Jesse spurred the horse on with the whip and the wagon started down the
road at a fast pace.
"Daddy, whats wrong?" Liberty asked lightly touching her father's arm.
"Nothing darling. Absolutely nothing." He replied with a forced smile.
As they approached the farm, Jesse's heart sank into his stomach. The fear of Frank being right and the fear of having to use his pistols again was making him sick.
"Daddy, why are all our windows broken? Hey! It looks like someone tried to break in! I'm going to go see if Ma is okay!" she hollered jumping off the wagon and into a clump of sweet grass.
"Liberty!" he hollered at the girl slowly becoming a blur in the distance. He stopped the buggy and jumped off to follow her. Taking off at a run he closed his eyes praying that he'd not find his wife murdered and that his little girl would be all right. His worst fears were soon defined as a shrill scream could be heard from behind the barn.
Tears welled up in his eyes as his legs pushed him faster. He rounded the corner and covered his face. Liberty had Zee cradled in her arms, covered in her mother's blood.
"Daddy!" she cried turning her head to look at him. Jesse started to cry as he moved to where his wife lay. She had a trowel in one hand. She'd been gardening.
"Zee?" he said quietly. Liberty pushed away from her mother as Jess took the body into his arms. "Come on Zee. Wake up. stop playing." He croaked as the tears ran down his face.
Her body convulsed.
"ZEE!" he shouted. Her blue eyes opened and blinked. Her mouth fluttered open but not sound could be heard. Liberty hid her eyes and turned away. Jesse held tight as his wife died.
"C-C-.C-C" she tried to speak.
"Shhh, don't waste you're strength honey." He whispered wiping a droplet of blood from her mouth. Her eyes fluttered a few more times and the convulsions stopped. Jesse was left holding her dead body and he collapsed.
"No, please god no." he cried into her bloodied chest. Liberty sobbed her arms locking around herself as she ran into the barn.
Three days later, Jesse James and Liberty James stood at the foot of an apple tree in the back of their orchard. A white cross-stood, the only marker that someone dearly loved lay there. Jesse felt the tears welling up inside, but the tears were deafened by the rage he was swimming in. Liberty just stood. One hand clasped tightly around her fathers and the other balled into a fist pressed into her chest.
"Goodnight Zee." Jesse whispered kneeling onto the ground and kissing the cross. Liberty felt a tear slide down her cheek, but she wiped it away. Crying meant weakness and she needed to be strong. Strong for herself, and strong for her father.
When they were back in the house, Jesse was rummaging in an old black chest. He pulled out a pair of pistols and a shoulder holster. He clicked the chamber back.
"Good, I still got some rounds left. Frank had better have some ammo on him." He muttered.
"Daddy, where are you going?" Liberty asked her father as he opened the front door to leave.
"Liberty, I want to you to go into town, take Beanstalk and ride him into town. Tell Mr. Miller that your daddy has some thing he needs to do out of town and stay with him. You understand me?" he said turning to kneel in front of his daughter. She sniffled.
"Are you going with Frank and Cole?" she sniffed.
"I am. But don't you worry. I'll be back before you know it." He smiled. "Keep your chin up and stay strong okay? I love you Libby." He said pulling her into an embrace.
"I love you too Daddy." She said trying to fight off the tears.
"Good bye baby." He said running out the door and hopping on Thunder. The horse reared and Jesse faltered for a moment before kicking the horse and starting off for Hilltop. Liberty started to cry and sat down on the porch pulling her knees to her. She rocked and cried for hours before saddling up Beanstalk and riding into town to her new home with Mr. Miller.
* * *
Liberty took a deep breath and faced Greta. The woman's face was pale.
"The Comanche killed your mother." She whispered. Liberty smiled weakly.
"That's what we all believed. But that comes along later in my tale. Please be patient."
"I understand Miss James.
Liberty sat down in a kitchen chair and cradled her face in her hands before starting again.
"The next part of my story takes place three years later. I've grown up and learned how to shoot. I was nothing like the typical 15 year old girl of the time."
* * *
Liberty woke one morning to the chatter of the Small girls, Nancy, Miranda and Esther. The sun shone in her eyes as she dressed for the day. A worn pair of jeans, a plaid shirt her father left and a leather hat. She picked up her brand new shoulder holster that she bought a week ago and began her morning routine.
