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Chapter Text

In a small town called Rose Creek, a meeting took place inside the church. The pews were full of concerned townsfolk, each needing to speak their mind. The couple of men who spoke the most were standing up in their pews, arguing and adding to what the others said.

“Bogue’s gonna come back, and he’s gonna try and take this land.”

“What about our families?"

“What about Bogue?”

“Hey, calm down! Calm down!”

“Our crops are dying! He’s telling us that the water’s poisoned.”

“It’s a lie!”

“It is a lie. Otherwise, why does he have Blackstones keeping us away from it?”

“He’s just a man, Turner.”

“He’s a man with an army, Phillips!”

“He’s a man with a claim to mine a mountain.”

“He’s trying to run us out of town.”

“And his miners are camping on the edge of our town!”

“A man seizing our land. A man with dozens of hired guns on his payroll.”

“We know that, Turner.”

“Who’s gonna stand up to a man like that?”

“We will,” a younger man who spoke stood up from his seat in the back next to his wife.

“But how?”

“With what?”

“To Bogue?”

“There are laws on our side,” the young man spoke again.

“Bogue is the law, Matthew. Bought and paid for.”

“Even got our sheriff on his payroll.”

“And his deputies.”

“And that’s why I say we fight.”

“I say we fight. Yeah.”

“I ain’t fighting, and I ain’t leaving neither.”

“Well, what are you gonna do?”

“God will provide.”

“That’s right, Brother Phillip,” the preacher spoke from his spot near the pulpit. “The Lord surely will provide.”

“Now, now, Bogue is a businessman,” a greasy little man dressed in rich clothes stood up near the front. “If you just reason with him, he’ll give you a fair share.”

“Fair share, Gavin? You’re the only one making money here! You and your… whores.”

“Now, Ben, that ain’t fair. You know that. You were there the other night.” Gavin and Ben started a shouting match that quickly faded as the Mayor spoke up.

“Reason? Ask the Dennehys how far reasoning got them.”

“He burned all the Dennehys’ crops!”

“Our farms are rotting. It’s only a matter of time before he drives us all out of here.”

“For the sake of our children,” the schoolteacher spoke up, “I believe it’s time we leave Rose Creek.”

“To where?” Matthew spoke again. “I know you’re scared. We all are, but we came too far to get here. Suffered losses too painful to bear to make this our home. But we did it. All of us, together. This valley is ours.”

“I agree with Matthew.”

“I’m with Matthew.”

Just then, a dozen Blackstone agents kicked in the doors of the church and casually spread themselves out, circling around the congregation. The people sat down in their seats and Bogue began slowly sauntering up the aisle.

“This is the Lord’s house. It’s no place for guns. There are women and children,” the preacher insisted. But none of the agents listened. They all had their rifles resting threateningly on their hips.

Bogue still moved slowly up the aisle, shaking a mysterious dark jar. When he got up to the front, the Mayor and the Preacher stepped aside, allowing him to address the crowd. He set the jar on the pulpit, drawing everyone’s attention to it.

“This is what you love, what you’d die for. And what your children and your children’s children will work on, suffer for, be consumed by.” He picked out the teacher’s son from the crowd. “Look at me, boy. Come on up here. Come on.”

The boy reluctantly walked up to stand beside the man.

“Now I come here for gold. This country has long equated democracy with capitalism, capitalism with God. So you’re standing not only in the way of progress and capital. You’re standing in the way of God! And for what?”

He turned back to the boy, holding the now opened jar.

“You want to help me out? Let’s find out. Put your hand in there for me.” The boy did so very reluctantly, so Bogue shoved his hand in the jar. “This is no longer land. The moment I put a pin in the map, the day I descended into this godforsaken valley and cast my gaze upon it, it ceased to be land and became… That’s it. Pull your hand out.” The boy took his hand back with a bit of dirt from the jar. “Dust.” He let the boy go back to his parents. “This is your God?” He poured out the dirt at the front of the church. “$20 for each parcel of dust, that is my offer.” As the townsfolk began to argue that their land was worth way more than that, Bogue merely shrugged. “It won’t sweeten. It’ll only sour.”

A couple of the Blackstone men fired their guns at the roof, scaring everybody to flee the church, only to still be surrounded by hired guns preventing them from going any further than the street. Bogue walked out last, just as his men began to set fire to the church. When the Preacher began to reprimand them, a few agents began to beat him down.

“Leave him alone.” Matthew left his wife’s side to help the preacher back up.

“I’ll return to Rose Creek in three weeks. Those of you who accept my offer, whose signed deeds are on my desk when I return shall get their $20. Those who do not… may your good Lord help you.” Bogue began to walk off.

“What kind of man are you?” Matthew asked from his spot next to the Preacher, who began to limp away. “What’d these people ever do to you? For what, Bogue? For land?!”

Bogue never said a word, choosing to sashay back past Matthew’s wife, pausing only a few paces from the man, before taking his pistol and shooting Matthew.

“No!!” His wife cried, running to Matthew’s side.

A couple other people tried to flee in panic, but they were soon killed by Bogue’s men.

Another young woman who had stood close to the new widow was knocked to the ground by the Native warrior in Bogue’s entourage. Bogue sidled over to stand above the girl.

“Three weeks, Theadora,” he said menacingly. “That’s all you get.” He walked over to the sheriff. “Leave the bodies where they lay. Let ‘em look at ‘em a few days.”

*****************************************

“Hopefully, we can find somebody to help in this town,” Emma prayed.

“I’ll go look around the saloon if you want to get some more supplies,” Theadora (Teddy, to most people) offered. The two women split up and Teddy found the saloon easily enough. She claimed an empty table near the back and waited. After a while, she couldn’t help but overhear the conversation at the poker table nearby.

“Now, let’s try to keep it civil this round, okay?” She saw a rather handsome man speaking with a cigar clamped between his teeth. “I’m looking at you, Lucas.”

“Just play the damn game, Faraday,” a one-eyed man, presumably Lucas, snarked back. Faraday merely gave the man an obnoxiously long wink, which Teddy failed to suppress a giggle at. Faraday heard the laugh and smiled at the woman.

