*Author's Note*
Thank you for the reviews, faves, and follows.
This chapter took me a few days to get it written since it's a big one. The beginning of the Ellison/McCoy boys fight is written, but the actual shank-shank shoot part isn't. I decided on Novella hearing the shot in the distance instead. I think that was a bit more impacting then if Tolbert had the entire fight in his POV.
Election Day, 1882 Pt.2
Novella POV:
A small crowd of people were huddled 'round the shootin' contest area. An older man was standin' near a barrel wit' an older rifle by his side. The judge for the contest was a short round man in a bowler hat puffin' on a pipe. Honestly, he looked like he didn't know jack shit 'bout guns, but reckon judgin' a shootin' contest is pretty cut an' dry. Squirrel had just taken his shot wit' his top loadin' old gun that he got from his gran'pappy years 'go. It still amazes me that the old thing hasn't blown up or backfired in his face yet. He considered the old thing his lucky gun, but it proved to be unlucky since his bullet hit the wooden target a good half a foot to the left of the nail that was in the center of the bullseye.
Squirrel was pointin' at his shot, his bad shot, wit' a face splittin' grin, while annoucin' cockily, "Now we got a competition on our hands, boys!"
"Good job, Squirrel." Calvin, one of my many brother-in-laws, told our cousin as he raised his half empty whiskey glass at him.
"Nobody can beat ya, lil brother." Parris assured Sammy, pattin' him on the back.
Drunker then a skunk Jefferson didn't say a word, just raised his half-empty flask in a congratulations type of salute and then took a long sip of the thing.
"I know I can beat'cha Squirrel. Ya can't hit the broad side of a barn." Moses remarked as we made our presence known to everyone at the contest.
"Go 'head an' try, kid." Squirrel told my brother, pointin' at the target board an' snickerin'.
Moses just rolled his cerulean eyes at Squirrel, walked up to the marker stick, and readied his gun. Takin' a deep breath my brother aimed at the target and squeezed the trigger. The bullet pierced the target 'bout half an inch to the left of the bullseye nail.
Claps were heard, but my McCoy kin weren't clappin' and cheerin' tho. Parris, Calvin, and Jefferson looked shocked, while Squirrel looked pissed. He was glarin' daggers at my brother, lookin' like he was gonna blow up any second.
"This competition's still open, ain't it?" Cap said as he casually waltzed up next to my brother, sippin' on a large glass of beer. Jim Vance was by his side, holdin' a glass too. I had to admit I wasn't expectin' him to be at this shootin' competition since it was my understandin' it was a sign up only sorta thing. Cap stopped crossin' the Tug into Kentucky once we called off our affair, for the sake of my daughter's custody.
"If ya don't mind wastin' a bullet." The round judge mocked Cap, pullin' his pipe from his mouth and pointin' it at him.
"Haven't wasted one yet." Cap calmly told the man, settin' his beer on the barrel the man was standin' next to.
I silently watched him walk up to the line marker. Jefferson, bein' an asshole, walked up to Cap and pointed to the target with his bottle while snickerin', "How ya gonna beat that, Fog-eye?"
Cap glared at Jefferson, who scurried over to rejoin Squirrel, Parris, and Calvin, as he went to line up a shot. 'Fore he could make the shot tho Parris pointed down to the crooked stick his toe was flush wit' while sneerin', "Yer ov'r the mark. Toe the line." Actually, his foot seemed fine to me considerin' the stick was crooked. "Judge should've caught that." Parris eyed the judge 'fore clinkin' glasses wit' his brother and cousins.
Jim Vance walked up to his nephew. Placin' a hand on his shoulder Jim told him, "Just do what ya do, son."
"What he does is miss." Parris said haughtily, so sure that Cap wouldn't hit the target. "Goodluck." He said sarcastically, chucklin' a bit too.
Rihanna tugged on my hand, signalin' she wanted to tell me somethin'. I looked at her and nodded, lettin' her know she could talk to me. In her tiny sweet voice she said, "Mama, they mean to Will."
"I know, sweetie. Nothin' we can do tho." I replied with a small, but sad smile.
"Oh, blow it outta your ass and shut up so he can take his turn." Moses barked at our McCoy kin, shockin' just bout everyone.
Rihanna tugged on my hand and then quickly told me, "Unca Mo did somethin'."
"Yea, he did. Now watch the contest." I told Rihanna, pointin' to Cap as he raised his Winchester to line up his shot.
