A/N - As promised, here is chapter 8. :) This one is by far the longest, a total of 7,903 words (excluding the Authors note and Disclaimer)! In this chapter we get to experience the wonderful Armadillo saloon at night, (yay!) and meet two old, familiar friends. I hope you enjoy this and again a massive thank you to everyone who reviews: AllieKat626, Shadow knight1121, Night stalker and Flufferz. Your reviews (and to the people who have reviewed past chapters) mean so much and really help motivate me. :) Enjoy! Also, I've decided to do my Halloween Undead Nightmare special! :D I look forward to writing it! XD
DISCLAIMER: I do not, nor will I ever own Red Dead Redemption or anything related to it. This fanfiction is purely fan made and I only own characters and places that are new. I apologise if any of this material offends any one. I assure you I don't mean to offend in any way, shape or form. This story will contain coarse language and graphic violence.
Chapter 8 – The noises of Armadillo saloon.
Jack and I headed to Marshal Arrington's office and as the two of us walked in we were confronted by two men, who I presumed were his deputies. One man was skinny and wore dark clothes while the other man was his near opposite; this man was overweight and wore light clothes. The two men's attention was snapped to Jack and I as we walked in. The skinny man rose out of his seat and slowly stalked towards us with a glare on his face. "What d'you want?" he asked. His voice was high and had a strong southern accent. I raised a brow and glanced at Jack who was watching the man carefully. "We're here to see Marshal Arrington," Jack said. The man growled and stepped closer to us making me step backwards, bumping into Jack. "What you wanna see 'im for?" the man asked, a nasty sneer on his face.
"We got business with the Marshal," Jack replied, laying a hand on my shoulder and pulling me closer to his side. "We're here to talk to him about a recent killing." The overweight man suddenly chirped up. "Hey, aint you Jack Marston, son of John Marston?" he asked, sitting upwards in his wooden chair. He also had a strong accent. The first man glanced back at him before staring hard at Jack. Jack nodded. "I am." The first man stepped back slightly before bringing up phlegm from his throat and spitting it out to the side. I cringed and shrank back into Jack's side. "That don' mean nothin'! For all we know you's could be runnin' with that Bollard gang." I frowned a little and decided to speak up. "Do we look like we run with some gang?" I asked. The dark haired man turned his nasty sneer to me.
"Who're you?" I opened my mouth to answer but was cut off by a familiar voice.
"Mr Marston! Miss White! How good to see ya again!" We all turned around as the rectangle of orange light was cut off by a figure. It was Marshal Arrington.
"Marshal, good to see ya," Jack greeted, turning around to face the man and letting go of me. I smiled at the Marshal.
"We've come to speak to you," I said, getting right down to business. The Marshal chuckled and walked fully into the room, his spurs clinking on the wooden floor boards. "Well, I was wonderin' when you'd come ta' see me after I sent you out to Tumbleweed." He paused and sat down on his wooden desk as his two deputies watched carefully. The first man still had a scowl on his face. "Please, tell me what you found. Did you chase the gang out?" Jack shook his head and sighed.
"Afraid not, when we got there was no gang." The Marshal nodded slowly and Jack continued. "But... We did find a dead body. We searched it over and found a slip of paper which lead us to Armadillo saloon and to a woman named Cara Worthington-" At the mention of the prostitutes name the skinny dark haired man went into a fit of rage. "That no good whore!" he snapped loudly, making me jump and my left hand twitch towards my Schofield revolver. "She aint fit to lay with no man! She rob ya of your god damned cash! That stupid wretched whore!" The man threw his arms up in the air as he ranted. The Marshal just looked sideways at him.
"Calm down Jonah." I watched the man seethe with anger and kept my distance. Jonah? So that crazy fellah's name is Jonah? Jonah calmed down slightly but not before kicking a spit bucket, spilling foul looking liquid onto the wooden boards. I glanced down at it grimacing a little before turning back to the Marshal. Jack was staring cautiously at Jonah. "I take it your deputy here has heard of her?" he commented. The other man, who had yet to be named, spoke up.
He snorted, "Who hasn't? That lady of the night is as beautiful as the day is long." The man spoke with a tone of wonder and amazement with an undertone of respect. I was confused as to why he looked up to her so much.
The Marshal sighed and took his hat off his head. He ran a hand through his thinning grey hair and scratched his bearded chin. "So what did Cara tell you?" he asked, ignoring his idiotic deputies. "She explained that the man had came in previously to see her and that he seemed a lil' suspicious so she asked him why and he explained that he was being hunted down by his miner friends 'cause he got the one of their wives pregnant," Jack explained. The Marshal nodded and absorbed the information. "So, do we have a name?" Jack nodded.
