- 17 - Emmett Miller
“Emmett! By God, you look awful.” Lottie cried.
“Oh Sister don’t kick a man while he’s down.” Jonathan said. “Why a shower and a change of clothes and he’ll be good as new.”
Emmett pushed past the fool and pulled his saddle bags down from the overhead storage.
He dropped the bags onto the table to rummage through them. The private cabin was small and he took up the entire space with his bags and his bulk.
He pulled new pants and shirt from the bag and opened the slender door beside the seats. Instead of a bathroom he found a cabinet with dishes and cups and cutlery.
“There’s no shower. You may as well change in the hall.” Jonathan said earning him a glare from Emmett.
"Don't touch my whiskey." Emmett said as he stomped out into the hall leaving his bottle on the table.
“He’s not seriously changing in the hall.” Lottie said. “Jonathan. You and I could have stepped out to give him some privacy.”
Emmett returned slightly more respectable in his clean denims and an undershirt.
“How do you manage to make every outfit look the same? Did you do all your shopping once ten years ago?” Lottie asked then covered her mouth.
Jonathan scrunched up his nose at the torn bloody clothes Emmett was holding.
“Waste basket is over there.” He said.
Waste not, want not.
Emmett stuffed his ruined clothes into a waterproof bag and stuffed it into his saddle bags.
I’ll wash and repair them once we arrive in New Amsterdam.
He pulled down his kit and leather gear mat without a word. Emmett set out his tools and brushes and grease.
It’s high time I worked these guns over.
Emmett put the half bottle of whiskey on the table and Jonathan offered him a glass.
When the glass was half full Jonathan took it and downed it.
“Thank you old boy!” He laughed.
“Oh Jonathan leave our good friend alone, he barely made it on the train as it is. Let him rest.” Lottie said.
She was doing her best to avoid staring at Emmett’s bruises through his shirt while he broke down his first revolver.
Lottie put her nose back in her book blushing heavily.
There was a knock at the door and Emmett drew his second revolver under his arm and aimed it at the door.
“Tickets sir.” The ticket master said eying the bottle of whiskey.
Jonathan produced Emmett’s ticket and the man punched it.
“A stroke of good luck that I had your ticket, or it would have been torn and bloody by the time you made it here.” Jonathan said.
The Ticket Master ducked back out into the hallway and made room for Mari to enter.
“Emmett, put on more clothes.” She said after looking at the three cramped passengers. “Lottie, walk with me before you turn into a beet.”
The two women headed to the dining car leaving Jonathan alone with Emmett.
“How do you think Hawk is getting along up top?” Jonathan asked.
“He was doing fine.” Emmett said. “You know how he is.”
Emmett reassembled his revolver and cleaned the holster. He strapped it back on and removed his second revolver.
“I heard you tangoed with some soldiers on your way here.” Jonathan said.
Emmett silently broke down his second revolver, working quicker than before.
“You don’t have to fight your way through every problem.” Jonathan said. “Why if you would take a minute, there is chapter in my book about the art of talking you might find interesting.”
Emmett slammed the cylinder back into place and checked all the revolver’s mechanisms before reloading it.
“No.” Was all he said.
The train pumped it’s brakes and Emmett packed up his kit.
“Well at least all of that is behind us.” Jonathan said pouring himself another two fingers of whiskey. “Smooth sailing form here.”
He’s too soft. That's just asking for more trouble.
Emmett swiped the glass of whiskey from Jonathan making him smile.
He dressed quickly, pulling on a linen shirt and leather vest. He braced himself as the train slowed drastically.
A signal pole ran past the window.
“Oh good our next station.” Jonathan said sarcastically.
As the train pulled to a stop Emmett locked eyes with a man in a long riding coat. He was standing on the platform and the station master was leaning in close to speak with him over the sound of the train.
“Time to go.” Emmett said. “Go get the crew we need to get off the train.”
