[fic] Red West III. - Chapter twenty seven
Title: Red West III.
Author: Kasumi
Rating: NC-17
Genre: Western, Drama, Romance, Adventure, Historical fiction
Warning: Vulgarisms, violence, explicit content
Disclaimer: This story uses the real names and appearances of certain Japanese artists. Everything else is just a fanfiction (unfortunately) and result of my imagination.
Beta-reading:
atago4
Summary: A direct sequel of Red West II. - Masterpost
A strange company of three young gunslingers and one Indian is on their way to Montana, while the infamous Black Riders continue their fight against Silver King of Colorado… Will they succeed or fail in the clash with the cruel environment and heartless Governor? Will their friendship, brotherhood and love persevere or be destroyed by greed, bloodshed and vengeance?
Thank you: To Kamenashi Kazuya and Akanishi Jin, because this story wouldn´t have existed without them.
I am grateful for any opinion or advice, you help me hone my writing skills with them.
Thank you for taking time to read this story. I will be happy if you reward me with a comment for it.
Each chapter is posted on my LJ in advance.
Previously:
Prologue // Chapter one // Chapter two // Chapter three // Chapter four // Chapter five // Chapter six // Chapter seven // Chapter eight // Chapter nine // Chapter ten // Chapter eleven // Chapter twelve // Chapter thirteeen // Chapter fourteen // Chapter fifteen // Chapter sixteen // Chapter seventeen // Chapter eighteen // Chapter nineteen // Chapter twenty // Chapter twenty one // Chapter twenty two // Chapter twenty three // Chapter twenty four // Chapter twenty five // Chapter twenty six //
Arrest
Draft beer served in the biggest local saloon was not bad at all. However, Marshal Botkin would have enjoyed it more if he hadn´t had to deal with such a complicated case as was the blast in the gold mine.
Initially, when an urgent telegram from Cameron Henderson arrived to his office in Billings, he was thrilled. He finally got his chance to prove all the doubters that it was a way too soon for him to retire.
He had been already serving as a U.S. marshal for two years, when he got sick during an awful winter storm. Ever since the subsequent paralysis of the lower limbs confined him to a wheelchair, people began to doubt his ability to perform all duties properly, no matter that he remained active and surrounded himself with many capable deputies. He was quite certain that if not for the unceasing support of the former president Hayes, they would have removed him from office long ago.
As for the Black Riders gang, even though they were neither seen nor heard of for quite a while, they were still infamous not only in Colorado, but also in both Wyoming and Montana territories. There had been many of those, who had tried to track them down and bring to justice - sheriffs, bounty hunters and soldiers, or even personas like that cocky Silver King. Yet, all those attempts went down in flames. If he was the one surpassing them all, it would definitely reformed his tarnished reputation and silenced all the detractors.
Unfortunately, already shortly after they rushed into the city, he found out it wasn´t going to be that easy.
Demonstrably, a crime happened there, which cost human lives. There were also possible culprits. Botkin was not so sure about their motives in this case, but it would not matter, if there were any proof. Unfortunately, that was a stumbling-stone of it all.
After interrogations of witnesses, the dynamite explosion turned out to be a very hard case to crack. Even though Henderson seemed to be sure about the Riders´ involvement, there was nothing to back his allegation up with, so Botkin sat on the fence, not certain about how to proceed.
There was no sign of Black Riders for quite long and no apparent reason to think they would be here in Bozeman seeking revenge on the rancher. Not to mention that Botkin was well aware of shady business the former owner of Henderson´s farm was involved in and he was not fond of people, who climbed up the social ladder while stepping over the corpses of others. Which was apparently Henderson´s case.
Botkin took a good gulp of beer, staring at the pile of documents and notes at the table. Was this case worth the trouble or not?
“Sir? Dad?”
He knew his companion was trying to get his attention for some time already, but he hadn´t let himself be disturbed until that moment. Finally, he looked up to face his deputy and son in one person. Wallace was always worried to see him working overtime and Botkin was happy to have such a caring son, yet he was well aware of his own limits and was prepared to brush him off.
“Yes? What is it, Wallace?”
His son nodded in the direction of a small table in the corner occupied by a single, black-haired man. He had been apparently sitting there for some time already, drinking one beer after another.
“And? Any problem with him?”
Wallace wordlessly pulled one of the posters from their documentation out and pushed it under his father´s nose. Botkin raised his eyebrows and looked at that drunkard again with new interest.
“I see…”
*
“You might want to slow down, don´t you think?”
Jin glared at the older man standing by his table with a full tray of empty glasses: “Why should I?”
Harada leant toward him and lowered his voice: “Akanishi, I like you, but if you´re gonna stir some unnecessary troubles here…”
“Don´t you worry,” he assured the man sharply. “I´m just drunk, not stupid.”
“That doesn´t necessarily mean you´re not capable of doing stupid things,” Harada opposed.
Jin shrugged: “Aren´t we all?” he pointed out a surprisingly wise fact.
The saloon owner had nothing to say to that, probably assuming it would be useless to argue with him anyway. Jin reached into his pants´ pocket and pulled out several bills.
“Here, the advance payment,” he stuffed them into Harada´s apron. “Keep bringing me more.”
Obviously, the older man didn´t like the outcome of their conversation and for a moment, it seemed he would like to scold him again, but in the end, he just grabbed Jin´s tankard and returned to the bar.
Right after that, someone sat down to the other side of his table. Jin sent forth a stare that could kill toward the newcomer.
“Don´t even bother to fuck me off,” Ryo blurted before he could take a breath for objections. “Chief´s orders.”
Jin sneered: “To babysit me?”
“To keep an eye on you,” the other corrected him stiffly.
Annoyed, he observed Ryo´s gloomy face, then his fidgeting fingers on the table.
“You don´t seem very happy to be here,” he noted caustically.
“Yeah, but not because of you…” the Rider murmured and leant closer. “In case you haven´t noticed, our dear marshals took over the third of tables here.”
“And what? Am I supposed to pee my pants because of them?”
“Your mood is indeed adorable,” Ryo evaluated sourly.
“Should I dance on the bar counter naked then? Would that make you satisfied?”
Ryo looked at him, tired and somewhat sad: “You know this isn´t about me, Jin.”
Harada arrived with two new beers, exchanged a significant look with Ryo and left them alone.
Jin´s worried companion spoke again: “Look, I know you won´t be glad to hear it…”
“Then don´t say it,” Jin recommended him right away and grabbed his tankard.
“…but Cullen was right,” Ryo continued relentlessly. “You keep drinking every day and there´re dirty talks about what you actually really do in that brothel all over the city. You must pull yourself together.”
Jin grinned bitterly: “There´s one simple solution for all your worries - stop caring about what I do.”
He did not bother to tell him that most of those rumors were just a usual pile of lies and old wife´s tales. At this point, he could not care less about what anyone thought of him.
However, Ryo didn´t want to give up: “Well, you should care the most of all…”
“Either stop lecturing me or get out,” Jin growled.
“I don´t want to lecture you,” his friend urged. “I… all of us just want to help you.”
“Constantly advising me how I should mourn properly is not helpful,” he snapped.
Ryo fell silent for a while.
“You think Kame would be happy to see you like this?” he asked then quietly.
That was a hard blow below the belt for Jin. Stiffly, he raised his head: “Well, I don´t know since he can feel literally nothing anymore.”
Ryo sighed: “Jin, you know what I mean…”
“Shut up,” he grumbled, burying his nose in the tankard again and taking a deep gulp of it. “Just shut it, Ryo. I know,” he added hoarsely. “I know I´m a mess…” he admitted before he could stop himself.
His statement robbed Ryo of more words. His friend stared at him, his eyes wide and full of pity. Jin avoided that look; it was not improving that pain he felt at all.
He was damn aware he was not dealing with Kame´s passing well. He felt lost, aching all over and did not know what to do with himself. Nothing seemed right and it was his own fault that he was not able to change his attitude. It just totally got on his nerves that everyone felt the urge to remind him of that.
First, Cullen scolded him like a little child. Then Cora stopped by to lecture him about taking care of himself more, even before he could order the first beer. After that also Harada, who treated him as a ticking bomb and now Ryo as well. Why couldn´t they just leave him alone for a minute?
