The Bandits of Sawtooth Mountain

3. Pinned down

Hongjoong awoke to a gloved hand closing around his neck.

He startled awake immediately, one hand flying up to keep the hand from pressing down harder, the other frantically flying over to his nightstand in desperate search for his gun.

It was gone.

Hongjoong kicked and fought frantically, trying to locate his attacker in the dark room but he could not see anything, his brain too panicked to think clearly where to hit.

Hongjoong had to yield completely when something heavy dropped down on his body, quickly wrestling with his fists. Hongjoong was rendered useless when whoever settled down easily above him, pressing his hands above his head with one hand of his own, while the other moved to press a metal barrel right against Hongjoong's groin, making him splutter.

"Stop moving, Sheriff, you don't want to stain the bed now do you?", a low voice whispered above him, making Hongjoong decide that this fast person had to be a man indeed.

He did indeed still down, feeling way too exposed but pushing aside the shyness in order to try and get an eyeful of whoever this was.

He thought he could make out an oddly shaped head, a person wearing a hat most likely. Weakly he pulled against the hand holding him, feeling the leather slide against his wrists smoothly as the other's grip just tightened a bit more.

"Who are you?", Hongjoong whispered with as much of a threat as he could manage in his voice, hoping to scare him away.

"I'm nobody. Nobody you have to care about for now. I just wanted to... check our new sheriff out." The man was obviously smirking even if Hongjoong could see no facial traits in the dark room and he felt annoyance and rage creep up in him.

"You are either some way too confident townsperson or one of those dirty bandits, what is it now?", he growled at the man impatiently, thinking about how to throw him off his body.

"A beautiful revolver you have there, by the way... I wonder how those engravings taste? Tell me, please and shut the hell up."

Hongjoong confusedly opened his mouth to tell the guy off, pretty sure by now he was just some stupid boy playing a prank on him when suddenly the barrel of his own gun was thrusted down his throat, making him choke on the heavy metal. The weapon tasted of dangerous gunpowder and Hongjoong felt his whole body seize up at the thought of getting shot through the head like this.

While his insides were all clenched, however, his body had gone stiff and frozen, not daring to move in order to avoid being shot.

The stranger purred appreciatively, making Hongjoong's hate burn hotter but he did stay still, letting the other man talk.

"Now I truly might be anybody right? Don't play any tricks on me, you may hurt a civilian, dear sheriff. Just stay here, all calm and pretty and I shall leave immediately."

Hongjoong could not let him leave. He had to stop that man, keep him from running away and also capture him. He had to know which people dared to attack him in the middle of his first night here and he had to make sure it would not happen again.

His weak gurgling protest was shut up again with his gun, harshly scratching the inside of his sensitive throat when it was pushed even deeper, making him gag around it. A dark chuckle sounded from above him. It seemed to amuse the man how Hongjoong's throat locked up around the weapon, how his feet kicked weakly in protest when his heartbeat started to rise at the lack of oxygen.

"Stay calm. You will get your revenge on me as we shall not meet for the last time."

Hongjoong was released at that, the weight leaving his body and he immediately rolled around, heaving and coughing. His revolver hit the matress next to him with a soft thud and he gripped it immediately, pointing it at his nightly visitor.