The Return of Jake Slater

by Zavo

  “One last thing before we leave, Ezekiel. We’re going to need some traveling money.”

  “I didn’t see any in the desk, Jake.”

  “There must be a cash box here somewhere.”

  As I looked around the office, I saw a battered coffee pot sitting on the stove. A thought came to me. I went to the stove, picked up the pot, and removed its lid. Sure enough, bills and coins were safely tucked inside. I quickly counted it, gave half to Ezekiel, and stuffed the rest in my pocket. I had just turned to head out the door when I saw my satchel on the floor by the desk. I had a little bit of money left over from what John had given me. That is, if Seth hadn’t snitched it. Combined with my half from the coffeepot, it would be enough to give me a new start in Mexico. I snatched it up, confirmed the money was still there, and followed Ezekiel out the front door.

  It was close to dusk, and there were a fair number of people about. However, no one seemed to notice us as we stepped onto the boardwalk and disappeared around the corner into the alleyway. I stopped halfway between the buildings on either side of us and turned to Ezekiel.

  “Ezekiel, I think it best we part company here. Thanks for your help in setting us free. I need to get to the undertakers to determine if the second body Seth brought in is Ben. If it’s not, I’ll continue my search for him. Once I do find him, I think it’s best we leave the States for a while and lay low in Mexico. If it is Ben, I’ll simply go it alone.”

  “It was a sure thing I was going to hang tomorrow morning, Jake. You saved my life as much as I saved yours. I’m going to head across the border to Juarez to find Michael.”

  “Good luck, Ezekiel.”

  “You too, Jake. Perhaps we’ll meet again in Mexico.”

  We shook hands, and I watched the giant walk down the alley and disappear around the corner.

  I counted to five before doing the same. When I emerged, the back street was empty. Still, I walked at a steady pace, so as not to elicit any undue notice. After several minutes, I stepped back onto the boardwalk and headed in the direction of the undertaker’s office. After a bit of backtracking I finally found it. I entered without knocking. As expected, the interior was rank with the smell of death and strong chemicals. My “Hello” elicited no response.

  I finally found a series of wooden coffins, located in a small room off the main one. The coffins were lined up in two rows of six on a makeshift plank table. Two had their lids off. I was pretty sure which two they were. I stepped to them and was immediately assailed by the foulest of odors. It was apparent that the undertaker had not begun his work on these two corpses. I held my breath and stepped to the edge of the first coffin and peered in.

  Although the body was badly decomposed, it was definitely a male. And definitely Rawlins. The silver sheriff’s star was still pinned to his shirt. Under the star itself, “Rawlins” was inscribed. Seth must have wanted to bury the badge with his brother, as a sign of honor. I moved to the next coffin, and my heart sank in my chest at what my eyes beheld. This corpse was the same height and build as Ben. The head still held patches of red hair. It had to be Ben. Who else would have been with Sheriff Rawlins?

  I stood for several minutes, my grief and anger seeming to root me to the spot. My eyes welled up with tears, and I bravely fought them back. But my attempts proved in vain. I sank to the floor, overcome. After all that Ben and I had been through to clear his name, Rawlins had won in the end. I wanted to head back to the jail and shoot his brother, but quickly quelled that thought. I needed to stay alive to honor Ben’s memory, and I had to get out of town. It was time to head for Mexico!

  My thoughts were interrupted by a loud whistle that I realized was the train. I had thought of buying a horse and striking out across the desert on my own. However, I was certain that Seth, Roy and Nathaniel would be quickly discovered, so I needed to put as much distance between us as soon as possible. While the train wouldn’t take me all the way to the border, it would get me closer than where I was now. Once I got near the Rio Grande I could buy a horse and ride to Mexico. I said a prayer for Ben, left the undertaker’s, and walked to the train station. Again, I went as fast as I thought prudent, so as not to raise any suspicions. I kept my eyes peeled for the other rangers Nathaniel had told me were in town.

  When I got to the ticket counter, an elderly gentleman informed me the train would be departing in ten minutes. This time I couldn’t afford my own compartment. I paid for a ticket and boarded the train. I knew I was taking a great risk, but I was hoping the search efforts would stay in town for a few hours. I took a seat at the back of the second-to-last car, on the side away from the station. As the train began to pull away, I idly watched the town disappear behind me.

