Amiville.
It was early morning when I walked into town after a restless night. I barely caught more than a couple hours’ worth of sleep as my mind kept going through all the possibilities of proceeding events. Little did I know that today would change the course of my life forever.
The day started with a conversation with Sayler, who was quickly becoming a very close friend. He was upset about being messed around with by people like Buckshot Bill and I couldn’t say I blamed him.
I spent the morning in the saloon talking with people and trying to distract myself. Bravo joined me and I thanked him for giving me a place to stay the night before. It was good to know I could count on him when I needed him the most. It wasn’t long before more regulars joined us in the saloon, while the familiar sounds of gunfire rang through the streets. Will and Nell came in and I told them about being able to stay with Bravo. They were relieved to hear that I was being looked after.
About mid-morning, the saloon doors opened and I looked up, seeing Dutch for the first time in a long time. “Hey Dutch, welcome back,” I greeted him.
“Trin,” he nodded to me.
“Look who’s back from the grave,” Bravo smirked. “How’s the afterlife? Do they want ice water in hell?”
I couldn’t help but laugh as Dutch said, “You know Bravo, I’m tempted to shoot you.”
“Well Dutch, you’ve been sayin’ that for years,” Bravo chuckled.
“Yeah, I have wondered why you’re still walking around.”
“It’s lady luck I tell ya,” Bravo smiled. “But don’t mean I don’t have any scars.”
“Want to join us, Dutch?” I offered.
“That I will,” Dutch sat down at the table with us and I smiled.
“Well... Guess that’s two out of four,” I chuckled, looking between them, counting to make sure I got the number right.
“Well Gaide’s missing and Josh is pushing a herd north,” Dutch explained.
“Yeah I hear tell that he was shot in Abilene,” Bravo nodded.
“Josh was shot?” I gasped.
“Nah, Gaide.”
“Oh... That doesn’t surprise me,” I chuckled.
“I heard the same rumor,” Dutch nodded. “Rode down to check it out. No proof of it though. Few of the workin’ girls did recall seeing him...”
“I heard another that he was lynched in Fortworth... but you know how them things go.”
“I will leave that part out when I talk to Ascot. Gaide’s too goody two shoes to ever get lynched.”
I listened to the boys talking and then I told them that I was taking a liking to the Kansas area, since I’d started to visit the native camp out there. I explained that it was a nice retreat sometimes and they didn’t seem to trust the Natives but I assured that these ones were fine. They started drinking a bottle of whiskey and when they handed it to me I tried it but it tasted terrible.
“You’re both nuts,” I looked between them with a chuckle.
“Solo’s,” Dutch clarified and Bravo just smirked.
They continued to banter back and forth about their time in the war and I just sat quietly, watching them. Dutch joked over something happening with Peep and I just chuckled, thinking how much I’d missed him.
“Some things best left dead, Trin,” he looked at me seriously. “Especially now.”
“I know, Dutch,” I nodded in agreement. “Can’t help but laugh at it all now.”
“Yeah... thought you was with the beyond, and dead,” Bravo nodded.
“I try to find the humor but it still eludes me,” Dutch sighed and I reached over to pat his knee comfortingly.
“I know, darlin’. I’m sorry,” I sighed.
“Hell, I’m still confused as to it all,” Dutch admitted.
“Ain’t we all,” I nodded in agreement.
More people came in and out of the saloon and we continued to sit and talk, enjoying one another’s company. Eventually Bravo asked me to dance and we spun around together in the middle of the saloon. We danced together and it felt so good to be in Bravo’s arms and to be still hanging out with Dutch, without all the awkwardness that had been there the previous month.
Idaho West
That afternoon I went out for a ride through Idaho and heard gunshots up in the mountains. I went over to find out what was going on and found a cave with a heavy door, sealed tightly shut. I tried to bang on the door and suddenly heard Chels calling, “Anyone there? Help us!”
“Chels?!” I called into the cave. “It’s me! Trin! Are you okay?”
“Yes,” she called back. “Can ya break the door down?”
“I... I don’t know...” I tried to kick the door down but it wouldn’t budge.
“Help us!” I heard Kitty calling and tried to bang down the door again but to no avail.
“Trin be careful! Raven is here now!” Chels called out to me. “Go get help!”
“Run Trin!” Kitty called out and I ran off to find anyone who was around to help me. I found a man standing in the pathway and dismounted, running to him.
“Sir! I need your help!”
“Oh do ya?” he looked up.
“My friends are trapped in a cave!”
“What for?”
“There’s an outlaw in there with them but... There’s a door but I can’t get in!”
