The Butcher and the Butterfly (19 page)

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Jonah misfired. In
the confusion Stephen froze. It had never happened to him before.
The gun by his side had never misfired. The chamber hadn’t spun
either. The duff bullet was still there like a brick wall in the
road. The man charging at Stephen saw his opportunity to strike and
he screamed out in pure hatred. Stephen had to be quick. The man
looked to strike Stephens right so he would step back, dodge the
move and send Jonah crashing down on the back of the attackers
head.

The man swung
fast, Stephen moved back but stumbled on a loose floorboard. All
the Fates seemed against him now. The blade was ten inches from his
face and Stephen could do nothing about it. The Watchman turned his
face and braced for the slice. Five inches away. The cut would do
serious damage

A giant gunshot
rang out.

The man’s head
exploded and the knife flew into the air. Stephen allowed his body
to twist as he fell to the floor his shirt caked in blood and
skull. The body of the man slumped to the dusty floor blood pouring
from where his head used to be. Stephen looked to his right and
there stood Susie; a smoking shotgun held in her hands. She was
shaking, tears falling from her eyes and glistening on her
cheeks.

Stephen stood and
brushed down his shirt. The crowd had fallen back. Susie’s shotgun
had done the job. The red mist that had clouded their judgment had
lifted and no words from Tommy would bring it back. Stephen looked
out the main door and saw the shadows of people running back to
their homes. Tommy was nowhere to be seen now. He could hear
screaming and yells of anger as the truth of what just happened
came to light. The men at Stephens’s feet looked innocent, young
and helpless. Their weapons were crude items, their faces full of
shock. There were no moans. All were dead

He looked over to
Susie. She kept the shotgun raised for a moment and then like the
others, realisation struck and she through the weapon to the floor.
She looked at the man in front of her hoping for some other worldly
miracle to occur. But none came. The room was silent. As silent as
the grave. From outside the creaking of the wooden walkway floated
in and the two killers watched Tommy walk in through the door. He
was crying and his face was red. His hands were dirty and he had a
big black eye. He wasn’t looking at Stephen, instead he was staring
at Susie. But Susie eyes were far off, distant, in the world of her
past when all was innocent.

Neither of them
noticed Stephen leaving the bar room, walking up the stairs and
into his room.

10

‘Why you helping
him, Susie.’ Tommy asked as he leaned against the counter one hand
on the hard wood the other caressing his soar eye.

Susie’s eyes
focused past Tommy and out into the nothing of the world outside.
They didn’t see the fallen, or the pools of blood upon the floor.
She remembered back to her childhood. How innocent things had been
back then. She could play around, fool about and have fear of
nothing. There were no sheriffs or men wanting her body, there was
no Cathy ordering her about like a slave. She was free in a sense.
As free as all children feel. But now it was different. Totally
different. She was in love and she has been hurt. Her body had been
used and her face slapped time and time again. With Stephen she
thought she could be safe. Be free. But it looked like that was not
going to happen. But she had to know why. He had been kind, sweet
and honest. But they were lies. She was clouded. ‘Love is blind’
Cathy used to say and now Susie believed her.

‘Susie. Susie. Why
you helping him?’

Tommy’s voice
brought the young girl back to reality. Her voice was distant. Soft
as a spring breeze.

‘Because I love
him, Tommy. I love…’ Her voice trailed off.

‘But he has killed
all these people, Susie. The Sheriff. John and Cathy. The kids.
They is all dead and he don’t care.’

Susie, her voiced
raised looked at Tommy, ‘I don’t give a fuck about any of them,
Tommy. The sheriff was a pervert who enjoyed licking his own juice.
John was a conniving prick and Cathy was a using, selfish cunt! The
kids are the only true victims here. They did not deserve what
befell them. I will pray for them but don’t ask me to feel sorry
for the others. They treated me like dirt and I will never forgive
them.’

Tommy was about to
speak when the creaking stairs made him turn is attention away.
Susie’s eyes followed Tommy and both of them watched Stephen walk
down the stairs, slowly, carefully and always watchful. By his side
Jonah was visible. Its very presence commanded respect.

