Damn Loot!

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"He thought you were one of those outlaws they are after and brought me here to set a trap."

"So why didn't he tell his companions?"

“That’s my point, Paw. It’s that he seems to want to keep it from them, ‘cause he wants something in exchange for his silence.” Weasel’s voice was progressively waning and the last words came out as a barely audible whisper.

“Hahaha!”

Hugg let out a hearty laugh. “Let him go warn them! What do I care."

"Yes, but he’s a pretty perceptive guy and if you let him go, he’ll start to suspect something. Then there’s one more thing. I don’t think that for a smart guy like you it will be a problem, but he said that in the case you turn him down, he won’t think twice about sparring with you. Of course, we only have pistols. He not only has those, but also has a brand new Sharps rifle. You know, Paw, they say that it has a good range and that it reloads in a flash. But you’re the best and you can take him out, even if you have to circle him from a distance on horseback. Right?” He pretended to cling to him, as though he was seeking his father’s protection.

A drop of sweat trickled down the man's forehead. "Sure, I can take him out with my eyes closed. Only thing is, if I end up just woundin’ him he’d go runnin’ off to his pals, then we’d have a pack of Rangers on our heels. Maybe we’re better off givin’ him what he wants. What’s his demand?”

This was the hardest part. Finn held up three fingers.

“Son of a crow! He wants a whole three hundred bucks just to turn a blind eye?”

“No, Paw... He doesn’t want three hundred...”

“Oh! Aight then what’re we standin’ here for? Here, take the thirty dollars the chump wants and that’ll be the end of it.”

“No, he wants three thousand...”

This was it. He was going to get another pummeling. Weasel was going to find himself on the ground again spitting out blood and dirt.

“Fucking pigs! They gorge themselves on our taxes, and rather than helping the honest citizens, they go rogue and want three grand to turn a blind eye!" Finn wasn’t sure his father ever paid a penny’s worth of tax. Even “honest citizens” was a laugh. However, he preferred not to point out those details because he had grown a liking to keeping his hide intact.

Hugg breathed in large quantities of air in a vain attempt to stifle his anger, when he finally blurted out, "I break my back to get this loot, then that horse’s ass shows up and wants three thousand, I say three thousand bucks! Well we’ll just see about that when I make him eat dirt. Who does he think he is? I’m just gonna have to get back to that hollow so I can get my pistol. This toy gun ain’t gonna get us nowhere. "

He gathered himself and pulled out his pistol. As he leaned out from his hiding spot, a bullet whizzed inches from his ear. After the near miss, the adversary could simply adjust his shot and hit him. Hugg immediately turned back around to crouch behind the rock.

"Consarn it! This stupid backloadin’ pistol piece a dung can’t hold a candle to my Jagg! If only I still had it...” He seemed more shaken up by the affront to his convictions than by risking his hide by a frog’s hair. He huffed and started digging through his pockets, cursing under his breath.

“Finn! Finn, stop rollin’ round in the dust like a cat in heat and get over here!” Despite his loss of equilibrium from the combination of the beating and getting up too quickly, he obeyed, but only to avoid an “encouragement kick” on top of everything else.

"Here. Take this. Should be worth about three thousand bucks. And you better hope he didn’t realize I don’t have a gun. If he did, he’s gonna want it all and will try to take us out to get it. He’ll have to pry it out of my cold dead hands!” His lump of a father shared nothing. Ever. But for some reason when things got hairy, his father had no problem sharing the burden. Always. “Come on, We gotta cut stick now!" He added.

“Err, Paw... There’s one more thing.”

Badfinger stared daggers at him, took a deep breath through gritted teeth, and motioned for him to continue.

"The guy wants me, too. He wants to take me to El Paso for me to get bandaged up; he needs it to keep his cover.”

Hugg breathed a sigh of relief.

“Shoot, I was thinkin’ he wanted more than that! Fare thee well, kid. Don’t take any wooden nickels.” He chuckled, heartened.

“Actually, I’m gonna try to escape and meet you in Agua Dulce.”

