The Promise

4. I'm sorry!

Rango caught his breath, when he heard a sinister rustle slid about the dusty ground. The gigantic creature came to a halt right behind him.
Rango's movable eyes wandered to the side. Still he didn't dare to move and was frozen like Beans.
"Are you frozen?" the person asked behind him. "You knew that I would come very soon, didn't you?"
Rango's heart stood still for a few seconds, if he heard how the rattlesnake bent down to him and put his mouth on his ear.
"Well, brother, did you miss me?"
For a moment, there was absolutely silence. But at last, Rango drew a deep breath and turned around. When he looked into Jake's eyes, he was wide-eyed for a moment. But then he stood at attention again.
"Yes, I've been expecting you," he said bravely. "What do you want here?"
Although he knew why Jake was here.
Jake raised an eyebrow and grinned darkly.
"Our deal... you know... Did you forget it?"
Rango swallowed hardly. "No, I..."
"You thought, I would leave you alone, didn't you?" Jake asked amused. "You must be joking. I always deliver on my promise. I think, someone like you, is going to do the same, don't you?"
Rango shivered, while Jake circled around him with furtive look.
"I see it in your face, you're asking yourself what I want, don't you?"
His circles became closer and surrounded Rango complete.
Jake laughed darkly. "Don't you?"
Rango drew a deep breath.
"Alright, what do you want?" he asked with firmly voice.
Jake stopped. He pushed forward with his head and looked him straight in the eye.
Rango tried to hold Jake's gaze. He blinked several times. The fire in the snake's eyes was almost incredible.
Jake grinned. "You ask me, what I want?" He smiled coldly. "The town."
Rango was wide-eyed. "WHAT?!"
"You heard me. I want the town."
Rango shook his head in disbelief. "But..."
Jake hissed threateningly.
"Either you give me your town or we call off the deal."
He opened his mouth. His fangs spoke a clear language.
"You must make a choice. Either you give me your town or I reclaim your life. Then the deal is void. Like business. Who buys something, has to pay it. Who doesn't pay, you have to give it back. You gave me your promise and your life. If you don't pay it, I will reclaim your life. It will not be difficult for me."
Rango pull on his collar. He should Jake give the town? That's would be a horror for townspeople.
"Sheriff?!" Rango raised his head, when he felt Jake's body behind his back. "You promised to do everything, if I save your life. Well, I kept my promise. You will not be a fool and break your promise, wouldn't you?"
"Why – why didn't you let me die?" Rango asked with shakily voice. "If I had died, you would have got the town also on this way."
Jake hissed darkly. "There are worse things on earth than death. You forget, we have a score to settle with each other. Do you think I forgot the defeat you gave me last time in town?"
Rango swallowed. "And what happens, if you got the town? What are you going to do after that?"
"Didn't I told you that?" Jake asked hypocritically. „Of course, there is no place for a sheriff in my town. If you don't wanna be my next meal, you can stay in town and do what I want. You have no right to make me rules. Your decision. Do you agree?"
Rango was unable to speak for a moment. But Jake was right. He gave his promise. There's no doubt about it. He couldn't annul it. If so, Jake would kill him and all the trouble was for nothing.
"Uh... Well, I – I agree. But don't..."
"Shut up!" Jake cut him short. "I won't be dictated to in my town. Get it?!"
"Let me finish the sentence, please!"
Jake snarled, but he said nothing.
"Don't kill anybody. If you want to kill someone, kill me first. But leave the others alone."
Jake grinned. "You have steady nerves, little man. First, you asked me to save your damn life, and now you are ready to die for this little folks? How noble."
He wrinkled his nose. "Well, I will think about it. As long as you don't make trouble, nobody will be harmed."
Rango sighed a little in relief. "And what should I do now?"
Jake thought a second. "Well, first, you will tell your friends that town is mine now."
"When?" Rango asked.
"As soon as the sun has raised, you will tell the news."
Rango remained silent. He just nodded. Jake hissed satisfied.
"Well, see ya tomorrow."
He left the place and disappeared in the darkness.
Rango wasn't still able to move and realized now what happened.
Groaning, he touched his head. What had he done? Now he had the bad feeling that he made a terrible mistake.

The sun raised. Rango couldn't sleep the whole night. With the first rays of dawn, he stood up and put on his clothes. With heavy heart, he left the office. Jake had coiled behind the house. As soon as Rango left the house, Jake looked around the corner.
"Good morning, little man," he said.
Rango nodded nervously.
"You know what you have to do now?" Jake asked with a grin.
Again Rango nodded. "Give me an hour, please."
"Take your time," Jake said and chuckled.
At a slow pace, Rango went down the street. The air was still cold. His long shadow follows him in sad company.
"Sheriff, Sheriff!" Waffles cried. "Bill and his men robbed the stagecoach!"
Rango sighed. He couldn't care less about what's going on around him at the moment.
"Waffles, call together all townspeople. They should come to my office. Latest in one hour. I have to say something important." He sighed. "Very important."
Waffles was so excited that he forgot the news about Bill's robbery.
"Something important?" he asked curiously. "Give me a half hour and we are ready."
With these words, he ran away.

"What's going on, Sheriff?" Furgus asked.
"Yeah, something important? What is it?" Waffles asked curiously.
The whole town was in front of the jail and asked wildly questions.
Rango stood on the porch of the jail and wished he could be in another part of this world.
After a few seconds, he raised his hand. "Listen, people. I have to say something to you. I can't... I ..."
He searched for words. He looked at Beans, who was also among them. She didn't say a word, but he could see it in her eyes, that she felt it weren't good news, which Rango wanted to say.
"I'm very sorry, but... I have to resign."
"What?" Spoons asked. "Did I hear resignation?"
"You did," Rango replied. "Well, my health isn't the best since my accident..."
Doc raised an eyebrow. "But Sheriff, you are in good fettle."
"Doc, please," Rango said. "I know. It's just..."
He couldn't say the real reason. He wanted to say it very quickly.
"For this reason I have someone new for you. I convey the town to Jake."
There was silence. All people looked at Rango as if he was an idiot.
"Are you out of your mind?" Eglin asked.
"Are you kidding us?" Ambrose asked. "You can't be serious!"
Rango took off his hat and kneaded it nervously. "No, sorry..."
"You can't do that!" some people screamed.
Suddenly, Jake appeared behind Rango and everybody's eyes were filled with horror.
"Of course he can," Jake said and coiled a part of his body around Rango.
"We know why, don't we?"
Rango gave him a side-glance and he nodded.
Jake grinned triumphantly. "Listen to me. For now, it's my town. That means, I call the shots! And if someone ignores my orders, you all know, this one will follow your sheriff to the cemetery."
The people backed away. Only Waffles dared to ask Rango a question.
"Sheriff, that's not true, isn't it?"
Rango dropped his gaze. "Sorry Waffles."
"And you sheriff," Jake said. "Or should I better say, lizard? Leave my territory and go to the hotel. Don't leave it, until I call you. Did you understand?"
Rango nodded. "I understand."
With lowered look, he went through the crowd of people. The people looked at him with unbelievable eyes. They couldn't understand why their hero made such a decision like that.
Only Beans, who said no word until now, asked two words: "Rango, why?"
Rango looked at her with sad eyes. He said only three words: "I'm sorry."