"A Mr George Abraham." The Marshal rose from his perch on the desk and walked behind it and opened a draw. He leafed through some files of paper before he pulled out a yellowed and torn wanted poster. He held it out to us. "This him?" he asked, handing it to Jack and I. The wanted poster showed a man around his mid thirties; he had tousled black hair and an aged face, engraved with many wrinkles and lines. He had dark eyes and a naturally nervous look. Jack shrugged. "We can't be sure... The body was unrecognisable but... Judging by the information on this poster, I'd say this is our man." Jack handed the poster back to the Marshal. He read it once over quickly before folding it up and sticking it in his breast pocket. "It says he works – or rather worked – with the miners stationed up at Gaptooth Breach. But that doesn't explain why his body was found at Tumbleweed," the Marshal sighed. I thought for a moment, my mind whirling. Suddenly, my brain started to hatch a suspicion, but I need a map to help me. "Erm... Excuse me, Marshal, do you have a map of the New Austin territory?" I asked, stepping forward. All eyes snapped to me. The Marshal nodded and reached into his back trouser pocket. "Here." He handed the yellow folded paper to me and I unfolded it quickly, revealing a detailed map of New Austin. I located Gaptooth Breach and then proceeded to find Tumbleweed and Armadillo. I checked the distances and my mind began to fit the puzzle pieces together. I looked up and saw everyone was staring intently at me. Jonah still had a scowl on his face.
I walked forward and laid the map down on the Marshal's desk. "What you found, Eva?" Jack asked, walking over and looking over my shoulder. I glanced at Jack (on my right) and then at the Marshal (on my left) before looking down and at the map and jabbing my finger on Gaptooth Breach. "Well... I'm not familiar with this area but, he worked here. He was then found dead in Tumbleweed mansion." I dragged my finger across the paper and stopped it on Tumbleweed. "This town is a notorious gang hideout, right?" I looked at Jack for conformation. He nodded. "So it's possible that he fled to Armadillo looking to get away from them and that's when he... laid with Cara... then, sometime the next day, he was found by them and they took him to Tumbleweed," I explained. The Marshal spoke up.
"But why did they drag him all the way to Tumbleweed?"
"It's a well known gang hideout so why not stage the death there? They're at less risk of being found, they have all the privacy they want, it's not too far from Gaptooth, if anyone does come looking for the body then they won' find it if they look in the mines but they'll find it in Tumbleweed, a place where any old gang could have killed him," I finished. I stood back up from leaning over the map and looked at Jack's and the Marshal's reactions. The Marshal was grinning in disbelief and Jack was staring at me with a smile on his face. The stunned silence was cut by Jack chuckling. "Well Eva, you've amazed me," he said, tipping his hat. I felt my cheeks heat up and bowed my head. "It was nothin' really," I said, waving my hand dismissively. The Marshal stood up.
"Well... I say that we head out to Gaptooth Breach first thing tomorrow morning and have a talk with them. And, I must say Miss White, you've out done yourself. To work all this out, you mus' be a real smart girl!" Marshal Arrington laughed. I grinned and felt my cheeks burn with a heat equivalent to a forest fire.
"Thank you, Marshal."
Jack and I had left the Marshal's office on the agreement that we would all meet there at around 7 in the morning. It was now that I realised how long we had been in the building for the sun had disappeared and given way to the pale moon. Stars littered the sky like millions of tiny jewels. I tilted my head up, staring at them in wonder. I was so lost in the dark expanse that I jumped when a hand gripped my shoulder. I followed the hand up to the connecting arm and found it lead to Jack. He smiled down at me. "I think you should keep your eyes on the road before you walk into something," he said, a trace of laughter in his voice.
I smiled at him, "That sounds like a good idea." I paused before continuing. "Where we gonna sleep tonight?" I asked the man next to me. Jack sighed.
"Well I guess we could rent a room in the saloon. That wouldn't upset ya too much would it, Eva?" he said, grinning cheekily at me. I scowled.
"Well... If it means sleeping on a bed then I guess I can stand it for one night," I sighed. Jack chuckled.
"Well, then we better get going, before all the rooms become occupied." Jack chuckled, nudging and teasing me. I huffed and jogged off.
"Well then you better get a move on, Jack Marston," I shouted back, a playful grin on my face. I jogged over to the saloon and my horse and began to fuss him behind the ear, waiting for Jack to catch up. When he did I watched as he unhitched his horse. I cocked my head in confusion. "Where you taking your horse?" I asked. Jack motioned his head towards the saloon. "There's a barn and paddocks 'round the back. We can leave the horses there so they can rest up and feed," Jack explained. I nodded my head and unhitched Dash. "Show me the way."
