Wild West Part 6
Heero put a casual hand on his gun as he followed the preacher back to the saloon. He wasn't planning on shooting the man yet- he had valuable information after all- but one more sarcastic patronizing comment and he would gun the preacher down without a second thought. Screw the information.
Oh, he might regret it afterwards, he thought as he watched that braid swing back and forth, the sunlight making it gleam like a sunset, but oh, just to see that haughty expression disappear into shock...
"Is something the matter?" Duo glanced over his shoulder at the Sheriff. Heero had a soft smile on his face and one hand on his gun. It was kind of creepy. Duo did a quick scan of the street, but everyone was peacefully going about their business. Nothing looked like potential trouble.
"No," Heero's smile increased slightly.
"Why are you smiling?" Duo raised an eyebrow. He had expected the Sheriff to be angry that Duo wasn't sharing information with him. It wasn't fair of him, Duo acknowledged to himself but he didn't want to put the man in any unnecessary danger.
He had plans for the Sheriff.
"I'm thinking about how much I'd enjoy shooting you." Heero said in the same tone of voice that someone else might use to describe going on a picnic. He increased his pace, leaving Duo looking after him in shock. "Are you coming with me or not?"
"Apparently not anytime soon," Duo muttered, his meaning unfit for a man of the cloth. He walked faster, deciding that he'd better keep a closer eye on the Sheriff. God only knew what would set him off, and with Duo as an unwilling target for his aggression...
Quatre was at the bar, bent over a sheet of paper, deep in conversation with Barton. He looked up and smiled as they walked in.
"Got a plan, Quatre?"
"Maybe," the blond shrugged. "If we go in heavily armed during the daytime and stick together we have the best chance. Trowa says the caravan was lightly armed- the sentries spread out over the edges. If we go as a group and stay near to one another, we'll have a better chance. The caravan was attacked just before dawn, so I think our animal is nocturnal. We'll see if we can track it to a den and pin it in somehow."
Heero was frowning and Quatre nodded. "I know it's not the best plan, but it's the best I can do with no real knowledge of this thing. I drew up a list of people we should take with us."
Duo bent over the paper. "Add Chang and his wife to that list."
"His wife?" Quatre frowned slightly.
"Trust me. She's a skilled hunter. She has a good chance of finding where this thing is hiding." Quatre looked to Heero, who nodded back. The blond added the two names and then handed the list to Heero.
"I already talked to the ones with the check mark next to their names."
"I'll speak to the others on my rounds." Heero glanced at the clock on the wall. "Which I'd better start. Make sure Mr. Maxwell here gets fed, will you?"
"Sure thing," Quatre smiled.
"I'm not a pet," Duo grumbled. Heero didn't bother to reply. He left the saloon quickly, happy to have a legitimate excuse be out of the preacher's confusing company for a few hours.
Heero managed to find all the men on the list during his rounds. Quatre had left Alex and his friends off of the list, which Heero knew would make them upset, but those boys were too hotheaded to take on this kind of trip. They had a tendency to shoot at anything that moved and Heero wanted to keep the injuries to a minimum on this little trip.
Duo was in Heero's office when Heero got back in the early evening. He was sitting on a chair, scribbling on a stack of papers that he held on his lap by the light of the lantern that rested on Heero's desk.
"You could've used the desk to write." Heero commented as he hung up his hat.
"I didn't want to get shot," Duo countered, frowning slightly, but not looking up from his papers. Sulking, Heero realized and he knew why. He and the preacher had struck up a kind of friendship he supposed, it wouldn't be good to leave things like this.
"You have to realize that the patronizing thing you do is damn annoying."
"Maybe I wasn't trying to be patronizing. Maybe I really don't think that you'd believe me until you see what's out in the woods." Duo tossed the papers onto a corner of the desk and stood up. "Maybe I've tried in other towns to explain things and gotten laughed at for my trouble." His voice was angry and bitter, all trace of amusement gone.
"We're not like that here."
"Granted." Duo waved a hand in the air. "But you are doing fine. I'd tell you if you weren't. I mean- you agreed to take Chang and Meiran with you. I didn't even have to argue the point. That alone improves your chances greatly!"
"Why is that such a big deal?"
"Didn't you hear what I told Winner? She can track anything. Nothing on four legs can hide from that woman. Trust me."
