The Climb The climb was long and treacherous, the mountain peak beckoning like a white beacon. I panted with the effort of walking, my legs straining and threatening to give way under me. Just a few more moments, i assured myself. I heard a deafening, unearthly screech behind me and looked around. Behind me was only the bland snowy path and rocks lining along side them. I was being hunted. After failing to spot the source of the sound I went back to my trek, shivering from the frost. I thought back to what my father had told me a few weeks before "Fear resides only where you believe it resides. Threat however is real. Do not believe in the threat and fear will evaporate" The saying had never made much sense before then yet at that time those words had never be truer. I wanted to believe there was no threat but fear still gripped my heart like a vice, crushing me slowly. I felt a wave of fear down my spine and heard the cry again, much closer now. I kept on placing one foot in front of them, determined to reach the summit. I stared at my feet, making sure they did not let me down. The same questions kept going through my head; what was following me? What was waiting for me at the summit? Why was I there? When I looked up…I was there. The summit was a small flat snowy patch holding only a single tiny steel box. I walked towards the container, transfixed and confused by its existence. I did not understand; why was there a box at the entrance at the heaven? Where were the gates I had been told of? What was supposed to happen? Before I reached it, I felt a rough, toothed mouth clamp around my legs and pulling back, to the floor. I desperately attempted to pull free and get up but the mouth remained there. I got a glimpse of my attacker; a huge, black dog with three ferocious heads and shining red eyes. I had heard of the demon said to lurk on the mountain yet had dismissed the tales as folklore to scare the kids. The savage beast brutally tugged me backwards and I felt my legs go over the edge and the monster let go, dropping me into oblivion. I screamed as I plummeted back down to the foot of the mountain and I hit the ground with a deathly crack. My vision blurred and pain swarmed over my body as I died.

Murderers And Thieves "You have no proof he is dead?" Sheriff Douglas thundered angrily. Karl slowly shook his head "Nothing could have survived that". "You had better hope so. I cannot pay you for your word" Douglas said, still fuming. "I know" Karl muttered "You had better. Its not your fault in all honesty. He brought the place down before you could kill him" Douglas relaxed "I hope he is dead". "If he isn't I will change that". "Good. There is another bounty if you wish it. Galesworth Ranch was attacked by the Lions gang. They are one of the biggest gangs that I have ever seen and are led by one of the most notorious men in the country; Quentin Porter. Quentin has had a price on his head for ten years and has never even been close to being killed. The man is a excellent shot and a inspiring leader apparently. We have one of his men locked up and he needs interrogating. I want you to do that and then come talk to me with all the information you can gather. Deal?". "Deal" Karl nodded his assent. "What do you know about him?". "He walked into FredericksTown and tried to shoot up some of the locals. Deputy Dawes rendered him unconscious and transported him here. Interrogate him but do not kill him. I have another use for him". Karl nodded and left the Sheriffs office and headed to the jail. Karl opened the door and entered a room that was rather large. There was a office on one side of the room whereas the other was separated into three jail cells with a bed and toilet in each. Only one of the cells was occupied. A heavily tanned, blonde man lay on the bed of the centre cell. A man in uniform sat at the desk. He wore traditional law garments and a stetson. He had a large black bushy moustache perched on his lip. The man was reading a old, dusty book that looked like it belonged in an abandoned library. The man looked up and spoke in an heavily southern accent. "Good afternoon to ya. What brings ya to my fine building?" "To interrogate this man here" Karl pointed at the figure in the cell. "Good luck wit' that. Mans tougher than a nut protected by a steel shield". The man stood "Are you Vincent Harlow?" Karl asked the officer. The officer nodded, set down the book and pulled a set of keys from his pocket, which he threw to Karl. Karl caught them with both hands and walked over to the cell. "Wake up" The man replied in a deep, cold voice "And if I don't?" "Then I will make you" The mans eyes opened and he sat up. "What can I do for you?" The criminal said calmly. "I am here to talk. What is your name?" Karl asked. "Jack McElle" "So Jack, why don't you tell me about what you do for a living?" "I fight for what is right" "You murder, rob and steal" "I strive to achieve peace. As does every one of my accomplices" "You have lost many of your allies" Karl began. "Victory is not measured by losses. It is measured in gains. Which we have many more of" Jack stood calmly. "Tell me a little more about your gang" "The Lions are a large group who fight the government" "Terrorists. What are your plans?" "Kill the government, help the poor and end all wars. We will make this country safe and happy" Karl scoffed "What is your plan to achieve that?" "My comrades will attack this pitiful town and burn it to the ground. We have the numbers and skills yet we do not have the firepower to assault a city. Better to start out small" "I am glad you are being so cooperative" "If I were you