Chapter XII Exodus
Promises and Dreams
By tk421beth
A/N: It's astounding to me how the human brain works. An unknown word, image or feeling can make you relive an event, or return you to a dream in your earlier life. Sometimes, the event can be so real and so vivid; it's hard to determine whether you are truly there or not. I'm also convinced that such an occurrence is a safety mechanism, or a protection instrument that your brain uses to block or lessen focus on certain stimuli's.
Chapter Summary: Time for another history lesson, so grab your pencils! John Tunstall left England in 1872 for Victoria, British Columbia. He left British Columbia to become a sheep farmer in California, but land prices were too high. He arrived in Lincoln, New Mexico late 1876.
In 1872 Jessica was ten years old.
A special note to all the readers: Hey there! Sorry this took so long, but I needed my beta, Sue, to check this out for me! Hope you enjoy this final chapter of 'Promises and Dreams.'
I can't tell you how much I love to read your reviews! I am planning to do a small epilogue/chapter, then onto the further adventures of Jessica Tunstall and Billy the Kid in Young Guns II!
Special thanks again to my betas, Sue and Tom! You both make my rockin' world go round!
London, England 1872
I awoke to the gentle sound of rain on my window. I lay there in a large feather bed, with a heavy quilt pulled up around my neck. The sun was already up and the soft rays of light that escaped the clouds did their best to chase the shadows from the center of the room. It took me just a second to get my bearings…I was at my Aunt's estate in Hackney.
A wave of excitement swept over me, as I looked around the room. In the shadow laden corner was a large steamer trunk and a carpet bag that I would live out of, for the next two months. Today was the day of our great exodus.
I quickly threw off the quilt and jumped out of bed. The stone floor was cold under my bare feet as I ran through the chamber door.
The house was abuzz with activity. I looked across the large common room and saw my Father. He was every bit the English gentleman, and looking like a maestro the way he was conducting everyone's movements. He turned his head and as his eyes met mine. A smile crossed his face as he gave some instruction to the coachmen. The men nodded and quickly left the room. Keeping my gaze, my Father crossed the carpeted floor that separated us. 'Today's the day!' He told me, with excitement that mirrored mine.
He placed his hand under my chin and raised my head. 'You can't know how much I love you.' He bent down and kissed my forehead. I grabbed him around his neck and hugged him. 'I love you too!' I whispered into his ear.
Father straightened up with me still clinging to him. He wrapped his arms around me and hugged me close. I never felt safer or more alive then in my Father's arms. 'We'll have a great new life, Jessica, and I will give you the world!' He promised me as he held me. It couldn't have been more than a few seconds in his embrace, but it left like it was a lifetime.
Father put me down and told me to get ready. 'We leave for the docks at noon.' His attention was diverted by a passing servant. 'Carlton, see that Miss Jessica's things are taken care of.'
'Yes, sir, right away sir.'
Father was off again, directing people as he disappeared around a corner.
Standing on the deck of the ship, I held tightly onto the railing, as we slowly left England. It was the only world that I knew, and I was leaving… along with it, the pain of losing my Mother.
My Father had promised me the world, and I knew he wouldn't let me down. I could feel the deck move under my feet, as the ship changed direction. A loud whistle sounded as the wind shifted. I found myself in a bellow of smoke from the stack. I fell to my knees coughing, and heard somebody shouting my name…
"…Jessie…JESSICA!"I hear Billy shout, shaking me by the shoulders, as I snap back to reality. I looked into his blue eyes and feel my heart sink, as I realize that he was not my Father. My father is dead. A renewed feeling of hate swelled over me, understanding that the man who caused my Father's death was just outside.
"You have to get us out of here. We have unfinished business with Murphy." I solemnly tell him. The fire is totally out of control now, black smoke everywhere.
Alex is busy flinging his personal belongings out of the window. Hat boxes, bundled papers and various sized steamer trunks are being flung outside. Steve is helping Alex, as the fire gets even worse.
"Sweetheart…" Billy touches my arm. "There's only one way out for us."
I look up at him, noticing his face is dirty from the smoke. My eyes are beginning to water and I'm not sure if it's from the ash, or my fear of getting killed. I still can't believe that Chavez would actually leave us all here to die. For the first time, I feel afraid…
"I want you to follow Doc, Yen and Charlie out. It's the only way."
I nod, wondering if this will be the last time I would see Billy. I feel tears slide down my cheeks, silently praying that Billy would be all right. I can't live without him.
