“Lucas boy…I need your help”

Lucas nodded; Micah was in some ways like a surrogate father to Lucas. They were close and when Micah needed something, Lucas was always there. They were standing near the marshal’s office. Lucas, a good head taller than Micah glanced down at the marshal and waited…

Micah said “Let’s go to my office”

The door to the marshal’s office creaked and groaned as they opened it. Micah took his place behind his old oak desk. He sat down heavily; Lucas grabbed a chair and straddled it. He waited. Micah glanced outside and cleared his throat.

“Lucas”, he finally said.

Outside a squeal of some kind could be heard. Probably someone at the bar Lucas reckoned. The wind howled causing a window behind them to rattle. Neither of them paid much attention to it. They both took a sip a coffee.

“I have to go away”

Lucas frowned “Go away…what for?"

“I just do…it’s…I just do is all”

Lucas eyeballed Micah. They had always been up front with each other. Their code was their bond…honesty…integrity…and above all trust. They didn’t keep secrets.

“Micah…you know if you need me” he let the words trail off.

Micah nodded “I do…and it has to be now…can you stay here and take care of things?”

“Sure…Mark won’t be getting out of school for a few hours”

“Good…I should be back by noon”

Lucas drained his coffee…

“Micah…what’s going…?”

Micah held up his hand, grinned a little and ambled over to his office door. He stopped and glanced back at Lucas. Their eyes met…and with that…he was gone.

                                                          Chapter Two

Lucas listened to the old wall clock as it ticked and ticked…and ticked some more. He read what he could find, mostly most wanted posters and made himself some more coffee. He wandered outside to watch the dark clouds over head. Storm coming he thought. The sun hadn’t made an appearance as yet. The wind had settled down for the moment. The town was almost silent except for the occasional CLANG from the nearby blacksmiths stable.

He thought about Micah. What’s going on? Not like him to be so…mysterious.  He spotted Mark and Bobby standing over by the blacksmiths railing. Why weren’t they in school?  He eyed them suspiciously for a second to make sure they weren’t up to any shenanigans.

Mark spotted Lucas and ran over to him.

“Pa…what are you doing here?"

“I was about to ask you the same thing” replied Lucas

“Were not doing nothing…we got out of school early”

“Early?”

Bobby was now standing next to Mark.

“Yes Mr. McCain…Miss Adams took ill "

Lucas nodded “And what are you boys planning on doing?"

“Fish” said Bobby quietly.

“Is it okay Pa? " asked Mark his eyes wide.

“I guess…you boys be careful…it feels like a storm is brewing…if it starts raining come back here”

“Here? Because of rain…we ain't a couple of girls!”

“Yes Mark…here”

Mark nodded and they ran off laughing. Lucas was grinning too. Fishing sounded pretty good.

He glanced back inside Micah’s office, trying to see the clock. It must be getting close to noon. His stomach grumbled he walked over to the hotel to get something to eat. Something was gnawing at him, but he didn’t know what, probably just hunger pains…

                                               Chapter Three

Waiting.

 Lucas sat in Micah’s chair and stared at the ceiling. It was now almost 2:30. Micah as yet hadn’t returned He was beyond bored. He needed to get back to the ranch. He stretched his long frame and yawned. His fingers did a drum roll on the desk. Mark and Bobby were already back from fishing, with no fish but a huge appetite. Lucas had told them to go to the hotel and grab some food. They happily obliged.

Micah wasn’t ever late. Lucas eyed the clock…almost 3PM. Micah was three hours late. Lucas stood up and began to pace. He could feel something was wrong, but…hell…maybe he was overreacting. Micah was never late he heard himself say.

He shook his head. He had to do something. He couldn’t wait any longer. He heard a sound outside and fully expected to hear Micah’s voice. No…it was a voice but it wasn’t Micah’s. It was John Hamilton.

Hamilton pulled open the marshal’s door and strode over to Lucas. Shorter than Lucas by a few inches, his hair combed back and graying at the temples he carried himself with a certain confidence. Lucas always figured it was the confidence of an educated man.

“John” replied Lucas.

“Lucas…do you know where the marshal is?

Lucas shook his head. It was now almost 3:30.

“Does that mean you don’t know or maybe you don’t want to tell me?”

“John” said Lucas evenly…I don’t know where Micah is”

Hamilton heard the edge in Lucas’s voice “Alright…I just needed to ask him something…what’s the problem?”

“I don’t know…but something’s not right…he’s late” replied Lucas

“Late? Where did the marshal go?”

Lucas shook his head impatiently “John look I’ll tell you later right now I need a favor”

“Ok what do you need?”

