Bill went through the door quickly but stopped dead immediately. There before him stood Caleb and he held Martha tightly to him, the barrel of his Colt pressed beneath her chin.
‘Take off you gunbelt,’ Caleb ordered. ‘Slowly or I’ll blow this woman’s head off.’ The woman struggled in his arms but it was no good and Caleb merely held her tighter.
Bill unbuckled his gun belt and allowed it to hang in one of his hands.
‘Toss it away,’ Caleb said. ‘Over there.’
Bill threw his gun belt towards the door.
‘Good,’ Caleb said and pushed Martha away from him and then shot Bill.
The slug spun Bill around and threw him to the floor. A red-hot wave of agony sent shockwaves through his body and he gritted his teeth against the pain. He been hit in the side, the bullet passing straight through him, a flesh wound he guessed, but it hurt like hell.
Caleb smiled and took aim again, this time squaring the sights at Bill’s head and then once again Caleb pulled the trigger, but the pin came down on an empty chamber.
‘No matter,’ Caleb said and tossed the Schofield aside. He pulled a vicious looking hunting knife from the scabbard on the back of his belt. ‘I’m gonna’ slit your throat,’ he said and advanced on Bill.
Bill tried to get up but he couldn’t. His shirt was now saturated with blood and he started to feel light headed. He felt dizzy but fought the feeling, willing himself not to lose consciousness as Caleb came and stood over him.
Caleb smiled, evilly and then knelt down and grabbed Bill’s head with one hand while the other brought the vicious looking knife into play.
Bill’s hand reached inside his shirt and he pulled one of his knitting needles out. He rammed it upwards with all his strength and it entered Caleb’s left eye, bursting the eyeball, which spurted out a mixture of optical fluid and blood, and continued upwards until it connected with Caleb’s skull. With that Caleb dropped the knife and the weight of his own body drove the needle through his skull and into his brain.
With that unconsciousness did finally overtake Bill and he slipped away, Caleb’s lifeless body atop him.