Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ Grand Theft Auto: Nerima ❯ Ghost Riders In The Sky ( Chapter 22 )

Ghost Riders In The Sky

(The Outlaws - Ghost Riders In The Sky)

 

 

“Ned Vinsfield?”

 

The tired looking man just stared lifelessly at Mousse with a bottle of whiskey in his hand. He began to move after the bottle slipped out of his hand and stood there with a hand on the barrel of one of the rifles on his back and the other close to his hip. “Yeah, I'm him…”

 

Mousse grinded his teeth for a moment and glared at the scar faced man. “Who killed my baby? Was it you?”

 

The man had nicks and healed cuts on his face showing him to be a veteran scrapper. He was of average size and didn't look a whole lot like anyone of interest, but his eyes were something else. They were that of a stone cold killer and a desensitized mind. His eyes told Mousse that he'd seen hell and came back with the devil's head slug over his shoulder as a trophy, but deep in the back he was full of regret. “I ain't the one you're lookin' for.”

 

“Then who?”

 

Ned's hand went to his gun with the speed of greased lightning, but Mousse was pretty fast himself. He moved just fast enough to avoid the bullet, but it was close enough to make one lens of his glasses crack. Mousse jumped and his feet slid on the dusty trail and just as quickly he had his gun out for the ready. Ned started moving fast and hid behind a white oak tree before Mousse could get out a shot. “If you survive, then maybe I'll tell ya… I just gotta know if ya have the balls ta do it.” Mousse fired his gun and a couple shots whizzed by the tree and only one clipped the edge of it. “Ya shouldn't waste rounds like that.” Ned ducked down and busted out from behind the tree with a full out sprint and with an unwavering arm took a couple of pot shots at Mousse.

 

Mousse got low and ducked behind an old beat up tractor covered in rust. Bullets sparked and rebounded off the metal body and once again Mousse fired away from behind a big wheel as if having ammo to spare. He peeked out to see if he hit anything, but as far as he could see he hit nothing and not only that, but Ned seemed to have disappeared on him. Things started to get quiet and Mousse tried looking around with frantic eyes searching for anything, but nothing. Mousse got brave and kept his back to the tractor as he crept around it for a better look, but as soon as he peeked his head around the back of the machine a shot went off from somewhere and almost took his head clean off. Mousse got back behind the thing and started breathing hard with a hand to his chest.

 

 

Ned was down in some dead tall grass the same color as his coat. He held the rifle steady and pointed at the tractor waiting for Mousse to show his face again. His eyes were cold and locked without emotion. He could wait there all day and night if he had to.

 

 

Ranma was tapping his head against the wall trying to knock himself out because Jerry's was being an angry, noisy bitch as usual. “Why can't you go away?”

 

“How rude! I'm in worse shape then you and you expect me to leave? Fuck you!”

 

“You wouldn't be here if you just shot that asshole properly! What was it again? You attacked him from behind? This doesn't help us Jerry! You should have pumped lead straight into that dip shit's head!”

 

“Unlike you I wouldn't even think about splattering some guys brains all over a six year old!”

 

“You didn't tell me that part!”

 

Akane rubbed her head and looked tired. “How long are you guys going to keep yelling at each other…?”

 

“Back off hussy! This is MY man and I'LL deal with him!”

 

“BUGSY!”

 

 

Mousse was getting smart and he decided to take a risk. As safe as being pinned down behind a beat up tractor with a mad man who was in the vicinity of somewhere up ahead with a loaded gun was, he felt that a change was in definite demand. He took off his over shirt, rolled in into a ball, threw it one way and ran another. Mousse went directly towards the barn with doors wide open, as a shot went off behind him. From the feel of things it seemed to have worked for him, but Ned was quick and empty shells were already flying out the side of the stock. Mousse heard something go by his ear and it scared him to his hands and knees. He started pushing dirt around making a dusty scene as he got to his feet for the last stretch, but just as he went through the wide wooden doors a hot round split through the wood and went deep into his side.

