They had been in Redrock for a week now, and Avery was beginning to wonder if the three sheriffs were putting in any work at all. He had been searching the nearby businesses trying to locate Nick and her companions. No one seemed to have seen them, and he was beginning to lose hope that they had even come to the right place. After they lost their trail back at the fork, he knew they weren't coming here.
Paul kept telling him that he was certain that Tate would bring them here, even if they weren't here yet. It wasn't more then three days after they arrived, Avery realized that he had put himself in a bad situations. The three sheriffs he was riding with turned out to be working for a local business owner named Richard Brody. He owned several businesses, but his prize property was the Glasses and Garters Saloon.
He offered the men free women from his brothel that was attached to the saloon. When they arrived Paul told him that Tate was either here or on his way. Brody sent out men to search the area around Redrock day and night for him. He soon learned that Brody was the man that had put the most money up for Tate's capture.
Sitting in a saloon, he looked across the table at Brody who was talking to Paul and the other two. He was a tall, balding man with pale white skin. He liked to wear a black hat with a small white rope that hung down over his eyes, and a black jacket. There was no doubt that this man was rich. Avery hadn't ever seen a man as wealthy as he was before, but knew from the moment that he saw him that he was. All his clothes looked brand new, his hair looked freshly cut, and those around him crouched and scurried out of his way.
One thing that had made Avery laugh was that Brody refused to use his own brothel. He said the women weren't classy enough, which is why they were in this saloon. Music played in the background, beautiful women walked around between wealthy individuals. Avery had never seen such beautiful women, and at times he found himself thinking that some of them were even better looking then Nick.
Though Brody offered to pay for some time with a certain woman that caught his eye, he declined. Of course, Dale insulted him saying that he was saving himself for another woman.
"I've posted men outside of town, as far as five miles. If Tate ain't here yet, we will pick him up before he can ride into town." Brody said, in his dark voice.
"Just make sure they don't hurt the girl." Avery jumped in as Paul was about to say something.
Brody gave him a nod, "Don't you worry none, I told the men to watch out for the woman. But if she gets in the way, ain't nobody going to stop me from getting my revenge, you hear me?" He stuck his finger up and pointed at Avery.
"He understands." Paul answered before Avery said something he would regret.
"Ain't like Tate to take a hostage." Brody said and looked back at Paul. "If she's with him then I doubt she has come all this way unwillingly."
Paul cleared his throat, "Seems, she caught his eye. You hear down south a ways that Tate was raping a few gals, he's changed an awful lot since he left here." Paul was lying and Avery was grateful for it.
"Yeah, I heard something about that. Man like him had a woman every night when he was here, probably went damn near crazy not having one around for so long." He looked over at Avery, "You still want a used woman? He'll have taken her a couple of times, you know?"
He clenched his feet, "I don't think Nicolette would let him."
"Tate is a cold blooded killer, don't you underestimate what he can and can't do. My brother did once and it cost his life." Brody looked over at the stairway, when the dark, exotic woman stopped at the bottom.
Her long black hair shined as it fell just above her waist, and her dark eyes gleamed as she smiled towards them. She walked over to the table and placed her hand on Brody's shoulder.
"Evenin', Mister Brody. Had I known you were here, I would of sped things up." She smiled at Avery.
"It's alright, Natalie. Are you ready now?"
She nodded, "Come up stairs with me."
Brody stood up, she put her hand in the crook of his elbow. "Night, gentlemen. I suggest settling down with a lady or alone in your room."
Avery watched Natalie head up the stairs with Brody, he had heard that she was for only the richest of men in the city. She had her own select customers, and pretty much ran the brothel women.
"When we get that reward, I'm going to have me some of that woman." Dale cooed.
"Even then you couldn't afford her." Paul laughed, "You can't buy class." He stood up and put on his hat, "Goodnight, ya'all. I am going to go get some rest."
Gil stood up with him, "Think I am going to head over to the inn and get some sleep myself."
"I'll join ya." Avery added, and they all looked at Dale.
"I'm going to stay around here, see if Natalie can talk one of these gals into taking me upstairs."
Paul and Gil chuckled.
"Good luck to you, then." Paul said
"Don't need no luck." Dale yelled as they were nearing the door.
"Sure you don't." Were Paul's last words before they disappeared outside.
Feeling a push on her arm, she looked over at Tate's horse. The poor creature had gotten so much time without his bit, that he didn't seem to be comfortable in it. Her eyes went back to Tate, he wouldn't mind if she took it off him for a couple minutes to feed him a treat. Reaching around she unbuckled it, and let it drop to the ground. She pulled some oats from her pocket, and let him feed from her hand.
Goliath became jealous, and tried to push the strange horse out of Nick's hand. She pushed the large horse's nose back, "No, Goliath, it's for him."
It didn't matter what Nick wanted, Goliath wanted this horse away from her. He placed the side of his face against Tate's horse, and began to push him away.
"Stop." Nick went to grab Goliath's reigns to realize she had taken them off.
Before she could do anything else, Tate's horse ran off without his bit. Nick didn't know what to do, if she told Tate he would get angry, but she couldn't just leave him out there without his bit.
"Nick, you coming in?" Rock yelled out.
"Yeah, in a minute." She said, picking up the bit. It was dark enough that they couldn't see her in the distance. "Come here… uh, um… Tate's horse." She waved with her hand at him, but when she took a step, he would run off.
