Ghost Town

by Michael Collins

  ‘And we are just going to give him it?’ said the mayor.

  ‘Not exactly mayor I want you to write it down again making sure that you change a few of the numbers, this will buy us the time we need.’

  Edie, Amos and Ritchie were stood there waiting for Elber to tell them what Samuel was saying and what was going on.

  ‘So, Samuel you went into the lion’s den?’ said mayor Dalton.

  ‘That I did mayor and I can tell you that Flanagan is a bit pissed off now that he knows the truth about his wife’s killers and I wouldn’t like to be in their boots.’

  ‘Did he say anything else?’ said the mayor.

  ‘Plenty mayor but I don’t think he is bothered about the gold anymore.’

  ‘I see.’ said the mayor looking worried.

  Elber was bringing the rest of them up to date, an hour had almost passed.

  ‘Okay mayor when you are ready I want you to walk over into the street just in front of the church.’ Said Samuel.

  ‘Okay,’ said the mayor nervously he wiped the sweat from his face with his handkerchief.

  *****

  Jethro Crampton was looking out of the mayor’s office window his face still peppered with the shards of glass, his guns were fully loaded and he pushed his long black hair behind his ears and straightened his Stetson. He reached into his pocket and brought the other gold earring out and looked at it. He was coming here to kill Anna because of what she knew from that night back in 1846 he thought, how the hell was he to know that Dalton and his friends would find the other earring. His thoughts went on to the day after the murder, Bart Flanagan had come to see him the man was in a wretched state, so him and Crampton went to the station to send a telegraph. Flanagan watched him send it off then made his way home. A few hours later Crampton got a reply from the telegraph office in San Francisco saying that a Marshal Brannigan and his two deputies would be arriving in one weeks’ time on the noon train in Dethrock Station.

  Crampton sent a telegraph back the next day and told them to get off in Bone Creek as it was nearer to the Flanagan’s ranch which he thought the Marshal would want to see.

  BONE CREEK 1846

  The train arrived in Bone Creek on time and Marshal Brannigan and his two deputies collected their horses from the stable car and walked them round the front of the station where Crampton was waiting.

  ‘Good morning Marshal,’ said Crampton, ‘Hope the journey was okay.’

  ‘No sheriff it was rough on the backside, four hours on that bone shaking thing, I think I need a drink first,’ said Brannigan.

  ‘There is a saloon down the street Marshal we can pop in there and I can bring you up to date with what has happened reference the Flanagan murder,’ said Crampton.

  ‘Very good sheriff I will just send my men off to water the horses.’

  After a rundown of events in the saloon the four men were on their way to the Dethrock valley.

  ‘The Flanagan’s ranch is about 5 miles from here Marshal once we get over that hill we ride through Cactus Canyon then another 30-minute ride,’ said Crampton.

  ‘Well it sure beats that Damn train Crampton,’ said Brannigan.

  As they made their way down into Cactus Canyon Crampton was taking up the rear. Eli was hiding in the hills and fired a couple of shots to startle the horses. Crampton jumped down pushed the triggers forward and drew his revolvers, the bullets spat into the marshal his chest seemed to explode from the impact. Crampton caught one of the deputies through the neck and the other in the side of the head, they were still looking where the shots had come from up in the hill when he hit them, they slid off their horses and crashed onto the ground. Crampton walked over the marshal he was clutching his chest.

  ‘Sorry Brannigan,’ said Crampton and fired 4 more shots into him.

  Eli came down from his spot.

  ‘Eli! Bury them and the saddles and anything else they had with em, then let the horses run.’ Said Crampton.

  Eli already had his shovel and started to dig the three graves.

  ‘I am off back to town,’ said Crampton, ‘Don’t forget to say a prayer for em!’

  *****

  Crampton looked out of the window the mayor had walked into the centre of the street.

  ‘I have something you want Crampton! come out and get it!’ Shouted the mayor nervously.

  Crampton went to the desk and picked his saddle bag up and slung it over his shoulder, he took a cigar from the mayors courtesy box on his desk and smelt it pulling a face as he did so, he put it in his pocket then he drank his whiskey and made for the door.