“Oh, I can help.”
“Can you?!”
“Depends what ya have for me,” he said slyly.
“What do you want?” I asked, dismounting my horse.
“One hundred coins.”
“I can do that.”
“Alright.”
“After they’re out and safe I’ll give you 100 coins. You have my word.”
“Where are they?”
“Follow me!” I led the way to the cave and showed him the door that was jammed shut.
“Do ya think I can break the rocks with my hands? It’s locked, Miss.”
“That’s the problem!”
“Ya sure someone’s in there?”
“Chels?” I called out.
“Those ladies don’t deserve the treatment they were getting,” I heard TJ’s voice from the other side of the door.
“TJ!?” I called back, shocked.
“Do you not agree, Trin?” he called back.
I looked from the door to the man beside me and said, “Chels, Kitty, TJ...”
“TJ is in there?” the man asked, interested now.
“Okay, stand back,” the man said.
“Help, Rat!” TJ called out and the man told me to step back. He set some dynamite on the door and I jumped back out of the way.
“Rat, what are ya doin’?” I heard Bill’s voice.
“Buck, are ya in there too?”
“He’s the one that’s got him, Rat!”
“Oh hell, what is all this?”
“Yep, TJ tryin’ ta free my prisoners,” Bill called back to the man who I now knew was called Rat.
“Rat! This ain’t no time for talk! Get that dynamite out!” I called, desperate. Rat shook his head, taking the dynamite back then. “But...” I started.
“No buts, miss. I ain’t like those people.”
“TJ is your friend!” I tugged on his jacket. “200 coins.”
“She knows too much, Rat,” Bill called out. “Shoot her before she gits help.”
“Come on, can’t we talk about this?” I begged.
“Step back Miss,” Rat told me.
“Trin... Run!” Chels called out from inside the cave.
“She’s a news lady,” Bill called out to Rat.
I tried to run away but I could feel Rat running after me and he grabbed me. “Is that true?” he asked me.
“What? Is what true?” I asked.
“Are ya from the papers?” I swallowed and backed up. “Don’t ya lie now.”
“What if I say I am?” I asked and he stepped closer.
“You come with me, Miss.”
I backed up and shook my head but he tried to pull me with her. I tried to pull away but he was too strong and dragged me to the cave where Bill opened the door and let us both inside. I could see the cell in the back of the cave, where Kitty and Chels were hanging from the shackles. TJ lay on the bed, looking dejected about the whole thing, and Raven and Bill were sitting at a table in the middle of the room. I knew that I would have to be smart if I wanted to get out of this alive, so I tried my best to stay calm.
“If ya smart, let ‘em go,” TJ tried but there was no sign of that happening any time soon.
“I want me 100 coins,” Rat told me forecefully.
“That wasn’t the agreement!”
“I’ll take ‘em back and get the warrants dropped,” TJ promised.
“Hey, you said to help ya in!” Rat argued with me.
“I ain’t giving you anything now. I said to help them out.”
“I gots some one there already doin’ it,” Bill told TJ.
“Look Bill... I won’t write about the fire in the paper. That what you want? Just scratch the whole damn thing and not write anything?”
“Just let ‘em go,” TJ argued.
“I mean heck, they’ll kill me anyway. Not like the law cares much in Amiville anyway.”
Rat rolled his eyes and grabbed his guns. “I want my 100 coins now!!”
I swallowed and gave him the coins and said, “Fine, take the damn coins. It’s just money.”
“What is this?” Raven took out her pistol, pointing them from Rat to me, not sure what was going on.
“Bill, just tell me what you want, damn it,” I looked at him.
“Easy now, no more shooting,” TJ warned.
“I don’t trust you, newspaper gal,” Bill told me.
“Funny, I could say the same about you.”
“You talk big for being in the wolf’s den,” Raven raised an eyebrow at me.
“Alright, who’s the girl?” Rat asked Bill then, wanting to know what was going on.
“Kitty’s a deputy. She done shot at us. Then Chels the Marshal ran overs and done the same.”
“Bill had ‘em naked. There’s no need for that,” TJ argued.
“Naked?” Rat raised an eyebrow and I swallowed nervously.
“Yep, I done did,” Bill nodded.
“Yep, that’s why I was angry,” TJ glared.
Raven walked over to me and grabbed a handful of my hair, ushering me over to a chair. “Sit, you,” she ordered and I sat.
“She told ya she would scratch the report, Bill?” Rat asked, looking from Bill to Rat.
“I am thinkin’ here...” Bill looked around the cave. “She is probably lyin’.”
“That what you want, Bill? To pretend August 14th never happened? Just scratch it from the record book?”
