by McCabe, R. J
For a brief moment and for the first time in his life Bill thought of just letting go. He felt so tired but then a picture of Gina appeared in his mind and Bill remembered how the thought of a life with her made his stomach tingle. He would try to live if only for Gina.
Bill tried with all of his might to hold the thing off him and thought about going for his gun. He realised that he would have to hold the creature off while he did that and didn't think he had enough strength in that arm given it had already been wounded. Then something caught his eye to his left.
A sharp piece of wood which had been snapped when the tent had partially collapsed was lying on the floor. Bill readied himself and made a grab for it. The thing on top bit again and Bill felt the teeth slide together on the tip of his still swollen nose. He managed to grab the piece of wood and somehow bought it around and down onto the back of the things head. The bone seemed to crack open like a thick egg shell and Bill continued to push the wood into the creatures head until he felt it touch something hard, which he figured was the front of its skull.
The creature seemed to go limp and then shook before exploding over Bill, covering him in red mush. He made sure to keep his mouth shut and was thankful when none of the red stuff went up his nose. He wasn't sure whether it would have made him turn into one of those things but he didn’t want to risk it.
Bill got back to his feet and then noticed a terrible smell. He thought, at first, that it was the red gore which covered the front of him from head to foot but then Bill to follow his nose and realised it was coming from the next tent. He decided he had to see what it was and so walked around to find out.
Once inside the next tent it became clear what was causing the smell. The canvas walls were covered in scalps. The hair and skin were crammed together so tight that no sign of the tent wall was even visible. Bill wasn't sure how many there were but it had to be hundreds, if not thousands. Then a scream filled the tent as an Apache burst through the entrance. Bill saw that the eyes of the man were dark brown and not the pure white of the undead. The man dived at Bill and the sheriff rolled backwards and then used his foot to kick the man over his head. The Apache fell into the side of the tent and then scrambled to his feet.
For a brief moment Bill found that even in such dire circumstances, he wanted to burst out laughing. The Apache was now standing ready to attack but failed to notice the scalp that had dropped onto his head which was light brown in colour and sitting at such an odd angle the look was nothing if not comical. Bill smiled briefly before quickly snatching his gun from his belt and shooting the man twice in the chest. The Apache was killed by the first shot.
Bill walked outside covered head to toe in blood and guts. He was tired and staggered through the camp towards the chiefs tent. He looked up to see Tatsu coming out of there. But no Jack! Tatsu was looking around seemingly surveying the area when something rushed towards him with such speed it seemed to leave a blur behind it.
Then next time Bill looked at Tatsu the Samurai warrior was standing with his throat torn out before falling and dying right there on the ground. The Chiefs son raised the throat above his head and roared before opening his mouth and swallowing the thing whole. The Apache seemed to grow a little right before Bills eyes. It thickened and seemed to gain at least an inch or two in height. It was growing in power and this made Bill feel like he had a ball of lead in his stomach. He was quickly losing hope.
Then the Apache was knocked of its feet by Joel. But was quickly up and with a single blow sent Joel sprawling across the ground. Joel slowly began to get to his feet but the Apache walked over and began stomping on the back of Joel’s head with feet that seemed to be growing too big for its shoes. It roared again as if sensing victory over its nemesis and Bill wondered if the undead Apache actually knew it was the second coming of Joel Blackwater it was destroying.
The sound of hooves caught Bills attention and he saw Trent riding up behind the roaring Apache. Trent readied his huge knife and with a swing lopped the things head clean off. He bought his horse to a standstill and all eyes were on the still standing body of the headless Apache.
Bill found himself beginning to see hope again. Hope that it was over, at least for Eskadi’s son. Surely no creature, no matter how supernatural, could recover from losing his head. He watched and waited for the body to collapse but it didn’t.
Instead it began to run towards Trent who’s eyes widened and he stood poised with his long blade. The thing ran to Trent and then extended a heavy leg kicking the knife wielding Apache in the chest. Trent let out a huge rush off air and was then knocked off his feet. The headless thing then reached up it’s hands and begin to shake and then suddenly, to Bills horror, something began pushing up out of the stump of the Apache’s neck.
Bill had been present at the birth of a woman in a town he had lived in before, helping in any way he could and the site of that round thing pushing its way through the neck tissue reminded him of the child being born. It continued to push it’s way up until something that resembled a head sat where seconds before there was nothing. A layer of skin covered the head shaped thing but began to fall away and underneath was an exact replica of the head that had been there before.
Bill started to feel dizzy. It was like being in some terrible nightmare, only here the pain was real as was his impending sense of doom. The chiefs son began to stare at Bill and the Sheriff had no fight left in him. It sure was a hell of a way to go, he thought to himself, as the hulking creature walked towards him.
Things then got even stranger as a huge strip of light appeared to burst from the creatures stomach. It let out another roar, only Bill didn’t think this was a roar of victory but one of pain. It looked down at the light that seemed to be spreading across his stomach and then seemed to be trying to reach behind itself. From behind the large mutated body of the Apache stepped Jack Blackwater. Bill thought Jack was winking at first, only to then realise he had lost and eye. He was holding a blade in his hand and staggered around the big Apache before he stood facing it. The thing looked down at Jack but still seemed to concerned with the injury to its back.
