A/N: Hello, again, lovely readers. This chapter is pretty good, as you may infer from the title. We really hope you guys are enjoying this story as much as we are enjoying writing it. Ward is one sexy gun slinger!.
Once again, our thanks go out to our awesome beta, SweetThunder for sharing her special talents to make this story even more special.
Yes, Stephenie Meyer still owns the Twilight characters, but WE OWN WESTWARD! He belongs to us and we like to play with him. We hope all you guys do too!
So now, please enjoy….
Westward
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The Marksman
Chapter 11 – Justice
"No, no, not now…" Ward's broken voice trailed off as he felt Bella's body crumple. The devastation was total. Little more than a charred skeleton remained of her once-cozy little cottage. The barn was completely obliterated; they'd even torn down the rail fence that surrounded the property. All of the animals were run off or stolen. One sad rag of clothing flapped in the breeze on the line behind the house, waving in hopeless surrender.
Ward slid off the horse, taking Bella in his arms. She stood limply, in shock at the sight before her. Without warning she sunk to her knees and screamed. "NO! Damn them! WHY?" Ward met her on the ground and absorbed the flailing blows of frustration that she leveled against his chest. He did the only thing he could think to do, crooning soft words of sympathy in her ear.
When all the fight had left her, she slumped in his arms and moaned piteously, "Edward."
"I know darlin'." He placed a kiss on her forehead and helped her to stand up. "Let's go down and see if there's anything left."
She nodded mutely and woodenly accepted his help mounting the pony again. Once they got to where the front porch used to be, Bella's tears began anew. She was sympathetic to the Hualapai's tragic circumstance. Their whole village was burned. She was, however, infinitely more empathetic to their plight now. She walked through the rubble and tried to identify anything of value, but there was nothing left. The only things remotely recognizable were the cast iron stove and a few pans.
Ward followed behind her, scanning the debris and managed to come up with a few scraps, but Bella dismissed his finds with a sad shake of her head. He watched helplessly as she drifted off to the shade of the old mesquite tree at the back of her property.
"So what do you suppose you'll do now?" She asked as Ward took up a seat next to her, leaning back against the trunk of the gnarled and twisted tree. She was staring off into nothing, her face washed in tears, as she drew shapes into the dust with her finger.
He sat quietly contemplating his options. It didn't take very long since there was really only one option for him to consider. This land was half his and this spirit-broken woman had taken full possession of him, body and soul. He'd have to be dragged away in chains before he ever left her side again.
"Nothin's changed, 'ceptin I think I'd prefer you to stay back at the camp with Jacob's people. It's probably best that you keep out of sight for now. I'm gonna scout out the Valle Verde and see what them slimy rat bastards are up to. Ain't nobody gonna mess with my property and not be held to account for their crime." His voice was like cold steel, low and full of resolve.
His words sparked a bit of hope in Bella, but her heart was still heavy with the loss of all the tangible memories of her father. The house itself was just a building; it was the keepsakes inside that held the most value. And now they were all gone. All because of the Valentines. Her despair was slowly being replaced by a rumbling fury that galvanized her resolve.
"Of course we're gonna need some funds and at least a pair of pistols. You think your friend Emmett might be able to help?"
She dashed the tears from her cheeks with a dusty hand and gave him a watery smile. "There's something else I need to tell you about this property." Her eyes were bright with determination and resolve as she stood up and smoothed down her skirt.
"You been holdin' out on me Miss Swan?" Ward's smile was like a balm to her spirit.
"Only 'til I was sure I could trust you. And I swear if you double-cross me," she emphasized her words with a sharp poke to his chest, "well, just remember hell hath no fury." She flattened her palm and pushed her hand on his chest to hold him back and confirm the seriousness of the message she was about to deliver. He wrapped his hand around hers and pulled her firmly against his chest, anchoring her there with his other arm.