He grabbed his bag and stepped out into the hallway to see five men on horses behind the train. He turned and went towards the cattle car at a brisk walk. As he passed between the cars the man on the platform called out to him.”
“Emmett Miller! I have a warrant for your arrest! You will turn yourself in under my jurisdiction, the Sheriff of Hawthorn or my deputies and I will take you by force.”
“That ain’t me Sheriff.” Emmett said, grimacing.
“I have here a photograph of you that says otherwise, as well as a list of your known conspirators.”
“What seems to be the problem Sheriff?” The captain asked as he stepped onto the platform.
“There is a man on this train, one Emmett Miller. I have a warrant for him, and a photograph.”
The captain took a look at the warrant and the picture.
“Emmett what did you do?” he asked.
“You are putting me in a tight spot Sheriff.” Emmett said.
“He stole my whiskey!” The ticket master said leaning off the back of one of the cars.
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Dammit. I’m not getting out of this one am I?
“Sorry Captain. He’s got paperwork on you. We cannot help you here.” The captain said.
“Sheriff! There's a gunman on top of the train!” One of the deputies shouted.
“Captain if you and your men could help round up his gang there’s a commendation in it for you.” The Sheriff said. “I’d rather not square off against his guns and yours.”
“You won’t see any resistance from my soldiers. We follow the word of law even out here in the west.” He said. “Emmett! It will take time, but the judge will see your side of things, I am sure.” The captain said.
The soldiers marched out and two went up on the roof to bring down Hawk.
“I’m innocent!” Jonathan wailed as a Deputy dragged him out of the train.
-
The soldiers unloaded the wagon and threw the group’s bags onto it.
The sheriff and his men marched Emmett and his crew into a barn. A couple blocks from the station.
Another lean town. In some ways these people are worse off than folks farther out west. With their taxes and fine goods draining their wallets. At least out west there is some more liberty.
Once inside the Barn, a deputy took a horse to go fetch the wagon. The crew was each tied to a chair.
“Now.” Said the Sheriff. “Who wants to talk first?”
“I’ll never talk.” Cried Jonathan.
“Aright, deputy you take this one.” The sheriff said. “Ryan and I’ll work this stud over and the ladies can watch.”
-
Lottie and Mari watched Emmett take his second beating in 24 hours. Two men hit him with sticks for ten minutes at a time then asked him the same questions.
“Please,” Said Lottie through an eyeful of tears. “Is this really necessary?”
“It’s their job Lottie,” Mari said dryly. “Emmett can handle it.”
Jonathan wailed again from the other stall.
Sounds like he’s getting his teeth pulled. Serves him right.
“Who was the ringleader?”
“You were a captain, a Delver??”
“What happened in Skuduggery?”
“Where did you get the scatter rifles?”
“Who killed Nathaniel Haversham and his hired guns?”
“What happened in Jamestown?”
“Who was the man on top of the train?”
So Hawk slipped away again.
Emmett took each beating silently.
They are getting tired.
The barn doors opened and the wagon was brought in by a deputy.
“Where’s the sniper from the train?” She sheriff asked.
“He got away.” The deputy said.
“He’s got papers in his bag.” Mari said. “Although he won’t show them to you until you bleed him out some more.”
“Untie her but keep your eye on her. She’s a hard one just like him.” The Sheriff said to his deputy.
Marie dug through her bags to provide their claim to shaft AE-23-19. She also produced their bill of sale for the horses and their supplies.
“Tie her back up.” The Sheriff said as he looked at the paperwork.
“So this all looks in order. Why fight your way out of Skuduggery?”
“They were lean bastards.” Mari said. “They tried to milk us for everything we had.”
These men are the law, they aren’t hard like me, they are just doing their job. They aren’t trying to rob us.
“They tried to shoot us.” Lottie said but Mari spoke over her.
“We defended ourselves and our claim, all within our rights.” Mari said.
“A judge will decide that.” The Sheriff said. “You are to be tried in St. Louis. In a week's time.”
More delays. Dammit.
