Saving Alice Chapter 25

CHAPTER 25

The voice came from behind Jack. Instinctively Jack knew that no one would have approached him without a gun in hand, so Jack froze.

“I heard what Chet told you the first time about dropping your gun. Let’s start by you getting your hands up,” commanded Matthew. His voice did not betray his anxiety. Instead he spoke with the tone of authority. “You need to turn around just as slow as that turtle Chet was telling you about. Then remove that gun and drop it on the ground.”

Chet had never been so glad to see Matthew than right now, as a wave of relief washed over him. He couldn’t resist the urge to jibe Jack. In a strangled voice Chet said, “Kinda looks like the tables done turned again.”  Chet attempted a menacing chuckle, but flinched in pain instead.

Jack did as he was told. Slowly he turned with his hands held up to his shoulders. The first act of his eyes was to confirm there was a gun. He saw that there was indeed a gun just ten feet away pointed right at his gut. His eyes then climbed from the gun to the face of the gun’s holder.

“You!” Jack’s mouth nearly dropped open upon seeing Matthew. “It’s the preacher. Well if that don’t beat just about all.” A smile started to spread across his face while he looked upon Matthew. In his mind was running the scene of the day before.

“Don’t tell me you’re all sore about that punch in to your gut yesterday are you?” Jack repeated his growlish laugh at Matthew.

Matthew, not replying to the taunt, felt his anger racing in his veins. He felt the weight of the gun in his hand. He thought it would be so easy to just tighten his finger.

Jack saw a ruby flush darken Matthew’s boyish face. His eyes searched Matthew from head to toe. Disheveled hair, the obvious wound on the scalp, trail worn clothing, torn pants, tattered city shoes… This boy was thoroughly out of his territory. With a little luck, Jack thought he could overpower this wisp of a boy.

“Didn’t I shoot you yesterday? I’m absolutely sure I saw your sad little carcass fall off that horse of Willy’s. My aim must have been off. I usually don’t miss twice.”

“You haven’t dropped that gun of yours yet. I heard how Chet told you how to drop it. You need to do it just like that.”

“I seem to be forgettin’ how he said to do it,” taunted Jack. “You remember?”

“You’re just a half a finger twitch away from dying,” said Matthew. “You drop that gun very slow, and we’ll take you into Denver for a fare trial. But if you want to test my resolve, go ahead. I think my finger is faster than your whole arm.”

Jack knew that there was a lot of truth there. So in an unconcerned attitude, he reached down with his left hand to get his gun.

“Just his first finger and thumb,” reminded Chet from his place in the dirt.

“No problem,” said Jack with half a smile while he took hold of the gun and dropped it by his feet.

“Kick it away,” said Chet. Jack kicked it away.

“You took my wife,” was all that Matthew said.

“Was that your wife?” Jack donned a look of surprise and concern. Then in an exaggerated look of remembrance, “Ah, that’s right. You did mention somethin’ of that nature. You were lying nearly underneath that coach weren’t you? She was so pretty, I couldn’t resist the… what do you preachers call it? …temptation. You were a lucky…” Jack paused dramatically making it obvious that he was changing his next word. Instead of saying man, he said, “boy to have had such a woman.”

 “What do you mean that I was lucky?” asked Matthew his eyes narrowing.

Jack’s scarred face crinkled into an evil smile as he wagged his head, “I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but your little wife didn’t survive the trip.”

Matthew took a step forward, the gun extended and pointed to the man’s face. “You’re a liar. I just saw her in the bushes back that way. I saw her dress move. She is alive.”

“It must have been the wind, or some animal feeding on her. When I saw your friend here getting close, I decided that if I was going to lose her, then so would whoever it was who was chasing me.”

“It’s a lie!” Matthew’s mind tried to search his memory. Did he see her move, or was it just her dress that moved? The world around him melted into a blur with nothing left but the hideous face of this man. His hand, turning cold and moist with sweat, was trembling in fury. He was longing to pull the trigger, and run to his wife, to end this nightmare. But fear raged like a tempest within- he feared that killing this man would not end the nightmare, but only confirm the man’s words.

“Can I tell you what I did?”

Matthew was so consumed with the possibilities, that he didn’t hear Chet’s warnings, “Don’t get so close!” But it was too late. Jack had made a quick step forward and backhanded the gun down and away out of Matthew’s hand. The gun went off when Jack hit it, sending a bullet beneath Jack’s arm and continued its path and hit Chet, putting a hole through Chet’s calf muscle.

Matthew was stunned at the sound of the explosion and Chet crying out with the new leg wound. The world around Matthew was rudely ushered back into focus as he stood before the grinning brute before him.

Jack looked down on Matthew. “You done lost your chance… boy. You should have just shot me in the back instead of entering into conversation with me.”

Jack narrowed his eyes and asked, “Do you know what I’m going to do now?”

Matthew’s eyes widened and he tried to swallow, but his mouth had long since gone dry.