After a few moment of searching for him, he finally went into the darkness, where she was unable to see him any longer. Sighing, she decided, she needed to tell Tate what she had done, and headed towards the camp fire.
"Long time no see, Tate." A unfamiliar male voice said, before Nick reached the camp.
She could see Tate's figure stand up, "Pretty far away from Brody's safety aren't you?" Tate asked.
"Guys, it's him!" The man yelled.
Tate swung at him, and he fell to the ground. "Run!"
Tate ran past her, and she grabbed the sleeve of his shirt. "I…I…" She held up the horse's reigns.
He grabbed them from her, "You've got to be kidding me." He said as he ran off into the darkness to find his horse.
Nick ran towards where she had left Goliath.
Tate looked back in time to see Nick disappear into the darkness, he huffed as he looked down at the bit in his hand. If he whistled his horse would come, but it would also give away his location. He could hear the quickened footsteps behind him, and pull one of his guns out. While he was busily pulling out his gun, he tripped in a pothole, twisting his ankle. After a short stream of mumbled profanity, he let out a whistle. He could hear his horse in the distance, and hoped it would arrive before the men chasing him did.
As the horse approached he heard a gun shot ring through the air, and he turned his head towards the noise.
"Go!" Nick's voice shouted out in the darkness.
Tate pulled himself up using the stirrup and fender of his saddle. Using his uninjured foot he mounted his horse, and wrapped the reigns around the horn. He decided it would be best to ride in the opposite direction of the gun shot. As he turned his horse, he stopped to think that they might be in trouble and headed towards where he had heard the shot.
In the darkness, he tried to watch for any movement. He kept his gun out even though he knew he wouldn't be able to shoot until he identified the person. In the moonless, starless night, he would have to get close to find out whether they were friend or foe.
Stopping the horse, he looked towards the camp fire and saw some men run past it. After a few moments, he heard their horses gallop off, probably towards where Nick and the others had run off. He wasn't sure what to do, everything he had ever known told him not to follow them, after all Nick could handle them. He would meet them in Redrock, he turned the horse and then sighed. He knew these men and they were decent shots, and even though Nick was too… if he went there would be a good chance he would get himself killed. He couldn't risk that, he promised his mother he wouldn't get himself killed. This was a dangerous situation and just following them would be a death sentence. If he just road away he would be sentencing the three of his traveling companions to their death.
Sucking on his inner cheek, he thought of Nick breaking him out of that jail cell and all else she had done for him.
"Damn it." He mumbled and road towards the horses' echoing hoof steps in the distance. He owed her to much to let her fall to the hands of these murderers.
Nick looked at the sky that was turning a lighter blue from the blackness of the night before. She was worried that they had lost Tate, and wondered if they should go looking for him. The road was the one they were following and would lead to Redrock, he would have to ride past it soon enough. If not, then he wouldn't abandon them, he would end up in Redrock, although she had no idea how she would find him. He never told her where they would hide.
"Th-think he's alright?" Andy asked, rubbing his hands together.
"I hope so." Nick said, her voice was full of worry.
Rock spit and then huffed loudly, letting them know he was about to say someone pessimistic. "He probably saw they were following us, and then just took off with your money."
Nick sighed, "No, he didn't."
"How do you know? He sure as hell didn't follow us, now did he?"
She didn't respond, only looked off into the distance at the grass filled hills. They would have to get to Redrock soon, it was getting very cold and they didn't bring their coats. With that in mind, she didn't know if they could wait for Tate to find them. The further north they went, the colder it was becoming.
Her mind wandered to last year around this time, the civil war had already begun the beginning of the year when the south seceded from the union. She remembered reading a news story about a blockade that happened during that summer. The Union blockade the coast of the Confederacy effectively. She didn't remember much more about the story, but her father had read it to her.
Not living in the actual states and only in territory, it wasn't as big of a deal to them. They weren't really part of the war and at most they had some battles near them. She had seen some recruiters ride through Honeycomb once, but they only asked Avery if there were any capable men in town. He didn't want anyone to be thrown into a war that they didn't have any business in, and so he simply replied that all the young men leave and he was only one left. They nodded and road out of town.
"Nick?" Andy's voice broke through her thoughts.
She looked at him questioningly.
"Something on your m-mind?"
"I was thinking about that news article that my father read to us last year."
He nodded, "Yeah, I remember that."
They both fell quiet, they didn't get many newspapers in Honeycomb and were left out of most country wide news.
She looked up at Andy as he stood up and walked over to the drop of the hill.
He had never run into them that far out, Brody only kept watch of the roads that directly connected to Redrock. He knew that Tate had family in the city and visited, but could never find out who that family was. After so many years, he was probably getting desperate and wanted him dead before he got to old and died himself. It was the way of the Brody family, they never forgot about or gave up on revenge. That was his whole job when he worked for them, to take revenge so that the rich men wouldn't get their hands dirty.
Stopping his horse, he climbed off to put the reigns back on him. He wanted to be mad at Nick for taking them off, but for one reason or another he just chuckled as he put them back on. He limped back over to the saddle, and went to pull himself up.
The cold piece of metal pushed itself up against the back of his neck. "Good to see you again, Tate." The familiar voice said. Tate put his hands into the air and then turned around to look into the end of the gun barrel. He looked up at the memorable face of an old friend. Scars covered his cheeks from an old game that the men use to play, where they would cut their faces to see who could take the most pain. Dark hair and beard, and a short stance all remained as how Tate remembered him.
"Haven't changed a bit, have you, Chris?"
