Wow, okay big sorry about this being delayed for like a month. Real life can be…well real life and sometimes it sucks ass. For me and my betas, But they are awesome and patient with me. So thanks again to Smacky 30 and Sidle 77 for the constant help and encouragement.
The Other Side
Chapter 9
Gil and Sara drove to town the week following Al's funeral. They went to the general store and began to stockpile on supplies. Gil was loading the wagon when Jim approached him.
"Got enough?"
"I hope so." Gil continued placing several bags of sugar and flour in the back.
Jim moved around and grabbed his arm. "Gil, think about this, Sara's pregnant, do you really want to put your family at risk by doing this?"
He jerked his arm away. "What am I doing, Jim? Huh…you have no idea what I'm thinking."
Sara emerged from the store and just caught the end of the conversation. She climbed on the wagon and turned to look at Jim.
"Sara." The sheriff tipped his hat.
She cracked a smile at him and looked to her husband. "Ready?"
"Yup." He finished by placing a crate in the back and walked away from his best friend. Gil climbed on next to his wife and drove out of town.
Angela helped Gil unpack the wagon while Sara went to see the baby. "Angela…" She stopped in the small room where they were storing the supplies. "I know you had an agreement with Al, but if you want no part of what might happen, I'll give you some money, and you can leave."
She felt the air leave her chest. "Gil, Sam is the reason my parents are dead. I've been waiting all of these years to finally get my revenge, and I'm not about to chicken shit out now." Angela's face remained unforgiving until Gil smiled at her response. "That and I know where Al has his artillery stashed." She smiled back.
Angela told Gil and Nick to go to the barn and Jose would show them. While Angela was preparing dinner with Sara, they did just that.
"Jose." Gil called for the young boy and he came out from one of the stalls. He glanced at Nick and shrugged his shoulders. "Hay el fuego bajo el heno." Gil waited for a response.
Jose smiled, "Venga conmigo." He waved his arms and encouraged them to follow.
"What did he say?" Nick questioned.
Gil shrugged as Jose continued to motion them to follow. "I guess we follow him."
They walked several steps behind Jose, ending up behind the hay mound. The boy began to move the hay and they watched in confusion. He dug deep into the mound and slid out two crates. "Fusiles, si."
The two men glared at the boxes clearly labeled 'U.S. Calvary' and then smiled at each other. They kneeled down and pried the tops off of the crates exposing the many rifles they housed.
"Fusiles, si?" Jose said again.
"I think he's saying 'guns'." Nick guessed.
Gil picked up one of the rifles and looked down the sight. "I think you're right."
With Jose's help, they carried the crates into the house and began cleaning and loading the guns. They were gathered in the living room in front of the fire. Jose was cleaning each rifle he pulled from the crates, and then he handed them to Gil. Nick was loading the guns they already had, while Gil loaded the Cavalry rifles and then placed them into an empty crate.
Sara was standing in the doorway watching quietly as they worked. She felt her baby move and placed a hand over her stomach. With so much happening over the past few days, she knew that during the middle of whatever was going to happen, she would be having their baby. When she looked back up, her eyes locked with Gil's. His face showed his sudden concern at her movement. Sara smiled back to inform him that everything was fine.
xxxxxxxxxxxx
That evening Gil sat on the front porch with several rifles stationed near him as he kept an eye on the horizon. He could hear the laughter coming from inside as Nick talked to his daughter, Emily. The full moon bathed him in soft light as Gil listened to the stories he was telling as he tried to convince the infant to fall asleep.
The door opened and Sara emerged with a cup of coffee for him. "Here."
"Thanks." He carefully took the cup from her. She took a seat in the opposite chair and sighed. His eyes quick to catch her wince. "Are you alright?"
With a beaming smile Sara leaned forward and took his hand. She put it over her stomach and watched his face as the baby kicked. Gil's eyes glistened with joy as he felt the slight bumps against his palm. "Do you think it's a boy? Mandy said Emily hardly kicked, and this little one is constantly moving."
