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HELLO, after so long time, after a big computer crash and after many other things I made it.

13. Sweet deal

Beans got more nervous when she looked at the setting sun. Now it touched the horizon. She kneaded her fingers. She sat on a chair in mayor’s office for hours. Jake lay in a corner of the room and seemed to sleep. Or made he pretence of doing it?
Since Wounded Bird was gone in the morning, Jake ordered her to stay in town hall. If someone would do a stupid thing or would left the town, he would give her bad pain, he said to the townspeople before they had left.
Beans sighed. Wounded Bird wasn’t still back. Also Rango. None of them. Why? Wounded Bird was a very good reader of tracks. Didn’t he find Rango? What’s happened with him in meantime? What will happen when none of them comes back today… or never?
She remembered Jake’s words. Would he really kill anyone tonight?
Suddenly, the clock rang. Jake opened his eyes. Beans held his breath when he lifted his upper body. He focused his eyes on her.
“The sun goes down. A beauty if she leaves the sky and the day dies, isn’t it?”
Beans nodded silently.
“A good time for a beautiful death.”
He grinned. “Time for a little sunset walk.”
Beans screamed when he circled his coils around her body. With Beans in his grab, he left the town hall down to the street. He stopped and looked around. The street was empty.
He laughed darkly and a rattling shivered the air.
The people in their houses were paralyzed by fear. They knew, the grim reaper was on his way.
Jake left the place and slithered down the street. At the end, he stopped and looked down the street. He lifted his rattle and shot several times in the air.
“Come out! All of you! No wrong decision, otherwise you will hear her scream of pain.”
He gave Beans a sideglance, just to make clear that he was no kidding.
One after another, the townspeople left their houses and walked along the street in Jake’s direction. Jake looked at them with watchful eyes, always ready for an attack if someone would be so a fool to kill him.
Fortunately for him and for Beans, nobody dared to make resistance. After the last one has left the house, Jake rattled with his rattle and everyone was silent.
“The sun is going to leave the sky,” Jake began. “So, your little sheriff isn’t back. Sorry for your little folks, but in this case I’m forced to keep my promise and to kill one of you this evening.”
A fearing muttering sounded around. Everyone exchanged glances with his neighbor. Everyone was horrified, but nobody was able to run away. Otherwise, it was really his last day. It was thousand times more terrible than for a child to play musical chairs with a jump in the hell afterwards.
Jake looked around. “Who wants to be the first one?”
Of course, nobody said something.
“I see I have to choose one of you, haven’t I?”
Again, he let wander his glances about the townsfolk. Then he chuckled darkly.
“Listen, just because it’s the first death day for you, I will be so generous and some of your old will end his walk.”
He slithered along the folks. All held their breath. Miss. Daisy held her bible closer to her body. Who will be the grim reaper’s first victim?
“Maybe… someone…. like…” He stopped and turned his head on the left. “… you!”
Spoons grew pale.
“You are old enough.”
Spoons swallowed hardly. He looked like he would fall dead himself before Jake could do.
Jake raised an eyebrow and turned around.
“Unless you want that I change my mind and choose her!”
His eyes stopped at Priscilla.
Beans’s heart stopped for a moment. “No”, she said weakly.
“Shut your trap, woman”, Jake said and looked into Priscilla’s eyes. “What’s your opinion? You or you?”
He circled around Priscilla. The aye-aye’s eyes were bigger than never before.
Spoons looked around, but there was no one who could help him.
“Don’t do it, Jake! Please!”
All people looked at Beans, who was still in Jake’s grip.
Jake raised his eyebrows. “Sorry for you. Your sheriff friend was a stupid creature to leave this town.”
“It was my idea!” Beans shouted. “I begged him to leave the town!”
Jake constricted his coils. Beans gasped. The snake chuckled.
“Women are really stupid creatures.”
“I-it’s… it’s okay, Beans”, Spoons said weakly. “I do it.”
He lowered his head.
Jake narrowed his eyes. “To the cemetery.”