He grinned, and then frowned. He had been Tate's best friend during his employment with Brody, and was hired on with the other brother. "Hit me pretty hard last night." He rubbed his cheek where there was a light blue hue.
"Well, I am sure you didn't expect me to just come peacefully."
Chris chuckled, "I would have been disappointed if you had."
Tate saw the other two men walk towards them, their faces were from his past as well. Brody had hired those that had remained loyal to his brother to hunt down his killer.
"Wish I could say it's good to see you again, Tate." Will's deep voice said. He was the brawn of the group, large, muscular, and dense.
Ken, Will's short likeness, crossed his arms as he came to stand next to him. He grinned, "About damn time we caught you."
"Wasn't there four of you?" Tate asked.
"Your woman friend shot Gus." Will answered.
Tate tried not to grin prideful at them. "So, what happens now?"
"We go to Bone Valley." Chris told him, and pulled Tate's guns out of their holsters. "Get on your horse." He said, putting the guns into his belt.
Tate nodded, and turned around to mount his horse as the other two went to grab their horses. Bone Valley was where they executed those who wouldn't pay what they owed to the Brody's, there had to be hundreds of bodies buried there. Tate knew he put a good chunk in the ground for those greedy reasons.
Everyone mounted their horses and began to ride down the road. Tate wasn't surprised that they didn't tie him up or pull his horse along the path, they respected him too much. Besides if he tried to ride away they could just shoot him, he had to take the time to think about what he was going to do.
Will and Ken road behind them, as Chris road beside him.
Tate looked over at him, "Thanks for not saying anything about my sister." He whispered so the others couldn't hear them.
"This has nothing to do with her, and I'm not going to get her killed over it. What Brody did was wrong, Tate, but you should of finished the job."
He nodded. By finishing the job, he meant kill the other Brody brother as well. Chris was still his friend, and if he did die today he would be at peace knowing that it was his friend who put the bullet in his head. After all these years, Chris never told who his family in Redrock was, he had been afraid that she would be tortured for her relations with him. However, Chris and her had ones been more then friends, and he felt that his love for her would keep his mouth shut.
"You be the one to tell her if I die today." Tate said.
Chris nodded, "Don't worry none, I've been watching her all these years, and I won't let her down now."
"Thanks."
"Got a plan yet?" Chris asked after a couple minutes.
He shook his head.
"Would you tell me if you did?"
Again, he shook his head. "I am going to Redrock to finish the job, Chris."
Chris sighed and fell silent while he thought, "Look, I'll leave you with these idiots." He pointed with his thumb behind them, "But you are on your own after that."
Tate nodded, and looked ahead of him.
His eyes drifted behind him to Nick, she was terribly worried, he could tell by the way she changed the subject earlier. For all the years he had known her, she had only done that a few times. He remembered the first time he witnessed it. It had been a strange change in the matter at hand, when she rode off he had looked at Jacob. Her father told him about the habit, it took a few more times to understand what that truly meant. She only did that to stop thinking about dire current situations before she cried.
Without Tate, he was sure that she didn't know how she would finish off Brody either. After thinking that, he shook his head. No, Nick wouldn't be thinking like that. She was worried about Tate. They hadn't been after the three of them, which is probably why they stopped chasing them.
The four horsemen appeared in eyesight, and Andy tried to get a good look at them. It was to far to recognize a face, but he knew Tate's horse when he saw it. Sliding back, so that they wouldn't see him stand up, he ran back over to Nick and Rock.
"They got Tate." Andy said with clarity.
Nick stood up, and began to run towards the edge of the drop.
"Nick, don't let them see you." Rock snapped, but tried to keep his voice lowered.
She fell to her stomach and looked over the edge, "What should we do?" She asked, when Andy crawled up beside her.
Rock laid down on her other side. "We have to stop them." Rock whispered, when odds were they wouldn't be able to hear them talk. "They are probably taking him to Redrock, if we don't catch them before that… I don't know how we will get him out then."
"We w-won't be able to help h-him in the city, it has to be n-now." Andy responded.
Nick sighed, "Let's follow them. See if we get an opening, I don't think we should rush in there.
"And what happens when we get to close to Redrock?" Rock ask, his eyes told her that he was annoyed.
"Then we will have to rush in. If Tate knows them, they are probably good shots. We have to surprise them."
They slid back and headed towards their horses.
"I think this is a bad idea." Rock told her as his mounted.
"We are no good to Tate dead. So, lets do this my way." Nick headed towards the road, hoping they could keep a safe distance. She remembered that Andy and Rock hadn't done such a great job, when they were following her and Tate.
Before stepping onto the road, she stopped and checked to see if she could still make out the shadow forms of her companion and his captors.
"You sure it was Tate?" Rock asked Andy, "I couldn't make out any faces."
"N-not certain, but it was T-tate's horse."
Rock sighed, "What if Tate is already dead, we don't even know that it's them."
Nick's head snapped back to look at Rock behind her, "We have to check to make sure."
"What if he comes by and we are off chasing strangers?"
"Then you stay here, I'm going." Nick began down to dirt path with Andy close behind her.
Rock watched them begin to ride away from him, his eyes drifted back up the hill to where they had been camping. He sighed, this was a bad idea and he knew it all to well. He hurried along to catch up with them.
When he arrived at Nick's side, he started in. "No sense in us all getting killed."
"Stop being such a coward, Rock."
"I'm not being a coward. I am looking at the possibilities, these men almost had us last night."