“Do we really need to do this song and dance?” Emmett said. “Let them go. I just hired them on for the return trip. They don’t know anything.”
“An unlikely story.” The sheriff said.
“I’ve got another loot crate buried in the desert. I found more then I could carry.” Emmett said. "I'll split it with you if you let them go."
The sheriff thought about that for a second until a familiar man entered through the barn doors.
“That’s what I wanted to hear.” The auctioneer said. “Except it was you and Mari that found the artifacts there.”
“The rest of them can go Sheriff.” He said.
The sheriff called out to his man in the other room with Jonathan.
“Deputy, has that bastard talked yet?”
“No sir, I’ve been torturing him properly but he’s tight as can be.”
“Bring him in here I think we are making progress.” The sheriff said.
The Deputy dragged Jonathan over beside Mari and dropped him on the ground. He threw a small notebook down in Jonathan’s lap.
“Jonathan! You are okay!” Lottie said. “There’s not a scratch on you.
“I missed you too dear sister.” He said picking himself up and sitting cross legged. He struggled to pick up the notebook with his wrists tied but managed it.
“But you sounded so miserable.” Lottie said.
“Did they read your poetry?” Mari asked.
“He’s an awful poet.” The Deputy said.
“It’s for my personal enjoyment. I would not expect anyone else to understand.” Jonathan said hotly.
The two deputies picked up Emmett’s gun belts from the table and were testing their weight.
Playing with them like they are toys. Soft fools.
“Drop those Irons lads, before you hurt yourselves.” Emmett said.
“What’s the meaning of this Castellano?” Mari said.
“I’m protecting my investment.” The auctioneer said. “This man Emmett is a wanted criminal. If he is the seller of these artifacts then our auction house will get a bad reputation.”
“You can take me. Let Mari go. She doesn’t have a warrant on her.” Emmett said to the sheriff.
“You heard the Auctioneer, deputies. Get this lot out of here.” He said.
“Sheriff if you have a moment?” The Auctioneer says and lead the man out the front follwing the deputies leading the siblings. The deputies took and Emmett’s guns along with them.
Dammit. Things went from bad to worse quickly.
“I really screwed up this time Jacqueline.”
Mari let herself out of her bindings and checked Emmett’s wounds.
“Nothing too egregious.” She said. “Only your acting. I almost thought you were a hero, trying to save us.”
A shot rang out and Emmett untied himself. He rushed to the wagon and grabbed his saber.
They have my revolvers.
Emmett peeked out the Barn doors. He watched as the Auctioneer ran away. One of the deputies was down holding his leg.
Good on you Hawk. You are a blessing.
Jonathan and Lottie were being loaded onto a wagon by a few citizens.
Are they saving them?
“Emmett they are selling us to a gang!” Johnathan shouted and got backhanded by a large baker.
The Sheriff and the other Deputy were trying to untie Emmett’s guns to draw them but the knots were giving them trouble.
Time to go to work.
He charged them and cut the hand off of the sheriff before he could draw his own pistol. Emmett caught his holster as the sheriff dropped it and slapped the deputy across the face with the gun belt.
He flipped the knot open and pulled iron. The sheriff and Deputy were dead in a second. The shots came so fast that they echoed as one.
I’m getting caught in every spiders web in the west!
Emmett turned his gun on the baker in the wagon.
“Get gone or you are dead.” Emmett said.
The Baker pulled a derringer from his pocket and instead of drawing on Emmett he decided to aim for Lottie.
Hawk shot him in the head before he could even get the little pistol up to his hip.
We are cleaning up these towns one after another.
“Emmett!” Jonathan wailed from the wagon bed.
Jonathan rolled on top of his sister to cover her from the gunfight.
“All clear captain?” Mari asked from the barn door.
The steam from a new train pulling into the station traced a streak across the rooftops of the town. It whistled and as if that was a signal gun, more citizens charged out of the alley beside the wagon with clubs and knives.
