Fort Mercer

Cathy was sitting on a chair in a few feet away from John. He was chained to a wall. He had been stripped of his weapons, which all lay on the table along with his hat and coat. There was another soldier in the room with her on orders from the Captain. He was a young man, he was trembling because of John's growling. She walked over to him and spoke.

"Mr Marston, I don't know if you can understand me but, my name is Cathy Ward. I'm a friend of Jack's. I promised him that I'd take care of you while he's gone. I really don't mean to be rude but you must stop growling. It's disturbing this young man, and if the Captain thinks you're endangering his men he'll probably shoot you. I'd hate to disappoint Jack."

John stopped growling. She had spoken to him in a very polite manor, as if he was still alive. He wondered who she was. But he was glad that Jack had asked her to keep him company. He sat down and leaned back against the wall. Three gunshots were then fired, hitting John's torso.

Cathy's hand covered her mouth; she turned to see the Captain standing in the doorway. "She's kinda right Marston. Except I've got no problem shooting you." He then turned to the young guard "Leave."

The young guard saluted him and left the room. Cathy picked up the revolver Jack had given to her. She held it tightly in his arms. "Leave Mr Marston alone, he's done nothing wrong."

"Just being one of those things is wrong. And his soul is rotting in hell. Haven't you heard the stories? John Marston is a killer. He ran in a gang for years. He robbed banks. He's a bad man."

Cathy pointed the gun at the Captain. "I did hear those stories. But I heard all the other stories too. How he tried to make a better life for his family, how he tried to make up for his past. He's a good man."

The Captain slapped the revolver out of her hand; it flew out of her hands and landed under the table. He pushed her against the wall. "I don't care what you think of him. I was there when he died. In fact I put a few of the bullets that killed him into his corpse. I took Marston's father, and now I'm taking you. Then I'm gonna kill him…again. Then I'm gonna kill that brat."

Cathy's eyes widened. The Captain helped kill Jack's Father and now he was planning on raping her. Then killing Jack. Tears streamed from her eyes. John Growled louder than ever and thrashed against his chains.

The Captain was too busy making threats that he didn't hear the door opening. All of a sudden a rope tightened around the Captains neck. His hands went to his throat. He was being lifted several inches into the air. He turned to see who had done this to him.

Jack was standing by the door; he had thrown his lasso over a rafter and gotten it around the Captain's neck. He suddenly released his grip dropping the Captain to the ground. Walking to where the Captain laid he kicked him over onto his back; he grabbed the front of his shirt, and lifted him up slightly, then punched the Captain as hard as he could. Knocking him out cold. He then shot the chains restraining his father, releasing him.

Cathy ran over to Jack and hugged him. "You came back."

Jack stoked her hair to calm her down. "I promised I would." If she hadn't been in the room he probably would have killed the Captain. "We haven't got much time. Come on. Pa, you too." He walked to the table and lifted the revolver allowing, the captain left there. "Just don't ask me what's going on coz, I really don't know either."

He led them out into the courtyard it was mostly deserted. Matilda, Javier, and Mother Calderón, were tracing three shapes into the dirt. A pentagram, a cross and a circle, all of which were layered on the other.

Riain, Irish, and Bonnie stood by the watching them. Matilda looked towards John. She walked towards him. "Oh, he is extraordinary. We are nearly ready to begin." She then looked past him. Her eyes saw the four Undead Horses tied to John's stage coach. She ran quickly over to them. "Mr Marston. Are these the Four Horses of the Apocalypse?"

Everyone looked towards the horses and then towards John. He nodded.

"Did you break them before or after your…death?" Matilda asked.

John merely groaned. No one understood. He walked over to Jack. He took the knife from his side. He traced the word "BEFORE" into the dirt.

Matilda clapped her hands in glee. "We begin now. First we must add the five objects. Blood from a relative." Jack stepped forward. He took the knife back from his father. He removed one of his gloves; he lightly ran the blood across his palm. He dropped the blood into one of the spaces between the points of the star. "Next; a possession of the deceased." Jack then dropped the revolver he had picked up into a different space. "Next; a rare flower." Irish stepped forward. He placed a Violet Snowdrop in another space. "Next; a lock of a virgin's hair."

Jack turned to Cathy and cleared his throat "I know this may be sudden and all but could we use some of your hair. I mean if you say no we can ask some one else..." Jack was caught off guard as she took the knife from his hands and cut a lock of her hair out. She laid the hair in the second last space and handed the knife back to Jack. She smiled at him.

"And the last item; Bone from an enemy."

Everyone looked at each other. Unsure of where they would get a bone. Particularly from an enemy. Jack then realised the solution. He headed back into the room where John was being held, the captain was starting to come to. He grabbed the Captain, and the chair. He placed the chair by the table, then sat the captain on the chair, and tied him in place, tying one hand outstretched on the table. Jack waited for him to fully regain conscience.

The Captain opened his eyes fully. He couldn't move. He looked around. Jack was leaning against the wall. "Good evening, Captain. I heard what you said to Cathy. You were there the day my Pa was killed. To me that makes you just as guilty as Ross."

The captain laughed. "What're you gonna do?"

"Oh I just figured since you took my Pa's life. You owe him." Jack took out the knife and walked towards the restrained Captain. "And since you're an enemy. You'll do just fine." Jack drove the blade down into the table removing one of the Captain's fingers. Causing him to scream in agony. Jack left the room saying that he should count himself lucky.

Jack returned to the circle and dropped the finger in the final space between the points.

"Now we add the five elements to the points of the star." Matilda said

Bonnie looked towards her. "But there are only four elements."

Matilda looked at Bonnie. "There are five; one is never grouped with the rest." Bonnie did not respond "Now we begin, Fire," John set a lit stick within the first point. "Earth," Bonnie set a large rock within, the second "Water," Mother Calderón opened a bottle of holy water and pored some of the water into the third point "Air," Matilda took a jar out and breathed into it, then sealed the jar setting it into the fourth, point. "And Finally, Lightning."

Jack looked at the sky. "Where are we going to get lightning from? There's not a cloud insight."

Everyone looked towards Matilda. "This complicates things."

Rain then stood towards the circle. He took out a piece of fabric and began to rub it on his coat. "Friction causes an electrical charge." He dropped the piece of fabric into the last point.

Matilda smiled at him. "Now Mr Marston, Could you bring the four horses and put one next to each point of the cross. John walked over and released the horses form their reigns He brought them to the shape and put one at each point of the cross. "Excellent. Now Mr Marston if you could please stand in the centre of the pentagram.

John did as he was told. Standing in the centre of the pentagram he turned to Jack, who then turned to Matilda. "Are you sure this will work."

Matilda did not answer she merely took opened the book which contained the incantation and read out an incantation."Reverto nobis ex vestri sepulchrum. Orior oriri ortus quod quod reperio a novus radis of vox." She repeated the incantation several times. The objects form the pentagram began to glow, as did the elements and horses. The light form them gathered to wards John and engulfed him in the centre.

"PA!" Jack attempted to run to the centre but was restrained by Riain and Irish. Looking towards the as light, but it came to blinding to look. A large shockwave knocked everyone to the ground. The soldiers and civilians stood on the walls of the fort. Watching what was taking place below.

Jack opened his eyes. He looked around he had been taken to a bed. He turned over and saw Riain and Irish on two other beds. He sat up. He sat up; his hat was on the bed post. He reached for it but it was lifted before he reached it. "Hey what do you think you're…" Jack was cut short. He looked at the man now holding his hat.

John Marston stood in front of him. The image of his old self, dressed in the clothes he was wearing when he arrived, fully armed, holding his old hat in his hands. He smiled "Hello Son."