Looking into my eyes, I feel that Billy could read my mind. Placing his hand on my shoulder, a smile crosses his face. "I have a plan."
Billy continues to smile. "I'll make sure that you and I will get out of here alive, sweetheart." He whispers. "I can promise you that."
Billy walks over to one of the last large steamer trunks that are in the room. He starts emptying the contents out of it, calling Alex and Steve over. "This is our only chance, boys. I want you to pitch me out the window in this trunk."
Alex looks at Billy, then at Steve in dismay. "Have you lost your mind, Billy?"
"I may have, Alex. But I haven't lost my nerve!" He grins. "Okay, listen up pals. When this here trunk hits the ground, I want you all to skin out the side door…and when you hear me teachin' these boys how to dance, you make a break for it!"
Alex just stood there, dumbfounded. "Billy…you're insane! This will never work!"
Billy smiles one of his boyish smiles. "You may be absolutely right, Alex! But you only have thirty seconds to come up with another plan!" He chuckles, as he pulls out his watch…the watch that my Father gave him. "Tick-Tock! Tick-Tock! Time's runnin' out, Alex!" He looks around the room for a moment. "Guess no one else has a better plan! Guess we're goin' with this one!"
He looks over at Alex and Steve, and tells them to throw out more trunks and personal items out of the window. Before anybody can dispute his wild scheme, he steps into the large steamer trunk. "Damn! This is gonna be fun! Who has more fun than us?"
"Billy!" I gasp. "Be careful!"
He looks at me quizzically, and then smiles. "Like a babe in his Mother's arms, sweetheart!" He squats down, his guns drawn, as Steve closes the trunk.
"Let's do it boys!" I hear his muffled voice state from inside the trunk.
As Alex and Steve toss the trunk outside, I run to the other side of the room, holstering my shot gun on my back, and drawing my six shooters. I'm ready. AsDoc and Yen rush up behind me, I give Charlie a nod, and he kicks open the side door.
We run out just in time to see to see the lid pop open on Billy's Pandora's Box. Everyone is taken by surprise, as their attention is drawn to us running into the street. Just then Billy keeps his word, and teaches those bastards how to two-step!
"It's a ho-down, boys!" I hear him shout, as his guns blaze and bodies drop.
I was thrilled to see that Billy was okay, now standing outside the trunk, shooting like crazy. It seemed that every soul was caught off guard by Billy's stunt. Taking cover behind Charlie, I shoot towards the soldiers surrounding the Gatling gun. I manage to kill one of them, as I try to scramble over to Billy.
The army and the Sheriff's Posse fire repeatedly at us. I aim and shoot another soldier who is trying to start the Gatling gun.
"REGULATORS!" I hear a shout ring out. Surprised, I turn my head to see Chavez riding his horse, with the rest of our horses close behind him. Jumping over a wood pile and smashing through the front line, I was relived to see that he had come back for us. So, that's where he went! I knew Chavez wouldn't skin out! He's helping us escape!
Yeah, Chavez! Yea-ah!" I hear Steve cry out with joy.
I raced over to my horse, bullets flying by me. Shooting back, I finally make it to my mare. I quickly mount and ride away. She gets shot in the side. As she falls, I hurriedly leap out of my saddle, and land safely on the ground. My poor horse, now lying on the ground, lets out an earsplitting whine, and then dies right in front of my eyes.
I look back down the street, to see Billy had made his way over to the Gatling gun. With the last bullet in his pistol, he dispatches the last soldier assigned to this weapon. Billy turns the Gatling gun toward the front line, and opens fire. I hear him cry out with glee. "It's really a party now, boys!"
Tack-tack-tack-tack-tack-tack! The sound of the Gatling gun is deafening! I'm just able to hear Charlie's voice command me to get on the back of his horse. I dumbly look up at him in surprise. He heaves a sigh, and grabs me by my waist, pulling me up behind him.
Steve quickly rides by us, leading Billy's horse with him. As he passes, he turns to me and smiles. "Billy said we'd get outta here alive! He's always kept his promises!"
On the other side of us, Doc is mounting his horse with Yen behind him. He motions us to follow him, as they promptly ride away.
I watch as Steve reaches Billy with his mount, and we start to head out of town. Bullets flying all around us, we prepare to make our great Exodus.
Some of the soldiers are now re-grouping behind a turned over wagon, where they took refuge from Billy's onslaught of bullets from the Gatling gun.
