Austin Improv

Chapter 30 1 ...He looked at Wu Yun, slowly asked: "I find you not to ask you this, I just want to know, you refuse me, drew this picture of that person?"

The sheriff snatched the "wanted" poster from Wu Yun, and spat on the ground.

"We just want you to find'im.  Dead.  Alive.  Don' matter.  You just track Jesse down, and bring back the gold he done stole."

The sheriff held out a shiny six-shooter for Wu Yun to take, but the foreigner just grimaced at it like it was a cow patty.  "Does not need," he said curtly.  With that, he turned his horse around and galloped west, towards Mission's End.



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peter rogers @ home | http://hujhax.livejournal.com

Money and power make you more of who you are.
      -- Ken Levine

Chapter 31

The townsfolk eyed the foreign stranger as he loped into town. Wu Yun could see them lurking in the darkened doorways of eroding wooden saloons and general stores, could feel their eyes upon him. Mission's End was once a thriving ranch town, he knew, but that had ended when the grass gave out. Nothing grew around here now... except fear.

He dismounted his horse and walked up to one of the only townsfolk who dared show himself. "Has been here ever seen this person?" he asked, holding up the wanted poster. The terrified man shook his head. "I am seeking of this," Wu Yun went on. "Helping to find him will make you reward, but if you are liar of me respect to be punished."

Suddenly Wu Yun's eye was caught by a glint of light from atop the general store.

Chapter 32

Jesse returned to his cave hideout, hidden among the hills of the badlands just past Mission's End. The flames of his camp fire had died out in his absence, leaving a pile of smoldering coals. "Perfect." Jesse sniffed, and poked at the coals with a stick. He was transfixed as the glow brightened, a few stray embers drifting upward before dying into ash and returning to the ground. He almost didn't hear the footsteps at the cave's entrance.

His gun was in his hand before he had even finished turning. But it was just the young Apache kid, the one he'd taken to calling Red Boy (he was too damned set in his ways now to bother learning a new language, let alone a new name).

"Rabbit?", the eager youth sounded out in broken English, holding a skinned wild hare up for Jesse to see.

"Yeah. Yeah, rabbit, kid." Jesse holstered his pistol and motioned Red Boy over. The nights got cold, and he'd grown fond of the game meat and company.

Chapter 30 3

Crack! Crack!

Wu Yun holstered his trusty Colt, "Killer of Bad Personss," as quickly as he'd drawn it. A cocked rifle fell to the ground, followed by a mortally-wounded cowboy. Wu Yun stood over the would-be assassin, drew Killer again, and chambered another round. "Would am you who is paid to kill me?", challenged Wu Yun, centering on his opponent's forehead.

"J--J--Jesse," sputtered the dying man. Wu Yun smiled slowly, knowing he was on the right track.

"Which way direction, does you tell?"

Even in death, the man was defiant. "I won't tell nothin' to no yellow-belly bounty hunter."

Wu Yun grinned further. "You won't tell nothin to his nobody ever." And just like that, the foe was gone.

Wu Yun turned to the townspeople, whose morbid curiosity outweighed their fear of the stranger. "Jesse hides here around here! I will divide his gold to the him or her that helps me find my way! Cheap Viagra prescriptions!"

A lovely young woman strode up to him. "We shall help no enemy of Jesse. He protects this town." But her voice suggested a ruse. She surreptitiously slipped a piece of paper into his hand. It simply read: THE CAVE.

Chapter 34

Jesse fidgeted a worn, wooden coin across his knuckles. Then he checked on the rabbit again. Then he paced around the cave a couple more times. "Takin' a walk, Red Boy," he muttered, and he headed out of the cave. The kid replied something in Indian-babble that sounded pleasant-like.

Outside, it was as dark as the bottom of a well. Thunderclouds blocked out the sky, so he stepped oh-so-carefully across the rocky ground. If he tripped and busted his head out there, it'd be hours before anybody found him.

And the good lord knew, Jesse didn't want to be found.

He found the spot, cleared some brambles, and reached down into a crevice in the ground. He felt the cool bars of gold there. He breathed a little bit easier. "Gonna be alright," he whispered, and he sighed.

Then he heard the scream.



