The Wake

[Seamus Mullins]

Carson City, Nevada


Seamus Mullins was a rare type of criminal. He'd lived a life of success in his sordid trade, and was so successful that he could manage to wrap himself in a veneer of respectability. The money he swindled, stole, and robbed was propped up into buying stakes into silver mines and casinos. He was one of the few villains in the old west that could reach the summit of success without firing a shot from a gun. That was a notion that he'd developed some amount of pride with. In the halcyon days of Carson City, he used his ill-gotten loot to pull the mining down up by its bootstraps and to become a proper city, further giving his legacy the legitimacy that so few of his type ever gained. In his twilight years, he was almost a respectable man, with a large house, a big family, and a healthy bank roll. If Seamus wished it, he could have abandoned his ilicit ways entirely, but there was still some allure to it.

One late spring day, the elder of the Mullins family took to playing a mandolin on his expansive front porch, smoking the finest cross-cut tobacco from a walnut pipe when a uniformed telegram boy briskly approached his step.

"Pardon me, Mr. Mullins, you got a wire out of Virginia City."

Seamus knew who it was by the name of the town. His brother Roy rarely took time to write. By that very acknowledgment, this was a serious matter. An aged hand reached to his pocket to remove bifocals, while the other put the mandolin away, and reached for the paper the boy held. Unwrapping it with ginger care, Seamus adjusted the glasses on his nose and read the print.

MY BROTHER SEAMUS STOP

I REGRET TO INFORM YOU THAT YOUR SON EZEKIEL WAS IN AN ALTERCATION IN JUSTICE MONTANA STOP

HE WAS MURDERED BY THE TOWN MAYOR STOP

WE ARE HOLDING A WAKE IN TOWN WITHIN THE WEEK AND ARE HOPEFUL OF YOUR ATTENDANCE STOP

SINCERELY ELROY MULLINS STOP

Seamus carefully folded the letter again with a shaking hand, and with another retrieved a dollar coin from his pocket to give the telegraph boy.

"Thank you, my son."

His eyes were miles away and his face looked ashen.

[Shoney Mullins]

There was no need to ride for Carson City. That much she knew. With Zeke's death, Shoney had to but wait. Their father would come; Roy would tell him, and he would come. It was an eventuality that was certain.

How many years had it been since she'd last seen her father? Five? Ten? So much time had passed that she couldn't put a number to the distance that seperated them. After being run out of Justice, Shoney dared not set foot towards Carson City. That would be like walking back to a life that she'd spent so long trying to escape, and despite being abandoned by the one she'd come to trust, it was just not worth it to fall back into the abuse she took growing up. News always filtered in to where she'd holed herself up, and so she was able to at least keep a vague eye on the comings and goings of her immediate family. The thing that surprised her the most was how legitimate her father had become; or at least, the coating of lawfulness that he'd come to paint himself with.

Shoney knew better. She knew that he was a cruel man who stood for nothing but his own wants and desires. Least, to her he always was.

And then there was Frank. She wondered briefly if she'd even be able to put a bullet in him. Zeke'd been easy; he wasn't nothing but an idiot. But Frank - Frank was another person entirely. Both older, leaving her to be the youngest.

Seamus Mullins would be coming to Justice for his eldest son's wake, and Shoney would be waiting for him.




* * *



Outside of Justice, by about a mile or two, Shoney sat atop a tall grey. Her father and whoever else he felt to bring would no doubt be coming by train, inbound to Virginia City before taking to horseback for the rest of the trip into Justice.

And so she waited. She'd not draw iron at the sight of him, but felt it best to get some sort of feeling as to how he'd play the game. Also, whether or not he'd bring Frank.

Like some sentry, Shoney Mullins waited.

[Frank Mullins]

Frank sat beside his father, who was weakened by his immense grief. For all that Zeke was, he was still his son, and his first born. Seamus wept, his frail frame stooped over in his chair adjacent to the fireplace. Frank dared not interrupt his father's solace. He stared at the fire, his steely eyes reflecting its flickering light. He knew his father's mind. This slight would have to be accounted for. Frank had no doubt he would become his father's right hand of vengeance. It wouldn't be Roy, for all of his big talk. Frank's face held no joy, he only looked into the fire and thought about the crystalline edict of revenge. It was a demand that was as old as history itself. Frank's only thought and his only comfort was that he would be the instrument of retribution.

[Andy McCall]

Justice, Montana


It wasn't often that Andy set her sights on the Mayor's office. In fact, the last time she'd tried going in, she'd been forcefully ejected. It was one of those comedies of errors that had simply become something far more than it was originally, and over the years had even become a thing that the town laughed at.

Not quite banned from Truss' office after that, she certainly knew better than to come calling on him while in the throes of drunken happiness at having won a card game with his sheriff.

But now, she started up the steps with a much more sombre feeling in the pit of her stomach.

She'd not seen him at all since they parted ways at Doc Lenard's, and had made sure to not cause him any undo trouble.

But, she was still in possession of his gun, and knew that it would be wise to return it. He was right about trouble coming; she'd gotten word from a friend in Virginia City that Roy'd sent a message to Seamus Mullins. It was only a matter of time before he'd come callin'.

Andy slowly opened the door and stepped inside. Immediately it seemed like every eye looked up at her, and hooking a thumb into a jean pocket, she started through the rows of desks towards the door on the far wall.

[Harold Alexander Truss]

Mayor Truss stared at the document on his desk for what seemed to be an eternity. It was the most heavy piece of correspondance that he'd penned in years.

A resignation letter.

He closed his eyes to avert the onset of a headache. How could he, in good concience, remain the leader of this town on the tails of what had transpired. That the Sheriff had reviewed the incident between him, Shoney, and Crawfish was of little consolation. His verdict was that he had acted in lawful self defense. That summation was almost mocking. He couldn't come close to absolving himself in his deeds.

He pressed his fountain pen on the document, and the ink began to bleed.

"Damn it."

He held the paper up, and with a resigned sigh, crumpled it up. Even the seemingly noble act of resignation felt like he was abandoning the town to the consequences of his actions. How did he find absolution in this? Was he even worthy of it?