Jake called it “Walking Death”. Everyone who saw that “game” knew why. And everyone would give everything to avoid to occupy center stage. Spoons thought the same when he stood forwards and all the others looked at him with regrettable eyes.
Jake stood directly behind him, still with Beans in his coils. Spoons looked at the cemetery that lay not far away from him.
Jake rattled with his gun and slithered with his body expectantly. Spoons stood like frozen.
“Go over the cemetery,” Jake ordered. “Until I found a good place for your grave and I will give you a way to your destiny.”
He rattled softly with his rattle.
Spoons swallowed. “Can I take off my hat?”
Jake grinned. “As you wish.”
Spoons nodded thankfully. With his hat in his hands and lowered glance, he stepped forwards slowly. Some people closed the eyes of the children. Buford pressed his hands together.
When Spoons reached the first graves, he turned his glance aside where Amos’s grave lay not far away.
“At least I die among follow sufferer”, he thought.
Spoons walked on. Beans’s eyes wandered to Jake who moved softly his gun, kept his eyes glued to his victim. His gating gun rattle trembled very nervously of lust to kill.
When Spoons reached a little gab between the graves, Jake leveled his gun and aimed at his living target.
Bean’s eyes grew wide and moved her lips.
“NO! Don’t do it!” Beans screamed.
Jake hissed sharply. Spoons stopped.
“Go on!” Jake cursed. “Go ahead!”
“Jake! Please!” Beans yelled.
“HELL! Shut your trap!” Jake shouted.
He moved his coils higher around her and closed her mouth with his body.
“Don’t dare to talk to me like that!”
Beans struggled like crazy and managed to free her mouth again.
“NO! I do everything you want, but don’t kill him!”
Jake hesitated. He had heard these words a long time ago. He snorted with dislike and broke the eye contact with her.
“There is nothing you can do for me, woman.”
“There must be something! Tell me what you want.”
Now he moved his head and looked into her eyes.
“Where is your friend?”
Beans was close to tears. “I really, really don’t know! Believe me! I REALLY don’t know!”
He panted with rage. “Wrong answer.”
Again, he leveled his gun at Spoons.
“Whatever you want!” Beans screamed. “Is there nothing you like more than to kill?”
Jake thought a moment. “Mmm…”
He looked at Beans with amused look. “Maybe.”
He looked at the others, then to Spoons who was still on walk between the graves.
“Stop!” Jake screamed.
Spoons winced. Slowly he turned around.
“And you all! Go away! I don’t wanna see no one of you until I call you! Get it?!”
The folkspeople ran in horror into their houses.
Spoons still stood between the gravestones and didn’t know what to do.
“Uh…”
“GET OFF!”
Spoons ran like a mad man like never before in his old life. After he was gone, Jake pay his attention back to Beans.
Beans lay stiffly in his coils, while the grim reaper came closer with his head, until she could feel his breath. He looked into her eyes as if he wanted to see into her soul.
Jake grinned evilly. Beans didn’t know to say. What was he thinking about?
“Would you forget your boyfriend for me?”
Beans was wide-eyed. “What do you…”
“You know exactly what I mean, woman! Is that so difficult to understand?”
Jake lifted his head a little, but he didn’t break the eye contact with her.
Beans’s mind was in a haze for a moment.
“Why do you say…”
Beans was dumbstruck.
Jake forced an evilly smile. “I must admit, I have a weakness for strong women.”
Genteelly he licked his tongue over her cheek.
Beans shivered with fear and avoided his glance, but he petted gently with his gun about her cheek and forced her to look into his eyes.
“What exactly do you want?” she asked shakily.
“Hmmm… not really what you think. It will be enough for me that you promise never meet your lizard friend again. You belongs only to me.”
Beans breathed heavily.
“So, is that a proposal?” she asked.
Jake gave her a warning squeeze. “I don’t need a proposal! I take what I want! And be sure, I will get what I want.”
“How long?”
“Forever. For the rest of your life.”
Beans was silent like a corpse.
“It that your ultimatum?” She asked hoarsely.
He pressed his coils a little closer.
This was his answer.
There was silence. The time seemed to stand still. Even the graves seemed to be frozen and listened to them.
“If I do it,” Beans said with feeble voice. “If I do it, you will never kill anyone here in town?”
“If you promise, yes.”
Beans thought a few seconds. “And you will not kill him?”
Jake raised an eyebrow. “Only if you never love him. Never see him again.”
Beans swallowed hardly. “You promise?”
“I promise with my soul, I will never harm a scale on his head.”
“Without venom and bullets, you promise? You will not kill him?”
“I promise if you give me your word that you will never give him a sign of your female charm. Just for me.”
Beans was very confused. For a moment, she wasn’t able to say a word.
Jake was impatient. “What’s worse?” he asked. “To live with me or to see how your little friends die a cruel death?”
The answer was easy but for Beans too heavy to wear.
Jake narrowed his eyes in rage. “Shall I call back that stinky old mouse? Heh? SHALL I?”
Beans pressed her lips together. “No,” she whispered.
“What’s your answer, woman?” Jake asked calmer.
Beans swallowed hardly. “I- I agree.”
Jake grinned evilly. “Sweet deal.”

