Bess opened her eyes to gentle shaking as Billy awoke her. She gazed at him sleepily and then her attention was drawn to the figure of a man standing in the doorway. She glared at him, knowing what his presence signalled.
"Visit's over Bess, we're ready to eat, then you'll have to go to another room 'til mornin'" Pat said.
Bess helped Billy slip his hands back over her and they both rose. Billy stumbled forward at a slow pace, given his restraints, but Bess waited patiently for him to catch up, not letting her gaze fall onto Pat.
The larger room outside was warm and welcoming; the table had a freshly pressed white linen cloth placed over it and six places had been set with plates and cutlery. A large half-carved turkey stood as centrepiece. Small bowls were placed around the table, containing gravy, potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots and other various vegetables. A dish of freshly steamed apples glazed in honey waited, warming by the fire, for them to finish their main meal, Bess felt near dazed with hunger as the tantalizing smells reached her and all other thoughts bar eating and satisfying her raging hunger abandoned her mind. Pat showed her to her seat and then Billy to his. Bess scanned the room and saw that two men were already seated at the table; she recognised them as the ones that had been playing cards earlier. She looked over at the small table and saw three more men eating plates of the dinner, guards that would not join them but were there to watch, wait and shoot if needed. It wasn't long before Dave was brought out and shown to a seat.
Pat leaned over Bess and she flinched before realising that he was removing her handcuffs, he smiled as Bess rubbed her sore, red-ringed wrists.
She looked up at him.
"Ain't you gonna remove theirs?" She indicated to Billy and Dave.
Pat smirked and gave a knowing look to Billy.
"I don't think I'll take the chance."
Billy huffed a laugh, the same bitter laugh he had used since being brought to this place.
Pat took his seat and began passing out the meat and vegetables. Bess helped Billy to fill his plate with what he wished and then filled her own.
"You'll be in all the papers by tomorrow Kid."
Billy looked coolly at the man who had spoken; he was a rough looking man with slightly wild short hair and stubble. His suit was well made, but it did not cover the fact that he was no gentleman, nor did it cover the fact that the man liked to pretend he was one, both aspects were quite amusing to Billy. Billy glanced over at Pat with the same cool look; he raised his brow in question.
"This is John Poe" Pat stated, starting his meal.
Billy shovelled a large piece of turkey into his mouth as he returned his gaze back to John Poe and regarded him.
"I guess so John" Billy said, smirking as if the mere name of the man was highly amusing.
"They got you painted up as some animal in the papers now; I reckon you ain't one though…" Poe paused.
Billy chewed as if in thought. "And why is that John?" he smirked again as if playing a strange game with the 'gentleman'.
"I ain't never caught no animal as easy as we caught you!" Poe burst into gruff laughter, only his companion sitting next to him joined him in the joke.
"Is that so…" Billy said calmly, watching, waiting for the man to finish.
Slowly Poe's gaze caught his and his laughter died into wheezing.
"Well John," Billy said cutting into his potatoes and then using his filled fork as a pointing device, "I figure if they stopped sending tender footed sunuvabitches out t' hunt me down people might not think of me as an animal." Billy smirked as the man's face fell; he knew he's just been insulted.
Pat chewed slowly upon his food, his gaze flicked to Poe and he gave him a warning look before looking at Billy who smiled cheerfully back at Pat.
"Ain't that right Pat?"
Pat didn't reply but continued to eat his meal.
Bess tried to suppress a smile and looked down at her plate as she began to eat. The wild turkey was tender and juicy, she felt near famished as she ate and even found herself heaping a second helping upon her plate, she'd never eaten such a fine meal at Christmas-time. The table fell into silence as everyone concentrated upon their food, the clink of cutlery was the only sound that rang out.
Finally everyone sat back in contentment. Billy grinned boyishly and patted his stomach.
"Now that was a good meal." He winked at Bess, "Hope every meal is that good while I'm under arrest" he laughed.
Pat got to his feet.
"I'll take you to your room Bess."
Bess looked up at him and then at Billy.
"Can't she stay a while?" Billy asked, giving his winning grin.
Pat shook his head. "Hard ride tomorrow, it's best she sleeps." He gave Bess a weak smile. "You'll see each other tomorrow."
Billy rose from his seat, "Give me a moment with her." It was a demand, not a request.
"You can have a moment in here" Pat said, ignoring Billy's tone. He glanced over at his men.
