Blue Flame, Book Three, "ASHES:" Part Three & Four

 Part III: Agree to Disagree

“Once I find it, I’ll be on my way, Sheriff. You’ll hardly know I was here.” A smirk stains Shuffle’s face.

The Sheriff sets down his empty mug. “Is that so. What kind of artifact are you looking for?” He leans back on the stool. “Like I said, some things aren’t meant to be dug up. Letting the past sleep in the dust of the Old World isn’t necessarily a bad notion. Damn right safer, sometimes.”

“This may be true, and then, some things aren’t meant to sleep forever, either. If this map is true, it means the relic I seek predates all of human history. To a time of ethereal imbalance. A time when two worlds merged and fought for existence.”

“There you go again talking all that make believe shit,” the Sheriff said. “Look, I know what is real and I know where my prayers go.” The Sheriff put his large hand on Shuffles shoulder. “You sound like a determined man.” The Sheriff stood up, and towered over Roy and Shuffle. “Best of luck to you on your endeavor, Mr. Alex.” He gave him a solid pat on the back and placed his other a hand at his hip, revealing a pearl handled pistol. “Do let me know when you’ve found what you’re looking for. I am quite curious what it is. Maybe Kausia could build a small monument about it.” He twiddles his fingers and puts his hat back on. “And charge admission, make some profit, like you said, erect the past that destroyed them all.” He turned and walked toward the door.

“This whole town is practically a historical monument,” Shuffle says, half under his breath.

Stepping up the three small stairs to the exit, Sheriff Bents stops and half turns. “Oh, and one more thing Mr. Shuffle, a small detail. We don’t allow weapons in Kausia. Only the law is allowed to carry. That’s how we operate around here. It’s safer for everyone. You understand?” He turns to look over his shoulder to see what Shuffle’s reaction will be. “If you have any weapons, I’ll have to confiscate them until you leave. Nothing personal.”

“No problem, Sheriff,” Shuffle tips back and finishes his glass. “I don’t have any weapons.” He slides the cup across the bar. “One more glass, Roy.”

“What would you call all those explosives you brought in on your horse?” Asks the Sheriff standing half turned.

“Those? They’re for excavation. You never know when you’re going to have to dig through a hard place. I use explosives for those situations. Job hazard, you know, and from what my research has deducted, where I’m going, I might have to blast a bit.”

“That’s strange. Not much out in the desert to blow up. Must be digging pretty deep. How do you know you won’t blow up what you’re trying to dig up?”

Shuffle turns around on the bar stool and stands, facing the Sheriff. “Lots of fucking practice.” He pulls a gun from under his jacket and fires twice. “This conversation is beginning to agitate me.”

An explosion of sound reverberates through the small room. Roy’s ears ring, and he stands in shock, holding the bottle of whiskey.

The Sheriff isn’t able to react before seeing his own blood. He grabs for his heart, deep red fluid spilling over his hand. He falls to his knees in confusion. For as he is aware of Shuffles’ black beaming stair and sinister grin. Then he collapses in a growing dark puddle on the floor.

Two small holes in the front entryway leak rays of sunshine through the dust in the room. The beams spotlight the Sheriff’s motionless body as if to allow his soul to escape.

“So impossible to ever get anything done without making a mess.” Shuffle runs his left hand through his thin, greasy black hair and turns to face Roy. “Always a complication to every occupation. Right, Roy? Maybe I need a different job?” He sets the smoking revolver on the shiny bar top. “Na, it wouldn’t be as much fun.”

Shuffle reaches into his shirt pocket and pulls out a small silver container. He opens it and takes a large blue pill from within. He tosses the pill in his mouth and downs the glass of whiskey.

“Oh, and these headaches.” He says setting down the empty glass and exhaling a deep long hiss.

“Looks like we have ourselves a few choices here, Roy,” he lifts his head toward Roy and smiles. Shuffle picks up the gun and points it at Roy. “You still have that gold coin I paid you to open the bar?”

Roy digs around in his pants pockets fumbling; half deaf and half in disbelief, unable to snap into reality. “Somewhere… somewhere, here.” He drops it on the bar next to the empty glass. It rolls a little before finally coming to a stop. For a while, it is the only sound in the room.

“I don’t want it back, Roy. That was for you. I paid for your services.” Shuffle rubs his temple with his left palm. “Let’s play a little game.” He pushes the coin across the bar top with the gun barrel. “We flip the coin and play for keeps. Heads I win, I get your life. Tails, you win, you keep the coin, and go home alive at the end of the day.” He smiles a wide array of shiny teeth. “Sound like a fun game Roy?”

The coin flew into the air. Roy held his breath, though he wasn’t breathing much to begin with. His palms sweating as he grips the bar. The coin bounced once before Shuffle slammed his palm on it.

