Earthbound (32 page)

“So… I’m sorry about what you saw last
night.”

I grumbled a little. “She’s not my
girlfriend, so, whatever.”

“She’s not mine either. I mean, I’ve got no
more claim on her than you do. Probably less, I suppose. It was
just… a thing. You know what I mean? It didn’t mean anything.”

Pace gave me an opportunity to shove a knife
into a wound, so I took it. “That’s what she told me too. Said it
didn’t mean anything.”

“She did?” Pace seemed a little puzzled by
that. Heh. Just trying to keep everyone honest is all.

“It’s okay if you love her, Pace. If she’s
not gonna be with me, well then, if you two make each other happy
then so be it.”

“That’s very understanding of you, Ash. But,
uh, as a point of fact, I think she likes you better.”

“I find that hard to believe.”

“You two have history is all. It’s
complicated. And you know me, I’m not complicated. And… and I’m
sorry for saying this, but you’re cursed with a romantic’s heart.
That’s what I’m saying. You’ve got to really like the girl you do
it with. That’s why you didn’t hook up with that girl up in Augusta
or that prostitute in Conrad.”

“I liked them both fine,” I sighed. “It’s
just… you know…”

“They’re no Rebecca.”

“Right.”

“Well that’s never stopped me from having a
good time. Ask Grace back in Augusta or any number of girls.”

“I’m not like you. I can’t just shift things
around in my head like that. If I’m gonna be with a girl I gotta,
you know… kinda like her.”

“Or love her. You can say it. You love
Rebecca.”

I couldn’t say it, but of course I love
Becca.

“And I do too,” Pace continued, not needing
me to give him an answer. “But love is a lady’s prerogative. We can
love all we want, but until they love us back, we’ve got nothing
but empty kisses and hollow hearts.”

“You don’t think Becca loves you?” I
asked.

“Me?” He thought about that for a second. “Me
she lusts. You she loves.” The words hung in the air, like a bald
eagle hitting a wind pocket and just gliding for a second. I chose
not to say anything else. I just looked away and spat.

We heard the earth rumble coming from the
south. Thought it maybe was the transport. But no, it was too many
hooves. Pretty soon we saw a herd of wild bison rounding the
corner, racing off to, well, wherever they wanted. It was
impressive. I wished I was out riding Charon, trying to herd ‘em.
Maybe pick one off and make jerky with that salt Becca got me.
Instead though we just watched ‘em go. We had a different job to
do.

After the earth returned to silence, I hoped
Pace had forgotten all about our conversation. But no. Course he
hadn’t.

“I’m not sure Rebecca wants anything to do
with either one of us anymore,” Pace forged on. “The minute we
turned outlaw it was over for both of us. Let’s face it. We get the
transport and leave the Great Plains, do you really think our
outlaw ways are over? Isn’t it just the most exciting thing you’ve
ever done? We go to Canada or wherever, even if we never rob a bank
again there’ll be something else. We’re not going to stop and
eventually Rebecca will leave us both.”

I didn’t answer, but deep down I had a
feeling Pace was right.

“So… how was it?” I asked.

Pace looked at me, not sure if I was saying
what I was saying. When he got the sense I was saying what I was
saying, he laughed a little bit. “I’ve been with a lot of women.
She’s special.”

Special indeed. In that moment, we heard
something. Rocks tumbling, dust being turned up. Somebody was
climbing up Tower Rock. We drew our weapons and crept over to the
edge to take a look. Imagine my surprise to see Becca scrambling up
that hill. And she was doing a fine job of it too, despite her
prairie dress. We reached over and pulled her up to the top when
she got close.

“What on earth are you doing here?” Pace
asked. Becca was a little out of breath so she didn’t answer right
away. “We thought you were going to wait for us back at the
hideout.”

“That was the right thing to do,” I added.
“Not sure how safe it’ll be here.”

“You’re right,” Becca replied, still catching
her breath. “It’s not safe. Not safe at all. You need to get out of
here. Now!”

I was taken aback by the look in her deep
brown eyes. After all we’d been through, she looked real
scared.

“Rebecca,” Pace said, “take a few breaths and
calm down. What are you saying?”

“I… I’m saying I did something.” Becca
immediately melted down crying. “I was hoping I could convince you
to run. I tried, I pleaded. But you wouldn’t listen. I’m sorry, I’m
sorry! So sorry!”

