《Dead Man's Stash (RRCM Entry)》


 Chapter 1: Caught

    The ropes around Jesse¡¯s wrists chafed, but they¡¯d be nothing compared to the one around her neck tomorrow. After three years of terrorizing the frontier and rubbing every rich bastard¡¯s nose in her shit, they¡¯d gotten her. Strangely enough, she wasn¡¯t as bitter about it as she could¡¯ve been. They¡¯d wrapped her up like a christmas present in rope and chains, and now paraded her through town.


    ¡°The Outlaw Jesse Jane¡¯s been caught!¡± A boy cried out, running out in front of their little parade, repeating it again and again for the people of Koda Junction. Everywhere he went, people paused, then dropped what they were doing for the procession down main street.


    Sheriff Ricken¡¯s men surrounded the cart, guns out and pointed at the ground. Not one of them looked comfortable, and a couple seemed like they were unsure whether they were dreaming or not. Well, Jesse snorted to herself, join the club.


    ¡°You see that, dead woman?¡± the Sheriff said. ¡°That¡¯s all the people who used to cheer you on. They¡¯ll cheer even louder when they see you dangle.¡± He stood next to her on the moving cart, strong and steady despite his growing age.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Jesse conceded, just loud enough for the two of them. ¡°But they¡¯ll celebrate your death louder and longer than they will mine. I¡¯d put money on it.¡± Her sharp grin was downright feral.


    Sheriff Rickens chuckled. ¡°Your gambling days are over. They were over the moment you bet on the loyalty of criminals. How bad¡¯s it sting, knowing your best friend sold you out?¡±


    The cart turned the corner. They¡¯d slowed to a crawl now that half the town had been told of her capture. Deputies shouted and shoved people who got too close. The jail was damned near the heart of the town, right next to City Hall, where Mayor Gandor ruled with an iron fist. She thought she saw movement out the second floor window, a shuffle of the blinds.


    ¡°That depends, Sheriff. Did you actually pay Samson and give him that promised amnesty?¡± Jesse Jane looked around, smiling at the crowd. If she hadn¡¯t been bound, she would¡¯ve waved and blown kisses as well. Anything to show she wasn¡¯t scared. The public expected a certain level of showmanship, and it wouldn¡¯t do to falter at the very end.


    ¡°Yeah, we paid him, and his slate¡¯s wiped clean. Not gonna matter though. If one of my men doesn¡¯t bag him, one of yours will.¡± The sheriff let out a wet, congested laugh. ¡°Ain¡¯t no rest for the wicked, ain¡¯t no happy endings for your kind of scum.¡±


    She took a long, deep breath, channeling the sharp, red hot anger into something measured and contained. ¡°Funny, I¡¯m the one making sure the people ¡®round these parts can eat and not lose their land, and I¡¯m wicked. The Mayor treats people like cattle and he¡¯s the most virtuous sumbitch in town. Is that right?¡±


    Sheriff Rickens elbowed Jesse in the stomach, driving the air from her in a thick woosh. As far as she was concerned, that just meant she had a point.


    Smiling for the crowd, he said, ¡°That¡¯s exactly it. Mayor Gandor is a great man who¡¯s brought order and prosperity to this territory. You¡¯re nothing more than a flea, going from dog to dog and spreading your diseases among them. Those people, they¡¯d get by if they put their heads down and worked instead of expecting handouts everytime life gets hard.¡±


    After three years of being on the loose and causing chaos, Jesse wanted more than anything to just put a bullet in the bastard¡¯s head. She nearly had on several occasions, and to be so close to him and so helpless¡­She took a deep breath and kept her attention on their audience.


    ¡°Howdy everyone!¡± Jesse called out. ¡°Oh nooo, looks like that wily Sheriff finally caught me.¡± She yawned visibly, making some nearby children laugh.


    That earned her a backhand from the sheriff. It silenced the audience but¨CJesse was pleased to see¨Cthey weren¡¯t entirely on his side. Horror and hatred shown on the children¡¯s faces. Somewhere along the line, she¡¯d become a hero to them. Now, they were going to watch her die tomorrow, and know that the men of means had won. Jesse grinned fiercely, unwilling to show them anything other than brave defiance.


    They finally arrived at the jail, and the ring of deputies fanned out, clearing out some breathing room. The Sheriff stood up straight and cleared his throat.


    ¡°Today, on the ninth of March, in the year of our lord Eighteen eighty-nine, we¡¯ve arrested the outlaw Jesse Jane on the following charges: robbery, theft, grand theft, burglary, murder, fraud, impersonating a US Marshal, treason, inciting treason, inciting riots, stampeding cattle, and indecent exposure.¡±


    Jesse made a face at each charge, eyes wide and mouth open at the final charge. More people laughed, and she felt she fully earned the next strike. She tasted blood at the corner of her mouth.


    ¡°I have been authorized by the right honorable Judge Perry of the fourth circuit to sentence you to death, to be carried out tomorrow at dawn. Does the condemned have anything she wishes to say before lockup?¡±


    This was her chance, though the Sheriff¡¯s dark, beady eyes warned her against anything too outlandish. Too bad she¡¯d never been cautious in her life.


    ¡°I absolutely deserve to die for my crimes,¡± Jesse cried. ¡°Each mouth I¡¯ve fed, each farm I¡¯ve saved, each corrupt lawman I¡¯ve put in the ground has been done so in defiance of the indifferent law. I should¡¯ve just shut up and let people suffer rather than to soil the sanctity of --¡±Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    Once more, his hand came for her mouth. This time it was hard enough to stagger her, and she would¡¯ve tumbled from the cart if the Sheriff hadn¡¯t caught her. A rumble went through the crowd, an angry, rebellious mutter.


    ¡°Enough!¡± Rickens barked. ¡°We¡¯ve had enough of your insolence. Take a good hard look at her, people! For three years now, she¡¯s gotten away with it, but the bill always comes due. You fight the law, and the law will always win.¡±


    He grabbed Jesse by the ropes binding her and all but threw her off the cart. Two deputies caught her before she could hit the ground nose-first. They quickly righted her and ushered her into the jail, and into one of the four holding cells. Only then were her bonds cut. The irons around her ankles stayed until her cell was locked with the lawmen safely on the other side.


    ¡°Seems like overkill,¡± she said, rubbing her raw wrists. ¡°All of this just for one friendless woman?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, we¡¯re not risking it. Take it as a compliment,¡± said Sheriff Rickens. He turned from her to his men and said, ¡°I want ¡®round the clock eyes in front and behind the jail. I don¡¯t want anyone sneaking up and trying anything brave to get her out, you hear? When in doubt, arrest first, shoot if necessary, and don¡¯t ever be alone.¡±


    ¡°Yessir,¡± one man said, as he and his buddy left the jail. And then so did another pair, and another, until it was only the Sheriff and one young man with a bad rash of acne pitting his face. The Sheriff sat behind his desk with a loud groan and retrieved a bottle of whiskey from his desk.


    ¡°Any chance of sharing that?¡± Jesse asked, sitting on the hard board jutting out of the wall that served as her bed. The cell was small and smelled of piss and despair. ¡°You know, humor a dead woman.¡±


    ¡°Depends,¡± said Rickens, taking a small sip of his drink and sighing with the familiar burn. ¡°Any chance of you telling me where your stash is?¡±


    ¡°My stash?¡± Jesse stiffened. ¡°What would an honest man of the law want with stolen goods?¡±


    He laughed harshly. ¡°Don¡¯t play stupid, girl. I don¡¯t need your damned stolen money. I do well enough on a good salary and the occasional bonus from high profile captures. But a man brings back that much stolen jewelry and deeds and heirlooms, why, he¡¯ll have friends in all kinds of high places.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± she said. ¡°High enough to maybe become mayor yourself, one day?¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± said the Sheriff, drawing the word out, ¡°now that¡¯s an idea, isn¡¯t it? Not only did I put an end to your reign of terror, but I also recovered stolen wealth and led Koda Junction to a new era of prosperity? It only seems fitting, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    Jesse thought about it and blew a raspberry. ¡°You¡¯re delusional, Sheriff. I don¡¯t think you quite understand how much people hate your guts and want better. Sure, you and Gandor¡¯s rich buddies are happy, but they¡¯re outnumbered by all the people they shit on daily. I think you¡¯re lucky you got me when you did. I think another few months and you and the Mayor would be in serious trouble.¡±


    Rickens downed the rest of his tumbler with a hiss. ¡°Might be you¡¯re right,¡± he admitted. ¡°Things haven¡¯t been easy lately. But I guess we¡¯ll never know, will we? Your gang¡¯s splintered and turned on you, and there¡¯s nobody coming to save you. The moment you¡¯re dead and the remnants of those whoresons following you scatter to the winds¡­¡±


    He exhaled and poured himself another glass. With a wry smile, he toasted her. ¡°Well, then I¡¯ll be able to clean up your mess. Things¡¯ll get better for me and mine. Either way, you¡¯ve got less than ten hours of life left. I¡¯ve got all my best men on security, and if it looks like there¡¯s even a ghost of a chance of you escaping, I¡¯m going to take my Colt and blow your brains out.¡±


    ¡°Well, shucks, Sheriff,¡± Jane said, brushing a strand of dirty-blonde hair out of her face. ¡°I guess I¡¯m cooked. Nothing to do but spend the rest of the night making sure you never forget me.¡±


    He chuckled and took another sip. ¡°Oh, no chance of that, Jesse Jane. I¡¯m going to savor seeing your eyes bulge out of your head. Did you know most people shit themselves the moment they drop and the rope snaps?¡±


    ¡°I did,¡± she returned with a smile. ¡°I found that out when Deputy Hauser tried to infiltrate us. You did find him right? I didn¡¯t know it was possible to stink that badly.¡±


    In a flash, Sheriff Rickens was on his feet, pistol drawn and aimed at the ground. His harsh, wrinkled face looked like a demon carved out of gnarled wood. ¡°Jerry was a good man. Better than any of you ever dreamed of being. Say another word against him and I¡¯ll -- ¡°


    ¡°You¡¯ll what, Sheriff? Kill me? Please.¡± Jesse stretched and yawned. ¡°Do it. I dare you. Deny yourself that big public execution. Won¡¯t be any skin off my back.¡±


    Wordlessly, he put the gun away and sat back down. He made eye contact with the silent teen, and then grunted. ¡°The words of a dead person can¡¯t hurt me,¡± he said. ¡°Your last words are meaningless. If they bring you any comfort, take them. Because in the morning, I¡¯m handing you over to the devil myself.¡±


    The outlaw smiled and settled in. It was going to be a long night. There was no telling what would happen over the next few hours. The only thing guaranteed was an execution of a criminal, and she wasn¡¯t going to try to avoid that.


