Disclaimer: Credit for characters and dialogue goes to their respective creators.
Author's Note: I am not a native Spanish speaker.
----- Scene endings and beginnings.
--- Different scenes but all within the same time-frame.
Recap: Samantha has been accused of John's murder by none other than Murphy's men. Meanwhile, Billy and the gang have been hiding out after their first unsuccessful arrest. The gang soon learn that Sam is in trouble and find a way to help her cheat an early death.
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Billy said he had it all planned out.
I knew we were all going to hell for participating in this impossible feat of his.
The bastard.
We had been informed by Jim Mulroney that Sam's hanging was scheduled for noon. The time that everyone in town would be ready for some entertainment. Others would want justice.
Billy was up in one of the saloon's top rooms, waiting for the signal, with a rifle pointed at the gallows in which Sam would be hung. Chavez, Charley, Dick, Steve and I were hidden on the roofs and around corners. Jim Mulroney was in the crowd, waiting for the signal also. Jay was off somewhere, he'd been acting strangely.
Five minutes to noon Sam was drug out of the jailhouse, her hands tied up. Her dress was pale with dirt, her face was scratched and bruised. Frankly, she was a mess. Sam stumbled over her own feet, and toppled to her knees when Brady's deputy stopped short.
"Get up!" The deputy yelled. Sam struggled up, she was still hurting from the gun shot. The deputy grabbed her arm and led her up the steps, stopped her in front of a noose, and untied her hands. He stepped back and let J.P. read the accusations against her. One count of murder, one count of destruction of private property. Murphy was milking it. The preacher came next, he said a prayer for Sam's soul and asked if she had any last words.
Sam turned towards the preacher and smiled weakly, "Yes. I would like to say that I didn't kill John Tunstall. He was my father figure, the man who gave my brother and myself the chance to live here." She laughed quietly and turned to the sky, "I did, however, kill Murphy's cattle, his men killed my brother. But I have no evidence. I'm sorry, to those who think the worst of me, now. You'd think differently if you knew the true story."
"All right! No speeches!" The deputy pulled the black hood over Sam's head and fitted her with the noose. Sam stood straight and tall, the girl wasn't afraid of dying. Jim silently slipped around the corner of the nearby building and hopped up on a horse. He was ready.
The preacher said one more prayer before calling an "amen" and standing off to the side of the platform. J.P. stood next to him, a grave look on his face. Brady stepped up to the lever and placed a tense hand on the top. The street was dead silent. Everything happened quickly.
Brady pulled the lever and the platform fell from beneath Sam's feet, Jim was all ready riding through the crowd, a gunshot rang out and Sam fell further. Jim ducked under the wooden platform and caught her before she fell to the ground. He held her in front of himself on the saddle and kicked up dust as he galloped out of sight.
Brady, the deputy and a few other townsfolk pulled their guns and started shooting in their general direction. Chavez, Dick and Steve came out on their horses, shooting in the air, distracting the others, then ran off after Jim and Sam. I scrambled down off the roof and onto my horse, taking the back streets to our meeting place.
When I got their, Billy was right behind me whooping and hollering. As soon as we all got a few miles out of town and into a thick wooded area, we stopped and practically flung ourselves off of our horses, hearts racing.
Jim had removed the black hood. Chavez took Sam from him and sat her down in the dried grass, propping her against a tree. Her breath was ragged and her cheeks were flushed. Chavez sat beside her, speaking softly, comforting her. We were all in for hell.
---
Chavez's copper hands were warm against my cold cheeks. My eyesight was blurry from the lack of air, Jim had loosened the noose to the best of his ability on the way out of town. Chavez pulled out one of his knives and sliced through the rope, he then turned my face to see the marks on my neck.
I lightly touched the burning skin just below my jaw and recoiled, a grimace crossed my face. My eyes cleared and I wiped at my watering eyes,
"Is it really that bad?"
I stood slowly, blood rushing. When I regained my balance I shuffled over to Jim and hugged him tightly. The boy who I had only seen around town, the boy who hadn't believed I had killed John, was the one who put his life directly on the line for me, Jim Mulroney.
"Thank you, Jim."