“Just stay here…I’m going to look for Micah”

“Sure but Lucas…there’s a man”
 

Lucas waved off Hamilton and grabbed his rifle. He stepped outside and walked quickly over to the hotel. He was going to tell Mark he would be gone a spell. Thunder rattled the sky and startled some horses. A few of the town folk nodded at him. Most of them kept glancing at the sky, Lucas over heard somebody say…

“There’s a bad storm coming”

                                                               Chapter Four

He rode quickly, pushing the horse at full gallop, past the road the stagecoach traveled, near his own ranch. Could Micah be there at the ranch? Nah…made no sense, lightning laced through the sky. Lucas ignored it, the rain still hadn’t come. Where was it? Where was Micah? His riding slowed down a spell; up ahead the rolling mountains beckoned him.

His mind drifted back, how long had he known Micah? Not long really, but still there were times when he felt he had known him his entire life. Lucas’s own father had died when he was in his teens. The loss had been catastrophic. His mother leaned on him for support. Becoming a man at thirteen was tough. Lucas thought of his father a lot, and missed him more then he admitted. He just wished Mark could have met him. Micah didn’t resemble his father at all but there was something a…quiet confidence that connected the two men.  

He shook himself out of the dream and rode deeper into the mountains. The path was as skinny as a snake hide. The sky had quieted down for the moment, but the dark clouds still lingered. Dusk was close. Lucas heard a sound and looked up into the clouds.  

What he saw made his heart skip.  He heard the sound again. He could see it now circling. He pulled on the reins and got the horse moving again. It was close, twenty feet above him. He could also smell something burning. The sound came again. It was   hissing at him.  He pushed the horse faster, feeling his insides tighten. The vulture was lower now preparing to land. Lucas could feel it challenging him. It was all black and its wingspan had to be five feet. Lucas could see a clearing, some wood and a whiff of black smoke. He pushed the horse harder. The vulture was on the ground. Lucas could see a shape near where the fire must have been. The vulture was close to the shape; Lucas leaped off his horse and fired a couple of shots. The hideous bird screamed and attempted to fly but instead it collapsed and fluttered a little. Lucas ran past it to the shape lying near the fire.  A person, dressed in clothes that looked familiar, a shirt he had seen a thousand times. He eyed the face, scared by the fire but also very familiar. He tried to find a pulse…it was strangely silent.

All Lucas could hear was his own heavy breathing

and then a voice, his own…that he didn’t recognize.

”No” it said.

                                                              Chapter Five

The rain pelted everything in sight. The wind was howling, a large tree not far from Lucas swayed and seemed to stagger. Lucas felt and saw none of what was happening. He was soaked from head to toe, but didn’t care.  He was sitting near the body. He hadn’t moved. His face was set like a piece of granite. He forced himself to look around the campsite. Not much there really, just a blanket and a couple of cans. Where was the horse? Lucas’s horse was behind him, straining against the wind. There should be another horse here, his horse. He looked over where the dead vulture was lying. That’s when he saw the horse standing alone on the other side of the clearing. It looked lost, Lucas could relate. He then made himself stand.

He knew what he had to do…

The ride back to North Fork was slow. The other horse trailed behind. The rain was still coming down but softly now, like an angel landing on a feather. Lucas rode with the dead man. He felt sick and completely out of it. He would get it together, he knew he would. He had no choice. Let’s get back to North Fork he thought and then…go searching. Others would want to go with him. He wouldn’t let them. This one he was doing alone. His hand was resting on the dead mans back. He passed his ranch, but barely glanced over.  He could see some of North Fork’s buildings now. Closer and closer, he passed a couple standing outside their home. They called out his name, he didn’t answer. He entered town and felt more eyes on him, they were following him. He noticed Mark and Bobby standing with John Hamilton. He rode up to the marshal’s office and stopped. He could hear the murmuring from the crowd; finally he got off his horse. He grasped the dead man and gently lifted him off the horse. A voice from somewhere in the crowd said…

“Lucas...who is it you got there?

Lucas was on the deck near the marshal’s door.  He stopped and turned around…

He gazed out at the crowd and said “I have Micah…I mean Marshal Torrance” his voice choked a little. He heard a few sighs and then a much larger gasp…

                                                           Chapter Six

The darkness brought shadows and long silences. The rain had stopped, as had the wind. The people of North Fork were unsure what to do. They stumbled and staggered through the streets, stopping occasionally to talk but mostly barely acknowledging each other. Wives stayed close to their husbands, weeping quietly and glancing over at Micah’s office. The children kept quiet, echoing their parents.

