Stories For the Damned

Alexanders - Ch 1

I already had four- to five drinks and with a sixth one in hand I stumbled into the Van Horn saloon, a piano was playing while working girls and gruff cowboys stood flirting and mingling.

I had just gotten back from robbing a couple of O'Driscolls down near Valentine and wanted to celebrate a little so I had a drink. Soon one turned into two and then five and the next thing I knew I was getting off a stagecoach and making my way to another bar.

My boots clunked against the wooden floor as I took step after step, everything barely visible through my distorted vision. Not thinking, I made my way to the blackjack table keen on playing a few rounds. I went to sit down at one of the vacant chairs when someone stepped in my way.

"Wha....?" I said and slowly looked up to meet the tall, broad, burly figure's face. He said something, looking angry and I noticed that he spoke with an Irish brogue. Shit. "Can I help you, partner?" I said trying to play it dumb but he wasn't having any of it.

"You killed some of our folks down at six-point, now you pay the price."

"Listen feller, I ain't got no clue what your talkin' 'bout..." Looking over his shoulder I could see a scraggly looking feller standing up and heard him crack his knuckles.

"You killed my cousin!" the guy in front of me growled.

"Well in my defense..." I got ready to fight, holding the neck of the bottle. "...He started it," I said before smashing the guy with my bottle, the glass shattering on his face leaving cuts.

"AUGHHHH!" he screamed and that's when things started getting wild. The music stopped and I heard shouting around me along with the scuffle of chairs and screams. But I didn't have time to take it all in before the other guy came at me with a yell, he swung his fist but I quickly dodged it and struck him in the face with a grunt. He stumbled back and I took the chance to lay hit after hit on him, his face becoming bloody.

I was getting into an odd groove when suddenly someone had me by the neck. "I got her!" the person holding me said, it was the man whose face I hit with the bottle. The skinny bastard took to punching me in the face and stomach as the other guy held me.

It got so that I couldn't count the punches, things started getting dim and the pain became a dull pounding. I gasped for breath, the hits drowning me.

"She's not getting out of this one." The man holding me said.

'Getting out' that's it.

I started hitting back with my elbow into his side with all of my strength. When he finally let me go I kicked the guy in front of me square in the balls, then I turned around and sucker punched the other one. He fell back and didn't get up. The scrawny man was still holding his jewels and screaming bloody murder so I took to punching him in the face over and over until all that could be heard was the sound of my grunts and my fist meeting his skin.

When I finally stopped my heart was beating wildly. I brought a hand up to my now swollen eye and bleeding nose, touching the tender skin. Pain shot through me and I almost cried out.

"Sarah?" I heard and looked to my left to see Chase Alexanders, Sadie Adler, and Charles Smith standing there. They were old friends that I hadn't seen in god knows how long. All three of them had bewilderment written all over their faces.

"Hi," I said and immediately passed out.

When I came to, I was lying on my back facing the stars. A cool rag soothing the bruises on my face. I groaned and attempted to sit up but was immediately met with a hand gently forcing me back down. "You ought to be careful." a voice said. I recognized it.

"Chase?" I croaked. My throat was dry and parched. I watched as she left me for a second to get me a canteen. She lifted it to my lips, helping me drink. I gulped at the water greedily, draining it in seconds.

"Careful," she warned again as I tried to sit up again. The pain was too much and I ended up staying still.

"Where'd you come from?" I said quietly as I continued to watch her move around the small camp, dipping the rag in water again before returning back to me. She stayed beside my head, soothing my wounds.

"I should ask you the same," she said meeting my gaze below her. "But I'm not sure I want to know."

I sighed and looked beyond her to the stars. "O'Driscolls," I said simply.

" 'Course."

"Where are we?" I asked.

She gave me a simple answer. "We're just outside of Vanhorn. Me, Sadie, and Charles found you getting into a bar fight."

"Right..." The memories all came flooding back now. "What..." I said slowly, "What are you doing out here?" I met her gaze again and remembered why I loved her. Her blue eyes consoled me and made me feel safe. She held a soft expression as I waited for her to answer.

"I've been taking jobs with Sadie and Charles. Guarding stages and the like."

I hummed in approval. I missed working with her. When we got into trouble and she fought...it was beautiful. Like she was born to do it. Like her body just knew what moves to make to save our lives.

"You're so pretty," I said, keeping her gaze.

Her face turned a light shade of pink and a sad smile graced her lips but she didn't say anything in return.

Before I could ask why we heard Charles and Sadie's horses pulling up to the campsite. Her gaze tore away from mine to look at them.

"She's awake," I heard Charles say. I turned my head to look at them.

They were dismounting. I noticed that they both held slips of paper. Telegrams I guessed. "How's your head?" Charles asked me as they walked towards us, looking me over.

"Fine. Thank you." I winced as I tried to sit up a bit more.

"Yeah..." he said, stepping closer, examining my wound. "It's gonna leave a nasty bruise but it should be fine, long as you take it easy." I nodded as carefully as I could without agitating my headache and slowly brought myself to my feet, ignoring the sore pain from the rest of my body.

My legs felt wobbly and the world spun a bit. "Oh fuck..." I groaned, stumbling a few steps forward.

"Uh..." Chase said, clearly apprehensive about me getting up so soon.

"Woah, woah, woah," Sadie said reaching out to hold me steady. "Where are you goin' cowgirl?"

"I can't stay here," I said trying to regain my balance. "O'Driscolls will be looking for me."

I could see Charles and Sadie look at each other with worry. "You're in no shape to go anywhere," Charles said.

"-Right. I think it's best you run with us for a bit 'till you get better," Sadie offered.

"I don't know..." I muttered, considering the kind offer.

"We're headin' to Tumbleweed, sheriff there said he had a transport that needed guardin'. S'gonna be a couple of days out, that okay?" Sadie said.

Charles spoke up. "You ride with Chase. Sadie'll lead and I'll watch the rear. Chase is that okay?"

Chase glanced at me before shrugging her shoulders. "Yeah."

So, Sadie led me to Chase's horse and helped get me mounted while Charles and Chase cleared the camp, stamping out the small fire and packing Sadie and Charles' horses.

"Okay," Chase said as she pulled herself up and onto the saddle, gripping her horse's reins. "You alright?" She said back to me.

I wrapped my arms around her waist, holding on as she clicked her tongue and her horse started into a trot behind Sadie and in front of Charles. "Yeah," I said quietly. The movement of the horse already rocking me into a drowsy state. "Thank you," I mumbled, leaning against her back and closing my eyes.

"Oh, Sarah," I heard her say before I drifted into a light slumber.