"Ahem."
I turned around to see my boys, all staring. I smiled and picked my way over to them, hugging each one as tightly as possible. Sharing a quick kiss with Chavez. Billy was the last,
"This was all you, Billy. Only you could have made a shot like that." I nodded to the discarded noose and smiled. My voice was hoarse and I was thirsty.
I noticed I had skipped James McCloskey, I walked to him and gave him a quick hug. I had never thought of him as a Regulator, he was a former Murphy-man. It wasn't right for him to be there, to be running with the Regulators.
-----
That afternoon, we saddled up and rode out of town as fast as possible. We made a couple stops here and there until the sun finally went down and we set up camp for the night.
Jimmy had all of the things I would be needing, strapped to his horse, he was the pack mule. I picked the extra bedroll and change of clothes off the back end and made my way over to Chavez. He hadn't said much since I had last seen him, the day they were all deputized. I flattened my bed out beside his and told him I was going to go change. There was no way I was changing in the morning where everyone could see, including the impressionable Jim Mulroney.
I slipped out of camp and into the dark, hoping to the high heavens that I didn't step on a snake. I shimmied out of my loose dress and quickly pulled the cotton button up shirt on, leaving the two top buttons undone. I then pulled on the brown fitted pants and stuffed my bare feet back into my boots. I ripped a piece from the hem of my skirt and tied my hair back with it, then set off back to camp. Everyone sat around the fire, talking of the next move.
"We ought to go after Morton and Baker next. Set a trap for them." Billy sat across from me, chewing on a slice of bread.
"That's all fine and dandy, Billy, but what about Jim and I? We can't go back, what're we going to do? You going to send us off to Old Mexico like the criminals we are?" I smirked at him.
"No, but you can help. Morton and Baker'll come around town, seeing as they will have been drinkin' tonight. Probably raiding the ranch. You can lead them on, make fake trails, get 'em all confused."
"Billy, why do you drag other people into your idiotic plans? Especially Sam? Nothing good could come from putting her and the kid in harms way." Doc tried to reason. I scooted over next to him and pulled his gun from the holster, he didn't realize until I held the barrel to his back.
"It seems I can take care of myself. I am a woman, we all learn the art of seduction, and combined with the revenge I plan on getting, I can't be touched." I smiled and twirled the gun so he could take hold by the handle.
"Yeah, and you're too dangerous for your own good."
It was true. I was reckless when it came to snap decisions, yet I was ruthless when I thought it all out. Not a bad trade, considering the results.
We sat around the fire for another hour before we went off to our own beds, needing rest after a stressful day. It was only then that Chavez spoke more than a few Spanish words,
"You shouldn't go tomorrow. Doc, is right, nothing good can come from this. The Kid has all ready killed one of the warantees, the next will be nothing more than targets for him. You've been put through enough because of us." He sat on the ground beside me.
"Chavez, nothing will happen. At worst, I get cornered. We all know that I won't let anything happen to Jim, he's just a kid. I would, in no way put anyone in danger deliberately. You have to trust me on this. I know how to ride a horse, I can shoot a gun, if necessary." I replied, placing a hand on his shoulder, "And why would I want to chance leaving you? You and the others are my world now. John put you all in my charge. God knows you couldn't take care of yourselves." I smiled and pecked him on the cheek before bidding him goodnight and propping my head on my balled up coat. Chavez and I slept back to back that night, keeping warm.
-----
Morning came too quickly.
No, more like, I woke too early.
I couldn't sleep. The sun hadn't even come over the hills when I sat up in frustration. I had slept for the first half of the night, but then the pain kicked in, the adrenaline had worn off and the strip of clean cloth around my neck itched.
I pushed myself off the ground and pulled my arms through the sleeves of my coat. It was windy and somewhat light, windy enough to shake every bone in my body and light enough to see a pillar of smoke spiraling in the distance. It had just been put out.
"Chavez! Chavez, get up!" My voice was hushed as I shook my friend. He groaned and rolled over, "Get up all ready, we're in trouble!"
I went around the circle shaking everyone until they were awake.
"What?!" The voices were outraged at my actions.
