Logan, who stood next to the circular table, looked at Annabelle with intrigue in his eyes. She stood opposite to him as words came from her. All he could hear was, “The Hunter.” He began to get sick of hearing about him. She spoke about him like he was a myth. Logan continued to clench his teeth.
She pointed to Logan and said, “you’ll take The Hunter out if he gets in the way of this bank heist.”
His mouth began to extend upwards. “You think this plan could work, Logan? Be honest with me.”
He looked down at the table, where the plan had been written down, and before he could even reply, Jim barged through the door. Logan thought he had to be in trouble, so he readied his pistol. Yet Jim calmed everyone as he settled down and mentioned he had some important information.
He came towards the table and joined them. Annabelle moaned about Jim rushing in the house and Logan agreed, yet he was hoping for Jim to tell him something about Clay. Jim ignored Annabelle’s lecture and said, “The gang still trust me, yet they are starting to doubt Clay but a great many are still with him.”
Annabelle quickly but quietly said, “a civil war.”
Jim turned to his sister and disagreed, “not at all, they plan to leave. No one is going to risk fighting for the gang, one side will go their way and the other side will go… well, the other way.” Jim continued to speak as he moved the plan for robbing bank off the table, “The Hunter is in town… don’t panic… wait, you already knew.” She nodded and put her head back to the floor. “He isn’t even onto us, so don’t worry yet.”
Logan blurted out words in a fury, “is this it.”
“No, it isn’t,” Jim began to smirk, “a meeting is taken place with some rich person and Clay.” Logan’s eyes were looking like they were about to burst. “It’s near the route from the train station and after that meeting, he’ll be walking down that long, lonely road.”
Before Jim could say it, Logan said it for him, “we are fucking killing him,” his face went red, his heart raced and the sweat dripped from his forehead as he thought about slowly killing Clay.
“You can think again. That’s too dangerous and not worth it. Trust me, revenge is not worth it, Logan. Why would you suggest it this, Jim? You certainly ain’t risking your life.” Jim looked to the floor.
Logan clenched his teeth, “who are you to tell me I can’t do it? huh?” And your whole life is about revenge.” He took a step forward and raised his voice, “you cannot go five seconds without talking about this so-called dreadful gang. You only rob them because they wronged you.”
She was about to walk away until she turned around and gave Logan daggers. “Then maybe listen to me about revenge. And do what you want, get yourself killed; I don’t care.” Her feet sounded like a thousand people stampeding as she stormed off.
Logan looked at Jim and said, “you better show me this route.”
He seen the darkness in the foreground and hoped to see light. The hardened ground pressed against his body as he waited for the light.
Logan was just glad Jim was happy to show him the route; though, he thought Jim was a coward for listening to his sister. Why was she mad? He didn’t care anyway, the problems at hand were his most important concerns. He wanted blood. Blood.
He was surrounded by the darkness; no noise was present and the town felt empty. He watched the long, lonely and dark lane as dust moved across the floor. He longed for the light. He needed it more than anything but was Jim lying? “Was they really coming?” Logan asked himself as his eyes began to strain. Yet he shook his head, hoping it would rejuvenate him. But he couldn’t stop thinking it was a setup, Jim didn’t like him, Logan thought, But could he? Logan remained in deep thoughts as he hoped it would make time fly. But was time flying towards his death?
He felt alone, yet it bothered him and he couldn’t understand why. Why, he asked? I don’t need anymore… no one but me. yet a clingy, bad feeling continued to haunt him. Haunt him to the core of his stomach. He wanted nothing more than to ignore them and have a clear mind but the feelings cut too deep. Yet as he saw the darkness surround him, he realised the haunting feeling of being alone would live with him forever, until his dying days. Though, he kept waiting for the light.
He continued to wait and continued to wait, until a spark of light appeared in the foreground. Logan began to aim with his rifle, the scope was a gift from God as it became clear the spark light was coming from a lamp. One man? Logan questioned to himself.
Logan repositioned his rifle and just as he guessed, more riders appeared. Though, they didn’t stop appearing as the darkness disappeared from the foreground. He dared to use his scope to count how many there were and his nerves began to spiral.
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But he could not doubt himself now, that would mean death, he thought. Although, as his forehead began to drown in sweat from staring at them, he had nothing left to do but doubt himself. He could not look at himself if a mirror were in front of him as his eyes crawled away from the scope.
The drive to get up and run was way too high to ignore. He needed to run. He was alone and for the first time, it hurt him. It all mixed within his stomach. Yet he couldn’t; he would not become a coward. He would rather face death than face being a coward. He spat on the floor and put his eye on the scope as his heart no longer sounded like a train engine.
He was focusing on the clear scope as he realised there wasn’t that many men and his face brightened like a tomato. They were riding as a unit and Logan scoured for Clay like a hawk. And as he looked at the back of the riders, Logan celebrated by slamming his fist on the ground.
