An outlaw lawman An outlAw lAwmAn Rob Carter, sheriff retired Thanos Kal amidas Thanos Kalamidas An Ovi eBooks Publication 2025 Ovi eBookPublications - All material is copyright of the Ovi eBooks Publications & the writer C Ovi ebooks are available in Ovi/Ovi eBookshelves pages and they are for free. If somebody tries to sell you an Ovi book please contact us immediately. For details, contact: ovimagazine@yahoo.com No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior permission of the writer or the above publisher of this book An outlaw lawman an outlaw lawman Thanos Kalamidas Rob Carter, sheriff retired Thanos Kalamidas An Ovi eBooks Publication 2025 Ovi eBookPublications - All material is copyright of the Ovi eBooks Publications & the writer C An outlaw lawman T he wind howled through the dry plains , a restless spirit that stirred the dust from the cracked earth. The sun, already dipping low behind the jagged peaks of the distant mountains, cast long, twisted shadows across the barren land- scape. Rob Carter stood at the edge of his old farm- house, his boots sinking ever so slightly into the hard soil beneath him. His eyes scanned the land that had once felt like home. The land that had been his sanc- tuary, his battleground, and his prison. Fifteen years had passed since he’d last stood on this porch. The house, once filled with the sounds of life and laughter, now stood silent, its windows shat- tered and the paint peeling like old skin. Every inch of it seemed to echo the years that had slipped by, Thanos Kalamidas years spent in a concrete cell, away from the life he once knew, away from the woman he’d loved, away from his son, Mark. A steady ache throbbed in his chest as he thought of Laura. She’d been the light in his dark world, the one person who had believed in him after all the mess, the turmoil. But cancer had taken her away, leaving him with nothing but the hollow space she’d left behind. Mark, too, had changed. He was a man now, but Carter had missed all of it his childhood, his first heartbreak, his anger at the world. He’d missed everything. And it didn’t seem like there was any way to get those lost years back. Carter clenched his jaw, grinding his teeth. His right hand, still strong, still steady, reflexively went to the old scar across his chest, the same scar that had earned him a one-way ticket to federal prison all those years ago. He’d killed a man that night, a serial rapist who had terrorized half the county, but it hadn’t mattered. The law, the system, had never cared about what was right or wrong. They only cared about who wore the badge. And Rob Carter had worn it too well for the wrong kind of men. His boots scraped against the porch as he stepped inside, the heavy wooden door creaking in protest. An outlaw lawman The house had once been filled with warmth, with the scent of Laura’s cooking, the sound of Mark’s laughter echoing off the walls. Now, it was a hollow shell. Even the air felt colder, thinner, as if the house itself was mourning the years of absence. Rob stepped into the kitchen, a room he’d once known so well, his hand tracing the dusty counter- top as he passed. It felt like a different lifetime. The shadows seemed to grow longer as the sun dipped lower, and the faint sound of something approaching caught his attention. He moved to the window and saw a lone figure on horseback approaching the house. The horse kicked up a cloud of dust behind it, but the rider didn’t seem to care. He sat upright, his face hard, his eyes locked straight ahead. Rob’s gaze narrowed as he recognized the silhouette. It was Sheriff Matthew Gentry, the new lawman in town. A kid, barely old enough to shave, much less handle the weight of Oak Ridge’s dirty secrets. Rob didn’t know the kid, but he’d heard the rumors. The sheriff had come to town from Atlanta, looking to prove himself. In a place like Oak Ridge, that was a dangerous combination. Too green, too eager. And there was something about the kid’s demeanor that set Rob’s teeth on edge. Thanos Kalamidas The sheriff pulled his horse to a stop in front of the house, dismounted with the ease of someone used to the saddle, and approached the porch. Rob didn’t move, didn’t acknowledge him right away. He just stood there, staring at the horizon, letting the wind carry the silence between them. The sheriff cleared his throat, breaking the quiet. “Mr. Carter,” he said, his voice young, but there was an edge to it, as though he was trying to hide the un- certainty beneath his words. Rob turned slowly, his face impassive. “That’s me,” he said flatly, his voice rough from years of disuse. “What can I do for you, Sheriff?” Gentry shifted his weight uncomfortably, his eyes flicking around the old house, as if trying to gauge the man standing before him. He wasn’t sure if Car- ter was a ghost or a relic, someone who should’ve been left in the past. “I... I was hoping I could talk to you about something,” he said, his voice trailing off slightly, unsure of how to proceed. Rob raised an eyebrow. “You’ve already got my at- tention. Say your piece.” The sheriff hesitated before speaking. “We’ve got a An outlaw lawman situation in town. A girl’s been found dead. Just out- side of town, near the creek. No signs of a struggle. No witnesses. Just... gone.” Rob’s mind clicked into gear. A dead girl. No strug- gle. Something about it didn’t sit right with him, but he didn’t let it show. “You’re telling me this be- cause...?” “I need your help, Mr. Carter.” Gentry’s eyes were steady now, no longer wavering. “I’m new to this, and Oak Ridge isn’t like Atlanta. It’s... different. You know this place, the people. I need