  Remembering the food and whiskey John had said was in the satchel, I opened it eagerly. Beneath several items of clothing were several cloth packages and a bottle of whiskey. I pulled the cork from the bottle and took a long swallow. After a second one, I unwrapped the packages, revealing cheese and hardtack. I took several bites of each and washed it down with more whiskey. I finished the cheese and rewrapped the hardtack and put it back in the satchel. I kept the whiskey out. To keep my mind from racing, I focused on the sound of the wheels on the rails and the murmur of voices around me. Soon, the whiskey began to have its effect, and I dozed off. I must have been asleep for only a short time when a loud cry awoke me.

  For a moment, I didn’t know where I was. But it quickly came back to me when a second cry was punctuated with shouts and gunfire. More yells emanated from the train, including a feminine scream. I moved to the window just as two riders passed on galloping horses. A few moments later, the train came to an abrupt halt. I was thrown from my seat. The train punctuated the stop with an ear-shattering blast from its whistle. After that one blast, an ominous silence enveloped the train. This silence was broken by a flurry of gunshots and a loud explosion that rocked the entire car I was in. Two men in front of me had risen and were heading to the door that led to the next car. I remained seated, waiting to see what happened while not drawing unwanted attention.

  When the first inquisitive man in line reached the door handle, the door opened without warning. Two tall, broad-shouldered men stepped into our car. They had black bandanas covering their faces. Both brandished pistols in each hand. They pushed the two men roughly out of their way. This elicited another round of screams from several of the female passengers. Without warning, a young cowboy a few seats ahead of me stood up, quickly drawing his pistol from its holster. Before he could squeeze off a shot, one of the men had put a bullet in his forehead.

  “Don’t anyone else try anything, or you’ll be the next to get it. Now, everyone back in their seats!”

  Without a word, the men promptly turned and almost shuffled down the aisle. When everyone was seated again, one of the bandits walked down the aisle and took up a position at the door that led to the compartment behind this one. His companion returned to the door though which he had just come, closing it behind him. I did not make a move for my gun, though every ranger instinct in me was telling me to. I didn’t know the number of my adversaries. Then a thought struck me: what the hell did I care? I was no longer a lawman. I was trying to blend in to aid in my escape. I didn’t need to do anything foolish that would prevent me from making it to Mexico. That included confronting train robbers.

  As I stared at the open door, another figure stepped into view. Despite what I had just told myself, I let out a gasp that I was sure could be heard throughout the car. It was the handsome stranger I had met on my way to Abilene. I recognized him even though he was also wearing a bandana. He was looking right at me, my outburst having caught his attention. Damn. Like his cohorts, he also had a pistol in each hand. It dawned on me then the game this man had played. The man that I knew as Harry Langton had ridden the train earlier in the day to check out its security. He had returned to rob it on one of its next runs. Boy, I just keep racking up the wins, I told myself. I had slept with another outlaw.
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br />   He stepped fully into the car. Despite the circumstances, I could not help but again admire his physique and the handsome figure he cut. It was as if I could still feel his warm mouth enveloping my cock, and his thick member spewing its juice inside me. Despite the robbery unfolding, my dick was stirring inside my pants. My reverie was interrupted by a pistol shot. It had come from Harry.

  “Ladies and gentlemen. Please don’t be alarmed, and please stay in your seats so no one else gets hurt. My friends and I are relieving this train of its heavy payroll. In addition, I will need your cash, jewelry, and all other expensive items. Simply place your valuables in the sack as I come down the aisle.”

  Harry turned to the man by the door who handed him a black cloth sack. Harry holstered one of his pistols, took the sack, and stopped at the first passenger. It was a stout, matronly woman in a severe black dress. With a haughty huff that could be heard throughout the car, she deposited a necklace and several rings into the sack. The man beside her deposited a watch along with his wallet. Harry tipped his hat gallantly to them. He moved down the aisle, deftly stepping over the dead cowboy without breaking stride. One by one, the passengers complied, filling the sack with their valuables. I was betting the dead cowboy was keeping all the heroes in their seats. Most likely a similar scene was also unfolding in the other passenger cars.

