Chapter 17: Firestorm, Part 1

"Looks like I win, Albert."

The crowd gasped and a few even cheered at the saloon owner's victory. Brady was quick to clean up his prize from the table, leaving the boy he had just conned out of a big chunk of change motionless in his seat.

"No." The single world escaped from Albert's mouth.

"You played a good game, but it seems that the cards just weren't in your favor tonight." Brady stood up from his chair. "If you're up for another game when I'm back in town next, just let me know."

Suddenly, Albert felt a harsh grab on his shoulders and looked to see Edwards towering over him. Isaiah then pulled Albert up out of his seat and began dragging him through the saloon, with Andrew and Willie following close behind. After being brought outside into the cold night air, the group went around to the back of the building to process what had just happened.

"Do you realize what you've just done?" Edwards finally let go of Albert, causing him to stumble back.

"Albert, are you okay?" Willie stepped up to ask. "You completely froze back there."

"No, I'm not okay. This isn't happening!" Albert wrapped his arms around his stomach like he was going to be sick. "This can't be happening! That was all the money I had! I still owe Bret money for the morphine."

"Morphine?" Edwards said after hearing the boy mutter that last bit.

"I'm supposed to pay him back at the end of the month, but I just lost everything I had in that game!"

"Why did you gamble all of your money away if you owed Bret?" Andrew asked.

"I wasn't go back to being broke!" Albert screamed at his friends. "When Pierce told me about this game, I thought I had a chance at winning a lot of money."

"Then, this was a setup." Edwards stated bluntly. "If Pierce told you about this game, then it was all a setup to take your money from the start. You never had a chance of winning anything. You've been played, Albert."

Hearing that he had been cheated, Albert's panic only increased. How stupid could he possibly be to let himself walk into a rigged game so easily? He should have known better. "Shit. Shit. Shit! That money I lost was part of my university scholarship. There's no way I can make that back in time for school next year."

After hearing that last statement, Edwards forcefully grabbed Albert by his shoulder again. "That's enough, Albert! I'm sorry son, but you have to tell your folks about what happened."

"No. No! I just need more time! I can fix this." Albert begged, thinking there had to be some other way out.

"You can't fix this, Albert! You have to tell your ma and pa...tell them everything." Isaiah looked back at Willie and Andrew. "You two go on home. I'll take care of Albert. And after tonight, I don't want to see any of you going near the Silver Coin ever again."

Andrew and Willie glanced at each other and proceeded to nod their heads. They went their separate ways, leaving Albert and Edwards to take a long walk back to Plum Creek. The older man kept a tight grip on Albert's arm, not wanting to take the chance of him trying to run away. He knew the kid was good at heart, but was too corrupted to be trusted, especially now knowing that drugs could be involved.

It was a long and painful walk through the darkness of the night back to the Ingalls' farm. Albert's mind was still spinning in a million directions. What the hell was he supposed to tell his parents? How could he even begin to explain all the times he went behind their backs...all the wrong decisions and mistakes he made? Despite the late hour, Albert noticed the lamp sitting on the dinning table lit through the windows of the little house. As the two approached the home, the front door was opened to reveal Charles.

"Albert, where have you been all night?" Charles asked, rushing out to his son and friend.

"He was with me, Charles." Isaiah answered for the boy. "Can you and Caroline come outside? We need to have a talk."

Charles paused for a moment, but persisted to go back inside to wake Caroline and they all congregated outside together.

Edwards sighed. "Albert, tell them what happened and start from the very beginning."

Albert gritted his teeth when his stomach churned in pain. He never wanted his parents to find out about him and the Silver Coin. He never thought they would find out. Albert figured he would just stop the gambling when he left for medical school. Now that dream felt to be slipping from his fingers as well. The boy looked down and had to force the words out of his throat. "I was...I've been going to the Silver Coin saloon."

There was a moment of uncomfortable silence for Charles to process what his son had just told him. "You what?"

Albert continued to look at the ground. "A bunch of other boys started going to the saloon and I wanted to see what it was like...and if I still was a good gambler like when I was living on the street. Whenever I told you I was going frogging with Andy or doing homework with Willie...I went to the saloon."

Edwards noticed Albert's hesitations. "Keep going. Everything, Albert."

"I met this guy from out of town and I...a long story short, I owe him money."

"Why do you owe him money?" Edwards continued.

Albert finally glanced up to see his parents' faces. Charles was in shock and utter disbelief, while Caroline looked like she was about to cry. As if they thought the street kid they adopted would never get into any trouble. The looks of disappointment finally broke through to Albert. "I bought drugs from him and I told him I would pay him back later, but I didn't have enough money. When we were in Minneapolis, I got medical textbooks from the university with my scholarship and pawned them for cash. I was going to pay Bret with that money, but I was tricked into playing in a rigged poker game and...I lost everything."

"Dear God." Charles could not speak, or more so, he did not know what to say.

"I'm sorry, pa." Albert could feel tears in his eyes. "I didn't mean for things to get this bad."

Charles took a few steps away from his wife, brought his hands to his face and breathed heavy into his palms. "You didn't mean...for things to get this bad. Albert, I told you to stay away from that place! I told you the first day we found out what that place was to stay away from it! And now look at what you've done! You've been lying to me and gambling and...taking drugs. That's why you haven't been acting yourself. Dear God, why did you even start going there to begin with?"

"All the other boys started going and I lost control of what I was doing." Albert tried to make up excuses, but inside he knew it was mostly if not all his own fault. Andy did not sit him down at those gambling tables and Willie did not force him to take morphine. Whose idea was it to go to the Silver Coin in the first place?

"I have never been more disappointed in you, Albert." Charles continued to pace around, not knowing how to express how hurt and enraged anger he felt. "After everything I've done for you, this is how you repay me!"

"I'm sorry, pa!" Albert began to scream. "I'm so sorry! I wish I could take it all back, I swear! I didn't mean for it to get this bad! God, I know I should have never started going there! I'm sorry!"

It was then Charles walked away from him and, for the first time since that day in Winoka when the Ingalls asked him to go home with them, Albert felt abandoned.

The boy looked over to Caroline, who had been carefully listening to everything that was being said and cried because of it. "Ma?"

"Albert...I hope you feel shame for what you've done." Caroline went to go after Charles, leaving Albert and Edwards in front of the little house.

Isaiah looked beside him, seeing Albert begin to break down even more, wrapping his arms tight around his shoulders and sinking down to the dirt. "It's going to take a lot to fix what's been broken, Albert. Best you start by getting off that morphine."

Albert was breathing heavily as he knelt on the ground, his life and his future shattering in front of him. All he wanted to do was hide under the stairs where the world could not find him...run away.

It was then Edwards looked up to see Charles and Caroline walking back outside. "Charles! Stop! Please don't do this!"

Even through the darkness, Edwards could see the rage on Charles' face and realized, knowing the stubborn, prideful and occasionally impulsive farmer like he did, this could only spell trouble. "What're you doing, Charles?"

Edwards tried to stop the other man by getting in front of him. "Out of my way, Isaiah!"

"Not if you're planning on lashing out. I already pulled one Ingalls out of trouble tonight and I am not doing it again!"

Then, Charles swung at Edwards, hitting him right in the jaw. Mr. Edwards stumbled back with Charles racing past him towards the barn. Caroline ran over to get Isaiah back on his feet, but before the two were able to get to the barn, Charles was already mounted on a horse. "Charles! Don't! What do you even plan on doing?"

"What should have been done three years ago." Charles stated, then rode off into the night.