*** THANKS GOES TO SINIVER FOR HELPING ME WRAP THIS CHAPTER UP AND SPARKING
ME ON! ***
Liberty awoke to the quiet murmurs of the morning and the shuffling around of the early birds Cole and Frank. They were talking rapidly in hushed voices. She closed he eyes to fall back asleep when she heard Franks hushed voice whisper,
"What the hell is this Cole?"
Liberty lay still. She could see Cole and Frank huddled a few yards from everyone from under the brim of her hat. It looked like they were having an argument. Frank was holding up an Indian knife that looked stained in red.
"Its my knife Frank." Cole said grabbing the knife back.
"Why does it have blood on it Cole?" Frank asked sternly in a quiet voice.
"I killed the Indian that raided Jesses farm." Cole stammered. He was fondling the knife nervously.
"If you killed him, why was there not another body? Cole, I'm not getting a good feeling. Cole. did you." Frank inhaled. "Did you kill Zee to make Jesse ride again?"
Liberty stifled a gasp. Cole and Frank looked her way and she laid still, her eyes hid from sight under her hat.
"Cole." Frank said quietly, a twinge of fear in his voice. "Did you kill Zee to get Jesse to ride again?"
"It's not what you think," Cole stammered. Frank gaped at him.
"Well then, enlighten me Cole Younger."
"See, I stopped by before we went together. I wanted to talk to Zee and ask her if Jesse could ride. You know, try and convince her. But she wouldn't have any of it. She started hollering about how I was always jealous of Jesse and how she wasn't going to let me take him away again. And the next thing I knew, I was standing over her body, knife in hand." Cole explained close to tears. "I tried to make it look like the Indians. you know give Jesse a reason."
"You stupid idiot! What kind of a stunt were you trying to pull? My god you are stupid boy! Zee was Jesses EVERYTHING! If he ever found out he'd. he'd kill you! Shoot you where you stand right now. And what about Liberty! She thinks the stars and the moon revolve around you. If she ever knew. god she'd kill you too." Frank raged as quietly as he could.
"Why would she kill me?" Cole asked worriedly.
"Because if you were eavesdropping at all to Jesse and Libby's talk last night, you'd have heard her say that all she wanted was to have her father back. She even robbed a bank to make him come back. The girl was on a war path." Frank replied as he turned away. "You had better learn how to lie quick. Or you'll have Liberty and Jesse to deal with Cole. You may be important to both of them, but they'd both shoot you if they even suspected that you had done anything to Zee."
"I know Frank, please. I'm so ashamed right now, don't tell Jesse." Cole pleaded. Frank sighed and walked away.
Liberty could feel her eyes welling up and all she could see for a moment was red. Cole? Her best friend? Her cousin? She couldn't believe her ears. It wasn't the damned Indians that took her father and turned him back into an outlaw, It was someone she trusted just as much as her father. Someone she loved like a brother. She felt a tear rolling down her cheek as she made a vow. She would never cry again until she shot Cole Younger dead.
***
When the morning finally came, the gang packed up and rode off into the bright light of the rising day unsure of what was to come next.
"I propose we find a town, stock up on ammunition, rob a bank and get out of there quick as hell fire." Bob suggested. Jesse looked at Frank and then looked at Cole, both of whom looked slightly paler than the rest.
"What do ya'll say to that?" Jesse asked the gang.
"Sounds like a plan to me Dad." Liberty said in agreeance. She looked over to Colin flashing a smile.
"How you feeling there Mr. Daniels?" she asked laughing.
"Not too good Miss James. I swear I slept on something mighty sharp last night." Colin replied cringing.
"Get used to it boy. there's more than just back pain ahead of us," Bob said clomping Colin sharply on the back. Colin coughed and grimaced but took one look at Liberty's smiling face as she rode alongside her father and couldn't help but smile too.
"So when's the next town?" John Redcorn asked. Jesse looked to the left, then to the right.
"If my navigating is correct, there should be a small traders village just twenty miles from here."
"Then lets go!" Bob said eagerly.
"Lets ride!" Jesse hollered as they took off into the day.
***
It was near dusk when they arrived to the village. It was a lonely sight and everyone was asleep. The gang slowed down just outside the bank and shared some looks.
"Well.we're here." Jesse gave a nod towards the center of the village and gazed at his daughter, who looked mighty tired. He gave a glance at Frank once again who diverted his pale features to the ground below him. Confused, Jesse spoke again, voice filled with uncertainty.
'All right then, we should probably stake out and find an inn or something.'
Liberty blinked. She could hardly make out her father's figure in the failing light and she didn't care to at the moment. Her mind was occupied and all she could do was think of the night before and the conversation she had overheard. She did nod however, and Jesse caught it.
'Good, at least someone hears me.'
Bob furrowed his brows and tilted his head. 'I hear yeh Jesse, loud and clear.'
With a sigh, he tugged the reigns to the right and lead the gang across the village. They decided against camping on the outskirts, as the Indians could be anywhere. They found themselves a small inn beside a wood shop and went inside. It would be a long night and not just for Liberty. And little did the gang know, nor notice that someone had slipped away. Someone who they thought they could trust.
