It had all come down to this in the end. Two guns. Two
men. One of them breaking the law. The other trying to uphold it. Both men
had their reasons. But reasons, no matter how good, wouldn't armor them
against a bullet. Or the pain of knowing that a solid year of friendship
could be over in less than a heartbeat. With just the touch of a finger to
trigger. Would be over if one of them didn't act to prevent it. If one of
them didn't lay down their gun.
It wasn't too late. Both men realized
that. Even now, they could turn back. Take a different path. Their
understanding had been such that a mere holstering of weapon would have been
sufficient. No apologies required or expected. No explanation demanded. Not
that they wouldn't have wanted these things. It was just that, measured
against the relief of knowing all was not lost, that their friendship was
not lost, everything else would pale in importance.
Past, Present and
Future. They shifted and wavered. Hovering in the air between the two men in
much the same way that the afternoon sunlight did. Inextricably linked.
There was no way to seperate one from another. And therein lay the problem.
Past ghosts, past promises had reared their ugly heads in the present. And
the choices made now would affect their future. Forever setting their feet
on a course from which there could be no return. You could never go back.
These two men knew that. None better. Which was why they still hesitated,
reluctant to take that final step. To decide once and for all where their
loyalties lay. What choices they could live with. Or die with.
"Don't do this." Chris Larabee's voice was a hoarse
whisper.
"Ain't got no choice." The raw pain in Vin Tanner's quiet reply
cut through Chris like a knife.
"You always got a choice, Vin." The
gunslinger came as close to pleading as his nature would
allow.
"Maybe. But I have to do this, Chris." Vin held the green gaze for
a moment before dropping his eyes. What was the use in prolonging this? It
was time to go forward. Set events in motion and end this. One way or
another.
"Then you know what I have to do." Chris tightened his fingers
around his gun. For the first time in his life, a gun seemed a foreign
thing. A thing to be feared. And hated. But he would do what he must. And so
would Vin.
"Goodbye, cowboy. I'll be seein' ya." Vin's soft words were
lost in the sudden roar of the guns as the two men fired simultaneously.
Out of the two bullets fired, only one found its mark.
Decisions
made. Lives altered forever. No turning back.
The End
