For as long as the sun took to set behind the rocky mountain range in the distance of Virgil City, the celebration of Bilk’s promotion and Brand’s retirement went on. By the time the sun had gone and the moon took its place, the party had slowed to a near stop. Many patrons, satisfied with their fill of liquor and laughter had headed home, ready to rest for another day.
Brand came out of the saloon, a stumble in his step and a blissful smile on his face.
“Might’a had a bit too much…” The former lawman slurred to himself.
He looked to the horses tethered to a post outside the saloon, his eyes landing on the water trough sitting at their hooves. The retired sheriff made his way over to the long wooden watering hole before falling to his knees. He dipped his hands into the drink, bringing it up and splashing his face to help sober himself up.
He did so a couple more times before he felt fully refreshed again. He turns his head to see a steed lifting its head after lapping up its share, whinnying at the old timer with a shake of its head.
“Ah, don’ gimme that.” Brand mockingly scolded. “There’s plenty for everyone.”
Seeming to understand the old man’s words, the horse gave one last bristle before lowering his head down for another drink.
Brand let out a small chuckle at the steed. He then picked himself up, dusting the dirt off his pants as he walked into the middle of the road. He turned his gaze up towards the stars, the distant lights shining brightly in the endless night sky. The former lawman noticed how many stars seemed to fade away and disappear, making way for new and even brighter ones.
Brand closed his eyes and lowered his head, a reluctant sigh escaping him. Twenty years have gone since he first became the law in Virgil City. Twenty years of keeping the town safe, and making sure it stayed standing. Now, those years had finally caught up with him, and he had no choice but to hand that responsibility over to the coming generation.
And that left Brand with a question he had been trying to keep himself from asking…
What now?
“Sheriff Brand! Sheriff Brand!”
The former sheriff turned to see an old woman, wearing a purple prairie dress and bonnet, hobbling towards him as quickly as she could.
“Miss Baskin?” Brand recognised the general store owner in an instant. He met the woman halfway, allowing her to catch her breath after her hurrying.
“It’s Bilk…!” Baskin gasped between breaths. “He’s been kidnapped!”
The retired lawman’s face dropped in aghast. “What?!”
“It was those outlaws!” Folks started to gather around at the old woman’s words. “They broke out of jail and snatched him up! Rode out of town on their horses!”
Brand broke out running towards his office before Baskin could even finish.
He burst in through the front door, seeing that the place had been ransacked. The aftermath of a violent struggle.
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Papers were scattered around the office, the cabinets were broken into, and the jail cell was wide open and empty…
With Bilk nowhere to be found.
Looking around for any sign of a clue, Brand spotted a neatly folded note left on his desk. He snatched it up and read it over, his eyes following along the sprawled handwriting to the bottom. Once he was done, the former lawman clenched his eyes shut, trying to suppress his anger while crushing the note in his hand in his brimming fury.
The whole town stood outside of Brand’s office. They could all feel the tension coming off the old lawman from inside. Brand crumpled the note in his before throwing it to the floor. He turned and stomped outside, the crowd parting as he came out of his ruined workplace.
“What’s wrong, sheriff?” Topper called out from within the crowd.
“They got Bilk.” The former sheriff revealed, earning a gasp from the gathered townsfolk. “They’re holdin’ him at Wyatt Rock, and want me to come get him.”
“Well, what’re we standin’ around for?!” Bob rolled up his sleeves, ready for a fight. “Let’s saddle up, and-!“
“No.”
The blacksmith stopped in his tracks, staring at the former lawman with the same look of bewilderment as the rest of the town.
“They only want me.” Brand walked towards his horse tethered to the post outside his office, the townsfolk following behind him.“If they see a whole posse coming their way, they’ll hurt Bilk before we have a chance at gettin’ to em. So, I’ll go… alone.”
“B-But Brand! That’s suicide!” Topper argued desperately. “You can’t take on a whole gang of outlaws by yourself! Heck, you barely handled them yourself this… mornin’…”
The bartender’s voice died in his throat the moment Brand turned and looked his way, the spectacled man’s words coming off scathing to the old-timer.
The former lawman glared down at Topper, his eyes hard and scornful, only to remember that there were more important things to think about. Shaking himself out of it, he mounted his steed and reared it in the nearest direction out of town.
“I’ll get Bilk back… Don’chu worry.” Brand declared finally, leaving no room for anyone to argue.
Bob, Topper and the rest of the folks gathered kept all their disagreements to themselves, no matter how much they didn’t want to.
With the matter settled, Brand faced forward and spurred his horse. “HYAH!”
The old-timer’s stallion whinnied before breaking into a gallop.
The former lawman rode it out of Virgil City, his sights set on the meeting place the outlaws spoke of and determined to get his deputy back.
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Wyatt Rock stood tall in the middle of the dark desert plains. Its sharp top reached into the night sky, like a finger from the earth pointing towards the stars that lit up the darkness above.
The glow of a campfire illuminated the foot of the sharpened monument, along with three shadows belonging to the escaped outlaws, huddling around the open flame for warmth. Gap-Tooth held his hands close to the burning pit, rubbing them together from time to time. Pot-Belly poked at the fire with a stray stick, and Lazy-Eye tried to keep his eyelids from drooping closed… and was failing miserably.
That was how Brand managed to find them.
The retired lawman rode his horse slowly and quietly around the ridged foundation, spotting the three with ease. He carefully climbed down from his mount, throwing the reigns over a small boulder as he gently drew his gun. Step by easy step, he crept his way up behind the gathered gang.
The former sheriff cocked the barrel of his weapon. “Don’t move!”
The three outlaws snapped their heads back, seeing that the old-timer had got the drop on them.
Brand stepped out of the shadows. He drew closer to the fire as he cast his eyes along the trio and their camp, seeing no sign of his deputy.
“All right, you lily-livered lowlives…I’m in no mood for games…!” Brand all but snarled as he pointed his gun towards the three outlaws in unison. “Where. Is. Bilk?”
CLICK
The cold end of a loaded gun pressed itself against the back of the old man’s head.
The three outlaws let a smug smirk cross their faces as they lowered their hands.
A gloved hand reached out from behind Brand and plucked the gun out of his own.
Brand raised his hands in surrender, knowing with a grimace that he was caught.
The gun to his head pulled away, though the old sheriff could feel it still aimed towards him.
The one who had him made their way around the old-timer, the jingle of an all-too-familier set of spurs following with each step they took.
Brand didn’t have time to try and deny who he thought it was when they stepped out into the light of the campfire, revealing themselves to be the last person he ever thought it could be.
“…Bilk?”
The deputy of Virgil City stood before the old sheriff, a gun in his hand and a crooked smile on his face, the likes of which Brand had never seen him wear before. “Little slow on the draw there, eh, Brand?”
Brand struggled with all his might to wrap his head around what was going on, while Bilk stepped back towards the outlaws, keeping his gun drawn on the old-timer. The three slowly began to draw their arms, the cocking of their hammers snapping Brand out of his spiralling thoughts.
Before he could make any form of plea, Bilk held his gun up, aiming straight for the old lawman.
“Little slow on the draw there, eh, Brand?”