“ Don’t worry, I’ll only stay a few minutes.” La Trenne walked off towards the doctor’s house.
He was almost at the house when he saw a round piece of metal leaning against a wall and he suddenly had a vision of a room with computers and other shapes just like the metal. He stood still for a moment trying to recapture what he was sure was a memory of his life… but it faded away. He was surprised to realise that he felt a little faint, and he was perspiring.
When he had regained a little composure he walked up to the doctor’s house opened the door and walked in.
The sheriff was lying on a bed in one of the rooms.
“ Are you awake?” he asked.
“ Yes, I am.”
La Trenne noticed that the Sheriff did not look very well. “ So I hear you tried to be a hero?”
“ And look where it got me,” the older man grumbled, “ I told you that there were too many of them.”
“ Why did you hit me on the head? We could have tackled these people together.”
The Sheriff grimaced as he moved into a more comfortable position on the pillows. He was very pale.“ You were always saying you were not Logan, so I did not want to take the chance with you. I felt guilty after what you said about me though. You were right, I was hiding in my office. So I thought, I might just get lucky and get the upper hand on them. Turns out I was right to be scared. Those people are not normal.”
La Trenne watched as the Sheriff once again moved restlessly on the bed. “ I don’t know if I should thank you for this bump on the head or shake your hand.”
“ You’re right I should not have done that and on reflection it was a very bad idea, but least we are both still alive. I am sorry to have had to hit you though.”
La Trenne started to head for the door. “ I had better be going, I’m worried that if I linger too much they might kill Miss Iffy.”
“ They have Miss Iffy?”
“ Yes, at a house down the street. It’s a lure to get me to meet with them.”
“ Be careful, and let me know how it turns out. See how positive I am being? “ He attempted a smile, “ I expect you to come through this.”
He looked hard at La Trenne who nodded, “ I aim to.”
La Trenne left the Sheriff and walked down the street, back to where all the people were standing. As he approached they all turned to face him.
“ I’m going to need some help to rescue Miss Iffy. There are ten men in that house on the outskirts of town and I may not be able to do it alone. Will any of you help me?”
The Mayor stepped forward. “ Logan we hired you because you get the job done, surely you can do this by yourself?”
“ From what I understand you didn’t hire me at all. What am I saying, you didn’t hire me, none of you did. I am not Logan and I never was. You thought because I had a bag that had the name Logan on it, that it was mine. Well it wasn’t my bag and I am not him.”
“ It sounds to me like you’re scared and now you are trying to wiggle out of having to do a distasteful job.”
There were disgruntled murmurs of agreement from the crowd.
“ You’re wrong Mr. Mayor! I have no notion of wiggling out of anything. I fully intend to go to rescue Miss Iffy. I just thought that it might not be too much imposition for someone in this town to give me a hand. Am I really asking for something impossible? Is there no one who will help me?”
La Trenne stood there looking at the town’s folk. No one looked keen to lend him any help at all. Without another word he turned and went back to the jail and selected two weapons from the Sheriff’s cabinet and enough ammunition. There was what looked like two smoke bombs in the cabinet as well so he put them in his pockets. He noticed the time was almost midday. Then he walked back through the silent waiting crowd towards the house in question.
* * *
It was two hours earlier when the landing party materialized on the planet. They were three kilometers from Bitter Creek and on arrival they started walking towards the town. They had brought plenty of water with them as the day was starting to really warm up. In the heat of the day it made walking difficult.
* * *
As La Trenne headed down the street towards the house he wished he had brought Logan’s hat with him. It was becoming very hot at this time of the day. He thought it was important for the men to see him approaching, but he also knew he should not get too close. He was just out of weapon range when he stopped and called out, “ I want you men to let Miss Iffy go now. If she walks through that door within the next two minutes I will allow you men to leave town unharmed.”
There was mocking laughter from inside.
“ You really have us shaking in our boots Logan, we’d better do what you say or you might lose your temper. Oh that’s right, we have the upper hand and you went running to your mummy like a frightened little girl last night.” They all started laughing.
La Trenne knew it was no use arguing with them, so he quickly ran to a building that was out of their sight line. He edged his way closer to them until he was close enough to throw the smoke bombs through the window.
“ This is your last chance!” La Trenne called out, “ Send out Miss Iffy and come out with your hands up!”
“ If you want Miss iffy so bad, you come and get her!” was the reply, amid more hoots of laughter and a few unprintable insults.
He almost jumped a mile when a hand touched his shoulder from behind. It was the newspaperman and he looked very frightened. “ I felt ashamed just now when you walked down the street alone to fight these men for us. I am here to help you.”
“ Do you have a weapon?”
“ No, I have nothing.”
“ Do you know how to use a weapon?”
“ That I do know.”
La Trenne gave him one of his weapons. “ I am going to throw these smoke bombs through that window in a minute. I want you at the front of the house. Do not shoot unless I tell you or if you think it’s unavoidable.”
The man took the weapon and immediately obeyed. La Trenne waited until his accomplice was in position.
With that La Trenne took out the smoke bombs. All he had to do was pull a pin and throw it. He took his position and unhesitatingly threw both bombs through the window.
