Chapter II-Broken Promises and Shattered Dreams
Special thanks to Naomi-my beta! You Rock! Peace out!
Authors Notes: There are a few small passages in Spanish. I won't do it again, I don't like the way it looks, and I can't use the star symbol, I just realized. The English translation in on the very bottom of the chapter! Please read and review! Thanks!
I awoke to voices, voices talking about myself and Father. It felt like I was in my own bed. I didn't open my eyes as of yet. My head hurt, and my face was wet from tears. Father was dead.
"What's going to happen to Jessica?" I heard Doc say, his voice filled with concern.
"Alex said it's all been taken care of, in John's will. Jessica will go live with Alex." I heard Dick say. Oh, no! I don't want to go with them! Alex and Susan McSween are nice, but they won't understand that I need to avenge Father's murder.
"Bullshit!" Billy spat. "She wants revenge, and so do I." How in the hell did he know that? I didn't say anything to anyone!
"This is none of your affair, Billy!" Dick shot back.
"It is now, Dick." Billy answered.
My right thumb caressed the silver ring that was on my finger that Father had just given me. I knew deep in my heart Billy would help me, if none of the other Regulators would. I knew in my heart that the Regulators swore an oath to protect me and Father. Didn't they want to have their vengeance? After all, Murphy's men killed Father, their mentor, their employer.
I slowly open my eyes and groaned in pain. Wiping the dried tears from my hot face, I notice that all the Regulators are standing in my room with arms crossed.
"Jessica!" Dick gasped, rushing towards my bed, as I slowly sit up. "Are you felling all right?" He asked, holding my hands.
"Well, no, Dick. My Father is dead. How are you?" I glared at him.
Dick held me close. "Everything is going to be all right, Jessica. You're going to stay with Alex and Susan for a while."
"The hell I am!" I said, pushing Dick away from me. I jump out of bed. I'm just wearing my nightshirt, with some cotton long johns, but I don't care who the hell sees me like this. "I'm going to kill Lawrence Murphy." I say, calmly, as I grab a pair of trousers, and put them on. "That goddamn motherfucker!" I whisper. The Regulators were silent, as I put on a shirt, and picked up my holster. I buckled it around my waist, and checked my guns. They are loaded and ready. I tied my knives around my thighs, just under the holsters. Thank God Dick taught me how to shoot and Chavez taught me how to throw knives.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see all of the Regulators staring dumbly at me. How can they not understand how I feel? That I need to do this! How could they not feel the same way? He was like a Father to most of them. They are like brothers to me.
I heard Billy laugh, this crazy high-pitched laugh, as I put my boots on.
"Jessica!" Dick said, grabbing my arm. "You will do no such thing!"
"The fuck I will, Dick!" I screech. "You can't tell me what to do! My Father is dead!" Someone needs to do something! You're not going to do anything about it! I'm going to kill them!"
"You're just a child. You can't do anything, Jessica." He says.
I reached out, and slapped Dick across the face. That took him by surprise. "Fuck you, then! You don't want retribution? After all that my Father has done for you?" I glared at Dick, who looked at me like I was some crazy woman. I could see his cheek redden from where I slapped him.
As the others gasped in shock, I grabbed my shotgun, and started to walk out of my room. Charlie and Chavez stood in my way, arms folded across their chests. "Move the fuck out of my way!" I shouted, aiming my shotgun at them.
"She's gone crazy!" I heard Doc whisper in shock.
Before I could do anything, Charlie grabbed me, as Chavez yanked the shotgun out of my hands. I was screaming with rage, kicking, and hitting anyone who came close to me. This didn't even slow Charlie down, as he threw me on my bed.
I went to get up again, but this time, Dick pushed me back down on the bed, my face in the mattress, my right arm twisted behind me. I screamed again, as Dick straddled me, as if I were a calf about to be tied. I couldn't move.
"You will calm down, Jessica!" He demanded. "You are not leaving this house, you understand?"
"You're hurting me, you fucking bastard!" I screeched, trying to move, but to no avail.
After a few moments, Dick got off of me, and walked towards the door. I noticed he looked very upset, as he looked at me with concern. I slowly sat up. My breathing was laborious. The Regulators were all looking at me in shock. I could feel the tears start again.
