A Past Remembered

Chapter 3

Jared coughed on the sand entering his lung. He shut his mouth tight afraid he might blather something that would further upset the boot digging into his back. His fingers slowly inched to his holster but his gun was picked up before he could even reach it.

"You wanting to feast with the vultures?"

The threat sank in as the boot dug deeper. Jared chocked on his own bile. His cheek sandpapered against the floor brought him to tears. He tried to focus on the sun rays entering the abandoned barn from a broken window only to exhale a cloud of dust into his eyes.

"Answer me, you dog! What were you thinking?"

The weight lifted enough for him to speak. Jared gasped but he knew better than to sit up so he gulped down as much clean air as possible.

"I am sorry ... I wasn't thinking straight."

"Dang right you weren't thinking straight! You ain't suppose to be thinking at all!"

Steel stepped off, wiping his hand on his trousers. He weighed the gun in his hands with an amused glint. Suddenly, he pointed it at Jared pulling back the hammer. There was no need to take aim at such close range.

"He said he's sorry Steel ... There's no harm done." Jasper pleaded. His eyes darted to his brother who was sprawled on the floor. "Hank ... that's his name ... the farm hand ... He didn't see a face, he won't say nothing to no one."

"That's what you reckon!" Steel spat back. He released the hammer and dropped the bullets from chamber like peas out of a pod. They scattered across the floor near Jared's head."That's a pretty piece," he tucked the gun behind his back.

"C'mon, Steel ..."

Steel grabbed Jasper by collar shoving him against a wooden post. Jasper gripped Steel's wrists trying to wrench himself away but his feet dangled above the ground. Steel shook him before dropping him like a sack of potatoes.

"You were supposed to watch the house but you take a sniff of the bottle and you assume you can do what you please."

"That's not what happened ..." Jasper replied.

"Is that so!" Steel kicked him before he could continue. Silence echoed off the barn walls while the brothers regretted the previous night.

"The manager, he's been poking around," Amos spoke up. He leaned on the empty stall door watching the events. "Nothing I can't handle but we'll have to move soon."

"No, not until the boss says so," Steel ran his fingers through his chestnut hair. "You keep an eye on him and get Cooper on the house." Amos had been quite the whole time uninterested in the fate of the brothers. He was here for the money like the rest of the men and Steel knew that.

"I am going to town. I'll be back in a day or two with the orders" He nodded to Amos, "till then keep them out of the sun."