GALACTIC MARSHAL
by Hilltopper

CHAPTER 11

My shoulder met his chest and we went down to the ground. As I pushed myself off of him, he groaned heavily. A red spot of blood was spreading on his shirt. I heard some one running towards us and I looked up to see Matt.

“Are you alright? What were you thinking? If I hadn’t come back in just now, you would be dead.”

I noticed the gun in her hand and realized what had happened. The shot I heard was from Matt’s pistol. It was still a miracle that the stranger’s gun hadn’t fired.

“Thanks, he surprised me. I guess I’m losing my touch.”

We hugged, kissed, and then separated. The man groaned again and tried to speak. I put my ear close to his mouth. What he said both shocked me and made sense at the same time. He groaned for the last time and died. We checked his pockets but found nothing. Since he was supposed to be a newcomer, he wouldn’t be carrying anything. The problem was, it was a subterfuge.

“What did he say to you, Rusty?”

“I couldn’t make out all of it but the bottom line is that he was not a newcomer. He was sent here to find and kill James Cooper.”

“Sent by whom?”

“I hate to say it or believe it but he implicated Karen.”

“Well, it doesn’t surprise me. I know you like her and might even be her brother, but she is strictly bad news. Her hatred has warped her since of justice. I know Mr. Cooper doesn’t think she would use that laser on Fledora, but I am not sure. She has killed in the past.”

“Yeah, I know. She was just so nice to me. I guess this does prove the value of having Mr. Cooper on our side. It is a good thing we had hid him away. Let’s get back to Linda’s place.”

We walked back to the saloon and went into Linda’s office.

“I was getting worried. Did you get him?”

“Yes, at least, Matt did. He kind of got me.”

“What?”

“He must have been hiding behind some hay bales. When I passed by them, he hit me with one and got my gun. Fortunately, Matt is a good shot.”

“Thank you, Matt. We don’t want to lose our Rusty.”

Matt laughed.

“Our Rusty?”

“I claim him as a good friend but not a spouse.”

Linda smirked at me.

“All right, all right, it’s over. By the way, he was apparently sent by Karen to get James Cooper, at least, that’s what he claimed as he died.”

“It’s hard to refute a dying confession but I can’t believe Karen sent him. However, I must admit, she is the only source for his gun. There is no way he could have smuggled it from Broadskye. It is very confusing.”

“Yes, I agree. I still wonder what set him off at the bar. It seems out of character for a hit man.”

“I guess we will never know.”

“Nope! Anyway, I’m hungry. Who’s for breakfast?”

Matt grimaced.

“How can you eat after all that’s happened?”

“It might be messing with my mind but not my stomach.”

I went off to the kitchen. I could understand Matt’s reluctance. After all, she had just killed a man; a no good one but a man none the less. I ate breakfast and wandered back to Linda’s office to find Matt and her still talking.

“Did I miss anything?”

Matt looked over at me and stood up.

“No, we were just talking about Fledora’s past. Do you think Mr. Cooper is up yet?”

“Probably, it hasn’t exactly been quiet around here.”

“OK, I want to get some more information out of him, especially considering how badly Karen wants him dead.”

We went up to his room and knocked on the door. He opened it warily. Seeing us, he broke out in a big smile.

“Come in, come in! I was afraid Karen had come in shooting.”

“No, but she did send an assassin after you. Matt shot him, however.”

He looked visibly shaken.

“If nothing else, it proves how valuable you are. Karen must be afraid of you.”

“No one knows more about that laser than I do. After all, I designed it. Karen does not like loose ends.”

“Yeah, I guess she felt you could be a threat to her. Could you draw a map of that base and detail how to sabotage the laser?”

“Sure, it would be my pleasure. I owe her big time. Give me a couple of days.”

“What about security at that base?”

“It is heavy looking outward but practically nonexistent internally. Karen did not see a threat from anyone working there. Although, after my escape, she might have beefed it up a bit.”

“OK, just write out everything you can remember. Karen is coming here in a few days and might take Matt and I back with her to the base. She seems to think Matt is guard material. We will try to be ready.”

Matt and I thanked him and walked out. She hugged me.

“I have got to get downstairs. My job awaits.”

I laughed.

“You are too enthusiastic for my thinking. I’m going back over to that stable and look around. There might be something there we missed.”

“OK, see you at supper.”

I walked to the stable. I decided to pull apart the bales of hay that were stacked in the last stall. The only thing I found was a small leather case. Inside were a bunch of pictures. Looking through them, I was surprised to find a picture of me taken about 10 years ago. That would have been a little before my dad’s death. I definitely need to talk some more with Mr. Cooper. Nothing else turned up in the stable so I headed back to the saloon. I showed the picture to Matt.

“Cute!”

“Ha, ha! What I want to know is why he has it?”

“Then I suggest you ask him. But do it after supper. I didn’t eat anything this morning and my energy is about to run out.”

“Sure, I can always eat.”

“So I’ve noticed.”

I stuck my tongue out at her again. This was getting to be a habit. We ate in the kitchen and just chatted generally. After we finished, Matt went back to her duties and I headed upstairs to talk to Mr. Cooper again. I knocked on his door and announced myself. He bade me to come in.

“I found this in that stable.”

I tossed the leather case to him.

“Oh, thank you. I thought I would never see that again. When you get my age, you value memories and pictures a great deal more.”

“Hey, you’re welcome.”

I took out the picture of me and turned it towards him.

“Where did you get this?”

He looked at it and smiled.

