The costume I wore had twin leather belts with heavy pistols tied to each thigh. The clear plasteel counter showed dozens of different ancient pistols like the ones I wore. I was watching two men as a rich businessman strapped an old colt peacemaker replica on. He grinned at me as he pulled it out of the holster and checked the cylinder.

He nodded as he slipped it back into the holster and looked deeper into the shop. I pushed a button, "he is a little faster than the last one."

A holograph of an old earth gunfighter appeared and flexed his hands. They watched each other and then the gunfighter twitched and the businessman yanked the pistol out and cocked the hammer as he lifted it before firing. There was an echo as the gunfighter fired less then a second behind him, "holo freeze."

We looked at the slow motion replay of the gunfighter, "you shot him in the leg this time."

The business man snorted, "how the hell can anyone make a kill with one shot?"

I smiled, "holo reset."

I turned and gestured as Mr Edwards holstered his pistol and stepped to the side. I faced the gunfighter and waited until his hand moved. My left hand drew and cocked the pistol and it went off as I held it at my hip, "freeze holo."

The holograph's gun was almost all the way up and cocked. I absently removed the spent casing and slipped a fresh cartridge in. I holstered the pistol and we watched the slow motion replay, "you just need to practice more."

He shook his head when he saw my bullet going through the holo gunfighter's chest. I looked at him and smiled again, "use the interactive interface I sold you."

I glanced at the two men as they glanced at another man who nodded and gestured. They started walking as the businessman faced the gunfighter, "holo reset."

He was facing away as the two men approached and I tensed as hands disappeared. They stepped into the shop as the businessman drew and fired and their hands came out with plasma pistols. Everything seemed to slow down as their hands lifted to point the weapons at his head and I drew and fired and fired again.

The large framed peacemaker bucked and kicked. The sound was almost like one shot. The first ceramic core bullet went through the heel of the right hand man's hand and shattered the wrist. The second hit the left man's right wrist and almost took the hand off. I looked at the third man as his eyes went wide and he looked straight at me before turning to walk away.

The two men screamed and staggered back and then started stumbling away. I reached out with my left hand to catch the businessman as he turned, "holster it."

He froze and nodded quickly before holstering the colt and raising his hands. I turned and struck a large red button. A screamer went off and an energy screen snapped into place across the front of the shop. A moment later the screamer died, "what happened?"

I kept my eyes on the businessman, "someone tried to shoot a customer and I stopped them."

"Very well, let the peace officers handle it."

I took a deep breath, "yes sir."

I received messages every day but it had been a year since I had heard Mr Whyte's voice. He was the owner and I had started working here when I was only ten. I gestured to the counter, "take the belt off and set everything on the counter."

The customer did as I told him and stepped back. I turned and put the pistol I had used on the counter. I looked through the energy screen at several of the other shopkeepers. Two peace officers jogged towards the shop and I reached next to the red button to push a switch. I nodded to both men I knew well, "Tim, Adam."

The tall one was looking at the blood, "what happened Colt?"

I pulled out the shop vid remote and went back to just before the men began to move. I sent it to the shop AI and a large scale holo sprang up. I looked at two more peace officers and a plain clothes officer as they walked in. They all jerked when I drew and fired and then the detective grinned, "damn you are fast. The two men are suspected hitters for the Torres cartel."

He looked at Mr Edwards, "but why would they try to kill you?"

He was a little white faced and looked around before sighing, "I keep their accounts."

The detective grinned, "want to make a deal or do we let you walk?"

Mr Edwards swallowed, "I will deal."

The detective gestured, "all of you get him to the station."

He looked at me as they led Mr Edwards out, "you are listed as a reserve peace officer here on the carnival walk?"

I nodded, "two days a week."

He bent to pick up the two plasma pistols and looked at them before tossing one to me, "Torres or one of his people may decide to act because of what you did."

I looked at the slim twelve millimeter pistol, "I do not use modern weapons."

He snorted as he turned and started walking, "I would learn if I were you."

I watched him walk away before going to get a bucket and mop to clean up the mess. Word spread about the shooting and we were busy for the rest of the day. After setting the energy screen I pulling the plasteel shutters down and removed the twin holsters. I put all the weapons away in the large heavy duty gun safe and pulled out a single holster.

I checked the long barreled peacemaker before slipping it into the holster. I buckled it on and tied it down before settling it. I turned at the throat clearing, "Mr Whyte?"

"Better safe than sorry Colt. Take the twin Remington thirty sixes. Hell, take the stagecoach gun too."