Pace was angry. “Becca, what the eff did you
do?”

“Back in Choteau I paid that girl to send a
message. That you’d be here, waiting for the transport. So you
could be arrested. Stand trial. I thought it was for your own good.
Jail is safer than death.”

I couldn’t really believe the words Becca was
saying. Neither could Pace. “You betrayed us?” he said, getting
angry real quick. “You betrayed us to save us?”

Becca tried her best to defend herself. “I
had to. You gave me no choice. You already have everything you
need. You always did. You just wouldn’t understand that. This is
it. Run. Run away right now before it’s too late! This is your last
chance!”

Another voice chimed in. A familiar
voice.

“It
was
their last chance.”

In all the commotion we didn’t hear someone
else climbing up Tower Rock. And that someone stood before us,
aiming his weapons at us.

Boze.

“Oh eff you, Boze!” Pace shouted. He was
heated up. I was more focused on watching Boze’s trigger
fingers.

“Before you boys do anything stupid,” Boze
said coolly, “I’ve got my Nuggets in various positions aiming
shotguns right at your chests. Take a look.”

I turned and saw Birkin, Lister and Priestly,
each standing triangulated across route 15, each with shotguns
pointed at us. I was disappointed to see Birkin the most. Kinda
hoped he’d drowned in the Missouri. Oh well.

“Good tactual work, Boze,” I said. I hadda
call it like I seen it.

“Weapons,” Boze ordered.

I threw mine to the dirt. I looked at Pace
and indicated that he needed to do the same. Reluctantly he
did.

Boze glanced at Becca. “You did the right
thing,” he said. “And I appreciate the choice you made.”

“Choice?” Pace asked.

“She’s chosen to come back to me. Guess you
didn’t know that, huh.”

Becca was in tears. “I’m so sorry!”

Pace was annoyed with her apology. “If you
don’t mind, I’d prefer you stop saying that. It isn’t really
helping us at the moment.”

It definitely was not. I needed all my
thinking powers in that moment to ponder our options. If Boze would
lower his weapons or turn his attention away from us for just a
second, Pace and I could dive down and likely miss the shotgun
fire. Take our chances from there. But Becca could get caught in
the crossfire. I couldn’t risk that. So I hadda think of what would
happen if we gave ourselves up all peaceful like.

“I’m concerned about Birkin,” I said. “He
threatened Becca back in Conrad. Can you guarantee her safety?”

Boze nodded. “I can. I know Birkin can go off
the rails at times, but he just wants your head. Now he’ll get it.
He’s got no more need of Rebecca.”

“Thank you kindly,” I responded. Boze always
was an idiot but always enough of a gentleman that I felt like I
could take him at his word.

“So what happens now?” Pace asked.

“We take you back to Great Falls,” Boze
replied. “You might get a little roughed up in the process, I’m
sorry to say.”

That made Becca angry. “Boze, in my message I
asked you to promise not to use force!”

“I’ll do my best, Rebecca. But that’s where I
can’t control the Nuggets much.” I wanted to see the Nuggets try to
lay a hand on me. Even if I was handcuffed, it would end worse for
them than me. “But I’ll promise a fair trial. It is a shame though.
I did just reinstitute the death penalty.”

That made Becca furious. Gun or no gun, Becca
clocked Boze good across his chin. I glanced at Pace. This was our
moment of opportunity. Hadda take it. We dove forward, hopefully
out of rifle range, and grabbed our guns. Shotgun fire rang out but
fortunately it missed all of us. Me and Pace crawled toward the
center of Tower Rock. No shotguns could reach us there. Then we
stood up. Unfortunately Boze had righted himself as well. We had a
good old fashioned stand-off on our hands.

“Climb up!” I could hear one of the Nuggets
yell. They were gonna climb up Tower Rock themselves. In a minute,
we’d be outnumbered with nowhere to run. We needed to do something
fast.

“Put your guns down and let’s talk about
this,” Becca pleaded. But no one was gonna do that anytime
soon.

I heard the sounds of the Nuggets climbing up
the side of Tower Rock. Sounded like one of them slipped and fell
down. Hope that one broke his neck.

I looked at Pace. Boze just needed to hold us
off another minute. Then it’d be all over. And I had nothing.
“Pace, you got any ideas?”

Fortunately he did. “You know Boze, it
doesn’t really need to be like this.”