Liberty awoke to the quiet murmurs of the morning and the shuffling around of the early birds Cole and Frank. They were talking rapidly in hushed voices. She closed he eyes to fall back asleep when she heard Franks hushed voice whisper,
"What the hell is this Cole?"
Liberty lay still. She could see Cole and Frank huddled a few yards from everyone from under the brim of her hat. It looked like they were having an argument. Frank was holding up an Indian knife that looked stained in red.
"Its my knife Frank." Cole said grabbing the knife back.
"Why does it have blood on it Cole?" Frank asked sternly in a quiet voice.
"I killed the Indian that raided Jesses farm." Cole stammered. He was fondling the knife nervously.
"If you killed him, why was there not another body? Cole, I'm not getting a good feeling. Cole. did you." Frank inhaled. "Did you kill Zee to make Jesse ride again?"
Liberty stifled a gasp. Cole and Frank looked her way and she laid still, her eyes hid from sight under her hat.
"Cole." Frank said quietly, a twinge of fear in his voice. "Did you kill Zee to get Jesse to ride again?"
"It's not what you think," Cole stammered. Frank gaped at him.
"Well then, enlighten me Cole Younger."
"See, I stopped by before we went together. I wanted to talk to Zee and ask her if Jesse could ride. You know, try and convince her. But she wouldn't have any of it. She started hollering about how I was always jealous of Jesse and how she wasn't going to let me take him away again. And the next thing I knew, I was standing over her body, knife in hand." Cole explained close to tears. "I tried to make it look like the Indians. you know give Jesse a reason."
"You stupid idiot! What kind of a stunt were you trying to pull? My god you are stupid boy! Zee was Jesses EVERYTHING! If he ever found out he'd. he'd kill you! Shoot you where you stand right now. And what about Liberty! She thinks the stars and the moon revolve around you. If she ever knew. god she'd kill you too." Frank raged as quietly as he could.
"Why would she kill me?" Cole asked worriedly.
"Because if you were eavesdropping at all to Jesse and Libby's talk last night, you'd have heard her say that all she wanted was to have her father back. She even robbed a bank to make him come back. The girl was on a war path." Frank replied as he turned away. "You had better learn how to lie quick. Or you'll have Liberty and Jesse to deal with Cole. You may be important to both of them, but they'd both shoot you if they even suspected that you had done anything to Zee."
"I know Frank, please. I'm so ashamed right now, don't tell Jesse." Cole pleaded. Frank sighed and walked away.
Liberty could feel her eyes welling up and all she could see for a moment was red. Cole? Her best friend? Her cousin? She couldn't believe her ears. It wasn't the damned Indians that took her father and turned him back into an outlaw, It was someone she trusted just as much as her father. Someone she loved like a brother. She felt a tear rolling down her cheek as she made a vow. She would never cry again until she shot Cole Younger dead.
***
When the morning finally came, the gang packed up and rode off into the bright light of the rising day unsure of what was to come next.
"I propose we find a town, stock up on ammunition, rob a bank and get out of there quick as hell fire." Bob suggested. Jesse looked at Frank and then looked at Cole, both of whom looked slightly paler than the rest.
"What do ya'll say to that?" Jesse asked the gang.
"Sounds like a plan to me Dad." Liberty said in agreeance. She looked over to Colin flashing a smile.
"How you feeling there Mr. Daniels?" she asked laughing.
"Not too good Miss James. I swear I slept on something mighty sharp last night." Colin replied cringing.
"Get used to it boy. there's more than just back pain ahead of us," Bob said clomping Colin sharply on the back. Colin coughed and grimaced but took one look at Liberty's smiling face as she rode alongside her father and couldn't help but smile too.
"So when's the next town?" John Redcorn asked. Jesse looked to the left, then to the right.
"If my navigating is correct, there should be a small traders village just twenty miles from here."
"Then lets go!" Bob said eagerly.
"Lets ride!" Jesse hollered as they took off into the day.
***
It was near dusk when they arrived to the village. It was a lonely sight and everyone was asleep. The gang slowed down just outside the bank and shared some looks.
"Well.we're here." Jesse gave a nod towards the center of the village and gazed at his daughter, who looked mighty tired. He gave a glance at Frank once again who diverted his pale features to the ground below him. Confused, Jesse spoke again, voice filled with uncertainty.
'All right then, we should probably stake out and find an inn or something.'
Liberty blinked. She could hardly make out her father's figure in the failing light and she didn't care to at the moment. Her mind was occupied and all she could do was think of the night before and the conversation she had overheard. She did nod however, and Jesse caught it.
'Good, at least someone hears me.'
Bob furrowed his brows and tilted his head. 'I hear yeh Jesse, loud and clear.'
With a sigh, he tugged the reigns to the right and lead the gang across the village. They decided against camping on the outskirts, as the Indians could be anywhere. They found themselves a small inn beside a wood shop and went inside. It would be a long night and not just for Liberty. And little did the gang know, nor notice that someone had slipped away. Someone who they thought they could trust.