Chapter 13

Jimmy watched as Hunter untied him from the wagon. He pulled him up. Jimmy looked in his face.

"I told you to leave. Now I have to watch you die."

"You are no longer my son."

Jimmy watched as Hunter slightly flinched.

"Told you."

Hunter pushed Jimmy out into the center of the camp. The gang circled around him. Jared and Ray stood in the middle. Hunter kicked the back of his knees. He fell down onto them. Hunter circled around him.

"Tell us what you know." Ray said.

Jimmy glared back at them.

"He told me that the Pinkertons were plotting against us." Hunter said as he stood beside Ray.

"Where did you hear that?" Ray asked.

"None of your business." Jimmy said back.

Ray kicked him in the chin causing him to fall onto his back. Hunter looked at his father sprawled on his back in the dirt. He jerked him back up and onto his knees. Jimmy spat blood on the ground in front of him.

"Just tell them, Dad. That way this can all be over." Hunter said kneeling in front of him.

"Fuck you."

Hunter laughed. He motioned for Ray. He turned to Jared as Ray started in on Jimmy.

"There's more with him. I know it. They got to be out there somewhere."

Jared pointed to a few men.

Lou and Rachel watched as Billy and Annie walked hand in hand around the corral. Lou shook her head.

"I can't believe he did it." Lou said laughing.

"He went way out of line, but it usually works. I don't know how but it does." Laughed Rachel.

Tate came out the barn with Lori. They made their way over to the bunkhouse. Tate still walked carefully. Lou and Rachel laughed again.

"Poor Tate. She knows better than that."

"Tate will learn one day to steer clear of Teaspoon when he gets one of his ideas in his head. We shouldn't be laughing at the poor boy." Rachel said laughing again. "You might only get one grandchild from that one!"

"Maybe she should have done it a little bit sooner!"

"Louise!"

The two women laughed as the afternoon went on.

Jimmy laid bloodied in the dirt wondering when the others would make their move. He cracked open one eye when he heard someone grunt next to him. Buck and Noah were pulled into the camp as they struggled to free themselves. Jimmy closed his eye in disappointment.

"Hunter! You got to stop this!" Noah yelled out.

Buck just looked on in wonder at how much the boy resembled his father from years ago.

"Really. All I got to do is find out what you know. You know how stubborn dear ole Dad can be. Maybe one of you will be glad to fill all of us in." Hunter said.

"Hunter, that is your father. Flesh and blood. You got to stop this!" Noah bellowed out.

"What? This?"

Noah looked on in shock as Hunter lifted his dad's head up off the dirt by his hair then proceeded to punch him in the face again.

"Stop!" Buck yelled out.

The gang turned to look at him.

"I will tell you everything. Just stop."

"Buck." Noah said.

"Go on." Jared said walking to stand in his face.

"We got word that the Pinkertons were going to set up an ambush. A big shipment. Get word out and kill all of you. They don't plan on taking anyone in alive." Buck stated.

"Pinkerton's, huh? We got them in our pocket." Laughed Jared.

"You think you do." Buck replied.

Just then, Isabell walked over. She got close to Buck.

"Tell me, have you heard anything of the Smit Raiders?" She asked sweetly.

"Yes."

"And what is that?" She asked as she pulled a knife and slowly trailed it down Buck's throat to this chest.

"Dead."

Isabell stepped away. He saw fear in her otherwise serene demeanor. She took a deep breath.

"You lie."

"No ma'am. Every last one."

Isabell's face turned an ashen gray. She gritted her teeth. The look on her face was enough to strike fear in anyone. She growled down deep.

"The leader?" She asked darkly.

"Dead."

She screamed out and turned toward Buck. Buck yelled out as her blade sliced into him. She grabbed him at his throat. She finally pushed him back before striding away.

"Kill every last one! Every last double-crossing Pinkerton!" She screamed to the heavens as she was walking away.

They pushed Noah and Buck on the ground beside Jimmy. Ray and some others pulled their guns. Hunter stepped up beside Ray.

"I'd hang on to them for a while. Trust me." He said to Ray.

"Why? We should just kill them and get it over with. Less we have to worry about."

"Come on, man. Just wait."

Ray eventually nodded. He had two men tie them together then to the wagon. Noah leaned toward the others.

"Buck, you ok?"

"I think so. It's not too deep. Deep enough though." Buck said through gritted teeth.

"Jimmy. Can you move?"

"Yeah. Where's Cody?"

"Gone for help."

"Look when they get here, we need to try to get out of these ropes. We can grab Hunter and get him away before it goes down." Noah said watching the men walk around preparing.

"Leave him. He's not Hunter anymore." Jimmy said leaning back.

"You don't mean that."

"Yeah, I do."

Cody made his way back toward the canyon. He easily had fifty men with him. He had to get to the gang before the Pinkertons.

The agents watched the army of men heading into the canyon. They knew something was amiss as their shipment had made it into town with no sign of the gang. They knew Blackcomb had successfully delivered the message. As they saw the horde of men heading into the canyons, they knew they would lead them right where they needed to be.

"Won't be long now."