“You do what you want. Y’know, sometimes you can be useful after all. I’ll stay at the only inn the place has. If you’re still alive by then I’ll see you there. If not, it’s been a pleasure! I’ve got a fifty-thousand-dollar haul to think about, So I can’t be goin’ out of my way for you, understand.” That bounty was too substantial for Hugg to keep is head on straight. It was in his possession for less than a day and it was already taking over; an obsession that clouded his judgment and made him even less rational than he already was. Even putting himself in the line of fire was out of character for him. Finn determined that if he left him alone for too long, he would soon lose his father, along with aura of sheer luck that always seemed to linger around him.

The boy neatly arranged the jewels he was holding in his hand in preparation of the hard sell ahead of him. He popped out from behind the rock and walked up to Blondie.

Rick scanned over the baubles, summing up their value under his breath. Then he made a barely perceptible grimace and barked, “Damn curmudgeon!” This junk is worth at most twenty-nine hundred dollars, not considering courtesy fee.” For some reason, this did not surprise Weasel in the least.

The man stood there, contemplating for a moment. He could have been tempted to send the brat back to the crook to demand more. Even worse, he could have been contemplating a violent attempt to take it all. Fortunately, he was convinced that the crook couldn't have more than five thousand dollars. In the end, he decided that the game was not worth the candle. "Alright then. Let's say that this time I give him a little finder’s discount,” he conceded by shaking his head.

1 Good manners.

Hugg Badfinger had a perfectly good reason to go straight to Agua Dulce. There, one could find a scanty old junk shop where a modest variety of services and accessories could be accessed by asking the right questions. For example, it was possible to pawn or sell an item, even if it was of dubious origin. Aaron Mansill, the shop owner, was nothing but a cheap loan shark, but he was the only hustler Hugg knew of in those parts. He had already concluded a few transactions with him and didn’t have any complaints thus far.

He was very sure the merchant could never take on the entirety of the stolen goods; primarily because he did not have enough connections to be able to sell it all. He also wouldn’t remotely have the liquidity to afford it all in one go. If he did have it, he wouldn’t have been there counting the nickels earned from pickpockets. Either way, Hugg had to start somewhere.

He hadn't trusted himself enough to take the entirety of the loot with him, so he had stashed most of it under a rock just outside of town. He had been very careful, and before taking off he stood watch for a long while. Long enough to be absolutely certain that no one had seen him; a precaution which bordered paranoia.

He arrived at the saloon of Agua Dulce a moment before high noon. Just in time for old Ben to serve a flat, piss-warm beer and a potato and rabbit stew. He was reasonably sure that the “rabbit” was not rabbit at all, but he ate it anyway. He just needed to put something in his belly. Fortunately, thanks to his grim face and standoffish demeanor, he had managed isolate himself in a secluded corner without being bothered.

According to an unwritten rule, he was supposed to offer a drink to the guy seated across the way from him. He had always hated this rule, and this aversion was not at all lessened by the fact that he was now rich. Upon finishing his meal, he was given a room to stay in. There he locked himself inside, turning the key twice to be sure. He intended to wait until late evening to go to the merchant. By showing up at closing time he would have plenty of time to make the deal without being disturbed by the occasional patron.

Evening came, and it was nearing the time to meet Aaron. Before he did anything else, he checked that he still had the jewels on him, even though they weren’t likely to grow legs and run off. Then he slipped the important-looking document into an inside pocket of his vest, lit a cigar, and shuffled downstairs to grab himself a whiskey. His throat was dry, and as far as he was concerned, no good business deal was ever made without a little spirit.

He had just brought the glass to his lips, when an unpleasantly familiar voice made his drink go sideways.

“I knew I'd find you here! See what happens when you gorge yourself? Like I always say: anybody who drinks alone is gonna choke to death!” His overtly cheerful manner made one wonder if his statement had a double meaning.

“Ben! A fresh glass of firewater for my friend. What the devil are you doing here, you old spooney? How is it that you didn’t go down with the rest of Little Pit?”

