The night before Julia fell into a deep sleep that neither the light of the sun could interrupt. However, that morning she was woken up by a light kick in her left shin that made her wince. She opened her eyes and pointed her rifle to the man in front of her that soon after she recognized.
"I thought I told you to go to Valentine" said Morgan with his deep voice.
Julia lowered her rifle and rubbed her eyes.
Wind Catcher was already awake, but he didn't disturb her.
"Go boy" said Julia moving so the horse could get up.
Morgan kneeled in front of the fire where there was a jug full of coffee.
"For how long have you been here?" asked Julia looking suspiciously at him.
"Enough to prepare some coffee" answered the man pouring some of the hot drink in a cup that he gave her.
Julia looked at it for a moment, before she took it murmuring a 'thank you'.
Morgan poured some coffee in his cup too and started to sip it while Julia looked around them.
"So, why you didn't go to town?" asked Morgan.
Julia cleared his throat.
"I didn't want to" she simply replied.
Morgan stared at her before he shook his head and looked elsewhere.
They stayed quiet for a while, looking at nature around while Wind Catcher and Tundra were eating a few steps from them.
Julia smiled when she looked at them.
"And you? Where did you sleep?" she asked looking at Morgan who shrugged.
"I camped a little far from here. I didn't think I would've found you sleeping in the dirt"
"Very funny Morgan. So, you were going back to camp?"
"Actually no. I'm gonna go near Strawberry, see if Micah found something as he said he would2
"Are we talking about money?" asked Julia raising a brow and Morgan smiled shaking his head.
"You wanna come?"
Julia sneered.
"Why not?"
Once they collected all their things, they got on their horses.
For most of the time, they didn't talk to each other but exchanged some stealthy glances every now and then.
When Arthur turned to look at her properly, he noticed that Julia had the same expression she was used to have when staring at the fire.
Frowned brows, blank eyes and she was used to bite her lip too, sometimes so eagerly to even draw blood.
She was thinking, Arthur was sure about that.
Julia sensed his gaze on her, so soon enough her thoughts faded away and when she turned to look at him, her big green eyes met his little and blue ones.
"What are you looking at Morgan?" she asked a little bit aggressively.
"I've noticed that you do it a lot" answered the man returning to look at the road.
"Do what?" asked again Julia without moving her eyes from him.
"You drown in your thoughts"
Julia looked at him confused.
"Really?" she asked with a mocking tone, but she knew Morgan was right.
And that was the problem.
She knew her mind played her sometimes, dragging her into her world of insecurities and anxiety.
"Yeah, really"
"Well, maybe is strange for a big, tough, stupid man like you. But thinking is what people do...normally" answered Julia.
Morgan grunted.
"What were you thinking about, anyway?" asked after a while.
Julia looked to him again and the same did he with a little smile on his face. She knew he was doing it to annoy her.
"Mind your own business, would you?" huffed Julia turning to the road.
Once they passed Valentine, they headed to the Cumberland Falls where they crossed the Dakota river. From there, they reached the Wallace Station and followed the railway down to Monto's Rest.
"How's this Micah?" asked Julia.
"What you mean?"
"What is he like? Is he calm? Rational? Or is he...a complete idiot?"
Morgan laughed.
"He's not an idiot, or at least not entirely. But he's a hot head"
"Oh Lord, I know the type" said Julia shaking her head.
"Listen, I think it's better if you don't tell him you're the Hound" said Morgan looking at her.
Julia frowned.
"Why?"
"Because he don't like government people, especially agents and bounty hunters"
"He's gonna find out anyway" answered Julia.
"Yeah, but if Dutch's gonna tell him, he'll convince him to not kill you"
"I wonder who's gonna convince me to do the same"
Morgan smiled, clearing his throat to hide his amusement.
Julia followed him down to a secondary path that led them on a mountain which walls marked the edge of the trail. The uneven rocks didn't let them go faster and a few times the horses risked to slip until the ground became even once again.
Raising their heads, they saw the blue sky upon them other than a smoke trail that Julia noticed right away and once she pointed it to Morgan, they followed it until they got in a small open space before the cliff.
"He's him" said Morgan pointing with a gesture of his head a man seated in front of the fire.