There was a long tense silence, before Ryo stood up: “I think I need a stronger drink… What about you?”
“Yeah, whatever you choose,” Jin shrugged.
“Okay…”
Once Ryo left to the bar, Jin realized that he apparently attracted someone´s attention. He turned to the table with a robust wheelchair on one side of it. Both the U.S. marshal and his younger deputy stared directly at him.
Slowly, Jin drank more beer and stared back at them. Even from afar, it was obvious there was some wanted poster in front them. He would not need even two attempts to guess whose name was on it. He would bet his little brother was now the favorite topic of those starred men. He was actually surprised that they haven´t chased him down for some proper interrogation yet…
At that moment, Jin got an idea.
He froze with the tankard halfway to his mouth, afraid he might chase it away by moving.
It was the fucking terrific idea. It would have solved practically all the problems. Leo would be out of the hook, Henderson satisfied to achieve his revenge and he himself would be free of the rest of his life without Kame in it.
It was as if something shifted inside of him. He was slipping down to a dark, yet comforting place for some time already, but only now, he welcomed that feeling. He could do a good deed for his brother and get out of his miserable self at the same time. There could not have been a better solution, though he could imagine Leo would have a different opinion.
Jin stopped himself from thinking the whole thing through. With more time for it, he would have probably reconsidered his decision. He didn´t want that. Once he would do this, there was no way back, so he had to carry it out right away.
He finished his beer and got up on unsteady legs…
Both Marshal Botkin and his son intently watched the tipsy young man crossing the crowded taproom and then sinking into an empty chair at their table.
“Greetings, Marshals,” he addressed them sneering, with his eyes glassy and voice clouded by alcohol. “It seems to me you´re kinda captivated by my presence.”
Wallace took a breath to react, but a raised hand of his father stopped him.
“Good evening, Mr. Akanishi,” Botkin said in a calm voice, studying the defiant face in front of him carefully.
Henderson had mentioned to him before that the older of Akanishi brothers was living nearby his gold mine, and Botkin had been planning to look for him the next day. Though he definitely hadn´t expected that the man would come forward to them himself.
Akanishi raised his thick eyebrows: “Whoa, am I that famous already?”
“Not really,” Botkin leaned back in his wheelchair to make himself more comfortable. “More like your brother is. And you´re remarkably similar to him,” he noted sharply.
“That I am,” Akanishi nodded in an almost satisfied manner.
“Sounds like you don´t mind it much.”
“Why should I?”
"Well, people might mistake you for him," Botkin offered meaningfully.
Akanishi started laughing so hard that the most of saloon guests turned their attention to them.
“Actually, it´s quite convenient,” the younger man assumed then.
“Really?” Botkin stared at him wondering if such a behavior was the result of alcohol effect or if this Akanishi was trying to screw up with them, just as his younger brother did with all Riders´ pursuers so far.
“And what do you find so convenient and funny about it, Mister?” the young deputy put yourself into the conversation.
Wallace could not stand being quiet and probably wanted to put the cheeky gunslinger in his place. Yet, that was not what they needed at that moment. Botkin gave his son a disapproving look before returning his full attention to the man who forced himself to their table.
“That´s simple to explain,” Akanishi shrugged. “It´s ridiculous that everybody´s dumb enough to really do it. Just as you and all those greedy bounty hunters before you.”
Frowning Wallace sprang to his feet indignantly: “You´re overstepping, Akanishi!”
“Oh, am I now?” he noted surprised.
“Why exactly do you consider us dumb, Mister?” Botkin asked, already very interested in what this man was about to say.
Akanishi´s provocative smile disappeared as if it was never there and he leant forward, facing them with a scornful grin: “´cause you´re still chasing after my little brother like blind dogs, while you should be chasing me.”
“What the hell do you mean by that?” Wallace lashed out. “Everybody knows that Leo Akanishi is a wanted man!”
“Dude, don´t you get it even now?” Akanishi scoffed, contemptuously crossing arms on his chest. “Let me tell you straight then - I´m the real leader of Black Riders.”
Everyone in the saloon stared at him speechless.
“My stupid brother is just a far too convenient distraction,” Akanishi added frivolously.
Wallace´s jaw dropped, while his father realized that there could be quite a different outcome of this whole issue and it was already starting to improve his mood.
Suddenly, the tall, black-haired man rushed to them with a horrified expression on his face: “Jin! What the hell?! Please, excuse him, Marshals, he´s just too drunk. He doesn´t know what he says.”
“Ah, Mr. Kiddo…” Botkin eyed him with keen interest. “So, you´re here Mr. Akanishi´s acquaintance?”
“Yes, and he´s out of his mind, believe me,” Kiddo repeated urgently. “He just recently lost someone and…” he stuttered and looked down on his elbow, which happened to be in a tight grip of the other man.
“Don´t mess with this!” Akanishi hissed, still sitting comfortably, but giving the other quite a dark look.
“You went crazy with grief,” Kiddo snapped at him. “Let me go!” he broke free from Akanishi´s grip and turned to them again. “Please, you must believe me, Marshals!”
Botkin had to suppress a victorious smile. It mattered not that this cocky youngster was apparently drunk. He confessed in front of tens of witnesses. He just needed to figure out if he was telling the truth or if he was just making fools of them. The perfect culprit jumping right into his arms? He would be crazy if he brushed this off. Botkin felt the attention of the whole saloon on him and knew that it was very important how he would handle this.
“I hear you, Mr. Kiddo,” he nodded prudently. “Unfortunately, we cannot overlook such a statement, even if said only in drunken haze.”
“But, Marshal…!”
“For now, we´ll take Mr. Akanishi for questioning to confirm his words,” Botkin cut him off and gestured his deputy. “Wallace…”
“Yes, sir,” his son approached the sitting man with a hand ready on his gunstock. “Jin Akanishi, on behalf of the law of the United States and its territories, you´re now under arrest. Get up.”
Akanishi didn´t protest at all, but did not obey either. That sneaky expression of his was starting to get on Botkin´s nerves. This youngster had an incredible level of arrogance.
One quick glance of upset Wallace in the direction of the other table occupied by Marshals was enough for the two of them to get up and surround Akanishi in his chair, ready to pull him up by force.
“Marshal Botkin, listen to me,” Kiddo approached him one more time. “He´s drunk and blabber nonsenses, you can´t….”
This time, Botkin smiled at him: “Mr. Kiddo, since you care for you friend so much, would you bother to come with us as well?”
The younger one´s face turned pale: “What? But I…”
“We might clear the things out more smoothly with you, don´t you think?”
He did not give the younger man a choice and they both knew it.
*
As soon as the cell bars slammed behind their unexpected prisoners and the young deputy locked them up with rattling of huge keys, Marshal Botkin struggled to turn his heavy wheelchair toward the clearly dumbfounded local sheriff. The bearded man looked like he was still half-asleep.
“Would you please take me outside for some air, Sheriff?” Botkin asked. “My son will stay here on patrol.”
“Yeah, sure,” Sheriff Harris agreed hesitantly, grabbed the box of matches from the table and a bit clumsily wheeled him out on the veranda.
Two kerosene lamps on both corners of the spacious building were creating the soft pools of yellowish light in the dark haze of the late evening. Most of the citizens already retreated to the safety of their homes, leaving the unpleasant weather behind the closed doors.
It wasn´t like Botkin could not breathe properly in the sheriff´s office. He just didn´t want Akanishi or his anxious companion Kiddo to hear anything from what he wanted to talk with the sheriff about.
Harris leaned against the railing and pulled out a thick, hand-rolled cigarette somewhere from his pockets.
“Sheriff, you know this man - Jin Akanishi, correct?” Botkin started their conversation attempting for a friendly tone to calm the apparently nervous man down.
Harris took a deep drag from his cigarette and nodded: “Well, yes, I do…”
“What do you think about all this then?” he asked directly. “About everything he just said.”
Harris frowned: “In truth, sir, it´s hard for me to believe. Akanishi´s always been a troublemaker. Henderson had even warned me he might have some connection with that gang. However, I´d have never thought that he… I had no idea! Really!”
