Story: 'Night Trials', VIII

It's been a while... so far aliens have taken over town and Sheriff Bob is trapped outside, far too far from any other place to easily go for help.
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Night Trials: Part VIII
(Parts VII , IX)

Nightfall came and went, and even then Bob waited for another hour. He watched the alien sentries assemble on the town boundary and freeze into place and activity in the town settle down to nothing. Finally he was satisfied, scurried down into the diggings and scuttled along a tunnel until he reached the abandoned shaft entrance. He had known for a long time that Slim Edwin had used this shaft to get contraband in and out of his back room to the saloon and had kept the information to himself. Slim Edwin had uses as an unknowing honey trap for other criminals.

As he had seen days before, there was a trapdoor at the top of the shaft and a ladder leading up the side. Climbing silently he reached the top and boldly opened the trap. It was dark in the chamber beyond so he lit a long slow match and was shocked.

Slim Edwin, or the remains of Slim Edwin, was slumped in a chair and the whole was encased in a transparent crystal. He was dead, bullets in the head usually do that, and his gun was in there with him. Bob steeled himself, pulled himself out of the hole and headed for a lantern. Having secured a functional light, he headed for the door into the saloon proper and was stunned for a second time.

The saloon proper was playing home to about thirty people, sleeping in cots and mats all over the chamber. He saw his old Deputy Sawyer behind the bar and stepped around people to reach him. Nudging Sawyer awake, he held a hand over his mouth in order to stop his calling out, and stared him into calmness. He removed his hand.

"Sheriff!" Sawyer was clearly nonplussed. "We thought you were dead, or long gone..."

Bob merely shook his head. "Horses?"

"Gone." Sawyer shuddered. "Eaten."

"Blast. I need a witness and horses to get away for help."

Sawyer chuckled bitterly. "You don't know what day it is, do you, Sheriff?"

"Why? Speak up or shut up. I don't have time."

"The stage is coming in tomorrow."

Bob cocked his head.


To be continued...