The Promise

25. Talk or keep silent in death!

"What happened?" Beans asked with shock.
A few steps more and she could look into the room.
She held her hands on her mouth.
Rango lay on the floor beside the bed.
Doc rolled him on the back and controlled the pulse.
"How is he, Doc?" Beans asked with a hoarse voice.
"Very weak, but he is still alive."
He slid his hands under Rango's shoulders and lifted him up.
"Could you give me a help?" Doc asked, but Jake interrupted.
"I think you can do it alone, can't you?"
Doc sighed. "Yes, Mister Jake."
Jake nodded and looked at the Gila monster. He growled with high anger when he saw the lizard lay peacefully sleeping.
Beans's eyes grew wide, when Jake aimed his gun at Bill.
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
Beans screamed.
Doc rubbed his head nervously when he saw shot holes in the house wall beside and above Bill's bed. Bill lifted his body with shock, when he heard the shots which missed him very close. When he saw Jake's eyes, he covered his head with his hands. "NO! NOT AGAIN!"
Jake hissed with disgust. "You are such a coward."
"Yes, yes, you are right, I'm a coward..." Bill cried with panic. "Don't harm me!"
Jake pushed his gun forward and pressed Bill's hands away from his head.
"Look into my eyes when I'm talking to you!"
Bill trembled uncontrollably.
Jake circled around his bed and put a part of his body around the lizard's upper body.
Bill yelled with scaring. "No, please!"
"Shut your trap!" Jake screamed at him. He put the gun under Bill's chin and forced him to look ahead, so that he could see how Doc laid Rango back into the bed.
"I'm a little annoyed about your work."
Jake pressed his coils more together and came very close to his head. "I swear should he really die, I swear if he dies... hell! I will tear out your organs before I will bring you down to hell!"
Bill gasped. "But he isn't dead."
"Maybe not yet! But I have a feeling of killing time!"
His rattle rattled like crazy. He grinned evilly when Bill got more and more panicky.
"You can't kill me!" Bill screamed. "She promised to save me!"
With trembling fingers, he pointed at Beans.
The female lizard stood like frozen, when Jake looked at her with hateful eyes.
Doc knelled his hands nervously. Why he hadn't a tranquilizer gun in his house?
For a moment, Jake was irritated. "You did what?!"
Beans lifted their hands calmly. "Jake, I just promised that you don't kill him, until he would say, what we want to know..."
"What are you talking about?!" Bill protested. "You gave me your word...!"
"Be quiet!" Jake shouted. Bill didn't dare to say a word more and kept quiet, while Jake crawled over to Beans.
"You gave a promise,... behind my back?!"
"Jake! Otherwise, he would never talk, we need the information!"
"Your word has no meaning in my town! If I want to kill someone, I can kill the creature!"
He circled around in high speed and pressed his gun on Bill's belly.
Bill yelled with pain when the hard metal touched his fresh stitched wounds. With effort, he tried to push the gun away.
"Get it off!" Bill begged.
"Shut your mouth! Do you really think I would spare someone like you? You are no worthier than the dust in this stinky town!"
"Jake!" Beans cried and walked beside Bill's bed. "Please, calm d..."
Jake breathed loudly. "I AM CALM!"
"NOOO—Eh!" Bill screamed when Jake added the pressure.
Beans jumped at his side and took Jake's gun. "JAKE!"
"Gentlemen! Gentlemen!" Doc cried.
They looked at Doc.
"Please, get a hold of yourself."
Doc pointed at Rango.
Beans opened her eyes wide.
"Rango!"
Jake stopped his anger when he realized that the chameleon had opened blinking his eyes.
The time was too short for Jake to stop Beans. The female lizard forgot everything and hugged Rango tightly. "I'm so glad to see you alive."
Jake hissed annoyed, but he avoided it to get an outburst of rage.
"Enjoy the last hugs from your lovely darling," he thought to himself.
Rango was still sleepy and didn't know what's going on.
