Chapter 18

Tired

Caitlyn fell down to the ground, landing torso first. Thankfully the objects were crushed down first before she fell down, so nothing would fall on top of her. But it didn't made her fall less impactful, less painful. She felt that her heart skip a beat during the impact and now she has a hard time breathing properly. With addition of dust and debris that was expanding throughout the factory space, her vision was to half. The odds was against her.

She got up and growled as she did it, she exhale as her body starting to adjust with the pain. She walked slowly and cautiously, unarmed not knowing Graves position in the cloud of dust. Her sniper was no longer with her and her radio could be somewhere else entirely, also her hat was no longer on her head. But first, she has to find her sniper rifle. She could only hoped that Graves would be stalled by the traps that she put earlier.

Tching...

Tching...

The sound of her trap could be heard from afar. Did Graves stepped onto one of the traps? She walked a bit toward the sound and faintly she heard something. Slowly the sound became more clearer, she squints her eyes focusing through the dust. She could not see it clearly but there was something not far.

"Looking for sumthin', Sheriff?" said a voice.

The dust settled down to the ground and revealed a man, that was Malcolm Graves. He was holding her sniper with his only capable hand, also the radio was right in front of him. Caitlyn luck seem to run out, she was surely dead.

"Sheriff, This is the Commissioner. Do you copy?!" said the radio in front of him. "Cait-"

Bang.

Graves shot the radio, destroying it into pieces.

"Now, ain't that peaceful" said Graves as he let out a bullet of the chamber of the rifle. "You lawdogs sure make a fuss."

The Outlaw glared at the Sheriff with a calm face, knowing the odds were with him. Caitlyn stood there and did not make any sudden moves, he could pull the trigger any time that he pleases. She has to talk him through if she want to get out alive, if not, stall him until reinforcement come. Surely the Commissioner would heard the explosion.

She cleared her throat and starts to talk. "Calm down, we can talk this through Graves."

"There ain't nothing to talk Sheriff, you know what's going to happen next." Graves raises the rifle and pointing it at Caitlyn. "One of us won't be breathing…"

"Then what! What benefit will you get Graves?!" she realized that she was raising her voice, so she lowered it."I know you have no choice but your life will not end here, Graves."

"My life is the least thing you should worry Sheriff, I'm not at the business end of the barrel right now."

"Reinforcement has already arrived and even if you do kill me, you would be ended up caught."

"But at least I killed 'ya Sheriff"

"But if you surrender now and join me, I will try my best to gave you a second chance. Give you the chance to start over, don't you want that?"

"Then what." Graves chuckled. "I got this type of offer many times back in the days and they end me up in a prison. I live longer than you Sheriff and I know better."

"I understand that you have no choice in this situation but I want you to trust me in this, surrender now and I will put all my effort making sure that you get a second chance despite all of this."

Suddenly Graves lowered the rifle and look another way, he was thinking about the offer. Caitlyn released a relieving breath, at least he wasn't going to kill her right now. It somewhat gave her a glimpse of hope that Graves might join her and making the things that happen worth it.

Slowly Graves turn his head towards her and look her in the eye. "No"

BANG

Swiftly Graves raised the rifle and shot Caitlyn left kidney. He lowered the rifle to let out a bullet casing.

"Agh!" The Sheriff grunted.

Immense pain jolted her body till her knees weaken, forcing her to kneel down. She cover the wound with both of her hands and suppressing the pain. She looked at the wound and blood was starting to spread on her purple clothe, she turned to Graves and he started to walk nearer.

"You see Sheriff, you don't understand my situation. It's something personal, something that I'm tired of" Graves raised the rifle and pointed at the Sheriff again.

BANG

"Agh!" Caitlyn screamed, tears started to come out at the edge of her eyes

A bullet gone through her right shoulder and instantly she can't feel her right arm. It dangle as she lost control of it, blood started to bleed out. But she still tried her best to cover her kidney wound with her remaining arm.

Graves let out a bullet out of the rifle and continue to walk near Caitlyn. "Years have I hunted this man and troubles kept on coming. The law kept hunting me and I'm tired of running."

"Graves, please.." Caitlyn pleaded weakly. "Have mercy…"

Graves stop in front of her and glared at her with an emotionless face. He stab the wound of the shoulder with the tip of the rifle and turn the rifle, twisting the flesh of her shoulder. More blood started to gush out, quivering the weak Sheriff body.

"AGH STOP!" Caitlyn griped the rifle and tries her best to push the rifle out but Graves was too strong. The Outlaw pushed the tip even deeper, to make sure she felt the pain more immensely.

"The man want me dead also the law want me dead, so I give them what they want." Graves pull out the rifle from the wound and kick her. "Aren't you happy Sheriff?"

Caitlyn fell down to her back and slide away from Graves, though not far. She put her arm at her kidney and endured, looking up to the ceiling. She breathed heavily and sweating like never before.

"But that doesn't mean I'm going alone, some of them are going with me. And that includes you, Sheriff..." Graves walk toward her and step on her chest, Caitlyn grip the shin of his boot with her only capable hand trying to push it aside but again, a useless effort.

"Graves, please.." Graves put some force onto her chest, making her hard to breath and hard to speak. "Don't... do...this.."

"You know, Sheriff. You said that I have a choice, but death ain't a choice, death is destiny."he pointed the rifle at the Sheriff forehead, readying himself to pull the trigger. "Meet you on the other side, Sheriff..."

Her vision started to blur as less oxygen didn't reach her brain, her lungs couldn't supply the necessary amount. Graves added more force to her chest, making her suffocate and dying. Just like her consciousness, her vision was also fading.

She closes her eyes, accepting her fate.

I'm sorry Vi, It's all my fault. Please forgive me...