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The nightly breeze blew up the dry sand in little clouds of dust, illuminated by the moonlight. Two figures approached and mounted the coach, whispering to each other. Unbeknownst to them, Cecilia tried to press her form further against the hard wall of the inside of the coach, as if to prevent them from seeing her. With a click of the tongue, the four horses were told to start walking and with the creaking of the wheels, the journey started. The sounds of the coach almost drowned out the footsteps and the darkness concealed the cloaked figures until it was too late. Three shots fell and Cecilia covered her mouth with her hands in order to stay quiet. Shouts ensued, the coach stopped, more shots were fired and approaching footsteps could be heard. One bullet, or two, Cecilia didn't know, hit the coach and she tried to hide further against the wall. She heard her uncle's voice, telling the ambushers to piss off. The response was more gunshots and her uncle's groan, directly followed by a thump. Someone loaded a rife and seven shots later, the figures disappeared in the dark. One of the driver's box left the coach but soon she heard her second uncle's voice.

"No, leave as long as it's dark and they're still running like scared dogs" no more words were needed and the man mounted again and the horses were signaled to run again. Slowly, they gained speed and when Cecilia saw the lights of the town disappearing through the slits of the wood, she let out a quiet sigh and got more comfortable. Half an hour into the journey, she even dared to try getting some sleep after she had arranged her a cozy little bed. She doubted that the driver would turn around or even throw her out if she was discovered now. But they would contact her father upon reaching their destination. A part of her still didn't know how she was supposed to make sure she wasn't seen when she left there. For if the men saw her, her father would come to know and with him also her fiancé - the very reason she was hiding in the coach to a new and better life.

While everyone else might have reacted in panic, Cecilia merely felt annoyed when the sound of roaring bullets disturbed her from her slumber. Her uncle had been wrong after all, the Cochise County Cowboys had regrouped far quicker than believed. Her head shot around frantically in order to find something she could do to protect herself. Then she just curled up in her corner again; pressing her bag in front of her head, hoping her belongings would stop any bullet that made it through the wood. The coach moved another few dozen feet, before coming to a jerky stop. At least Cecilia was already lying on the floor but she still hit her head. She suggested the horses had been cut loose. Slowly, she sat up, rubbing her head and hearing how people approached the coach.

"Getting ready to light her up"

"No! Wait!" she found herself shouting and then covered her mouth. Sure enough, hit the carriage as if there was no tomorrow and she regretted her choice "Stop, stop, stop!" she screamed "I-I can open it for you, just let me out" a few moments later, the firing ceased. She swallowed and picked up her personal effects and got up. Before she undid the bolt to open the carriage, she peered outside but couldn't decide how many men there were "I'm coming now. Don't shoot" as soon as the opened the bolt the back doors were ripped open and she could count at least four guns pointed at her.

"Drop whatever you're holding" one of them ordered and she let go of her duffel bag, glancing down at the holster with her weapon. Knowing she'd be dead before she would have halfway grabbed it, she just pointed at it

"I'll drop the weapon too, yeah?" to show she meant no harm, she opened the whole belt and dropped it.

"Get out. Slowly" apparently, she was now too slow for them because as she was climbing out, the man closest to the coach more or less just pulled her down, making her fall into the dirt. Muttering a curse under her breath, she sat up and saw how the rest of the men climbed into the coach.

"Can I at least get my bag? See, I don't want any trouble. I'll just walk from here on" but of course no one paid attention to her until they had pulled out the coach's real cargo; a locked chest with money. She ran her hand over her thigh, feeling relieved when she felt her hidden gun underneath the skirts. While some of the men scrutinized the chest's content, another one found it necessary to deal with her.

"Who are you? What are you doing inside that coach?"

"I'm Myra Sullivan" she said, using her second name and her step-mother's family name "I'm trying to get away from my fiancé"

"And what, Miss Sullivan, could make you do such a thing?" she winced and turned around to a rider that must have appeared in the past few seconds. He dismounted the horse and came closer to her. When Cecilia tried to back away, she bumped right into the other man that had asked who she was.

