Nick awoke, and when her eyes opened she saw the gray wall of the prison cell. Rolling over, she stood up, and stretched out her arms. Ty was sitting at his desk with a cigar in his mouth, he smiled and put it out. Her rifle was laying on his desk for anyone to see.
"Thought you were going to sleep all day." He coughed.
Standing up, he grabbed a plate off his desk. It had cooked eggs on it, and he held it up to her.
"They are a little bit old. I thought you'd wake up a lot sooner then you did."
"I'm not hungry." Nick said, and then sat down on the cot.
Ty dropped the plate on the desk, and sat back down, "Starve, don't hurt me none."
Nick didn't respond, just crossed her arms and laid back down.
"You are a sly one, ain't cha? Getting Kelvin to fall asleep like that, and crying… I'll tell you what, I know a couple things you should have been…"
"Shut up, I'm resting." Nick answered.
Ty laughed. "Once word gets around that you are with the gang instead of their hostage, you'll have a lot more problems then just needing rest."
Nick sat up and looked at him, "I thought the rule was no talking to prisoners, so shut up."
Ty watched her turn back around and lay her head down. "Don tells me you would of shot him last night, had he not found your rifle first."
"Yeah, well I'm sure Don has a lot of stories to tell, not all of them are true."
He laughed, "Ain't that the truth. Man has more stories about women head over heels for him that it ain't even funny."
Nick sat up and looked at the sheriff, "Is there a reason you are trying to make small talk with me?"
Ty sat forward, placing his elbows on his knees. "Tell me where your buddies are camping out, and I'll let you go."
Nick stared at him.
"Ain't no money on your head, you aren't worth my time or the cell space."
"And if I don't?"
"Well, I suppose there will be a hanging tomorrow. After all you did kill that man at the abandon farmhouse."
"I didn't shoot him."
Ty smiled and sat back, "You were the only one there, of course you did."
Nick frowned, "I'm not afraid to die, sheriff. If you want to hang a woman in front of all your towns folk, then go ahead. I am not a traitor."
They stared into each others eyes for a moment, daring the other one to look away. "How about I split some of the money with you? Pretty girl like you imagine what you could do with… oh say… five thousand dollars?"
"Where is my horse?"
Ty grinned, "Still at doc's house, damn thing won't let anyone near it."
Nick nodded, and then turned back around to lay down.
She heard the door open and someone walk inside.
"Don, set it up, we are having a hanging tomorrow."
He didn't say a word, just left the office again.
"You have until tomorrow to change your mind, Miss Beldin." She heard Ty say and then left the office.
Nick closed her eyes and let a couple tears run down her face into the cot. She wondered what Andy and the
others were doing now. Where they just waiting for her to catch up with them. She didn't tell Andy to come back for her if she didn't show up after a certain amount of time. Perhaps they are continuing on hoping that she will catch up with them.
Tate might be afraid that she would tell their position, and moved on. But would Rock and Andy follow him? They were wanted men now too, and maybe it was best to protect their own skins. She didn't know what to do now, but she wasn't going to give her friends away.
She had lied to the sheriff earlier, she was terrified to die. But letting him in on that would give him a hold on her, and so she tried to act tough. She wasn't tough, she was scared. This wasn't a position she had been in before, and knowing that tomorrow might be the end for her made it worse.
Wiping the tears from her eyes, she sniffled. She could only pray that her friends would return for her.
"Nick." She heard a whisper, "Nick."
Standing up she looked around, it was Andy's voice.
"Nick." He said again.
She looked at the small window above her cot. Andy's face was between the bars, his movements were uneasy.
"Andy?"
He held onto the bars, and looked down. "St-steady yourself." He ordered.
"I'm trying, you are heavy." Rock's voice came from below.
"Andy, they are going to hang me tomorrow." Nick whimpered, as she climbed onto the cot to face Andy.
"I know, I heard." He frowned.
She grabbed the bars just below Andy's hands, several tears ran down her cheek. "Don't worry, Nick. We will think of something." He reached out his hand and wiped the tears away. "Tate said to ch-check on you and find out your s-situation. He couldn't come into town."
"They know your face too, Andy."
He nodded, "I had to r-risk it, you r-risked it all for me. I'm going to go b-back and tell T-tate, we will come up w-with a plan."
Nick sniffled.
"Don't worry none, Nick. We promise, it'll be alright."
She watched his face disappear, "Be careful." She said, pulling her self up to look out the window.
Andy and Rock looked back and both nodded. As Andy turned and walked away, Rock lifted his hand and
waved. "We'll be back, Nick." He said, and then ran off to catch up with Andy.
Nick lowered herself down, and sat down on the cot. She took a deep breath, knowing they were out there and that they remembered her made everything a little easier. She trusted them to get her out, even though she didn't know how it would be possible. This wasn't Honeycomb after all.
"She's been a-arrested."
Tate didn't say anything, just continued to gnaw on his jerky.
"Th-they are going to h-hang her tomorrow."
His blue eyes looked up from his jerky, "What for?"
"Because she w-won't tell them w-where we are." Andy had listened to the conversation that Nick had had with the sheriff. He didn't hear all of it, has some parts were muffled, but he got the main idea.
"Guess we should move on then, no sense in all of us dying." Standing up, he dusted off his pants.
"She's going to die for us, we have to save her." Rock stood up to match Tate in height.
"Yeah, and we shouldn't let her sacrifice be in vain. We will still do the job she hired me to do." He thought for a moment, "Wait, where is her money?"
"On Goliath." Andy answered.
Tate nodded, "Well, I need another two hundred and fifty dollars after the job is done."
"Then I guess we b-better go break Nick out, b-because she's the only one w-who can get into Goliath's p-pack." Andy barked.