It seemed that was the main problem - the local sheriff feared that he might blame him for lack of vigilance with the Black Riders´ leader right under his nose. He could imagine that the man didn´t want to lose his warm spot here.
“Don´t worry, I understand,” Botkin assured him. “You couldn’t have realized that. Even nobody else did until he came out.”
“That´s right!” agreed Harris hastily.
“You mentioned that he´s always been troublesome… Can you elaborate on it?”
“He got involved with the late Karnaka´s men shortly after he appeared here, and those caused troubles anywhere they went. Then, he even started working for that rancher, but people say he deceived him to get revenge on someone and was involved in the burning of the farm, but there was no proof. Right after that Akanishi left the city along with some soldiers, allegedly to search for his younger brother, for quite long.”
“How long exactly?” Botkin raised a curious question.
“Uh, not sure… I haven´t seen him half a year, I think, before they returned to Bozeman.”
Botkin eyed the man suspiciously, surprised by the sudden plural form: “They?”
“He and Kamenashi, the former bartender at Harada´s place,” Harris explained. “Ever since they had met there, they were always stuck to each other like leeches, until that shit in the mine happened.”
“What do you mean by that?”
Harris looked at him somewhat surprised: “Well, Kamenashi was one of the collapse victims. I thought you´d be aware, since he was that Indian Agent and all.”
“Ah, I see…”
It was not easy to get anything useful from the sheriff, but things were slowly starting to fall into right place. As per what Kiddo mentioned before, Kamenashi was probably that someone whom Akanishi had lost recently. Could it be possible that the other man was involved with the Black Riders as well?
“Did you know where they were during those six months?” he asked Harris again.
Sheriff shook his head and choked the cigarette butt with his boot: “Nope. Until now,” he gestured toward the office window, “those two didn´t talk about it much. Nobody actually knew what they were up to, even though some said they really were in Colorado.”
It was not a very specific information, but useful nevertheless. It all fitted together. During that time when Akanishi was not in Montana, there were troubles with Riders reported from Denver and Leadville. After they seemed to have fallen off the face of the earth, Akanishi appeared back in town with Kamenashi.
Could it be Jin Akanishi was telling the truth about being their leader? If so, could he be trusted about the fact that he dismissed the other members and he did not have any support here? Was he in fact so sick with grief over the loss of a friend that he wanted to finish himself off?
“All right and what about Kiddo?” he asked then.
Harris shrugged: “Don´t know him, I saw him after the blast for the first time ever.”
“So, he just recently arrived to the city, right?”
“Probably.”
“And he´s apparently a good friend of Tanaka… He also knows Akanishi, probably knew Kamenashi as well… A too big of a coincidence, I´d say,” he murmured to himself. Botkin felt something fishy about that guy.
“Sir?” Harris looked at him questioningly, probably not following his flow of thoughts.
“Never mind. Thank you for your input, Sheriff. It helped me a lot.”
***
Jin opened his eyes and took a deep breath. His mouth was dry as the desert and stomach uneasy. He remembered drinking at Harada´s, arguing with Ryo, the encounter with Marshals and then…
He sat up slowly, not to tempt the thumbing in his head to grow stronger. There were iron bars in front of him. They locked him up in a small cell, which was empty apart from himself.
It was a damn paradox that he felt actually relieved.
He really did it - the first step toward finishing his business in this teary world.
He looked around carefully again and tried to listen to the sounds from the office. There was no sign of anyone else being around. He was a bit worried for Ryo. He shouldn´t have gotten himself involved. He knew they brought him here as well and remembered ignoring his attempts to make him change his mind about what he had confessed. But where was he now? Were they questioning him?
The door of the office clicked and soon the wheelchair already known to him appeared in his sight.
“Finally awake and sober, good,” the old Marshal commented. “I hope you didn´t reconsider your confession, Akanishi.”
He just leant back over the wall without any reply.
“No? Not even regarding the gold mine?” Marshal urged.
That was the topic, which annoyed him with no end.
“No,” he hissed. “I´ve told you a hundred times - the Riders got nothing to do with that.”
Botkin pressed on the matter: “Why don´t you just admit it?”
He sighed and looked at the man directly: “Why would I lie after I told you everything else?”
Marshal did not seem content with such a reply. Nevertheless, he nodded: “Let me ask you something.”
Jin chuckled bitterly: “Can I refuse?”
“Not really,” Marshal was piercing him through the bars with a sharp stare. “You´ve been trying so hard for so long… Why make it easy for us now?”
Well, that was something he could not ever explain properly.
“Does it matter? You´ve got me so why you care?”
The man fell silent for a long while studying him, before he spoke again.
“Don´t think that everybody is as kind as myself to ask these questions nicely, Akanishi.”
He turned away, closing his eyes.
“What about that idiot whom you locked up with me?” he could not help but ask.
“We´ve already released Mr. Kiddo. There was no reason to obstruct his freedom.”
Jin did not really like the tone, which Marshal used, but he could not figure out why.
“Should we expect more of your friends to pop up from the thin air to rescue you?”
"You know the answer to that question, Marshal. Iˇve told you I´m all alone."
“I think you´re lying, but never mind. Prepare to leave. Your trial is going to take place in Billings. So, we´re moving you. Today.”
That´s even better than I´ve hoped, Jin thought with relief. The others would not have to watch his ugly end like that.
***
His lovely fiancée had prepared a full kettle of alluringly smelling coffee for everyone, but on that misty morning, Leo didn´t like its bitter taste. Therefore, the content of the mug on the table in front of him was quickly cooling down untouched, while he gloomily watched the rolling clumps of white stuff surrounding the whole house.
“Will you not eat, dear? Leo?”
Hearing Jane´s worried voice, he realized that he also left his breakfast unnoticed. He sighed and shook his head, trying to focus: “No, sorry… Maybe later.”
“Hey…” Jane put her own coffee aside and stood up from her seat on the bench. Standing right behind him, she placed her warm hands on his tense shoulders, squeezing them assuring. “They´re just trying to sleep off the hangover somewhere. I´m sure they´ll be back soon.”
Leo would like to have her certainty, but he just was not able to relax his tightened stomach.
Cullen, sitting on the opposite side of the table, nodded in agreement: “And if not, I´ll go to find them, so I can be the first to kick their irresponsible asses.”
“I take you at your word,” Leo murmured.
“Well, it seems you won´t have to go that far,” noted Koki, who just walked through the door to join them on the veranda.
Everyone turned in the direction he was looking. A rider, leading a black horse behind, popped up from the thick mist like a ghost. And he seemed to be in quite a rush.
Leo jumped up on his feet and was halfway to meet the incomer before Cullen even stood up.
“Ryo! Finally! Where have you been so long? And where´s Jin?” the Riders´ leader poured questions on his companion.
Disheveled Ryo dismounted and faced him with a strange expression. Kuro, tied short to his horse, was stomping on the place restlessly, shaking his big head.
“Jin… He…”
Leo stiffened: “What happened to him?”
“He got really drunk yesterday and… And…” Ryo stuttered, short of breath.
“And what?!” Leo snapped impatiently.
The black-haired Rider took a deep breath: “He was arrested,” he announced unhappily.
“What??” Jane and Cullen spoke in a double voice, as they already rushed to them as well.
“The Marshals take him for the Riders´ leader now,” Ryo continued in an uptight voice.
Leo stood there, staring at him like a statue.
“Come again?” gaped Cullen.
“Why?” shocked Jane followed him.
Ryo threw his hands up in the air in the hopeless gesture: “Because he told them he is one.”
Jane´s jaw literally dropped: “Why the hell would he do something like that?” she exclaimed.
“Damn…” Cullen cursed. “Why do you think? We all saw him - he´s been struggling to keep going all this time,” he said in a strangely tense voice. “He just used the opportunity to end his misery. Saving you at the same time, Leo.”
Leo covered his face, as he figured what his dear brother was probably thinking: “I´m gonna strangle that idiot… But I think the same,” he looked at Ryo again. “I bet he uttered no word about the rest of us, right?”