Rango had a bad feeling inside his stomach. But maybe just because he didn’t eat anything the whole day. They didn’t gave him anything to eat, after they finished their dinner, except that little bean.
When the plates were empty, everyone stood up and put it on the table under the shelves beside the oven. Nobody left the room until Bill stood up, adjusted his suspenders and took a chair.
Rango followed him with his eyes.
“Stand up!” Bill ordered.
When Rango stood up slowly, Bill grabbed his arm to speed up.
“Come up! I have no time all the night!”
He pushed him forward to the next door and they enter a little room with four wooden beds. Bill had the biggest bed. No wonder, he was bigger and heavier than the other was.
Bill put the chair next to his bed und pointed at it. “Sit down!”
Rango hesitated. “Uh… why?”
“Your bed.”
The other three laughed. Bill growled and they were silent again.
Rango raised his hand a little. “You’re not serious, are you?”
“Hell! No back talk!” Bill growled. “Either you sit down or I hit you down.”
After Rango was sitting on the chair Bill grabbed his hands again and tied them together on Rango’s back on the chair.
“But Bill,” Rango tried again. “That’s very… uncomfortable.”
“Oh really?” Bill said sarcastically. “Well, in this case, sleep well.”
He gave him a softly handclap on his cheek and put out another long rope. “And if you really want to go…”
He tied the rope around Rango’s neck, the other end around Bill’s foot.
After that, he placed himself in front of Rango and lifted his chin.
“Just to be sure that you don’t escape... and… don’t try! I’m a very light sleeper!”
With these words, he turned around and lay down himself in his bed without to change his clothes. He doffed his shoes and threw them on the floor. Then he put his hat on his belly and made himself comfortable. The others followed his example. A few seconds later, everyone lay in his own bed and hanged their hats on the bedposts.
Rango looked at Bill who still stared at him with tired eyes.
“Bill, let me go, please,” he begged.
“Good night!” That was the end of Bill’s day today. The Gila monster closed his eyes and gave Rango no attention anymore.
Chorizo turned off the light of the oil lamp. After the light was out Stump took out his stuffed rabbit under his pillow.

It wasn’t easy for Rango to sleep that night. Bill and Kinski snored loudly, Chorizo rolled himself on the side to the other again and again. Just Stump slept peacefully. Added to that he was tied and an uncomfortable position for sleeping and his stomach grumbled terribly.
He snorted with disgust. His thoughts wandered to town. He was sure that something bad happened. If he only knew exactly what. He wished he could untie himself, but his feet were tied this time. He moved his hands, then his legs. No sense. Damn! Bill really knew how to tie someone. He sighed. He knew, Bill had a knife but he could never reach it.
Silent he listened in the silence accompanied by snoring and loudly breathing.
“Why?” He asked himself. “Why? What have I done that I deserve this? I didn’t make a mistake and yet I’m here.”
He lifted his head. In the far, he heard the cry of a coyote. Rango sighed and thought of Beans. He winced. Another cry. Two times short and one time long.
Rango narrowed his eyes. He had never heard a coyote cry like that.
Again the same howling.
That wasn’t an usual howl. No.
It was a signal!

Be continued...