The door opened to his office slightly.

[Andy McCall]

Andy was used to havin' folks watch her, but for some reason these particular ones made her nervous, and she closed the distance to the Mayor's office door quickly, opening it as quietly possible. She didn't open it wide, just enough to slide through before closing it again. The frosted glass didn't seem to help, and she gave a nervous glance behind her as if she could make out the turned heads.

A muttered curse, and she looked back to Truss.

He was behind his desk, a crumpled piece of paper in hand, and Andy moved to sit in one of the chairs that sat across from him, setting a wrapped bundle in her lap as she did so.

For a minute she didn't say a word, instead looking off to the side as if in some sorta deep thought.

Eventually she turned her eyes to his. He didn't look well, and she gestured to the balled paper he held.

"What's that."

[Harold Alexander Truss]

He curled his lower lip over his teeth, tucking the crumpled paper away like a crime he'd committed.

"It's my resignation, Andy."

[Andy McCall]

"A-haa."

It was a long, drawn out sound. Andy bit her lip, a finger flicking at the bundle in her lap.

"Might wanna wait 'fore you put that in."

[Harold Alexander Truss]

His eyes stole a glance at the parcel she carried.

"What's that?"

He should've figured that she'd cross his path before he could put his notice in. Anything she would say would trouble his notion to cash his chips in, he figured.

[Andy McCall]

"Not now."

Andy waved his question away with a dismissive hand.

"You can't quit right now. Least not for a while at least."

Wondering how he'd take the news, Andy tossed any sort of diplomatic wording to the side. Never was any good at that sorta stuff anyways.

"Got word from a gal back in Virginia City. Said that Roy sent word to Seamus Mullins."

She waved a finger at the Mayor.

"So's you can't quit. Not with Seamus Mullins comin' to town."

[Harold Alexander Truss]

He hated to be told what he could and couldn't do.

"I can quit and I will. Way I figure it, the Mullins clan's got it out for me, and they can deal with me as they may."

He took a right stormy expression in his eyes. The ever-present pain in his arm acted up again, but he stared at Andy squarely.

"What I did out there, that was me. That wasn't Justice, or any of you. If anybody ought to answer to it, it ought to be me."

[Andy McCall]

Andy made a face at him, leaning back in her seat.

"You? Right. There was two bullets in Mullins' body. Ain't no one knows which was yors an' which was Shoney's.

"An even if it was hers, her kin would come an' make hell for this town. Don't matter if it was the town behind it or just one person. They'd make sure alla us suffered."

She blinked. For as much of a stubborn heel she could be at times, he was just as bad, and she took to callin' him the same name he'd called her back at the jail.

"Can't quit, you stubborn mule."

[Harold Alexander Truss]

Truss closed his eyes. He abhored having Andy near him to draw his hypocrisy into account. At the same time, he couldn't escape the truth in her words.

"Easy to say that now."

It was a stalling tactic. He knew the die was cast. What could his resignation do in the face of this?

"A lot of people are in harms way on account of what I've done."

[Andy McCall]

"What you done? Aw hell, you ain't done nothin' but protect yourself. How d'you know it weren't Shoney that killed 'im?"

Her stern tone held the undertones of a plea. He couldn't just up an' leave the town; the Mullins clan would run wild in his absence, and even she knew that Truss' presence was needed. For all of her bad habits and trickery, Andy knew that the Mayor was Justice's rock.

"You been here a long time, Longer'n me. Folks here need you. You can't just leave after somethin' like this happens. Hell, I coulda run off three years ago after shootin' Jake dead, but I stayed. Course, no one here really needed me, but I still stayed 'round."

[Harold Alexander Truss]

Again, the Mayor took to gazing at his hands. Not the hands of a shootist, but here they were after the deed was done.

"What do you think?"

It was an earnest appraisal of not only himself, but the town he'd built up.

"Can we beat 'em?"

[Andy McCall]

"Whether we do or not, it's a shade better'n runnin' away."

Andy's voice wasn't mean, it was just honest. She took the parcel from her lap then, setting it on the desk in front of his hands. It was a familiar shape.

"Cleaned it up an' got the blood off."

[Harold Alexander Truss]

The mayor closed his eyes.

"It was a mistake to even carry that thing. I don't want it near me."

A blatant paradox, as it seems that the deeds that sprang from that death's head had brought him to the verge of dependency upon it. A strange destiny for a person who was never to be a shootist.

[Andy McCall]

Andy considered herself a patient person, but in the face of the Mayor's attitude, she was beginning to feel as though that patience was coming to an end.

She unfolded the wrapped cloth, exposing the revolver, and gave it a shove, sending it closer to him.

"Better get used to havin' it near you."

[Harold Alexander Truss]

He felt its dreadful weight, and pulled the hammer back, listening for the click with trepidation. He flipped the cover open to see live cartridges inside. Lives that might have been taken. He carefully worked the ejector spring, emptying the gun of the remaining bullets. At least for now.

He set the dread weapon back on the desk.

"Justice needs a Mayor, not a shootist. Whatever I do, it's not to repeat that once more."

He hated her for goading him, even if it was in the right direction. Despite its irrationality, he wished to turn back the hands of time itself.

"You came to give me my gun back? Or was there something else?"

With Andy, there usually was.

[Andy McCall]

She coulda stood up an' left, been done with him for the morning. He was just so morose and his mood so sour that she'da probably been better off for it too.

Then again, Andy McCall was not often known for bein' tactful.

"That, and t'make sure you weren't gonna do nothin' stupid like quittin'."

[Harold Alexander Truss]

He gave her a stern eye.

"When you put it that way, Miss McCall, guess I got no choice, do I?"

He looked at the gun, still with a sense of trepidation as to what it might hold in store.

"I suppose the rest of the Mullins clan aims to descend upon my fair hamlet like a swarm of biblical locusts."

[Andy McCall]

"I s'ppose."

Andy settled herself in the chair, her eyes on the gun she'd returned to him. She never really paid much attention whenever the Mayor began to use words from the Bible, and now was no different.