“I’m going to kill you,” said Jack as death danced in his eyes. “But I promise you that I won’t be quick about it, like with a gun. I am going to twist that little head of yours around till you see behind you. Have you ever heard a neck snap? If not, it’ll be the last sound you hear.”

Jack swung the back of his hand across Matthew’s face. Matthew twisted around and fell face down in the dirt. Casually Jack stepped to Matthew’s side. “I think I remember something like this happening to you yesterday. Does this remind you of when your pretty little wife was doting on you?” Jack shifted his feet and kicked at Matthew’s side.

Matthew had laid still during Jack’s approach and comment. When he saw from the corner of his eye the shifting of Jack’s boot, he waited for the last second and rolled away from the kick which went wildly into nothing.

The momentum of the unlanded kick threw Jack off balance. He nearly fell down and had to flail his arms to keep upright. By the time he had gained his balance Matthew was up and on his feet once again. The sight of blood flowing from Matthew’s nose brought a smile to Jack’s face.

“Looks like you can roll around okay,” said Jack as he stepped towards Matthew to take a swing at him. His right fist was like a bear claw. It was a fast, well aimed, and wide swing at Matthew’s temple. But the knockout blow found itself doing nothing but moving air as Matthew ducked and took a step back. Jack’s anger flared at this nuisance. Matthew was proving to be a little quicker than Jack had expected.

Matthew’s mind had cleared of it anger and fear. In their place settled the alertness of battle as adrenaline rushed into every muscle. He was prepared for a fight.

Matthew kept his hands by his side, not wanting Jack to know his fighting skills yet. He saw that the confidence in Jack’s face was being replaced by anger as the sinister smile dissolved to a sneer. Matthew held his ground waiting for the brute to make another move.

Laced with curses, Jack said, “You’re the luckiest piece of refuse I done ever seen. You just don’t seem to have the sense to know when its time to lay down and die.”

Jack moved in again, this time he threw his weight into this first punch, which was another wide right. Matthew rolled with this punch, skillfully dodging it, but the second punch, which was a left coming up low, found its mark on Matthew’s chin. The punch snapped Matthew’s head back, and he fell hard to his back.

But Matthew didn’t wait for Jack. He allowed the momentum of his fall to carry himself into a backwards roll, thus avoiding another of Jack’s kicks. Matthew found his feet once again and had to sidestep to his right as Jack came barreling at him.

Jack had intended to bowl the preacher over and land on top of him. Instead he went right on past Matthew. As was Jack turning to make a new attack, Matthew was beside him. In disbelief Jack saw Matthew’s fist coming decisively at his face. It was Jack’s turn for his own head to jerk back. Jack found himself being laid soundly upon his back.

Matthew was now standing before his fallen adversary who looked up at him in a mix of obvious surprise and mounting anger. Matthew readied himself for the man’s inevitable attack. It came in the way of a kick at Matthew’s legs.

Jack had pushed himself up to his butt with his hands planted on the ground, but instead of going all the way to his feet he lashed his left leg out in a sweeping motion. The effort proved to be effective as it connected with Matthew’s legs and knocked him from his feet.

With a speed that belied his bulk, Jack was to his feet and reading a kick at Matthew. Matthew took the kick in his thigh and pain seared through his body. Matthew saw a second kick coming so he rolled toward Jack. Jack had expected  Matthew to roll away, so he had stepped forward for his second kick. The resulting kick didn’t have the same power, and it also put Jack slightly off balance. Matthew took advantage of this and wrapped his arms around Jack’s leg and twisted his body into a roll.

This last move of Matthew effectively finished the job of putting Jack completely off balance. Jack fell forward and over Matthew, falling front first to the ground. During the fall Matthew pushed Jack’s legs up, putting more pressure on Jack’s arms when he hit the ground. Jack’s hands slipped out from beneath himself causing his face to grind into the rocks and dirt.

By the time Jack was able to gather his feet beneath himself, his lip was split open and he was spitting bits of earth and mingled with blood. Fire burned in his eyes as he put Matthew in his sights. He was blinded to anything but killing Matthew.

Matthew had made it to his feet also and was readying himself for the next attack. He saw a look of insanity wash over Jack’s face; Jack’s eyes seemed to swell from their sockets, his breathing was hard and punctuated with growling sounds, and his hand had transformed into writhing talons.

Jack snarled at Matthew, “I’m going to break your neck like I did to that little wife of yours.”

With a roar Jack sprang for Matthew. Instead of stepping out of the way, Matthew stepped into Jack’s oncoming charge. Matthew swung his right hand up from his waist landing a solid hit to Jack’s chin. Matthew’s left fist came wide and landed a smashing blow to Jack’s temple. He followed this with a lightning right-handed punch to Jack’s throat.

Instantly Jack fell to the ground clawing at his crushed windpipe. He was struggling to get air into his lungs. Matthew stepped forward, and, using all his strength, he kicked Jack in the face. Jack fell hard to his back and lay unmoving while his unconscious body continued its struggle to bring air through its hopelessly compressed esophagus.