Hot Water
by Holly
Chapter Six
Slim arrived at the Richard�s house nearly two hours later, to be met by several gunmen who led him to the barn where Clay Richards was waiting.
�Ah, Slim, it seems all my warnings fell on deaf ears.�
Slim gazed around the yard, but there was no sign of Jess.
�And you�ve stooped to shooting up houses with kids and old men inside, have you Clay?�
�I lost ten of my best steers today.�
�And I nearly lost my brother!�
�How was I to know that he was there? My men had orders...�
�That�s the problem here, Clay, can�t you see that? Get rid of these hired guns. You can�t control men like that, once they get a taste of killin�.�
�Just give up the water.�
�NO.�
�Perhaps this will change your mind, Slim.� Clay pulled open the barn door.
Inside, the dim light just revealed Jess with a gun to his head. The sandy haired gunman was obviously enjoying the situation.
�He came riding in here, looking to sort things out all by himself. Didn�t reckon on Suzie giving him away.�
From the shadows emerged Suzie, and she looked as if she had been crying.
�I�m sorry Slim, I really am. I thought Jess had come to see me, I didn�t think when I called out to him that Burton would hear, and hit him like that.�
Slim looked to Jess. �What happened?�
�I rode in, hoping to persuade Richards to give up his claims. Suzie yelled out and this cretin came up behind me and slugged me with somethin� real hard.�
�Enough talkin! What�s it going to be, Sherman? Water or Harper? He dies if you don�t agree. I�m perfectly within my rights to shoot a trespasser who�s trying to kidnap my daughter.�
Slim looked to Jess, and said quietly, �Let him go, you can have the water.�
�No!� Jess yelled, pulling free.
Burton spun around, aiming his gun at Jess. He fired but missed, and before he could fire again, Jess dove for cover, dragging Suzie with him. At the first shots, all hell broke loose, with Clay�s men converging on the barn.
Slim found a barrel, and drew his gun. At the same time, Mort Corey, followed by several townspeople, took up positions too.
�Clay, stop this now!� Slim yelled. �I�ve brought Mort and a posse. This has gone far enough!�
Mort�s voice rang out. �Give it up, Richards. We have the place surrounded.�
Burton didn�t wait to see what his boss decided to do, he continued to fire wildly in Jess� direction.
Seeing what was happening, Clay stood up. �Hold your fire, you�ll hit Suzie! Stop! Stop!�
Jess suddenly appeared from behind the stall where he and Suzie had been hiding. He dove to one side, bullets thudding into the ground around him.
Slim tossed him his gun, while yelling �Jess!�
Jess reached the gun and twisting as he landed, grabbed the gun and fired in one motion.
Burton fell, but not before he got off a shot that hit Jess in the shoulder. It was then that the other men threw down their guns, and waited as Mort and his men closed in.
***************************************