someone who’s been around, someone who knows how to read a scene. I don’t have the experience. But you... you do.” Rob stared at the kid for a long moment. His hand flexed at his side, itching for a grip on his old ser- vice revolver, the one that had been taken from him fifteen years ago. “You sure you want my help?” he asked, his voice low. “I’m not sheriff anymore. Hell, I’m not even a deputy. I’ve got no badge to pin on.” “I don’t need your badge,” Gentry said quickly, his tone more desperate now. “I just need your exper- tise.” Rob exhaled slowly, his gaze flicking to the horizon Thanos Kalamidas again. A familiar weight settled on his shoulders, a weight he hadn’t felt in years. The temptation to walk away was there, just as strong as the urge to take on the case. But the truth was, he didn’t belong here any- more. He hadn’t belonged anywhere for a long time. But the fact that a young woman had died in Oak Ridge, the same town that had never quite let him go, gnawed at him. “I’m not promising anything,” Rob finally mut- tered, his eyes narrowing. “But I’ll take a look. I’m not in the business of ignoring death, even if I’ve been out of the game for a while.” Gentry exhaled in relief. “Thank you. You don’t know what this means.” Rob didn’t answer. Instead, he turned on his heel and walked back into the house, moving like a man who had done this a thousand times before. He grabbed his old leather jacket from the back of the chair, slinging it over his shoulder with a practiced motion. “Let’s get this over with,” he muttered as he stepped back out onto the porch. * * * * * An outlaw lawman The wind picked up again as they headed toward the creek, Rob and Sheriff Gentry riding side by side in silence. The further they went, the quieter the land seemed to become. It was like the earth itself was holding its breath, waiting for something to happen. The creek wasn’t far, but it felt like a lifetime had passed by the time they reached it. The place was as peaceful as it was eerie, the stillness of the water re- flecting the first stars of the evening sky. But the girl’s body lay there, half-hidden beneath the trees, her face pale, her body untouched by blood. Rob’s eyes flicked over the scene, taking in every detail, his mind racing to put the pieces together. Something was off, but he couldn’t quite place it. He crouched beside the body, his fingers brushing the dirt around her, careful not to disturb anything. The ground was hard here, but he could see the faintest marks, trails leading in and out of the trees. Someone had been here. Someone had left too many signs. The sheriff, still standing, asked quietly, “What do you think?” Rob stood up slowly, his eyes never leaving the body. “I think we’re not the only ones looking for an- swers.” Thanos Kalamidas * * * * * And just like that, the past came rushing back. The ghosts of his mistakes. The things he’d buried. The se- crets that Oak Ridge had been hiding for far too long. An outlaw lawman i. The sun was low, casting a golden haze over the rolling hills of Oak Ridge, a quiet little town nestled in the valley. Rob Carter sat on the porch of his old farmhouse, cradling a mug of black coffee in one hand. The steam rose in lazy spirals, the scent rich and bitter, mingling with the dry scent of sagebrush and dust that had always hung in the air. He took a slow sip, savoring the moment as the sun painted the world in warm hues of amber and orange. The world around him had aged, just like the house, old boards creaking with the weight of history, the win- dows clouded with time. But it wasn’t home yet. Not the way it used to be. He’d come back, but the years had turned this place into something foreign, a place where ghosts roamed, ghosts of mistakes, of lost time, of people who had moved on. Thanos Kalamidas The gravel driveway rumbled beneath the tires of a patrol car, and Carter’s eyes narrowed as the vehi- cle came into view. It wasn’t familiar, not in the way the old trucks from his days as sheriff had been. No, this was a shiny new patrol car, the insignia crisp and bright. A new sheriff. The car slowed and stopped just in front of the porch. A young man stepped out, a tall figure in a pressed uniform, his face youthful but tight with something ...duty, maybe. His boots clicked on the gravel as he approached, his eyes darting briefly to the house, then to Carter. It was the kind of look you saw in officers who had just gotten a badge and thought it meant something. Too clean. Too eager. He didn’t belong here. “Mr. Carter?” The sheriff ’s voice cut through the stillness, carrying on the wind. Carter didn’t rise immediately. He took another sip of his coffee, watching the kid with a quiet intensity. “That’s me. What can I do for you, Sheriff?” The young man hesitated for a beat, as if unsure how to start the conversation. Finally, he took a step closer. “I’m sorry to disturb you, but I need your help with something. A murder case.” An outlaw lawman The words hung in the air like a bad smell, and Carter’s eyes went hard. A murder? In Oak Ridge? That wasn’t supposed to happen. It didn’t happen. Not here, not in this sleepy little town. Carter leaned against the porch rail, setting his cof- fee mug down with a soft clink. “Go on.” The sheriff cleared his throat, visibly uncomfort- able. “A girl. Maybe eighteen. Found dead out near the creek. No signs of a struggle, no witnesses. Just... gone.” Carter’s gaze moved to the horizon, where the dis- tant hills melted into the sky. A strange weight settled on his chest. Oak Ridge wasn’t a town where bodies turned up in ditches. This was something else. Some- thing that didn’t belong. “And