There were a few exclamations and a woman’s scream and then seconds later he could hear them coughing. He quickly ran around so he could get a good view of the front door. The newspaperman was still in position, his weapon trained on the front door, which was the only exit. One by one they came out coughing and spluttering through the front door. La Trenne counted nine men but there was no Miss Iffy and no big man with red hair.
He leveled his weapon at them and said grimly, “ You are all under arrest. I want you all to take out your weapons with your left hands and throw them back into the street.” All the men complied. “ Now I want you all to walk slowly into town. If any one of you have thought to grow a brain and do something stupid, my friend here will shoot them. I hope I am making myself crystal clear.”
He turned to his accomplice. “ Take them to the jail and lock them up, I will hopefully be there soon. You are sure to have some help from the others.”
All nine men did as requested and walked towards town with the newspaperman right behind them, his hands shaking on the weapon. As he neared the jail, other men ran up to help him shepherd his prisoners inside.
Just then La Trenne heard a window break on the other side of the house. The big man had thrown a chair through the window and now he and Miss Iffy were outside.
La Trenne ran around the house and when the big man saw him he grabbed Miss Iffy and put his weapon to her head.
“ If you come any closer I will ventilate her head. I intend to escape and she is coming with me.” His eyes were not mocking now but held a deadly expression that La Trenne knew was bad news for the shaking girl in his arms.
He moved very slowly towards them. Miss Iffy
was looking at him with big eyes, silently pleading for help. The big man had his brawny arm around her trim waist and his weapon pressed against her temple.
“ Don’t come any closer Logan.” His warning was growled through his teeth, his eyes coolly assessing his escape routes. “ I am leaving now and no one is going to stop me.”
“ Let her go, your argument is with me not her.”
“ Do not try and bluff me Logan!” He grunted. “ I’ve heard all about you. You’re a crack shot. If I let Iffy go you’ll gun me down in cold blood.” He grinned mirthlessly, “ Just what I would do in your place, if I gave a hoot about anyone that is.”
“ You should have thought of that when you burned down the saloon last night.” La Trenne stated coolly.
The big man started to laugh, only his eyes were not amused. “ That was just a bit of fun, you know that.”
Just at that moment Miss Iffy stomped on the big man’s foot and when he yelled she managed to get free and run from him. He tried to shoot her but he missed. La Trenne grabbed her and hurled her towards another building as the big man quickly took cover behind a barrel.
“ Get behind something and stay down!”
“ Yes, Logan, I will… be careful!”
La Trenne took cover. It was very hot. The silence was eerie and suited his suddenly angry mood. It was time to put this bad man out of action.
“ Now it’s just you and me,” La Trenne yelled.
Sweat was running down his forehead and into his eyes from the heat of the day.
A minute later the big man called out. “ Hey Logan why don’t you take a shot at me? If you are as good as they say, it should not be a problem.”
“ You’re just trying to make me waste ammunition, but don’t worry I’ll take a shot when I know I’ll hit something.” La Trenne felt a drop of sweat run down the middle of his back and settled back to wait.
“ Anyway I know you’re standing in the hot sun too, so if you’re suffering that makes me feel happy.”
“ Awww now that is just plain mean Logan!” the big man mocked, “ how about you and me come to some arrangement? The pickings in this town are very good. There’s enough for both of us. We might make good partners, since we’re both the kind of man that can take on trouble. How about it?”
“ Not interested.”
“ Why don’t you think about it? Huh? I will make it worth your while to throw in with me… you think about it.”
La Trenne didn’t answer.
La Trenne watched the barrel for another ten minutes and the big man didn’t move. But he thought he could hear the man coughing though. “ Why don’t you give up? When you’re safely in jail I will get you a nice cup of water, even some gulag if you have a mind to have a cup.”
“ Forget it, Logan,” he answered, “ I can stand here all day if I have to and I am not a bit thirsty.”
La Trenne saw his foot move, which made it visible and he was sure he could hit it, even from that distance. He aimed his weapon and fired off a round.
The big man yelled as it pieced his boot and La Trenne edged his way closer.
“ What did you do that for!” he roared, “ I thought we had an understanding… we are alike, you and I.”
“ I don’t think so,” La Trenne replied coolly, “ Why don’t you surrender? You won’t get away. I can just stand here all day, chipping away at you.”
Suddenly the big man limped forward and La Trenne yelled at him, “ Stop!”
The big man turned to face him and brought up his weapon. “ Don’t do it!” La Trenne yelled, “ I don’t want to kill you, but I will.”
“ Then kill me.” It looked like the big man was about to fire so La Trenne squeezed the trigger on his weapon. Something was wrong though and the weapon clicked loudly. There was an empty chamber.
La Trenne froze and looked into the eyes of death.
The big man began to laugh softly, his eyes gleaming with triumph.
“ Well, lookee here, “ he said in a deadly tone, “ You are all talk aren’t you? Your seconds are numbered kid.”
La Trenne braced himself. This was it. He was going to die and he still couldn’t remember his own name.
He stared into the deadly eyes of his executioner.