"E-enough, Rock. We h-have to help T-tate." Andy said as he rode up to Nick's other side.
Silence fell over the group as they trotted down the road. Rock was angry that his words had fallen on deaf ears, but as the moments past began to understand why it was necessary. He thought of Jacob helping him out of the streets, and Teresa's home cooking that she would spend all day making. The twins playing card games with him while Hank complained that they were playing to loud. He smiled thinking about the nights Hank spent out in the bunk, when Teresa had thrown a fit.
He sighed and looked over at Nick, who kept her eyes ahead of them. With all that had happen he had forgotten what had started this whole thing. Their family had been destroyed in one moment right before their eyes, as they stood there helpless to save them.
The three were left behind, and Tate looked to his left and past the trees. He could already see the abandoned graveyard, and a grim feeling came over his heart as he and the men began to ride towards it. He had no idea what he was going to do, perhaps this was the end, he had thought.
"Get off your horse." Will ordered, and Tate did as he was told.
They walked the rest of the way towards the wooded area, until they were surrounded by old, decaying tombstones. He was ordered onto his knees and complied without argument, his mind was blank. Even as Ken tied the ropes around his hands and feet, he tried to come up with some sort of plan. Anything! He thought to himself, there had been worse situations then this that he had made his way out of. Like in Honeycomb… wait that was Nick who saved him, or in… no that was Nick. How the hell did she manage to save him all those times? He wasn't worth saving, it was for her own damn greed and vengeance.
That's what it was all about. In his life, he had never had any true friends, and he had begun to think that Nick, Andy, and Rock could possibly be what genuine friendship would be like. In those moments, he realized that as soon as the job was over they would never see each other again. He felt betrayed by them, sitting there in the dirt, his death awaiting him as Will and Ken argued who would be the one to finally do him in.
No, he didn't want to die thinking that they had betrayed him. They stuck together, and even though it was only temporary, they had allowed him to be part of their circle. He had never had companions that would risk their lives for each other. People who were willing to throw away everything just to make the other person happy. He had never had a girl smile at him like Nick had, she wasn't afraid of his past. Tatius Norcliff was a dangerous man, and any woman could look at him and see that. Most were frightened of his temper and would only pretend to be happy in his presence. Nick didn't see Tatius Norcliff, she just saw plain old Tate. Her smiles were as sincere as they could come, and he wasn't a cold hearted killer when she looked at him.
Tate dropped his head when he felt Will's gun being shoved against the back of his head. He had come to terms with what he was feeling about himself, and about Nick. Now, he was ready to die.
"Any last words?" Will asked him.
He shook his head, there was a regret though. He should of told her, he thought. She probably would of laughed at him, and told him that it would never happen. At least, he would of known, now he never…
He heard a distant gun shot, and Will jumped back away from him. Two more shots rang out, and both Ken and Will fell to the ground.
"Damn it Andy, I thought you said you could hit them!" Rock barked.
Tate turned his head to see Nick and the others come out from behind the gravestones that had hidden them. Nick smiled at him as she kneeled down, a knife in her hand.
"This is becoming a habit, isn't it?" She chuckled as she cut him loose.
He couldn't believe it, they were standing right here. The three of them had somehow managed to follow behind them and find the perfect opportunity to rescue him. They hadn't forgot him, but why? Why would they risk their cause… they needed him in Redrock. Selfish little…
"Are you alright?" Nick asked as she helped him stand up, even though he didn't need the help he took it.
"I'm fine." He finally said as the other two finished their argument. "Which one of you missed?"
"I almost hit him!" Andy yelled.
"Almost doesn't count." Tate snapped pulling his guns from Ken's horse, then walked over towards his horse, and mounted him.
"Damn, Tate, a little thank you could go a long way." Nick put her hands on her hips, as she walked to stand next to his horse.
"We were worried sick that they had killed you already."
"Don't worry about me. Besides, you could of figured out how to get to Brody without me, you are a smart girl."
Nick crossed her arms as she looked up at him, "That may be, but we weren't concerned about whether or not we could get to Brody."
He rolled his eyes and headed back towards the road, the other followed behind him after they collected their own horses.
Continuing down the road, Tate stared ahead of them, slightly embarrassed of his own thoughts as he was kneeled down in front of Will. He was also angry with himself for not coming up with a plan and having to once again rely on Nick to save him. His eyes wandered behind him for a moment to look at Nick and the others. They all carried annoyed looks upon their faces.
Boss trotted beside the horse, his tongue hung out to the side. He was the only one who didn't look angry with him. Tate sighed and turned his eyes back to the road ahead of them. They would be arriving in Redrock by nightfall, and he hoped that his sister would be available. It would be dangerous for them to stay at the brothel where she worked, and he tried to decide where they could go. Brody would know now that they were coming, at least he would when the bodies of his thugs were found. They needed somewhere that they could rest in peace while he figured out just exactly what kind of revenge that Nick wanted him to receive. He already knew what kind of revenge he would like to give him.
Paul kept telling him that he was certain that Tate would bring them here, even if they weren't here yet. It wasn't more then three days after they arrived, Avery realized that he had put himself in a bad situations. The three sheriffs he was riding with turned out to be working for a local business owner named Richard Brody. He owned several businesses, but his prize property was the Glasses and Garters Saloon.
He offered the men free women from his brothel that was attached to the saloon. When they arrived Paul told him that Tate was either here or on his way. Brody sent out men to search the area around Redrock day and night for him. He soon learned that Brody was the man that had put the most money up for Tate's capture.
