A/N: No reviews :-( PLEASE click the little purple button. Also, some events in future chapters may be out of sequence, but I had to do it to keep Serena in the story.
Billy woke us all early the next morning. He told us we were going to pay a visit to John Simpsum Chisum. Chisum was not only the richest man in the New Mexico Territory; he'd also been a financial partner of Tunstall and McSween. Albeit, he was a silent partner, but still an important ally. As soon as we got some money from him, Billy promised to take us all to hide out in Old Mexico. He told us of the Mexican Blackbird, a trail he'd blazed himself many years ago. I'd never heard of it, but I still trusted Billy. I didn't think he would intentionally lead us into danger.
Chisum lived on a sprawling ranch in the middle of nowhere, the biggest one I'd ever seen. A Mexican worker began to feverishly ring a bell as the seven of us rode into the ranch. Chisum came out of the house, dressed in a fancy smoking jacket. He gave us a big false smile.
"Well, my God. You really turned out to be a snake, Billy. When they catch you, they'll dry-gulch your stinkin' bones."
Billy ignored the remark and said in a calm, placid tone, "I'm trying to get my friends to Old Mexico, Mr. Chisum. We need some pesos to get there. I've done some figuring. You owe us $250 for the fighting we all did last year, and another $250 for me leaving your stock alone."
"Oh, is that what you figured?" asked Chisum with a small chuckle.
"Yes, sir, it's what I figured." Billy replied.
"Well, you can shove those figures up your arrogant little ass and set fire to 'em," Chisum said nastily. "I don't owe you a goddamn thing."
"You took my farm, Mr. Chisum," piped up Hendry.
I glared fiercely at Hendry to shut him up.
"We just want to get out of here," pleaded Doc. "Get down below."
"Oh, you'll get down below, all right, Doc. You'll get down below. You're Billy the Kid too, you know. You all are, and I don't owe you a goddamn thing." said Chisum. "Now get the hell out of here, or I'll bring my .50 down and give you a real game."
Aw hell. Chisum had done it now. It was never a good idea to threaten Billy, least of all when his temper was already under severe strain from lack of food and sleep. Quick as lightning, Billy plucked one of his guns from its holster and pointed at the Mexican ranch hands.
"Yoo-hoo!" he sang. "I'll make you famous. Chisum, which of these boys is the fastest with the iron?"
"Don't you do it, Billy," said Chisum.
"That be me," piped up the shorter, chubbier of the two Mexicans.
"Drop Sam Colt," Billy ordered.
The ranch hand uneasily slid his gun belt off. Billy got off his horse, handing the reins to Doc. "You owe me $500 dollars, Mr. Chisum. What I'm gonna do is kill one of your men for every $5 you owe me."
Arkansas Dave interrupted. "Billy, why shoot the dumb Mexicans? If Chisum needs a pound of flesh, he can take her. I'll bet she knows how to do somethin' worth $500 dollars."
I felt my face growing hot. I punched Dave in the mouth as hard as I could, bloodying his lip. "Shit!" he cursed, spitting out a tooth. "You little bi--"
Chavez held up his knife. "Do you really want to finish that word, Dave?" he asked lightly.
I looked back to Billy, who'd just thrown his own gun belt into the dirt. "When I go for my gun, you can start shootin'. But I promise, you will not make it." He took a step toward the gun. The Mexican fired, but Doc put him down before we could blink. "495," Billy counted down.
A second later, Arkansas Dave sent the second ranch hand to meet the first. Chisum looked at the bodies, jaw dropped to the ground.
"490," Billy said with a smirk.
Chisum's face twisted with fury. "You just killed yourself. You think you're the scourge of New Mexico? Well, by God, I am New Mexico. And you are dead."
"I wouldn't give a bucket of piss for your future," said Billy, mounting his faithful palamino. "You have yourself a good day now."
"Billy, was that really necessary?" Doc asked as we rode away. "Now the bounty on all our heads will double, or even triple. You can't kill employees of the richest man in the territory and think no one will notice."
Billy announced the next stage of his plan. "If it's too much of a hardship for Chisum to give us money, we'll just take a few of his cows."
"That's suicidal," I said. "He'll just add to his security arrangements after what we just did. We'd end up with lead shot in our skulls."
"Tell ya, that's how it's gotta be sometimes," Billy sharply. "Sometimes a man won't listen to nothin' else."
"And I don't know about the rest of you, but I sure as hell don't wanna starve to death before we get to Old Mexico. I guaran-damn-tee ya that's what'll happen if we don't pick up some cash fast." added Dave.
"What about Charley Bowdre?" asked Doc. "I know he'll let us stay with him once we find him."
"We'd have to find him first," Billy pointed out.
We rode to a small prairie and set up camp. We told stories around the fire, attempting to ignore how loudly our stomachs were growling. I fell asleep before the others and woke to the stench of fresh cow manure. I looked around; we were surrounded by at least ten head of cattle.
"This is your idea of a few cows?" I asked Billy incredulously.
He just laughed and slapped his knee like this was the greatest joke in the world. Sweet Christ in heaven, that boy must have had a death wish.