  Sequence 10. Closing the loop

  Jethro Crampton stepped into the street and slowly walked up to the mayor, Elber, Edie and the rest of them were watching from the graveyard wall, Crampton knew they were all there watching but didn’t pay any attention to them. He was about 12 feet from Dalton when he stopped.

  ‘Okay Dalton I am sick of playing games just give me the combination,’ said Crampton, ‘Stop playing the innocent your just as much to fucking blame for all this business as I am if not more so.’

  ‘And what if I don’t give it to you?’ said the mayor.

  ‘That’s easy I will just immobilize you with a few bullets and take it off you I take it you wrote it down?’ said Crampton.

  Crampton saw Eli crossing the road with Anna, the mayor saw her too and bowed his head in defeat.

  ‘Anna! Are you okay my darling?’

  ‘She’s fine Dalton, but she won’t be if you don’t hand over that combination!’ said Crampton.

  Anna looked at William she had tears in her eyes.

  ‘Eli?’

  ‘Yes sheriff!’ he said.

  ‘I am going to count to three, if Dalton doesn’t give me the combination on the count of three shoot her!’ said Crampton.

  ‘No!!’ screamed the mayor;

  ‘One!’

  ‘Two!

  ‘Okay! Okay!’ shouted the mayor, ‘Here take it.’

  He reached in his pocket and pulled the piece of paper out with the combination on it and passed it to Crampton who looked at it.

  ‘Well done Dalton, I knew you would have a change of heart,’ said Crampton.

  Like a lightning flash, he spun round the deafening sound of his guns exploding and hitting Anna in the stomach, she fell to the ground.

  ‘No! No! No!’ cried the mayor as he ran over to her, he cradled her head in his arms and wept.

  Eli Mindel walked over to Crampton.

  ‘Oh, get over yourself Dalton, she was supposed to be die in the timeline anyway,’ said Crampton, ‘Haven’t you been taking note of the time loop history?’

  The red light erupted from the church and four dark figures walked from the burnt ashes into the street about 30 feet from Crampton. Behind them the spirits of Dethrock were waiting in the ruins of the church, children were crying as the dead mothers and fathers tried to comfort them, they came out onto the street behind the Flanagan’s, Samuel had floated over to the ghostly spectres and stood with them in the street.

  Ritchie wanted to go to his grandfather again but Elber stopped him and held him back. Amos and Edie watched the demon like Flanagan’s as they stared at Crampton and Mindel.

  Eli Mindel stepped forward a few feet from Bart holding his cross up, Crampton stood there watching in amazement.

  ‘Behold the cross of the lord Flanagan, may our merciful lord descend on us all. We drive you from us, whoever you may be, unclean spirits, all satanic powers, all infernal invaders, assemblies and sects. Be gone Satan, inventor and master of all deceit and damnation, enemy of man’s salvation.’

  Bart Flanagan was silent for a moment then he contorted over as if he had stomach cramps, he screamed out in pain and fell to the floor wriggling about in agony.

  ‘No! please! Not the exorcism! Please have mercy on my wretched soul!’ he screamed.

  Then he climbed to his feet and he started to laugh loudly, his sons were stood a few feet behind
him looking at Mindel, they looked on ready to draw their guns.

  ‘Fucking hell Mindel you are going to have to do a bit better than that! ‘said Bart, ‘He put the clip into his harmonica gun pulled back the hammer and fired two shots at Eli, one in his shoulder and one in his knee. Crampton just stood and watched he knew that very soon Flanagan would be turning his attention to him.

  Bart walked over to Eli who was holding his knee and screaming, he grabbed him by the collar and picked him up, Eli was crying now he was scared for his life.

  ‘How does it feel to be tormented and robbed of your dignity, that is what my poor wife must have felt when you and Crampton raped and robbed her!’ he seethed.

  ‘I don’t know nothing about it honest!’ pleaded Eli.

  ‘You will say anything to save your sorry arse Mindel! Do you expect me to believe that after all the killing you have done in this town!’

  Samuel could feel the spirits wanting to break past him to get at Mindel and Crampton.

  Bart Flanagan turned and looked at Crampton for a moment.