Julia looked at him then they got down their horses and walked closer to him.
When the man noticed them, he got up.
"Hey Arthur. Good to see you..."
The man turned to Julia, looking at her up and down for a moment.
"Well, well...look what Morgan brought...and you are?" he asked with a smirk on his face.
He had blonde hair that reached his shoulders, a thick blonde mustache and light eyes. He was wearing a white and wide hat and a leather black jacket that hid not-to-well a not-so-slim figure.
"I'm Myles" answered Julia.
The man laughed for a few seconds before he returned serious.
"Micah Bell" he presented himself before he turned to Morgan who was warming his hands in front of the fire.
"So, I got a plan to make it up to you"
"A plan like Blackwater ferry? Or like you going off and ending up in jail?" asked Morgan seating on a log.
Julia stayed up; her arms crossed on her chest.
Surely Morgan had a disregard for Bell.
"Dutch said you was a big shadow cast by a tiny tree" answered the man, giving Julia a look and she noticed he had a wicked smile on his face.
"I don't even know what that means" answered Morgan.
"I thought you were a tough boy not one of those gentlemen trying to protect his riding clothes" said Bell moving his fists in front of him like he was beating someone.
Julia rolled her eyes and leaned against a big rock near them.
The man followed her with his eyes, but Julia pretended not to notice him.
"I just know whenever things get real you turn yellow, and loose your head" said Morgan, catching Bell's attention on him again.
"Yellow?" he asked with a note of indignation and rage in his voice.
"Sure seems that way"
"So I guess you won't be riding with me to rob the banking coach comes about this time into Strawberry? I heard one of the O'Driscoll boys yapping about it while I was inside" said Bell walking pass Morgan.
Julia looked at them and then walked closer.
"You and me? Do a robbery?" asked Morgan getting up.
Julia cleared her throat making them turned while Bell raised a brow.
"What? You wanna come Miss?"
Julia nodded.
"I'm sorry but this is a men job"
"For this reason, I've to come don't you think?" rispose Julia.
The man laughed looking at Morgan who nodded to make him understand that she was actually coming with them.
The man sighed.
"Well in that case. You're the boss Morgan"
The three of them got on their horses and Julia and Morgan exchanged a look before they followed Bell along the path that led them to him.
Soon enough Morgan got alongside Bell, talking about how and why he had gotten up there like he was crazy hermit, as Morgan said.
For what it seemed, Bell had done a mess in Strawberry while he was with Lenny, who ran away just in time while he was imprisoned.
Dutch had asked Morgan to free him and when he did, Bell got him into a fight against all the town for his stupid pistols.
However, the man had stuck around, waiting for the right moment to make some money and bright it to Dutch as a peace offering.
Then Morgan asked information about the banking coach, but the man assured him that it wasn't nothing hard to take care of and that they'd found themselves with a lot of cash in their hands.
"So, Miss Myles...how did you join the gang? Did Dutch find you in some brothel?"
Julia gave him a nasty look and in that moment she had the desire to tell him who she really was, but looking at Morgan, who gave her a pleading look, she decided to say nothing.
"I know Dutch for a long time. I was a member of his gang some years ago" she answered eventually.
"Oh, so you came back. Didn't Marston do the same thing?" asked Bell to Morgan.
"It ain't like that. Marston left us, she...uh...we lost her" said Morgan and Julia huffed.
It's always better than be accused of betrayal, don't you think? asked the voice in her head.
The two men continued to talk until Bell slowed down.
"Alright, this is the spot. Hold up on this ridge"
Julia got alongside Morgan who looked at the landscape before him while Bell looked at his pocket watch.
"They should be here in a little bit. Hold tight" he said putting it back.
"Which way will they be coming in?" asked Morgan.
"Should be from over there. We'll need to hit them fast before they get into town"
Bell leaned forward to look at Julia who saw him with the corner of her eyes.
"Miss Myles, I hope you know how to use those guns" he said.
"Mind your work and I'll do the same" answered Julia.
Bell laughed.
"She's got a temper, I like that in a woman" he said to Morgan.
"Just don't lose your head this time" he said changing subject.
"Course, tough guy. They should be here any minute"
A few seconds later, they saw a coach in the distance followed by four men on horses.