“Exactly,” Ryo nodded. “I heard them interrogating him. He took all the blame for anything they had mentioned and claimed that the gang is dismissed now.”
As Koki didn´t dare to run anywhere yet, he finally managed to reach their little group as well, pale as a freshly painted wall: “But… Like this, they… They will hang him.”
“I assume that´s what he want,” reacted Cullen darkly.
“Shit!” Leo snapped. “He´s not all alone, damn it. What did he think?”
“That he has no other choice, I guess…” Koki noted quietly. “Can you imagine how must he feel without Kame when he´s able to do something like this?”
“No, and I don´t want to,” Cullen growled frowning.
“So what? Are we going to let him sacrifice himself like this?” Jane asked tearfully. “What´s the point of us keeping a low profile and not fighting against our enemies, when we´re losing friends one after another anyway?”
“No, we won´t…” said Leo, taking her hand into his.
“I don´t like that I know what this tone of yours means…” Cullen commented.
“Jane is right,” Leo stated firmly, ignoring the older man. “I´m not gonna let them kill my brother for something he hadn´t done, even if it was his fucking dying wish,” he turned to Ryo again: “Where is he now?”
“They keep him in jail at the sheriff´s office, but I don´t think it will be for long. From what I´ve heard, they want to move him to Billings.”
“Just perfect,” Leo growled caustically.
“I´d have told you sooner, but they held me in there for a while as well. They let me go only because they´ve got nothing on me. But Jin… He just confirmed everything they asked.”
“Don´t tell me he confessed to that mine explosion as well?” Cullen asked in disbelief.
“No, not to that,” Ryo shook his head right away. “But to everything else you can remember.”
“We need to figure out a plan to get him out,” Leo stated determined. “Quickly.”
“Wait a second…” Cullen tensed up suddenly. “They questioned you, too?!” he lashed out on Ryo.
“Well, yeah…”
“And did you make sure you were not followed here?”
Ryo´s eyes widened in realization: “I… I didn´t really… think about…”
“Thought so,” Cullen cut him off. “Thank God for this fucking mist. Leo, Jane, the two of you hide, our gold digger stays. I assume you´re supposed to be here,” he ordered Koki. “And I´ll check if Ryo haven´t dragged someone along…”
***
In that terrifying first moment after he opened his eyes, his mind was just as white and empty as the space above him. He did not remember who or where he was. The only thing he could recall was a familiar face with features twisted in pain. It belonged to a handsome man swinging on a noose and gradually losing even his last breath. He was… That hanged man was… Jin…
Kame´s heart clenched with terror at the thought.
No. It could not be real.
Still confused, but finally able to focus on reality, he strived to gather the fragments of his memory.
Comforting arms of cold water… His panic chase after the greenish light… A damn rewarding feeling when he was finally able to inhale the fresh air again, with autumn sun touching his wet face. A blurry sight of a beautiful cave overgrown by greenery... Rough waves painfully shifting with his tired body against the stones… And finally, a free fall followed by the darkness of unconsciousness…
Somehow, he got out of his underground prison. Through the underwater tunnel, he got to another hidden cave, which was located right above the waterfall. He was amazed by the fact he hadn´t drown. He had a feeling that he had already awakened once since then, but he had no proper memory of it, as the hot dizziness had distorted it.
He felt exhausted even though he just woke up. Based on that he assumed that he had probably been through a high fever, which was apparently gone now. So what was that image he saw? A bad dream? A vision? His imagination playing out? He got worried about Jin just thinking about it.
When he made his tired eyes to focus, he recognized the faint contours of the spruce crowns above his head. That white stuff all around was just a thick mist. The air was damp and cold when he breathed, yet he felt warm.
Kame carefully turned his head to the side, from which he heard the crackle of burning wood. He found himself lying near the neat campfire, carefully wrapped in a blanket. He didn´t see anyone else, but someone apparently took care of him and set up the fire. He seriously doubted good spirits of these woods could do it.
He took a couple of deep breaths, trying to estimate his own health condition. His head was light, but the rest of his body felt heavy as a stone. He knew that feeling. He had already experienced this a few times in the past, when he drank a special potion Cloud Dancing had prepared. The Indian herbs had such an effect. For the moment, nothing hurt him, but he assumed the pains would come back once the herbs absorb into his body.
Feeling well in overall, Kame didn´t hesitate for long, before he decided to focus on moving and limbering up. He needed to find out where that painful underground journey had led him.
Slowly, he started to rise to the sitting position, when there came the light steps and a firm hand pressed against his shoulder, forcing him to lie back again. A bit startled, he looked up to a tanned face of muscular man above him.
The Indian shook his head in disagreement, clearly regarding his intention to get up and straightened up again.
Surprised, Kame struggled to find the Indian´s name in his memory: “Nayati?” he tried then.
The Indian stared at him for a long unpleasant moment, before he walked around him without any reply. Kame watched as he set aside the fresh catch of hares and crouched down to alter the fire.
He didn´t know how and what the Crow Indian was even doing here, but one thing was certain - he owed him his very life. If he did not find him under the waterfall and took care of him, he would not have survived.
“Obrige… tamaši,” Kame said seriously with his next breath.
The Indian buried his look into his eyes. A strange chill ran down Kame´s spine. Yes, this was definitely Nayati, who hadn´t seemed to like him much before. Kame didn´t know what to think about him. He did not feel threatened by the muscular Indian´s presence, yet he could recognize the strange mixture of malice and craving in his dark eyes.
Then Nayati stood up and disappeared from his sight for a while. When he returned, he carried a small leather bag, not unlike the one Kame used when he woke up trapped in the cave. Nayati sat down next to him and pulled back the covers to reveal his lower limbs. When Kame raised his head a bit, he could see that his right leg was carefully rebind and immobilized.
Still without a word, the Indian started to remove the simple bandages to check the skin under it. Kame caught a glimpse of it as well - it was swollen and red. Gulping down heavily, he tried to push away the most horrible scenarios regarding infection and putridity from his mind.
Nayati pressed some fresh herbs against his skin, fixed the bandage and pulled the blanket back over it.
“Thank you,” Kame said, not willing to give up despite the Indian´s non-talkative attitude.
This time, Nayati nodded at least, accepting his gratitude.
“How long have I been out?” he asked tensely.
The Indian waved with his hand in an indeterminate gesture, which probably meant he was not sure.
Kame locked his eyes with his: “Why don´t you talk to me?” he asked urgently. “I know you understand.”
Nayati crossed his legs, making himself comfortable and finally spoke in a deep voice: “No need.”
“No need for what? To answer me?”
“Paleface always uses too many words,” came the reply.
Kame frowned: “Can you at least tell me where we are?”
Nayati observed him, as if he was not sure if Kame meant his question seriously.
“South from Paleface city.”
“How far?”
Nayati didn´t react this time. It seemed it would be hard to get anywhere with him. And it was a way too big coincidence that he had found him in these forsaken woods.
Feeling somewhat inferior and not liking it, Kame struggled to sit up again, despite the Indian´s frown. His hands were shaking hard as he leant on them, yet he managed to keep his voice firm as he spoke again: “Nayati, listen, I am grateful for your care, but it doesn´t change the fact, you should not be here. How comes you´re so far from the reservation? And how did you find me?”
Nayati scoffed: “Rules, prohibitions - Palefaces obsessed with them.”
“Do you even realize that if any white soldier sees you out of the reservation they can shoot you on the spot?”
A sharp look almost immobilized him: “Would that make Paleface happy?”
Kame stared at him.
“My name is Kame,” he said then slowly.
The Indian nodded: “Nayati know.”
“So, why don´t you call me that?”
“No friends.”
Already fed up, Kame snapped at him: “Then why the hell did you save me?”
A strange expression ran over Nayati´s face, the one Kame could not read at all and then it was gone. Nayati stood up: “Lie, rest,” he ordered. “Must not walk yet.”
“How can you tell?” he protested. “How bad is it?”
“Must not walk,” Nayati repeated impatiently, straightened up and left, probably to take care of some meal.
No way, Kame thought. I need to walk again as soon as possible. I cannot just lie here while Jin…
Who knew what was happening with Jin during all this time? He just felt he had to find him soon.
