Jackson

Chapter Three

The posse followed the hunters back trail for about an hour before Tommy held them up. They were heading down hill into a valley, he sent Lily and Joel on ahead to see if they had found the bandits hiding place. The pair continued down an ever narrowing trail, conifers were reclaiming the old road. Lily led them in silence for a while and then she slowed and stopped her horse. "There," she looked through the trees sliding her gun bag off her back.

Joel twisted a little to see better. "I see smoke, campfire maybe."

She was sliding off her horse. "Lets find out." She threw her horses reigns over a low hanging branch and went to the rocks close to the edge of the steep decline. Lily unzipped her bag and set up her rifle as Joel got down behind her. She closed her right eye and looked through the scope. A hunter walked right through her cross hairs. "I see you scumbag."

"What do we got?" Joel came over and crouched down by Lily.

"Advance guard, looks like," she paused and watched the men moving around by the front gate of the ranch in the valley below. "I got grey shirt, blue shirt and red shirt on the right. Orange hat and a baldie walkin to the left."

"Any good cover down there?"

"Slim pickins down there, go on have a look," she backed away from the rifle to let Joel see for himself.

Cover between the edge of the tree line and the five bandits was minimal. "Shit," he grumbled quietly. "Got five of em on the gate." He moved the gun some to zoom in on the ranch house in the distance behind them. "I see two guys out in front of the ranch house, sittin there. We tussle with the five in front they might take notice." He straightened up and looked at her.

She shooed him out of the way and examined the ranch through the lens herself. "I could take out the two shits on the porch, gun will sound real far away to them, but its likely to rial up whoever is inside the place."

"Getting our men down there to flank em with that shitty coverage is going to take some doing."

"When I start sniping that will create a distraction, give our guys a chance to advance."

"How many you think you can pick off before they start to panic and run?"

"The two on the porch, I can hit two or three by the gate before they get behind that truck and pin the rest down."

"That give us some time to get behind something and dig in before the rest of em come pouring out."

Lily looked back through the scope. "There's a spot on the east side of the property where a group can sneak in, the other group though..." she continued to search.

"We're gonna go right through the front gate in all the mayhem. There's some farm equipment and a few other things that'll be safe to hide behind between the gate and the ranch."

She brought her eyes back up to Joel. "You sure about that? Blazing in head on?"

"We'll divide and conquer down there, you just stay put and shoot anybody that aint one of us."

"Call Tommy, tell him to get his ass up here." Lily went back to watching the enemy through the eyepiece while Joel fiddled with his walkie. She studied orange hat for a while contemplating the adjustments she would need to take for the wind this morning.

"Come on up Tommy, we got a clear view and we're outta sight."

From the walkie Tommy asked "How many?"

"We've seen seven so far."

"Alright, we're on our way. See you in ten." Tommy got his boys moving up the road.

Lily moved away from her gun again. "Here, get a good look, know the lay of the place. I see a few spots where nail bombs would be very effective, if we could get close enough."

"We nothing," Joel went back to one knee in front of the gun. "You're hanging back here with Stu."

"You'll see there are a lot of natural corridors these guys are going to come running down."

There were a few. "Yeah I see. I'll see what I can do." She stood looking down at the valley behind him as he studied the layout of the bandits hideaway. "Ellie doesn't know we're doing this and I'd prefer to keep it that way Miss Lily. I'd like to shield her from un pleasantries like this."

"It's fine."

"She's seen some things, she knows these kind of things happen, but she don't need to know I'm out killin hunters with her school teacher."

"It's fine," she repeated.

Lily could make him feel just as uncomfortable as Maria could, Joel knew that tone when a lady used it. He looked up at Lily. "I get the feeling I rub you the wrong way Miss Lily."

"You called me the plant police."

"I was just into what I was doing and you threw me off is all. I wasn't trying to be rude. I'd like for us to get along, for Ellie's sake. She's lookin forward to learning what you got to teach."

Her eyes never left the valley floor. "Hey, something is going on down there."

Joel looked back through the scope, four more men had come out of the front of the ranch. "Four guys, they're armed too. Looks like they're headed for the barn. Must be a hunting party."

Lily was calculating how long it would take for them to saddle up. "They'll be riding out before Tommy and the guys can get up here."

"Maybe."

"We can't just let them go. This has to be a clean sweep."

"I'm open to suggestions." He eyed her sidelong.

"Let's see which way they go. If they ride up this way we can take em out quietly." She nodded at the crossbow she brought along whenever she traveled around in the outside world.

He was up for a little stealth killing considering the hunters numbers. "I think we can manage a quiet little ambush if it comes to it. If they ride off someplace else, we're gonna have to track em down after we clean up the ranch."

"Then lets hope they come this way. I don't want to chase a bunch of assholes through their territory."

