Beamo’s Gold part 14

Beamo makes an oath he lives to regret.

“Yous made a mess of yous job, Roamer,” Bonehead said and spit on the ground. “Ious thought hems taught yous how to do it right in the Militia Scouts.”

“He’s dead,” I said back. “He’s as dead as the last Merican presidente.”

“Yous ain’t scary, Roamer.” Bonehead stood looking askance at me. He focused complete attention now, could tell I hadn’t come back down from lethal mode.

“You keep saying that. I already know you’re too stupid to be scared of anything except those buzzworms back at the Giant Four Faces. I just want you to think about it.”

“Ious don’t have to ponder nothin’, Roamer. Ious killed twice as many men as yous in my life.” He sounded genuinely insulted.

From my back pants pocket I pulled out a piece of spare horsehide to wipe down my Bowie blade.  I slowly bent down to place the bloody rag under a big rock.  When I stood back up, I said, “That may be, outlaw, but every man I’ve killed was just like you.  Or just like this freak lying here on his back. I want you to think about it.”

“When yous was scoutin’ for the Crans militia chasing us last year, Ious ran rings ‘round yous, Roamer. Yous ain’t nothin’ special.”

“Just ‘cause a cesspool rat I’m chasing escapes down a drain pipe I can’t fit into doesn’t mean he’s smarter than any other cesspool rat. It just means he got lucky.”

“Watch yous sayin’, Roamer?” Bonehead tensed his mouth like he was going to fight me right then. He really did feel deep insult at my denigration of his backwoods’ talents.

“What I am telling you is that I am going to kill you and Tee when this is over. I will fulfill my contract with the Sawbird Gang and find the gold. I’m starting to doubt that Kaim and the Big Men are going to let us have one yellow speck, but even if they do, I don’t want to be stuck inside my chateau waiting for somebody to try to do me in for my treasure. Same goes if we ride away with nothing and I have to go back making my living out in the bush. I can’t have it, savvy? Every punk-ass, backwoods hoodlum will be gunning for me if I let you and Tee get away with what you’ve done. The only way I can operate outside the Crans County border is that everybody knows I am no man to be phuuked with.” I stood there smiling at him but it wasn’t really a smile.

Hopper Leap emerged from the tree-lined riverbank leading the first of the Sawbird Gang pushing their bikes fifty yards away. Tee came out pushing his cycle and waved at us to move it.

“Yous really think yous can take Tee?” Bonehead queried.

“Oh yeah. My shoulders are little broader and my fists are a little harder. My aim is a little better and my wits just a little keener than Tee Sal and you put together on your best day.”

“Yous gonna tell hems to hems’ face?” Bonehead had his head down like he was looking at his feet but his eyes were still on my eyes. Then he suddenly relaxed and started taking apart his Ghillie suit.

“Yeah, I’ll tell him. I’ll even tell him in private so he doesn’t lose face in front of his gang. My mom taught me to be a considerate gentleman about that kind of thing.”

“Yous gonna hafta to deal wit Little Bit. Yous mama teach yous how to kill womins like my grams too or was it yous ol’ man Vauk Roamer?”

“Lytle and Sass and the rest need to stay out of my way when I come for you two, you savvy, outlaw? Little Bit and me are history. She was just another dent in time. It’s over now. I don’t want her hurt but she needs to stay out of my way.”

Bonehead finished throwing away the branches then took off his Ghillie suit poncho. He carefully wrapped it up then said, “Tee’s right ‘bout not wanting yous wit hems’ sister. Hems knows she’s special, don’t want her wit any gang rider ather. Yous take afta yous ol’ man. Beatin’ on womins is passed down from father to son.”

“You brainsick piece of filth. I never beat on no woman in my life.” I wanted to say ‘I’m not my dad,’ but that would’ve sounded weak. “What came out your mouth just now’s the most gall I ever heard in all my seasons. A lowlife cutthroat who snatches young girls accusing me of abusing women.”

“Ious was raised by two strong womins. Learned how to tell that womin-beatin’ kinda anger by the light in a man’s face. Yous got that anger inside yous just like yous ol’ man. Thas why yous never stay wit a womin more an a year. Hems gets on yous nerve and yous knows yous can’t stay in control, soas the lady gets dumped by yous or otha way ‘round before yous lose it. Yous needs to just go to the whores at the bawdyhouse an forget tryin’ to stay wit any womin.”

“I have no idea why my bullets didn’t take you out four years ago, but the worst mistake you ever made was giving me back my weapons, outlaw.” I watched him squat down, scoop up sand and leaves to clean his Bowie knife.

“Ious ain’t scared of yous, Roamer. Ious had a preminish on how’s Ious was gonna pass and it ain’t by yous hand nor nobody human.”

“Why the phuuk would the Kosmos bother to let a cesspool rat like you know how he was going to die?”

“When yous starving out in the bush, yous sees all kinda things no one else can. Ious wants yous to think ‘bout what Ious jus told ya, Beamo.” Bonehead gave a small grin as he stood back up. He started down into the river trees to fetch his cycle then turned back around. “Yous better wash off the shi from yous head Roamer. Yous stinkin’ bad like a cesspool.”

I picked up my flap-cap and followed, disgusted at myself for coming up short on this versation when my aim had been to get inside and mess with his head.

After finding my rifle then washing my head and arms in the shallow river, I got to my cycle and started pushing. I was in last place and had to double-time it through the woods across the shallow river and back up the hill.