Sitting in a saloon, he looked across the table at Brody who was talking to Paul and the other two. He was a tall, balding man with pale white skin. He liked to wear a black hat with a small white rope that hung down over his eyes, and a black jacket. There was no doubt that this man was rich. Avery hadn't ever seen a man as wealthy as he was before, but knew from the moment that he saw him that he was. All his clothes looked brand new, his hair looked freshly cut, and those around him crouched and scurried out of his way.
One thing that had made Avery laugh was that Brody refused to use his own brothel. He said the women weren't classy enough, which is why they were in this saloon. Music played in the background, beautiful women walked around between wealthy individuals. Avery had never seen such beautiful women, and at times he found himself thinking that some of them were even better looking then Nick.
Though Brody offered to pay for some time with a certain woman that caught his eye, he declined. Of course, Dale insulted him saying that he was saving himself for another woman.
"I've posted men outside of town, as far as five miles. If Tate ain't here yet, we will pick him up before he can ride into town." Brody said, in his dark voice.
"Just make sure they don't hurt the girl." Avery jumped in as Paul was about to say something.
Brody gave him a nod, "Don't you worry none, I told the men to watch out for the woman. But if she gets in the way, ain't nobody going to stop me from getting my revenge, you hear me?" He stuck his finger up and pointed at Avery.
"He understands." Paul answered before Avery said something he would regret.
"Ain't like Tate to take a hostage." Brody said and looked back at Paul. "If she's with him then I doubt she has come all this way unwillingly."
Paul cleared his throat, "Seems, she caught his eye. You hear down south a ways that Tate was raping a few gals, he's changed an awful lot since he left here." Paul was lying and Avery was grateful for it.
"Yeah, I heard something about that. Man like him had a woman every night when he was here, probably went damn near crazy not having one around for so long." He looked over at Avery, "You still want a used woman? He'll have taken her a couple of times, you know?"
He clenched his feet, "I don't think Nicolette would let him."
"Tate is a cold blooded killer, don't you underestimate what he can and can't do. My brother did once and it cost his life." Brody looked over at the stairway, when the dark, exotic woman stopped at the bottom.
Her long black hair shined as it fell just above her waist, and her dark eyes gleamed as she smiled towards them. She walked over to the table and placed her hand on Brody's shoulder.
"Evenin', Mister Brody. Had I known you were here, I would of sped things up." She smiled at Avery.
"It's alright, Natalie. Are you ready now?"
She nodded, "Come up stairs with me."
Brody stood up, she put her hand in the crook of his elbow. "Night, gentlemen. I suggest settling down with a lady or alone in your room."
Avery watched Natalie head up the stairs with Brody, he had heard that she was for only the richest of men in the city. She had her own select customers, and pretty much ran the brothel women.
"When we get that reward, I'm going to have me some of that woman." Dale cooed.
"Even then you couldn't afford her." Paul laughed, "You can't buy class." He stood up and put on his hat, "Goodnight, ya'all. I am going to go get some rest."
Gil stood up with him, "Think I am going to head over to the inn and get some sleep myself."
"I'll join ya." Avery added, and they all looked at Dale.
"I'm going to stay around here, see if Natalie can talk one of these gals into taking me upstairs."
Paul and Gil chuckled.
"Good luck to you, then." Paul said
"Don't need no luck." Dale yelled as they were nearing the door.
"Sure you don't." Were Paul's last words before they disappeared outside.
---***---
Nick gently rubbed the beads in her hair as she stroked Goliath down. She missed the camp, now that it was nightfall and they were sleeping under the stars once more. Being there had almost made her forget why she had set out on this journey to begin with. Looking over to the camp fire, she watched her three companions as they teased each other and laughed. They seemed to be closer now, and she smiled at them as they laughed.Feeling a push on her arm, she looked over at Tate's horse. The poor creature had gotten so much time without his bit, that he didn't seem to be comfortable in it. Her eyes went back to Tate, he wouldn't mind if she took it off him for a couple minutes to feed him a treat. Reaching around she unbuckled it, and let it drop to the ground. She pulled some oats from her pocket, and let him feed from her hand.
Goliath became jealous, and tried to push the strange horse out of Nick's hand. She pushed the large horse's nose back, "No, Goliath, it's for him."
It didn't matter what Nick wanted, Goliath wanted this horse away from her. He placed the side of his face against Tate's horse, and began to push him away.
"Stop." Nick went to grab Goliath's reigns to realize she had taken them off.
Before she could do anything else, Tate's horse ran off without his bit. Nick didn't know what to do, if she told Tate he would get angry, but she couldn't just leave him out there without his bit.
"Nick, you coming in?" Rock yelled out.
"Yeah, in a minute." She said, picking up the bit. It was dark enough that they couldn't see her in the distance. "Come here… uh, um… Tate's horse." She waved with her hand at him, but when she took a step, he would run off.
After a few moment of searching for him, he finally went into the darkness, where she was unable to see him any longer. Sighing, she decided, she needed to tell Tate what she had done, and headed towards the camp fire.
"Long time no see, Tate." A unfamiliar male voice said, before Nick reached the camp.
She could see Tate's figure stand up, "Pretty far away from Brody's safety aren't you?" Tate asked.
"Guys, it's him!" The man yelled.
Tate swung at him, and he fell to the ground. "Run!"
Tate ran past her, and she grabbed the sleeve of his shirt. "I…I…" She held up the horse's reigns.