Cap aimed and pulled the trigger, sendin' the bullet flyin' into the middle nail only to ricochet left and shatter the glass lantern hangin' on a pole nearby. Cap just smirked, while my McCoy kin started to laugh. Calvin went up to Cap, nearly gettin' into his face, and chuckled, "Oh, Cap, ya missed completely."
"No, he didn't!" Jim Vance called out, causin' everyone to turn an' look at him. "He hit the nail on the head. Right on the doggone head." The large grungy man bellowed, pointin' right at the man who was starin' an' pokin' at the dented nail in the bullseye of the target.
"But you've seen where it went!" Calvin squeakily yelled at the judge, trying to change the man's impressed look.
"We all saw it hit the nail and ricochet. Just stand back Calvin, let him take his prize purse." Came tublin' out of my mind 'fore I could even think better of it.
Parris narrowed his eyes at me while askin' in an offended an' disbelievin' tone, "Ya dare defend him 'gainst yer own brother, 'gainst us McCoys?"
Uh oh, I just got myself into a pickle.
"She ain't pickin' sides, just callin' out what's right." Moses spoke up in my defense, standin' right next to me wit' his dark-haired head held hair.
"Oh, I see yer takin' up for a kin traitor instead of kin." Parris sneered at my brother, quickly cockin' his head towards me.
What the hell? Seriously, how'd an argument over a shootin' contest turn into this?
"Only kin I care 'bout right now's my sister. Rest of ya'll are dumb jackasses." Moses announced wit' a smirk 'cross his face. I knew he wasn't hapy wit' a lot of our McCoy kin for how they treated my daughter a bit differently an' teased her cause of her ear, but I never thought he's call them dumb jackasses.
"Why ya lil shit." Calvin seethed, as he went after my brother.
Calvin never made it to my brother tho cause Cap walked up, gettin' in 'tween Mo an' Calvin. Cap just silently stared down the McCoys, darin' any of 'em to go after my brother 'gain. Instead of calmin' down the McCoy man decided to turn their anger onto Cap. "Ya didn't win. Ya cheated!" Calvin shouted, gettin' up into Cap's face.
Cap pushed Calvin back causin' Jefferson, Parris, and Squirrel, to rush up. They were ready for a fight, I could tell by how they were pushin' an' rollin' up their sleeves. Plus, they had abandoned their bottles and glasses of whiskey on a barrel. Jim Vance stepped up next to Cap, rifle slung over his shoulder, to support his great-nephew.
"Boys, boys, this is a shootin' contest!" The round judge yelled, runnin' to break up the brewin' fight. "This is a shootin' contest, no fightin'!" He told the men, standin' 'tween them.
"Yep." Cap popped out, holdin' his chin up high and cockily at my McCoy kin that wanted to beat his face in.
"But he can't win. Ain't right." Calvin whined out, protestin' the results of the contest.
"My great-nephew won it right, he hit the nail on the damn head." Jim Vance spat, his deep rough drawn timbre bouncin' in the air, as he pointed to the target board.
Cap patted Jim's shoulder 'fore turnin' round and lookin' at both me an' my brother. "Come on, let's get outta here and leave 'em t'fight."
Tolbert POV:
When Calvin, Jefferson, Parris, and Squirrel came marchin' over to my cart after the shootin' contest I knew somethin' was wrong. When they told me what happened at the shootin' contest I got pissed. How could Ella, my wife, be defendin' that lyin' an' cheatin' Cap Hatfield? What's wrong wit' her t'day? She ain't actin' odd cause of pregnancy, I know for a fact she ain't. Damnit, my wife's losin' her mind. Worse part is she's actin' crazy 'round our daughter. I was also told Moses was supportin' Ella defendin' that fog-eye instead of the McCoy family name. My own wife an' brother-in-law turned their backs on my kin.
What hurts is this ain't the first time she's went behind my back wit' Hatfields. Months 'go she betrayed me by rattin' me an' my brothers out to that damned family. Cap's never hid his likin' an' a'traction to my wife, but after findin' out what happened at the contest I really wonder if she shares his feelin's. Don't make sense for Ella to be on his side 'gainst us if she didn't. Sam's Hill, was my wife so unhappy wit' me that she's runnin' wit' that one-eyed scrawny gorilla? I know thing's 've been rough 'tween us since Tol died an' she betrayed me, but is it so bad that she'd go behind my back an' do somethin' wit' him?