    ¡°Do you think the devil will be impressed by some of my antics?¡± she asked. ¡°I know you had to be. Especially early on.¡±


    The sheriff turned away from her. ¡°Talk all you want, it¡¯s not going to matter.¡±


    ¡°What about you, kid?¡± Jane asked the pimply kid with a silver star on his chest. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°William,¡± the kid said, voice cracking halfway through. He cleared his throat and said, ¡°Bill to my friends.¡±


    Jesse beamed at him. ¡°Well ¡®Bill-to-my-friends¡¯, do you want a fun story of the first big time I embarrassed your boss?¡±


    The teen looked to Rickens for guidance, but the Sheriff grunted and made a shooing motion. That was as good as permission. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°A wedding just outside of town,¡± said Jesse. ¡°A year into my career of crime. I already had a bounty on my name, but it doubled after the Empty Wedding. Your good Sheriff declared war on me personally after that.¡±


    Once more, Bill glanced at Rickens, but Jesse knew when she had his attention.


    ¡°What happened?¡± he repeated.


    The Outlaw Jesse Jane took a deep breath, and started her story.

 Chapter 2: Setup

    In the beginning, I never planned on being a famous outlaw. You have to understand that. I saw a problem, and I saw a solution. It started with just intercepting tax collections and recovering what the greedy bastards took from grieving widows and orphans. They were just trying to make it work after being put in a bad position. The law doesn¡¯t care about any of these people, so it¡¯s up to us to give a shit. I couldn¡¯t stand by and let people starve or be driven off their land.


    Eventually, the bounty got put on my head, and I attracted some followers. It¡¯s kind of inevitable when you make a name for yourself. I resisted it at first, but with numbers came safety¡­to a point. It¡¯s how I met and befriended Guilty Grant, Joey the Red, and my best friend, Small Samson. You know, before the bastard sold me out.


    We started out simple, just a few people sick and tired of Gandor¡¯s greed and the way he let the railroad barons take whatever they want from us. We would hit a few places, take their valuables, and give them out to their victims. In the beginning we¡¯d only kill if they didn¡¯t surrender, or if they tried to pull a fast one.


    That was before we realized death was the only consequence for malfeasance that the bastards couldn¡¯t buy their way out of. But in the beginning, I promise you, we went out of our way to avoid casualties. And the Empty Wedding was, at the time, our greatest achievement in taking what we could without innocent bystanders getting hurt.


    And it gave the good Sheriff his first real black eye, doubled my bounty, and tripled the size of my gang. All because a bunch of rich assholes thought they were untouchable, and all but dared me to attack.


    Let me lay the scene for you. Mary McDougal, daughter of railroad magnate Malcolm McDougal, was set to marry the oil baron Howard Rains¡¯ son in a beautiful ceremony on the latter¡¯s sprawling estate north of Koda Junction. Veritable American Royalty, with the most talked about business wedding in decades set to consolidate the power and resources of the western territory¡¯s richest.


    And when asked if they were worried about the Scales Gang crashing their party, Howard Rains boasted he was so confident that nothing would happen under his watch that he¡¯d pay for any lost property. And with that, he sealed his doom while also setting up the most obvious trap in existence.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way we¡¯re falling for this, right?¡± Samson asked me the moment the news came to our hideout at the time. It was a saloon one town over, with a basement and hidden tunnels leading out, long since discovered and abandoned by now. There were only twenty of us then, enough to lead a raid or ambush the occasional train, but we hadn¡¯t done anything huge. Yet.


    ¡°How can we not?¡± I asked, tipping my hat up to get a better look at the newspaper with the announcement. ¡°How big do you think this possible score could be? What do you think, Joey?¡±


    Joey mulled over his thoughts with some tobacco and shot a wad into the spittoon on the floor. ¡°Ain¡¯t no way we¡¯re going to take that head-on. There¡¯s gonna be dozens and dozens of gunmen there, waiting for us. If we do this, we have to be all sneaky-like. Like, extra double sneaky.¡±


    Samson growled. ¡°Okay, that¡¯s fine, but this is an obvious trap.¡±


    I laughed and slouched insolently. ¡°Of course it is. But that Sheriff isn¡¯t exactly the creative type, is he? Unless he¡¯s got one of us on his side, feeding him information, I don¡¯t see him thinking of anything we don¡¯t. We could expect a lot of household guards and gunmen, ready to defend their masters, but think of who else will be at the wedding.¡±


    A chorus of silent, incredulous looks passed among the group, including Big Ear Bob and Mademoiselle Maria.


    I grinned and spread my arms wide. ¡°A whole lot of rich idiots who will want to see what happens, and their support staff. We don¡¯t attack the wedding, we fix it. And when we do, we walk out of there with everyone¡¯s money, valuables, and self respect. The only question is: are we up to testing ourselves?¡±


    Silence again, save for a long, drawn out exhalation from Samson. ¡°Depends, Jesse. Let¡¯s say we do this and get away with it. What then? Mayor Gandor¡¯ll be mighty upset with us. Might be enough to get the governor¡¯s attention, and we¡¯ll always be looking over our shoulders.¡±


    ¡°Please,¡± I scoffed, ¡°we¡¯re already going to spend the rest of our lives waiting for the hangman. Why not go big?¡±


    ¡°Sounds good to me,¡± said Joey, spitting once more. ¡°But what¡¯re we gonna do with it all? We steal that much, it¡¯s gonna take more time to distribute it, and everyone¡¯s gonna want a piece. It¡¯s one thing to hand out some cash and loot to farmers and churches, it¡¯s another to try to divvy out the biggest score of the century. How do we handle that?¡±


    Like usual, Samson chimed in with, ¡°I can always watch over it, make sure it gets to the right hands.¡± He grinned, showing a couple missing teeth.


    Staring him down, I asked, ¡°And what hands would those be? Whores? Faro players?¡±


    ¡°Well, obviously,¡± Samson scoffed. ¡°Not only do I get to have a bunch of fun, but I spread love and cheer to people in need, which just raises spirits all around. Everybody wins!¡±


    As a group we all rolled our eyes. I would give in, as fun and shows of generosity were honestly needed, but sometimes he worried me with his hunger for more. It was supposed to be everything we fought against, but I guess we all know how that story ended.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got ideas for all of that,¡± I said. ¡°C¡¯mon, this is me. Would I even bring it up if I didn¡¯t think we could do it?¡± Everyone grumbled in acknowledgement.


    ¡°So what will you do?¡± Mademoiselle Maria finally spoke up, watching me with interest.


    ¡°Something I¡¯ll need your help for. I¡¯ll need a lot of extra help and manpower for this one.¡± I grinned as the plan formed itself in my head, bit by bit. I spoke almost as fast as I thought, and ten minutes later, the entire hideout was buzzing to make it work. The important thing is that we had to double our numbers to make it work, and even one weak link or blabbermouth could¡¯ve ruined it.


    Instead, I earned the Sheriff¡¯s eternal ire, and his promises to kill me. Before he does, how about we remind him exactly what I pulled off?


    The wedding was just over a month away, and we worked down to the wire getting everything in position. We had to find the right people who were sympathetic to us and would do their part, in exchange for both a bribe and a small cut of the loot.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    It wasn¡¯t hard to find people willing to turn on their masters. The problem with living a life of greed is that you underpay the people who can hurt you the most. You end up thinking that the people who live off the scraps you throw them ought to be grateful for your crumbs. We could¡¯ve probably gotten away with paying people a lot less for their betrayals, just for the joy of humiliating the rich and powerful.


    I guess the difference is, I may be a thief, but I¡¯m not actually greedy.


    The MacDougal estate was like a lot of rich asshole¡¯s land: a miniature city sprawling over hundreds of acres,  being over-worked by people paid too little for their effort. The actual house itself was gorgeous¨Ca tall, proud monument to the old world, but with the hardiness and defiance of a frontier home. Vibrant flower beds surrounded the three story brick and wood manor, big enough to comfortably entertain hundreds, with a wing for a full support staff to be crammed together.


    The ceremony would be held outside, with a series of grand tents in the garden for the following feast. It was to be done at sunset, with the night a celebration of excess and their own superiority. Hundreds of gallons of wines and whiskeys, beer and brews of all kinds were imported and stored over the month to follow.


    It wasn¡¯t easy, getting our people in, and finding the right targets who were the perfect mixture of vulnerable, disgruntled, and hungry for more in life. It was harder still to get in ourselves, as every guest was meticulously checked, their invitations and identities announced to the whole party. And of course, each new hire was subject to interrogation and borderline quarantine for the two weeks preceding the event.


    And even once we were inside, that didn¡¯t do anything to help with the dozens of armed men who patrolled the property, and would be ready to gun down any thieves they found. They were obstacles both on our way in, and on our way out, as we¡¯d have to transport tens of thousands of dollars worth of loot several miles along open plains.


    All of this is to say, the odds were against us. If I¡¯m to be sent off to hell tomorrow, then I¡¯ll go to the devil with a heart full of pride over this heist.


    The day of the wedding was more stressful than you can imagine. Me, Joey, and Guilty Grant had been there for two weeks, cooking up a storm and confirming what our spies told us. You¡¯d think I¡¯d be too visible or known to hide, right? Well, without my favorite hat and with my hair pulled up, no one really knew what I looked like. I was as good as invisible, so long as I kept my mouth shut.


    It was harder than I like to admit.


    ¡°Everything needs to be perfect,¡± said the sneering butler. ¡°If it¡¯s not, then you can damn well expect to walk away empty handed. Do you all understand me?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t the first time he¡¯d said it to us. Most people grunted their acknowledgements and kept right on cutting vegetables or seasoning that night¡¯s stew. That¡¯s where I was, making sure the dish was good enough to knock them all out.


    ¡°You mean you¡¯re going to steal our wages from us if you get mad?¡± I asked.


    Guilty Grant coughed loudly, but the butler¡¯s eyes narrowed at me. ¡°In a heartbeat. Do not test me, girl.¡±


    I bowed my head with a smile I hoped looked pleading and not amused. Even the servants of the rich saw themselves as higher than the rest of us peasants. Win or lose, I resolved to ruin his night if I could.


    Once he was gone, Grant laid into me. ¡°The hell do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± he demanded in a forceful whisper. ¡°You really want to get extra attention on us during the big day? C¡¯mon Jesse.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I admitted. ¡°You think this is enough, or should I dump in more?¡±


    Grant looked at the half empty bag of white powder. ¡°Sweet Jesus! Yes, that¡¯s enough. We don¡¯t want to kill them, do we?¡± His eyes darted around, but the only nearby cooks were our people.


    ¡°Well¡­¡± I started. His eyes nearly bugged out of his head, and his face turned a brilliant shade of red. ¡°No, of course not,¡± I said before he could launch into another lecture. In a gang like ours, men like Grant were necessary. Good men, who stop people like me from going too far.