"Heaven' help me if I ever cross you. I'm in this for the long haul Bella. I..." The words caught in his throat. He'd never told a woman that he loved her. But that's what he felt for Bella all the same. Deuce take it! He loved her!
She looked up expectantly into his eyes, "You what Eddie?" Her use of his childhood nickname flustered him even further.
He grumbled a few unintelligible curses under his breath and narrowed his eyes at the playful smirk that was currently gracing the plump and tempting lips of his love. "Doggone it all woman. I care for you somethin' fierce."
His eyes blazed with verdant desire as he lowered his lips to hers. The intensity of the kiss quickly mellowed into longing tenderness and unfulfilled need. Her body yielded to his as she wrapped her arms around his neck. All of her uncertainty and sadness seemed to melt away with each passing second.
Their kiss ended with soft pecks and light brushes. They clung to each other as Bella nestled her head onto Wards chest where it fit perfectly just under his chin. She thought it was her most favorite place to be in the whole world. "I care for you too. So much," she whispered. His grip tightened just enough to indicate that he'd heard her.
"Now," Ward said, his hands moving to gently hold Bella's shoulders, "what big secrets do you have to tell me?"
"There's gold."
"Where's gold?"
"A cave up in the hills not far away."
Ward pushed Bella away from himself and looked her right in the eyes, assuring himself that this was no joke or silly fib. "Well, I'll be. You're serious." Ward had to hand it to Bella; she'd managed to keep that secret well. The Valentine's had no idea how she was keeping her ranch solvent after her father died.
"Of course, I'm serious. We can get enough gold there to buy whatever we need. Jake's been helping me excavate. I think we're pretty close to the main vein, but we haven't hit it just yet. Do you want to see it?"
"Of course I want to see it," Ward looked about at the afternoon sun setting, "but how's about we do this. I'll take you back to Jake's village. I can't leave you here and I'd rather that our whereabouts not be known just yet. Plus I need to get our horses back."
Even though she'd been trying to prepare herself for this separation, Bella's eyes grew wide at the prospect of Eddie walking straight into the lion's den. "I hate that you're going there by yourself. They'll kill you on the spot if you're discovered!"
"Trust me sweetheart. I need my horse. With any luck, I'll be able to scrounge up a few pistols." He flashed his most confident smile and tugged on her hand leading her back to the painted horse and an uncertain future.
It was still quite dark by the time Ward rode back into the temporary Hualapai encampment. He walked quietly to the lean-to where Bella was sleeping, just to let her know he was back. He then returned and reported to Jacob and Sam on the condition of the Elders. Sam was outraged that they were being kept tied up in a barn stall, but Jacob was relieved that they were relatively unharmed.
After checking on the Elders, Ward sneaked across the compound to the bunkhouse. Rufus was asleep on the porch with his chair leaning against the wall on the back two legs, hat pulled over his eyes, snoring like a bear. Ward chuckled inwardly at the caliber of night watchmen the Valentine's trusted as he slipped in to the bunkhouse. He thanked his lucky stars when he saw his hat and boots next to the cot that he'd occupied for a short while. The moccasins he'd been given by the Hualapai were much appreciated, but there was nothing like slipping his feet into his own boots. Once he'd retrieved what he could of his gear, he headed back to the stable. It was almost too easy for him to quietly saddle up Duke before searching around and finding a saddle for Captain. He figured the saddle was a fair start to what the Valentines owed to Bella. Then he silently led both him and Captain away.
He walked the horses quietly about a mile away from the ranch to where he had the borrowed Hualapai horse tied up. Once he had the other two horses tethered, he set out at a steady gallop, skirting around the main part of the town, back to the Indian camp. He was none too happy that his firearms were missing. Presumably, Arrow had them locked up in the big house. At least that's where Ward would've kept them, and he wasn't stupid enough to go waltzing in rummaging through Arrow's gun cabinet for his Colts. They'd just have to make do some other way.