"Tell me now, Hugg, whereabouts did your little nipper run off to? When I was on my way back to town, a gunslinger on horseback who seemed to be in a bit of a rush went right by me. Then, when I was almost to town, I saw you dart away as though you had the devil on your heels. You was in the same hurry and... riding the same horse. I tried to shadow you in my carriage, but you was just too quick and I lost sight of you. But I knew I’d find you here. What you find on ‘im?” Joe Otthims, who had sat down next to him, accompanied the question with a cheeky grin and an elbow nudge.

The man was huge and sported a very prominent belly. He was much bigger than Badfinger, who was also slightly better proportioned. His pockmarked and flushed face was surrounded by a black beard and an unkempt mop of salt and pepper hair. The gravelly, powerful voice and the colorful vernacular clashed with his perfect British accent.

"Shut up, you idiot!" hissed Hugg, looking around in alarm.

"I’m on to something, eh! What’s it worth? A hundred? Two hundred?” He gave it his best effort, but just wasn’t capable of whispering. Hugg just shot him a fiery glare. Some patrons turned an interested glance in their direction.

"A hundred bucks and a gold-plated watch that could earn me another one-fifty if I’m lucky," he whispered, while still being deliberately audible. Two to three hundred dollars was the most common payload of Aaron's patrons. A fair sum, but nothing that would instigate a scuffle. On the other hand, the place was crawling with petty thieves trying to get similar amounts from their scanty spoils. He himself had never gotten more than two hundred dollars in earnings before that day.

"You have a hundred bucks in your pocket and you're hoping to get off with just one sip? You owe me at least a quart of whiskey! And I mean the good kind!”

Badfinger shook his head, snorted, and finally nodded to the bartender who handed him an entire bottle of bourbon. He grabbed it angrily and slammed it on the counter in front of Joe, then he settled the bill and left without saying a word. He had forgotten about the cigar, but it didn't matter; his urge to smoke had also dissipated. Hugg thought as he walked out, I hope he’ll be blackout drunk by the time it takes for me to disappear! Actually, it’d be even better if his liver dissolved once and for all, the damned fool!

"Oi mate, watch out for Mansill! He always tries to cheat when namin’ prices!" The Giant shouted after him. He should never have offered him that drink. He should have shot him full of holes to see how much booze would leak out. He had to restrain himself from doing so, but not because he had any scruples. Given how things had gone down so far, much of his discretion had vanished in the wind. However, if he reacted badly, he would have attracted the attention of the entire county.

Joe hadn’t downed even a third of his bottle before Weasel burst into the saloon. He was breathless and panting.

“Hey, rascal, you got the wrong waterin’ hole. They don’t serve milk here!” A man taunted, sparking snickers from the other barflies, most audibly his two drinking buddies. The man was a textbook bully; one who would likely never have the courage to ruffle the feathers of someone his own size. The boy ignored his taunting and continued toward the bar.

“Did you hear what I said, stinker, or do you need my boot in your ass to make you understand?" The bully got up from his rickety chair to cut him off.

Unfazed, Finn made to dart around him. The man decided then that he was going to teach him a hard lesson and tried to grab him. His lesson was thwarted, however, when he found himself with his arm twisted firmly behind his back. Before he could register what was happening, a well-aimed kick sent him crashing into the table he came from. This time, the laughter in the room was directed at the heckler.

"That boy is an acquaintance of mine. You and your little shit pals get back to minding your business and you’ll have no trouble.” Joe turned his back to him and joylessly sat back down to finish his drink.

“I think you’re the one who’s gonna have trouble, ya big babboon!” The sound of three guns clicking into action was unmistakable. Otthims grabbed what was left of Hugg’s cigar, took a shot, put his hand under his vest to scratch his belly and let out a sigh of exasperation. Then, with characteristic indifference, he turned in their direction without getting up from his stool. In his hand was a bomb full of black powder. The fuse was lit, and it was short.

“First of all, didn’t your Ma ever teach you good manners? You don’t bring guns to the table! By now you will have understood that this saloon and all of us in it will soon be just a mem’ry if you don’t hand over your guns in three...two...one...” The three obeyed and Finn quickly grabbed the revolvers. Meanwhile, Joe extinguished the last quarter inch of the fuse.