He turned his attention back to the gun to watch the ranch. The new group of guys were disappearing into the barn one by one. "Why don't you give Tommy the heads up we got movement down there."

She freed the walkie from her left side. "Tommy, you got your ears on?"

After a moment Tommy came back. "What's up Lil?"

"Four guys just went into the barn, probably going to saddle up and ride out."

"Keep an eye out, we'll double time it up there."

"Roger that, " she looked down at Joel. "You copy that?"

"I heard him. I'm watchin." A few minutes ticked slowly by. "So how about it Miss Lily, we good?"

"Yeah, we're good." She sighed and pushed back the long bangs that had escaped her ponytail. Her eyes followed the road out of the valley and up their way. The trees were most dense between where they stood now and the half way point then they thinned out and scrub took over the rest of the slope. She searched until her eyes settled on a good place for an ambush. "They come out of the barn yet?"

"Not yet." Joel was memorizing the place below.

"I think I see a good spot not far from here. Those douche bags start coming up this road I'll cut through the woods, get behind and pick em off quietly."

Joel looked up at her. "A spot where?" She pointed and his eyes followed to the place she was pointing. "Alright I see it. They come this way I'll take the bow and go. You watch the ranch and wait for Tommy."

"Are you fucking kidding me right now?"

His brows furrowed together. "No I aint fuckin kiddin."

"Why the fuck would I send you when I know I can do this myself? I trust me way more then I trust you."

"I can get it done," he straightened his back annoyed. "You need to be here with your gun and wait for Tommy."

"Fuck that dude. If just one of those fucking cock shits gets a shot off we lose the element of surprise."

Ellie's new teacher had a dirty mouth. "I can take them out without that happening. No guns, no screaming."

"I... I don't know about that dude." She stared down at the barn.

"Miss Lily, last night you said you'd put your trust in me, now I'm askin you to prove it. They come up here I'll go, you stay with your gun."

There was always the chance the bandits would leave by a different road. "Think you can handle my bow?"

Joel relinquished his spot in front of the gun to her. He picked the crossbow up and looked it over as she watched through the scope again. "This things real nice Miss Lily, I'll bet its quiet too. It would be a pleasure to handle this."

"It's accurate."

Like most things you do aint that right Lily? He looked down at the woman kneeling behind the big gun. Her ponytail hung down the middle of her back in one long braid. The radio on Joel's hip crackled and then Tommy's voice said "Don't see ya yet. Just passed a downed pine on my left."

Joel palmed his walkie. "You'll be here in about two minutes little brother."

"Hey, barn door is opening." Lily watched one guy slide the door, a guy came out on horseback. "Shit, they're coming out."

Into the walkie Joel informed "We got movement down there."

"I got two guys, nope three out in front of the barn on horseback. The fourth went back in and now he's walking out his horse. I see three guys dickin around opening the gate. Forth rider is closing the barn door. Two bums still sitting on the front porch."

"Nine guys outside of the ranch," he told Tommy.

"They're heading for the gate."

Joel looked downhill. "They coming this way?" In a moment he knew. Joel cranked his walkie down to silence and grabbed the bow and arrows. "I'm going, Tommy will be here any minute."

"Make it quick and come back alive."

"Yes Miss Lily."

As Joel disappeared into the foliage Lily lifted her walkie to her mouth. "Move your ass Tommy."

2

Joel found Lily's spot and climbed up twenty or so feet into an old pine. The road narrowed around this bend, they'd have to start rideing single file through here. Joel would start at the end and kill his way forward. He sat quietly with his back against the trunk watching the road. He heard the hunters before he saw them.

"I'm tellin ya the place is haunted," one bandit rambled. "It was Indian territory."

"You think everything was Indian territory," another scoffed.

"John Parkins said he seen the ghost of an Indian girl."

"John Parkins saw bigfoot too, last winter," the skeptic reminded and laughed.

He watched the hunters move into single file, the chatty two were up at the front. That was good, they kept on yapping about ghosts as Joel put an arrow through the head of the guy in the rear. A second later he dropped the next with a headshot still undetected by the blabbering pair up front. He shot the third guy in the neck as he turned to look back at his trail mates. He couldn't scream but he gurgled rather loudly as he fell off his horse. It was enough for the skeptic left in front to turn around. He managed a quick "Oh shit!" and reached for his gun, but it was too late. Joel let the last arrow fly and down the hunter went.

Joel got down out of the tree as quickly as he could without scraping himself all to hell. He went to the nervous horses that were trying not to step on their dead riders. He couldn't risk them running back to the ranch so he got on at the end of the line. He grabbed the last by the reigns and mounted up. He clicked at the animals out of the side of his mouth "Heeya! Go on now get up there!" He gigged his ride in the side and the horse flesh got moving up the trail faster then they had been moments ago. He pushed them ahead towards Lily, Tommy should be there by now. Joel was ready to get on with this piece of business and have done with it all.