Just then, a dark silhouette appeared at the saloon door. He paused for a moment, everyone’s attention snapped to him, and then he entered and walked right up to the bar.

“Shot of Busthead,” the black man asked the bartender.

“Sorry, don’t carry that kind, Cowboy.”

“Well, in that case,” the man put down a single coin, “I’ll have a double.” As the bartender pulled out a glass and a bottle, which was in fact Busthead, the man in black put another coin on the bar.

“What’s that for?”

“Information. Looking for a man. Big fella, ‘bout your size.”

“What’s his name?”

“Name his mama gave him was Daniel Harrison, but sometimes he goes by the name of Powder Dan. Killed a tenant farmer and his son in cold blood. Stole the man’s plow horse. Man’s wife tried to intervene. Took advantage, then killed her, too.”

“Ain’t heard of him.”

“Well, like I said, he uses different names. Has a bullet scar on his left shoulder. Right there.” The cowboy pressed his finger into the bartender’s shoulder, noting how the man winced in pain. “Now Powder Dan ran with an outlaw, name of July Bully. May he rest in peace.”

Teddy noticed then that all conversations had yet to resume, the poker game was still on hold, even the piano player had gone nearly silent. Everyone in the saloon was waiting to see what would happen. The man at the bar noticed several others reaching for their pistols, so he shot them all, but not fatally. He shot one man in the hand, one in the foot, one leg of a man’s chair so that it broke from under him, and another man’s hat flew off.

Teddy saw from the corner of her eye a couple men at the poker table slowly reaching for their guns, but Faraday was quicker. He pointed his pistol at them, quietly stopping them from interfering.

“Come on. Settle down, mister. Come on,” the bartender tried to plead for his life. “I got a family, mister.”

“They’re better off without you,” the man said. At once the bartender made for the shotgun he kept under the counter, but the cowboy was quicker, shooting the bartender in the chest. The cowboy addressed the audience in the room. “Somebody fetch the sheriff.” But nobody dared to move. The man in black put his hand on his pistol, and suddenly everyone was scrambling for the door.

Teddy found herself swept up in the crowd spilling out into the street and decided that man was exactly the kind of help they needed. She ran off to tell Emma and explained what happened in the saloon. They returned and found the man surrounded by the sheriff and his deputies in front of the saloon.

“My name Is Sam Chisolm. I’m a duly sworn warrant officer of the circuit court in Wichita, Kansas. I’m also a licensed peace officer in the Indian Territories, Arkansas, Nebraska, and seven other states. Now this man is wanted on charges in Nebraska, expedited by federal writ, under Common State Law Enforcement Act.” He gave the handbill to the sheriff. “Wire Judge Talbot in Wichita for the reward. Half the money goes to the man’s widow. And you can hold my part for me till I get back.”

“Where are you headed?” the sheriff asked.

“Off into the mountains, hunting a vaquero.”

Emma began to start after the man, but Teddy stopped her.

“No, Emma. I’ll do it.” She ran to catch up to Chisolm, who had mounted his horse. “Excuse me, sir. Are you a bounty hunter?”

“No, ma’am.”

“I have need of a man with your qualifications.”

“Sorry, miss, but you’re a bit too young for me.”

“It’s not like that. I want to hire you for a job.”

“You can’t afford me.”

“Well, can you at least describe the rates, or offer up the particulars?” When Chisom said nothing, she continued. “Rose Creek. It’s only four days’ ride from here. A rich man has overtaken the town. He’s killed half a dozen men. He’s got the sheriff on his payroll and Blackstone agents in his employ.”

“Well, you don’t need a bounty hunter, you need an army.”

“And we intend to hire one, sir.”

“I’m not for sale.” Sam continued to ride as Emma caught up to keep pace beside him and try her hand at persuasion.

“Mister. Mister! You intend to make me chase? I have a proposition.”

“And I’m wary of propositions, miss.”

“Missus. I’m not sure if my friend filled you in on the details.”

“Enough of ‘em.”

“Then why won’t you at least listen?” Sam stopped his horse. “We’re simple farmers. Decent, hard-working people being driven from our homes. Men slaughtered in cold blood. Women and children without food or essentials. All because some man named Bogue wants to mine our valley and take it from us.”

“Bartholomew Bogue?”

“You know of him?”

“Heard the name.” Emma took a nearly empty saddlebag from Teddy and handed it up to Sam. “What’s this?” He peered inside at the money.

“Everything we have. That’s what it's worth to us.”

“Been offered a lot for my work,” he said as he handed the bag back to the women, “but never everything.”

“That man murdered my husband. Killed him dead in the middle of the street.”

“So, you seek revenge.”

“I seek righteousness, as should we all. But I’ll take revenge.”

*********************************

Sam, Emma, and Teddy peered over a map of Rose Creek. They had made their way to a secluded back room in the inn.

“The only way in is the valley floor, and the main road in and out is to the West,” Emma pointed out.

“Where’s the mine?” Sam asked

“Here.” Teddy pointed to the back end of the valley.

“And where’s Bogue?”

“Sacramento,” Emma answered.

“He’s back in less than three weeks,” the blonde glowered.

“How many men you say you got left in town?”

“Forty, maybe,” Teddy estimated.

“Farmers. Not fighters,” Emma elaborated.

“You understand what it means when you start something like this?”

“We did not start this, Mr. Chisolm,” Emma corrected.

“We’ll need to find some more men,” Sam stated.

“Any idea where to look?” Teddy asked.

************************************

The three rode up to find a very short man arguing about a horse with one of the poker players from the saloon.

“Seems we have ourselves a Mexican standoff, only between an Irishman and a Baptist, and I’m not sure how that ends.”

“With you walking away,” the short man said as he moved to rest his hand on his pistol, “without your horse.”

“Now, why’d you have to go and touch your gun for? We were in the middle of a gentlemen’s negotiation,” Faraday said.

“How much for his horse?” Sam asked.

“$25 for the horse. Seven and two bits for the saddle,” the leprechaun sneered.

“Our paths cross again,” Faraday stated to Sam. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Took a job. Looking for some men to join me.”

