Western Flower | ✅

Prologue

As the elderly man looked at the cards in his hand he gave a frustrated sigh, he knew it was not his night.

"Well Gentleman, I fold. You cocksuckers have had too much of my money tonight. I plan on spending the rest of the night sippin' whiskey and maybe a poke before I retire for the night".

The man opposite who was also playing cards threw his head back in a fit of amused laughter at the words that the elderly had just spoken.

"Jeremiah, if you sip on any more whiskey, the only thing that you will be poking is your head out of the cell trying to get marshal Andrews head attention while he is asleep from exhaustion trying to sort out the shit around here lately.

Jeremiah didn't reply to the man but retorted with a smirk. A glint filled his eye and diverted his attention above the saloon, on the upper balcony were half a dozen women with their backs facing the saloon and talking in hushed tones.

"Don't go nowhere ladies, this ol' dog has got a trick or two up his sleeve," said Jeremiah with a smile on his face.

Two of the women turned lazily and giggled in response to the old man's advances whilst giving each other knowing nods in turn as if to say this one is yours. One of the women walked off in the direction of an advancing customer while the younger of the two turned and lent over on the balcony to survey the downstairs of the saloon.

Jeremiah headed out of the saloon and down the alley to the side of the saloon and stumbled towards the end of the alleyway. The old man started to relieve himself, as he did he heard two voices talking in somewhat angry tones. One voice was hushed but clear and the other was barely audible as they were hidden wooden behind creates. Jeremiah admittedly wasn't a busy body, being an elderly man in the old west he liked to exaggerate stories that he told. After all, in the harsh conditions and times he lived in, why not? Most people thought he was a crazy old bastard albeit harmless.

After the old man had finished his intended purpose in the alleyway he edged closer to the two men to try and catch their conversation, which carried on in angry aggressive tones although he could only hear one person and their replies in between inaudible replies from the second man. The voice that the old man could hear was familiar, a heavy south-western accent that he recognised.

"Reckon that no one knows about my, or, should I say our business. I made sure that your name was not mentioned once, hell I ain't that stupid and I have not forgotten our agreement. As for the broker and the solicitor..."

At hearing that Jeremiah's eyes widened at the realisation of what he had just heard, he felt a sudden sense of soberness and shock. Before he knew it Jeremiah's urge to eavesdrop on the conversation had caused him to stumble and knock over a stack of metal cans.

The conversation that the old man had been listening on stopped suddenly, Jeremiah could hear the mysterious man who's words he couldn't hear scurry away further into the shadows whilst the other man came to investigate the noise, as he did and stepped into Jeremiah's view to confront him.

"Jeremiah, what are you doing out here?" The mysterious man asked trying not to appear suspicious.

"Shit Ezra, I was taking a leak and reckon the whiskey must have gotten the better of me and I lost my balance and stumbled." Said the old man.

The man named Ezra eyed Jeremiah with suspicion before forcing a smile."I'm heading back inside Jeremiah, you coming?" Asked Ezra almost as if inviting the old man to join him.The old man hesitated seemingly lost in his own thoughts and gave an uncertain reply."I may retire for the night, you know what they say it's best to quit while your ahead" replied Jeremiah after a moment of toying with the idea.