"If Seamus is comin', that means Frank is too."

[Harold Alexander Truss]

Those were words of finality. For however much luck he might have had in his last confrontation, he knew that Frank Mullins was a different breed apart from his brother. If it came between himself and Frank...

"That's for the Sheriff to figure out."

He felt like such a coward, delegating acts of blood on account of his own. And even worse, in his heart of hearts, he doubted whether that would even be enough to stem the tide. Frank Mullins transcended normal assumptions of life and death.

[Andy McCall]

Suddenly interested in her fingernails, Andy looked down, daintily scraping the dirt out from the undersides.

"You know," she wasn't sure if she'd be crossing any line with him, but went on anyways.

"You could always jus' buck up and try'n make amends with Shoney. Havin' her 'round might help the odds."

[Harold Alexander Truss]

He looked back down to the gun.

"If the Mullins clan didn't have a war before, they sure as hell would then."

He half laughed. That went without saying. Andy was right, and this war was already inevitable. He had to decide whether the town was worth saving, versus dredging up his terrible demons.

"Maybe you're right."

Still, she was long gone at this point. Or was she?

[Andy McCall]

At that she gave him a bit of a confused look, but figured it best to not pry. The Mullins clan had abandoned Shoney; why'd they want to start a fight over Truss tryin' to fix any sorta mistake? Or was it just the nature of it all, the principle?

Andy rose to her feet then, a signal that she was both tired of being in such respectable surroundings and that she was thirsty.

"I hope I am."

Might not've been nothin' concrete, but it was the best she could think of to say.

"I seen her outside of town, coupla miles or so down the road."

Hand pushing open the door, she left without any sort of goodbye.

[Two Dollar Jim]

As Andy pushed out of the Mayor's office unceremonially, she happened upon a familiar silhouette, walking his way down the main drag once more. When he drew close enough, the silhouette developed familiar features, and gave a knowing smile as he tipped his hat.

"Miss McCall."

[Andy McCall]

Andy stared, stopped in her tracks at the sight of Jim. His face was not one she'd expected to be seeing ever again, even despite what he'd said about coming back. She had to keep herself from smiling too wide, and as it was, she managed to keep her cheeky grin in check.

Weren't nothin' she could think of to say just yet, and as she came down the stairs leading from the mayor's office, she stuffed her hands into her pockets. She still walked with a limp still, but it wasn't nearly so pronounced as it had been before.

"Virginia City too crowded?"

[Two Dollar Jim]

He smiled in his furtive way, shifting his feet before her.

"Not crowded enough."

The message was understood well enough. He hadn't found who he was looking for. At this rate, the trail ought to have grown cold. Now he was adrift at last, and this was the nearest so-called friendly ground.

All was not well, however.

"Heard news in Virginia City that Mayor Truss made some significant enemies."

[Andy McCall]

"You heard that, eh."

Making quick work of untying her mare's reigns fromt he hitching post, Andy tossed the leathers over her horse's head, but made no move to mount. She didn't need to. The animal would follow her.

Wishing to distance herself from the Mayor's office, Andy made a motion for Jim to walk with her; weren't no destination in mind. Just a simple walk.

"Some folks'll think it was him, but no one'll ever know."

[Two Dollar Jim]

"Don't really matter, does it?"

He looked sidelong at Andy, and shrugged.

"Only matters what the Mullins family says matters, right?"

He had the details of this conflict framed, in that there was going to be conflict, and there wasn't a thing to be done of it. He knew too well how the Mullins family worked, and he had his own cynical doubts as to the town's ability to put up with that sort of pressure.

[Andy McCall]

Talk of the Mullins clan and the storm that'd be comin' their way was tiring, as she'd just got finished speaking of the same thing with Truss. She was happy to see Jim; more happy than she'd care to admit, but it still didn't stop the fact that she didn't want to speak of what was on its' way to Justice.

Andy lost her grin in favor of a slight frown, and she looked up the length of the dusty street ahead of them. Unwilling to give Jim any sort of answer, she blatantly changed the subject.

"You passin' through? Or do you figure on stayin' for a little bit."

[Two Dollar Jim]

"Got no better place to be."

Jim preferred to leave the meaning of that as ambiguous as possible. Right now, he was a tumbleweed. There was nothing for him to chase. He had Andy at the very least, which was more than he could say about any twenty or so towns on the frontier. Anywhere else, there was simply nothing for him.

He eyed Andy a bit. Was she carrying a torch for him? No, that must be a delusion.

[Andy McCall]

She could feel his eyes on her, but Andy wasn't about to let anything slip. She'd already done that back at the jail, when she'd asked him to stay. No need to repeat that. 'Sides. Jim had his own things to tend to.

"Nice to know," she mumbled, eyes going to the side and up to the front doors of the Sockeye. She'd no realy desire to go in today. Likewise, even though it would've been nice to go to the Bareback for more beautification, she didn't really feel inclined.

"You gonna go back an' see Anabel then?"

[Two Dollar Jim]

Was she shovin' him off? He arched an eyebrow. The ever-cordial Miss McCall seemed eager to send him down the line.

"Hadn't considered it to be honest."

He stifled a smile, having a notion as to what was coalescing in that woman's head.

"Wouldn't suppose you'd care to help an out-of-towner relieve himself of a case of ennui."

[Andy McCall]

At that she turned to look up at him, giving Jim a bit of an odd look. He'd not thought of goin' back to the Bareback? Sides' there, there weren't many places that Andy could think of off the top of her head that'd help anyone with not bein' bored.

"Ain't much inna gamblin' mood, so if that's what you're wantin' to do I don't think I'd be much help."

She pulled a cigarette from the case in her back pocket, lighting it with practiced ease.

"You got anything in mind?"

[Two Dollar Jim]

"Ever since I laid eyes on you, I have."

He didn't care to dance around the matter at hand. She was one of the few people he'd met since that terrible day who seemed like they might know his heart, and he'd missed that feeling of completeness for too long.

[Andy McCall]

Andy came to a sudden halt, her freshly lit cigarette dropping from her lips. She stopped so unexpectedly that even her mare was caught unawares, managing to trip over the blonde.