Ward was on edge the entire mission, at least until he'd returned back to camp and set his eyes on Bella again. She centered him; grounded him in reality. At first light, she helped prepare breakfast for everyone while Edward continued to strategize with Jacob, then they set out for the mine. And while Bella was glad to have Captain back, she would've rather been riding behind Ward, her head leaning up against the strong planes of his back.
They thanked Jacob again for his help and made their way past the far side of Bella's ranch and up into the hills. The morning air was warm, and clean, and the flowers on the cacti were blooming brightly. They chatted casually about the gold mine, Bella pointed up in the hills to its approximate location. After crossing over a dry wash and winding up through a small trace, they finally reached the opening of a cave. It had several large tumbleweeds and other debris camouflaging the entrance. It would be hard to spot if you didn't know what you were looking for.
"So this is it?" Ward asked with an edge of enthusiasm in his voice. He'd never been in a mine before and felt a bit like he was reliving an imagined boyhood adventure.
"Yup. If you go in a little ways, there's a few nuggets we left behind. We've tried to be careful, not bringing in large amounts to the bank. Didn't want to be too conspicuous and all."
"That's my smart lady." Ward grinned as he chucked Bella on the chin and stooped to enter the mouth of the cave. Sure enough he came back out with two chunks of gold, admiring their weight. "For Pete's sake Bella, there's a fortune in there!"
The click of a pistol being cocked and the crunch of gravel underfoot stopped Ward dead in his tracks. Bella turned her eyes slowly to the side and noticed one of the ugliest men she had ever seen. He looked like he had fallen out of the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down. Ward cursed himself for not being as vigilant as he should've been. One of the Valentine's goons had followed them, and that mistake could prove to be fatal.
"Too bad you ain't gonna be 'round to enjoy that fortune!" Hank sniggered and waved Bella closer to Ward. "Toss 'em here," he demanded using the nose of the gun to indicate the gold nuggets in Ward's hand.
Casually, Ward tossed the gold, one hunk at a time, to Hank who eyed them greedily all the while licking his lips.
"I ain't as stupid as you might think. Fact, even right now Rufus is going back to get the bosses. I dun left a trail all the way from your place up to here. It's only a matter of time 'fore they come." Hank looked quite smug with his work for the day.
He went on and on about how when they woke up and saw the horses gone, he and Rufus had come out to the Swan ranch on a hunch. "And sure enough who comes moseyin' by but the likes of you two."
"You're dumber than a sack of rocks Hank." Ward casually lobbed the insult at the goon. He immediately got more defensive and nervous. Bella gave Ward a sharp glance, wondering why he was antagonizing an obviously crazy man who was wielding a gun. "You think when they get here they're just gonna hand over these gold nuggets to you and say, 'much obliged Hank, enjoy bein' rich!'? You won't get nothin' but more of being the Valentine's half-witted lackey."
Hank started pacing around, loosely waving the gun in their direction. He hadn't thought of the possibility of taking the gold for himself. He was just a loyal dog to the Master, but now, he thought he might find a way to get a bone of his own.
The problem with Hank was that he was twitchy when he had a thought, which wasn't often. Every time Bella shifted her weight or Ward coughed, Hank began shouting and waving his gun wildly in their direction. Ward was done with the ridiculous stalemate so he began to speak up.
"Hank, listen, we don't have to let this get out of hand. There's quite a few other nuggets just inside here. How's about I go fetch 'em for ya, and you go on your own way?" Ward made to back up a bit causing Hank to lose his cool.
"DON'CHA move a muscle, hear!? I ain't dumb, and I ain't lettin' you get outta here scotfree neither. You'uns is supposed to be dead."
Hank began pacing back and forth waving the gun and mumbling about how it was impossible that they weren't dead and how many nuggets could he get into his pockets before the Valentines got there. Edward lowered his hands and brushed them along the outsides of his britches. Partly because his hands were sweaty, and he hated that, but also because he wanted his hand closer to the only weapon he had. The movement caught Hank's attention and he rounded on Ward raising the gun to the level of his heart.
