Dead Ringer

By John J. Law

Atticus Boone crouched and bent over, taking a good look at Cyrus Blaine. He looked at him in the eye, closely.
"Looking at you now, I sense a striking resemblance." 
Atticus looked at Cyrus with much curiosity as a child would look at an ant through a magnifying glass. He couldn't believe what his eyes showed him. It was as if he were looking through a cracked mirror. 
"I don't know what the hell you're talking about!" Cyrus said.
For the bounty hunter, the outlaw in front of him was making no sense, and was simply mocking him. Atticus had a rough face behind a thick moustache and beard. It was in stark contrast to the bounty hunter who was completely clean-shaven. Cyrus Blaine's features were plain to see immediately. How could the two men bear even the slightest resemblance?
Atticus smiled. "Maybe a good shave will open your eyes."
Atticus whipped out a razor, some cream, and a bucket of water. He splashed the cream and water all over his face and started to do a quick shave. 
When Atticus was done shaving, he stared at Cyrus again. Cyrus stared at the outlaw, and it was almost as if he were punched in the gut. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. It was almost as if he were looking straight at a mirror reflecting his face.
"What do you think? I'm a dead ringer for you, bounty hunter."

• Language: English
• Publisher: J.C. Hulsey Books
• Release date: Dec 18, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223992776

Book preview

Dead Ringer

Chapter One

The Figure in Front of the Fire

The bounty hunter known as Cyrus Blaine hunched behind some bushes. He looked ahead and saw the campfire right ahead of him. There was another figure that was also hunched in front of the fire. The man had his back turned on Cyrus and seemed quite intent to stare at the fire.

From where he was hiding, Cyrus smiled to himself. The figure in front of him had no idea that Cyrus was right behind him, and that pleased the bounty hunter very much. Cyrus had spent a good deal of time tracking down his quarry, Atticus Boone to this spot. Cyrus had been tracking Boone for the price on his head. Boone was a wanted man in several places and had acquired a rather, sizable bounty.

Cyrus gave himself some time to gloat and indulge in some self-praise. After everything he had gone through to track down Boone, he felt that he deserved it.

Heh. Took a while to track you down Boone, but here I am. Time to collect on that fat bounty. It's like I always say. Cyrus Blaine never lets a bounty get away.

Slowly, Cyrus Blaine moved out of the bushes. He hardly made a sound, and Boone did not move at all from where he was seated. Boone remained seated and transfixed by the campfire in front of him.

You're done now, son. Blaine said.

He was right behind the figure hunched in front of the campfire now. He was sure that Boone heard his remark, but it didn't matter for Cyrus now. The bounty hunter raised his gun and pointed it right behind Boone's head. Cyrus Blaine found it quite strange that Atticus Boone did not even flinch in the slightest, even after he had spoken. Blaine had expected his quarry to react with some surprise at least, but Boone continued to look ahead into the fire, as if Blaine were not even there.

Blaine ignored this seeming nonchalance from Boone. It wouldn't matter now. After all, he was the one with the gun pointed behind the man's head. He was the one with a clear advantage now, and there would be no escape.

Don't move a muscle, Boone! I've got you right where I want you. Blaine said.

Despite Blaine being right behind him, with a gun pointed at his head, Boone still didn't as much as twitch. This really started to concern Cyrus now. What was up with this seemingly still and stiff outlaw?

The bounty hunter was about to say something, but he was rudely interrupted by a hard and powerful object crashing down upon his head. It was the blunt handle of a pistol. Blaine did not have any time to process the irony of the moment, before blackness enveloped him. He thought he had been the one sneaking behind Atticus Boone. In the end, it was the other way around.

Boone had managed