:squee: — Description
HELLO, after so long time, after a big computer crash and after many other things I made it.

13. Sweet deal

Beans got more nervous when she looked at the setting sun. Now it touched the horizon. She kneaded her fingers. She sat on a chair in mayor’s office for hours. Jake lay in a corner of the room and seemed to sleep. Or made he pretence of doing it?
Since Wounded Bird was gone in the morning, Jake ordered her to stay in town hall. If someone would do a stupid thing or would left the town, he would give her bad pain, he said to the townspeople before they had left.
Beans sighed. Wounded Bird wasn’t still back. Also Rango. None of them. Why? Wounded Bird was a very good reader of tracks. Didn’t he find Rango? What’s happened with him in meantime? What will happen when none of them comes back today… or never?
She remembered Jake’s words. Would he really kill anyone tonight?
Suddenly, the clock rang. Jake opened his eyes. Beans held his breath when he lifted his upper body. He focused his eyes on her.
“The sun goes down. A beauty if she leaves the sky and the day dies, isn’t it?”
Beans nodded silently.
“A good time for a beautiful death.”
He grinned. “Time for a little sunset walk.”
Beans screamed when he circled his coils around her body. With Beans in his grab, he left the town hall down to the street. He stopped and looked around. The street was empty.
He laughed darkly and a rattling shivered the air.
The people in their houses were paralyzed by fear. They knew, the grim reaper was on his way.
Jake left the place and slithered down the street. At the end, he stopped and looked down the street. He lifted his rattle and shot several times in the air.
“Come out! All of you! No wrong decision, otherwise you will hear her scream of pain.”
He gave Beans a sideglance, just to make clear that he was no kidding.
One after another, the townspeople left their houses and walked along the street in Jake’s direction. Jake looked at them with watchful eyes, always ready for an attack if someone would be so a fool to kill him.
Fortunately for him and for Beans, nobody dared to make resistance. After the last one has left the house, Jake rattled with his rattle and everyone was silent.
“The sun is going to leave the sky,” Jake began. “So, your little sheriff isn’t back. Sorry for your little folks, but in this case I’m forced to keep my promise and to kill one of you this evening.”
A fearing muttering sounded around. Everyone exchanged glances with his neighbor. Everyone was horrified, but nobody was able to run away. Otherwise, it was really his last day. It was thousand times more terrible than for a child to play musical chairs with a jump in the hell afterwards.
Jake looked around. “Who wants to be the first one?”
Of course, nobody said something.
“I see I have to choose one of you, haven’t I?”
Again, he let wander his glances about the townsfolk. Then he chuckled darkly.
“Listen, just because it’s the first death day for you, I will be so generous and some of your old will end his walk.”
He slithered along the folks. All held their breath. Miss. Daisy held her bible closer to her body. Who will be the grim reaper’s first victim?
“Maybe… someone…. like…” He stopped and turned his head on the left. “… you!”
Spoons grew pale.
“You are old enough.”
Spoons swallowed hardly. He looked like he would fall dead himself before Jake could do.
Jake raised an eyebrow and turned around.
“Unless you want that I change my mind and choose her!”
His eyes stopped at Priscilla.
Beans’s heart stopped for a moment. “No”, she said weakly.
“Shut your trap, woman”, Jake said and looked into Priscilla’s eyes. “What’s your opinion? You or you?”
He circled around Priscilla. The aye-aye’s eyes were bigger than never before.
Spoons looked around, but there was no one who could help him.
“Don’t do it, Jake! Please!”
All people looked at Beans, who was still in Jake’s grip.
Jake raised his eyebrows. “Sorry for you. Your sheriff friend was a stupid creature to leave this town.”
“It was my idea!” Beans shouted. “I begged him to leave the town!”
Jake constricted his coils. Beans gasped. The snake chuckled.
“Women are really stupid creatures.”
“I-it’s… it’s okay, Beans”, Spoons said weakly. “I do it.”
He lowered his head.
Jake narrowed his eyes. “To the cemetery.”

