The morning I woke up, I first realized my toes were cold. I sighed and sat up. Rubbing my head, I tucked my toes underneath me to keep the warm, and pulled my leather jacket up close around my chin. I would have to be quick for today. I would have to be acruate and perfect. Never missing a beat or a moment. Easier said then done. But right now… my stomach grumbled. I yanwed and pulled myself to my feet. I fixed my hair and hat, straightened my clothes and dusted myself off a little. When I got out to the street, I found folks had already started their day. I had slept in. That would make sence if I had ridden hard a whole day, and hand't slept that night. Wait…. I slept in? Then what time was it? My heart raced. And I felt like I was going to panic.
"Hey, what time is it?" I asked a younger boy who was passing my quickly.
"Quarter to nine, last time I checked." The boy said.
"That was ten minutes ago!" a girl snapped at him. "Come on, we'll miss it! Scuse' us sir, we gotta run." The boy and girl ran off down the street. And now that I was paying closer attention, the entire crowd of people had somehow all moved to the gallows at the street. I swore under my breath. No time to set up my plan now. I had to act. Easy. I ran down to the barn.
The barn keeper wasn't there. I took my friends horses, and my own and rode behind town until I got just behind the bank… which was three houses down from the gallows. I pulled my pistols out, checked them all to make sure they had bullets. Then I loaded my rifle. I slung it over my back, and stood on the horses back. Climbing to the top of the bank, I found I was just behind crowd starring at four people standing with a noose around their neck. They were waiting until nine. About five minutes to go. Quickly I climbed down, and searched the rest of the town, making sure the town had been emptied back there.
I made a quick stop at the sheriffs office and picked a few locks to get to the gang's weapons. Then I ran back, mounted my horse and had the rest follow me all the way around to the other side, so I had a clearer shot. I fit all the weapons on to the saddles, and I pulled my rifle out, my blood pumping with excitement. This all started with the man pulled the lever. Finally it was nine. Men came up, tightened the nooses, and began to list all of the crimes the outlaws had committed. I laughed at a few when I heard 'Smearing glue on the sheriffs chair, shaving a layers head, and giving a nasty hair cut to the deputy's dog.
I bit my tongue. I had to keep quiet. The man stopped talking, and I pulled my handkerchief up around my nose to cover my face. Finally, a man gripped the lever, and I tensed. Even my blood seemed to freeze, waiting for the moment to start the fury. My stomach lifted, and I bit my lip. Without a breath or a blink, I lifted the rifle to my shoulder and aimed. I was going to have to be fast.
Four bullets, more accurate the ever. The man pulled…hard. Four trap doors let loose, and four men began to hang. I pulled the trigger… four times to be exact. Then I flung it into its sling on my back, and kicked my horse in to a dead run. I held Billy's horse and the other's horses behind me. The crowd parted in a frenzy as I bolted through stearting with one hand and perfect balance. I swung the horses around the gallow stage and the boys leapt on. Shots rang off instantly. I grabbed a pistol and soon the others had their own lead flying after me.
I swear I could have felt the wind pass by my ear on some of them. The horses where restless and where jerking this way and that. My heart beat fast pumping my blood through my body faster then I could count. Not that I was trying to. I was concentrated where the firing was coming from. Men where shouting, horses were flipping out, the crowds was yelling, and the sound of guns flooded the town. We spun our horses around and bolted out of town just as the last of the crowd had disappeared. I didn't think it would be that easy.
But when I looked back. It wasn't. A posse was behind our tails. Instead of being disappointed, or frightened, my eyes flared and I smiled under my handkerchief.
"The canyon up ahead!" Doc yelled over the rushing wind and pounding hooves. I looked ahead. There was a canyon and ridges up ahead. We all split, barely dodging bullets that slit the air.
I took my horse straight to the ridge. When the posse saw we had split, that had to think fast. When the reached the ridge and canyon, the split. I had two coming my way. The rest was after the others… with four going for Billy. I rolled my eyes. Two for me? INSULT I thought. But, would take care of them just anyways. They where far behind me but I was still in range.
Bullets zipped past, and one nicked me on the shoulder. I rocked, almost loosing my balance, but I pulled myself back on. I pulled my horse around bends and twists in the ridge. I hit a dead end before I began to go upward, and found a place to hide. I pulled my rifle out, and settle myself down in some rocks. I watched my horse. Within a few minutes his ears pearked up, and I leveled my rifle. The two men came around the bend.
Two shots went off. Their horses bolted down one way. I didn't want them to go that way. I sent of another two shots to scare the horses into the dead end. The men on the other hand, I had shot of their saddles. Nothing deadly. Wasn't quite sure I was ready for that yet. But they hit hard either way. Quickly and quietly, I remounted and found their horses. Salvaged anything of value to me from their saddles and horses and then cut the buckles on the saddles. Bare back for them today.
I took off before the men could find out which direction their horses had taken. I had to find the others again. My mind told me mentally that I had two bullets left in my rifle… and four altogether in my pistols. But I couldn't reload now. Not yet. Or could I? Now would be smart. But I couldn't' bring myself to do it yet. I don't know why. I was just focused on finding the boys as soon as possible. I trotted down to the canyon and found the river. Knowing Billy, he would have followed this river to cover up tracks. SO I followed it. I got maybe four seconds into the river when I was knocked from my saddle by something big and hard.