 

Mousse let out a shriek of pain, as this was his first gun shot wound he'd ever had. It wasn't anything like being on the receiving end of a punch, kick, or knife. I was more like having your insides rearranged quite suddenly and the place where the meat once filled was now replaced with a rush of hot fiery blood and a three hundred degree hunk of lead. It hurt a lot. He was flat on the ground mixed in with the hay for a few seconds before he realized that he wasn't dead, but upon trying to get up he found that he just couldn't. The pain in his side was unbelievable and the only thing he could do was roll over get ready to scream, but with much effort he kept himself from wailing. His breathing picked up and he held on tightly to the new opening in his body.

 

He shut his eyes for a moment and tried to calm down, but that made his mind start to wander and right now it was a bad thing for it to do that. He started wondering if the wound was fatal. His breathing started to pick up and the more he thought about it the more he started to fear. His hands started shaking and his knees followed suit. Then the sound of spurs clinging became the only thing heard and Mousse knew that it was Ned coming to finish the job. He opened his eyes slowly to see Ned's long shadow stretched over him and a revolver poised in the air just above his head. “You scared? You should be. You're gonna die. I guess having someone rip a baby out of your woman isn't enough to get ya to kill properly. Look at yourself… You're a shaking mess of fear. You're like all the others I've had to kill. None of them could rake up the balls to come at me with shear hate and revenge. Don't ya want to know who did it? How many more children are going to have to die before someone does something?” Ned reached down and grabbed a handful of Mousse's long hair. “How many more are going to be thrown out labeled as `medical waste'?”

 

That hit a sore spot for Mousse and it made his fist hard. Despite the thought that he might die he pulled back without fear of being shot again and clocked Ned across the jaw as hard as he could. Ned went down and Mousse switched places with him. Mousse stood over Ned for less then a second and he recoiled his leg for heavy kick straight into Ned's gut. “Is that what happened!? Was it thrown out like that!?”

 

Mousse went for a second kick, but Ned caught Mousse's leg and pulled him down onto the ground with him where they exchanged a few punches, until they both tied each other up so neither could move. Ned smiled at Mousse and showed off some bad dental work. “You better believe that how it was. Oh and in case you were wondering, it was a beautiful baby boy.”

 

“Shut up!” Mousse head butted Ned right in the nose and they scampered away from each other, but while Ned was crouched over holding his nose, Mousse came at him with a move known as a kick to the fucking face. Ned's body went limp momentarily as he flew back through the air and straight out the conveniently placed window headfirst. The glass shattered around Ned's hat and glimmering shards bounced and trickled down him, but years of experience won over the pain and his reflexes made him pull out another revolver and fire off two shots before he disappeared outside.

 

A couple puffs of dirt shot up close to Mousse, but he was already hot on Ned's trail. He ran and jumped through the broken window and much like Ned his reflexes started taking over. When he was down he completely forgot that he was still armed, but his body didn't. With a flick of his wrist the sound of small moving gears and little metal rails sprang to life momentarily and put a 9mm right into the palm of his hand. Through his cracked lens he saw a figure dash into the bushes and opened fire before he could think. He ran after Ned, but before he could get into the foliage with Ned a heavy fist came out clocked him across the side of the head. Mousse stumbled back shaking his head, but now it was Ned's turns.

 

Ned did a standard 1-2-3 combo with fists to the gut and one more across the face. A gun came to Mousse's head and he leaned back just in the knick of time to let the bullet pass by harmlessly with only millimeters between them. Mousse let himself fall back onto one hand and pushed up hard with a foot planted right under Ned's chin. Ned fell onto his back, but rolled backwards and got to his feet while Mousse showed off some agility and did a backwards handspring to his feet.

 

Ned smiled and all he got out was, “Heh.” And they both reached of for a straight shot. Ned got his shot off first while ducking to the side and managed to clip Mousse's shoulder as he pulled the same maneuver. Mousse reached up and grabbed his arms with his teeth clenched. “No one's ever beaten me in a quick draw bud, and I don't think yer gonna surprise me anytime soon. Yer a real lousy shot.”

 

Mousse watched where Ned's gun pointed and it was a good arms length away from Ned where Mousse's bullet hit itself right into the trunk of a tree. Mousse looked at the split wood with almost a sigh, as he knew right away that no matter how much he was going to shoot at the guy, he was going to miss by a long shot. The only alternative would be to get as many guns away from Ned as he could and fight him hand to hand. `Just don't die… Ranma… You're such an unbelievable asshole… I can even hit this guy… Forget that he's smiling after every punch, how can I hurt him? I need something that'll hit him… Then again I can use something that doesn't really rely on accuracy…' Mousse flicked his other wrist this time and after a quick clicking sound Ned smiled and saw Mousse holding a sawed-off double barrel shotgun.

