CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

   Sheriff Doyle stood watch at the front of the brothel while Stacklee took the back. Bluford and Calamaro watched from the upstairs windows.

   Slowly, the slaughter in the town decreased and the streets became a cemetery with no crosses. Bodies littered the streets, some dismembered, some on fire, and some intact. Stray Indians still roamed and amused themselves by taking ears, noses, and assholes as trophies.

   Then the last of the redskins left in the direction in which they came. Bluford and Calamaro came downstairs.

   “Looks like they packed up and left,” Bluford said. “I don’t see any of them anywhere closer than east on the horizon. You think it’s safe to go now?”

   Sheriff Doyle said, “Just as long as we travel west and keep an eye out. Could be that they’re just playing with us and will come back looking for survivors.”

   Betty said, “Why didn’t they attack us? Looks like they broke into every building, every house but they didn’t come in here.”

   “I don’t know and frankly, I don’t give a shit just as long as they don’t come back.”

   Stacklee said, “So, we ready?”

   Everyone agreed and then Calamaro said, “I’m staying.”

   “Shit, are you that stupid?” Sheriff Doyle said. “We have a better chance of getting out alive if we’re in a group. You stay by yourself here, you’re bound to meet up with those redskins or some other tribe that wants to loot the town.”

   “I’m staying, that’s all.”

   Stacklee walked up to Calamaro, taking him aside. “You know the sheriff’s right. It’d be foolish as hell to stay.”

   “Then call me foolish. I’m staying and I wish you all the best of luck.”

   “Shit, man.” He patted Calamaro on the shoulder. “Thank you for everything.”

   “You’re the one who should be thanked. Betty is lucky to have a man like you working for her.”

   They shook hands and then the group got ready to leave. Betty and Calamaro exchanged no more words, only another deep kiss.

   Bluford approached Calamaro and said, “Thank you for saving my life.”

   Calamaro nodded.

   Doyle said, “We ready?”

   They went out the back door, slowly and careful not to make any noise just incase there were still Indians hiding, ready to ambush.

   As they walked, Bluford heard a sound coming from the church. “What the hell was that?”

   They all listened and heard the same sound.

   “Shit,” Doyle said. “Let’s just go. If anyone’s in the church, they can’t see us. So let’s hurry up. Go!”

   The four of them ran through the sand and out of town. Betty looked back at her brothel and let herself cry for her girls one last time.