June 23, 1899

Tombstone. 

This afternoon I walked right over to Skyla standing in front of the office, still feeling shaken after last night’s ordeal. She was standing with Liz so I figured it was a good opportunity to tell them what had happened together. 

“Sheriff, we need to talk,” I started before they could even say good morning. 

“Go fer it. I’m right here.” 

“I found your clock.” 

“Ya did?” she raised an eyebrow. 

“Yep. Put up in front of a store owned by Serenity over in Ghenna. Found it right before I narrowly escaped being kidnapped.” 

Skyla smirked and said, “Well, I guess after the war that’s where I’ll take a team too.” 

“A team would be helpful. I can't keep goin' out to outlaw towns on my own. Mahko said he'd protect me but he didn't do much to stand up against 'em. Lot pretty much threatened my life if Iever show up there again.” 

“We’ll get some calvary and rangers to go too.” 

“I found some pieces on the ground around the tower and then found TJ... so he led the way to Ghenna with me and I found the clock at the store. Surprised TJ led me out there but then he and I go way back...” 

“TJ is, well, special,” Skyla grinned. 

“Well anyway... TJ suggested that they tie me up since they didn't like me out there.” 

I turned and saw Richie and sighed with relief, wrapping my arms around him. “Just tellin’ the sheriff how I avoided gettin' kidnapped last night.” 

“Sheww you need to be more careful,” Richie hugged me. 

“I can't keep doing these things on my own. If I have to wander out of town I ain't gonna do it without someone who's armed who I can trust,” I told Skyla. 

“Take Richie, here,” Sky laughed. 

“Was supposed to be another guy ‘round here... Fred Pinkerton... he's armed... would be perfect for these trips but I ain't seen him much.” I looked over at Richie and asked, “You gonna start wearin’ guns to be my bodyguard, darlin’?”

“Why you wanna put me in harm’s way, Sheriff? I ain’t done nothing to you,” Richie argued. “Why don’t you go?” 

“I can’t. Not my area, Richie. I have to have a ranger or marshal or calvary to go.” 

“Or a citizen,” I winked at him. 

“Nobody said you had to be sheriffing,” Richie winked. “Just exploring with a friend.” 

“I’m always a sheriff no matter where I go or what I do.” 

“Well then in that case it wouldn’t matter. I’m just too lazy, no fibbing on part.” 

“Darlin’ it would just be better if you could protect me... Would give us more uh.. quality time too,” I winked at him. 

“Tired just thinking about it. All that walking...” Richie complained. 

“See how he watches my back?” I chuckled and nudged him. 

“Quit that, woman. You’re liable to knock me over.” 

I chuckled as Skyla walked away without saying goodbye and asked Eliza, “Eliza, any progress on all this other mess? Any sightings of Shaane?” 

“Well me too, I reckon. I’m gonna go get me a bite of food,” Richie said. “Let you all talk business stuff.” 

“Rest from all your resting,” Liz shot back at him. 

“Okay, darlin’,” I chuckled and said goodbye to him. I looked to Liz and told her, “Last night was just... frustrating. I need more help than I had. Wondering where that other Pinkerton guy disappeared to.” 

“Never seem to have the help when we need it,” Liz nodded. 

Punk, TJ and Blood Shadow came riding into town declaring that war would be coming. Cole came over and asked how he could help and Liz told him that soon we would be making a plan. He promised he would help and Steve, a US Marshal, came over to find out what was going on. We filled him in and told him what had been happening. Sky said that she had informed Wedge but she wasn’t sure what would happen next. 

We began to prepare for war, sensing that it was impending. Skyla and I gathered boxes from the hotel storage and created barricades wherever we could. The mayor began shouting out orders telling citizens to help fight and look for a man by the name of Shaane Thompson. 

I walked into the church and sat down at the piano, not wanting to get caught up in the violence. I began to play hymns as women and children joined me in the small church, getting away from the fighting. As I played the hymns, I shared the stories I had learned behind the author’s motive for writing the lyrics. Shooting continued but we tried to let the music fill our souls as we tried to find comfort in the One who would protect us from all harm. 

***

This evening, I walked back into town after having been at home writing in my notebooks. Ali and Gabe sat in front of Kate’s and I greeted them both as I sat down, pulling out my flask of whiskey. I told them about almost getting kidnapped in Ghenna last night and how I felt like such a failure for not winning yet another case. 

“Not your fault on that, not like anyone was helping with it,” Gabe shrugged. “Besides, they got him now. It’s over.” 

“They got him?” I looked to Gabe and he nodded. 

“Did you have anything other than a name to go by?” Ali asked. 

“He wore a top hat and spit a lot. and his name. and that he hung out with TJ who lives over in Ghenna.”