 

“Bringing out the big boy toys? Smart move. Just remember squirt, I've got one too.” Ned crouched down quickly as Mousse let a shot go off over top of Ned and as the back of Ned's coat flew up as he crouched, he reach behind and inside his coat for the Western Custom strapped to his back. The kind that looks you have to pull the handle apart to reload, but Ned was a pro and all he needed was a quick spin in his hand to get the next burst round ready for action. Metallic buttons and leather straps burst apart and with one hand he brought the single barrel around and locked in on Mousse. Mousse made Ned duck again with his next shot and turned to go back through that window he came out of. Just as he went through the window an explosion of wood blew apart and made another opening in the wall close to where Mousse came in.

 

Mousse started shaking and put his back to the wall as he popped the double barrel open and pulled out the two hot shells. A couple more rolled into his hand from his sleeve and with a shaky hand put them in quickly. Mousse got up quickly and as if expecting Ned to follow through the window as well, he unloaded just below the windowsill and right through the window as well. Then he waited as if became oddly quiet. He reloaded again and stepped slowly towards the window. He kept the double barrel ahead of him as he looked out the window to see a pair of footprints leading up to the window but disappearing right after. `He's not in here is he!?' Mousse turned frantically and looked all over but couldn't see anyone in there with him. `Where the-' Then a shadow passed over top of him and he looked up quickly to see Ned taking aim with his six-shooter. “Damnit!”

 

Mousse bailed to the side and took a shot at him. Ned must have climbed up the side of the building and got in somehow, but that didn't matter. He was running along a wooden beam shooting fire at Mousse every chance he had. “Lookin' a little pale down there. Need a break?”

 

Mousse jumped behind an old crate and yelled, “Shut up!” The mocking wasn't helping his pride at all, but with the pale remark he was starting to calm down and feel the pain in his side again. He didn't notice it before but he was leaking blood, not enough to kill him yet, but enough to make him dizzy. Mousse felt his face and it was covered in a cold sweat that stuck to him like molasses and made his skin feel clammy. Mousse shook his head and thought to himself. `I can't beat this guy…'

 

Ned was getting impatient so he started telling Mousse a little secret of his. “You've got a fighting spirit kid, any one can see that. Not a lot of men have lasted this long, but some have lasted a lot longer, but there's something about you that I just can't put my finger on. Ya keep hiding, but you've got all this fight left in ya. Most men wouldn't just sit back cry to themselves after losing an unborn baby like that… I suppose yer not most men. Sort of like me.”

 

“Screw you! The hell would you know about it? You're just some sick freak! If you know something then why don't you just tell me! Why the hell do we have to fight!?” Mousse was starting to feel tired and he couldn't think of a plan.

 

“I guess yer right son. I don't know jack shit about nothing. But I do know one thing, and it's that I've always loved a good drink. I got myself a secret stash up here I almost forgot about. My wife n' kids never knew about it, just a place to myself you know what I mean? Want a sip?”

 

Before Mousse could answer he heard a familiar grinding sound followed by a whooshing sound in the air. `A lighter…?' “Oh, shit…” Mousse looked up just as the Molotov cocktail broke to pieces above his head followed with a heavy blanket of flames coming down at him. Mousse got out from behind the crate as fast as he could but Ned jumped down and caught the beam with his hands and swung his legs just in time to kick Mousse in the face. Mousse fell back and into the fire and he got out quicker then he went in, but with flames on his back. It was at this point that Mousse decided to get a little crazy.

 

He could have dropped to the ground and rolled around until the flames were out but instead he made a mad dash for Ned when he landed. Ned didn't have enough time to get a gun ready and when he realized Mousse was coming at him, Mousse had his arms wrapped tightly around Ned in a bear hug, while picking his pockets so to speak.

 

Mousse eventually got an armload and he broke away when the flames on his back started to hit his flesh. He rolled on the ground hugging a couple of rifles, a shotgun, and three revolvers. Ned stepped back a little dazed and started patting himself down to find his stuff. He looked up at Mousse who was already in the process of throwing the guns into the wall of fire making its way swiftly through the barn. Mousse cursed silently remembering that his double barrel was in there somewhere and all he had left was a single pistol still up his sleeve, but he thought quickly and knew Ned had no clue about it yet. This was his chance to get close enough for a direct hit.