Dear god, I hope not. I pray I'm just ov'rreactin'. I can't deal wit' my s'picions bein' real. I shook my head, tryin' to clear my thoughts, an' took a long drink of my whiskey flask. I could see straight ov'r yonder Johnse's horse-piss cart. He weren't at it tho, but his brother Robert E. was. So was that useless mush-head Cotton an' his poppy Ellison Hatfield. Lias an' Skunk Hair, who I think I saw my wife talkin' to this mornin', but I'm not too sure since I was a bit into my bottle, were leanin' 'gainst the cart sharin' a large bottle of the horse-piss they call whiskey.
"Look, here comes Ole Rand'l McCoy. Watch him flinch." Lias Hatfield chuckled, pointin' at my parents as they started to walk by. Think they were headed to their wagon so they could go home, must've arranged for Jim, Perry, an' some neighbors like the McClintocks t'bring home the yun'in's.
Devil Anse an' his demon Hatfield wife just happened t'be walkin' by too, reckon he must've just voted. Was inev'table they'd cross paths. I knocked back my flask while keepin' an eye on my parents passin' by the demons.
"Devil Anse couldn't meet the old man's eyes!" Pharmer shouted at the bastards 'cross the way at the horse piss cart.
"Rand'l McCoy looked 'way like a lonely girl seein' a hard prick for the first time!" Lias called out in a jeer, a mockin' look on his face.
"Ya shut yer filthy mouth, Hatfield!" I ordered in a shout, tossin' my flask to the ground. It broke wit' a clash, but I didn't care. I was riled up by Lias' words. I quickly tore off my jacket an' tossed my hat to the ground. I jumped down from y seat on the wagon an' marched ov'r to them, my kin followin' me.
Skunk Hair, the tall skinny fool, tossed his bottle on the ground 'fore him an' Lias quickly marched ov'r to meet me, my brothers, an' our cousins in the area 'tween our shine carts. Skunk Hair looked at me wit' disgust, like he wanted to bash my face in or somethin'. Lias tho just smirked while sayin', "Rand'l McCoy flinched."
"Hatfield gone shit himself, can still smell it 'ere." I sneered, my lips curlin' ov'r my teeth, as I jutted my face forward as my hands curled into angery fists by my sides.
"Hey, both men behaved gentlemanly. If one looked off they both did." Ellison Hatfield had 'nough nerve to say as he ran up an' jumped 'tween me an' Lias. I clenched my jaw at the man, fumin' mad that he butted in. "Come on, Skunk Hair, Lias, let's go." He told the men 'cross from us 'fore walkin' 'way.
Both Skunk Hair an' Lias started to follow Ellison an' walk off. Nope, not t'day. I wanted a fight an' I was gonna get one. Sick an' tired of 'em filthy Hatfields gettin' ov'r on us McCoys. I stalked up 'hind Lias an' punched him in the back of the head, sendin' him fallin' to the ground. Standin' ov'r him I spat, "That's for owin' me almost a greenback for my heirloom fiddle ov'r a year. Thievin' prick."
I turned 'round, lookin' at my brothers an' cousins, an' saw in the background at a candy booth Moses an' Rihanna in line to buy candy. But where was Ella? My wife weren't wit' 'em. Quickly my thoughts broke as I heard Lias jeer, "Johnse was right, ya hit like an old woman. Perhaps we ought'a get'cha a bonnet an' dress."
All I saw was red at that low insult. I marched up to the Hatfields, intent t'fight. since Lias was just gettin' off the ground I chose t'swing at Ellison, hittin' him in the back an' causin' his brown hat t'fly off his head. I rose my arm, ready to pack 'nother punch, only to be blocked an' tossed onto the ground. As I lay winded on the ground he pointed t'me an' ordered, "No more."
How dare he order me 'round like some field hand? Damn Hatfields got no respect. As he was bent ov'r pickin' up his hat I got up an' ran ov'r to him. I jumped onto his back an' began to hit him. I was gonna get my fight, I was makin' him give it to me.
Novella POV:
Moses decided to take off with Rihanna to get some candy midway into our walk with Cap, leavin' me alone wit' the Hatfield. I didn't mind walkin' with him, but after so many months of not havin' anythin' to do with the man it felt a bit heavy and awkward. Our walk was silent, the only sound was of our boots crunchin' on fallen leaves.
Cap's deep rollin' timbre broke the silence in the air with, "Ya shouldn't 've taken up for me in front of them McCoys, Nova."
"I know, but the way they were treatin' ya weren't right." I honestly told him as we strolled together, passin' by various booths an' stalls.
