Sue Lee's corpse had been charred so bad that Jonah Hex couldn't recognize her.  Her eyes had melted into the blackened sockets of her blackened skull and the toasted piece of her tongue had been hanging out of her mouth like a writhing snake.  Her rib cage was so charcoaled that it would break in a strong man's grip.

Jonah Hex continued to have nightmares about his deceased wife.  There were times he dreamed that she was still a prostitute in the San Francisco brothel where he'd first met her.  Strange men with tattoos all over their bodies were violating her little flower. 

And then he'd think about her corpse rising out from the crude grave he'd dug for her at their abandoned farmhouse.  She'd come crawling out from the tepid earth with worms for eyes and her jaws dropped open.

"Why did you let me die? " she'd croak.  "Why didn't you save me? "

She'd reach out with one of her claws and grab him by the ankle.  Hex would fall back, staring into those empty eye sockets, and scream. 

He'd wake up screaming, startling his mount.  Cold sweat would be bathing his body and he'd be shivering.  He'd huddle down in his bedroll and try to forget the nightmares.  But they were all consuming.  He felt as if he couldn't escape them.  Not to mention that there was a part of him that didn't want to forget.  He had murdered Sue Lee by not being there for her.  His blood-thirst had killed her.

And now he was haunted by her.

Jonah woke up.  He stared at his horse, which had ran off down to the nearby stream.  Now it was standing there, drinking the cool water.  Hex ran a forearm across his sweaty brow.

"Damn, " he muttered.

He stood up, feeling his vertebrae crack back into place.  He rummaged through his saddle bag and came up with a chewed cigar.  He clamped it between his teeth.  And then he struck a Lucifer against the leather and lit up.  The smoke was a relaxing crutch.

Tomorrow, he would be riding into the town of Yesterday.  It was only a few hours ride.  And he needed a good bath and grub.  He'd been on the plains too long.  It was time for him to meddle with people, again.

He waited until the blood red sun poked across the plain for him to saddle up.  He climbed into his saddle and hitched the horse toward Yesterday.

"Yesterday is here, " he mumbled to himself.  "And I what tomorrow will bring. "

"I'll kill you, you bastard! "

Hex had ridden into Yesterday a little after dawn.  He'd reserved a stable for his horse and then went and checked into the nearest hotel.  He ignored the way that the desk clerk inspected his disfigured face.  It was common for Jonah Hex.  Then he'd idled his way towards the local café.

He'd been enjoying a breakfast of six eggs, toast, bacon and coffee when the scene went down.

The young girl bringing a refill of coffee had accidentally spilled some on one of the customers.  He was a big burly man and he came out of his seat with a start.

"You little bitch! " he roared.  "Look what you've done! "

And then he slapped her across the face.  Blood ran from her nose and busted lip.

Jonah immediately stood up and came to her aid.  He stared up at the brutish man with his one good eye.

"It's okay, honey, " said Hex.  "You go on into the back and get yourself cleaned up. "

The girl did as she was instructed.  Scared, she stared back over her shoulder as the situation reached a new level.

Hex stared at the man.

"You shouldn't go around hitting girls, " he said.  "Why don't you try someone your own size? "

The burly man roared, and reached out with a meaty fist.  Jonah ducked it and came up with a one-two-three punch that crippled the bastard.  Blood gushed from his broken nose and busted teeth.  And then Jonah delivered a swift kick to his groin.

"Now you get your ass out of here, " said Hex.  "And let me finish my breakfast. "

The two men that had been sitting with the injured man helped him up.  Then they fearfully ushered him outside.

Hex returned to his breakfast.  He was just finishing up when the young girl reappeared from the kitchen.  He could see that she'd been crying from the sight of her bloodshot eyes.

"Everything is okay, " said Hex.  He left two silver dollars on the table.  "I've enjoyed your service.'

The girl nodded as Hex went outside.

He'd just stepped off the boardwalk when the injured man came bustling out of the nearby alleyway.

"I'm going to kill you! " he blurted out, and raised a rusted Colt in his fist.  His finger pulled on the trigger, and the bullet whispered past Hex's ear. 

Hex immediately drew his .44 Lightning Colt.  In one swift motion, he put a round right between the man's eyes.  The slug exited out the back of his head, spraying his two friends with blood, brains, and bone.

