No Deal ...

Mason stood to his feet, smirking. The coarse hair on his chest and face made him appear as dark as night. "Look who we have here ... the final piece of the puzzle."

Mitch chuckled, eyes glowing like fireballs. "'bout damn time,"

Boone's hands trembled. Heart skipping in his chest. There was no way he could defeat all five of them: Mason, Mitch, Butch, Varko, and Heckles. Each one with a face twisted angry. 

"Are they alive?"

"For now," Mitch laughed, "still figuring out what I'll be doing with each one of them. You come alone?"

"I did ..."

"And the twins?"

"Haven't seen them ..."

"Well, hell, they weren't much good for anything other than hiding." The men laughed. "Now, you just come to give yourself up-"

"I challenge you to a duel." Boone said, eyeing Mason. "If I win, you let us go free. If he wins ... well ... the tournament's yours."

Mason's lips raised to the right. Crooked teeth showing. "Pa." He whipped out his revolver. "let me put this filth down and rid us of our burden."

Their eyes shift towards Mitch who rubbed his fuzzy chin. "You've made one hell of an offer. The choice is yours, Mason. You've done me proud the last few months ... you've earned to make your own decision."

Mason's eyes sparkled, almost appearing kind. "You mean it, Pa?"

"I do."

He turned towards Boone and whipped his hand, allowing the revolver to spin around his finger. He caught it and slid the gun into its holster. 

"I accept-"

"But before we do this," Boone raised a hand. "I want to see proof of life."

Mitch lifted his chin and laughed loudly. The others followed, all except Varko who stood arms crossed, eyes glaring. 

"You don't have any bargaining chips."

"I do," Boone pushed the bill of his hat, exposing his blue eyes locked in a cold gaze. "This is your chance to see your boy become a man. Are you going to take that away from him? Because without proof of life, I ain't dueling anybody." He spat. "Your choice."

Mason nostrils flared. He turned towards his father.

Mitch's thick eyebrows sunk while the scar wrinkled into a canyon. He laughed in annoyance. "Bring 'em out ... better to let them watch the boy fall, no how."

Butch, the man with arms the size if logs, disappeared into the saloon. After several hushed minutes, he reappeared shoving Jostice and Leslie outside the building. Their arms bound in ropes. With a tug, Butch forced their bottoms to meet the hard wooden porch. The two grunted, sliding up against the wall.

"You both alright?"

Jostice eyes narrowed. "Fine. Just curious as to what the hell you're doing here?"

"What's it look like? I'm saving your sorry asses ... a little gratitude would be nice."

Leslie's eyes throbbed, red strands brushing across her. She looked like hell. Blood on her torn clothes. Neck black and bruised. Eyes sunken.

Leslie shook her head, "You don't have to do this, Boone."

"But I do." He felt his breath grow heavy. "Are we you ready?"

"We was waiting on you," Mason said, walking off the porch.

Both boys took a few paces back until they stood nearly twenty paces away. Legs spread. Arms at their hips. Chins down and eyes up, holding a gaze filled with several years of hate. 

Boone hands began to rattle like the snake in the hat. Both becoming a waving blur, though he didn't feel fear in his chest. This was something else.

"Look there, gang." Heckles heckled. "He's trembling! You've already got him beat Mason-" 

"Will you shut the hell up?" Mitch waved a fist. "I don't want to hear your squabble."

"Yes, boss ..."

Mason smirked, "I see it already ... and he drops."

Back in Lone Creek, the boy was known for being the quickest draw of the youth. His father wasn't much of a gunslinger, but Mason had a gift. He told everybody it was like 'seeing it happen, before it happened'. Like he had a second head start.

Boone looked to his hands, always feeling the need to fight his nerves. To hide his curse. But it's not a curse, he thought, it's my gift. He took a breath, closing his eyes, allowing the vibration from his hands to move through his body. He drew the energy to his head. 

His eyes flipped open, nose wrinkled. 

Both boys gracefully tugged irons from their holsters, barrels lifting, aiming, finding their targets; they squeezed the trigger. Like two strikes of lightning, the guns flared. One bullet screamed off into the night. The other met its mark, tearing flesh from cheek.

Mason hit the ground screaming, holding his face, blood seeping through fingers.

Boone held his firing pose for a second longer, then lazily spun the gun and slid it into his holster. Eyes the size of moons, oddly amused and sickened by Mason's cries.

Mitch leaped to his feet, jumping off the porch, and dropping to his knees. He tugged a black bandana from his back pocket, pressing it against the boys wound. Mason screamed.

"Fuck!" Mitch said, waving a hand at the others. "Get rid of them! All of them! And dump their bodies over the falls."

Varko grabbed Jostice and lifted him to his feet. He drove an elbow into his back. "Looks like our roles have changed." He kicked him towards the edge of the city. 

The other two men grabbed Leslie, pulling her by her hair and bringing her to her feet.

"We're going to have a good time with you," Heckles laughed. "After that you can die."

Leslie leaned back and hacked yellow goup in the man's eye. "I've been through far worse then you ... nothing you'll do can break me, you piece of shit."

Heckles wiped his eyes, swearing. "Bitch!" He whipped his hand across her cheek. "I'm about to give you an explosion you'll remember into the prairie lands. Now get!" He kicked her in the direction of Varko and Jostice. 

Boone raised a gun at Mitch and cocked his revolver. "This was not the deal-"

"Fuck your deal!"

Butch raised his shotgun towards the boy. "Drop it or I'll make you a pile of meat."

Boone looked at the man and lowered his head, dropping his gun in the sand. He raised his hands. 

Mitch said, "Butch, bring my boy into the saloon ... and watch over him. I'm going to deal with Boone myself."

Boone looked to Jostice and Leslie as they faded off in the night uncertain if that'd be the last time he saw them.