"I'm hoping for a boy." He smiled at her, but when he heard one of the horses from the coral whinny, he began scanning the area. "Sara…go inside." Gil picked up a gun.
She didn't hesitate and rushed in the house. Her sudden entry caused Nick to join her husband on the porch, as she took Mandy and Emily upstairs.
"What's up?" The younger man picked up a rifle.
Gil continued to look south. "Horses are approaching." The moon lit up the sky enough that they could make out five riders approaching. "Get down." He whispered as Nick kneeled behind the railing. Gil raised the gun and looked down the sight. He fired to the dirt in front of the riders. "Stop right there!"
They did as he demanded. "Gil, it's me, Warrick." One voice called out.
"Come on." He called back but never lowered his gun.
Nick stood and prepared his gun to shoot as the riders approached. He was leery of the two extras riding in behind.
Warrick, Bobby, and Greg rode up and introduced the two people with them. "Gil, Nick, this is Grey Wolf and his wife, Natane." They both raised a hand in peace. "I met Grey Wolf before I joined the Cavalry." Warrick announced.
Gil lowered his gun. "Where did you pick them up at?"
"They were heading north, and I recognized him."
"You speak English?" Gil asked.
"Yes." The indian responded.
"Where's your tribe?"
He looked at his wife before responding. "I am Cherokee, and she is Arapaho. Our marriage took place before the men herded us from the reservation. We used to live next to the wide river, before the men in coats forced us to flee."
Gil knew he didn't need to explain anymore and stopped him. "I'm sure I can figure out the rest on my own." He sighed and thought of the upcoming winter and how an experienced tracker could be of great help. "Warrick, put your horses up and join us inside. There is some left over dinner you guys can eat."
The five ate and the men joined Gil and Nick next to the fireplace when they were finished. "While you guys have been gone, Nick and I have been observing Sam's movements in the north. He's slowly taking over the pastures, which is what I want him to do." He leaned back into the chair and casually began explaining to Grey Wolf what they have been through and what they intend to do about it.
Grey Wolf nodded. "We were always a peaceful tribe. Shared the land with several white men, that's where I learned your language. After we were driven away from our land, I found that life was going to get much harder. We had no food and were forced to take from whoever we came across. Many of my people were killed."
"Well here, it's all about getting justice." Gil began again. "And while you guys were gone, the man we caught that was involved with killing Al, was taken from the jail." When Warrick and the others began to protest, Gil raised his hands and calmed them down. "It happened three nights after Al was buried. The idiot rode past to announce he was out of jail."
Young Greg scoffed, "What happened?"
"I was sitting on the roof of the house, and while Gil was talking to him, I took him out." Nick smiled proudly and patted the rifle by his side.
Once the subtle laughter had settled down, Gil exposed the plan to everyone.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
They took several days to scout out how many men were working for Sam, and then Gil made the decision to begin putting his plan into action. He would take Grey Wolf, and Warrick out at night. While the men working for Sam were asleep, they snuck up to their camp.
Gil had his gun drawn as he slowly strode into the camp. He made sure each step was as silent as possible when he approached the tethered horses.
"Hold it." The sound of a gun clicking made Gil freeze in his tracks. "Drop it and turn around." The voice demanded.
Caught, Gil held his gun away from his body, but never dropped it. He heard the commotion of the man getting to his feet and just as the thought crossed his mind to turn and shoot, everything went dark.
Pain coursed through his head as he groaned and slowly opened his eyes. "God I hope that's you Warrick."
With a laugh the younger man responded, "It's me." He watched as Gil fully regained consciousness. "How's the head?"
"Sore." Gil struggled to his feet with Warrick's help. He glanced around and noticed the two men bound and gagged. "Good work." Gil placed his hand on the back of his head.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Warrick put a hand on his friends shoulder to help stabilized him.
After a quick dizzy spell Gil nodded. "Yeah."
