Cowboy Justice
By Andrew Bourelle, first published in Law and Disorder: Stories of Conflict & Crime
After their college-bound brother is killed by crystal meth dealers, two brothers seek revenge in Carson City — at an immense price.
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Plot Summary
After their brother Jamie is killed by crystal meth dealers, Gulf War veteran Jack and his younger brother David decide to avenge their brother Jamie’s death. The brothers infiltrate a crystal meth house, where Jack meets a white, raggedy, bearded man and a scrawny Mexican teenager, who take Jack to a man named Gabe. Gabe is taking a bath. Naked and half submerged in bathwater, Gabe interrogates Jack, who lies to the men in the house about his motives for buying crystal meth. Jack tells Gabe that he is from Wyoming and looking for crystal meth for his fictional sister. Not knowing that the two are brothers, Gabe tells Jack that he reminds him of Jamie. Jack shoots Gabe in the eye, which kills him instantly. The bearded man from earlier comes to the bathroom and attacks Jack; Jack shoots and incapacitates him. Jack rushes out of the house with people from the house in hot pursuit. David provides back-up, and shoots down Jack’s pursuers. A bloodbath ensues, as David shoots directly into the house. A local resident comes up behind David and shoots him in the head. Jack retaliates and shoots the man four times in the middle of the street. An unarmed woman sees the man lying on the street and cries before Jack shoots her too. Jack takes their truck and speeds away. David bleeds out of his skull. As David dozes off to his death, Jack continues to speed down the highway. Nobody pursues him.
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