"I can shoot it." Tate patted his gun.
Rock folded his arms, "We are going to get her out, ain't no way in hell I'm going to let a woman die for me. That just ain't the way it should be."
"What you'd rather die for a woman?"
"One that I love, yeah." With that Rock mounted his horse and looked at Andy, "You coming with me?"
"We don't have a p-plan yet, Rock. We just cant go ch-charging in there with no idea w-what to do."
Tate chuckled, "You two are going to get yourself killed."
"At least, it'll be doing the right thing. Nick's are friend, and friends will die for each other." Andy answered without a stutter.
Tate stared at the white hat cowboy, his hands on his hips, looking him over. "Friends don't die for each other, they use each other until getting rid of them is a better benefit then keeping them. Our lives are a better benefit then saving her."
Andy shook his head, "It's better to d-die saving a loved one, then to l-live knowing you s-sacrificed a friend for your own gain."
He watched Andy mount his horse, and then spit onto the ground.
"We only have until tomorrow, so I think we should cause a scene." Rock said to Andy, "I'll get into a bar fight, and then you sneak into…"
"That won't work." Tate barked.
They both looked at him, but Rock answered, "If you aren't going to help then you have no say."
Tate climbed on his horse, "Damn it, damn it, damn it." He mumbled to himself, then looked at the other two. "Alright, here is the plan…"
Nick was laying the same position he had left her in nearly six hours ago. Her back was to him, and she was staring at the gray wall.
"You want this food?" Ty asked walking towards the cell, "It's potatoes and a nice steak, my mother cooked it up for you. Says that a woman needs good food prisoner or not."
She didn't move.
"Now this might be your last supper time meal on this earth." Ty said, "Alright, listen here, don't make me come in there and force this down your throat. With a bit of a meal in you, I think you might be a little more agreeable."
"Sheriff?" Kelvin said as he stepped into the office, "She not eating still?"
He shook his head, "Damn stubborn one, not that it matters. She'll be dead before tomorrow is over. Starving herself only makes it more uncomfortable."
"What's that?" Kelvin pointed to a puddle under the cot.
Ty stared at it for a moment, "Looks like blood." He dropped the plate on his desk, and ran for the cell keys, "Damn woman better not of hurt herself." He said opening the cell door, and walking in.
He grabbed her and flipped her over, but she didn't move. There was blood on her clothes, but he couldn't find the source. Standing up, he yelled at Kelvin, "Get the doctor now."
"Sheriff!" Kelvin pointed, as Nick popped up behind the sheriff and wrapped a strip of her sheet over his neck.
Nick pulled as tightly as possible, as his face turned dark red. Kelvin reached for his gun, but had no where to aim with the sheriff in the way. Ty tried to yank her around, and slam her against the walls, but she continued to hang on. She had wrapped her legs around his waist, and his hands were trying desperately to rip the cloth at his neck.
Don entered the office after hearing the commotion, seeing Kelvin pointing his gun, he followed the line of fire. Grabbing his own gun, he ran into the cell and tried to grab a hold of Nick. When he got a clean view he took his gun and slammed it as hard as he could into her head, she fell to the ground unconscious.
Ty fell with her, but scooted against the wall and pulled the cloth off his neck. He was frantically panting for air.
"You alright, sheriff?" Don asked.
He gave a nod.
"Kelvin, you idiot." Don yelled, "What the hell where you aiming to do?"
"Leave him be, Don. He did what he thought was best." Ty said between gasps of air.
He looked down at Nick, her head was bleeding slightly. She was laying on her stomach, her hands hand bruises on them from holding the cloth around his neck so tightly.
"You are damn lucky, sheriff."
Ty nodded, stroking his sore neck, "Where'd all that blood come from?"
"I hit her on the head."
He shook his head, "No, I walked in here and she had blood on her."
Don looked around the room, and in the corner he saw a dead rat. Picking it up, there was another under it. "Looks like she covered herself in rat's blood. Even I have to admit that's pretty damn clever." Dropping the rat, he offered his hand to help Ty up.
"What should we do with her?" Kelvin asked.
"Leave her there." Ty said, as both men stepped out of the cell. He locked the door behind him.
With her eyes forward, she could see Ty sitting at his desk, cleaning her rifle. His neck was a dark purple, almost black, Nick grinned as she stared at the bruise.
"Morning." Ty finally said and put her rifle down. "Thought for sure you would die right there on the floor, cheat me out of seeing you hang."
The sheet she had ripped into a thin strip, to choke Ty with, was still laying on the floor. Grabbing it, she picked it up and folded it, then place it to the wound on her head.
"Funny that the same device you tried to kill me with, you use now to save your own."
"You could say the same for any gun." Nick said wiping some of the blood from her blonde hair.
Ty chuckled.
"Sheriff." Kelvin came running into the office, his words were frantic as were his eyes. "There is a large drunk man in the saloon, he's beating on Gabe."
"Well pull him off."
"Can't, he's knocking down every man that comes near him."
Ty groaned, and got up. "Lets go get him, then."
Nick watched them both run out. Laying back down on the cot, she closed her eyes for a moment. She wondered where Andy and Rock were, they said they would be back for her. Time was running thin, and she began to worry if they had just abandoned her. No, they promised they would come for her, but when? From the sounds of it there would be no tomorrow for her, it had to be now. She didn't know when she would be hung, she could only guess it would be soon.
"Get in here." Ty's voice yelled.
Sitting up, Nick watched Ty, Don, and Kelvin dragging Rock into the room. Kelvin was holding him by the back of his belt to lift him up and over things, such as stairs. While Ty and Don had an arm each, twisting it behind him, just above Kelvin's hands. Nick stood up slowly, still a bit disoriented from her head injury. She slowly walked over to the cell door, wrapping her fingers around the bars.