Grey Wolf began herding the cattle towards the ranch, while Warrick and Gil took their captives back to the homestead. Bobby was waiting to finish taking the cattle south to the market, and once they were sold he would return with the money. Gil had yet to make up his mind what he was going to do with the men he captured. His plan only entailed taking the cattle and the horses, not men. They spent several days locked in a stall when Grey Wolf offered an idea.
Warrick roughly pulled one man out of the stall, leaving the other bound. "Someone wants to talk to you." He dragged the man outside to Gil as he waited with Grey Wolf.
The older man produced a sly grin. "Let's see what you know."
Grey Wolf and Warrick took the man and hung his hands over his head leaving him just low enough to stand on his tip toes. Gil stared at the man as Grey Wolf approached with a red hot poker from the small fire burning outside of the barn. The man's eyes grew wide as he feared what was about to happen.
"Now, I'm going to ask you some questions. If you don't answer, or I just don't like your answer, then my friend here is going to brand you." Gil kept his tone serious.
In one quick pull, Warrick ripped the man's shirt from his back, leaving his torso exposed to the cool fall air. He struggled against his restraints as Grey Wolf teased him with the hot iron.
Thinking about his options, Gil chewed for a moment on the questions he wanted to ask before saying it. "How many men does Sam have working for him?"
The man narrowed his eyes, but when he noticed the smoking red hot poker begin to creep towards him, he spat out his answer in desperation. "Fifteen."
"Fifteen against five." Gil smiled. "I like those odds." He laughed along with Warrick. "Okay, let's cut to the chase. Is Sam planning on killing us?" They stood fast and waited for the man's response. It took several moments of silence to stir Gil. "Grey Wolf."
As the hot poker neared him the man began to plead and struggle. "No, no…you can't." He pulled against the restraints.
"Tell me what Sam's planning." Gil's voice was stern.
Grey Wolf was within two inches of the man's neck when he spoke. "Tom knows. Ask him, he's Sam's favorite and they talk about everything." He desperately pleaded for the torture to cease.
Gil waved off Grey Wolf and stalked into the barn. The other man was tied up in the stall listening to his friend's screaming pleas when Gil burst in. He tried to stand up before the angered man pulled him roughly to his feet. With a grunt, Gil had the man on his feet and slammed his back against the side of the stall.
"What's Sam going to do?" The man spat in his face, and Gil quickly drew a hand back and punched the man in the stomach. With the wind knocked out of him, Gil repeated his question. The man tried to answer as he caught his breath. It wasn't fast enough for Gil as he brought his fist across Tom's jaw. "Answer me!"
Tom coughed and spit out blood along with a tooth. "He's bringing in several hired guns." He spat again. "You are all living on borrowed time."
Gil released him and stepped back. The man was right. They needed to act fast in order to make it through the ordeal. He left Tom and returned outside. "Put him back." After Warrick and Grey Wolf returned, Gil shared the news he had learned.
"It must be tonight." Grey Wolf offered. "Catch them off guard."
"I agree." Warrick added.
Gil sucked in a deep breath and turned towards the house. His eyes locked onto Sara standing on the porch watching them while her hand circled over her swollen belly. He knew what he was about to say would change their lives forever. "We'll head out after dark."
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Nick was embracing his wife as she sobbed. Gil tried to reassure Sara as he approached his horse and stepped up. She understood completely, but was still against the idea. Sara went to comfort Mandy as Nick climbed onto his horse.
Their horses were packed with a small artillery as they went to seek their revenge. They rode towards Sam's house under the cover of night. Even the moon was hidden, not wanting to witness what was about to unfold. When the house was insight, each man dismounted and filled their arms with rifles. They separated and began to spread out and encircle the area.
Gil kept his eyes on the house as the front door opened. He noticed Catherine emerging and climbing onto the awaiting horse. He didn't know what she was doing here, but as long as she was long gone before it all came down he didn't care what her reason was.
