The Encounter (23 page)

              For a moment everything was frozen in time. There were people all around. No one had ever seen anything like this. One other stepped up and was slammed into the wall by a back fist to the face. His nose erupted and splattered several people with blood. The adrenaline was flowing. Lawrence was on a roll, but there were no more takers.

              John's voice came from behind the crowd. "What the hell's goin' on here?"

              The people on the sidewalk opened up for him. Lawrence's breathing had returned to normal and he'd relaxed his defensive posture. Erma walked over to Margaret.

              John knelt beside the man with the bloody nose. "No real harm done here." He helped the man up, and then looked toward the street. "Who's in the street?"

              "Frank Kramer and Charlie", came the answer from back in the crowd.

              John stepped off the sidewalk and had a look at the two unconscious men in the street. As soon as he was sure no one was seriously hurt he returned to Lawrence and Margaret. "We better get off the street. Frank's not gonna take to kindly to losing this fight."

              "He started it", Lawrence complained not wanting to back off from the situation.

              Margaret took him by the arm. He looked at her and knew she was right.

              "He's not gonna care who started it", John said, just that he lost it."

              "He's right", Erma added.

              John, Erma, Lawrence and Margaret continued on to the doctor's office. The rest of the crowd still murmured about what had happened. Frank's friends helped him up. He regained his senses and jerked away from them.

              Lawrence and Margaret, and the Cassidys, entered the doctor's office. John turned and locked the door.

              "I'm gonna look in on Sarah", Margaret announced, and started down the hall.

              Erma took John by the arm. "It's late, I think we all need to turn in."

              "You're right", Lawrence agreed. "It's been an interesting evening, in more ways than one."

              All three started for the hall. A bullet smashed through the front window and slammed into the wall just missing Erma's shoulder. Everyone dropped down. Margaret stepped into the hall and used her hand to keep Sarah back. Joseph opened his door.

              Lawrence was crouched at the entrance to the hallway. He looked at Margaret and Joseph. "Get down, somebody's shooting." Margaret and Joseph knelt down close to the wall.

              Frank's voice came from outside. "I want that son-of-a-bitch out in the street with a gun or I'm gonna shoot this place to pieces." Another bullet smashed through the window taking a picture off the wall.

              "I hear you", Lawrence yelled. "Hold your fire." He looked at John. "Why doesn't the Marshal do something?"

              John wrapped his arms around Erma. "The Mayor appoints the Marshal and Ben Kramer all but appoints the Mayor."

              Lawrence took a deep breath and let it out. "Great... What's gonna happen to me if I shoot his son?"

              John glanced at the broken window. "Even Ben Kramer can't ignore a fair fight when it happens in front of the whole town."

              Lawrence got up and moved quickly down the hall to Joseph's position. "You got your rifle?"

              "Yes", Joseph answered. "Who's shooting?"

              "Frank Kramer. There isn't time to explain. Get your rifle. If anything happens to me protect the women."

              Joseph ducked back into his room. Lawrence went to Margaret. Sarah sat next to her in the open doorway.

              "You think you should do this." Margaret was afraid history was about to repeat itself for her. Her voice was calm, but inside she was panicked. "We could slip out the back door."

              "I'm not running from this guy. Besides, if we leave and he kills somebody because of us the effect could be the same."

              Sarah had no idea what they were talking about. "You gonna shoot him?"

              Lawrence looked at Sarah. "I hope not." He gripped Margaret's arm. She leaned over and kissed him. He looked at her face. If he managed to get through this he was gonna find out if there was any hope for them.

              "You good enough to kill him", Margaret asked?

              "I hope I'm good enough not to."

              Another bullet smashed into the front room. Lawrence crossed the hall into their bedroom. A few moments later he came out tying down his holster. He looked at Margaret and Sarah, then made his way back up front.

              Joseph knelt beside John and Erma with his rifle.

              Lawrence knelt beside them. He looked at Joseph. "You ready?" Joseph nodded.

              "Listen", John said. "He wears his gun, butt first, on his left side. He'll start moving his right hand slowly cross in front of him. While you're watching his right, he'll draw with his left."

              "I guess you've seen him do this before", Lawrence asked?

              "I've pronounced them dead. All of them".

              Lawrence stood up. "Thanks, but you could've kept that last part to yourself". He raised his gun out of its holster and let it drop back, then yelled, "I'm comin' out. Hold your fire".

              Lawrence stepped up to the door, unlocked it and hoped the son-of-a-bitch didn't shoot him the moment he stepped through it.

              Frank was waiting. His rage had sobered him up. Lawrence stepped out on the sidewalk. The street lamp in front of the office, and the one across the street, afforded enough light. Frank stood in the middle of the street. The Doc was right. His gun was on his left side. His right hand was halfway across in front of him. Lawrence glanced left and right. There were people on the sidewalk well out of the line of fire. Lawrence had competed in several fast draw contests, but balloons couldn't shoot back.

              Lawrence wanted to talk before it was too late. "Why do we have to do this? It was just a stupid fight. No reason anyone has to get killed."

              "I'm not gonna kill ya", Frank came back. "I'm just gonna put ya down, then do that little lady of your's in front of ya. And when I'm done I got three or four more that want a turn."