‘Look at these
dead people, Stephen. Look at who you have killed.’ Tommy waved his
hand around the many bodies. Stephen ignored them all. He seemed to
be focused on nothing.

‘I care not for
them, Tommy, nor do I care for you. Allow me to leave this place
and I shall kill no more. That I promise.’ The Watchman reached the
bottom of the stairs and held his hands out, palms facing the
stupid boy. ‘Trust me, Tommy. I have done what I was sent here to
do.’

Tommy shook his
head. ‘I can’t trust you. You killed my lady. You killed my
friends.’ Tommys raised voice made Stephen lower his hand
instinctively toward Jonah. Panic flowed through Tommy. He didn’t
want to die and if he carried on he would end up like his friends
on the floor. He had to think quickly, but thinking quick wasn’t
one of Tommy’s strong points. He looked into the eyes of the man in
front of him and then remembered the knife tucked into the gap
between his jeans and belt.

Quicker than
Stephen could imagine, young Tommy jumped the bar, scattering
glasses all over the place and causing Susie to scream. He grabbed
hold of Susie and pushed her in front of him. Tommy removed the
blade and pressed it against her belly.

‘Don’t think about
it, Stephen. I knows you want me dead, but raise that gun and I’ll
cut her deep!’

Stephen remained
calm. He could see Susie was in shock but she would not struggle.
Her mind was lost for the time being.

‘Let her go,
Tommy. Let Susie go. Your fight is with me, Tommy.’

‘No, Stephen I
aint letting her go until you drop that gun to the floor and walk
away.’

Stephen shook his
head. ‘I am afraid I can’t do that, Tommy. This weapon is my life,
my soul and to lose it would be like the earth losing the sun. As I
said, Susie has nothing to do with it, let her go and I will be on
my way.’

Tommy moved the
blade up and placed it against Susie’s neck. The point of the blade
dug in. ‘I aint trusting no word of a killer.’

Susie tried to
shake the young man free but he was too strong and in the effort
the blade pierced the skin and a trickle of blood rolled down her
neck.

In a flash Jonah
was drawn. Tommy screamed, his grip hardened on Susie’s arms and he
moved further back, his arse knocking bottles off the rear
table.

Stephen could feel
the power of Jonah pulsing through his hand and up his arm. It felt
warm, comforting and welcome. Jonah, on the other hand, couldn’t
care less. Jonah wanted it to end and end it would. The gun forced
its will onto the Watchman quickly and easily. With Jonah still
aimed at Tommys head Stephen said, ‘This gun failed to fire
earlier, Tommy. The bullet inside of it may be a dud, it may not. I
believe it’s time to find out.’

Tommys grip on
Susie eased as his mind ticked over. ‘What’s do you mean? Don’t you
go being all clever on me!’

Stephen smiled a
cold smile. ‘It means, young Tommy, that when I pull the trigger
your life is in the hands of the Fates. It’s a simple as that.’

Tommy tried to
move further back but the table behind him wouldn’t budge. As he
jolted into it Susie took the chance and she struggled free, her
right elbow thumping Tommy in the stomach forcing him to move
forward.

Susie was no more
than two foot away when the trigger was pulled

Tommys head lolled
back as half of it was removed by the slug which entered the right
eye and exploded out the back of young man’s head. The gore
splatted up the mirror and all over Susie’s back. Tommy stood for a
moment and then fell hard to the floor.

The Fates worked
in mysterious ways.

11

Susie turned and
looked at the wreckage below her. Tommy was dead. She felt
distressed. Alone and sick to the stomach. Forgetting herself she
jumped over the bar and ran over to the Watchman. She hugged him
hard and tight and for a moment she was oblivious to all around
her. She was sure that she felt him hug her back but Stephen had
not. His arms remained at his side his body allowing her to hug
him.

And then it all
came back to Susie and her grip on Stephen lessened. Stephen wasn’t
hugging her back, his head was not against her shoulder and his
hands weren’t brushing through her hair. She pulled back and looked
into his eyes and saw nothing there. The man that she had fallen in
love was gone and there was no trace of him left.

‘Why?’

‘You know
why.’

‘Why have you
stopped loving me? I don’t understand. Why have you done all
this?’

‘I never did love
you Susie. You were a means to an end.’