She polished her holster with saddle polish and began to clean her pistols. They were the only thing she'd managed to keep save some clothes and some heirlooms when the house was cleaned out.
After she'd cleaned her effects, she dressed herself in them. The leather holster gleamed as did the silver pistols in them.
"Good Morning Sir." She said coming down the stairs into the General Store that Mr. Miller, her caretaker owned.
"Morning Liberty. Please, make sure the safety is on those." He said motioning to her guns. She nodded and clicked them.
"I'm going out to the range. Practice my shot." She stated. Miller nodded and continued to prepare the store for opening. Liberty pushed open the door and knocked right into Nancy Small. Nancy was the same age as Liberty, but that's where their similarities ended. Liberty had long dark hair and Nancy had light. Liberty had blue eyes, Nancy had brown. Liberty was full and proportionate, Nancy was thin and petit.
"Well, well. Look who the sheriff let out." Nancy laughed. Liberty's eyes smoked.
"G'day Nancy." She said coolly. Nancy laughed haughtily.
"Too hot or the sheriff to handle Liberty? Such a strange name. Well what can you do? Strange parents, strange offspring. It's not your fault Libby." Nancy said sweetly. Liberty had had enough. No one insulted her Ma or Dad. She pushed Nancy and stepped forward.
"You wanna look me in the eye and say that Small?" she said, her temper flaring. Nancy sneered and stepped forward. Her yellow dress bunched up in her hands.
"I thought I just did James." she replied pushing Liberty back. In one smooth move, Liberty had both pistols pulled and the hammer back on them ready to fire. Nancy stopped dead.
"Look here. we was just having a conversation. Don't get all huffy." Nancy said nervously. Liberty pointed the barrel at Nancy and fired. Nancy jumped to the side as the bullet grazed a hitching post.
"You missed." Nancy laughed.
"If I'd meant to hit you, you'd be dead and bleeding already." Liberty replied pushing past the gaggle of girls and hopping onto Mr. Miller's horse Lightening.
"Daddy, whats wrong?" Liberty asked lightly touching her father's arm.
"Nothing darling. Absolutely nothing." He replied with a forced smile.
As they approached the farm, Jesse's heart sank into his stomach. The fear of Frank being right and the fear of having to use his pistols again was making him sick.
"Daddy, why are all our windows broken? Hey! It looks like someone tried to break in! I'm going to go see if Ma is okay!" she hollered jumping off the wagon and into a clump of sweet grass.
"Liberty!" he hollered at the girl slowly becoming a blur in the distance. He stopped the buggy and jumped off to follow her. Taking off at a run he closed his eyes praying that he'd not find his wife murdered and that his little girl would be all right. His worst fears were soon defined as a shrill scream could be heard from behind the barn.
Tears welled up in his eyes as his legs pushed him faster. He rounded the corner and covered his face. Liberty had Zee cradled in her arms, covered in her mother's blood.
"Daddy!" she cried turning her head to look at him. Jesse started to cry as he moved to where his wife lay. She had a trowel in one hand. She'd been gardening.
"Zee?" he said quietly. Liberty pushed away from her mother as Jess took the body into his arms. "Come on Zee. Wake up. stop playing." He croaked as the tears ran down his face.
Her body convulsed.
"ZEE!" he shouted. Her blue eyes opened and blinked. Her mouth fluttered open but not sound could be heard. Liberty hid her eyes and turned away. Jesse held tight as his wife died.
"C-C-.C-C" she tried to speak.
"Shhh, don't waste you're strength honey." He whispered wiping a droplet of blood from her mouth. Her eyes fluttered a few more times and the convulsions stopped. Jesse was left holding her dead body and he collapsed.
"No, please god no." he cried into her bloodied chest. Liberty sobbed her arms locking around herself as she ran into the barn.
Three days later, Jesse James and Liberty James stood at the foot of an apple tree in the back of their orchard. A white cross-stood, the only marker that someone dearly loved lay there. Jesse felt the tears welling up inside, but the tears were deafened by the rage he was swimming in. Liberty just stood. One hand clasped tightly around her fathers and the other balled into a fist pressed into her chest.