I would evacuate this town quickly. Before it is too late" "Where is your camp?" "That is for me to know and you to never find out" "Fine. Vincent, make sure he is properly locked in" Karl tossed the keys back to the officer and left. "They plan to take down the government?" Douglas asked. "Apparently so" Karl nodded "They are even crazier than I thought. There is only about sixty of the rats and they expect to take on an entire country? I didn't expect their ambitions to be any bigger than stirring up trouble" "They will attack Soneson" "Makes sense. We had better make sure we are prepared" "I agree. How many cops do we have?" "Twenty but we can get reinforcements from Kiordon. They have forty and could lend us a few. Approximately thirty-five lawmen to defend against sixty. Not enough on paper but our men have more skill" "Quality will prevail, not quantity" Karl interrupted "I sure hope so. Quentin has the governor of Kiordon and has vowed to execute him. The Kiordon force plans to assault the Lions camp but they dont know where it is. I have my best men on it. I want you to go and question one of the survivors from the massacre yesterday. See what information you can get from her. Her name is Louisa Sullivan. She is quite rattled so be gentle. Rest for the night and set out in the morn. Good luck" Karl arrived at Galesworth ranch at noon the following day. The ranch was a large wooden building surrounded by empty fields. Karl dismounted Fury and rapped on the door. After a moment the door slowly opened. Louisa was an elderly woman with dull grey hair that reached her shoulder. She was rather small and hunched. She had the look of someone who was intelligent yet sad. "Are you Louisa Sullivan?" Karl asked "Yes" The old lady croaked "I am Karl Winnebrock and am working with Sheriff Douglas Park to end the Lions terror. I would like to ask you a few questions" "Go ahead Karl" Louisa nodded "What happened two days ago?" "About a two dozen men attacked my ranch. They rode in on horses and shot up the cattle. Robert, my husband, ran out with his shotgun and told them to leave. They shot him. They did the same to my daughter and grandson. I was in the outhouse and hid there until they left. They are evil men. What are you going to do to them?" "Arrest them or kill them" Karl said gently. Then suddenly he heard voices behind him. Karl spun around to see a group five or six men on horseback riding towards the ranch, rifles in hands. Karl quickly rushed inside and Louisa shut the door. "Stay quiet" Karl murmured. "I am going to go and kill them" "They will kill you" "Not if I shoot first" Karl flung the door open and pulled his gun out. He began firing at the Lions. They fired back and gunfire rang out, echoing for miles. Karl gunned down two but then the central Lion fired a lucky shot. Karl felt a sudden, extreme pain in his shoulder and his vision became disoriented. He slowly collapsed onto the door and dropped the gun. The criminals turned and rode away, leaving their dead comrades and their targets. Karl's vision slowly turned black as he passed out from the pain

Opuss Account I am new to Opuss and intend to write stories here. My main focus is Westerns but will also write Adventure and Horror. I have already made an Adventure series named Journey Of A #lifetime which is separated into four parts. I have begun a Western story with Murderers And Justice and Wanted Dead. Both are similar setting and are set in the same world. If you enjoy my work please give it a comment, like and perhaps even follow me as it helps me tremendously

Murderers And Justice Karl Winnebrock dismounted his silver stallion, Fury and stood still briefly, examining his surroundings. His revolver felt heavy in his pocket. The buildings were deserted, empty and dead. Karl knew better than to believe that. "Gerald!" He shouted, his voice echoing through the area. "Come out here!" One of the doors slowly opened and a man exited the house. He wore a set of battered shoes, some pale shorts and a white shirt. All were ripped and ruined from the passing of time. The man had dark blonde hair and a scraggly beard. He wore a revolver in his left pocket. "Karl" He said Karl nodded slowly. "I always said I would find you" "I never doubted it. You are one of the best bounty hunters this side of the canyon" The man responded calmly "Gerald Barreck. It is time you answered for your crimes of theft, sexual assault and armed robbery, resulting in the death of two innocents" Karl announced "I accept the charges and am prepared to face the consequences of my actions" Gerald replied "Why did you do it?" Karl asked quietly "My dad and brother told me to do it or they would kick me out" "I would have helped you through that. You did not need to become a killer" "No… yet it happened. I cannot erase the past. At least you were the one to catch me" "And now I have to kill you" "Make it quick my friend" Gerald brought out his gun and dropped it onto the floor. Karl pulled out his own and cocked it "Sleep tight" he muttered. And he aimed. His hand shook with sadness but he steadied himself and sniffed back a tear. Karl sighed and pulled the trigger. The bullet seemed to fly in slow-motion towards Karl's old friend. Gerald gave a peaceful sigh and collapsed as the bullet found its target. Karl put his gun away and walked over to Gerald's unmoving figure. He was dead, no doubt about it. Karl searched his pockets and found nothing. He felt guilt and grief over his friends death but knew Gerald deserved it. The man was a thief and murderer. But he was a friend. Karl brought out a knife from his pocket and cut off Gerald's