Jack walked first, leading his golden horse away and around the back of the saloon. I followed with Dash, petting and cooing to him. Upon walking behind the saloon I saw that indeed there were a few paddocks and a large barn. "Where we gonna put them; barn of paddock?" I asked. Jack glanced back over his shoulder. "Barn; It's safer that way," he replied. I nodded and continued to follow him. We walked our horses into the large barn and the familiar smell of hay and horse feed hit my nose. I breathed in deep and felt my head spin slightly. I giggled as I became a little dizzy on my feet. Jack looked back and raised a brow. "Now, now Eva, don't you go getting high on me," he joked. I rolled my eyes.
"I wasn't high I was just light headed from breathing in too deep," I replied smartly. Jack laughed.
"I'll take your word for that, now, we can put our horses in here where they have water and then we can give them some feed," he explained, walking his horse into a stall. I took the stall next door and walked Dash in. I quickly un-tacked him and walked out; closing and locking it behind me. Dash poked his head over and snorted. I smiled at my horse and picked up a nearby bag of feed and carefully began to pour it into a manger on the wall near the door. Dash immediately began to swallow the food down and I couldn't help but smile. "Eat too fast and you'll give yourself hiccups," I mock scowled at my horse. Of course he ignored me but Jack poked my shoulder. "Ow! What was that for?" I asked, rubbing my arm. Jack raised a brow, stuck his thumbs into his belt loops and chuckled.
"I thought you was tough?" Jack asked. I turned my head away and pouted childishly.
"I am," I replied. "How about we just go and get a room? I'm awful tired." At that moment a yawn decided to slip past my pale lips, helping me to prove my point. Jack chuckled. "I can see that. Come on then, let's go." Jack and I walked out the barn and towards the saloon.
The saloon was alive with laughter and alcohol. Men sat gambling at tables, drinking with their friends or chatting up prostitutes. All were activities I didn't care to participate in. I rubbed my sleepy eyes and began to push Jack towards the barman. "Hurry and get us a room," I ordered. Jack laughed and put his hands up.
"All right, all right, I'm going." Jack and I walked up to the bar where we waited a few seconds before the surprised bartender walked over to us.
"Back a third time?" he asked, his glasses nearly falling off the bridge of his nose. Jack nodded and began to search in his satchel.
"Here," he said, pulling out a small wad of cash. "We'd like to rent a room please." The bartender took the money and raised a brow but a knowing smirk sat on his face. "A room eh? My, my, you're lucky tonight. There's one room left," he said, sticking the cash in his pocket. "Up the stairs, turned right, right again and then the last on yer left before the balcony," he gave us the directions and we thanked him. The bartender chuckled as we walked away. "Have fun tonight, must be real special for you to rent a room out for her," he shouted at us. I faltered and was about to spin on my heel and confront the man but Jack grabbed my elbow and nearly dragged me up the saloon stairs. "H-hey, I was gonna give him a piece of my mind!" I complained. Jack sighed but smiled.
"I think you've given enough pieces of your mind today, Eva. Let's just go to bed." Jack continued to hold my elbow and guide me to our room. The upper part of the saloon had less people around but it was noisier in a much different way. Chairs were set out on the hallway and there were many rooms. I felt curious and wanted to explore them but feared discovering something I didn't want to discover.
When we finally got to our room I collapsed in and slumped to my bed. The room smelt slightly of smoke and was lit by two table lamps by the beds. Luckily there were two small beds and they were fairly comfortable; however they didn't compare to the one back at Bonnie's. As my weight sank into the bed it made a hair curling screech as the springs sighed under the weight. I lay with my face buried in the sweat smelling covers before fidgeting and lying on my side and watching Jack move around the room. He seemed to be checking it. "What're you looking for?" I asked. He shrugged.
"Just for rats and things... You know," he replied nonchalantly. I yawned.
"Well, I'm gonna hit the hay... Finally." I stood up and stretched before plopping back down on the bed (making it groan out in protest) and folding my left leg over my right. I then proceeded to pull my dusty boots and patchy socks off and wiggled my free toes. It felt good to left cool air circulate around them. The cool current weaved through my toes as I swung them in front of me. "You know, the Marshal's deputies strike me as funny," I said randomly, earning a confused look from Jack. I shrugged. "I don't know, it's jus' Jonah is a real character," I said, laughing. Jack nodded his head and smiled.
"He sure is. You outta be careful around him, he can have a real hillbilly temper." I giggled and stretched a little more.
