Tanner walked slowly to his wagon, his saddlebags over his shoulder and his hat tipped back on his head. It had been a long trip to Vulture's Gulch and back, and all he wanted to do was stow his stuff and then head over to the saloon and sit back and relax. The mid-afternoon sun warmed his skin and his mind drifted back to his night in the Red Angel Saloon. Vulture Gulch's one and onl-
Wham!
His head bounced off the end of the wagon. White lights danced in his vision. Someone behind him grabbed his right arm and wrenched it as far up his back it would go without breaking. Vin grunted, clenching his teeth in pain.
"Tanner," a menacing voice hissed in his ear. "You're wanted in Tascosa and I plan to bring you in."
Vin grunted again when the bounty hunter hit him hard in the ribs and then between his shoulder blades. While he was still reeling from the quick jabs, the bounty hunter grabbed his arms and quickly tied his wrists behind his back.
Not again. Vin shook his head. Damn it. This is getting really old. How many damn bounty hunters can there be in this territory? He turned around. I mean, every other day anoth- "Agghh!"
He got his first good look at the man who held him by his upper arm.
Man?
Actually, he wasn't sure. He stared at the thing, his mouth open, his eyes huge, his heart thumping wildly in his chest.
"Ah... ah..." Vin stammered. "Ah...?"
"Fett." The thing spoke softly. "Jango Fett. At your service."
Vin couldn't place the accent. But, more importantly, he couldn't place the clothing the man wore either.
The thing almost looked like one of the Knights in the book that Ezra had loaned him. It wore armor, of some kind. And a shiny helmet with long rectangular boxes where his eyes and mouth would be. And his clothes... purple and silver and some shiny thing that looked like... who knew? The gun he held loosely in his hand was like nothing Vin had ever seen before.
He was... he was... Vin just stared.
The man started walking down the middle of the street towards the livery, holding Vin by his upper arm. Vin followed along, staring all the while at the thing's head.
Vin couldn't keep himself from being drug behind the bounty hunter. He looked all around, hoping he would see one of his friends.
Suddenly, Nathan walked out of one of the buildings and Vin almost wilted with relief.
"Nate!" he called out loudly, a desperate tone in his voice.
The tall healer looked up at him, his eyes going wide. He gaped for a moment, and then, spinning on his heel, he started walking quickly away from him.
"Nate?" Vin called, sniffing loudly.
The bounty hunter pulled him along. Vin could have sworn he heard quiet chuckling coming from beside him.
They moved down the street and Vin still frantically looked around for help.
He saw JD coming their way.
"JD!" Vin hissed as the young bowler-wearing sheriff passed them on the street.
JD swallowed hard as he slowly turned to look at Vin. "Yeah?" he asked innocently.
"Bounty hunter." Vin cocked his head towards the large man holding him and widened his eyes as he raised his eyebrows. "Little help would be nice."
"Oh... uh..." JD shrugged as he smiled sheepishly. His eyes darted to the bounty hunter and then back. "I got stuff to do."
Vin's eyebrows rose high on his forehead. "Last time I got took you came after that marshal with a shotgun," he accused.
"Oh, hee hee," JD chuckled nervously. "I know." He slapped himself on the forehead. "i>What was I thinking?" He swallowed hard, keeping his eyes on Vin. "I mean...I mean... I know I was being... brave... and all, but..." He glanced up at the bounty hunter, his mouth open and his eyes wide. "But... ha ha... you know... this... this is..." he suddenly brought his wrist up to his face. "Oh, would you look at that time!" his voice squeaked. "I got stuff to do," he said as he slowly backed away from Vin and his bounty hunter. "Stuff to do, places to go, outlaws to jail, fevers to catch..." He swallowed hard as he quickly glanced up at the bounty hunter and then back to Vin. "I'll uh...I'll uh... Bye, Vin!" He dashed off and in his haste actually ran over two old ladies who were walking down the boardwalk.
Vin glared at the young man's back. Some help he was. See if I ever try to teach him trackin' skills. See if I ever- A booming voice interrupted his thoughts and his face brightened when he saw the tall man walking towards him.
"JD Dunne!" Buck Wilmington bellowed as he watched his best friend running away. "What have I told you about treatin' yer elders with respect? Then you go and run them down?"