Quick as lightning, Ward reached into the back of his pants and flung the knife that was hidden there directly into Hank's gut. In that same moment, the bang of the gun and the ping of a ricocheted bullet echoed throughout the foothills. Bella's eyes cringed shut as she gasped, too shocked to do anything else. She was motionless as she watched Hank clutch the knife with one hand, his stunned face staring right at her. He slowly fell to the ground on his knees, the pistol dangling from his nerveless fingers as he dropped to the ground with a thud. She snatched it up from where it fell and pointed it at him until he fell over on his side.
She whipped her head to the mouth of the cave where she saw Ward still standing, stunned, but apparently unharmed. But again, in a split second, she watched in horror as the loose rock began to give way above his head and a shower of gravel, hunks of larger stones, and a boulder came crashing down around Ward.
This time, it was her screams that echoed down the valley, louder than the gunshot it seemed. "EDWARD!" Bella hurried to the cave and began clawing at the fallen rocks, screaming Ward's name over and over. This wasn't happening. It couldn't be happening. Her heart was beating like the hooves of a galloping horse as the desperate tears began coursing down her cheeks.
Hank gave a labored grunt, startling Bella and pulling her attention back to the wounded man. He had his hands wrapped about the handle of the knife weakly struggling to pull it out. Blood was dripping from his mouth and nose and his skin was pale white. Bella picked up the gun and held it more firmly, though the tremble in her hands was clearly evident by the wobbling barrel.
"Now it's jus' you and me girly," Hank said, his voice garbled with bubbling blood and saliva. His teeth were stained red with the blood that he'd already coughed up.
"You stay away from me," she warned with a tremulous voice, swiping away the tears with the back of her hand.
With a forceful pull, Hank managed to wrench the knife from his abdomen and staggered to his feet. "If I kill you, at least they'll know I died trying." He lunged forward and grabbed onto Bella's shoulder, a look of sheer malice in his eye. Bella was loathe to kill a man, but she'd be no good to Eddie if she went and got herself killed. She felt the barrel of the gun press against his chest just as his knife sunk into her shoulder. Bella screamed and pulled the trigger. Hank's eyes flew open and his mouth rounded in a silent scream as he collapsed onto the ground, sliding his way down Bella's legs, his eyes set in a vacant stare.
Any other moment and Bella would've fainted dead away, but she had to get to Edward. She grabbed her shoulder where the blood was coming out. It wasn't too deep, just enough to hurt something fierce, but she could still move her arm. She ripped a strip of fabric from her skirt and tied it around her shoulder to try and hold the wound closed and staunch the flow of blood. She, who had always hated the sight and smell of blood, barely noticed it now. All she could think about was Edward. Back at the mouth of the cave, she began clawing at the rocks once more and screaming his name.
"BOSS! BOSS!" Rufus ran his horse almost up to the front door of the sprawling ranch house on the Valle Verde Ranch. He scampered off and flung the door wide open just as a disgruntled Arrow, furious Cassius, and half-interested Marcus rounded the corner from the dining room.
"You've interrupted our breakfast. I hope that you have a deuced good reason for doing so," Arrow's glacial stare would've frozen even the hottest branding iron in the blacksmith's shop. Cassius presence was so otherworldly and strange, Rufus hated to be near him, and he could barely form the words he was so ready to shout before. He backed cautiously back out onto the porch, followed closely by the three brothers.
"Th..ey…'s, They's alive. They's alive and I heard her call him Eddie."
"Who's alive?" Arrow's annoyed voice carried across the expansive front yard.
"Ward Masen and that Swan girl. Only his name ain't Ward; she called him EDDIE!" The significance of that fact just now dawning on him.
Arrow narrowed his gaze on the scrawny man as his lips curled into an evil smile. He turned back into the house and jotted down a dispatch, sealed it in an envelope and returned to the porch.