Jake called it “Walking Death”. Everyone who saw that “game” knew why. And everyone would give everything to avoid to occupy center stage. Spoons thought the same when he stood forwards and all the others looked at him with regrettable eyes.
Jake stood directly behind him, still with Beans in his coils. Spoons looked at the cemetery that lay not far away from him.
Jake rattled with his gun and slithered with his body expectantly. Spoons stood like frozen.
“Go over the cemetery,” Jake ordered. “Until I found a good place for your grave and I will give you a way to your destiny.”
He rattled softly with his rattle.
Spoons swallowed. “Can I take off my hat?”
Jake grinned. “As you wish.”
Spoons nodded thankfully. With his hat in his hands and lowered glance, he stepped forwards slowly. Some people closed the eyes of the children. Buford pressed his hands together.
When Spoons reached the first graves, he turned his glance aside where Amos’s grave lay not far away.
“At least I die among follow sufferer”, he thought.
Spoons walked on. Beans’s eyes wandered to Jake who moved softly his gun, kept his eyes glued to his victim. His gating gun rattle trembled very nervously of lust to kill.
When Spoons reached a little gab between the graves, Jake leveled his gun and aimed at his living target.
Bean’s eyes grew wide and moved her lips.
“NO! Don’t do it!” Beans screamed.
Jake hissed sharply. Spoons stopped.
“Go on!” Jake cursed. “Go ahead!”
“Jake! Please!” Beans yelled.
“HELL! Shut your trap!” Jake shouted.
He moved his coils higher around her and closed her mouth with his body.
“Don’t dare to talk to me like that!”
Beans struggled like crazy and managed to free her mouth again.
“NO! I do everything you want, but don’t kill him!”
Jake hesitated. He had heard these words a long time ago. He snorted with dislike and broke the eye contact with her.
“There is nothing you can do for me, woman.”
“There must be something! Tell me what you want.”
Now he moved his head and looked into her eyes.
“Where is your friend?”
Beans was close to tears. “I really, really don’t know! Believe me! I REALLY don’t know!”
He panted with rage. “Wrong answer.”
Again, he leveled his gun at Spoons.
“Whatever you want!” Beans screamed. “Is there nothing you like more than to kill?”
Jake thought a moment. “Mmm…”
He looked at Beans with amused look. “Maybe.”
He looked at the others, then to Spoons who was still on walk between the graves.
“Stop!” Jake screamed.
Spoons winced. Slowly he turned around.
“And you all! Go away! I don’t wanna see no one of you until I call you! Get it?!”
The folkspeople ran in horror into their houses.
Spoons still stood between the gravestones and didn’t know what to do.
“Uh…”
“GET OFF!”
Spoons ran like a mad man like never before in his old life. After he was gone, Jake pay his attention back to Beans.
Beans lay stiffly in his coils, while the grim reaper came closer with his head, until she could feel his breath. He looked into her eyes as if he wanted to see into her soul.
Jake grinned evilly. Beans didn’t know to say. What was he thinking about?
“Would you forget your boyfriend for me?”
Beans was wide-eyed. “What do you…”
“You know exactly what I mean, woman! Is that so difficult to understand?”
Jake lifted his head a little, but he didn’t break the eye contact with her.
Beans’s mind was in a haze for a moment.
“Why do you say…”
Beans was dumbstruck.
Jake forced an evilly smile. “I must admit, I have a weakness for strong women.”
Genteelly he licked his tongue over her cheek.
Beans shivered with fear and avoided his glance, but he petted gently with his gun about her cheek and forced her to look into his eyes.
“What exactly do you want?” she asked shakily.
“Hmmm… not really what you think. It will be enough for me that you promise never meet your lizard friend again. You belongs only to me.”
Beans breathed heavily.
“So, is that a proposal?” she asked.
Jake gave her a warning squeeze. “I don’t need a proposal! I take what I want! And be sure, I will get what I want.”
“How long?”
“Forever. For the rest of your life.”
Beans was silent like a corpse.
“It that your ultimatum?” She asked hoarsely.
He pressed his coils a little closer.
This was his answer.
There was silence. The time seemed to stand still. Even the graves seemed to be frozen and listened to them.
“If I do it,” Beans said with feeble voice. “If I do it, you will never kill anyone here in town?”
“If you promise, yes.”
Beans thought a few seconds. “And you will not kill him?”
Jake raised an eyebrow. “Only if you never love him. Never see him again.”
Beans swallowed hardly. “You promise?”
“I promise with my soul, I will never harm a scale on his head.”
“Without venom and bullets, you promise? You will not kill him?”
“I promise if you give me your word that you will never give him a sign of your female charm. Just for me.”
Beans was very confused. For a moment, she wasn’t able to say a word.
Jake was impatient. “What’s worse?” he asked. “To live with me or to see how your little friends die a cruel death?”
The answer was easy but for Beans too heavy to wear.
Jake narrowed his eyes in rage. “Shall I call back that stinky old mouse? Heh? SHALL I?”
Beans pressed her lips together. “No,” she whispered.
“What’s your answer, woman?” Jake asked calmer.
Beans swallowed hardly. “I- I agree.”
Jake grinned evilly. “Sweet deal.”