He grabbed them from her, "You've got to be kidding me." He said as he ran off into the darkness to find his horse.
Nick ran towards where she had left Goliath.
Tate looked back in time to see Nick disappear into the darkness, he huffed as he looked down at the bit in his hand. If he whistled his horse would come, but it would also give away his location. He could hear the quickened footsteps behind him, and pull one of his guns out. While he was busily pulling out his gun, he tripped in a pothole, twisting his ankle. After a short stream of mumbled profanity, he let out a whistle. He could hear his horse in the distance, and hoped it would arrive before the men chasing him did.
As the horse approached he heard a gun shot ring through the air, and he turned his head towards the noise.
"Go!" Nick's voice shouted out in the darkness.
Tate pulled himself up using the stirrup and fender of his saddle. Using his uninjured foot he mounted his horse, and wrapped the reigns around the horn. He decided it would be best to ride in the opposite direction of the gun shot. As he turned his horse, he stopped to think that they might be in trouble and headed towards where he had heard the shot.
In the darkness, he tried to watch for any movement. He kept his gun out even though he knew he wouldn't be able to shoot until he identified the person. In the moonless, starless night, he would have to get close to find out whether they were friend or foe.
Stopping the horse, he looked towards the camp fire and saw some men run past it. After a few moments, he heard their horses gallop off, probably towards where Nick and the others had run off. He wasn't sure what to do, everything he had ever known told him not to follow them, after all Nick could handle them. He would meet them in Redrock, he turned the horse and then sighed. He knew these men and they were decent shots, and even though Nick was too… if he went there would be a good chance he would get himself killed. He couldn't risk that, he promised his mother he wouldn't get himself killed. This was a dangerous situation and just following them would be a death sentence. If he just road away he would be sentencing the three of his traveling companions to their death.
Sucking on his inner cheek, he thought of Nick breaking him out of that jail cell and all else she had done for him.
"Damn it." He mumbled and road towards the horses' echoing hoof steps in the distance. He owed her to much to let her fall to the hands of these murderers.
---***---
They had lost them and made camp on a hill top, that had a deep drop on one side. The road went past the drop, so there was no way they could see them. As long as they used the roads.Nick looked at the sky that was turning a lighter blue from the blackness of the night before. She was worried that they had lost Tate, and wondered if they should go looking for him. The road was the one they were following and would lead to Redrock, he would have to ride past it soon enough. If not, then he wouldn't abandon them, he would end up in Redrock, although she had no idea how she would find him. He never told her where they would hide.
"Th-think he's alright?" Andy asked, rubbing his hands together.
"I hope so." Nick said, her voice was full of worry.
Rock spit and then huffed loudly, letting them know he was about to say someone pessimistic. "He probably saw they were following us, and then just took off with your money."
Nick sighed, "No, he didn't."
"How do you know? He sure as hell didn't follow us, now did he?"
She didn't respond, only looked off into the distance at the grass filled hills. They would have to get to Redrock soon, it was getting very cold and they didn't bring their coats. With that in mind, she didn't know if they could wait for Tate to find them. The further north they went, the colder it was becoming.
Her mind wandered to last year around this time, the civil war had already begun the beginning of the year when the south seceded from the union. She remembered reading a news story about a blockade that happened during that summer. The Union blockade the coast of the Confederacy effectively. She didn't remember much more about the story, but her father had read it to her.
Not living in the actual states and only in territory, it wasn't as big of a deal to them. They weren't really part of the war and at most they had some battles near them. She had seen some recruiters ride through Honeycomb once, but they only asked Avery if there were any capable men in town. He didn't want anyone to be thrown into a war that they didn't have any business in, and so he simply replied that all the young men leave and he was only one left. They nodded and road out of town.
"Nick?" Andy's voice broke through her thoughts.
She looked at him questioningly.
"Something on your m-mind?"
"I was thinking about that news article that my father read to us last year."
He nodded, "Yeah, I remember that."
They both fell quiet, they didn't get many newspapers in Honeycomb and were left out of most country wide news.
She looked up at Andy as he stood up and walked over to the drop of the hill.
---***---
Tate's ankle was still throbbing, it was almost more then he could bare. There was no sign of his group or those that had been following him. He decided to take the road to Redrock, even though he was sure they would be waiting for him along it. There was no time to tell Nick that this guys were looking for him for the death of Brody's brother. He wondered how they knew he would be out there, they were a long way from Redrock.He had never run into them that far out, Brody only kept watch of the roads that directly connected to Redrock. He knew that Tate had family in the city and visited, but could never find out who that family was. After so many years, he was probably getting desperate and wanted him dead before he got to old and died himself. It was the way of the Brody family, they never forgot about or gave up on revenge. That was his whole job when he worked for them, to take revenge so that the rich men wouldn't get their hands dirty.
Stopping his horse, he climbed off to put the reigns back on him. He wanted to be mad at Nick for taking them off, but for one reason or another he just chuckled as he put them back on. He limped back over to the saddle, and went to pull himself up.
The cold piece of metal pushed itself up against the back of his neck. "Good to see you again, Tate." The familiar voice said. Tate put his hands into the air and then turned around to look into the end of the gun barrel. He looked up at the memorable face of an old friend. Scars covered his cheeks from an old game that the men use to play, where they would cut their faces to see who could take the most pain. Dark hair and beard, and a short stance all remained as how Tate remembered him.
"Haven't changed a bit, have you, Chris?"
