WANTED (Sequel to One Hell of a Maid)

Chapter 23: The Beginning of Something New

The exhaustion weighs heavily upon my eyes and limbs. And yet I push through the fog. I cannot be distracted, not during this meeting or any other we may have.

The cowboy-Indians and I sit around the
dead fire, breakfast already digesting. I can feel my stomach churning unhappily within me, just another unease for me to ignore.

"I need to clear my name." I speak suddenly. "However, I do not wish to take advantage of your kindness."

John waves a hand. "As soon as we met you we had no choice but to assist you. We are the slaves of fate and our destinies are intertwined at the moment. We cannot do anything about it, least of all you, Ebony Shale."

I can't hold back my scowl, though it just makes John and the others chuckle.

"So, what do you propose?" I ask, skeptically.

"That we clear your name and clean up this mess." John smiles but then grows serious. "It is our duty to help you fix this injustice."

I didn't see how it is their duty, this is my mess and my problem. But I appreciate their help more than I am willing to admit.

"First things first." One of the men, I recognize as Atepa says. "We need to dress you for the part of a criminal."

"Aren't we trying to get my name cleared, not reinforce their opinions on it?" I ask, bewildered.

John's eyes crinkle as he grins. I look at the Indians, eyes narrowing in suspicion. What do they have planned?

"It'll be ironic of you dress the part but don't play it." Atepa explains.

And a very shoddy explanation it is.

I raise a brow. "And what part will I be playing?"

Another one of the men, Tepi, grins. "The heroine. You'll play the savior to those in trouble while leading the sherif around like a dog. During this distraction you'll be also investigating to clear your name. You will be in danger, yes. But I see a good outcome of this risk."

I honestly don't see how, but I keep my mouth shut. Trust is something I lack, but I must give to these men.

As if seeing my doubt John speaks, "We are all used to playing the game of fate. Entertain her of your own will and their will be good outcomes."

For some reason this staunches my doubt. I can't help but smile at him. "I'm used to playing games. Hell, I'm good at it, so why not take this gamble?" I consent.

The men grin back at me, their faces both amused, excited, and relieved.

"So, where's the costume?"

〰〰〰

I smirk down at my clothes, instead of being embarrassed like I once might have been I feel comfortable. The clothes are easy to move in and the fabric light against my skin, far more efficient then my torn dress.

The best part of the ensemble though is the boots on my feet. They are a dark brown leather and come up just below the knee, a perfect pair of riding boots. I wear a pair of form fitting tan slacks tucked into my boots. I also wear a dark brown leather vest to match the boots, the vest makes a show of my stomach, revealing my belly button. Under the vest is a cream colored shirt, the sleeves coming to my elbows. Paired with this outfit is a cowboy hat.

I leave my tent and immediately eyes are attached to me.

"Perfect." Atepa says.

John ponders me before plucking a black feather entwined in his black hair and putting it into my hat. "That will do."

I smile at the leader. "Thank you."

"When will we start?" Tepi interrupts.

John shrugs. "When do you wish to start, Ebony Shale?"

"Now." I say. "We shouldn't rush this, yet we should hurry along with this."

"Yes, I agree with that." Atepa says.

"Me too." Tepi agrees as well.

"Now it is then." John nods.

"The only question is, how do we start?" Tepi asks, looking between John and I.

John shrugs. "We already know fate wants a good show, it will come to us."

And it does.

That afternoon as I ride near the rim of a town it happens. A child screams. I quickly turn on my horse.

A slight fear grips at me. John had insisted before I left that I do this alone. And so that is what I did. It is why I ride on my black mare by myself, tempting any person to notice me and holler for a sherif. Or worse still, the sherif. Bo.

I chase away my flyaway thoughts and gallop towards the shrieking sound. What I find makes my blood turn to ice.

Not a child but a pretty teenage girl with red hair and and a brown sackcloth dress splayed out on the dirt ground. Her back is pressed against that very ground. An ugly purple bruise begins to form on her face along with a terrified emotion that flickers and then stays strewn across her freckled face.

Not five paces away is a man dressed in dark colors. He leers at her, a sickening grin plastered against his face. For a moment he's Claude but then I shake my head. The evil bastard is once again a large, looming cowboy. A threat but not the same kind as Claude was and is.

"Don't touch her." I growl

The people that pooled into the road once they heard the shriek all look at me with shock written across their faces.

"That's Ebony Shale." Someone exclaims, awestruck.

And then my name is tossed and thrown across the crowd as realization hits. It seems that John's plan is working. Maybe he's right, maybe I will be able to clear my name and save people while doing it.

The darkly dressed cowboy scowls at me. "Back off girly or your next." Then he's grinning again as his eyes rake over me. "Scratch that. You will be next."

I slide a knife out of it's sheath strapped around my thigh and with my enhanced senses, throw it perfectly past his nose, skimming the bastard's cheek. Blood seeps from the wound and falls down his scruffy cheeks.

He whips around to face me, the red headed girl forgotten. I look her in her hazel eyes, hopefully conveying my thoughts. She understand. She jerks her head in a nod, wiping away her tears and scurrying into a random house.

"What did you just do." He hisses through clenched teeth.

"We both know what I did." I gesture to the bloodied knife not lying too far away.

His light brown eyes are pillaged with red hot rage as he surges towards me. I roll my eyes at this tactless move. I slip from my horse and easily land an uppercut under his nose. I hear a satisfying snap and blood smears across his face.

Using the hilt of my gun I smash it over his head. The criminal immediately slumps to the ground. The people around me watch with wide eyes as I pick up the knife I threw earlier and wipe it on the dusty ground. Dust cakes the blade but the blood is gone, so I tuck it back into its sheath.

When I straighten there is an awed silence and then one person claps, followed by cheering and even more clapping.

I can't help but smile as I mount my horse. With an ironic little wave I ride away just as Bo shows up. The last he sees of me is the feather in my hat as my mare gallops away.

My smile widens, this is the beginning of something new.