  ‘I am telling you the truth!’ said Eli, ‘I didn’t rape or kill your wife I was in town the night that it happened.’

  ‘Liar!’ said Bart.

  He picked Eli up and threw him over his shoulder with one hand, he landed with a thud behind him.

  ‘Hold him boys!’ said Bart, ‘Don’t hurt him yet!’

  The three sons grabbed hold of him and dragged him back to the church veranda.

  Bart looked at Crampton again, Crampton reached into his pocket and brought the earring out and dangled it for Flanagan to see.

  ‘You looking for this Flanagan?’ said Crampton.

  Flanagan looked at the earring, Crampton swore he could see a tear in his marble like eye.

  ‘I want the other one too!’ said Flanagan.

  ‘Well I don’t have it Flanagan but it seems like the mayor’s wife found one though,’ said Crampton’

  Anna was still alive and the mayor was comforting her, he took his coat off and took the small box out, he took the other earring and put the box back in the pocket. He put his coat under her head and stood up.

  ‘I have it here Bart!’ said the mayor.

  ‘And what about the two diamonds?’ said Flanagan.

  ‘I will be showing you them personally very shortly!’ said Crampton.

  The three Flanagan brothers drew their weapons again, Bart still held his weapon in front of him

  ‘Before me and my boys give you and Mindel a slow lingering death Crampton, I want you to tell me why you did what you did to my defenceless pregnant wife with your low life preacher.’

  Crampton knew that if they shot him dead now the timeline would end and start again, that was unless the problem was resolved and he could kill all four of them, or better still a chance had opened up to get back to the light shield.

  ‘You really have got it all wrong Flanagan, Mindel was telling you the truth he wasn’t with me that night!’ said Crampton.

  ‘Then who was it?’

  ‘Your friendly town mayor Flanagan,’ said Crampton pointing to Dalton, ‘My partner in crime as you might say, in fact it was his idea to rape her.’

  Elber, Edie, Ritchie and Amos stood there with their mouths open.

  ‘No! ‘said Ritchie, ‘You have got it wrong Crampton!’

  The mayor looked down at the ground as though in defeat of the situation, Flanagan picked up on this immediately.

  ‘You lied to me Dalton!’ screamed Flanagan, ‘All this time you led me to believe you were a decent human being, that you were a man of principle when in reality you are a fucking common murderer!’

  ‘We didn’t want to hurt anyone Flanagan,’ said Dalton, ‘We knew you had gone out gold hunting so we decided to go and set fire to your ranch in the hope that you would up sticks and leave.’

  Crampton got the cigar from his pocket and put it in his mouth, he struck a match on his saddlebag and lit it up, He wasn’t a smoker and he blew the smoke straight out, he needed the cigar as a quick lighter for his dynamite. The Flanagan boys stepped forward again thinking he was going to draw his guns, he just looked at them and puffed on the cigar.

  ‘When we got to the ranch everything was quiet and we thought your wife was safe in the house,’ said Crampton, ‘We were just going to set fire to the barn and get back to town, but your wife came around and caught us in the act.

  *****

  ‘What the hell are you two doing here?’ said Martha, ‘Get off my property now, my husband is not going to be very happy when he finds out that Jethro Crampton and William Dalton tried to burn our ranch down.’

  ‘Now please Mrs Flanagan there has been a misunderstanding we didn’t mean any harm,’ said Crampton.

  ‘Get off my land now you bastards, I am sure my husband will think it has been a misunderstanding too, now go!’ she screamed.

  ‘Now please calm down Mrs Flanagan perhaps we can come to some kind of agreement,’ said the mayor.

  ‘We will see what the Marshals office as to say about this in San Francisco, you came in your droves to claim our gold and not satisfied with that you want to burn us out!’ she screamed.

  Crampton swung his arm and caught her with the back of his hand on the side of the face.

  ‘You Idiot Crampton! Why did you do that?’ said the mayor.

  ‘She as seen our faces you fucking moron if she tells Flanagan about this we are finished!’ said Crampton.

  Martha was coming around from the blow to the face, blood was coming from her lip.

  ‘So what do we do now Crampton?’