“Is there money in it?” Emma threw over the same saddle bag from before. It was then Faraday also noticed the other woman, the one from the saloon. “And who’s she?”

“Joan of Arc,” Sam said.

“My name’s Emma Cullen, and this is my associate, Teddy Q.”

“Well, I do have an affinity for shiny things and beautiful women.” He threw the bag back to Emma and winked at Teddy, earning a deep blush from the woman who looked away flustered. “Is it difficult?”

“Impossible,” Sam answered.

“How many you got so far?”

“Two.”

“What, them?”

“You and me.”

Faraday simply grinned.

*********************************

As the four rode out of town, Faraday matched his pace with Emma.

“Sending two women to gather guns is not very chivalrous,” Faraday observed.

“We volunteered. Insisted, actually,” Emma answered. Faraday looked back at Teddy riding behind them. He caught her staring before she quickly looked away with a blush on her cheeks. Then he turned back around and caught up to Sam.

“Lot of fire in that one, but the other is oddly shy. Begs the question. Whose execution do we seek?”

“Bartholomew Bogue,” Sam answered.

“Bart Bogue? The robber baron?” Faraday was surprised. “Means there's gold in the equation, but gold don’t do you much good when you’re buried with it.”

“You want out, feel free to leave. Just leave my horse, ‘cause I paid for it.”

“Just speaking out loud,” Faraday said.

“Twenty miles east of here,” Sam ordered, “Volcano Springs, supply station. You take Miss Q with you. Look for a Cajun, name of Robicheaux.”

“Goodnight Robicheaux?” Faraday asked.

“That’s right.”

“The Angel of Death.”

“Meet me outside of Junction City in three days,” Sam continued. “If I ain’t there, then it means I’m dead and you can keep my horse.” Sam turned to Emma. “You’re with me. Come on.” Sam and Emma rode off into the mountains and Faraday rode east with Teddy.

“‘Teddy’ is an odd name for a woman,” Faraday said.

“My real name is even odder. Most people get confused by it so it’s easier just to go by ‘Teddy’.”

“I find that hard to believe.” Faraday smiled at the young lady. He found it amusing how easy it was to make her blush. After being accustomed to the company of less reputable women, he found her timid innocence to be a breath of fresh air. “What is your real name?”

“I’ll tell you mine, if you tell me yours.”

“Joshua Faraday, at your service.” He tipped his hat and tried to bow in his seat, which Jack the horse did not appreciate. The horse shifted just enough to catch the man by surprise and had him falling out of the saddle. The sight had Teddy laughing so hard she couldn’t sit up straight in her own saddle. “Don’t you know it’s mean to laugh at a man when he’s down.”

“I’m sorry,” she said through her giggles. “That was just too funny.” She managed to calm down after a little while.

“You have to keep your promise, you know,” Faraday said as he picked himself back up.

“My name’s Theadora Quincy.”

“Couldn’t people just call you ‘Dora’?”

“Ugh, I hate when people call me that,” she grimaced. “For a while I tried to get people to call me ‘Thea’, but folk said that sounded too strange.”

“Well, don’t listen to them. Those folks obviously don’t know a pretty name when they hear it.” That earned him another blush from the young woman.

“Just get back on your horse, so we can keep moving, please.” Teddy said, smiling.

“As you wish.”

***************************************

Faraday and Teddy arrived at Volcano Springs just in time to see a slim Asian man win a gunfight with a throwing knife he had in his hair. Theadora was quite impressed at the show. A slightly older man in a long gray coat began collecting money from the betting spectators. A young man leaning on the fence voiced his dissent.

“I ain’t in the habit of paying off cheaters. I’ll be keeping my money.” Another man beside him decided to step in.

“Easy, Goodnight,” he said, even though the man in gray hadn’t really reacted yet. “He’s drunk. He don’t mean it.”

“Mr. Robicheaux,” the young man was awed at the man he had just insulted. “If I had known it was you, that was your man, I never would have made such a disrespectful comment.” Teddy and Faraday both perked up overhearing the conversation.

“It’s alright, son,” the man finally spoke. “You just pay me double.” Which the young man was quick to do. Goodnight kept collecting the winnings when he walked past Faraday and Teddy.

“Goodnight Robicheaux?” Faraday asked, but the man kept walking. “Sam Chisolm sent us!” At that, Goodnight turned around to get a proper look.

“What’s this about?” Goodie asked.

“We have a job,” Theadora said. “Mr. Chisolm said you might help us.”

“Well then,” Goodnight’s curious gaze turned into a calming smile. “There’s a nice tent where we can talk.”

*********************

They meandered into the big tent which served as a saloon and barber shop. Goodie immediately took a seat in the barber’s chair for a shave. The knife thrower from the fight found a plate of food and sat next to Goodie. Faraday kicked a couple of drunks out of their chairs and set them up for Teddy and himself.

“‘Duly sworn warrant officer from Wichita, Kansas and seven other states.’ Do we have the same man?”

“Yes, I believe we do,” Faraday laughed with Goodie.

“Should we talk somewhere more private?” Teddy asked in a timid voice.

“Aw, I like it right here, mon cher,” the Cajun pouted.

“Great, I'm stuck with the two biggest flirts I’ve ever met,” Thea joked before settling further in her seat. Goodnight simply chuckled.

“How ‘bout you, Billy. You like it here?” Goodie asked. The Asian mumbled his agreement as he passed over a cigarette.

“How did you two meet?” Teddy asked.

“How did we meet, Billy? I was serving a warrant on him for the Northern Pacific Railroad.”

“A warrant for what? Killing a man with a hair pin?” Faraday joked, chuckling until he noticed the blank stare from Billy.

“That is funny,” the knife fighter deadpanned. Faraday’s laugh exploded like a drunken belch, unexpected yet restrained to just one outburst.

“Here’s what it is. I found Billy down in an old redneck saloon in Texas, and all these good ol’ boys, they didn’t want to serve Billy’s kind. So this, uh, petite son of a bitch took on the whole room bare-knuckled. I watched in awe, and I said to myself, ‘Goodnight, this is not a man to arrest, this is a man to befriend.’”

“You make your living off of his alley fights?” Teddy asked, intrigued.