“Care to peak, or shall I do the spoiling?” He lifts the corner of his hand to tease Roy. “You’re quiet there, Roy. Not sure I can use a silent new partner.” He pulls his hand off the coin. “Faces up bud. Not your lucky day?” Shuffle thumbs back the hammer of the revolver. It clicks into position. “Or maybe...” He points the gun up and away from Roy. “It is. Depending on your perspective, Roy.” Shuffle said holstering the gun and taking the coin back. “Relativity, Roy, it’s the key to the whole damn universe.”

 Part IV: New Classified Ads

“Take a closer look at this map, Roy. I may have a new position open for an assistant. You interested?” Roy stares blankly at the Sheriff's body across the room. Nobody has ever been murdered in Kausia before.

“Roy, I’m talking to you!” Shuffle snaps his fingers in front of Roy’s face. “You’re failing your job interview.” He pulls back his jacket revealing the gun again. “Now look at this damn map, or you can take a permanent nap with your buddy over there!”

Roy’s eyes move to the map. “What am I looking at?”

“It’s a map of the area, Roy. Don’t you recognize any of these landmarks? It’s a map to the Blue Flame.”

On their way out of the BARSTROW, Shuffle pauses at the dead Sheriff. With a heel he rolls the Sheriff onto his back and bends to look into the wide open eyes of the deceased. “Nothing personal, Sheriff,” he says, dipping a finger into the pool of blood. “Occupational hazard, I guess,” and he licks the blood off his finger. “Tastes kind of nutty.” He pulls the silver badge off the Sheriff’s chest.

“Another historical relic for the collection. Guess we have new law in town.” Shuffle said with a laugh, clipping the pin on his chest and taking the gun from Sheriff Bent’s belt. “So glad I’m the only one around with the all the guns. That’s a good law you folks came up with. Un-arm the innocent. Let the criminals take over. That is, if I were a criminal. Which I’m not.”

Outside, the town folk gathered, curious about the gunshots. They knew the Sheriff was in there. They called him, sent him in there, to handle things, to protect them, to die for them. The front door, now sporting two bullet holes, swung open. Dark boots broke into daylight and step onto the boulevard. Shuffle emerged, pushing Roy ahead of him with two gun barrels at his back.

“Hello folks. Good to see you all gathered here. Let me be the first to introduce myself. The name’s Shuffle,” he takes a small bow, “and I’m your new Sheriff. If anyone objects, these two six shooters here will be taking your complaints over the next few days.”

Whispers pass through the crowd.

“If anyone would like to leave town, please feel free to do so. It’s a long harsh ride through the wastelands. If anyone wants to stay here, and live out their wasted lives as they are, I honor your wishes to do so. I’m sure you all play an essential part in the survival of this town. I intend to disrupt that. I’m here to collect an item, and then I’ll be on my way. But, in the meantime, as your new Sheriff, I’ll help contribute to the longevity of Kausia. The dearly departed Sheriff back there didn’t give me a chance to explain. I’m here with a simple task and I require some help. I have an excavation that involves labor and some digging. I’m here to offer job opportunities for a select group of young and able bodies.” Shuffle lets Roy go.

“What’s it pay?” shouted a kid from the crowd.

“It pays one gold digital coin each week until I find what I’m looking for. I’ll place my insignia on one side of each coin. They might not be worth much here in town. But, if any of you get the aspiration to leave Kausia, they’re worth a whole bunch in the outside world. They call them crypto, and it's adventurous out there. I am offering a once in a lifetime opportunity.”

Of the twelve eager candidates, all were hired, and their mothers disapproved.

Thanks for the Visit.

If you aren't caught up, don't worry, each book stands alone as a piece in the longer narrative.

Here's the rest of the story to enjoy:

Book One:

Part One: https://steemit.com/writing/@ghostfish/blue-flame-book-one-part-one

Part Two: https://steemit.com/writing/@ghostfish/blue-flame-book-one-part-two

Part Three: https://steemit.com/writing/@ghostfish/blue-flame-book-one-part-three

Part Four: https://steemit.com/writing/@ghostfish/blue-flame-book-one-part-four

Book Two:

Part One: https://steemit.com/writing/@ghostfish/blue-flame-ii-extinguish-pt-1

Part Two: https://steemit.com/writing/@ghostfish/blue-flame-ii-extinguish-pt2

Part Three: https://steemit.com/writing/@ghostfish/blue-flame-ii-extinguish-pt-3

Book Three:

Part One: https://steemit.com/story/@ghostfish/blue-flame-book-three-ashes-part-one

Part Two: https://steemit.com/story/@ghostfish/blue-flame-book-three-ashes-part-two

It's been a long time coming, couple-few-three years, mostly I've been waiting for the illustrator to finish, 'cough' start the drawings for this third and final chapter of the Blue Flame. I'm sick of waiting, felt it was time to share the final chapter of the Blue Flame Saga.

Written by Charles Denton

Copright 2018 Dim Media

http://www.dimmedia.com/