  ‘We are going to dispose of her,’ said Crampton.

  ‘What you mean?’

  Crampton kicked her in the face again and knocked her unconscious.

  ‘My god!’ said the mayor, ‘Such a pretty lady too seems such a shame to waste.’

  ‘What do you mean by that?’ said Crampton.

  The mayor started to undo his belt, Martha was just starting to come around when she realised what was about to happen, the screams echoed throughout the Flanagan ranch.

  Martha came around again 30 minutes later, she was laid on the floor her clothes were torn and she tried to cover what dignity she had left; Crampton and Dalton had looked round the house for anything of value then came back to the barn.

  ‘Very nice earrings you have their ma’am, I don’t think you will be needing them anymore,’ said Crampton.

  He bent over her and grabbed an earring with each hand then he yanked them out. Martha gave a shrill scream as the blood dripped down onto her neck.

  Crampton took the earrings and with the point of his knife he forced the diamonds out.

  ‘I have got plans for these little beauty’s,’ he said.

  ‘What about her?’ said Dalton.

  Crampton flicked the triggers in his guns forward, he brought them up slowly and fired 6 shots into Martha Flanagan.

  ‘My god Crampton did you have to do that?’ said Dalton.

  ‘We don’t need any live witnesses after this,’ said Crampton, ‘Let’s just burn the place and get out of here.’

  ‘Never mind burning it, let’s just get the hell out of here before them Flanagan’s get back here,’ said Dalton

  They quickly pulled their neckerchiefs over their mouths and noses and rode back to Dethrock as the sun was starting to set.

  *****

  ‘No!!!! you bastards!’ screamed Flanagan.

  Crampton pulled a stick of dynamite out of his bag and lit the fuse with the cigar, he put it back in the bag with the rest of the explosive and he threw it in front of the Flanagan’s at the same time him and Dalton hit the deck, the short fuse lasted seconds and exploded blasting the Flanagan’s backwards knocking them off their feet, Mindel was curled up in a ball on the church veranda, Crampton jumped back up and drew his revolvers and emptied them in to the ghostly gang

  He made a dash for the church ruins followed by the mayor and a badly wounded and
limping Eli Mindel, all the Dethrock ghosts were now out of the church, the church floor was still smouldering and hot as he ran for the trap door which was burnt away now, charred bodies of women and children were scattered everywhere, he jumped down into the basement where more bodies lay. Crampton had seen Dalton fall as he scrambled towards the church, Crampton just carried on in the hope that Dalton was finished.

  ‘Get them!’ shouted Bart Flanagan to his sons, as they got back on their feet.

  He turned around and saw Samuel stood with the ghostly population of Dethrock, Bart nodded to him in acknowledgement.

  ‘Don’t let me down future boy we will be waiting,’ he said.

  Samuel nodded to Bart and went over to Elber.

  ‘Right Elber all of you get back to the light shield now,’ said Samuel.

  The four friends made their way back to the church and to the burnt-out hole where the trap door once was, the stench of burning flesh was acrid, they jumped down as there was no ladder the fire had consumed it and they could hear the Dethrock ghosts coming back to the church.

  ‘Hurry!’ shouted Samuel to Elber, ‘We don’t have much time.’

  They ran through to the dynamite store and in front of them they noticed the light shield had faded.

  ‘Elber get them all through the light shield now! Before the Dethrock ghosts return to the church, the shield is weakened!’ said Samuel.

  They all walked through there was no resistance like before and they made their way to the grave steps. Samuel waited at the light shield, he saw four figures coming down the passage and they waited by the dynamite store on the other side of the shield. Samuel could see the silhouettes of the four Flanagan’s in their frock coats and gathering behind them were the Dethrock ghosts all of them wanting retribution, he knew they could come no further and he also knew what they were all waiting for and it was his job to get it for them.

  *****

  The four of them walked up the steps of the grave and towards the cemetery gate, Elber switched his flashlight on and noticed that the crooked gravestone which had Anna carved on was not there anymore and the ground looked untouched, he looked down the street and saw the campfire still burning surrounded by their tents and the red Chevrolet. He looked at his watch it was 8pm, Elber spoke to them all.