Once the call echoed from Grey Wolf that everyone was in position, they inched their way to individual destinations. Warrick and Greg were heading towards the bunk house, while Grey Wolf was sneaking into the barn. Nick was approaching the rear of the house as Gil eased his way towards the porch. So far, everything was going to plan.
Just as his hand gripped the door handle, shots rang out. Gil tried to determine where they were from, but the commotion that started in the house in response to the shots, drew his attention back to the task at hand. He kicked open the door just in time to see Nick approach from the back.
The younger man shrugged as he walked to Gil. A lone gunshot echoed through the first floor. The expression on Nick's face turned to fear as he glanced down as his now bleeding abdomen. Gil's eyes widened as Nick dropped to his knees. "Nick!" he was quickly beside the young man.
Gil held him as Sam's boots echoed on the hardwood floor. He slowly shook his head. "Never send a boy to do a man's job." Sam held the shot gun comfortably at his side. Gil glanced down at Nick's lifeless body and felt his anger begin to boil over. On the ground he was at a disadvantage, but knew the double barreled gun was too heavy to lift and aim in the time he could draw. "It's too bad that you're too late."
"What?"
The old rancher laughed. "While you're here, several men have been sent to take care of Al's place."
His eyes grew wide and quickly putting two and two together, Gil drew his gun and emptied it into Sam. The older man fell backwards to the floor. Without a second thought, Gil rushed out of the house and into a barrage of bullets. The sound of the many guns firing at once was deafening. He picked up one of the rifles he had left on the porch and began shooting. Several of Sam's men turned towards him and returned fire. As he was shooting, Gil noticed a familiar form lying on the ground.
Greg's body lay next to the bunk house. The men not shooting at him were firing towards the barn. He could only draw one conclusion that Warrick was also dead, and Grey Wolf was barely hanging on. As he thought for that brief second, a bullet sharply entered his shoulder spinning him around and to the ground. Gil groaned in pain and knew he needed to get back to Sara. According to Sam, their lives were in danger.
Gil mustered every available ounce of strength he could to stand and make a run towards the horses. He managed to avoid the spray of bullets before ducking into the brush. It took an extra effort to climb on his horse, but all he could think of was Sara as he sunk spur and rode off.
His energy was draining and he was doing everything in his power to stay upright as he rode. Gil could hear another horse approaching from behind and stopped to turn. Determined not to go down without a fight he raised his gun. Just as he was about to fire into the darkness, he heard Grey Wolf call out to him. Feeling somewhat relived, Gil lowered his gun.
"Sam's dead." He stated as the other survivor approached him.
"You got your revenge."
Gil shook his head. "It came at too high of a cost." His voice sounded defeated.
Grey Wolf nodded. "Most battles do." It was then he noticed the horizon change.
His head snapped around to notice the large orange glow in the distance. "Oh no."
They both forced their horses to run as fast as they could carry them. The minutes it took to reach the house seemed like hours. The blaze raged, illuminating the night sky. The entire house was engulfed in flames.
Grey Wolf watched as Gil climbed down and fell to his knees. "Oh God…I'm so sorry Sara." He sobbed into his hands. His sobbing soon slowed as the loss of blood began to affect him and he slumped down to the dirt from exhaustion.
With lightning speed, Grey Wolf was at his side. "Hold on." He helped Gil to his feet and began dragging him towards the barn. When he broke the threshold into the barn, a gunshot echoed disturbing the dirt before him.
"Hold it right there!"
He spoke without raising his head. "Sara?"
His voice was soft and weak, but she heard it loud and clear. "Gil!" She made her way down from the hay mound and to his side. "Oh my God, you've been shot."
"Help me." Grey Wolf instructed and she did her best to help her husband to a soft place to lie down. "Off." He pointed at Gil's shirt and Sara took the knife from his belt and began to cut his shirt away from his body.