Lucas wouldn’t leave Micah’s side. He had placed his friend’s body on a cot that the marshal sometimes used. He then sat down in front of it like a sentry on duty and stared straight ahead. There were knocks on the door but Lucas ignored them. Lucas could see Hattie Denton and John Hamilton outside the window. Hattie was crying. Mark was out there too, he could see the tears. He motioned for Mark to come to him; the youngster entered the office and put his arms around his father’s neck. Lucas hugged him fiercely.

Marks eyes rested briefly on the body lying on the old cot. Micah looked as if he was sleeping. His head was turned to the side, shielding the burns. Mark quickly looked away.

“What happened to Micah Pa?"

“I don’t know son”

Doc Burrage entered the office and moved slowly past Lucas and Mark. Tall and thin with a round face and bushy eyebrows he was dressed as always in a dark black suit with a white shirt. His tie was pulled down as if somebody had yanked it. His dark eyes looked solemn.  

Lucas said  “You should go now son…I’ll be out there later”

Lucas could see that Mark wanted to stay with him. There was fear in his eyes. Mark was the same age as Lucas had been when he had lost his father. Lucas patted him on the shoulder…he softened his voice…

“It's ok son…I’ll be right out”

Mark slowly turned and walked to the door and then outside. Lucas watched him go and then flashed on an image of Micah standing by that same door, looking at him. The clock was still ticking in the corner, how long had it been? Ten hours? Micah was here and alive, then. Now he was dead, lying on a cot with half his face burned…and…Lucas was sure…a bullet hole in his chest.

“He was shot twice looks like”

Lucas blinked; it was the doc’s voice he heard.

“Twice?

“Yep…in the chest…two holes…you want to see?

“No”

“Can’t say I blame you…any idea what the marshal was doing out there?

Lucas slowly shook his head…

“I’m going outside” he replied and with that he stood.

He felt as though a thousand pounds were on his shoulders. He moved his neck and felt something else. This pain was deeper and it was growing quickly. It was anger mixed with hatred.

If it took forever…he would find who did this and kill him.

                                                     Chapter Seven

Lucas stood with his arm draped around Mark. John Hamilton and Hattie were still there, some of the town folk had spotted Lucas and wandered over. They were looking to him for answers. Problem was…he didn’t have any.

“No idea what he was doing up there?"

“No John…he asked me to mind the office and that he would be back in a few hours”

More people had gathered, they were pushing closer trying to hear the discussion.

Someone in the crowd said “Let’s get a posse and go after the devil that did this”

Lucas put his hand up and shook his head. They were all looking at him

“I’ll take care of it” he said quietly

“We can go with you”

Lucas shook his head.

“You plan on going alone?" said Hamilton

Some of the men grumbled.

“Micah was my friend…I’m going alone”

“He was my friend too” said another voice from the crowd.

“And mine” said another.

“And mine”

“Not the same” replied Lucas; he glared in the direction of where the voices had originated from.

An awkward silence followed, Lucas could feel Mark looking up at him.

John could see how determined Lucas was, he didn’t like it

“Lucas this is not the time to play some avenging angel…you don’t even know what you're going after” he said.

“Makes no difference” said Lucas…I’m the acting sheriff here…what I say goes”

More of the men grumbled, Lucas didn’t care.

“Pa” said Mark

“Not now son”

“But Pa”

Lucas said “John…back me up”

“Pa”

“What is it son?," replied Lucas angrily.

Mark pointed past the crowd at where the street began. A long line of shadows braced each other making it more difficult to see. In the semi-darkness all they could make out was a figure of some kind moving towards them.  He was walking ever so slowly, staggering as if he was drunk. The crowd had also noticed the stranger. His stagger became a stumble; he stopped in the middle of the street. His hand reached out as if asking for help and then he…collapsed. Some of the woman screamed as Lucas and the others ran over to the prone body.

                                                               Chapter Eight

Lucas and John Hamilton carried the unconscious man over to Doc Burrage’s office. They entered quickly pushing past the surprised doctor and placing the man on a long table situated near the end of the room. Many a body had rested on that table. A lone medical degree hung on the opposite wall. A lonely chair was pushed up against the corner. An old couch with stains on it sat near the Doc’s desk.

A smell of medicine or maybe death permeated the air.

Lucas and John’s eyes met, the doc also had a look of shock on his face. He padded over slowly to the table blinking his eyes…

“Is it?" he said softly

Lucas said nothing.  Doc Burrage began to inspect the stranger.

The man’s face was smeared with mud. His hair was plastered to his head with sludge dripping from it. His whole body was a mixture of muck and rain. He obviously had traveled a ways and from the looks of him, he must have walked.

