Undead at Sundown by R.J McCabe Page B

chance of that happenin' is pretty slim as he’s usually up in Huntersville but that don’t mean it’s impossible. If he does turn out to be in that camp then just play it cool, be polite and I reckon he just might pay you the same kind of respect. If Jack is there then the second thing we will likely find are his protectors. The men who ride with him and keep the him safe. If they ask why we are here then we can let em know that we are just concerned bout the safety of everyone, so we came over to check. These men work for Blackwater and he will expect them to act as he would, representing him an all, so they should be pretty calm. 
         Now, the third thing you might encounter here is pretty likely, goin' by what I been hearin' and that’s Joel Blackwater, Jack’s son. I heard he's in charge of things but he ain’t been into town given that he hates the place. Joel ain’t like his father, he's unpredictable and I've heard many tales about this fella and they ain’t good. He has his father to back him up but aside from that I think this kid just has balls the size of boulders and if you ask me, he ain’t playin' with a full deck.’
         ‘So he’s the one I have to watch then?’ asked Bill.
          ‘I should say he is. A lot of men have lost their lives by not watchin' him, so if he's here just be on your guard and don't get him all wound up Bill, for both ours sakes.’
          Bill sat up straight on his horse and cleared his throat. ‘You can count on me to be friendly and amicable Ken as nothin' good comes from chargin' into a place and actin' like an asshole.’
         ‘I couldn't agree more Sheriff. So, shall we go down there and see what all the fuss is about?’
         ‘Seems you’re the one doin' all the fussin', said Bill smiling. ‘But still, I reckon that sound’s like a plan.’
    Ken flicked the reigns of his horse and set off towards the camp with Bill right behind.
         They were around fifty feet away when they both began to feel something was wrong. From where the men were, they could see some of the tents seemed to of collapsed and the whole feel of the camp was dishevelled and just plain wrong. Given that this was the site of a railway track being laid, things should have been bustling with bodies and people but there wasn't a single person was in sight.
          ‘Maybe that passer through heard somethin' after all Sheriff,’ said Ken surveying the camp.
          ‘Maybe he did,’ The Sheriff replied and took one of the pistols from it’s holster.
         The two men took their horses down to a trot as they continued towards whatever was waiting for them.
         As they reached the edge of the camp it became clear that something pretty serious had occurred there. Around half of the sixty or so tents were collapsed and there were clothes and peoples belongings scattered all over the floor. As the men slowly rode further into camp they both began to notice something else. There seemed to be red stains all over the tents, the belongings and even on the ground.
          ‘What in the name of holy fuck happened here Bill? Looks like a goddam massacre’ said Ken, shaking his head.
          ‘I can't even take a guess,’ Bill said, surveying the splashes of red on the tents. ‘But the real question is, where the hell is everyone? Where are the horses? Look how many tents there are. I think there are sixty or so men meant to be on this site, and yet there ain’t a single horse or person in sight and what the hell is all that red shit over everythin'!’ Bill took a deep breath before continuing. ‘Somethin' bad went down here, somethin' real bad, I feel it in my bones.’
         ‘Apaches maybe,’ Ken said, not looking at Bill but still observing the carnage around him.
          ‘Could be, but why would they come here?’ asked Bill.
          ‘I heard the Apaches have not been too happy about Blackwater layin' tracks on land