"There's more boss." Rufus began to whisper, leaning in a little toward Arrow. "She was leading him up to a gold mine."
The three brothers drew up in surprise and turned on the hired man. Rufus swallowed thickly and began quaking in his boots, heavily weighed down by the intense scrutiny of the Valentines. Marcus turned with a shrug and headed to the dinning room, as though no gold mine could be as important as his breakfast.
"I knew there was more to her holding on to that property than just nostalgia," hissed Cassius.
"Get what provisions you can take in your saddle bags and get back here," commanded Arrow, "I'm counting to thirty. If y'ain't back here, expect to be shot. I want this letter in the hands of the Phoenix Sheriff by tomorrow morning or else."
Rufus took off like the hounds of hell were on his heels, but to his credit, was galloping out of the Valle Verde gate before Arrow got to twenty-eight.
"Marcus, Cassius, let's saddle up and see what little Miss Swan thinks of the renovations to her Daddy's ranch. But first, lets eat. She ain't goin' nowhere."
The three men chuckled darkly as they leisurely made their way inside to finish breakfast and get ready to head out. As Arrow put on his gun belt and duster, he paid special attention to the firearms he chose.
Bella's hands were raw and her shoulder was burning with pain as she continued to heft the large rocks that had fallen into the mouth of the cave. Her face was caked with dust and liberally streaked with tears.
"Not now. You ain't gonna leave me again. Not now, please Lord!" As she continued to pull down handfuls of dirt and rock, she heard a faint growl. Afraid that a cougar or some other animal had picked up on the scent of the blood that had been spilt, she quickly picked up the pistol and spun around in a circle. Not seeing anything, she cautiously put the weapon down and resumed her chanting and digging, glancing behind her every few seconds. Again a low growl pierced the solitude of the area causing her to stop all her activity completely. After a few seconds, she heard a string of the most colorful language that she ever heard outside of the saloon.
"Eddie? EDDIE! Are you alive?"
"Course I'm alive, you hear me cussin' doncha?"
"Can you hear me?"
"Ugghhh What kind of question is that? My leg's trapped under the rock, I can't get enough leverage to move it."
"I'm comin' Eddie, just hang on!"
As Ward laid in the blackness of the cave, his leg and ankle throbbed with a searing pain. If it wasn't broken he'd be mighty surprised. After what felt like an eternity, little shafts of light began filtering through the small opening that Bella was making. As the hole grew larger he had to squint his eyes against the brightness of the light. After a few minutes, and the frantic but reassuring words of his sweetheart, his eyes grew accustomed to the level of light in the cave. He was leaned up on one elbow, trying to move what he could off of his body, but not having much luck. He growled again in frustration and let his head flop to the ground. As he looked up, a glint caught his eye and a wide smile grew on his face.
"Oh Eddie!" Bella tumbled across the pile of rock and rubble on her hands and knees and fell on his face, kissing every dusty part. He reached up to grab her shoulders and get her to focus when she screamed out in pain. "What, what? I didn't hurt you did I?"
"That ugly old donkey's rear end out there got that knife out of his gut and into my shoulder, but don't you worry. I took care of him." Bella was almost outside of herself, not thinking about what happened, just focusing on Eddie and getting him out of the rocks.
"Oh Bella, I'm so sorry I couldn't protect you."
"Never you mind. I've been protecting myself for a long time now. I'm gonna get us both outta here. You'll see."
An eternity later, Bella had cleared all but the heaviest rocks away from Ward's body. She held her right arm close to her body when she wasn't holding a rock. Ward knew her shoulder must feel like the devil himself was poking it with his fiery pitchfork. Bella sagged as she looked at the last large rock that had his leg pinned. If she had to guess, it was at least a hundred pounds.
"I need to get a lever. I ain't gonna be able to lift it very high, but maybe enough for you to get it unstuck?"
Ward nodded, gritting fiercely against the pain that was worsening every second. Bella positioned the fulcrum rock a few feet away and then hunted around for a longer stick, sturdy enough to lift the heavy stone.