    ¡°Good,¡± he said, shoulders slumping in relief. ¡°Look, me and Joey have this under control. Why don¡¯t you go for a walk?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t trust me not to poison the bastards?¡± I asked with a grin. ¡°That¡¯s reasonable. I¡¯ll go scout things out, and check on the others.¡±


    You would think that it would be harder to move around without suspicion on the day of the wedding, but the estate resembled a frenzied anthill. No one noticed one worker ant wasn¡¯t where she was supposed to be. I admit to having a really good, relaxed time for the next hour or so. Much of the manor was off limits, so I focused on the main room, and strolled along the grounds wearing my cook¡¯s uniform and hat.


    I can¡¯t tell you the perverse joy I felt in just wandering around invisibly, right under their noses. Howard Rains stood only a dozen feet away, barking like a territorial dog at anyone that came close.


    ¡°Pick up the pace! What the hell am I paying you for? Christ almighty, if Aldous could see how lazy our workers were, we¡¯d be a laughingstock!¡± He grabbed the nearest working man by the front of his coat and shook him.


    The laborer stammered out an apology, and was only released three seconds later with a long suffering sigh from the millionaire. He covered a lined, weathered face with a hairy hand.


    ¡°There¡¯s just no finding good help these days.¡± My self control ran off with my heart, leaving me thrilled and cursing my own stupidity for drawing attention during a rich man¡¯s temper tantrum. That sense of danger and excitement doubled when he whirled on me.


    ¡°You think you¡¯re being funny?¡± he demanded, stalking towards me. His eyes held no recognition for me, and it emboldened me.


    ¡°Yes sir,¡± I said. ¡°Sorry sir. If it makes you feel any better, things are going really well in the kitchen! Chef Slovik was the happiest I¡¯d ever seen him, and we think your guests will be simply out of their minds with the result.¡±


    One of the richest men in Koda Junction stared at me, slack-jawed and disbelieving. I don¡¯t think anyone talked to him like that, not even his loved ones. His eyes swept over me once more, full of confusion and contempt in equal measure. ¡°Well, good. Why the hell aren¡¯t you working?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re ahead of schedule and most of us were sent out with one more task and then a break as Chef perfects the stew and the drinks, sir. I couldn¡¯t resist stealing a chance to take a look around. Your home is beautiful, and I am honored to be able to contribute to an unforgettable night.¡±


    His eyes narrowed, and I knew then I was pushing it too far. His lips curled back in a sneer, but before he could say anything, his eyes slid over my shoulder and widened. ¡°Sheriff Rickens,¡± he greeted, turning my blood to ice.


    I turned around to face Rickens himself outside the reception area. ¡°Mr. Rains,¡± the Sheriff replied, ignoring me entirely. His mustache and shoes had been waxed, and he wore a fancy vest that looked out of place on the leathery bastard. ¡°I¡¯ve done as you¡¯ve asked and my boys are all around the edges of the wedding. If they approach, we¡¯ll drive them off. And if they slip by us somehow, we¡¯ll collapse in to protect the wedding guests.¡±


    Howard took a deep breath and nodded, clearly mollified. ¡°What do you think the odds of the Scales Gang trying something?¡±


    My heart skipped a beat. I took a step backwards slowly, just trying to avoid catching their notice again, but too interested in the answer to just slip off.


    ¡°Frankly Mr. Rains, if I was them, I¡¯d use this as a chance to hit up some of the guests¡¯ homes, or maybe the bank in town. My men are stretched thin covering as much as we can, but we know that they can¡¯t be everywhere at once. Things will go so smoothly, your wedding will be the only thing people talk about for months.¡±


    I had to leave then, or I was going to die of laughter and give up the game. I turned around and strolled off as casually as possible. My heart jumped up into my throat when the Sheriff called out, ¡°Hey, you!¡± I turned around, schooling my face into one of polite curiosity rather than pants-shitting fear.


    Sheriff Rickens pointed at me, eyes narrowed. ¡°Tell the chef to keep any shellfish away from table eight. You understand?¡±


    ¡°Y-yes, I understand sir,¡± I replied, bowing respectfully as my insides tap danced. ¡°No shellfish near table eight.¡±


    ¡°Good girl,¡± he said before turning back to Howard. I ran back to the kitchen to do the exact opposite, and make sure his portion of stew would have bits of crab and lobster in it. Worst case scenario, it pissed him off. Best case? No telling, but it would probably be funny.


    That conversation told me a few things. Mostly, it told me that even if we failed at the wedding, we were still going to win big.

 Chapter 3: Empty Wedding

    Finally, the guests began arriving in carriages and stage coaches, most with a few manservants and a handful of armed guards. We watched them drive up and be announced by a short, pudgy man in a suit that likely cost more than my childhood home did.


    ¡°The Hitchins, Marcus and Melissa,¡± he bellowed, ¡°Owners of the Blokosta gold mine!¡± he cried, as an elderly man with a much younger wife stepped daintily out of a carriage and up the path to the manor.


    They were followed by the Manfreds, who owned the largest group of slaves in the western territories, and then the solitary Mr. Blake, king of textiles. On and on, the biggest titans of industry and agriculture alike, anyone who was someone made their way to the manor, where they would play nice among their rivals one moment, then plot where to stab when backs turned.


    ¡°And they call us scum and villains,¡± Guilty Grant muttered. Everything was finished, and now the time came to bring out the foot to the reception area while the guests mingled after the service. We each had a platter of covered food, and I made sure to handle the Sheriff¡¯s special order. ¡°How many families do you think we could feed with what this wedding cost?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a terrible double standard,¡± I agreed. ¡°They rob us all the time, but we¡¯re the bastards for stealing back. It¡¯s on us to correct it. You ready and armed?¡±


    Grant frowned, but nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t want to have to hurt anyone.¡±


    ¡°Neither do I,¡± I said, meaning it at the time. ¡°But chances are that even with our best plans succeeding, bullets are still going to fly. You gotta be ready for it, and keep a close eye on what people are eating. And keep an ear out for fireworks. You remember the code?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°Then relax, and be ready.¡± I set the platter down on the round table with eight gorgeous, sturdy and cushioned wooden chairs. Even their seats had to be plush and expensive. Each table already had a pitcher of water and crystal glasses heavy enough to resist the constant breeze throughout the day and evening. For a second, I was tempted to pour a glass out onto Rickens¡¯ seat, but I somehow managed to restrain myself.


    Once the reception area was set up, some of us went into the kitchen for dessert, while others would mingle among the guests and refill drinks and take away finished dishes. I made sure to stay in that group. For the next hour, I needed to be outside and ready to react when everyone else did. Besides, it was the best seat in the house for when everything fell apart.


    Bells rang and people screamed and cheered, signalling the end of the wedding and the start of phase two. Which, sadly, involved waiting for them to come out of the manor, find their seats, and start dinner. Joey the Red looked at me from his spot behind an edge table. I nodded to him and looked around.


    Grant and Joey were within easy sight, as were over a dozen of our newest people. Hiring right before a big job could be risky, but I liked to think people were rooting on us to succeed. We were horribly outnumbered, with forty or so active agents against hundreds of guests and guards. I had to force myself not to smile at those odds. A smiling servant attracted too much attention.


    Fifteen minutes later, the guests were seated, and the bride and groom came out, delirious in love and the joy of the happiest night of their lives. Part of me felt a little bad that we were about to spoil it, but¡­Well, fuck ¡®em. They took their seats, which was the signal for me and the others to lift the lids on the food and fill glasses. A cheer went through them once the beer and wine flowed.


    Then came the speeches. The father of the bride, Malcolm MacDougal stood and gestured for the champagne to be poured. I and the others filled almost every glass, skipping the children. They¡¯d come up in the plans, and I had no intentions of hurting them. They¡¯d be scared enough soon.


    As I finished emptying a bottle almost as expensive as my bounty, there was the blast of a gunshot. Guests looked around wildly, expecting me and my men to jump out from every corner and attack.


    Soon. The shot was ours, but not offensive. The time was coming, and everyone needed to know their part. The sun had gone down during the wedding itself, and now the last tinges of gray gloom faded into the coming darkness. Here¡¯s hoping we got the dosage right.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Malcolm MacDougal called out reassuringly. ¡°Someone just a little excited for the western territories¡¯ newest happy couple.¡±


    Some of the guests laughed politely, but there was no denying the nervous undercurrent making its way through the crowd.


    ¡°I want to thank everyone for coming tonight, despite the threat hanging over our heads. This is a nation founded on bravery and daring, and no two-bit criminal is going to take our joy away from us! Now, when Howard first approached us about merging our two families, well, I¡­¡±


    I stopped listening and looked around. Everyone had shut up, and a few sipped at their champagne before the toast was even finished. Guards roamed around the reception area, rifles out but pointed at the ground. A loud sneeze would probably set them off. To say nothing of the fireworks that started in the distance.


    Malcolm paused in his speech. The fireworks continued, exploding bright colors in the sky just a couple miles off. The nearest guards took off running towards the perimeter of the estate, where their leaders waited.


    ¡°It¡¯s probably nothing,¡± he muttered, only just audible  Malcolm took a deep breath and finished weakly. ¡°...so join me in celebrating Mr. and Mrs. Rains, royalty for a new age!¡±


    With plenty of muttering and unease, people lifted their glasses and drank. Me and the others didn¡¯t hesitate. We came forward with more bottles and refilled empty glasses like the well-greased cogs of a machine. Very few people noticed we were even there.


    Choking caught my attention. I looked up to see the Sheriff¡¯s face turning purple and puffy. His lips and eyes were starting to swell, and tears poured out of his eyes. ¡°Help,¡± he said thickly, ¡°I said¡­no¡­shellfish!¡±


    A stir went through the reception. Once was an occurrence, twice a coincidence, and three times a pattern. I rushed to Rickens¡¯ side immediately. ¡°Are you okay, Sheriff?¡± I asked, doing my best to look shocked and concerned.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    One of his deputies elbowed me out of the way and helped him away from the assembled tables and towards the manor. I backed off, meeting Grant¡¯s eyes. He only barely held back the smile. That was another piece off the board, right when things were about to get crazy.


    Howard Rains stood next and whistled sharply. He had another toast ready. ¡°My son Rance made a top notch choice in bridges. Just look at Maria. Lovely, demure, and eager to start a family, I hear!¡± He and a few men laughed, but Maria looked uncomfortable. ¡°I won¡¯t keep you too long from your food. So one more toast for now. Here¡¯s to a happy wedding, and an even happier wedding night!¡±


    I would¡¯ve put money on him saying that just to embarrass the poor woman. Still, people echoed him and drank. Two glasses of drugged champagne down, now we just had to wait a little. Not everyone would be affected the same, but it wouldn¡¯t matter.


    Another gunshot rang off in the distance, and then more. It wouldn¡¯t draw away all of the guards, but perhaps enough to let us deal with the others.


    When the first person fell, it didn¡¯t cause much stir. An older woman slumped in her seat, blinking rapidly. She had a smile on her face, even when her husband caught her and checked her over with worry in his eyes¡­until they glassed over. One slim young woman fell backwards out of her seat and stared up at the sky, not even trying to get up.


