THE TYRANT'S END

Jack and Reyes sprinted down the hallway leading out of the presidential room. Reyes fired an occasional shot at his pursuer but otherwise focused on getting away as quickly as possible. He had only been afraid in the face of battle once before this, when he was storming Mexico City three years earlier. Now, though, he was more terrified than he ever had been before. The son of John Marston, the greatest gunman he had ever known, was hell bent on killing him. He knew he had to play his cards perfectly or this would not end well for him or his regime.

The steady fighting that Jack had just been through took away a good portion of his energy, but he focused the fear and rage he was feeling and used it to motivate himself to push forward. He had never been so tired yet so motivated and energetic in his entire life. He never felt stronger than he did now. Even if it meant the end of him, Jack was going to bring an end to Reyes's parasitic regime.

Before long, the two of them were barreling through the dining room. Reyes overturned tables to try to stall Jack; dishes that had been set for that evening's dinner broke noisily against the floor and the silverware clanged against the broken plates. Jack agilely jumped over the tables or swerved around them, keeping his gaze constantly fixated on his target. Reyes swore as he recognized that his efforts to hold Jack back were failing. He fired another shot at Jack and smiled when he heard Jack groan in pain. The bullet had only grazed his shoulder, but it did cause him to slow down for a split second.

Jack gritted his teeth and ignored the pain shooting through his arm. He couldn't afford to let that hold him back again or he might lose Reyes. Reyes and his pursuer exited the dining room and entered another hallway. The pursuit went on for several more seconds, until suddenly Reyes flipped around and tackled Jack to the ground. He wrapped his fingers around his neck and began choking him. Jack struggled to break free and swung his fists frantically at Reyes's face. Reyes was hit every time and one of Jack's punches drew blood, but his grip never loosened.

Finally, Reyes let go of Jack's neck. He picked him up and pinned him against the wall, drawing a knife from his belt. "And now, Jack Marston, it's time to die." Before Reyes could finish the job, Jack snatched for Reyes's pistol, which was hanging freely from his hip and was within reach. He quickly pulled it out and squeezed off a shot. Reyes detected the move in time to react, but the bullet still managed to create a deep graze in his side.

Jack took this opportunity to take the offensive. He threw a left jab and it made direct contact with Reyes's face. Reyes stumbled backward and Jack followed up with a right hook. His fist made direct contact with Reyes's jaw, dislocating it and causing Reyes to collapse to the floor in pain. He had hit Reyes hard enough to cause strain on his fist, and Jack shook it off before moving in for a kick. Reyes grabbed Jack's leg, throwing him off balance. Jack fell backward and Reyes climbed on top of him.

Reyes backhanded Jack across the face then immediately punched him directly in the nose. Jack yelled in pain as his nose was broken and blood began pouring out of both nostrils. Reyes then snatched up the knife that he had dropped and made several long but shallow cuts across Jack's chest. By the time Jack was able to shove him off, he was wounded more than Reyes. The two men stumbled up, both having difficulty finding their balance.

Reyes recovered before Jack and proceeded to kick him. Jack fell to the ground again and Reyes, confident, picked up his pistol, which Jack had dropped, and aimed it directly in Jack's face.

"You are a tough man, Jack," Reyes said, chuckling slightly. His speech was slightly slurred from his dislocated jaw. "More so than I anticipated. Sadly, you're not tough enough. Say hello to your father for me."

"No!" came a voice from down the hallway. Reyes turned around and instinctively fired a shot before he even knew who was behind him. Despite having been hit in the shoulder, Morris barreled down the hallway and brought Reyes to the ground, remaining on top of him as the pain from his wound got to him. Reyes squirmed to get free, but Morris was so heavy he was having difficulty moving.

"Morris!" Jack yelled. He struggled to his feet and made his way to Morris, who was trying his best to get to his feet.

"Jack...he's got me…"

"You're gonna be alright!" Jack exclaimed. Reyes finally squirmed free and gasped for breath. He leaned against the wall and panted heavily. He glanced up at Jack with the most evil, vile look that Jack had ever seen. It was almost as if Reyes was the physical incarnation of the devil himself…

Morris also struggled to his feet. Despite his wound, he was able to stand and would still be able to hold his own in a fight. He quickly approached Jack and asked, "Are you alright, Jack? You really don't look well."

"You need to leave," Jack said. "That wound don't look good. I can handle things here. He's near dead anyway."

"So are you," Morris said. "I can take care of myself. Besides, this fucker's not quite dead yet."

Completely on his two feet now, Reyes looked at his two opponents, who were both facing him. Now outnumbered, he only had one trick left up his sleeve. His greatest weapon, the one that had truly won his revolution for him. His charisma.

"Gentlemen…" Reyes began.

"Save it," Morris barked. "You're not talking your way out of this."

"But…"

"You're done, Reyes," Jack said. "Save it."

