The Cowboy Who Strolled Into Town

by Riley Moreno

  Josh could not understand what had just happened, his face grew red, and his eyes watered as some of the boys went to help those on the floor. None dared approach him, their terrified, incredulous faces only served to aggravate him more.

  He turned towards the far side of the pitch, to where an extremely huge dog that had come out of nowhere was insistently barking. Where had it come from? Why was the Coach on the floor? Were they okay? All these questions raced through his mind as he rushed for the showers alone; the insistent barking of the dog, the only sound in the world.

  An hour later, dressed in the formal school wear, consisting of a deep blue jacket, over an immaculate white shirt, and red tie, which was the uniform of the upper class school he went too, Josh sat tentatively outside the principal’s office. He was in the hallway, and kept his eyes down. He had been pulled out of class for this impromptu meeting, and he hoped desperately that the principal would call him in before the next period would be ushered in. There had been enough attention for one day, and he did not want to be seen waiting in front of the principal’s office when the other students filled the hallway as they rushed to their next classes. His heart sank, as he looked at the time piece on his left wrist. This was going to be part of his punishment; he was willing to bet his life on it. This realization did not make his cheeks any less red when the bell went off, filling the hallway with students. If he had kept his eyes down before, now he kept them even lower. A trip to the principal’s office was as bad as it got for the prissy school he attended. What was worse was that he could hear them whispering as they passed him by. His ears were suddenly hypersensitive. He could hear even their whispers. It was an avalanche of sound; he could not shut it out, no matter how hard he tried. He could feel the rage fill him up again. He cried out in agony. He held his palms against his ears to shut out the noise. He had fallen from the chair and slipped to his knees. He shut his eyes to stem the flow of tears that he could feel forcing its way to the surface.

  Is he okay?

  I knew that boy was crazy; always fighting.

  Did he really knock out Big Jim and the Coach with one punch? Maybe he is some sort of freak, like a freak of nature or something

  You better watch what you say about him. Why is he cringing on the floor like that? Does he need help?

  These were whispers but the writhing boy heard them as if they came from amplifiers set on maximum. He cried out again in agony, his face, by then, red and sweaty. A few students overcame their fear, and came to his side, while some others went to call for the school nurse.

  Josh got up all of a sudden and dashed for the double doors at the far end of the hallway that led outside. The fresh air seemed to be what he needed; a few seconds down the pavement away from the school, and he was feeling right as rain. It was as if nothing had happened. However, something had, and he made up his mind to continue on to his home rather than head back to the school.

  His bag pack, containing his phone, and everything else was still back at the school. His stomach growled with hunger as he realized he had left his lunch as well. He headed for the nearest bus stop. He could get a free ride in his uniform.

  There was no bus stop around where Josh lived. Those who lived there did not use the bus. It was far more common see a Lamborghini, or Rolls Royce rolling by. Josh got off at the nearest bus stop and hobbled away in the general direction of his upper class neighborhood. The gates to the mansion opened automatically, and he nodded a greeting at the cameras to those who manned the gates. The sun was really high in the sky at this point of the day, and the walk along the long driveway was a bit arduous on an empty stomach.

  There was somebody-a man, waiting at the house when he got there. He was dark-skinned, and tall, so Josh had to hold up his hands over his eyes to look up at him. There was an uncanny familiarity about him; Josh could not place his finger on it.

  “Yeah?” he asked cockily, desperate to get out of the sun.

  The man laughed, “I am a friend of your mother’s” that was all he said. There was a confidence about that smile, an assurance that warmed Josh up to the stranger.

  “I guess phones don’t exist where you are from; you better get in out of the sun mister” Josh answered, very sure that his Mom would not be in and half hoping she took her time. He knew she would berate him for what had happened in school earlier that day

  He led the way into the familiar atmosphere of the house, the stranger following not far behind.

  Chapter 3

  “You always eat like that?” the stranger asked Josh amusedly.

  Josh smiled as he swallowed, “Only recently, I can’t really say what is going on. I am sure it must be a face. What did you say your name was again?”

  “How old did you say you were? Fifteen? I forget.”

  Josh was about to answer but stopped halfway, “Mom’s home. I am about to get it for sure.”

  There was not a sound outside at that time, but a minute or two later, a limo pulled up outside.

  “Good ears,” Josh said a bit apologetically when he noticed the dark, liquid eyes of the stranger observing him with amused, but ardent interest.

  The butler in the house, moved out of the way as Molly burst through the opened door like a gale. Josh went to meet her at the coat stand, preferring to meet her head-on rather than go through the agonizing wait at the dining table. The marble floored reception area led off on both sides to opposite ends of a swirling staircase that led to the second floor of the mansion branching out of sight on the corridor to the left and right. Molly was already up one of this when Josh burst in from the corridor.

  “Josh! You look healthy; I was just going up to check up on you. The school called and said you ran of sick today. Are you okay?”

  A wave of relief washed over Josh, he decided to play up the sick part, “Oh it was terrible Mom, but I feel better now that you are around.” She saw through the ploy immediately. At such times Molly could not help noticing how much he looked like his father.

