A Calm Before the Storm

[Ethan Talon]

It was hot. Hotter than anything Ethan was used to. Before him a Texas prairie stretched into the distance. Jake snorted as he plodded along the dusty trail. Ethan removed his Stetson and wiped his brow from the sweat that was streaming down his face. "So, this is hell, or this is one hell of a dream."

David chuckled, "Yeah, it is hotter than hell that's for sure."

Ethan turned in the saddle to see his cousin astride his Roman mare. David was wearing a battered black hat with a set of filthy well lived in clothes. Their style down to the buttons were directly from old 19th century photos. He even wore a gun belt.

"Where are we?"

David looked at him suspiciously, " You hit your head and I didn't know about it? We're in the Texas Panhandle. That's Amarillo in the distance."

It was true a series of primitive buildings marked the location of a dusty Old West cow town. Plumes of smoke rose from cook fires and blacksmith forges."

"I could use a drink," David chuckled. "You reckon that girl you used to see still lives there? She had that funny name. Tammy... Talia?"

"Trinity?"

"That's the one," David chuckled and pulled the cork from his canteen with a pop, and drank the warm water within.

[Ethan Talon]

Ethan and David rode into town a few hours later. They boarded Jake and David’s roan at the livery stable. Standing on the edge of the street with his hands on his hips he took in the layout of the fledgling city. Somewhere a steam whistle of a train echoed off the buildings.

“Okay Dave,” Ethan sighed, “Let’s pretend I don’t have a clue why we’re here.”

David gave Ethan a queer look and shrugged and dug out a folded sheet of paper from his vest pocket and handed it over.

Accepting it he unfolded it to reveal a wanted poster with an artist sketch of a suspect. “Kid Calloway: wanted for murder, bank robbery. Well aren’t we the bad guy.” He handed the poster back to David, “Calloway can wait. Let’s see if we can find Trinity.”

Adjusting his gun belt Ethan walked across the street with David in tow and stepped into a hotel. Removing his hat he nodded to the man standing behind the counter.

“Afternoon gentlemen. You two look like you are looking for accommodations for the night. You two come in with that herd that arrived this morning? No, I reckon you aien’t. Cowboys don’t wear those tin badges.”

“No, we didn’t ride in with the herd, though we both have punched our share of cows in our time,” Ethan replied. He reached into his pocked and was surprised to find coin, and he drew it out. “We’ll take two rooms,” he said letting the clerk pick out the coins to pay for the room.

He bent down behind the counter and handed them two key with a wooden number tag dangling from a crude ring of wire. “Up stairs and to the left gentlemen.”

“Thanks. Hey… You wouldn’t happen to know a Trinity Tal… Trinity Morris?”

The clerk nodded, “I’ve seen her around.”

Ethan handed the clerk a gold coin, “Would you send word to her, and let her know where I’m staying.”

The clerk greedily snatched up the coin and grinned, “Of course sir. I will send word right away.”

Ethan simply nodded his head an followed David upstairs.