"Sit down, woman." Ty ordered when he saw her at the door, practically pushing her head through the bars.
He reached for the keys off the wall, but Rock was trying to yank his arms out of their grasps, and kicking his feet up, forcing them to hold him up or fall down with him. Ty couldn't hang onto both him and take his hand off to reach for the keys. Don made the mistake of taking his hand off of Rock to grab his gun, while Ty's hand was still off him. Rock made his move, and shoved his large fist into his face. He then used the same fist to plow into Ty's nose, but Ty only stumbled back. Kelvin tried to jump on his back to slow him down, and allow Ty time to escape. It was too late, Rock already had his arm up and sent another punch directly into Ty's nose again. Blood dribbled out of his nose, and he fell to the floor. With two of the three men on the floor, able to move but not completely within the walls of reality, Rock turned to Kelvin.
Both men were large enough that Rock wouldn't be able to control him as easily as he had done his bosses. When the punching started, Kelvin proved he was a better fighter. Rock kept taking punch after punch to his face, chest, and stomach, but he was a tough enough, and seemed to act like Kelvin was beating him with a feather.
"Alright, that's enough." Tate's voice rang clear, along with the sound of his gun cocking.
Both Tate and Andy came into the office with their guns drawn. Kelvin let Rock have another in his chest, and then put up his hands up, when he realized that Tate and Andy were talking to him. Rock used the back of his hand to wipe off the blood from his nose, and spit a stream of blood onto the floor next to Ty's head.
Turning around, he reached for the keys that Ty had be trying to grab earlier. Slowly he walked over to her cell, and gave her a grin.
"Sorry it took so long." He said, as he unlocked the door. "Tate wouldn't have anything less then perfection, and those damn deputies wouldn't jump into the saloon fight."
Nick tried to grin, but her head hurt to much to care. The squeak of the cell doors made her sick to her stomach, and as she stepped out Rock took noticed of her bloody streaks of hair.
"Drag them in." Tate ordered.
Rock grabbed both Ty and Don's foot, and dragged them into the cell. They were too disoriented to give up any fight, and he stepped out feeling a little proud of himself.
"Three against one." He whispered to Nick.
"Now, you join them." Tate ordered Kelvin, who immediately obeyed the command.
The cell door was shut on his face, as he gave a pathetic frown to Nick.
"Where is her hat?" Tate asked Kelvin.
He pointed towards the cabinets behind the desk.
Tate opened it and pulled out some of Nick's items, as she grabbed her rifle from the sheriff's desk. Turning around to hand her the hat and her vest, he noticed the small gash on her head.
"You alright?" Tate asked.
She nodded, and took her hat from him. "Yeah." Her eyes turned to Andy, "You get Goliath?"
He nodded, "He's out back w-waiting for you."
They began towards the door, "Now, be real careful try not to draw attention to yourself." Tate warned.
Stepping out into the city, they began to walk casually towards the end of the street. As casually as they could for people who had just beat up the town's sheriff and deputies. Tate had to remind them a couple time to slow down, but no one was in the mood to get caught. And being chased or in a gun fight was the last thing that they wanted to be part of.
Nick could make out Goliath, "Where's Boss?" She had left him with Tate and Rock when she brought Andy in, she couldn't of been occupied with him when she was caring for her injured friend. He hadn't liked the idea of being left behind, and whimpered at least until she out of her hearing range.
"He's there." Tate said pointing at the horse. "Damn dog, wouldn't stay we had to tie him up a bit."
They reached the horses and though people gave them curious looks, no one seemed to want to bother them. Nick had been afraid that someone would notice she was the prisoner from the cell, but hopefully believe the sheriff had let her go. Of course, if the hanging was big news in the town, then they would probably be curious as to why the sheriff would set her free.
She took a big gulp as she reached out her hand, touching Goliath, running her hands over his neck. She mounted him, and then watched as Tate untied Boss from the wooden walk.
"We will head north and then back to the south, so that they don't know which direction we went." Tate said, holding up Boss to Nick.
Nick nodded, and took the dog who was shaking in excitement. She could barely hold onto him, but he
seemed to realize it was a long way down. "Well hopefully they won't be found for a while."
Andy smiled, "A long while. They deserve it."
They started off slow until the town was just out of sight. Tate gave the order to run, and they took off to the south. She was finally free, and that was all that mattered to her at the moment. Not that they might be coming or that they would follow them. Just that her friends had come and saved her, and that was all she had ever wanted. She had never been more afraid in her entire life and now it was over. Death wasn't something she had planned for this trip, and not for another few decades to come.
Rock and Andy seemed to be pleased that she was finally with them, as when she looked at them they gave her wide smiles. Tate kept the lead, and didn't want to be bothered with any smiles or thank yous. They ran the horses until early evening, and then slowed them down until it was time to rest.
They were still in the plains, but at least the mud was gone. The dirt was still moist, but it wasn't sucking down their boots. Had it been Nick wondered if they would of kept going to the next town. She had to admit she was afraid of the cities now, much like Tate was, she was sure of that.
Taking a bit out of her jerky, a bloody lump of hair fell down over her shoulder. She sighed as she pushed it back behind her, she had seen a small pond not to far back. Standing up the three men looked at her.
"There was a pond not to far from here, I'm going to take Goliath and wash the blood out of my hair." She told them, and picked up Goliath's saddle.
"No, it's too dangerous. Just wait until it rains next." Tate barked, and then continued to eat.
Nick ignored him, and whistled calling Goliath to her side. The horse came and she placed the saddle on his back, and buckled it.
"I said no." Tate yelled and stood up.