“Equal shares. Between fights Goodie helps me navigate the white man’s prejudices,” Billy elaborated.

“That’s right. I keep him employed, and he keeps me on the level.”

“Mr. Chisholm told us to fetch you, but he didn’t mention Billy,” Thea explained.

“Wherever I go, Billy goes.”

“I meant no offense,” Theadora said, raising her hands in a placating gesture.

“None taken, ma’am,” Billy spoke up.

“Then we understand each other,” Goodie said.

“Well, day-and-a-half ride to Junction City,” Faraday spoke up. “We got two days. Let’s do a half day of drinkin’.”

“I like you,” Goodie said.

“Oh, dear,” Teddy muttered, sharing an exasperated look with Billy.

********************

Two days later, the group reunited outside of Junction City. Teddy soon realized that the third figure under the giant tree was another fighter Chisom had recruited.

“Sam Chisolm!” Goodie howled as they came to a stop.

“Goodnight Robicheaux.” Sam smiled at his old friend.

“Oh, a sight to see, even with a storm on our backs.” Goodie jumped down from his horse.

“Rain ain’t nothin’ but wet.”

“What we lost in the fire, we will find in the ashes.”

“That’s right.” Goodie and Sam hugged with enthusiasm.

“This is Billy Rocks. He’s with me,” Goodie introduced as Billy picked up their horses’ reins.

“Sam,” Faraday spoke up from atop his horse. “Uh, that’s Billy. He come with Goodnight.” Josh stumbled off his horse, still drunk. Theadora slid gracefully off of her mare and brought it over to a low branch, tying the reins next to Emma’s horse.

“I don’t know about this one,” Goodnight joked to Sam about Faraday. “Who’s this?” He nodded to Emma.

“We work for her,” Sam answered. Goodie strolled up to the woman.

“Well, enchanté, mon cher,” he slipped into French as he greeted her.

“Emma Cullen.” She shook his hand, but he didn’t let go right away.

“Your hands are cold, Emma,” he noticed. “Are you nervous?”

She said nothing. It was understandable that both females would be nervous under the circumstances. Finding themselves surrounded by unfamiliar men who were all fighters, dangerous by definition. But at the same time, they were comforted by the fact that the men had joined up for the job because they were honorable. After all, the most dangerous men often make the best bodyguards.

“Don’t be,” he said in a calming voice. “‘Goodnight’s my name.” He walked over to Billy as he was tying up their horses.

“That Billy is pretty nifty with them pig-stickers,” Faraday informed Sam. Chisolm merely nodded before turning back to the camp. It was then that Faraday noticed Vasquez was watching them.

“Oh, good, we got a Mexican.”

Faraday strolled up to the vaquero, mocking him in a playful manner. Sam pulled Vasquez away from the drunk as Teddy came over to distract Joshua.

“Could you try not making fun of everyone you meet?” She asked in a scolding tone.

“What are you talking about? I haven’t made fun of you, yet.”

“Yeah, ‘yet’ being the key word here.” Faraday merely grinned wider. “Can’t you see that man is wound up tight enough as it is?”

“Come on, Thea. You really think he’s gonna shoot me?”

“He’s jumpy, and you’re the type that would poke a bear with a stick just to see what happens. So, yeah, I think there’s a good chance.” She tried to beat down the blush threatening to appear at the nickname, but Josh still saw the pink tinge on her cheeks.

“Aww, you’re worried about me?” He teased.

Thea froze. She figured that Josh was trying to flirt with her, and she had absolutely no idea how to react.

Teddy recalled how Faraday was with one of the saloon girls during the poker game before they met Chisolm. Since then, all he ever did was tease and flirt. She doubted that he actually meant any of it.

“You can’t help Rose Creek if you’re dead before we even get there,” she pointed out.

“Oh, sweet girl,” Faraday moved a stray lock of hair behind her ear, grinning as her blush deepened. “Maybe I’ll just have to tease you, instead.”

“It’s not like you don’t do so already,” Teddy muttered as she walked past him toward their campsite. She heard him chuckle, but didn’t turn around to catch his lingering gaze.

Chapter Text

The group had begun riding once more, following Sam as he led them on the road.

“What a merry band we are.” Goodnight spoke up from where he rode in the middle of the pack, next to Vasquez. “Me, a Gray; Chisolm, a Blue; Billy, a mysterious man of the Orient; a drunk Irishman; a Texican; and two females. This is not going to end well,” he ends sarcastically.

“I’m Mexican, cabron. No such thing as a ‘Texican’,” Vasquez corrected.

“Try telling that to my granddaddy. He died at the Alamo. New Orleans Greys, long barracks, bayonets. Blood, teeth. Mauled by a horde of teeming brown devils,” Goodie stated.

“My grandfather was one of those devils, you know. Toluca Battalion. Hey, maybe my grandfather killed your grandfather, huh?” Vasquez joked.

“What a charming thought. I sense we are bonding.” Goodie looked back at Billy, reassuring his long-time companion that there was nothing to worry about.

***********************

The group made it to a small hunting cabin near the base of the mountains. Instead of finding the one hunter they wanted, the two lanky men who were there claimed that they had killed him.

“So, we’re talking about the same Jack Horne?” Goodie asked in disbelief. “The Jack Horne. The legend Jack Horne?” The group all eyed the two in suspicion as they boasted.

Thea had sat on the edge of the porch; her feet dangled just above the ground. Joshua sat on the steps next to her, but also one step down, subtly placing himself in between her and the two strangers. Everyone else sat or stood nearby, subconsciously forming a protective circle around the two women.

“Legend? Legend my ass,” one stranger stated.

“He may have killed 300 Crow, but he ain’t never met the Pigeon Brothers before,” the other said.

“And you’re saying that’s Jack Horne’s rifle?” Sam motioned to the gun held by one brother. He proudly displayed the JH carved into the stock.

“It was Jack Horne’s rifle. There’s an Army fort gonna pay a thousand dollars for proof of death,” the one grunted as his brother hit him in the arm, but it was too late to stay quiet. “Rifle will do.”

“You’ve no body?” Faraday asked.