"I'm used to it by now. Don't need ya speakin' up on my behalf." He told me, his deep voice a bit harsh, as his jaw twitched slightly.
"Sorry, didn't think it'd offend ya so much." I apologized, my flowin' tone a bit soft, as my eyes briefly met his for a moment.
"Yea, clearly ya didn't think cause if ya did ya wouldn't 've done it." Cap barked as we passed a craft stall. Lettin' out a sigh his cold deep voice softened a tone as he told me, "Hell, Nova, now those McCoys are gonna be suspicious an' angry wit'cha. Most likely gonna tell your crazy husband how ya took up for me ov'r them."
Shit, he made a good point. I didn't even think 'bout that. Wait a minute, ain't me walkin' wit' him just as bad as takin' up for him. "Why're ya walkin' wit' me if you're concerned 'bout McCoys not trustin' me? Ain't us strollin' just as bad, if not worse?"
"Truth is, sweetlin', I've kinda missed ya." Cap revealed, his deep tone a bit low, as he looked at me. His lone icy eye and its milky twin were piercin' me softly.
Wow, I honestly wasn't expectin' to hear that. Taken aback I just stared at him, lettin' his words replay in his head. So, he missed me. But, wait, ain't he movin' on wit' Ninny? I know that Vera keeps sayin' they got problems, but last I knew they were a couple. Rememberin' his girlfriend made me furrow my brows while tellin' him, "Ya miss me, but ya got Ninny to court wit' now.
He bit his lip while shakin' his black Stetson covered head. Lookin' at me, his mismatched eyes meetin' my cornflower ones, he told me in a deep solid tone, "Ninny ain't nothin'. Trust me, Nova, she means nothin' to me."
"But you're still wit' her and I'm married to Tolbert. Don't matter if ya miss me, it ain't right." I told him, my flowin' voice strugglin' to stay flat an' even as I felt emotions try to bubble up.
Cap's mouth opened, but 'fore he could utter a reply a loud bang of a shot was heard echoin' in the air. The shootin' contest was over, there shouldn't be any guns goin' off right now. Me an' Cap froze in our steps an' looked at each other, our eyes both conveyin' the question of 'What was that?'.
"Ellison!" Was the loud cry of Devil Anse in the air, comin' from the direction the food stalls an' whiskey wagons were set up at. Oh no, somethin' happened to Cap's uncle an' it sounded bad by his pa's cry.
Without sayin' a single word we took off in a run towards the area of the gun shot. We were almost there whenever we met up wit' Jim Vance, who was listenin' to my brother ramble. Rihanna was standin' next to Moses, but ran up to me as soon as she saw me. "Mama, mama, poppy mean. He bad, he kill El'son. Uncas Bud an' Pha'mer helped. They run 'way." Tumbled out of my daughter's mouth as she reached me.
I felt like faintin' at my daughter's words. How could my sweet 3-year-old be tellin' me that my husband just killed somebody? This was so surreal, felt like a ton of bricks just landed on my chest.
"It's true, we witnessed the stick, stick, shoot right after buyin' candy." Moses confirmed, still standin' by Jim Vance, who had a hard look on his grungy tobacco stained bearded face.
Cap's jaw locked an' his shoulders squared back. All and any light in his eyes disappeared, only to be replaced by a cold and dark hatred. Cap mad quick strides to where his dyin' uncle was at, no doubt wit' his pa tryin' to help him. I quickly rushed after him to catch up. Lookin' over my shoulder I saw Jim tell Moses somethin' 'fore headin' in the direction me an' Cap were runnin' in. When I finally caught up to Cap it was when we reached the pickle stall a few yards 'way from where Ellison was layin' on the ground bleedin' out. Devil Anse was bent down, a piece of his torn shirt sleeve pressed to his brother's stomach wounds, while Doc was across from him doin' a quick check on the younger Hatfield. Levicy was standin' behind her husband wit' Judge Wall next to her, rubbin' her shoulder tryin' to calm the woman down. I could see Robert E. and Cotton, oh that poor boy, leavin' the whiskey cart and makin' their way over. Johnse was standin' nearby, he looked a bit green 'round the gills.
Cap ran over to the scene and, without much thought, so did I. I knew that pressure had to be put on a bleedin' wound so on instinct I tore off my cream sontag shawl an' dropped down on my knees next to Devil Anse. Scrunchin' up the shawl I placed it on Ellison's bleedin' wounds, some of which Doc had just uncovered. Anse looked at my hands an' then up at me, his eyes portayin' a mix of shock an' appreciation.