"You know, Tate, I liked you a lot better back in Heaton." Nick said and saddled her horse, looking over at Andy, she added, "If I am not back in a half hour then come get me, and hold him here." She pointed at Boss, who was sitting next to Andy.
Andy gave a nod and put his hand around the dog, as Nick gave her stay command. She began to ride back to the north, and Tate only glared as she rode away.
"Damn woman, she's going to get us all killed." Tate mumbled, and threw himself back down into the dirt. He grabbed the jerky off the ground that he had thrown down, and began to eat it again.
"She can take care of herself." Rock told him.
"Yeah, she did a wonderful job of that back there."
Rock folded his arms, "When I went into the saloon, I heard the big deputy telling someone that the sheriff was lying."
"What?" Andy asked.
"Said that they were just bluffing, they didn't have anything to hang her for. Besides that the sheriff wouldn't ever hang a woman anyway, his mother wouldn't allow it." Rock chuckled.
"His mother?" Andy said in disbelief.
Rock nodded, "Yep, seems the sheriff was just toying with her."
Tate snorted, "We should of left her there then, it would of worked out better for all of us."
They both ignored him, and Andy began to talk, "Should we tell her?"
"No, let her think she almost died to help us." He said looking back to where she had ridden off, "She needs it, did you see that bump on her head?"
"It's more then a bump, and yes I did. Wonder how she got that?"
Rock shrugged, "Don't know, but I'll bet that damn sheriff did it. You see that bruise around his neck?"
Andy nodded again, "Yeah, why?"
"Strange kind of bruise, don't you think?"
Tate sighed, "You two stop gossiping like old woman, damn it. It doesn't matter how she got the cut or what happen to his throat. We rescued her, and we aren't being followed, at least I don't see any signs of it. Just count your blessings." He snapped, and then continued to mumble as he looked down, "Almost got ourselves killed over that ungrateful…"
"She ain't ungrateful." Rock retorted, "And we should be grateful to her. She was willing to get hung just so we could escape. Bet you've never had someone do that for you in your entire life."
"You are getting on my nerves, boy." Tate growled and stood up, walking out towards his horse.
"Wh-where you going?" Andy asked.
"To check on her, ain't nobody need a half hour to wash blood from their hair."
Before either of them could object he had already began to ride over the horizon. Andy looked at Rock and swallowed.
"She ain't going to like that." Rock finally said, staring at Tate riding away from them.
"No, she ain't." Andy sat back down, having jumped up when Tate did. "You know, I th-think he might be worried." He laughed.
Rock looked down at him, "For her or himself?"
Andy shrugged, "Who knows."
The water hit her just above her chest, so nothing was revealed. Her back was to him, as she lifted her shirt up in the air and ringed it out. She began to hum, as she used a small rock to dig at the blood stains in her shirt. Her boots were on the bank, as well as her belt and hat. He wondered if she was wearing her leggings.
It was getting very dark, and would be nearly impossible to dry her clothes before she headed back. Tate was about to yell at her when she dived under the water, and came back up. She blonde hair now darker from the water, and pulled straight from the weight of the water.
He swallowed, "Nick." He squeaked, suddenly embarrassed that he was interrupting her. Finding his voice he called again, "Nick!"
She flung around, a bit startled, "What are you doing here? I told you a half hour."
"You ain't gonna be able to dry those clothes." He told her, jumping down from the rock and onto the bank.
"Do you mind? I am not decent." She snarled.
"It's alright."
She folded her arms, the shirt still in her hands. "Go back to camp, I'll be there in a moment."
"Your clothes won't be able to dry before you go to sleep, what are you doing?" He asked again.
"Don't you worry about me. Go back to the others."
Tate smiled, seeing a hint of red in her cheeks. "Don't be embarrassed, ain't nothing you got that I haven't seen before."
"You haven't seen anything that is mine, now go away."
He turned to leave and then stopped, "You know, sheriff wasn't ever going to hang you. Rock over heard the big deputy talking about it."
Nick remained silent, his back was still turned to her.
"We risked everything to go into that town and get you out, and you weren't even going to die."
"Bluff or not, I was still willing to die for my friends." She answered after another moment of silence.
"Is that what I am? A friend?" He asked, there was a hint of sarcasm in his voice, but the question was dead serious.
"You put your life on the line to save me, didn't you?"
"Only because they talked me into it." He meant Andy and Rock, and she knew it. "I was ready and willing to leave you there to hang." He felt guilty for it, and something strange inside told him that he needed to come clean.
"They wouldn't of been able to talk you into it, had you not wanted to do it to begin with." She answered, her voice shook a little, telling him that she was about to cry.
"Thank you, Nick." He said after a moment.
"For what?" Her voice was still trembling.
"For not betraying us, if it would have been the other way, I would of turned you in." He waited for an answer, and when he thought there would be none, he tried to jump onto the rock.
"Let's pray that I never am worth more then you, Tate."
He chuckled, and looked back, "Let's."
With that he disappeared behind the rock, Nick stared at the spot for a moment. She lifted her hand with the shirt in it, and slammed it down in the water. Damn, she didn't think about the clothes having to dry, now she had to sleep in wet clothes.
Climbing out of the water, she had her leggings on. She pulled on her wet shirt, and laid down in the dirt. Taking off her pants she ringed them out, and then called for Goliath. She could only hope her small blanket didn't smell too much like wet dog.
"Thought you were going to sleep all day." He coughed.
Standing up, he grabbed a plate off his desk. It had cooked eggs on it, and he held it up to her.
"They are a little bit old. I thought you'd wake up a lot sooner then you did."
"I'm not hungry." Nick said, and then sat down on the cot.
Ty dropped the plate on the desk, and sat back down, "Starve, don't hurt me none."
Nick didn't respond, just crossed her arms and laid back down.