“Well, you see, Len here smashed a boulder over his head. He fell off a cliff.”

“Snuck up on him, huh?” Goodie remarked.

“Just what the hell are you trying to imply-“ Len was cut off as a hatchet lodged itself in his sternum. The suddenness of the attack made Thea jump in her seat. Without thinking, she grabbed hold of Faraday’s shoulder. The gunslinger draped his arm across the young woman’s legs and leaned back toward her.

As it turned out, the Pigeon brothers didn’t make very good bounty hunters. At that moment, Jack Horne came barreling down the hillside, very much alive, and very pissed off.

“Oh my lord,” Goodnight muttered in shock.

The other brother, too scared to aim properly, fired a shot from the stolen rifle straight into the sky as he blindly scuffled backwards before he tripped. He dropped the gun and began to crawl away. Jack, still being on two feet, picked it up and smashed the butt end into the thief’s head, knocking him out before Jack stomped on him, breaking his neck.

“The Pigeon Brothers weren’t famous very long,” Goodie joked. Jack picked his stolen hat off of one of the dead brothers and began collecting his pilfered items.

“These two ungodly creatures broke a rock on my head. Robbed me of my possessions. I trailed ‘em for two days,” Jack explained. His voice was high-pitched and wobbly, the mark of a man who lived in solitude and silence for too long.

“Guess they got what they deserved, Mr. Horne,” Sam spoke as Jack took back his stolen property. “My name is Sam Chisolm. We met about six years ago, up in Cheyenne.”

“Now, I got a right, by the Lord and by the law, to take back what belongs to me,” Jack went on, ignoring Sam’s words. “Are we in agreement?”

The group merely shrugged and gestured their compliance.

“Yes sir,” Sam spoke up again. “You still collecting scalps?” Horne pauses at the question.

“The government don’t pay a bounty on redskins anymore,” Faraday noted. “You must be out of work.”

“Now, that’s part of another story, ain’t it?” Jack shared a look of grief and slow healing pain with Sam.

“Yes, it is,” Chisolm agreed. “We, uh… we’re looking for some men, Mr. Horne.” Sam began his pitch. “Some good men like yourself, to do a job. Going after a fella name of Bartholomew Bogue and his men. Just… well, just thought you’d be interested.”

Jack never answered. He simply took the reins of his horse and led the equine away. Theadora hung her head, feeling the disappointment of his wordless rejection.

“I believe that bear was wearing people’s clothes.” Faraday earned a smack to the back of the head from Teddy for that one. The rest of the men all shared a chuckle at his joke and his expense.

*****************

The group moved on, riding quietly into Indian Territory. They came upon an area where tall platforms held a couple of bodies, decaying and covered in animal pelts.

“Never trust a people who bury their dead above the ground,” Vasquez stated.

“Don’t call the alligator ‘Big Mouth’ till you cross the river,” Goodie advised.

The group continued on, flinching at every sign of movement until finally they set up camp for the night near a tall cliff face. Sam stoked the fire, and everyone else claimed their spots nearby. Faraday, sitting higher up on a rock, began throwing pebbles at Theodora until she moved to sit next to him.

“I’m curious how you got that Open Top .45 Long Colt, ‘cause that’s Army issue. Was it your father’s?” Josh asked.

“No. My father was a blacksmith, not a soldier.”

“You know how to shoot that thing?”

“Yes.” His eyebrows rose in disbelief. “I’ve used it for hunting a few times.” Her voice lowered even further into her whisper. “Though, to be honest, I’ve only once had reason to shoot a person before.”

“Now that sounds like an interesting story.” Teddy looked down at her feet, uncomfortable.

“One of the Blackstone Agents got a little too drunk at the saloon one night. He cornered me in an alley as I was heading home…” she paused. Joshua had a pretty good guess as to what the man had wanted. “He had dropped his rifle, and I managed to take his pistol from him, he was so drunk.” She unholstered the revolver at her hip to show it to Faraday. “Shot him in the kneecap. When the Sheriff and the other Blackstones came to see what happened, I told them. Sheriff Harp was gonna arrest him, but McCann just shot him in the head. Right there in the alley.” Thea sniffed back the tears threatening to form. “I took his pistol and his rifle so I could defend myself if something like that ever happened again.”

Josh put his arm around the woman’s shoulders, drawing her into his side.

“When we win, I’ll make sure nothing like that will ever happen to you again,” he whispered in her ear.

Thea pulled back from his embrace and stood up.

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep, Joshua.” She descended onto her own bedroll next to Emma and lay down, waiting for sleep to claim her, but her mind would not calm down.

“The fire still burns,” Goodnight said as he crouched down next to Sam. Wolves howled in the distance. “We have heard the chimes at midnight. Have we not?” He chuckled. “So, what’s the play here, Sam, huh? What’s the payout? Little gold, hmm? Cash money? Diamonds?”

“You ain’t changed,” the two laughed. “Everything that, uh… Everything they have, that’s what they offered.” Sam and Goodie looked towards the two women. Teddy didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but now she was curious.

“They’re about the same age your sisters’d be by now, huh?” Goodie noticed.

Sam weakly mumbled his affirmation, a sad look appearing in his eyes.

“Just making sure we’re fighting the battle in front of us, not behind.” Goodie shared the same sad look.

******************

Sam awoke with a start the next morning, swiftly drawing his gun. The click of the hammer woke the rest of the group as well.

“Smell that?” Goodie asked.

“What smell, the smoke?” At that moment, Thea couldn’t smell anything other than the remains of their fire.

“It’s blood,” Sam corrected.

The rocks clattered as Jack Horne came upon the camp from the hill behind Goodie. His hands were out in a placating gesture before he signaled there was one other approaching from the other side of camp. Everyone turned to see a young Native American man riding up on horseback. A dead deer was slung across his lap.

“Please tell me I am hallucinating,” Goodnight said in shock. Everyone but Teddy aimed their guns at the warrior.

“You are hallucinating, so am I,” Faraday said.

Goodie climbed up on top of the rocks, looking around frantically.

“Where there’s one, there’s more.”