  “They also said you knocked out two people. Don’t play coy with me young man; we will talk when I get back down.”

  “O alright, but you already seem to know everything; do we have to?”

  “Count on it!”

  “You have a friend who came over to see you.” Josh announced, “A guy.”

  Molly ignored his suggestive tone, “I wonder who that could be; has he not heard of email or a telephone?”

  “Same thing I asked him.”

  Molly was already at the top of the stairs by then, “You two just sit tight; give me a minute while I freshen up.”

  It was almost six-thirty, when Molly, dressed in a slimming black corduroy sweater, and grey pants made her way to the brightly lit, spacious dining room. She swished in, head down, and headed straight for the small dining table. Josh sat at the other end, patiently waiting for his rub down, which would come before supper, which to his great surprise, he was looking forward to.

  “Stressful day?” a voice coming from the general area of the door through which she had just come asked her, “Your hair is still wet.”

  Molly blushed as she remembered she had a guest, “Yes I had a really stressful-Wow!”

  Davron had a wicked smile on, “It adds to you, your dark hair matted over your skin like that.”

  “What are you doing here?” Molly asked, her face darkening, “How did you get in here?”

  “Mom that is the friend I was telling you about, Mr. eh-“

  “You mean you don’t even know his name and you let him into our house?! Josh how could you?!” Molly was screaming now, “you have done some silly things in the past but this is…this just tops the list.”

  On hind sight it had been silly if not dangerous, “Hey take it easy on the boy.” Davron implored for poor Josh’s sake.

  “Yeah Mom-“

  “No! You don’t get to talk to me, nor my son! Now get out of my house.”

  “Mom!”

  I don’t wanna hear
it Josh!” Molly screamed

  “Jeez! Send me to bed without supper, why don’t you?” Josh said as he stormed off in the general direction of the foyer, and the stairs.

  Molly regretted scolding him, but she was too upset to go after him at that moment. “You this is your fault! What after fifteen years you suddenly decided you needed to steal another Ferrari so you hop by? I don’t need you, he doesn’t need you. None of us do!” she was hissing now, moving away from him.

  “It’s a little bit more complicated than that, and that Ferrari I parked it where it could be found and returned to whoever owned it. Just let me stay the night, I will try and explain as much as I can in the morning.”

  Molly was too confused and upset at Davron’s sudden appearance to offer much thought. Part of her wanted to head up stairs to talk to Josh, but even more upsetting was the devastating effect his dark good looks were wreaking on her at the moment.

  “If I had a dog, you would have shared its bed tonight, but tonight you get to sleep on the couch in the living room furthest away from Josh’s room.”

  “Thank you” Davron replied gratefully

  Molly brushed past him on her way to the kitchen to adjust dinner plans for Davron only, for she had lost her appetite, and she was sure Josh would not be eating anymore “I probably won’t be surprised to find you had high tailed before the sun up.”

  Chapter 4

  Molly woke with a start. It was past dawn, but the room was still dark as the sun struggled to reclaim the sky. She turned over the silky sheets to stare at the bright green display on the tiny, electronic clock that stood on the bedside cupboard on the right. Five-twenty-six it read. She disabled the alarm that would go off in under four minutes. She decided to sleep in; one of the perks of being the boss. However, a few minutes later, she tip-toed out of bed, and got into the corridor outside. Josh’s room lay four bedrooms away, the first room after the ninety degree turn that lay twenty meters away from hers. He had slept next door to her for years until the previous year when he decided he needed his privacy. Like every other mother in the world, she could never wrap her head around what that meant. Presently, she opened the door to his new room, and peeped into rapidly vanishing gloom.

  She smiled at the breathing heap that gently undulated on the double bed. She smiled a fierce, assured smile, resolving in the silence of her heart to protect hers from whatever threat lay out there. Even if that threat were posed by his father, and slept downstairs that very moment.

  She closed the door gently behind her. She could already hear the servants going about their early morning duties, setting up the scenes that were never seen but which ensured that she and Josh had as pristine an existence as possible. She gathered her silken robe about her as she made her way to the furthest of her three living rooms. The light was already well on its way to dominance as she stepped gingerly on the wool carpeted floor of the silent living room. Her heart sank at the empty sofa, looking desolate in the light darkness of the room. She could not understand why she had expected any different.

  Neither could she understand the irritating feeling of loss in her heart, “Son of a bitch, what am I gonna tell Josh now?” she complained into the darkness.

  “Still cannot understand the obsession with the invisible bitch in this place.”

  “Davron!” Molly turned to face him behind her. The relief on her face may have been masked by the poor light, but there was no hiding that which lay in her voice. “I thought you were-em; I mean I hope you slept well. What are you doing up so early?”

  “I woke to watch the sunrise.” He replied.

  “Strange, you never struck me as the poetic type.” Molly teased, “The butler will help you with whatever you need. Maybe you may need a change of clothes or something.”

  Davron nodded tacitly, his dark, liquid eyes now almost visible in the brightening day. Her last statement was understood and accepted for what it was: an invitation to stay, at least for now. For once, Molly could not detect that ubiquitous smile in his eyes and its place there rested an inkling of something else. The word commitment forced its way into mind, surprising her through and through.