Suddenly the big man made a strange noise and fell forwards, unconscious.
La Trenne stood there dumbfounded, he had no idea what had just happened.
Then from behind a building appeared Sub-Commander Kazzie-Spockers with her phaser drawn.
Suddenly a door opened in La Trenne’s mind.
“ Hello Sub-Commander, I’m sure glad you came along when you did.” La Trenne said.
“ I was happy to help Commander.” She replied as she looked searchingly at his suddenly pale face.
La Trenne stood thinking for a moment and then slapped his hand to his head with a big smile. “ That’s right, I’m Vincent La Trenne and I am a Commander on the star ship DVD. It’s all coming back to me now.”
Kazzie-Spockers gave him a strange look. “ Of course that’s who you are, who did you think you were?”
“ I have had no memory for the last three days. I had no idea who I was until you stood before me…and everybody in this town thinks I am Logan. A man they hired to clean up this town.”
“ I take it that he does not use a broom? ” she asked with a perfectly straight face.
“ No he lets his weapon speak for him. Anyway we have to get this big brute back to town and put him in jail. Hopefully he will be spending the next few years in prison.”
By this time Ensign Lid-Lidia and Ensign Follicle had joined them and after greetings were said, they all carried the big man back to town.
* * *
It was a few hours later and La Trenne and the others walked into the street to say goodbye to the town’s folk. The Doctor had brought the Sheriff down in a wooden wheel chair for the occasion.
The newspaperman handed La Trenne a copy of the paper. It read ‘Logan Captures Troublesome Gang’.
“ This is for you to have as a souvenir.”
“ Thankyou, I will keep it always.” La Trenne replied, “ I don’t suppose it matters to anyone that I am La Trenne and not Logan?”
“ To the people of this town, you will always be Logan.”
Miss Iffy walked up to La Trenne with a smile and gave him a kiss, right in front of Kazzie-Spockers.
“ That is for saving my life, Logan. Do you have to go?” she said in her deep throaty voice.
Kazzie-Spockers gave him a strange look.
“ I’m afraid so, I have heard that another town needs me.” La Trenne decided to play along. It couldn’t hurt anyone.
“ What about what you said about being my Deputy?” said the Sheriff. “ I think you should stay until I am back on my feet.”
“ I’m sorry Sheriff but the job that needed doing has been done and now I must go to another place where I am needed. I hope you understand.”
“ I thought you told me that you are not Logan, are you really him?”
“ No I am not Logan and I never was but I think there is a little bit of Logan in every man. When a nasty job needs doing, somebody will step up and tackle that bull by the horns, as it were.”
“ What’s a bull?”
La Trenne did not answer.
“ So tell me, if you have your memory back now, what is your name?”
“ My name is Vincent La Trenne.”
The Sheriff thought for a moment. “ Sounds like a toilet.”
“ It’s a French name.”
“ French, what’s that?”
Even the Mayor held out his hand to thank him for what he had done.
With that the four of them walked out of town towards the setting sun and not long after that they all beamed back to the ship.
* * *
When La Trenne and the others appeared on the transporter pad it seemed like a lot of crewmembers were there to greet them. La Trenne looked at a sea
of familiar faces and he felt relieved to be back with his friends.
As they stepped down from the pad the Captain stepped forward.
“ Mr. La Trenne, so you’re here. My friend, we are so glad to have you back with us safely. When we saw how cold it was on that planet at night we were very concerned about you. I want you to have a medical examination and be cleared by the Doctor before you take up your duties. Perhaps you may also like some leave, just request it and it shall be approved forthwith. I also would like you to make a personal log record of what happed on that planet.”
“ Did you ever get any of the minerals that myself and Mr. Base were after?”
“ No we didn’t. I suppose we can go down again tomorrow or we can look for another planet as we make our way back to the Alpha quadrant. On a sad note, we are having a funeral for Yeoman Amenity today at twenty hundred hours. We waited until you were back on board and for Mr. Base to be repaired.”
“ I am sorry to hear about the Yeoman, and what about Mr. Base, is he alright?”
“ His arms were damaged when the quake hit. The rocks during the cave-in damaged them. Usually you would be the person to do repairs on him, so this time the Doctor had to do it.”
“ I understand, where is he? I would like to talk to him.”
“ He’s on the bridge, you can see him after you have been to sick bay.”
Everybody in the transporter room shook his hand and before long only he and Kazzie-Spockers remained in the room.
“ Who was that girl I saw kissing you on the planet before?”
“ That was Miss Iffy, she sings at the saloon at night. At least she used to sing there before it burned down.”
“ She was an attractive girl, did you have much to do with her?”
“ No, I only saw her a few times. She always said the same thing to me. ‘Logan, so you’re here.’ Come to think of it they all said it to me.”
“ So you heard her sing then?”
“ What is this? Yes I heard her sing. By the way you are asking me these questions I might think that you are somehow jealous.”
“ Jealousy is an emotion that Vulcan’s do not have. It is not possible for me to be jealous.”
“ So you will stop asking me about Miss Iffy then?”
They started to walk out of the door. “ Why did you say her name like that? There was an inflection in your voice when you said her name.”