She made a face at her dropped smoke, but didn't move to pick it up. Instead, she merely snuffed it out with the toe of her boot. Reaching up, she rubbed the back of her neck while looking off to the side.

"Well."

How was she s'pposed to respond to somethin' like that?

[Two Dollar Jim]

"Don't really strike me as the blushing type."

He hadn't accounted for her getting that flustered. It was amusing, but he actually intended the comment for more than rhetorical chit-chat.

"Got a better time to be had in town?"

[Andy McCall]

"I s'ppose for someone like me, not really."

Conflicted, Andy looked down to the ground.

"I like you Jim, alot, but I don't think yor seein' me when you look at me."

It was the same thing she'd told Father Hu; she'd never thought that she'd be saying it to Jim. Especially given that such words were an admission of the deeper feelings that she'd allowed herself to have for him.

A sigh, and she partially turned so that she could take the mare's reigns. She didn't mount, instead started trudging forward once more. Truth of the matter was that she wanted more'n anything to be with him.

"I dunno."

[Two Dollar Jim]

She crucified his intentions, and he suddenly felt the heel for bringing them to light. Did he indeed feel anything more than a strange kinship? And if not, was it justifiable to proposition her for it, even knowing what he did of her.

He diverted himself with the task of lighting a smoke, not really sure about what to say to her. When that task was done, he looked her in the eye.

"I aim to bury this thing with the Mayor. Ain't right to come in town and have it hangin' over him."

[Andy McCall]

Andy looked at Jim as is he'd sprouted another head from his shoulders. His talk of wanting to be with her made her heart skip a beat, in a way that she wasn't familiar with, and even if she'd had doubts she'd wished him to dash them away. But, just as she'd done before, he changed the subject of their conversation just as bluntly. P'raps it was what she deserved.

Considering the nature of his words though, Andy found herself more'n confused, and she unconsciously looped an arm into his, lost in thought. Despite not knowin' if bein' with Jim was a good thing, he still pulled at her curiosities without any trouble at all, and she wondered if it'd be better to just throw it all to the winds.

"The Mayor's not so worried 'bout you I don't reckon. Anymore at least. He's got himself confounded enough with the Mullins clan that I don't think you'd bother him too much.

"He was just worried is all, not knowin' 'bout what sorta things you'd be bringin' with you, and if you had intentions in town."

Her hand, still keeping a hold on the reigns, came up to pull her cigarette from her teeth, and she exhaled.

"And even if you did, I ain't so sure it's heavier on his mind than Crawfish Mullins' kin comin' to town."

[Two Dollar Jim]

"Well..."

Jim looked at her, removing the cigarette from his lips to keep that from coming between them.

"...it's more than that, I suppose. This town's got a war comin'. Ain't no two ways about it. Folks here are gonna have two choices real soon. Get to fightin' or get away."

He rested a palm against the grip of one of his revolvers.

"Mayor's a good man, but he ain't gonna make it without help."

[Andy McCall]

Andy thought about that, and finally gave a nod.

"I had t'make him take back his gun."

It was a strange thought, but in all the years that she'd known Mayor Truss, she'd not seen him either hold or even wear a weapon at his side. Only time she'd seen such a thing was when he'd taken her derringer away, and that was three years back.

As for whatever war the Mullins family was gonna no doubt bring, Andy was resolute in staying and fighting, even if she was the only one to do so.

"He knows I'll stay an' do what I can, but there's only so much a little whore like me can do 'gainst the Mullins folk. Crawfish I could handle. His brother Frank... "

Andy trailed off, leaving the rest unsaid. Course, nothin' else needed to be said about Frank Mullins.

[Two Dollar Jim]

Jim grew quiet at that. He looked down the main drag at nothing in particular. Frank Mullins was the death's head of the Mullins clan, and through all the harassment and bullying the others might inflict, it was Frank Mullins name that was spoken in low tones in cow towns and mining camps. He supposedly had death marks on him with the U.S. Marshalls and Pinkertons alike. The fact that the man was even alive was a testament to what he could do.

"Frank Mullins is just a man."

He wondered if he believed his own words.

[Andy McCall]

Still keeping her arm in his, Andy took another drag from her smoke.

"Might be just a man, but he's still good at what he does. An' that's killin' folks."

For as little as she thought of Crawfish, his brother was someone that Andy felt a real fear of. With Truss it was a different sorta fear, but with Frank it was something raw. Didn't mean she'd turn tail at the sight of him, but she knew it'd be time to make her peace with the Good Lord when he came lookin'. Absently, she wondered if Truss would try an' make peace with Shoney. Even if something like that made the Mullins angrier, it would certainly help the town to have one of their own among them.

Another pullf rom her cigarette, and Andy let out a thin stream of smoke from between her lips, her head tilted skyward as she pondered it all.

Would Jim decide to stay?

[Two Dollar Jim]

"Everybody's got their day."

Jim had already made his mind up. This was the closest place to a spot where he could lay his head in peace, and while the one-eared man was nowhere to be found, he'd fight like hell to keep Justice.

Of course, there were two ways of reading that line. He looked to Andy.

"Reckon I cleaned out the Faro game on my way out of town. Enough to buy a horse, at least."

[Andy McCall]

That made her smile a little, and Andy angled her head towards him.

"I ain't been in to play inna while, so I couldn't tell you. Figure after the whole bein' in jail thing, I should keep m'self outta trouble with the Mayor for a little bit."

Course now things were far different, and Andy knew that she'd have to curtail her more illicit habits for the time being. At least for Truss' peace of mind.

"If it's a horse yor lookin' for though, I know someone up the way keeps some for sellin'. Breaks 'em hisself and all."

Andy let a small smile out then, deciding to simply ask outright.

"You gonna stay 'round?"

[Two Dollar Jim]

Jim cracked a parched smile, now that she was askin'.

"Reckon I will."

He walked alongside her down the main drag.

"Don't 'spose he's the type to fleece an out-of-towner, is he?"