“Your dad and I were good friends right up to his death. He sent me that a few days before he died. He really worshipped you. I remember how devastated he was when your puberty messed up. The hormones given you certainly turned things around. You grew into a right nice man.”

“Hormones? He gave me some vitamins that seemed to help me. There was really nothing bad wrong.”

Mr. Cooper got a strange look on his face.

“Maybe I’ve said too much. All I know is he was happy at how you turned out. By the way, I’ve just about got your map drawn. I’ll bring it to you tomorrow.”

“OK, fine. I’ll see you them.”

Well, I seemed to have had the subject changed and a dismissal given rather effectively. I went across the hall into my room and lay down. Up until my trip to Fledora, I thought my life and my body were my own. Now, I wonder. It seems everyone has been manipulating me to their own desires all my life. This can drive one crazy. Matt walked in and noticed my expression.

“What’s wrong, Jonnie?”

“I just had a talk with Mr. Cooper that I wish I had skipped. When this assignment is over, I think I will have a nervous breakdown on general principles.”

She laughed.

“Don’t worry, the past is past and we will figure out the future together.”

I looked intently at her.

“How did you get so smart?”

“Chocolate”

I couldn’t help but feel better. Mary was rapidly becoming my savior.

”Come here, it’s been a long day.”

We snuggled together and all the troubles melted away.

The next day, I was sitting at a table in the bar nursing a drink when a very familiar face entered via the front door. It was none other than Marshal George Brett. This could only mean one thing; the marshal service was now on this threat full bore. He looked around the room and noticed me. He did not even flinch but kept gazing around. He finally walked up to the bar. The bartender handed him a glass.

“The first drink is on the house for newcomers. Welcome to the dark ages.”

I motioned for Matt to come to me.

“Matt, see that new guy at the bar?”

She looked over.

“Yeah, so?”

“That, my friend, is Marshal George Brett. We have worked together several times.”

“Shit!”

“Most definitely shit! Go see if he is hungry. Maybe we can go to the kitchen and find out what is going on.”

“OK”

Matt walked over to George.

“Hi’ya stranger. I’m the bouncer here. The name’s Matt.”

He looked up and registered recognition.

“Don’t worry, I don’t plan to cause any trouble.”

Matt laughed.

“Didn’t mean to say you were. I just thought you might like to join my partner and I for lunch.”

“Why not? Lead the way.”

They headed for the kitchen and I followed. We got our plates of food and sat down at an isolated table. George looked up at me.

“Long time no see.”

“It hasn’t been that long.”

“From what I heard, it probably seems like it.”

I laughed.

“You don’t know the half of it. Come to think of it, maybe you do. What are you doing here, as if I can’t guess.”

“We had been informed about your under cover venture. Sam was pissed by the way. A couple of days ago, we got a frantic call from one Josh Randall. It seems Karen had a mole on his force and you had been turned in. Since he had not heard from you, he imagined the worst. About the same time, the marshal service got a formal request from Fledora to help thwart the threat against them from a splinter group of Broadskye’s military. So, here I am.”

“Yeah, I see. I assume we now have all the back up we need.”

“Sure do. Of course, we did not know whether you and Matt were still on the case, if you get my drift. Seeing you is a very pleasant surprise.”

“I’m glad we were still here to greet you. We hadn’t used our transceivers for fear of detection. Plus, we were under the impression that Randall only wanted to hear from us when we needed to be picked up.”

“All I know is he was beside himself.”

I turned to Matt.

“Fill him in on everything. I’m going to inform Linda as to what is up.”

I walked out and went to Linda’s office. After being invited in, I sat down with a heavy sigh.

“OK, what’s up?”

“We either have a big problem or a lot of help.”

She frowned.

“Explain”

“A newcomer walked into the saloon a little bit ago who just happens to be a marshal. It looks like the marshal service has taken a very active interest in that laser thingy.”

“And, I guess Karen as well?”

“I got the feeling the threat was their main concern. Since Matt might be going with Karen in a few days, I have a suggestion. Make the new guy, who is George Brett, an assistant bouncer. It will give him reason to be staying here and a job when Matt leaves.”

“I am real conflicted about all this but I agree with your idea. Let’s go inform him of his new status.”

We walked back to the kitchen.

“George, this is Linda. She runs this place.”

He stood up with a lecherous grin on his face.

“Pleased to meet you. I’m George Brett.”

Linda smiled.

“Down boy. I am also now your new boss. Rusty here has convinced me to give you the job as assistant bouncer.”

“Rusty?”

I jumped in.

“Hey, I couldn’t use my real name so I decided on Rusty Allen.”

“Rusty has told me of your purpose here. I will help where I can. Come on, I’ll show you your room.”

They left and Matt stood up.

“Well, I guess this was good news. We certainly need all the help we can get.”

“Yeah, this also will make it easier to get off this moon when things get sticky. I never trusted that Randall fellow to get us out of here. I better get back to work.”

“OK, see you later.”

I went back up to our room. When I opened the door, I found the map and schematics Mr. Cooper had promised slid under my door. I spent the rest of the day memorizing everything. When Matt came in, she started in as well. I continued my memorization the next day. I figured it would be best to not have these papers on me. Matt and George were busy bouncing and she came in late. Since we still had a couple of days until Karen’s transport arrived, we made the most of the night. I woke up late the next morning to find Matt all ready gone. I dressed and headed down to breakfast. I found no one about so I went into the kitchen and ate. As I was finishing, Linda walked in. She looked very strained.

“She’s gone!”

“Who?”

“Karen swept in this morning and took Matt back with here.”

“Matt’s gone?”