- To be continued -
Author: Kasumi
Rating: NC-17
Genre: Western, Drama, Romance, Adventure, Historical fiction
Warning: Vulgarisms, violence, explicit content
Disclaimer: This story uses the real names and appearances of certain Japanese artists. Everything else is just a fanfiction (unfortunately) and result of my imagination.
Beta-reading:
atago4
Summary: A direct sequel of Red West II. - Masterpost
A strange company of three young gunslingers and one Indian is on their way to Montana, while the infamous Black Riders continue their fight against Silver King of Colorado… Will they succeed or fail in the clash with the cruel environment and heartless Governor? Will their friendship, brotherhood and love persevere or be destroyed by greed, bloodshed and vengeance?
Thank you: To Kamenashi Kazuya and Akanishi Jin, because this story wouldn´t have existed without them.
I am grateful for any opinion or advice, you help me hone my writing skills with them.
Thank you for taking time to read this story. I will be happy if you reward me with a comment for it.
Each chapter is posted on my LJ in advance.
Previously:
Prologue // Chapter one // Chapter two // Chapter three // Chapter four // Chapter five // Chapter six // Chapter seven // Chapter eight // Chapter nine // Chapter ten // Chapter eleven // Chapter twelve // Chapter thirteeen // Chapter fourteen // Chapter fifteen // Chapter sixteen // Chapter seventeen // Chapter eighteen // Chapter nineteen // Chapter twenty // Chapter twenty one // Chapter twenty two // Chapter twenty three // Chapter twenty four // Chapter twenty five // Chapter twenty six //
Arrest
Draft beer served in the biggest local saloon was not bad at all. However, Marshal Botkin would have enjoyed it more if he hadn´t had to deal with such a complicated case as was the blast in the gold mine.
Initially, when an urgent telegram from Cameron Henderson arrived to his office in Billings, he was thrilled. He finally got his chance to prove all the doubters that it was a way too soon for him to retire.
He had been already serving as a U.S. marshal for two years, when he got sick during an awful winter storm. Ever since the subsequent paralysis of the lower limbs confined him to a wheelchair, people began to doubt his ability to perform all duties properly, no matter that he remained active and surrounded himself with many capable deputies. He was quite certain that if not for the unceasing support of the former president Hayes, they would have removed him from office long ago.
As for the Black Riders gang, even though they were neither seen nor heard of for quite a while, they were still infamous not only in Colorado, but also in both Wyoming and Montana territories. There had been many of those, who had tried to track them down and bring to justice - sheriffs, bounty hunters and soldiers, or even personas like that cocky Silver King. Yet, all those attempts went down in flames. If he was the one surpassing them all, it would definitely reformed his tarnished reputation and silenced all the detractors.
Unfortunately, already shortly after they rushed into the city, he found out it wasn´t going to be that easy.
Demonstrably, a crime happened there, which cost human lives. There were also possible culprits. Botkin was not so sure about their motives in this case, but it would not matter, if there were any proof. Unfortunately, that was a stumbling-stone of it all.
After interrogations of witnesses, the dynamite explosion turned out to be a very hard case to crack. Even though Henderson seemed to be sure about the Riders´ involvement, there was nothing to back his allegation up with, so Botkin sat on the fence, not certain about how to proceed.
There was no sign of Black Riders for quite long and no apparent reason to think they would be here in Bozeman seeking revenge on the rancher. Not to mention that Botkin was well aware of shady business the former owner of Henderson´s farm was involved in and he was not fond of people, who climbed up the social ladder while stepping over the corpses of others. Which was apparently Henderson´s case.
Botkin took a good gulp of beer, staring at the pile of documents and notes at the table. Was this case worth the trouble or not?
“Sir? Dad?”
He knew his companion was trying to get his attention for some time already, but he hadn´t let himself be disturbed until that moment. Finally, he looked up to face his deputy and son in one person. Wallace was always worried to see him working overtime and Botkin was happy to have such a caring son, yet he was well aware of his own limits and was prepared to brush him off.
“Yes? What is it, Wallace?”
His son nodded in the direction of a small table in the corner occupied by a single, black-haired man. He had been apparently sitting there for some time already, drinking one beer after another.
“And? Any problem with him?”
Wallace wordlessly pulled one of the posters from their documentation out and pushed it under his father´s nose. Botkin raised his eyebrows and looked at that drunkard again with new interest.
“I see…”
*
“You might want to slow down, don´t you think?”
Jin glared at the older man standing by his table with a full tray of empty glasses: “Why should I?”
Harada leant toward him and lowered his voice: “Akanishi, I like you, but if you´re gonna stir some unnecessary troubles here…”
“Don´t you worry,” he assured the man sharply. “I´m just drunk, not stupid.”
“That doesn´t necessarily mean you´re not capable of doing stupid things,” Harada opposed.
Jin shrugged: “Aren´t we all?” he pointed out a surprisingly wise fact.
The saloon owner had nothing to say to that, probably assuming it would be useless to argue with him anyway. Jin reached into his pants´ pocket and pulled out several bills.
“Here, the advance payment,” he stuffed them into Harada´s apron. “Keep bringing me more.”
Obviously, the older man didn´t like the outcome of their conversation and for a moment, it seemed he would like to scold him again, but in the end, he just grabbed Jin´s tankard and returned to the bar.
Right after that, someone sat down to the other side of his table. Jin sent forth a stare that could kill toward the newcomer.
“Don´t even bother to fuck me off,” Ryo blurted before he could take a breath for objections. “Chief´s orders.”
Jin sneered: “To babysit me?”
“To keep an eye on you,” the other corrected him stiffly.
Annoyed, he observed Ryo´s gloomy face, then his fidgeting fingers on the table.
“You don´t seem very happy to be here,” he noted caustically.
“Yeah, but not because of you…” the Rider murmured and leant closer. “In case you haven´t noticed, our dear marshals took over the third of tables here.”
“And what? Am I supposed to pee my pants because of them?”
“Your mood is indeed adorable,” Ryo evaluated sourly.
“Should I dance on the bar counter naked then? Would that make you satisfied?”
Ryo looked at him, tired and somewhat sad: “You know this isn´t about me, Jin.”
Harada arrived with two new beers, exchanged a significant look with Ryo and left them alone.
Jin´s worried companion spoke again: “Look, I know you won´t be glad to hear it…”
“Then don´t say it,” Jin recommended him right away and grabbed his tankard.
“…but Cullen was right,” Ryo continued relentlessly. “You keep drinking every day and there´re dirty talks about what you actually really do in that brothel all over the city. You must pull yourself together.”
Jin grinned bitterly: “There´s one simple solution for all your worries - stop caring about what I do.”
He did not bother to tell him that most of those rumors were just a usual pile of lies and old wife´s tales. At this point, he could not care less about what anyone thought of him.
However, Ryo didn´t want to give up: “Well, you should care the most of all…”
“Either stop lecturing me or get out,” Jin growled.
“I don´t want to lecture you,” his friend urged. “I… all of us just want to help you.”
“Constantly advising me how I should mourn properly is not helpful,” he snapped.
Ryo fell silent for a while.
“You think Kame would be happy to see you like this?” he asked then quietly.
That was a hard blow below the belt for Jin. Stiffly, he raised his head: “Well, I don´t know since he can feel literally nothing anymore.”
Ryo sighed: “Jin, you know what I mean…”
“Shut up,” he grumbled, burying his nose in the tankard again and taking a deep gulp of it. “Just shut it, Ryo. I know,” he added hoarsely. “I know I´m a mess…” he admitted before he could stop himself.
His statement robbed Ryo of more words. His friend stared at him, his eyes wide and full of pity. Jin avoided that look; it was not improving that pain he felt at all.
He was damn aware he was not dealing with Kame´s passing well. He felt lost, aching all over and did not know what to do with himself. Nothing seemed right and it was his own fault that he was not able to change his attitude. It just totally got on his nerves that everyone felt the urge to remind him of that.
First, Cullen scolded him like a little child. Then Cora stopped by to lecture him about taking care of himself more, even before he could order the first beer. After that also Harada, who treated him as a ticking bomb and now Ryo as well. Why couldn´t they just leave him alone for a minute?