She came back with a couple different sticks and jammed the first one under the rock. "On the count of three, alright?"
Ward nodded and waited for her count. On three she pushed down with all her might and the rock began to lift slightly. Ward felt instant relief, but it lasted only a few seconds before a sharp crack rang out and the lever broke, landing the rock back onto his injured leg.
"ARRRRRGGGHHHH! Go..."
Bella shot him a murderous glare daring him to take the name of the Lord in vain.
"GOTDANDRUFFSOMEOFITITCHES!"
For a moment she was taken aback with the ridiculous utterance and couldn't help but chuckle a bit at the outburst.
"Woman! Get the other stick and lift this confounded rock off of me!"
"Fine then, but you'll have to be quicker pullin' your leg out. I don't think the other one is gonna hold much longer than the first."
The pain was evident in his face but he gave a stiff nod and braced himself for the second attempt. On three Bella pushed down again with every bit of strength that she had left and was somehow able to get the rock high enough to clear Ward's leg. He managed enough strength to jerk his injured leg free of the rock and slumped backward panting.
No sooner had he gotten clear of the boulder when the lever cracked again and sent Bella tripping forward landing hard on her injured shoulder. Hearing her scream out again, Ward drug himself towards her. She quickly scrambled to Ward's side and for a moment, they just held onto each other the best they could. After catching her breath Bella looked up into her Eddie's face and brushed the dirt-caked, sweaty hair from his eyes.
"Eddie, are you alright?" She tenderly stroked her raw and scraped fingers across the furrowed lines of pain on his brow. He lifted his head just slightly off the ground and cocked a wan smile at her.
"Plug your ears love." Bella just stared at him for a moment and then reached one hand up to plug her left ear and leaned her right ear against his chest. He tilted his head toward the roof of the cave and issued the longest string of curses imaginable. Bella closed her eyes, discomposed by the fact that she could hear the muffled words filtering through her plugged ears. She knew exactly what Ward was saying. Thing was, she agreed, whole heartedly.
When she felt his touch on her chin, she opened her eyes and arched an eyebrow at him. "Are you done now?" He nodded, smiling ruefully. "And do you feel better?" He nodded again and attempted to pull her up to his lips. She gently placed a hand on his chest and shook her head. "If you think I'm kissing a mouth as dirty as that one, before you wash it out with soap, you've got another think com..."
His hand moved to the back of her head as he sat up, closing the distance between them instantly, and pressed his urgent mouth to hers. She only struggled for a mere second before she gave in to the worry and fear that had plagued her, drowning it in the sensations that Ward's kiss ignited within her. It wasn't until she was safe in his arms that everything came rushing back. She'd almost lost him. She'd killed a man. She was bleeding. Her home was destroyed. The Valentine's were coming. For her!
Ward sat and held her against him in the shade of the cave, letting her sob out all of the emotion. If the Valentine's really were coming, she'd need a more level head. He asked after the guns that Hank was carrying. She stood up, walking woodenly into the bright sunlight, and fetched the one she had dropped before reluctantly plucking the other out of the holster on the dead man's body. When she got back to the opening of the cave, Ward was standing on his one good leg, leaning heavily against the rock wall.
"Is it broken?"
"Naw, just banged up somethin' fierce. I'm glad I had my own boots though. I reckon the leather protected my leg some." He quickly checked how many bullets were left in each gun, and made sure the action worked on them. He shoved one gun into the back of his buckskin breeches, just off to the side where he might reach it quickly if the need arose. "You hang on to that one," he said pushing the other into Bella's limp hand. She sighed and tucked it into the deep left pocket of her skirt and then smoothed her hair back. Too bad she was right handed, Bella thought.
"Here, wrap your arm 'round my good shoulder and I'll help you out." Bella dipped her head under Ward's arm and shouldered some of his weight as he limped out of the cave.