"Hear me out," Reyes said. "I...I know what I have done is wrong. But look at what you're doing. Two Americanos killing the president of Mexico? That looks more like the product of assassination rather than revolution. What would they say if they knew you were the one to kill me, Walter Morris?"

"How do you know my name?" Morris asked.

"The government contacted me and told me there was an outlaw in Mexico. Jack. They told me they were sending you to apprehend this outlaw. I gave them my blessing."

"Then how come your soldiers tried to kill me?" Morris asked.

"They did?" Reyes looked confused. "They were not supposed to do that. That was, admittedly, an oversight. My point, however, is that why would you kill me when you came here for something else?" He pointed at Jack as he said this.

"What are you getting at?" Morris asked.

"I know everything about you," Reyes said. "You were born into wealth, raised and educated in the best ways possible. Your parents disowned you when you left for your first job in law enforcement. You had a wife that was killed by a man seeking revenge."

"So what? We all have our trials we go through."

"You're a smart man, Walter Morris. Very dedicated to your mission. This is not your mission. Your mission is to arrest Jack Marston and bring him back to your employers."

"Don't let him sway you, Morris," Jack warned.

"And you, Jack, you think you are pursuing redemption. What will killing me do for you, huh? You also have your father's blood lust. He never admitted it, but he enjoyed killing people. He could never quit doing that."

"He killed out of necessity," Jack argued.

"No! That's what he wanted you to believe. In many ways, Jack, your father never left the outlaw way of life behind."

"He tried his best. It was the damn government that wouldn't let him."

"Precisely. The same government that sent Morris, a man with a strong sense of duty, to apprehend you. Do you know why they sent Morris, Jack? I looked at his record. Most of his bounties are brought in dead. Morris is a very violent man. They want to kill you, Jack. And so does Morris."

Jack turned to Morris. "Is this true?"

Morris sighed, then trained his gun on Jack. "I'm sorry, Jack."

"Hold up!" Cole rushed to the scene.

"Cole?! Where the hell is Valentia?" Morris demanded. "I left you in charge of him!"

"He insisted on fighting. I couldn't stop him. He...he overpowered me."

"Even in his condition? Damn, that man has balls."

"What's going on?" Cole demanded. "Why are you pointing your gun at Jack?"

"Reyes is right, Cole. I gotta bring Jack in. I don't know what I was thinking. I have a mission to accomplish, and I almost got sidetracked. That's not like me. I really am sorry, but us killing Reyes wouldn't look good for our own country."

Cole scoffed. "It's just like you to switch sides, Walt. You really are somethin'..."

Morris sighed. "I'm not switching sides to spite you or any of the rebels. I have my own sense of duty...old friend, you gotta understand. Your father would have done the same as me."

"My father would have done the same as you?" Cole took a threatening step toward Morris. "My father had a strong sense of duty to this country. To Mexico. He would have rather died than let anything stand in the way of protecting his people. To say my father would betray Mexico just to bring in a bounty...you got it wrong, Walt."

"I don't care. Not anymore. All I care about is doing the job I was hired to do." Morris faced Jack. "Jack, I'm taking you with me."

Jack narrowed his eyes. "No."

"No?"

"I got a sense of duty of my own. I know I have to pay for my sins, but not until I finish this first. I gave my word to the people of Mexico to stop Reyes and his regime, and I'll be damned if I can't see it through. So, it seems, we're at an impasse again."

"Looks like we are," Morris responded. "But you're in no position to bargain. You're hurt, I can tell."

"So are you."

"I got more fight in me than you do. I'm used to fightin' through the pain of a bullet wound. I presume you're not."

Reyes turned to flee, hoping everyone would be distracted. However, he ran right into Cole, who took him to the ground with a swift kick to the gut. Reyes immediately sprung back up, but Cole followed up with a left hook and Reyes fell down again.

Morris attempted to grab Jack, but Jack dodged and threw a punch at Morris. Morris easily dodged the blow and returned it with one of his own. The powerful punch landed on Jack's back, and he groaned in pain as the strongest hit he had ever experienced sent prickling pain down his spine. Morris grabbed him by the collar before he fell and roughly shoved him into the wall. Morris backed up a few steps and aimed his revolver at Jack. Jack courageously bent down low and wrapped his arms around Morris's torso. Taken by surprise, Morris dropped his gun and stumbled backward into the opposite wall before he was able to push Jack off of him.

Meanwhile, Reyes struggled to his feet yet again. He rushed at Cole but missed. It was clear to Cole that Reyes didn't have much fight left, which is probably why he had resorted to turning Jack and Morris against each other. He was stalling for time and trying to buy his way out. His mind games wouldn't work on Cole.

"Gringo...I don't know who you are…" Reyes was interrupted when Cole drew his revolver and pistol whipped him on the head. Reyes collapsed again and Cole prepared to fire.