Charlie puts his hands to his face. "We're skinning out of here!" He bellows. Moments later, Billy mounts his horse, and rides out with Steve following close behind. I hold onto Charlie's waist, as his horse takes off with a fast gallop, following Billy.
We ride through town at break neck speed. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Alex step clear of the inferno, cheering us on, his Bible held up high in his hand. We're all safe. We made it!
All of a sudden, I observe Alex drop to his knees; a barrage of bullets strikes his chest and shoulders. I feel my soul get heavier as another part of me dies along with my Father's best friend.
Billy suddenly stops his horse, and starts to ride back into town. "What the hell are you doing!" Demands Charlie.
"It's not over! Those bastards are gonna pay…besides, I left my pocket watch!"
Charlie turns his horse around to leave, as a bullet grazes the side of my head. The impact is such that it knocks me over. As I'm falling to the ground, I grasp hold of Charlie's 30-30, which is tied to the saddle, hoping it would prevent me from falling off his horse.
Gasping for air, as the blood drips down the side of my face, I end up falling to the ground, Charlie's 30-30 now in my hands.
Shots are being fired upon me, but like at Blazer's Mill, I am determined not to fall in defeat. I will not die today. I have a purpose. I notice Murphy blanketed behind armed bodyguards as the chaos explodes. If I can just get to Murphy, I'd be satisfied.
My hands clinched with rage around the rifle, as my mind reeled with thoughts and emotion of loved ones stolen from me by this devil masquerading as a man. Anxiety and fear filled me as the last person I truly loved galloped to his certain death, and for what? A pocket watch, the watch my Father had given him. I never understood the relationship that Billy and my Father had. But on this day, I came to realize, there is a thin line that separated stupidity from honor, and Billy had a way of dancing on that line.
I noticed the Soldiers, along with the Murphy/Dolan men stood wide eyed and open mouthed as Billy came thundering into view. I quickly got to my feet; all thoughts of self preservation and fear melted away, and were replaced by anger and the understanding that this was the end.
If Murphy was going to take anything else from me, it would be all or nothing. I could hear Charlie and Steve yelling at me to get down, as I searched the crowd at the other end of the street and found my target.
Murphy was pre-occupied with Billy's charge, and made his way towards the center of the road. I could hear him barking out orders as the shooting started once again. Billy's six-shooters were ablaze, and men were dropping like wheat through a thresher.
I stood in the center of the street, Charlie's 30-30 raised to my eye. Blood was coursing down the side of my face from the bullet that had un-horsed me earlier. Nothing mattered anymore, nothing but the eradication of this demon come to earth.
Charlie and Steve found cover and started firing into the assembled men at the north end of the street. Murphy focused his attention to the new threat. As he turned, his eyes met mine.
"Reap the whirlwind, Murphy, you bloody tyrant!" I proclaimed, as I made things right in my mind.
The bullet struck Murphy in the center of his forehead. I lowered the rifle and watched Murphy drop to the ground. The single bullet that struck Murphy seemed to be like the same blow on the fragile wall that held back a sea of emotion; seeing this man that erected this wall crumble to the ground mirrored its demise.
I stood in the middle of that street, a sixteen year old girl, without a family. As a wave of emotion flooded over me, I fell to my knees and began to weep.
I was too numb to notice Dolan on his knees, cradling Murphy in his arms. "You limey fucking whore!" He shouted, pulling out his pistol.
I looked up in time to see the puff of smoke bloom from the end of his gun. Before I could do anything, Steve was unexpectedly on top of me, knocking me to the ground.
Steve looks me in the eyes and smiles. "Jessie…tell Chavez there really is a Spirit Horse." He closes his eyes, and dies in my arms.
I feel a tug on my shoulder. I look up to see Billy, with a concerned look on his face. I quickly grasp his arm, and he pulls me in front of him.
"This ain't over yet, Dolan!" Billy shouts, as we gallop through town.
"You betcha ass it ain't over, Bonney! I'm gunnin' for ya! The army is gonna be gunnin' for ya! The whole goddamned New Mexico territory is gonna be gunnin' for ya…you and your limey sweetheart shooter, too!"
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I am going to put another chapter up in a few days. Mind you, it's just the epilogue! Only a few pages long!
My Young Guns II story is going to be uploaded soon! I'll email all my faithful reviewers (you all know who you are!) when I upload it!