"Look there they are, right on time. Get covered up. Come on!"
Bell began to gallop towards their direction, Julia and Morgan behind him. Once they reached the coach, the four men saw them and started to shoot. Julia took out her pistols and hit a man on the leg and then on his chest. He fell from his horse, right in front of Wind Catcher that jumped him and then Julia turned to shoot him dead.
Morgan had killed the driver, but the other man took the reins in turn while Bell had killed another man.
"I take care of the driver. You kill these bastards" said Julia to Morgan and spurring Wind Catcher to go faster, she reached the coach ahead them.
She shot the man who avoided the bullet and then shot her. Julia felt the bullet really close to her ear, but when she realized he didn't hit her, she shot again hitting the man right in his forehead.
The horses started to slow down while she heard some other shoots behind her.
"Good, come on. Let's get this out here" said Bell getting down his horse and then reached the coach.
The same did Morgan.
"I'll give it to them, they put up half a fight at least" said Bell taking the reins while Morgan turned to look at her, making a gesture with his head that Julia returned.
"Baylock! Come on boy" called Bell and Morgan did the same, whistling to Tundra.
Julia followed them, looking behind her every now and then afraid that someone could surprise them.
"Lookie here, a fine new rifle too"
Julia turned to look at Bell with a new rifle in his hand that he gave to Morgan who took it and admire for a few seconds before he put it away.
"What did I tell you? Like liking butter off a knife" said again Bell.
"I think is strange that there aren't O'Driscolls. If they knew about this coach they should be here" said Julia.
"Just relax woman, nobody is gonna rob us" answered the man while he drove the coach down a path alongside the river.
"She got a point. You don't want to just break it open here, be done with it?" said Morgan.
"Could be more than we can carry and there might be..."
Bell couldn't finish what he was saying that a tree fell in front of them and to avoid it, he turned the wheels going towards the river.
"Shit, now we're being robbed! Get across the river!" yelled Morgan, but as soon as they got closer the water that was an explosion and the wagon skidded.
Tundra and Baylock pranced and then ran away while Julia did what she could to control Wind Catcher, scared itself.
She got down him quickly and sent him away before she ran towards the two men who fell into water. The wagon was flipped and the horses that were pulling it ran away.
Julia looked around, there were O'Driscolls everywhere.
"I told you it was strange that there weren't O'Driscolls!" she yelled taking cover behind a rock from where she started to shoot.
Morgan, who hid himself behind the wagon, started to shoot too with his rifle while Bell yelled at the men a few meters from him.
While Julia was shooting them, she tried to count them quickly. They must have been a dozen, maybe something more.
She killed one of them by shooting him in the chest twice; she hit another in the knee and then on his neck; one more on the shoulder and belly.
"Shit! I don't have any more bullets!" said Morgan.
"Here!" said Julia throwing him some munitions that Morgan took quickly returning to shoot.
Bell had killed three more, Morgan took care of rest of them.
For a moment it seemed that more were about to come, but they were only a few so they decided to run for their life instead.
"Look at those cowards run away!" yelled Bell almost happy.
Julia looked around to be sure they were leaving, not entirely convinced that it was over. When her eyes looked down she saw red stripes of blood in the water below her coming from the O'Driscolls' corpses.
"Why it every job I do with you ends in a pile of dead bodies?" asked Morgan putting away his rifle.
"Since when did you have problem killing O'Driscolls?" replied Bell walking towards the wagon.
"You got a point" answered Morgan giggling.
Julia aimed at the lock of the vault and shot breaking it.
"It seems that Miss Myles is in a hurry" said Bell.
"I just want to get the hell out of here before we have more surprises" she replied.
Bell opened the vault founding a deposit box on the inside. With Morgan's help, he took it and placed it on the ground before he opened it with the bottom of his gun.
"Look at that" he said when he saw the money.
Julia had to admit that there was a lot of money in there.
As always Morgan split the money, giving a generous part to Julia who took it without say anything and then called the horses.
"What's the cut here?" asked Bell.
"It's good. Just make sure the gang gets its piece" answered Morgan giving him his part of the money.
"Like I said big shadow, tiny tree" answered the other getting on his horse.
