John Strongburg pulled up to a stop at the top of the rise. Looking down into the valley a grim smile crossed his lips as he saw his target.

Stepping down from the stirrup he looked at the signs around his target’s camp. Drawing closer he silently cursed when he saw that they had split up. From all he saw they were heading deeper into the badlands. Looking over the camp again he only saw about five of the ten that had drawn his quest for revenge. This was a quest that had the grim reaper sitting on his shoulder as his constant companion.

Creeping closer he gently rubbed at the massive rope burns around his neck. ‘They should have made sure I was dead,’ he thought. ‘I won’t make the same mistake.’ Moving in he saw that the single guard was bored as he made a circle around the camp.

Looking at the five horses John was constantly checking making sure they couldn’t detect his scent. Good still downwind he thought as he crept closer to the guard. A sinister smile crossed his lips as he thought of the ten animals that had burned his home to the ground. Slaughtered all his livestock, his help then made his wife watch as they tied his hands behind his back hanging him.

That was the last thing he remembered ‘til his neighbor had cut him down. The more amazing thing was he was still alive though his throat was too raw for speech. Writing instructions for his neighbor John mounted up setting out after the ten animals.

“John,” his neighbor stated. “You oughta wait for the sheriff.”

Writing rapidly John handed the note to his neighbor as he kicked the horse to a gallop. Not looking back John knew whether or not he lived or died he was never coming back to this place.

His neighbor could only stare at the note his mouth hanging open. {I ain’t coming back here, they took everything from me. I intend to take all from them. They took my Lilly, if she survived I suspect she’ll never want to see me again. Live or die I will make them pay, with every bit of myself I will make them pay.}

So onward he rode, for almost a week, his throat raw from lack of much water the rope burns a constant reminder. Finally he was here though it was too late to get them all he’d just have to keep a few of them alive. He was certain they knew where the others were.

Checking his saddle bags he loaded up on ammunition. Then he made sure both of his Revolvers was full. Nodding he reached to the back of the saddle pulling his automatic rifle. It was a new model that the army was using a M1898 Krag–Jørgensen Rifle that chambered a .30-40 round.

John only had to wait a few more minutes as the youngest of the band made his way past John again. Springing like a coiled cobra, John had the man’s throat cut before he uttered a word. Stepping back with the body John knew the hard part was about to begin.

He’d managed to get two more of the men tied up and out of the camp before the other two awoke bringing bedlam. Grabbing their guns they started toward their horses watching for any movement. Leaning out John shot the legs out from one of those escaping. Screaming to his brother the shot man watched in horror as his brother made his horse.

John took cover as the last man started to fire toward his position heading out at a full gallop. Cursing to his self John took aim firing three rapid rifle shots. The last man grabbed a shoulder then fell off the horse.

Walking to the first that he’d shot, John chambered a shell. The Man on the ground stopped almost afraid to breathe. John kicked the rifle and pistol away from the man then pulled the trigger back on his revolver pressing it to the man’s head. Reaching down John removed two more revolvers, a skinning knife, plus a weird knife that was spring loaded. Shaking his head John had heard of these switchblade knifes though he’d never seen one.

Grabbing a rope John hog tied the man’s legs and arms behind him none too gently. Walking out to the last of the men John saw that the man was armed. Pulling his rifle before he got too close John shot the gun from the now screaming man’s hands. Walking out again John’s mouth was a tight line as the man started to scream that John was dead, he’d seen John choking as his feet were hanging in the air. Cuffing the man John watched with satisfaction as the man crumbled unconscious.

All four men awoke stark naked hanging upside down. Writing on a piece of paper John showed it to each man who only stared at John. The last of the four the one John had shot the legs of nodded saying, “I can read not well, but I can.”

John nodded as he started to write again, then he turned the note back to the man. The man’s face paled then he looked at the others. “The man says he’ll let us go if we tell him where the other five are. He says we don’t?” Here the younger man gulped, “he’ll start removing parts slowly. He also says it ain’t going to be purty.”

At the other end the oldest of the men started to laugh, “ I aint telling him sh...”