Bess narrowed her eyes at him, he was obviously trying to show his posse that he could be hard willed and would not allow them more time alone.
Billy nodded and hobbled into a darker corner of the room away from the rest of the men at the two tables, Bess followed. They stood close together.
Bess looked up at him, the light from the oil lamps casting shadow upon his smooth cheeks. His gaze found hers and his clear blue eyes searched her face.
"We ain't done yet Bess," Billy whispered, "keep strong."
Bess nodded as her eyes brimmed with tears and she wrapped her arms about him, clinging to him, her last rock in a raging ocean. Billy bent forward and his lips met hers in a deep and soulful kiss that spoke everything they could not. They parted slowly and Bess' eyes met his, she rested a hand tenderly upon his cheek.
"See you tomorrow" she said in a small voice and smiled.
Billy nodded and grinned. She willed herself to walk away from him, towards Pat.
Pat picked up a candle and nodded at the guards, telling them to keep good watch while he was gone and then he began to walk down the small hallway that led to the bedrooms. Bess glanced back as she followed him and saw Billy making his way back to the table.
Pat opened a door and gestured for her to go inside, he then followed her in. The room was no bigger than Billy's but had a small washstand and a battered looking set of drawers.
Bess turned to Pat who was busy lighting two candles.
"Billy said we're goin' to Las Vegas."
Pat nodded and placed a candle upon the nightstand, the room now had a dim glow to it.
"We leave tomorrow morning."
Bess said nothing in reply, her thoughts a mixture of hope and fear at what awaited them at their destination.
"Bess…" Pat said, bringing Bess' attention back to the present. "I never wanted to hurt Tommy or Charlie…"
Bess looked up at him through a scowl but held her silence.
"I had to take this job, they had me in a corner, and I thought…" he rubbed his chin as if searching for the words, "I thought I c…"
"Stop it Pat!" Bess met his gaze fully, anger plain upon her features. "I'm tired, I'm mournin' my friends, I can't hear your confession." She turned away from him, the mere sight of him riling her further, "You ain't the man I knew, you look kinda like him, you talk like him but you ain't… I don't know who you are." She paused, "I only know you're the man that killed good men and arrested a man you know don't deserve to hang." She balled her hands into fists trying to contain her emotions. "So you'll excuse me if I don't feel like conversin' with you right now."
Silence fell between them and after a few moments she heard him turn and walk out of the room. The door closed quietly behind him and the sound of a key turning in the lock signalled she had been locked in.
Bess looked about her and rubbed her still sore wrists. Finally she walked over to the bed and sat down upon it. She rested her head in her hands and sighed deeply, the sorrow, fear and dread of the last few days seemed like they had been her whole life, remembering happier times seemed impossible, outweighed by the pressure of loss and betrayal. The thought that any of them, any of her friends, the people she knew and cared about could truly die had seemed like something that would never happen. Part of her still expected Tommy or Charlie to walk in at any moment and tell her it had been a mistake, they'd just been badly injured and soon they would all drink and laugh about the incident; for Pat to tell her it had been a set up and the boys were now awaiting them in Old Mexico.
Bess groaned softly knowing none of these thoughts to be true. She sighed sadly at the thought of Charlie's wife and what she must be going through, the world around her torn down, the man she loved dead and with him all hopes and dreams of the future they should have had together.
Bess huffed a humourless laugh at the cruelty life seemed to deal out to so many people, losing those they loved, their lives, for no more than 'bullshit politics'.
Her thoughts drifted back to Billy, what his fate would be and what that would entail for their life together.
She heard the sound of laughter, Billy's laughter from outside. He was talking merrily with his captors of a shoot-out he had once been involved in; she could hear the guards laughing with him, enjoying his company.
She smiled; Billy could charm God himself if he was given a chance. Bess sat in silence for what seemed like a long time, listening to the murmuring voices, the deep sound of laughter. The candles flickered in a cool draft that came from a small crack somewhere near the tiny window. The shadows danced, creating strange shapes upon the walls about her, to Bess they looked like demons, her imagination getting the best of her and she wished harshly that she were not alone in this place. She knew her dreams would be full of nightmarish things that beckoned with dying screams, crawled in the shadows and looked for her in the dark.
--
Bess was awake well before dawn had fully risen. Sleep had not come easily and when it did she could not keep hold of it for long.
