I sensed them before I saw them. I could not explain the feeling that Katie and I were not alone as we traveled slowly down the path which wound itself through some dense woods.
Then he approached before me, Scarface, leader of the group of outlaws the other riders and I had captured and over to Sweetwater Marshal, Sam Cain, the day before. I wondered for a brief moment how he and his man who rode up behind me had escaped custody.
"Hello again, Sonny," Scarface said with a sneer.
"How did you…?" I started to say, but he cut me off.
"That law man turned his back. See I told you I couldn't be hung."
"Thank you, Sonny," his buddy chimed in from in back of me. 'Thank you."
I felt a moment of fear spike through me, but it was quickly swept aside by resolve and determination. I would not be dying this day if I had anything to do about it.
"We could have finished you." I told two outlaws.
"You didn't." Scarface smirked at me. "Your friend was right. It's a hard lesson boy. The last one you are going to learn. Get off that horse."
I took a deep breath, and then reacted. I quickly drew my gun and shot the man behind me, and kicked Katie into motion. I brushed past Scarface on his horse, swinging myself over Katie's side to make myself the smallest possible target as Scarface took chase after us.
Gunshots blazed out in a volley around my head and then Katie stumbled. Before I knew what was happening, I was being tossed to the ground, and Katie fell beside me. I rolled onto my knees and using Katie as cover, I fired as Scarface neared. He fell from his horse, a bullet through his forehead.
I felt bile rise in my throat, as realization hit me that I had killed two men swept through me. They had left me no choice, but that did not take away the knowledge that I had taken two lives. It would take a long time before I would be able to let what I had done fade into nothing more than a memory.