Just then a shot rang out as one of the man’s toes disappeared causing the older man to scream. John was writing even as he spun his revolver into his holster. Holding the note up the younger man nodded.

“He says anymore? Now where are they? I can track them but killing them faster has a far better taste. You will talk there are a lot worse things that you can survive than dying.” The rest looked at the older man but remained silent. “Honestly mister I didn’t know I was just hired to watch the horses. I...”

John held up another note, then drew his revolver shooting the man between the eyes. Narrowing his eyes he moved to the second man shooting a toe off the man. Looking at the third silent man John sighed then cocked his pistol. Another toe was blown away now all three were bleeding and screaming.

Spinning his revolver John stepped back his boots tapping the ground as he waited. The first man started to laugh ‘til John blew a finger off the man’s hand, bringing a renewed screaming. Turning to the other two, John smiled a hard line on his face as he caressed the pistol lovingly.

When neither said a word John nodded again blowing a finger off the second man. Spinning to the third John’s boot tapped the ground again. The third man’s eyes were wide though he still refused to talk. John just shrugged pointing his pistol at the man shooting the man’s kneecap.

This time John moved back up the line shooting the first man in the knee with no warning. Then rapidly moved to the second shooting him in the knee. This time John moved back sitting down watching the three men writhe and scream. Calmly John looked out at the empty landscape taking his first deep drink from his canteen.

Laying back John just shook his head as he leaned back to take a nap. He’d barely started to fall asleep when one of the men started to babble about the plans that the men had. How John’s farm had nothing and the leader had taken his anger out on John’s farm plus all that were there. Then he started to tell of their hideout, the plans to sell John’s wife after all the men at the hideout used her.

John nodded as he listened as the man described in detail where it was, what town that was nearby, the strength of the men there. The oldest started to shout for the man to shut up, John drew his now fully loaded revolver shooting the man in both hips. The other of the two men left started to scream as John turned to him shooting him in both shoulders.

The one who had been talking stopped saying, “I thought you said if we told you, that you’d let us go.” John nodded, cocked his gun, and shot the man between the eyes.

While the others were screaming louder, John calmly reloaded his pistol. Walking to the two men John checked the ropes to make sure they were secure. Nodding to himself John leaned down to the first whispering as he started to cut the screaming man. “Never again will a woman have to worry about you.” Pulling a wicked looking knife, John grasped the man’s sex organs removing them with one swipe.

The other man was screaming louder as John walked to him repeating the same actions. Taking what he’d cut off he then stuffed them into the now unconscious men’s mouths.

Nodding to himself again, he turned on his heel mounting his horse. Turning deeper into the badlands John kicked the horse into a gallop. He had to catch up, they already had a few days on him. These weren’t even the main men, those he had a far worse death in mind for.

Three days later in a lawless town a few miles inside the badlands, a tall, hard looking man rode in. The arid wind blew his dirty blonde tresses across his face. Most of the people who saw him ran to hide they had stayed alive long enough to know a killer when they saw one. The fierce look of calm in his eyes, the way all his weapons were ready to be drawn at a moment’s notice. Shaking they decided it was time to stay in, death had just rode in and they weren’t ready to get in its way.

The tall, blonde man climbed down tying his horse near the water trough, then looked up at the lamp post shaking his head. Pulling both of his colt revolvers he checked his sights and ammo, then shook his head. The sights really didn’t matter at this point, either they drilled holes, or he was dead, plain, and simple. Checking the street he saw that most everyone had skedaddled; good, no need to kill everyone not if he didn’t have to.

Stepping inside the saloon he noticed a few that took a particular notice to him. Especially the way his pistols were at the ready at his side the holsters tied down. Walking to the bar his spurs hardly making a sound, most ignored the tall man with a bandana still around the bottom of his mouth.

Grabbing his drink the man turned to survey the room. Looking at the piano he noticed the large candelabra on it. Most of the women here had silk stockings on, nodding the man thought yup I’m in the right place. Looking further at the women he could see that a few also had corsets on.

The man had just settled in with his drink to wait when a young man walked straight up to him. Poking the man the youngster said, “ya is in my spot.”