“Cover me.” Emmett said to Mari. She rushed to the wagon to grab her rifle.
Low and slow. Low and slow.
Emmett stooped over the deputy, dropping his saber to pick up his other gun belt and strap them both on. The gand of civilians charged the wagon.
It’s grim work.
Hawk picked off the first runner, then Emmett mowed the next eight down. His revolvers echoed one after the other, each shot felling someone. A man with a knife. A woman with a stout stick. A scrawny man with a brick on a rope.
Mari shoved the corpse of the baker off the bench to make room for herself to climb into the wagon.
“Time to go captain!” She yelled.
-
Emmett whipped the horse pulling their wagon, he was behind Mari and the siblings and needed to catch up.
I’ve got the Loot crates and our gear in this wagon, and she’s got everyone else. Which wagon is more valuable?
They raced through town, the two wagons weaving between carts and horsemen blocking their path. The train blew steam again and started revving up to leave.
“That train is leaving soon.” Emmett shouted. “If we can get on it then we can get out of here.”
“The last train didn’t work so well for us.” Mari said.
“We won’t make it to New Amsterdam without more Horses.” He replied.
“Jonathan quit taking a nap and untie yourself.” Mari said.
A figure flew down from the roof and landed in the back of Emmett’s wagon. He nearly shot down Hawk as he recovered from the aerial feat.
“Good to have you back, Hawk.” Emmett said. “I owe you a bottle of whiskey.”
Hawk held up two fingers, implying that he needed two bottles. He then turned and picked off a couple of men on horseback that were chasing after their wagon.
“Blockade ahead!” Mari shouted. “Could use some help up here you two!”
“Trying!” Jonathan mumbled through a mouthful of braided twine.
Jonathan managed to untie Lottie with his teeth.
“I’m free!” She said and Jonathan cheered.
“His bonds are too tight!” Lottie as she failed to untie her brother.
“Get up here and steer!” Mari shouted. Lottie took the reigns and Mari jumped into the bed of the wagon.
“Not the kind of bed I thought of you tied up in Johnny boy.” She said smiling.
“Very funny. Get me out.” He said sarcastically.
“Lets go, lets go please!” Lottie urged the horses forwards pulling farther ahead of Emmett’s wagon.
Hawk shot one of the men building the blockade but then he had to switch back to covering their rear as three new horsemen with rifles appeared behind them.
“Going to have to ram it Mari.” Emmett shouts. ”You two get over here.”
Mari untied Jonathan and took the reigns back from Lottie.
“Oh I don’t know Jonathan. This is far too exciting for a scholar like me.” Lottie shouted as the two lined up their jump.
“No worries old girl. You’ve got me here with you. Now jump!”
The two siblings jumped into Emmett’s wagon, Lottie stumbled into Hawk and he missed his shot.
Mari urged the cart forward into the partial barricade. She jumped clear a fraction of a second before it hit. The horse charged through the gap, but the wagon crashed into it getting tangled up and failing to break through.
Emmett pulled up on the reigns and barely avoided crashing into the barricade. Johnathan and Lottie and Hawk were scrambled about in the back of the wagon, dust flying everywhere as he whipped the reins around.
Mari rolled to a crouch and brought up her rifle as Emmett circled the wagon to a stop between her and the barricade.
“Not the best place to make a stand.” Jonathan said as he donned his gloves.
Emmett reloaded his revolvers as the dust started to settle.
“But we’ve survived worse.” Mari said as she checked the action on her rifle.
Hawk slipped off the back of the wagon and pointed with his chin to the rooftop.
“Lets wait and see.” Emmett said. “We may get a chance to cut and run.
“Maybe they will give up the chase?” Lottie said optimistically from the wagon bed. She was crouched down in the wagon trying to stay out of sight.
The dust around them cleared enough for Emmett to see who they were up against. Instead of a rag tag mob of citizens, there were 10 men in black coats, riding ten identical black horses barreling down on them.
That’s a U.S. Marshal. I’ll be damned.