Against All Odds, Allan Deya [unputdownable books .txt] 📗

not think it makes you any less a wonderful woman but even if I were to offer you the world right now you would despise me in a month when all of your old friends desert you. Even if we were to run off to the mountains and seclude ourselves in a cabin and fill it with love and hope, when after a couple of days you realize that none of your former suitors are around to dote on you, you will want to get your life back.”

She had not thought of it like that and he was right to a large extent. She had always wanted, always loved attention; she did not know how to be without it. But she also did not see how she could ever be without him- he was worth the risk. “Trust me Daisey May, it is better this way.” She knew why Danny was doing this. Pretty boy Danny was every woman’s dream and that gave him a free pass to most of the beds he chose; he had never been turned down by any he approached, that is until he approached Daisey May 4 years back.

He would surely think it was because of Lesley; that had to be why he was gunning for him, he believed that his embarrassment had been caused by a black man. She rushed out and into the middle of the street ahead of Lesley and faced off with Danny. “Don’t do this Danny. It isn’t because of him that I turned you down.” And that was the truth, she had tired of hopping from bed to bed ad had been looking for something more meaningful, something deeper. She had wanted adventure and craved intrigue; she had lusted after culture and dreamt of high society- she had needed more.

And 2 years ago she had found it in Lesley Black; he was well travelled and widely read, had a quick mind and a kind heart. The type of man that had forever written on their coat lapels; the fact that he was rich was a bonus and the fact that he was colored, well that she got over after a few weeks. They had become fast friends and whenever she was in town they would exchange letters and when he went to Ford County on business they would share a meal in her private residence at the performing hall.

His business prowess and infinite wisdom had captivated her mind just as his experiences and abundant generosity had captured her heart as she had gotten to know him and when 3 months ago she had locked lips with him and laid hands on him, she had had no doubt that her body belonged to him too. The fact that he cared enough about her happiness to deny himself his own was proof that he truly cared for her. She would pay him back in kind.

The reminder that she had turned him down after he had boasted to everyone that he would make a wife out of her fuelled the rage that he was feeling. “Move out of the way woman.” He barked at her. “This ere biznis does not concern you.” “If you let him be, if you walk away from this, then I…I… will marry you.” “You do not have to do this Daisey.”Lesley said from behind her. “You love me enough to think of my peace of mind, well my mind will not be at peace if I know you died for me.” There was laughter in his voice as he replied, “I will not be dying, at least not tonight.”

Danny already had on a big smile and was on the verge of reconsidering his options when somebody from the sidelines commented that Miss May must surely have loved Lesley if she was willing to marry Danny just to spare his life. He would not be made a fool of again, Danny fumed. So the wench was trying to trick him, he wouldn’t have won at all, in fact that nigger would have because he would be alive and God knows what the 2 of them would get up to when he was out of town working.

“Get out of the way woman.” He repeated with an icy undertone. “But…but..I” “Do move out of the way please Daisey, this will be over in a flash.” Lesley repeated from behind her. With tears flowing freely down her face she turned and wept into his chest.

“No. No, I won’t let you do this for honor’s sake. I would rather live with a dishonorable husband than survive on an honorable memory.” He kissed the top of her head and squeezed her quickly and intimately. “After what you have just done; after what you have just put on the line to give me my wildest dream, do you really think I intend to die any time soon?”

It should have taken more than just those simple words to put her mind at ease. He should have tried longer and said more to get her to move, but he didn’t have to. With every fiber that was Daisey May Miller, she knew that this man would give her anything in the world that she wanted; and she wanted him, there was just no way he would fail to give her that one wish.

‘This must be love.’ She thought to herself as she stood up on tip toes to kiss him on the lips, ‘The power to trust unconditionally, the ability to see a future through the haze of hate and glaring death.’ “Be quick about it, I intend to make sure you finish your supper early tonight. We have a whole world to travel starting tomorrow.” She told him as she walked off the road.

“So yer ready ta die nigger?” Danny taunted. “I would very much like to avoid this fight Danny, if you don’t mind. I lay my arms down a long time ago and truth be told I am not much in the mind of taking lives anymore.” “Shut up!” Danny yelled. “Yer just shut your goddamned trap yer good fer nuthin ass eating nigger. Seems to me yer afraid of facing me, is all.”