"You are a sly one, ain't cha? Getting Kelvin to fall asleep like that, and crying… I'll tell you what, I know a couple things you should have been…"
"Shut up, I'm resting." Nick answered.
Ty laughed. "Once word gets around that you are with the gang instead of their hostage, you'll have a lot more problems then just needing rest."
Nick sat up and looked at him, "I thought the rule was no talking to prisoners, so shut up."
Ty watched her turn back around and lay her head down. "Don tells me you would of shot him last night, had he not found your rifle first."
"Yeah, well I'm sure Don has a lot of stories to tell, not all of them are true."
He laughed, "Ain't that the truth. Man has more stories about women head over heels for him that it ain't even funny."
Nick sat up and looked at the sheriff, "Is there a reason you are trying to make small talk with me?"
Ty sat forward, placing his elbows on his knees. "Tell me where your buddies are camping out, and I'll let you go."
Nick stared at him.
"Ain't no money on your head, you aren't worth my time or the cell space."
"And if I don't?"
"Well, I suppose there will be a hanging tomorrow. After all you did kill that man at the abandon farmhouse."
"I didn't shoot him."
Ty smiled and sat back, "You were the only one there, of course you did."
Nick frowned, "I'm not afraid to die, sheriff. If you want to hang a woman in front of all your towns folk, then go ahead. I am not a traitor."
They stared into each others eyes for a moment, daring the other one to look away. "How about I split some of the money with you? Pretty girl like you imagine what you could do with… oh say… five thousand dollars?"
"Where is my horse?"
Ty grinned, "Still at doc's house, damn thing won't let anyone near it."
Nick nodded, and then turned back around to lay down.
She heard the door open and someone walk inside.
"Don, set it up, we are having a hanging tomorrow."
He didn't say a word, just left the office again.
"You have until tomorrow to change your mind, Miss Beldin." She heard Ty say and then left the office.
Nick closed her eyes and let a couple tears run down her face into the cot. She wondered what Andy and the
others were doing now. Where they just waiting for her to catch up with them. She didn't tell Andy to come back for her if she didn't show up after a certain amount of time. Perhaps they are continuing on hoping that she will catch up with them.
Tate might be afraid that she would tell their position, and moved on. But would Rock and Andy follow him? They were wanted men now too, and maybe it was best to protect their own skins. She didn't know what to do now, but she wasn't going to give her friends away.
She had lied to the sheriff earlier, she was terrified to die. But letting him in on that would give him a hold on her, and so she tried to act tough. She wasn't tough, she was scared. This wasn't a position she had been in before, and knowing that tomorrow might be the end for her made it worse.
Wiping the tears from her eyes, she sniffled. She could only pray that her friends would return for her.
"Nick." She heard a whisper, "Nick."
Standing up she looked around, it was Andy's voice.
"Nick." He said again.
She looked at the small window above her cot. Andy's face was between the bars, his movements were uneasy.
"Andy?"
He held onto the bars, and looked down. "St-steady yourself." He ordered.
"I'm trying, you are heavy." Rock's voice came from below.
"Andy, they are going to hang me tomorrow." Nick whimpered, as she climbed onto the cot to face Andy.
"I know, I heard." He frowned.
She grabbed the bars just below Andy's hands, several tears ran down her cheek. "Don't worry, Nick. We will think of something." He reached out his hand and wiped the tears away. "Tate said to ch-check on you and find out your s-situation. He couldn't come into town."
"They know your face too, Andy."
He nodded, "I had to r-risk it, you r-risked it all for me. I'm going to go b-back and tell T-tate, we will come up w-with a plan."
Nick sniffled.
"Don't worry none, Nick. We promise, it'll be alright."
She watched his face disappear, "Be careful." She said, pulling her self up to look out the window.
Andy and Rock looked back and both nodded. As Andy turned and walked away, Rock lifted his hand and
waved. "We'll be back, Nick." He said, and then ran off to catch up with Andy.
Nick lowered herself down, and sat down on the cot. She took a deep breath, knowing they were out there and that they remembered her made everything a little easier. She trusted them to get her out, even though she didn't know how it would be possible. This wasn't Honeycomb after all.
---***---
Tate gnawed on his jerky as he heard the sound of approaching horses. He placed his right hand on his gun, and turned to look at who was invading his area. It was Rock and Andy, and when he recognized them, he took his hand off his gun. Rock took a seat across from him, and Andy kept standing."She's been a-arrested."
Tate didn't say anything, just continued to gnaw on his jerky.
"Th-they are going to h-hang her tomorrow."
His blue eyes looked up from his jerky, "What for?"
"Because she w-won't tell them w-where we are." Andy had listened to the conversation that Nick had had with the sheriff. He didn't hear all of it, has some parts were muffled, but he got the main idea.
"Guess we should move on then, no sense in all of us dying." Standing up, he dusted off his pants.
"She's going to die for us, we have to save her." Rock stood up to match Tate in height.
"Yeah, and we shouldn't let her sacrifice be in vain. We will still do the job she hired me to do." He thought for a moment, "Wait, where is her money?"
"On Goliath." Andy answered.
Tate nodded, "Well, I need another two hundred and fifty dollars after the job is done."
"Then I guess we b-better go break Nick out, b-because she's the only one w-who can get into Goliath's p-pack." Andy barked.
"I can shoot it." Tate patted his gun.
Rock folded his arms, "We are going to get her out, ain't no way in hell I'm going to let a woman die for me. That just ain't the way it should be."
"What you'd rather die for a woman?"
"One that I love, yeah." With that Rock mounted his horse and looked at Andy, "You coming with me?"
"We don't have a p-plan yet, Rock. We just cant go ch-charging in there with no idea w-what to do."
Tate chuckled, "You two are going to get yourself killed."
