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Fate is the one that shuffles the cards, but we are the ones who play them – William Shakespeare

After Maddox rode out of town, things seemed to calm down. It was an usually quiet night at Lucas´ place also, but at least there were a few poker tables running. The poker tournament would start the following day, in the afternoon when those who would attend Harvey Stenbaughs´ funeral would have returned.

That night, Mayer went to bed earlier than usual. He had played some cards, but his mind was focused on the ones he had been dealt to in life. And how he had played them so far.

He closed his eyes, and he could see images of what had happened playing in his head, and once again flashes from his past. A past that would not go away easily, a past he would have to face one day...

-Hey, wake up, está bien, I´m here, Rosanna´s soft voice woke Mayer up. –Solo un mal sueno. It was just a bad dream.

She was gently touching his forehead and Mayer looked at her. –You are a good man, you know. Not like the men I know. Not like the men who brought me here. They are … killers, murderers, banditos.

Dekker and Alacran had arrived in Sabbath the night before. The word was that Maddox was out, that he had left Sabbath to go hunt the men on the list. Probably Hurd and Vern. But he would no doubt return. And then the hunter would become the hunted.

Rosanna had opened the back door to the Lucas brothel, and Dekker had found a good hideout next to a window with a clear view of the main street and the saloon.

Now, Dekker was waiting for his prey, holding his rifle. He was not in a hurry. Alacran had stayed away, hiding in the shadows. The Mexican had been acting strangely ever since they had set foot in Sabbath. Something was going on with the love birds. But that was none of Dekker´s business either. He was here to do one thing. Kill Maddox.

Downstairs, a poker tournament was about to start. A high stakes tournament, the sign had read. But the real game was going to be played elsewhere.

End of the day, life was about perspective. Good or bad. Here or villain. Outlaw or lawman. Both were killers, and Dekker could end this all with a single shot. He just had to be careful. The stakes were too high.

But while he was waiting, he might as well enjoy his stay. He was not alone in the room. A prostitute named Jacqueline was keeping him company. And a bottle of good whiskey.

-Honey, why don´t ya come back to bed? But first, I think we need more whiskey. Why don´t you bring some?

Dekker and Alacran had arrived in Sabbath the night before. The word was that Maddox was out, that he had left Sabbath to go hunt the men on the list. Probably Hurd and Vern.

Dekker had gone inside the saloon as Alacran watched from the distance. The stakes were high. And he was all in. Yet he did not want to see her now. He was too nervious. Everytime he closed his eyes, he would see her again.

Love and luck. Life or death. It didn’t matter. Life was but a game. A roll of a dice. And it could end any time.

He could see the lights on the second floor windows. He tried to see better. He needed to see her, even if it was from the distance.

The high stakes poker tournament was about to start… Actually, the start had been delayed because some of the participants had to attend a funeral. A man named Steinbaugh had been shot by a lawman from Bannoc, and afterwards the lawman had left town to hunt more men.

It seemed that the lawman, Maddox was the name, had a list of names he had to bring to justice, dead or alive

A list with two dead men already, and a woman named Sinta was sleeping in jail it turned out. But Trinity was more interested in two very familiar names. Dekker and Choctaw…

The tournament was a good place to gather more information. Finally, even the local sheriff “Cotton” Ryan was going to take part.

-I'm not that different -I said, moving my eyes away from her. I stood up, leaving Rosanna in the bed-. I can't run away from my past, Rosanna. I just revived everything that happened in my life recently, and I've got a lot to regret - the kid's face was torturing me as I spoke.

I looked for the tobacco between my clothes to roll a cigarrete.

-Sooner or later I'll have to pay - I sighted-. Guess redemption is not enough...

After a short silence, I turned around a looked at her laying on the bed, with her beatiful body just partially covered with the bed sheets. Again I breathed deeply.

-Look, I don't want to lose you. But I can't lie to you, neither I can just say nothing. I've making some choices lately, and all this situation with Maddox and Bronson may not end up very well for me -I closed my mouth again for a moment that seemed like ages-. I just though you should knew...

Jack looked at the empty whiskey bottle. It was Choctaw's bottle. He didn't like drink before a gunfight but if he was going to die this night that bottle couldn't be left unopened.

- No more whiskey tonight. I will go to bed in a minute, just be ready - answered Jack looking through the window.

Through the window, Dekker could see some locals dressed in fancy clothes walking towards the main door to take part in the poker tournament. For a moment, he was hoping to catch a glimpse of his old pal Mayer. Back in Delaware, they had been together in the Ed Stein gang. That didn´t end up very well for anyone, but Mayer had left before the massacre. Now fate had brought them both to Sabbath...

