Miss Morgan

Thirty-Four

June 1899
-John-

I'm running through the halls of a dark hotel with a massive timber wolf snarling and chasing after me. I take turn after turn, not sure where the halls will lead me but I can't find my way out.

I keep running until get into an empty room and now I'm cornered. The wolf circles around me before it pounces. I hold it by the neck as it growls and snaps it's jaws only inches from my face. Blood drips from its razor sharp teeth. Then, as it opens its mouth to rip my throat out, a white wolf runs in and attacks it. My heart pounds as I watch the wolves fight.

Then I wake up in my tent drenched in sweat.

Shit, another nightmare about the damn wolves.

I get up and grab some coffee then sit by the fire for a moment before I have to take over watch.
We've been camped at Horseshoe Overlook for two weeks now. We've all been staying in camp to lie low and everyone is getting cooped up. The overall mood has been about the lowest it's ever been.

Davey and Jenny are dead. Sean, Ivy and Mac are all still missing. Every day that passes seems to be just another nail in the coffin for all three of them because we've been under strict orders to lie low and could hardly even leave camp, let alone go anywhere near Blackwater to look for them.

The only hope we have is the fact that Hosea's been keeping an eye out on the newspapers and says he hasn't seen anything about either of them being captured or hanged. The Blackwater Massacre has been in almost every newspaper since it happened and they all say they're still looking for any information on the Van Der Linde gang.

I'm finally starting to get back on my feet and Dutch has decided to put an end to the stay in camp orders so we can get back out there and make some money.

I would have been up on my feet a lot sooner if Abigail would have just left me alone. Now I just drink, sleep and stand on watch to cope with the increasing pain that Ivy is probably dead. There's so much I should have done different.

Arthur and Uncle drive past me in one of the wagons with Karen, Tilly and Mary-Beth all singing in the back. Javier, Bill and Charles all head out on their horses, talking about going to the saloon. Everyone's excited to get back out there and explore Valentine now that Dutch says we can start getting back to work.

About half an hour later, even Dutch leaves to check out Valentine. He's the big man with the price on his head here, he must really be sick of being stuck here with all of us.

We left almost everything we had behind when we left Blackwater. Dutch said he was able to stash the money from the ferry somewhere safe so we can go back for it eventually.

Uncle and the girls arrive a few hours later and Karen takes over my watch. "Some feller said he recognized us from Blackwater. Arthur was gonna go take care of him." She tells me.

"Great." I mutter as I walk back to my tent. We finally get back out there and immediately get recognized. Just what we need.

"John, I need you to help me with the boy." Abigail squawks at me.

"Not now." I wave her off and head to the horses. I need out of camp before I lose my mind. I mount up on Old Boy's back and head for Valentine.

The sun is beginning to set when I arrive so I'm still able to see everything before dark. It's a livestock town, full of mud and morons just as Hosea described, but after being in the mountains and then stuck in camp all week, I can see why everyone is so excited to come see it.

Aside from all the sheep, there's a general store, a gunsmith, post office, a hotel, a doctor, a livery, a small theatre and there's even two saloons. It's not nearly as nice a town as Blackwater was but it certainly beats Colter, up in the mountains.