569. Chapter 569

After Once Upon a Time in the West

Episode 7.07

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: We'll meet at high noon and settle once and for all who owns Castle. Rating: K Time: See above

The stranger rode into town slowly, from the east. His eyes caught everything in the town: The saloon, the mortician, the general store, the assay office, the barber shop, but he finally stopped at the marshal's office. "Afternoon, Marshall." He said, tipping his hat.

"Afternoon, stranger. I'm Roy Montgomery, US Marshall. These are my deputies, the Honeymilk Kid," a slender, hard eyed looking fellow tipped his hat. "And this is Javi the Kid." Javi took off his sombrero and bowed slightly, keeping his eyes on the stranger's gun hand all the time.

"Name's Castle. Rick Castle." Said the stranger. "I'm a writer from New York. I just finished writing a series of books about a special agent who works for President Grant. Thought I'd come out west and try to find a new muse."

"Not many mooses out here." The Honeymilk Kid said. "They're mostly in Canada."

"Muse." Said the stranger. "Someone to inspire my next series of books."

Marshall Montgomery nodded. "Not sure we have any of those in the little town of Starbuck, Texas."

The stranger nodded. "I'll need a place to stay. Any suggestions?"

The three hombres exchanged looks through narrowed eyes. Finally, the Marshal spoke. "Normally, I'd tell you to go to Miss Vickie's Boarding House. But, there's a convention of buggy whip salesmen in town this week. It's full up."

"It's odd, though." Javi the Kid said. "We don't see any of the salesmen. All we hear is the crack of the whips and Miss Vickie yelling "Apples!" "Apples.""

"The only other place is The Long Branch Saloon. They have rooms upstairs. Ask for Miss Alexis."

"Who's the dude?' Said a cold voice from behind Castle.

Castle turned. The man was tall, rangy and hadn't bathed in years. Luckily the wind was blowing away from Castle, but several skunks could be seen vomiting in the background. Castle took in his long, lank, greasy locks, his unshaven face, his filthy clothing and the four Colt .45s stuffed in the waistband of his pants and knew he was facing…."A sheep man, right?" Castle smiled, "Do you know how sheep men find the sheep in the tall grass? Very satisfying."

"Nobody calls me a sheep man, stranger. Go for your guns."

Castle lifted his hands. "I'm not armed. All I have on me is my typewriter."

"Well, draw your typewriter, then."

"Demming!" Barked the Marshal. "The man is unarmed. You shoot and I'll see that you hang for it."

"Oh, now Tom is just joshing the newcomer, aren't you, Tom." The newcomer was a stocky, well-dressed man. He held out his hand to Castle. "I'm Mayor William Bracken. I'm sure Tom meant no harm." He turned to the Marshall. "Roy, you have to do something about that Rebel. Last night my house was TP'd and the windows on my one horse open shay were soaped. This can't go on."

"There's no evidence Rebel was involved. I can't do anything with no evidence." The Marshal said coldly.

"Well, if you can't, maybe the law abiding citizens around here can."

"That's just plumb crazy talk." The Honeymilk Kid said.

"Sounds like lynch talk." Said the Marshal. "And I won't hear of it."

Bracken glared at them all and walked off. Demming stayed for a second glared at Castle and then ran off after his boss.

"That Demming is a back shooting skunk." Said the marshal, immediately drawing a rebuttal from the now recovered skunks.

"I'll be careful." Castle said. "I'll have to stay in town for a while. My horse, Ferrari, threw a shoe. I have to wait for new ones from the factory in Italy." Castle tipped his hat and strode to the Long Branch Saloon.

Inquiring for Miss Alexis, he was directed to a slender redheaded lady. "I need a room. The Marshal said you could help me out."

Miss Alexis nodded. "Sure, stranger. That'll be two dollars an hour and you can use either Miss Meredith or Miss Gina." She pointed to two scantily clad saloon girls.

"I'm afraid that's not what I had in mind."

"Oh, you want something kinky? There's always Davidson, but he's cleaning spittoons now, unless that's your thing. Some people like it dirty."

Castle explained that he needed a place to stay as the rooming house was full up. Miss Alexis agreed to cut the rate to one dollar an hour. She was a smart and shrewd businesswoman.