"He's a sadistic, ill-mannered and arrogant pisshead who only gets to marry me because my father owes him his life and my uncles think it's sensible. Can I get my bag now and continue? They'll come after me and I don't want to be found. Or do you think I'm hiding in that coach during the night for fun?" she was scared they would find out who she really was because then she'd be in bigger trouble than before. She gave a nod and turned back to the coach, hoping someone would give her back her belongings

"Not so fast" she turned back to the other man.

"I'm not stupid, I know what you're gonna say. That I'm dead if I tell anyone about this, Mr. Cowboy" there was a sharp pain in the back of her head "Ow!" she protested rubbing the sore spot and glaring at the man behind her.

"Don't you know who you're talkin' to?"

"Pray forgive me, then you got a new name or something. But isn't it better if I don't even know who you are so I can't tell someone?" now she wasn't even so sure if they even belonged to the Cochise County Cowboys.

"Boss, there's a bunch of lawmen coming"

"From Bisbee?" the one who seemed to be the leader asked, finally taking his eyes off Cecilia, who had her hand over the hidden gun again.

"No"

"You" the man who still was behind her growled, turning her to face him and pointing his weapon at her "You led 'em here"

"Why, I told you I was fleeing from my fiancé which I'd still like to do. Those men will take me with them, take me back" she felt herself getting desperate. "If we continue discussing here we're all doomed. So I suggest you take that money and leave while I get my bag and do the same. For I swear to God if I'm still here when they arrive I'll tell them every detail about this here"

"Let's kill her" the man decided and to her relief, the leader stepped in, ordering him to take the gun down. Cecilia breathed out in relief and when no one did a thing, she went to the coach, grabbed her bag and with a last nod at the two men that had been talking to her she started running. Banishing the thoughts that they could shoot her in the back, she continued in a zig-zag pattern, feeling relief when the outlaws' leader ordered to retreat. She ran until she reached a boulder, behind which she hid, hoping that they wouldn't come looking for her. Soon she heard horses stop and men getting down. She couldn't recognize any of them nor determine how many there were but she definitely could make out Uncle Wyatt's voice. As well as one of her father's friends and - to her utter dismay - also Grant, her fiancé. Even worse, he discovered and recognized her pistol. In her head she cursed herself for having thrown the weapon away.

"That's Cecilia's gun" he reported, probably to her uncle and before she knew it, they were calling out for her but she hid further behind the rock and held her breath. Footsteps were drawing closer and when she tried to move back a little, she fell over with a surprised shriek and instantly covered her mouth, lying deadly still. "Over there" damn.

"Dear Lord, Cecilia it is you" it was her uncle Wyatt "What are you doing here?"

"Sleeping"

"Get away" Grant growled pushing her uncle away "What are you doing here?"

"That's exactly the same question my uncle asked. I already answered it"

"How did you get here?"

"I was going for a walk, then I got tired and now I am lying down"

"Your pistol was in the coach"

"You built the coach, I have visited it before with you and must have dropped it in there"

"The coach was robbed"

"Then you didn't fulfill your job" Grant bent down grabbing her by the collar before hitting her across the face

"Show me more respect and answer my question. What were you doing in the coach?" his look fell onto her duffel bag and dumb as he was, he could put two and two together. "I'll make sure you'll be fucking sorry"

"Leave her. We have to find the Cowboys"

"Leave her? That's my fiancée and I treat her as I please. And right now she deserves a sound beating. Morgan would agree. She's been a handful ever since that fella Billy ran away" at the mention of her former fiancé she felt weird. A part of her had hoped he would be here tonight but it wasn't even certain he had joined the Clanton gang or just fled after the gunfight a few months ago. "Get up" he told Cecilia and when she didn't make a move he tried to get her up by pulling her hair "Just you wait 'til we're home and you'll regret all that" not knowing what else to do, she slammed her bag into his face, hoping he'd let go of her. She probably couldn't escape him for now but at least he let go of her. But he had caught himself far too quickly and delivered two blows to her stomach. She tried to kick him but it only made him angrier of course and he began to insult her. A part of her wasn't sure her father would like that but she would find out what he thought of it. "Nothing more to say?"