"You now headin' to bed?" I asked. Jack nodded and yawned for the first time. I couldn't hold in the laughter and so it slipped past my lips causing Jack to look at me strangely. "Sorry, it's just that's the first time I've ever seen you yawn," I said. He rolled his eyes but smiled and sat down on the other bed. He yawned again and took off his hat, placing it on the small bed stand next to him and ran a hand through his hair. He took off all his guns and holsters before reaching down and taking off his boots. I watched him for a second longer before pulling off my own guns and knife. I stretched and pulled my checked t-shirt out of my jeans. I then looked out the small window at the night sky. Its stark beams broke through the dirtied glass and spilled across the wooden floor. I looked away from the distanced moon when Jack stood up began to peel off his beige jacket. My eyes were drawn to his torso, taking in his well built physique. I felt heat erupt in my cheeks as I blushed and I quickly averted my eyes. My hazel orbs sneakily slid their way back to Jack's figure despite my attempts to keep them on the floor. He hung his jacket on the end of the bed and glanced at me as he sat on the bed again. I blushed even harder at being caught staring and quickly wriggled under the cover. "Good night," Jack said as he climbed in his own bed and switched the small lamp near him off. I smiled and turned off the last lamp. "Good night." The room was engulfed in darkness with only a sliver of silver light coming from the moon. The sounds of the saloon could be heard downstairs; the piano was merrily playing and cheers could be heard from gambling men. I sighed and closed my eyes, thankful for the long awaited rest. But as I lay in the black night trying to fall into the realm they call sleep images of Jack in his white button up shirt were engraved into my mind. I flinched and buried myself deeper in the cover, trying to hide my burning blush that I was sure could be seen even in the darkness. Sometime later, as I was willing the mental images of Jack away, I slipped away from conscious and in to a deep, well earned sleep.
I snapped my eyes open as I was disturbed from my sleep; I was greeted with nothing but darkness and a small sliver of moonlight. I frowned in confusion; shouldn't it be morning? I stifled a yawn and turned my head to look at Jack. His eyes were wide open and staring at me. "AHH!" I yelped with fright and nearly fell out of my bed. Jack sat up and flicked the lamp on beside his bed. "You okay?" he asked. I laid a hand over my beating heart.
"What the – You scared the life outta me!" I complained. Jack chuckled.
"I'm sorry, but I was woken up by... Err... Someone next door," he said, jabbing a thumb in the direction of the room next door. I cocked my head in confusion but listened carefully. It was then that I heard strange noises – strange certain noises – coming from the room. I paled as moans and groans reached my poor virgin ears. "Eww... Eww: eww, eww!" I gasped, my eyes widening with disgust and shock. Jack chuckled but shook his head.
"Well, I suppose we are in a saloon," he reasoned. I snapped my head towards him.
"B-but still... It's just... Eww!" I listened for a second longer before falling backwards in the bed. I drew the covers up and over my head in a vain attempt to shut the noises out. The walls were thin so the noises were easily heard; my cover was also thin and the cotton lining did little to block the sound waves. "Oh my goodness... I can still hear it!" I cried. I heard Jack's laugh clearly and scowled. "This ain't funny!" I snapped. Jack laughed even louder. "Yeah, yeah, laugh it up, Marston," I said, pulling the cover off my head. "Jus' you wait, one day you're gonna do something embarrassing and I'm never gonna let you live it down!" I declared. Jack's laughter stopped un-characteristically.
"What was that?" he asked somewhat darkly. I paled at Jack's new character.
"E-err, nothing, I was just saying... That I was gonna... Laugh...," I trailed off as Jack's hand started moving towards his guns. I was extremely confused; have I said something to upset him? I gulped and began to shuffle backwards and slightly towards my own guns. Jack's hand reached out and hovered over his gun for a second before he erupted in a fit of laughter. "J-Jack?" I asked, confused and my heart still pumping furiously. Jack doubled over with the force of his laughter. He kept it up for a few more minutes before he calmed down. "I-I'm sorry, Eva. I couldn't help messing with ya," he choked out between laughter. I breathed a deep sigh of relief and pulled the covers up to my chin. "You're mean," I said, pouting childishly. Jack sighed, still shaking with silent laughter, and laid back in bed. He switched the lamp off and we were again engulfed in darkness. Sounds of the prostitute working could still be heard from next door. "I'm sorry," Jack said, breaking my concentration on the noises. I shrugged, though he couldn't see it. "It's OK," I said, smiling.
"It's jus', I aint used to being around someone else so much, especially someone who's my age," he admitted.