"At least, it'll be doing the right thing. Nick's are friend, and friends will die for each other." Andy answered without a stutter.
Tate stared at the white hat cowboy, his hands on his hips, looking him over. "Friends don't die for each other, they use each other until getting rid of them is a better benefit then keeping them. Our lives are a better benefit then saving her."
Andy shook his head, "It's better to d-die saving a loved one, then to l-live knowing you s-sacrificed a friend for your own gain."
He watched Andy mount his horse, and then spit onto the ground.
"We only have until tomorrow, so I think we should cause a scene." Rock said to Andy, "I'll get into a bar fight, and then you sneak into…"
"That won't work." Tate barked.
They both looked at him, but Rock answered, "If you aren't going to help then you have no say."
Tate climbed on his horse, "Damn it, damn it, damn it." He mumbled to himself, then looked at the other two. "Alright, here is the plan…"
---***---
Ty entered the office with a plate in his hand, "Brought you some food or are you still starving yourself?"Nick was laying the same position he had left her in nearly six hours ago. Her back was to him, and she was staring at the gray wall.
"You want this food?" Ty asked walking towards the cell, "It's potatoes and a nice steak, my mother cooked it up for you. Says that a woman needs good food prisoner or not."
She didn't move.
"Now this might be your last supper time meal on this earth." Ty said, "Alright, listen here, don't make me come in there and force this down your throat. With a bit of a meal in you, I think you might be a little more agreeable."
"Sheriff?" Kelvin said as he stepped into the office, "She not eating still?"
He shook his head, "Damn stubborn one, not that it matters. She'll be dead before tomorrow is over. Starving herself only makes it more uncomfortable."
"What's that?" Kelvin pointed to a puddle under the cot.
Ty stared at it for a moment, "Looks like blood." He dropped the plate on his desk, and ran for the cell keys, "Damn woman better not of hurt herself." He said opening the cell door, and walking in.
He grabbed her and flipped her over, but she didn't move. There was blood on her clothes, but he couldn't find the source. Standing up, he yelled at Kelvin, "Get the doctor now."
"Sheriff!" Kelvin pointed, as Nick popped up behind the sheriff and wrapped a strip of her sheet over his neck.
Nick pulled as tightly as possible, as his face turned dark red. Kelvin reached for his gun, but had no where to aim with the sheriff in the way. Ty tried to yank her around, and slam her against the walls, but she continued to hang on. She had wrapped her legs around his waist, and his hands were trying desperately to rip the cloth at his neck.
Don entered the office after hearing the commotion, seeing Kelvin pointing his gun, he followed the line of fire. Grabbing his own gun, he ran into the cell and tried to grab a hold of Nick. When he got a clean view he took his gun and slammed it as hard as he could into her head, she fell to the ground unconscious.
Ty fell with her, but scooted against the wall and pulled the cloth off his neck. He was frantically panting for air.
"You alright, sheriff?" Don asked.
He gave a nod.
"Kelvin, you idiot." Don yelled, "What the hell where you aiming to do?"
"Leave him be, Don. He did what he thought was best." Ty said between gasps of air.
He looked down at Nick, her head was bleeding slightly. She was laying on her stomach, her hands hand bruises on them from holding the cloth around his neck so tightly.
"You are damn lucky, sheriff."
Ty nodded, stroking his sore neck, "Where'd all that blood come from?"
"I hit her on the head."
He shook his head, "No, I walked in here and she had blood on her."
Don looked around the room, and in the corner he saw a dead rat. Picking it up, there was another under it. "Looks like she covered herself in rat's blood. Even I have to admit that's pretty damn clever." Dropping the rat, he offered his hand to help Ty up.
"What should we do with her?" Kelvin asked.
"Leave her there." Ty said, as both men stepped out of the cell. He locked the door behind him.
---***---
Picking her head up, she shook it softly as she turned over onto her back. Sliding against the wall, she touched the back of her head. When she pulled her fingers away from the wet mess behind her head, they were covered in blood. Her ribs and back hurt from being thrown against the wall, and her neck ached probably from the blow to the head. She ran her bloody fingers over her shirt, and then grabbed a hold of the cot lifting herself up onto it.With her eyes forward, she could see Ty sitting at his desk, cleaning her rifle. His neck was a dark purple, almost black, Nick grinned as she stared at the bruise.
"Morning." Ty finally said and put her rifle down. "Thought for sure you would die right there on the floor, cheat me out of seeing you hang."
The sheet she had ripped into a thin strip, to choke Ty with, was still laying on the floor. Grabbing it, she picked it up and folded it, then place it to the wound on her head.
"Funny that the same device you tried to kill me with, you use now to save your own."
"You could say the same for any gun." Nick said wiping some of the blood from her blonde hair.
Ty chuckled.
"Sheriff." Kelvin came running into the office, his words were frantic as were his eyes. "There is a large drunk man in the saloon, he's beating on Gabe."
"Well pull him off."
"Can't, he's knocking down every man that comes near him."
Ty groaned, and got up. "Lets go get him, then."
Nick watched them both run out. Laying back down on the cot, she closed her eyes for a moment. She wondered where Andy and Rock were, they said they would be back for her. Time was running thin, and she began to worry if they had just abandoned her. No, they promised they would come for her, but when? From the sounds of it there would be no tomorrow for her, it had to be now. She didn't know when she would be hung, she could only guess it would be soon.
"Get in here." Ty's voice yelled.
Sitting up, Nick watched Ty, Don, and Kelvin dragging Rock into the room. Kelvin was holding him by the back of his belt to lift him up and over things, such as stairs. While Ty and Don had an arm each, twisting it behind him, just above Kelvin's hands. Nick stood up slowly, still a bit disoriented from her head injury. She slowly walked over to the cell door, wrapping her fingers around the bars.