"Go to hell, bastard" she muttered. He lifted her by the throat and glared at her, punching her in the face, making her stumble back. Just as he bent over her, probably to hurt her again, a shot echoed through the surrounding hills and after a surprised sound and a spluttering groan Grant collapsed. On his back, red was seeping through his jacket, right about the place where his heart was. Cecilia stared at him, not sure what to think. Of course, she has wished him gone but seeing him dead, being killed, wasn't what she had wanted either. If only he had been run over by horse or fell into a well. That could be what she wanted. Not that she felt sorry for his death. After she had caught herself, she grabbed her bag again and ran back to the coach where the men had their horses, deciding her fiancé, though he probably now was her second ex-fiancé, wouldn't need his anymore. Luckily, none of the men were paying much attention to her since they were too occupied with finding out where the shot had come from and going after it. The stallion she had just… inherited (Grant had assumed the right to call her propriety his already a day ago, so he surely wouldn't mind) neighed and she quickly climbed onto his back, spurring him. She came a few feet before she looked around and, in her inattention, the horse threw her off, running away into the darkness. For a moment her breath stopped and she couldn't move then she tried to roll to her side to at least walk when a horse stopped beside her. Now that her fiancé was no more, going back would not be that bad, right?

"Come" it was not a voice she knew. When she didn't move the man got off the horse and helped - better said, yanked - her up, getting her onto the horse. Only too late she realized it was one of the outlaws. But at least he rode away from her uncle and his men. She refused to think about the new trouble she could be in now that the outlaws had her. Some of the other cowboys had stopped and were already gathered at a place and she was told to get off the horse. Her glance fell from man to man and she couldn't dare to think what they might want from her. Why they had taken her with them and not just left her to her fate? Insecurely and too scared to do something productive, she plucked at a string at the front of her dress.

"If you're that eager to undress let me help" two of them came closer and she backed away.

"Get your hands off her" a man who just arrived and got off his horse's back yelled. The men got away from her and the man that had just arrived seemed to count as if to see if everyone was here. Apparently, they were missing their boss as quite a few men remarked. The one that had just arrived asked who had last seen him but then someone else rode towards them and judging by the men's behavior they had their leader back.

"Now" he called at Cecilia, looking down at her "I'm quite interested to learn your story, Miss Cecilia. Just make it the truth that time, starting with your real name, Missy" she slowly shook her head. Her father's name had become famous in Arizona a few months ago. Well, it had been rather famous before already.

"You see, by telling you I put myself in danger"

"So you do have a secret?" he dismounted the horse

"I think everyone has secrets. And the Cochise County Cowboys really are out of sort with my father"

"That's not just some common outlaw that is Ben Wade" one of the other men said

"That… you… oh" she felt relief flooding her and she started laughing. Suddenly she drew in a sharp breath. "Not-not that I think you're laughable or this is funny but… I thought you were some rowdies of Clanton's gang"

"So will you tell me your real name and story?"

"Well, it still holds danger for me. Promise you'll let me go if I tell you?"

"Careful" the man from before said in a warning tone

"Charlie" Ben Wade said, raising his left hand and glancing at someone behind Cecilia. "You have my word that I'll get you to Bisbee unharmed if you're honest"

"Fine" she gave a shrug and took a deep breath "My name's Cecilia. Cecilia Myra Earp"

"Earp as in Marshal Virgil Earp?"

"Yeah" she gave a nod

"And you're from Tombstone"