"It's a bit difficult. I hardly know you," Heero pointed out dryly. "All I know is that you are the most irreverent preacher I've ever met. And sarcastic, and patronizing, and..." He didn't have a chance to finish. The preacher had moved lightening quick and pinned him up against the wall. Heero wondered how Duo kept getting the jump on him like that. "What are you doing?"
"Adding to your list." The preacher grinned.
Heero wasn't quite clear on the details of what happened next, but he came back to his senses with the preacher pressed up against him, mouth less than an inch from his own. He blinked dazed eyes.
"Are you going to shoot me?" Duo murmured. Heero blinked again, trying to remember how to talk. Duo's lips curled up in a smile. "Oh- you liked it. Well in that case..." He kissed Heero again, his arms sliding around the other's waist, pulling him closer.
Heero felt his own arms wrapping around the man in his arms, doing his own tugging in return. When the warm mouth left his to trail down his neck, some rational thought surfaced.
He gripped the preacher firmly by the elbows and pushed him away. "Stop!" Heero managed, taking a deep breath.
"Why? You liked it." The preacher responded, a faint pout on his lips.
"Not where anyone could just walk in!" Heero let go of Duo and gestured towards the front of the jail. Then he mentally kicked himself. That wasn't quite what he meant to say- was it?
Duo grinned, but backed off a bit. "Good point. Next time I'll find us somewhere more private."
Heero frowned back. "What if I don't want there to be a next time?" He tried. Duo's grin vanished and he leaned back in towards the Sheriff.
"Oh, but you do. Want me to show you again?" The all-knowing look was too annoying.
"Want me to shoot you?"
"You can't." The preacher smiled triumphantly and held up the object in his hand. "I nicked your gun. Better safe than sorry." Heero's hand touched his empty holster.
How the hell?
"Give it back!" Heero demanded.
"Not until you confess that you liked it." Duo moved out of range quickly. "And after you promise not to shoot me with it."
"Give it, or I'll arrest you for stealing!"
"Not my fault you just left it hanging around." Duo shrugged. "Really Sheriff, kind of careless of you."
Heero growled. How had he not noticed the preacher stealing his gun?
He knew how. He sighed. Duo saw the surrender and he smiled.
"Come on Sheriff. I liked it too, you know. I want to try it again." And other things, he added mentally.
"You are infuriating," Heero growled.
"I know," Duo conceded, unapologetically. A sudden sound made him turn his head towards the door.
"SHERIFF! SHERIFF!" Someone was yelling outside, they could hear the sound of feet pounding down the wooden sidewalk.
Heero took advantage of Duo's distraction to snatch his gun back before going out to see what was wrong.
"SHERIFF!" Sylvie was panting hard. "Cathy said to tell you the boys went out to go look for the creature!"
"What?!" Heero snapped. "Not Alex and Mueller?"
"Them and their friends. They were mad that you hadn't invited them along so they took off looking for it tonight. Alex's Ma told Cathy and Cathy sent me to find you."
"Idiots," Heero groaned.
"You going to go rescue them Sheriff?" Duo was leaning against the door of the jailhouse, a slight frown on his face. "I don't think hunting for them in the dark with that creature loose is a good idea."
"I agree. I'll run it by Quatre all the same though," Heero sighed. "I'm heading down to the saloon."
"I'll go with you."
There was a tense knot of people in the saloon. As Heero and Duo followed Sylvie in, Quatre was shaking his head at a formidable-looking female.
"I'm sorry, Miss Une, truly. But I don't think risking the lives of more townsfolk to go off and save a group of young idiots is really worth it. Alex, your brother and their friends made the decision to go."
Une was frowning. "If the Sheriff had just invited them along in the first place..."
"And the fact that they don't use the brains that God gave them shows why I didn't!" Heero growled. Une whirled around in surprise. She pulled herself together quickly and snapped:
"If those boys don't come back Sheriff..."
"Then it will be their own damn fault!" Heero shook his head.
"I agree Miss Une," Quatre interjected. "You know as well as I do that Mueller has been running wild since your father died. Hunting anything at night is not a wise decision. We can't risk more people."
"Besides," Barton spoke up quietly. "They may not run into anything. More than likely they'll come back safe and sound."
A scream rent the air, echoing through the saloon.
TBC...
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