He grinned, and then frowned. He had been Tate's best friend during his employment with Brody, and was hired on with the other brother. "Hit me pretty hard last night." He rubbed his cheek where there was a light blue hue.
"Well, I am sure you didn't expect me to just come peacefully."
Chris chuckled, "I would have been disappointed if you had."
Tate saw the other two men walk towards them, their faces were from his past as well. Brody had hired those that had remained loyal to his brother to hunt down his killer.
"Wish I could say it's good to see you again, Tate." Will's deep voice said. He was the brawn of the group, large, muscular, and dense.
Ken, Will's short likeness, crossed his arms as he came to stand next to him. He grinned, "About damn time we caught you."
"Wasn't there four of you?" Tate asked.
"Your woman friend shot Gus." Will answered.
Tate tried not to grin prideful at them. "So, what happens now?"
"We go to Bone Valley." Chris told him, and pulled Tate's guns out of their holsters. "Get on your horse." He said, putting the guns into his belt.
Tate nodded, and turned around to mount his horse as the other two went to grab their horses. Bone Valley was where they executed those who wouldn't pay what they owed to the Brody's, there had to be hundreds of bodies buried there. Tate knew he put a good chunk in the ground for those greedy reasons.
Everyone mounted their horses and began to ride down the road. Tate wasn't surprised that they didn't tie him up or pull his horse along the path, they respected him too much. Besides if he tried to ride away they could just shoot him, he had to take the time to think about what he was going to do.
Will and Ken road behind them, as Chris road beside him.
Tate looked over at him, "Thanks for not saying anything about my sister." He whispered so the others couldn't hear them.
"This has nothing to do with her, and I'm not going to get her killed over it. What Brody did was wrong, Tate, but you should of finished the job."
He nodded. By finishing the job, he meant kill the other Brody brother as well. Chris was still his friend, and if he did die today he would be at peace knowing that it was his friend who put the bullet in his head. After all these years, Chris never told who his family in Redrock was, he had been afraid that she would be tortured for her relations with him. However, Chris and her had ones been more then friends, and he felt that his love for her would keep his mouth shut.
"You be the one to tell her if I die today." Tate said.
Chris nodded, "Don't worry none, I've been watching her all these years, and I won't let her down now."
"Thanks."
"Got a plan yet?" Chris asked after a couple minutes.
He shook his head.
"Would you tell me if you did?"
Again, he shook his head. "I am going to Redrock to finish the job, Chris."
Chris sighed and fell silent while he thought, "Look, I'll leave you with these idiots." He pointed with his thumb behind them, "But you are on your own after that."
Tate nodded, and looked ahead of him.
---***---
Andy stared down at the road near the drop, hoping that Tate would be alright. He didn't know how it would be possible for them to pull this off without him. Sitting down in the grass, he watched the road as he picked a blade of grass from the ground. He stroked it between his thumb and index finger.His eyes drifted behind him to Nick, she was terribly worried, he could tell by the way she changed the subject earlier. For all the years he had known her, she had only done that a few times. He remembered the first time he witnessed it. It had been a strange change in the matter at hand, when she rode off he had looked at Jacob. Her father told him about the habit, it took a few more times to understand what that truly meant. She only did that to stop thinking about dire current situations before she cried.
Without Tate, he was sure that she didn't know how she would finish off Brody either. After thinking that, he shook his head. No, Nick wouldn't be thinking like that. She was worried about Tate. They hadn't been after the three of them, which is probably why they stopped chasing them.
The four horsemen appeared in eyesight, and Andy tried to get a good look at them. It was to far to recognize a face, but he knew Tate's horse when he saw it. Sliding back, so that they wouldn't see him stand up, he ran back over to Nick and Rock.
"They got Tate." Andy said with clarity.
Nick stood up, and began to run towards the edge of the drop.
"Nick, don't let them see you." Rock snapped, but tried to keep his voice lowered.
She fell to her stomach and looked over the edge, "What should we do?" She asked, when Andy crawled up beside her.
Rock laid down on her other side. "We have to stop them." Rock whispered, when odds were they wouldn't be able to hear them talk. "They are probably taking him to Redrock, if we don't catch them before that… I don't know how we will get him out then."
"We w-won't be able to help h-him in the city, it has to be n-now." Andy responded.
Nick sighed, "Let's follow them. See if we get an opening, I don't think we should rush in there.
"And what happens when we get to close to Redrock?" Rock ask, his eyes told her that he was annoyed.
"Then we will have to rush in. If Tate knows them, they are probably good shots. We have to surprise them."
They slid back and headed towards their horses.
"I think this is a bad idea." Rock told her as his mounted.
"We are no good to Tate dead. So, lets do this my way." Nick headed towards the road, hoping they could keep a safe distance. She remembered that Andy and Rock hadn't done such a great job, when they were following her and Tate.
Before stepping onto the road, she stopped and checked to see if she could still make out the shadow forms of her companion and his captors.
"You sure it was Tate?" Rock asked Andy, "I couldn't make out any faces."
"N-not certain, but it was T-tate's horse."
Rock sighed, "What if Tate is already dead, we don't even know that it's them."
Nick's head snapped back to look at Rock behind her, "We have to check to make sure."
"What if he comes by and we are off chasing strangers?"
"Then you stay here, I'm going." Nick began down to dirt path with Andy close behind her.
Rock watched them begin to ride away from him, his eyes drifted back up the hill to where they had been camping. He sighed, this was a bad idea and he knew it all to well. He hurried along to catch up with them.