 

Ned looked carefully at Mousse and looked a little tired. “Shouldn't have burnt all those guns kid. Now I've only got one left and yer startin' piss me off.”

 

`Missed one…' Mousse wasn't feeling lucky at all, but he had to bet everything on a surprise attack that had to go down as quickly as possible.

 

“Ya look like yer thinkin' there boy… You must got somethin' I don't… Remember. Dead men don't talk.”

 

A dreaded feeling of realization just ran up and kicked Mousse in the nuts. Dead men do not in fact talk. `But it's the only plan I got…' Mousse tightened up his fist for one last rush and came at Ned with all his speed. Ned got ready for the attack, but he saw Mousse hit his arm on a beam and right after he heard the moving of gears from within the sleeve. Even though he knew it was coming it was hard to dodge with how fast Mousse was coming at him. He watched Mousse's arm come up for a right hook, but half way into the punch a gun worked its way into Mousse's hand and it was going to aim low. The only thing Ned could do was put out his hand and knock the gun out of the way, but when he did it went off and a spray of blood came out the back of Ned's hand.

 

Ned yelled and grabbed Mousse's collar with his left hand and head butted Mousse in the nose and while Mousse fell back he pulled out his last gun, pulled the trigger, gave Mousse a new belly button and ran out of the barn holding his hand with a look of pain.

 

Mousse fell onto his back slowly and watched the burning roof with wide eyes. That was it right there. That was killing shot. That was the shot that would end everything. He couldn't breath anymore. It felt like there was a pint of water in the middle of his throat that he couldn't swallow and make it so that he couldn't breath. He lift his hands from the wound from the blood covering his hands he could tell that he was leaking faster then a busted bottle of ketchup. His eyes started rolling back and his body was shaking again while his eyes looked around desperately for something, anything that would save him, but it was just a burning building with him in the center of it all. “Name…” Mousse forced his eyes to focus and looked straight at the door Ned fled from. “…need that name…”

 

Somehow his breath came back to him and he desperately tried to push himself back up to his feet. “I'll carve it into my chest if I have to…” He pushed himself into a sitting position and looked to his left for his last ditch effort. With the help of a flaming two by four he got to his feet and screamed. “Ned! Who killed my son!?” Mousse walked like a zombie out of the barn with the burning club in his hand. “Ned! Where are you!? Who killed my son, you piece of shit!?”

 

A bullet flew but it went wide and hit the barn door about three feet away from Mousse's head. Ned had a hole through his right hand and now he was using his left to shoot. He could his the broad side of a barn, but that was about it. Mousse grit his teeth and ran at Ned screaming with the burning log held above his head. Ned tried hitting Mousse a couple of times, but couldn't get near and Mousse finally got his shot in. With a baseball like swing he hit the gun out of Ned's hand and sent it soaring down a dusty hill, covered in sharp rocks and tumbleweeds.

 

Ned needed his gun so he dove down the hill to get it and Mousse followed behind him with his arms stretched out and ready to tear the man apart. Mousse caught him in mid-flight and Ned hit the ground first. They started rolling down the cruel hill together, both punching at each other furiously with neither giving an inch. With each roll the dust cloud they left behind became larger and it one hit a rock then the other would get the sharp barbed thorns on the tumbleweed next. Dirt got into their wounds and teeth were lost between blows and by the time they got to the bottom where the single revolver rested they were both covered in dirt, bloody, and looked like hell just spat the both of them out.

 

Ned was the first to start crawling towards the gun, but he didn't get close enough to grab it. Mousse had him by the leg and was pulling him in for another beating. Ned started kicking relentlessly and eventually got Mousse off of him, but what he didn't notice was that his very special gun fell out of his coat in the process. Mousse's glasses were lost on the hill somewhere but when his hand touched the barrel of the .44 magnum engraved with the name Carmen on it, he knew what it was and he knew that he could use it.

 

Ned placed a hand on his gun and looked back to see Mousse holding up that special gun with eyes that couldn't seem to focus on him. Ned slowly got to his feet while they both kept an eye on each other. Ned looked closely as how far apart they were and it looked to be about ten paces. The sun was setting and almost gone, but it made the sky orange and red. “So how about it?”