"Well, I guess I can forgive you, but you owe me," I said sternly, though it had a trace of humour. It was my turn to mess with him.
"I guess I do, just please make sure It aint something embarrassing," he replied. I grinned wickedly, secretly plotting my revenge.
"I'll try, though I aint making any promises," I stated confidently. I heard Jack chuckle.
"Well, I'm done for," he sighed dramatically to himself. I huffed.
"It's your own fault. You're lucky I didn't shoot you!" Jack laughed.
"I woulda put seven bullets in you before you could even put one in me," he boasted. I frowned and sat straight up. I turned to him.
"Excuse me? If ya'll so confident then how about we have a duel? Right here, right now!" I demanded, pouting. Jack chuckled.
"Settle down, I was joking."
"Hey, I'm as deadly as any man! I'll do it! I'm a woman on the edge!" Jack erupted into even more laughter. I blushed but still had a pout on my face. He has a nice laugh... Even if it is directed at me. I dropped back in my bed and waited for Jack to stop laughing. Once he did we were engulfed in sleepy near silence. I turned my head slightly and asked him a question that had been manifesting in my mind. "Is it really that lonely out there?" I asked. Jack was silent for a moment before he answered. "It is." We laid in silence, neither of us talking. Eventually, I drifted off despite the noise coming from next door.
The next time I awoke it was thankfully morning. I opened my eyes and blinked slowly before sitting up. I looked towards Jack and saw he was still asleep. I yawned and stretched, shaking the sleep from my limbs. Outside the sun was just barely peeking over the eastern hills and the low morning rays were flooding in through the window. I scratched the back of my head and realised I had slept with my hair up last night. It was half in and half out the bun. I sighed and yanked it out and began to run my fingers through it, pulling out all the knots. After ridding myself of nearly all the knots I stretched a little more before throwing my legs over the side of the bed. I then began to pull on my socks and boots over my jeans. Once they were on I stood up and tucked my shirt into my jeans and pulled on all my holsters and guns. I then retied my hair into its bun. Once everything was on securely I glanced at the sleeping Jack. He looked awful cute as he slept. I shook my head and told myself to stop thinking such thoughts and so I walked out of the room. The rest of the saloon had a sleepy atmosphere as the bar was quiet and the prostitutes tired after a night of entertaining. Noises from last night began to resonate in my mind causing me to flinch. I rubbed my eyes and walked out of the saloon upper half and on to the outside balcony. As I walked out I had to shield my eyes from the low rising sun. I positioned myself so a building was blocking it and I could open my eyes freely. I looked down at the dusty streets of Armadillo and saw that the town was slowly coming alive. Cowboys on horses were walking past, some driving carriages. I watched as one carriage pulled up outside the general store and a man (who I presumed was the shopkeeper) came out and began to help unload the stock. I then moved my hazel eyes along and looked at the Marshal's office down the other end of the street. There were no signs of life but I was sure that they were all up and in there, readying up for the day. I then realised that we needed to be ready for 7. I stretched one last time before turning and heading back into the saloon. I wonder what time it is... It can't be too late or the Marshal would be out the front waiting. I walked back into Jack's and mine room to find him sitting up in bed stretching and yawning. I smiled at him as I walked in. "Good morning. Sleep well?" I asked. He nodded.
"Yeah. You?" I shrugged.
"As good as you can with two people having sex next door," I answered, looking around for a clock. I couldn't find one. "Damn, there's no clock," I muttered. Jack's head snapped up. "Eva, did you just curse?" I shrugged and blushed a little.
"Sorry," I murmured. He chuckled.
"Don't worry about it. Now, I think we need to get going." I nodded and waited as Jack pulled on his boots, guns, jacket and hat. Finally, we were ready to go.
Jack and I left the saloon and walked around the back to the barn we left our horses in the previous night. As we walked into the hay smelling barn Dash whinnied loudly and began to kick the stable door. "Hey, cut that out!" I scolded, scowling at my horse. Jack chuckled.
"He looks excited to see ya," he commented. I sighed and nodded.
"It appears so. I bet it's 'cause he knows I'm gonna to feed him." I grabbed a handful of feed and held it out for Dash; he ate it quickly so I grabbed some hay for him to chomp on and walked into the stall. I threw it onto the ground and Dash lowered his head to eat. I then began to tack up my horse and prepare him for the day. I patted his neck as I finished adjusting his girth. "Good boy," I cooed, smiling affectionately at him. I grabbed the reins and led him out of the stall just as Jack was mounting his own horse. "Ready to hunt some outlaws?" he asked, grinning. I nodded eagerly.