A couple of the boys got hold of the horses Joel brought back with him. Tommy grabbed his brothers mount by the bridle. "That go alright?"

"Got all four of em, nice and quiet." He looked over at Lily. "Just like I said."

Lily was happier to see him then she let on. Not only did he take out the scumbags silently preserving their element of surprise, Ellie wasn't orphaned again yet anyway. "Nice work," she acknowledged.

Tommy looked over at Randy. "Alright, you take your boys and get into position. We'll give ya ten and then get into position ourselves."

"Got it, " Randy said down to Tommy and then to his team members. "Alright you heard Tommy lets go."

Joel slid off the horse as half of their posse headed down the eastern trail. "What's the situation?"

"Still got five at the gate and two out in front of the house." Tommy turned to Lily. "Go on and bend over get another look sugar."

She rolled her eyes and hunkered down for another look through the scope. "Same ol same ol you flaming asshat."

Tommy giggled and big brother shook his head. "We gonna go do this or are you gonna sit up here and get your ass handed to you by Miss Lily?"

"She can handle my ass anytime."

"I'm telling Maria," Lily sighed. There was movement in front of the ranch. "Hang on jerk off I got more coming out the front door."

"How many?" Joel stepped closer to the sniper.

Lily did a head count as a fresh group came out. "I count five."

"Maybe they're switching shifts down at the gate?" Tommy guessed.

"That would be good," Lily kept watching the hunters as the new horses were tied off behind them with her ride and Joel's. "Then those fuckers by the gate might be too tired to shoot straight."

"Aint much cover between the tree line and the ranch," Joel's eyes scanned the valley.

"There's some just beyond the gate," Tommy had looked everything over. "As soon as Randy and his men," Tommy started.

"They're going for the barn," Lily observed. "If they're another group of riders they are not going to come this way too. I gotta pick these fuckers off while I've got the shot. They got no cover between them and the barn."

"The boys aint in place Lil."

"I don't give a fuck, I need to start shooting in the next thirty seconds or we're going to have a fuckin mounties problem you dig?"

Tommy lifted his radio to his face. "Randy where you at?"

The voice came through the machine. "Almost there, eta two minutes."

"I need to kill these fuckers now Tommy," Lily insisted.

"That will screw up the plan, maybe draw some of them bastards this way."

"Deal with it," she lined up for the shot that would take out the two in the lead heading for the barn. "I'm taking the five going to the barn and I'll see how many of the gate men I can get before they get behind the truck. They stick their head out its getting blown off. Get your ass moving now."

Joel could hear it in Lily's voice she meant business. "Come on," he turned and went for his horse as the sniper fired the first shot. There was the quick steady crack of the SR as Joel got on. The others were doing the same behind him and in a moment they left Lily and Stuart behind them on the trail.

Tommy was frustrated. "God damn it Lil, always gotta go and pull these stunts!"

"She's right about taken them hunters out before they get to their horses. I hope she got em." They moved into single formation as they rounded the bend. Lily's gunfire was paced but continuous.

He freed his walkie and spoke into it. "What's going on up there Lil?"

Stuart answered for the gunner. "She got the five going for the barn, one of the guys on the porch and one of the guys by the gate. Got four pinned down behind the truck. Tires are flat, glass is gone, working on blowing its doors off now." Another shot emphasized his point.

"Can she get em?"

Lily was listening. "If they'd grow some hair on their nuts and stick their head out I could." She fired and put another hole in the truck.

"They're tucked in," Stuart mediated.

Around the bend the pines became more widely spaced, cover was thinning. Joel looked back at Tommy. "You tell Miss Lily to cover me and I'll ride down there and light those hunters up."

"Everyone in that house will see you Joel." Tommy argued.

"They gonna see us all anyway and it aint like I'm gonna stand out in the open very long."

"We'll be right behind ya," he promised his big brother. Back in the walkie he said "Lil you cover my brother, he's ridin ahead to light up them guys behind the truck."

She shot again, the door was barely hanging on. "Tell him to cut straight to the right, get behind the barn and go the long way around the house while the rest of you advance. I'll keep the front covered while you move up. Have Joel light up the back of the house, we'll flush the rest of them out."

Tommy nodded. "You get all that big brother?"

It was a good plan. Tommy and his men would be in position by the time Randy and the others arrived. "I got it." He slowed them and came to a stop where they still had good cover. He readied two bottles and tied the second to a leather string hanging from the horn of his saddle. Lily fired again and Joel heard the sound of metal giving way. He checked his lighter, all was well. "Alright, I'm going."

He watched his brother ride off. "Lil, Joel's headen. You see him yet?"

In a second she did. One of the hunters couldn't help but peek around the side of the truck at the sound of approaching hoof beats. Lily fired and took the top left of his head off. "Got another behind the truck."