    That was my cue. I grabbed an unopened bottle of champagne and whistled three sharp bursts. People looked up and watched me as I approached the head table. Howard Rains recognized me and scowled, but didn¡¯t get up. My growing smile and the rising dread among the wedding party told him something was up.


    ¡°Can I have your attention please?¡± I called out. ¡°I want to thank Mr. Rains and Mr. MacDougal for this glorious opportunity.¡±


    ¡°The hell are you talking about?¡± Malcolm MacDougal yelled.


    ¡°Mal, she¡¯s¡­¡± Howard started, finally clicking.


    ¡°Jesse Jane, outlaw at large!¡± I crowed.


    Not all the guards were gone, and two drew iron on me, only to be shot before they could level their guns my way. All throughout the reception party, my people pulled out weapons from under their clothes, along with empty sacks. A few party-goers tried to get up and run, but they didn¡¯t make it very far before stumbling face-first onto the dirt.


    ¡°Just as I promised, we¡¯re here to rob you! Your food and drink has been drugged, and I ask that you not fight it. And maybe don¡¯t eat or drink anything else too, for your own safety. Malcolm MacDougal, Howard Rains?¡± I pointed the bottle of unopened champagne we¡¯d stuck with a needle to fill with opium. ¡°You are two of the richest men in the west, and you did that by stepping on the backs of your workers. You are both guilty of wage theft, exploitation, and conspiring to hoard wealth even as people starve. Today, you lose everything.¡±


    I shook the bottle and popped the cork, spraying them both with the drugged alcohol. They sputtered and covered their faces, but only Howard rose unsteadily to challenge me. He fell back in his seat, body growing weaker as the drugs bowled over him. I dropped the bottle and pulled out both a pistol and a sack from the wide, baggy expanses of my uniform.


    ¡°Empty out your pockets and purses, ladies and gentleman. I want your wallets and watches, jewelry and cash. Give them all up and you can walk away with your lives. Boys? Round up the loot, and someone get started on the wedding presents!¡±


    A whoop went through my gang as they wound their way through the tables like sharks, taking everything they could. A minute later a gunshot went off, and a rich man breathed his last. He hadn¡¯t drank, and resisted when the time came to give up his valuables. It was bound to happen, and I wasn¡¯t about to feel remorse about him being too stupid to survive. I¡¯d leave that to Grant.


    Not everyone had been affected by the champagne, but most of the rest were done in by the soup, which didn¡¯t have any opium in it. Instead, it had a powerful laxative. Those who¡¯d had both were in for the most humiliating moment of their lives. I¡¯ve never intentionally hurt children, which is why we¡¯d chosen the champagne, but a few got sick to their stomachs along with everyone else. Those who¡¯d had neither were directed to watch out for the other kids.


    My gang quickly filled their sacks with a ridiculous amount of money and shiny trinkets, taken mostly from people who could hardly move or do anything more than grin stupidly as the drugs took them on a journey. I did my part as well, collecting the goods from the bride and groom¡¯s table.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to get you for this,¡± Rance Rains said to me. ¡°I¡¯ll see you dead, thief.¡± He and his wife Maria apparently hadn¡¯t eaten or had champagne yet. Interesting.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± I returned, ¡°but for now, I¡¯m afraid I must ruin your honeymoon. Cash and jewels, now.¡± I gestured with my pistol towards the open sack.


    Howard Rains, drugged though he may have been, fought to stay upright and half threw himself, half fell over on top of his son. Instinct screamed, and I jerked out of the way just before the gunshot that would¡¯ve gotten me. Whirling around, I saw the swollen face of the sheriff, gun raised.


    There was no time to fire back. I took off running, keeping low as another three shots cracked off, hitting the table, the dirt, and the leg of an opium-addled guest who had the rotten luck of being close by. Quickly, I ducked behind the next table, landing next to a ten year old boy who looked at me with wide, excited eyes. The others around us scurried away, but the boy just stared.


    I winked at him, then called out, ¡°Looking pretty rough there, Sheriff. You sure you want to get into a firefight when you obviously can¡¯t see?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you hang, Jesse Jane!¡± he screamed at me. Or at least, that¡¯s what I thought he said. It came out as, ¡°Ah see oo ang!¡± and extra wheezy.


    The next shot hit him in the shoulder, and he dropped. I took off running, away from the guests and at my friends. I hadn¡¯t gotten the loot from the wedding party, but everyone else had bulging sacks that would be spread out from one end of Koda Junction to the other. With this score, no one would starve or go without for at least half a year.


    ¡°C¡¯mon Jesse, let¡¯s git,¡± Joey the Red screamed, ¡°they¡¯ll be coming back soon, and we don¡¯t wanna get pincered!¡±


    I grinned, heart soaring with joy as we booked it as fast as we could away from the reception area and right at where all the rich assholes¡¯ transportation would be. We weren¡¯t just stealing their goods, we were taking their way home, and leaving our mark before we got out of there.


    More gunfire erupted all around us, our brief moment of control turned to chaos. Joey and I loaded up the nearest carriage, stepping over the drivers. All household staff and transportation had been given free drinks, courtesy of the kitchen. Small Samson and his crew were out in the distance, keeping the guards busy, but it wouldn¡¯t last long.


    ¡°Go!¡± I shouted, grabbing hold of the previous driver¡¯s rifle. It was loaded, and a box next to the seat had plenty more. Joey cracked the reins and the horses whinnied and got moving. Soon we and ten other carriages left the wedding behind. The guests lost their money, and most made terrible messes of themselves as the tainted feast went through their systems.


    Someone had set a fire in the manor before we left, and I wish I could say the entire place burned down, leaving three hundred people stranded miles from civilization. The outer guards apparently returned not long after and were able to put it out. It still bought us time to escape, and by the time pursuers caught up to the carriages, we were gone, along with the loot.


    We lost seven people to hired guns and an unruly guest or two before they were subdued, but it was the biggest robbery in the town¡¯s history. And not just for the wedding.


    Sheriff Rickens had said it himself, he was stretched thin, and we knew he would be. The Scales Gang wasn¡¯t the only one in town. We weren¡¯t all friends, but greed could be used in our favor. They¡¯d hit the bank and the estates of some of the guests while we worked.


    The Empty Wedding saw the fall of five great families¡¯ wealth and businesses. Not all of it went to the people, but that was okay. It was enough to take from those who thought themselves untouchable.

 Chapter 4: Breather

    ¡°I never understood why it¡¯s called the Empty Wedding,¡± Bill admitted in the silence following the story. A couple hours had passed, and evening brought a chill to the jail.


    ¡°A few reasons,¡± said the Sheriff, who had been mostly silent while listening. Every so often he¡¯d sigh or grumble, but he let the outlaw tell her story. ¡°Mostly, that big raid emptied the bank and coffers of several people. Guests at the wedding came in their finery and walked away empty handed, some even naked.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget all the people who had the soup,¡± said Jesse with a wicked twinkle in her eyes. ¡°They were emptied out pretty good too.¡±


    Bill made a disgusted face, then laughed. It was only when Jesse joined in but the Sheriff didn¡¯t that the deputy stopped and cleared his throat.


    ¡°You think that¡¯s funny?¡± Rickens demanded, leaning forward. His lined face was stretched in harsh grimace. ¡°Eighteen wedding guests died that night. Some from opium poisoning or shitting themselves to death, and some from being shot by her gang. But that¡¯s okay because they¡¯re richer than you, right? Ain¡¯t a real person if they¡¯re rich.¡±


    The outlaw rolled her eyes. ¡°Yep, you got me figured out, Sheriff. I lose all empathy the second I find out someone¡¯s got more than me. We both know it ain¡¯t like that. I love seeing people prosper. I just don¡¯t have much tolerance for people who take as much as they can and give nothing back. They make their fortunes off the backs of the people they use and throw away, and somehow I¡¯m the bad guy?


    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯ve killed some. But the people we kill? For each one of them we shoot, they¡¯ve killed dozens or hundreds more with the stroke of a pen. The only difference is you bastards consider those deaths to be acceptable and legal, and thus moral.¡± Jesse Jane glared at Rickens and spat on the floor. ¡°How many broken homes and lives are you responsible for, Sheriff?¡±


    Sheriff Rickens stood up. He wasn¡¯t a particularly intimidating man, and her times outsmarting him and getting away left Jesse with contempt for him and his capabilities. Still, he didn¡¯t get to be and remain the sheriff of Koda Junction during her reign of robberies without reason.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know or particularly care,¡± he said, voice surprisingly light and jovial. ¡°When people break the law, it¡¯s my job to break them. Personal circumstances don¡¯t matter. Laws exist for a reason. They¡¯re there to keep order, to keep the world running. People fall on hard times? Well, tough shit. Life¡¯s hard, doesn¡¯t mean everyone can turn on each other and take whatever they want just because it¡¯s easier.


    ¡°It¡¯s not my fault people falter and break, but it is my problem. This is the world we live in, and it¡¯s not gonna change anytime soon. I¡¯d say get used to it, but the only thing you¡¯re going to get used to is taking a dip into a lake of fire.¡± The Sheriff smiled widely.


    Rage burst inside of Jesse, crackling up and down inside her like a bolt of lightning. If she had her guns or if Rickens had been closer, she would¡¯ve thrown the plan out the window and killed him then and there. Impulse control had never been her strongest trait, but now at the end, it was all she had.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    ¡°You serve a broken system that doesn¡¯t give a shit about the people living in it,¡± Jesse said quietly. ¡°You and everyone who upholds it deserves a bullet to the head. I swear to you, I¡¯ll live just long enough to see you dead.¡±


    The worst sound in the world was the bastard¡¯s donkey-like laughter. Even Bill winced as the Sheriff guffawed in her face, holding his belly the entire time. ¡°You¡¯re not going anywhere, Jesse Jane. Unlike the wedding, I can vouch for every one of my boys. They¡¯ve been working with me for months and have taken down some of your best people. Maria, Jim, Ezekiel, Luke, and others.


    ¡°Half of them shot, half of them fitted for their last neck-tie. Just another eight hours until it¡¯s your turn. And after that, we¡¯ll clean everything up. My only regret is that you won¡¯t be there to see it.¡±


    Still smirking, Rickens returned to the table and poured himself some more whiskey. Despite his words, she knew there was a part of him that wasn¡¯t so confident. Not after a dozen failed attempts to bring her and the Scales down. Which was exactly what she needed.


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± she said, falling back down on the cot. ¡°We¡¯re pretty done. Samson turning on us was the last straw.¡± She buried her face in her hands and inhaled sharply. ¡°He won¡¯t be able to keep the gang together, and they¡¯ll probably turn on each other, and either sell each other out or shoot to kill. You might get the last laugh in the end. Oh god.¡±


    Tears weren¡¯t normally her weapon at all, but it was easy enough to let her eyes water at the mention of her dead friends. With luck and determination, they would be avenged, even if it killed her.