"Ready as a horse at a race!" I chirped as I mounted Dash. Jack chuckled and spurred his horse.
"Let's go!" he ordered, moving his horse forward and out of the barn. I clicked my tongue and followed on Dash.
"C'mon!"
We trotted our horses around the front of the saloon and down the street to the Marshal's office. Outside were three horses waiting patiently. We halted our own horses and dismounted as the door to the Marshal's office opened. Three figures, Marshal Arrington and his two deputies, emerged from the darkened room and walked out into the growing sunlight. "Mornin' Mr Marston, Miss White." Jack tipped his head and I nodded.
"Mornin'Marshal."
"Good mornin'." Jonah had his usual scowl on and it came as no surprise. I had known him for about 2 hours and I could already predict him. "Now, I don't believe you've all formally met," the Marshal began. He motioned to Jonah and the other deputy. "These fellows are my deputies, Jonah and Eli." The overweight man now had a name: Eli. "Nice to meet ya!" Eli chimed, grinning widely. Jack tipped his hat and mumbled a greeting. I nodded and smiled at the man.
"Nice to meet you too!" I said happily. I preferred this cheerful man to his grumpy opposite. Jonah grumbled out a string of curses to which I rolled my eyes.
"Jonah, Eli, this is Miss White, a friend of Mr Marston's," the Marshal continued. "She's here all the way from..." The Marshal was waiting for me to answer.
"Westwood."
"Westwood, so she's a long way from home," the Marshal finished before turning towards his horse. "Right, with introductions done I think it's time we wen' to Gaptooth Breach and had a talk with these here miners." We all nodded and moved towards our own horses. I mounted Dot Dot Dash quickly and watched as Jack mounted his golden stallion, Eli a bay mare, Jonah a blanket strawberry roan appaloosa and the Marshal a chestnut with flaxen mane and tail. "Right, onwards to Gaptooth Breach!" the Marshal declared, spurring his horse and cantering off through town, with the rest of us following him.
The ride there was going to be fairly long (or so Jack said) so I took to making conversation with anyone who would. "So, how long you two been deputies?" I asked casually to Jonah and Eli. Jonah sneered. "What business is it of yours?" he asked lowly. I heard Jack clear his throat and saw him glancing back, sending a warning look at Jonah. I giggled. "I'm sorry, it was jus' a question," I said, raising my eyebrows with a smile on my face. Eli chuckled.
"Please, excuse him, he's jus' a little sour that he didn't get promoted to Marshal after Mr Leigh Johnson retired," Eli explained. I nodded and glanced at Jonah to see he still had a scowl on his face. "Now, you be nice ta' Eva, or she might just put a bullet through ya head," the Marshal added, chuckling to himself. Jonah's scowl lessened slightly. "But, she's a woman, she ain't supposed to be out on a mission like this," he muttered. I heard it and snapped my head towards him.
"Either you're sayin' that 'cause you're concerned for my safety or you're being sexist. I'd prefer it if it wasn't the latter," I warned, glaring at him. I was tempted to ride Dash into his horse but thought better against it. It's not the horse's fault that its rider is a foul hillbilly. I heard Jack chuckling. "I'd be carefully if I was you, Jonah. I've seen this woman smash bottles over men's heads, shoot down cattle rustlers and threaten a man at gunpoint," he laughed. Jonah's scowl slipped and a look of suspicion and surprised crossed it. I giggled slightly and faced forward, concentrating on keeping Dash on the dusty road. The sun had grown stronger now and the sky was a cloudless blue. I couldn't help but envy the bird that was flying over head. It was free to fly through the vast expanse of the sky. I wanted to ride through the vast wilderness of Mexico and West Elizabeth, but I was stuck in New Austin. Not that the area was bad or anything, it certainly made a change from home. "Hey, Miss White?" I snapped out of my thoughts and looked to my left to see Eli staring at me.
"Pardon? I was lost in my thoughts," I admitted, laughing sheepishly.
"That's OK Miss, I was just asking why you were so far from home," Eli repeated. I nodded and smiled.
"Well, see my Pa ran in to a little tricky business so he sent me out here to stay on the MacFarlane ranch for a while, to get a little change in scenery and jus' get away from it all," I explained, being vague. Eli nodded and Jonah suddenly cut in.
"What? So your Pa deals with good-for-nothin's?" he asked. I stiffened at the way he put it.
"N-no," I started. Jonah cut me off.
"So what? What your Pa done that you had to leave for?"
Jack suddenly shouted back, "You shouldn't keep poking your nose where it aint wanted." Jack's voice was low and carried a hidden threat. I blinked at him. Is he standin' up for me? Why's he so protective all of a sudden? Not that I don't mind... I blushed slightly as Jack smiled slightly at me and I averted my eyes down to the horn of my saddle. Actually, I quite like it.