"Sit down, woman." Ty ordered when he saw her at the door, practically pushing her head through the bars.
He reached for the keys off the wall, but Rock was trying to yank his arms out of their grasps, and kicking his feet up, forcing them to hold him up or fall down with him. Ty couldn't hang onto both him and take his hand off to reach for the keys. Don made the mistake of taking his hand off of Rock to grab his gun, while Ty's hand was still off him. Rock made his move, and shoved his large fist into his face. He then used the same fist to plow into Ty's nose, but Ty only stumbled back. Kelvin tried to jump on his back to slow him down, and allow Ty time to escape. It was too late, Rock already had his arm up and sent another punch directly into Ty's nose again. Blood dribbled out of his nose, and he fell to the floor. With two of the three men on the floor, able to move but not completely within the walls of reality, Rock turned to Kelvin.
Both men were large enough that Rock wouldn't be able to control him as easily as he had done his bosses. When the punching started, Kelvin proved he was a better fighter. Rock kept taking punch after punch to his face, chest, and stomach, but he was a tough enough, and seemed to act like Kelvin was beating him with a feather.
"Alright, that's enough." Tate's voice rang clear, along with the sound of his gun cocking.
Both Tate and Andy came into the office with their guns drawn. Kelvin let Rock have another in his chest, and then put up his hands up, when he realized that Tate and Andy were talking to him. Rock used the back of his hand to wipe off the blood from his nose, and spit a stream of blood onto the floor next to Ty's head.
Turning around, he reached for the keys that Ty had be trying to grab earlier. Slowly he walked over to her cell, and gave her a grin.
"Sorry it took so long." He said, as he unlocked the door. "Tate wouldn't have anything less then perfection, and those damn deputies wouldn't jump into the saloon fight."
Nick tried to grin, but her head hurt to much to care. The squeak of the cell doors made her sick to her stomach, and as she stepped out Rock took noticed of her bloody streaks of hair.
"Drag them in." Tate ordered.
Rock grabbed both Ty and Don's foot, and dragged them into the cell. They were too disoriented to give up any fight, and he stepped out feeling a little proud of himself.
"Three against one." He whispered to Nick.
"Now, you join them." Tate ordered Kelvin, who immediately obeyed the command.
The cell door was shut on his face, as he gave a pathetic frown to Nick.
"Where is her hat?" Tate asked Kelvin.
He pointed towards the cabinets behind the desk.
Tate opened it and pulled out some of Nick's items, as she grabbed her rifle from the sheriff's desk. Turning around to hand her the hat and her vest, he noticed the small gash on her head.
"You alright?" Tate asked.
She nodded, and took her hat from him. "Yeah." Her eyes turned to Andy, "You get Goliath?"
He nodded, "He's out back w-waiting for you."
They began towards the door, "Now, be real careful try not to draw attention to yourself." Tate warned.
Stepping out into the city, they began to walk casually towards the end of the street. As casually as they could for people who had just beat up the town's sheriff and deputies. Tate had to remind them a couple time to slow down, but no one was in the mood to get caught. And being chased or in a gun fight was the last thing that they wanted to be part of.
Nick could make out Goliath, "Where's Boss?" She had left him with Tate and Rock when she brought Andy in, she couldn't of been occupied with him when she was caring for her injured friend. He hadn't liked the idea of being left behind, and whimpered at least until she out of her hearing range.
"He's there." Tate said pointing at the horse. "Damn dog, wouldn't stay we had to tie him up a bit."
They reached the horses and though people gave them curious looks, no one seemed to want to bother them. Nick had been afraid that someone would notice she was the prisoner from the cell, but hopefully believe the sheriff had let her go. Of course, if the hanging was big news in the town, then they would probably be curious as to why the sheriff would set her free.
She took a big gulp as she reached out her hand, touching Goliath, running her hands over his neck. She mounted him, and then watched as Tate untied Boss from the wooden walk.
"We will head north and then back to the south, so that they don't know which direction we went." Tate said, holding up Boss to Nick.
Nick nodded, and took the dog who was shaking in excitement. She could barely hold onto him, but he
seemed to realize it was a long way down. "Well hopefully they won't be found for a while."
Andy smiled, "A long while. They deserve it."
They started off slow until the town was just out of sight. Tate gave the order to run, and they took off to the south. She was finally free, and that was all that mattered to her at the moment. Not that they might be coming or that they would follow them. Just that her friends had come and saved her, and that was all she had ever wanted. She had never been more afraid in her entire life and now it was over. Death wasn't something she had planned for this trip, and not for another few decades to come.
Rock and Andy seemed to be pleased that she was finally with them, as when she looked at them they gave her wide smiles. Tate kept the lead, and didn't want to be bothered with any smiles or thank yous. They ran the horses until early evening, and then slowed them down until it was time to rest.
---***---
Around the fire it remained silent for sometime. Every one slowly gnawed on their meals, and ignored the days events. Tate had looked angry from the moment they had stopped, and besides barking the order to make camp hadn't said a word.They were still in the plains, but at least the mud was gone. The dirt was still moist, but it wasn't sucking down their boots. Had it been Nick wondered if they would of kept going to the next town. She had to admit she was afraid of the cities now, much like Tate was, she was sure of that.
Taking a bit out of her jerky, a bloody lump of hair fell down over her shoulder. She sighed as she pushed it back behind her, she had seen a small pond not to far back. Standing up the three men looked at her.
"There was a pond not to far from here, I'm going to take Goliath and wash the blood out of my hair." She told them, and picked up Goliath's saddle.
"No, it's too dangerous. Just wait until it rains next." Tate barked, and then continued to eat.
Nick ignored him, and whistled calling Goliath to her side. The horse came and she placed the saddle on his back, and buckled it.