“This man had been shot” said the Doc

“I can’t believe this” uttered John Hamilton

The doc shook his head “looks like all the mud has helped him…he could have bled to death if it hadn’t been for this” he pointed at the wound in the upper potion of the man’s chest. He removed his shirt and began to clean the wound.

“His leg too” remarked John.

“Yes…I see that…he’s lucky”

A soft clanging noise broke the rhythm of the Doc’s examination. Lucas was the first to see what had caused the noise. He bent over and picked it up.

A silver badge shaped like a star..

“It’s Micah’s badge” he whispered

“So this is?!’ Hamilton stopped in mid sentence.

Lucas moved quickly to the man on the table. The Doc had cleaned him up some more, cleansing his face which was now turned and facing all three men.

“Micah! Micah!’ Lucas shouted

The man stirred a little, his eyes fluttered open. A wry smile formed on his face…

“Lucas boy”

Lucas dropped to his knees.

                                                           Chapter Nine

Doc Burrage insisted that Lucas and John leave. The two men stared at him as if he was crazy. John fiddled with the sleeve of his shirt hoping that stalling might keep them there…longer.

“The marshal needs to rest” the doc said sternly

“But…I have questions” retorted Lucas stopping by the door. John was peering over Lucas’s shoulder.

The Doc had questions too. He could see relief in Lucas’s eyes. He wasn’t particularly surprised; he had noted the closeness between the two men for years. He put his hand on Lucas shoulder and led him to the door.

“It can wait till morning…go outside…relax…I’ll call you if anything changes”

He pushed the grumbling men outside. He then turned away and stared at the injured man asleep on the table. He was snoring softly. The Doc could hear a knocking sound outside and knew what it was .The coffin maker was hard at work. His eyes moved to the window and then outside.  He could see some of the town’s people. Most were grinning. The hammering from the coffin maker’s tools still ricocheted through the air.

John wandered outside, closely followed by Lucas.  Mark was at his father’s side in a flash.

“Pa…is that man in there really Micah?’ his eyes were wide.

“Yes son…it’s Micah”

“This is great…but Pa…if that man is Micah…who is the other man…over there?” he pointed in the direction of the marshal’s office. Lucas didn’t look over. He knew a dead man was laying over there, a dead man he knew nothing about. Who had shot him? And who had shot Micah?  He needed the answers.

“Don’t know son…but we will”

Hattie came up to Lucas and hugged him, he hugged her back gently. Older than Lucas and blessed with a kind face, Hattie liked to mother him at times. Lucas didn’t care; she was always there when he needed a little help tending to Mark. Lucas admired her strength, as she stepped away he could see the questions forming…

“Lucas…who…?”

Lucas shook his head…

“I know as much as you...I’ll talk to Micah as soon as I can”

Hattie stood staring at Lucas “So that’s it then”…She seemed a little disappointed.

She said “Where are you going now?"

Lucas stopped, his arm was around Mark again “I’m going to go eat and then…sleep!”

For the first time in what seemed like an eternity Lucas allowed himself a small smile.

Hattie shook her head and watched as the crowd of people dispersed. Most were going home. All kept glancing over at the spot where the stranger had fallen. They then turned their heads and eyed the Doc’s office. Hattie knew what they were thinking.

The hammering had stopped.

                                                         Chapter Ten

Micah was sitting up on the old beat up couch. The Doc had shaved him and combed his hair. He had a fresh bandage on his chest and a smaller one on his leg. They were both itching. He ignored the wounds and nibbled on some breakfast. The Doc watched him closely from his desk. Lucas was standing in the corner near the lonely chair with his arms folded. He hadn’t slept very well.. He was waiting impatiently for Micah to finish eating.  Some of the town folk were back outside waiting to see the marshal. Micah could see them peering at him through the window and then nodding. The sun was shinning brilliantly outside.

“Ok Lucas boy…come over here and I’ll tell you about it” his voice sounded different to Lucas.

“Bout time” replied Lucas bringing the chair with him and sitting down.

Micah took in some air “It all started a few days ago…I found some pieces of paper…notes or something…pushed under my door”

“Notes…what did they say?

“Oh odd things like…nice to see ya…how ya been”

Lucas had a perplexed look on his face “You didn’t see no one?

“Nope…then yesterday I found a note with something else”

“What?"  replied the Doc

“Yeah what?” echoed Lucas

Micah grimaced a little. The Doc stood up and came over. Micah wasn’t a young man and the ordeal he had suffered should have killed him. His resiliency had surprised the Doc a little. But should it have?

He always figured the old coot was pretty tough.

Micah waved him away “Just some pain”

“You want something…a drink of water?"