“Hold your fire,” Chisolm ordered before raising his voice, addressing the young wanderer. “Comanche?” He asked, making everyone look at him in amazement. “We come in peace.” He began walking up to the rider after handing his gun to Vasquez.

“You speak Comanche?” The native asked.

“Some. You speak white man’s English?”

“Some.”

“Where’s your tribe?” Sam asked in English, knowing that he and the Comanche warrior would still be able to understand each other.

“The elders told me my path is different.”

“My path is different, too. My path… our path,” Sam gestured to the rest of the group. “We go to fight wicked men. Probably, we all die.”

The native looked around at the group before letting the deer fall to the ground. He dismounted and began carving into the carcass. Sam merely watched as he pulled a chunk of meat out.

“I’m called Red Harvest.” He held out the raw meat for Sam to take, motioning for the man to take a bite. Sam’s eyes screwed nearly closed at the taste of the bloody venison, handing it back to Red Harvest. The young brave took a bite without any hesitation or grimace. Sam walked back to camp.

“What’d he say?” Horne asked.

“Said he’s with us,” Sam answered. “Gonna fix him some breakfast. I had mine.”

************************

“We should stop somewhere and come up with a plan before we get to town,” Sam figured as they neared the valley.

“My property serves as a kind of waypoint for the entrance into the valley,” Teddy spoke up. “If you’d like, I’ll go on ahead and see if I can whip up some lunch before you get there.”

“Sure, we won’t be far behind.”

Thea spurred her mare to go faster and disappeared over the ridge.

“Uh, shouldn’t one of us go with her?” Faraday asked, trying not to be obvious. “What if Bogue’s men are at her house, just waiting for her, or something?”

“She’ll be fine. Bogue ordered his men to leave Teddy alone,” Emma revealed. “She’s probably the only one in Rose Creek that’s safe from the Blackstones.”

“How come?” Sam asked.

“It’s not my place to say. Teddy will explain when she’s ready,” Emma insisted.

However, once they got to the Quincy homestead they found nothing but the charred remains of the property, and a cloud of dust kicked up by Thea’s horse as she bolted into town.

“Alright, let’s make this quick,” Sam said.

*******************

“What the hell are you playing at, McCann?” Sam and Billy could hear Teddy from the far end of town as they strolled right down the main drag. Actually, Billy marched on his own two feet while Chisolm still rode his horse. They made quite an odd pair, all the better to attract attention from the Blackstone agents.

“I’m afraid I have no idea-“

“Don’t give me that shit,” Thea interrupted. “You cowards burned down my home, just like you did with the church. I want to know why.”

“You know why.” McCann, the leader of the Blackstone agents in Rose Creek, saw no sense in beating around the bush any longer. “Bogue is tired of waiting. Sure, he gave us orders not to hurt you directly, but now his patience has run out. You have no money to rebuild, and no means to provide for yourself. You are only a woman, after all,” he said in a condescending tone. “Your only choice now is to give in.”

“And if I don’t?” Thea asked defiantly.

“Then we’ll drag you kicking and screaming all the way to Sacramento.”

Just then, the Sheriff and Agents all noticed Sam and Billy approaching down Main Street.

“Afternoon, lady and gentlemen,” Chisolm greeted.

“Town has a ban on firearms,” the Sheriff said. “Check ‘em in. Get ‘em back on your way out.”

“If you don’t mind me asking, how is it that all of you go so well-heeled?” Sam asked.

“These men are deputies.” The Sheriff’s voice faltered.

“Awful lot of deputies for such a small place, ain’t it?” Chisolm noted.

“What’s his story?” one of the other agents named Moody, demanded, pointing a meaty finger at Billy Rocks.

“Ah, my manservant. He’s harmless.” Billy shot the warrant officer a look as he dismounted from his horse. “Saved his life in Shanghai. Debt of honor, and the like.”

“Now, you don’t mind giving up those guns, do you?” McCann’s prompting led Thea to realize that she had left her guns in her saddlebags. But she was too far away from her horse to run and grab them now.

“Absolutely. Law and order, I say,” Sam agreed as he held his hands up before plucking his revolver out of the holster, holding it out.

“Sheriff,” McCann nudges, but none of the men move to take the gun. There was an ominous feeling in the air, as if taking Sam’s gun would be the most dangerous thing to do.

“Now, I must tell you that I’m more than happy to cooperate,” Sam spoke up. “I can’t say the same for my compadres behind you.”

The agents turn to see Goodnight come out from behind a wagon, resting his rifle against his hip, blocking any exit from that particular street.

Another turn, and they found Faraday sauntering across the porch of a building just behind Teddy. His gait was slow and menacing. His hands drew attention to his pistols.

Vasquez leaned against the wooden railing across the street from the gambler, an unlit cigar between his teeth. He looked more at ease in that moment than any other on the entire journey up to that point.

Movement to Billy’s left revealed Jack Horne meandering down an alleyway between two buildings. He was chewing on a piece of dried jerky.

“Quite a batch of strays,” Moody noted.

“I’ll say a prayer for you. You know, a little prayer,” Jack muttered.

“Yeah, you’ll make a hell of a rug,” McCann spoke up.

“And you’ll be murdered,” Faraday grinned, “by the world’s greatest lover.”

Teddy rolled her eyes.

“All right. What’s your aim here, mister?” McCann questioned.

“Well, I hear that there are some cowards running security here, so I figured we'd come down here and look after all this gold,” Chisolm stated.

“Cowards?”

“Blackstone detective agents. Cowards. Now, Blackstones are good, union busting, back-shooting homesteaders and women, but you put ‘em up against some real men, men that know what they’re doing- You sure you don’t want my gun?” Sam took one step forward, still holding his gun out for the Sheriff.

“Now, you do know who we work for, right? The force he can bring to bear?” McCann tried to intimidate them.

“You tell Bogue that if he wants this town… come see me,” Sam directed without flinching.

After a moment of silent tension, McCann let out a swift piercing whistle. Some other Agents looked around, waiting for something to happen.

“I don’t believe he heard you,” Sam remarked. He gave a swift order in Comanche. At once the sniper on top of the building behind Sam keeled over dead. Red Harvest appeared in the same spot and shot one of the Blackstones with an arrow.