I grinned, "that would be a bit of an overkill."

"Take the pair of Remington's than."

I smiled, "just to make you feel better I will."

"Keep your eyes open kid and do not think the bad guys will forget."

I nodded and looked around before taking my vest off. I added the double shoulder holsters and slipped the matching pair of Remington 1853 thirty six calibers pistols in. I put four extra cylinders in the small of my back before putting my vest on. I dumped a box of forty fives in the pocket of my duster after putting it on.

I looked around to make sure everything had been put away. I locked the gun safe after logging out the weapons and leaving. I walked through the light evening crowd as I headed towards the tram slide. No one stood out until I reached the station and I saw a couple of men in suits.

I reached down to thumb off the safety strap on the peacemaker as I kept walking and glanced back. Two more men stepped out of a recess and I knew they had been waiting. I stopped and turned so my back was to the wall as they approached. They made two mistakes, one they stopped to talk.

Two ... they pulled weapons but were not ready to use them, "you interfered punk..."

I drew and fired as I fanned the hammer and turned. I took each in the center of their chest, one ... two ... three and four. They fell and I looked around as people screamed and ran. I calmly reloaded and holstered the pistol as I waited and used my personal comm, "emergency connect."

"State the nature of emergency?"

"Attempted assault and death of a citizen."

"Peace officers are on the way."

I smiled as two ran into the station with weapons out. I held up my hands, "two have arrived."

They approached slowly and one gestured, "face the wall."

I slowly opened my duster to show the peacemaker on my leg, "I have two other weapons. I am also a registered reserve peace officer with a carry permit."

I turned and reached out to place my hands on the wall, "this may be related to the attack in my shop earlier today."

One of the officers took the peacemaker and then each of the Remington's. He turned me, "identification."

I reached into my vest slowly as four more officers arrived and pulled out my identification. He relaxed after looking at it, the others were checking the men I had shot, "what happened?"

I straightened and accepted my ID back, "I was going home when they came for me and pulled the pistols."

He glanced down, "and you managed to kill all four before they could get off a shot?"

One of the other officers stood and chuckled, "you ever been to Whyte's gunfighter alley?"

The officer looked at him and shook his head, "why?"

The officer nodded to me, "because he is Whyte's gunslinger and runs the shop."

I shrugged when they looked at me, "it gives me a lot of time to practice."

I glanced at several more officers and detective Daniels as they walked in. Daniels stopped and looked at the four men, "anyone check the station security vid?"

The peace officers reddened and looked around and he shook his head, "pull it up and make a copy. I can tell you now, those four have multiple warrants and are wanted for murder."

He looked at me, "it looks like I was right. Torres or one of his people wants to make an example of you."

He gestured, "give his weapons back, he will need them and make sure you activate his peace officer status."

My personal comm went off and I glanced at detective Daniels before answering, "hello?"

"Come back to my place."

I blinked, "sir?"

"Colt, Torres is not going to stop. Now come to my place. My granddaughters are staying with me and will let you in."

I cleared my throat, "are you sure sir? Remember what happened last year."

"They are old enough now and if they want to spread their legs and let you fuck them than I say ride them hard."

I grinned, "okay. I take it you know what happened at the station?"

He snorted, "it was not unexpected. Use the door from the shop and one of the girls will let you in."

I disconnected and looked at detective Daniels as he smiled. He had been close enough to hear my conversation. I accepted my weapons and checked them before putting them away. I looked at Daniels, "you are just going to let me go?"

He grinned, "actually I am waiting for more bodies to fall."

He shrugged, "the chief has said to stay out of it and my captain does not want to be anywhere near Torres. I knew when we met before that Torres might try something, just as I knew what would happen. I have several sims of you and I doubt if anyone he sends knows what you are capable of."

He looked at the other officers, "frankly I think this is going to take care of a lot of bad men."

I shook my head as I started walking back to the carnival walk and the gunfighter alley shop. I kept my eyes scanning those I saw but no one stood out. I used my code to open the office door and waiting for one of the girls to shut the alarm and auto defense off. I locked it behind me before setting the alarm and auto defenses.

I crossed to a back panel and pushed, it turned and I stepped through before pushing it back. I looked at the spiral stairs and sighed as I climbed up. I might not have seen or spoken with Alyssa or Jessica but we sent texts to each other several times a day. The stairs went past the second floor which was just storage and up to the third.

I stopped and took a breath before pushing a panel open and stepping into the hospital like room. I closed the panel and looked at the ancient man in the hospital bed, "it is good to see you again sir."