We moved quickly through the landscape, the sun quickly growing hotter and hotter. We moved out of Cholla Springs and into Gaptooth Ridge. On the way we passed places I could remember, Critchley's ranch for example. We also passed all manners of wildlife. Birds soared above us and deer leapt gracefully out of our way. We even passed a small pack of wolves which perked my interest. I managed to keep my twitching hand off my Schofield long enough for us to pass and the wolves to become blurs. Dash kept fighting for his head, wanting to run faster but I held him back, behind the Marshal and Jack. Eventually though, the area became more rocky and the vegetation sparse. Joshua trees sprouted from the dry earth and tumbleweeds rolled in the wind. The Marshal began slowing his horse upfront to a canter and we followed. "We're nearly there," he said, glancing backwards at us. I heard the deputies chuckle.
"Time to shoot some outlaws!" Jonah cheered.
"Actually, I think it best if we deal with this diplomatically first. We need ta' hold back on our shootin'," he ordered. Jonah sighed.
"Yes sir, Marshal, sir," he muttered. Eventually we rode towards a highly rocky area and came to the base of a mountain. We slowed our horses to a trot as we travelled along a path to what I guessed was the mines. Ahead I could see tan tents and stacks of crates. It appeared to be a camp of some sort. As we approached, two men came walking towards us on their horses. We stopped nearby and they stared us down. One man had a small beard and a black bandana tied around his neck. The other was beard free and had a large brown hat on his head. Both of them were dirtied by dust that I assumed came from working in the mines all day long. "You aint welcome here," one spoke in a gruff voice.
"We're here to speak with the man in charge of this place," Marshal Arrington said. The two men glanced at each other before coming to a silent agreement.
"What you wanna see 'im for?" the second man asked. The Marshal hesitated.
"We're here to... ask him a few questions. It aint nothing ta' do with the mines, if that's what ya'll wonderin'." The two dirtied men glanced at each other before turning their horses. "Follow us," one of them said. They began to walk their horse further into the camp.
Marshal Arrington glanced back at us quickly, "Now, jus' keep your hands off ya guns for a little, maybe we can get by this without shootin' up the whole damn camp." We each nodded in understanding before we followed on our horses.
The camp was a series of tents set up around a few wooden buildings and a track for the mine carts. There were a few people milling around as we walked through the camp and immediately all eyes were drawn to us newcomers. It made me feel slightly uneasy. The miners were rather large and gruff looking, with their faces and clothes dirtied from working in the mines. I looked around, assessing how many miners were currently in the camp and where they were positioned. I knew there had to be more down in the mines. "Mr Thompson, sir, there's some guys here to see ya," a man called as we finally stopped at a building next to the mine tracks. There was a clatter inside before the door opened and a man walked out into the sunshine. "Are they now?" he asked as he walked out. He was fairly tall and well built, had a gruff, almost black from mining, wrinkled face and a mop of brown hair. He was wearing jean overalls over his shirt and had thick black leather gloves on. A grin was spread across his face as he looked at the Marshal, me and the others. It made me feel even more nervous than I currently was. "Yes sir, we're here jus' ta' ask ya a few questions." the Marshal said, dismounting his horse. We remained seated in our horses saddles. Thompson glanced at us before looked the Marshal dead in the eye. "What's a Marshal, such as yourself, doing out in these parts?" he asked. The Marshal looked behind Thompson at the other miners who were watching curiously.
"I think it would be better if we spoke some where a little more private," the Marshal said confidently. Thompson nodded before turning backwards to his men.
"Ya'll keep workin'!" he ordered. The men grumbled then dispersed quickly, following their higher ups orders. "C'mon, we can talk in this here tent over there," Thompson said, pointing to a nearby tent. The Marshal nodded and grabbed his horse by its reins and following Thompson. We followed the two men still mounted on our horses and we waited outside. "I'll jus' be a sec. Eli, look after my horse for me," the Marshal ordered. Eli nodded quickly before dismounting and snatching the Marshal's horse's reins as well as clutching his own horse. I dismounted Dash and sat on a nearby crate. Jack and Jonah also dismounted and sat down or leaned casually as we waited for the Marshal. My horse lowered his spotty head and I began to stroke his muzzle absentmindedly. If I listened carefully I could make put parts of the Marshal's conversation. "So, what you really here for Marshal?" asked Thompson.
"There's been a recent murder of a guy named George Abraham," the Marshal replied slyly. "You wouldn't have happened ta' know anything about it?"
