#22 Emmett Clayton

Following his service in the Civil War, Emmett Clayton took his wife and baby son out West. On the long trip, his wife fell ill and died leaving him and young John alone. For the first few years it was difficult but not fruitless. Emmett came to be known as one of the most effective and feared lawmen in the new frontier.

But (there’s always a but in these stories, isn’t there?) even he was no match for three vicious killers. Emmett followed them into the desert and the shootout that ensued was brutal. Oh, he managed to kill all three, since even a fatal shot was not enough to stop Emmett from finishing his job.

As he lay bleeding out in the desert sun, all he could think about was John. Still a young boy, he would soon be an orphan, left to fend for himself. Then Emmett heard a voice. He looked up and saw a man standing over him. The man offered him a simple deal: Emmett’s wounds would be healed and he would be granted a second shot at life to finish raising his son. In exchange, his soul would be marked for eternal service to the Devil.

Emmett agreed and promptly passed out.

When Emmett woke up, the only evidence of the fatal gunshot were the holes in his clothes and a small scar. His first instinct was to thank God… and then he remembered that was not who he had made the deal with. He threw the corpses of  the three villains on his horse and rode back into town.

What Emmett found back home, though, was more horrifying than anything he had just been a part of. While he was out hunting down the three men, their fourth partner had come into town. Enraged to hear that his friends had been driven out by the sheriff, he went on a horrific shooting spree. The townsfolk were able to subdue him but not before he had killed four people. One of them was Emmett’s son.

Conned by the Devil and without a chance for redemption, Emmett prepared to kill himself. Then he stopped himself. No, Emmett would not give the Devil his due any sooner than he had to. In fact, he vowed to spend the rest of his days hunting down the Devil’s minions on Earth. He would do what little he could to help humanity and screw Satan before his mortal death.

Before setting out on his self appointed mission, Emmett carved a cross into the ivory handle of his six shooter and had it blessed by the town priest. Being a marked soul, he would never be able to hold the gun without the cross burning his hand. The pain would be a constant reminder that no matter what good he did, Emmett was still damned.

[I’m not an artist, just a writer, but I’m having way too much fun drawing again. It’s been way too long! I feel like a kid again in the best way. Enjoy!]

Copyright © 2010, Rolando Garcia.
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