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Title: The Ghosts of Memory Author: Kim & Shawna Rating: PG 13, Violence, mild profanity Disclaimer: Unfortunately, no matter how much we beg, no one will give Shawna and I the tracker, or the gambler, or any of the other fellas. No one will pay us for anything we write either. Status: Incomplete Archive: Yes please, when it's finished. Author's Notes: Kim is a Vixen, and Shawna is a Dear. There is no fighting over the guys, and we even share sometimes. We'd like to thank Nancy, for her generosity. Kim, who is practically computer illiterate, would like to thank Nancy for TRYING to help her put up a homepage. Title: The Ghosts of Memory Author: Kim & Shawna ********************************************************** The Ghosts of Memory Chris Larabee looked up from his book, to study the long-haired man crossing the street toward him. �Hey, Cowboy,� he called as Vin Tanner climbed up the porch stairs. Reaching the top step he sat down, and leaned back against the porch rail. �Hey, Cowboy,� Vin answered with a smile, enjoying their private joke. The two sat in companionable silence for a while. Chris had returned to his reading, when Vin spoke again. �I�m getting restless Chris.� Vin said quietly, as he rubbed a tired hand across his jaw. Chris simply nodded. He had seen the signs in Vin for the past several days. The tracker�s inability to stay indoors for any length of time. Constant fidgeting. This, from a man who was usually so still, Chris sometimes felt the need to check if he was still breathing. Chris knew Vin wasn�t sleeping either. He�d seen the tracker walking around town in the early hours of the morning. Vin just seemed to need time to himself periodically. Time that he used to keep the walls from closing in around him. Or the demons from catching him, Chris thought to himself. Chris looked at him a moment and finally nodded, �You heading out for awhile?� �Yeah,� Vin answered, �Need to spend some time in the desert. Clear the sounds of this town outta my head.� Vin met Chris� eyes briefly before returning his gaze to the busy street. He reached into his pocket and pulled something out Chris couldn�t identify. �Tonight?� Larabee asked, familiar with Vin�s habit of riding at night. �Yeah,� was Vin�s only response. Silence settled in again as the two enjoyed the warm day. While the nights in May could still be plenty cold, the days were warm and bright. The chill of winter had finally lessened its hold on the town. Chris studied Vin carefully, watching him toy with his prize. It looked like a lady's locket, but Chris couldn�t be sure. Something was eating at the man that was for sure. However, Vin wasn�t one to share his troubles with the men around him. Chris had to respect that. His own demons sometimes drove him to try and drown them in a bottle. Vin simply chose to try to lose his in the vast wide open spaces the desert provided. �Buy you a drink before you head out?� Chris finally asked. �Sounds good,� Vin replied replacing the object in the pocket of his hide coat. He rose and followed Chris down the steps to the saloon. *********************************************************** Neither Vin nor Chris noticed the tall man dressed in a tan slicker and calf skin boots, as they made their way to the saloon. The man flicked the butt of his cheroot into the street, and turned back to the mountain of a man standing behind him. �They almost finished replacing that shoe on your horse?� Bob Colter asked the other man, as they walked back into the blacksmith�s shop. The clanging of the blacksmith�s hammer stopped abruptly as the smith leaned over to size the shoe to the hoof. �Yeah, boss,� Tom Polk answered. He rolled the wad in his cheek and leaned across Colter to spit into the firepit. �Where�d Zeke and Jake get off to?� Colter grimaced as he tried to ignore Polk�s manners. He avoided associating with Polk, whenever it was possible. The man was an unkempt brute. His shirt was stained with things, Colter didn�t even want to contemplate. He smelled as bad as he looked. However, with the Railroad payroll coming into the Four Corner�s bank the next day, he didn't trust the others with this job. �They�re gathering information around town. We need to know as much as possible about the local law. I'm going to the saloon. When that smith�s through with your horse, come find me.� With that Colter stepped out of the shop and walked down the boardwalk. Colter had just settled at a table in the saloon, when he caught sight of a long-haired man sitting at a table in the back. He was talking to a man dressed in black. Vin Tanner. He hadn�t seen the man in years. His lips curled into a cruel smile. It looked like the town of Four Corner�s was going to pay off in more than one way. Colter poured himself a second whiskey from the bottle, when a short balding man pushed through the swinging doors. Looking around urgently, he spotted Colter in the corner sipping his drink. He hurried over to the table. "Boss! Boss!" He started in a rush, his voice rising in his panic. Immediately Colter put his hand up, and motioned the man to be quiet. He surreptitiously glanced around, but the general noise in the saloon had covered his man�s noisy outburst. He turned icy gray eyes onto the little man, who had just come into the saloon. "Zeke, sit down and have a drink." Colter said harshly, motioning for the barkeep to bring another glass. When the barkeep left the glass, Colter poured whiskey into it. Zeke reached for it, but Colter put his hand over the top. "Now, I want you to very quietly tell me what you came in to say." Colter said in a low voice. "Boss, there ain't no money!" Zeke whispered excitedly. Colter grabbed his shirt front and whispered harshly "What the hell do you mean there ain't no money?" "Just what I said boss. I heard the telegraph man tell that banker fellow, the railroad sent a wire. They ain't sending no money till next week." Zeke whined his answer. Colter pushed Zeke away and shoved his drink at him. Zeke picked it up and drank it in a single gulp. He looked longingly at the bottle and then back at Colter. Colter nodded sharply and Zeke eagerly poured himself another drink. Damn! Colter thought. No way we can hang around for a week without being spotted. They were going to have to leave the town empty handed. He looked around the bar, and his eyes fell on Vin again. Tanner, he thought, we lost the money, but you are gonna be sorry we ever set foot in Four Corners. Colter grabbed the bottle from Zeke who was just starting to pour a third drink. "Go find Polk and Jake. I want them back here in 15 minutes." "Sure boss." The little man hopped up from the table and made his way out into the street. Colter slowly sipped his drink, waiting for his men to come back. All the while he stole surreptitious glances at the table in the back. Tanner and his friend were just sitting there drinking. It didn't seem to Colter as if either one of them said a word. Finally the saloon doors swung open and his own men strode in. Colter looked to see if Tanner had noticed them. The black clad man glanced up for a moment, and said something to Tanner. Colter saw Tanner glance their way and shake his head no. Didn't even recognize me didya boy? Colter thought. Well boy, that is gonna be the worst mistake you ever made. Colter motioned to the barkeep to bring more glasses. He poured whiskey into them and smiled at his men. "Boys" he began in a quiet voice, "I've got another job for you." End Part One | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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