14 hours

3. Blackmail for a town

The four bandits knew such kind of picture only from crime films that they watched sometimes on television. Just with the difference that this was probably real.
They had never seen the sheriff of Dirt like that.
At least not after the big water battle in the city, but that looked worse.
The chameleon looked at the camera with a desperate look. At least it looked like this. The chameleon had blindfolded and gagged with a scarf. But his fear was unmistakable. At the bottom of the photo was the headline of a newspaper, which was supposed to serve as evidence of a date. The chameleon was not wearing a hat or vest. His clothes had probably taken away from him.
After a while, the four gunslingers exchanged glances. Nobody of them knew whether they should be glad or whatever at the sight of their hated enemy.
Finally, Bill unfolded the paper and read:
"Be greeted dwellers of Dirt! As you can see and you can plainly see, we have your sheriff in our grip. If you want to get him back alive and well, give us the honor and deposit the jewel necklace of Faberge, 20 gold nuggets and 30 gallons fresh water until midnight to Yellow Creek under the Red Rock. Sincerely an anonymous blackmailer."
Silence fell until Stump cleaned his throat. "Well, at least they are polite, aren't they?"
Kinski nodded. "Yeah, but wowhow, they ask very much. The Faberge necklace. That's hard."
Chorizo rubbed his forehead with surprise. "I thought it had already left our city."
"You aren't up to date," Kinski sighed. "The Faberge necklace was a present of a famous family, but never a part of the real Faberge jewels. It was just a title what they had given to it, but it's not cheap stuff. The old lady gave it for custody. But until today it was never fetched."
"Why have we never stolen it?" the Mexican mouse asked.
Stump gave the answer. "Nobody knows where it is."
"It's not in the bank," Bill interrupted thoughtfully. "Mayor John and very less people know its real abode."
Silence fell again.
"Mm, I don't think they are joking," Kinski muttered. "It looks like they beat him up heavily."
He pointed at the photo where they could see slightly darkened spots on the sheriff's torso.
"Indeed," Stump admitted. "And what are we going to do now?"
Suddenly Bill folded the paper together with the photography, put it back in the envelope and pursed it into his pants pocket.
Then he crossed his arms.
"Nothing."
"Eh?"
The three henchmen stared at him with question filled faces.
"Uh, shouldn't we inform the citizens?" Stump asked.
"Yes, why don't let we go the letter to the city with the rest of the post?"
Bill snorted, folded his hands together and looked at his companions with incurious look.
"What letter?"

Bill peeked around the corner of the dentist house. Then he took his innocent air and walked over the sidewalk with relaxed steps. His three friends followed him in the same way.
"And don't forget," Bill said and turned to them while walking. "We saw and read nothin..."
Suddenly they crashed together with someone and the four gunslingers looked at a familiar face.
"Hi, Beans," Kinski greeted.
His friends just lifted their hats.
The female lizard muttered an annoying "Same to you" and looked over them.
"What are you doing here?" she asked skeptically.
Bill angled for a cigar and inserted it in his mouth.
"What we are doing here?" he replied with relaxed voice. "What can we do in a little town?"
She narrowed her eyes. "Every time if you are in town, you make troubles. Confess, what do you plan on doing today? Rango prohibited you from coming to town."
"Oh, really?" The Gila monster took the cigar out of his mouth and eyed it thoughtfully. "I can't remember. But maybe we should ask him, what are you thinking, guys?"
He peeked over to his companions.
The rabbits and the mouse didn't know what to say.
"Uh, should we?" Stump asked and rubbed his head under his hat. In the next moment he felt Bill's hand on his collar.
"Of course we do," Bill said. "We are polite citizens, aren't we?"
He added his pulling on the collar and Stump nodded. "Of course we are."
"A good example. Well then," he waved his hand. "Let's go to the office and let's talk with our sheriff."
With that he panned to the street officewards but Beans stopped him.
"That's unnecessary. I came from the office. He isn't there."
"Oh really?"
Bill showed the biggest surprise on his face.
"Well, in this case, we will wait in the saloon until he returns."
Beans snorted with disgust. "As you wish, but he will be not amused about your presence."
The Gila monster shrugged his shoulders. "If he doesn't like, he can tell me."
With a few big steps he walked back to the sidewalk and gave her a gleeful glance.
"We will wait."
Then he continued his walk to the saloon.
But before he was more than one meter gone, he turned back to her. "Maybe he will come back faster if you search for him."
"Yes, if you search for him," Kinski joked and gave the girl a little slap on her back. Then they followed their leader.
Beans lay her hands on her hips. "I will tell him."
"I'm sure you will find him," Bill purred at her and she gave him a venomous look.
The Gila monster chucked to himself and was going to torch the cigar. But before the fire touched the tip, he stopped in his movements when Kinski's spiteful face watched him with malicious glee.
Immediately his boss waved the fire out and threw the dry unlighted weed on the floor where it made its acquaintance with his shoe.
"Self-control?" Kinski muttered with a smile. "Now I get it."

"What are you laughing about?" Stump asked.
They sat in a lonely corner of the saloon. On the table two bottles of cactus juice.
"Oh dear," the Gila monster chuckled. "I'm imagining how these idiots wait high and low and kick their heels because they think someone would pay them."
The others agreed with his laugh until it died down.
Stump cleaned his glass on his shirt. "Well, then I hope that they don't hurt him too much."
Bill waved his hand. "Tomorrow we will know more."
"Will we rummage the post again?" Chorizo asked.
Bill nodded. "Of course." He made a little break. "Unless a packet with a corpse comes instead."
First there was silence. But then they laughed.
"Well then," Bill stopped the laugh phase. "Let's enjoy the sheriff-less time. Tonight, we let it all hang out!"
With that he slammed with his flat hand on the table.
"Hey, old toad! A new round!"