Killer's Eyes [Engl.]

7. Legendary

Dazzled by the glaring sun, Rango stood in the free desert area.
Jake stood a few steps in front of him and looked at him provocatively.
A cold, mischievous smile played about his lips.
Rango felt rather unsettled. Trembling, he held his revolver in his hand and controlled the magazine, while he searched with another eye the environment, in hope to find an escape route. But around them, there was only flat desert landscape. Just a few small rocks and flat stones lay scattered around them. It was impossible to escape without being seen.
Rango stopped. Behind him, not far away lay a valley area. Perhaps he could escape in this way. But Jake would never let him go. On the contrary. Jake kept a wary eye on him like a watchdog.
"Of course, you don't need all bullets," Jake said mockingly.
With his gun, he slammed Rango's revolver out of his hand and emptied all bullets on the ground. Except one. Then he handed the weapon back to Rango.
Rango was speechless. Jake really demanded from him to compete with him.
Jake laughed scornfully and crawled a few feet farther back away from him, kept his eyes riveted on him.
Rango swallowed heavily. "Could we not reconsider again?"
Jake shot a few centimeters away beside Rango on the floor.
Frightened Rango jumped aside. His gaze wandered to Jake, whose eyes showed sheer determination. It had written on the snake's face, that he wanted it finally settled between them.
"I interpret this as a 'no'," Rango mumbled intimidated.
"The game begins now!" Jake shouted. "You decide. Either we turn to the back, count to 10 then we fire, or we approach each other, and then we shoot."
Rango swallowed.
"That's big of you", he murmured. "Is there any variant without shooting?"
"There is just one rule. If you win, I will die. If I win, you will die."
Hesitantly Rango raised his hand. "But couldn't we..."
Jake shot again. Rango jumped behind a rock.
"Come on!" Jake shouted. "Come out! Let's get it over with. Or are you a coward?"
Jake laughed. It seemed to make him fun to hunt the chameleon.
Rango's heart pounded like mad and pressed himself closer to the rock. Jake aimed with his gun on the rock and waited that Rango came out again.
"What's going on now?" Jake shouted. "Are you coming out? Yes or no? Or do I have to fetch you?"
Feverishly Rango tried to find a solution. He needed something to distract Jake and to flee afterwards.
He looked around. Not far away lay the dell. He could run fast, but Jake was faster with his shooting iron. He would shoot him down without mercy if he had the chance. That would be his end.
Then he had an idea. He quickly picked up a stone from the ground and waited for a few seconds. Then he threw the stone as far as possible away from himself. Immediately, Jake looked in the direction where the stone slammed down on the ground. Rango took his chance and ran as fast as he could in the valley floor.
Jake saw how Rango disappeared in the hollow of the valley.
He smiled grimly. "You want to escape? How amusing."

Rango ran as fast as he could. Under no circumstances he wanted to be caught by Jake.
Completely out of breath, he leaned against a hill and panted heavily. Groaning, he held his belly. His wounds were not completely healed and hurt terribly after that sprint.
Trembling, he rested his hands on his knees.
Did Jake lose him? Was he free?
He listened intensively. But everything was quiet.
When Rango wanted to continue to run, he gave a shriek of terror.
Jake had suddenly appeared and held the barrel of his improvised gun directly on Rango's belly.
"Did you really think you could escape from me? Ha! You really don't know me."
He pressed Rango against the sand dune.
With trembling hands Rango managed to take out his revolver.
Jake grinned. "Go ahead, hero. Pull the trigger."
Rango swallowed heavily. The blood rushed through his head and his heart was in his mouth. Was there no escape?
With pleading eyes, he looked into Jake's eyes. But Jake showed no mercy. He wanted to finish the fight today. Without delay.
Rango closed his eyes. Now he had no choice.
He took a deep breath and threw his weapon away.
Jake was so irritated that he was speechless for a moment.
"Pick up your weapon!" Jake shouted at him.
Rango shook his head. "No!" He crossed his arms.
Jake hissed threateningly. He wanted a duel. And now he didn't get it? He wanted to compete with him. How could he fight with someone if the person didn't want to fight?
Angrily, Jake grabbed the chameleon and threw him through the air. Rango slammed to the ground and stayed lying down. Immediately Jake forced him to stand up again. He shoved the gun back in his hand and held the barrel right on his nose. Then Jake pointed his gun at Rango's head.
The chameleon was paralyzed by fear.
Jake grinned darkly. "The one, who dies first, is a loser."
Rango sighed dejectedly. In Jake's eyes, he saw the fire of revenge. His blood had filled with bloodlust, the desire to kill. A bloodlust, which he never could obliterate.
He closed his eyes. He felt how Jake pressed his gun against his head.
"Are you afraid?" Jake asked darkly without pity.
Rango was silent.
He could pull the trigger. His revolver was in his hand. He could kill him. But what if this would be his last act in life? Jake would certainly still have enough strength to shoot a bullet through his head.
For a moment Rango couldn't think straight.
Did it have to end this way?
Memories passed in his mind's eye. His first encounter with Jake. Their first duel. This duel passed off without consequences. But this time...
"And who will believe you, that you killed me?" Rango asked.
Jake hissed angrily. Why this sheriff said something like that?
Rango had opened his eyes and looked Jake in the face.
"Maybe the people will think it has been someone else. After all, you are not the only lawbreaker in his area."
Jake snorted with rage. "My bullets are distinctive. Nobody uses such kind of bullets than me with my gun."
"That may be true," Rango tried again. "But who will believe that you killed me fearlessly in a great battle?"
Jake looked at him speechless while Rango continued. "Everybody also believed my lie that I had killed the Jenkins brothers. How should people know later, that it is not just a rumor?"
Jake hissed warningly. "If you think you can change my mind with your empty talk, you are wrong there."
He pressed his gun closer to Rango's forehead.
"Wait, wait," Rango said and raised his hands. "All right, you will have a duel with me. But a duel would be better if it would take place under eyewitnesses. I know from history that the legends of the West became very famous when they have discharged their legendary fighting in a city. Just like our last duel in Dirt. Unfortunately, it has been interrupted..."
He gave a forced smile.
Jake seemed to think about it.
"So," Rango continued. "I make you a suggestion. Let me go, and we will make our next duel in a city in front of eyewitnesses. So, I mean, if we should meet again. I could imagine that you will come sometimes again in the city, right? Then everybody can see it and everybody can tell it everywhere. Then there will be no doubt that you had defeated me."
"Without tricks?" Jake asked.
Rango swallowed. „Okay, without tricks."
"Swear!"
"I swear!"
Jake grinned dangerously. The deal pleased him somehow. A duel was not as spectacular as others would not see it.
"All right. Then we go to the city now and hold it there..."
"No, Jake! Wait! "
Jake hissed angrily. What's the problem now?
Rango had raised his hand and looked at Jake with pleading eyes. "Give me time, please. I have to recover from the beating of the Jenkins cousins yet. The people shouldn't say that the grim reaper of the West has defeated a half exhausted sheriff. Anyone else would have managed it, too."
That made sense to Jake. His adrenaline decreased, and with it his killer instinct.
"Well," he said. "Then you go back to town alone. I will wait until you're ready to fight. But one thing I wanna tell you..." He leaned forward to Rango and looked threateningly in his eyes. "If you try to run away, I swear, I will hunt you to the end of the earth until I have caught you. Is that understood!?"
Rango nodded hastily. He had understood very well.
The chameleon breathed a sigh of relief as Jake lowered his gun. But before Jake turned away, he looked again in Rango's eyes. "And something else. In our next duel I will make no compromises."
"Sure thing," Rango said and put with trembling hands his gun away.