"He was just trying to scare you! " screamed one of the men.  "That's all! "

Jonah holstered his smoking pistol.  He pulled out one of his cigars and was just lighting up when the sheriff appeared at the scene.

"What's going on here? " the sheriff barked.  He stared down at the corpse.  "Who has done killed Lonnie Henry? "

"It was him! " one of the men responded.  "It's the ugly bastard with the cigar!  Lonnie was just trying to scare him! "

The sheriff turned towards Jonah.  "Jesus Christ, " he muttered.  "Do you fools know who this is?  This is Jonah Hex! "

The two men looked towards Jonah.  He could see the fear masking their well-worn faces.

"You fools don't go around trying to scare Jonah Hex! " the sheriff blurted.  He shook his head and spat out a plug of tobacco.  "Now get Lonnie's body out of here.  Take him through the alleys to the undertakers.  I don't want anyone seeing this that hasn't already. "

As the two men hustled Lonnie's body off, the sheriff turned towards Jonah.  He extended a hand.  Hex just looked at it.

"Yeah, well, " said the sheriff.  "I'm Sheriff Barnes.  And there's no charge for you killing Lonnie. "

"I'm all broken up, " replied Hex.

"Lonnie wasn't a loved man, " said Barnes.  "I'm sure there won't be many at his funeral. "  He stuck another plug of tobacco into his fat jaws.  He eyed Hex with a look of suspicion.  "You know, I might just have a job for you. "

Hex glared at him.  "I'm not sure I want your job. "

"Oh, I think you'll be interested in this one, " said Barnes.  "And there's a good bounty included in it.  Almost $500 there is. "

Jonah raised an eyebrow.  "That's a fair chunk of change, " he said.  "Who do you want me to kill? "

"Come on over to the office, " said Barnes.  "And I'll clue you in. "

Hex followed Barnes over to the sheriff's office.  He could feel the eyes of Yesterday upon him.  They not only stared at his ugly features, but with a cool fear of the gunslinger that had just gunned down Lonnie Henry.

Inside the office, it was cool.  Jonah noticed that the jail cells were empty.  He took a seat across from the sheriff.  He dropped his spent cigar onto the floor and crushed it beneath a boot heel.

"We've got Blackbeard Bart holed up outside of town, " said Barnes.  "Have you ever heard of him? "

Jonah shook his head.  "Don't know the man. "

"Consider yourself lucky, " replied Barnes.  "He's a mean bastard.  He killed my deputy a few days back.  Only he didn't just fill him full of holes, no sir.  Instead he propped his body up on a cross outside of town for the crows to pick over.  Only thing is that my deputy didn't have a head. "

"Not a good thing to lose your head in a gunfight. "

Barnes chuckled.  "Yeah, well.  Blackbeard is known for that.  He likes chopping off heads.  He must keep them as a memento or something. "  He spat out a plug of tobacco.  "Now, he needs arresting. "  A gleam came into his eye as he stared at Hex:   "Or killed. "

Hex stared at the man.  He didn't bother to wipe away the yellow pus that dripped from his bad eye.  Instead he let it trace its way down his face into a puddle at his throat. 

"And you think I'm the man to kill him? " asked Hex.  He lit another cigar, blowing a smoke-ring towards Barnes.

"I don't think, " said the sheriff.  "I know. "  He smiled a fat face grin.  "You're the best there is. "

Hex grinned.  "I guess I'm headed that way. "

"Ride that cock, baby! "

Jonah had followed the trail that Sheriff Barnes had mapped out for him.  It led to a little dirt shack on the outskirts of Yesterday.  Hex hitched his horse up to a butte overlooking the cabin.  Then he began to make his way down through the rocks.

He snuck up to the shack.  He put his fist around his Frontier Colt and chanced a look through the window.  A grin split open his ugly face as he stared at the shenanigans going on inside.

Blackbeard Bart had a woman atop of him.  Both of them were naked.  Hex could see the girl's large breasts bouncing up-and-down as she rode the outlaw.

"Give it to me! " the girl blurted.  And then she climbed off of Blackbeard.  She got down on her knees atop the dirt floor and positioned herself for him.  Bart immediately drove his love gun inside her.