[Andy McCall]

Andy's smile grew wide then, and she stopped for a moment, moving to her saddlebag. Making quick work of the buckles, she reached in and pulled out a wellworn metal flask; weren't no guessin' as to what was inside. Andy McCall was never one to be without a handle of whiskey for celebratin' any particular thing, and with the new knowledge that Jim would be stayin' in Justice, she felt now was as good as any time to partake of the 'demon alcohol'.

She dropped her cigarette to the ground, snuffing it with the heel of her boot while unscrewing the cap and taking a plug.

A moment later she held it out for Jim. Since he was plannin' on stayin', Andy felt herself re-evaluatin' her own intentions. Might not be a bad thing to see if he was still interested in relievin' his boredom.

"He's a fair man. Bit quiet, but he ain't gonna cheat a man outta a sturdy horse."

[Two Dollar Jim]

"That's a relief."

Jim angled to take a level or two off Andy's liquid provision, and the slightly-warm swill burned like prarie fire, and rattled his teeth. He finished it with the barest of grimaces.

"That's got some character to it."

He smiled at the shared dole, and screwed the cap back as he returned it.

"Well, reckon it'll do for a spell to get reacquainted with a horse. Last I was ridin', it was a mule, and barely one at that."

[Andy McCall]

"A mule, eh."

Andy cracked another smile at that, taking the flask back from him. She unscrewed the cap, taking another sip, and wiping at her mouth with her arm, she slowed to a rambling stop. A look to the side, and she spied Mr. Jane's bootshop. Andy figured it best to sit down, as all the walkin' had made her leg tired. She wasn't through talkin' though, and as she moved to sit, she looked at her boots.

She scratched at a patch of discolored leather on her rawhide chaps.

"Did you mean what you said earlier?

"Bout havin' intentions."

[Two Dollar Jim]

Having been headed off with a question, Jim paused for a bit of introspection.

"Bein' 'round you's the first time I felt alive in years."

He tried to reconcile that yearning with the understanding of what he lost. Would his late wife want him to pine for her forever? Despite all of his protest, he couldn't convince himself that she would.

"I mean what I say, Andy."

[Andy McCall]

How bout that. Two Dollar Jim had eyes for her, Andy McCall. She was Justice's little card-cheat travelin' whore, and he didn't seem to care. Andy leaned back, elbows on the top step as she looked from her boots to Jim.

Weren't nothin' important or deep that she could think of to say; not that she ever did.

"So," she started carefully.

"You snore in yor sleep then?"

[Two Dollar Jim]

"Guess a little."

He scratched the back of his head tipping his hat down as he brought his hand back. He gave an endearing smile to her. He didn't give a damn what she did. After all, he was supposedly a murderer and a thief. Maybe it was ordained that they had to end up together. Two people the rest of the world considered to be damaged goods. Some sort of humor in that destiny.

[Andy McCall]

A snorted laugh, and Andy patted at the weathered step beside her, a beckon for him to sit next to her. For as morose as she'd started her day, and as frustrated as she'd become with the Mayor, Andy suddenly felt like life had taken a bit of an upturn. Didn't matter a lick if the Mullins clan was headin' for Justice right now.

"I gotta good 'nough imagination I reckon."

Shifting her leg so that it extended out, she thought for a moment.

"And long as we're makin' confessions of a type, I hafta confess that I ain't all that good at cookin'."

[Two Dollar Jim]

"I live off jerky, burnt toast, and burnt coffee. I ain't hard to please."

He sat beside her, and took in the absurdity of it with an increasing grin. Somehow, it did actually make sense, didn't it?

"Plus, enough gamblin' and you get other folk to do the cookin' for ya."

[Andy McCall]

She conceded that point with a nod. Was true; enough money an' a person wouldn't need t'worry about havin' to cook for the rest of their lives. Looking off into the distance, Andy let out a long breath before pulling out another cigarette. Never was nothin' like a fresh-lit smoke and that first pull of tobacco.

Striking a match against one of the rail supports, she lit the tip of her handroll.

"Also gotta confess... ain't kissed a man in three years."

Andy squinted her eyes at the sun.

"Too personal for someone like me."

[Two Dollar Jim]

Jim wasn't about to pry. What she'd done was a bit like what he did. If there was a time to talk about it, it was best for later, and on each other's terms.

"I can understand that sort of thing."

He looked at her. Did her eyes seem a bit more supple and bright now? She seemed to be easing out of a sort of facade she wore around. It was good to see Andy in this light.

"I regretted it every time I kissed another woman. Until now."

[Andy McCall]

Andy gave him a sheepish grin then, suddenly conscious of what she'd said, despite his agreement. Content to sit and watch the few folks goin' on about their days, she leaned against his shoulder. She fished the harmonica he'd given to her from her front pocket, toying with it in her hand.

"So then. You got anywhere to stay?"

She already knew the answer to that, but wanted to hear him say it. Even with the rumblings of somethin' terrible comin' in, she was determined to pull the best out of it all.

[Two Dollar Jim]

He cracked a grin.

"Already booked my stay in the hotel. As long as my roll holds, I'll be set."

[Andy McCall]

Matching his grin, Andy fiddled with the harmonica for a few seconds more.

"You know, if yor lookin' to buy a horse, I reckon you'll be not wantin' t'waste yor money onna room."

She blew out another puff of smoke.

"I know a place outside town a little ways. Ain't fancy or nothin', but won't cost you nothin' either."

[Two Dollar Jim]

He rose from where he sat.

"Don't mind takin' a look then."

He reached for her hand, extending a rare bit of chivalry to a woman who didn't ask for much.

[Andy McCall]

Andy took his hand. It was rough, but weren't anything less that she'd expect from someone like Jim. As he helped to pull her up, she stuffed the instrument once more into her pocket.

There was no way that she'd be walkin' the rest of the way home though. Not with her leg bein' sore like it was.

Moving to her mare, she pulled at the stirrup, reaching hands beneath the leather to adjust its' length to what she figured Jim would find comfortable. A moment later and she was on the other side, doin' the same to the other stirrup. From over the horse's neck, she grinned at him.

"Y'ain't mindin' to share a ride, I hope."