  “You’re my dad, aren’t you?” Josh asked after breakfast. The three of them were still at the medium-sized, circular table outside, beside the pool.

  Davron chuckled abashedly, and fumbled with his fingers on the table. He finally pulled his eyes away from the crystal, rippling, blue waters of the pool and nodded.

  “Joshua Davron Keegan, meet Davron, your father” Molly added helpfully, hoping to ease some of the awkwardness of the situation.

  “Davron who?” Josh asked, his curious eager eyes piercing forward at the two adults before him.

  “Just Davron I’m afraid. Only one name is given where I hail from.”

  “Where is that exactly? Brazil?”

  “Hey look I know this seems awkward-“

  “No it seems terrible” Molly quipped

  “’kay I get it! But I had no choice; I had to do what I had to do, besides you, Molly never told me about Josh.”

  The taut silence that descended upon the three of them after that last retort could have been cut with a knife, “You want to blame this on me?! Is that it?” Molly began, her frustration bubbling to the surface.

  “I’m sorry, that came out wrong.” Davron apologized, red faced. “All I am trying to say is that there is a lot more than meets the eye here.”

  It was all too mysterious, and Molly had her fists in a bunch. Josh’s face was non-committal, giving nothing away. She wanted to reach out and hold him, but he had been so distant lately, even more than usual, like he was trapped in a world of his own, “C’mon Josh, time for school you should start heading out.”

  Josh was about to protest, but Davron, who read more than the young boy did in the request, shook his head authoritatively, “Do as you’re told young Josh, for now,”

  Josh encountered that quiet assurance again from the day before; demanding to be obeyed. It was at once irritating, and yet, reassuring. He nonetheless stuck his chin out defiantly, “Only if you come along; see me off at the gates”

  Molly was about to protest, but Davron was already on his feet, and in short order father and son were off.

  “You know the other kids think you are dead; a war hero killed in battle.” Josh announced as the shiny black limousine pulled up in front of the school, “I don’t know how to deal with all this yet, I just want you to know that I am glad that is not the case.”

  “I am glad too, especially after all the antics you pulled off yesterday on the green turf…” Davron replied, a knowing smile plastered all over his face.

  Josh had a wide grin over his face, assuming Molly had spilled over what had transpired yesterday.

  “You want me to walk you to the door? We might as well show your friends that it was a case of mistaken identity.”

  “Sure but I need to know before we separate: did you really steal a Ferrari? Because that would be super cool and would put you in like one of the top three dads of all time.”

  *****

  Jon sat on the throne his father, the last tiger king, Dejan, until recently, had occupied for the last twenty years. He looked predominantly human, but his hands were stretched into tiger paws that ended in razor sharp claws. He had fallen into this habit ever since ascending the throne as the next tiger king after the passing away of his father Dejan. Those who had watched him grow at court were not in the least bit surprised when he had turned out to be just as gruesome a tyrant as his father had been, despite the fact that he had often acted as the voice of civility over the recent years. He was a tiger king; it was to be expected.

  Presently his uncle Jarden, head of their military intelligence, was giving a report. They were alone in the brightly lit, great hall of the throne room, but Jarden standing at the foot of the steps that led up to where Jon hovered, employed a conspiratorial tone, his voice barely above a whisper. He could see that Jon’s face, while calm
, belied his impatience as evidenced by the taut muscles along the arms whose claws dug into the gold edge of the hovering throne.

  “The last rebel incursions have been markedly closer than they have been in recent times; one can only speculate that the passing away of your father Dejan has made them bolder. Dejan was as feared as any king could get.”

  “Not feared enough as to stop the rebel leader Dada from striking him down during that fateful hunt in the woods!” Jon snapped, “Under your watch!”

  Jarden cringed, “Yes but I am about to make them pay. With my help, you can be an even greater king than your father ever was, starting now. We can crush the rebel shifter resistance once and for all.” He pushed a button on his wrist, and a holographic representation of a badly beaten up, and tortured man appeared, “This mongrel was one of those who were involved in that fateful attack.”

  “And why is he still alive?” Jon asked.

  “As you know, nobody has seen Dada the rebel leader for years. We had begun suspecting that maybe he had died but apparently, he is alive and well and may even be at this court-your court!”

  Jon’s eyes grew dark, “My father’s court! Not mine! Now could this be possible? The technology to alter physical appearance belongs to us; my father made sure of that!”

  “With the right allies at court, he could easily get his hands whatever he pleases. This explains why the rebels knew of the last hunt that led to your father’s demise. The shooters of the energy blasters were already lying in wait. We were boxed into a hole, and if not for your father, I would not be here today.”

  “The enemy lies near, and his den is exposed. While we search for who he is at court, assuming this testimony can be trusted, we can pin-point the rebel location, and eliminate them in one fell swoop!”

  “My thoughts exactly; it is only a matter of time before the rogue tiger shows himself, and when he does he will have no allies, no friends, and no means escape!”

  “All that remains is to bring Davron aboard. Is he still out in the Saution Chamber?”