‘Go back to hell you ugly bastard’ Jack said before ramming the blade into the Apaches chest. Jack staggered backwards and the Apache creature juddered and shook. Beams of light seemed to shoot out from all parts of its body until it was like a miniature sun, the glare causing Bill to shield his eyes. A boom then filled the air as the thing exploded, but unlike the gory mess that the other things had left behind it seemed to turn to dust before the light faded and then, it was gone.
Jack and Bill stood looking at the space where the thing had been standing moments before. Bill felt relief wash over him. The thing had gone when only seconds before Bill had seen it grow a new head.
Trent came lumbering into view holding his ribs, many of them broken from the force of the kick he had received. The elation Bill was feeling didn't last long as a drooling Joel came creeping into the clearing. He was breathing heavy and his eyes were fixed on his father. He approached Jack who was peering at his son with his one remaining eye. The two stood facing each other, just a couple of feet apart.
Joel was grinning and twitching as if trying to fight some savage urge to hurt the old man. Jack raised his hand to the side and threw the knife he was holding onto the floor by Bills feet. Bill picked the blade up and slowly crept up behind Joel Blackwater. He looked around the side of Joel over to Jack who, although was looking into the white eyes of his son, gave the smallest of nods and that was all Bill needed.
Bill plunged the blade into Joel’s back and the undead Blackwater let out a huge cry of pain. The light, though not as bright as it had been with the Apache, beamed out of his back. He reached around to find what had caused him such pain and as he turned to see who had inflicted the wound Bill plunged the knife into Joel’s chest.
Joel screamed and grabbed for Bill, catching hold of his shirt. The Sheriff of Sundown had no fight left in him and was willing to accept
whatever was going to happen. The burst of light that filled Bill’s vision, accompanied by a deep booming sound, signalled the end of Joel Blackwater and the hand that held onto the Sheriff turned to dust. Bill stood looking directly at Jack. Tears rolled down the now one eyed man’s cheek but he made no sound. It was just the way he was made.
‘I don’t know about you Sheriff’ said Jack ‘But I could really do with a whiskey.’
Bill just smiled as he had no energy for a reply. He walked over to Jack and help support him. The two of them began to walk, to where neither of them were really sure.
32
As Bill and Jack Blackwater wandered through the camp neither man could believe what they were seeing. Where there had been chaos there was only now an eerie calm. The village was littered with red mush where, it seemed, the undead had either been killed or as Bill thought had combusted when the mutated Apache and Joel had been destroyed. It didn’t matter now Bill supposed as they were gone and that was that.
Before long the two men, now accompanied by Trent, saw a group of men around ten in number, standing on the edge of the village. As they grew closer Bill could see that the men were made up of one of Blackwater’s killers, two of the Hamilton boys and the rest were men from Sundown. The person he didn’t see was Ken and Bill’s heart sank.
‘Goddam’ Jack shouted. ‘I didn't expect any of you to be left.’
The men, battered and bruised, managed a proud smile, all expect the Hamilton brothers who didn't turn to face Jack or Bill.
‘Where’s Ken?’ Bill asked. ‘I thought he was with you men.’
At this Ed Hamilton turned to face Bill. ‘Last time I saw the rotten son of a bitch he had turned tail and run. Alway’s knew he was a yellow bellied chicken shit.’ Ed spat on the floor as he finished the sentence and Abe Hamilton laughed.
Jack looked at Bill. ‘I don’t know about you Sheriff but from what I know of Ken Murphy, that just doesn’t ring true.’
Bill didn’t answer as he felt he didn’t need to. He looked back towards the Ed Hamilton.
‘I don’t buy that’ Bill said, his tone tired but harsh. ‘Ken ain’t the sort to run from anythin'.’
Ed Hamilton again turned around but this time he had a look of hate on his face. ‘I couldn’t give two fuck’s whether or not you like what I’m sayin' cause it’s the way it fuckin' was. I suggest you mind your tone with me. I lost my brother today and I ain’t in the mood to listen to any horse shit from the likes of y…’
Ed Hamilton was cut short by the sound of a gun shot which didn’t hit him but hit the fence just to the right of him.
All of the men in the group turned to see who was shooting, some of them pulling their weapons. Bill and Jack turned to see Ken walking out from the carnage of the village. He had something protruding from his head and Bill soon realised it was a knife. Ken was about to shoot again and he was staggering a little.
‘Don’t shoot Ken’ Bill shouted. ‘What happened to you?’
Ken took a few more steps and looked ready to drop. ‘It was those mother f….Fucker's’ Ken stuttered. ‘They raped a woman, and st..stuck this knife in my head when I tried to stop em.’
Bill turned and looked at the Hamilton’s, Ed was drawing his gun.
‘You gonna put that old bastard out of his misery or shall I?’ he said, aiming his words towards Bill.
‘That ain’t all Bill’ Ken continued his breathing becoming laboured. ‘Told me it was them who killed Sheriff Watts.’
‘That true?’ Bill asked looking into Ed Hamilton’s eyes.
