James Hector Lowe, or â€˜Heckâ€™ to his friends, which just so happened to be growing were fewer in number every day, trudged through the hardpack of the desert on the third day of his tireless trek. Long since had his mount given way, due to a festering gut shot and his supply of water hadnâ€™t faired much better.<br/><br/>Still Heck pushed on, the saddlebag on his shoulder of his 6â€™ lean muscled frame, he clutched like a child does its favorite toy, regardless of chapped lips and sun cooked skin. Ooh did I forget to mention that he was stark naked, with the exception of his black boots and dark Stetson cowboy hat and treasured saddle bag; he was nude for all intents and purposes; and the days of relentless sun had turned him to roughly the color of a lobster. His head wasnâ€™t so cooked, the wide, flat brimmed Stetson having spared his good looks.<br/><br/>Heck looked up, he only did this now, every couple of hours or so now, as doing it more than that gave him the impression that he wasnâ€™t getting anywhere, the desert landscape seemed to blend together after so many days of wandering in it.  The small bit of shade his hatâ€™s brim gave him was actually better than the stark beige landscape his eyes had come accustomed too, and so when he saw the dark silhouette of the town on the horizon, he could only laugh, knowing full well that is was most likely just another mirage, his dehydrated brain had conjured like it had done so many times in the last day of his treacherous journey. It honestly didnâ€™t matter, illusion or not, it gave him something to point his sunbaked brain attentions on, a goal no matter how imaginary it might be.  By this point it almost didnâ€™t matter to him.<br/><br/>The craziest thing was that the closer, Heck got, the more it seemed to be an actual town, it didnâ€™t seem to keep pushing away slowly like the mirages of the past few days had, as he started to pass small ranches, he realized that it was actually a real town. Eventually he came to a bullet ridden sign that identified it as â€˜Bethlehem Fallsâ€™.  James made the sign of the cross and then staggered into town limits.  He soon passed a large, boarding house, but the sign made clear that it was a womanâ€™s boarding house. He covered his manhood as he strode past the front yard full of children pointing and laughing.<br/><br/>************<br/><br/>Bethany cringed as the group of riders on fast horses swooped by her on the road out of town, they all of course wore the telltale crimson bandanas around their necks. God only knew what they were up to and it was â€˜â€¦best not to get in the Damnedâ€™s way on to hell!â€™, as they said here in Bethlehem Falls.<br/><br/>The group of seven Harriers in red kerchiefs was on a mission and they came upon the subject of what gossip had already relayed, as gossip moved much faster that the Pony express round these parts. Heck pulled his arm up to guard against the oncoming cloud of dust that rose with the horsemen as they yanked their horses reigns up just feet from him.<br/><br/>â€œSrrrrryyyâ€¦jst pssng thrghâ€ James tried to speak, but vowels would manage to produce themselves, as not having spoken in several days, his vocal chords could only manage a spit and sputter.<br/><br/>â€œI bet you isâ€¦.Pervert!.......See the thing is, we donâ€™t allow your kind round here!â€ Their lead man announced as the group dismounted and drew their assortment of firearms.<br/><br/>â€œNOâ€¦coughâ€¦.cough *spit! James  tried to clear his parched throat but to no avail.  He held one hand up, waving the aggressive men off, while the other attempted to modestly cover his sun burnt dick and balls.<br/><br/>Two of the large ones, scooted around side of his, and snatched Jamesâ€™ arms up, so he couldnâ€™t struggle, Heck couldnâ€™t believe how slow the men moved, but he was in no condition to fight back.<br/><br/>â€œWhat you got in that satchel, freak?â€ The head man said as he closed the distance and grabbed the dried leather pouch over Heckâ€™s shoulder, the white nonsuntanned area showed brightly against the rest of his sun burnt frame and James winced in pain when it brushed against his sore exposed areas.<br/><br/>The Damned man popped the latch and immediately his eyes got large, he reached in and pulled out a hand full of unstamped gold blank coins. â€œHOLY SHIIITEâ€¦..â€™AVE a fuckinâ€™ look at these boys!â€ Their leader laughed letting the coins clank down back into the pack full of them.<br/><br/>â€œOOOOH boyâ€¦is it your lucky fucking day, sonâ€¦.You donâ€™t die, as it appears you have the appropriate amount of toll accompanied with the grievous violation of walking through town bareassedâ€¦.Ifâ€™n you got a problem with that you can feel free to take it up with the â€˜lawâ€™â€¦.AHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAâ€ He finished and he and his men broke into laughter at the mention of it.<br/><br/>The next thing Heck knew, was the bright white flash of a gun butt colliding with the back side of his head, in his condition it wouldnâ€™t have taken much, so he went out instantly tumbling face down into the dirt. The Damned remounted and rode off for the Amsterdam compound, booty in tow.<br/><br/>Bethany ran up on Heckâ€™s unconscious, naked, sunburnt and bleeding form face down the way the Damned had left him. She took off toward her boarding house screaming, trying to raise help for the surely dying man.