I pointed to the smoke and whispered, "It's just been put out."
"Shit!"
"Saddle up, boys. We gotta ride." Billy said and brushed the dirt off his clothes.
All of us quickly rolled our stuff up and strapped it onto the horses. Chavez pulled me up onto his horse so that I sat behind him. Chavez kicked off after Billy and Dick, the rest following.
The horses seemed to slither through the trees as we rode on. We soon came upon the abandoned camp. There was a horse tied to a tree not too far away, and many possessions were strewn about, they would be back. Billy scanned the trees, as did every other Regulator.
"Sam, you take Jimmy around, make some false leads. Watch yourselves. Everyone else, find a hiding hole."
I nodded and slid off Chavez's horse, he followed behind me,
"Take my horse, you can get away if you need to." He pressed the reigns into my palms and pulled me into a hug, then kissed my head before running off into the thick dead trees.
My foot found the stirrup and I swung up onto the mare's back. I looked to Jimmy, all the others had vanished, "Let's go."
---
"Samantha, how come you aren't afraid?"
"Afraid of what?"
"Of dying."
There was a moment of silence between the blond boy and I. Nothing could be heard but our horses' stomping and breaking twigs. The wind had died down since that morning.
"Jimmy, when you lose all you love and have lived your life happily, you'll know."
"I have lost everything. Well, I never had parents. I was an orphan from day one. But I did lose my life in Lincoln." Jimmy's voice was mild. There was another silence.
"My brother was killed by Murphy's cattlemen. It was a misunderstanding on their part. When the boys found him, they brought him back and I snapped. I slaughtered three dozen of Murphy's cattle. I was caught, but Murphy did nothing, it had seemed he had let me go with a slap on the wrists. One year later, Murphy and Brady's men ganged up on John and I. You know how that ended. Tulio and I had come to America to live the life our parents wanted for us. I came all the way from Spain to have my heart broken too many times to count.
"I am not afraid to die, Jimmy, because I have lived a good life, however tragic it may be." I was surprised that my voice had not broken while speaking of my brother and John. I noted that we had lead four trails without interruption. I turned our trail back to the first, leading back to the campsite. When we came around the bend, Dick was waiting for us.
He held a finger to his lips, "They're coming around down one of your trails. Won't be long."
I nodded and nudged Chavez's mare forward into the brush behind Dick. We didn't wait long before twigs could be heard, snapping under hooves. Morton and Baker were leading their horses, following the droppings of Jimmy's horse.
"Shit." said Morton, squatting down to pick up the mess.
"What?" asked Baker, his scraggly hair just brushing his shoulders.
"No, I mean I found some horse shit. Came out of Sierra Bonita just this mornin'...Horses been grazing wild. Pretty damn good, don't you think Baker?" Jimmy's horse had been nowhere near Sierra Bonita. Idiots.
From where Dick, Jimmy and I were hiding, I could plainly see Chavez sneaking up behind Morton. Billy, Doc and Charley were off to the right of Morton and Baker. Jay and Steve were stationed to the left of us. Chavez leapt up and wrapped his arm around Morton's thick neck, holding a long blade to his throat. Doc, Jay, Charley and Steve popped out from behind their trees, whipping out their guns and pointing them at Baker. Billy came out on his horse, pistol pulled, ready to fire. Dick went out after him. Jimmy and I watched from the trees.
"Not that good." I heard Chavez say, I stifled a laugh.
"Buonas díaz, shitheads." Dick pulled his pistol and cocked it.
Baker raised a hand, "You don't understand, Dick. By endin' Henry Hill, you started a war."
"By killin' Mr. Tunstall you all started the damn war, Baker." Dick answered.
Chavez put his knife away and started rummaging through the Murphy-men's saddle bags.
"Just the same, we're talkin' fifty-sixty men to your what, six or seven? We're with the rank Dick." Morton raised his voice. Billy had got off his horse and was circling Morton.
"We're gonna bury you, you can believe that." Billy mumbled. Dick didn't like that.
"Takin' you to jail, no killin'."
"Objection, your honor! These boys are goin' to the grave, in the name of John Tunstall." Billy rebutted.