A person. Shoot, I thought. Somebody else followed me and was going to pick me off! I had been stupid and fell for it! I hit the ground hard and rolled. Rolled right over a sharp rock that punctured deep into the skin right above the waist on my right side. I yelped, feeling the hot blood ooze out under my shirt. But I kept my roll backwards, and then to my feet. I looked at my opponent. It was Billy. That twit! My anger rose in me. An anger that seemed to burn my eyes.
"Who are you!" Billy demanded. I realized my face was still covered. But I was to angry to just give him an answer now.
"The person who just saved you life!" I spat, my fingers itching toward my gun.
"You didn't answer my question!" Billy snapped. My eyes caught his fingers brushing against his own pistol he had gotten from his horse… that I had put there. I blew. I pulled my pistol out, faster then I could blink. Billy did the same, just as fast as me. . "I'm gonna count to five."
"Yeah well I'm gonna count to three." I snapped.
"I don't just trust anyone who burst in like that!" Billy said, "Tell me who you are or eat it!"
"Idiot Billy!" I snapped, "I'm just as blown as you are! You're such a creep for pulling a gun on someone who risked their life to save you! AND you're pals! Something I might say that YOU couldn't do!"
"Who are you, and how do you know my name!" I grinded my teeth.
"Dang it Billy!" I said, reaching for my handkerchief, "It's a wonder how you're still alive!" I pulled it from my face, and pulled my hat off letting my hair fall out. Billy lowered his gun, as did I. He just kinda stood there, jaw sorta dangling. I scoffed.
"I ah… huah… had to use some dirt to help blend in." I said. I heard more galloping… horses. More of them. But I knew who they were. Doc, Shavez, and Steve.
"Well I'll be…" Doc said seeing me and Billy, "So this is the freak who blasted in and saved my neck?"
"Son of a gun." Shavez said, "Never would have thought a Chikia would have my life on her hands."
"That's down right unnatural." Steve said. "I got a women to thank for saving my neck?"
"Your welcome you wort hog." I snapped at him.
"Billy, put the gun away." Doc said.
"She pulled first!" Billy argued.
"We pulled at the same time dweeb!" I snapped back.
"What did you just call me?"
"Great, don't tell me yer deaf to?" I said, I threw my arms up. "I just rescued a twit!"
"Say that again and you'll swallow lead!" Billy threatened.
"I dare you!" I snapped, my eyes alive. Billy stopped and we glared at each other for a few seconds. Finally, Billy's shoulder dropped and he ran a hand through his light blonde hair, smiling.
"You are a loadfull of…"
"Billy!" Shavez snapped, "We gotta get outta here. There might be some of that posse around!" Billy mounted his horse again, holstering his pistol.
"What about her?" Steve asked. Billy looked at me.
"I'm be fine on my own thank you." I snapped, "I'll cover you're guys trial up and finish anybody trailing you." I mounted up. In doing so, I pulled at the two wounds, both sending pain through my entire upper body and the blood now flowed freely. I gasped and fell over my saddle.
"Uh-uhh." Doc said, "You're coming with us. You go anywhere you're going to leave a trail of blood if you don't get that patched up."
"Like I won't if I follow you. I'll be showing them right to you." I said through clenched teeth. "I'll be fine. I can make it to Albuquerque, I can fix up there." I turned my horse, not really knowing if I really wanted to go that way, or go with these guys. One arm around my waist, where I was shot, I started off. I hoped they wouldn't stop me. And they didn't. I just rode away slowly, my back towards them as the pain grew. I didn't think I would make it to Alburquerque. But I couldn't go back to Lincoln. What would I say? I got caught in the cross fire? Ha.
That was old. But I couldn't' go with Billy. Why? Well… me coming along gave a greater chance of them being tracked. So I couldn't. Besides, I wasn't in there gang. I was their prisoner, then things changed a bit when they got arrested. I just helped them out a bit. Doesn't mean I'm bound with them for life. They could have died otherwise. Died? But Billy didn't die by getting hung! Pat Garret shot him! Or would. So how come it come so close. If I wasn't here, which I wasn't suppose to be, he would have hung. History would have been changed.
Had I somehow moved the coarse of history to another track? Shoot. What happened if I died? I looked at my wounds. Would I die? I didn't know. But really what would happen? Would I wake up back in my home? Home. It was beginning to feel like a story, just like the old west had when I WAS at home.
I gridned my teeth. I had money. I could go find a place to rest. No doubt Keith and the others would be looking for me after my sudden disappearance. Could I go back to them? After what I had been through, with Billy and all? I couldn't see it happening? So what would I do? I got angry with myself aigan, but the pain kept me from doing anything irrational. Keeping well away from Lincoln, I moved my way down the creek. I was leaning heavily over my saddle, my face towards the water when I saw it. It looked like cumbs from sombodys food. Bread crumbs or something.
I pulled my horse out of the river and slowly worked my way around the brush, quietly reloading my pistols. I clenched my jaw shut tight when a wave a pain threatened to let loose in a loud wail, but I kept quiet. I heard noise up ahead. The murmur of voices. I cocked my pistol and moved slowly forward on the opposite side of the river. I stopped my horse and dismounted. I crept further downstream on the bank, when a small camp caught my eye. One horse, one bed and a small campfire.
But I didn't see anybody. It was then I heard the click of a gun hammer. I froze. The cold barrel of a gun was set to my neck, and I held my breath.