Rosanna looked at him, trying to understand the words spoken, and the meaning behind the words, the truth in his eyes. She did not know what to say, how to express what she felt. So she got up and walked next to him. And offered her embrace. There, next to the window, the two shared a brief and tender moment.

-Bronson pays men to do his killing. These men that took me from the Cantina, that brought me here, she said and a cold shiver went through Mayer´s spine. –I rode with them for some months before we met Mr. Bronson.

She looked through the window to the horizon, and remembered. And she pronounced the names Mayer was expecting but hoping not to hear. -Choctaw, Jack… and Alacran. I´m afraid, because these men are coming to Sabbath. Because they are coming to kill, and I don’t want to loose you.

Trinity took another sip of whisky. The names on that list were whirling in his head.Suddenly he felt something strange... their nope hair began to curl and a cold sweat. It was like a hit in their face, his body was rigid. He smiled when felt his "brother" smell. "I'm a bounty hunter, maybe I had forgotten that". He started to study the saloon, all the places to hide and shoot, windows position and all the exits. He went outside and analized all the building around trying to find places for a man whith a shotgun.

Impatience is stronger than him. Alacran need to see her, need to end it all, whether for good or bad. The last line linking him to sanity is upstairs. Unconsciously, he decides he is going upstairs. He looks up to see Dekker on the second floor window. Maybe he is there, watching. Alacran thinks he can see a silhouette of a woman on another window, a different room. Could it be?

Alacran´s has an alienated look on his face. Once Alacran is in front of the main door for the saloon, he feels once more his “Rosanna” hidden under his jacket.

Before entering, he tries listening what happens on the other side of the door . But the laughter will not let Jose Luciano hear anything. He cannot wait. Slowly opens the door a bit and see what happens on the other side… He is decided to go upstairs no matter what…

-Those men are the cause of your sufferin', honey -I said-. This badge -of course, I was refering to the sheriff deputy badge I kept with me- is just a way to make it official, but these men and me are enemies, and we're at different sides of the law.

I looked at her eyes, then put her face up looking at me by putting my finger on her sweet chin.

-Listen, am lookin' for no trouble here. I won't get in their way as far as they don't stand in mine... or yours. I don't wanna lose you, neither do I want to die. So let's just forget 'bout that for now, eh? Why don't we focus on ourselves for now? And, of course, the poker tournament.

Perhaps he could go down and look for Mayer on the saloon, he wasn't in a mood for having fun with Jacqueline anyway. Last time he was with a whore he founds him gunfighting without trousers.

Dekker saw a glimpse of Alacran behind the corner of the building opposite the saloon. He was sure it was him. The Mexican had come closer to what they had agreed. Alacran had a score to settle in the saloon, but Dekker did not know exactly why. He had not wanted to see Rosanna, so it was clear she had something to do with it.

Suddenly, the hunter saw another man coming out. A strong negro wearing a long drench coat, and a hat. He walked around the building, looking at the windows, checking the surroundings. He had never seen this man before, but it was clear he knew what he was doing. The man stood there for a second, looking directly at the window where Dekker was hiding.

Then he headed back to the saloon. Dekker put on his clothes, and left the room. From the top of the stairs, he had a nice view of the saloon, and nobody was paying attention to him with the tournament going on. He saw Mayer dressed in a fancy dark suit next to the saloon owner Lucas.

She nodded, and smiled as her hands met with Mayer´s on her face. –Go downstairs, I will go in a moment.

A few people had their suspicions, but no one really knew the two were together. And it was best to keep it that way, she thought as she stood by the window, looking at the distance.

Mayer took one last glimpse of the woman who had changed his life in many ways, and then he put on his gambler jacket, with the deputy badge safely in his pocket, and headed downstairs for the poker tournament.  

The main lounge of the saloon was quite large, and tonight most of the tables had been cleared away to prepare the tournament. The entrance was from one corner, and the stairs to the second floor were on the opposite. Below the stairs, there was the bar. There were not too many places to hide downstairs. Lucas had a table close to the entrance, but as he was taking part in the tournament the table was empty.

The bountyhunter went outside before the tournament began to have a look. The second floor windows were high up, and from there you had a clear view of the main street. For a second, Trinity thought he had seen a curtain move on the window of the corner room, the one with the best view. But he was not sure. As he kept on walking, he saw a man wearing a Mexican poncho on top of a yellow coat. He was hiding behind one of the buildings, looking at the same second floor windows with a crazy look in his eyes. He did not see Trinity, or anyone else for that matter.

He looked dangerous, obsessed, and no doubt he was armed. Before Trinity could do anything more, a saloon girl came out to take him back inside. The tournament began, but the bounty hunter could not get the image of the Mexican out of his mind.