“She wants to pin the fire on Josey,” Bill claimed.
“I ain’t printin’ nothing yet, Bill. I ain’t got proof. Just hearsay. I’m not stupid, Bill,” I promised. “If I do say anything about it in the paper I'll just say they're investigatin’. Don’t have to mention any names.”
“Ya just burn down there office if they mention your name. Simple,” Rat stated.
“Well if I lets ya go then you write that the informants lied to you and it started from the gunpowder when a lawman flicked a cig,” Bill explained. “Through a broken window, and they tried to blame it on Josey. Ya gots that?”
“I ain’t gonna lie, Bill. I’ll withold information though. They don’t even have to know it was your gang. I’ll just say, ‘a fire started at Valk’s store, and authorities are still investigating those responsible. That’s all I’ll have to say. Nothin’ about Josey or Michelle or... nothing. Okay?” Then I had a thought and said, “Heck, Michelle ain’t even apart of this whole thing. I could pin it on her and you guys would be fine. She was seen watching the fire burn too.”
“I see you won’t lie about a lawmen but you will about a fellow outlaws,” Bill countered. “Hell, you might pin it on Rat Boy here.”
“Why the heck would I do that? I never saw him at the scene. I never saw anything at the scene... This is all just by what people tell me. I can choose what to put in and what not to.”
“But ya said ya seen Miche there, so pin it on her? I seen Bravo there... he smokes... That’s who you saw git me?”
I sighed and said, “I won’t write names. They’re investigating who’s responsible. Done, end of story. Next headline.”
“Nopes,” Bill shook his head. “I say you tell them a lawman did it, or ya ain’t walkin’ outta here.”
“You want me to pin this on who?”
“Bravo,” he stated and I swallowed, nervous, knowing that Bravo was the lawman who had been keeping me protected and who I was quickly developing strong feelings for. I also knew though, that there would be no way of getting out of here alive if I didn’t tell Bill what he wanted to hear.
Bill pulled out a knife then and I swallowed, nervous. “Bill, leave her alone,” Kitty called from inside the cell.
“Bill, please,” I begged but Rat came over and held me over.
“Just a reminder for her that’s all,” Bill promised, “So she makes shore she sticks to the agreement.”
“Oh, I’ll remember,” I promised.
“Ya better keep your word or I coming to hunt ya down,” Rat glared at me, “And then your family, then your related friends...”
“I ain’t got family,” I lied, though the truth was I hadn’t seen my family in years.
As soon as I spoke, Bill looked into my eyes directly and gave me a small cut on my arm. I screamed in pain and he told me that was how he was going to kill me, long and slow and painfully. He led me to the door but then I turned, concerned for Kitty and Chels.
“Wait... What about them?” I asked.
“Oh, you’re pushin’ it,” Bill glared at me. “You tell them I has them, and you tell them I want all warrants for every outlaw burned up. Every one of them. Git me?”
“I get you, Bill,” I nodded.
“And if they do agree you come back and tells me and I will set them free.” I nodded and he said,
“Now go, rabbit. Run.”
I waited for him to open the big door and ran out, never feeling more relieved to be out of a place as much in all my life.
Riding into the town of Idaho West, I found the marshal I’d met on the road and asked him for a doctor. He brought me to see Mimi and she put a bandage on my wrist where the knife had cut a slit in my skin. It wasn’t deep, but it was just enough to remind me about this day. I had the feeling, though, that this would be a day I’d be remembering for the rest of my life. I told Eddie about what had happened over in Twin Falls and he promised to take care of it. When Mimi had finished taking care of my wrist I went to the law office and sent out a telegraph to Amiville, telling them about what had just happened.
Amiville.
After waiting for an hour to hear anything in response to the telegraph, I finally rode back to town and found Bravo limping along the river on the way home. I helped him get back home and we went straight to the clinic where he told me how there had been a group sent to the cave in Twin Falls, but he was the only one to get away. JC was in the clinic too and I reached for Bravo’s hand as I told him all that had happened and how Bravo had wanted to blame the fire on him, but he was too out of it to talk about anything. Will came in and I told him about everything that happened at the cave and he was shocked at the violence and was concerned that I was okay. He looked at my wrist and held me, trying to comfort me. Karan took care of Bravo and then she came over to look at my wrist, making sure the bandage around the cut was okay.
When we were told it was okay to leave, we headed for the saloon and got a drink of whiskey and then went to my place where Bravo spent the night with me, making sure nothing more happened. It had been a long day and all I wanted to do was fall asleep in his arms, feeling safe at last.
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