Joel saw another hunter go down behind the truck. He lit the rag and gigged the horse on. He lined up his target and threw the bottle. There was a firey explosion and then screaming. A man jumped up on fire and Lily shot a hole through his chest. Another made a run for it and got a crater in the back of his head for his trouble. Joel freed El Diablo and shot the last hunter rolling in the dirt behind the truck trying to put himself out. One to the chest ended his squirming and Joel turned his horse. A measured kick got him running again this time toward the barn.

Stuart's voice came through the channel. "The four behind the truck are down."

Randy broke into the conversation. "We're coming to the end of the trees now. I can see Joel, he's riding around the barn."

"Everybody move in now," Tommy ordered. Get to cover before they come flying out of that house!" He jammed his walkie in its holder and got his men moving. "Come on now."

Lily lost sight of Joel as he went behind the house, but in a moment she saw the familiar black smoke of burning fuel. At the front of the house men started running out the front door and she started shooting. "I got one, two." More men started fleeing the house from other places. "Godamnit more coming out the side by the barn!"

"What do you see Lily?" Stuart was good and remaining calm in tense situations. He held his radio out so everyone could hear her. "I got three of them loose in the front. Four, no I think six that got out the side." Another tried the front door and she shot him down.

Tommy and his men rode through the gate seeing some of the runners for themselves. They dismounted quick and got behind the farm equipment in the yard. Randy and his boys came charging in guns blazing and the shoot out was on. Joel left his horse and ducked behind the hay bailer on the far side of the house. From his vantage point he was able to take out one of the stragglers out front with his hunting rifle. He turned his attention back toward the house. A nail bomb exploded between the house and the barn and he decided to place a few himself. He fished two out of his backpack; he chucked the first one under a window near the rear and one a little close then that. The back of the house had caught fire and Joel heard several hunters yelling about it inside.

Inside the ranch they started shooting out windows to let the building smoke out and to try and join the gunfight. Two men went to a kitchen window on the far side to sneak out and the first one was blown apart by the nail bomb. El Diablo put one in his partners neck as the guy was half out the window. He fell forward clutching his throat and landed in a bloody mess. The shooting on the far side was getting more intense.

Another rush of men came pouring out the front from the door and windows. Lily began to pick them off as Tommy's team engaged them. Joel took advantage of the mayhem to get closer to the house to try and see how many were left inside. He crept past the bodies to the haphazardly shot out dining room window. He could hear at least four panicked voices in the room. A quick look inside and he got where they were and which way they were facing. Joel went for it and plugged two of them before they could all run or duck for cover. He dropped when they began to return fire.

The sniper was busy in front of him, Stuart was watching the valley through binoculars behind her. The back bedroom of the house was ablaze and the fire was spreading. The shoot out had been going on for about seven minutes when Stu saw movement at the tree line behind the ranch. He focused in and saw three riders turning and heading back into the trees. "Trees behind the house Lily, I saw riders."

She adjusted the gun to see and took a shot at the last rider before he left her sights. "I got one, I can't see the rest. How many did you see?"

"Three, there were probably more." He activated the walkie. "We got guys in the woods behind the house, at least two of em on horses."

Tommy was in no position to do anything about that right now. He was busy trying to take out the fresh wave coming out the front door. He ducked and told Stu "Keep your eyes peeled, we can catch up to em later."

Joel was going back and forth exchanging fire with two guys inside when the nail bomb he had left near the back of the house blew. He turned around quick and aimed at the second of three that were trying to get out that window. Joel winged him and the guy fell out the window. The one in the window took a shot at Joel and he moved. Quickly he made it back behind the bailer and began shooting at the two now out in the open. Joel got the one in the window first and then the other scrambling to his feet. A hail of bullets came flying out of the dining room window turning the bailer into a musical instrument for a minute. Someone inside had busted out a machine gun.

"Stick your head out I dare you!" The hunter roared inside.

Over on Randy's side Tim took one to the chest when he stood to throw a molotov. It threw off his aim and instead of hitting the crates the enemy was hiding behind it arced left and landed in a bush not far from the front door. Randy dragged his friend out of the line of fire as he crumpled. "Hang in there Timmy, don't you fucking die on me." Randy applied pressure, but it was already too late, Tim's lungs were filling up with blood.

The new fire sparked even more panic inside. Most of the hunters left alive made a break for it out one window another. Another nail bomb explosion punctuated the escalating gunfire. Joel stayed crouched and took out two guys running toward the trees. Gun shots, smoke and the sound of screams filled the air as the sun climbed higher into the sky. The guy with the machine gun broke out the front shooting at Tommy and his men. Joel stood and shot him in the back before he got too far then moved toward the front of the house to help his brother. He got two more but not before one of them turned and got a shot off. The bullet came so close to Joel's face it scratched his cheek and knicked his ear flying by. He dove behind a stack of weathered crates for cover.