you want my help?” Carter’s voice was low, a trace of suspicion in it. The sheriff ’s eyes darted briefly to the ground, then met Carter’s steady gaze. “I need someone with ex- perience. Someone who knows the town, knows the people. I’m... still learning the ropes. I was just a pa- trol cop in Atlanta before this.” Carter nodded slowly, his eyes narrowing. The kid Thanos Kalamidas was a stranger to Oak Ridge. A big city cop in a town where everyone knew everyone’s business. It didn’t take long for that kind of thing to go sour. “I’m not a sheriff anymore,” Carter said quietly. “But if you want help, I’m not the type to turn my back on a case.” The sheriff seemed to exhale a breath he didn’t know he was holding. “Thank you. I could use some- one who knows how to get things done.” Carter didn’t respond immediately. He was still standing there, feeling the weight of years pressing against his shoulders. It had been a long time since he’d worn a badge, and he wasn’t sure if it was a good idea to slip back into that role again. But there was something about the way the kid spoke like a man drowning and desperate for a lifeline. Before he could say anything, he heard footsteps behind him. His heart sank before he even had to look. There, walking across the field toward the house, was his son, Mark. The sight of him hit Carter like a gut punch, a re- minder of everything he’d lost. The years had turned Mark into a man, but the bitterness in his eyes hadn’t softened. Mark wasn’t a boy anymore. He was a stranger. And that hurt more than Carter wanted to admit. An outlaw lawman “Don’t tell me you’re going back to being a damn lawman,” Mark called out, his voice tight with anger. Carter’s chest tightened. He didn’t want this. Not here. Not now. But it was too late. “This isn’t about me, Mark,” Carter said, his voice calm but firm. “It’s about helping solve a crime.” Mark’s lips twisted into a sneer. “I don’t need you to play the hero again. You’re just gonna end up in prison again, aren’t you? That’s who you are. A trig- ger-happy cowboy who never knew when to stop.” The words cut deeper than they should have. Car- ter felt the weight of them, but he didn’t let it show. His jaw tightened, his fist clenching at his side. He had no intention of defending himself to Mark. The past was the past. But the wound was still there, fresh and raw. He stood silent, letting the tension hang in the air like a storm waiting to break. “You can hate me all you want,” Carter said finally, his voice low but resolute. “But I’m not gonna sit here while someone gets away with murder.” Mark’s eyes burned with fury, but he said nothing Thanos Kalamidas more. Instead, he turned on his heel and stalked off, his boots pounding against the earth. Each step was a message, and Carter could feel it like a punch to the gut. Mark had made up his mind long ago. He wasn’t going to forgive him. Carter watched his son walk away, a part of him aching in ways he couldn’t explain. But there was no time for that now. The sheriff was still standing there, eyes flicking between father and son, unsure of how to navigate the situation. “Is everything okay?” Gentry asked quietly, his voice unsure. Carter’s gaze lingered on Mark’s retreating form for a long moment before he turned back to the sheriff. “It will be,” he muttered, more to himself than to Gen- try. Then, with a nod, he straightened and stepped off the porch. “Let’s get to work.” * * * * * The ride to the creek was silent, the car’s engine humming low as they wound their way down the dirt roads. The sky had darkened, the stars now peeking out from behind the thick blanket of clouds that had rolled in. The air felt heavy, like something was com- ing, something unseen but very real. An outlaw lawman When they reached the creek, Carter couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. The place was too quiet, too still. It wasn’t the way Oak Ridge usual- ly felt at night. There should have been the sounds of crickets, the rustle of the wind in the trees. But here, nothing. Not a single bird or insect. Just silence. Gentry parked the car, and the two men stepped out, their boots crunching softly against the gravel as they made their way toward the creek. The moon- light glinted off the water, casting eerie shadows on the bank. And then, just ahead, Carter saw her. The girl’s body was sprawled out on the ground, half-covered by a blanket of fallen leaves. Her blonde hair was tangled around her head like a halo, and her clothes were torn, but there was no blood. No signs of a struggle. Just... stillness. Carter squatted down, his fingers brushing the dirt around her. His eyes scanned the ground, noting the faintest tracks leading in and out of the trees. There were signs here. Too many. But they weren’t enough. “The first rule of investigating a crime scene,” Car- ter said, his voice low, his mind already working, “is that nothing is ever as simple as it looks.” Thanos Kalamidas Gentry looked down at the girl’s body, then back at Carter. “What do you think happened here?” Carter stood up slowly, his hand brushing the dust from his jeans. “I think whoever did this... they’re still out there.” The sheriff looked at him, his face hardening. “And I think you might be right.” The night air suddenly felt colder, the chill creep- ing into Carter’s bones. They weren’t just looking for a killer. They were looking for something far darker. And in a town like Oak Ridge, that could mean trou- ble. The kind of trouble that had been buried long ago but was starting to resurface. Carter took one last look at the creek, then turned toward the sheriff. “We’ve got work to do.”