“It doesn’t? What way does it really need to
be?”

“Let’s face it. Life in Great Falls isn’t
enough for any of us. And whatever nickels and dimes you can
shakedown or skim off the top isn’t enough to make a difference. We
need to amass great wealth to make a difference in our lives.”

“What are you going on about?” Boze
asked.

Pace continued. “There’s not much hope trying
to make an honest living. And bank robbing… well, that’s been
mighty lucrative to us.”

“It’s been profitable,” I added, liking where
he was going.

“There’s not many good business opportunities
out here in the Great Plains,” Pace continued. “I think you’ve
found a good one. That transport’s coming around soon with a lot of
gold. Would be a damned missed opportunity to let it ride on by.
If, let’s say, you and your boys help us stop that transport, we
could split the haul fifty-fifty.”

Boze was listening. No reason for him not to.
He had the upper hand. “This is where your argument breaks down. I
like my life in Great Falls, now that Rebecca’s coming home with
me. I see no need for me to turn outlaw.”

“A piece of a hundred thousand gold coins
doesn’t change your mind?”

Time was up. All three Nuggets made it to the
top of Tower Rock. They pointed their weapons at us while they
surrounded me and Pace. Closed right on in until they were inches
away. Pace and I instinctively shifted, back to back, so we could
each cover a 180° area of Tower Rock.

I studied Priestly and Lister. I could tell
by their eyes they were waiting. They weren’t gonna shoot unless
the boss told ‘em too. Then I eyed Birkin. He was always the one to
watch out for. Not the smartest, but definitely the most dangerous.
And he had his shotgun aimed right at me. I noticed his head was
bandaged up from his fall off his horse. Must’a hurt.

Pace noticed too. He laughed. “How’s your
head, Birkin? Thought you knew how to ride a horse better than
that!”

Birkin squinted his eyes with his meanest
look and shoved the barrel of his shotgun in the side of Pace’s
head.

Boze put his hand on Birkin’s shotgun and
calmly turned it back toward me. Nice move, Boze, I really
appreciated that. At least Boze had his head in the game.

Becca tried to be the voice of reason in all
this. “You all need to know that if any of you starts shooting,
several are you are going to die. On both sides. Think about that.
Inky black death. Do you want that?”

“Shut the eff up, woman,” Birkin scowled.

“That’s not very polite, Birkin,” Pace
lectured.

“I agree,” I added. “Leave her outta
this.”

“They’re right,” Boze agreed. “Shut the eff
up, Birkin.”

Birkin grumbled but listened to his boss.

“What’s your next move, Boze?” Pace asked.
“Have I made a convincing argument?”

“Nuggets,” Boze said, “these boys have
suggested we help rob that transport that’s coming.”

“I ain’t doin’ that,” Priestly said with
resolve. “I’m a lawman, aren’t I? Don’t wanna go to jail
myself.”

“You Nuggets wear a kerchief over your
faces,” Pace suggested. “And leave it to me and Ash to do the
talking. The guards on that transport won’t know it’s you. And then
you can go back to Great Falls and blame it on us.”

“And if this is appealing to me,” Boze
considered, “what’s to stop me from shooting you dead and then rob
the transport without you?”

“Me,” Becca interjected. “You want me? You
leave these boys alive and intact.”

In that moment I kinda understood what was
going through Becca’s head. She was trying to sacrifice herself for
us. Maybe she was a little fond of me after all. As a brother, you
know.

Boze was thinking things over. I could
tell.

“Last time we conducted business together,”
he said, “you done double-crossed us. Why should I trust you
now?”

“Because last time we wanted different
things,” Pace reasoned. “Now we want the same thing.”

Boze seemed to like that explanation. But
Birkin didn’t.

“Oh they’ll double-cross us,” Birkin scowled.
“You can bet on that.”

“Shut the eff up Birkin,” Boze retorted. Then
he turned his attention back to Pace. “If I’m to get my Nuggets to
agree, everyone’s gonna need an even cut.”

“That hardly seems fair,” Pace countered.
“Ash and I have done all the prep work.”

“I think it’s fair that me and the Nuggets
are compromising our integrity as lawmen by letting you walk.
That’s worth something.” Ha. Integrity. Right. “Besides, we’d be
giving you brawn. Manpower. Weapons. You’ve done well with a
two-man crew, but imagine how easy it’ll be with an extra crew of
four able-bodied men?”