The tension in the street was nearly tangible as everyone merely waited for someone else to make the next move. Some Agents looked around nervously. Sam glared at McCann. Horne finished eating his jerky. Faraday noted the footsteps coming from the balcony above him.

“Go on, horse.” Sam clicked his tongue, and his stallion obediently meandered off to a side street.

Movement from one of the Agents prompted Sam to draw his guns properly and the fight began. He killed Moody first, before anyone else even had their pistols ready.

Chaos erupted in the street. Some Blackstones ran, while others stayed to fight. The Sheriff hid under a porch. The Seven began picking off the agents one by one. Faraday was quick to pull Thea behind him and took out the sniper through the wood slats above. Jack Horne scared the living hell out of the Sheriff as he beat a Blackstone to death with his axe while spouting scripture verses. Billy Rocks seemed to dance as he mauled several men with his knives, even pinning one to a wooden post by the blade stuck through his chest.

Faraday heard the click of a gun behind him, only for Thea to take his second pistol and shoot the man coming up from behind. He had killed men for touching his guns before, but this was different. This was an innocent woman doing what she could to protect the people close to her.

Vasquez moved to cover the woman and the gambler as they ended up in the middle of the street. Goodnight took aim at any Blackstone that came close but never fired a shot. Sam dealt with a minor hostage situation in the hotel. Jack tackled a man, bringing his horse to the ground as well. Red Harvest stayed on the rooftop, sniping men with his arrows.

McCann was quick to fetch his horse when he noticed the swift extermination of the other Blackstones. He took a risk, needing to ride past the ex-confederate soldier, but the man couldn’t seem to pull the trigger.

Faraday walked up behind Goodie as the man aimed at the retreating figure.

“Go on, shoot him,” Faraday said to Goodnight. The sharpshooter had McCann in his sights, even as he flew like a bat out of hell out of town. “Take that shot. Take the damn shot!”

But the ex-Confederate couldn’t do it. He didn’t have it in him, haunted as he was by old ghosts from the war.

“Give me that.” Billy grabbed the rifle out of Goodie’s hands. “It’s jammed,” he said after examining the chamber.

They all reconvened in the middle of town. Red dropped down to the street next to Thea. He made sure the woman wasn’t injured before going around to collect some of his arrows.

“How did we do?” Sam asked.

“I got five,” Billy stated.

“I got six. What’d you get?” Faraday asked Vasquez.

“Six.”

“I got seven,” Faraday corrected. Vasquez scoffed as the gambler held up seven fingers, as if to prove a point. “You want to tie it up?”

“Say when, güero.”

“Hey.” Sam crouched down. “Come on out of there.” The Sheriff crawled out of his hole, looking dejected and pathetic.

Faraday noticed that Thea still had one of his pistols. She was shaking and her grip on the handle of the revolver turned her knuckles white. Joshua approached the woman calmly. With slow movements he gained her attention and gently pried the gun from her fingers. Thea allowed him to take her by the hand and lead her over to the group.

“Take off that gun belt,” Sam ordered Sheriff Harp. “Nice and easy. Take off that badge, too.”

“I’m still the Sheriff. Duly elected,” he stuttered.

“Consider this a recall. Now, you’re gonna deliver a message to your boss.”

“Mister, you already sent him a message, only you’re not gonna like his answer.”

“Tell him we have his town, we have this whole valley. He wants it back, he’s gonna have to make a deal with us.”

“He don’t make deals. You can ask anybody here. He’s just gonna send as many men as it takes to squash you flat.”

“We’ll be waiting. In the meantime, you tell him this: Lincoln, like the president. Say it.”

“Lincoln, like the president.”

“That’s right. Lincoln, Kansas. And you tell him if he don’t show up himself, he ain’t nothing but a yellow-bellied sapsucking coward.” The Sheriff began walking toward the stables, hoping he wouldn’t take a bullet or knife in the back. “Hey!” He turned back again. “Sam Chisolm. Say it.”

“Sam Chisolm,” the Sheriff repeated before continuing on his way. Once the man was gone, the Seven noticed how silent it was.

“Well, this is quite the welcoming party,” Faraday remarked.

“Where is everybody?” Vasquez asked.

“I think we killed ‘em all.”

“Oh, they’re here,” Goodie said. “They just want to make sure their candle is lit before they blew out the match.”

Emma came riding into town, hollering for the people to come out. Eventually, the scared citizens of Rose Creek gathered in the street.

“Don’t be afraid. I have assembled these men and offered fair pay,” Emma addressed.

“Who picked you to deal on our behalf?” Gavin, the hotel/brothel owner demanded.

“Not like any of you were gonna do anything,” Teddy snarked, finally finding her voice.

Faraday felt a tightening in his chest as he realized they were still holding hands.

“Seems we were the only ones with balls enough to do so.” The Seven chuckled at Emma’s crude statement. “So, I did. As I said, these men are here to help us. Mister Chisolm?” She gestured for the man to speak to the people.

“Uh, my name is Sam Chisolm, and I’m a duly sworn warrant officer in Wichita, Kansas. Also, a licensed peace officer in the Indian Territories, Arkansas, and seven other states.” He found his usual introduction gave him a sense of security, as he was unprepared to give any sort of speech. “Now, what happened here was just an opening skirmish. The real battle is yet to come. The idea is that when it comes, it’ll be on our terms.”

“On our terms?”

“Yeah, there’s no way in hell.”

“Son of a bitch’ll come back with 200 men and slaughter us all.”

“If you want to leave, leave,” Emma offered. “Just don’t take anything you didn’t bring with you.”

“You want to keep your town, you’re gonna have to fight for it,” Sam bluntly stated. “Now, we’re here to help you, but you got to help us. We’re gonna need every somebody out here to help us fight.”

“Good lord! Are you suggesting we wait here to face retaliation?” Gavin asked in disbelief.

“Hell yeah, we are,” Thea spoke up.

“What?”

“Let ‘em come. We’ll be ready for them,” Thea encouraged.

“Easy for you to say,” one man shouted. “You’re the only one who’s safe from Bogue.”