"Jessica," Doc sat down next to me. "We're all upset. We are going to have Alex talk to the J.P. for us." He is The Justice of the Peace. What the hell will he do? "We want to be deputized. We want to bring in Murphy's men."
"So, you all want to help me?" I asked, sniffing. My throat hurt from crying, my heart hurt from the pain of losing Father.
"Shit, Jessie!" Billy said, also sitting down next to me. "We all want to bring Murphy down." He placed my hand in his. I did not pull away, much to my surprise.
I looked over at Charlie, Chavez and Dick. "I'm sorry." I said, choking on the words, for I was now crying loudly. "I'm sorry."
"That's okay, Jessie." Charlie said, looking uncomfortable, as he and Chavez moved closer to my bed. Dick looked upset as he too, walked towards me.
Chavez offered me his sash, and I blew my nose in it, as Billy held me close to him. How could I doubt my Regulators? Of course they wanted to help me. "I'm sorry." I whispered, as Billy rocked me back and forth, as you would a child. "I'm sorry." I mumbled over and over again. Suddenly feeling tired and ashamed from my outburst and the day's affairs, I closed my eyes, sighed, and relaxed against Billy. I felt my hot tears drip down my face, as I clung to Billy for comfort, my face buried in his shoulder. I felt my body relax, as his arms slowly envelop me, as he gently strokes my hair.
At the funeral, I stood between Doc and Billy, as Dick read some passages out of the Bible. I bit my lip to stop myself from bursting into tears once again. I think Billy sensed this, and he reached for me hand, gently squeezing it.
The only people at the funeral were the Regulators, Alex and Susan McSween and I.
My Father's casket was now being lowered into the ground.
Mother died when I was a little girl. And now, Father is dead. I knew now the Regulators would take care of me. Dick told me himself that protecting me was his main concern.
"It's time to go, Jessica." Dick told me.
"No." I whispered.
"Jessica, please." Dick told me, gently touching me shoulders, and trying to make me walk with him.
"I said, NO!" I shouted, pushing him away. Everyone turned to look at me in surprise. "I'm not ready to go yet." I said calmly.
I could feel Dick staring at me, as my eyes filled with tears, as I watched the dirt being thrown onto Father's casket.
"No, No, NOOOOO!" I screamed, kneeling onto the ground. "PLEASE, FATHER! DON'T LEAVE ME!"The tears started flowing again, as I clawed the ground. "Stop it!" I told the old man, the gravedigger, who was throwing the dirt. "STOP IT!" I shouted, as I ran up to him, and punched him in the face as hard as I could.
"Jesus! Jessie!" Billy said, grabbing me, pulling me away from the man, who now was on the ground, trying to get his nose to stop bleeding.
Before anyone could do anything, I broke away from Billy, and ran over to Murphy's Store. Mr. Murphy and all of his men were there, watching the funeral from a distance.
"You fucking bastard!" I yelled, pointing me finger at him. Mr. Murphy looked at me in surprise, then amusement. That made me even angrier. "I'm going to KILL YOU! DO YOU HEAR ME, OLD MAN? YOU'RE FUCKING DEAD!"
Mr. Murphy and his men just laughed. "I like to see you try it, young lady." He told me.
"Shit! Jessica!" I heard Dick run up behind me, and then grab me by the waist.
"I WILL KILL YOU!" I shouted again, as Dick dragged me away from the street.
Much later, I was standing with the Regulators, as Alex spoke with Wilson, the Justice of the Peace. He was going to try to convince Wilson to Deputize the Regulators, giving them power to serve Murphy's men with arrest warrants, for the murder of my Father.
The Regulators were standing around and looking over at Alex and Wilson. I noticed Billy writing something on a small slip of paper. He winked at me, and put the paper in his pocket. I wondered what he wrote.
"Well, Jessica," Dick gave me a small smile. "This will be goodbye, until we come back." He gave me a huge hug, and kissed my cheek.
"Please come back soon." I told him, hugging him back, and I gave him a quick kiss.
"Hey, Bonita, we'll be back soon." Chavez told me.
"We promise, Jessica." Doc told me.
One by one, I kissed and hugged the Regulators goodbye. Billy was last, and I was glad. By this time, the others had walked over to a nearby barn, where their horses were placed, and headed inside.