"I'm a Ricketts. Don't forget it," Cole said as he squeezed the trigger. To his horror, the sound of the hammer hitting an empty chamber echoed through the hallway. Empty? Cole thought to himself. How could this be?

Despite remaining at a disadvantage, Reyes laughed. "That was anticlimactic," he remarked. "I guess it's not my time to die, no?" Cole tossed the pistol aside and kicked Reyes in the gut. Reyes wealky tried to fight back, but Cole was easily able to evade each feeble attack.

Morris had taken Jack to the ground again and managed to kick him in the gut as well. Jack groaned and moaned as the pain from his battle wounds began to take a deep toll on him. Despite his motivation to continue fighting, the pain prevented him from doing so. Cole noticed this and kicked Reyes roughly in the head, knocking him unconscious. He rushed to Jack's side, putting Morris in a hold long enough for Jack to struggle to his feet.

Morris broke free and rushed at Jack again, but Cole brought Morris to the ground this time. The two men rolled from one side of the hallway to the other, fighting for dominance in their fight against the toughest opponent either one had ever known. Cole got to his feet first but as he was standing Morris threw an uppercut, making contact with Cole's solar plexus. Cole stumbled backward, grimacing as the pain from his earlier knife wound returned, but he managed to keep his footing as Morris came in for a cross punch. Cole ducked under it and landed a jab on Morris's kidney. Morris grunted in pain and clutched his stomach. Cole landed a punch directly on Morris's bullet wound and Morris yelled in pain.

"Is that all you got, Walt?" Cole asked. "That ain't the man I knew."

"Just getting started," Morris said through gritted teeth. He grappled with Cole and if it weren't for his wound, he would have easily taken him down. However, the pain from his bullet wound overwhelmed him and after several seconds Cole was able to gain back the upper hand. He cross punched Morris twice in the face and landed another blow on Morris's kidney. Morris attempted to punch Cole in the kidney but Cole was able to dodge. Completely frustrated, Morris summoned all the strength he could and shoved Cole across the hallway. The force from the push caused the wall to crumble and crack. Cole doubled over in pain, temporarily unable to stand.

Morris turned his sights toward the spot where Jack had been standing, but Jack was nowhere to be seen. Morris cursed; he had let his bounty get away. No, Cole had stopped him from accomplishing his mission. He wouldn't allow him to get in the way anymore. Morris picked up his revolver and prepared to finish off Cole.

"Old friend…" Cole said weakly. "Don't…"

"Goodbye," Morris said. The retort of his gun echoed through the hallway as Jack pulled the trigger of his rifle. The bullet traveled quickly from the barrel of his gun and embedded itself into Morris's skull. Morris's eyes rolled into the back of his head before they closed for good and he fell like a giant oak tree to the ground.

Jack quickly rushed to Cole's side. "Cole…"

"Jack...you saved me."

As Jack helped Cole to his feet, Reyes slowly regained consciousness. He propped himself up and looked at the scene before him. Noticing that Morris was dead, he said, "Well...you killed him." He then proceeded to fall flat on his face, groaning once he hit the floor.

"What are we gonna do with him?" Jack asked.

Cole sighed. "I think we should let him live. For now, at least. Have Valentia put him on trial for crimes against his country and have him hung high."

"So...what do we do now?"

"Let's make sure Valentia is alright. See if they still need help out there."

"Sounds good to me."

Jack and Cole carried a now unconscious Reyes to a makeshift prison located underneath the palace. They locked him in a cell and immediately rushed outside to check on how the rebel force was doing with its mission. To their satisfaction, Gonzalez's men had arrived but were quickly being put in their place. An overwhelming number of Mexican citizens were now fighting for the rebel cause, easily doubling the standing force of the Mexican army. The rebels were also now manning the cannons on the palace balconies, so they had the tactical advantage. Jack and Cole took one look at each other and joined the last bit of fighting they had to do to take Mexico once and for all.

Within an hour, the battle had been won. General Gonzalez threw up a white flag which signaled his surrender. Valentia was quickly summoned and was on the scene within minutes. Though terribly wounded, Valentia carried himself proudly and strongly. He and Gonzalez went into a private tent and began discussing terms of surrender. Within two hours, the terms had been agreed upon. General Gonzalez would remove his forces from Mexico City if Valentia agreed not to charge them for war crimes. Additionally, Valentia's force would stand down and Mexico City would be demilitarized by both sides. The two shook on the conditions as the revolution came to a close.

A short distance away from the victorious, cheering crowd, Jack wiped a clump of dust off of his hat, his father's old hat, and placed it back on his head. Cole approached Jack and placed a firm hand on his shoulder. The two men silently watched the people of Mexico celebrate their victory.

"So what now?" Jack asked.

Cole smiled. "Now, Jack, you finish what you started. Get stateside, turn yourself in, and pray for the best. That's all you can do."

"Cole...I might never see you again…"

"Oh you will, Jack. You will." Cole smiled at Jack and winked as he said this. "Trust me. Good luck."