"Quiet, Billy! I don't need that kind of talk. Law don't talk like that."
"Yeah, well Law don't kill innocent merchants either do it?" Steve said, looking back at Dick.
"Shut up, Dirtface." Doc jumped in.
"Take the son-of-a-bitches up to Capitán Mountain and blow their brains out! What d'ya say Steve?!" Billy was riling up Steve and the others. He grabbed Morton by the collar.
"Hey, Billy, easy." Jay lowered his gun and tried to calm Billy, "Dick, I don't think we should go by way of South Fork."
"Why is that?"
"I think Murphy'll be watchin' the trail and ambush. I think we should go straight through to Lincoln." He glanced over at Morton.
I could tell the man was lying through his teeth.
Billy looked between the two, "Hey."
"What?" Jay took a step back.
"I saw that."
"What d'ya see, what d'ya see?" Charley asked, hating the fact that he missed something.
Billy came closer to Jay, "He knows what I just saw." He pointed at Jay, making him back up into Doc.
"What are ya' talkin' about?" Jay's voice cracked.
"Where's the ambush McCloskey? In Lincoln? You're tryin' to steer us away from Capitán, because you know your men, Murphy's men, are waitin' for us in Lincoln." Billy had Jay backed up to the river.
"Billy, what're you talkin' about? McCloskey's with us, he's a Regulator." Dick didn't pick it up.
"Yeah, well he used to ride with Murphy, that's what I'm talkin' about!"
"That was a long time ago."
"He's a spy!" Billy knew. I knew. It only made sense as to why I hadn't warmed up to Jay.
"He's been with us, we made a pact. Right, McCloskey?"
"Right." Jay said turning back to Billy, "Jesus, Billy. C'mon." He held out a hand for truce. Everyone had their eyes on Billy, waiting for his next move.
"Aw, shit, I'm sorry McCloskey."
"It's all right, we're all upset about John."
"Sorry I didn't sniff you out sooner, you goddamned traitor." Billy pulled his pistol and without hesitation, nailed James McCloskey right in the head.
"Billy!"
"Billy, what the hell?! Jesus!"
Everyone scrambled when Jay fell stiff into the water. Morton and Baker had climbed back onto their horses and had started off. Chavez threw a knife, hitting Baker cleanly in the back. Billy shot Baker off his horse. Morton had been shot off his horse by Billy, though he seemed to have not been fazed, he got back up and started running, only to be shot down by Doc.
"Hold your goddamned fire!" yelled Dick.
Morton was still up and on his feet. Charley and Steve fired at the same time, causing Morton to flip onto his back in a dried bush.
"Court adjourned." Billy smiled.
"You moron!" Dick yelled, "You're out of line, you son-of-a-bitch!"
"Richard, he's right! McCloskey was acting strange!" Doc backed Billy up.
"Then that means we just killed three more Murphy-men, right?!"
"Right."
"Oh, Christ Jesus, Brady's gonna hang us for sure!" Charley and Steve seemed to be spooked.
"Quiet! Everyone close their farggin' lips for a goddamned second and let me think!" Dick yelled. Everything went quiet. I dropped off of Chavez's horse and went around to the boys. Jimmy followed. I went over to Chavez where he had the extra horse of Morton and Baker's ready to take off. He handed me the reigns and made sure I was okay, that I wasn't hurt, before wondering off to fetch his own.
"We better skin outta here." Doc said.
"Okay, everyone, skin up the river, now!" I pulled myself up onto the horse and urged it forward, following the Regulators and Jimmy up one of our trails. Dick stopped to criticize standing Billy on how big his ego had become. Dick rode off, leaving Billy, Doc and I on the edge of the clearing. Billy got on his horse and galloped off. I stayed behind with Doc.
His face was pale and splattered with Jay's blood, he had been in an unfortunate spot. He wiped a hand over his face, trying to rid himself of the liquid. I stopped the horse beside him. He was looking down at the bobbing McCloskey.
"Doc, come on. Let's get out of here before I'm convicted of another few murders."
He didn't budge. I leaned down and put a hand on his shoulder.
"We're going to hell for this, Sam. We're going to hell."