FANFIC
LARAMIE
STARRING JESS HARPER
DEAD ON ARRIVAL
Written by Tony G
CHAPTER 3
Clancy glared straight into Jess' eyes.
"Put the gun down" he rasped.
"Anyone else get any smart ideas and they'll end up the same way" replied Jess, his voice firm and low. "Now drop your guns, real slow like."
He watched them carefully as one by one the guns hit the floor. Jess moved in and kicked each gun out of reach, keeping his eyes firmly pinned on Clancy. If anyone made a wrong move Clancy would be the first to die, and they all knew it. Jess motioned with his gun for the deputies to dismount and all four obeyed without hesitation. They could feel the tension and did not want to end up like their dead friend.
"Now start walkin."
Nobody moved.
"What you gonna do, kill us all ?" mocked Clancy.
" I ain't gonna kill any of you," replied Jess " just shoot you in the foot. Now what's it to be, walk or limp ?"
"You'll hang for this Boy, so help me you'll hang"
"WALK !" yelled Jess, his lips twitched as he tensed, ready to back up his words.
Clancy turned and started to walk away, his deputies following like puppy dogs, without a word. Jess watched until they were about one hundred yards away, when they stopped and turned to look back at Jess and Lonnie. Jess fired into the air but they did not move. This was as far as they were going!
Jess scattered their horses and put their guns into his saddle bags. He would throw them away later.
"Mount up Lonnie, We're gettin the hell outta here."
Lonnie climbed back onto his horse. He still hurt from Clancy's beating but he felt at least he had a chance of living to see the end of this day. Though he wasn't thinking completely straight, he was coherent enough to think that getting away from Jess Harper was not going to be easy. But he would deal with that when the time came.
As Jess and Lonnie rode out of sight Clancy turned to his deputies.
"Round up the horses. We're goin after them !"
It didn't take long before Clancy and his men were back in the saddle. Things were not too bad, they still had their rifles and the food and water they had been packing. He and two deputies has spare side irons tucked away in their saddle bags. His eyes narrowed as he surveyed the land in front of him. He was a good tracker and he thought about what he was going to do when he caught them. He savoured the moment.
"Lets go."
Jess and Lonnie made good time. Jess figured it would take best part of two days to get to Laramie and he knew that Clancy would be after them. He was also worried about what Lonnie might try. This was a strange situation, he had the law on one side, the lawbreaker on the other side and he was stuck in the middle !
"Listen Jess I want to thank you for what you did back there" said Lonnie.
"Forget it."
"No I mean it. Nobody ever spoke up for me before. I owe you and I won't forget it."
"Good, you can repay me by just keep on riding and don't try anything !"
"Listen Jess I ain't gonna try anything. I'm just glad not to be going back to Clancy's justice. In Laramie I'll get a fair trial. Self defence Jess not murder, self defence."
" What about the robbery charge ?"
"Oh yeah, forgot about that. Guilty as charged I guess Jess. But I can give the money back can't I ?"
"Where is it ?"
"Right here in my saddle bags, all $2000 of it."
"Then you can give it back."
After riding for about four hours Jess pulled up.
"We'll rest the horses here. Dismount Lonnie and sit over by that tree."
Lonnie obeyed. Jess was halfway off his horse when all of a sudden a rattlesnake lunged and Jess' horse bolted. Jess fell backwards with his foot still caught in the stirrup. Lonnie was up in a flash and threw himself in front of Jess' horse and it stopped dead in it's tracks. Jess lay on the ground stunned, his foot still in the stirrup. Lonnie ran round to him, released his foot and shook him by the shoulders.
"Jess, you okay ? Jess come on wake up."
Stunned Jess looked up. His head hurt where he banged it as he went down, but he was otherwise fine.
"I'm okay" said Jess as he staggered to his feet helped by Lonnie. "Thanks."
"Sit down Lonnie."
"But Jess I . . . "
"Sit down. This makes no difference. You're still my prisoner and I'm still taking you to Laramie."
"I could have just let you die Jess."
"Sit Lonnie" said Jess his voice firm.
"Untie me Jess, let me go. I saved your life"
" Then we're even. Now I won't tell you again, sit down."
Lonnie walked back to the tree and sat down. Damn you Jess Harper he thought.
They had some food and coffee. Took about an hour and felt rested. Then it was time to move on. They didn't know where Clancy was but they were sure he would be after them by now so they had to keep moving. They had been making good time, but making good time hauling a prisoner is one thing and making good time riding as a posse in pursuit is another, and Clancy was catching up fast !