‘What if it is? What the fuck you gonna d..’
Ed Hamilton’s words were cut short as Bill took his pistol and fired a shot into Ed’s groin. A patch of blood quickly spread over Ed’s trousers and his hands went to the bloodied area. Bill fired again this time blowing off part of Ed Hamilton’s hand and then fired a second shot into the man’s groin.
‘You reckon that’s took your pisser off Ed?’ Bill asked.
Ed made a dry croaking sound and Bill finished the man by firing a shot into the centre of the man’s forehead. Once Ed was face down and stone cold dead his brother Abe, went for his gun. Ken fired and the shot looked to have missed the man but then Bill saw it had taken most of Abe’s ear off.
‘Son of a whore’ Abe screamed before Blackwater drew his gun and fired three bullets into the man, two of them hitting him in the thighs and the third went into his stomach. Abe staggered forward still trying to raise his gun until around four of the men from the town of Sundown lifted their pistols and fired around twenty shots into Abe Hamilton’s body, hitting him in the back, groin, stomach, chest, neck and face.
Once the shooting stopped he flopped onto the floor as if it had been the bullets entering him that had been holding him up.
‘I feel that at least some kind of justice has been served here Sheriff.’ Jack said.
‘I totally agree’ Bill replied ‘Now what’s say we find our horses and get our broken down asses back to town, plus we need to try and get that blade out of Kens head otherwise he is never gonna get his hat off!’
Bill’s words were met with a rumble of agreement and the men went in search of horses to take them back to Sundown.
33
It had been two years since all hell had broken loose in Sundown. There wasn’t a day that went by when Bill didn't think about it. It was something he didn't think he’d ever witness in his lifetime and everything that happened in Sundown after that time seemed like a walk in the park.
Now and again there were unsavoury types that came into town, most times by way of the new railway which had been finished but nothing seemed to phase Bill. He had a trusty deputy in Ken who’s only long lasting injuries from the head wound was the occasional stutter. Bill also had a second deputy in Trent, who did a great job of helping him keep order in the town. If more numbers were needed, which hadn’t yet been the case, then there were plenty of townsfolk willing to help out as they, as much as Bill, wanted to keep the town safe.
The town itself had expanded somewhat with the railway bringing in more custom and more than few folks had made there way down to Sundown to start up new businesses, attracted by the places safe reputation as well as it’s colourful history.
Bill would often stand outside of his office and look out on the hustle and bustle of the streets, he was happy man and for the first time in his life he was content.
When work was over, Bill would go home to his wife of almost two years in Gina James, formally Gina Murphy, and his two children. His son Bill Junior was fast earning the reputation as a little handful in the James household and had earned the nickname ‘Wild Bill’ from his parents. Their other child, Connie they had named her, was only a little older and was the baby girl that Bill had caught from the roof just over two years previous. It turned out the little girls father had long since left Sundown on that terrible night and so Bill felt he had no option other than to take the little mite on himself and Gina treated both children just the same.
Ken would come over for supper sometimes and would, on occasion, bring a lady called Beth with him. Beth was a woman who had moved to the town from Huntersville and she was worth a pretty penny too. The two seemed to get on like a house on fire, Bill had thought and it was nice to see a twinkle in the old deputy’s eyes.
Jack Blackwater would ride into town from time to time, bringing just a couple of men with him when he arrived. Even though he looked even more the bad guy with his black eye-patch, the people of town knew what he had done for them two years before as well as what he done in creating the railway extension and all held him in very high regard.
All in all things had turned out pretty well. The way Bill looked at it, he had seen hell come to Sundown and surely after that things could only get better.
34
Three years had passed since the Sundown incident and Roland Benson knew the story well. When Jack Blackwater had returned to Huntersville, the story of what had happene
d there had quickly spread.
Roland was sure it had picked up extra details as time had gone on but the basis of the tale remained the same. Men who were done a bad turn were buried in the ground up there and had risen from the dead to claim revenge spreading some terrible disease as they went.
Roland had taken great interest in the incident and researched it by talking to some of the men who lived in Huntersville who had, at one time, been part of an Apache settlement. All of the men he spoke to told the same story and each man had a certain look in their eye’s as they spoke. It was, Roland knew, the unmistakable look of fear.
He had been working on a book about what had happened there and was planning on a trip to Sundown itself, maybe to get an interview with some of people who had been part of the town at the time. Roland’s plans, however, had been cut short when his only daughter, whom he considered his whole world, had been killed whilst attending a saloon one night in Huntersville.
Some men from Austin had travelled there to be part of the Blackwater poker tournament which was held every year, the winner of which became a rich man overnight.
Roland’s daughter Clara had been serving drinks during one of the nights games when the men from Austin had realised their part in the tournament was coming to an end, so had held the whole place up at gunpoint taking all the money and jewels that were present.
When some of Blackwater’s men had pulled their weapons it had led to Clara being used as a hostage as the men from Austin made their escape. The men were seemingly not happy with just frightening his daughter almost to death and decided to take her to an empty building on the border of Huntersville where she was raped repeatedly before having her throat cut and being left to bleed out.
