision. Kens, on the other hand, was a master of precision.
He drew his gun, taking a deep breath to steady himself. Then, with the speed and grace of a rattlesnake, he popped up from behind the table, firing off two shots in rapid succession. The bullets moved through the air, almost as if they had a life of their own. They twisted and curved, striking both men in their shoulders, sending them reeling & back with shocked expressions.
"What the-" one of them started, but Kens didn't give him a chance to finish. He ducked back down as they returned fire, his mind racing. He'd noticed it before, during other fights-his bullets didn't move like normal bullets. They seemed to have a will of their own, curving and shifting in mid-air, as if guided by some unseen force.
YOU ARE READING
The Gunslinger
Fiksi IlmiahIn the twilight years of the Wild West, where the law's reach is still tenuous and the land is rife with chaos, a lone bounty hunter roams the desolate plains. Kenny "Kens" Blackthorne, a man as cold and unforgiving as the desert sun, is known acros...