"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" The iciness of Arrow's voice pierced Bella through the heart.
The three brothers stood shoulder to shoulder, like some noble triumvirate, when they were really nothing more than the scum of the earth and murderers. Arrow had the barrel of Charlie Swan's rifle propped against his shoulder while his hand curled around the trigger and stock. Marcus and Cassius had brushed back their dusters and had both hands resting on the pistols in their gun belts.
Cassius bent his red glare on to Izzy and sneered, "Looks like I'm not the only ghost come to haunt the desert."
"It would seem that these two are quite alive and breathing brother," intoned Marcus. "More so than this worthless idiot." Marcus lightly nudged Hank's body with his toe.
"That it would my dear brother." He settled his gaze on Bella, and spoke, "Tell me dearie, do you like what we've done with place?" Arrow tossed his hand around indicating the destruction to Bella's Ranch in the valley below.
Her entire body tensed with rage. She was ready to launch herself on that sorry excuse for a man and claw his eyes out. Ward felt her anger and held her back. At least his cool head was on straight and keeping him from making any more mistakes. She struggled against his arm, wanting to release her pent up frustration on the dark man in front of her. "How could you?" she screamed. "How could you destroy an entire village?"
Arrow ignored her questioning and stepped over Hank's dead body without a second thought, toward them and the cave. He reached out and grabbed her right shoulder, pushing specifically on the obvious wound, to move her out of his way. "Cassius, what do you suppose is in here?"
Bella could barely make a sound as the pain sliced through her arm and chest so fast she saw stars. She began to crumble and Edward tried to hold her up and turned as if to make a move towards Arrow. Marcus quickly leveled his gun at Edward's heart and clicked back the hammer. Edward dropped his arm, but continued to stare down Arrow.
"I'm still alive and this is still my land. You three need to leave." Bella's voice was weak with pain and lacked the authority to cause any uncertainty in the greedy usurper. Marcus chuckled lightly. "As if any land belongs to anyone. It's just a matter of fire power Miss Swan. Right now, you lose. Who knows?" he shrugged casually before continuing. "Another day, we might lose." It was the most Bella had ever heard the man speak, and his words were so odd she couldn't even respond.
"To anyone that matters, you are dead, and left no will. Therefore, I bought the land from the bank and it's MINE to do with as I please." Arrow stepped just inside the cave, avoiding the fallen rock and glancing around. His eyes positively glittered with avarice. "Oh my dear Isabella, you have been keeping a deliciously naughty secret haven't you? Come brothers and look at what she's been hiding all this while."
Cassius and Marcus stepped into the mine and grinned when they saw the large vein of gold that had been revealed after the cave-in caused by Hank's careless shooting. The rocks that had fallen were littered with nuggets of gold and the brothers began to toe around the rocks to see how much was there.
It was all the opening that Ward and Bella needed. And since Ward was never one to shoot a man in the back, since that was what lily-livered cowards do, he waited for their about face. When the three men turned out of the cave, they were staring down the barrel of one of Hank's six-shooters.
"Don't even twitch, gentlemen," Edward breathed in a deadly tone of voice the likes of which Bella'd only heard about. Marcus and Cassius seemed to value their lives a bit more than Arrow as they froze at his words. Arrow, though, over-confidant as ever lowered the rifle from his shoulder and began to examine it, as if he hadn't another care in the world.
"Now we both know you aren't Ward Masen, and your reputation has certainly made it to this part of the territory. Don't think that I haven't put the facts together." Arrow continued to examine his rifle. Now that he had Edward's attention, he felt he had a little more control of the situation, even if his weaker brothers didn't. "I never could understand why Charlie wouldn't sell me his land. Especially with the price I was offerin' him. I guess he was smarter than I figured he was." Arrow began to pace a few steps left and right, all the while keeping his eyes away from Bella's. "Not even when I had him on his knees begging for his life, for you," he then unleashed his hateful stare on Bella causing a surge of fury in her bosom, "he still wouldn't sell out."