Micah shook his head. Lucas was staring at him.

Micah cleared his throat…he suddenly felt tired.

“Where was I?"

“You said you found something else…not just a note”

“Oh yeah “he paused and took in some more air. Lucas could tell he was grappling with something.

After a few seconds that seemed like an hour he reached into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out a small crumpled picture.

Lucas and the doc stepped behind him and gazed at the picture. There were two figures in the picture, standing side by side. They were dressed in uniforms and looked around the same age. They didn’t look happy.

“That’s me and my…brother” said Micah evenly.

“Your brother…I didn’t know you had a brother!”  said Lucas the shock evident in his voice.

“Neither did I…well…I did but I hadn’t seen him in…years…figured he had…”

Micah turned away and closed his eyes. For a split second, Lucas could see all the pain, anguish and regret etched on his face.

                                                           Chapter Eleven

The doc checked Micah’s bandages. A little bit of blood had soaked through and caused a slight stain on Micah’s shirt. He touched it gingerly. Micah’s whole body was hurting. His ‘good’ leg ached like never before, as did his shoulders. The wounded leg felt as though a knife was permanently inside it.

“I have to change your bandages marshal” said the doc.

“Later…after I’m done tellin Lucas’

“Not much later” replied the doc.

Lucas and Micah both looked at the Doc, who then retreated to his desk and sat down. The sounds of horses galloping outside caused all three men to glance out the window.

Lucas drifted over to take a look.

“Three horses…don’t know the men”

Micah grunted. He really didn’t want to deal with any more trouble right now. His strength was ebbing, but still…

“Lucas…as I said…the picture was of me and my brother…another note told me where to meet him” he grimaced again and looked down. He didn’t really want to talk too much about his brother, at least not right now. It was so many years ago, his wild brother always getting into trouble.

Lucas squatted down in front of Micah “So that’s where you went yesterday morning”

Micah nodded, Lucas said “You could have just told me”

Micah shook his head “No…I wanted to see him…I rode up to his campsite and…found him looking like an animal…he was on the run”

“Where had he been?

Micah took a deep breath and in a voice that Lucas could barely hear said...

“Yuma”

“Yuma…the prison in Yuma?"

Micah nodded “ He said he had just been released…I had my doubts…he told me he wanted to start over…the note had asked me to bring some things…clothes…a horse…money”

Lucas rubbed his eyes “Money”

“Yeah money…he’s my kin Lucas boy…what was I…”

Lucas nodded, he felt conflicted, but he wasn’t about to judge Micah. What would he have done if his brother had been in trouble?

“Sure Micah…then what happened?”

“I gave him some clothes…he put em on…and I told him I would be back with a horse…I rode off and within seconds I heard some shots…I turned back and saw…Jonah…down by the fire…there was sound to my right…I looked over and…something struck me in the chest…I fell off my horse and dragged myself to the bushes…must have passed out”

Lucas remembered seeing those bushes…

“I should have seen you there Micah” he replied

Micah snorted and shook his head “I had pulled myself in pretty deep…still managed to get shot again…I did get off some shots myself…at”

“What…did you see who it was?"

Micah shook his head slowly “No Lucas boy…not much…except his eyes”

                                                           Chapter Twelve

Lucas moved back over to the window and stared out at nothing. If Micah had only seen his eyes, how was he going to find him? There had to be more…

“All you saw was his eyes”

Micah nodded “Yep…his eyes”

Micah felt his anger rising. A sharp pain shot through him. He wondered if the wound was not only physical, but mental. How could have been ambushed like that?

“You said he made a sound?

Micah nodded. Lucas waited.

The doc was staring at a document in front of him. He wasn’t really reading it; his attention was on the two men in his office. He could feel the tension in the room.

Finally Micah said “I think he…laughed”   

“Laughed?” said Lucas incredulously.

“Laughed…chuckled…what’s the difference”

Lucas turned away from Micah. He could feel every muscle in his body tighten.

Micah said evenly “Lucas boy…I know what your thinking…It’s my responsibility to find this man and bring him to justice”  

Lucas tried to calm himself down. The killer laughed? What kinda evil could do such a thing?

“You're not gong anywhere Micah”

“I’m not huh”

“He’s right Micah” said the doc standing up.

“We'll see about that”

The door opened suddenly and John Hamilton strolled in. The sound had startled Lucas who felt his right hand reach for his rifle. John saw the movement and stopped.

“Did I interrupt something?

Lucas shook his head. Micah gave a sideways grin to John.

“It’s fine John”

Hamilton smiled and walked over to Micah…

“Feeling better Micah?