“Safe?! His men destroyed my home, and you think I’m safe?” She took a few threatening steps closer to the townsfolk. “Bogue would break me into obedience like a wild horse, and you think that’s safe?!” Thea was proud of the fact that she rarely ever became angry, but she was having a very bad day. “How many times have I protected your daughters from those Blackstones? For how long did I take care of the miners, so that they wouldn’t bother you all?” She managed to reign in her growing temper, lowering her voice so she no longer shouted. “Even if I gave myself to him, it wouldn’t stop him from taking this valley from you.”

Thea stormed off, needing to get away. Faraday nearly went after her but stopped from Horne’s hand on his shoulder.

“I beg your pardon, sir,” the Preacher spoke up. “The spirit here is willing, but we are not killers.”

“Most aren’t, till they’re looking down the barrel of a gun,” Sam replied.

“Now, I never shot anything that could shoot back,” one man said. “But this is our home. Damned if I won’t defend it.”

“That’s right,” Sam encouraged. “And now, let me tell you, these men that are coming here, they’re gonna underestimate you. That’ll be their first mistake.”

“That’s all well and good,” a young mother spoke. “But we don’t have enough time. Bogue said he’d be back in three weeks. That was eight days ago.”

“One week,” Sam interrupted.

“No, one week?”

“One week. Three days ride to Sacramento with the bad news, one day for Bogue to plan, three days back. Seven days, that’s all you got,” Sam explained. “We’ll get started in the morning. Get a good night’s rest. It may be your last for a while.”

As the townspeople dispersed, the Seven stayed on the porch along with Emma. Each of them was worrying about a certain young woman.

“What was all that about?” Sam asked, referring to Teddy’s angry rant.

Emma let out a sigh.

“Bogue got the notion in his mind that Thea belongs to him,” Emma admitted. “He’s tried for so long to win her over, but she refuses to be his trophy.” The widow looked off to the west, toward the ruins of her best friend’s house. “Give her time to process everything, she hates crying in front of people.”

***************

Her mother had once told her that love was a game that everyone played by different rules. Some couples, like Emma and Mathew, just knew in an instant they were supposed to be together. Other couples, like Teddy’s parents, came together because it was expected of them and they grew to love each other. Some, like Bogue, simply took what they wanted and damn the consequences.

And what Bogue wanted, besides Rose Creek, was Teddy. She had spent so long avoiding Bogue’s advances that she didn’t know how to play the game at all.

He had tried to win her with his wealth, first by flaunting it in the hopes that she would be impressed. When that didn’t work, he tried to offer a ridiculous sum of money to her parents for her hand. But they hadn’t been swayed either. When Theadora’s parents died, he tried a more direct approach, suggesting that he would take care of her and her homestead. She wouldn’t give up her independence.

When he started building his mine, he sent the miners to camp on the edge of her land. She merely learned how to cook bigger, yet less expensive, stews and soups for the men. When his Blackstone agents started harassing the townsfolk, Bogue gave orders to leave the Quincy woman alone. She acted as a shield for the others, protecting the young women of Rose Creek from the lecherous Blackstones.

She had let her horse carry her home. At least, what was left of it. Thea dismounted, letting her horse graze nearby. The woman walked over to the stump of an old tree, a massive oak that her parents had been buried under. The Blackstones had chopped it down and used it as kindling to get the house to burn easier. Her legs gave out, her mind overwhelmed in a maelstrom of emotion. She curled up in a ball, laying down in between the graves of her parents, and quietly sobbed.

It was nearly time for supper when Thea finally calmed down, but her grief stole away her appetite. As she sat up, a canteen emerged in her peripheral vision. She noted the pale hand that held out the jug. She wearily took the offered drink and began gulping the refreshing water from it.

“I don’t know what to do,” she admitted when she paused for breath.

“I was in a similar position once,” she heard Billy's quietly confident voice from his spot just behind her. “No family, no home, surrounded mostly by people who hated me for something I couldn’t control. It’s a dark place to be.”

“So, how did it get better for you?”

“Goodie,” he replied. “He helped me out. When he goes back to his own dark place, I help him out, too. Get yourself someone who needs you with everything they are, just as much as you need them.”

“But I don’t have anyone like that.”

“I think you know that’s not quite true.” When Thea turned around, Billy could see the stubborn disbelief in her reddened eyes. Was this girl so blind that she really hadn’t noticed? Billy and Goodnight had talked about Faraday’s behavior around the woman, agreeing that such gentle attention was odd from a man like him. “Come on, they’ll be worried if I show up back in town without you.” Billy held out his hand to help Thea off the ground. She allowed the deceivingly slim fighter to pull her up.

They rode back to town together; all the while Thea kept her head down. She hadn’t the heart to see what the people thought of her, the begrudged contempt of the townsfolk, the hatred of the ones who blamed her, the pity of Emma and the preacher. She couldn’t handle it, so she refused to look.

Billy led her into the saloon where Emma and another woman were fixing up dinner for the Seven. Thea planted herself on one of the tall barstools and Billy Rocks took up his usual spot right next to Goodnight. In between serving the boys and putting a plate in front of Teddy, Emma and the other folk kept watching the men.

“Like being in one of them damn zoos,” Faraday noted.

“Fame is a sarcophagus,” Goodie said

“You read those in a book, or do you just make ‘em up as you go?” The gambler asked.

“I’ll try to use one-syllable words from now on,” the ex-confederate teased.

“...What’s a syllable?”

Goodie merely chuckled.

“White people’s food is for dogs,” Red Harvest said, directing his attention to Horne.

“What’d he say?” the hunter asked.

“He asks that you kindly stop staring at his hairline,” Sam lied.

“I will. As long as he stops licking his lips over mine.” The group laughed at the elder’s teasing manner.

Before long, the group were well fed and ready to settle down for the night. Most of the seven elected to claim a room in the saloon, but Jack and Red each went to set up their own camp outside of town.

Thea still sat at the bar until Emma laid a gentle hand on her arm.

“Come on,” the widow coaxed. “You’re staying at my place.”

As Faraday watched the women leave, Sam watched Faraday, noting how his gaze lingered on Thea even after she was out of sight.