"No, I don't I'm afraid."
"He worked under you, am I correct?"
"That you are."
"And that he got your wife pregnant." There was a stagnant pause and I could imagine Thompson bristling.
"Where on Earth did ya'll hear that?" he asked finally.
"Offa friend."
"Well... He did get my wife pregnant."
"That's a good a reason as any other to kill him, don't ya think?"
"No, Marshal, you shouldn't go around accusing people of such things... or ya might get hurt." I could hear the hidden threat in Thompson's words. I began to feel tense as tempers flared in the tent. My left hand began to descend from Dash's velvety muzzle to my Schofield. "A friend of mine came up with this marvellous idea... that you staged the death to happen at Tumbleweed in order to keep suspicions low," the Marshal stated calmly.
"Now why would I do that?" Thompson asked, his voice lower than ever.
"I don't know, you tell me." A second later a echoing shot rang out in the tent, startling me and sending the horses (including Dash) rearing up into the air. Their neighs shrieked out and they turned and cantered off, away from the fight. "Marshal!" Eli shouted out, rushing towards the tent. Jonah followed and Jack and I gathered behind them. Eli opened the tent's flaps and the Marshal walked out, luckily unscathed. "Marshal! Marshal, you okay, Marshal?" Eli flustered, checking the Marshal over for wounds. Marshal Arrington waved him off. "I'm fine. The same can't be said for Thompson though. I woulda preferred ta' take him back alive but he pulled his gun on me." It was then that some shouts were directed our way.
"Hey, what was that gunshot for?" one man shouted. We all looked behind the tent to see men clustering and staring in our direction.
"Those sons-of-bitches... They shot Mr Thompson!" one man declared. I flinched as a bullet was fired at us, skimming me and hitting the dirt. Marshal Arrington immediately dove for cover behind some crates. "Looks like we're gonna have ta' take these guys out as well!" he shouted at us as more bullets whizzed past us. I reached behind me and pulled out my Henry repeater. Finally, what I came here for. Some shootin'!
Everyone dove into cover and I was left standing in the open, feeling slightly stupid. "What? W-wait!" I cried, running as quick as I could to the nearest stack of crates. Two bullets narrowly missed my side and a third grazed my left arm in nearly the same place as the cattle rustling instance, drawing blood. I yelped slightly like a dog as I slid along the ground and behind cover. A billowing cloud of dust followed me. I switched my gun to my right hand and looked at the graze on my left lower arm. Damn it! I shoulda been quicker! I mentally cursed and peeked over the crates. Men had seemingly poured from the mine like ants from a disturbed nest and were now taking cover behind various objects. Their heads could be seen peeking over or around cover. I watched as the Marshal, deputies and Jack began to fire their guns, shooting down the enraged miners. I switched my gun back to my left, readied the weapon and swiftly stood up and shot at two men. I killed one and disarmed another. I was forced to duck down behind the crates, however, as bullets hit the wood, splintering it. Adrenalin was coursing through my veins as I peeked over my cover and waited for a nearby man to carelessly rise from his cover. I watched carefully, my muscles ready like a cougar stalking its prey. Eventually the man moved from his cover to shoot at Jack, so I took this as my chance to shoot. I jumped up and pulled the trigger three times, sending one bullet into his left side, one into his chest and the other into his stomach. He coughed up a flurry of blood before collapsing dead onto the dusty ground. I silently cheered as a grin spread across my face and I ducked back behind my cover.
The miners were losing fast and the few remaining men glanced between themselves before turning and making a desperate retreat. I heard the Marshal shout, "Move up and push them back where there's less cover!" We all nodded and we charged towards the retreating miners. I vaulted over the crates and sprinted to the next stack of the wooden items. I had to duck as I was running in order to narrowly avoid a bullet aimed for my head, which caused me to forward roll to my cover. "Whoa! That was close!" I commented, peering over the crates. I had positioned myself well. Next thing I knew a body was thrown beside me. I jumped, yelped and pointed my gun at the intruder. However I calmed once I saw it was Jack. "Jack! You scared me," I sighed. He smiled at me then pushed the offending barrel of my gun away from his face. "As much as I trust you, I'd prefer it if you didn't point ya gun at me," he said. I giggled and nodded.
"Right; sorry," I admitted. I peeked again over cover and watched as one man slumped to the floor, leaving a blood smear on the rocks behind him. I rose up and shot down another two men. Jack also stood up beside me and shot three men. I couldn't stop the laugh that slipped out. "This is mighty fun!" I shouted as I cocked my gun. A few moments later and the last man fell to the ground dead by my bullet.