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± said Rickens. He lifted his glass and toasted her before taking a sip with an appreciative sigh. ¡°You sold your soul, and for nothing. You got a few good years of pissing off your betters, but you¡¯re going to die for it. Within five years, everything you¡¯ve tried to do will be undone, and life will go on.¡±


    Bill looked between them both. He seemed genuinely sad at the way Jesse hugged her sides. Her breathing grew ragged, but she swallowed it down in time. ¡°Do you have any regrets? Before you¡¯re hanged. Anything you want to get off your chest? I¡¯m no priest, but¡­¡±


    He seemed a decent enough kid, for one of the Sheriff¡¯s dogs. If she had more time, Jesse might have been able to turn him. For now, he gave her a perfect opportunity.


    ¡°There is something I would love to be able to talk about,¡± she said. ¡°The time the Sheriff almost caught me.¡±


    From the table, he scoffed. ¡°Which time? I nearly had you at least three or four times.¡±


    Jesse shook her head. ¡°No, you didn¡¯t. You only almost got me once. Every other time, you weren¡¯t anywhere close. But I can and want to tell you about the one time it almost happened. I think you¡¯ll find it very interesting, Sheriff.¡±


    He feigned disinterest with a pig-like grunt.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to hear it,¡± said Bill, brightening up.


    Jesse took a long, deep breath, letting her mind wander back to the memory and find the right words for the story. Time ticked away, and she had until dawn to make her play.


    ¡°It was five months ago, during one of the few jobs I consider a full failure.¡±


    ¡°Ahhh,¡± said the Sheriff. ¡°Halloween. That was the closest I came?¡± In spite of himself, he perked up. ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Really,¡± Jesse chuckled. ¡°I was cornered, and you came within five feet of me without ever knowing I was there.¡±


    ¡°Tell you what,¡± Rickens said. ¡°You surprise or impress me, and I¡¯ll give you a bit of whiskey to help dull the pain and horror.¡±


    Well, now she had to. Smiling, Jesse began her second story of the night, knowing that by the end of it, Rickens would either kill her or be that much closer to where she wanted him.

 Chapter 5: Ambush

    Banks were a different place at night, and the need for silence weighed heavy on us all. Some more than others.


    ¡°Can¡¯t we just blow it open?¡± Samson asked, holding up a half sized stick of dynamite. ¡°We¡¯ll blow the vault and also position that delightfully plush chair nearby just for kicks. C¡¯mon, you love a bit of harmless collateral damage.¡±


    I shook my head vehemently. It was pitch-dark beyond the light of the tiny hand-lamp we had to guide us. Vaults, safes, and lockboxes of varying sturdiness loomed around us. ¡°If we do that, then the clock starts ticking down until we¡¯re fucked by the Sheriff¡¯s dogs. We can afford to take our time and break them one by one. No one knows we¡¯re here.¡±


    Their entry had been swift, with Joey unlocking the front door within two minutes, allowing the small group into the front half of the bank. Getting through the doors to the offices and vaults had been laughably easy, and we¡¯d gotten a handful of deeds and family heirlooms to ransom. The heavy, solid iron safe caught our interest when we couldn¡¯t easily crack it.


    It took only five minutes of arguing before Samson suggested explosives, which was a new record for restraint.


    ¡°No, we can¡¯t afford the attention,¡± I argued. I knew he was itching to use that dynamite and hit the bank hard, but Mayor Gandor turned up the heat, increasing the bounty and now offering amnesty for any past crimes if they came back with my head in hand. Honor between thieves only went so far.


    Samson wouldn¡¯t be deterred. ¡°I have it on good authority that the Sheriff and his crew are out west, nowhere near close enough to get to us. Please? Pretty pretty please?¡± He grinned at me, patchy blonde beard making him look like the madman he was.


    Between us, Joey hissed for us to be quiet. He held one hand up, barely visible in the gloom. A second later, we realized why. Outside the bank, someone was laughing. A gunshot rang out, shattering the bank¡¯s main window. Joey and I hit the deck, Samson came a moment later.


    ¡°Jesse Jane and company, you are ordered to throw your weapons down and come out peacefully. If you do not, we are authorized to shoot to kill. You are surrounded and we are more than happy to collect only half the bounty. Go ahead and test us.¡±


    The three of us shared a terrified look. The rest of our people were supposed to be waiting nearby, but if they¡¯d been surprised, they would take off without us. There were a few different places to meet up, and the priority was staying alive.


    Which was bad news for us, but I didn¡¯t hold it against them.


    ¡°What was that about your good authority saying the Sheriff would be far away?¡± I hissed.


    Samson smiled sheepishly, and held up the dynamite once more. ¡°The only way out is through.¡±


    ¡°Goddammit,¡± Joey hissed, peeking through the window carefully. ¡°There¡¯s a bunch of them out there. Armed, obviously.¡±


    Normally, this is when I would think of a clever way out that would embarrass the sheriff and get away with a near miss, but honestly, I had been exhausted. This was only three months or so ago, right about the three year mark of my career. I¡¯d pulled off the stagecoach stampede and gotten away with it, the great train robbery had been a turning point, and each time, it was me who had the answer.


    Not this time. Samson grinned at me, and I sighed, knowing he was right. ¡°Boom and bolt, gentlemen. Take your stick, and we¡¯ll all throw it in a different direction. Count to three after the second round of blasts and get the hell out of here. Get to ground and lay low, three days before we get to the hideout. You understand?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve got ten seconds to surrender, or we¡¯re going to start shooting! This is your last warning, outlaws. Submit or die.¡± The declaration was met with excited hollering of some kid, excited to be a part of history.


    Joey cursed under his breath, but took two sticks of TNT. ¡°This was supposed to be easy, Jesse. Not a goddamned trap!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll be another fun story once we¡¯re safely home,¡± I said, taking two as well. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about anything other than getting away. I love you both. You ready?¡±


    ¡°Ready!¡± Samson got out a match. We lit our sticks and hurled them out the broken window. The first explosions cut off the panicked cries as soon as they started. Then came the second round, and we burst out three different parts of the bank. I took the main doors, while Joey and Samson split off to my sides.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    Within seconds gunshots accompanied the booms, but visibility was impossible in the big dust cloud our bombs had kicked up. I ran into someone and hip-checked them to the ground. A second later I dropped the third stick I¡¯d swiped and dropped it behind me for one last distraction. With the blast lighting up the night, I put on a burst of speed and ducked between a high end clothier and a hatter¡¯s place, up and over a fence.


    Sharp whistles pierced the air, alerting all the good civic minded citizens that something was wrong. That would make getting away difficult, but I had a plan that was only mildly suicidal. I kept moving between buildings, keeping low. Main street stretched out parallel to me, the most likely place for me to be but I was out of sight, and it bought me some precious time while lanterns lit up and the hunt began.


    All of the exits would be watched, which is why I told everyone to go to ground first. We had sympathizers in town, safe places we could slip to where our friends would shelter us, lie for us, and even die for us if they had to. Unfortunately for me, I was nowhere near them. The Koda Junction First National Bank was smack dab in the center of town, where all the rich people huddled together for safety. There was nowhere for me to go now that the alarm was raised.


    Nowhere safe, at least. But what if I went somewhere unsafe? Somewhere no one would think of looking for me? I knew where the sheriff lived the entire time. It would¡¯ve probably been possible to assassinate him, if we wanted to. We certainly talked about it a few times, but there was a complication, as it turns out.


    On and on I went, tumbling over the occasional outhouse, half-sized fence, or refuse. The further away from the center of town I got, the more chaotic and messy. But before it could get to junk heaps, I found the Sheriff¡¯s house, marked by the expansive covered porch facing the courtyard and pond he and his neighbors shared. Joey was our best lockpick, but I was no slouch, and I quickly slipped into the home of my nemesis.


    It would¡¯ve been too dark to see, had it not been for the lights trailing in the front windows. They were shuttered, but orange and silver light fluttered in between the wooden slats. In time, my eyes would adjust to it, and I pulled my pistol out, just in case. Every creaky floorboard and beat of my heart had me on edge.


    Outside, people shouted back and forth, no doubt wondering where I¡¯d gone. Before too long, they¡¯d start searching the houses, but there was no way they¡¯d get me here. Eventually Rickens himself would come home, and there was a chance he would find me. If he did, I¡¯d take him out and go off running as a last resort. But the man was famous for living in the jail during operations, so odds were in my favor.


    Or so I thought. We might have known all about the Sheriff¡¯s life, but some parts were easy to forget. Like the fact that he had a daughter about my age that still lived with him. He spent most of his life on the hunt for us, it was easy to forget he had a life outside of the chase.


    ¡°What are you doing in here?¡± Verity demanded, making me jump a foot in the air.


    I leveled my pistol at her, finger off the trigger. ¡°Don¡¯t make a sound, Verity. No need for you to die tonight.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± she asked, unimpressed. She held a lantern, letting out the dimmest amount of light around her. ¡°If I scream my loudest, they¡¯ll come for you.¡±


    ¡°If you scream, I¡¯ll shoot and you¡¯ll die,¡± I said, pulling the hammer back. ¡°You won¡¯t get to enjoy getting me killed for long.¡±


    ¡°Nor would you,¡± she countered. ¡°We¡¯ve got each other¡¯s lives in our hands. Give me one reason not to throw mine away to see you finally get punished.¡±


    I could¡¯ve and maybe should¡¯ve been scared, but I wasn¡¯t. Ricken¡¯s daughter was nothing like him. She seemed cool-headed and vicious, ready to accept a bad ending if it meant spiting us. Respect, honestly, but I didn¡¯t think it was all there was.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t take you for a daddy¡¯s girl,¡± I said, keeping my weapon trained on her. I chanced a glance out the front door, where lights shined in our direction. ¡°Get back, go up the stairs.¡±


    Surprisingly, she didn¡¯t argue with me and headed backwards up the steps, keeping us a little further out of sight of people on the streets, at the cost of pinning me in further. We came to an open room where her bed sat the opposite of her father¡¯s, separated only by a thin wall. I didn¡¯t envy her lack of privacy, but I lived with even less.


    ¡°My father¡¯s after you,¡± said Verity as she sat on her bed. She crossed her arms over her chest, looking mostly dignified in her sleeping clothes. ¡°Worse than usual. What do you plan on doing?¡±


    I remained standing, occasionally peeking through the window above her bed. Only two people were outside the Sheriff¡¯s house, but it was too many. ¡°Catching my breath and moving on, if you cooperate.¡± I turned back to Verity and offered her a reassuring smile. ¡°I¡¯ve got no quarrel with you, even if I hate your father.¡±


    ¡°That makes two of us,¡± she muttered, suddenly becoming a great deal more interesting.


    ¡°Is that so?¡± I asked.


    Before she had a chance to answer, the front door opened. My blood froze over, and we both looked to the stairs. ¡°Verity?¡± Sheriff Rickens called out. ¡°Are you up there? We need to talk.¡±


    The daughter of my mortal enemy looked between me and the stairs, and I realized that her silence would get me caught just as fast as her screams. I motioned with the gun for her to respond, but kept it trained on her. I made eye contact with her, and we had a tense, silent conversation in that shared look.