When he arrived at Nick's side, he started in. "No sense in us all getting killed."
"Stop being such a coward, Rock."
"I'm not being a coward. I am looking at the possibilities, these men almost had us last night."
"E-enough, Rock. We h-have to help T-tate." Andy said as he rode up to Nick's other side.
Silence fell over the group as they trotted down the road. Rock was angry that his words had fallen on deaf ears, but as the moments past began to understand why it was necessary. He thought of Jacob helping him out of the streets, and Teresa's home cooking that she would spend all day making. The twins playing card games with him while Hank complained that they were playing to loud. He smiled thinking about the nights Hank spent out in the bunk, when Teresa had thrown a fit.
He sighed and looked over at Nick, who kept her eyes ahead of them. With all that had happen he had forgotten what had started this whole thing. Their family had been destroyed in one moment right before their eyes, as they stood there helpless to save them.
---***---
Hours past, and the four horsemen came to a stop. Tate looked at his friend who had already told the two to take care of Tate themselves, and made some excuse about needing to tell Brody right away. Both Will and Ken were too preoccupied with the execution to realize that Brody wouldn't be satisfied until he had proof. Chris bowed his head at him, before he rode off down the road and towards Redrock.The three were left behind, and Tate looked to his left and past the trees. He could already see the abandoned graveyard, and a grim feeling came over his heart as he and the men began to ride towards it. He had no idea what he was going to do, perhaps this was the end, he had thought.
"Get off your horse." Will ordered, and Tate did as he was told.
They walked the rest of the way towards the wooded area, until they were surrounded by old, decaying tombstones. He was ordered onto his knees and complied without argument, his mind was blank. Even as Ken tied the ropes around his hands and feet, he tried to come up with some sort of plan. Anything! He thought to himself, there had been worse situations then this that he had made his way out of. Like in Honeycomb… wait that was Nick who saved him, or in… no that was Nick. How the hell did she manage to save him all those times? He wasn't worth saving, it was for her own damn greed and vengeance.
That's what it was all about. In his life, he had never had any true friends, and he had begun to think that Nick, Andy, and Rock could possibly be what genuine friendship would be like. In those moments, he realized that as soon as the job was over they would never see each other again. He felt betrayed by them, sitting there in the dirt, his death awaiting him as Will and Ken argued who would be the one to finally do him in.
No, he didn't want to die thinking that they had betrayed him. They stuck together, and even though it was only temporary, they had allowed him to be part of their circle. He had never had companions that would risk their lives for each other. People who were willing to throw away everything just to make the other person happy. He had never had a girl smile at him like Nick had, she wasn't afraid of his past. Tatius Norcliff was a dangerous man, and any woman could look at him and see that. Most were frightened of his temper and would only pretend to be happy in his presence. Nick didn't see Tatius Norcliff, she just saw plain old Tate. Her smiles were as sincere as they could come, and he wasn't a cold hearted killer when she looked at him.
Tate dropped his head when he felt Will's gun being shoved against the back of his head. He had come to terms with what he was feeling about himself, and about Nick. Now, he was ready to die.
"Any last words?" Will asked him.
He shook his head, there was a regret though. He should of told her, he thought. She probably would of laughed at him, and told him that it would never happen. At least, he would of known, now he never…
He heard a distant gun shot, and Will jumped back away from him. Two more shots rang out, and both Ken and Will fell to the ground.
"Damn it Andy, I thought you said you could hit them!" Rock barked.
Tate turned his head to see Nick and the others come out from behind the gravestones that had hidden them. Nick smiled at him as she kneeled down, a knife in her hand.
"This is becoming a habit, isn't it?" She chuckled as she cut him loose.
He couldn't believe it, they were standing right here. The three of them had somehow managed to follow behind them and find the perfect opportunity to rescue him. They hadn't forgot him, but why? Why would they risk their cause… they needed him in Redrock. Selfish little…
"Are you alright?" Nick asked as she helped him stand up, even though he didn't need the help he took it.
"I'm fine." He finally said as the other two finished their argument. "Which one of you missed?"
"I almost hit him!" Andy yelled.
"Almost doesn't count." Tate snapped pulling his guns from Ken's horse, then walked over towards his horse, and mounted him.
"Damn, Tate, a little thank you could go a long way." Nick put her hands on her hips, as she walked to stand next to his horse.
"We were worried sick that they had killed you already."
"Don't worry about me. Besides, you could of figured out how to get to Brody without me, you are a smart girl."
Nick crossed her arms as she looked up at him, "That may be, but we weren't concerned about whether or not we could get to Brody."
He rolled his eyes and headed back towards the road, the other followed behind him after they collected their own horses.
Continuing down the road, Tate stared ahead of them, slightly embarrassed of his own thoughts as he was kneeled down in front of Will. He was also angry with himself for not coming up with a plan and having to once again rely on Nick to save him. His eyes wandered behind him for a moment to look at Nick and the others. They all carried annoyed looks upon their faces.
Boss trotted beside the horse, his tongue hung out to the side. He was the only one who didn't look angry with him. Tate sighed and turned his eyes back to the road ahead of them. They would be arriving in Redrock by nightfall, and he hoped that his sister would be available. It would be dangerous for them to stay at the brothel where she worked, and he tried to decide where they could go. Brody would know now that they were coming, at least he would when the bodies of his thugs were found. They needed somewhere that they could rest in peace while he figured out just exactly what kind of revenge that Nick wanted him to receive. He already knew what kind of revenge he would like to give him.