"Cotton, where's Cotton?" Ellison croaked out in a moan like hiss, his legs tremblin' in pain from the shock of gettin' stabbed an' shot.
"Don't worry, little brother, we'll get him." Devil Anse assured his brother 'fore snappin' his head up and lookin' 'round while callin' out, "Cotton! Get Cotton!"
A few moments later Cap was pushin' Cotton to his dyin' father. Cotton, who I felt so much sorrow for, knelt down by Ellison's shoulder right next to me. Levicy left Wall's side and quickly bent down 'tween me an' the traumatized boy, gently rubbin' his shoulder. Anse took Cotton's hand and placed it on Ellison's shoulder while tellin' him in a deep cracklin' voice, "Now ya comfort your daddy, Cotton."
Oh god I just wanted to cry, this was just so heartbreakin' and wrong.
Anse looked at his wife while orderin' in a slight breakin' tone, "Levicy, get him to a bed at the head house."
Levicy just nodded at Anse, who then got up and walked a few steps 'way. Wall followed his brother, enterin' into a talk wit' him, while me an' Levicy stood up with Cotton. As Levicy ran to get a wagon I stood next to Cotton, my blood-stained hand gently restin' on his shoulder. I felt so bad for the boyish man, my heart broke for him havin' to watch his father in so much pain while knockin' on death's door. The fact that he had no idea what was goin' on and kept askin', "Can we go home now?", made it even worse to handle.
"Grab his legs, I'll get under his arms." Doc Rutherford ordered Cap and Johnse, pointin' to where he needed them.
I watched as Johnse went to one leg and Cap scurried to the other as the doctor went to grab Ellison from under the arms. Quickly they lifted Ellison up, causin' him to moan in pain. As they were carryin' him over to the wagon that Lias had brought over, with Levicy in the back so she could tend to the wounded an' dyin' man, I watched both the blood-stained sleeve of Anse and my sontag shawl fall and hit the ground. There was so much blood, it would never come out an' the shawl was ruined. Not like I gave a shit, a man was dyin' cause of my angry drunk husband so the last thing I was worried 'bout was a stained shawl.
I heard chuckles an' laughter comin' from nearby. Turnin' my gaze towards the direction the sound was comin' from I saw my cousins Squirrel, Parris, and Jefferson pointin' at the man bleedin' out in the back of a wagon. I felt utter disgust for them an' their lack of respect for human life. I was embarrassed to call them my kin. I shook my head, lettin' them know that I disapproved.
Suddenly Skunk Hair ran up to Anse, who was still next to Wall, shoutin', "We got 'em, Anse. We got 'em bastard McCoys." His breathin' heavy from runnin' didn't stop Skunk Hair from revealin', "Sheriff cut 'em off, haulin' them to Pikeville jail."
Cap was makin' to mount his horse whenever I ran up to him. His family an' friends were takin' off on their horses, followin' Devil Anse's orders to form a posse to intersect Sheriff Maynard an' take Tolbert, Pharmer, an' Bud. I needed to know what was goin' to happen once they were taken. I had a sinkin' gut feelin', but I needed the verbal confirmation of my assumption. "Cap, what're ya gonna do wit' them?" I asked as he slung his leg over the saddle.
Cap adjusted himself on his saddle while lookin' down at me and tellin' me in his deep rollin' timbre, "What I gotta do, sweetlin'."
"Can't ya'll just let the law handle it?" I asked, my voice a bit high pitched, as I looked up at him while hearin' the sounds of horses trottin' off 'round us in the air.
"You an' I both know how corrupted Kentucky law is, Nova. 'Specially wit' Perry Cline in the heart of Pikeville's system."
"I know, but takin' them from the sheriff's gonna cause a shit storm."
Graspin' his reins wit' a white knuckled grip he took his train of sight off me. "I'm gonna do what's best for my family." Lookin' down at me wit' hard eyes an' a cold tight look on his face he ordered in a deep sigh, "Go get your brother an' daughter, go home an' wait on news of your crazy murderous husband."
"What, you'll send a messenger to tell me he's dead or you'll do that yourself?" I asked, my tone comin' out more sarcastic then I wanted it to, as I looked up at Cap wit' a schooled expression.