"Goodnight Zee." Jesse whispered kneeling onto the ground and kissing the cross. Liberty felt a tear slide down her cheek, but she wiped it away. Crying meant weakness and she needed to be strong. Strong for herself, and strong for her father.
When they were back in the house, Jesse was rummaging in an old black chest. He pulled out a pair of pistols and a shoulder holster. He clicked the chamber back.
"Good, I still got some rounds left. Frank had better have some ammo on him." He muttered.
"Daddy, where are you going?" Liberty asked her father as he opened the front door to leave.
"Liberty, I want to you to go into town, take Beanstalk and ride him into town. Tell Mr. Miller that your daddy has some thing he needs to do out of town and stay with him. You understand me?" he said turning to kneel in front of his daughter. She sniffled.
"Are you going with Frank and Cole?" she sniffed.
"I am. But don't you worry. I'll be back before you know it." He smiled. "Keep your chin up and stay strong okay? I love you Libby." He said pulling her into an embrace.
"I love you too Daddy." She said trying to fight off the tears.
"Good bye baby." He said running out the door and hopping on Thunder. The horse reared and Jesse faltered for a moment before kicking the horse and starting off for Hilltop. Liberty started to cry and sat down on the porch pulling her knees to her. She rocked and cried for hours before saddling up Beanstalk and riding into town to her new home with Mr. Miller.
* * *
Liberty took a deep breath and faced Greta. The woman's face was pale.
"The Comanche killed your mother." She whispered. Liberty smiled weakly.
"That's what we all believed. But that comes along later in my tale. Please be patient."
"I understand Miss James.
Liberty sat down in a kitchen chair and cradled her face in her hands before starting again.
"The next part of my story takes place three years later. I've grown up and learned how to shoot. I was nothing like the typical 15 year old girl of the time."
* * *
Liberty woke one morning to the chatter of the Small girls, Nancy, Miranda and Esther. The sun shone in her eyes as she dressed for the day. A worn pair of jeans, a plaid shirt her father left and a leather hat. She picked up her brand new shoulder holster that she bought a week ago and began her morning routine.
She polished her holster with saddle polish and began to clean her pistols. They were the only thing she'd managed to keep save some clothes and some heirlooms when the house was cleaned out.
After she'd cleaned her effects, she dressed herself in them. The leather holster gleamed as did the silver pistols in them.
"Good Morning Sir." She said coming down the stairs into the General Store that Mr. Miller, her caretaker owned.
"Morning Liberty. Please, make sure the safety is on those." He said motioning to her guns. She nodded and clicked them.
"I'm going out to the range. Practice my shot." She stated. Miller nodded and continued to prepare the store for opening. Liberty pushed open the door and knocked right into Nancy Small. Nancy was the same age as Liberty, but that's where their similarities ended. Liberty had long dark hair and Nancy had light. Liberty had blue eyes, Nancy had brown. Liberty was full and proportionate, Nancy was thin and petit.
"Well, well. Look who the sheriff let out." Nancy laughed. Liberty's eyes smoked.
"G'day Nancy." She said coolly. Nancy laughed haughtily.
"Too hot or the sheriff to handle Liberty? Such a strange name. Well what can you do? Strange parents, strange offspring. It's not your fault Libby." Nancy said sweetly. Liberty had had enough. No one insulted her Ma or Dad. She pushed Nancy and stepped forward.
"You wanna look me in the eye and say that Small?" she said, her temper flaring. Nancy sneered and stepped forward. Her yellow dress bunched up in her hands.
"I thought I just did James." she replied pushing Liberty back. In one smooth move, Liberty had both pistols pulled and the hammer back on them ready to fire. Nancy stopped dead.
"Look here. we was just having a conversation. Don't get all huffy." Nancy said nervously. Liberty pointed the barrel at Nancy and fired. Nancy jumped to the side as the bullet grazed a hitching post.
"You missed." Nancy laughed.
"If I'd meant to hit you, you'd be dead and bleeding already." Liberty replied pushing past the gaggle of girls and hopping onto Mr. Miller's horse Lightening.