ring finger as proof of his death and walked away. Karl mounted Fury and rode away. To collect his reward. Karl arrived at Soneson town a few hours later. The town was quite large and old. It had been the market town for decades until all the merchants started moving to the cities. Karl headed straight for the sheriffs office and left Fury outside. He opened the door to see Sheriff Douglas sitting at his desk reading. "Good evening Karl. What are you here for?" He asked dryly The sheriff was a young man, 22 years old but his dad had been sheriff before him, giving him influence and power. The sheriff was a friendly, short bald man who spent his days reading or drinking. "I am here for a reward" Karl said "Who for?" Douglas put down his book. "Gerald Franklin" "Wasn't he your friend?" Douglas began rummaging around inside a drawer at his desk. Karl nodded "Before he killed two people yes" Douglas smiled and pulled a small paper bag out of his desk. He passed it to Karl and Karl opened it. It was filled with cash. Karl chuckled to himself. "What else is going on?" He asked "The Rattlesnakes are dead. All killed by one of their own who was then shot by a few lawmen. So that is pretty big at the minute. There is someone else with a bounty on his head; Jamie Stratton, he killed some people last week down in Kiordon and is now on the run" "How much is the bounty?" "More than I make in a year. My deputy Will went missing yesterday. He is not in the saloon. He's not home. He's not at work. Nobody has seen him since Friday. There is a search party out but I doubt they will find anything. They couldn't find a dime if it was waved in front of their noses" Karl smiled "Would you like me to assist?" "No need, little idiot will have gotten drunk and ended up in someone else's house. Maybe even just gone to buy something from the city. No need for such a fuss" "Something might happened to him" "I doubt that, he may be an idiot but he is excellent with a gun" Douglas rose slowly "Either way, he will turn up. I presume you need to get going" "Not really but I could use a drink" Karl yawned "Enjoy. See you soon" Douglas raised his hand and Karl shook it. Karl awoke the next day in a rented room in the saloon. He got dressed, ate some bread and saddled up Fury. Karl decided to go after Jamie Stratton, the murderer from Kiordon. Sounded easy enough yet nothing was ever easy in that area. He went to Douglas for more information. "Jamie is holed up in an abandoned cottage in the desert with two friends of his; Bert and Clyde. Kill them quickly" Douglas advised the bounty hunter Karl left that morning and ,after a short ride, found the cottage. It was a beautiful setting upon a hill overlooking the tranquil yet eerie desert. Karl entered the house and shot both of Jamie's accomplices. Jamie himself however was not there. Karl returned to Soneson empty-handed. He met with Douglas that afternoon. "We found Will. He was passed out in his back yard with beer in his hand" Karl laughed "How did Jamie kill his victims?" He asked Douglas's face darkened and he spoke quietly "He attacked them, killed them and then ate them" Karl could not conceal his shock, horror and disgust "He was a cannibal and deserves to die. Jamie has switched location. That is why he was not in the cottage. He now resides in an abandoned mine shaft. Pass me your map, I will mark it down" He did so and passed it back "Good luck. Be careful Karl" Karl left for the mans hideout ten minutes later and arrived after an hour of riding. The mine shaft was built into a mountain like a mouth gaping for prey. Karl wandered in, revolver in hand. The tunnels snaked their way through the mountain like a rock maze. At the end of the maze stood Karl's prize. Jamie was tall and thin. He had short black hair and a small stubble growing on his chin. He held an axe in his hand and was waiting for Karl. Karl faced him and spoke first "I presume you are Jamie Stratton" "You are not as dumb as you look. If you were then you wouldn't have even worked out how to put your pants on" Jamie snapped "I am here to kill you" "I would like to see you try Karl" Jamie raised the axe and swing ferociously at one of the supports keeping the ceiling up. The wood cracked and began to break. As it did the ceiling shook and began to collapse. Karl turned and ran for his #life, the mountain crashing down behind him. He managed to escape but it was a close call. There had been no sign of Jamie escaping and Karl had not seem him even try to run. He would be buried under tons of rubble so chances of getting a finger to chop off for proof was unlikely. Douglas would just have to trust him

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que Dinosaur Bar-B-Que is a renowned and famous barbecue restaurant and for good reason. It is an immensely popular spot in New York and a brilliant eat out spot. I have been to Dinosaur several times and have never been disappointed. The ribs are cooked to perfection and the sauce is amazing. The only criticism I would have about this place is the very long wait time before you can get a table. Recently in the restaurant that has been fixed by making a takeout available. That allows you to pass the wait and still eat the spectacular food, however the atmosphere cannot be recreated. The atmosphere is light and positive. A group trip to Dinosaur cannot be beaten due to the food and the easy talking environment. Going alone is not as enjoyable but is still an experience to remember. Barbecue does not get much better than at this brilliant restaurant. I would give Dinosaur Bar-B-Que 9/10 for its excellent food and atmosphere.