Ten minutes later the shooting had dwindled and stopped, the house became fully engulfed. The last of the bandits on the ranch were finished off as Tommy and his men circled the property. "You see anything up there Lil?" he asked as big brother came his way.

"No sign of the fuckers that skinned out on horseback," Lily answered from her post.

"Which road?"

"Directly behind the house."

"Copy that." He waved a Joel. "You wanna help me track the runners down."

Joel adjusted the pack on his back. "I'll find em."

"Ben come on, you're with us. "Tommy headed for his horse. "Let's finish this."

3

Stuart and Lily watched Tommy take two guys and ride into the trees behind the ranch. In the valley below as the house burned down their remaining men began the process of moving corpses and checking the outbuildings, particularly the barn. Keith pulled the big door open to see how many horses remained stabled. "They're searching the property now," Stuart said behind his binoculars.

Lily was trying to catch a glimpse of Tommy's party through the trees. She was hoping they wouldn't have to track the runners far and they took them out with no problems. She picked up her walkie. "Tommy you got eyes on the runners yet?"

Nearly a minute passed then "Naw still following their trail up the valley. They in these woods somewhere."

A shot rang out from behind Stuart, it was close enough to make Lily jump and turn around to look his way. Her eyes widened and he suddenly realized his shirt was wet. He looked down at the blood staining his blue flannel shirt. "Oh shit." He fell to his knees and was dead before his face hit the ground.

Oh shit! The hunter behind Stu had her dead to rights. She squeezed the walkie in her hand to broadcast hoping Tommy was still close enough to hear. "Whoa, just be cool." Another guy came out of the woods behind Stu's killer.

"You the one that been up here snipeing my boys? Huh bitch? Those were my friends you killed down there."

"You just killed Stuart!"

Tommy, Joel and Ben had stopped and turned in the direction of the shot when their walkies relayed Lily's dilemma. Tommy kicked his horse to get him to run and started back around to the place he left Lil and Stu. "Come on!"

"Fuck this guy," the hunter kicked Stu's body as he closed the distance between him and the woman. "You're gonna pay for what you've done you fuckin cooze. I'm gonna fuck every hole you got and then throw you to my friends."

The second guy with a gun on her laughed. "Aint had a good piece of ass in a while."

"Throw that thing in your hand away cunt or I'll put a couple rounds in your gut and fuck you anyway. Toss it over here."

Lily resigned herself to getting shot at the very least, but probably dieing. Didn't matter, she had to try anyway. Her survival instincts were strong. She stood up slowly with her hands up. "Okay okay, here." She moved like she was going to toss it underhand, but right before she let the radio go she brought her arm back and pitched it at the guy in fronts head. The second hunter shot at her as she vaulted over the rock her rifle sat on, luckily he missed.

Miss Lily quit sending and then Joel heard the shots ahead. "Up ahead Tommy!" he freed El Diablo as he pushed his horse faster.

The bitch had split his right eyebrow open with the radio. "Oh you bitch! You fucking bitch! I'm gonna kill you!"

Lily freed the nine from her hip. The bastards shouting told her right where he was. She popped up quick. As he brought up his gun to shoot, she fired one into the shoulder on his right arm. His buddy took two or three shots at her but Lily was already back behind the rock outcropping. "You're next asshole!"

Two hunters on horseback appeared on the trail ahead, Joel opened fire and shot one off his horse. Tommy shot at the other hunter, the man dodged Tommy's first bullet but the second caught him below his left eye. He tumbled off his horse dead. "Lil!" Tommy screamed riding past the dead mounties.

The two remaining hunters that had Lily pinned down turned toward the sound of gunfire, shouting and approaching hoof beats. The wounded man made a break for the trees, Lily stood and shot him twice in the back. The last hunter turned to her to shoot, Lily swung her gun his way. Behind Tommy Joel pulled the trigger; El Diablo gave a loud crack and the last hunter staggered and fell down dead. "Lily?" he called to Ellie's teacher.

Lily came around the side of the rock. "I'm alright!" she called to the approaching riders.

The men were off their horses in a hurry. Ben rushed over to the hunters horses to keep them from running off. Tommy hurried past the bodies to get to Lil. "You alright? You shot?" He reached for her and she swatted him away with angry force.

"I said I'm fucking fine." She went to Stuart and got down on her knees beside him. Lily rolled him over and looked down into his dead eyes. "Fuck."

"Stuart was a good man," Tommy was sullen. "He was fixin to get married this summer. It's a godamn shame."

"I'm sorry about your friend," Joel offered to them both.

Her eyes went to the fucker that killed Stu, the scum that threatened her. Lily got up and went to the hunter. She kicked him over to look at his face. "This is the piece of shit that killed Stu. I want him taken down to the ranch and nailed to the barn."

