It's been a while, guys! I haven't updated because I misplaced my charger. All clear on that virus… Christ, that came out of nowhere.
The upside is that if lockdown happens in London, count on regular updates for this!
Also, we're halfway through this instalment, which I wrote purely because I'm not ready to let go of this series and want to get as much as I can out of it. BUT, that being said, I've decided that I may create another story full of random one-shots. I.E. how Night's Hawk joined the gang, Abuela Paloma and Near Simmons chatting – deleted scenes, basically. I have no idea WHEN I'd do that, but when this series inevitably ends - we'll still have random bits of new content.
Anyway, on with this fairly short chapter.
Roanoke Ridge, NH
19th September, 1905
Anna was rage incarnate. Thought, speech – it had all evaporated from her body like smoke into air as soon as the man's hand closed around her throat. She was back in that moment, watching her father's twisted body lying on the floor beside her brothers as greasy hands clawed into her hips.
She brought down the machete upon the man's brow, cleaving it in two. She tugged it free and brought it down upon him again, spouting a jet of blood across her pale skin. She grunted as she wrenched the blade free and slammed it down into the gash in the man's brown face again and again and again.
"Anna!"
Near's dark hands clasped her shoulders, his old, thick arms wrapping around her chest and pulling her back as she frantically flailed her arms, kicking and thrashing like a hooked fish – she needed her blade.
"Let me go-"
"Anna, calm!" Near pushed her across the room, holding his hands up and facing his palms to her. "He's dead, it's okay." Anna panted, looking at the remains of the corpse. She let out a pant and pushed her dark blonde hair from her sweat-stained face. "What's going on with ya, Anna?"
"Nothing, I'm fine-"
"No, you ain't- that ain't fine." Near pointed to the corpse. Anna clenched her jaw. It slowly dawned on her then – she didn't feel anything looking at the body. The blood soaking into the mud and seeping into the riverbed. Anna didn't feel shame or disgust or anything a 'civilized' person would feel. She didn't have any feelings left – none except rage.
"That is what we do. Not you, of course…" Anna walked towards Near. "You're always too busy lettin' them go, aren't ya?" Anna scoffed as she walked back towards their horses.
"Anna…" Near limped after her. "They weren't no threat."
"He tried to strangle me-"
"After you decided to rob him of all he owns." Near put a hand on the saddle of Anna's black Turkoman, Alexi. "That ain't you, woman."
Anna smacked Near's hand from her saddle. "You ain't got no idea of who I am." She led Alexi over to the corpse and drew her machete from the fragmented skull, wiping down the blade on the man's coat-sleeve.
"You're lost, Anna," Near said slowly, his one good eye focusing on her. Anna scoffed in response and mounted Alexi, trotting away to the camp and leaving Near to find his own way. "You're so goddamn lost…"
Agent Buck Bayfield lifted the coat with the nib of his pen, examining the gunshot wound in the young man's stomach. He couldn't have been older than twenty – already shot dead.
"What a waste…" Bayfield murmured to himself, straightening up. He looked over to see the taller agent, Martin Finch, approach. "Any luck?"
"Nothing but ash and charcoal," Finch responded, looking over his shoulder to the burnt remains of the house. "I'd wager they used moonshine to burn the place down."
"That or kerosene…" Bayfield nodded. They left the pine caskets and walked across the muddied street towards Smithfield's saloon.
Finch glanced over to the Sheriff's office. "You're not interested in talking to the Sheriff?"
"I doubt he's noted anything of interest…" Bayfield responded. "It's his town – he'll likely insist on hunting them down himself and killing each of them."
"So?"
"So, I'd like to avoid more pointless death."
"Buck Bayfield, patron saint of outlaws…" Finch scoffed.
"I'm doing my job, Agent Finch. Perhaps you should do yours by assisting me."
Finch clenched his jaw and let out a sharp breath. "Of course, sir."
Smithfield's saloon was the same as any other Bayfield and Finch had visited in pursuit of outlaws. Full of rough types and cowboys. Most of the patrons turned away, hiding their faces shortly after clapping weary, glassy eyes on their silver badges.
"Agents Bayfield and Finch of the Pinkerton Detective Agency," Bayfield announced himself, "I'm here to speak to the proprietor?"
No-one took any notice of Bayfield's words.
"Well, that's helpful…" Finch muttered.
Bayfield walked towards the barman and removed his derby hat, placing it on the bar. "You own the place?"
"No, Smithfield does," the barman responded. Another man at the bar snickered.
Bayfield flicked his tongue across his teeth. "Some outlaws came through here." Bayfield removed several 'Wanted' posters from his jacket. "I was hoping you might identify them…"
"Can't help you, sirs." The barman started wiping down whiskey glasses.
Bayfield hung his head and sighed. "Sir, you may want to look at the pictures before lying to me."
The barman set down the glass and examined the posters before looking up at Bayfield. "Sorry, sir – can't help you."
