A FRIEND IN NEED
Jack and Morris stood face to face. Jack had a look of absolute shock on his face; he had expected this day to come sooner or later, but he hadn't expected it to come so soon. The rebellion was gaining momentum quickly and the odds were finally going in their favor. He couldn't just back out now, but he also couldn't ignore his wrongdoings. An awkward silence was present for over a minute, but the seconds ticked by as if they were hours. Morris, who was excellent at reading people, could tell that Jack hadn't completely turned to the outlaw side yet, as any regular outlaw would have attempted to fight back or run by now. He saw a man who was troubled, and for a brief moment he felt sympathy for the young man standing before him.
Jack finally spoke up, his voice broken. "I...wh...why?"
"You know what you've done, Marston," Morris said sternly. "A good group of men lost their lives by your gun. The Bureau's best agent lost his life by your gun. You need to pay for what you've done."
"I know," Jack said, doing his best to regain his composure. "I mean...why now? Why...the rebellion…"
"What Jack is trying to say is that we're in the middle of an undeclared war with the Mexican government," Cole said. "We're part of a force that's attempting to overthrow the government of Abraham Reyes."
Morris looked shocked. "But why? You of all people should know better, Cole."
"Do you two know each other?" Jack asked.
"I used to work with Cole's father," Morris said. "Cole and I even did a few things together."
"It's a long story," Cole said. "Not worth tellin' right now."
"As I was saying," Morris continued, "the United States has always had a rocky diplomatic relationship with Mexico. Two Americans overthrowing the Mexican government isn't going to improve those relations. But that's not even important now." Morris approached Jack and pulled out a pair of handcuffs. "I'm afraid you have to come with me, Mr. Marston. I don't know anything about this 'undeclared war', and I don't care to know."
Jack backed up away from Morris. "You would if you knew what was happenin'. Didn't you see anythin' while you was ridin' to Juarez?"
"I did, but local matters don't concern me," Morris said, quickening his pace. "All I care about is my duty as a law enforcement officer of the United States of America."
"Who are you?" Jack asked.
"My name is Walter Morris. I'm an independent bounty hunter operating out of Blackwater. The Bureau of Investigation instructed me to come down here and take you in, dead or alive. Now are you coming with me or not?"
"Walt, is there any way we can postpone this?" Cole asked. "Jack is…"
"I don't care," Morris interrupted. "You can fight this criminal rebellion, Cole. Become an outlaw of Mexico. Betray everything you and your father once stood for. Meanwhile, I have a mission of my own to accomplish."
While Morris's attention was focused on Cole, Jack attempted to hit him with a right hook. Morris heard the floor creak ever-so-slightly and spun around quickly, catching Jack's fist before it made contact. Morris narrowed his eyes at Jack and said, "I don't play games, kid." In one move, he had Jack's arm behind his back. Jack attempted to squirm free, but Morris grabbed Jack's other arm and put it behind his back. He then slapped the handcuffs on Jack's wrists.
"Walt, stop this!" Cole said. "You don't know what you're doing!"
"Shut up, Cole," Morris sneered. "I got my bounty, now I'll be making my exit." As Morris walked toward the exit, Valentia blocked the doorway, having seen the last part of the confrontation. The two men, who were of similar size and build, stared at each other while Jack stood there awkwardly, embarrassed that he hadn't been able to put up a better fight.
"Let the boy go," Valentia said.
"Stand aside," Morris commanded.
"Just hear Senor Valentia out," Cole said. "Please."
Morris shook his head. "You know me, Cole. I accomplish the mission that's assigned to me. By any means necessary." Withdrawing his revolver from its holster, Morris aimed at Valentia and said, "I can see you don't have much fight in you. You're hurt. That's why I haven't killed you yet. I don't like killing people who can't defend themselves, but I ain't against it either. I will ask one more time, stand aside."
"If you take him, we may not stand a chance…"
"I don't give a shit about your rebellion. I was told to bring this boy back to the States so that he could be tried for the crimes he's committed. And that's what I'm doing."
"You must have seen what Reyes's men have done while you were on your way here," Valentia said. "Reyes is a terrible man. He will do anything to advance his selfish ideals. Mexico is a poor place, more poor than it was under Sanchez. Reyes makes Sanchez look like a saint.
"You are a man of the law, no? Reyes is breaking so many laws. He is violating the rights of Mexico's people. Stealing, murdering, destroying every place that rises against him. Did you see Nosalida, Senor? Did you see Bustamante? He did that. Reyes must be stopped. This criminal must be brought to justice."
Morris thought for a moment, then said, "Continue."
"Jack Marston has helped us greatly. I am a military man myself, and I have never seen such raw talent and power from one man. He is an amazing fighter, very dedicated to the cause. He feels a sense of closeness and loyalty to the people of Mexico. Senor Ricketts over there is also a part of this cause."
"On the surface, it seems like we're the criminals who are rising against a man we should be respecting," Cole said. "But how can we be expected to respect a man who has hurt so many people? I can promise you that there's so much more to it than what can be seen on the surface. So many people have been killed, so many families have been affected, we can't just ignore this oppression. We need to rise against this tyranny, much like the colonists rose against the British over one hundred years ago."
Morris sighed. "Look, I understand things better now. You have my sympathies. But the fact remains that the boy deserves a trial for the sins he's committed. I wish you luck in fighting for your cause, but I have to take Jack with me. There's...there's nothing I can do."
"Jack is one of my men," Valentia said. "I cannot allow any of my men to be taken."
"Then we've reached an impasse," Morris said. "What are we gonna do about it?"
"We could make some sort of deal," Cole suggested.
"I'm not the kind of man to settle," Morris said. "Either I take him now or we fight for him."
"You're hesitating," Cole said. "If you really wanted to take him by force, you would have done it by now. What's holding you back, Walt?"