There was a long tense silence, before Ryo stood up: “I think I need a stronger drink… What about you?”
“Yeah, whatever you choose,” Jin shrugged.
“Okay…”
Once Ryo left to the bar, Jin realized that he apparently attracted someone´s attention. He turned to the table with a robust wheelchair on one side of it. Both the U.S. marshal and his younger deputy stared directly at him.
Slowly, Jin drank more beer and stared back at them. Even from afar, it was obvious there was some wanted poster in front them. He would not need even two attempts to guess whose name was on it. He would bet his little brother was now the favorite topic of those starred men. He was actually surprised that they haven´t chased him down for some proper interrogation yet…
At that moment, Jin got an idea.
He froze with the tankard halfway to his mouth, afraid he might chase it away by moving.
It was the fucking terrific idea. It would have solved practically all the problems. Leo would be out of the hook, Henderson satisfied to achieve his revenge and he himself would be free of the rest of his life without Kame in it.
It was as if something shifted inside of him. He was slipping down to a dark, yet comforting place for some time already, but only now, he welcomed that feeling. He could do a good deed for his brother and get out of his miserable self at the same time. There could not have been a better solution, though he could imagine Leo would have a different opinion.
Jin stopped himself from thinking the whole thing through. With more time for it, he would have probably reconsidered his decision. He didn´t want that. Once he would do this, there was no way back, so he had to carry it out right away.
He finished his beer and got up on unsteady legs…
Both Marshal Botkin and his son intently watched the tipsy young man crossing the crowded taproom and then sinking into an empty chair at their table.
“Greetings, Marshals,” he addressed them sneering, with his eyes glassy and voice clouded by alcohol. “It seems to me you´re kinda captivated by my presence.”
Wallace took a breath to react, but a raised hand of his father stopped him.
“Good evening, Mr. Akanishi,” Botkin said in a calm voice, studying the defiant face in front of him carefully.
Henderson had mentioned to him before that the older of Akanishi brothers was living nearby his gold mine, and Botkin had been planning to look for him the next day. Though he definitely hadn´t expected that the man would come forward to them himself.
Akanishi raised his thick eyebrows: “Whoa, am I that famous already?”
“Not really,” Botkin leaned back in his wheelchair to make himself more comfortable. “More like your brother is. And you´re remarkably similar to him,” he noted sharply.
“That I am,” Akanishi nodded in an almost satisfied manner.
“Sounds like you don´t mind it much.”
“Why should I?”
"Well, people might mistake you for him," Botkin offered meaningfully.
Akanishi started laughing so hard that the most of saloon guests turned their attention to them.
“Actually, it´s quite convenient,” the younger man assumed then.
“Really?” Botkin stared at him wondering if such a behavior was the result of alcohol effect or if this Akanishi was trying to screw up with them, just as his younger brother did with all Riders´ pursuers so far.
“And what do you find so convenient and funny about it, Mister?” the young deputy put yourself into the conversation.
Wallace could not stand being quiet and probably wanted to put the cheeky gunslinger in his place. Yet, that was not what they needed at that moment. Botkin gave his son a disapproving look before returning his full attention to the man who forced himself to their table.
“That´s simple to explain,” Akanishi shrugged. “It´s ridiculous that everybody´s dumb enough to really do it. Just as you and all those greedy bounty hunters before you.”
Frowning Wallace sprang to his feet indignantly: “You´re overstepping, Akanishi!”
“Oh, am I now?” he noted surprised.
“Why exactly do you consider us dumb, Mister?” Botkin asked, already very interested in what this man was about to say.
Akanishi´s provocative smile disappeared as if it was never there and he leant forward, facing them with a scornful grin: “´cause you´re still chasing after my little brother like blind dogs, while you should be chasing me.”
“What the hell do you mean by that?” Wallace lashed out. “Everybody knows that Leo Akanishi is a wanted man!”
“Dude, don´t you get it even now?” Akanishi scoffed, contemptuously crossing arms on his chest. “Let me tell you straight then - I´m the real leader of Black Riders.”
Everyone in the saloon stared at him speechless.
“My stupid brother is just a far too convenient distraction,” Akanishi added frivolously.
Wallace´s jaw dropped, while his father realized that there could be quite a different outcome of this whole issue and it was already starting to improve his mood.
Suddenly, the tall, black-haired man rushed to them with a horrified expression on his face: “Jin! What the hell?! Please, excuse him, Marshals, he´s just too drunk. He doesn´t know what he says.”
“Ah, Mr. Kiddo…” Botkin eyed him with keen interest. “So, you´re here Mr. Akanishi´s acquaintance?”
“Yes, and he´s out of his mind, believe me,” Kiddo repeated urgently. “He just recently lost someone and…” he stuttered and looked down on his elbow, which happened to be in a tight grip of the other man.
“Don´t mess with this!” Akanishi hissed, still sitting comfortably, but giving the other quite a dark look.
“You went crazy with grief,” Kiddo snapped at him. “Let me go!” he broke free from Akanishi´s grip and turned to them again. “Please, you must believe me, Marshals!”
Botkin had to suppress a victorious smile. It mattered not that this cocky youngster was apparently drunk. He confessed in front of tens of witnesses. He just needed to figure out if he was telling the truth or if he was just making fools of them. The perfect culprit jumping right into his arms? He would be crazy if he brushed this off. Botkin felt the attention of the whole saloon on him and knew that it was very important how he would handle this.
“I hear you, Mr. Kiddo,” he nodded prudently. “Unfortunately, we cannot overlook such a statement, even if said only in drunken haze.”
“But, Marshal…!”
“For now, we´ll take Mr. Akanishi for questioning to confirm his words,” Botkin cut him off and gestured his deputy. “Wallace…”
“Yes, sir,” his son approached the sitting man with a hand ready on his gunstock. “Jin Akanishi, on behalf of the law of the United States and its territories, you´re now under arrest. Get up.”
Akanishi didn´t protest at all, but did not obey either. That sneaky expression of his was starting to get on Botkin´s nerves. This youngster had an incredible level of arrogance.
One quick glance of upset Wallace in the direction of the other table occupied by Marshals was enough for the two of them to get up and surround Akanishi in his chair, ready to pull him up by force.
“Marshal Botkin, listen to me,” Kiddo approached him one more time. “He´s drunk and blabber nonsenses, you can´t….”
This time, Botkin smiled at him: “Mr. Kiddo, since you care for you friend so much, would you bother to come with us as well?”
The younger one´s face turned pale: “What? But I…”
“We might clear the things out more smoothly with you, don´t you think?”
He did not give the younger man a choice and they both knew it.
*
As soon as the cell bars slammed behind their unexpected prisoners and the young deputy locked them up with rattling of huge keys, Marshal Botkin struggled to turn his heavy wheelchair toward the clearly dumbfounded local sheriff. The bearded man looked like he was still half-asleep.
“Would you please take me outside for some air, Sheriff?” Botkin asked. “My son will stay here on patrol.”
“Yeah, sure,” Sheriff Harris agreed hesitantly, grabbed the box of matches from the table and a bit clumsily wheeled him out on the veranda.
Two kerosene lamps on both corners of the spacious building were creating the soft pools of yellowish light in the dark haze of the late evening. Most of the citizens already retreated to the safety of their homes, leaving the unpleasant weather behind the closed doors.
It wasn´t like Botkin could not breathe properly in the sheriff´s office. He just didn´t want Akanishi or his anxious companion Kiddo to hear anything from what he wanted to talk with the sheriff about.
Harris leaned against the railing and pulled out a thick, hand-rolled cigarette somewhere from his pockets.
“Sheriff, you know this man - Jin Akanishi, correct?” Botkin started their conversation attempting for a friendly tone to calm the apparently nervous man down.
Harris took a deep drag from his cigarette and nodded: “Well, yes, I do…”
“What do you think about all this then?” he asked directly. “About everything he just said.”
Harris frowned: “In truth, sir, it´s hard for me to believe. Akanishi´s always been a troublemaker. Henderson had even warned me he might have some connection with that gang. However, I´d have never thought that he… I had no idea! Really!”
