•Tombstone• Brothers Under The Sun

Chapter 20

𝓢𝓱𝓮'𝓼 𝓷𝓸 𝓵𝓪𝓭𝔂, 𝓼𝓱𝓮'𝓼 𝓪 𝓶𝓪𝓷.

"Doc." Elle breathed out. Her hand hovered over her pistol on her hip, as she watched Doc Holliday hold a steady hand to the cowboys temple.

The cowboy at this point glanced at Holliday and back to the women. The tension in the air became thick as everyone eyes each other with suspicious eyes, waiting for someone to make the first move.

"Get away from me lover boy." Fred the cowboy spoke between his teeth.

Doc chuckled for a moment, "Why don't we take this outside, drunken."

"Put your gun down first."

"Not until you put yours away from the lady." Doc said sternly.

The cowboy looked between Elle and Doc for just a second, his eyes frantically trying to figure out who to watch for first. Then, with a shaky hand he lowered his gun. Doc lowered his and the three stood there for a second. Before Elle could move, the back of a gun smacked her across the face with a solid blow. Fred swung his arm, knocking Elle back, which caused Holliday to grab Fred and pull him into the street.

The barkeep ran to Elle's side and helped her up. Her hand reached for the side of the bar and another to her cheek, which upon inspection was bleeding. The bartender asked if she was alright and Ellanora just brushed him off. Stumbling out into the street she saw Doc Holliday throw a punch right in the cowboys face. Fred stumbled back and yelled at Doc, while Doc looked like he was enjoying his time fighting this cowboy.

"Why you bastard." Grumbled the cowboy.

He threw a punch but Doc had ducked just in time and then punched Fred in the stomach, knocking the air from his lungs. Standing up straight, Holliday then gave it all he could a gave a night swing to his nose. Fred fell to the ground, and Doc took his knife and stabbed it in his stomach.

"Don't you ever hit a lady." He said as the cowboy gasped for air, looking in shock that Doc just stabbed him.

Elle watched another cowboy come out from a nearby building. He ran across the street and saw Doc standing over the dead body of his friend. He grabbed his pistol and pointed it at the back of Doc. Elle lifted her pistol and shot the man as Doc turned around, not seeing the man until he heard the sound of him falling to the ground.

Not too far from the saloon was Wyatt was on his horse shooting cowboys inside what looked like barbershop. Gunshots ran out into the air as Doc walked over the Elle. Before the two could speak, Wyatt raced over to them.

"We gotta get out of here." He said in a rush.

"Why?" Elle asked trying to see his face with the sun behind him.

"Lawmen that's why."

Doc and Elle exchanged a look and ran to their horses. Riding out of the city, they were joined with McMaster's, Turkey, and Texas, who were not far, killing a few cowboys with Wyatt. Riding away and into the desert, they stopped after a while to regroup.

"Well that didn't go as planned." Elle said fixing the reins on Ash. "I thought I was going in alone?"

"That was the plan until we saw another group of cowboys enter the city from the south side." Texas said scuffing.

"Listen, we did it either way. Not smoothly but, it's a victory nonetheless." Wyatt said putting his hands up in defence.

"A victory? Wyatt we didn't have a plan!" McMaster's spoke with annoyance.

"We tried our best okay!" Wyatt yelled back.

"Enough!" Elle yelled back. "Now," she or her hands on her hips and turned to the men, "both of you are right. We did do it, but we also need a better strategy." All the men looked away from her, as if she was their mother telling them off when they were young boys. "Did you have a basic idea where the cowboys would be going?" She asked McMaster's.

"If they know we're going South from Tucson, then maybe if we head East we could cut them off." He said shrugging his shoulders.

"Then we'll try that." Wyatt spoke, "if we run into any, we kill them on the spot. Everyone in agreement?"

Everyone nodded or said yes. They decided to take a moment to get themselves ready for a long ride west so a rest was needed. Especially after riding all night.

Elle put her hand to her check and felt the cut had dried but it was sore to the touch. "Sore?" Doc asked from behind her. She scuffed for a moment and turned to him, "oh, that's gonna be a nasty bruise darling." Doc said wincing as she faced him.

"Thank you, smart ass." She grinned and turned away. "Oh also," she turned back, "you called me a lady."

"A lady?" Wyatt asked as he walked past the two. "I would say she's more of a son, or Uh...." he racked his head for another word.

"A brother." Elle said.

"Yeah, a brother." Wyatt said smiling, he turned back and continued doing what he was doing.

"Listen Holliday," Elle turned now to fully face him, "I'm not a lady. Every man, even women I've met has tried to turn me into a lady, and I've never turned, nor shall I ever." She smiled proudly at herself, "I am more of a brother, son. I am a man to the world, not a lady."

Doc watched her turn back around and he nodded, "Like a Brother under the sun."

Elle stopped, she took in his words. "What do you mean?"

"You say your like a man to the world." He started, Elle looked over her shoulder at him, "we are all brothers here, we're doing this ride in the desert."

Ellanora turned to the pale man and gave him a questionable look. "There's more to that then your letting on." She whispered.

Doc looked down at her, he shrugged his shoulders, popped a cigarette in his mouth and walked away from her, whistling a tune.

Elle stood there questioning his words. Brother under the sun? Deep down in her heart, she felt there was more to his words then what it's literally meaning was. She questioned Doc Holliday. He was very odd, but also very self centred. She didn't want to talk with him anymore, he was always so confusing to Elle.