"He knew that what you were trying to do, forcin' the Hualapai off their land, was wrong. Our ranch was the last buffer between you and them." Her hand shook lightly as she slowly slipped it into her pocket.
"It was a shame. He was a decent fellow, but far too meddlesome a sheriff for me to conduct my business effectively." Arrow paced and then stopped directly in front of Bella. He rubbed one hand over the rifle again and the swiftly pulled it up to aim at Bella's head.
"Arrow," Ward growled, but was completely ignored.
"Recognize this Isabella? I was sure glad to get this out of your cabin before we burnt it down. I'd've kept it when I killed your old man but that would've looked a bit too suspicious. Don't you agree?" His patronizing tone was grating on Bella's last nerve. She didn't have to listen to this, she wouldn't listen to it!
Marcus and Cassius inched their way closer to Arrow but only very slightly, as Ward still had his pistol trained on them and they knew how fast he was.
Bella moved the hand that had been helping Ward. She wrapped her hand around the rifle and pulled it closer to her heart. Edward didn't know what she had planned but he was getting nervous. Her lip quivered with the emotion of hearing the confession come directly from Arrow's lips. She'd been right. One grief-filled tear streaked down her cheek as she glared back at Arrow's smug expression.
"I will never be scared of my father's gun."
Only Ward's keen and practiced gaze saw the infinitesimal contraction of her eye and noticed that her left hand was in her pocket where he knew the second gun was. She lifted the pistol, still in the pocket of her skirt to Arrows chest and without hesitating, pulled the trigger. As the bullet left the barrel of the pistol, she screamed and with her injured right arm pushed the rifle barrel between her side and arm as Arrow pulled the trigger. At the same moment, Ward put his gun-slinging reflexes to good use and quickly fired off two shots, taking down Marcus and Cassius. As the bullet pierced through Arrow's heart, he dropped the rifle and his eyes widened in surprise. He glanced down briefly at the two men that had stood by his side for decades before he fell to his knees and then face down in the dirt.
Bella was shaking all over as she continued to hold up the pistol, now protruding from the hole she had blasted in her skirt. Ward gently pried her fingers away and tucked it in his breeches. She stood motionless as he limped over to the three Valentine brothers, silently removing all of their weapons.
Satisfied that the situation was no longer threatening, Ward took a moment to assess his woman. She was all soft and delicate curves, but hidden inside was a ribbon of steel stronger than he'd seen in some of the soldiers he'd fought with. He could see, though, that she was barely hanging on, keeping herself together by sheer will and determination alone. When she looked up at him with a blank stare, his heart broke. In the space of just a few hours she'd seen her home destroyed, been stabbed, held at gunpoint, and had dug him out of a rock slide. Then to top it all off, she had killed two men. He tried to summon up the long-since buried emotions that he'd felt as a green, stripling soldier, getting his first taste of the reality of army life. The shock of snuffing out the life of another person, no matter how despicable they were, was still almost impossible to bear.
He took her hand and she finally focused her eyes on his and asked, "Is it over?"
He folded her inside his embrace and standing in the midst of the dust, rock, blood, gold, and bodies, spoke softly into her hair, "Yes, it's over Love. It's all over."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Melly: Hey, Belly…
Belly: Yes , Melly?
Melly: You know, I'm a little bit in love with this chapter.
Belly: I could tell. You really out-did yourself. It was "pure gold".
Melly: Of course, I have to give major props to SweetThunder. Stabbing Bella was her idea.
Belly: Well that little Lizzy Borden wannabe. We may have to keep our eye on her. *looking cautiously over shoulder*
Melly: Well I guess I'm going to be busy tending to Ward's injured leg. He may need some special attention.
Belly: You seem to forget that the next chapter is mine. But I'll let you assist, cause I'm nice that way.
Melly: Dang it! Well as long as I can help. I'll take him any way I can get him.
Belly & Melly: * sigh *