As he watched the scene, Hex realized that he did know Blackbeard.  And it was the strangest damned thing.  They had known each other as little boys. 

They had attended the same schoolhouse together.  And Hex couldn't forget the sight of Jody Verrill, which was Blackbeard's real name.  He also couldn't forget the day that the two of them had squared off in the schoolyard.  Blackbeard was twice the size of little Jonah, but he held his ground.

"Give me back my peppermint! " said Jonah.  He raised a little fist and shook it at Blackbeard.  "It's mine! "

Blackbeard just laughed.  And then he slipped the candy into his mouth.  He twirled it about, smiling around the peppermint stick.  "Are you going to take it from me, little boy? "

For a moment, Jonah considered fighting the brute.  Blackbeard stood a head taller than him, and easily outweighed by 100 pounds.  It wouldn't be much of a fight, Jonah knew, so he turned his back.

"I didn't think you had the guts in you, " said Blackbeard.  "You're nothing but a little pussy. "

That damned peppermint stick had glued itself into Jonah Hex's brain.  He'd be damned if he was going to let Jordy Verrill or Blackbeard Bart, whatever the hell he was calling himself, get away with it again.

Inside the cabin, the girl was still moaning.  Hex afforded himself another look through the window.  She was down on her knees in front of Blackbeard and was sucking his cock.  Hex could hear her slurps just as loudly as the fart Blackbeard let off when he shot his hot seed down her throat.

"Oh baby, " Blackbeard said, lighting a cigar.  "That was good. "

Hex moved around to the front of the cabin.  Taking one booted foot, he smashed open the front door.  Both his Frontier Colts were in his fist.

"Raise those hands, you bastard, " Hex growled.  "I've got you dead to rights. "

Blackbeard did as he was told.

"Come to collect that bounty on me, huh, stranger? " he asked, rolling the cigar from one side of his mouth to the other.  The smoke formed an unholy halo above his head. 

"Something like that, " said Jonah.  "Now turn around. "

Blackbeard turned around.  He winced as he saw the scarred visage of Jonah Hex. 

"Shit fire and save the matches! " said Blackbeard.  "You're one ugly motherfucker! "

"I've been called worse, " replied Jonah.

Suddenly, from behind Blackbeard, the whore came up off her knees.  In her hands, she held a sawed-off shotgun.  Jonah rolled as she pulled the triggers.  The bullets smashed into the open doorway, sending splinters flying through the room.

Jonah came up on his knees.  He stuck out his pistols and fired.  The slugs took the woman between her bare breasts and into her mouth.  Blood, bones, and brain exploded into the dusty motes flying about.  She slumped down to her knees, and then fell backward.  She lay there with her legs spread open.

"A whore to the end, " laughed Blackbeard.

Hex stood up.  He eyed Blackbeard Bart.  "You don't remember me, do you? " he asked.

"Can't say that I do, " replied Blackbeard.

"I'm the feller that's going to stick a peppermint stick up your ass, Jordy Verrill, " growled Hex.

"How do you know me by that name? "

Jonah didn't reply.  Instead, he stepped across the room.  He retrieved Blackbeard's pistol belt.  He flung it over to the burly outlaw.

"Strap it on, " Hex told him.  "I'm not back down this time. "

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about, " said Blackbeard, strapping on his gun belt.  "But I know you're one crazy bastard! "

Hex simply stared at him.  He positioned his arms and legs in a gunfighter pose. 

"Get ready to draw, " said Hex.

Blackbeard cracked his knuckles. It sounded like firecrackers going off.

"Whatever you say, you ugly cocksucker, " replied Blackbeard.

"Draw! "

Both men slapped leather.  But it was Jonah Hex who was the fastest.  His bullet smacked Blackbeard straight in the guts.  Bart's shot went wild into the ceiling.  He fell over onto his back.

Jonah holstered his Frontier Colt.  He walked over to Blackbeard to see what damage he'd done. 

The outlaw was lying there with his eyes open.  Smoke billowed out from the wound in his guts.  His intestines streaked out like writhing snakes in the guttural steam.  Blood pooled beneath him.

"Sorry to say it, " said Hex, "but it looks you're the one who doesn't have any guts. "