"I am but not originally. My parent's met in Iowa, I and my twin sister were born there, Dad went to fight in the war, my mother left me with him when she married some Dutchman when I was two, though I don't know why she took my sister. We traveled around the country a bit, with and without the rest of our family, my Dad having had different jobs and one day he married my half-brother's mother. She died during his birth and three years later Dad met Allie, my second step-mother but they never got married. Well, we moved here, my Dad was made Marshal after Tombstone's old Marshal was killed. I met Billy, my first fiancé, who later became friends with the Clantons. The family feud started, I don't know what all happened but there were horse thefts, stage robberies and so on. And you see my father and his brothers, also lawmen, could not accept that. It finally culminated in the O.K. Corral gunfight because the Clantons smuggled hidden weapons into town. Billy survived and ran away, never to be seen again. We thought we had the feud settled but oh no, the Clantons came back, seeking revenge, trying to assassinate my father, who still hasn't quite recovered from it yet. Anyways that's how my uncle Morgan decided to protect me by marring me to the brute Grant Dawson, a gunsmith, who saved Dad's life and therefore Dad owed him big. Well, as it turns out Grant wasn't nice and so, when he started planning the wedding a few days ago, I knew I had to leave. Then he shows me that coach to transport a payroll to Bisbee that he helped design, one that 'can't be robbed and is as safe as the bosom of Abraham'. I mean they had to do something, there have been so many coach robberies before and the first two payroll coaches were held up by the Clantons… So, when I see it ready for departure this night, I packed my stuff, picked the lock and went inside to go to Bisbee and start a new life. Well, you see how that turned out. Was that enough or do you want to know even more?"

"And you willingly mounted a coach that was said to be robbed by your family's enemy?"

"Well, it did look safe but seems like I should've never trusted my ex-fiancé with that either. And just riding out of town all alone would have been more dangerous. You would know. Besides, had the Clantons been the one to successfully rob it, I'd have given them a wrong name. Though, I did that when I thought you were them. And now I even feel glad you're just other outlaws. And that it aren't the Clantons that got the money. Life is wicked" she sighed, rubbing her forehead. "The promise with Bisbee still stands?"

"Yea, my reins shall rejoice, when thy lips speak right things" she frowned

"And that means?"

"Proverbs, 23:16, I am a man of my word"

"Good then let's go"

"Not yet"

"And why's that? Could there be outlaws in the night?" he came a step closer and without thinking, Cecilia took out her small gun that she had hidden under her skirt and pressed it against his chest, pulling back the hammer although it was not loaded, looking him dead in the eye "Don't come any closer"

"Missy, I do hope you know that the second your finger touches that trigger, all my men will shoot you?"

"I'll live long enough to pull the trigger too and at least you won't get to touch me. Or call me Missy again" to her dismay, he leant closer, his hand closing over the weapon.

"Pity it ain't loaded" before she knew it, the man tossed her weapon away

"Oi" she tried to protest when he drew his own one, holding it out for her to take "I'm not dumb. I'm not taking it" luckily he put his gun away, giving a nod at her

"I must say, Miss Cecilia, I have rarely met people, women even, with a nerve such as yours"

"Why, thank you I guess? Not many people said that to me before. Guess I can become tough when it's an emergency" she muttered the last part to herself, wanting to push a strand of her hair out of her face after shaking her head. The outlaw's hand tried to do the same but she grabbed it. He lowered their hands but turned hers around to see the two engagement rings on her finger. Even after what Billy had done, she hadn't yet had the heart to remove his ring. Although, she didn't want just Grant's ring to be on her hand. She pulled her hand back, clasping it with the other. "So why aren't we going to Bisbee now?" Ben Wade explained that in a few hours, Bisbee's Marshal would notice that the coach wasn't there yet and would go investigating, allowing them to go to town more safely "Technically, I could walk the last few feet to the town alone. You needn't come. Besides, what would you want in Bisbee? Looting?"

"We're not common thieves" she gave a shrug and the outlaw boss turned to his men, saying they'd ride a few miles to camp outside Bisbee to see when the Marshal and his men left.

"What about me? My horse ran off" after Ben Wade moved his head slightly, a man approached them with a horse he held.

"Have Ian's horse" she looked at the man leading the horse

"And Ian won't mind?"

"All he'll mind about is going to Heaven or Hell"

"Ah. Oh, I'm sorry, I guess"

"He was weak" Ben Wade commented, getting back onto his horse's back.

"Can you even ride?" the man named Charlie asked. Cecilia said nothing, retrieved her gun and got onto the horse, petting its neck before spurring it and riding after the men. A part of her considered just riding away but she wasn't sure they'd like that, and then she would be alone again.