The man got up to move when the young man drew his pistol. Then he was backing away as the man had already drawn his colt pointing it in the young man’s face. In a low raspy voice the man whispered, “Next time you’re dead, get!”

Several men were laughing as the younger man had wet his self at the speed of the man, then ran screaming from the building. Shaking his head the man sat, another older man with pearl buttons on his vest approached him.

Several men moved in behind the pearl button man making the man tighten his grip on his other colt. “Not bad,” The man said as he extended his hand. “Tom Greely, may I?” He said indicating the chair across from the blonde man. The blonde man nodded. “I’m looking for good, fast men like you. It appears that we lost half our men, though the way you move I’d say you make up for almost all of them.”

The blonde man wrote on a paper then handed it to the man. The man looked it over then stated. “You’ll work for me, collecting from people that aren’t paying. Though if you pick up a few odd jobs then that’s ok too.”

One of the men behind Greely drew his pistol firing near the blonde man. This blew a hole in the mortar of the wall behind the blonde man. The distinctive click of the blonde man’s colt hammer being cocked froze all that were there.

Greely nodded as the man who had fired went to retrieve his hat the blonde man had shot off his head. Coming back the man narrowed his eyes at the blonde, “that was a freebee won’t happen again.”

The blonde man smiled then the shook his head no. That’s when the man’s eyes opened in surprise as he fell over blood seeping from a hole near the top of his head.

Greely smiled then turned to the others, “word of warning I suggest none of you attempt that. I suspect that almost all of you will meet with the same result.” Turning back to the blonde, Greely asked, “so you in?” The blonde sat there a moment then nodded. “Good I need you to go with these guys to their place. All of you head out tomorrow for a job just outside the badlands.”

The blonde got up to leave pushing his drink to Greely. Nodding Greely downed the alcohol like it was water. Heading to the door the blonde saw that the bartender had taken a few of the plaid curtains down to cover the body. Looking up the man looked at the blonde then quickly averted his eyes shivering. It felt almost as if he were looking into the eyes of death once was enough for him.

All of the men left with the blonde man riding beside them. Many remarked what a fine animal he had asking if he’d sell it. They all were of course met with silence.

An hour later they rode into a well defended box canyon. The blonde man watched everything burning everything to memory. There were two at the opening, two on the cliff above them. Inside he saw that there were at least four patrolling around at all times. Set near a few boulders there were two small shacks. Outside that there were another four men with rifles keeping guard. ‘That was ten,’ the blonde thought.

As the four of them stopped at the front of one shack another four men came out. A flicker of anger and rage crossed the blonde man’s face then was gone in a flash.

“‘Bout time you got back.” The obvious leader stated. “Who the hell is this?”

“The boss hired him, especially after he killed Cass. Ass drew on him thinking he could scare him. Damnedest thing, Cas was dead didn’t even realize it. Hole through the top of his head,” the oldest of those with the blonde said.

“Yeah? Well, you got a name fast man?” The leader said as he reached for his gun, then stood stock still when he saw that the blonde had already drawn with the hammer cocked on his gun. Nodding the leader slowly took his hand away from his holstered gun. “Impressive, I won’t make that mistake again.”

“We’ve got a job tomorrow, the boss said.” The same man informed the leader.

“Alright take the new man. As fast as he is shouldn’t be a problem. I’ll stay here seems we’re having a problem with the new whore.” The leader laughed as he rubbed his crotch. “After I am through breaking her in, she ought to be real good to go!” This brought laughter from all the men.

“Hell boss don’t kill her! We all want a turn, you know it’s been a while for all ‘o us.” Another of the men sadly said.

“Don’t worry boys after I am done with her she’ll beg all of you to take her. I suggest you four get ready you leave in a few hours.” The leader said as he watched the four as they readied all their equipment.

The blonde man was checking everything when his head snapped up noticing a cameo brooch on the leader’s shirt. The leader saw the blonde man looking, “that was the same troublesome whore’s don’t worry she’ll be tame as a cat when you get back in a week.” The blonde man nodded then went back to his work. The one thing no one noticed was that the blonde man’s knuckles were white from the grip he had on his saddle bags.