--
peter rogers @ netbook | http://hujhax.livejournal.com

One of the rules I put in my writers' room was Don't Break Anything You Can't Fix -- which is to say, if you don't like an idea, I don't want to hear from you unless you can clearly articulate why you don't think it's any good and unless you have something to counter-pitch.
      -- Javier Grillo-Marxuach

Chapter 30 (5)

Wu Yun crumpled the slip of paper in one calloused hand and stalked back to his steed.

Swinging a leg over the saddle, he patted his loyal friend on the neck.

"Mountain to us go, Happy Beauty Pony," he said softly, the anticipation of the impending kill rising in his chest. "Treasure find of Jesse hid."

As their dust settled, the townspeople cleared the square, leaving nothing behind but the stinking corpse of a sharp shooter and the wistfully beautiful face of the saloon girl.

"Godspeed, Wu Yun," she whispered to his rapidly diminishing form, "Lord knows what'll save you if you don't kill that rat-bastard husband of mine."

Chapter 三十六個

这是夜幕降临时，吴芸在到达洞穴。可以听到不健全。他可以看到一个从内闪烁琥珀色光。默默，他下了马他的小马和蹑手蹑脚地洞口。他直勾勾的，可以使火挤一个小男孩的身影。杰西是无处可看。突然，吴芸听到他身后的树枝单元的声音。

Brad Hawkins wrote:Chapter 三十六個

这是夜幕降临时，吴芸在到达洞穴。可以听到不健全。他可以看到一个从内闪烁琥珀色光。默默，他下了马他的小马和蹑手蹑脚地洞口。他直勾勾的，可以使火挤一个小男孩的身影。杰西是无处可看。突然，吴芸听到他身后的树枝单元的声音。

(Yes, it Google-translates.)

Chapter 37

Jesse had only heard Red Boy's war cry once before, when a pack of wild coyotes had surrounded them down by Blood Sand Creek. At first Jesse had mistaken the slow high pitched whooping to be panicked fear or an unintelligible cry for help. But after five successive cries, the coyotes had backed away leaving Red Boy standing there, smiling that mad savage smile.

Hearing it echo across the Badlands now, Jesse only had one thought: Rabbit. Cooked meat left out with the storm wind whipping up and carrying every scent to the far corners of the valleys, hills and gulches enticing any predator to approach. And he had left the kid all alone with no escape. Stupid old man, he admonished himself. Getting slow. Getting soft. Getting stupid. Run faster, he screamed in his head. The thought echoed against his skull drowned out only by his pounding pulse, his heavy breath punctuating each foot fall against stone, brush and gravel.

He approached the cave and a flash of lightning illuminated the truth of the situation. No coyote. No predator. A lone figure pondering the entrance. Dressed simply. Chinese braid. Gun at his side. Jesse felt the branch beneath his foot before he heard the snap. The Chinaman barely turned. Not looking, just listening. Jesse reached for his holster. He looked past the Chinaman into the cave. And he saw. He hadn't left Red boy alone after all.

His pistol sat next to the boy by the fire.

Stupid old man.

(good lord, someone write the next chapter, i can't stand the suspense!!! )

Rev. Jordan T. Maxwell wrote:(good lord, someone write the next chapter, i can't stand the suspense!!! )

(I'll give it a few days to give someone new a chance, then I'm doing it myself, dammit.)

Chapter 38

Wu Yun stared into Jesse's eyes. "I find you not to ask you this, come me with, not refuse you me. Possibly die you."

Jesse spat, and lingered on the taste of that tobacco. He knew it very well could be his last. "I think you said it all." He sneered. "Possibly die you too, friend."

Jesse threw a quick glance to Red Boy, who was already reaching for the pistol. Good boy. He was an odd kid, but he'd been loyal. Wu Yun hadn't noticed him yet, his focus was full on Jesse and his back was to the only other gun for miles around. Just keep talkin', Jesse thought. Just keep him talkin'. "Sounds like there's a snake er two in Mission's End that ain't no longer a fan of ol' Jesse. That how you find me so easy, friend?"

Wu Yun wasn't about to give Jesse the satisfaction. He trained his gun right at Jesse's head and cocked back the hammer.

BLAM!

A shot rang out. Birds scattered.

And Jesse fell down with blood bubbling out of his chest. Wu Yun looked back to see smoke pouring out of the pistol in Red Boy's hands.

God I love you people.

:-O Red Boy, NO!