[Two Dollar Jim]

He smiled as he hopped astride, tucking in just behind her on her mount. A bit at odds with playing second fiddle, he took a moment to figure where to put his hands before resting them on her hips.

"Could be a first time for everything."

[Andy McCall]

The mare shifted at the added weight, but other than that and a snort, she gave no other protestation.

Andy grinned to herself, deciding that she could get used to Jim holdin' on to her, and nudged her horse into a walk. They passed the rest of the way out of town, leaving it and its' current worries behind. Going through the Chinese shantytown, and past the Bareback, Andy caught a familiar sight in one of the whorehouse's windows, and she leaned back a little into Jim, gesturing at what she saw.

"Reckon Anabel might be a little upset."

Which wasn't hard to see by the face in the window.

[Two Dollar Jim]

Jim glanced long enough to look and kept his eyes forward. For a whore, she was a bit clingy. Something about them Irish.

"Didn't figure myself for her meal ticket."

They continued on, and the close quarters got him close enough to get acquainted with the gentle accent of the perfume that Andy wore. It was something sweetly spiced and exotic, and a far cry from the sort of washroom usuals that saloon girls might dabble in.

[Andy McCall]

Andy laughed a little at that.

"Aw hell, Anabel finds a fancy, and tries to keep it for her own. Ain't no surprise she done got you on her mind."

The rest of the way out of Justice and the outskirts didn't take long, and Andy kept her mare straight on a well-worn and dusty trail that had been taken many times before. The horse knew well enough the way home, so Andy figured there weren't no need to keep much a hold of the reigns. She draped them over the saddlehorn.

Not too much longer, and they crested a small hill that overlooked a little hollow. A cabin stood beside the edge of a river, and a modest corral was situated a little off to the side. It was a quiet place that didn't get hardly any visitors, and Andy liked it that way.

Andy let the mare continue on down the gentle slope, and put her hands over Jim's.

"Ain't got much I'm 'fraid, but yor welcome to whatever I got."

[Two Dollar Jim]

"Oh?"

Jim was impressed. Didn't figure that he'd be buying a horse from Andy herself, and at that, he smiled outright as she leaned against him to offset the slight grade of slope the horse was negotiating.

"Couldn't have figured a better rancher myself."

[Andy McCall]

Andy laughed again.

"Oh I ain't no rancher. Too much hard work for my tender little hands."

Which was a lie, and she knew it. Andy had rougher hands than most of the men in town, and that included Truss. She even teased him 'bout it sometimes. She was used to hard work, and was known to work for a few of the outlying ranches tending to their cattle. Even the Mayor gave her work sometimes. She passed the days doing what her heart desired. It was an existance that she wasn't about to complain of.

"Anyway. Too much investment in ranchin'. I got other things I like t'spend my money on."

Not surprising, a small still had been one of her more prized purchases, and she'd set it up on the back porch.

As the mare slowed to a stop at the corral, Andy smiled over her shoulder at Jim.

"Ain't much, but it's as good a home as any other honest person's."

[Two Dollar Jim]

"Don't mind me askin' then, but..."

The question was obvious and they both knew it before he said it.

"...but why the whorin' then? I mean, you ain't wantin' for means by any stretch."

It was something that was alluring and a little disturbing about her, he had to admit. Certainly not a specimen like her that had crossed his path before.

[Andy McCall]

"Why not?"

Andy slid from the saddle as gently as possible.

"Way I see it, a man goes out to bed a woman because he likes it. Don't mean a woman can't do the same. An' if I c'n turn a little profit from it at the same time, all's the better for me."

She shrugged, not really knowing if that's what he wanted to hear. Waiting patiently as he too dismounted, Andy worked the cinch loose before pulling the saddle and blanket off. She rested it on the ground, and reached up to slip the headstall from the mare. A gentle pat to the horse's rump sent her happily trotting into the corral for the rest of the afternoon.

Draping the bridle over the saddle, Andy started for the cabin.

"Jus' one of them things I s'ppose."

[Two Dollar Jim]

Jim opened his mouth to ask something, and shut it promptly again. After all, she was choosing her clientele, so she was essentially doing what any pleasure-minded libertine in these parts would be keen on, and getting paid for it to boot.

He watched the horse trot off, at a loss for words. The other horses whinnied in the corral as the mare returned to greet them.

[Andy McCall]

Pausing at the front steps that led up to the deck, Andy turned to give Jim a funny look.

"Ain't somethin' I'm gonna do forever I reckon. For now it's just me havin' my fun."

She hobbled up the steps then.

"I figure one o' these days I'll end up havin' someone's baby, an' after that comes less rowdy livin'. Gotta have my fun while I still can."

[Two Dollar Jim]

"What if that ain't the person's baby you're keen on livin' with?"

He leaned against a post on the porch, tilting his hat a bit to the side as he watched her.

"Ain't one to question your ways, and Lord knows I got my own peculiarities, but that ain't any easy game to play on any account, I wouldn't think."

[Andy McCall]

Andy paused, her hand on the door handle as she looked back at Jim.

"Won't know till the time comes I figure."

She gave an apologetic smile, then opened the door and stepped inside.

"Guess that's why I only go with the ones I like. Ain't gotta service no random man like the girls at the Bareback."

[Two Dollar Jim]

Again, it left Jim at a loss for words. He stepped inside at her unspoken invitation.

"It changes you, you know."

[Andy McCall]

The cabin was a sparsely decorated two room affair, with her bedroom off to the side, the door closed.

A few pieces of furniture - a table and a few chairs, had been set up, but other than that the only other pieces in the front room were a few prints that she'd purchased from Father Hu. A long counter along the back wall served as her 'kitchen'. It really wasn't much.

It was the bedroom that held the most though. A rather comfortable-looking bed, a few dressers, and a vanity table. Her most recent print had been carefully placed over the headboard, courtesy of Zhou Ping while she'd been stuck in jail. There were a few niceties scattered on the dresser tops; the bundles of incense that she'd bought, and even a few pieces of jewelry.

"Everything changes a person."