Cap just shook his head at me, his face hard an' void of all emotion, 'fore takin' off on his horse. He was ridin' off to go snag my husband an' brother-in-laws to help his pa kill 'em. Oh boy, that was a hard pill to swallow. I was a bit lost in my thoughts an' rooted into place that I never heard a horse trot up next to me. I only realized a horse was next to me when its owner told me in a gruff drawn out tone, "Don't worry 'bout Cap. He's just mad at the situation, not wit'cha."
"I know, Jim." I nodded, no doubt a pained expression was glazed over my cornflower blue eyes.
"I told that brother of yours t'bring your girl ov'r to Louisa an' her youn'in's at the sittin' area." He told me, pointin' over to the direction of the tables.
"Thank ya, Jim." I gratefully told the hardened an' grungy mountain man 'fore quickly addin' in, "I'll go get them right 'way."
Jim just nodded his head, spit some tobacky out onto the ground, an' then spurred his horse into a fast runnin'-trot so that he could catch up wit' ever'body in the posse goin' after Tolbert, Pharmer, and Bud. I took a deep an' shaky breath 'fore walkin' off to fetch Moses an' Rihanna from Selkirk's wife.
Tolbert POV:
The Pike County sheriff an' his handful of deputies, least I think they were deputies could be a posse for all I know, had me an' my brothers tied up. They were leadin' us thru the woods at gunpoint to Pikeville, which was a long walk 'way. I was 'tween Pharmer an' Bud, who both looked like they were gonna piss their pants outta fear, as we walked in front of the sheriff an' his armed men. I weren't 'fraid, just mad t'be caught. I didn't feel bad 'bout what we did to Ellison, he's a Hatfield an' deserved what he got. I only ran cause I knew Devil Anse'd try t'kill me an' my brothers once he saw his hurt brother hit the ground.
We were walkin' thru the woods when out o'nowhere Devil Anse, Judge Wall, Cap, Skunk Hair, Johnse, Selkirk, an' a lotta other men showed up an' cut us off. My brothers flinched wit' fear, but not me. I stood up straighter, puffin' my chest out. These Hatfields weren't gonna make me feel fear.
"Hand over your prisoners to us, Sheriff." The devil ordered, lookin' at us like we were pigs for the slaughter.
Pharmer looked at the short an' stout man on his black horse while sayin' in a fearful quick tone, "Sheriff, ya can't let them take us."
Devil Anse stared at me an' my brothers wit' hateful eyes. His look didn't scare me, instead I just jutted my chin out at him an' straightened my back up more. I saw my cousin Selkirk sided wit' the Hatfields an' I felt nothin' but anger at him. How could he side 'gainst blood, side wit' his wife's demon family?
"Anse, I understand how you an' the rest of the Hatfields must feel, but this crime was committed on Kentucky soil an' must be tried in Kentucky court." Sherrif Maynard told the devil, who was narrowin' his eyes at all of us.
Jim Vance spit some tobacky on the ground while Cap was lookin' at me like he wanted me dead. Oh, yea, that's right, the fog-eyed bastard does want me dead. God, he looked more hateful an' cold then usual. His jaw was gritted, he was lookin' right at me like he was tryin' to send a bullet flyin' thru my heart.
"Well, I'll be takin' them." Anse barked, pullin' his pistol out of its holster.
"Anse." Judge Wall sternly told his brother, motionin' for him to put his gun 'way an' let him handle takin' wit' the sheriff.
"Judge, why don't you explain to your brother the law."
"The center of the case is that it's victim's a West Virginian citizen therefore West Virginia law prevails. We're takin' those boys." Judge Wall pulled his gun out an' cocked it while tellin' the sheriff, "We can either settle it now or in court, ya sum-bitch."
Suddenly Skunk Hair an' Lias 'long wit' some others were pushin' an shovin' me an' my brothers 'way from the sheriff's posse an' down the road. I heard the hooves of the Hatfields horses begin to trot behind us as we walked wit' rifles trained on our backs. Damnit, useless chicken of a sherrif just handed us off t'lyin' thievin' killers. We're bein' taken illegal, kidnapped, to our deaths.
Damnit, I could use a drink right 'bout now. Doubt these demons are gonna give me any whiskey when we make it to their hellhole of a place in West Virginia either.
AN:
Yep, a very hard chapter for Novella. She's going to be dealing with a lot of emotions in the upcoming chapters. Oh, Calvin wasn't seen in the third scene with his McCoy cousins cause at that point he already ran off to find Perry Cline to tell him bout what his brothers did to Ellison. Also, since Ninny wasn't shown at all in this chapter or the last one do ya'll think she's still with Cap or did he already dump her ass?