"I said no." Tate yelled and stood up.
"You know, Tate, I liked you a lot better back in Heaton." Nick said and saddled her horse, looking over at Andy, she added, "If I am not back in a half hour then come get me, and hold him here." She pointed at Boss, who was sitting next to Andy.
Andy gave a nod and put his hand around the dog, as Nick gave her stay command. She began to ride back to the north, and Tate only glared as she rode away.
"Damn woman, she's going to get us all killed." Tate mumbled, and threw himself back down into the dirt. He grabbed the jerky off the ground that he had thrown down, and began to eat it again.
"She can take care of herself." Rock told him.
"Yeah, she did a wonderful job of that back there."
Rock folded his arms, "When I went into the saloon, I heard the big deputy telling someone that the sheriff was lying."
"What?" Andy asked.
"Said that they were just bluffing, they didn't have anything to hang her for. Besides that the sheriff wouldn't ever hang a woman anyway, his mother wouldn't allow it." Rock chuckled.
"His mother?" Andy said in disbelief.
Rock nodded, "Yep, seems the sheriff was just toying with her."
Tate snorted, "We should of left her there then, it would of worked out better for all of us."
They both ignored him, and Andy began to talk, "Should we tell her?"
"No, let her think she almost died to help us." He said looking back to where she had ridden off, "She needs it, did you see that bump on her head?"
"It's more then a bump, and yes I did. Wonder how she got that?"
Rock shrugged, "Don't know, but I'll bet that damn sheriff did it. You see that bruise around his neck?"
Andy nodded again, "Yeah, why?"
"Strange kind of bruise, don't you think?"
Tate sighed, "You two stop gossiping like old woman, damn it. It doesn't matter how she got the cut or what happen to his throat. We rescued her, and we aren't being followed, at least I don't see any signs of it. Just count your blessings." He snapped, and then continued to mumble as he looked down, "Almost got ourselves killed over that ungrateful…"
"She ain't ungrateful." Rock retorted, "And we should be grateful to her. She was willing to get hung just so we could escape. Bet you've never had someone do that for you in your entire life."
"You are getting on my nerves, boy." Tate growled and stood up, walking out towards his horse.
"Wh-where you going?" Andy asked.
"To check on her, ain't nobody need a half hour to wash blood from their hair."
Before either of them could object he had already began to ride over the horizon. Andy looked at Rock and swallowed.
"She ain't going to like that." Rock finally said, staring at Tate riding away from them.
"No, she ain't." Andy sat back down, having jumped up when Tate did. "You know, I th-think he might be worried." He laughed.
Rock looked down at him, "For her or himself?"
Andy shrugged, "Who knows."
---***---
Tate kept on his horse until he could see the pond, there were some large rocks and growths blocking his view. He dropped his horses reigns and went to climb over one of the rocks to see what she was doing. To his surprise, she wasn't just washing her hair. The damn woman had stripped down and was washing her entire body and clothing.The water hit her just above her chest, so nothing was revealed. Her back was to him, as she lifted her shirt up in the air and ringed it out. She began to hum, as she used a small rock to dig at the blood stains in her shirt. Her boots were on the bank, as well as her belt and hat. He wondered if she was wearing her leggings.
It was getting very dark, and would be nearly impossible to dry her clothes before she headed back. Tate was about to yell at her when she dived under the water, and came back up. She blonde hair now darker from the water, and pulled straight from the weight of the water.
He swallowed, "Nick." He squeaked, suddenly embarrassed that he was interrupting her. Finding his voice he called again, "Nick!"
She flung around, a bit startled, "What are you doing here? I told you a half hour."
"You ain't gonna be able to dry those clothes." He told her, jumping down from the rock and onto the bank.
"Do you mind? I am not decent." She snarled.
"It's alright."
She folded her arms, the shirt still in her hands. "Go back to camp, I'll be there in a moment."
"Your clothes won't be able to dry before you go to sleep, what are you doing?" He asked again.
"Don't you worry about me. Go back to the others."
Tate smiled, seeing a hint of red in her cheeks. "Don't be embarrassed, ain't nothing you got that I haven't seen before."
"You haven't seen anything that is mine, now go away."
He turned to leave and then stopped, "You know, sheriff wasn't ever going to hang you. Rock over heard the big deputy talking about it."
Nick remained silent, his back was still turned to her.
"We risked everything to go into that town and get you out, and you weren't even going to die."
"Bluff or not, I was still willing to die for my friends." She answered after another moment of silence.
"Is that what I am? A friend?" He asked, there was a hint of sarcasm in his voice, but the question was dead serious.
"You put your life on the line to save me, didn't you?"
"Only because they talked me into it." He meant Andy and Rock, and she knew it. "I was ready and willing to leave you there to hang." He felt guilty for it, and something strange inside told him that he needed to come clean.
"They wouldn't of been able to talk you into it, had you not wanted to do it to begin with." She answered, her voice shook a little, telling him that she was about to cry.
"Thank you, Nick." He said after a moment.
"For what?" Her voice was still trembling.
"For not betraying us, if it would have been the other way, I would of turned you in." He waited for an answer, and when he thought there would be none, he tried to jump onto the rock.
"Let's pray that I never am worth more then you, Tate."
He chuckled, and looked back, "Let's."
With that he disappeared behind the rock, Nick stared at the spot for a moment. She lifted her hand with the shirt in it, and slammed it down in the water. Damn, she didn't think about the clothes having to dry, now she had to sleep in wet clothes.
Climbing out of the water, she had her leggings on. She pulled on her wet shirt, and laid down in the dirt. Taking off her pants she ringed them out, and then called for Goliath. She could only hope her small blanket didn't smell too much like wet dog.