Once he knew they were coming his way, he moved a couple of inches so his body wasn’t exposed but they were still in his eyeline. He could no longer hear the silence of the night but instead a gang of hooves that were bouncing on the ground. They were getting closer but he decided not to wait.
His right eye shut while his left eye was left open. BANG! The earth went silent as he watched a man fall to the ground. He changed his aim and showed no mercy. One by one, he watched men fall from their horses and his focus changed into laughter. Yet one of them must have noticed the flash from his scope because, suddenly, a load of bullets soared his way.
The cover began to make him feel exposed as the bullets continued to fly at the wooden, small wall. Holes was appearing on the wall as he began to dodge bullets. One just missed his head as he started to run.
Death was standing in front of him; though, in the corner of his eye, he seen a storefront and made a run for it. Each bullet called for his death, yet he knew he was far away and they likely didn’t have scopes. He thanked God as he jumped through the window of the store, without a puncture in his skin.
He was surrounded by fruit, tinned food, whiskey and cigarettes. Logan thought he could live in this store as he laughed to himself. Yet a few bullets distracted him.
BANG! BANG! BANG!!
He started to get an advantage point by using the window. They had gotten much closer so he started to panic and his rifle began to feel like it was shooting itself.
Logan jumped away from the window as accurate bullets flew past him. He needed to get control of himself as death hung above him. He felt death gripping around his neck as the horses’ hooves were bouncing from outside of the store.
He could hear voices shouting for him to, “get the fuck out of there now, cowpoke! It’s over for you.” Different voices continued to warn him; though, his heart wanted to hear Clay’s voice. His cocky, arrogant voice, Logan thought.
As they were continuing to taunt him, he began to learn where some of them were standing by listening to their voices. It wasn’t perfect but it’ll do, he thought.
He stood straight as a tree and shot at his targets. He used only instinct. One bullet glided and pierced through someone’s skull, which exposed his pink, gushing brain. Another hit someone in the stomach and the victim bended over like he was giving birth. The rest missed which hurt Logan’s ego. He grew careless and moved towards the store door.
“I can take you, cunts.” He quickly opened the door and began to make up for them missed shots. The smoke from his guns clouded his eyes, so he ran to cover and prayed they missed their shots. The bullets flew past his ringing ears as he made it to a section of wall that protected the store and him.
He waited for silence as he sat behind the wooden wall. He knew there wasn’t many left now but he wondered where Clay was. He hoped he had the chance to get revenge.
Finally, he thought as all he heard was metal shifting and clinking. So, he jumped over the barrier, focused his left eye and sprayed his pistol at the lasting men. They collapsed to floor as blood sprayed onto the muddy floor. One man was choking on his blood as his last breath sent the dust on the floor to disperse. Another man died straight away as half the bullet stuck out of his forehead. Yet, he heard a voice softly say, “who… are ya?” Logan looked him dead in the eye as the man squeezed his gushy wound. Blood was spilling all over his hand, covering it and his besmirched clothes. Logan aimed his pistol at him and shot him straight in mouth. He felt like a one-man army as the eerie silence calmed his heart.
BANG! A bullet scrapes past his arm and as he looks up, two horses are running at him. He sees only darkness above the horses as sparks fly towards him. He started to run but his foot slides on the wet, bloody and muddy floor, and it causes him to fall into a bloody puddle. He felt hopeless as their shots just missed him. Though, he thanked God as he had time to get up.
Logan jumped over the barrier and continued to thank God; however, their footsteps were just a few inches away and a familiar voice began shouting, “ya fucked, I have you by the balls. My friend here, he will make ya my bitch. His name is The Hunter, if you’d like to meet him?” It became clear to Logan who was speaking. He could now have his revenge, yet they surely had the advantage, he thought, there was no way of killing them.
He looked to the store, his only option, he thought. As he brazenly ran for the door, a bullet went straight past him, so he decided to surrender; though, he knew death would come soon. He had his hands in the air and his back was facing them as he said, “turn around slowly, or I will end your life where you stand.” Logan wanted to ignore him and face death on his terms; although, he cowardly listened. “Oh… It’s you… you! You are the one fucking me over.”
Clay forcefully aimed his pistol at Logan and with no clue on what to do, Logan stares death in its face and closed his eyes. BANG!!
Suddenly, Clay screamed, and he opened his eyes. Logan expected to see hell, yet he seen Clay had been shot and The Hunter was shooting at someone else. He turned his head and that clingy bad feeling had disappeared. He didn’t feel alone.
Yet his attention turned to his pistol, grabbing it with every bit of energy he had left and he aimed it towards The Hunter. He was missing every shot as The Hunter was pleading for Clay to ride away.
They were both riding away as Logan was smiling. He was happy to be alive and as he ran towards Annabelle, life was beginning to look like a life he would want to live.