  As Harry neared to me, I wondered what his reaction would be. Would he simply rob me as he was doing to the rest of the passengers? I got my answer sooner rather than later, as the tall, handsome outlaw stopped beside me, his crotch thrust into my face. I thought of our first meeting. Harry smiled at me then, to my surprise, pointed his pistol in my face.

  “You,” he yelled loud enough to be heard throughout the car. “Get up!”

  I did as he’d ordered, not knowing what to expect.

  “I warned you not to try anything. Outside, with your hands up!”

  I turned around and started down the aisle. At the door, I saw a surprised look on the outlaw’s face that was guarding that exit. He opened the door for me, and I stepped out onto the platform, with Harry close on my heels.

  “Turn around.”

  Without hesitation, and with a slight dose of arousal, I turned to face him. To my surprise, he pressed against me and kissed me deeply. The thickness of his cock pressed hard against me. I responded, my tongue exploring his mouth. His hand was at my crotch, rubbing my cock and bringing it to fiery hardness. Frantically, he undid the buttons on my pants and slid his right hand inside, grabbing my cock and squeezing it roughly.

  “I missed this cock. So, we meet again, Jake.”

  He withdrew his hand, sniffed his fingers, and re-buttoned my pants.

  “Hello, Harry. Is your name really Harry? Aren’t you too busy robbing this train to take care of my needs properly?”

  “Yes, my name is Harry. I’m never too busy to take care of you, Jake!”

  I didn’t respond, but merely looked into his beautiful brown eyes. He was smiling, showing large, even white teeth.

  “What are you doing back on the train? You told me you were going to Abilene.”

  “I was going to ask you the same thing, Harry. However, that gun in your hand and your bag of loot pretty much answers that. Would I be correct in thinking that you were riding the train earlier to check out more than the scenery?”

  “You’re correct, Jake. My apologies for leaving without waking you. It was my stop, and I didn’t want to have to answer more questions.”

  He kissed me again.

  “You’ve placed me in a bit of a predicament, Jake. You know my name, while no one else on this train does.”

  “Everyone got a good look at you on the train, Harry. Except for your lower face.”

  “I’m not the only outlaw in this area, Jake. There are at least five other gangs I know of. It could be any one of them who robbed this train. Now, what do you suggest I do about you? I can either shoot you here, which, remembering our previous time together, would be an awful waste of a good man. Or I can take you with me as my prisoner. Which, I can assure you will be a whole lot more fun!”

  I couldn’t tell if he was serious or not. When a smile broke out on his face, I had to believe he was. Of course my choice was obvious. In honor of Ben, I was not going to die on this train at the hands of a man whose arms I had lain in only this morning. My gaze did not leave his.

  “My mama didn’t raise no fool, Harry. I’ll go with you. What will your comrades say?”

  “They do what I tell them to do, or else, Jake.”

  His tone caused my arms to break out in gooseflesh.

  “Now, let’s get back inside so I can finish my business.”

  When we stepped back inside the compartment, without warning, a commotion erupted mid-car. A well-dressed young man was struggling with one of the bandits. The outlaw managed to push him away and then shot him in the chest. A young female beside him, presumably his wife, screamed and fainted. She landed in a heap against the window. Suddenly, Harry was moving past me, providing backup for his comrade.

  “Don’t anybody else move, or you’ll be killed as well. We’re done here, so everyone stay in their seats till we’re gone.”

  With his gun pointed at my back for appearance’s sake, I raised my hands in the air as Harry marched me down the aisle. We traversed the next compartment, and as we exited it, I could see the next car was the engine itself. As we entered the conductor’s area, I saw two men lying on the floor, each in a pool of blood. The air was thick with the smell of gunpowder. A safe on the floor had its door blown off. It was empty. The side door to the engine was open. Three horses stamped impatiently just past the tracks.

  “Down the stairs, Jake. Take the first horse on your right.”