Carrying his saddle, bags, typewriter and horse, Ferrari, upstairs, he was about to enter his room when he saw a beautiful chestnut haired woman, dressed all in black slip out of the room next to his and hurry down the back stairs.

If she'd been included with the room, I'd have paid the two dollars. He thought.

After putting his things away, he went back downstairs to play a bit of poker, have a drink and catch up on the town gossip. "I saw a lovely chestnut haired lady, dressed all in black who apparently has the room next to mine. Who is she?" He asked his poker playing friends.

"You must have been mistaken." Miss Alexis said. "No such woman lives here."

"You must be seeing things." Said "Doc" Parrish, raising five.

"But it sounds like the Rebel." Said the town mortician, Perlmutter. "Chestnut curls and dressed in black. It must be Rebel."

Miss Alexis casually hit Perlmutter over the head with a whiskey bottle. "Oh! How clumsy of me. I appear to have knocked him out. Do you think he'll be all right, Doctor Parrish?"

Doctor Parrish examined the man, who was sprawled face down on the table. "You should probably hit him again." She concluded.

Castle was fascinated. "Who is this Rebel? That I didn't see." He added quickly as Miss Alexis picked up the bottle.

Miss Alexis and "Doc" Parrish exchanged significant glances. "That skunk Bracken…" At the use of their name in a pejorative fashion, the skunks at the next table immediately protested through the town's attorneys. Professional courtesy, you see.

Miss Alexis began again. "Mayor Bracken is trying to run everyone out of town so he'll own the whole place when the railroad comes through in a few months. Rebel Becks is the only one with sand enough to stand up to him and fight back."

"Doc" Parrish frowned. "Then there's what Demming did to her parents."

"He shot them?" Castle asked, shocked.

"No, he pinned "Kick me" signs on their back. They haven't been able to sit down since."

Castle's blood ran cold at the thought of that. He'd run into some cold blooded people in his time, but this?

After a friendly game of poker, in which the unconscious Perlmutter lost heavily, Castle retired to his room. He pressed his ear to the wall separating him from the room that he knew that Rebel Becks occupied. But he was sure it was empty. He sat on the bed, moving Ferrari over, and opened his typewriter case. From a hidden compartment, he removed two Colt Single Action Army revolvers with ivory grips and engraved cylinders, a derringer, a model 1876 Winchester rifle, a Wells Fargo sawed off shotgun, a .50 caliber Sharps buffalo gun and a cavalry saber. Putting a saddle on Ferrari, they snuck down the same stairs that he had seen Rebel Becks leave by earlier.

Using his well-honed senses, he followed Rebel Becks' tracks to Mayor Bracken's ranch just outside of town. He dismounted and crept close. There, surrounded by Bracken's men, was Rebel Becks.

"Just as I suspected, Bracken. You've TP'd your own house, tipped over your outhouse and given your own horses hotfoots."

Bracken laughed. "But I'll testify that it was you who vandalized my property, and with Demming, Eric the Kid and Colin the Kid to back me up, you'll be sent off to the Women's Reformatory in Yuma and I'll own all of the town. I'll be rich, and I can run for governor.'

"You should run for dogcatcher, considering the kind of people you associate with." Rebel Becks said.

Bracken looked at her through narrowed eyes. "Maybe we'd be better off settling with her permanently, boys." Bracken drew his pistol, a .22 caliber Smith and Wesson Model One revolver. "I'll just say it was self-defense."

"That's enough, Bracken." Castle yelled, stepping out into the moonlight. "I'm arresting you."

"What authority do you have, Writer Boy?"

"I work directly for President U. S. Grant. Now hand over your weapons and assume the position."

"Kill him boys." Cried Bracken, quickly hiding behind Demming.

The night was lit up with the flash of gunfire and the stink of cordite filled the air. And when the last shot was fired, only two people remained standing, Castle and Rebel Becks.

"Are you all right?" He asked her.

She nodded. "Yes. I'm fine now that you're here."

"What do you plan to do now?" He asked, gently.

"I don't know. My parents will probably never sit down again."

"I could use a partner, you know. Interested?"

"Always."

And they rode off into the sunset.