    She smirked, and opened her mouth.

 Chapter 6: Hidden

    ¡°Hi Daddy, I¡¯m up here. What¡¯s going on?¡± She slowly stood, motioning me to her bed.


    I had a quick decision to make, but I had already decided I wasn¡¯t going to shoot her unless I had to. Her father? Happily. I didn¡¯t like being the target of his trap, and escape didn¡¯t look too good right then. Biting back a curse, I jumped in the bed and threw the covers over my body. I white-knuckled my pistol, ready to use it if I was found out.


    Sheriff Rickens trudged up the stairs, each step a sullen, deliberate thunk and creak until I could feel him just a handful of feet away from me. I held my breath, although there was no way he¡¯d be able to hear it over his own labored breathing. It was a good reminder that he was getting up there in age, and how physically unimpressive he was.


    If it wasn¡¯t for the trap that had nearly gotten us and still might, I would¡¯ve been willing to write him off entirely as a threat, and probably just finished him. Instead, my curiosity got the better of me. I had to see what happened next.


    ¡°Are you okay, Pumpkin?¡± Rickens asked, a completely different person around his daughter.


    ¡°Ugh, I told you not to call me that,¡± Verity grumbled. ¡°I¡¯m fine. What¡¯s going on? What¡¯s with the noise?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve got her! This time for sure, we¡¯ve got that wretched bitch!¡±


    ¡°Which one?¡± Verity sighed. ¡°You talk about a million people you want to get.¡±


    ¡°The one! We had the Scales Gang pinned in at the bank, but they got away¡­for now. We¡¯ve got the town surrounded and are going to search every nook and cranny, question any and everybody that eyes us funny. That Jesse Jane is finally going to hang!¡± His excitement would¡¯ve been infectious, if it didn¡¯t unnerve me.


    ¡°You¡¯ve said that before,¡± she said flatly. ¡°What makes this time any different?¡±


    He laughed, a full bellied guffaw. It was dark, and with the blanket over me, I couldn¡¯t see a damned thing. There was every possibility Verity would sell me out, and if she did with even just pointing at the bed while pretending to be chipper, there was nothing I could do about it. But something told me I wasn¡¯t in any real danger.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got the manpower and we¡¯ve got the people working and looking. This is an all hands on deck situation sweetie. I popped in to let you know that I might not be around much for the next couple of days, depending on how things go. We¡¯ve already caught one of their most important members, so it¡¯s only a matter of time before we get the rest, and anyone helping them!¡±


    My heart stopped. I didn¡¯t know which one, but it didn¡¯t matter. Either of them would be too great a loss. He sounded too genuinely happy for it to be a lie. My heart broke into a million jagged pieces, and temptation seized me. It would be so easy to jump out of the bed and put my gun against his head and demand their release, or, barring that, look the bastard in the eye before I accepted our mutual destruction. That would be acceptable.


    Joey had always said I had a problem with impulse control. I could see and hear his exasperation and affection. Swallowing hard, I took my finger off the trigger and forced myself to stay quiet and listen.


    ¡°Uh-huh. So, that¡¯s it? You want me to stay inside and not make a fuss? What if I want to go out and get some food? You know I don¡¯t like staying inside, daddy. I don¡¯t want to be a prisoner again. Not after the last time you locked the town down and --¡±


    ¡°Easy, easy,¡± Rickens said with a groan. ¡°It¡¯s not like that. There¡¯ll be a guard posted across the street to look out for you, and if you want to go somewhere, Deputy Jones will accompany you. That¡¯s much better, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Verity let out a miserable sigh. ¡°Fine. You go have fun. I¡¯ll stay here and wither, like a flower denied the sun.¡±


    ¡°Oh honey, it¡¯s not like that,¡± he started, but she wasn¡¯t having it.


    ¡°I wish you cared about me as much as you cared about the criminals you hunt. I think you¡¯d be a lot happier if you just quit. Let that Jesse Jane be someone elses¡¯ problem. You¡¯ve worked too hard for too long to obsess like this.¡±


    There was a pause, and then a slow, wheezy sigh. ¡°Soon, Pumpkin. After I get her, I¡¯ll retire and we can spend more time together.¡±The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Okay, now I started to panic. I chanced pulling down the top of the blanket, exposing the top of my head, down to my eyes. It was dark, but my eyes adjusted. Sheriff Rickens stood in front of the stairs. I wouldn¡¯t even have to fire a shot, if I could let gravity do the job for me. I was ready to risk it all at the first sign of discovery or betrayal.


    Verity sighed. ¡°Alright. Whatever you say. Go catch her and then come home.¡±


    ¡°I love you.¡±


    The words sounded weird coming out of the zealous lawman¡¯s mouth. Like he couldn¡¯t believe what he was saying, or hoping someone wouldn¡¯t see past an obvious lie. The silence that followed made it worse with each agonizing second Verity didn¡¯t respond. When Sheriff Rickens turned and walked down the stairs, even I felt bad for the bastard.


    Mostly though? I was incredibly grateful the beautiful and gracious daughter of my worst enemy had daddy issues and was willing to let me go to spite him. The front door opened and closed once more, and I let out a relieved breath.


    I slipped out of bed and holstered my gun. ¡°Thanks for not ratting me out. I¡¯m sorry to be the cause of the headache, both long and short term. Which would, I¡¯m pretty sure, be an extra reason to turn me in. And yet you didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°I would¡¯ve told him,¡± she said. ¡°If he¡¯d asked. But he didn¡¯t ask. He didn¡¯t even think to ask if I¡¯d seen anything. As far as he¡¯s concerned, I¡¯m still eight years old, and mom hasn¡¯t died, she¡¯s just visiting family. I¡¯m not a real person to him.¡±


    Fully relaxed now, I reached out and put a hand on her shoulder. She was a few inches shorter than me, and only four years younger than me. In another life, we could¡¯ve been best friends. Maybe there was still time for that. ¡°Do you want to talk about it? You heard the man, no one will be around for the next while.¡±


    Verity bit her lip. ¡°Are you hungry? We could trade stories about my father. I bet I¡¯ve got more humiliating ones than you do.¡±


    I took a deep breath and let out an appreciative sigh. ¡°Verity, this is the start of something good, I promise you.¡±


    She laughed, and before long we lost ourselves in each other¡¯s company, trading stories and gentle touches until -- ¡°


    ****


    ¡°Now hold up,¡± Sheriff Rickens barked, ¡°that¡¯s not what happened.¡± His face was turning a delightful shade of purple at the implication.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it?¡± Jesse Jane challenged with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°No, it isn¡¯t. You¡¯re just saying that to get under my skin, and it¡¯s not going to work.¡± Just the same, Rickens¡¯ hands twitched murderously around an imaginary neck. ¡°There¡¯s no way you were hiding at my house. You¡¯re full of it.¡±


    Billy looked between the two of them, too terrified to know how to respond. Jesse just smiled and relaxed on the cot. ¡°I know you don¡¯t like hearing it, Sheriff, but you came so close to catching me, and would have, if you were a better father. Instead, I ate your food, slept in your bed, and even¡­well, you¡¯re not going to believe me, so no point in saying it, huh?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re full of shit,¡± Rickens repeated. ¡°We tore apart Koda Junction. Hell, we did get Joey the Red, and he died for it.¡±


    The smile disappeared from her face. ¡°Yes, you did. Fucking your daughter for a couple of days was nothing compared to losing a friend, but you take your joy where you can find it. It¡¯s a small comfort to know that while you tried to use Joey against us and killed him, I was in your house, and I could¡¯ve killed you at any time. Instead, Verity helped distract your man Mendez and gave me the chance to get out. After I took some of your money, and stole one last kiss from her.


    ¡°Samson found our people, who hid him well, and was fine. Joey and a new guy, James, they didn¡¯t make it. It was the last time I was going to let you hurt me or my people.¡±


    The Sheriff snorted and poured himself another whiskey. ¡°Funny how that turned out, isn¡¯t it? Let¡¯s say you were in my home, and defiling it. I¡¯m still going to get the last laugh. I figure I¡¯ll give your buddy Samson just enough time to relax before I go after him, amnesty be damned.¡±


    Jesse stood up and put her hands on the bars of the cell. ¡°And after that you¡¯ll finally retire and be a better father. This time for sure!¡±


    Rickens stared up at the clock. Midnight now, just six hours until dawn. Give or take. He smiled and motioned for Jesse to sit back down. ¡°You¡¯ve been such a wonderful guest, weaving these stories together. But I¡¯ve got a request, if you¡¯re taking them.¡±


    ¡°Well, with an invitation like that, how can I resist?¡± Jesse returned with a wan smile. ¡°What do you want to hear?¡±


    With a sip of whiskey, Rickens said, ¡°I wanna hear all about how Samson betrayed you. You¡¯ve had your fun, and it¡¯s come to an end. I gotta know what you did to inspire your best friend to sell you out.¡±


    Jesse pretended to think about it. ¡°I don¡¯t know, Sheriff. What¡¯s in it for me? Reliving my worst memory before dying doesn¡¯t sound especially fun.¡±


    Sheriff Rickens shrugged. ¡°It¡¯ll go a long way towards stoking my desire to get Samson as well. He can join you in hell, and you can laugh in his face afterwards.¡±


    She would¡¯ve told him the story anyway, but she had to put on a show. Billy came to the rescue, as the teen cleared his throat. ¡°I¡¯d love to hear the story if you don¡¯t mind. I want to know how you got here.¡±


    Perfect.


    ¡°Well, since you asked nicely,¡± said Jesse. ¡°I guess I have time for one or two more stories before dawn. Samson¡¯s Betrayal¡­okay.¡± She sat up straight and cleared her throat. ¡°Here we go.

 Chapter 7: Betrayal

    This story happened only two weeks ago, so it¡¯s fresh enough to still hurt. Of course, what betrayal doesn¡¯t hurt? When your best friend, your partner of crime, turns on you, everything good is spoiled. Even if I weren¡¯t to be hanged in the morning, thoughts of Samson taint all my happiest memories of heading up the Scales gang. And if you have to know that I spent time with your daughter, I suppose it¡¯s fitting you hear me suffer too.


    It started in our hideout. I could tell you where, but I won¡¯t. The only thing I will say is it¡¯s in one of the few areas around here that actually has trees, and even that might be too much. We sat under a great sycamore, Samson and me, talking about the state of things, and an old recurring argument.