Rango had a bad feeling inside his stomach. But maybe just because he didn’t eat anything the whole day. They didn’t gave him anything to eat, after they finished their dinner, except that little bean.
When the plates were empty, everyone stood up and put it on the table under the shelves beside the oven. Nobody left the room until Bill stood up, adjusted his suspenders and took a chair.
Rango followed him with his eyes.
“Stand up!” Bill ordered.
When Rango stood up slowly, Bill grabbed his arm to speed up.
“Come up! I have no time all the night!”
He pushed him forward to the next door and they enter a little room with four wooden beds. Bill had the biggest bed. No wonder, he was bigger and heavier than the other was.
Bill put the chair next to his bed und pointed at it. “Sit down!”
Rango hesitated. “Uh… why?”
“Your bed.”
The other three laughed. Bill growled and they were silent again.
Rango raised his hand a little. “You’re not serious, are you?”
“Hell! No back talk!” Bill growled. “Either you sit down or I hit you down.”
After Rango was sitting on the chair Bill grabbed his hands again and tied them together on Rango’s back on the chair.
“But Bill,” Rango tried again. “That’s very… uncomfortable.”
“Oh really?” Bill said sarcastically. “Well, in this case, sleep well.”
He gave him a softly handclap on his cheek and put out another long rope. “And if you really want to go…”
He tied the rope around Rango’s neck, the other end around Bill’s foot.
After that, he placed himself in front of Rango and lifted his chin.
“Just to be sure that you don’t escape... and… don’t try! I’m a very light sleeper!”
With these words, he turned around and lay down himself in his bed without to change his clothes. He doffed his shoes and threw them on the floor. Then he put his hat on his belly and made himself comfortable. The others followed his example. A few seconds later, everyone lay in his own bed and hanged their hats on the bedposts.
Rango looked at Bill who still stared at him with tired eyes.
“Bill, let me go, please,” he begged.
“Good night!” That was the end of Bill’s day today. The Gila monster closed his eyes and gave Rango no attention anymore.
Chorizo turned off the light of the oil lamp. After the light was out Stump took out his stuffed rabbit under his pillow.

It wasn’t easy for Rango to sleep that night. Bill and Kinski snored loudly, Chorizo rolled himself on the side to the other again and again. Just Stump slept peacefully. Added to that he was tied and an uncomfortable position for sleeping and his stomach grumbled terribly.
He snorted with disgust. His thoughts wandered to town. He was sure that something bad happened. If he only knew exactly what. He wished he could untie himself, but his feet were tied this time. He moved his hands, then his legs. No sense. Damn! Bill really knew how to tie someone. He sighed. He knew, Bill had a knife but he could never reach it.
Silent he listened in the silence accompanied by snoring and loudly breathing.
“Why?” He asked himself. “Why? What have I done that I deserve this? I didn’t make a mistake and yet I’m here.”
He lifted his head. In the far, he heard the cry of a coyote. Rango sighed and thought of Beans. He winced. Another cry. Two times short and one time long.
Rango narrowed his eyes. He had never heard a coyote cry like that.
Again the same howling.
That wasn’t an usual howl. No.
It was a signal!

Be continued...