She sat upon the bed with a blanket around her shoulders for warmth. Her thoughts were upon Billy and whether he too sat wide awake thinking of what today held for them. She wished for the sun to rise so that they could at least be on their way, sitting here was like being in a strange limbo, the waiting intolerable.
She began to hum quietly to herself, an old Irish lullaby that her mother used to sing to her. She had long since forgotten the words and only the tune stayed within her memory. The sound of it seemed to comfort her a little as she pictured her mother's face and the times when she had been young and things had seemed so bright.
Bess glanced out of the window, seeing that the sun had now pressed over the horizon. Her ears pricked as she heard movement in the main room of the house. She waited as patiently as she could until the familiar click of the key turning in the lock made her rise, discarding the blanket upon the bed. The door swung open and Pat stood in the doorway.
"Mornin'" he said, smiling.
Bess didn't reply; she had no words for him.
He passed Bess some fresh clothing that he must have found in her saddlebags.
"I'll come get you in ten minutes, breakfast is nearly ready." He closed the door and Bess quickly set about changing out of her mud encrusted skirts. She tidied her hair as best she could and splashed some cold water upon her face from the washstand bowl.
When Pat re-entered she was ready to ride, in her attire and her spirit.
The table had been set for all of them once more. Bess sat in the same seat she had taken the night before. Soon they were joined by Dave and then Billy.
Billy looked a little less tired and Bess smiled as he sat next to her, he returned her smile.
"Mornin'" he greeted cheerily.
Bess grinned and set about filling his plate with fresh bread, eggs and bacon.
"Thanks" Billy said before beginning to eat.
Bess helped herself to the food and ate her fill. She then poured Billy and herself a mug of coffee each.
Billy grinned as he finished his last mouthful. "While I have these on you can be my hands." He winked suggestively and grinned. Bess smirked at him and touched his arm lightly, fighting the burning in her cheeks. Her eyes widened slightly as she caught sight of the sore looking skin upon his wrists. Small blisters had begun to appear where the shackles had rubbed.
She glanced over at Pat, "Can I have some cloth please?" she asked coldly without meeting his gaze.
Pat nodded and fetched some clean cotton rags, he handed them to Bess who quickly set about pushing the material around Billy's wrists, preventing the metal having any contact with his skin.
Billy watched her work with a grin upon his face.
"My, if only I had a woman as caring as that Billy" John Poe stated in a friendly manner.
Bess glanced up at him, his behaviour had a warmth to it that had not been there the last time she had met him, Billy's charm had obviously worked on him.
Billy grinned at Poe, pride making him puff his chest out a little. "Yessir, but I'm afraid this one's taken." Billy giggled and Poe laughed softly.
Once the coffee pot had been drained Pat signalled to them all that it was time to go. Billy was led outside first under heavy guard. Bess looked over at Dave who had his wrists shackled.
"You okay?" she ventured, realising just how quiet he had been since their capture.
Dave looked at her, his eyes held an expression that was unreadable.
"No Darlin' I'm not okay" he said as Poe checked his restraints. "We're goin' to Las Vegas." He paused, "I ain't much liked up that way, reckon I'll get lynched."
"You ain't gonna get lynched Dave, we'll make sure of that" Pat said, walking towards them. He wrapped a warm coat around Bess' shoulders, "You'll need this."
Dave's eyes flicked to Pat's face and then to Bess', his features taking on a look of realisation.
"Why's she comin' Pat?" he asked, his voice tinged with a strange knowing. "She wasn't part of the gang; she was just ridin' with us."
Pat studied him for a moment with his calm blue eyes.
"For her own protection, many folks are glad Billy's caught, he has many enemies still… she's known in these parts as his querida, best for her to stay close 'til things die down."
Dave eyed him suspiciously. "Is that so Pat," Dave replied, putting an emphasis on Pat's name, "that's hard t' believe."
Pat met Dave's gaze, annoyance pulled at the corners of his mouth. "Well, you don't get a say Dave."
Pat turned back to Bess who watched the scene before her with curiosity.
"Ready?" Pat asked, walking towards her and leaving Dave in the hands of Poe.
Bess nodded and looked back at Dave; he smirked at her as if he knew something she did not. Bess narrowed her eyes at him, disliking the fact that he seemed to be taking enjoyment in whatever concerned Pat and his reason for keeping her with them when they were all in the same situation.