“Well, I heard the mayor giving the same information about the fella bout an hour or so before the war started,” Ali said. “That’s the first I had heard besides a name.” 

“So the war happened in spite the fact that they got the man?”

“Mayor and Marshal wouldn’t hand him over, and Apache not trust the court system so they attacked,” Gabe told me. “They broke him out of the jail and took him.” 

“Perhaps Gabe can tell you what he saw taking place,” Ali said. “I was hiding under the desk in the office up there,” she pointed to the courthouse. 

“Why am I not surprised?” I shook my head. “I figured it was all just a ploy to get into a war with us. That’s why I brought in Mahko. If he took the guy in himself maybe they would’ve been satisfied and not started the war. The natives broke into jail and took Shaane?” 

“Is that all the banging I heard?” Ali asked Gabe. 

“They wouldn’t give him to the Apache. Chief kept his word. Yes, Apache broke him out,” Gabe nodded and looked to Ali, “Yes, that was the banging.” 

“Geez,” I shook my head. “How many lawmen did ya see running about?”

“Quite a few lawmen. Saw more dropping on the ground than running though,” he chuckled. 

“More than the usual few amount that’s here during the week?” I nodded. 

Ali leaned over to me and whispered, “The Apache took everyone but Wedge I think.” I just shook my head at the news, not believing it. 

I told Ali and Gabe about the man who had come to work for me but hadn’t been around since we talked. I thought it was strange since he was so all for the job. I decided that it would be a good idea to wear my gun again, especially after what had happened last night, and they agreed that it was a good idea. 

We went over to Kate’s and had a drink, continuing to talk about all that had happened the past few days. It felt so good to sit and drink with friends, unwinding from the stress. Sniper came in and joined us and I talked with him about things as well. I met a woman named Tally who was standing in front of Kate’s with us. 

Serenity came over then and I just sighed slightly, trying to hide my frustration with her but couldn’t do it well. “Who pissed in yer breakfast this morning?” she tilted her head to the side. 

“As if you don’t remember last night,” I shot back and Sniper raised an eyebrow. 

“Oh which part now, the one where ya came into the wrong town and started askin’ the wrong questions?” 

“The wrong questions?” I looked at her. “It’s my job to ask questions, ma’am.”

“Gettin’ nosey ‘bout my shop. Why’d ya need ta know that?” 

“I can’t be curious about your stock? Maybe I wanted to buy some herbs.”

“Lyin don’t suit ya well. I know plenty reason why you was there. The folks that were there before me filled me in...ya want the clock back, don’t ya?”

“And it was so peaceful too,” Sniper sighed and smirked then. 

“It ain’t in my hands anymore,” I shrugged. 

“So who’d ya go on and tell then?” Serenity pressed. 

“Don’t matter. Nothin’ to tell anyway.”

“Oh there’s plenty to tell. I’ve seen ya runnin’ off a few times towards the sheriff’s office. Just curious to know who I’m gonna have ta shoot to keep ‘em quiet and off my back.” 

“Well TJ’s the one who led me out there when I asked him which way Ghenna was. Ain’t my fault he was bein’ friendly,” I shook my head. 

“No, but what is yer fault is that ya want and blabbed off ta someone else.” 

“How do you even know? It’s not like they’re gonna do anything about it. Do you see any law around goin out there? Or in town for that matter? No point tellin’ anyone.”

“No, but ya did see what happened to the town when the law didn’t do nothin until the last day....right?” 

“People gonna get shot and war’s gonna happen no matter what I do. Doesn’t make much of a difference,” I said bitterly. 

“Do I sense a little tenseness with the law, ms Trin?” Serenity asked and I saw Gabe raising an eyebrow, as if waiting for my answer. 

I looked back at Serenity and said, “I do my job, Miss Serenity. What happens after that is out of my hands.”

“C’mon, ladies. Kiss and make up, then maybe hug followed by...” Sniper laughed. 

“So what yer sayin is that you don’t get credit for the work you do, and ya feelin’ salty bout it, right? I mean even folks like you pinky’s deserve a little credit now and then,” Serenity said. 

“Credit for what? Obviously I did nothin’ to stop the war today so it looks like I don’t deserve much credit anyway.”

“A war today?” Sniper asked. 

“I ain’t talkin’ bout the war. I’m talkin’ anythin else, in general. You’re thinkin’ too specific,” Serenity said. 

“That was not because of you, Miss Trin,” Ali shook her head. “They had the fella and wouldn’t surrender him.” 

“Natives came to town then?” Sniper asked. 

“Indeed they did,” Gabe nodded. 

They continued to tell Sniper what happened with the war and I stayed quiet until I decided to head to bed, having had enough.