"Yeah, and like I said that still don't mean nothing. Now get out of here. Go see Dutch but make sure you ain't followed" answered Morgan counting the money he took for himself.
"I know, boss. I know"
Bell turned to Julia and smiled wickedly.
"See you at the camp sweetheart" said before he went away.
Julia looked at him until she couldn't see him anymore and then turned to look at Morgan who was rubbing his shoulder.
"Are you okay?" she asked getting closer.
"Yeah, I'm fine. It's just my shoulder" answered the man looking at her.
"You did fly for a few meters" said Julia.
Morgan chuckled.
"Yeah, I did. Damn O'Driscolls. Come on. Let's head to camp"
They came back to the cam without saying a word and when they arrived it was already afternoon and they could smell Pearson's stew in the air.
Once she got down from Wind Catcher, she freed him from the saddle and they took care of him, brushing while he was eating.
When she finished, she gave him a sugar-cube as always.
"You've been very brave today" she whispered in his ear petting his neck.
She headed to her tent where she left herself fall on the covers and then she took off her hat and jacket. She passed a hand through her messy and damp hair, deciding it was time to brush it.
"Mr Morgan, you're quite a sight" she heard Miss Grimshaw say.
Frowning she left the comb on the covers and got out noticing the woman and Morgan a few steps from Pearson's wagon.
"I'm fine" said the man fixing his muggy and wet jacket.
"You're revolting...and you get all of us sick. Come with me"
The woman did to take him by his arm, but the man dodge and Miss Grimshaw slapped him.
"I'm sort of busy right now" laughed Morgan touching his now red cheek.
"I wasn't asking. I'm telling. My camp my rules" answered Miss Grimshaw before she pushed him towards a barrel full of water.
Julia followed them, leaning against a near tree with her arms crossed over her chest and an amused smiled on her face.
"Get yourself out of those clothes. I'm gonna bring you some clean ones" said the woman walking away.
Morgan freed himself from his bag and hat, leaving them on the ground. Then he took off his jacket and shirt staying just in his pants. Julia could notice a big bruise on his shoulder and a few old wounds spread across his wide back.
Then he started to wash his face, neck, arms taking away all the mug. Then he shoved his head in the barrel and when he came out, he rolled like a dog making Julia chuckle.
She took out a cigarette from the pack in her pocket looking at Miss Grimshaw coming closer to Arthur with a clean stole a white shirt and a brick leather jacket.
"Here Arthur. I'll come back later" said the woman giving him the clothes she had in her hands.
Arthur wore the shirt, keeping it open while he rubbed the stole on his head to dry his hair.
"That bruise doesn't look good" said Julia bringing the cigarette to her lips.
Morgan turned.
"You were looking at me?" he asked embarrassed.
"Oh yeah. Thank you for the show Morgan" she said winking at him.
The man shook his head and turned to close his shirt, but Julia could still see his now red face.
Miss Grimshaw came back once more, her hands on her hips and a smug smile on her face.
"Much better" she said looking at the man wearing the leather jacket.
Julia threw her finished cigarette away and drew closer.
Susan noticed her and suddenly she stiffened in her place.
"Relax Miss Grimshaw, I'm not gonna argue with you" said Julia.
"No, but maybe you're gonna disrespect me, again" answered the woman.
"Oh, shut up and take this" said Julia taking out from her pocket a few dollars.
Miss Grimshaw looked at it for a moment before she raised her offended gaze on her.
"I don't want your charity" she said indignantly.
Julia rolled her eyes.
"It's not charity. Consider it as a thank you for making the air near Morgan breathable"
Susan continued to look at her, but then she took the money and left with a small smile on her face.
Julia and Arthur looked at her.
"Why did you give her that money?" he asked.
"I really don't know. Maybe to shut her up" answered Julia looking at him and he did the same.
"Well, you can breathe near me now"
Julia smiled, looking at him up and down. He was attractive, she couldn't lie.
"Yes, I can. See you Morgan" she said before she left under Morgan's confused gaze.
...
HI EVERYONE!
So, this was the chapter for today. I hope you liked it! Personally, this is one of my favorites, I had so much fun writing it. So, let me know if you like it as well!
I'm gonna write a new one just now ;)
As usual, I'll post ASAP.
KISSES!