"Lil," Tommy tried to sound calm.

Eyes full of hate turned on Tommy. "Not another fucking word. This cock shit is going up on the barn and nothing else is going to even think about settling here again."

Joel looked at his brother. Tommy was squirming a little and big brother couldn't blame him. If looks could kill he'd be digging Tommy's grave. Joel found Lily's orders a bit disturbing himself, but displaying conquered dead wasn't uncommon in the outside world. He re holstered his gun and picked up the binoculars Stu dropped. Joel took a look down at the ranch, he didn't want any part of what Tommy was getting.

Tommy shook his head. "It's fucked up Lil, its barbaric. We aint hunters."

Lily straightened and glared at Tommy. "Anthropologically speaking humans have been displaying trophy's of vanquished enemies since the pre dawn of our history. Heads were taken by African tribes and heads on spikes continued in civilized culture through most of the middle ages. The ancient Egyptians took the penis, indigenous Americans took the scalp. In the Bible David brings Saul the foreskins of two hundred Philistines as proof of conquest."

Joel quit looking at the valley and looked at Lily while baby brother shuddered. "You gonna be teaching that crap to Ellie?"

"Everything I just said is historical fact." She turned on Joel. "Not only will she learn the history of barbaric displays she'll be learning the psychology at work behind it. You got a problem with me teaching that to your daughter?"

It was the first time anyone had called Ellie his daughter to his face. Here in the middle of a shit storm the lady who probably wanted to knock his teeth right out of his head acknowledged he was a dad again. For a moment Joel choked, he swallowed the lump in this throat. "Well when you put it that way Miss Lily." He cleared his throat and looked over at Tommy for intervention.

"It aint us, we ain't savages," Tommy redirected her wrath his way again.

Back to Tommy. "This fucker is already dead," Lily kicked the corpse. "But with him hanging out to rot any others like him will think twice about sticking around. It is an effective deterrent and we will use us."

"You got a mean streak a mile wide woman."

"We're nailing him to the barn."

Big brother watched their cold stare down. Finally Tommy caved. "Fuck it," he sighed. "Joel, gimmie a hand gettin this bag of shit up on a horse. I'll take him down there, but I aint doing the deed."

"You hold him, I'll staple his ass in place." Lily was done with Tommy. She went back to her gun to pack it up.

Tommy shook his head at her behind her back then turned the other way. "Hey Ben, bring me up another horse!"

Ben brought one of the hunters horses forward. "What's up Tommy?"

"We're gonna take this guy down to the barn, turn him into a decoration."

"Oh," Ben glanced at Lily and then back to Tommy. "I'll give you a hand."

Joel noticed the look Ben gave Lily's backside. The three men worked together to get the dead hunter on the horse while Lily got her gear together and got it on her own ride. Lily brought over Stuart's horse and held him still while the trio put Stuart's body up over his saddle. Lily quietly secured his body for the trip home and Tommy ordered "Alright everybody lets mount up. We still got work to do."

Tommy led them back to the ranch with loose horses and those carrying the dead between them. For the next three hours the place was searched for supplies, bodies were taken care of, Lily's grisly warning went up. The hunter hung by his feet from a rope around the rafters. Lily got up on a ladder and nailed the bastards outstretched arms to the barn. The new horses were packed up with scavenged supplies for the trip home. They let the house about burned itself out and then formed a bucket brigade from the pump near the corral. By the time they doused the last of the coals the sun was in the west and it was time to get back to Jackson.

The ride home was a somber one; they all went in to board their horses, Tommy and a few of his men had to go notify some loved ones they lost their man today. He told big brother he'd stop by later to check in and went out to deliver some bad news. As Joel was leaving the stables he saw Lily shoulder her bag and head for the exit. Inevitably their paths crossed. "Miss Lily."

"Joel," she was cordial, but inside she was too tired for his southern man routine.

"Can I walk you home?"

"My house is closer then yours from here actually." She sighed. Maybe he wanted to talk about Ellie so she relented. "Yeah, fine. Come on."

She stayed two steps ahead of him until they reached the gate that opened onto the town streets. Miss Lily slowed enough for him to catch up and they walked together. "Your place is around here?"

"Two streets up, take a right."

"I told Ellie to have her homework done before I got home."

It made her smile a little. "Good."

"I think she'll do just fine learning from you. I heard a whole lot of smart fly outta your mouth today. Lotta nasty obscenities too. I don't think Ellie knows what a cock shit is and I prefer she don't."

Lily couldn't help but laugh. "Don't worry Joel, I refrain from using abusive language in front of my kids."

"You save that all up for us grunts huh?"

"I like to keep things where they belong."

"Accurate."

"Precisely," she laughed again.

He was curious. "How many kids you teaching?"