Vin cleared his throat.
"Oh, Hi Vin." Buck casually looked Vin up and down. "How ya doin' today?"
Vin cocked his head towards the bounty hunter standing at his shoulder, helmet gleaming in the bright sunlight.
"Good?" Buck asked as he brushed his mustache with his thumb and index finger.
Vin just stared at him.
"Good." Buck clapped the tracker on the back. "Well," his eyes twinkled. "I've got to get on to Blossom's now. Don't want to keep her waitin' none. Be seein' you later."
Vin gaped at the tall gunslinger's back as he quickly walked away from him, a spring in his step.
The bounty hunter started him walking again.
After a few minutes, Ezra Standish walked up to them, blocking their path.
"Mr. Tanner, you owe me money from last night's poker game. And I would appreciate remuneration before this," he glanced up at the bounty hunter's head and then back at Vin, "behemoth takes you from this municipality."
Vin stared at the gambler.
Ezra stood, one hip cocked, eyebrow raised, hand held out, palm up.
Vin opened his mouth and shook his head slightly while making a small squeaking sound.
Ezra narrowed his eyes as he huffed. "I should have known." He spun on his heels and stalked off towards the saloon.
"With friends like these, you don't need enemies, Tanner," the bounty hunter's gruff voice came from beside and slightly above him.
Tanner sighed as he shook his head sadly. "Don't I know it."
They started moving again.
Vin watched Josiah walk out of his church. The big man spotted them and immediately started walking their way.
Finally, Vin sighed, some help.
Josiah walked up to the bounty hunter.
"Jango?" Josiah pumped the bounty hunter's hand with both of his own. "God, how long's it been?" He put his hand on his shoulder as he stood next to him. "How's the bounty huntin' business been going? You're looking good. Been keepin' yer head about ya?" He winked and grinned as he nudged Jango with his elbow. "Well, gotta go. Got a sermon to write. Good to see ya." He shook hands with him again. Josiah looked over, seeming to see Vin for the first time. "Oh, Hi, Vin." He patted him on the back. "Well, see ya later." He turned and walked away, whistling Mr. Bo Jangles.
Vin cried.
They were almost to the livery when Chris walked up to them, black duster billowing in the wind, hat pulled down low on his forehead, green eyes blazing fire.
But when he reached them, instead of stopping, he just tipped his hat and walked on by.
"Larabee?" Vin called out, his voice desperate. "Ain't ya gonna help me, Chris?" he begged.
Chris turned and looked at Vin. The tall gunfighter bit his lower lip as he looked sideways. "Ummm..."
"Chris? Larabee? Chris!" Vin intoned. "I thought we was friends?!"
Chris scuffed the toe of his boot in the dirt. His hands were behind his back and he looked slightly abashed as he answered, "We are." He shrugged. "I mean..." he glanced up at the helmeted bounty hunter and then quickly back down. He cleared his throat loudly. "I mean... ah... we... were." He looked up at the bounty hunter, a fake smile on his face.
The bounty hunter pulled Vin towards the livery door. Vin turned in his tight grasp, his eyes pleading. "I thought we was soul mates. Brothers bound not by blood, but by love..."
Chris raised his eyebrows as he looked at the tracker with a cocked head and a disbelieving expression.
"Okay, maybe not that, but... but..." Vin's voice rose in octaves as the bounty hunter pulled him away, into the livery and out of sight.
+ + + + + + +
Vin sat on his horse, dejected. The bounty hunter ponied Peso behind his own horse and Vin now had his hands tied to the saddle horn.
He sighed. They were almost out of town.
Suddenly they stopped. Vin gasped.
Standing in the middle of the street, Spencer carbine resting on her shoulder, Nettie Welles blocked the bounty hunter's way.
Nettie! Nettie loved him, she thought of him like a son. Nettie would help him!
She frowned as she looked from the bounty hunter to Vin. She was silent for a moment and then she sighed. Raising her eyebrows, she finally spoke. "All I can say is... I love ya, boy." She cocked her head as she turned. "And yer on your own."
"Nettie?" Vin breathed out.
He cried as Jango led him out of town.
The End
Sequel: Jango Fett, Bounty Hunter - Making Amends