"Well, Jessie, I know I'll see you soon." He told me, with that crooked smile. Billy reached for my hands, and slowly caressed them with his calloused fingers. I gasped in surprise, as my belly felt like a hundred butterflies were flying around inside. He chuckled, as if he knew what I was feeling! Billy then softly kissed me on the cheek. I stared into his blue eyes, as he stared into my green ones. I felt nervous, afraid and excited all at once.
Feeling the warmth from his hands, we barely noticed Wilson walk over to the barn, were the other Regulators were. "It looks like we're going to be the law now!" Billy said excitedly. A wide grin spread across his face.
I nervously smiled and said, "Yup, you're going to be Deputies."
Billy then gave me a serious look. "Nosotros vamos atrras Henry Hill primero. Aqui el decrections." Billy reached into his pocket, and placed the note he wrote earlier in my hands. "Hasta luego, Jess." He told me, walking towards the barn.
I was staring vacantly over at the barn for a few moments, deep in thought. I abruptly remembered that if it wasn't for Billy, I also would be dead. Billy had wanted me to ride with him, as the Regulators chased the pheasants. I clearly remembered Billy helping me on his horse, and handing me one of his guns. Goosebumps spread over my body, as I thought, Billy, unknowingly saved my life. Murphy's men would have killed me too, without hesitation.
My mouth went dry. I owed Billy my life.
"Jessica!" I heard Alex call me. I walked over to Alex and Susan.
"Well, Jessica. Shall we go? We have much to discuss."
"Like what?" I asked, folding my arms in front of me. Alex just wouldn't understand. I needed to join the Regulators. I needed revenge! I didn't want him to know this, of course.
"Well, you know your Father left a will." Susan told me. "He named us as your guardians, if anything happened to him."
"I understand." I said calmly. "I just want to go by the house and pick up a few things."
"I should escort you, Jessica." Alex said.
"No, that's okay. I won't be long, Alex." I smiled innocently at him, then Susan. They seemed to believe me, as I mounted my horse.
All of a sudden, the Regulators shot out of the barn, all wearing badges. They are now deputized men. They would help me avenge Father's death.
They rode off in a hurry, and I saw Billy wink at me as he went by. Funny, how we have only known each other for a few days, and Billy knows exactly how I feel, exactly what I am thinking, and exactly what I'm going to do!
Arriving home, I quickly dismounted, tied up the horse and ran into the house. I knew I did not have much time, so I needed to pack as quickly as possible. I didn't want Alex to come by! As I looked around the house, I knew I would never return, but had no tears left to cry. I won't ever cry again.
I got out of my dress, and put on my new brown trousers, white shirt, back vest. I put on Father's favorite red scarf around my neck. Black boots, brown hat and brown chaps completed my outfit.
I looked in the mirror. I did not see a smiling sixteen year old girl anymore. I saw an angry young woman, and on this day I swore I would kill Lawrence Murphy myself. The reckoning was coming. "I will avenge you, Father. I swear." I whispered, as I picked up my saddle bags and other miscellaneous items, and headed off, to locate the Regulators.
I did not ride for long before I found the right place. Of course, Henry Hill would be here, to gamble, to drink, and sleep with whores. Slowing down, I spotted the Regulators, still on their horses. I didn't want them to see me as of yet, so I stayed behind, so that no one knew I was there. I could see that only Billy was missing. Oh, God! Was he inside that sordid place? What was happening?
No sooner than I thought that, I heard a gunshot. Billy came running out of the outhouse, laughing. I smiled as I saw him land in a huge pile of horseshit! The few people that were there were shooting back at Billy. The Regulators all picked up their guns, and started shooting back.
"Billy!" I heard Dick yell at him in anger. "You weren't supposed to smoke anybody! We have warrants! We're the law!"
Others were now shooting at the Regulators. The Regulators held their own, and managed to kill most of them.
Quietly as I could, I rode over to Billy's horse. I grabbed the reins, and rode over near the outhouse, his horse following. The other Regulators were now riding the hell out of here.
"Billy!" I shouted over the commotion.
Billy saw me, smiled, and ran over. He quickly mounted his horse, and we rode off together, joining the other Regulators.
Beautiful
We're going after Henry Hill first
Here are the directions