"Uh... B-ean-s...," he muttered.
Jake spun around when he heard a sound next to him. "You stay here, bastard!"
Bill stood like frozen when he wanted to open the door of the room.
Rango blinked irritated. "B-bill? You are here, too? Never bite me again! It still hurts so much..."
Rango laid his head on the other side and pressed his eyes together.
"Don't think about the pain," Doc said. "I think, you have a good chance."
Jake snorted and looked at Bill. "Back to bed!"
He didn't have to say it twice. Bill left the door and jumped into the bed quickly despite his pain.
Something more satisfied the rattlesnake paid his attention back to Beans and Rango.
"That's enough," he said darkly.
Beans hesitated a moment, then she loosened her grip from Rango and walked two steps back.
"So," Jake began. "When we are all awake, tell me what happened!"
He looked first at Bill, then at Rango.
"Wha... what do you mean?" Rango stuttered. His head was like empty.
"Mister Jake," Doc said. "Maybe we should..."
"No!" Jake interrupted. "I came here to get an answer. I'm not going to wait!"
Beans lifted her hand. "Jake, please, let him start slowly. He was venomed."
Jake snorted, but he agreed.
Beans took a step forward, but then she felt Jake's gun on her under part of her dress, and she stopped. Rango looked at her with tired eyes.
"Rango," Beans began softly. "We need to know what happened. You talked about Roscoe, but what exactly happened?"
Rango mumbled sounds of moaning. "I don't... not sure..."
"Take a deep breath," Beans continued calmly. "What happened after you left the town?"
Rango sighed. "After I left the town, I met Bill... He..."
Rango hesitated to find the right words, decided to avoid more details. "We had some misunderstandings with Roscoe..."
"That wasn't a misunderstanding!" Bill said annoyed.
"Keep quiet, or I shoot your mouth!" Jake hissed.
"Well, I think we made him a little mad... more or less. When he was away, we took a little journey on a train..."
"Journey?" Bill muttered sarcastically. "It was a simple hold-up."
"You had robbed a train?" Beans asked in disbelief.
Rango ducked his head. "I-I didn't harm anyone. I swear."
"Very brazen," Jake spat.
"H-he forced me!" Rango cried and pointed at Bill.
"It's okay, Mister Rango," Doc said. "It's okay. You are right. We believe you. Calm down."
He gave Jake a warning sign that he should avoid it to make Rango more vex.
"That's not true..." Bill tried to say. "He came voluntarily..."
"You only say something when I ask you something!" Jake growled.
Rango sighed. "Okay, we wanted to rob the train, but Roscoe appeared, and we had to flee. But before that happened, someone gave me the paper."
"You mean, this one."
Beans took the paper out of her arm.
Rango nodded. "Yes."
"Who gave it to you?"
"You remember the visitor few months ago, an old owl..."
"Mister Owlden?"
"Yes, he gave it to me to make sure that nobody gets it. Roscoe seemed to be very interest to find it, because he attacked us in the night and forced us to give him something what he missed in the train."
"Didn't Mister Owlden tell him?"
Rango dropped his glance. "Maybe he never can do this anymore."
"What do you want to say?"
"I fear, Roscoe had..."
He stopped. Beans kept silent and looked at him sadly.
"And after that?" Jake asked impatiently. "He attacked you and then?"
Rango became dizzy. "Uh... There was a cave, a big rabbit... stuffed rabbit."
Doc scratched his head. "I think he hallucinates."
"We managed to escape," Rango gasped.
"Mister Rango, calm down," Doc said. "Take your time, nobody rushes you."
Rango nodded. "We fled, Bill ran away, I after him. I just wanted to have the paper. And then a hawk appeared, and the bite... And... I...I..."
Doc put his hand on his shoulder. "Maybe it is the best to give him a rest."
Jake snorted. "Alright. But one question is still open."
He looked at Bill. Bill took the blanket closer on his body.