  As I alighted to my right, I saw other horses, perhaps a half-dozen more. Men were moving to them, saddling up and riding to join us. I swung up onto the back of a strong gelding as the group reached me.

  “Who the hell are you?” one of the men asked in a sullen tone.

  “Back off, Tiny. He’s with me!”

  Harry was coming down the steps.

  “If anybody else has the balls to say anything about my prisoner, speak now!”

  No one did.

  “We’ve got riders coming!” Tiny hollered, and he pointed to a distant hill.

  A large group of horsemen, perhaps thirty plus, were heading in our direction.

  “Let’s get outta here, boys,” Harry shouted.

  “You stay close to me, Jake. ”

  As one, we turned and put heels to our horses, galloping madly down a small incline which leveled out into a vast plain. Several gunshots sounded from the train, but none found its mark. Some of the riders had broken off from the main group and headed to the train; the remainder followed us. However, we had a good lead on them, and we were riding as if the devil himself was on our heels. The men’s faces remained impassive as they urged their horses to ever greater speeds.

  When we reached the end of the plain, a wide but shallow, rock-strewn gully confronted us. We headed down it without slackening our speed. We raced across sandy, washed-out gullies, through muddy streams, and across endless plains. After several more miles, I could no longer see our pursuers. I wondered if they had lost interest. When Harry was seemingly satisfied that we had put some miles between us and our pursuers, he fell back to ride beside me.

  “Who were those men, Harry? News of the robbery couldn’t have spread that fast!”

  “Most likely extra guards hired by the railroad.”

  I let the matter drop.

  Darkness was close upon us when he called a stop beside a small pool to rest and water the horses.

  “We’ll bed down here for the night, boys. I think we’ve shaken our pursuers. If we haven’t, they’ll be afraid to follow us in the dark for fear of an ambush. Plus, the horses won’t go much farther without a rest.”

  He dismounted and came over to me as I was getting down from the gelding.
r />   “You, come with me.”

  He grabbed the saddlebags from his horse and I unhitched mine. We headed off into the woods, away from the pool and the rest of the outlaws. We hit upon a trail that we followed for only a few feet. It ended at a grassy glade, hemmed in by jacarandas. Their misshapen, interlocking branches provided a roof for our small area. Harry set the saddlebags on the grass and turned to me.

  “You’ve been on my mind since that first day we met on the train.”

  He stepped closer to me, the smell of his sweat filling my nostrils. He grabbed my head in his hands and kissed me full on the lips. His tongue probed deep. His hand pressed against my crotch, rubbing my cock. It quickly hardened. He stepped back from me and took off his clothes.

  “Let me see you naked, Jake!”

  I didn’t need to be asked twice. In seconds, I was standing naked before him. His gaze traveled up and down my body. His lust was plain to read on his face.

  “You sure are a handsome man, Jake.”

  He stepped to me and kissed me. He grabbed the cheeks of my ass and kneaded them roughly. He pulled me down into the soft grass on top of him, the hairs of our chests rubbing teasingly against one another. He was fully hard, as was I. I could feel his early fluid leaking against my belly. He reached into the saddlebags and pulled out a bottle of whiskey. He pulled the cork with his teeth and took a large swallow. When he handed the bottle to me, I took a long pull from it. The cool night breeze caressed my chest, causing both nipples to become erect. Harry began running his tongue over the hardened nubs, then took the right one into his mouth. He bit it gently. He grabbed my dick with his right hand and began slowly stroking it.

  Without warning, he grabbed me firmly by my elbows and expertly flipped me onto my back. He swung around till his head was at my feet and his at mine. He then slid back till he was directly over my crotch. His own cock was poised above my mouth. Its clear fluid dripped onto my mustache. His heavy, pungent ball sac was lying on the bridge of my nose. The smell of his crotch was intoxicating. I licked the head of his stiffer. After a second swirl of my tongue, I grabbed the cheeks of his ass and guided his dick into my mouth. Harry let out a long, low moan as I swallowed most of it. In appreciation, he began vigorously licking the head of my cock. He swirled his tongue a final time before swallowing my prick to the root. He paused, sucking softly, and then proceeded to steadily saw on it. At the same time, he slowly pumped his stiffer down my throat.