"Ellie makes three."

"You teaching that teenage boy?"

"If you mean Kyle then yes."

"He gonna be studying with Ellie?"

His inner concerned father was hanging out. "We'll be doing things together."

"Ellie is only fourteen Miss Lily," Joel reminded.

"They wont be fucking, they'll be doing math and preserving tomatoes okay?"

Joel's mouth hung open for a second and then he frowned. "I didn't presume they would be I just thought as Ellie's teacher you might keep an eye out to make sure that boy don't try and take advantage of her."

"Kyle is not a scumbag, you can relax."

"Beggin your pardon Miss Lily, but you aint never been a teenage boy."

"So now you're implying what? That I've never enjoyed sex?"

"I...I certainly did not."

"Then you're asserting your belief that the default setting for all males is rapist?"

He was getting flustered. "Where the hell you coming up with something like that?"

"You said I needed to watch Kyle to prevent him from taking advantage of Ellie because you assume that as a teenage boy he'll even stick his dick in a pie if nobody's looking."

The scene from the movie popped into the forefront of his mind. He paused in reminiscence unable to keep the smile off his face. "Okay okay, I see what you're saying. I seen that movie too."

"You saw that movie."

"You this hard on your students?"

"Are you suggesting I've been hard on you Joel?"

"Wouldn't dream of it."

As they walked along Lily noticed "You look kind of scraped up there buddy."

"A little bit."

"You intend to keep the mission a secret from Ellie, but you're going to go home all bloody?"

"I'll tell her there was trouble at the plant."

"You could have cleaned yourself up at the plant. If you're going to make up a cover story at least make it a good one. You come in and I'll get you patched up, but don't expect to make a habit out of me covering for you with Ellie."

"Thank you Miss Lily and don't worry I wont."

Her house wasn't far. "How did you meet Ellie?"

Shit. "A friend of mine, Tess, she asked me to get Ellie someplace safe."

"How long have you been taking care of her?"

"About a year now. She's a good kid, it was easy to get attached."

Lily knew better then to pry too much at once. "She'll do well here. Her old man too from the looks of things. Nice work out there today Joel."

"You too Miss Lily." They smiled at each other. "I think I'll do alright in this town too."

5

They made pleasant conversation about Ellie's schooling as Lily patched Joel up, she even helped him with his cover story. When he arrived home Ellie was n the kitchen trying to figure out what to cook. "Ellie I'm home!"

"Good I'm starving!" She came out into the living room as Joel set his gear on the entry way table. "Hey, what happened to your ear?"

"Piece of metal came flying out of one of the turbines, ricocheting around it got me."

"You okay? Do you need a tetanus shot or something?"

"I'm fine, all patched up. Let's go see what we got to fix for dinner."

Joel used the rest of the ground meat to show Ellie how to make burgers and the potatoes he turned into baked fries. Ellie loved his cooking, but even more she loved that he was doing it for her. While they ate she asked "Did you used to make dinner like this for Sara?"

"Well I do prefer to grill my burgers but yeah, all the time."

"What was Texas like back then?"

"Big," Joel chuckled. "Lot of flat wide open spaces."

"What did you do for fun there?"

He shrugged. "The usual; tv and sports mostly."

"Like baseball?"

"Yup, like baseball."

"Did Sara like baseball?"

"She did. She was good at it too."

"Did she like Tom Gordon?"

Joel washed down a bite of burger with some cold lemony tea. "That Steven King book freakin you out Ellie?"

"It's kinda spooky, but I can totally handle it."

"What makes it spooky?"

"She's alone in the woods with something stalking her. It's kinda one of my worst fears." Ellie looked down at her plate trying not to think of David and his group of sickos.

"You don't need to be afraid Ellie, we're safe here."

"Yeah I know," she bit another french fry in half.

"I can talk to Miss Lily about assigning scary reading."

Ellie looked up at her pops wide eyed. "No! I can handle it."

"I can walk you to Miss Lily's and-"

"Oh my god double no! I don't need you to walk me to school, that would be totally embarrassing!"

Joel smiled and shook his shook his head. "You ready for your big day tomorrow? Got your homework done?"

"Yeah, I finished while you were gone today."

"Alright then I guess we can watch some more Xena tonight."

She brightened at the idea. "We better." That got him laughing and Ellie laughed too.

6

Tommy knocked on Joel's door shortly after Hades was introduced in the story. He and Tommy went to the dining room table for a drink and a quick chat. Big brother poured them each a half glass of whiskey and sat down. "Everything alright Tommy?"

Tommy knocked back a shot. "Yeah, I'm good, its just... I hate tellin somebody that someone they love is dead."

"We we're lucky we only lost two men."

"I reckon." Tommy stared down into his booze. "At least things will quiet down around here now."

"That's a good thing little brother." Joel sipped his drink.

