User blog:Gunman for real/Blackwater Detectives

It was 12:00 P.M in Blackwater. Joseph Scranton, owner of a restaurant, was sitting in a bench, near the bay. A man carefully walked near him and started to read the newspaper. Later, the man starts talking to him, about something related to his restaurant, a widow says. Then, at 12:30, the man kidnappes him and takes him hogtied to the ferry. Aparently, people didn't see this action. After this, the Morning Star Ferry sails away, to an unknown place.- Marshal and detective Guy Crossfield lowered the official report of the cause and spoke to the people present in the room.

- Well, my fellow workmates, it seems that we got a job to do.- he said. - So we better start quickly before this man is killed or something. Claude Banfield, you are in charge of searching every tickets the Morning Star Ferry has sold. Dell, you check footprints or anything that can take us to him inside the county. Finally, Benton Manning, you track the man's contacts and friends. Any problems, send me a telegram from were you are now, you should leave.- As he said that, the three men walked down the stairs together, all asking theirselves if they were gonna find him.

- CHAPTER 1 --

Claude Banfield was alone now, in the bay of Blackwater, heading to the tickets station. He approached a little cabin with a lot of papers inside. He couldn't find anyone inside, so he shouted.

- Hello, is BOI. Anybody here?

A shadow emerged from the inside. He saw a young woman in dirt clothes walk to him. - Oh, Madam Hernandez, how are you doing?.

- Am fine, you shouldn't worry about me.- she told him.

- May I ask you a few questions madam?.

- Sure, go ahead.- she told him.

- Well, could you hand me the list of sold tickets you should have here.

- Oh, I'm so sorry, I lost the list a few days ago, I can't help you now.

- Ain't no problem, bye.- he said. He took a list and added Madam Hernandez as a suspect, just in case.

Benton Manning went to the saloon, to see if he could find any of his friends. He took a sit in a Blackjack table, and saw many of the people, said to be Joseph Scranton's friends. After the croupier gave out the cards, he stood up and told the men.

- Boureau of Investigation, don't move.- the men stood up too, paralized. - We should talk outside gentlemen.- he, along with three men, walked away from the saloon and gathered in the middle of the street.

- Do you know this man?.- he asked, showing a picture of the victim. One of them said no, but two of them were able to recognize him.

- Yes I do.- Norris Laskey told him. He was a clerk in town. He is Joseph Scranton, we used to come here to the saloon every night and play matches of poker and blackjack, his wife was murdered last week, unfortunatenly. But, why are you asking?

- We believe he has been kidnapped, and we hope you can give us information about this.

Another man began to talk after he said that phrase. - I, I know him.- he said. Benton Manning looked at him in the eye, which made him talk more nerviously. - Well, I only saw him once, but he was my sister's lover.

- Continue.- the lawman told him. - Well, things went pretty bad and one night, she was found dead in an alley here in town. I knew it wasn't this man who killed her, but my younger brother, Michael Reese, believes he killed her.

- Thank you for helping us. What's your name?.

- Thurlow Reese sir, I hope my brother it's not involved, he is a dangerous man.

Great Plains was vast for a single man to travel through it. Dell Hopkins was looking for tracks, on horse. After riding for hours, he was starting to think about giving up and continue the next day, the sun was crushing him. He looked to the ground again, and saw a pair of footsteps. He then focused on his work. He started to track them. Apparently, the person was running. He kept riding in a straight line, as the footprints lead him. Finally, they vanished in a pit of mud.

- Damn.- he told himself. He was so close. He got down of his horse and saw something inside the mud. With both hands, he grabbed it and rised it up. A red kerchief was now in his hands. He put it back in his coat and rode to Blackwater, with a thought in his mind. - Bollards.

CHAPTER 2 -

Guy Crossfield was very happy about the news. They had a suspect, at least. It was uncertain if he was in Great Plains or any other place in the frontier, but they knew were to start. The Bollard Twins Gang was now active in West Elizabeth. The detectives knew where the last week's Ferry was to go, Nosalida. After being allowed to cross the frontier, the three lawmen were now in Ramita de La Baya, crossing with a stagecoach. Dell Hopkins was driving, and Claude Banfield was sitting next to him. Inside the stage, Benton Manning and Guy Crossfield were sitting face to face, playing a match of chess.

After two hours and a half, they arrived to Nosalida. Dell Hopkins could see the village in the distace, through the scope of his old and rusty Rolling Block Rifle. They took out their weapons and got out of the stagecoach. Benton Manning spotted a sentinel.

- Take cover!.- he told them. The men went behind some rocks.

- At the count of three, you open fire, ok?.- Guy Crossfield told them. - One.- Claude Banfield reloaded his rifle.

- Two.- Dell Hopkins pulled the slide of his FN 1903 Pistol. - Three !.- Benton Manning fired his Spencer Carbine first, and the rest proceeded. Soon, the place was filled with gun blasts everywhere. These people here weren't Mexicans for sure. Gus Ballard fired to Guy Crossfield. But he took cover and pulled out his revolver. In less than a second, the outlaw was in the ground, with a shot in his forehead.

The men splitted up. Benton Manning and Claude Banfield went to the right side of the town. Dell Hopkins and Guy Crossfield went to the bayside. Dell breached a room, where one outlaw was. He emptied an entire magazine in his body. Then, Guy called him. A man was being tied to a chair, he had blood in his shirt. Joseph Scranton, he was. Behind him, an outlaw was pointing a revolver at his head, his name was Michael Reese.

- Don't you dare to enter Marshal, or I kill the man !.- he shouted.

- We won't harm you.- Guy Crossfield told him. - Unless you dissobey us, put the fucking gun down, now!

Michael Reese, was nervous and started to shake. - His gonna do it.- Dell Hopkins told them. They nodded.

Then, he went out of cover, and fired three shots to Michael's head, killing him instantly. They set the man free and could go back to Blackwater, carrying him safe. A day later, he was working again in his restaurant. Madam Hernandez was sentenced to fifteen years of prison, by helping the kidnap. She suffered from an illness inside the prison and died a year later. The Blackwater Detectives were given a medal to each one of them, and became the heroes of the town.