“Much better. Now, since I’m occupied with this lovely dame, I’d like to not be disturbed." He caressed the side of the bottle as though it were the one of the naked concubines depicted in the dingy painting on display behind the counter.

Otthims had no interest in their pistols, so he left them in the hands of the kid. The three amigos, however, still had knives. The companions exchanged glances and understood each other. The three of them, armed, against the unarmed mammoth. From behind, no less. It was almost too easy.

They drew their blades and hurtled toward him. The first man tumbled to the ground after Finn managed to trip him. The lunge of the second man was intercepted by Joe, who grabbed his wrist with such vigor that he heard it crack. He simply wanted to make him lose his grip on the knife, but it seemed that he didn’t measure his strength properly. In a flash, without letting go, he slammed the man's hand in the face of the third who, stunned by the episode, froze his attack for just long enough. A double crack was enough to be certain that neither the bones of the hand nor the face on the other side of it withstood the forceful impact. One man lay lifeless in a pool of blood, while the other howled in pain from his shattered arm.

Fortunately, it didn't last long, because with a knock in the head that would flatten a bison, Joe sent him to sleep as well. In the confusion, the remaining amigo scampered past Weasel on all fours in attempt plant the blade in the calf of the brute. However, the boy saw him coming and promptly and planted the tip of his boot in his temple, putting him definitively out of action. The three amigos would not be back on their feet any time soon. All the other patrons stopped laughing and, feigning disinterest, returned to their own business.

The barman shook his head with a grimace, threw the cloth he was using to dry the glasses onto the counter and took a deep breath. In that godforsaken place, not a week went by without a fight. Otthims noticed his consternation and consoled him: "I hope I didn't do too much damage. I reckon I know what it’s like: I used to run my own saloon once." Except that in his saloon, there had never been enough patrons to even have a one-on-one brawl.

The giant rummaged through the pockets of two of the men he had knocked out. He barely made it to nine dollars in all, which he promptly deposited on the counter. “This is for the ruckus. Young Badfinger, clean that one up too." He pointed to the guy lying beside the boy. It was the braggart who had taunted him. He had only six dollars in his pocket. To compensate, he was able to recover a gold tooth with a well-aimed pistol whip to the mouth.

When he saw the owner take off his apron to begin cleaning up the mess, Joe stopped him with a wave of his hand and a friendly smile. “Don’t you worry about it! I'll take care of throwing out the garbage." He threw one of the men over his broad shoulder as if he were a palfrey saddle. He lifted the other two, one in each hand, using their shirts as handles. He then brought them out the swinging doors and tossed them in the clearing to collect dust.

As he started back towards the bar to finish his drink in peace, he found himself blocked by Weasel.

"Mr. Otthims, Ben told me that my old man talked to you and left a little while ago. Do you know where he went off to?" He knew that his father would go to those parts occasionally to sell items, but he had no idea where exactly it was he went to conduct his business. He hoped to discover any information the Giant had managed to tap from his father.

"He went to Aaron Mansill to exchange some loot.” He gave a knowing smile.

I can't believe he confided in this simpleton! He had to investigate further.

"But can this Aaron guy take on a loot like ours?"

"Of course, it's easy to sell a good watch. He could even sell it for twice as much as he paid for it. I tried to tell your Pa’, but he left without giving me the time’a day! Maybe you still have time to warn him. If it really is gold plated like he said, he shouldn’t ask for less than two hundred bucks. One-fifty for sure wouldn’t be enough.”

"Well then I better get going! I just don’t know whereabout to find the dealer.”

"No problem, son. Go left ‘til you get to the blacksmith, take the street on the right, then go a few steps and you’ll come to a shabby little shop full of junk. You can't go wrong; this town is a hole. Go on, now, if you wanna make it.”

"Thanks!" The boy dashed out at breakneck speed. The reason for his rush was far more important than fifty dollars. It was likely that the double-dealing Rick was there, and he had to warn his father. In fact, when he was about to reach Agua Dulce, he heard the sound of hooves behind him. Luckily, he had a small hill between himself and the pursuer, so he had time to hide behind a bush. From there, he watched as the horseman streaked past and wondered to himself if he was also headed to Mansill to do business.