 

Mousse still kept the gun in front of him but was afraid to shoot. “How about what?” He coughed it more then spoke it.

 

“Let's have a draw. You can hardly see me and I can't shoot worth shit with my left. We both got loaded guns but whoever shoots first will probably miss. So how about it?”

 

Mousse slowly got to his feet and lowered his gun to his side like Ned. “Why not…”

 

The two stared at each other watching to see who would make the first move. Mousse was looking sicker then death and just as pale, but with solid determination in his eyes. Ned looked tired and ready to die, but not without a fight. The wind blew softly across their faces and it was getting darker by the second. The world was in motion, but they knew exactly what they were waiting for. The breeze slowly died down and the trees around them stopped swaying to its beat. The world went silent for only a brief moment and then one flinched and Ned yelled, “Draw!”

 

Both guns blew smoke and fire and hot lead was sent flying in both directions. Mousse's eyes went wide as he was sent spinning to the ground, but the Ned's eyes were wider as he stood motionless for a moment. The wind came back in the form of a light breeze and it was enough to bring him to his knees. He touched his chest and pulled his fingers away to look at the blood. It was a bull's eye hit to the chest and he was going to die very soon. He fell onto his back and looked into the sky with empty eyes.

 

Mousse crawled over to him and started shaking him. “Who killed my son! You sonovabitch, tell me who killed my son!”

 

Ned reached up with his left hand and grabbed Mousse's shirt. “You wanna know? Ya earned it… It was my wife… Carmen Vinsfield.” He held on tighter and came nose to nose with a shear look of hate in his eyes. “And if you thought I was gonna let ya kill her without so much as a fight, then yer sadly mistaken.” Ned swallowed a lump in his throat and reached for his hat. “This is the kind of life you live when you say no to a man like Jasper. He sends your children to Chuck Palmer's playpen and delivers them back to you in five small boxes.” Ned looked like he was on the verge of tears but still kept a scowl on his face. “She went crazy and did these fucked up things… I'm sorry for your loss cowboy, but I still love her… Do what I could never do… and send her to me…” Ned put his hat on Mousse's head and his arm became limp. Ned let out only one tear and said, “I don't want her to go where I'm going…”

 

As Ned started to close his eyes he looked passed Mousse's shoulder to see something much out of place. Maybe it was a mistake, but he saw a man in the distance perched atop a while mustang, holding a smoking rifle and staring down at them. `So he was the one… I knew this blind kid couldn't have hit me…' Ned smiled and almost laughed, but his eyes closed first and breath became faint. `See ya in hell cowboy…'

 

Mousse felt groggy and ready to die, so he fell over across Ned with the gun in his hand. Before he blacked out his eyes focused enough to see the engraving on the revolver and it was right on the loader. Across one chamber it said, `Carmen' and just below it on the next chamber was the last name, `Vinsfield'. `Shampoo… for god's sake read the name…'

 

 

Ranma slid off the hood of the car and Bugsy helped him down. “Nice shot.”

 

Ranma smile and nodded painfully. “Thanks. Let's get down there before that idiot dies on us.”

 

Bugsy buckled Ranma into the passenger seat and brought the V8 beast to life. “I'll grab him, you keep working yourself too hard.”

 

Ranma shrugged his shoulders and nodded. “Yeah, but for fucks sake it's like no one listens to me. Didn't I tell him to bring someone along? Hikori could have been useful for once.”

 

“I think it's a bit more personal then that.”

 

Ranma rolled down the window and asked. “How so?”

 

“How about that Ryouga fella? How would you like it if me or Jerry, just went out of our way to pop him for ya?”

 

“Ok, ok, I get the point. Let's just hurry up before people start coming here to check out the fire.”

 

“Sure thing.”

 

“Oh and Bugsy.”

 

“Yes?”

 

Ranma let out a very relieved look and said, “Thanks for getting me away from Jerry.”

 

“No problem.”

 

 

(The Outlaws - Ghost Riders In The Sky: 1.) This is the best version of the song EVER! 2.)I know the updates have been slow in coming but it's the busy time of the year. Just a heads up, if you liked this chapter then you're really going to like the next one.)