“For God’s sake, somebody get him a weapon.” Came a voice from the crowd. “ “Somebody ought ter have plugged one in this here good fer nothing piece o trash as soon as he tried to get on level with regular folk.” Danny shot back. “Yer bout to get what’s been coming at yer for years now.” He directed at Leslie.

“Please!” Leslie pleaded one last time even then knowing it was futile; even as he spread his legs just a bit wider and bent slightly at the knee. “Here that folks, our gentleman nigger thinks he can walk way from a gunfight just because he knows how ter spells Please and Thank yer.” “It can’t be considered a gunfight if yer the only one with a gun.” The same voice challenged from the shadows.

“Yer shut it.” Danny shouted at the unseen instigator, “Else it will be you twitchin in hell tonight and not this lump of shit.” Leslie looked up at the town clock; it was just under 3 minutes to 9:00pm. By tacit agreement, duels in this part of the Wild West were fought at the top of the hour so it was foregone that they would draw at the stroke of 9:00 PM.

As the minutes ticked down the crowd grew more restless at the skewed state of the impending battle, as the seconds flew by Danny lost more of his resolve; nobody walked out into the middle of the street with no weapon and not as much a flicker of apprehension about him. The nigger was up to something, ‘No matter though,’ he thought to himself. ‘There is no way he is as fine a shot as Danny the devil and lord knew he couldn’t hope to be faster draw.’

At 15 seconds to time, Leslie finally moved; or rather his hands moved to reposition his overcoat- he didn’t want the sides of it getting in the way. The shock was audible, almost tangible as people beheld the shocking new development.

While most cowfolks slung the low hip riding one pistol holster, a very select few could concentrate enough to coordinate slinging one holster on each side and handle 1 weapon after the other without a break in stride. And a very rare click indeed had the fortitude to tot 2 such holsters on each hip and handle 4 pistols as though it was the most natural thing in the world.

It was a well known fact that in the bloody history of the wild west only a handful of people had ever totted 2 pistols in a particular manner. Only 9 to be exact could fire off 2 pistols simultaneously until the chambers were empty and then re-holster and switch to the other 2, in less time than it took you to hold your breath, and still hit the target.

6 of these were dead; one was the mayor of the most prosperous town on the coastal strip and another was the most feared and revered name in bounty hunting circles the nation over. The 3rd was an enigma- not much was known about him; they said he didn’t particularly take pride in his skills, quite contrary they said that he was almost disgusted by his killing talent.

Disgusted but thoroughly adept at, if the stories were to be believed. 3 of the six had fallen at his hands it was said and the 2 remaining had honed their skills through him. Only one person is said to have ever seen Quickdraw and lived to talk about it, and the bartender down in that sweltering port town of Ziwani had said that the identity of the greatest gunslinger would take your breath away.

The clock chimed; Danny’s hand was going for his pistol, hovering just over his hip when he felt the ground shift from under him. He saw the splatter of blood rise over him and idly wondered why the nigger’s blood was spraying all over his new buck skin coat. He was dead before he hit the ground- the bullet having pierced him clean through the heart.

Billy Daniels, John Brewer and Chuck Philips all reacted in the manner expected of lifelong brawlers; of psychotic brutes that enjoyed inflicting pain and raising hell wherever they went. They might have been formidable fighters and brainless oafs but they were also extremely loyal. Danny had been the spirit of their posse, the leader and the idol. Seeing him go down they reached for their own weapons; none of them got a firm grip on the butt of their guns.

Peter Dunn looked up from Billy who was the last to be cut down falling face first from the balcony of the salon, where he had gone to indulge himself and found his eyes staring into steely black pools. The pupils glowed so intensely with some emotion he could not quite place with the rest of him as composed as a family portrait.

His pistols were re-holstered same as he had done when the bullet tore down Danny. Whether it was a show of bravado or whether it actually aided his technique, Peter didn’t know and if he were to be honest he didn’t much care to test. The man had just gunned down some of the fastest gunmen in the county with exact precision; each had a bullet wound to the forehead, without even giving them a chance to draw their own guns.

Leslie stared at the man for almost half a minute before he could relax;