    ¡°We¡¯ve done our time,¡± Samson insisted. He elbowed me in the side for emphasis before raising the beer to his mouth and downing it. A small keg stood a foot away on a tree trunk for easy access, but we were nearing the end of it. ¡°We¡¯ve done more for the little guys than anyone else, but there¡¯s talk of bringing the army in for us. We did good, Jesse, now let¡¯s fuck off before it kills us.¡±


    I was tipsy but too frustrated to get a good drunk on, which just made me try harder. ¡°There are worse things to die for.¡±


    ¡°There are worse things to die for,¡± Samson mimicked in a high pitched voice. ¡°I¡¯d rather not die at all. We did more than anyone thought we could accomplish. Why not walk away while we can?¡±


    ¡°Because that would mean they won,¡± I snapped. ¡°Sheriff Rickens, Mayor Gandor, every last stinking one of them up the chain. Those bastards have been making everyone¡¯s lives harder for years now. If they¡¯re sending in the big guns to take us out, then we have them scared. It¡¯s a last ditch effort before they lose control. If anything, this is the time to be more daring, more bold than ever.¡±


    I refilled my mug. Across the clearing, Mademoiselle Maria stared off into the distance, tears permanently etched onto her face. She¡¯d lost her two lovers recently, and was only just barely hanging on. Joey was dead, thanks to you, Sheriff. So was Grant, and too many others. Good men and women, the only ones willing to stand up against greed and tyranny, like our ancestors did when making this country.


    Now, the gang was barely holding together.


    ¡°I want you to be honest with me, Jesse, and none of your usual bullshit.¡± Samson sat up straight and looked at me. After the last few years, his normally vibrant beard had patches of white in it. ¡°Do you actually think we can win anything, or do you just want an elaborate suicide? You¡¯re too stubborn to give up, so you want us all to die in a blaze of glory, don¡¯t you?¡±


    I nearly spat out my beer. ¡°No! Screw you, Samson. How dare you?¡±


    He was one hundred percent right, I just didn¡¯t want to admit it. I didn¡¯t want to lose at all, especially not to assholes like you. I didn¡¯t want to die, but it would be better to die while trying than to just give in and let it happen or run away because you¡¯re scared. I may be many things, but a coward is not one of them.


    ¡°Just admit it. I¡¯m tired, Jesse.¡± It broke my heart to hear the truth in his words. It hurt worse because I understood it so well, and didn¡¯t entirely disagree.


    I nudged him back, sloshing beer all over his pants. ¡°One more job. One last gambit to see where we stand. We do that, and I¡¯ll stop if it doesn¡¯t work. You have my word.¡±


    Samson laughed. It started as a chuckle, then grew and grew until it oozed disbelief and bitterness. ¡°One more job. Of course you want to do one more job. One last chance to die a legend.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t do it without you,¡± I said, my brain conjuring the plan almost wholly without my participation. It was daring, it was desperate, and it was decisive. One way or another, things would be over without any more harm coming to the gang. We¡¯d walk away with enough money to start a new life down in Mexico, maybe join up with the rebel army and continue the good fight there.


    When I told Samson, he did the worst thing he¡¯d ever done in our entire friendship. He looked me in the eye, and said, ¡°Huh. That could work. That could work, you crazy, suicidal bitch.¡± He laughed, and he let me believe that he cared about the plan.


    That¡¯s the worst thing about betrayers. It wouldn¡¯t hurt so bad if we hadn¡¯t been so close, if I didn¡¯t care so much. He made me believe there was a chance of this working, and then, he went and handed me over to you. He turned our men against me and together, they gave me up to our mortal enemy.


    But first, he let me plan. Our target was to be the Sheriff, of course. The time had finally come to deal with you decisively, and maybe take out the mayor with the same bold stroke. It was risky, and came with the chance of failing before we could get started. It was such a good plan. I wish things had gone differently and we¡¯d get a chance to see the look on your face when it went off, and everything you¡¯ve worked towards burned to ashes around you. See, it was never enough to kill you, it had to be killing you in style. This plan had all of that, and more.


    Alas. Instead of that plan, we got a classic bait and switch, where my own ideas were turned against me.


    The night before we were set to enact the plan, we had a small feast to celebrate our friendship and three years of surviving outside the law. Samson, Henny, Jaque, and Indi were still alive, and they toasted me with drink after drink.


    And why not? I led this gang for years, I was the one most at risk. It was only natural that people cheer me on and offer me drinks. I never once suspected there might be anything wrong with those drinks.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    ¡°A toast!¡± I said for probably the tenth or eleventh time. The cup wiggled, as did the world. ¡°To the finest group of thieves, liars, and murderers around. We all know that you can only be pushed around so long before someone pushes back. We¡¯ll push¡­¡± My eyes went blurry. ¡°We¡¯ll¡­back at them, you know? We¡¯ll¡­¡±


    The words lost all sense of meaning as the drugged beer and wine did their work. We¡¯d drugged and poisoned drinks dozens of times, but I never thought my friends would turn it around on me. I slumped back in my chair, cup clattering to the ground. I couldn¡¯t move, but I could, vaguely, hear and feel.


    ¡°I don¡¯t feel good about this, Sam,¡± said Henny, his girlfriend.


    ¡°We need that amnesty,¡± Samson said. He looked around the camp, at how small we were compared to how we¡¯d been. Even with the world spinning, I saw the grief on his face, heard it in his hurried, hushed words. ¡°I had to end this before anyone else got hurt. This is my chance to get us out with our lives, and I¡¯m taking it. I¡¯ll have no part in her suicide. Does anyone here have a problem with it?¡±


    Silence. ¡°I do,¡± Indi said, standing up. ¡°You don¡¯t turn on your friends. You¡¯re giving into your fear and -- ¡°


    My best friend, my partner, one of the best men I¡¯d ever known, shot our friend in the chest mid-sentence. By the time Indi hit the ground, the feast fell silent. Samson got on the table and cleared his throat.


    ¡°Our time is over, friends. Jesse Jane¡¯s left us no choice but to turn her in. I¡¯m not happy about it, but the only fair thing to do is to accept the reward money and pardon, split it all together, and then make our way out of Koda Junction. Don¡¯t cross me on this.¡±


    And no one did. Before the darkness overtook me, I got to witness all my friends sit by and do nothing as my best friend readied me for the slaughter; three years of fattening up that bounty until it was enough to go to hell itself if it meant getting their thirty pieces of silver while alive. Between the treasures we sat on and this betrayal, Samson and Henny would live large off that silver.


    The last thing I remember before falling into the abyss was laughing at the way Samson accused me of suicide only to present me as a sacrifice, ready to die for all our sins so he could get away. The bitch of it is that I would¡¯ve done it if they asked. But they didn¡¯t ask.


    And the next thing I remember, I was practically mummified in ropes and chains in the back of a cart with Samson¡¯s stupid face leering at me. He dropped me off, and you had a conversation I couldn¡¯t overhear, and then you brought me to the jail.


    **********


    ¡°And here we are,¡± said Jesse Jane, sighing in her cot. ¡°It wasn¡¯t much of a story, I guess. Maybe Samson was right, and I¡¯m obsessed with an explosive ending. I guess being hanged in public isn¡¯t so bad. That¡¯s an honorable outlaw death. Not what I would¡¯ve preferred, and I definitely don¡¯t like the idea of Samson getting away with millions¡­¡±


    ¡°Enough,¡± said Sheriff Rickens. He wiped at his watery eyes and drummed his fingers on the desk. ¡°That¡¯s unfortunate for you. And for me too. We still got a good six hours before we hang you, and it sounds like you¡¯re out of stories. Maybe it¡¯s time for you to hear stories of my own. I¡¯ve got plenty from the survivors of your schemes, who had to live with the damage you¡¯ve caused.¡±


    Jesse sighed and laughed. Here was the biggest part of the gamble, and she only had so much sway over it. Like all the most important moments, she threw herself into things and hoped they worked out for the best. It had never failed her before, though a traitorous voice in her head whispered there was always a first time.


    ¡°Just promise me you¡¯ll get Samson, amnesty or not,¡± she finally said.


    ¡°Mmm,¡± the Sheriff grunted noncommittally.


    ¡°Do you hate him?¡± Billy asked, shaking the outlaw from her focused scheming.


    ¡°Samson? No, I don¡¯t think I do. It hurts, and I go to my grave knowing the hanging will spare me further pain. It will be a mercy for the end to come.¡± Jesse eyeballed the whiskey in front of the Sheriff, but didn¡¯t ask for it. Not yet.


    A chill passed through the jail. The middle of the night had a gloom to it that sat heavy and claustrophobic, and it was getting worse by the second. Before too long, her breathing grew ragged and racing.


    ¡°Oh, there it is,¡± said Sheriff Rickens. A dark smile took over his tired, lined face. ¡°The realization, the fear. There¡¯s not going to be a last minute reprieve for you. You¡¯re going to die, Jesse Jane, and it will be at my hands.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already accepted that,¡± she whispered. ¡°And I¡¯m okay with it. But if I¡¯m going to go out, I¡¯d rather take someone out with me. You want Samson? I can give him to you .¡±


    ¡°I bet you can,¡± he said, sounding bored. ¡°And let me guess, the price will be really low. A steal, really. Just let you go, or get out a last minute message and you¡¯ll give me your partner. I¡¯m not falling for that again.¡±


    Jesse shook her head vehemently. ¡°No. I¡¯ve accepted my death, Sheriff. I just want to know that Samson went out with me. And if you don¡¯t go after him soon, he¡¯s going to get away. By this time tomorrow, he¡¯ll be out of your reach forever. I¡¯m offering you me and him both, and all the treasure we¡¯ve collected but haven¡¯t spread out yet. Enough to make you a rich man, or make you man of the year for recovering.¡±


    He stroked his chin, looking away. She knew what it looked like when someone didn¡¯t want to be too obvious or come on too strong. ¡°And what do you get out of it, other than the satisfaction that Samson dies too?¡±


    She put on her best shit-eating-grin. ¡°All you have to do is give up on my public hanging. I deliver you right to my hide-out, and you shoot me twice in the chest, once in the head after Samson breathes his last. Quick, painless, and private. You get what you want, but you lose the pageantry. One last little tweak of your nose.¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh,¡± said Rickens. He laughed his wheezy laugh, shaking his head. ¡°You¡¯re making that offer a bit close to the wire, aren¡¯t you? Why not offer me this earlier, when there¡¯s more time to go after Samson?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know if I was going to make the offer,¡± Jesse Jane admitted. ¡°But I am, now. You get your deputies to gather up and go for a late night ride and I¡¯ll take you right into the heart of our hideout. Just promise me you¡¯ll let the children go without hurting them, and that Samson¡¯s death be painful. Maybe a good gutshot, to reflect how gutless his betrayal was.¡±


    Sheriff Rickens had no doubt heard his share of last minute deals and confessions, and there was always the chance he¡¯d say no. But that was the thing about men like him. Greed dominated their lives, and ruled their decision making. It was the only thing they understood, other than spite. Give them an attractive target, it didn¡¯t matter if that deal seemed a little too good to be true.