"I…" For the first time in his life, Morris couldn't find the words to say.
"And now you're speechless. Look, I know your sense of duty is strong, but we need Jack for this. Maybe...maybe you could help us. Take Jack back with you after we overthrow Reyes."
"That's not going to happen," Morris said.
"Please," Jack said, speaking up after several minutes of being silent. "Let me say somethin'."
"Go ahead, Jack," Cole said.
"Morris, I know what I've done. I know I gotta pay for what I've done. You say you stay true to your missions. I have a mission of my own. My mission is to help the people of Mexico in whatever way I can. I ain't tryin' to run from my sins. I want to face them. It's just that I need to do this first. It's my sense of duty that's keepin' me here. I've learned a lot since leavin' the States, more than I ever thought I would. I thought I was escapin' my past when I was really findin' myself."
"If I weren't on a mission now, I would offer my assistance. But they're expecting me back in the States, and they're expecting me to come with you, Jack. That's...that's not negotiable."
"What if you could help the rebellion and still finish your mission?" Valentia asked.
"How would that work?" Morris asked.
"Let Jack go for now. Let him go until this rebellion is finished. When we conquer Mexico City and remove Reyes from power, you can take Jack back to the United States and do with him what you need to do with him."
"You had a lot of respect for Jack's father, as I recall," Cole said. "You worked with him."
"You worked with my father?" Jack asked, his interest peaked.
"Yes. That was when I was employed full time by the Bureau. We were trying to kill Dutch van der Linde and his gang was holed up in the Blackwater Bank. John and I fought together, side by side in some cases. He probably wouldn't remember me if he were still alive, but I did gain respect for him while working with him. It saddens me that his son became what he is now."
"Believe me, I had the same opinion of Jack," Cole said. "But now I see. Jack regrets what he's done. This rebellion is a way for him to redeem himself, redeem the honor he lost by killing Edgar Ross and all those men. And it's a way for him to show that he's changed. He's not an outlaw, not by any means. He's a good man, and if you agree to Valentia's deal, he'll become a hero."
"The boys back in the States would kill me if they knew I was doin' this…" Morris pulled the key to the handcuffs out of his pocket and removed the handcuffs from Jack's wrists. Jack sighed in relief and rubbed his wrists, which were raw from how tight they had been on. "Sorry about that," Morris added. "I have a bit of a tendency to overly tighten those things."
"You're doing the right thing, Walt," Cole said.
Morris sighed. "But he's coming back with me as soon as this rebellion is through, you hear?"
Jack nodded. "I understand. I gotta pay the price for my sins."
Smiling, Morris said, "I may have misjudged you, Jack. You seem alright. And your father was a great man. Maybe someday you will be too."
"If you gentlemen are finished, I did come here for a reason," Valentia said. "I did not come here just to stop this man from taking Jack."
"Of course, Senor Valentia," Cole said. "What were you going to say?"
"We need to move now," Valentia said. "Our scouts saw a group of about one hundred soldiers coming this way. General Miguel Gonzalez was with them."
"They're coming for me," Morris said. "I had a bit of an encounter with them on my way here. The encounter didn't end well."
"What happened?" Cole asked.
"In Chuparosa, I saw that they had destroyed nearly everything. When I told them that I was looking for Jack Marston, they took me in like an ally. They offered to help me find you, Jack, but at a price. They wanted me to help them further their destructive path and when I refused they tried to hold me at gunpoint. I managed to escape."
"Chuparosa is that bad, huh?" Cole asked, his voice becoming melancholy.
"The whole place was destroyed," Morris said. "I'm sorry. I know your father had history there."
"I did too," Cole said sadly. "When my father left, I moved in and picked up where he left off. But now...I could just kill those bastards!"
"I don't think they would bring all those men just to hunt one gringo," Valentia said. "It's more likely that the soldiers who escaped the battle here sent word to Reyes about our victory and they're coming to clear us out. While we do have enough men to fight them off, it will take a lot of resources. Resources that we need for our fight with Reyes."
"How long do we have to clear out of here?" Morris asked.
"Less than a day," Valentia said.
"But you're still wounded," Cole said. "And so am I."
"We have no choice. If we do not leave now, the rebel cause will be lost."
"Looks like we're stuck between a rock and a hard place," Morris said. "What other choice do we have? Cole, are you able to move at all?"
"Of course I can move," Cole said, "but not well. I got shot three times, Walt. I'm just lucky to still be alive."
"Great," Jack said. "The army is closin' in and one of our best fighters is down."
"I can still fight, Jack, make no mistake. I've made it through worse."
"I am able to walk, and I am able to shoot. But in a physical fight, I will struggle greatly," Valentia said. "Still, we must leave now before the army arrives."
"How long will it take us to reach Mexico City?" Morris asked.
"It will not be much longer," Valentia said. "Mexico City is only one or two days ride away from here."
Morris cracked his knuckles. "Well what are you all waiting for? Let's get a move on."
Jack, Valentia, Morris, and Cole assisted the rebels in packing up everything that they needed for the coup. Cole struggled with things at first, but quickly adapted and found ways to work around his pain. Within a few hours, everyone was packed and ready to go. The machine gun from their earlier battle was fixed to a wagon, and now, they had a powerful weapon. Everyone was armed to the teeth with rifles and pistols. Some of them even carried combat sabers, including Valentia, who would do much better in a physical battle with this weapon given his condition.
Less than an hour after the rebels departed, Gonzalez and his men arrived in Juarez. A thorough search turned up nothing that could be salvaged, no man that could be killed. Regardless, he and his soldiers burned the empty buildings to the ground, preventing the rebel force from returning. There was no turning back now.
Dauntlessly, the rebel force hightailed it to Mexico City.