Pushing her way into her room, Andy undid the buckle on her chaps and unzipped the legs. Pausing, she sat down heavily on the bed before slipping the rawhide leggings off. For as much good as they did putting pressure on the wound, it was always a wonderful feeling to take them off.

[Two Dollar Jim]

"Not like that."

There was firmness in his voice on that note, which was rare. He looked at her squarely when he said it, and then averted his eyes, almost ashamed to bring it up.

"Forget it."

[Andy McCall]

Tilting her a little to the side as she laid the chaps beside her, Andy studied Jim. Even if his tone of voice had been a bit harder edged than she'd come to be used to, she couldn't help a soft smile.

"I can stop the whorin', you know. All you gotta do is ask."

[Two Dollar Jim]

It wasn't his intention to bring it to that, but he wasn't without some feeling on the matter either.

"If you aim for me to be worth anything to you, figure it's for the best that way."

[Andy McCall]

Andy smiled outright. She'd already made the decision from the moment he'd declared havin' intentions, but wanted t'hear him say it out loud. Made her feel wanted.

"I ain't got thoughts on no other man, Jim Ballard. Just you."

[Two Dollar Jim]

"Figure that's about as profound as it comes."

He smiled, crow's feet creasing the corners of his eyes as he gently eased his hat off his head, tossing it to the side as he leaned in for a kiss. With the calm before the storm all about, and respite from his desires of vengeance in full swing, he was eager to feel like a normal man again.

[Shoney Mullins]

* * *

Outside of town, Shoney Mullins still waited. She sat at the base of a solitary, gnarled tree, carving at a piece of dried wood with her knife. She was a patient person; had learned to be. Her horse stood a short ways off, tethered to a stake in the ground.

All day long she waited, sometimes squinting up to the sun to see how far it'd traveled. Shadows grew, stretching out as daylight waned, and with a groan she rose to stand.

Best to get a room for the night; it'd do no good to stay out here in the cold.

Taking her horse's reigns, she refrianed from mounting. Weren't like she was miles outta Justice.

Shoney turned the animal about and started into town at a casual walk.

[Patience Darklighter]

BANG! BANG!

The sharp bark of a Winchester repeater split the twilight sky. The peals of gunfire distorted and carried an eerie melody across the way, as they careened off mountains and buildings alike.

[Shoney Mullins]

Shoney gave no indication of being startled, but her horse jumped a fair bit, and she gave a light curse while calming the animal.

Craning her neck in the direction of the gunfire, Shoney scowled.

Now who in their right mind would see fit to set about shootin'? Had Justice changed so much since she'd been about, that folks just randomly fired their sidearms at any time of day?

[Patience Darklighter]

A pair of sharp eyes looked over the iron sights of the repeater, watching the two coyotes up yonder. She pressed her tongue between her lips to wet them, and her cheek once again rested against walnut as she jammed the lever forward to feed another cartridge.

The daylight was almost gone from the vantage of her front porch, but the coyotes had gotten too eager. She could see them plainly enough, and would make sure they didn't have any plans of raiding the hen house she'd just repaired.

One of the coyotes was obviously clipped, and kept weight off of a half-cocked hind right leg as it shuffled and looked about.

BANG!

A clod skipped behind the coyote and a puff of dust circled as the mortally stricken animal took a leap forward, and fell to the dirt.

[Shoney Mullins]

An hour later found Shoney in the Sockeye, pouring whiskey into a small glass. She'd gotten her room for the night and had felt a compelling need for a pre-storm drunk. Like old times she took her bottle and cup to a center table, drinking herself into a state of quiet observation. Seemed the Sockeye was busy this time of night.

With less than half her bottle left, Shoney sat back in her chair and let her head fall back to stare at the ceiling.

Was funny, knowing things those around her didn't know. They dealt cards, drank, and caroused as normally as ever. Would they be doin' that if they knew like she did that her father and Frank were on their way to Justice?

Shoney pulled a sour face. Hell no they wouldn't be in here. Leaning forward again, she poured another glass before tipping it up to her mouth. That arduous task complete, she rested an elbow on the table, letting chin fall into her palm as she continued to watch through drunk-heavy eyelids.

[Patience Darklighter]

BANG

A slim dungaree-clad leg nearly kicked the swinging doors off their hinges as Patience tromped into the bar. She immediately spit a plug of tobacco juice into the nearest spittoon, and unslung her rifle sling and pistol belt to pass off to the barkeep for safe keeping while she was defiling herself within the establishment.

"Pour me a double you fat cocksucker, I done sold a buncha dead coyote ass to them dumb chink fucks."

She shifted her weight a little, and a glassy-eyed expression revealed the result of a previous trip to the opium tent.

[Shoney Mullins]

The commotion was enough to rouse her from her sombre airs, and Shoney looked up to spy a familiar sight. Even before she was run out she remembered Patience McQueen as being a loudmouth drunkard - moreso than most all the men in Justice. Weren't no surprise that she was still up to the very same existance.

Course, at this point in time Shoney wasn't exactly a shining beacon of sobriety herself.

"You actually hit some this time then," she mumbled loud enough for the other woman to hear.

"Last I seen, you couldn't hit the fucking ground even if'n you was pointin' at it."

[Patience Darklighter]

Patience glanced sideways at Shoney as she put down her whiskey like it was water. Wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, she glowered.

"Fuck if that ain't some shit. Ain't nothin that Kentuck pisswater gonna inflict on my dead-eye you cross-mouthed cunt. If nothin' I even get a little better!"

She motioned impatiently for the bottle again, and refilled her glass.

"Ain't yer kin done sorted your sorry ass sideways yet anyhoo?"

[Shoney Mullins]

Shoney rolled her eyes and kicked out the chair across from her.

"Ain't done nuthin' to me that ain't been done before."

Seemed that Patience was still as eloquent as she remembered; most barely tolerated it, and Shoney couldn't begin to guess why Truss let the woman stick around.

[Patience Darklighter]

"Well you is here so you ain't fucked yet, so what I reckon you just dumb as shit or plain tryin' to catch a bullet from that gaggle a' bastards."