    ¡°What do you think, Billy-boy?¡± Rickens asked the kid. ¡°Think we should follow the instructions of a famous liar, or should we sit around and enjoy one guaranteed execution? A bird in the hand, and all that.¡±


    The kid looked at the outlaw with a mix of excitement and sadness. But the answer was clear, even before he spoke.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get ¡®em all!¡±

 Chapter 8: Gambit

    The problem with the big, anticipated execution was how many eyes were on the jail, most of them the Sheriff¡¯s own doing. Their trip to intercept Samson wasn¡¯t as simple as just gathering the deputies and going out into the night to find a den of thieves. Rickens had to send several messages to his most loyal followers, convincing them this was his decision and not a trick by Jesse.


    Then came arrangements for travel, as quiet as possible given the circumstances. Jesse herself said as little as possible. She sat back and let the Sheriff handle everything, saying merely that she would give in directions along the way. Telling him the location of the hideout in advance would just get her shot early.


    The remaining night burned away, and by the time they left with a posse big enough to raid their hideout, it was three hours before dawn. It would be a big stir when the execution didn¡¯t happen as promised, and the Sheriff was nowhere to be found.


    All a part of the plan, of course. Jesse begrudgingly complimented her enemy for his sense of drama, then resumed shutting up and letting him handle things. It worked well enough, all the way to them rolling north out of town, towards the mountains overlooking Koda Junction.


    ¡°Of course you were all hiding up here,¡± the Sheriff muttered as their group wound their way up a path. He brought a dozen deputies with them, and sat in the middle cart with his gun trained on Jesse. ¡°Do you have any idea how many times we¡¯ve looked up here?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she said honestly. ¡°We were often watching you when you did. You got close a few times, but you fell for our bait and misdirection every time. Fail enough times and you stop trying. Especially since we let a bunch of rumors slip about a waterfall hideout and something in the desert to the west. I¡¯m sure those helped.¡±


    Rickens grumbled, but he was in as good a mood as Jesse had ever seen him. The way up the mountain was gentle, and she assured him in a couple places that she was using the back  entrance, known only to her and Samson and a few people no longer alive.


    Coming back this way one last time hit Jesse harder than she expected. The smell of the trees and honeysuckle were a comfort as her time wound down for good. No matter how things panned out, she wouldn¡¯t be there to see it, and that was okay. It was a trade-off for setting things right and going out with a bang. Every bump and jostle pierced through Jesse¡¯s exhaustion, keeping her awake and alert for what was next to come.


    The mountain grew steeper, the trees thicker, and Koda Junction stretched out behind them, lightening up in the pre-dawn stretch where the sun lingered before it rose for the day. She directed them to the left of a fallen tree, where the path narrowed until their horses grew nervous.


    ¡°This is the way, seriously,¡± said Jesse at the Sheriff¡¯s accusing, baleful stare. ¡°Tell your guys in the front to keep it down. There shouldn¡¯t be anyone on watch back here, but I can¡¯t guarantee it.¡±


    ¡°If this turns out to be too much trouble¡­¡± Rickens said, thumbing the hammer of his gun.


    Jesse shrugged under the weight of a dozen ropes and chains. She was so heavily trussed up that there was no cutting herself free, or running away while bound. ¡°If it¡¯s too much trouble and you want to be done with it, just set the mountain on fire and it¡¯ll take care of it. I doubt there¡¯s anyone left loyal to me, and it¡¯d get Samson.¡±


    ¡°Hrm.¡± Sheriff Rickens grunted, but didn¡¯t seem to seriously consider it. Not yet, at least.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    The sky brightened, and the first few rays of sunlight danced along the trees and mountaintop. Jesse drank it in, smiling. It wouldn¡¯t be much further now.


    ¡°One more left,¡± she said, gesturing with her head. ¡°That¡¯ll bring us to a clearing that¡¯s on the other side of a rocky passage to the hideout. We get in there, and you¡¯ll be able to get Samson, and whoever else chose to stick with him.¡±


    The Sheriff grunted again, and looked around. He was no fool, he had to suspect something at this point. He nodded, and pointed the gun at her once more. ¡°Then I suppose we have no more use for you, do we?¡±


    Jesse shrugged as best as she could. The sun was on her skin, the cool spring morning chilled her, and she was ready to die, if she had to. ¡°Sure, if you want to warn them. You fire shots now, they¡¯ll slip out the other way. You want to wait until you¡¯re in the hideout proper. Samson will use others as guards, and will be undefended if he¡¯s not expecting anything.¡±


    It looked like he very badly wanted to just end her, but he nodded for the lead deputy in their party to continue on. Soon they passed two large trees flanking a path inward. The clearing was as Jesse remembered, complete with the great white sycamore she and Samson would sit against and drink. The birthplace of their last plan, now ready to be executed.


    ¡°Sheriff, I see it,¡± Deputy Davidson turned. ¡°There¡¯s a crack in the rocks big enough to scrape by. I think I¡¯m going to go through first, and if I can get a clear shot at -- ¡°


    As he spoke, their posse finished entering the clearing. Jesse looked straight up and let out a sharp whistle.


    Two things happened at that time. The first was that everyone pointed their guns at her. It was to be expected, she supposed, and she didn¡¯t try to hide the victorious grin. The second was the exploding TNT. The two trees they¡¯d passed to enter the clearing came down with a thunderous crash. The nearest rider was thrown from his horse, and everyone began shouting.


    Jesse threw herself sideways out of the cart just in time for the shooting to start. The Sheriff shot and missed as she tumbled over the side and away from him. Bullets whizzed from all directions, tearing into the deputies as her unseen friends gave it all they had. One final, glorious gambit.


    The Sheriff crashed to the ground after her. He was breathing heavily, and his eyes held rage and disbelief. He grabbed Jesse and rolled so she shielded his body, and the cart did the rest.


    ¡°You!¡± He snarled. ¡°You treacherous bitch. You set me up!¡± Spittle flew as he raged.


    ¡°Yes,¡± said the outlaw Jesse Jane, full of pride and triumph. ¡°You¡¯re going to die here, Sheriff. I should¡¯ve taken you out months ago when our gang was still strong, but hey. I¡¯m glad I got to fix my mistakes before the end.¡±


    He thrust his gun beneath her chin, directly against her throat, while he looked around wildly. Things weren¡¯t going well for his deputies. Only four still stood, and one of them, the kid Billy, threw his weapon to the ground and then himself. No shots came after him, but the man nearest him collapsed from a bullet to the chest.


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you for this,¡± Rickens said, a tremble in his voice. ¡°You think you won? You didn¡¯t win! I¡¯m still going to kill you, even if I die!¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she said again. ¡°But the difference is, I¡¯m willing to die for my cause. Samson was right, all I needed was a blaze of glory. Got any last words, Sheriff?¡± She laughed, even with the barrel of his gun pressed against her.


    The pull of his trigger cut her laughter off, but it echoed in his head. The laugh continued, even when her last breath hitched in her chest, leaving Sheriff Rickens alone on the ground, and surrounded by the emerging Scales gang.


    Samson came forward, a big shotgun pointed Rickens¡¯ way. The big man¡¯s face twisted in grief, but determination kept him strong and steady. ¡°You killed her.¡± His deep voice was quiet, full of sorrow.


    ¡°I did,¡± he stammered. ¡°She didn¡¯t win. You hear me? None of you did. This is a draw at best, and I -- ¡°


    ¡°Make sure his face is undamaged,¡± said Samson. ¡°They¡¯ll need it to identify him. The rest? Do what you wish.¡±


    This was it. Sheriff Alan Rickens lifted his gun, and a half dozen different people filled him with lead. The last thing he saw, bleeding out on the ground, was Jesse Jane¡¯s face, still laughing at him, even in death.

 Epilogue

    Samson stood in front of the carved stone. It wasn¡¯t as good as taking her to a real undertaker, and getting Jesse a proper burial, a blessing from a preacher, and the service she deserved, but it was what they could do. Henny stood beside him, clinging to his arm like she often did when she needed to give or receive comfort. He welcomed the touch, keeping him warm instead of swallowed by a cold that had nothing to do with the early morning.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Henny asked, wincing as though she knew how stupid the question was.


    ¡°No,¡± said Samson, grinning and revealing some missing teeth. ¡°But I will be. She made sure of it.¡±


    Henny let out a frustrated growl. ¡°She didn¡¯t have to die. We could¡¯ve made plans that wouldn¡¯t have killed her. Why did she have to pick this plan?¡±


    Samson shook his head. None of the rest of them knew Jesse like he did. How did he explain that dying just made it more attractive? All throughout their time together, they talked about what they would do with the money they recovered and redistributed throughout the western territories, but she never talked about the future. Not even when Samson went on about the fortune he was going to turn into a shipping business, the kids he and Henny would have, and how Aunt Jesse would inevitably corrupt the little monsters into something feral and fierce.


    She¡¯d just smile and change the subject, maybe talk about a future plan. The cold, hard truth was that some people were meant for the era they were in. Without their antics, what did Jesse have? They¡¯d taken everything else.


    ¡°Can I have a moment alone?¡± Samson asked, voice hoarse.


    ¡°Of course,¡± said Henny. She pulled him down to kiss him on the lips, and left him in the damaged, disturbed clearing where they¡¯d ended things for good. He waited until the sounds of crunching leaves stopped.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    Samson stared at the stone, half-expecting it to speak or tell him to stop being so serious. Instead, it just stared back, waiting patiently for him to say his piece.


    ¡°We did as you asked,¡± Samson said, feeling silly for it. ¡°We hung what was left of the Sheriff outside of town. It¡¯s caused quite the stir. People¡­People know you¡¯re dead, but many don¡¯t believe it. Not without seeing your body. How funny is that, Jesse? All immortality took was a little dying when convenient.¡±


    The headstone said nothing, but he thought he could feel general amusement from it. There was no sign of his friend, no ghostly touch or whisper on the edge of his senses. She was gone, by choice, to make their legend work.


    ¡°Things are¡­I think it¡¯s different this time. With the Sheriff dead and people calling you a martyr, Mayor Gandor is terrified. I think it¡¯s only a matter of time before someone takes him out. There¡¯s already more people speaking for you, like they knew you, than ever before. Whoever¡¯s gonna run for the position, they¡¯ll do it with your philosophy in mind. At least until the greed gets to them, and we¡¯re back where we started, I guess.¡±


    This was pointless. Samson sighed.


    ¡°I guess we all get what we wanted, huh? I get to leave for Mexico like we planned, with enough money to sail up and down the coast. The Gang gets their little revolution, and you got to die a hero while taking out an enemy. Everyone¡¯s happy.¡±


    ¡­.


    Samson bowed his head. ¡°Goodbye Jesse Jane. You were a vain, arrogant asshole, but you cared about others. And in the end, that¡¯s all that really matters. When times get tough, there will always be people like you who care more about what¡¯s right than what the law says is right. It¡¯s up to the rest of us to make your dreams a reality. May your legend live forever, my friend.¡±


    With one last lingering look, Samson turned around and followed his lover back to the rest of the camp. All that remained of the Scales hideout and their three year crusade was a headstone that read, ¡°Jesse Jane, Outlaw and Friend, 1832-1859. Tyrants always fall when good people stand against them.¡±