"I think it is time to say what the background of that is," Jake said and pointed at Beans and the paper in her hand. "Tell me what you know, and I advise you nothing to forget."
Bill hesitated. "Uh...well..."
Jake hissed. "Talk or keep silent in death!"
Bill swallowed hardly. But he wasn't scared so much like before. Beans would not break her promise.
"Okay, okay, okay, I talk."
"We know it's something about gold," Beans said. "Spoons told us some details."
"What kind of details?" Bill asked.
"About robbers, who came in town..."
"That's right. I remember. It was a long time before I became Mayor John's partner. But he told me several times about it, that he's always looking for the gold, which the robber had hidden."
"And did he ever tell you, where they hid it?"
Bill kept silence for a moment. He looked at their faces one after another and seemed to think about what he should say next.
"Well... that's the problem. Mayor John tried to get the gold, when he recognized what they had. But the robber leader, his name was Sheldon, well... that's a very crazy story... First, they talked each other. Sheldon would give him something when he can come with John in a business. But in the next morning, the gold was gone. Also Sheldon. Just his men were still in town. There was a fight between them and some gunslingers, which Mayor John had paid. But the leader wasn't there. The gunslingers had searched the area. Until they found him, but there was a fight again. Sheldon was shot dead, the gunslingers said, he had killed himself, and with that he took the secret of the place to his grave. Since that, nobody knows where the gold is, - but..."
"Yes?" Jake raised an eyebrow.
"Uh... Mayor John had a hunch where it could be... because... Sheldon wanted to know first, something about...the... the tunnels under the town."
"The tunnels?"
Doc scratched his head. "Can't remember, that the tunnels exist so long..."
"Don't ask me," Bill said and shrugged his shoulders. "It wasn't my time."
There was silence.
"That's all?" Jake asked.
"Uh... yes, that's all I can say..."
"Jake."
Jake turned his face to Beans, who held the paper again in her hands.
"Could it be possible that the symbols should show the way through the tunnels?"
"Possible, but if so... the tunnels are filled with water."
There was silence again.
Beans looked at Rango. "Well, at least, you managed to escape."
Rango smiled softly. "Indeed..."
He stopped.
"What is it?"
"Wounded Bird was..."
He sat higher, but Doc could restrain him from standing up. "Mister Rango! You have to stay in bed!"
"What is about Wounded Bird?" Beans asked.
"He was also there, in the hiding place... He, he said, that..."
He looked at Jake.
"Tell me the truth, did you kill someone?"
Jake narrowed his eyes. Then he smiled. "I did..."
He stopped himself, then he continued. "... not yet. But I was very close."
"Rango, nobody was killed," Beans said.
She gave him a hug, which elicited Jake a hissing.
Beans interrupted her embrace and distanced herself from Rango.
"No joke?" Rango asked with shaking voice. "But how..."
Jake hissed annoyed. "I was very angry that you had run away."
Rango ducked his head. "Sorry..."
"BUT... But I have good news for you. I will not punish you for your escaping."
"Uh...th-anks."
"Give your thanks to her."
With effort Rango sat up and leaned himself against the pillow.
"Thank you, Beans."
He reached out his hands. Beans wanted to go to him, but Jake hissed. She looked into the snake's eyes, and it was clear, the time was over.
Beans avoided his gesture. Instead, she looked away and took a deep breath.
"You are welcome," she said with shaking voice.
Rango lowered his hands. "Beans, anything wrong?"
There was a rustling sound, while Jake wrapped his body around Beans gently.
"Well, little man. Your girlfriend was really a good angel. You had had your fun."
Rango looked at one to another.
"I-I don't understand."
Jake gave Beans a tight squeeze. "Say it."
Beans's eyes wandered to Jake. But he just looked back with cold face.
Rango looked at her unsurely. "Beans?"
Beans kneaded her hands nervously. She took a deep breath, but she interrupted herself again and looked at Jake.
Jake hissed. "You say it now!"