Finch's hand curled into a fist as he leant on the bar. "Look again…"
Bayfield put an arm in front of Finch's chest and spoke to the barman. "I understand how things work here. You all want revenge, and jail isn't enough. So, you'll form a posse with your Sheriff and hunt them down. But that doesn't work anymore. That's not how we do things – that'll end with half of you dead and maybe you'll put a bullet in one of them. But…" Bayfield held out a hand. "If you assist me and my associate, I can guarantee that they will face justice. It won't feel good… but your dead can rest." He handed the 'Wanted' posters over. "Please, sir?"
The barman sighed, glancing to the others before taking the posters and sorting through them. "Him… him… him and… her." He placed down the posters for Aiden McKneil, Jay Gonzales, Samuel Washington and Alice MacKenzie.
"Anyone else?"
"No-one that I saw."
"Why were they here?" The barman shrugged.
"Nothing to do with moonshine?" Finch raised an eyebrow. The barman's face froze. Bayfield knew that he was trying to construct a lie that would help without incriminating himself.
"We ain't the law, we ain't here for moonshiners," Bayfield assured the barman. "We're after the Rune Brody gang – that's all."
The barman nodded slowly. "Sellin' moonshine. Fella named Elias Harper in Lemoyne makes it. I don't know where."
"Thank you, sir." Bayfield smiled. "You've been a big help." He turned to Finch. "Send a telegram to Agent Winters and Jones to travel east and find-"
"Wait," the barman said loudly, muttering darkly to himself before facing the agents. "Strawberry. It's a dry town north of Blackwater."
"I know it…" Bayfield nodded.
"They had a lot more shine so… I reckon they'd be heading that-a way."
Bayfield smiled. "Thank you, sir." He turned to Finch. "Send the telegram to Jones and Winters – you and I are heading east."
The red can dented and crumpled inwards from the sheer force of a lead bullet that spun and twisted and tore through the tin with all the force and ferocity of a metal hurricane. Thirty yards away, crouching by a stone and resting the barrel of Aiden's caraco rifle upon it was Sam Washington. Aiden rubbed a hand across his stubble and cussed under his breath.
"Reckon you can hit it again?" Aiden asked. Sam closed one eye and peered into the scope again. "Remember to squeeze-" The gun cracked and the can spun up into the air. "Shit…" Aiden murmured – he'd never been that accurate with a gun at Sam's age. He handed him a cartridge of five bullets. "Now, load that in there…"
Sam turned the rifle upside down and jammed the cartridge in slowly and hard. Aiden took it from him and, in one swift movement, inserted the cartridge with a click. Sam peered through the scope again, looking at the other cans, but his finger paused on the trigger. "Can I ask you something?"
Aiden glanced over to Sam. "Well, you just did, so…"
Sam straightened up and leant on the end on the rifle. "Why don't you like me?"
"Well, maybe you're just…" Aiden paused to move the rifle from under Sam's hand. "Dislikeable?"
Sam rolled his eyes. "Forget it…" He spied through the scope once again.
Aiden crossed his arms, watching the kid learn to shoot. Well, he wasn't learning – he was probably the best sharpshooter out of all of them. Seventeen… Aiden would've been a little younger than him when Rune taught him how to shoot.
"Y'know…" Aiden murmured, "it was always me and Rune. Since my pa died…" Aiden shrugged. "Felt like you was takin' part of that, I guess…"
Sam lowered the rifle and cradled it in his arms. "I didn't take you for the jealous type."
"Watch your mouth, boy."
Sam looked from Aiden's scowl to the tin cans and bit his lip. "Rune always tells me to… use my fire. Like you. Only… only it seems like you don't stop using it. Rune says-"
"Rune says a lotta things…" Aiden held up a hand. "Lemme tell ya, I've killed a whole lotta folk outta anger, and it ain't ever done me much good."
Sam narrowed his eyes. Everyone else seemed to either admire Rune or adore him. Aiden… he wasn't like the rest of them. He'd known Rune longer, but… "How long have you known Rune, exactly?"
Aiden puffed out his cheeks in thought. "Nigh on twenty years, I think?"
"Christ…" Sam muttered.
"Yeah… Christ indeed…" Aiden took the rifle from Sam and leant it on his shoulder, walking back to camp. "I ain't lyin' when I say he raised me. And I know he's a fool… and I'm an ever bigger fool but…" Aiden shrugged again. "Listen, I'm real proud to be his son." Aiden's hazel eyes locked on Sam's. "But Rune's… well… Rune's…" Aiden shook his head. "Things have changed. And Rune, well, he's still my pa – always will be, but…" Aiden sighed. "I'm just thinking."
"I thought you said you don't do much thinking?"
"Yeah, this is why…" Aiden handed Sam the rifle. "First watch is yours."
So, a shorter chapter this time around. Hope you all enjoyed and I'll try and bust out another update within a day.
Anyway, please review and let me know what you think!
R.