She downed another shot and a wry grin slipped onto her face.

"That was you what put that sumbitch Crawfish in th' dirt ain't it what? Surprised that cocksucker lasted that long, what with his penchant what for pissin' folk the fuck off."

[Shoney Mullins]

Pouring herself another glass, Shoney made a disgusted face.

"Me or the mayor. Don't rightly know who's bullet it was in 'is head."

The alcohol made her mind wander, and she gave the other woman a lazy stare. She wasn't quite so vocal as Patience was - that crazy bitch could go on 'bout nothin' for days, and every second word outta her mouth'd be 'fuck' or some other variant thereof.

"Kin'll come round soon enough. Jus' gotta wait for 'em."

[Patience Darklighter]

"Shit, better to fuck be doin' more than waitin'."

She reached for the bottle again, pouring yet another shot.

"Ain't one to butt my ass in on yer fam'ly squabble and whatnot, but if'n you look to be buryin' some cocksuckers, maybe you put some gold in my hand and I put someth'n in yers to help speed them motherfuckers on to Hell."

[Shoney Mullins]

A snort, and she emptied her glass.

"You think you c'n put fuckin' holes in Frank? I damn sure wanna see your ass try. He ain't no coyote you c'n nail b'for takin' to celestials."

[Patience Darklighter]

Patience downed her shot with no apparent effect.

"T'ain't what I said. What I said is I put somethin' in yer fuckin' hand what for doin' the job right. You sort them sumbitches out yer own fuckin' self."

[Shoney Mullins]

Curling her lips into a sneer, Shoney poured herself another shot, and after a moment's deliberation filled Patience's as well.

"How 'bouts this. You tell me what it is, an' I don't go ask Truss to examine yore fuckin' doped-up eyes."

[Patience Darklighter]

With a sigh, Patience took hold of the bottle again.

"I ain't a talkin' no morse fuckin' code, jus what the fuck you think I'se talkin' bout; gettin' you a fuckin' proper smokewagon, that does be my trade ya hard-headed bitch."

This time she skipped the formality of the glass and upturned the bottle, before slamming it to the bar.

"Billy, waddle your big ass o'er here 'n toss that fuckin' repeater 'cross the counter."

[Shoney Mullins]

A smug look was sent to Patience, but Shoney kept her senses alert.

"I got my own fuckin' guns," she finally spoke from behind her glass.

[Patience Darklighter]

"Yeah? No shit, you take any hoople-headed cocksucker off the street and they probl'y do too, so fuckin' what?"

The barkeep paused, ejecting the shells from the repeater before easing it onto the countertop.

"Just a precaution, Miss McQueen. I run an honest establishment."

Patience's mouth contorted as if she were chewing on unspent profanity. She glowered at the bartender, but let his discretion slide, before turning back to Shoney.

"Let's fuckin' see 'em. Skin them smokewagons."

[Andy McCall]

The next morning...


Andy rolled onto her stomach as the first rays of sunlight began to peek through the dusty glass of her bedroom window. Burrowing herself beneath the thick comforter, she nestled herself close to the warm body lying beside her. She wanted nothing more than to stay where she was for the next week, but even she knew that at some point she and Jim would have to leave the comfort of the bed. Course, it was only just sun-up. There was plenty of time before they'd have to go about whatever daily activities they chose to busy themselves with.

For a few brief moments she considered sitting up to fish a cigarette from the nightstand, but Andy abandoned that thought soon enough as she dozed off into a light slumber once more.

[Two Dollar Jim]

Jim cracked an eye as he woke. Still lying motionless in bed, he discretely observed Andy stir, wake, then return to sleep. When she was asleep again, he rose from bed himself. Slowly aiming to dress without causing a stir, he caught sight of his gun belt on the opposite table. It had a way of sobering the sleep from his eyes.

He looked out the window to watch the growing light creasing over the distant mountains. Another day alive. Jim smiled. Just when he was thinking about enjoying life again, the violence of the world was coming back full in force. The bad news he'd heard in Virginia City wasn't his problem, but it also wasn't going to get out of his way. Either he'd have to skip town to miss it, or he'd have to pick a side.

He reached for his gun belt, hesitated, and put his hand back at his side.

[Andy McCall]

It wasn't long before Andy sensed Jim's absence, and she pulled herself awake to shift onto her back and sit up. Holding the comforter over her chest with one hand, she rested the other in her lap. She stared at him for a few moments, her lips curling downwards into a slight frown.

Leaning over, she pulled at one of the smokes on the sidetable, lighting it up with practiced movements. Andy inhaled deeply, looking from Jim to his gunbelt, then back to Jim.

"Y'oughtta leave that there."

[Two Dollar Jim]

He looked back at where she lay.

"I can make that choice now. Can't make it much longer."

He reached to a nearby chair, finding the rumpled heap that was his shirt and pulled it over his shoulders, working the buttons.

"You decide yet?"

[Andy McCall]

Slowly, Andy eased herself to the side of the bed, letting her legs fall over the edge. As her feet hit the wooden planks of the floor, she gingerly tested her injured leg.

"Already told you last night."

From its' spot on one of the bedposts, she pulled down her shirt, and with her smoke firmly lodged between her lips, she pulled it on. Weren't no point in buttoning it up yet though.

" 'Sides. I know you ain't gonna be able to always have th'choice, but you got it now," she rose carefully to stand.

"Best enjoy it while we still can."

Andy smiled then, as she made her way to him, and reaching out she took over the task of buttoning up his shirt.

[Two Dollar Jim]

"It's too damn early for thinkin' this big. I'm off to hustle up some breakfast."

He set his hat atop his head and smiled coyly.

"Reckon that'll be breakfast for two if you're an early bird."

[Andy McCall]

Andy gave a chuckle at that, and gamely removed his hat.

"I got plenty of food here; don't need a hat on for workin' in the kitchen."

Hooking a finger into the waistband of his well-worn jeans, she pulled him close, flashing a smile as she stood on her toes. Didn't matter; she was still well below his eyeline.

"Ain't really all that hungry t'be honest though," she still grinned, gently nipping at his jawline.