It seemed that was the main problem - the local sheriff feared that he might blame him for lack of vigilance with the Black Riders´ leader right under his nose. He could imagine that the man didn´t want to lose his warm spot here.
“Don´t worry, I understand,” Botkin assured him. “You couldn’t have realized that. Even nobody else did until he came out.”
“That´s right!” agreed Harris hastily.
“You mentioned that he´s always been troublesome… Can you elaborate on it?”
“He got involved with the late Karnaka´s men shortly after he appeared here, and those caused troubles anywhere they went. Then, he even started working for that rancher, but people say he deceived him to get revenge on someone and was involved in the burning of the farm, but there was no proof. Right after that Akanishi left the city along with some soldiers, allegedly to search for his younger brother, for quite long.”
“How long exactly?” Botkin raised a curious question.
“Uh, not sure… I haven´t seen him half a year, I think, before they returned to Bozeman.”
Botkin eyed the man suspiciously, surprised by the sudden plural form: “They?”
“He and Kamenashi, the former bartender at Harada´s place,” Harris explained. “Ever since they had met there, they were always stuck to each other like leeches, until that shit in the mine happened.”
“What do you mean by that?”
Harris looked at him somewhat surprised: “Well, Kamenashi was one of the collapse victims. I thought you´d be aware, since he was that Indian Agent and all.”
“Ah, I see…”
It was not easy to get anything useful from the sheriff, but things were slowly starting to fall into right place. As per what Kiddo mentioned before, Kamenashi was probably that someone whom Akanishi had lost recently. Could it be possible that the other man was involved with the Black Riders as well?
“Did you know where they were during those six months?” he asked Harris again.
Sheriff shook his head and choked the cigarette butt with his boot: “Nope. Until now,” he gestured toward the office window, “those two didn´t talk about it much. Nobody actually knew what they were up to, even though some said they really were in Colorado.”
It was not a very specific information, but useful nevertheless. It all fitted together. During that time when Akanishi was not in Montana, there were troubles with Riders reported from Denver and Leadville. After they seemed to have fallen off the face of the earth, Akanishi appeared back in town with Kamenashi.
Could it be Jin Akanishi was telling the truth about being their leader? If so, could he be trusted about the fact that he dismissed the other members and he did not have any support here? Was he in fact so sick with grief over the loss of a friend that he wanted to finish himself off?
“All right and what about Kiddo?” he asked then.
Harris shrugged: “Don´t know him, I saw him after the blast for the first time ever.”
“So, he just recently arrived to the city, right?”
“Probably.”
“And he´s apparently a good friend of Tanaka… He also knows Akanishi, probably knew Kamenashi as well… A too big of a coincidence, I´d say,” he murmured to himself. Botkin felt something fishy about that guy.
“Sir?” Harris looked at him questioningly, probably not following his flow of thoughts.
“Never mind. Thank you for your input, Sheriff. It helped me a lot.”
***
Jin opened his eyes and took a deep breath. His mouth was dry as the desert and stomach uneasy. He remembered drinking at Harada´s, arguing with Ryo, the encounter with Marshals and then…
He sat up slowly, not to tempt the thumbing in his head to grow stronger. There were iron bars in front of him. They locked him up in a small cell, which was empty apart from himself.
It was a damn paradox that he felt actually relieved.
He really did it - the first step toward finishing his business in this teary world.
He looked around carefully again and tried to listen to the sounds from the office. There was no sign of anyone else being around. He was a bit worried for Ryo. He shouldn´t have gotten himself involved. He knew they brought him here as well and remembered ignoring his attempts to make him change his mind about what he had confessed. But where was he now? Were they questioning him?
The door of the office clicked and soon the wheelchair already known to him appeared in his sight.
“Finally awake and sober, good,” the old Marshal commented. “I hope you didn´t reconsider your confession, Akanishi.”
He just leant back over the wall without any reply.
“No? Not even regarding the gold mine?” Marshal urged.
That was the topic, which annoyed him with no end.
“No,” he hissed. “I´ve told you a hundred times - the Riders got nothing to do with that.”
Botkin pressed on the matter: “Why don´t you just admit it?”
He sighed and looked at the man directly: “Why would I lie after I told you everything else?”
Marshal did not seem content with such a reply. Nevertheless, he nodded: “Let me ask you something.”
Jin chuckled bitterly: “Can I refuse?”
“Not really,” Marshal was piercing him through the bars with a sharp stare. “You´ve been trying so hard for so long… Why make it easy for us now?”
Well, that was something he could not ever explain properly.
“Does it matter? You´ve got me so why you care?”
The man fell silent for a long while studying him, before he spoke again.
“Don´t think that everybody is as kind as myself to ask these questions nicely, Akanishi.”
He turned away, closing his eyes.
“What about that idiot whom you locked up with me?” he could not help but ask.
“We´ve already released Mr. Kiddo. There was no reason to obstruct his freedom.”
Jin did not really like the tone, which Marshal used, but he could not figure out why.
“Should we expect more of your friends to pop up from the thin air to rescue you?”
"You know the answer to that question, Marshal. Iˇve told you I´m all alone."
“I think you´re lying, but never mind. Prepare to leave. Your trial is going to take place in Billings. So, we´re moving you. Today.”
That´s even better than I´ve hoped, Jin thought with relief. The others would not have to watch his ugly end like that.
***
His lovely fiancée had prepared a full kettle of alluringly smelling coffee for everyone, but on that misty morning, Leo didn´t like its bitter taste. Therefore, the content of the mug on the table in front of him was quickly cooling down untouched, while he gloomily watched the rolling clumps of white stuff surrounding the whole house.
“Will you not eat, dear? Leo?”
Hearing Jane´s worried voice, he realized that he also left his breakfast unnoticed. He sighed and shook his head, trying to focus: “No, sorry… Maybe later.”
“Hey…” Jane put her own coffee aside and stood up from her seat on the bench. Standing right behind him, she placed her warm hands on his tense shoulders, squeezing them assuring. “They´re just trying to sleep off the hangover somewhere. I´m sure they´ll be back soon.”
Leo would like to have her certainty, but he just was not able to relax his tightened stomach.
Cullen, sitting on the opposite side of the table, nodded in agreement: “And if not, I´ll go to find them, so I can be the first to kick their irresponsible asses.”
“I take you at your word,” Leo murmured.
“Well, it seems you won´t have to go that far,” noted Koki, who just walked through the door to join them on the veranda.
Everyone turned in the direction he was looking. A rider, leading a black horse behind, popped up from the thick mist like a ghost. And he seemed to be in quite a rush.
Leo jumped up on his feet and was halfway to meet the incomer before Cullen even stood up.
“Ryo! Finally! Where have you been so long? And where´s Jin?” the Riders´ leader poured questions on his companion.
Disheveled Ryo dismounted and faced him with a strange expression. Kuro, tied short to his horse, was stomping on the place restlessly, shaking his big head.
“Jin… He…”
Leo stiffened: “What happened to him?”
“He got really drunk yesterday and… And…” Ryo stuttered, short of breath.
“And what?!” Leo snapped impatiently.
The black-haired Rider took a deep breath: “He was arrested,” he announced unhappily.
“What??” Jane and Cullen spoke in a double voice, as they already rushed to them as well.
“The Marshals take him for the Riders´ leader now,” Ryo continued in an uptight voice.
Leo stood there, staring at him like a statue.
“Come again?” gaped Cullen.
“Why?” shocked Jane followed him.
Ryo threw his hands up in the air in the hopeless gesture: “Because he told them he is one.”
Jane´s jaw literally dropped: “Why the hell would he do something like that?” she exclaimed.
“Damn…” Cullen cursed. “Why do you think? We all saw him - he´s been struggling to keep going all this time,” he said in a strangely tense voice. “He just used the opportunity to end his misery. Saving you at the same time, Leo.”
Leo covered his face, as he figured what his dear brother was probably thinking: “I´m gonna strangle that idiot… But I think the same,” he looked at Ryo again. “I bet he uttered no word about the rest of us, right?”
“Exactly,” Ryo nodded. “I heard them interrogating him. He took all the blame for anything they had mentioned and claimed that the gang is dismissed now.”