Susie pulled
completely away her eyes burning with rage. ‘A means to an end!
Fuck you Stephen. Fuck you. You have broken my heart, Stephen. You
have taken everything from me and given me nothing back but lies.’
She looked into those cold, lifeless eyes and saw no emotion. ‘You
broke my heart and you don’t even care.’

Susie started to
cry, uncontrollably at first. It was all too much for her and she
was losing control.

Stephen had
nothing to say. He knew she wanted to rip him limb from limb but
she didn’t have the mental strength. She wanted to beat him to a
pulp. More than anything he knew all she wanted was for him to love
her, but for real this time. But that was never going to
happen.

His silence, as
immovable as a mountain, was becoming unbearable. Her hands
tightened with rage as the man she loved stood there and let it
just roll over him like a soft breeze.

She shook her head
and lashed out. Her balled up fists hitting Stephens chest time and
time again, but still the Watchman didn’t flinch. Instead he
allowed her this mockery. After many punches he finally grabbed
hold of her wrists and stopped her madness from escalating.

‘Let go of me you
bastard! Let me go and leave me the way you found me. Leave me with
nothing after taking it all away from me. Just fuck off and
leave!’

Stephen released
his grip and took one final look at the girl. Maybe in another life
they would have been lovers. Maybe in another life they would have
been able to settle down. But that was the realm of fantasy. But he
couldn’t leave her like this. Something deep inside him, a remnant
of the man that had left his home cried out for mercy.

As he walked
toward the door, the pack on his back full and his body weary from
the fight he turned and faced her. More importantly he looked at
her for the first time in a long while.

‘You say I leave
you with nothing but I have given you something special. Something
unique. I have given you memories, love that you never thought you
could have and I have asked for nothing in return.’

He watched Susie
shake her head and then fall to the floor tears flowing freely, her
sobs loud and unsettling. When she spoke her voice was almost lost
to the tears, ‘All those memories mean nothing now that I can’t
have you. I have lost you and I don’t understand why. You are
leaving me with nothing and nothing you say or do can change that.
You don’t understand what you are doing to me.’

Stephen watched
the young woman in front of him. She was carrying his child and
that would never change.

‘I have left you
with something, Susie. Why do you think Patience wanted you so
badly? Why do you think Tommy was trying to cut open your belly?
Think.’

Susie’s
realisation was quick and harsh. Her head span and she looked down
to her smooth stomach. Her shocked face made way for tears of both
joy and fear. She could go with him. She could get her things and
leave this place. There was nothing left for her here. She could
follow her man on the path he must take and when he reached his
destination they could settle down and raise the child together.
She looked up to ask him, to beg him, but the man she loved, the
father of her child, the man of her dreams and the killer of men
had gone and all that was left of him was a fading memory, a
crimson sky and a bar room full of dead people.

Above her, in the
darkening sky, Old Mother and her daughters flickered with
laughter.

Mid-Point

1

Stephen made his
way out of Rockfall, walked true north for three days and found
himself in the lush green hills that signalled the end of the
Wastelands and the start of the Great Forest. He never truly
entered the Great Forest merely skirted around it for a few more
days.

The path he
followed was an ancient one and carved its way through the hardpan
and then deep cuts in the dirt flowed over and around the hills as
the terrain changed. The sky would disappear under a roof of
overhanging trees from time to time and then bright sunshine would
pour through when the trees cleared. Devil weed and razor grass
were now a thing of the past, they had been replaced with soft
green grass and flowers that clung to the warmth of the summer. He
had left the boundary of Ritash long since and now walked in a
world he didn’t know, and a world in which the name Watchman meant
very little.

As he trundled
along, the trees that surrounded him slowly evaporating, he found
himself in a clearing; the grass gone, the dirt replaced with a
strange hard black concrete with white and yellow lines painted
across it. It was an old crossing of paths but one that had not
been altered with the passing of time. Stephen had seen crossings
like this, but they had been made of dirt, cobbles or in some
places; wood. It must have been at least one hundred feet long
heading north and double that heading east to west. Looking east,
but not walking on the black stuff itself, he saw that the –
tarmac? Is that what this is called? – went on for miles, up into
the hills and disappeared as it touched the horizon.