She turned her face ahead again.
Doc licked his lips nervously and bit his underlip.
"Rango," Beans began. "It was a good time with you... don't... don't misunderstand me... I..."
Rango didn't know what she wanted. It was?
"You know I..." Beans halted. "I love you."
Jake rattled with his rattle.
"I- I loved you. And... I will think about the good times... but... I think... it will be the best that..."
She stopped a moment.
Jake raised an eyebrow when Rango seemed to fear something bad.
He grinned. You will pay for my defeat.
"For this reason...," Beans continued. "It will be the best that we go separate ways."
Doc swallowed and tried to avoid looking at Rango and stared at the house wall.
Beans had effort to hold her eyes at Rango. Rather she would look away, but if that will be the last time for both, she wanted to take the chance to see him face to face.
Bill, who still lay in bed understood nothing anymore. It was untypical for Beans. If she was angry with him, she would be loud. But this "Sorry, I will leave you" was forced.
Rango was still like frozen and looked at Beans with disbelief.
"W-what are you saying?"
"How I said," Beans answered. "We can't be together anymore."
"Why not?!" Rango asked louder.
"Sorry, little man", Jake said and took Beans with his gun tail more away from him. "She belongs to me now."
Rango looked at Beans with wide eyes, who stood in Jake's coils again with dropped glance.
Rango was like paralyzed. Jake grinned coldly. It was a pleasure for him to see his eyes.
"Y-you can't do...," Rango stuttered. "We had a deal, you know..."
"Yes, we had a deal until you don't bring trouble. And you wanted to make me troubles, wanted you?"
"No... I... just..."
"DON'T LIE!" Jake yelled.
Everybody in the room froze. Nobody dared to say a word. Jake got calmer and looked back at Beans. "It was her own choice, wasn't it?"
Beans nodded. "Yes, it was."
Rango shook his head. "But... but..."
"NO BUTS!" Jake interrupted loudly. "My deal with her is fixed!"
Rango looked at Beans, in hope that she would say something. But her lips kept closed.
"You... you mean..." Rango shook his head. "What do you mean?"
Jake snorted bored. "That means, little man, that she is with me now and not with you anymore. More exactly it means that she and I will live together and you have no right to come in her near. Did you understand it now?!"
There was silence. Rango looked at Beans, and her eyes spoke "yes, that's true."
"Uh, she leaves you very early," Bill said, but hid himself under the blanket quickly when Jake gave him a warning hiss.
"I think there is no more to say, isn't it?" Jake said.
Doc looked at Rango from the side. "Uh... Mister Rango?"
Doc winced when he saw how Rango's hands began to shake.
"Mister Rango, don't get mad, keep calm. Breathe calmly. Mister Rango! Good Lord. Take it easy!"
Rango was pale in his face and also his body. He breathed heavily.
Jake smiled evilly. It was a pleasure for him to see suffers in his eyes. It made him satisfied.
"Good Heavens!" Doc grabbed a syringe and injected it into Rango's arm.
Seconds later Rango's eyes rolled back and he fell into a deep sleep.
Jake grinned and pushed Beans to the door. "Let's go. I think, our patient needs his sleep."
Beans gave him a sad look, but she nodded. But before Jake left the room, he turned around.
"And you...!"
Bill ducked his head.
"The last word is not spoken."
"But you can't kill me," Bill said hopefully.
"Maybe not I... but I could give the order to another gunslinger, there are enough in this country who would be glad to kill someone like you."
Bill grew pale. He didn't think anything of it.
Jake grinned darkly. "I hope the little man will get a heart attack."
With these words, he disappeared through the door. Doc checked Rango again, to be sure that there were no complications. After that, he left the room, too. He gave Bill a pitiful look, and then he closed the door.
For a moment, Bill was unable to move. He clapped his hand on his forehead.
"DAMN!"
He looked at Rango, who slept in the bed.
"Get well soon, please!" Bill begged.