              Every muscle in Lawrence's body went taut. He forced himself to relax. He wanted this bastard, and for just a moment, dead was okay.

              Frank's right hand began to move ever so slowly toward the gun butt. Lawrence watched his left. John was right. Frank's left hand came up.

              It was over in an instant. Frank's gun was halfway out when Lawrence's bullet smashed into the cylinder, tearing it out of the holster. Frank screamed and grabbed his hand. Lawrence stood, holding his pistol, waiting for whatever came next.

              Frank was enraged. The fact that Lawrence had his gun drawn didn't seem to matter. He reached into his right boot, pulled a knife and rushed him. Lawrence waited. He side stepped the lunge, parried the knife hand with his left arm and laid the gun barrel along side Frank's head. Frank went down and it was over.

              Several men stepped out of the shadows across the street and the crowd on the sidewalk began to move toward him. Lawrence backed toward the door. The door opened and John and Joseph stepped out.

              John put his hands up. "Alright, it's over folks. Nobody's dead. Somebody get the Marshal." He looked at Lawrence. "You and Joseph go back in. I'll handle this."

              Lawrence started back in. Joseph put his hand on him. "I was at the window. I never seen nobody shoot like that. I knew you weren't no prospector."

              Joseph and Lawrence entered the doctor's office and closed the door.

              Margaret stood in the entrance to the hallway. "Joseph, you better go to your father."

              He looked at her for a moment, and then understood what she meant. He hurried past her. Lawrence walked up and put his arms around her. She hugged him back. Her head was against his shoulder. He could feel her trembling. He rubbed her back and held her.

              Joseph pushed the door open to his father's room. Sarah knelt beside the bed. Her hands were clasped in front of her. Tears rolled down her cheeks. Her lips moved as she prayed.

He stood for a moment and watched. Tears began to well up in his eyes. He stood the rifle against the wall and went to his sister. He knelt beside her and placed his arm around her. She looked at him with a tearful face, then put her arms around his neck and wept.

The fight they had earlier meant nothing now. It was just the two of them and he'd never let her feel that way again.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

The Marshal wanted to haul somebody in, other than Frank that is. John, and a dozen other eyewitnesses, made that impossible. He eventually did what he does best, nothing. Frank was carried home in the back of a wagon after John took enough money from him to pay for the damage.

              Margaret helped Sarah to bed and sat with her until she fell sleep. John prepared Martin to be taken to the undertaker in the morning.

              Joseph finally took Margaret's place in the chair beside Sarah's bed.

              Margaret stepped into the hall. Lawrence was sitting on the couch with his head back. She walked up to him. His gun-belt was on the couch next to him. She picked up the gun-belt, put her hand on his shoulder and gently shook him.

              He raised his head. "How is she?"

              "She's asleep, Joseph's with her. Let's go to bed."

              He got up and followed her down the hall toward their room. He watched her moving inside the dress. Undressing her in his mind seemed like a pointless exercise. In a few minutes he'd be sharing the bed with her.

                                                       ***

They both entered the room. He sat on the side of the bed, and then laid back across it. She pulled off his boots, set them aside, and then started unfastening his pants. His eyes were closed, but he was fully aware of what she was doing. He was also fully aware of what was happening inside his long johns. He let her pull off the pants before sitting up and handling the shirt himself. She took the shirt from him and laid it with the pants in the chair.

              She turned her back to him. "You mind"?

              He stood up and unfastened the buttons down the back of the dress. She slipped it off her shoulders and stepped out of it. Next came the petticoat. Everything went on the chair. He unlaced the corset for her.

              She took off the corset and held it at arms length. "I still can't see what purpose this serves other than to keep you from taking a deep breath."

              She tossed it on the chair. He sat back on the bed and watched her take off the rest.

              When she was naked he got up, walked to her and put his arms around her. She pressed herself against him and rubbed her hands up and down his back.

              "Let's go to bed", she said, and kissed him.

              This kiss lasted longer than the rest. He pushed his tongue past her lips. She wasn't sure what to do so she did the same. After a moment they separated.

Her heart raced. She wanted him naked. She pulled at his long johns tearing them. She slowed down for fear of breaking something. He pushed away, got the rest off, and then embraced her again. Her hands were running up and down his back, from his shoulders to his hips. This aroused the males of her species and was working pretty well on her human choice. He pulled her toward the bed. They fell across it, wrapped in each other’s arms. She hooked her leg around him and pressed herself against him. He rolled on top. Her breathing was short and quick. Her eyes were closed. He pushed up with his arms and moved her legs apart with his knees. He reached down and rubbed himself against her. She flinched. They both wanted this. He entered her.

The muscles in her body suddenly contracted to the point he couldn't move. He wasn't sure what to do. Her body began to draw him in. The pressure began to hurt, and then everything relaxed. He watched her. Her breathing began to slow. He began to move and her body began to transmit back to him, what she was experiencing. Her hands coursed slowly up and down his back. He leaned forward and gently kissed her breasts. He took a nipple in his mouth, drew back on it, and then let it go. He did it again and again. He raised his head. She felt as warm, and as human, as anyone he'd ever been with.