As Koki didn´t dare to run anywhere yet, he finally managed to reach their little group as well, pale as a freshly painted wall: “But… Like this, they… They will hang him.”
“I assume that´s what he want,” reacted Cullen darkly.
“Shit!” Leo snapped. “He´s not all alone, damn it. What did he think?”
“That he has no other choice, I guess…” Koki noted quietly. “Can you imagine how must he feel without Kame when he´s able to do something like this?”
“No, and I don´t want to,” Cullen growled frowning.
“So what? Are we going to let him sacrifice himself like this?” Jane asked tearfully. “What´s the point of us keeping a low profile and not fighting against our enemies, when we´re losing friends one after another anyway?”
“No, we won´t…” said Leo, taking her hand into his.
“I don´t like that I know what this tone of yours means…” Cullen commented.
“Jane is right,” Leo stated firmly, ignoring the older man. “I´m not gonna let them kill my brother for something he hadn´t done, even if it was his fucking dying wish,” he turned to Ryo again: “Where is he now?”
“They keep him in jail at the sheriff´s office, but I don´t think it will be for long. From what I´ve heard, they want to move him to Billings.”
“Just perfect,” Leo growled caustically.
“I´d have told you sooner, but they held me in there for a while as well. They let me go only because they´ve got nothing on me. But Jin… He just confirmed everything they asked.”
“Don´t tell me he confessed to that mine explosion as well?” Cullen asked in disbelief.
“No, not to that,” Ryo shook his head right away. “But to everything else you can remember.”
“We need to figure out a plan to get him out,” Leo stated determined. “Quickly.”
“Wait a second…” Cullen tensed up suddenly. “They questioned you, too?!” he lashed out on Ryo.
“Well, yeah…”
“And did you make sure you were not followed here?”
Ryo´s eyes widened in realization: “I… I didn´t really… think about…”
“Thought so,” Cullen cut him off. “Thank God for this fucking mist. Leo, Jane, the two of you hide, our gold digger stays. I assume you´re supposed to be here,” he ordered Koki. “And I´ll check if Ryo haven´t dragged someone along…”
***
In that terrifying first moment after he opened his eyes, his mind was just as white and empty as the space above him. He did not remember who or where he was. The only thing he could recall was a familiar face with features twisted in pain. It belonged to a handsome man swinging on a noose and gradually losing even his last breath. He was… That hanged man was… Jin…
Kame´s heart clenched with terror at the thought.
No. It could not be real.
Still confused, but finally able to focus on reality, he strived to gather the fragments of his memory.
Comforting arms of cold water… His panic chase after the greenish light… A damn rewarding feeling when he was finally able to inhale the fresh air again, with autumn sun touching his wet face. A blurry sight of a beautiful cave overgrown by greenery... Rough waves painfully shifting with his tired body against the stones… And finally, a free fall followed by the darkness of unconsciousness…
Somehow, he got out of his underground prison. Through the underwater tunnel, he got to another hidden cave, which was located right above the waterfall. He was amazed by the fact he hadn´t drown. He had a feeling that he had already awakened once since then, but he had no proper memory of it, as the hot dizziness had distorted it.
He felt exhausted even though he just woke up. Based on that he assumed that he had probably been through a high fever, which was apparently gone now. So what was that image he saw? A bad dream? A vision? His imagination playing out? He got worried about Jin just thinking about it.
When he made his tired eyes to focus, he recognized the faint contours of the spruce crowns above his head. That white stuff all around was just a thick mist. The air was damp and cold when he breathed, yet he felt warm.
Kame carefully turned his head to the side, from which he heard the crackle of burning wood. He found himself lying near the neat campfire, carefully wrapped in a blanket. He didn´t see anyone else, but someone apparently took care of him and set up the fire. He seriously doubted good spirits of these woods could do it.
He took a couple of deep breaths, trying to estimate his own health condition. His head was light, but the rest of his body felt heavy as a stone. He knew that feeling. He had already experienced this a few times in the past, when he drank a special potion Cloud Dancing had prepared. The Indian herbs had such an effect. For the moment, nothing hurt him, but he assumed the pains would come back once the herbs absorb into his body.
Feeling well in overall, Kame didn´t hesitate for long, before he decided to focus on moving and limbering up. He needed to find out where that painful underground journey had led him.
Slowly, he started to rise to the sitting position, when there came the light steps and a firm hand pressed against his shoulder, forcing him to lie back again. A bit startled, he looked up to a tanned face of muscular man above him.
The Indian shook his head in disagreement, clearly regarding his intention to get up and straightened up again.
Surprised, Kame struggled to find the Indian´s name in his memory: “Nayati?” he tried then.
The Indian stared at him for a long unpleasant moment, before he walked around him without any reply. Kame watched as he set aside the fresh catch of hares and crouched down to alter the fire.
He didn´t know how and what the Crow Indian was even doing here, but one thing was certain - he owed him his very life. If he did not find him under the waterfall and took care of him, he would not have survived.
“Obrige… tamaši,” Kame said seriously with his next breath.
The Indian buried his look into his eyes. A strange chill ran down Kame´s spine. Yes, this was definitely Nayati, who hadn´t seemed to like him much before. Kame didn´t know what to think about him. He did not feel threatened by the muscular Indian´s presence, yet he could recognize the strange mixture of malice and craving in his dark eyes.
Then Nayati stood up and disappeared from his sight for a while. When he returned, he carried a small leather bag, not unlike the one Kame used when he woke up trapped in the cave. Nayati sat down next to him and pulled back the covers to reveal his lower limbs. When Kame raised his head a bit, he could see that his right leg was carefully rebind and immobilized.
Still without a word, the Indian started to remove the simple bandages to check the skin under it. Kame caught a glimpse of it as well - it was swollen and red. Gulping down heavily, he tried to push away the most horrible scenarios regarding infection and putridity from his mind.
Nayati pressed some fresh herbs against his skin, fixed the bandage and pulled the blanket back over it.
“Thank you,” Kame said, not willing to give up despite the Indian´s non-talkative attitude.
This time, Nayati nodded at least, accepting his gratitude.
“How long have I been out?” he asked tensely.
The Indian waved with his hand in an indeterminate gesture, which probably meant he was not sure.
Kame locked his eyes with his: “Why don´t you talk to me?” he asked urgently. “I know you understand.”
Nayati crossed his legs, making himself comfortable and finally spoke in a deep voice: “No need.”
“No need for what? To answer me?”
“Paleface always uses too many words,” came the reply.
Kame frowned: “Can you at least tell me where we are?”
Nayati observed him, as if he was not sure if Kame meant his question seriously.
“South from Paleface city.”
“How far?”
Nayati didn´t react this time. It seemed it would be hard to get anywhere with him. And it was a way too big coincidence that he had found him in these forsaken woods.
Feeling somewhat inferior and not liking it, Kame struggled to sit up again, despite the Indian´s frown. His hands were shaking hard as he leant on them, yet he managed to keep his voice firm as he spoke again: “Nayati, listen, I am grateful for your care, but it doesn´t change the fact, you should not be here. How comes you´re so far from the reservation? And how did you find me?”
Nayati scoffed: “Rules, prohibitions - Palefaces obsessed with them.”
“Do you even realize that if any white soldier sees you out of the reservation they can shoot you on the spot?”
A sharp look almost immobilized him: “Would that make Paleface happy?”
Kame stared at him.
“My name is Kame,” he said then slowly.
The Indian nodded: “Nayati know.”
“So, why don´t you call me that?”
“No friends.”
Already fed up, Kame snapped at him: “Then why the hell did you save me?”
A strange expression ran over Nayati´s face, the one Kame could not read at all and then it was gone. Nayati stood up: “Lie, rest,” he ordered. “Must not walk yet.”
“How can you tell?” he protested. “How bad is it?”
“Must not walk,” Nayati repeated impatiently, straightened up and left, probably to take care of some meal.
No way, Kame thought. I need to walk again as soon as possible. I cannot just lie here while Jin…
Who knew what was happening with Jin during all this time? He just felt he had to find him soon.
- To be continued -