The Indian rushed out only to return with a flaming piece of board from the burning house. He sat it on the ground just outside of the barn doors and placed his large knife over the fire. Sara knew what was about to happen. She remembered the bottle of whiskey that was kept in the barn and went to retrieve it. Grey Wolf returned with a hot knife and Sara with a bottle of whiskey.
She propped up Gil's head. "Here, drink." Gil struggled but managed to swallow several gulps of the amber liquid.
Grey Wolf nodded to her. "Over here." Sara moved so she was over Gil's torso. "Knees here." She did as he asked and held her husband down. Grey Wolf pinned Gil's arm under his legs as he held the knife over the wound. He said a small chant, and Sara only hoped it was a prayer. The knife sizzled as it sunk into Gil's flesh. He roared like a bear at the pain from the knife. It only took several seconds before it became too much and Gil passed out.
After Sara dressed Gil's wounds, she curled up next to his sleeping body and tried to get some rest herself. Grey Wolf stood at the edge of the barn door rifle in hand as he watched the house burn. He muttered a chant for those now buried in the flames.
xxxxxxxxxxxx
The next morning Sara left Gil and went to help Grey Wolf. They carefully began to go through the charred and smoking material. The air was saturated with the smell of the burned wood. Sara wanted to desperately find the body's of her friends. In her eyes they deserved a proper burial.
Grey Wolf turned over a large burned board. He stood and looked at Sara. She didn't need any explanation to what he had discovered and she began to make her way towards him. When her eyes found what he was looking at, her hands went to her mouth stunned. "Oh my."
He turned to gently push her away. "Go take care of your husband. I'll see to them." Reluctantly Sara went.
It was the early afternoon when Gil regained consciousness. She was gently keeping a damp press to his head as he groaned. He kept his body still but let his eyes flutter open. Sara gave him a gentle smile as he focused on her. His lips mimicked hers.
Sara removed the towel and assessed the blood soaked dressing on his shoulder. "Do you remember what happened?"
Her husband slowly responded. "I killed Sam."
Sara closed her eyes. "Oh Gil."
He sucked in a deep breath. "Nick, Greg, and Warrick are dead." Tears formed and fell freely from Sara's eyes. "You need to tell Mandy." Sara turned her head as her tears intensified. "What?"
She turned her streaked face down to him. "They're dead."
"I know."
"No." Sara wiped her face. "Mandy, Angela, Natane, and Jose are dead."
Gil was confused until he recalled the images he saw the night before. "Fire." Sara nodded. "The baby?"
Sara's tears refreshed as the thought of Emily entered her mind. She pressed a comforting hand to his face and returned the damp cloth to his head.
Grey Wolf had buried the five bodies by the late afternoon. He had just finished placing the last shovel full of dirt onto one grave when the sound of horses approaching got his attention. He exchanged the spade for his rifle. A group of five riders approached.
They stopped a fair distance from the armed Indian. "Where's Gil?" Jim's voice boomed. Grey Wolf didn't answer. "Don't make me repeat myself."
"Jim." Sara called from the barn and waited for him to ride over.
"I tried to warn Gil this would happen."
"I know."
The sheriff glanced around. "Where is he?"
Sara sighed. "He's injured, but alive."
"I've been to Sam's." He informed her. "If Sam wasn't already dead I would arrest him." Sara held her ground waiting for him to get to the point. "Sara, he knew that what he did was against the law."
"What law?" Sara practically yelled back. "All you did was sit on your ass and let Sam have his run of the territory. At least Al and Gil had the balls to do something about it!" Jim gritted his teeth as she continued. "Sam got away scott free with everything, even murder."
"And if Gil could have waited just one more damn day!" Jim fired back.
"We would all be dead!"
Jim sat back and sucked in a deep breath. He glanced back towards Grey Wolf and the five graves. "My hands are tied here Sara. Two days ago we officially became a state." He dismounted and approached her. "I'm sorry, I have to arrest him."
Wow, now I'm sure I'll get hate reviews for like killing 5 or 8 people in one chapter. Sorry, but it had to be done in order to continue the story.
TDCSI