"I know I don't have to tell you, but I don't like what Lil did with that guys body. She might have a stack of logic and psychobabble behind her reasons, but that still don't make it right."

"It's like that a lot out there Tommy. I've seen some of that shit firsthand."

Tommy nodded, he knew it too. "I reckon it is, I just hate seeing it come from Lil."

"What's the story with you and Miss Lily? Why you so infatuated with her?"

"You got eyes don't ya?" Tommy chuckled and downed another shot.

"You a married man little brother."

"Happily married," Tommy smiled. "Don't make Lil any less pretty. I've had a thing for her since way back in our firefly days. This one night a bunch of us lit out of the city, went up to this place up in the hills. We was drinkin and smokin weed and bullshit. All goofed up. Lily, she had this little car back then, it had a nice sound system in it. We was listening to music and ..." Tommy's grin grew bigger. "I saw Lil dancin in the moonlight and I fell straight in love."

Big brother was listening patiently. "Dancin huh?"

"What can I say, the woman knows how to move her body. Of course I chased after her, but she wasn't even the slightest bit interested in anything more then bein friends with me. I took the friendship though, I trusted Lil to have my back in those days more then I trusted you. Kinda a shame you two didn't meet back then, but probably for the best."

"You didn't think I'd like your firefly buddy?"

"Lil didn't like the way Marlene was running the Boston chapter. That woulda given you two something in common and the last thing I needed was you trying to get in her pants. We was already at each others throats as it was."

Joel sipped his drink slowly and swallowed. "You aint in love with her are you Tommy?"

"Naw, but I love her. She's a friend, a good one. I worry about her. The world has put a darkness inside Lil, its kinda like what you're carrying around with you like bad luggage."

"I'm fine little brother."

"What do you think of Lily?"

Joel shook his head. "She's a real piece of work aint she? Mad scientist with a gun."

"You think she's crazy?"

"Most geniuses are a little off aint they?"

"I reckon so." He swallowed more Tennessee sour mash whiskey. "So does that mean I aint gotta worry about you takin a man's interest in Lil?"

Joel frowned at his brother. "Tommy you are married and Miss Lily aint interested in you. I'm sorry boy, but you are not gonna have your cake and eat it too."

"I aint after Lily like that no more, I flirt cuz its fun gettin in trouble with Maria and them two bond over what an asshole I am."

"You aint right in the head."

"I'm as right as I can be after being with you for all them years." The brothers glared at each other across the table. "I heard you walked Lil home."

"She patched me up and I came home." His palms began to sweat a little.

"Okay then I'll just ask ya again. Am I gonna have to worry about you and Lil?"

Joel frowned at Tommy, he didn't like the hot seat. "Not that anything like that is your business."

"It's my business alright; you're my brother and she's my friend and I love you both, but if you hurt her," Tommy stared at Joel waiting for the words to come.

His little brother downed some whiskey. "I got no plans getting tangled up with your girlfriend little brother. Let me give you a little advice. Whatever is going on in that head of yours about Miss Lily, you better just knock it off. You're married Tommy and you are way to attached to a woman who aint your wife."

"You have no idea what me and Lil have been through together. She is family to me not some piece of ass."

"It aint good for your marriage."

"Yeah I guess you'd know all about bad marriages huh big brother?"

"You better watch your mouth boy."

Tommy shook his head. "Lil aint a problem for me and Maria. She's our friend and I'm just lookin out for her."

"Well you don't need to look over here. I've been a gentleman to Miss Lily and I will continue to do so. She is gonna be Ellie's teacher and that's it. Even if that wasn't it, it's still none of your godamn business who that woman does friend or not."

"It is when its you."

"Why's that?"

"I have my concerns about what kind of a man you are. You and Lil together just scares me on a whole number of levels."

Joel understood why Tommy judged him so harshly, but it still stung. "I wouldn't harm a hair on Miss Lily's head. You should know that Tommy."

"I want to trust you brother," again Tommy was speechless.

He picked up the bottle and poured them each a little more. "Things have changed little brother. We're gonna live the quiet life up here now. Gonna put the past in the past and let it stay there."

"Yeah, of coarse we are." He drank some more whiskey to seal the deal.

"I don't plan on giving you nothing to worry about. I'm gonna have my hands full with Ellie going to school with some teenage boy."

Tommy tried to relax. "You take tomorrow off, start Tuesday up at the power plant. Seven to three so be at the stables by six thirty or so for a ride up. The schedule is posted up in the office so you'll know when you'll be on watch all week. We try to do three days on and one off when we can."

"That sounds fine." Joel was looking forward to working a quiet job for a while. He had been running non stop since he left Tess last year. The hunter threat had been dealt with and the foreseeable future should prove to be uneventful. Joel sipped his drink. That sounds just fine indeed.